The last time I posted, I knew we were pregnant again...but now I don't remember if anyone else knew or not by then. I've thought more than once, "oh, I should post that." You know, so that someday I'll remember. But then I don't remember to post it once I sit down. And so it has gone for the last three months.
As many of these posts have been, forthcoming is a smattering of things that I remember that I don't want to forget. And I don't want to know how many I've already forgotten.
Plane tickets have been booked for the kids and I to hit the skies and head to DC to visit Carrie and Jordan for a couple of days before the crowining glory of the summer. The annual OBX trip. Nothing compares. Except maybe seeing how excited the kids are to fly to DC and eat at Georgetown Cupcakes. Samuel had a bit of concern evident in his voice this morning, though. He said over breakfast, "I hope we don't get on the wrong plane..." I assured him that I would make sure that we got on the right plane, told him about the tickets, checkpoints, etc. Anna said she didn't want to end up in Iowa. Wouldn't that be a letdown compared to DC... McKenna, the voice of reason, piped up that it would be OK if we ended up on the wrong plane, as long as that plane took us to Mexico. "I can do all the talking if we end up there since I know Spanish."
We've had a lot of conversations about Spanish lately, actually. Not in Spanish, just about it. For example, why is Spanish the language spoken in Mexic? I went into a little talk about explorers and such and McKenna sat with mouth open wide. "Wow, that must have been a LONG time ago." Yes, indeed it was, by the standard of her few years. "It must have been before 1985..." Yes, indeed it was.
We only have 5 more days of officialy schooling this year. And that's just because I'm drawing it out. Again. I think I don't like to end because that means that then we'll have a kindergartner, 1st grader, and 2nd grader. And I'm just not ready for that. It's my "Rebekah inspired mentality". I'm not ready to be a parent of K, 1, and 2 students...
Samuel learned how to ride his bike last month. One of his training wheels was broken. He asked Pops to fix it, and the end result was that he rode around the driveway with just one training wheel for a couple of minutes before having the second training wheel removed. The first time he tried with no training wheels, he was off and riding. Seriously. I was dreading teaching him to ride this summer. I've already determined that I am not cut out for teaching bike riding. (Beowulf I've got covered, at least in the elementary version. Seriously. We did that this week. Bike riding? Not so much.) I about lost my mind with each of the girls the last two summers. As it turns out, nothing to worry about there. The bigger trick will be keeping him from going at breakneck speed all summer. It's a good thing I know the way to Riley. (For McKenna, too. She's taken to teaching herself tricks on the bike. Riding side saddle across the yard, letting go with both hands... Yes, it's a good thing I know where to park at Riley.)
Anna is our baby lover. Well, she's a baby lover, but not so much ours, though I see that changing ever so slightly in the last couple of weeks. She has verbalized some anxiety about how life will change after the baby is born in September. She's worried about how we'll still have time to love her with a baby that takes up so much time. Anna is drawn to every other baby in the world. I am certain that she will fall in love with this baby the instant that she sees it, holds it, loves on it. I would love for that to happen sooner, but I think that having her see Chris and I love her continually and show added love for her new sibling will be tremendously helpful. The most involved that she's been has to think up lists of baby names. Always topping the girl list are "Hannah" and "Montana". (She's never seen or heard Hannah Montana, just picked up the name from being out and about.) We've told her that we don't really want the name Montana, and that Hannah might be a little too confusing at our house. Really. Nana. Anna. Hannah. I would never call anyone by the right name.
Today (well, yesterday, technically) was Good Friday. After work I was laying on Nana and Pops' bed with McKenna and Samuel. We had just turned off their new favorite show (Jake and the Neverland Pirates) when I asked them if they knew what day it was. McKenna knew it was Friday and Samuel's eyes lit up and he squeaked, "It's GOOD Friday!" They were able to tell me what the significance of Good Friday is. They knew that it was the day that Christ was crucified. They knew that He didn't stay dead. They knew that we celebrate Easter because He rose again, fulfilling the promises of Scripture. He is our Saviour. He is the only means of forgiveness of sins. My heart was glad. I don't want it to be a trite story to them. It's not. It's truth. It's so so much more than a story. I want them to know the story, but also for it to take root in theirl lives. To change them. To transform them. I was taking all this in, praying silently for their futures. Samuel interrupted my thoughts and said, "Mama, I want Jesus to be MY Saviour. I want him to forgive MY sins and live in MY heart." Oh, sweet boy... And so, with his sister looking on, Samuel prayed to ask these things of HIS Saviour. To lead him in such a prayer, to see his heart is one of the greatest priviliges I have ever known. (To have done so with each of our children leaves me speechless.) I will continue to pray for each of them. For Anna, for McKenna, for Samuel, for the baby that is to come. That they will not be childhood decisions that are made for any reason other than pure desire for communion with the God of the Universe. The God that made them. Who loves them. Who sacrified His Son to do for them what they would never be able to do for themselves. What a wonderful Good Friday. And Sunday's coming. I can't wait! (It was so fun to see Sam run to Nana this afternoon and say, "I asked for forgivness! I asked Jesus in my heart!" He jumped up to her just the way a grandson could only do with someone who shares his enthusiasm and shares in this eternal joy.)
