Grateful Edition:April 2013

Leftovers. Time with S. and a hug goodbye. Chai tea. Chat with Kim. Reminders to love and serve in everything. Email from Koren. Lunch with Colleen. Walks. Surprise visit from Jessie & Gunnar. Gift from Koren. Miranda's help. Some 'me' time. Dinner with friends. Walking around a flea market. Finding the exact book I needed to buy. Campfires. Knitting. Aaron & Nichole. Nate & Lisa. Indian food. Chai tea. Ability to help. Time to self. Knitting & tea. M doing so well. Empowerment moment (on the back steps in October). Chat with Kim. Random acts of kindness. Laundry mat visits. M's art. Books that challenge. Lunch date with Micah. Lemon poppy seed cake. Backseat rides with M. Safe travels. Hugs. Brunch with family. Seeing M in a cave. Alpine dinner - yum! Time with family. Church conversations. Safe travels. Miranda's help. Rest. Health. Working with S. Strength. Text from Michelle regarding M. Text from Micah (too much tinfoil = hearing from Mexico). Micah staying home. Seeing M playing with a friend. Conversation with April. Micah being home & being able to rest. Doctor visit with M - medicine to finally heal. Run Josh Run. Seeing Beth & Zach. Seeing Connie & Vander. Places to go when it's cold outside. Lazy days. Movies to rent. Rest for my family. Flexibility. Lunch with Micah. Coming home to rest. Feeling better. IEP meeting - removing a false label. Connection with An. G. ELL Family night conversations. Melissa's with Melissa. Mtg. with district folks that = CHANGE?!?. Walk outside. Chat with Kim. Office time with Melissa. Books. Watching Micah & M play baseball. Oatmeal bake. Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me. Being outside. Plants coming up. First meal on the patio. Breakfast outside. Cuddle time with M. Micah going to the store. M's note on the mirror. Time at the junior high. Shiro & Injera at home! Brainless TV shows. Drive through coffee. April shower turned to snow. Taking a risk. Community.

Notes From the Little Man

Weekend Events

Run Josh Run

Pondering

“There is amazing love and grace in people’s response to the killings. It’s like white blood cells pouring in to surround and heal the infection. It just breaks your heart every time, in the good way, where Hope tiptoes in to peer around. For the time being, I am not going to pretend to be spiritually more evolved than I am. I’m keeping things very simple: right foot, left foot, right foot, breathe; telling my stories, and reading yours. I keep thinking about Barry Lopez’s wonderful line, “Everyone is held together with stories. That is all that is holding us together; stories and compassion.”

~ Anne Lamott

A Moment

M. is cuddled up next to me, reading me a story from school. I am trying to savor each and everyone of these wonderful moments with him. 

Herrboldt Family Time!

We made a quick trip to visit family before Micah's youngest sister and her husband move to Japan for the next three years. We had a nice time with the family and are already looking forward to when we will be back together again. 

Back Seat Entertainment

We are headed to Rapid City to visit the Herrboldt family
and we are working hard to keep ourselves entertained in the backseat.

Pondering

Our Little Snow Angel

How We Roll Around Here...

This dragon suit was given to us a week ago and it has been worn every. single. day. 

Pondering

"If you are wise - are you listening, my brother? - instead of torturing yourself over what you could not help and did not foresee, you will allow the grief in you to be a simple open wound that Christ may touch and, in good time, heal.  This thing happened.  It has broken you to pieces.  If you can find the humility to allow it, grace will also heal you: you will be stronger in the end for this, one day.  This grieving is the filth and mess that turns out to be the bed of sticky clay that, if we plunge our hands into it and bring them out full, we can craft into a grail of hope.  It is so.  I promise you."  

~ Penelope Wilcock

Seasons

Like the seasons, we are restored and made new again.

Cuddled Up

Kids Say the Darndest Things

There were many reasons why I loved our spring break trip as a family, but one of my favorite reasons is the numerous things that M. said over the course of the week.

At bedtime:
M. "I'm really worried I'm going to die soon."
SJ. "I'm sorry sweetie. I don't think you need to worry too much though. Aren't you a healthy little boy?"
M. "Not really! Today I ate 2 or 3 pieces of candy!"

Driving to Zion:
" Dad! You've got to pull over and look at this P I wrote!"

Driving through Zion:
"I can't believe how beautiful this is! It's like a dream!"

While hiking into Hidden Arch:
Little M. "I think I've been here before."
Micah "Really? When?"
Little M. "In my dreams of course!"

In the early morning hours:
SJ. "Are you warm enough sweetie?"
M. "Of course I am because this is the best place to be, between you and dad."

"Can we wake up now? I am so hungry I am feeling paper thin!"

While eating lunch on some boulders:
"I love you and dad more than anything in the world. Well, except God and Jesus. Can you be okay with that?"

Hiking down from Shelf Canyon (which had some high places that tested my fears):
"I know you can do this mom. You just have to be confident and brave and believe in yourself."
After getting down the scary part.....
SJ. "Thanks for encouraging me M. That was really kind of you."
M. "Sure thing mom. I was just practicing my empathy."

Relaxing by the river:
SJ. "Alright buddy, let's load up."
M. "Just wait, I still have some business to finish up." (throwing a rocks into the river)

Waking up in the middle of the night with a sore leg:
Micah was digging the medicine out of the kitchen tub and was so tired he kept making me laugh. Finally, he stumbled back into the tent and gave M. the medicine while I was still laughing at the situation. M. sits straight up with his eyes half closed and says, "What is this? A pill that makes you laugh? Ha. Ha." Instantly he lays back down and falls asleep.