Moral of the Day Monday

Moms are brave. Whether it be scaring away the monsters under the bed or giving up a small part of their lives, moms are brave.

Consider this quote by Melvin J. Ballard on the love of mothers:

"I grant you that there are many who approach the great responsibility of motherhood with fear and timidity, because of its dangers to the physical life of the mother, because of its pain, its sorrow and its distress; but in the very nature of things, if God should lighten the burdens, the sorrow, and the pain of child-bearing, he would endanger the enduring love of the mother for her children. There is nothing worthwhile we obtain unless we pay the price for it."

"That which is given to us freely, we consider of little value, and so, because a mother goes into the valley of death, lays her life upon the altar to bring life into the world, and because through the rearing of the children who come to her, she spends many sleepless nights, denies herself the personal pleasures of life, devotes herself with patience and care and strength almost more than she has, to the welfare of her children—this is what makes her love them. For where her treasure is, there her heart is, and the greatest treasure a woman has she gives in her service, her life itself."

I bet we can all relate to this quote, and in very different ways. With how little validation we receive for our troubles in pregnancy and in motherhood, these words bring both comfort and pride.

I sure wish I had heard these words when we conceived Sasha. It was such a blind leap of faith choosing to bring her into this world. It was a very unsure time for us... given my history of preterm labor and other complications we received very little support and encouragement when we needed it most. But we knew - beyond a shadow of a doubt -that it was the right thing for our family. We knew she belonged with us. And how on earth could we not do what we knew was right? How could we not have faith that the Lord only pushes us as far as we can go?

And as I find myself caught up in my whirlwind called life, I often think, "Hello, is anyone watching me? Look ma, no hands!" And though I am tired and worn down, I love them more than ever, these little fruits of my labors.

It is my wish that we recognize our courage in the seemingly small things we do, like simply carrying a child in our womb, let alone caring for it and protecting it once it is born. And that fear and unsurety we feel from time to time? Well, consider it humility. Consider it to mean that you are teachable and willing to learn to be better; to do better.

That's the moral of the day.

In memoriam

I remember like it was yesterday. In fact, every year that passes since that horrific day, I cannot believe any time has passed at all. It is still so fresh on the minds and in the hearts of us all. We have witnessed a major part of history which is still a big part of our country's life.

On September 11, 2001 I woke up with a heavy heart. I had recently suffered a miscarriage and was in an awful disagreement with my mother. Of course when my husband called me from work to tell me what was going on, my attention immediately shifted from my own worries to those of the world. I only had Adriana then and she happily busied herself while I sat dumbfounded in front of the television. It was a few hours before it dawned on me that I had friends and family to worry about. All the circuits were busy by that point, but I got my relief when in the evening hours I received phone calls that all those I knew were safe. Still, I could not forget about the many others that would be receiving the exact opposite news. And my heart broke for them.

I was not going to blog today. I felt like I didn't have it in me to reflect on this sad day, let alone write about it. But then I realized that the sooner I push it out of my mind and ignor it, the sooner I have forgotten those that lost/gave their lives as innocent bystanders, heroes, and victims, as well as those whose loved ones were taken away.

pixie bangs update... and sasha luby lu, too

Good news, good news. The bangs have grown!

And so has Sasha!

I will remember

I will remember this picture, this mess made just 3 feet from where I was sitting and feeding the baby, this mess made despite my sweet scolding and then my ferocious scolding, this mess made 5 minutes after it was cleaned up. Because one day my little girls will become mothers, and they will call me and say "Mom, you will never believe the day I have had!" And I want to be able to say back to them "Oh honey, I can believe just about anything!"

Moral of the Day Monday

Happy Labor Day, everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the day off and spending time with your families!

We've taken it pretty easy today, but have had lots of fun. I enjoyed sitting on a park bench and watching my children's imagination at play. I think I miss it a lot of times - their inner aspirations coming out in their free play. But when I really focus in, I am amazed at what I see!

I imagine Jonah will be some kind of stunt man. He has speed, strength and very little fear. And he loves a physical challenge:
Adriana would make a great performer - maybe an actress, perhaps a playwright. She's always poising for the camera. Always pretending to be someone else:

I am very touched by this picture because Drew has hemiplegia (specifically, right side asymmetry). He was in physical therapy for a year to catch him up developmentally. He has worked so hard and has overcome so many limitations. So it pleases me to see him reach a little higher and face obstacles head on. I see a little gymnast in him:

From what I can tell, Sasha is going to be a very serious little girl. She seems so pensive; loves to study her surroundings. At 9 weeks old, she makes very good eye contact and is trying to babble. She has so much to say, I can just tell!

If I could sum this up into a moral, I guess it would be to take the time and just sit back and watch. Watch your children's imaginations come to life and you might learn a little bit more about them.