The Thing About Anita Go'dabed

My friend's mom told me this joke about a lady named Anita who married someone whose last name sounded like "go to bed." Anita Go'dabed. Yeah, that's how a linguist's daughter would spell it. And, see, that is just the essence of my life right now. I mean, here it is, after midnight—but when was the last time I went to bed before midnight? I don't know—and I have worked as wife and homeschooling mother, worked as Head Chef for Elite Eldercare, and worked as freelance Administrative Assistant all morning, all afternoon, and all evening, and that brings me to tomorrow, but I feel incomplete going to bed without doing ONE thing dream-related, ykwim?

I am beginning to come into a season of my life where I am believing that crazy big dreams CAN be achieved. I have had amazing fulfillment in marriage, and am flourishing in all of the wonders of being a Titus 2 woman, and in the unparallelled miracle of being a mother of children. It is my all-time favorite job. But I am realizing that 1) God has placed even more dreams in my heart! 2) We need to eat and sleep someplace, and it is (can it be?) within God's heart and purpose for us that we turn our dreams and greatest strengths into bread and butter. NOT doing so would be "burying the talents" and wasting life to some degree. 3) We have benefited so much from the help of others. Now it's time to step up and become leaders, believing in our ability to help others instead of staying in the "takers" realm. 4) I am created to be my husband's help-meet. What have I done lately to move my husband's dreams forward and further HIS career and loves? God obviously put us together for amazing reasons of multiplication and kingdom-impact. I know He is the author of our marriage. So if we are not doing amazing things together--kingdom and big-dream-things we could not do on our own, then we are falling short of our united potential. We cannot allow the One Who Casts-Between to hamper our creative together-powers. I mean, we have the two matching rings! 

All that to say—I have to sit down and write, do something, every day, and though Anita Go'dabed is becoming my very best friend, here's to late nights of waking-dreams, here's to all my friends who are sitting up in the wee hours DOING SOMETHING. Believe your King, daughter. The land is there for the taking for those who are not afraid of big grapes. Er, I mean, giants. Hehe. Yup. With an Ally such as ours, victory is guaranteed—to—those—who—fight.

July quotes

Golden: "We know how to make crackers! You get a piece of cheese, and you put it in your car until tomorrow, and it turns crunchy!" -July 2
(Yeah. side note, I found a crunchy half of a cheese stick in my bag the other day...)

Sp: "Mom! Why haven't we ever seen a giant stomping by yet? You SAID they were still alive!" -July 3

Sp: "Do people turn into giraffes when they get older, just like tadpoles turn into frogs?"
me: "Well,... is your grandma a giraffe?" -July 8

(talking about one of our friends, who has very simple tastes)
Thomas: "It doesn't take much to float her boat."
G: "Mom, if I were a teenager, I would sneak out, to the park, to the pond, if ------------ was there, and I would float my boat, and surprise her!" -July 10

G, while helping me make muffins,
"Pretend—that you're the mom and I'm the little girl who is being teached how to make muffins."
me: "I am the mom, and you are the little girl being taught how to make muffins."
G: "Oh." -July 17

G, doing a fish drawing,
"what do fish eat?"
me: "Algae."
G: "Oh. I don't know how to draw allergy." -July 17

G, opens her Bible and 'reads,' "The disciples... were going off to play." -July 19

Silas and mommy reading  a book,
Si: "Oh, it's a bird!"
me: "Yes, and that one is called a Cactus Wren."
Si: "No, it's  BIRD!"
me: "Yes, but that bird is called a cactus wren, It's a KIND of bird."
Si: "No, it's  BIRD."
me, thinking of a brilliant way to explain it to him:
"For example, are you a BOY?"
Si: "No, I'm a GARBAGE TRUCK!"
me: smiling, then, "Well, OK. Is mommy a lady?"
Si: "No, you're a GARBAGE TRUCK!"
-July 20

Silas, cutting food in the kitchen with me, cut his thumb, it's gushing blood. he says, calmly to his sisters, "it is ketchup." Then I told him I had to wash the blood off the board. He says, "I'm sorry that I got bloody." -July 21

Sparrow is Seven

My pretty Sparrow turned seven recently! She is so full of ideas, so full of potential, and so smart.

Her heart is full of dreams.

Her birthday came 2 days after we moved houses, so our life was still very crazy at the time and since the move came suddenly, I was unable to plan a party or anything, but we decided to go to the circus. She loved it!!

Here are a few photos of the special day.

Morning of the birthday. Breakfst at Chick fil A!

And yes I DID buy them ice cream at 9 am!

Informal presents on the porch

The next day we had cake at home. 

Sparrow,
You are growing into your destiny. You are getting braver. You are getting stronger. You are getting so thoughtful and conscientious and helpful and I love having you around. I get lesson after lesson when I watch you. The way you play with Golden is amazing--your friendship will last forever. The way you appreciate Silas and love Pippa is beautiful to behold. You are free. You are filled with the songs of God. I love you more dearly every day. You are funny, intelligent, a thinker and a girl who loves to laugh all rolled into one. You love beauty. I love that about you. Your excitement in God's creation. Your sense of justice. Your quickness to obey. Sometimes I give you a lot to handle, firstborn, and you handle it all so gorgeously, I am amazed. May all your paths be love. May you feel God's presence strong this next year. You are beloved. You have nothing to fear. Love, your Mom