Celebrating Memorial Day

It's apart of my very fabric, the start of the summer season, the first time we, as kids, were allowed to swim in the farm pond and the Vincentown Memorial Day parade.  Surrounded by family and friends, grilling hot dogs, playing baseball.  Traditional Memorial Day is May 31, but it is celebrated every year on the last Monday of the month of May.  It's a time when we honor the men and women in the armed services that gave their lives in service for their country.  I still get choked up when the older Veterans who are driven first through the parade route.  It is right and fitting that they should be honored first.

Thank you for your Service

As a kid, I could hardly sleep prior to parade day.  Not only did we do a mad dash to a store to get a new bathing suit because last year's didn't fit, but we got to be in the parade.  Our parents would decorate our bikes with red/white and blue streamers, small American flags and a good wash job so that we could join our friends as participants in this annual event.  I owned a horse, so for a few years I got to ride her.  Man, was that a sleep snatcher!  I could hardly sleep just thinking about showing up the next morning on my beautiful horse Cinnamon and waving to the crowds lining the route.  And, all my family was there, Aunts, Uncles, cousins, Grandparents, you name it they were there.

It is the night before the parade and as Thom, the boys and I walked through our neighborhood, Eliot would run ahead and say, "Look, an American flag!  I'm American, I'm American."  Both of our sons went to bed without even watching their nightly show of Sesame Street!  They needed their rest for the big parade.  The parade in our area alternates years between a neighboring town and our town.  This year it is in the neighboring town.  We drive down the road a bit and park the car.  We all pile out with our chairs and find the perfect spot.  Our parades consist of local officials, fire companies, horses, marching bands, local library groups, decorated bikes and of course the honored Veterans.  Most of the time, and this is my boys favorite part, the parade participants throw candy out to the boys.  They join in the din a youngsters dashing and darting into the street to grab the sweet treats.  Oh, it is so much fun.  After lunch and much needed refreshment we will trek out to our local swimming pool, and freeze in the water for our first swim of the season.  To conclude is the classic American bar-b-q of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, games and maybe even some fireworks.

I am truly grateful for these brave heroes that laid their lives down for us so that we could sit, unafraid and enjoy the freedom of gathering together as a community to celebrate liberty.  Our boys have been welcomed into our country through adoption and are now American citizens.  This country's history is now the redemptive part of their life history.  There is a marked time in their history where they can look and see acceptance, belonging, worth.  God bless America, my home sweet home!

Here are some snapshots from this year's parade festivities!

"We're here, we're finally here!"

Here we are minus our Megan

Sharing good times with our dear friends the Ruoss'

Love my Daddy

Blowing bubbles on Memorial Day!  Excellent!!

The 4 Musketeers

The payoff!  A great big purple lollipop!

Happy Memorial Day!  Now off to the pool

What Do May Flowers Bring?

Wait for it. . . . . Pilgrims right?  I couldn't resist! 

Even though I have allergies to just about all of Spring I really do love how magnificently God wakes all things up from their winter slumber.  Greens are so much greener, color pops up everywhere in the forms of beautiful delicate flowers and there is just more light as the days grow longer.  As I think back over this past month recognizing similarities to what's happening outdoors and what's happening on the inside are clear!  God be praised.

We started out the month running.  Our beautiful Emily received her Associates degree from BTI (Berks Technical Institute).  The ceremony was beautiful and I cried very hard.  God was there with Thom and I as we sat and watched the graduates walk in.  I got to thinking back when she was born and wondering how all the pieces would come together and as I watched this young woman take hold of her award praise flowed out of my heart to God.  He had the perfect field for her to study, the IT field.  He had the perfect school for her to attend, BTI.  God placed all the players in their spot and wove them together into her story to try her faith, to challenge her beliefs and to help her mature. She was the only girl in the evening classes and often came home discouraged at their treatment of her.  But on May the 3rd, with her head held high and a smile to beat the band our girl strode forward, took hold of her god-given future knowing that God sustained her and brought her safely to that point in her life.  One beautiful Rose put in our vase.

Megan has been working at Panera Bread for the past few months.  She has struggled with trusting in God's unique plan for her life.  It doesn't look like any other of her friend's lives.  She is tempted to compare herself to them and feel inadequate.  By God's grace, our girl is humble in asking our counsel and we have been able to love her through these difficult times.  Just talking with her today as we traveled to buy vegetables, with the boys in tow, she was sharing how kind God was to remind her that He had the plan for her life and that she can trust Him.  One beautiful Daffodil added into our vase.

We have been home schooling Eliot this school year.  He has been doing Kindergarten work.  Teaching our kids is so much more than learning to read and write, it's about God.  Everyday in every way I have presented the Cross and his need for the cross as we work through letters and numbers.  The reason why we do all things, being God's glory, and the importance of knowing God and His Word have been powerful tools in this feeble teacher's hands.  We have fought the Goliath of "I can't!", and "I don't know!" with the smooth stones of scripture and as we enter the last days of school we see the fruit of triumphant learning as the giants of doubt and fear fall into the dust.  I am hearing things like, "Hey Momma, that word is pig, I learned to read that in home school." Or, "It's getting easier to figure out this stuff Mom!"  Our vase gets fuller as the climbing Clematis arrives.

And then there is Peter.  Remember the rule of thumb I mentioned in my last post about how long it takes children to fully adjust?  It's not a pop quiz, honestly, I just like the tool as a measuring stick to God's faithfulness.

 "For as many months as  child is in his country before coming to his forever home, that's how many months it takes for them to adjust to their new home."

It is really amazing to see Peter blossom.  He has really been freely showing his emotions.  His speech is increasing daily.  He runs and plays with the best of them and keeps up.  He has a friend in Sunday School that he gets in trouble with and helps the teachers clean up with.  There was one little girl he made friends with on a playground around our home.  When they see each other at the particular playground, they greet each other and play.  Recently, as we worked out some details for Peter's IEP, God solidified for us and for the team the most important social structure for Peter to know that he knows, that's his family structure.  Peter has a family! And we have Peter!!!  God is mindful of our little Peter with DS and cares for lovingly.  God places this exotic Tiger Lily into our vase.  What fragrance!

Thom and I attended a marriage conference in March.  What Did You Expect? a book written by Paul David Tripp, and taught to us by Paul, was the plow that broke apart the harden soil of complacency in our marriage so that God could plant fresh seeds for a fruitful harvest.  Our church has been holding a Marriage workshop to go over the material more in-depth.  The fallow ground in my heart has growing living hope sprouting up towards God and towards Thommy.  We are grateful for the Son Flower of God's grace that sits as the centerpiece of our family vase. 

May is not over and I expect to see more growth in all of us.  We have just returned from an extended weekend away to the shore with dear friends. The ocean can really put things into perspective and as we gazed at it's beauty and as our senses were overwhelmed and we remembered that God holds all the waters in the palm of His hand we praised Him.  We spoke honestly of the hardships and the revealings, we sang to our maker loudly without hesistation.  We listened for the still small voice to speak.  During one mealtime, as we asked who would want to pray, Peter bowed his head and started praying for us.  When he said amen, not a single dry eye could be found.  We knew God was in our midst.  Ending our month will be a celebration of Emily's 22nd birthday.  Hope springs up. . .Awesome God!

Can a tree decide when to wake up?  Does a flower choose the time of it's arrival?  Can the sun rise earlier and stay up later whenever it wants?  How does a bird know where their food will come?  How does a baby know when it is time to be born?  The answer is God and His plan.  He holds all the answers, and He knows all the paths.  Nothing is hidden from Him.  God is good, God is love and God is for us!  That's really the vase isn't it?  Clay in the potter's hands, flowers of grace freshly put on display with the water of His Son sustaining us.

So what do May flowers bring?. . . Worship, joyful, thankful God-focused, Gospel-centered Worship of the One true living God.. . .Here I am to worship You, dear God.

The boys worshiping God,"I've got the joy, joy, joy"