price's + smith's = fun

A simple equation that is always true:

Price's + Smith's = fun

Even amidst bumped heads on banisters, slamming doors knocking little ones over, boo boos on toes, reluctant apologizers, toys in the cat dish, missing mommy, and catching killer spiders...

*Please note that this equation is also true for all adult Price's and Smith's.

To quote the wise Forrest Gump, from Forrest Gump:

"My momma always said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

I had no plans today - none at all - so when my phone buzzed with a text from Amanda asking if three of her children could come over while she took Keely to the eye doctors, I was happy to say "YES!"

When I told my youngest two, they immediately started jumping up and down, yelling, "Lila...baby Maelyn...Ezwa...Keelwy!"

My "box of chocolates" today ended up being delightful at just about every turn.

Here's a little smattering of pictures from our day...

Ezra reads to everyone. I am so proud of him! He had a captive audience.

Lila shows Jayda the boo boo on her foot. Of course Jayda has to touch it; this kid finds a reason to touch everything!

Stephen looks for Nazareth, a small town in Ethiopia.

David plays the part of the reluctant sailor.

There were big feet and dark chunky feet...

And little white baby feet...looking for Mommy.

Busy hands, sorting through cars...

Washing phones in kitty cat's water dish...

..while her Mommy, and my taller-than-me friend tries to catch a spider. He may look small in the picture, but he was hairy, fast, and had three white spots on his back.

Clearly he was no match for Amanda and as a result, spun a new web inside of a ziplock container.

The only bad part about this box of chocolates (and really most) is that there are never enough! Surrounded by a bit of chaos, Amanda and I start and stop many conversations.

"What was I saying?"

"Did I just tell you that?"

"What were we talking about?"

Hours are breezing by and it's past nap time. Time for her crew to get going. Yeah, we'll finish those conversations.

Someday.

Loaded up to the max with children - well almost - their van pulls away...

And freedom waits on the other side for...

Because a ziplock container is not a proper home for a white-spotted, hairy, black, spider. He takes a while to leave his plastic prison, but he eventually crawls out and then up the tree, blending in perfectly with the bark.

And a little freedom comes my way too...

the cobra and the cross

I had the disgusting, unpleasant, close-to-vomitting job of unclogging our stubborn bathtub.

This is the bathtub that we use for our two little ewoks and have you seen Jayda's hair?

O.K....I know you are with me now.

For the past several months it would take the water hours to drain after giving the kids a bath.

I knew it was clogged.

Matt knew it was clogged.

But neither of us wanted to deal with it.

It was simply too disgusting so we left it alone. Simply leaving the bathroom and closing the door worked every time. Out of sight, out of mind.

With homeschool wrapping up and my husband away at a pastor's retreat, I have a little extra time for some home projects. First on the list: that nasty drain.

Jayda and I set out for Lowe's to purchase a Cobra Zip-It. For under $3.00 our lives were about to change. I must admit that I felt like a loser buying this item. We couldn't find it on the shelves so we had to ask some young guy working in the plumbing department.

"Aaaaa.....we're looking (as if Jayda knows a thing, but it makes me feel better including her) for a Cobra Zip-It...can you help us find it?"

This all sounds so official - so proper. What I'm really saying is, "I'm a lazy homemaker and because of that my drain has more hair stuffed in it than Chewbacca has on his entire body."

Pushing my cart with Jayda in front, I follow him to the end cap and look down, a bit ashamed, as he hands me my very own Cobra.

I drive home with purpose, breezing through every green light, Jayda cheering me on for not catching the reds. Lunch is made and gobbled down by hungry children and I head upstairs for the task, Cobra in hand.

As I push the tip down into the drain, it gets stuck and won't go further. Man, this is worse than I thought. I twist and maneuver and it finally goes.

I take a deep breath.

And I pull, gently, slowly, afraid to see what comes up.

This is part of what comes up on the first pull.

I yell down for Abbie to bring me two bags. One is for the gunk and the other is for me in case I get sick. My stomach turns, I make faces indicating disgust, and I breathe slowly. In and out, in and out. Abbie watches me. She breathes with me. She looks down into the bathtub and then she feels for me, really feels for her Mom.

A fight breaks out downstairs between the two little ewoks and Abbie runs down, leaving me alone.

Just me and the drain.

The truth that I was actually thinking about this morning (as I anticipated this disgusting task) suddenly comes to life again. Seeing for myself and actually getting my hands dirty through this disgusting job reminds me of the incredible humility and love of Jesus Christ.

What is coming out of the drain in my bathroom tub, though foul, is no match for the seriousness of my sin. It's so easy to just go through my day, unaware of the severity of my sin and what I really deserve. But if I don't recognize the seriousness, the severity of my sin, how can I and why would I want to live a life worthy of the gospel? This gospel means nothing to me if I don't see my need for Jesus.

This is Jesus, who came into this sin infested world to seek and save that which was lost. He was perfectly holy; without sin, yet walked among sinners daily. He lived with them, he laughed with them, he fished with them, he walked with them, he wept with them, he ate dinner with them...

He entered into their hair-infested-drain-like world.

He lived perfectly, obtaining a righteousness they never could.

He died on a Cross, absorbing all of God's righteous wrath for sinners.

Sinners like me.

As I peer down into the hair-infested drain, sickened by the very sight of my daughter's wet hair, mangled and twisted around the Cobra, this truth - of the love of Jesus - washes over my heart, changing my look of disgust to an actual smile.

Jesus Christ has dealt with my sin - past, present, and future, once and for all. He wasn't disgusted with me and will never be, even when I sin again, and again, and again. His love endures forever, He is quick to forgive, always extending grace upon grace.

This love overwhelms me and causes me to want to live differently.

To not be satisfied with the status quo.

To live worthy of Him who bought me.

Abbie runs to get me my journal that sits open on the dining room table. I've only just begun this adventure of expressing my gratitude to God for daily gifts; gifts that I often take for granted. Saying "thank you" and writing them down is a life-changer for me. It's part of my fight for joy.

She hands it to me saying, "I'm your personal delivery person today Mom."

Grabbing the nearest pen, I write:

#46 Showing me truth while I clean the bathtub drain.

movin' thru May

Since our Ethiopian host child left, we have jumped right back into life!

Time to share some updates since my last post.

For starters, my Abbie-girl turned ten! She was thrilled to finally be in double digits, but even more thrilled to have a special birthday dinner of her choice.

Her pick?

Spicy garlic lemon shrimp.

With a salad.

And bread, lots of bread for the dipping.

{name} was still here to enjoy this special feast and to our surprise, he loved it. Stephen and Abbie were trying to explain to him that we were eating shrimp for dinner. He wanted to know what shrimp were...so they gathered him by the computer and pulled up a google image of a live shrimp.

Abbie pointed to the picture and said, "That's what we're eating, but without the head!"

As you can see, Abbie had some dipping competition.

Just a few days after Ab's birthday, we celebrated Jayda's 3rd Birthday.

More cake.

More ice-cream.

More cupcakes.

More presents.

With all four of our children having birthdays from March 26 - May 16, it's like Christmastime around here.

When the parties were finally over. Finally....

Stephen and I attended the Cross Current Semi-Formal Banquet. This was our second one together :-) (Stop growing up, Stephen-boy!!)

So long crazy May....Hello June.