Forgive the poor photo, but I can’t resist posting this shot.
Liv has two questions she asks on a regular basis in the strangest, most monotone voice a five year old can muster. The first is, “What’s behind me?” It’s a strange little game she plays where she asks the question, holds absolutely still and waits for you to answer. Go figure.
The second question is, “Where’s the dog?” Asked in the same odd monotone voice, Livia won’t even look around the room. Somehow it’s your responsibility to locate Shiloh and report back. While Jeremy and I have taken to spontaneously and irrationally asking these questions in return, I ask you to refrain from doing so. Liv’s knowledge of my blogging is limited at best. In fact, I think she believes I’m working when I’m, in fact, blogging. So don’t ruin my secret just yet.
Hey, Internet! Where’s the dog?
I love you, too, Jeremy. Happy eleven years (and two days)!
The plans for last week included out-of-town friends, a due date, a garage sale, a big move and an anniversary celebration. Joe and Karen Choi stopped in for a late night visit and it was so good to hang with them. My sister-in-law’s due date came and went with nary a newborn to be found. The garage sale swept in according to strict schedule and myriad shoppers were on our front yards before all our crap (I mean, merchandise) could be placed on tables. And then that newborn, my adorable nephew, showed up, as I mentioned recently, between a sale and a glass of water. Part of the anniversary celebration was postponed to this weekend, which makes sense considering June 13 is our actual anniversary.
But there was another event that I felt got rushed over in the hustle and bustle of the crazy week: Joie’s big move. So our dear friend filled up her station wagon and headed for the bright lights of the big city in order to pursue life as a dancer. I couldn’t be more proud of her if I wanted to be and I’m super excited to see what she’ll do next, but oh my goodness… the way time marches on when someone special leaves is almost breathtaking, in a bad way. I look at this photo of Joie, Renae and me and almost feel lost when considering how to be okay without Joie.
This isn’t the first time I’ve said goodbye to beloved friends. Last year alone saw Jamie, Brook and Karen leaving town (say nothing of the O’Donnells’ international destination!). Before that was Julie, who was a huge part of my world. Sarah and Charity still live far away—but we’ve forged new relationships that work despite the miles between us. I’m aware that I’ll survive being left behind, but it’s tough nonetheless.
Why I’m blogging this, I don’t precisely know. What I do know is that I miss Joie. And that I really like this picture (credit to Jason for snapping it).
The birth or adoption of your own child is a phenomenal event, obviously. But the birth or adoption of a niece or nephew is just something else. It’s exciting and thrilling. It’s wonderful to see your sibling become a parent and take on this amazing responsibility of raising a human being (something you could never have fathomed in your younger years). Also, being an aunt is simply awesome. It involves all the goodness of the adult/child relationship without the responsibility—purely delightful, I believe.
I became an aunt for the second time last Friday morning at 11:08am. With Mom giving me the play-by-play as she could tell from the hospital waiting area, I knew the birth of my first nephew was imminent. In a moment between me selling tchotchkes at our garage sale and getting a glass of water, Noah Robert Lawton was entering the world, all 9lb 1oz, 21.5 inches of him.
Noah is a beautiful little guy and I’m incredibly proud of all the hard work Kristin did to deliver him! Adam, from what I understand, was pretty cool too. My brother and Kris are great parents and I love their sweet family so much. Congrats to big sister Madeleine and welcome to the world, Noah Robert!
Liv was a little sick Saturday. Maybe it was a one-two punch from the garage sale and all the sweets she had eaten the day before. Shiloh was either empathetic or also a little worn out, because he, too, lay around the floor much of the day.
Should a photo-happy mama takes advantage of such cuteness? Definitely.
We’ve got a new thing going in our neighborhood: a community vegetable garden. With old houses on small lots, everyone on our block has minimal room for planting vegetables. Enter the old Zion (now Redeemer) lot that is empty—full of potential, but empty nonetheless. So with the blessing of our pastor Tobey, the neighbors came together and planned a large garden plot to divide among five of us.
And now we’re geeks, garden geeks. Hovering, nurturing, worrying garden mamas, if you will. We’ll meet each other in among the tomatoes and cucumbers, and converse aloud about what type of mulch to use, who last watered, and how often you have to do some weeding. (I’m using grass, I’m grateful for a neighbor whose sprinkler hits my patch and to God who watered for me last night, and my husband is my hoeing hero. If you were wondering.)
I decided this morning that the term “geek” applies because we all get so excited about the progress of our little plants. Today I’m astounded at the pumpkin seeds that were planted last in my space. None of the little gourd seeds grew, but I’ve got a few amazingly healthy blue pumpkins whose leaves are bigger than my hand. I fear they will dominate my patch and perhaps some of the closest neighbor’s, too, but for today I’m just excited at how healthy they are. The Roma plants are all doing well, including a recently transplanted seedling. The broccoli and cauliflower plants, courtesy of the Wittmanns, are strong and sturdy. The cucumbers demand a strong tower to climb, and numerous pea plants are already climbing… on the weeds and grasses nearby. How funny to see their small tendrils curling around a stalk of grass that crept onto garden turf. Clearly, I need to get some stakes in there pronto.
I love our gardens. I love the gorgeous perennials and annuals Jeremy has carefully encouraged into bloom—and that Liv has assisted in planting—and I love the growing vegetables in my garden patch. I may not read a book all summer (another post for another day), but I will be outside, rejoicing in the beauty of God’s growing things.
What were you doing at age 13?
Maddie, Jen’s daughter, performed her own composition at a recent recital.
I’m impressed.
I love peonies. Our light pink blossoms opened last weekend and I’m enjoying freshly cut flowers indoors right now. I’m slightly entranced by the layers and layers of petals; they remind of extravagant princess/ballerina costumes with a bit of sweetened scent thrown in for good measure.
In St. Louis, Jeremy and I were leaving a friend’s home when I stopped at the front stoop and exclaimed to her, “Are those your peonies I smell?!!” Jeremy, not knowing I was referring to flowers misinterpreted things a bit and thought I was inquiring about underwear. He about dropped dead in shock. I still laugh about it today.
Peonies, peonies, peonies. If they held their heads upright instead of dragging on the ground, I just might think of them as the perfect flower.
