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Scott and Marissa are down in Disneyland celebrating our daughters 13th birthday. Scott has always given our girls the gift of a surprise trip at the 13 year point. Not only do I have an incredible husband he is an amazing dad to our girls.

Being left behind, I decided Cambria and I would not be bored. I lined up some fun things for us to do starting with pedicures and then off for a shopping venture in the city.  We hunted for clothes and accessories til we were pooped. We enjoyed a yummy dinner at Pacific Place that overlooked the city.

We were feeling quite silly after dinner, or at least I was. Cambria had to go potty so bad so she waddled off to the bathroom with me trailing. I watched a guy watching her waddle with a quizzical look on his face. It was so funny that I started laughing. Cam chastised me,”It’s not funny!” which made me laugh more. By the time I got to the stall I was rolling. I was full on laughing out loud uncontrollably and yes there were other woman in the restroom(when is there not!).

Today we are off to Greenlake with our picnic lunch.

Cambria and I created a tongue twister for the day: It’s only sunny sometimes in Seattle, so soak it up on this spectacular Sunday.

Say that 10 times fast.

We were having a cheap family day in the Seattle library when the call came in on my cell. It was Cambria. She and her boyfriend Logan had just gone out to the car to retrieve his backpack. His dad was going to be picking him up soon.

Back to the call,”Umm Mom, the car’s not here. We came out to the street where we parked and the whole row of cars is gone!”

“What?” I hollered, much too loud for a library.

“Yeah, It’s gone and there are signs that say ‘no parking after 3:30.” Cambria reports.

Scott, Marissa and I rush out of the library and onto the street to the missing cars, our car being one of them. I let out a few choice expletives! I was so mad and to top it off some guy was staring at us out of his apartment window. We were his entertainment for the day I’m sure. I wondered how many times he’d watched the same scene unfold. But did he have to stare?

Sure enough, there were plenty of signs letting us know that the parking stalls, were only stalls until 3:30. The good news was that Logan’s dad was on his way so he offered to take us to the impound lot. Not room in the car for all of us so Marissa and I sat in a coffee shop waiting.

Our cheap family day turned into 173 dollars to retrieve the car plus 40 dollars for the parking ticket. A little over 200 dollars!  Why stop there? We decided sushi sounded good and we may as well blow some more money! As the old saying goes, if you can’t beat em join em! Well, I’m not sure if that cliché works here, but you get my drift.

At the center of my heart are my daughters, but it is so easy to forget what a joy it is to do the duties of Motherhood. I don’t treat it like it’s special. I often think there are hundreds of mothers being parents to hundreds of kids, and that the actions of it are not original. I forget, that to my daughters, what I do is very important.

Which brings me to today. I got to focus on my two girls. First off I drove Marissa and a friend to the movies and to the mall, then I carpooled Cambria and her friend, Megan, to the train station. They are going on an adventure to Portland to visit Megan’s aunt. I gave them hugs as they left and reminded them of 2 billion safety things that I’m sure they didn’t want to hear.

Then off to Safeway to pick up goodies to create the Easter baskets. Forget that they are teens because that does not matter once a tradition has been created. Then I hurried home and rolled out the dough, baked the sugar cookies, all in time for Marissa and Kristin to decorate this evening.

These actions may not be much different from what you did today. (I didn’t mention the laundry,cleaning, or cooking dinner) I want myself to KNOW, in the moment, that what I do is important. I am proud of myself today. I hope you can really see the difference you’re making in your children’s lives, by the everyday duties you do.

On Sunday I met my friend Karin for lunch in Snohomish. This has been a favorite outing for us for a very long time. We don’t live as close and can’t do it quite as often as I’d like. I always feel like I’ve come home after spending time with Karin. We have known each other for 13 years.  We spent many hours together when our children were young and helped each other through many a trying time. The older I get the more I treasure my friends, old and new alike. Karin has always wanted to visit England so when I saw this poem the other day I thought of her. To my dear friend Karin:

A Shropshire Lane

Dear friend, I long to walk again-along that little Shropshire lane, deep-set in banks of ferns and flowers-where once we spent such happy hours…Each twist and turn of it I know.  And oftentimes in thought I go to seek and find those old delights: the summer days, the autumn nights, retracing every step we took-across the bridge that spans the brook- then past the cottage round the bend. Do you remember dearest friend?

Unbelievable! I heard the strange noises on the front porch of my evening appointment. I braced myself for what I knew was inside the door. My ears told me it was birds. From the sound of it, I couldn’t imagine how many. I entered the foyer after being greeted by the “parents” of this feathery flock. To the left of me, in what should be a living room, was about a dozen cages. In the center of the room, were large perches where many birds squawked, sang, and chirped. The volume caused me to cover my ears.

As we sat to sign loan documents, we had unusual interruptions, by the birds. One bird was on the clients head, and two large parrots stood next to us on large perches. Occasionally, one of the birds would start shrieking, which would unleash a chorus of sounds from the other 17 birds in the room. The clients would then chastise them as a parent would his child, “Now, Charley, stop, stop. Do you want to go to your room?”

At one point, there was a loud noise from the other room that didn’t sound unique to me, but one of the clients jumped up and said, “Oh no! That was a beak!”  After a few questions, I found out that one of the birds with the clipped wings tried to fly and nailed the floor. He was a bit stunned, but my clients attended to him the rest of the evening. He was held in their arms, much like a toddler, and shifted from arm to arm as papers were signed. I sometimes feel like a miracle worker for the situations I am asked to juggle.

As I left the house that night, I felt quite content with my own life, and decided that I was glad I was not called to helping birds. My nerves were frazzled  from the noise, but I was left with a fresh awareness of how very unique God makes us. In this case, some much more unique than others.

I had a dream the other night that I was going home again. Where is home? In this case it was back to our Lake Stevens house.

A couple of years ago I came upon this Bible verse in Hebrews 11: It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritence…he lived their by faith for he was like a foreigner, living in a tent.

I am hardly living in a tent, (not much into tenting-too much work) but I left my home of ten years. I am longing for a place to call my own.  We live in a beautiful rented space but it is not my own. I am longing to be home again.

But once again the question lingers: Where is home?

Home is where my Father is. I know He is here with me. However, some day I will arrive to a place, and I will walk through a door and as children do, I will say, “Daddy, I’m home,” and I will see Him.

This home will not be merely a resting spot on my journey but this will be my final destination. I will see my Father.

I will watch as my Father sees me.

Had the best day yesterday. Went riding with my friend Wanda. We rode 30 miles altogether and talked the whole time. As working moms we rarely have a minute to connect so this was a real treat. Honestly, I think girlfriend time is as good as therapy.

Driving Marissa to school yesterday morning  I heard an announcement on the radio that Sting was coming in. I quickly picked up my phone and called Scott to inform him and tell him no expense was too much. I love Sting.

By this time I was at the school. Before Marissa got out of the car she says, “You can afford concert tickets but not new laundry baskets?” I laugh. I said,”Ok,  I’ll check for some today. At the dollar store.”

Priorities!

I replied, “But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.” Isaiah 49:4