Wordless Wednesday…”Happy Halloween 2012″

Posted on October 31, 2012 by thisnest

Happy Halloween

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Re-Do

Posted on October 24, 2012 by thisnest

 

Big brother, Little Brother

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Mornings with him are like this big surprise gift that is given each new morning. From downstairs I can hear his loud “plop” as he jumps from my bed, uh, our bed down to the floor. His fat three-year-old feet pounding the stairs in that same familiar pattern as he hustles his way down to me. The big smile that creeps across his precious face (and mine) as he rushes to me. The big breath I take as I loudly exclaim – “My baby! My baby!” and then after I make a huge deal about his morning arrival, I scoop him up into my arms and begin to kiss him all over his face. I love our morning ritual.

On the mornings I am too distracted by life to recognize this daily gift, he reminds me. He stands in front of me, with that big smile, and taps me with that chubby little index finger, as if to say “I am here, here I am!” He is clearly convinced that he snuck down the stairs without me hearing him, and that I must have just not seen him yet or I surely would have made a big deal out of his presence…and just like that, with that little finger tapping me, I have a re-do. A chance to get it right. And I do.

I know in my heart that I won’t always get a re-do. I thought about that as my storm of kisses landed in his cheeks and lips this morning. I no longer smooch the mess out of my oldest. Sure I kiss and hug him still – but I can’t scoop his six foot frame up into my lap, and he’d probably throw up if I suffocated him with the same affection that my three-year-old craves. My heart feels like this will last forever…but my mind knows better. Soon enough I will run out of re-do’s.

Please Lord, give me the wisdom to appreciate each of these moments, because they are not infinite. Let me see each day as the gift it is…even when our blessed chaos is so frustrating, help me to see the preciousness in it. Thank You for my blessings, especially for the five you entrusted us with. I love You.

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Wordless Wednesday…”Brown Daddy/Pink Mama”

Posted on October 17, 2012 by thisnest

Brown Daddy, Pink Mama

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The Good And The Bad

Posted on October 13, 2012 by thisnest

 

Friday Night Lights

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Take the good with the bad…that’s what they say. That’s what I do…take the good with the bad.

The Good: Friday night lights. Sitting in the stadium on a wet Fall evening. The smell of the concession stand, burgers on the grill. Maniac Midgets at home with their Auntie Star so I can enjoy the game. Wearing my brand new sweatshirt that says “Senior Mom” on the front and “Done June 14, 2013” on the back. Witnessing my first-born son finally getting some love from the coaches. Watching him return that love by performing with all the gifts God blessed him with. Cheering loudly as he ran, tackled, intercepted, and fumble-recovered his way to what he’s had to wait so long for. Seeing the Storm head toward their 44 – 7 victory over their opponents. Rushing the field post-game to find and wrap my arms around my son…my son.

The Bad: Getting a call while down on that field – telling me to hurry home. D’Lo threw up. He threw up a lot. It’s all over his room. Hurried home to our other sons – one asleep, the other awake and clearly miserable. Settled him in on the couch and began clean up. Vomit literally everywhere – two beds, blankets, pillows, carpet, hallway, clothes. Finished that job just in time to see D’Lo miss the bowl. More puke on the couch and living room floor. More clean up. Finally done. My oldest son came downstairs, sore and tired from his game and red kool-aid slushy in hand, to talk to me. Slushy slips out of his hand, hits me in the arm, spills all over my brand new sweatshirt, splatters all over every surrounding wall, and spreads out onto more carpet. Super awesome. More clean up…a lot more. Then off to a sleepless night with a healthy three year old on one side of me, and a sick five year old on the other.

And so it goes…taking the good with the bad. That’s what life is really all about. It is made memorable, as evidenced by my overall evening, by the ups AND the downs. We more clearly recognize joy if we’ve had to face sorrow. We more readily appreciate happiness if we’ve endured some pain. We take the good and the bad, the threads of life, and we sew them into our individual patterns.

That’s just what we do.

I had a great night.

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The Day’s End

Posted on October 5, 2012 by thisnest

Daddy and son, sleeping soundly

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It’s such a long hard day that brings them to this place – the oldest and the youngest Sparrows. Daddy spending countless hours driving, delivering, loading and unloading…all a labor of love for his family. Baby spending those same amount of hours running, dancing, coloring, laughing and crying…all a part if his toddler journey.

Still, at the end of the day, once even the sun has decided it’s time to rest – it is right here on our old brown couch that the separate days’ journeys have melted into the very same place. Evidence of their hard work still visible…the bigger Sparrow still in part of his uniform, and the smaller Sparrow still wearing the dirt and marker ink that somehow show up on him day after day.

I thank You, Lord, for this amazing sight to behold…and for all the blessings that brought these two here – to this couch, to this home, and to this grateful woman’s heart.

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