Purgatory Chasm

A few days before our library closed in response to COVID-19, we checked out a book called "Quiet Places of Massachusetts". 

On a cold and sunny March morning, we explored "Purgatory Chasm" within an hour's drive of our home.

We packed a picnic lunch.

And used one of the Outdoor scavenger hunts that had been posted online.

I did add "something beautiful" to the list, because I was curious what they would choose. If you are curious as well, Jason instantly decided on some moss:

And Sophia determined it was a three way tie:

Other exciting discoveries were that some trees are skinny enough to shake:

And Icicles are nature's version of a popsicle:

I have been inspired by the enthusiasm and resilience of our 6 and 4 year olds.

And buoyed by the porch drops and care packages sent by family and friends for when we are not in the woods.

It is also sustaining to live with two 11 month olds who are entirely oblivious to current events and endlessly fascinated by their own toes.

Dennisport

Sometimes the best vacations are the closest to home and the shortest in length.

When we left the country for our Honeymoon and got badly sunburned in a place where a main attraction is swimming in hot springs, it ended up not being our favorite trip.

But this recent one...an hour away...for two nights...with four children...was one of our best.

The kids loved the hot tub at the house we were renting and playing in the falling snow, but we spent most of our time at the Cape Cod Children's Museum. 

I loved the opportunity to both watch their creativity and to create with them.

We ended our trip with dinner at Jason's, a thrill for a little boy who is just beginning to recognize his name in writing.

The outings were a lot of fun, but Jason seemed to enjoy trying on other people's pants just as much.

And if you ask Sophia, her favorite part of the vacation was when we made "towel dresses" after playing in the hot tub.

Nada

This Christmas I had the opportunity to introduce our infant twins to Nada.

I first met her as a fifteen year old intern at the social service agency where she was the secretary.

I was sheltered yet certain that I wanted to be a social worker.

Her life has been the hardest I have known, and yet she is the one who continues to love the fiercest.

She calls my babies, her babies, my Mom, "Mom", and me "MyLiz". 

After she prays for you, you are convinced of God's goodness and less concerned about outcomes.

She has taught me to love when wounds are still fresh. 

My babies/her babies have inherited one of the best cheerleaders.

And I am so thankful that we are hers.

Valentine's Day 2020

This is what going out for Valentine's Day looked like in our current season of life.

Half of the orders consisted of cookie monster and cotton candy with rainbow sprinkles.

I was looking forward to it all day because I was excited to surprise them and to avoid a crowded restaurant while also wearing my pajamas.

Every season won't look like this one, but it sure is a good one.

Joshua knew I would prefer a dark chocolate bar wrapped in printer paper with his own words, instead of a Hallmark card printed with someone else's.

Sophia knew the valentine I would want the most is "a double hug and kiss".

Jason knew when I told him, "I love your beautiful brown eyes", it would be nice to give an original compliment back, specifically, "Mama, I love all of your teeth".

And somehow both of the ten month olds knew that baby snuggles and gummy grins are one of the best ways to show love.

This year, we celebrated all kinds of love.

 

And I am so thankful for all this love.

For the Love of Reading

I love everything about it. 

The smell and feel of the pages. 

The learning of something new or the transportation to another time and place. 

I never feel compelled to finish one I'm not captivated by because I will never run out of reading material. A beauty of books is that there is no need for boredom.

It still feels magical to be able to look at letters in different combinations and decode their meaning. 

I love how many different words there are, and how you can read by looking at pictures without any words at all.

I get giddy when I walk into the children's room at the library and think of all the creativity in the stories and the illustrations. 

I think about how if I was ever stuck somewhere I would want it to be the library with its quiet, and comfy chairs, and vast collection of people, places and ideas. 

I am still amazed that you can leave the building with the books (99 at a time at ours).

As a child I loved how quickly I could switch back and forth between worlds by alternating chapters of two different books. 

In fifth grade my teacher expressed concern that I was spending too much time reading and not enough socializing.

As an adult, one of my greatest joys was teaching a 70 year old man how to read for the first time. 

When I was expecting our first child, my Mother asked me what I was most looking forward to about being a parent, to which I responded, "reading with them." And now I enjoy cuddling up and listening to her read to them with that same voice that I was riveted by when I was their age.

As I watched our first child "read" to her younger brother at the age of two, I recognized how love can be communicated through this intentional act of time together. 

And now when he asks me to read him the same favorite book multiple times a day, I enjoy his delight in it, and the fact that it is the only time he stops running.

When I witnessed that little brother pick up a book to "read" to his younger siblings, I was reminded of the generational gift of storytelling. 

I thought of my grandfather, with an 8th grade education, and the many hours he spent imparting his love of reading to my little brother and I.

This week I had the privilege of reading to our oldest child's first grade class. 

Despite being a person who enjoys public speaking, I was nervous. 

When I sat in the rocking chair, I was honored and humbled by the earnest attention of all the eyes looking back at me.

I read them the story of Calvin, a bird who can't fly, but who loves to read. 

My intent was to tell them that they actually can't be or do whatever they want. 

However, as Calvin learns, books can bring them "to places wings never could". 

From cloth books to chapter books we have loved living the story of a girl who in six short years is now reading to us.

Some Would Say

Some would say school break is not the time to go to the Aquarium. 

There is a realistic fear of hassle, and inconvenience, and it not being what you hoped it would be. There are unknowns, which cannot be answered until you decide to go and are experiencing it. You don't know how you or your children will react to the chaos or unmet expectations.

When you go, in spite of the many reasons to not go, you are taught amazing things and see what you never could have encountered if you had chosen to avoid it.

Some would say now isn't a good time to become a foster parent. 

And it is true that there will never be a perfect time to welcome a child through birth or foster care or adoption. There will be hassle and inconvenience whenever we love another. It will not mirror our exact hopes and expectations. There will be uncertainty and intermittent chaos no matter how your family is formed. 

When you go to the aquarium or become a foster parent, you are taught amazing things and encounter the beauty of God's creation. There is no perfect time for either, but both will fill you with awe and appreciation.

Christmas 2019

When our kids are old enough to read this,

They  won’t remember what they asked for, or what they were given on Christmas of 2019.

But I am so thankful for those that fed them, and hugged them,

and played with them.

And for the loving responses when tiny hands proudly gave what they had to give.

Because Christmas is the celebration of when love was given in the form of a person.