Why My Heart is Full

My little girl is sick today. Her nose is running and her eyes are watering. She wants to cling to me or Matthew at all times. Right now she is napping and Samuel is gurgling baby isms on the bed. Afternoon naps are such a peaceful time. Today in particular I am so grateful for my kids. Motherhood is hard work, let that not be a lie! And I have had some difficult times since Samuel was born, but I wouldn't trade them for the World.
Eliza is the most beautiful girl in the world. She loves to dance and sing. Her eyes shine with every smile. She tells me she loves me now in full sentences. I have only known her for 20 months. So short of time, but I love her more deeply than is describable.
Samuel is just starting this thing called life and he is all smiles. My husky boy loves to play and wants mommy's bozie all the time!
I can only begin to understand the Love that the Lord has for his children. So much greater than my fallen love for mine. His love is perfect. My love for my kiddos will never be perfect. My Lord loves me more than I will ever know! AWESOME!

Family Reunion

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together." ~Erma Bombeck

I have just recently returned home from a family reunion. A week on the gulf coast, Texas, with 18 family members belonging to my Dad's side. Beach house called Music was our home for one week. Yes all 18 of us! Yes for one full week. I am still trying to come to terms with that myself.

Surfside, Texas is a beautiful beach town. The waterside is peaceful. The atmosphere is chilled out and relaxing. A surf shop standing on the main corner boasts JESUS IS LORD on the wall facing the main road. The owner is a burnt out hippy/surfer selling breakfast and flip flops to the visitors. All the while Joyce Meyer is playing on his television in the background. The nearest grocery is called Buccees (pronounced Bucky's) and sells little to nothing of use. Milk and Beer was what my family frequented from this convenient store.

Beach House Music was in itself a very nice place. Full of sand and very colorful bar stools that were painted with something that stained the kids hands. The kitchen was spacious and falling apart. And we also learned that prior to Matthew & our family's arrival there was glass in most of the bedding. We were led to believe that the beds were queen sized. Matthew and I managed barely to fit.

The first 4 days went ok. Borderline peaceful. I was limited in my activity due to Samuel being a baby and the sun being the Scottish folks greatest enemy! Someone actually comment that Eliza's skin was "as white as snow". I was down at the beach maybe a total of 3 times.

Games at night were hilarious and everyone participated, determined that this was going to be a fun and exciting time. maybe our last together with the "olds" still alive and with us. They are the ones this was all meant for in the first place. Peter & Viv Baker, The Baker Family Reunion.

By night time on day 5 we all stopped talking to each other. Well to Grandad anyway. He managed to, in the span of 30 minutes, call 2 of us stupid and drag the rest of the family into a dramatic turn of events. Yelling, awkward silences, strange looks, crying....

So the rest of the visit was left with most of us walking on eggshells as not to offend each other, but failing miserably while the children played happily and oblivious to all the drama!
All this being said...I have come to a surprising conclusion. In my own childhood ignorance, I was not aware of the severity of it. My family is jacked up beyond repair! Now I was not completely ignorant to it all but in recent years, I have been so far removed from it all living in the quiet village of Ellon in Scotland that I probably just blocked it out.

And to actually think that my grandparents want to do it all again next year on a cruise ship!!!