This was Peter’s birthday trip, and the trip he had been waiting for since Jerome was born! They went out together and Jerome learned to ski! Darrell gave me the pics of Jerome on his skiis as I was at the cabin most of the time.
Peter really seemed to enjoy the whole trip and I’m honored that he wanted to take us all along!
Finally, pictures!
Sunday Mom spoke at the Titus 2 meeting at church on mentoring each other in Christ, and Peter drove us home from Mammoth in time for me to hear her. The tables were all set so nicely with bouquets which were sent home with those of us who stood around talking until it was time to clean up. I was grateful for the bit of cheeriness on my table in the mess of unpacking and the stress of sick little ones, and noticed that the lilies in the bouquet had opened yesterday.
Peter told me abruptly this morning that his cousin Lily had drowned in Panama yesterday. She was 26 years old.
It doesn’t seem real that she’s gone, and at the same time, there is a weight in my heart that won’t go away and I know the touch of grief. I regret not praying for her more…what if I had? Would my prayers have saved her? I cannot believe that they would have, and yet I still wish I had.
Throughout today I have been recalling all of my memories of her…when I first met Lily, when she predicted a boy when I was pregnant with Jerome; we met her at her work a couple times and had lunch with her, one time Vann and Vanessa were with us when she worked at Guess and she gave us all her discounts on outfits for the kids; when she would come to family dinners; when we met her dad; when we met her at a trade show and she spent an evening with us in Tahoe; and the last time I saw her over the holidays last year.
I remember her tears, and I remember her laughing through them.
I remember Lily, as beautiful as the flower of her name, and I know she knows we love her.
I’ll post on our Mammoth trip as soon as possible, but right now I have two sick boys, a full C drive, and a cold myself, so we’re settling back into our routine. It was an awesome trip, but it’s so nice to be home!
Maybe it’s because Jerome has slept most of the day and not said much at all…but I’ve heard Seth talking all day. Mostly to me, some to himself. It makes me wonder what he would say every day if he knew I was listening to him?
Last week as we were getting ready to go on our trip to Mammoth, our landlord was here caring for his trees and pruning the pluot and plums. Seth had just been hurt and wasn’t out digging or asking to climb Bob’s ladder, he just stood and watched and circled the trees enjoying the long, flexible branches that fell to the ground. He had one today as he played outside and as he waved it up and down in the air he told me: “This is my fishin’ thingy. Mama, can we start a pool? For to fish?”
He came in very muddy one time this afternoon so I put him in the bath and let him play. He and his brother both like to huddle in front of the space heater as they dry off, so I let Seth play some more in just his towel by the heater. I came in to check on him and he started telling me all about his friend, “Macky Wacky”, who is itty bitty (according to the small fingers showing me) and is orange!
Seth was playing under the bottle brush trees and Ian and I were in the yard: “Mommy, come in! Oh, you are in my house. I’m a mommy, he’s a human, I mean a boy, and you’re a childge.”
He came stomping in the house with a toy rifle tucked under his arm and announced to me: “I protected you guys, but I shot your fridge!.”
This evening we took Daddy’s snowboard off the couch to sit and read together. Seth saw an opportunity for fun and climbed into his Daddy’s big boots strapped to the board and said “Mommy, I’m going to be a dad!”. (!!!)
Seth likes to strip to pee, but still needs help dressing himself. As I was getting dinner on, I asked him if he could put his underwear back on himself. He had both feet in one leg opening and I heard a stitch or two pop when he said “The baby head is mad at me.”. It took me a minute to figure out what he meant…they were Gerber underpants. 🙂
Last one. When we were on our trip Seth had a feverish night and we were concerned about his finger as his cut looked a bit angry and swollen. He woke up fine the next morning and announced: “I don’t have the croups!”
Tidbit from “When Children Love to Learn” by Elaine Cooper
“She (Elsie Kitching) talks of the Wise Men finding Jesus in “a most unroyal place” as an example of finding truth in an unexpected place: “When they had arrived they had no doubt. They recognized the truth when they found it.
When we meet the truth, we notice I think, three things. First, that like a jigsaw, the pieces fit into place unexpectedly. Lesser truths dawn, and are seen to be connected; it all ties up. Then, we shrink in size as we see ourselves and our problems from a different and strange angle and…more and more dawns on us. This might be a depressing proccess but it is not so because truth is always bigger than man and independent of self.
Yet – and this is what strikes me most – although alien in this sense, strange and surprising, truth is always a friend; the stranger is recognized, the surprise is joyful. An old acquaintance!”
“Together teacher and child are under a higher authority. The child should not be asked to be good to please a parent or teacher. Children and the adults both must choose to obey God. Both are learning how to be better people, and both children and adults are interested and learning from books, nature, art, music. Ideas are discussed. Thought is important. Children have amazing ideas! They grow in proper self-esteem as they are listened to and allowed to be themselves.”
~~~~~~~
It was fixin’ to rain one day this week and Seth walked to the open door and looked up: “I talked to the sky…and the sky didn’t talk!”
“Raven’s making clouds!” She was standing in the doorway on a cold night breathing heavily and, yes, making clouds!
“Mommy, come tell on Jerome!”
🙂
Aunt and nephew have shared the same birthday for 34 years now on Thursday! Peter has told me that he likes having someone to share his birthday, to call them and wish them a happy day, too. And on these monthly family get-togethers, there’s usually a birthday to celebrate!
Gigi spent yesterday with us and also this evening. She helped me make Peter’s birthday carrot cake. I had never made one before, and it’s his favorite cake. I’ve always asked his mom or Donna to make his cake…it intimidated me for some veggie reason. So this year I did it, and either it was a success, or people were gracious enough to eat it and rave over it to make up for it’s humble appearance next to the gorgeous and delicious chocolate bouquet that Donna and Scott brought for Aunt Brooke’s cake. It was fun to make, and my man seemed happy…although I think he would have liked for me to have left it burnt so I could make him two cakes! 🙂
It was a lovely evening celebrating two wonderful people, and I’m so glad Grandma could come again! I love Peter’s family!
