Baseball in the Rain

There are really good moms who wake up in the morning ready to serve their families, and then there are moms like me who pray daily, "Lord, help me love my family well" (knowing full well that if it were all up to me selfishness would win far too many times, and I'd rather roll over and have some more me-time.)

Last night I took our son to his baseball game, which wasn't cancelled even though it was raining.

Hanging out in the parking lot while the teams warmed up

The lone fan, for a while, on our bleachers

 

Getting to see him make a solid hit, a triple, and receive the game ball for an act of integrity

This warmed my heart to know that this kid who had had such a rough day at home that afternoon, found some joy and success on the ballfield that evening. Thanks, God, for helping us do the right thing, even when we don't feel like it. Even when we'd rather not be sitting on a bleacher in the rain. Even when we'd rather not be leading anger management seminars. Thank you for helping us love one another.

 

Parting Thoughts

"Give me a field where the unmowed grass grows" 

- Walt Whitman

There's something about the beauty of wild places that helps you see through a different lens.

It really is this green.

Seeing the one you love through the eyes of fun and adventure instead of "who needs to pick up which kid from the ball field"

I think we'll be taking goofy pictures when we're eighty.

Still totally smitten with sheep. Watched this lamb bleat persistently until mama and sibling came back for it. Baaaaaaa!  Maaaaaa! Baaaaaa!  Maaaaaaa!

Crazy about these street signs, which probably don't seem funny if you actually live in Ireland.

No horses, buggies, or cows allowed on the motorway

What does this even mean? Don't set the forest on fire, or no loafing about by yourself?

An early start to begin the travels back around the world.

Our flight attendant told us that we would be having "flapjacks" presently on the return flight home. We envisioned Paul Bunyan lumberjack pancakes from the griddle, but apparently, in Ireland, flapjacks are granola bars.

So, in conclusion, we highly recommend a visit to the lovely Emerald Isle.

My People

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one." - Jane Howard

Davis people

Wilhoits

As I began my April gratitude list, I was humbled by the amount of people who had helped us this past week. My Mom stayed with the kids and sweetly took on the lion's share of responsibility while we were away, but my brother and sister-in-law brought a meal by and hung out one evening. My parents-in-law took the kids out to eat one day and cheered B on at a ball game, and my mother-in-law baked a bunny cake. My sister-in-law drove the carpool routes. Our sweet friend Amanda took the kids to jump their wiggles out at HiWire one afternoon. A friend's mom had one of our kids over a couple of times. Other friends in the neighborhood hired our girls to babysit and cat-sit. A baseball coach picked B up for a second game. What a blessing it is to have the love and support of these great people. Our people.

Cherish your human connections: your relationships with family and friends.

- Barbara Bush

All over Ireland are heraldry shops that carry ancestral knick-knacks for people who are searching for mementos from their people. Ancestral research is a budding form of tourism. Everywhere we went in our rental car, we saw bus loads heading in the same direction.

To be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognized need of the human soul. 

- Simone Weil

This is one of the things that brings me joy at Easter. To know that I am His and He is mine. To know that I am adopted into His family and will never be turned away. I have a home with Jesus.

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.

- George Moore

God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with. -Billy Graham

Go love on your people today.

Eire, Day 6, A bit of fitness

Our last beautiful day in Ireland was spent around the grounds of our hotel in County Wicklow.

In the morning, we went cycling by the river (and walked up some serious hills).

We love the tree-lined paths and avenues

We stopped in Einniskerry for a spot of tea at Poppies and returned to our hotel for some lap swimming and a dip into the hot pool.

We drove to see the highest waterfall in Ireland. When we were at the Torc waterfall earlier this week, we met a fit woman, probably in her seventies, on the trail to the top. We asked her if it was a tough climb and she brushed it off as "a bit of fitness". This has been our catch-phrase each time we have taken the stairs, climbed a castle, or cycled a hill to combat our bread and butter intake. Time for a bit of fitness, dearie.

 

In the afternoon we drove to Brennanstown for pony trekking. This was a special gift to me because I love horseback riding. A, my love tank is full. The sixteenth of October we'll be married 15 years. Thanks for each one.

Our quads are done for with the hiking, cycling, stair climbing, and posting this week. Maybe one more trip back to the hot pool before we pack, so that we don't freeze up permanently on the long day home?

 

 

For the love of horses

 

The Irish love their horses. You see the ponies and traps at each tourist location. You see the signs for race tracks regularly at motorway junctions. You see the signs everywhere.

 

One of the amazing things I had pinned for our trip was the possibility of going pony trekking while in Ireland. We found a great stable that had rides by the sea, but they were already booked for the time that we were going to be there. A still gets points for throwing the car in reverse to check for availability.

Today, we were in luck. We have been blessed with beautiful sunny weather all week. Today's trek over the mountain, up the avenue to Powerscourt, by sheep and lambs, and past the house featured in P.S. I Love You was a fine finish to an amazing holiday. Thanks, love.

 

 

Sacred Moments- Good Friday

Observing sheep...thinking of my Good Shepherd who calls to me with His voice and knows me by name.

My Shepherd who willingly laid down His life for me.

The One who searches for the lost sheep until he is found.

Loving that a town has a statue to honor Christ Himself, not His servants

Moments of silence and solitude to drink in beauty and feel centered and calm...offering prayers without words, and prayers with words

 

 

It's a small world after all

I had the opportunity to chaperone my daughter's seventh grade trip to Disney last week. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the "it's a small world" attraction. I remember riding this with my grandmother when I was a girl, and I still love it. Here is a youtube link of people around the world who hum the words too.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=weZrqrN9Jp0

 

 

They had a class that applied physics to the imagineering of roller coasters and were permitted to ride Space Mountain with the lights on, and then off.

A fun way to learn

Here is a picture of our Minnie manicure that we did before the trip. (Thanks Pinterest)

 

Part of the educational value of the trip was observing the world around you carefully. We enjoyed looking for the hidden Mickeys embedded into the theme parks' decor and searching for scavenger hunt clues. Here are a few of our favorites:

 

Ten plus miles of walking each day sent my girl home with some blisters, even with tennis shoes and socks. We softened the blow with some treats. I am thankful for the opportunity to share learning adventures with my children.