Recap (2018.10.21)

I wrote up a nearly complete Recap last weekend – and then failed to complete it and post it last Sunday. Then, I’ve been so glum this week that I’ve failed to note anything, meaning that this week’s recollections are fuzzy.

In my spirit

• It’s that time of the year when everything stirs up memories of my first pregnancy, heading downhill – and of my third, hanging on. Gratitude fills my heart as I reflect on God’s grace in giving me two very difficult pregnancies and deliveries – and one unexpectedly easy one.
• I mentioned a couple weeks ago how the great darkness is settling in. I’ve noticed it more and more and continue to struggle to take my thoughts captive. It is so easy to turn my eyes from Christ to my feelings.

In our family

• Tirzah Mae has been peering out at the world through horribly unkempt bangs for what seems like forever while her mother procrastinated cutting them. But no longer. I’ve cut her bangs and she can see again.
• That was last week. This week, she cut her own hair – to the point that I have no idea how to fix it. Great handfuls of Tirzah Mae hair all over the green room. I nearly cried. Alas.



• Louis’s favorite question (behind “Why?”) is “What I doin’?” I almost always mishear him to say “What are YOU doing?” and answer with my own activity. He is patient with me, correcting me with only a barely frustrated, “No. What I doin’?” The proper answer, in case you were wondering, is “I don’t know, are you…working?” Louis is always working.



• The two older children had dentist appointments a couple Thursdays ago – and since we were on the other side of town, we stopped by the zoo to eat our lunch and roam around. I’ve learned that it’s best to plan to sit and soak up a single animal when we visit the zoo (instead of trying to race around and see everything). This time, we spent about a half hour with the giraffes before we went to the playground and then finished the zoo-loop.



• And then the littlest one had a doctor’s appointment on the zoo-side of town this Thursday. We’d enjoyed the zoo so much last week, and the weather was so delightful this week that we did a repeat trip. This time, we explored the tropics (which were underwhelming for my little ones) and then watched the elephants. Tirzah Mae and Louis held hands as they walked from exhibit to exhibit. So sweet!



• We picked up some pumpkins yesterday at Meadowlark Farm, our favorite local you-pick place (that just happens to be owned by family friends!) The kids and I are going to try painting the pumpkins this next week (if I can muster the energy.)

In our home

• We are the happy new owners of some reusable straws. The children chewed up the plastic ones that came with the silicone tops that I use to make car-safe smoothie cups – and Daniel and I were not pleased to be using single-use ones every time we had smoothies. So now we have a set of stainless steel and a set of silicone straws (along with some heavy-duty straw brushes to keep them clean.) Hooray!
• A friend has been loaning us clothes for Tirzah Mae – and she brought us a new bag for fall/winter. So I’ve been busy switching out clothes and trying to keep track of what we have that Louis will be able to use for next year and what I should keep my eyes open for when stuff goes on clearance in the spring.



• I was messing around with some old tights and decided to spruce up my houseplants, which have been hanging out in cottage cheese containers. They’re still far from fancy, but they are a bit nicer now. (Also I’ve tried rotating this picture about 3,000 times now and I just can’t get it upright. Grr.)

On the homestead

• The kids dumped a couple inches of rainwater out of the ice cream bucket on the patio table when they played Monday morning a couple weeks ago – but by Tuesday afternoon, it was full to within a few inches of the top.



• We have quite a few garden spiders around outside, but I’ve also seen quite a few of these black hairy spiders with red markings. They’re not widows, and the best anyone can come up with is jumping spiders – but I wish I had positive ID on them. They’re pretty interesting (I’ve only ever seen them crawling, not in a web.) Do you know anything about spiders? Have any clue what this might be? His web seems pretty dense and he’s stockpiling flies (there’s a whole pile of them under his web and I’ve seen him carrying one across the living room. How odd!)



• The kids and I went out to play in the back-back yard while Daniel ran around the track he’d cut in our prairie – and after we were all done, Daniel and the kids started climbing the gravel pile that’s waiting to be put to use.




• Daniel’s been clearing off our orchard site so we can plant first thing next spring – and he unfortunately tweaked something in his back or hip this weekend. He’s in rather a lot of pain. We’re praying he heals quickly (and that we can figure out how to stop this from happening – this back stuff happens several times a year.)

In the library (currently reading)

• For Growing: Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot
  I’ve made progress, but too little, on this book. Elliot’s observations are good, but there hasn’t been anything world-altering so far.
• For Seeing: Emma by Jane Austen
  Because Austen is binge-worthy and the darkness-induced blahs make me want little more than to curl up with a good book.
• For Enjoying: These High Green Hills by Jan Karon
  I finished this one in less than a week – which was a good thing since I’d had it out from the library forever without cracking it open and it’s due at last this Thursday.
• More and more and more picture books :-)