Celebrations Weekend

May 24, 2017

Celebrations Weekend

A couple of weekends ago was a weekend full of celebrations. Ezra's 6 month heavenly birthday on Friday, Jeff's birthday on Saturday, and Mother's Day on Sunday. Not only a weekend of celebration but of course a weekend of mixed emotions and quite honestly a very memorable Mother's Day in an unexpected way. We started out the day by going to church and then heading to one of our favorite spots to eat that Rachel and David introduced to us when we first moved here. It's the only restaurant that the kids never fail to completely clear their plates clean (we're not sure what's in those strawberry and chocolate chip pancakes but according to M & M's taste buds they are something special :) ). The day was going pretty normal until Malachi accidentally tipped the table slightly which in turn spilled a half of cup of coffee on my white pants (yes, I expected them to get dirty...just maybe not to that extent 😅). After laughing that off I got up to go get a tide stain stick and shout wipes from the car when the waitress came over to apologize for having to wait so long and to innocently warn us to not have a third child because that one will really throw you over the edge. Luckily the lady was so busy and since we were sitting outside she didn't notice the look, the instant silence, and the hesitant smile Jeff and I gave and she continued on with taking our order. After finishing our meal there we went strawberry picking, stopped for a quick visit with Rachel & David on the way back, and came home with plans to go for a family bike ride and relax the rest of the evening. As we were deciding what bike route to take Mikayla came running into the room and exclaimed, "Malachi just swallowed a coin!". Those of you who know Malachi also know he has a knack for inquisitively ingesting things that should not be eaten. However, we have gone over a year without an incident (woohoo!) but he's into pretending to be Mikayla's puppy right now and therefore he put the coin into his mouth pretending it to be a dog treat. After putting both of them through a proper child trial of testifying to what really happened it was determined that Mikayla saw it in his mouth but did not see him spit the coin out and Malachi's story became repeatedly consistent in saying "I swallowed it like I did my chocolate chip pancakes and strawberries and it's in my tummy!". It was also determined that it wasn't a dime, a nickel, a quarter, or a penny, but of all things a Canadian dollar. This seemed absurd to think he could have swallowed something that large but again if you know his history you also know this could be possible. Needless to say the bike ride was forgotten and it was off to the urgent care to get an x-ray to confirm what happened. Unlike our last x-ray though I'm happy to say there was no evidence of a foreign object inside of him...whew! By this time everyone was hungry, especially Malachi who we wouldn't let eat in case he needed a procedure done, so we stopped and ate at a mexican restaurant but one that was operating unusually slow and we were lucky the wall of windows the kids were sitting by was still intact by the time we left. We finally got home, put the kids to bed past their bedtime, and I went to try and save my white pants from the earlier coffee battle they had lost. As I was spraying on the stain remover the whole day replayed back in my mind and as I softly chuckled to myself I was filled with unexpected warm gratitude and joy. It hadn't dawned on me until I was looking back at the day how much the reality of the day reflected the reality of life filled with unexpected turns, plans changed, dreams crushed, highs and lows, and my self-desired expectations left unfilled. Yet just like my 2017 Mother's Day we are left with a life full of beauty, love, laughter, and more memories had it went just as expected or how I had planned. It was then that the song that had been playing over and over in my head all day came to full fruition. It was a song I've heard on the radio before and thought this before but it wasn't until they sang in church that I was reminded how much I want it to be my theme song in life in general but especially true as a mom. As we tour through this life, not always going as I have expected or planned, and in reality being mostly out of my control I do have control of one thing and that's how I handle those unplanned twists, turns, ups, and downs in life. As I mother "perfectly imperfectly" I hope and pray my legacy points our children to the one who created them just as my parents have done for me and one that Jeff's parent's have done for him.

https://w Nordeman ww.youtube.com/watch?v=c9e_JF7FgzALegacy by Nichole

Legacy by Nichole Nordeman

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough
To make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who
blessed your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one...

I know I'm a little behind in this but Happy 6th month Heavenly Birthday Ezra, Happy Birthday Jeff, and Happy Mother's Day to all of you who are mother's one way or another, whether it's for your children or being a motherly figure in someone's life in a different way.