Well, Eliana turned three on sunday, which is hard for me to believe. Everyone always tell me that parenting goes so fast, and they grow up too quickly; I'm actually starting to believe it! At first, it was hard to believe I'd make it through the night when they're waking up frequently, and I would forget that life actually would exist where I could get sleep and function as a normal human being. But it actually was much shorter than I imagined it to be in my mind (even Asher seems short in my mind, and he was still getting up at 4:30am at 12 months). Yet now Nathan is almost 5 and will start school next year, can help with the chores around the house, helps me keep an eye on the baby, and is really fun to hang out with and talk to on dates:) I can only imagine how quickly the next 13 years are going to go, if the last 5 have gone so quickly.
So, here are some pictures of Ellie's celebration. The first one is ellie sporting her artistic job putting on her new chapstick from the grandparents;} Jon's parents came into town to surprise her, and she was SHOCKED. Her jaw dropped open, and she just stared at them in amazement and disbelief. We had been asking her if there was anybody she wanted to come over and eat cake with us for her birthday, and she kept saying, "nana and papaw!" I don't think she ever believed they would actually come. I wish I had a picture of her face when she saw them. Anyway, we all had a great weekend together.
Jon starts school today. He's really looking forward to his classes this semester (preaching, greek 3, hebrew 1, and psalms). Should be a much quieter semester than last spring, which we're looking forward to.
Well, I better go get breakfast ready, so I'll leave with a quote from Edith Schaeffer's book, The hidden art of homemaking:
"There is no occasion when meals should become totally unimportant. Meals can be very small indeed, very inexpensive, short times taken in the midst of a big push of work, but they should be always more than just food. Relaxation, communication and a measure of beauty and pleasure should be part of even the shortest of meal breaks. Of course you celebrate special occasions - successes of various members of the family, birthdays, good news, answered prayer, happy moments - with special attention to meal preparation and serving. But we should be just as careful to make the meal interesting and appealing when the day is grey, and the news is disappointing."
What do you think? Do you agree with this idea?
5 comments:
Great narrative and fun pictures of Ellie's special day. I loved the quote you used from Edith Schaeffer's wonderful book and wholeheartedly agree with her. I battled all the years our sons were at home to have at least one family meal together each day. It was a great time for sharing, training, learning to eat new things, learning to cook new things and generally staying connected--challenging to maintain, but very well worth the challenge. Love, Gramma Shelley
Several thoughts....
Are those really your kids? They're getting so big! Asher is still a newborn in my head, since that's when I saw him last. It really is amazing how fast they grow. I see a night-and-day difference between Chickpea just between ages 2 and 2.5. I feel like I can actually have a pseudo-conversation with her. I'm glad Ellie had fun for her birthday - grandparents always make it more fun.
Secondly, I totally feel the same way when they're not sleeping through the night yet. I remember when Chickepea was at that age, wondering how on earth people have more than one child. And now I'm about to do it again... I'm really not looking forward to the not-sleeping stage. Oh well. It's gotta be done, I suppose.
Lastly, I love that quote, and I think it's so true. Even lunches of just cheese and crackers and fruit are more relaxing and fun when we're all sitting together, talking as a family. I've wanted to own that book for eons and I keep forgetting to order it. I'll have to do that soon.
Kerin,
Thanks for sending us the link to you blog. I love seeing pictures of you, Jon and your kids and hearing a bit about your life. Gotta agree with the quote from Edith Schaeffer. I love all her books and have read "What is a Family?" like 3 times already. She is inspiring.
Great post...Your quote may seem difficult to argue with, but I'll try. I remember having a conversation related to this concept with Taylor last Fall...Of course, the Wagons ascribe to the same idea; Taylor was trying to convince me that I was missing out on something by not spending much time or thought on meals (e.g. eating the same thing everyday for years on end)...but neither Taylor nor this quote took singles into consideration. Maybe thats the difference. Perhaps I would care more about food if I had someone to share it with, but right now, it just gives me the energy I need to get through the day. For a mom, its a act of love in service for your family...but where does that leave singles? I'm not saying making a nice meal just for myself is selfish; I'm saying the that payoff doesn't offset the work it takes (usually) if its just for me (I certainly do enjoy inviting people over, though). Or maybe the payoff would be enough if I were a better cook :) Does this quote even apply to people that live alone?
Thanks for your comments:) And a very valid point to discuss, about the single person. First, I'd like to clarify/differentiate that I'm not drawing moral conclusions here. I don't think it is immoral i.e. sinful to eat food solely for the gained physical sustinance needed by the body. and to me, the meal time is definately enjoyed in a different way when it is shared with other people. However, I don't think that's solely the purpose of the comment by Mrs. Schaeffer. I think she is trying to get at something more broad. The book is called the hidden ART of homemaking, because she believes that God, the first artist and the creator of the universe, supplied us with unlimited resources/tools, and made us to be creative beings. Granted, some of us are more creative than others, and some of us are better at certain types of creativity. She dedicates one chapter of the book to food, and how our efforts to be creative and artistic in this area can be satisfying, refreshing, and nourishing to our souls. For example, in most supermarkets you can go and purchase a fully baked rotiserrie chicken to bring home, already hot, to eat. This is not wrong, and I've done it very happily sometimes. However, the satisfaction of working to create something beautiful and delicious can be satisfying in the process, as well as satisfying to eat (hopefully;) (And the longer I do it, the more often it is consistently good to eat.) I also benefit from knowing that I've spent less money on something that tastes comparable or even better than the already made item. You may say, you're just exchanging resources: more time, less money. You're right, and there are times to do one, and times to do the other.
Also, taking the time to sit down and eat a meal, rest, and take a break from the quick pace of the day is extremely nourishing, whether we're alone or not.
I'd love to hear if you disagree; it doesn't offend me at all;)
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