Friday, September 21, 2012

{Fridays on Faith} oh my stars and the oxygen we really need.

I talked to a real sweet gal over the phone the other day and she said......."oh my stars!"
and I'm all what what? did you just say...."oh my stars!"??
because for the record, i didn't even know i loved that phrase, but I DO!  I'm totally stealing that from that sweet little new gal pal of mine!!!! so thanks, gal pal! you know who you are!!!!

and being that I am starting with a totally random story, why not just move into more randomness of life and share some complete randomness in our world.

sometimes.....just sometimes, you don't say "No" to your sweet little three year old when he walks up to you in the grocery store with a case of these in his hands.

drugs yes. say no to those.
but cute little dino cookies held by one of the three cutest little gifts you were ever given.
ummmmm, yes. say yes to that.

and then Derrick and I woke up one morning with what felt like 15 extra kids in our bed, oh wait, that was just maverick and the three kids. and we picked ourselves up off the floor and opened the door to our room to discover this.



this was not there when we adults went to bed. so someone built this while the rest of us slept.

we weren't 100% sure who had done it.
we were 1000% sure.
and apparently, the late night building of cities antics made for an added in nap at suppertime for someone.


then my uhhhhh-mazing niece went and turned 5 on me.


my sister in law rocked this out for the party.



and she keeps random parachutes in her bag of tricks as well.

well played, valerie jean. well played.

back at home, strange things continue to happen.



it started out innocent enough.


and ended in a leg head lock by a baby. naturally.


then this little holiday catalog showed up at my doorstep.oh my stars!!!!!!


and i then i realized a few things.

motherhood is.....

messy.


and it's beautiful, too.


especially when they start drawing you things like this.


and i sent my husband this via text message and a fun new chalkboard app called Real Chalk.


and pizza parlor family dates are fun.





and there are times to work.


and times to put it all aside for the real work.

the work of life.

and when you think laundry sucks. and you are walking up the stairs with what seems like the 14th billion load that never stops piling and when will you ever put it away......you see this.



and you realize:
why would you complain (even if it's just in your head)  about doing laundry when it's for them?
why would you complain about anything when you return to 3 brothers making up a silly game and playing together quietly? and the whole dang thing forms a heart.
they had no idea they did this. they still don't.
but what are the chances?
was this more than a mere game played by 3 toddlers?
was this a gift?
was this a love gift from the the great gift-giver to remind me what it's really all about?
what the laundry and the endless sweeping of the crumbs and the be heres and go theres and the squares to check off and don't push hims and every last thing....isn't this where it all stops?
where it stops you take a breath and breath in this real oxygen.
the oxygen that sustains us.
the life giving, gift giving little moments.
and OH MY STARS!!! there it is.
nothing but a reminder that the One who gave your first breath and will take your last
.......is still there giving every breath in between.




2 comments:

Lindsay Y. said...

Ha! I say "oh my stars" all the time. In fact I'm pretty sure it's getting annoying. But another good one is "Oh crumbcakes!" Yeah, that's rad, too.

Looks like you've had a super fun, yet messy week! ;-)

Shannonheick said...

Oh my stars! You say oh my stars!?!!! Ha ha! Well, I really don't say it yet, but watch out world! I needed to replace "oh dear". I hear Leighton saying it and then I'm like, "oh dear" HA! Hope your move has gone well dear!
Oh yeah, "oh crumbcakes" is in the rad category. Oh crumb-bum is another really neat one! You might want to consider that one too! Ha ha!