Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

mother-son dates

Saturday smiles: Life is … edition

Life is. That’s how it feels right now. People ask us what’s new. Or how we are. And all I can say is “nothing” and “we’re here.” Waiting, waiting, waiting, still.

But in the waiting and in the routine, there are moments worth remembering.

Like our 4-year-old daughter watching rhythmic gymnastics, mimicking every move in the living room. She has used a frisbee, a playground ball and a piece of discarded packing tape as her rhythmic props. She is leaping across the room, twirling, and insisting that she can do what they do and she has “learned something new.” Me? I’m wondering how soon I can start packing my bags for some exotic location in 2024. Of course, we’d probably end up with an Olympic venue in Iowa (no offense to Iowa) instead of someplace like Rio. Still, I’m loving the Olympics through my kids. They’re excited about EVERYTHING, even marathon swimming, and every time the United States wins, they yell, “Yay! Our state won!” I think they’ll be crushed when it’s over tomorrow.

I had another morning date with our son today. We walked to the library, exchanged our books, received the next two discs in season two of Downton Abbey (giddy!), then walked to the Turkey Hill gas station for our ice cream reward for his potty training week. We shared a cherry limeade slushie and an ice cream sandwich. Besides being a tasty treat, it’s just fun to have one-on-one time with our kids.

I got to do more writing this week. And I got paid for the last project I worked on. Doing what I love and getting paid for it — can’t beat that. I also got to watch my husband do what he loves: preach. He delivered a sermon on Sunday, and he was great! We received a generous lunch offer from a nice couple at the church.

And the generosity continued through the week. I am overwhelmed by the love and support we are receiving as we figure out our next steps. This week, family has blown us away with their gifts.

Life is what it is.

God is good.

No better reason to smile.

Saturday Smiles: Too Much Olympics edition

Yeah, the Olympics make me smile. I like learning new things and hearing new stories and watching people succeed at something they’ve worked probably their whole lives for.

But watching the Olympics with kids has given me a whole new level of joy.

Mainly because of things like this:

I’m not sure what the event was but the prize was the Golden Pants, and later, the Golden Shoe. Every now and then I would hear an excited proclamation such as “Corban, good job! You won the Golden Shoe!” followed by an equally excited “Yay!”

Another time, Corban left their room to get something from the play kitchen and Isabelle followed him saying, “Okay, I’m coming too because all gymnastics people love each other.”

So far, they haven’t picked up anything unwholesome from watching more TV in one day than they usually do in a week. Oh well, it’s only once every four years, right?

Other smile highlights from this week:

  • a one-on-one date with my son for ice cream and a matchbox car. It was his reward for logging four days in one week with no potty accidents. His instructions for the car: “I want a construction truck. An ORANGE construction truck. I just like orange. I don’t like blue or red or gray, just orange.” Then as we walked through Wal-Mart, he proceeded to point out every. single. orange thing in the store. Later, I treated him to a DQ cone, which was dipped in butterscotch. (That’s close to orange, right?) Lucky for me, he’s doing GREAT at this potty training thing AND he’s a momma’s boy, so we’re going for ice cream again this week. (Have I mentioned how much I love ice cream?)
  • The kids and I went to the park on Friday after feeling cooped up in the house all week. We played at the playground for a while then walked toward the creek and the duck pond, something we hadn’t done the whole time we’ve lived here. Along the way, I discovered the perfect thinking-dreaming-solitude spot. A weeping willow tree nestled along the bubbling creek. I could see myself sitting there, alone, with a notebook or a book. At my childhood home, there was a willow tree along the creek that ran past our house. It was my getaway spot, and I’ve been partial to weeping willow trees and water my whole life. I’m only sad that I didn’t discover it sooner.
  • Another unexpected financial blessing, this time in the form of a credit for fuel oil to heat our water. God is showing us we’re not forgotten.
  • I met my writing deadline with time to spare. Finishing a project always feels good.

Watching the Olympics makes me want to travel. And write a bucket list. And do things on that bucket list. I like to dream and the Olympics reminds me to keep dreaming, no matter how bleak the future might look.

Keep dreaming and smiling, friends!