Indeed it was. How could it not be, the entire Barkman family together for almost a full week?

In a word, it was delightful.

Destination: Myrtle Beach, SC
Who: The Ervin J. Barkman family
Place: condo by the sea (well, by the ocean, but "by the sea" sounds better)
Time: October 31 - Nov. 5
Weather: perfect. warm during the day. cool for morning walks.

There are no words to describe how much I love my family.  I adore them.

There have been several deaths in the extended family within the past few years. I think that makes my family treasure each other all the more. Last Christmas when my immediate family was together, we spent a few moments of sad reflection on a relative who had passed not long before. Things like that are always shocking. So unfair. It could have been me.

So we remember that, and know that it one day it will be one of us that's missing from the family circle.

That's not morbid. That's reality.

 And it helps us embrace the moments we have together with all of our hearts. To live with no regrets, because it will not always be this way. Painfully though, I know because of the closeness we share, that will make the parting so much harder. But in that way, the pain is really a gift...

But today - to LIVE,
                           to ENJOY,
                                     and not take life or one another for granted.

Showing affection today, because it may be our last chance.

And on to happier things.

The six siblings. They are just so great!
How come the oldest sister is the littlest of them all??

And the family picture was wait to be publicized. Mother wants it to be a surprise.
Therefore, sadly, I have no presentable pictures of mother to be shown (I'm going by her judgment, not mine ).

I adore this man too.

We even got to go out on a date to Starbucks one morning! Without children. Those times are rare.

After making fun of Claudia's aviators all week, we got him to try them on. Then snuck a picture. Ha. He looks like he's straight from the 80's!!

Zoe received a lot of attention. So much so, in fact, that Aunt Claudia declared her spoiled (that's another way of saying she wasn't always super well behaved). Whoops.

And little Olivia was loved on too. She's too little to be spoiled. Plus, she was born one day after Claudia's birthday, which means she can do no wrong. )

This is a "celebrity shot" of Claudia.

Books for the ladies.

Smile. They're really aren't desperate. At all.

Bocci ball for the men. It is much too boring to simply lie on a beach towel on the sand.

Fishing. One very cold day. Fished all night and caught no fishes... Well, not all night. But no fishes.

These two are really too much.

Or make that three.

Got to wear Ervina's super cool green shoes. How I love them. I hope they know I have a birthday coming up soon.

The last day, THEE last, we discovered an ANTHROPOLOGY store. Why, oh, why did we not know before? We spent a precious hour in there. I left without one purchase. There were simply too many wonderful things, I couldn't decide where to spend my last remaining dollars. So I kept them.

Just to prove we were there.

They had these super cool rings in the clearance department. Marked down to $20 from $60?? But oh my goodness, they were huge!! A little overkill, maybe?

Sisters. Everyone should have at least one.

Or make that three. They are beauty personified.

There was a Worst of Times too. It was at the end. Saying goodbye.

When sisters are together, well, it just seems that that is how things should be. Being almost a thousand miles apart from all three of them is just not an ideal situation. So when one of them wanted to come spend most of a week here, I couldn't have been more delighted!

The babies love her... we all love her!

This week is so special, Claudia! You could stay a month and we couldn't get tired of you!

She's beautiful, she's fun, she's witty, she's talented, she's passionate about God, she has really cool style... What more could you want in a girl?

Zoe asks for her every waking moment, and hardly allows Claudia to leave her sight. And I'm beginning to hear some "Claudia quotes" coming out of Zoe's mouth. That makes me happy, because I like Claudia quotes. And I like it that Zoe is learning to know Claudia as an individual person, rather than just another person in a larger family.

She brought this really cool lollipop for a photo shoot with Zoe... of course, Zoe was thrilled beyond words and would do anything we asked. AFTER an hour of being not so cooperative BEFORE the lollipop...

What a great week! Not happy that it's ending, but happy that I'll get to see the rest of my family - today!

Cheers to a great weekend and week ahead!

-clarita

Claudia is here. And what a lovely, lovely time we are having with her! I think she could stay a month and we'd only like her more! Zoe asks for her every waking moment and is quite the imitator - I see her doing little "Claudia moves" and sayings. Maybe I'll have a little bit of Claudia left here even after she's gone!

I had been wanting to do an informal photo shoot with my girls. I can't remember doing one since Olivia is born, where it's my girls and me. Yesterday late afternoon the backlight was just beautiful through the bamboo in the backyard. So we ran out and took a few pictures. Okay, a LOT of pictures. I thought I was only going to put one or two on here, but I couldn't decide!

I had picked up the dress that Olivia is wearing when Zoe' was a baby, and wore it often on Zoe'. Months later, I found a bigger size for Zoe' that she would wear at 2 years. Knowing I had matching dresses and was expecting again, I was hoping for a little girl to dress her up in them! Meanwhile, the shirt I was wearing was given to me by a sister who didn't want it. *cough* So we're matchy-matchy without really even trying.

This is one of my favorites, with the bamboo leaves blurred in the foreground and the backlight in the background.

My precious little daughters. I love having two girls! I would love to have four girls, like there are in my family. That scares Ben just a little.

Names were a big deal to Ben and me when we were naming our children. Meanings of names, I should say.

"Zoe' Grace" means "Life of Grace." Not physical life, but vivacious, exuberant, and bubbling-over life of the soul - which can be given only by God. I loved that. She was named that at a time in my life when I felt so much in need of that life. And God has been that to me through her. So beautiful.

"Olivia Caroline" means "Messenger of Peace and Joy." And she has been that to us! She arrived at a time when my heart was in the midst of many wrestlings, and she has truly brought peace and so much joy to us! I think it's so beautiful how God has laid names and meanings on our hearts that speak destiny to our child, but that also speak of the blessing they are to us *right now*!

Olivia and Zoe are both blonde-haired and blue-eyed, but they look so so different from each other! Olivia is growing up, but she is still our petite little baby!

Tomorrow - we're off to a family vacation! Excited doesn't even begin to describe us right now.

-clarita

Because we are so far south, the weather is suitable for outdoor play almost year round.

A few weeks ago we thought autumn had come. It was a bit cooler for a few days.  But alas, it didn't last, and we're back to hot and humid once again. Running the a/c just so we can sleep comfortably at night!

And while I'd rather have cooler weather for a change, it really is nice for my little girl. She loves being outside, and if I let her, will be out for hours each day. She'll play with her "titty-tats", play in the sand in the driveway ("makin' a pie!"), and all sorts of imaginative things.

We have this little thing we say to each other when she goes outside. I'll say (from Peter Rabbit), "You may go into the fields or down the lane..." and she'll finish, "But not on the road or in the woods!" Sometimes she'll tease me and say, "Not in Mr. McGregor's garden!" She is an avid Peter Rabbit fan.

I ran out with the camera one day when she was wide-open with her fun.  She was running so fast I didn't have time to adjust the lighting on my camera, so it's a little over-lit. But I still like it.

I love these pictures of pure childhood. So innocent. Everything is right with the world. She has high expectations of people, of how loving everyone is to her, and most of the time her expectations are met. Life's biggest disappointments are not playing with Roland or Blake when she wants to, or that it's naptime instead of playtime. Wow. I want her to keep that innocence as long as possible.

We gave her these two cats for her second birthday. She just adores them, and begs to go out and play. They are the sweetest cats - good thing, too, because she is still learning how to be gentle with them. See below.

They can look strangled but they've never hurt her. Pretty amazing. I think I'd react if I were being strangled. If they get tired of her, they'll run up a tree.

These cats remain nameless, and we simply call them, "The Kitty Cats." Or, as Zoe' calls them, "da titty tats." The did have names when we got them, but they were named after two kinds of beer, and we didn't really want our just-turned-two-year-old running around saying beer names! Any good cat names out there?

Good thing Zoe' loves them so much, because they don't get a lot of love from Ben or me. We're just not big cat lovers - especially not when they try to run in the house every chance they get, or when they are accidentally left inside the house and make messes on beds, or when they walk all over clean cars and leave dirty footprints... But our little daughter adores them, so they stay.

Childhood innocence.

"... Unless you become as a little child, you will have no part in the Kingdom of Heaven." - Jesus

-clarita

I have this favorite lunch, see.

It's super healthy, delicious, and just a little bit a work, but not too much.

Start out with these ingredients:

Not that fancy, and a little as four yummy things: Romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, grilled chicken, and pita bread. I like the whole wheat. More fiber. Ha! No, just makes everything seem more healthy- like.

I make this almost everytime we have grilled chicken left over from the night before, which is rather often.

Mix it all together like this:

You can add tomatoes and black olives if you like. I usually don't because it looks so delicious already.

And voila - you've got yourself a Chicken Caesar Pita!

You know it's gotta be good, because even Zoe loves it.

Perhaps now it'll be someone else's favorite lunch?

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I have pictures/stuff/things from the past few *months* that I keep thinking I'll blog about. But alas, no time. The past undefined length of time has been about:

• working on the investment property in B-.  Ben has been working there every free Saturday since April, about 7 months. I've been there cleaning several days in the past week and a half. There is a "for sale" sign in the front yard... finally.
• planning a Church Campout for our congregation, about 80-90 people, coming up in less than two weeks.
• planning a Ladies Tea Party Supper with Linda for the ladies at church. Kind of more Pottery Barn style than lacy Victorian.
• family vacation coming up in a couple days - a good part of a week at a location in South Carolina. Think beach and water and a loving family. I can't wait.
• I'm back to teaching piano again, after taking a break over the summer. Just a couple students, but I'm enjoying it.
• Enjoying "cooler" weather. I say that in parenthesis and somewhat sarcastically, because it is still about 80-90* today. But it IS cooler than it's been. Gotta count your blessings, right?
• Shopping for clothes for Zoe - who until a week ago owned only 2 long-sleeves shirts to make it through the winter.
• Knitting 7 scarves  in a week's time for a friend's project. Watched the long version of Pride & Prejudice while doing it. Thanks, Veronica!
• And certainly not least, but a very wonderful thing indeed, is my sister Claudia visiting for a week! Zoe adores her, Olivia smiles at her unceasingly, and I am overjoyed with happiness. I love having her here.

My favorite quote, which  reminds me of the northern states, that I borrowed from Jana...

"Delicious Autumn!
My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were I bird I would fly about the earth,
seeking the successive autumns."

- George Elliot. 

-clarita

Saturday, October 10, dawned bright and clear. And hot! October it may be, but we still had a 90 degree day to head to the nearby Islands!

Ben's brother and sister, Chris and Beth, were visiting for the weekend with some friends, and the Yoder family decided to make an excursion to do some shrimp saning. I had heard of this before, but had never seen anything like it, so I was very intrigued with the whole process!

October through December is when the shrimping is good here, so Ben tells me. And he's lived here most of his 29 years, so I think he knows.

The whole Yoder family was there for most of the afternoon, except for Mary Jo and Wendall and their beautiful girls. We missed you guys!!!

Crossing the beautiful bridge heading to the Islands. The sky was so blue that day!

And we're heading to Jekyll Island! You see this sign, and then drive through miles and miles of marsh land. I should have taken a picture, except there's nothing to see except... marsh.

While we were getting vehicles unloaded and Rod was buying a sane net, the little kids were sucking lollipops. Zoe gave Karston a few licks.

But oh boy, Zoe sure liked Aunt Jena, who gave it to her! Mommy doesn't often treat her like that!

After getting unloaded, hiking to St. Andrews Beach (one side of Jekyll, where long ago the black people were allowed. Back in the day, there were separate beaches for white and black people, and not so long ago, actually. This IS the south, after all. Growing up in the north, I didn't realize how present-day some of this racial stuff was.).

 This beach has a lot of driftwood, and I actually really like it. Except that when the tide is up, there is really no beach at all. It was at high tide when we arrived, but soon started receding.

Taking the net out for one of the first times. I'm sure I looked like a tourist; I was snapping pictures right and left because I had never seen anything like this before!

Ben, Chris, Jeff, Tony in the water. Jena, Cash, and Karston standing on the beach.

The net was about 75 feet long, I think. Took quite a few guys on it to drag it in and out of the water. Weights on the bottom and floats on the top of it.

There were probably about 8 dolphins that were sxwimming around close to the nets. At first we all thought it was so cool! I mean, this felt like Sea World or something, except we were in the wild! But when the dolphins came so close that they were making holes in the net trying to eat the fish they saw in there, that was not so cool. Not in Rod's brand new net.

 But later some of the guys were able to feed fish to the dolphins right out of their hand! Crazy! This little northern girl was completely amazed!!

Showing the kiddos a fish that was caught in the net.

Cash and Zoe running down the beach. They just LOVED the entire day!

Sorting through the mullet (sp?), shrimp, and other various sea creatures. Tony is really attacking something.  

This picture isn't focused well, but I still like it because of all the action going on around the net.

Love this picture of Zoe playing in the sand.

Mama Yoder rocking my baby to sleep - bless her!

Papa Bob (as Cash and Zoe call Robert) with two of four sons.

Zoe and Papa Bob walking the shore line. Love this picture too.

Rod and Jena and their boys.

A storm was gathering several miles across the water. The lighting was amazing, and another shrimping party passed by just in time to be on my picture.

Having a little down time on some driftwood. This reminded me so much of the movie, "The Swiss Family Robinson" or something! Felt like we were on some deserted island - so so cool!

Mama and Papa Yoder with Zoe and Olivia.

Laurie waiting with the cooler while the guys were out with the net.

And yes, they did catch shrimp. Take a look at this monster, will you? Around 6 inches long, at least.

Definitely puts a new angle on shrimp-eating when you see what they look like in the wild. Ugh. I wasn't so sure I could still eat them, although I normally love shrimp.

But hey, they were free shrimp. And who could pass up on eating at least a few when Rod and Chris boiled the 200 shrimp for lunch the next day? Not a one of us, I say. And we cleaned up almost every last shrimp there was.

What a fun family day!

-clarita

Little Olivia is growing right up. How a little baby goes from newborn to four months old in what seems like much less time than four months is amazing to me. How we're almost at the end of September already when it seems like that week was just the end of May is crazy. I must be getting older.

This stage with Olivia is just so fun. When my babies are tiny, I think the newborn stage is my favorite. When they out-grow that and reach the next stage, then I think that stage is my favorite. I guess they're just all my favorite. But Ben, especially, is loving a more responsive child, one who loves interaction and talking, one who can just giggle her heart out... Her personality really feels like it's emerging. She is just a sweetheart of a baby, seems very tenderhearted already.

I ran out the door the other evening to take a quick photo shoot before it got too dark. I was messing with some of the lighting settings on my camera, and think I set them too light. Baby looks more light-skinned on these pictures than she does in real life.

This dress was given by a friend... Just darling!

Closeup of those precious eyes and kissable lips.

Olivia has been a delightful baby, ever since she passed the somewhat colicky stage. She smiles so readily, although when she isn't smiling she can look so serious.

I love the interaction between Zoe and Olivia. Zoe just adores her little sister, and can make her giggle and laugh so much! Of course, that just does wonders for Zoe's ego, and she tries to  love on her all the more. Zoe's pet name for Olivia right now is "Love of my Life." )

Yes, Baby is a thumb-sucker. I think it's the darlingest thing ever! But I'm still trying to push a pacifier on her, because I can take a pacifier eventually but not a thumb, but she will often push it out and stick in her thumb.

Silver shoes - whether baby-sized or me-sized... I just can't resist.

She seems so big on this picture!

And a few indoor pictures. A baby picture-post is clearly for the grandparents and aunties/uncles who hardly get to see her. I know other people just won't appreciate it as much. And that's okay.

When she smiles, there are dimples in full glory. How she got this stray gene, I don't know. But I am delighted!

So, far-away family ~ this is for you.

And anyone else that cares to see pictures of a beautiful baby.

I was on my last nerve Monday evening by the time Ben returned home. As in, not much patience left with a particular two-year-old, or with a slow internet, or any other thing, for that matter. Last nerve for sure, Ben was giving me strange side-glances when he thought I wasn't looking.  After supper, he man-handled (okay, refused to let me in the house) me and insisted I go run the few errands that were pending.

 I ran into town to pick up the featherbed I had taken to the launders earlier in the day [the cat had been locked in the house accidentally on Sunday morning when we left for church, and when we got home we saw he had pooped AND peed right on our bed, soaking both sheets and going through to the featherbed. I was furious, and ready to have a cat's head...].

After I picked up the clean version, ever so thankful for laundromats, I stopped in at Walgreens, Dollar General, and Bealls Outlet for a few moments each. Just because I could. Just because I had coupons. Just because I didn't have to unbuckle and rebuckle three people everytime I went somewhere.

It was delightful respite just to have a few moments alone. I do love my children with all of my heart, but I've been a big overwhelmed lately [post-partum blues?] and just needed a little break...

When I returned home, my little family was delighted to see me, and I them. An hour of solitude, albeit running errands, does wonders for the soul. Zoe had been wailing and grumpy, Ben said, but cheered immediately when I entered the door. I was rather surprised. I mean, she does that for her daddy, but I didn't think mommy was that big a deal. You know how it is, you sometimes wonder if it would really matter if you'd just leave for a week.

And then I saw it. A little vase of flowers. And a little note.

Ben had taken the girlies on a little walk and picked some wildflowers and honeysuckle and put them in a quaint vase. They wrote a little note telling me sweet things that every mommy loves to hear, then set both the note and the flowers on the counter waiting for me when I arrived.

Wow. My family loves me. Even if I feel like I have had a rough week and have been impatient with Zoe. Even when I'm exhausted in the evenings. Even when it feels like I don't have much to give. They're happy to see me. They just like me, even when I feel so unlikeable!

The two following mornings the honeysuckle has been a delightful smell as I ready in the bathroom, but even more so is the memory of my precious little family, who love me despite the many times I fail. God is loving me through them...

The Little White Baby Room. Or Babies' Room. I worked on it mostly before the baby came, and just haven't gotten around to putting pictures up.

You know, sometimes I'm not sure about posting about projects I do. Sometimes, I think, it can be a little bit like "See what I can do!" like you see in kindergarden: "Look at me, mommy!" And you want comments so you can feel good about yourself. I know. I've been there, embarassingly. Don't get me wrong - comments totally make my day!

And having projects to work on are my love. That kind of thing is where I am gifted, more than in "churchy" kinds of gifts. I love seeing what I can do with what I have in my hands, hardly spending any money (my husband likes that too!) yet creating something beautiful. And I love to read about what others of you have done and things you're working on.

But I guess what I want when I post is to be an encouragement and inspiration, rather than someone who tries to brag on herself. Does that make sense? I want my heart attitude to be right, and then my posts to spring out of that.

So, with that said, I'll take you on a little tour of the girlies' room...

The whole room is neutral - white and brown. It started that way before Zoe' was born, and we hadn't found out what gender she was beforehand. So I started collecting things that were white with a tint of brown. Years down the road this will probably look completely out of date, but for now, I like it! My goal was to redo the room with using mostly things that I already have and/or making new things out of existing material, and not spending much money.

When you walk down the hall and come to the second door on the right, this is what you'll find...

The Room of the Little Ladies.

Ben had brought this panel home from work one day, probably about a year old, thinking it was too cool of an unwanted example from the job to throw away! We stuck it away for a while...  Then when I was working on this room, I came across it, and thought it would be a great place to nail on these little butterly and snail hangers from a garage sale for their bath towels...

The Baby Corner:
This idea was given to me by my sister-in-law and by my friend - to put the crib in the closet! The room is so small, and to put both the crib and toddler bed and changing table all in one room would have made it feel so crowded. I didn't know how I was going to arrange it, and was talking with some women about it one day. Such female talk, I know.  Babies, Coupons, Shopping... "Put the crib in the closet!" said Sonya. "Put curtains in front of it!" said Linda. And what great ideas they were!

The crib is still borrowed from Mama Yoder. She so kindly offered it to let us use when Zoe was a baby, and we're still using it!

I was looking for a brown/white sheet to use in the crib, and couldn't find one anywhere. Sooo, I made one. Brown with white polka dots.

Inside the crib:  I made a few pillows, and then splurged and bought a baby down comforter with some birthday money. I had bought the bumper and skirt when Zoe was a baby at Pottery Barn, on the clearance rack for not much at all. The white and brown from it inspired my theme for the room.

I am just in love with down comforters. And the baby-sized one is too cute for words. Olivia looks so snuggly and cozy under it!

Behind the crib on the wall: Some ornaments I bought anywhere from 10-50 cents a piece. The frames in the background are picture-less as of yet, because I am having trouble ordering pictures from my computer [ordered three separate times and each time they come back blurred - help anyone??]. But the frames were glossy gold that I spray painted white.

To hold back the white curtain panels: I looked through my box of "stuff" and found these things - they are actually iron outdoor plant holders.

And on the floor, something I was wanting for a long time and was able to use a gift card to cover most of the expense. This sheepskin floats back and forth from the bedroom to the living room and I often use it as a play mat for Olivia.

Difficult to get a good picture of the full effect because the room is so small and my lense not capable... But this is the Bed in the Closet.

The board above the bed reads, "Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice".

The panels were made of patterned white sheets that I sewed together and mounted on a  bamboo rod, cut from the backyard.

Ben found the little bookshelf at an auction for under $5, I think...

I store Olivia's blankets in a basket on top of the bookshelf for easy access...

The other side of the room:

Found these two shadow boxes at Goodwill... The little boots were given by ny sisters for Zoe as a baby.

I made a pillow for the rocking chair to match the curtains and the rest of the brown/white theme in the room.

Pictures above the changing table, Walmart sells these wooden-looking frames (they're actually plastic) for $3 each.

The rocking chair corner.

I bought this amazing, gorgeous picture, painted by my extremely talented uncle, at my grandmother's auction a few years ago. It still hasn't made it into a frame, although that's the idea in the future. But it's it just beautiful??

The changing table/dresser - found in the back shed, unwanted by a previous renter. Redone now, and perfect for this room! These pictures are really bugging me on this picture, they sure don't look straight!

Zoe's Little White Bed corner, which I've elaborated on in another earlier post...

Trunks - for looks (they're so cute!), so Zoe can climb out of bed, and to use for the girls when we travel.

Little black chair we bought at a garage sale for $2.

And that's the room of the Little Ladies!

I've been on a book reading binge the past few months. Perhaps it's because I'm breastfeeding and have a lot more sit down time, although some of that sit down time is reading Pinkalicious and other children's books. Pinkalicious, by the way, is THE darlingest girlie book ever. Zoe and I have gotten it at the library several times already!

Just finished reading How Children Raise Parents by Dan Allender. A deeper read, super good read, something that I wasn't able to read in a few days, kind of had a few books going at the same time because I would read a few pages from this one, then take a break and digest it.

Here are a few excerpts that were highlights in my going through it.

"The church was established as a place of grace, the one sanctuary where we should be free to honestly admit our weakness and failure. But in practice it's the place where we are most likely to hide our flaws from others. Sadly, we replace a quest for grace with a charade of comformity.

The goal of many who attend church is to get something from God without being found out by people. Of course there are people who attend church to make business contacts in the same way they would as a member of a social club. But the vast majority of people attend hoping to gain spiritual meaning or a moment of connection to God.

Equally represented are those seeking safety and stability, those who want an endorsement of how they are living rather than encouragement to embrace the bold risk of the life of faith. These people are similar to those who hit the ski slopes not the enjoy the exhilaration of barreling downhill atop two thin blade of fiberglass, but in hopes of reaching the bottom of the slope without falling on their backsides. It's not hard to pick out the safe skiers. Their stance is stiff and their movement slow and plodding. Their turns lack openness and elegance. In the same way, some go to church to better get through the week, but they are not there to aim the pointy ends downhill and to engage the agony and ecstasy of pursuing God.

Likewise, parents fall into the trap of working hard not to fail rather than passionately pursuing God's leading in the lives of their children.  The parent who is governed by a regimen of rules and responsibility is the parent whose primary hope is to raise morally upright children. Period.

Helping our children come to know Jesus is only the first step. The bigger pursuit is that we want them to follow God without compromise. We want them to catch the passion of living boldly and taking big risks as in following God..."

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"Just as God's character is expressed in the polarities of strength and mercy, so he calls us to another set of opposing forces: individuation and intimacy. We obey God when we week to distinguish our individual self as unique and unlike anyone else (individuation). We also obey him when we give ourselves to others for their good (intimacy). Individuation requires us to experience each moment as a choice to be the person God made us to be. Intimacy requires us to choose to yield our individuality in order to join another in becoming something great than our individual being..."

.....................................................................................................................

"God in all his wildness reveals himself to us when we move, even when we blunder and choose unwisely, rather than when we sit passively waiting for the right answer to show itself. The more we are obedient to subdue and fill, with eyes and heart open to him, the more he will guide and reveal his excruciating passion for us..."

................................................................................................................

"In my failure to live out God's character [before my children], I come face to face with the awful and awesome strength and tenderness of God. In that encounter, I am invited to embrace his love in order to offer that love to my children. If we are to learn God's character in the midst of failure, how much more so are our children?"

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And now we're off to finish the rest of a lazy, rainy day... So far - baking cookies, naps, watching a movie. Next - Ben returns home, and all will be well.

-clarita