Wall Scribbles

I did some scribbling on the wall this past month...my Facebook wall, that is.  Here's a look back...

Aug. 1 - I found out something was troubling Shav's sweet mind last night. As I was tucking him and Tobin into bed, the conversation turned to heaven - specifically, how we would get there. Tobin carried on with his theme, repeated often in recent days, of "we'll wear bathrobes while we go up to heaven."  But then Shav asked in a small voice, "What if God drops us?" I had to hide my grin because I knew it was serious to him, but how to reassure him? Rather than launching into a metaphysical discussion of heaven being in a different realm, thus negating the need for us to literally be carried up through the atmosphere to heaven, I asked instead, "Does God love you SO MUCH?" Shav's head nodded, and he smiled. "Is He strong enough to carry you?" A soft "yes" with another nod. "Well, then, He won't ever drop you!" Shav got a big grin on his suddenly-peaceful face. All was well. God wasn't going to drop him.   Later as I pondered the conversation with him, I thought, "How many times have I been reassured, during tough times, by two things: God is strong, and God loves me?" The knowledge of His power and His love is enough to quell any fear, for those who are part of His family!

Aug. 2 - We're just hours away from meeting our Fresh Air boy (although Tobin keeps mixing up the words and calling him our Air Freshener boy! "Fresh Air, Tobin...FRESH AIR!...or better yet, just call him Erick...but please DON'T call him our Air Freshener boy!!!").   Excitement is running high, for sure!! 

Aug. 5 - We had a little excursion to town this morning--the kind that I have to mentally prepare myself for by clothing myself with extra patience and joy. One place we went got a thumbs-down; another got a big thumbs-up. The thumbs-down? Our library. Let me say first that I LOVE our library. We benefit SO MUCH from it, and the workers there are friendly and helpful. Normally it gets a big two thumbs-up from me. But today, it didn't. Why? Because for the summer reading program, the charts on which the boys recorded their reading said that prizes could be picked up until August 31. But when we waltzed in there this morning, full of anticipation about receiving prizes, the employee said, "I'm sorry. That's a misprint. The deadline was actually on Saturday." I feel sorry for the poor lady who had to be the bearer of bad news to us (and lots of other families that I saw with orange charts in hand and expectation on their faces); I know it wasn't her decision, and it wasn't her fault, and I don't envy her the task of telling kids they wouldn't be able to get the prizes! But maybe the library could have, after noticing the misprint on the charts, let people know about that before today?? *sigh* Well, on to happier things.  We went to Chick-fil-A for lunch, and it was busy and crazy in there, and a bus pulled up and unloaded lots of people. And you know what? Those CFA employees were AWESOME! They served...and smiled...and helped...and said "my pleasure"...and came around to clean the table...and smiled at Moriah and commented on her blue eyes...and gave the boys refills...and were just generally amazing workers. They made the whole experience a genuine pleasure...even for this "oh-my-goodness-my-hands-are-SO-full-today" mom. CFA, you rock!! 

Aug. 6 - Today at lunch, the topic once again turned to what we should name a new baby (no, I'm not pregnant). I don't know why the boys bring it up so much; I don't instigate it!  But I think it's cute, and I always listen in when they start talking about it. Today's discussion brought about the normal silliness like "we should name him Cucumber!" and "how about Spongy?" But the most clever came from David who said, if we have a girl, we should name her Mount so we could call "Mount! Moriah!" Clever boy. 

Aug. 8 - Jeff called me yesterday morning before he headed home from his monthly breakfast out with Josiah and asked if there was anything I needed him to get at the store. "Well, we're out of fresh fruit," I told him, "so you could get some apples and some bananas...and..." thinking aloud "...maybe some grapes." He did all that--and more. When he got home, I discovered that not only did he get apples and bananas and green grapes AND purple grapes, he also got raspberries...and clementines...and grapefruit...and a pineapple...and kiwi...and dried cranberries.   I asked for 3 kinds of fruit and got 10.   It reminded me of the time four and half years ago (I recorded this incident in my old blog) when I made a grocery list for him and wrote down macaroni. In an effort to be extra helpful and specific, I added the words "plain, dry." Jeff returned with 9 pounds of plain, dry pasta--elbow macaroni, rotini, ziti, angel hair pasta, and egg noodles! 9 pounds!!   During that same shopping trip I had asked for black olives. Jeff brought home 7 cans! Over-achiever. 

Aug. 13 - "D-A-V-E-N-E" I carefully spelled out my name this morning to the lady behind the entries table in the baked goods section of the fair. "I know a Davene," she said, "Davene Wolfe." "I'm named after her!" I proudly informed her. "Really?," she responded, "I go to church with her daughter!" Ah, life in a small town! I love it.   (And I love my name, different though it may be. At least people from my past don't ever have a hard time finding me on Facebook. "Now WHICH of the 5,032 Amy Smiths is the one I'm looking for??" That never happens with me!) 

Aug. 15 - This day has been filled with many good moments--some ordinary, like sweet hugs from my boys, and some out-of-the-ordinary, like working corn with my neighbor and ending up with 43 pints for the freezer. But the picture that most vividly stands out in my mind as I think back over my day happened late this afternoon. Wilma and I had finished our corn project, and I had put my boxes of corn into the freezer; then I returned to her house to give her something. I wasn't sure where I would find her; but as I got close, I saw that she was sitting at her kitchen table. She called to me to come in, and I did...then saw that she had a bowl of food she was eating, and her Bible open on the table beside her food. She was feeding her body--and her spirit. My heart went *click* as I captured the image.

When it comes to Old Order Mennonites or Amish, I find that the general public tends to fall into two categories: 1) those who idolize and romanticize the Old Order groups, and 2) those who put down those groups as having only an outward form of too-strict religion without a real heart change. Because of the blessing of living so close to Douglas and Wilma and sharing life with them during the past 8 years, I think I see them a little more clearly. Sure, they drive a horse and buggy, but that doesn't mean they're against all technology--especially when that technology saves lives (like when their daughter Marlene was air-lifted by helicopter to a hospital across the mountain when she was deathly ill with encephalitis). Sure, they're pacifists, but that doesn't mean they never struggle with anger and strife. Sure, they are careful to teach their children to obey, but that doesn't mean their kids never squabble. Sure, they choose to not be involved in the government, but that doesn't mean they don't pray for our political leaders (they do! more than any other church I know of!). Sure, they strive to live holy, pure lives, but that doesn't mean they're unaware that they fall short of the glory of God and are saved by His grace.

Tonight as I sat at my kitchen table with my Bible open before me (and, I'll admit, cookies and milk, too!), I gave thanks for the woman across the lane who, earlier today, sat at her table, reading God's precious words. I'm inspired by her example of faithful, sacrificial living, and I'm honored to call her my friend.

Aug. 16 - Almost everything in life is improved by the right music. Case in point: listening to Fiddler on the Roof while making applesauce this morning.  The amazingly-cool, is-this-really-August breeze coming in the kitchen windows...the full dishpan of luscious green apples...and those beloved songs. You know those moments of supreme contentment that I keep my eye out for? Well, I had quite a few of those this morning as I sang along with "If I Were a Rich Man"...thought fondly of my wedding when I heard "Sunrise, Sunset"...and tapped my toes (really, I wanted to kick up my heels and do a jig!) to the lively dance tunes. Then I realized I've neglected my children's education because they've never seen Fiddler on the Roof! Guess what we're going to watch during my upcoming family night? 

Aug. 16 - This morning I made applesauce while Moriah was in bed for her morning nap. This afternoon I tried to continue the project while she was awake. I learned something interesting: almost every part of the making-applesauce-and-canning-it project (except for the cutting of the apples and the putting jars in and out of the hot canner) can be done one-handed. My sweet little Moriah seemed to think she MUST be held, so I planted her on my left hip and got to work. Carrying jars up from the cellar with one arm? No problem. Stirring the apples in a pan on the stove with one arm? Possible. Scooping cooked apples into the food mill? Easy as pie. Mixing sugar into the applesauce? Yep. Ladling applesauce into jars? Of course. To tell you the truth, I chafed a little inside me when Moriah whined every time I set her down. "Can't you just sit there and play with toys for five minutes?" I wanted to ask her. But then I realized how incredible it was that all it took to make her completely content was for me to reach down and pick her up. She would be at my feet, fussing, fussing, fussing. When I lifted her up and held her, she was instantly quiet and peaceful. When I changed my perspective to count my blessings, I discovered there were many!  But now that she's in bed again for her afternoon nap, I'm looking forward to working a little faster and making quicker progress in this applesauce project. It's nice to use two arms again. 

Aug. 17 - Listening to my three youngest sons discuss deep theological questions over lunch (when did God begin? if Jesus was born on earth and has a birthday and is God, then why don't we say God has a birthday? what are angels? can angels fly faster than Superman? how will we get to heaven? Shav suggested a bridge...David scoffed at that idea, until I said that yes, Jesus is the bridge...then someone said that we would float up...but Shav reminded us that God will carry us...and so on...) makes me smile and sort of shake my head. They have so little understanding of these weighty matters, but that doesn't stop them from trying to figure them out!  Then I wonder if, when God listens to us (and by us, I mean the "great minds of our day"), he smiles and sort of shakes His head, too. Predestination? Free will? Premillennialism? Amillennialism? and so on... He must think, "They have so little understanding..." When my head starts to spin with the theological arguments swirling around me, I turn again to Philippians 3: 15-16, "All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Yes! Let's live up to what we've already learned. Our spiritual knowledge may only be one drop in a vast ocean, but let's be faithful and obedient to what God has already taught us!

Aug. 20 - Yes and amen!

"We want, in fact, not so much a Father in heaven as a grandfather in heaven...whose plan for the universe was simply that it might be truly said at the end of each day, 'A good time was had by all.'...I should very much like to live in a universe which was governed on such lines. But since it is abundantly clear that I don't, and since I have reason to believe, nevertheless, that God is Love, I conclude that my conception of love needs correction.... The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of a God who loves is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word 'love'." 

~ C.S. Lewis

Aug. 20 - Clear out of the blue this afternoon, Tobin announced to me: "When I have a wife and am a dad to my kids, if we have a girl, I might name her Kathy Rhodes." At first, I thought he said "Cassie Rose," (he was downstairs calling up the steps to me when he was saying this, so I didn't hear him clearly), and I thought, "Well, that's a nice name, but WHY Cassie Rose?" And then he said, "You know, like on the farm we visited! KATHY RHODES!"   :)  Kathy, one of the local volunteers with the Fresh Air Fund, sure made a good impression on him!!! 

Aug. 20 - While canning peaches today, I could almost feel the presence of preceding generations of women in my family line who spent their August days bending over hot stoves to preserve food for coming winters. I personally remember my Grandma Winters doing it, and I know her mother did it...and her mother...and so forth... In real life, my kitchen today held three generations who were dicing peaches and putting them in jars. My mother and myself, of course. Anyone want to guess which one of my children was helping us out? [It was Tobin.]  :)

Aug. 20 - Humbling, but profound quote!

You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do."

 ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Aug. 21 - We returned from a day trip to Pennsylvania and discovered that it's been raining here. Shav quipped, "Thanks, God, for watering our garden for us...BUT NO THANKS FOR WATERING THE WEEDS!" 

Aug. 28 - I'm reading an article about perfectionism (by Jill Savage, in the Aug/Sept edition of Thriving Family magazine), and this jumped out at me and said, "BOO!" Jill wrote, "...[perfectionism] causes us to compare our insides with other people's outsides." Isn't that the truth?! I had a great phone conversation last evening with a friend who is a young mom and was feeling overwhelmed. She seemed surprised when I told her that EVERY SINGLE DAY I feel overwhelmed, too. Apparently my cheerful posts on FB and my blog don't always convey that.  But let me state here and now that I don't have it all together...I fall short all the time...in this juggling act of being a wife/mother/homemaker/homeschooler/etc. I'm constantly dropping balls all over the place. I would never want my "outsides" to discourage someone who is comparing them to her "insides." Another point in the article hit home for me, too. Jill wrote about several ways of changing our perspective, and one of them was this: "The moment in which we find ourselves is just as important as the moment we planned to be in." Yes! May I have the grace to remember and walk in that truth.

Aug. 29 - EXCELLENT article.  I could not agree more with what he says here.

Aug. 29 - Walking down Memory Lane tonight... One of my college roommates and dear friends Jackie posted a picture recently of a child's table and chairs set that she had had in her home when she lived in Egypt (and now her 3-year-old daughter Nyah uses it).  A tidal wave of memories washed over me tonight when I saw that photo, and I completely abandoned any thought of doing anything else until I could find a certain picture: my own sweet Josiah sitting on one of those chairs and playing at that table. You see, when Jackie lived in Egypt, we lived in Israel; and in October of 2003, when Josiah was 16 months old (Moriah's current age!), we had the pleasure of visiting Jackie in Cairo. She was an EXCELLENT tour guide, and I could write pages about that wonderful trip.  But what stands out in my memory tonight is how Josiah, who was going through a shy stage, warmed up to her so quickly, and they became great buddies during our visit there.  See?  

Aug. 29 - Almost 10 years ago, Jackie was loving on my little boy as we sailed down the Nile River. Today I found out that, come January, she's going to have a little boy of her own to adore. I couldn't be happier!!! 

Aug. 29 - Tonight's edition of trivia that only matters to Davene but she puts it on Facebook so she'll remember it:  the height and weight of the Fisher boys! I finally remembered to measure them on our growth chart tonight, and then decided to have them all weigh as well. Josiah was 57 inches and 70 pounds (average for 11-year-old boy is 52 inches and 77 pounds). David was 50.25 inches and 54 pounds(average for 8-year-old boy is 45 inches and 57.2 pounds). Tobin (who is actually five and a half) was 43.75 inches and 39.8 pounds (average for 5-year-old boy is 40 inches and 41.8 pounds). Shav was 39.75 inches and 37.2 pounds (average for 4-year-old boy is 37 inches and 35-37 pounds). With body shapes/sizes/types being SO different, I realize these stats don't necessarily say a thing about overall health. But they might, however, explain why I have a hard time finding pants that are small enough around the waist and long enough in the legs for my boys! 

Aug. 31 - Our dinner table is a little empty this evening! Jeff was given free tickets to the JMU football game tonight, so he took Josiah, David, and my dad, and they went to the game. Guys Night Out.  

 Aug. 31 - Jeff has sent me a few pictures during the course of the evening...and I really appreciate his pictorial updates.  I was wondering how far along the game was...and what the score is...and things like that. But the most recent picture he sent me had nothing to do with any of that. It was a picture of David holding a tooth that just came out! I have no idea how the Dukes are doing, but MY SON JUST LOST A TOOTH!!!  :)  

Where We Were {a Week Ago}

A week ago, we were at Riven Rock park, enjoying some fun in God's amazing creation with Erick, our Fresh Air Fund boy from New York City.

A week ago, Jeff was amazing us with his talent as he built this...  :)

Ah, yes.  Building rock towers.  Just one more thing to add to the list of fun activities at Riven Rock!  :)

The End of This Adventure

A week ago, a new adventure began for us.

Today it ended, as Erick, our Fresh Air boy, returned to his home in New York City.  When I asked him yesterday what he wanted to do first when he got back home, he said, "Give my mom a hug!!"  So sweet.  :)

Before he left this morning, Erick requested a photo with each of us individually; and--you know me--I'm always glad to take pictures.  :)

 I even got to snag one with him.  :)

 It was interesting to look around at the other host families, most of whom I did not know.  I was particularly impressed with how involved the conservative Mennonite community is in the Fresh Air Fund.  Can you see that there are six women with head coverings in this photo?  :)

 Well, after last hugs and goodbyes (and tears on the part of my sweet Tobin), it was time for Erick to get on the bus and head north...

...so he could get that hug from his mom.  :)

(This particular adventure is over, but I have MANY more photos that I didn't take time to share during this past week.  I still plan to write more blog posts about this adventure, so even though it's officially over, it's not really over here on the blog.)  :)

This Is the Frog

This is the frog that Erick found.

This is the frog that Erick found yesterday when we were at Riven Rock.  (Well, is it a frog?  Maybe it's still a tadpole.  It has a long tail but has grown little legs.  Whatever it currently is, I believe it's becoming a frog.  So I'm going to call it that.)  ;-)

Anyway, where was I?  Oh yes!

This is the frog that Erick found yesterday when we were at Riven Rock, which got carried home in a cup and then placed in a big jar of water, rocks, and leaves and spent the night on our patio.

And this is that frog's new home.

This is the pond that belongs to our neighbors who said we could put the frog that Erick found at Riven Rock in it.

 This is Erick, gently dumping the frog into the water of its new home.

 These are the swans who came to investigate.

 This is Erick, watching the swans...

...and saying goodbye to the frog that he, Josiah, and David named Spike Froggy Puddleglum.

We hope the frog that Erick found has a beautiful life.  :)

Wordless Wednesday {5 Incredible Boys, 1 Gorgeous Park}

Third Farm's a Charm

Two days ago, we visited a dairy farm.  But they weren't milking when we were there.

One day ago, we visited a dairy farm.  But they weren't milking when we were there.

Today, we visited a dairy farm.

And they were milking!!  :)

 Erick had expressed a significant interest in seeing the process of milking, so my dad arranged with a nearby farmer for us to go early this evening while they were milking.  After watching for a while, Erick asked if he could use my camera, so I handed it over and he took quite a few pictures, including the following two:  :)

I am grateful for my dad coordinating this, for friendly farmers who don't mind extra youngsters around during milking time, for the opportunity to live in the country and share those simple delights with Erick this week...

...and for cows that make such yummy milk!  :)

Cold Never Stopped These Boys

Our recent temperatures have been abnormally cool for August; and my local pregnant friends are giving thanks that we've avoided the hot, humid weather that so often comes this time of year.  :)  I personally, not being pregnant, wish it would be a tiny bit warmer--mostly because water play would be more enjoyable with temps in the 80s or 90s, not the 70s! 

But these boys don't seem to mind.  They're always eager to play in our own little pool at our house or swim in someone else's pool (like we did this evening at a great Fresh Air Fund event).  

Even when their teeth are chattering and their bodies shivering, they jump right in.

Little fish.  :)

Cuteness

 ~ Erick holding one of our soft little chicks

~ Jeff holding Moriah at the top of Mole Hill during our Saturday evening hike

Here's a Peek...

...at the boy who's filling our days with extra special activity!  :)

 More to come later...  :)

Taking the Adventure that Is Sent Us

Those of you who are ardent Narnia fans may recognize the title as coming from the words of Prince Rilian before he and Puddleglum and Eustace and Jill leave the home of the witch underground and head towards the surface.

For the rest of you, the title may mean nothing more than this: our Fresh Air boy is on the way to us right now!!!  :)

About an hour ago, I posted this on Facebook:
We're just hours away from meeting our Fresh Air boy (although Tobin keeps mixing up the words and calling him our Air Freshener boy! "Fresh Air, Tobin...FRESH AIR!...or better yet, just call him Erick...but please DON'T call him our Air Freshener boy!!!").  Excitement is running high, for sure!! 

The house is clean from top to bottom.  Well, as clean as it gets around here, because just as soon as I think everything is relatively spick-and-span, someone goes outside and comes back in, and then there's a leaf and a half dozen pieces of grass on the floor.  Oh, well.  It's happy dirt.  :)

The kitchen table has had leaves added to it and an extra chair brought out.

A bed upstairs is freshly made, and on the wall beside it is this decoration done by my boys:

We are so excited to welcome Erick!!  :)

A Big Beyond

Beyond.

My theme for 2013.  As I said in that post, I don't write much about my Beyond activities because I don't want to call attention to my acts of service.  But despite my blog silence concerning it, I have been finding little ways here and there to reach out, past my circle, outside of my comfort zone, and make a difference for others.

But I'm eager to do more than just reach out in little ways.  Back in December, I mentioned that one of my goals for the new year was to "Do at least one major beyond-myself outreach."  I toyed with several ideas for how to do that, but one that kept coming back to my mind was this...

I've known about the Fresh Air Fund for a long time (can you believe that this organization has been around since 1877???  that's only 12 years after the Civil War ended!) and have watched as several families we know here in our area have hosted children.  My heart has been tugged by their example; and, after much contemplation, Jeff and I decided to get involved and host a child this year--which for some people might not be such a huge step beyond, but for us it really is.

Tonight we met with Kathy, one of the local volunteer leaders, to get the ball rolling; and now I am SO EXCITED!

And a little nervous, too.  ;-)

But mostly thrilled at the opportunity to, if only for a week, enlarge our family circle and draw in another child.  I pray that this time together will bless that child in ways that only God could design, but I also realize that the child will bring blessings into our family and will be used by God to teach us and help us to grow in Him.

When we pause to care for a starfish, we find ourselves cared for as well.