Memorial Day--Part Two

The meaning of Memorial Day can get lost in cook-outs, trips the lake, and Riverfest. I am as guilty as the next person. (Note the previous post about a cook-out with friends.) However, this year, Memorial Day takes on new meaning for our family. It hasn't been six months ago that we spent time in both Vietnam and Cambodia. It was in these two countries that I fully grasped what life COULD be like outside of our USA.

The most sobering of our trips was to the Killing Fields and to the Pol Pot prison. The atrocities committed in/at both were eye-opening. It was standing at a killing tree in the fields that I truly "got" Memorial Day. Men and women, for hundreds of years, have been fighting for freedoms. Yes, these include the freedom of religion, freedom of press, freedom to bear arms, etc. But, they also fought for the freedom to live . . . to live freely is something that we take for granted EVERY day. To live freely is so much more than choosing the party with which I want to affiliate or whether I want to worship as a Christian or a Muslim. To live freely is to wake each and every morning knowing that my children will have the food, the clothes, and shelter they need. It's knowing that I can walk into a store and make purchases that I need without fear of reprisal. It's knowing that I won't be marched into a Killing Field to watch my child murdered simply because of the color of my skin or worse yet for the color of my father's skin. Freedom . . .

(The picture is of Ali with a Cambodian baby in the floating villages. This child was born on a raft and may never see dry land.)

Memorial Day-Part One

We had a gathering of 50 or so friends over last night for a Memorial Day Movie night. The kiddos enjoyed playing and watching 'Gnomeo and Juliette' while the adults enjoyed visiting. It was such a lovely evening! I find myself enjoying entertaining more and more as I get older. I am worrying less about the details (like dust, smudges, and lint) and more about the quality of time together with friends and family.

Just one state away during our time of fellowship, our friend's niece named Kenley fell off of a piece of playground equipment and suffered head trauma. It was a rough night for the family as she was flighted to a different hospital to undergo brain surgery to relieve the swelling. She will be in a medical-induced coma for twenty-four hours before the docs will know of the extent of the damage.

Please pray for this little girl and her family and take a few extra moments to hug your children. Because, our kiddos are what so many men and women have fought for . . .

Up with the birds . . .

Nathan is teaching his yearly intersession class--ornithology or birding. He LOVES this time of year when he gets paid to do something he loves by teaching others how to enjoy birds too. However, it's a difficult two weeks for us both. Nathan has to be out of the house by 6 a.m. which makes for an e.a.r.l.y morning. He can't go to sleep earlier (night owl that he is) to compensate for his early mornings, and I can't go back into a deep sleep once he leaves in the a.m. Not to mention that I must be up early enough to get all of us ready for school drop-off. I am reminded during these two weeks how blessed I am to have the luxury of staying home and splitting the morning routine with him.

As I lay in bed and hear the birds and NOT the rumble of kiddos in the house, I am reminded how often Jesus rose early to meet with the Lord. I must admit that the early hours offer peace and solitude that I can't find any other time. I long to find that peace too . . . I just have to give up that extra few minutes of sleep. That is one of my goals this summer--finding time to commune each morning (instead of in the chaos of the night) with the Lord. We'll see . . .

It's official . . .

Today was my last day with just Ali before she starts school. The boys start summer break tomorrow, so the girl routine will be turned on its ear! Although I am looking forward to time with the whole gang, I am reticent to miss out on the girl times. I spent the day playing games and watching movies with Ali intermingled with household chores. About which, Ali said, "Mom, I can't wait to be a big girl and get to do girl things all day, every day. You know, cooking, cleaning, and laundry. What fun!" Well, I strive to have that attitude as I approach my tasks that I so often call chores. I pray she looks at "girl things" that way as she grows!

Ali turned five!

Ali turned five in March, and the reality of what this means becomes more evident each day. We've had kindergarten screening. We've had her last well-baby doctor's visit. She has been officially accepted to HA for the fall. She 'graduated' from preschool. I'm sending my baby to school in just three short months . . .

As I spend the last three months with her before she starts school, I am ever prayerful that she'll be guided and guarded by the Lord. I pray she'll make friends who will prove to be good influences and who will encourage her to do what is right. I pray she loves school and learning as much as I did. I pray that she'll always act as nice as she looks. (Because, in my humble opinion, she's a cutie!)

We're at another milestone . . .

(Picture by TK Photography)

It's almost here!

I must say that I am anxious for summer more than any other year . . . at least that I can remember. My kids have had tough semesters getting back into routines after our overseas travel. They've had to play catch-up at school for much of our time back, and, to be honest, we're done with that! SOOO very done. As a parent, I know that school is an important, vital part of my kids' development on many fronts . . . spiritually, socially and academically to name the big three. However, I am SO convinced that school is only a small part of their education. Having spent three months traveling abroad, I see the value in having my kids experience the world and other cultures. I witnessed their growth while being with peoples different from them. (In age, gender, cultures, societies, etc.) I also see the value of having them with me. Nathan and I have missed the consistent time that traveling mandated. Although it was tiresome at times, I miss knowing that my kids are two rows back on the bus or plane. I miss knowing what most all their conversations were about . . . I miss knowing whether they ate their lunch . . . I miss tweaking Caleb's hair or smooching JD's freckles. I just miss my kiddos. So, as I prepare for a busy summer spent with my family, I am ever ready to be with them all day, most every day. I pledge to eat with, read to, cuddle with, and smooch my kiddos over the coming three months. Just one more week . . .