:. scarred .:

I'm not a People magazine-type of person. I don't really care which celebrities are sleeping with whom, or who just went into rehab. And I certainly hadn't planned on posting about Michael Jackson. But a recent headline on Drudge jumped out at me, compelling me to blog.

It seems the people performing the autopsy on Jackson noted that without makeup, there was significant scarring on his face. That doesn't come as any great surprise, given all the plastic surgery. But I was struck by how that statement sums up the human condition.

We are afraid to show the world who we really are, so we carefully construct masks that keep everyone at a safe distance. Many of us have deep hurts, but we cover our scars with makeup; we don't want to appear weak or needy. Or we are simply afraid that we won't "measure up" to some standard or other that we have set.

Wendell Berry speaks of the "bloodied and the bewildered", a good description of many in our world. No one gets through life without some heartache, and where there is suffering, there will be scars. When will we learn to be transparent with our hurts? On the other hand, when will we learn to help those in need rather than judge them? (or worse, turn our backs on them?)

We are told to 'weep with those who weep'. We are told to 'bear one another's burdens'.
Let's be willing to remove the makeup, take off the mask, and be REAL with one another.

:. tenderized .:

Awhile back, my little Katie bought me a meat tenderizer. For years I had used the handle of my heaviest knife to pound out a nice cutlet, so that was a thoughtful little surprise, indeed. My new heavy-duty mallet is a wonder!

I've been thinking lately about trials . . . and about suffering . . . and about all the hurts in this world. I have come to realize that repeated trials pound our hard, selfish hearts into something tender, something malleable.

Anyone with even a smidgen of human kindness will feel badly for someone facing cancer. A tenderized heart will go beyond feeling badly; a tenderized heart will understand the fear, will feel the 'aloneness' of the sufferer.

If you've never experienced the death of a loved one, you can still understand the pain of someone facing that loss. But once you've been there yourself, you never forget how much it hurts to have part of your heart torn away.

It is the dearly-bought difference between sympathy and empathy.

The Bible tells us that "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" will comfort us in our afflictions. Out of love for His child, yes, but also "so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction."
As we persevere under trials, we begin to look more and more like the One who suffered for us all.

As long as we are on this earth, there will be trials.
It actually gives me comfort just to know there is a purpose for our suffering.

:. beauty .:

"May the beauty of the Lord our God rest upon us."

Psalm 90:17

This verse jumped out at me the other day, and I can't stop thinking about it. What is beauty, anyway? And what does it look like to have the beauty of our GOD covering us?

Obviously, our culture has a twisted view of beauty. How many women are 5'8" and only weigh 102? How many men carry around a six-pack (that doesn't say 'Bud Light')?

We buy rogaine to turn back baldness, slim-fast to fight the battle of the bulge, cosmetics by the gallon, and don't forget the Spanx, ladies!

In other eras, and other cultures, curves have been/are actually 'in'. (Why, oh, why couldn't I have been born when Botticelli was painting?!?!)

So, what does God's 'beauty' look like?

To get an idea of that, first consider what God Himself looks like: holy, perfect, eternal. He is Life and Truth and Love. He is Comforter, Father and Savior.

To be covered in His beauty would be to know peace; to be filled with love; to experience joy. His beauty resting on us would soften our hard hearts; it would turn our eyes away from self; it would enable us to hear the cries of the wounded.

His beauty is everlasting. His beauty isn't subject to the world's shifting standards.

I think of Moses, who spoke to God face-to-face "as a man speaks with his friend". He always came away from those conversations literally glowing.

The beauty of our God resting on us would make us different.

:. return to ordinary .:

Well, mommy and daddy are home, which means Gavin and Liam are where they belong. I know the boys had a good time at grandma's house, and then at Uncle Chris and Aunt Katie's. There is no doubt in my mind that they enjoyed themselves.

But oh my PEAS! did they miss their mom and dad! You may have read elsewhere that Gavin regressed as the week went on. It absolutely broke my heart to watch him slipping into autistic behavior, knowing I really couldn't do much about it. We cuddled, we reassured, we hugged, we sang. But we couldn't BE mommy and daddy. He knew where he belonged.

I've decided 'ordinary' is good. Routine is fine. There is comfort in the dailiness of life. So often we're not content with the small things in life; we want excitement and adventure. That certainly has its place, especially in the life of a Christ-follower (who is oftentimes called to step out of that so called 'comfort zone').

But in reality, isn't life mostly made up of ordinary, small, routine events? And aren't we called to be content wherever we find ourselves?

"Who despises the day of small things?"

Zechariah 4:10

I think we need to remind ourselves where we really belong.

:. if frankenstein were your father .:

you would never have trouble with bullies.

(of course, you wouldn't have any friends, either.)

Happy Father's Day to all you daddies out there!

Friday in Ames!!!

Katie and Chris here, filling in for mom. We had the absolute PLEASURE of having those boys today, as mom and pop were at the Parkinson's Conference ("Those who shake it together, MAKE it together!" We HOPE that's the theme for the conference).
Our morning started off early...thunder and lightning at 5:30 awoke us, so we were able to have conversations about thunder. Unka Chwis had to go to work, so Gav, Liam, and I headed to Cafe Diem for a morning muffin!

Yum!!

Gavin was sure hyper after his 16oz iced caramel latte! Kidding! It was Liam's.
Next, Katie had the BRILLIANT idea of walking just a couple yards down Burnett Ave to Ames' local FIRE STATION!!! I just KNEW the boys were going to go CRAZY when they were able to see a FIRE TRUCK UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL!!!!!

Welll...maybe not CRAZY...maybe...frightened beyond belief? Fireman Eric was SO nice and he even let the boys climb up on to the truck!!

Puttin' out fires!!!
yay. (can't you see the excitement in his eyes??)

Touchin' the hoses!!!
yay.

Fire Engine 1!! Good job, Mr. Gavin!!
Fireman Eric told us we could stop by anytime we're out on a walk. Maybe next time, we can mentally prepare ourselves for Fire Engine 1!

Making silly faces on the couch!

And of course, spending an hour at Target going up and down the toy aisle is NOTHING short of amazing!!!

(Em, just so you know, your boys are wonderful. They would pull out a toy, and put it back exactly where they found it when they were done. They didn't whine "I want this! I want that!" They were content as clams just looking. Good job, Mommy)

Next, we made a trip to Ames' local pet shop! Home of Howie Buckets!!! There he is, licking Liam's hand!

Bunnies!

And kitties!

Next, we got to sit out in the morning sun and watch the Ames trains! Never before have I been excited to hear that bell and see the gates drop! We were so close to an actual Thomas!!

...killin time until the next train. Ooh! A black bug! He died after Liam picked him up. Of fright? Or the fact that his internal organs were crushed... I guess I SHOULD have said, "Killin Time By Killin Bugs"

Summertime Love

Smile for the camera!

And joy to my heart, Uncle Chris got off work early, and we went out shopping for new soccer cleats!

Liam found some good ones!

In about 20 minutes, we'll be off to meet up with Gramma and Crappa at The Q'Doba for dinner!! Tomorrow morning, the plan is to head to the farmer's market and prepare for Mommy and Daddy's return! We miss you guys!

:. quiet before God .:

I have a confession to make:
I haven't had a "real" quiet time since Sunday. Hhhmmm . . . those boys came Saturday night. I wonder if there's a connection? Sure, there's been some down-time, but when they were sleeping, I usually curled up on the couch myself. Dishes could wait, dusting could wait, reading the Word could wait.

It all came back to me this week, how BUSY a young mother is. Caring for children is one of the most draining jobs in the world. Pure joy, but very demanding. And looking back, I know I never was able to have a consistent quiet time until my girls were in elementary school. It wasn't until then that I felt well-rested, and a bit more the master of my days.

I am not down-playing the importance of spending time with God. But to all you mothers out there, know that He is quite aware of the work you do. He knows the busyness of your day. He understands that cuddling a toddler is just as much worship as singing praises. Caring for your family is an act of obedience, and it brings joy to the Father's heart.


[Ed. note: I'm turning my blog over to Chris and Kate for a couple of days. They've promised to carry on with the pictorial history of Gavin and Liam! Thanks, guys!]

:. things I will miss .:

Well, today is the last day the Loves will be at my house. Uncle Chris and Aunt Katie are whisking them away to Ames tonight after dinner. Benny and I have an all-day Parkinsons' conference tomorrow. (Doesn't this family attend the most interesting events??) They get to spend two wonderful nights with the Saldanhas, and then Saturday afternoon MOMMY AND DADDY WILL BE HOME!!!

I am going to miss those boys terribly when they pack up and leave grandma's! I know I normally see them on a regular basis, but having them around 24/7 is absolutely the greatest thing on earth.

There are so many wonderful moments from this week.

I'm going to miss Liam's random and funny commentary on life. Here's a small sampling:

"I like eagles, but I don't like otters."

"Grandma! Stop singing! That's weird!

"GRANDMA! LOOK! THERE'S A SKUNK UP IN THE TREE!!"

(it was a squirrel)

I definitely will miss his goofy grin and loving heart. All those kisses he gives? Heaven. And next time you see him, be sure to say 'garden monkey'. Hilarious.
I'm going to miss Gavin's sweet, sweet spirit, and his precious pet phrases:

"My hair is short."

"Mommy and daddy are at Massachusetts."

(and when I asked him where he lived, he said, "Grandma's house".

I was actually going for 'Iowa', but, hey!)

"We don't want to make Mr. Liam cry!"

And yes, his hugs and kisses are out of this world. He told a funny joke last night at dinner. Liam was rolling a place mat up into a tube to make a 'tunnel' for his helicopter. Gavin watched him for a minute, then said, "Mr. Liam is making a peanut butter wrap!" And then guffawed, because that was a funny joke!

And I'm really going to miss the way he lines up his shoes and toys. I absolutely LOVE his quirkiness!

Gavin and Liam, you are the BEST boys in the whole wide world!!!

:. fun in the sun .:

It's been a busy day around our house today! After a hearty breakfast, we made some plans. A forecast of 92 and sunny called for a day at the pool.
Not really sure what's happening here, but I'd say Liam is taking Aunt Katie's car for a spin. Sounds like a good idea to me.
Then it was off to ggb's house . . . she has awesome trucks to play with, and awesome little Fritzi, too. Always a good time!
Then, off to the pool . . . along with every other child in the greater DM area under the age of 9.
But we didn't mind! We slathered on the sunscreen, and headed straight for the water.

We spent a wonderful hour at the park, but I found it's pretty much impossible to snap pictures AND keep an eye on two swimming boys. But trust me, they had a BLAST. And we even saw our friend Lucy at the pool.
Then it was home for some pbj . . .
and a yummy peanut butter wrap:

That's about it for now. Both boys are napping, and Aunt Katie is coming over after work to hang out for awhile. Gpa is going to grill burgers for dinner, then I promised we could watch Punchinello.

Wow, is it ever AWESOME to stay at grandma's!!

:. thoughts at the end of the day .:

No pics with this post. It's 11:00, everyone is asleep, and bed is where I'm headed.

At dinner tonight, we learned about "dinner conversation". (This was in response to the VERY loud siren sound that Liam is fond of making.) I explained what conversation means, and then I asked Gavin to tell us something he did today. He said, "I rode on an elevator". Which he had, because we went to visit great grandma Jean.
[grandma's apartment? one word: BREAKABLES. But don't worry, mommy, nothing was broken!]
So then it was Liam's turn for conversation, and he said, "I played with doggies." Which actually were some of the breakables mentioned above.

And as I was getting Liam stripped down for his bath tonight, I mistakenly called his 'pee-pee' his 'pee-wee'. He thought that was the funniest thing EVER . . . and of course kept repeating it the rest of the evening. (along with yelling 'SEA LION', which made no sense to me, but he thought it was hysterical!)

After the bath, Gavin requested more conversation . . . so we sat (jumped; those boys rarely sit still) on the bed and chatted. It somehow evolved into what they want for their birthdays, so we'll have to work on that some more.

On tap for tomorrow: a visit to great grandma Barb (and Fritzi!), and if weather permits, a trip to the wading pool. (Liam already told me the fountain scares him.)

Laying with those Joys Of My Heart tonight, listening to them giggle and chatter as they were winding down, cuddling and singing with them, I thought my heart would burst. God has given me so much . . . and those boys are the epitome of His goodness and grace. They are so sweet and beautiful and loving and funny. I have been so blessed the past few days to have them here; there is nothing that compares with those angel faces.

:. back to the "new house" .:

Took the boys over to their house this morning for awhile. Thought they'd enjoy the change of scenery, and playing with their toys.

Of course, the first thing Liam wanted was his targ.

So, Gavin played with daddy's goggles.





and Liam cried because he wanted daddy's goggles:

which he got to wear (after an appropriate amount of time so he could learn 'sharing'):

Then, grandpa figured out the TiVo, so everyone could enjoy some Super Why!

And just look at what we found hanging from Gavin's tent bed!

We love you, mommy and daddy! We miss you, too!!

:. after a good meal and a good pipe .:

Well, third time's the charm . . . as soon as I put the boys to bed, they were OUT like Fred Thompson in a presidential race. Either the novelty of staying at grandma's has worn off, or mowing the lawn and cleaning out gutters wears a guy out.

They took a nice, refreshing bath before bed,

and really enjoyed the new bath toys.

Well, let's say LIAM really enjoyed them. The little guy has trouble with hoarding.

(But don't worry about Gav; he holds his own. He knows exactly how to push his little brother's buttons.)

Breakfast this morning was pure joy. Sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying a waffle (Liam) and an apple (Gavin), listening to Jon Foreman. Is there anything sweeter than hearing Gav sing "Holy, holy, You alone are true . . . "??

I think not.

At this moment, they are off on an 'adventure' with Katie. (Going to the post office to buy stamps. Anything is an adventure when you're under age 5.)

And in other news, I saw my favorite Indian endocrinologist yesterday. Seems my Grave's Disease is still at bay. Perhaps I won't need to go radioactive after all.

Thanks, Anuj! But really, thanks, God.

:. katie's car had a bad dream .:

Or:

katie's car had a flat tired

Wow, two posts in one day . . . I know, right?! The previous post is completely thanks to Katie, who came early this morning and played with those boys for an hour and a half before work.
Here they are in their new Thomas the Train shirts. (Don't look so excited, boys.)

This post is courtesy of Naptime . . . and two very tired-out boys. I don't think it's my fault that they lay awake for hours at bedtime, chattering away.

But back to the subject at hand. Chris and Kate provided hours of fun yesterday, what with the soccer game and all.

Well, they provided lots of fun today as well:
Liam is sooo excited! A guy has to stand up to get a closer look!

oops, a little too close for comfort . . . a guy has to move back.

oh, brother gives brother a hug for reassurance.

yeah, I'll just sit over here.

FASCINATING!!

Sorry, Chris and Katie, for your car trouble. But thanks for a close-up look at a tow truck!

By the way, if you ask Liam where mommy and daddy are, he says, MAF-FA-TOOF-UF.