Tea with Milk and Sugar

 I decided to teach Joseph Jr. a bit about faith.  I was explaining to him that God likes to provide for us so let’s save our money and believe God will help with the rest for a zoo trip soon.  He was really into it and we scrounged up $8 before he came up with “This may not be ok with God, but I have an idea.”  This is where I really start listening.  He continues,   “Let’s go to the bank and tell them we are someone else and then take that person’s  money.”  This is the second time he’s had this idea.  Makes me laugh.  I like his creativity at a young age even though it’s stealing!  So I did explain it’s stealing and told him we could do that but it’d be sin and God probably wouldn’t want to help so much with the zoo trip then, OR we could not sin and pray and see what God would do.  So we prayed and in one minute Shawn K. called and said he’d found teacups for the boys  for FREE instead of the $6 I’d set aside.  Joseph knew I’d set $6 aside so we went right to my purse and added that money to the zoo trip pot.  So cool!  This all happened literally within 5 minutes.  God likes showing off when we let Him and just ask, especially to kids. 

I can do more than I think I can.  This happens to me all the time.  Last night I planned with Joseph Sr. when to do my grocery shopping.  With 3 small kids it is just not worth the trouble of doing it with them when I can leave some or all if I plan it.  I had 2 major trips to make and it needed to be done within the next few days.  Feeling overwhelmed at the work of this task, we planned on my doing it and taking just Violet who is easy when she’s alone with me.  Being with her cuts out the ongoing conversation.  This way Joseph could also get his extra work done while the boys play.  It was a fine Costco trip, she was easy, and it was quiet.  Job done.  Only one store left. 

Not wanting to push her past her limits…  really, really, I don’t want to push Violet past her limits… I put off the other half of my shopping for the weekend.  Well today I picked up my friend’s almost 4 year old so the boys could visit ( and she has a week old newborn) and decide to let them spend some of their saved money on suckers and enjoy the picking out event with their friend.  So here I am at the store, Violet in the cart seat, Jordan and Judah in the big cart area and Joseph walking and I decide to do the rest of the shopping.  It ended up only taking 20 minutes and it was really easy.  No big deal.  Here I am with 4 small kids in Fred Meyer and it wasn’t a big deal.  So just a note to myself that I can do more than I think I can. 

While at Costco the previous night after many an anxious thought about the task before me, I did see a woman with 4 toddlers and one newborn strapped to her chest.  With a towering cart of food.  It looked as if maybe she was the foster mother because they were so close in ages and different nationalities.  She was smiling, the kids were happy, she wasn’t sweating or stressed out.  I did laugh to myself and at myself at my great concern for my shopping well-being as I easily pushed the cart by her with my one small child.  I thought of telling Dana the other night when she took me out for birthday coffee how it helps to see situations like these or read stories of great hardship and survival to put everything into perspective. 

Disclaimer part:  While it is possible and can even be fun to shop like this it is not to be tried on little sleep, with sick kids, or if the to-do list is a mile long.  This was done with good sleep, no home-school to happen this day, everyone healthy and kitchen already cleaned so no messes awaiting my arrival of grocery bags. 

We just celebrated 10 years of commitment to eachother.  Remember in High School keeping track of the months and if say 3 months had passed in someone’s relationship that was a big deal?  10 years have passed.  Full of growing, learning eachother and ourselves, God’s teaching and leadership.  It has been so good and I am so happy that it was spent with my soul mate.  Before I met Joseph I was in a philosphy class and someone shared the Greek myth of each person being divided into two people by lightning bolts and wandering the Earth looking for eachother.  That’s how I honestly feel about him. 

To celebrate he came home with bags from the store of little things I would love but not buy.  A jar of mangos, Pringles, Toffifay, Jamaican Ginger ale, a Lily flower plant (we were married Easter day), Mrs. Meyer’s soap line for cleaning (aromatherapy), a special travel mug for my tea, a bright light bulb to try (expensive one) because I like bright reading lamps, a beautiful print of a butterfly for our bedroom and some kitchen utensils (whisk and spatula) that my sons had ruined while sword fighting.  It was very sweet and fun for me.  I made a nice dinner and gave him a scrapbook I’d been working on the the last year about “my best friend”.  The next morning we were off alone for an overnighter downtown.  Thanks to my generous Mom and Sister who blessed us by spending the weekend with our children.  We stayed in the nice and perfectly located Paramount, ate brunch at Mother’s Bistro where I irritated the busy server by asking for a nicer cup for my tea and not the big heavy coffee mug… my patient husband probably wondering how I’ll be at 70 if I do that at 31.  We read, saw the crazy male ice skating movie that I can’t remember the name of.  Very funny but a SNL skit would have been a better length for me.  More tea/coffee for him, reading, enjoying our room and balcony.  Window shopping and spree shopping, then dinner at the Portland Steak and Chophouse.  So delicious and priceless atmosphere.  I don’t know how they do it but everytime we go there it is so worth the splurge.  Long talks, so much fun and laughing.  Then we saw my movie pick “The Host” the next day and lounged some more at more cafe’s and watched the first “Rob and Big” episode on his ipod in the car.  Oh yes and a photo shoot by Sydney’s cafe on the train tracks. 

All this fun, relaxation and lovin’ while my sons were spoiled with a real circus adventure with Auntie Beth and little Violet an angel, perfect sweet baby (says Mamaw) and I know it’s because she never had to cry, wait or not do what she wants.    I’ve seen it.  Violet wants to crawl somewhere I’m to tired to follow and I pick her up and move her back while she screams.  Violet wants to crawl somewhere with Mamaw in the room and Mamaw will follow her and Violet coos. 

Thank you God for family!  For those to raise and delight in.  For those to enjoy, grow with and help with those you are raising.  And for those to fall in love with and deeply cherish.  Here’s to many more years to come!