prayer for joy

Last Sunday morning Rory and I were getting ready for church and I could see the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has a huge work deadline on March 1 and it is a big deal. Coupled with the goats, maple trees, farm chores and family life, we feel near the brink around here. But I saw him carrying this heavy load and knew it wasn't right.

Our family has spent a lot of time talking about Habakkuk 3:17-18 and what it means to rejoice in all things. Those verses say, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen, and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, and I will be joyful in God my Savior." We don't put our trust in what we have or our abilities. Our trust is in God alone. We love those verses and want our kids to know the relief that comes in trusting God as our Provider and fully trusting in His hand for our daily manna.

So I told Rory that I think even with the overwhelm in our family, it is nearing disobedience to be stressed and burdened. We know better. We know where our hope comes from. We have chosen to trust in One God, One Lord and Savior of us all. And we have seen the evidence of our Loving God's hand over and over and over in our lives.

I told him that we needed joy added back into our days. Even during this crazy month. The thing about joy, though, is that you cannot muster it up. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. You may be able to put on a happy face, but joy isn't something we create. It's a good gift from the Spirit.

We went to worship and had a wonderful morning. We love our church so much and come home each week overflowing with Living Water. Sunday night we prayed together for joy to fill our home. To fill our family, to fill our individual hearts. Our Sunday and Monday were good, but by Tuesday I was spent. As Rory has been working at full throttle, I have been holding the rest of our life together. And when he came home Tuesday for dinner I was exhausted and just wanted to get through dinner.

He had Hattie in his arms and came over to me by the oven and said, "I wish I could make you laugh as easily as I can make Hattie laugh. All I have to do for her is blow raspberries on her cheek." He demonstrated and Hattie erupted in laughter. Then he grabbed me and blew raspberries on my cheek. Which was humorous. But then Hattie got excited about this game and lunged her whole body at my other cheek and suddenly I had a drippy nose and an open and wet baby mouth slobbering on my cheek. She sat back and clapped for herself, pleased to be a raspberry blower like her daddy. And something broke in me and laughter overtook my body.

It was over the top. I started laughing and it was instant hysterics. Ivar and Elsie sat at the kitchen table waiting for their tuna melts and Ivar said, "Dad, is mom laughing or crying?" And Rory replied that he did not know, probably both with pregnancy mixed in. And then it was contagious. The whole meal we shared hard, belly laughs about different things. Elsie told about how she could smile with her mouth but still have sad eyes and this led to some hilarious faces made by each member of our family. Every topic that came up made us laugh.

A holy laughter filled our kitchen the whole meal. And something lifted off of our house and our hearts. Rory has had a swing in his step ever since. I have felt a gratitude for so many things, but particularly this power that we have been given to pray for joy, and then to receive such a good gift from the Holy Spirit.

Today at church we shared testimony's of what the Lord has done and I thought about sharing this story, but there were so many people stepping up to share the goodness of God that I decided just to listen. But I wanted to share this testimony here. Trust and obedience, prayer and belief all yield incredible fruit. The ability to ask for Joy might just be my favorite.

the snowy day

Two days ago we were outside running around in t-shirts. We all got a winter getaway for about five days which was wonderful. We knew it wouldn't last and my kids and I were outside every moment we could savor. Yesterday was chilly so we spent the day getting ready for today...we checked out 32 books from the library and went to Aldi to stock up on groceries. Now we're all hunkered down and it feels great. We woke up to this scenery this morning and more is falling as I type.

I have started using Instagram again, but this time I am posting @thegrovestead. I really enjoy that quick way of documenting a moment and hope you'll bounce over there to see our pictures. Instagram always takes away from the blog a bit...I feel like, "well, that story was shared already..." But it is just so easy to share parts of our day that way. That said, I am FAR TOO WORDY to turn fully to instagram. You all know I need my space to write.

So click on over to the grovesteads instagram page. Rory tried for a long time to connect this blog to our instagram account, but Blogger hasn't made any updates to their site in a long, long time. We'll keep working to make it easy as possible, so keep an eye on the right side of this blog for easy links and slideshows. Until then, just click here. And then click on any picture to read the caption. :)

Hattie's babies

Elsie has never played with dolls. She doesn't trust them. Well, she doesn't like their eyes. Since she was two, she has bunched up her baby blanket and called it "Baby Pinky." And she treats it just like a baby, feeding it a bottle, rocking it when it cries...but there is in fact no baby in there. Just the blanket. She got a doll last Christmas at the Harrington Christmas and the eyes would open and close and she got one look out of the wrapping paper and cried right in the middle of gift opening. Dolls are just not her thing.

So I have been so surprised and delighted by Hattie's love of dolls. We had three dolls that she would hold every so often, but then a few weeks ago our neighbor girls invited us over to see if we wanted any of their playroom toys that they were going to give away. We came home with an incredible amount of toys, and mostly dolls (5!) and doll gear: a double stroller, high chair, carrier, and rocking cradle. Honestly, I was most excited for myself. I love everything that we got to bring home!

When we got home it was Hattie who started putting the babies in the stroller and walking it around. She shoved one baby in the high chair and gave it the play bottle. She calls her bottle her Na, and she kept saying, "Na! Mama! Na!"

As it turns out, she calls all of her babies Mama. And she plays so hard. She moves them all around and now that her babies are up in her room, she gets them situated and then reads a book in her chair.

I'm so delighted by her playtime. And in a surprise twist, Elsie has joined in, following Hattie's lead.

no, how about...

Elsie would like me to play with her every minute of every day. She is my sidekick and gladly helps me with my jobs so that we can play house after. I have tried to explain that we are actually living house together every minute of every day, but clearly that is not the same as playing house.

So today, like most days, I decided I would play with her for 30 minutes, uninterrupted, exactly as she wishes. No diversions, no phone, no trying to sneak out of the game. I would be in it fully. Here are the highlights:

E: How about this is a ship and Hattie is the mom and we are the little sisters. How about I just caught this salmon and we are making it for dinner. 

B: Sounds great. I'll put it on this fire I just made.

E: No, how about I already cooked it, so you just have to cut it up.

B: Okay. I'll chop it up and give it to Mama to put on our plates.

E: No, how about I put it on the plates because I caught it. How about I do all the cooking and cleaning because I love it. Actually, how about I am the Mama and Hattie is the baby.

B: Great thinking. I love that plan. How about I have to go change the baby up in her room and put her in an outfit for the day?

E: How about the stairs are a mountain, and so you only need a water suit to swim to the stairs and then you climb to the land that is upstairs. (once upstairs) Hey Ivar! Do you want to play house with us? 

I: Sure. Let's pretend I am the bear that is sleeping through winter. And this closet is my cave and I build legos in here all winter long. (clever kid. I take note of his clever ways...)

E: Great! 

B: I have the baby changed, Mama. Let's go back to the boat.

E: No, how about you don't say that. I say that. Because I'm the Mama. Let's go back to the boat kids!

B: Thanks Mama. I love having you as the leader.

E: How about this is your bed I just made for you and you love it. No, how about your head goes at this end. So turn around. And let's pretend it's winter so tomorrow the water will be ice and we will ice skate! How about the baby is always wearing her water suit so if she walks off the boat she doesn't drown or anything. How about she is a baby who can even swim! 

B: That is a safe idea. 

E: How about when you were sleeping I went to get more food, and when you woke up you were sad because you didn't know where I was.

B: Mama? Where are you? I can't find you and I feel sad. 

E: No, how about you don't cry that hard. You just say the words. And how about when I come back you are so happy to see me.

B: Mama, I am so happy to see you! I felt sad when you were gone and now I'm so glad you're back.

E: You don't need to feel sad when I am gone. I am here now.

I could go on and on and on and on and on and on. Because this went on and on and on and on for 30 minutes. You might be interested to know that the bear came out of hibernation and proceeded to terrorize the people on the boat and that this new story line was not received well by the captain of the ship. 

Elsie is a riot. I love her so much. And I knew I had to write this one down because these are the days to remember. And what feels like monotony today will surely feel like magic down the road.

Every and Blowa

Somewhere in that sea of children is a father who is adored by his kids. 

Well, I'm blog-logged. I feel like I have so much to write and say, and don't know where to begin. For sure I have two big posts in me: one on all the emotions we felt during the birth of our adorable goats, Cici and Presh. The other post will be on my amazing weekend trip to Seattle with my sister, folks and brother to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday. Those posts are being held up because I think I threw away the cord that gets my pics from my phone to my computer. I'm sure I could use the cloud or something fancy, but I still regularly use my CD player-boombox that I got in 1999, so I just need to find that cord.

In the meantime, I just want you to know that my kids are really into playing house and that for three days in a row Hattie has been assigned the role of the grandma. She has a stuffed animal the is Grandpa. And she can be a cantankerous grandma so I hear a lot of "No! Grandma! Stop pulling the roof off! Now go take a nap again!"

And I want you to know that Elsie woke up yesterday and told me she wanted to "go to lots of different places for just a short time." I told her that was called running errands. But that wasn't it. She said, "no. it's like when we go to Cub, and the bank and another store. I just love that!" I confirmed that is definitely called running errands. And she said, "Well that is what I want to do today then." So we ran errands.

Also, Elsie decided the name for the new baby will be Blowa if it is a boy. Her exact quote (and she is so quotable lately...) was, "It rhymes with Noah, a good Hebrew name." Where she got that, I will never know, but she is right. If it is a girl, Ivar has chosen Every, straight out of his reading book. When he read "every" he stopped and said, "oh that is pretty. we should name our baby that if it is a girl." Blowa or Every. Rory and I have a few other options up our sleeves...

And here's the father, peeking out of the children...