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me too.
Last night some girlfriends came over to watch The Help with Riley and I. They brought red velvet cupcakes, Cheez-its and popcorn. I would have let them in without the treats, but that was a pretty great bonus. We chatted, we watched the film and then we chatted some more. We debated the importance of the deep part in a man’s head of hair. (Two for, two against.) We compared the film to the novel. (Hands down, books are better. True here too.) We talked about kids and salaries and dogs and rice and grocery shopping and using the free internet at the library. About the fear from late night…
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I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends
How long have they been friends? Probably since Cole could walk. (And he’s five now. So you can do the math.) The boys had so much fun at our Camp Fourth this summer. Bergen helps encourage Cole to do brave things – like holding a chicken in his own actual arms! And Colton makes it possible for Bergen to play boy games and spend extra hours outside. The fellas were mostly inseparable. Throughout the week, always unannounced, Colton would walk up to Bergen, hold his shoulders, look him in the eyes and announce, “Bergen. I love you.” To this sweet sentiment, Bergen would gently respond, “You already told me that.”
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always more fun to share with everyone.
I have always thought it would be entertaining to get together with a cluster of friends and herd our many, many small children together and sit back and watch the mayhem ensue. And now I know, not only is it possible – it’s downright refreshing as well. We already have another joint outing planned for next week. I can’t wait.
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cheers.
I met Beth through church. I forget how exactly. But I think it’s pretty possible that I started reading her blog before I actually met her face to face. Because that happens sometimes. Even when you live in the same town. And attend the same church. What I like about Beth in real life is what I like about Beth in blog-life. She’s funny. She’s regular. She’s real. She cares deeply about her family. She is passionate about seeking God in all things. And she knows what it’s like to home school one kid with a couple more under foot. Now we’re pretty new at our friendship – just a…
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the state of things
I know it’s not summer yet. I know it isn’t. But around here – it sort of feels like it is already. And we are all finding it pretty hard to concentrate. What with all the bright sunny days. And the introduction to the world of fishing with Daddy. And discovering that all of the kids are pretty great fisher people. (Since they can’t all be fishermen. You know, due to their gender and all.) And birthday celebrations that include baby dragon hunting and carrying maces around the lake trail and cake consuming and present opening. And visits from friends. And trips to the zoo. And picnics in the…
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made for one another.
Relationship. I think we’ve been designed for it. Community. I think it’s where God’s love is most evident. In my life, I know this to be true. Jesus – He’s our rescue, ultimately. But I think His means is through people. Regular old people. The me’s and you’s in our lives. Alone is bad, really. (I don’t mean the afternoon alone without the kids or being single or planning a weekend alone from your customary routine.) I mean, when I spend too much time alone in my own head, rummaging through the past or frantically making lists for the future, I lose all perspective. Alone in my mind, I make…
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The Times. They Were Good.
The house has been a little extra full the past few days. Full of Keigleys – like usual. Full of Phelps – not like usual but like a special unusual holiday treat. Full of laughter. And screams. Full of staying up late. And getting up early. Full of old “back in the day” stories. And current “in the trenches” tales. A visit to a restaurant with nine children. (Where the kids behaved beautifully. Despite the sudden, surprise mid-meal exit of one tooth from Hezekiah’s mouth.) We visited our local children’s museum and I left my camera at home because Page had his. And he is a wonderful photographer. We even…
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friends like this
Do you have friends like this? Friends who sit in your living room and hear the worst days of your lives. Not leave. Not blink. Not get up and exit. But stay. Remain. Listen. Stay. Remain. Listen. Repeat. Over and over again. As often as necessary. More often than necessary. Do you have friends like that? Oh my goodness. I count it one of the greatest blessings of my life to have friends like that. And we are so unbelievably fortunate that I could list a small handful of friends like that. Because we have them. That’s real. And amazing. And so incredible. But I am just talking about one…
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Are we predictable?
Unpredictable. That’s what it seems our life is. (Well. Everyone’s life is. Sort of.) But especially ours. Or at least it seems so lately. Like uber unpredictable. Wildly unpredictable. Over the top unpredictable. More unpredictable than anyone else’s. Do they give a prize for unpredictability? We win. Okay. It’s not really all that unpredictable. Maybe just average unpredictable. Maybe just your average, run-of-the-mill unpredictable. The kind of unpredictable ordinary lives are made of. That kind of unpredictable. Maybe that’s all I mean. I don’t know. That’s probably all I mean. My dad always told me that I tended to be a little too dramatic. Unpredictable. Predictable. Whichever. Like I said,…
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in lieu
You know what job I used to do (in a slightly more professional setting) that I rather enjoyed? Teaching high school English. You know what I really liked about it? (Not grading the bazillion essays, I tell you that!) My students. You know what else I like? When former-students-turned-now-friends drive down for a weekend visit. And when her brother, another former student, literally drives by and stops in for a visit so we can meet his wee little new daughter. (What I don’t like? How old that makes me feel to realize that my students can have children by now.) And guess what else is cool? When we all…
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I Can Tell That We Are Gonna Be Friends
I have long chronicled this relationship. Emma and I joke that we want these kids to get married (in the far far far far far distant future) just so we can have the world’s best photo montage/slide show/blue-ray extravaganza at their wedding. It could be like a feature length film. They’ve been friends. They’ve been enemies. They’ve been in between. Shoot, they have even shared underwear! So it was with bated breath (Not really – I don’t even know what that phrase actually means. Someone else care to look that up for me? Thanks.) that we met together this July Fourth to see how the two two-year-olds would manage a…
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grateful.
Grateful. I am. When you leave a home that includes six children, five of whom are still under six years of age, for several days, it’s kind of big deal. Shoot, when you do anything at a home that includes six children, five of whom are still under six years of age, everything is kind of a big deal. (Or at least it feels that way most days.) So when the idea for an adventure with Beth was just in the beginning stages, I immediately started planning what to do with kids 1 through 6. Kevin wouldn’t be away from home, exactly, but his job at a camp makes him…
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What It Looks Like
It’s good to be in the same state, the same house, right now, with my friend Beth. We’ve been friends a really long time. (Like 19 years. Or something like that. Yeah – we met when we were two. Exactly.) She rarely comes to visit without carrying a container full of the best tasting cookies known to mankind. Crunkles. We have so many things in common. We attended the same school. (Go Cumberland!) We shared the same ratty blue and white trailer featuring blue astro turf on our porch during our college years in Kentucky. We changed the radiator on my little white Tercel. (This is my greatest – and only…
