Always the Same and Never the Same

My favorite hobby the past few years has been 'chasing waterfalls'.  I LOVE the adventure, the hunt, the driving down back roads, the escape from cell phone signals, the REPLENISHMENT! Yesterday we took advantage of a beautiful Saturday. Here are a few moments captured in the Wilderness of Arkansas Mountains. Photo Credit to Mike.

Cascades on the way to Native American Falls. 

Lonesome Hallow Falls 47' tall

Hudson Shelter Falls - Hard to tell how big these are - about 5 stories tall.

After Mike had put his camera equipment away and we were walking back I said that would make a good photo. We kept walking. Then Morgan interpreted and said, "Dad, mom is saying to stop and get a photo." We kept walking then he said, no stop, I'll go back and get a photo.  It is a pretty little brook, isn't it! :)  Morgan knows me. Mike loves me. 

I was reflecting on our hike about the things that are always the same, but never the same. Like flowing water. It's always flowing water, yet that spot is never ever the same flowing water, ever. When I touch the water, no one else will probably ever touch that same exact water again. Like fire, which is always fire, yet never the same flame.  Like our breath, which is always a breath and yet never the same air. Like the wind, that is always blowing, yet we never feel the same wind blow through our hair twice. Like time, which is always ticking, and yet the same minute will never be the same minute.  Like moments, which are always moments, and yet can only be lived and captured briefly, because the same moment is impossible to have again.  Because even if you replicate that moment, you've created a new moment.  The same, and yet never the same.  What else is the same, and yet never the same? I found it to be an interesting concept I pondered as I sat and watched the streams flow and cascade and tumble and create beauty.

Today is Easter, we worshipped as a family, served at church in the kids programs, made a yummy Easter Dinner together (I almost ruined potatoes but saved them!), went and watched "I can only imagine" at the movies, and of course the girls hunted for their Easter Baskets and we enjoyed spoiling them just a bit with a basket of goodies.  The weather yesterday on our waterfall chase was 70 and partly sunny, today it is in low 30s and we saw freezing rain pellets! 

Now I'm pausing the write and read and ponder and reflect. So grateful for Jesus this Easter! 

 

Today, on Easter. (Notice: NO MORE BRACES!) 

Early Spring

I'm still in shock that we have completely skipped winter this past year! Two tiny snowfalls of about 1" each that only lasted 24 hours hardly feels like you can call it winter. Moving here from Michigan, the thing I've always appreciated about Missouri is that Spring seems to arrive a month or so earlier here (and Fall usually lasts a month or so longer)! Well this year, Spring has come even earlier! And I'm lovin' every sweet minute of it! I swear my giant oak trees did not start leafing until at least mid-April last year. So yesterday while eating lunch on my deck and relaxing in my hammock at the end of the day, I just kept staring at my oak leaves - at awe that they are already popping out all over my trees! Soon each of those tiny leaves will work together to create an oasis of shade for my backyard. This makes me smile.

So other than my oak leaves, here were some of the things I paused to notice this past week -

• The almost translucent bright green leaves illuminated by setting sun
• The vibrant bright colors transforming the dull landscape right now - deep purples, bright pinks, fresh whites, and the hundred shades of green!
• Fresh soil under my fingernails (don't worry, I washed it all out in the shower)
• A whiff of honeysuckle floating by in the breeze
• The warmth of the sun kissing my skin (also got my first sunburn of the season from doing yardwork)
• Even the sky has seemed a bit bluer these days - and the white puffy clouds have made laying there looking up oh, so picturesque! 

Yesterday included lots of yardwork, today after church might include a long hike - maybe explore some new trails? or perhaps a bike ride - I don't know - all I know is that when these perfect days roll around - the only place I want to be is outside! Nature definitely replenishes my soul! 

Oh, and a quick update on the girls. Morgan went to a sleepover Friday night - she slept Saturday from 1-3, then I had to wake her up to leave - she came home and slept from 5-9, woke up and ate dinner - then went back to bed by 9:15 and is still sleeping this morning (8:00)!! I think it was a successful sleepover with 2 of her good friends!! 

With Morgan gone and sleeping - we've had lots of one on one time with Sarah (and Sarah was home sick 2 days this past week - so even more time!) I've enjoyed this time very much - Sarah has been her happy, pleasant self (especially so without her sister to fight with!) - she's been so helpful and has wanted to spend her time working along side of us - She's made me lunch twice this past week (mac n cheese - all by herself! and a turkey sandwich) - both were delicious!  I love that bubbly, sweet child! 

Charlie Bird

Day 1: Discovery

Just over two weeks ago we discovered a bird's nest with 4 tiny blue eggs tucked inside of it. The exciting part was that the nest rested just inches from where Sarah laid her head every night.  Two days after we discovered the eggs, we had a baby bird, whom the girls named Charlie.  Sadly, none of the other birds made it (we had several days of 20 degree below our average for this time of year, so it may have just been too cold). They were named cutie, fuzzie and wuzzie.

Baby Charlie Bird is born

With eagerness we checked on Charlie every morning and every night and got to see momma bird (whom they called Beauty) feed him LOTS of worms.  So adorable to see up close!! And as soon as Charlie pooped, momma bird put it in her mouth and carried it away (umm, gross!)...and then papa bird came and sat on the nest while momma bird was gone.  It was quite the tag team to watch.

Charlie wishing for some worms.

It was definitely hard to get pictures through both a screen and a window - but we did our best. Sarah took several dozen pictures of her 'pet birds'.  Today I went in her room and Charlie has now flown away. Hopefully she's not too sad because she's become quite attached to the little guy out her window. We all have. :) Hopefully the birds will return next year so we can experience this joy again! :)

Look closely, he's grown quite a bit in 2 weeks.
I took this last night before he flew away today.

See how close the birds were to Sarah!

Deeper Ponderings of My Mother's Day

Sunlight filtering down through the treetops. Hammock gently swaying beneath me. Wispy breeze playing with my hair. Water rushing over rocks, creating the most melodic sound. Morgan crawls into the hammock next to me. The top of her hair ever so gently coming to rest on the side of my cheek. And I inhale the joy of the moment. and I whisper, "I love you Morgan." and she whisper's back, "I love you too, mommy." And I smile. I can no longer sign 'mommy' to the notes I leave in her lunch box, she is 'too old' for that. But for some reason on this quiet afternoon, I am still her 'mommy' along this creek's edge. It's a moment I want to carry in my heart for always.

Bursting from within her is excitement to deep to contain. It is Mother's Day Weekend and something within Sarah wants to make it special for me. All weekend she keeps pausing to give me hugs, "I love you mommy!", "Happy Mother's Day weekend!"  She can't WAIT to give me their present. She keeps trying to give me clues every time she thinks of one. She is thrilled with the gift that Mike took her and Morgan to pick out for me. She knows I will "LOVE IT!" She tells me this many times. Then she wants to give me back rubs and back massages, so she keeps asking, "Can I give you another back itch?" I love how she words things sometimes - you can't help but smile. And every time I look at her, she smiles. Her big grin that comes from the depth of her soul and spills out and blesses all those around. And I hope nothing in life ever steals that smile away from her. 

On our second night camping, a young couple set up camp next to us. I looked at Mike and said "They remind me of us many years ago...how did we get from there to here?"  He said he thought the same thing and then added more that made me smile. But seeing this unknown couple made me thankful that Mike decided to venture into parenthood with me - and that our days camping are now filled with the memories that include two beautiful daughters. It makes me think of the song "Then" by Brad Paisley, that says, "we've come so far since that day, and I thought I loved you then..." and goes on to say "We'll look back someday, at this moment that we're in, And I'll look at you and say, And I thought I loved you then..."

I thought of my own mom this weekend a lot too.  Of her love of nature. Walking in the woods with her when I was a child. I have this memory of her one time poking a bunch of ferns in her straw hat to keep the bugs away.  I remember her stopping to take pictures of flowers and for the life of me I could NOT understand why she would want a picture of flowers or anything else in nature for that matter. But now I understand her. Here is just one of the many 'nature pictures' I took of my own this weekend. And there in the midst of nature, 600 miles too many away from my mom, I felt closer to her. And I felt my own lips curl up into a smile at that realization. 

Motherhood and Backyard 'Lake View'

Sometimes I feel like I 'rock' as a mom. Then there's nights like tonight. And I wonder if I ever do anything right. I'm sure I'm majorly screwing up my kiddos. Sometimes I just wish this motherhood journey could be easier than it looks. Sigh. Hopefully in the end, the moments I get it 'right' will outweigh all these 'screwups'!

Well after days and days of thunderstorms, tonight, there is a sunset out my back window!! The leaves are filling out our trees, so it's harder to see; yet, I see the colors of the sunset faithfully shining through the branches.  And when it rains, we get this lovely river that surges through our backyard (really it leaves all kinds of trash and opens sink holes and is really a pain!) But while it's flowing - it's captivating. This summer will make three years in this house and I still find myself drawn to the 'river' every time it rains. The force with which it flows, the stuff floating downstream...and that I hope keeps floating on by so I don't have to pick it up later, the constant movement, the beauty.  Well tonight I paused and looked out at the sunset and it was reflecting off the 'river' and it was simply breathtakingly beautiful.  It almost looked like we lived on a lake.  I tried to take pictures to capture this 'lake view' with my camera, but my camera failed to capture the colors and beauty of it all. But nonetheless, here is a picture with and without the flash. It was a welcome glimpse of beauty after days and days of rain and a heart that is heavy with the journey of motherhood tonight.