Unexpected Growth

Several months ago while Chris was doing yard work he chopped down
a very unruly rose bush.
It wasn't producing many flowers and posed more of a thorny trap
for a curious toddler than anything else.

I hadn't thought much about this bygone plant until the other day
when I looked out my side kitchen window and saw this:

Because Chris hadn't taken out the roots, the rose actually benefited from the severe pruning.

From far away it is clearly a small, unimpressive plant.

But up close, it is beautiful.

I wasn't expecting new growth from forgotten roots.

This made me think...what beautiful thing might God want to grow in me?
Is there an area of my life that I've disregarded as a thorny burden
that God could transform into a source of beauty?

Pruning isn't pleasant.

 But the result can clearly produce something that is worth the pain.

Dare I ask God for some unexpected growth in my life?

Dare you?

My Heart Smiles

Motherhood.

I can think of no other "job" that requires so much self sacrifice or

produces so many heart-melting smiles.

When I look at these pictures of everyday moments, 

I forget about the sacrifice and only feel the smile.

Noah, being your mommy is my privilege, my joy.

Made My Day

Noah and I were out running errands today when we stopped at Boston Market for lunch, which was overpriced and NOT very yummy, yet it turned out to be an excellent choice. Here's why...

First, the man ringing us up at the register commented on what a happy boy Noah was.

While we were eating, Noah was smiling and making silly faces at two workers who were restocking the nearby condiment station. They waved to him, but were talking to each other in Spanish so I couldn't understand what they were saying. Later, one of the workers came up to our table with several packets of crayons and white paper. With a big smile, he laid them in front of Noah and walked away.

As we were leaving, we passed by two elderly ladies, probably in their late seventies, whom Noah had been flirting with throughout our entire lunch. One of them said to me, "I have to tell you that your son just made my day!" 

Wow!

In that moment I felt so proud and happy and blessed. This amazing little boy was making people smile and bringing joy to their day just by being himself. And I am the lucky one who gets to be his mom!

As our day went on, I couldn't get that woman's warm, aged smile or her heartfelt words out of my mind. As I thought about how much that small encounter meant to me, I was struck by how God must feel the same way when His kids, you and me, bless one another. What joy and pride He must feel when we bring light and life to someone else just by being ourselves and letting the joy He has put in our hearts shine forth.

Today, Noah blessed another person by being the child God made him.

Sometimes it's so easy to get bogged down in life by all the day's to-do's or your own laundry list of complaints or the little injustices and annoyances that creep into the day. But what would happen if we focused less on that and more on being the person  God created us to be?

I hope to follow Noah's example and allow my inner joy to shine a little brighter. Maybe I can make a stranger's day, too.

Fountain Fun

We continued our Mother's Day celebration Sunday afternoon with Chris' family at one of our favorite eateries, Pacific Fish Grill in Chino Hills. After enjoying delicious fried zucchini, perfectly golden crispy shrimp, and tender grilled salmon over flavorful rice, we walked over to the main courtyard of the shopping area.

This provided the highlight of Noah's day...the glorious ground fountain! As Noah's older cousins sprinted in and out of the sporadically spurting spouts, you could just see the look of desire and anticipation on my little guy's face.

So, at first Chris tried to let him enjoy the water wonderment without getting wet, like this...

But of course this taste of fountain fun only left Noah yearning for more. As the instinctively protective mother who was kicking herself for not having an extra set of clothes in the diaper bag like she usually does, I was lobbying for Noah and Daddy to come sit with the adults and just watch the other kids. Thankfully, though, my wonderful husband is more in tune with the adventurous spirit of an active male toddler. So he trumped my desire for caution and dryness and let Noah experience the fountain fun to the fullest.

Soon he was a crazy-happy little man running without his shirt on, like this...

A little while later Noah took a brief fountain break to make eyes at a mom and her two little girls sitting on a nearby bench. His flirtatious grin looked like this...

This unexpected fountain fun gave Grandma an excuse to buy Noah a new outfit at a local children's store. Before we changed him, he posed for a picture with his cousins and looked like this...

 

Then I wrapped my adorable, shivering munchkin in Daddy's sweater and got him all nice and toasty, like this...

 

I'm thankful that I'm (slowly) learning to embrace these kind of unexpected moments.

What special memories we made this Mother's Day!

A Great Day to Be a Mom!

I had a fantastic Mother's Day!

It started off by Chris getting up with Noah so I could sleep in! Woohoo! I was slightly put off when that only lasted an hour...but I couldn't be disgruntled for long once I saw my grinning toddler running toward me with a big white envelope in his hands. He shimmied his way up on the bed, lunged into my sleepy arms, and gave me the perfect juicy kiss.

Then my husband entered the room with a beautiful bouquet of sunflowers and other perfectly lovely blooms. I love fresh flowers!

By this point the aroma of fresh coffee and a hot breakfast had made its way into our room. Again, a good enough reason to be woken up early.

While enjoying a yummy breakfast with my boys, Noah unexpectedly pulled something out from beneath his highchair tray. Thinking the card, flowers, and breakfast were certainly my whole gift, I was totally surprised when I realized he was holding a gift card to Motherhood Maternity! Then, a few moments later, Chris pulled out a second gift card and explained that the first one was from Noah and this one was from him.

(With only 11 weeks to go before the baby's due, I was planning on just making the clothes I have work for the rest of the pregnancy. But any pregnant woman will tell you that a couple of new tops that actually fit can produce untold levels of comfort and happiness.)

Later during breakfast, Noah did the sign for "please" for the very first time! (We've been doing basic sign language with him since he was a little baby and it always blows me away when he suddenly starts using a new sign.) For my son to be so very polite in asking for more cheese, please...it was a little Mother's Day miracle. :)

 I'm so blessed to have a husband and son who make my feel so loved!

What a great day to be a mom!

{More on our Sunday afternoon fun to come...}

Chicken-Trimming, Cookie-Baking Love

As I stood in my kitchen tonight, trimming the fat off a huge eight pound pack of chicken breasts from Costco, I was keenly aware of what a great act of love I was performing. Now, great may seem like too strong a word. But the thing is, my husbands hates touching and smelling raw chicken, but he also hates any trace of fat, vein, or sinew. So I have taken on the role of Official Chicken Trimmer for the past 4 and 1/2 years of our marriage--a title I will likely hold for the duration.

Over the years I have often thought about renegotiating the division of labor when it comes to this less-than-pleasant task (and admittedly have not always wielded my fat-cutting cutlery with the happiest of hearts.) But several poultry packages ago I made the decision to stop guilt-tripping my husband over this issue, and instead seize the opportunity once or twice a month to love him through this fairly simple act of service.

So this got me thinking...how else can I purpose to love Chris in tangible, yet perhaps not quite so obvious ways? And better yet, how is my husband loving me? Chicken trimming doesn't scream romance, but for me it has love written all over it. So are there acts of love Chris is doing that I'm missing because they're masquerading as something else?

I'm happy to report that, yes, there are many ways my "wonderbul" husband loved me well this week! I didn't get flowers or a candle-lit bubble bath, but here are a few ways love came to me incognito:

1. He swept, swiffered, then hand-mopped all the floors so I wouldn't have to bend over with my prego belly.
2. He rented a movie in the romantic comedy genre (without me asking) because he knew I would like it.
3. He hosed down all the patio furniture to eliminate the threat of lurking spiders so we could relax outside and enjoy the beautiful day.

And I'm sure there are many more!

After my chicken-trimming, I decided to continue to the "love fest" and bake chocolate chip cookies at 11 pm so Chris could enjoy a final sweet treat before renewing his healthy-eating-and-exercising commitment tomorrow. Loving feels good.

How have you loved or been loved in a unique way this week?

Wonderfully Random

I love to capture life's random moments.

Snapshots of an ordinary day.

Reminders of simple pleasures and chances to choose joy.

Here's a little wonderful randomness from my little man. He makes me smile.

Hope these make you smile, too.

Hey!

What did you say?

Do you smell something stinky?

Hat's off to me!

Taking Productivity off Her Pedestal

I often struggle with measuring the quality of my day by my level of productivity.

I love lists. Even more, I love checking things off my lists. (I've been known to add an item to a list even after it's been completed, just for the satisfaction of drawing a big checkmark in that box and knowing I accomplished one more thing that day.)

And certainly productivity has its merits. Without it the necessary tasks would never get done and many would find themselves in serious coach-potato status. In fact, the Bible affirms the value of productivity when it talks about the woman of noble character in Proverbs 31. "She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks...She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." These are good things and part of being a faithful steward of the people and things God has entrusted to our care.

Yet, sometimes, I, and I think others, can put productivity on a pedestal. I can make it an idol of sorts. So that it is my productivity that gives me validation, significance, and worth. At the end of the day I can look at my lists and weigh the checked boxes against the empty ones and say, "Well done, you!" or "You fell short again. Better try harder tomorrow." This is not what God had in mind.

For what my lists don't consider are the unexpected moments, the unquantifiable responsibilities, beauty, feelings, or the Spirit's leading. This is what I'm learning to lean into.

So today, I did not clean the stove or reorganize Noah's closet. I didn't go to Target, call the airline to confirm next week's flight, or prepare an elaborate dinner. I only did one load of laundry instead of three and there are several emails sitting in my inbox waiting for a deserved reply. So many empty boxes.

But this is what I did do: I read my son Dr. Seuss stories and built 20 block towers. I gave Noah uncountable kisses and fed him a healthy lunch. I scoured the kitchen sink and took out the trash. I sang extra songs at naptime, then listened to my body (and my other growing baby) and took a nap myself. I shared a stack of Mini Nilla Wafers with Noah, to our mutual delight. I went to dinner and Home Depot with my two favorite guys.

I like my house to be in order and all my duckies in a row. I like checkmarks, a visible sign of all that I've accomplished. I like knowing that I used my time and energy wisely. But what is wise?

I’m learning to say, “Today was a good day”—not because I was productive but because I was present for my family. I'm learning the wisdom of living for love, not lists.

How about you?

Egg-citing Moments

While we were in Atascedero, Noah enjoyed his very first Easter Egg Hunt! It was so fun watching him find the brightly colored eggs in the grass, excited for each new plastic treasure.

On Easter Sunday, we spent the afternoon with Chris' family at Vellano Park in Chino Hills. (I love this park!) Another family picnicking nearby had a visit from the Easter Bunny and kindly sent their furry friend over to us later for a picture with the kids.

Cousins Caden, Ezekiel, Ezra, and "Baby Noah"

Later, Grandma and Grandpa set up an egg hunt for all the boys. This time Noah was more interested in his new keys from Aunt Sara. (Probably better that he didn't collect more candy that "someone" would have to help eat.)

Two Cows, One Laundry Basket, and Lots of Sand

After leaving Santa Barbara, our grand time continued when we arrived at Mike and Mary's in Atascedero.

Our first adventure led us on a quest for a highly recommended field of wild flowers. I pictured frolicking with Noah among endless spring blooms, encircled by beautiful rolling green hills under a brilliant blue sky. Well...I got my hills and sky. After a solid 40-minute search yielding no such sweeping flower field, we finally decided to turn around and go home. Since Noah was getting pretty antsy at this point, we stopped in front of two friendly cows as our country consolation prize. (Turns out just another mile or two and the wonders of Shell Creek Road would have been ours! Next time.)

When we got home it was Noah's bath time. On our first night at Mike and Mary's, this usually fun night-time ritual was met with screaming and protest. Apparently Noah was craving the security of his blue plastic baby tub and the big white porcelain tub was just too scary. Wanting to avoid another pre-bed meltdown, I racked my brain for a solution. He was really too big for the kitchen sink, not to mention that Aunt Mary's kitchen would surely be drenched afterward. Finally, the mommy ingenuity kicked in. As you can see, the result was a hit!

On Saturday our lovely hosts took us to nearby Morro Bay. We strolled along the boardwalk, perused the cute shops, ate scrumptious halibut tacos and fresh fish & chips, then headed down to the beach.

Noah had a great time chasing waves, playing with his new sand toys, and running like a crazy little man.

Though Chris was close at hand, Noah inevitably took a tumble in the surf. The sunscreen and sand in his hair made a lovely gray paste.

Noah was conked out before we even left the beach parking lot.

It was a lovely day of fun in the California sun!