2014

Dear 2014,

Thank you for being here.  It’s nice to see you, and I was really quite done with 2013 anyway.  Hope the door didn’t hit it it on the way out, if you know what I’m saying.

It wasn’t that 2013 was all bad, really.

There was half of it spent pregnant with Baby #6 (which was not as difficult as the other 5 pregnancies, truth be told and blessings be counted!), and then the other half getting used to being a mother of six – which is quite a few children, really, and was lots of fun —

Family Portrait by Joanie Ford

  There were two trips to Washington state – how amazing and wonderful that I got to see those wonderful, beautiful relatives TWICE this year.  So blessed!!! –

Photo of Hopeful & Aunt H by Kevin Smith

And lots of family who came to visit us…
No, I’m not posting pictures from every visitor, sorry.  That would make for long, long post.  I’ll just settle with a “few” favorites.

We love you, Uncle A!

Cousins one week apart – Very happy to be together.

Possibly Freedom’s worst haircut this year – but from his favorite, favorite person.

 Zannie!

And then…

The end of 2013 kind of kicked me in the pants.  So much for getting Christmas cards out this year!  Ha!

I was happy to see it go in the same way that an inpatient is happy to become an outpatient and get the heck outta that hospital.

First there was the epic battle at the capitol – and, wow, that really was epic.  Epic as in “I could write a 3-part series about it” – where the three parts are each 300-page novels, not 300-word blog posts.  Twas a mighty battle in which the Protagonist (yours truly) finds out that The “Bad” Guys are actually not who The “Good” Guys think they are — and that The “Good” Guys are actually causing a serious, serious problem, good intentions notwithstanding.  In the heart of the battle, having abandoned her weapons of war, closed her eyes, and just listened, Our Hero finds that there IS common ground – a way to end the battle happily for everyone.

No way!  Yes way!

I wanted to see Blue Shirts on one side, Rainbow Leis on the other.
At the capitol. All day long.  Working together for the joy of children.
See?  We can play nicely!

But no.  The Evil Emperor wins anyway because (and this is the clincher!) — he wins BECAUSE the “good” guys play right into his hands with all their rallying to smash the “enemy.”  The “enemy” who turns out to be their brothers and sisters and could have been very important allies in a much bigger, more important battle…

Yep.

Everybody loses.  Sad story, truly.

I’m done writing about it here, though.

That was just a tiny blip in 2013, even if it did have pretty massive consequences for the state of Hawaii.

The Protagonist goes home, gets hit by a few trucks, nearly dies – no, she doesn’t want to talk about it- 

Her mother-in-law comes to the rescue for three weeks, during which Christmas peacefully comes and goes,

Going to church — I hear the Christmas program was wonderful.

and then the angelic mother-in-law trades places with other angels, but that can’t really be discussed publicly –

and by now you’re loving my vague-posting, I’m sure – 

And that brings us to the present.

Hello, 2014.

Now that you’re all caught up on last year, we can move on.

I’m guessing you’re going to be an interesting year.   So far you’ve been kind in letting me reel a little bit to and fro and try to find balance.  It’s awfully quiet with the littles being in preschool and Eagle going to kindergarten.  They’re doing as well as can be expected with this kind of transition – and maybe even a bit better than that.

Creativity is out of the house most of the school day, too, taking her stuff to another homeschooling friend’s house (which is a tremendously wonderful act of kindness on the part of that friend’s mother.  I have amazing friends!) – so most of the day it’s just the beautiful baby and those angels I mentioned.

Rough life, I know.

Well, it IS pretty rough for someone who is used to Being Mom in a very very active “chasing 2yo’s while balancing babies and doing laundry and making dinner and…” sense of the word.  Now I get to Be Mom… that doesn’t change… but it sure looks different.

Cutest wittle bitty baby ever.

What to do now?  Well, I get to just chill.  Take it easy.  Heal and recover.
Get to know the Lord in a more personal, meaningful way.

I get to sit and feel all kinds of pity for the 2yo who insists on ditching diapers (good for you, Gent!  go go go!) — pity because it’s my sweet husband who gets to be in charge of that one.  Yes, the same sweet husband who’s never been a key-player in potty training and who would probably rather eat worms than deal with it.  Yeah.  Kinda wishing I had stuck to it a little better when I wrote that fabulous “how to potty train” series.  (LOL… Still cracks me up to think about that timing…)

How’d he get the thermometer binky?
That’s not a toy! And he doesn’t even *like* binkies!

I get to not worry about much of anything, slow down and enjoy the beautiful world.

Goals?

Hahahaha, you’re funny.

I’d like to spend more time writing/blogging – and I intend to just as soon as Mr. Smith fixes it.  I kind of massively accidentally broke it a couple months back, so, yeah, oops.  He’ll get to it, I’m sure, right after changing the 2yo’s pants.  Again.

Wouldn’t it be exciting, though, if I *did* actually get to write again?  Like, every day?  Or at least every week?  Wouldn’t it be fun?  Mmm… I think so.  That would be allllllmost as good as the 2yo deciding to do his business where business aught to be done.

I do have a goal, though, just for the record.  Only one, because I’m thinking that it’ll take care of several if I actually can pull it off – and because I can’t entirely abandon New Year’s Resolutions.  Just because 2013 kicked me in the pants doesn’t mean I can ignore 2014.

Listen

To the Lord, to my heart, to my Sweetheart, to my family & friends when they share who they are & what they’re going through —  and especially to that still, small voice inside that knows what’s best.

That’s all.

Just listen.

 “Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise.”

(Prov. 19:20.)