My Life's Work

     One of my dreams when I was younger was to write a book, and so I was moved when I read this quotation today: it is my Motherhood in prose.

http://sarahssundries.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

     "A talented woman was asked by a friend, 'Why have you never written a book?'
     'I am writing two,' was the quiet reply. 'I have been engaged on one for ten years, the other five.'
     'You surprise me!' the friend said. 'What profound works they must be!'
     'It doth not yet appear what they shall be,' said the woman, 'but when He makes up His jewels, my great ambition is to find them there.'
     'Your children?'
     'Yes, my two children. They are my life's work.'
     And so for Mother, we six were her life's work.  She asked for no other."

Elizabeth Elliot, excerpt from her book The Shaping of a Christian Family

Heart of Thankfulness

     I was listening to Bott Radio while driving home from Nathan's 4-month check-up on Friday, and I heard the following story:
     Bible commentator Matthew Henry was mugged one evening, and his wallet was stolen.  Later that night, as he reflected on the incident, Henry wrote in his diary four things for which he was thankful.

1.  This is the first time that I have been robbed.

2.  He took my wallet, not my life.

3.  Though all the money that I had was in that wallet,

it wasn't much.

[These three made me smile a little, but then, most profoundly:]

4.  By the grace of God, I am the one who was robbed,

and not the robber.

Two cute

Two cute aprons for the school auction.

Thanks to B.J.'s Mom for recommending this cute pattern,

and thanks to my Dad for quick snapping these photos!

Beware the Chickens

Leah & Willem's favorite fall diversion is gleaning the adjacent corn field for ears of corn that the combine harvester left behind.  Once they've each gathered half a 5-gallon bucket full or so, they spend hours - literally - shelling the ears by hand.

If they happen to desert their containers of corn for even a short time, their hours worth of work disappears - literally - for the chickens are on to this ploy.

When morning lights the eastern skies...

Took Four

Four stitches, that is.

Willem and I encounter all sorts of drama while Marie and Nathan nap.  This past Friday I was vacuuming Will's bedroom.  When I finished and walked into the kitchen, I saw Will crying on the couch.  "What's wrong, Will - why are you crying?" I asked.  When he lifted his head to look at me, I saw blood running down the side of his face!  Apparently he was "flying" two toys "really fast" when he slipped on the wood floor and hit B.J.'s dining chair with his head...hard.

Aw, shucks!

He tells me four stitches is a good number because he just turned four.  I said, "That's fine, but let's not repeat this when you turn five just so you can have five."