What a weekend!  I would love to tell you that it was great, but it was actually hard and my heart is a little heavy in my chest.  Fortunately there were some definite bright spots.

Dimples came home from school on Friday feeling very edgy and irritable.  We invited three friends (sisters) to play and spend the night.  Although that may sound crazy, we love these kids, and Dimples does much better when there are friends to occupy her and help her keep herself in check.  It’s hard to explain, but trust me, three extra children is far easier than one very unhappy girl.

Thank you all for your prayers.  Mimi’s procedure went great and she should come home from the hospital today.  We stayed with her until late yesterday afternoon when we could see that she was feeling better.  It was very sweet to be with Mimi and Andrew during this time.  We met them in Spokane on Sunday evening and shared dinner along with lots of laughter and time to catch up on their lives.  We all stayed in a hotel across the street from the hospital which was very convenient since she had to check in at 5:30 a.m.

It is Tuesday morning and life is going at breakneck speed.  Today is Ladybug’s 13th birthday – and I still haven’t posted about Honeybee’s 12th birthday last week!  I think a birthday post – or at least a few pictures, is in order.  Due to Ladybug’s volleyball game today and Mimi just coming home from the hospital, we are going to postpone celebrating until tomorrow night.  Whew!  I have one day to catch my breath.

My mind is on Nashville and the Empowered to Connect conference.

Mimi is having a surgical procedure this morning to repair a problem in her heart that is causing tachycardia (very rapid heart rate).  It was a surprise for all of us to learn that Mimi was born with this defect but we weren’t aware of it until a short time ago. In learning about the problem, Sweet Pea described it as more of an electrical wiring problem than a plumbing problem.

When my children were all little, the first five born in fewer than eight years, it seemed the flurry of diapers, spit-up on my shoulder, and sleepless nights would always be my life.  I couldn’t imagine a day when I would have deep conversations with my children and need to reach up when I hugged them.   Today, I am very blessed to have children spanning twenty years, from 24 to four; it affords me a perspective that often makes me consider how children grow.

Twelve years ago when we bought our home, there were three very small maples planted in the front yard.  It seemed it would be ages before they amounted to anything.  Then one spring they offered a tiny circle of shade in the middle of the afternoon.  Each year they’ve grown and become more established, their branches reaching farther. This summer they shaded our front porch on hot days, and today, Sunshine gathered Eby and Little Man for a picnic under them.

Raising children is a lot like planting trees, isn’t it?

I came downstairs this morning to find Noah at the counter eating breakfast in an otherwise empty kitchen.  The kitchen is never empty mid-morning, and the quiet was unusual.  We began to talk about classes, travel plans, ideas for work  following graduation in just over a year.  As I cleaned the kitchen and got dinner in the crock pot, we talked about his siblings, how they are different and similar, my preparation to speak in Nashville next week, the dynamics of growing up in a large family, car repairs, and more.

Soon an uninterrupted hour had passed; a completely unexpected gift had been given to me.  I really love my big kids and wish I had more time to devote to them, listen to them, and just have fun with them.  I’m so thankful that in the midst of a Wednesday morning I had this time with Noah.  He is amazing, really, just an amazing young man.