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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