Preschool Party!

Scott's preschool is a force of love in the world. Look who dropped by the party!

Christmas 2012

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There is pain in the world.  There are babies whose bodies give out before they have a chance to use them and children whose lives are stolen from them while they are still all potential.  There are men and women with minds trapped in sad or angry places who long to be free, and others who love them and ache for them to feel that love. This is a heavy December and “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” isn’t going to cut it.

In middle school, I used to write notes that that spilled over with worries about crushes and families and who I was going to be and then write “Smile! Jesus loves you!” on the outside.  Sticking a smiley face over it all didn't cover my pain and I felt bad for not being cheery.  Posting pictures of my smiling children feels like drawing a smiley face over heartbreak and it isn't real right now.

But I believe that the “Jesus loves you” is real.  I believe that 2,000 years ago, a child was born who became a man who understood suffering and evil there is more than anyone else, because he knew true goodness more than anyone else.  I believe he faced suffering, choosing with full informed consent to act in love.  I believe that he was able to do this because he was a man and God, and that because He did it, I am able to act in love, too.  I believe He came to earth to show love, not condemnation.  I believe that it is scary to write this because you might disagree and think I’m not smart, and my desire to be seen as smart is strong.

I believe love drives out fear.  Gathering around a heartbroken family brings love into the world.  Hugging your friends' babies when you've lost your own brings love.  Acting with patience, kindness, and self-control when those are not returned; putting flowers on your doorstep or sending kind notes when you do not feel cheery; waking up with a colicky baby for the 9^th time that night; being diligent instead of lazy; being humble rather than powerful: it is love.

I stand with the warriors for love.  It is a painful world and a beautiful world.  I am glad to be in it. 



 

Swimming at the Y!

Rainy day

You would not believe how long it takes to dress 2 boys in 2 swim shorts, 2 t shirts, 2 raincoats, 2 umbrellas, and 4 rain boots. Thank goodness it's California and we don't need hats, socks, and mittens too!

Our littlest elf!

Astronaut Santa

He loves his friends, graham crackers, and moomies.

October and November

So much good stuff has happened these past months!  Let me share some:

1.  Ellen, Flash, and Auntie Ree visited for June's sixth week of life.  They were wonderful: bringing crafts and snacks, making meatballs, replenishing our pantry, making special time for the boys and taking us swimming at the hotel pool.

The family ladies really stepped it up this year.  Karen, my mom, and the Wagner ladies made it possible for me to recover and step into mothering 3 little by little.  THANK YOU! I will pay it forward!

2.  Luke traveled to Denmark for a week/I earned my Mother-of-Three badge.  So glad he got to go, so glad he's home.  (OK, we saw Karen 3 of the 7 days he was gone, so I wasn't totally on my own ...)

3.  Scott says funny things
Mother of classmate: Is that little boy your brother?
Scott: Yes.  His name is Twenty-four-hundred.  He like to be called Mark, but his name is really Twenty-four-hundred.

4.  Mark says funny things
nail clippers = "Almost dones"
gloves = "Hi Hi"s (one glove is just a "Hi")
anything in the oven = "so hots" ... like "Wanna so hot?  So hot Mark?  Me? I? So hot PLEEEEASE."

5.  Karen got us in to the LLNL Family Day that happens once every 5 years.  It was amazing and I love her. Check it out:

My vote for Christmas card photo!  I love this picture.  My eyebrow shows that I think this is the coolest thing that has every happened.  June looks ridiculous.  Luke is bicep curling 80 lbs of sons.

This is Niffy.  The construction crew unearthed a mammoth bone building the NIF, so then our best and brightest physicists ... took a break to build this dude out of caulk?  Or maybe it was a LLNL preschool art project.

This is Luke's vote for family Christmas photo.  The supercomputer room is warm and filled with white noise and our kids PASSED OUT. AT THE SAME TIME!  I would like an audio recording of all those computers running, please.