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Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Archives for July 28, 2012

Saturday Smiles: Olympic edition

July 28, 2012

Yep. Olympic fever has hit our house hard. The kids napped well yesterday so we rewarded them with staying up late to watch the opening ceremonies. Isabelle, our 4-year-old, almost outlasted us all. She was still going strong at midnight while my husband was struggling to keep his eyes open. Corban and I were long gone to our beds. We also celebrated with a theme meal of oven-fried fish, and oven-fried potatoes (our version of fish and chips), mushy peas (apparently an English veg) and scones. I love all things England and the Olympics being in London has taken me on a serious trip down memory lane from my days at this magnificent place.

Earlier in the week, Corban started training for the 2028 Olympics.

Or the circus. Of course, he also did this.

We had a friend over and the girls were all dressed up. He’s not to be left out, even if it means dressing like a princess.

Today he and I got to spend the morning together. For most of the summer, about every other Saturday, Phil takes Isabelle to Lowe’s for their Build and Grow workshop, which gives Mother and Son some one-on-one time. We walked to a yard sale and then to the farmers market. I love fresh, local vegetables, especially since I haven’t yet cultivated my own green thumb. We also got a treat: pumpkin whoopie pies. It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours. I forget how much I enjoyed the times when it was just Isabelle and me before Corban was born and how little time I take for one-on-one with either of them right now.

When I don’t, I miss out on things like this.

Isabelle had created an elaborate doctor’s office scenario with these “friends.” I started paying attention when she said, “Um, my hamster doesn’t feel good because he has too many stomachs. He can’t walk on them because he has too many.” Later, the hamster doctor couldn’t fix him so the leprechaun doctor came in. I was in tears laughing, and I didn’t want her to stop so I tried to hide my laughter behind the book I was reading. Whose kid is this? Oh, wait.

If the Olympics had storytelling, Isabelle would be a champ.

One day this week, I was preparing something in the kitchen and the kids asked me for some tape so they could put up some pictures they’d made. Later, I discovered this.

They had created an art gallery in our bedroom. Creative. And encouraging.

It’s been a good week, for the most part. God is encouraging us through the unexpected and we continue to seek and wait on Him. But it’s almost August and we aren’t homeless or hungry yet, so that alone is reason to praise Him. And even if we were those things, we would praise Him.

Filed Under: Saturday smiles Tagged With: art projects, creative kids, england, fish and chips, food, God is good, harlaxton manor, kids, london, olympics, reasons to smile

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Photo by Rachel Lynn Photography

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Hi. I’m Lisa, and I’m glad you’re here. If we were meeting in real life, I’d offer you something to eat or drink while we sat on the porch letting the conversation wander as it does. That’s a little bit what this space is like. We talk about books and family and travel and food and running, whatever I might encounter in world. I’m looking for the beauty in the midst of it all, even the tough stuff. (You’ll find a lot of that here, too.) Thanks for stopping by. Stay as long as you like.

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