Another Day

Whenever I hear this song I think about my amazing children and how blessed I am to be given the opportunity to be their mother!

Follow the link to Urban Servant

Urban Servant Blog, now known as (Sub)urban Servant since their move from the city to the suburbs four months ago. Of course, they moved 1000 miles to get from the city to the suburbs...quite a long commute, don't you think?

I really love this blog. It always causes me to stop, think and requires some kind of response of my heart.

Here is a sample of what you will find:

Pain in The Journey....Mothers Day.
As the mom to 11 you would assume my Mothers Day would be full of dandy lions in jam jars and homemade cards, and it is to a point. But Mothers Day digs up a lot of issues within our family they are painful to work through. Our eight adoptions represent 6 different women who gave birth to our children and then released them into our family.Some did it intentionally and with careful planning, others had no choice and have no idea that their children are safely in our home today. Can you imagine not knowing where your baby is? A week, three years or ten years after they are born having no idea of how they are faring. Being that baby is not easy either. I field questions about relinquishment's, photos, biological fathers, addictions, prison and strangely, the hardest questions of all are those that ask 'who do I look like?' There is something so elemental in that question, so identifying and basic that we overlook it in our adoption stories and a gap is left in their hearts. For some of them I have photos we can look at or physical descriptions, for others there is a gaping silence to that question.Not that they don't love me as their mother, but they don't have have my eyes or my hair or my nose. When they look into the mirror their faces are made up of the pieces of strangers, mysterious and missing in their life. It doesn't bother me, I am not threatened or angry that we talk about these things on Mothers Day. It simply is a fact that I was not the mother that bore my children and there is nothing I can do to change the pain hidden deep in their wondering hearts.

From the Garden

Pictures from our first garden meal. YUM! :-)

I'm planning gluten free strawberry muffins for morning.

At What Point

At what point did it become commonplace to say things like, "Son, please don't point the gun at your brother's head during dinner."

Yeah, 'cause it's just fine to point a gun at his brother's head other times........

And the latest, "Please don't kill your brother when he's politely asked you not too."

Wow, bringing up boys......

Pachelbel Canon in D Original Instruments

Dark Nights = Beautiful Days

Long, dark nights open up to the favor of beautiful days. I sat on the front steps to watch the sunrise this morning, wishing I'd thought to get the camera. It was glorious! I think that sometimes the rhythm of life works this way, darkness opening to light, over and over again.

Today will be an average Saturday: Laundry; house cleaning; yard work; gardening. The mundane becomes gentle and comforting. The emails and phone calls will be left until Monday. Today we will work. Together as a family there will be no electronic games, no TV. We will work side by side and celebrate the days ending with a BBQ dinner and a stimulating game of "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader." Enjoy your day!

Archery

Exciting News

I received a letter from NILD today. (National Institute for Learning Development)

Drum roll, please......They gave me a scholarship towards my Level II class to cover OVER HALF of the tuition for my class this summer. HUGE blessing! I sent in my scholarship application last week. :-)

And the other EXCITING news is......Office Max was having a buy two packs get two free sale on my FAVORITE pens!

Imagine that? All in one day. :-)

Safe Natalie Grant