early spring at the grovestead

Everything is coming to life around here. The lilac buds are growing every day. Rory and Ivar got the onions planted and the tulips are coming up the fullest yet. I'm so excited to see them bloom!

The other sure sign of spring is my sudden need to purge, clean and get rid of all of our stuff. I went through our kitchen cabinets on Saturday, rearranged everything, wiped every surface and brought a big bag of food items that we apparently never eat to the church. Then I cooked all our random almost empty boxes of noodles and our expired (!!) brown rice and gave it to the chickens who were quite thrilled with my cleaning efforts.  I love springtime. There are so many possibilities ahead. One year ago we still had the old barn standing in our yard. It's amazing all that will get done in the next six months! Goats! A Mama Garden! More fruit trees! And we just got an email that our asparagus crowns will be delivered this week. Let the games begin!

the goodest

This morning I told the kids, "Grandma and Grandpa are going to be driving to Minnesota today!" Elsie gasped and said while running towards the stairs, "Then I must wear something lovely!" She came back all ready for their arrival. Which may not even happen today, but at any rate she is ready.

Then, a few hours later, she said to me, "Mom, are we going anywhere today? Because I just look so nice." I looked at her and thought about it for a moment. We have been on lock down since Monday when Rory and Elsie were diagnosed with Strep. Then Tuesday Ivar and my throats started to hurt and our doctor called in a prescription for us too. On top of that, I woke up early Tuesday morning with the world in a tailspin, and an awful bout of vertigo. Usually the half somersault exercises will set the world right again, but this time I got way worse before I got better. Rory called his folks in a panic, as we were both out of commission and couldn't parent. His wonderful mom came for the first half of the day, tag teamed by his wonderful dad who brought dinner and watched the kids the second half of the day. Also, we believe Hattie has her first tooth coming in. She had to do something to get a little attention around here.

So when Elsie asked if we were going anywhere, I looked into her bored eyes, did the math that we have all been on antibiotics now for 48 hours and told her I'd take her out to lunch to her favorite (and mine) hoagie place for soup and a sandwich. You wouldn't want an outfit that lovely to go to waste. She clapped her hands and said to Ivar, "Oh! I am the prettiest! You are the handsomest and Mom is the goodest!"

I'll take it.

We had a really wonderful Easter. I hope you did too. I worked in the church nursery again and like getting to know all the kids in our church. I told them, "now, when you see me, you have to say hi because we're church family. So don't be shy or pretend you don't remember that I brought in my parachute, but instead say, "Hi Becca! How are you?" And I promised to say hi to them too.

Then we went out for Easter brunch with Mom and Dad Groves and Oma Zina. The five in our family and the three of them were the only family in town this year, on both sides! We went back to Marlene and Madison's and I played Elsie Monopoly, a version that keeps you on your toes with its ever-changing rules. Then Marlene hid a whole lot of eggs all over the house, filled with either candy or quarters, and two with a dollar bill, which thrilled Ivar to no end. We rested and ate pie and it was just the perfect relaxed easter for our family, especially since we were about to head into this week of strep, teething and vertigo...

The sun is coming out this afternoon and I am thrilled with how green the grass is already. The lilacs all have huge buds and are about to burst open, the song birds are back and I am again interested in learning as many bird names and bird calls as I can. It's spring in Minnesota, my family is on antibiotics, the Lord is risen, my folks are coming home today and I'm in a good mood! Can you tell?

happy easter!

happy birthday mimi!

It's Mimi's birthday today! And we are so glad to celebrate her! I took these pictures almost a year ago, but how fun are they?!! We get to celebrate Mimi tomorrow and the kids are very excited to have a birthday party thrown into our Easter celebration! We love you Mimi, and are so grateful for your love and care and prayer for our whole family.

painted easter eggs

We had a random snow day this week and decided it was a good time to dye our eggs except that we didn't have any egg dye. I was looking up how to use food coloring when Ivar said we should paint the eggs. At first I dismissed his idea because I'm a creature of habit, but he insisted, "just get the easel paints out and we'll paint the eggs!" So I blew out two dozen eggs, washed and dried them and stuck a pencil into one end for the kids to hold onto and let the kids paint. It was very messy, but they turned out so beautiful. Our traditional lilac branch easter egg tree is gorgeous this year!

watering the seeds of faith

I started teaching Sunday School when I was 14. My friend Becky and I signed up to teach a class together and were assigned 10 first graders who were in our care for an hour every Sunday morning.

We are a bit infamous with the parents of that first class because of the day we taught about the land flowing with milk and honey. We dressed the kids up in Israelite costumes from the costume closet. I don't imagine we were supposed to just help ourselves to that closet now that I think about it, but I knew where my dad kept his keys, and because he was the pastor I knew he had the grand master key which meant the church was basically my playground.

We dressed all the kids up in robes with ropes tied around their wastes and brown fabric draped on their heads and took them outside where we wandered around, until Joshua led us into the promised land. At that point, we unknowingly led the kids in front of the church windows so that everyone in the sanctuary could see us. I hadn't pieced that together when I hid the twelve pack of mountain dew and box of long john donuts behind the trees. We arrived in the land of milk and honey, and told the kids that this was actually the land of mountain dew and donuts, sat down and gave each six year old a can of dew and a donut.

For years after those parents would bring that day up with me, and it's only now that I have kids of my own that I realize it wasn't the lesson itself that those parents remembered. It was likely the Sunday afternoon they all had to survive with their children all sugared up.

Becky and I taught all four years of high school and helped with VBS too and then I went to college where my friend Lindsey and I taught at a local church for two years. Both of those years we taught our students all the books of the Bible through hand actions that we made up. In the summers I worked at different Bible camps in Montana and Minnesota where I had cabins full of campers as a counselor. Then I worked as a program director in Minnesota and Nebraska and had college kids in my care and trained them to teach the campers that came each week.

I've been thinking about all these kids that have come across my path for the last two decades because I am now experiencing the receiving end. Ivar and Elsie love our kids church. They have 20 minutes each Sunday with a different adult from our church, but often it is our friend Kelly. And Kelly teaches them a lesson and they play a game or do a craft. And my kids soak it up and love every minute.

Today Ivar lost a beloved lego toy (lots of drama...) and then found it. And he came and told me, "Mom! When I found my lego boat it was like when God found his lost sheep! I was so happy when I found it because I made it, just like God made us!"

My heart exploded inside of me because 1) this is a pretty huge connection to make! and 2) I was so grateful for Kelly! To be a parent and to hear the things of God pouring out of your child's mouth that another person has helped pour into their heart is incredible. And it left me so grateful for Kelly and her husband Danny and the way they are helping me train my kids in the way they should go. I felt so thankful for the whole church body and every faithful soul that is doing their small part. For every volunteer that taught my Sunday school classes growing up. For the ladies who got the snack ready for VBS each day. For the college students who were my hilarious and fun camp counselors and pointed me towards the joy of knowing Jesus.

I felt proud and glad that I have been a part of the body, used to help water the seeds of faith in all of those kids throughout the years. But mostly felt excited and inspired to see that the faith in my kids continues to grow and be nurtured. I believe it is the parent's responsibility to train their children in the ways they should go. And that has to be done in the home...one hour on a Sunday just isn't enough to truly pass on the faith. It has to be a part of the parenting and instruction of a child. But one part of that is making sure that my kids have faithful teachers and mentors who also help water their seeds of faith, just like Kelly is pouring into my kids, just like I poured mountain dew and donuts into all of those first graders 20 years ago.

a super successful adult birthday

I have written before of how I've had trouble making the adjustment to adult birthdays. How I still have incredibly high expectations for my special day each year, even though I'm no longer a kid.

Well. I just turned another year older, and here at the start of my thirty fifth year of life, I believe I am beginning to grow in wisdom. Because I nailed it this year. All of my expectations were met because I met my own expectations! The success of this birthday began early in the week when I ordered my own birthday presents. And the presents I chose were all toys that the kids would love. Ivar has been wanting smoker jumpers for his fire and rescue airplane and has been making a case for why these would be great things for me to get for my birthday. He was convincing and in the end, I actually did want these smoke jumpers because I knew he would be so enthused. And then I got myself a play parachute. It's always been a dream of mine, and now I have one which means play dates are going to rock at this house.

The night before my birthday I cleaned the kitchen, baked muffins for the morning, put out a cloth table cloth, hung my own pennants, wrapped my own presents, got the birthday plate out and set the stage for a fun birthday morning. You might read all of that and think it's sort of sad. But it wasn't! I wanted all of that for my birthday and I have let Rory off the hook for my birthday expectations. I actually took great joy in setting the table for my own party.

But before we had our family party, I met girlfriends at our local breakfast place that serves $5 breakfasts. I organized this myself too and it was such a great way to start the day. I'm hopeful this becomes a birthday tradition for all of my friends in this town! We stayed for an hour and then all returned to our homes, where I found my family just starting to stir. Ivar was the only one up and was so excited to begin the day...or more accurately, to open my presents. He was pretty certain I was going to get some smoke jumpers...

Ivar and I waited for the others and read my Bible together. We turned right to Ephesians and read, "Wake up oh sleeper! The light of Jesus shines upon you!" And Ivar thought that was so awesome, because we had sleepers in the house that needed to wake up before we could open his my presents. 

Then we read about how children should honor their mom and dad so that it may go well with them. And then we read about putting on the full armor of God, which he was thrilled to see was in my Bible too, because he had already learned about the armor at kid's church. We put on each piece of the armor and prayed for our day at Lego Land, that we would be a light and shine bright.

Finally the rest of our family woke up and we met everyone at the kitchen table for blueberry muffins and presents. I got to open my parachute and Elsie and Ivar got to open the smoke jumpers. It was all very exciting.

It was 9:00 and already this day was a success. But then we got everyone dressed and loaded up the car to head to A Mall of Themerica...

(I was going to make this a two-part blog, but I'm just going to plow through...)

Elsie picked out her own beautiful outfit for our special trip to the Mall and she was disappointed that I wasn't going to wear a dress for our special outing. It has been a while since we've been to the mall, and I felt like a tourist. We only went to the fun places, and man we had fun. Lego Land was the top priority, followed by the Disney Store. Legos and Princesses. That sort of sums up my kids these days.

Elsie was spellbound by all of the princess dresses and accessories. That store felt so much like Disney World...the smell was the same, the music, the lights, the happy workers.

This was Hattie's first time in the stroller. Which is crazy, but she was born in October and we haven't been anywhere that has required a stroller since. We ran from the car into the mall and she was smiling so huge the whole time. Her eyes were set on mine, trying to figure out how she was gliding along so smoothly. It was awesome and hilarious. And she was incredible the entire day. She napped and smiled and was happy to be taking in the mall. This was when we were in Barnes and Nobel eating birthday dippin' dots.

We ate at the food court and watched the roller coasters, went to the American Girl doll store, watched the fun at Build a Bear Workshop and decided to call it a day. It was so fun and the perfect way to spend a birthday, doing things my family all loves (and Rory was a good sport to even be at the Mall of America...not his first pick!)

So that's the story of my successful birthday. The bottom line: plan it yourself, but plan it for the one's you're with, plan it so it's fun and special and plan it so that it is certain to be a very happy birthday. Here's to 35!

we love board games!

Have I ever told you that Rory loves to create board games? I just went through my pictures and found just a sampling of the games he has created throughout our marriage. There were pictures of us playing a card game he created with our own set of playing cards made out of index cards and taped icons on each one. That was back when we lived in Nebraska. Then he created another game called Sojourners that we played a lot.

Most of the games he has created have been tested on our nieces and nephews. I imagine it has become a bit expected by our family that Rory will want to test out a new version of his latest game. It's so fun and creative, and they always offer back awesome, helpful feedback.

Four years ago we went to learn about tree tapping at Murphy's Landing, and on the drive home we brainstormed what a board game could be like that centers on tapping maple trees. We loved the idea and Rory went home and drew up the first version of Sugar Maple. This week we got a package in the mail...his first printed game. He created every playing card, token and even the box cover. He created many of the graphics himself and designed the entire game board from scratch using photoshop. I am so proud of this one. Because the game is gorgeous. But not only is it really nicely designed, it is also super fun to play. At the moment I am working on an educators guide that would be included with each game so that a teacher could use this game as a part of a unit on tapping trees for maple syrup. Our imagination is flying with more games with this same vision. Our name is Grovestead Games and the tagline is: Always Educational. Oh, I love it so much! 

Rory wrote about Sugar Maple over on his blog, with pictures of the final design. It was so exciting when that box was delivered. We opened it up and played the game right away. And this game is awesome. It's the right pace, there is strategy but we had no idea who was going to win. Elsie and Ivar could play easily with our assistance to help with the math. It's so fun. And fun to see a vision become something so finished. Hooray for Sugar Maple!

still tuckered, part 2

I woke up this morning to my mom calling. I knew right then that maybe my blog post yesterday was a little melodramatic. She was calling to check on me and find out why I am so tired.

We haven't really adjusted to daylight savings at this house. Everyone just goes to bed an hour later, or later than that actually. And Rory and I are sucked into a Masterpiece Classic called Poldark. Have you watched this yet? Every episode can span the time of a year, which means the pace of the show is fast and the story is always moving. We are plowing through the first season and going to bed later and later. But then Hattie is still waking up to be fed, and she's ready to start her day even if the rest of us are definitely not.

A funny thing happened today, though. Hattie took two very long naps. And Ivar and Elsie have played together nicely all day long. I have accomplished so much, and for all the frustration I felt the last two days for not getting anything done, today has been downright productive. Which makes me believe even more that on the days when it seems I can't get anything done, it really would be best to just stop trying.  Because a productive day will come, maybe even the very next one.

But I'm glad I wrote all of that yesterday because it still stands true. When I was writing it I was wondering if I was risking sounding like a melancholy downer. But I hope when my girls read my blog one day, they have an honest view of the absolute joy and happiness I feel in being a mom, as well as the exhaustion and character that comes from serving my family in this role.

Later this morning my mother-in-law sent me a recent blog post by Ann Voskamp. I read it and enjoyed every single word. So I'll leave you now to click on over and read it for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

tuckered out

Grandpa Paul sent these bull hats for the kids and they loved them. :) 

Rory spent the weekend sitting next to the evaporator, boiling down the maple sap into syrup. Truth-be-told, we were not quite ready for the weather to get warm this fast. Now hear me, the weather has been awesome. But tree tapping caught us by surprise, and suddenly we are gearing up for the whole hobby farming season to begin. I was so ready for winter to come back in October so we could rest after doing so much last spring, summer and fall. And now the winter has ended and I don't feel rested yet to start it up again! I got my hair cut today and my hair lady kept asking me questions and I realized I had answered a lot of them with some variation on, "I'm just so tired..." 

Which is saying something because I've been eating right, getting outside, taking my vitamins, drinking water and drinking tea instead of caffeine. But sleep has been a problem lately, and therefore I am tuckered.

The other thing is that I've been battling that part of me that wants to be productive every day. But some days are completely reactionary when you're home with your kids. I tried so hard to get a few things done yesterday, but they didn't get done. Some days (lots of days) that's just how it goes. I am trying to grade myself on the Panera Plan again. And trying to relax my own agenda to make lots of room for kids that love books read to them, ask for snacks all day long, get hurt and need band-aids and hugs, need to know how to spell new words, can't find the tape to hang their artwork, and a baby who needs her diaper changed, belly filled, and who likes to be held upright all day long to see all that is happening. It fills a day, it does. And I am grateful for this sweet season, so I'll just head for bed now and hope to be more chipper tomorrow...

it should be a holiday

It's becoming my very favorite day of the year. But it's on a different day every year. And I never seem to see it coming. Also it wouldn't be the same day for every mom in Minnesota, based on their personal calendar. But Tuesday was my day. Yours might be this Saturday.

There is nothing like the first day that the weather is warm enough to be able to mother outside. It's just my favorite day. And I forget what it feels like throughout the winter.

But Tuesday was my day. I cleaned out the garage, which is basically one of my top five favorite things to do on planet earth. I love cleaning out the garage, organizing the shelves, sweeping it out. (This might be genetic, as my dad is a joyful garage cleaner too...) I cleaned the garage while Ivar and Elsie drew with sidewalk chalk, brought toys back out to the rock box, found jump ropes and balls that had been put away all winter. They were busy keeping themselves busy.

Oh it's such a fun day. A little foretaste of the summer days to come. And then today we had our first picnic on the back stoop. Elsie commented that she likes eating her food outside and I told her that food tastes better outside. It's a mystery of the universe, but it is true. Ivar thought about it for a moment while he chewed his grilled cheese and confirmed, "it really is true!"

an art auction

After Ivar drew all the pictures of our farm in the summertime he drew a picture of Troy and Sara's family. And I told him he should draw a family portrait of every family in the Groves clan and have an Art Show where they could buy a work of art for $1. So we set it up in his room, with a post it note for a dollar on each portrait. 

But then Aunt Sara suggested we turn this art show into an art auction. Ivar didn't quite understand what that meant, but as he watched the bidding from his top bunk he started to catch on. The first piece to be auctioned off was the drawing of Mimi and Papa. Ivar's big cousins kept raising the price by twenty-five cents and Papa kept up. Finally at "five dollars!" Rory called the bidding and Papa got his drawing.

Uncle Kyle bought the picture of Ivar and Oma Zina for three dollars. Oma Zina was downstairs because our steps are so steep. Josie won the picture of her family and Toby bid all the way to five dollars for the picture of his family, which included his dad dressed as a bunny and their new puppy, Meg.

 Ivar was thrilled and quite encouraged as an artist.

We went and had cake and coffee, and finally sweet Harriet woke up from her after church nap, just in time for a snuggle from Toby.

Hattie's Dedication

We dedicated Harriet to the Lord today in the presence of our church family. Our pastor explained how baby dedication comes from Hannah, the woman in the Bible who could not conceive a child for years over years, and wept to the Lord that if He gave her a baby she would 'give him to the Lord.' God is faithful and Hannah does conceive and has a little baby boy. And when her baby Samuel is weaned, she fulfills her part of the promise as well, and dedicates him to the Lord...and actually gives him to be raised in the temple. 

Harriet's dedication was similar as we made promises to raise her with the same teachings: to know her Creator, to love her Savior, to come to love the scriptures, and to recognize her gifts in the Holy Spirit. Then the congregation promised to help train her in the ways she should go and to keep our family lifted up in prayer. 

We had the Groves family up with us and it was a sweet visual of all of the love and support this little baby has right in her own family. Just as she was surrounded by family at her baptism. I've said it before, but somewhere, generations before me there was a family that decided to repent of their sins and turn their hearts to Jesus. They started living by faith and not by fear, and listening to God's voice. I don't know who that family was. We only know of Christian ancestors all the way back to Sweden. But whoever they are, they are on my short list of "find first in heaven." Because the legacy they have left...the life they have left their descendants is the real thing and I can't wait to thank them for planting the seed of faith in our family. No joy can top the joy we felt this morning. My heart felt so full and my soul so satisfied. God is good. And that sounds like a cliche until you really know his goodness and then those words ring true right into your core and his love flows through your blood and his Holy Spirit pours out of your every breath. I would wish this hope that I have for every person on the planet. 

Pastor Brent prayed over Hattie, Papa prayed for her, and I read Psalm 91, the Psalm we have nicknamed "Hattie's Psalm," because it has become the promise we have clung to since she was only 5 months in my womb. Then Rory prayed, our friend Danny spoke a powerful prophecy over her life, Max prayed a mighty prayer and Jen spoke a word by calling Hattie's spirit to attention. And when she did, Harriet sat up straight and smiled a huge smile right at her. She listened to each word Jen spoke and confirmed every sentence with a smile so huge we were all captivated. She was receiving those words with joy. It was a joyful morning, full of promises and thanksgivings.

"Because she loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue her;

I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name.

She will call on me, and I will answer her;

I will be with her in trouble,

I will deliver her and honor her.

With long life I will satisfy her;

and show her my salvation."

Psalm 91: 14-16

off to make-believe Mesa

Ivar and Elsie came down in their swim suits with their suitcases packed and announced that they are "going to Mesa!" They flew on the colorful couch to get there and when they arrived, Ivar pulled a swimming pool out of his suitcase, much like a Mary Poppins bag. He spread out blue towels and then brown towels for the sand. And my heart swelled with pride. This kid has a sweet imagination. And then Elsie declared that the blue blanket that was in the sun was the hot tub. She's a genius!

Hattie was the life guard and made sure everyone stayed safe in the water.

Ivar Art

Ivar spent the whole day working on drawings. All morning he was drawing pictures, "either from last summer or this next one" as he told me. He drew pictures of flying kites in the apple orchard, Rory mowing the "super long grass," a picture of our house and jeep and the garden. He told me of this garden picture that "Dad is picking carrots, those are the wood chips and those are your zinnias, and that's the garden (raised bed) that just had weeds in it." He's got an eye for detail.

This one was hard to photograph because he taped it to the ceiling above his bunk bed before I could get a good shot, but that's the barn with a goat in our goat pens, Rory driving the tractor and Ivar standing on "that part of the steps where the steps turn and go up higher. I'm watching Dad from up there." His artwork delights me to no end.