The Wedding

Jack is drunk on Diet Coke. He pulls his face as close as it can get to mine, and slurs his words, mumbling something about his Nana. He continues on, leaving my face, making ape-like movements and getting closer and closer to his new found playmate. The children are excited! They are in the midst of the wedding celebration that will reach us quickly tomorrow. They cannot contain their contagious joy.

It's only one o'clock, and Emma begs to wear her flower girl dress. She finally agrees to wait, and immediately gets to work. She helps Nana with the flowers, the bride's mother with the tables, and then she has disappeared. As soon as Amy has arrived, she has gone to be in her proximity. She has found her celebrity.

Emma can't stop spinning. It makes the bottom of her dress look like a lasso. She is on the stage of the Auditorium calling to the boys to dance with her. Later, she dances next to the speakers with her friends, then with her Nathan.

At the reception, Jack continues to search for Amy, enamored by her beauty. When he finally has his princess in his presence, he is insistent on stealing a kiss. Amy graciously leans downs. Jack stretches up his chin and plants one on her lips.
The day after, we are wrestling in our pajamas. Jack's laughter makes me laugh. I beg him to marry me and he immediately declines. Why? I insist. I am going to marry 'Net Amy he responds.

Parrots

We are rounding the corner of the driveway through Taco Bell. My window is down & the air is beautiful. He approaches our truck from my blind spot.
Excuse me, Miss. Do you have any spare change for the homeless?
It is in this moment too many things are pouring into my subconscious. Whether or not this man is homeless is insignificant. My children are watching.

I look down and notice a dollar in my console and hand it to the man. We shake hands through my window and he wishes God's blessings upon me. Emma immediately floods the cabin with questions.
Jesus wants us to treat every person we encounter as it were Him. I clarify. This man says he doesn't have a home, so we ought to take care of him.
But he is not Jesus, she fires back.
No, but we still need to treat every person with respect and compassion.

I find that no matter what the situation, my blessings have become my personal parrots. If I ask Emma to put the dogs into the kennel, she obediently yells at them to KENNEL UP! And continues to yell at them. Her voice can perfectly echo how I call each of the dogs by name. (It usually does not sound pleasant.)

On the contrary, I have been insistent that Emma & Jack assist in taking care of the home: clearing dishes, picking up toys. Recently at a church dinner, Jack enjoyed his brownie sundae. When he was finished, he quietly got down, excused himself past the Pastor's wife, and threw away his dishes.

Just a while ago, Roy & I shared a tender moment in our kitchen. Emma spotted us and instantly joined us in our huddle. With her small arms wrapped around our legs, she looked into our faces with pride and security.

Our children, placed in the care of us by our Creator, are constantly learning from our actions, regardless if we are saying anything or not. They will see how we treat and what we say about our spouses, our friends, our enemies, strangers in our community, and then, mimic us in our actions. It is in these reflections, I need to be committed to being transparent all the time and that my actions, even when unseen, glorify Him.

Beautiful

She thinks she is the most beautiful girl in the entire world, and I have to agree. Emma is standing in front of the mirror doting upon herself. She has covered in eyes in blue shadow, her lips glossy & pink. I have seen this look several times. Emma is proud & pleasing and she knows it.

Jack sits on the counter next to his charming sister, as he admires himself in the mirror. He waits patiently as I sculpt his faux hawk. He looks in admiration at his reflection.

My children are able to sing the words to Jesus Loves Me and sing the entire song wholeheartedly. Emma really believes that her God has made her the most beautiful princess. Jack watches her actions and in response, he thinks very highly of himself. I am in awe at their ability to love themselves.

When, in our years of growing, do we stop believing how special the Creator formed us? As Emma, Jack & Will mature, Roy & I will be committed to forming our blessings into respectable little beings, while pointing them to Christ, but also, continuing to reinforce to each how truly beautiful & unique God has created them.

A piece of his heart

Papa & Pappy are two of Jack's favorite people. They each have captured my son's heart and he is theirs. Though a few months ago, (his best friend) Noah's Grandpa stole a piece of Jack's heart. Every night since then, Jack prays for him. Here is this evening's prayer:

Dear God,
Thank you for... Grandpa.
Thank you for... Noah.
Thank you for... Noah's Grandpa.
Thank you for... Noah's Grandpa.
Thank you for... Noah's Grandpa.
Thank you for... Noah's Grandpa.
In Jesus' Name,
Thank you for all your help. Amen.

4896

I am snuggling in a king size bed with Emma, Jack, and Roy. The sheets are cold. The air is cool. Will is snoozing close in his pack and play. I am close to giddy. Everyone is trying to settle down, a little restless, a little goofy, and I am right there with them. I feel like a kid. We have traveled through six states together to get here to Missouri and I couldn't be more proud of my family. Success and pride and love wrapped up into the flannel sheets of Pappy's bed.

Reflecting, I am still proud and feel a sense of accomplishment. The Jerrolds clan has traveled the unthinkable- don't get me wrong, we had our truck, cushioned warmed seats, toted two DVD players, numerous tunes on our IPOD and the luxury of food (and Starbucks) on the go (no covered wagons here). There and back, we traveled 4896 miles, through 12 states, with three kids, one dog, and I think we did darn good!

Throughout our time away, Emma, Jack, Will, & Cooper ran in the pecan groves of Pappy's yard in Missouri. They threw leaves in the air in the small town of Portageville in Grandma's yard. We looked upon a herd of antelope grazing in the fields of Wyoming. We stood huddled together in the biting wind in the Painted Desert of Arizona. When our children would become too restless of riding endless hours in the truck, we could only play one praise song to calm them: Mighty to Save. It became such a testament to the scenes we saw- we saw our Savior's handiwork, whittled over plain, mountain, dessert, and high land. What an experience to share together as a family: as we traveled 4896 miles, we saw the created beauty of our Savior, the same Savior who poured out His blood to save each of us...

I can still smell Pappy's laundry detergent on Jack's pajamas. I nuzzle my nose into his arm and warm in my family's trip...

Our Newest Addition: Brendal

Thirty fingers, thirty toes

His diaper doesn't fit quite right, but it's not because we are neglectful. Will twists, turns, grunts, and pushes every time we change his diaper. The result is a fit that looks less than adequate. But that's the type of kid he's turning in to. He's joining his older siblings in spaz-land. At nap, he pulls my hair and laughs. He has joined the ranks and very loyal.

At Trader Joe's, I need two carts to tote the kids and the food. Roy and I tag team occasionally, making the trip shorter by locating our groceries on our own. Flying solo, I notice a lovely couple with one toddler. He's even sitting in one of those cloth seats to protect his innocence from the germs that cover the carts. (Will is chewing on a ball point pen.) He calls for his mom and she sweetly answers him. Her hair is pulled into a perfect ponytail, while her unfrizzed curls fall around her shoulder. I, on the other hand, am dodging my crazy ones. There are only two loose around the carts, but they seem to create more noise. I haven't showered in over a day & my baseball cap covers my third-day hair. I can't help but notice the family notice me, and my craziness.

There have been many mornings and nights, I have cried so hard my mascara has vanished. Feeling so overwhelmed by the three that surround me, I feel like I drown at least once a month. Too many little bodies to care for, as well as raise well. I don't know how I manage, except for calling on my Lord, begging Him to take over. I love that our children are goofy, weird, and sometimes out of control. Though at times, I am trampled by their parades.

All while pondering this, the next day, I watch Jack during the start to his nap. He doesn't know I am there in the door frame. He cocks his head as he turns each page of his book, pointing and singing the days of the week. I can't help but smile. He notices my lingering, smiles, and blows me a perfect kiss.

At bed, I read to the blessings. On my lap, sit three bottoms, thirty fingers, thirty toes. I no longer have the perfect trips to the grocery store, the peaceful play dates, or big quantities of one-on-one time with each of my blessings. I lose my sanity quite frequently, but today, I will gladly take what I have been given. Three bottoms, thirty fingers & thirty toes snuggled on my lap... How many people have the privilege of that?