a kid again...

I say that my favorite thing about my job is that I get to kiss babies all day long which is true and I love it. However, there are other benefits that go along with it too. It has been good for me to slow down and enjoy life through the eyes of a child. I get to wear pigtails and candy cane striped who socks, I get to play in the mud and pick wild flowers. Everyday is an adventure and it has been good to be a kid again. The other day Sophie told me "You're so fun. No one ever plays in the mud with us! Our friends are scared to and adults don't want to get dirty." They have no idea what I'd be up for. So whether we are swinging through trees or creating a hair salon, there is never a dull moment.

sunflowers

Yesterday was the perfect summer day. It was a "Luke day" and his mom had told me about an organ concert at the big church on the corner. I didn't know if he would like it or if he could make it through the whole thing, but I thought we could try. He was great and was not only quiet the whole time, but actually seemed to enjoy it. We then walked down the street and I got a scoop of Maine Tracks ice cream which I paid for in pennies because I can. Tacky I know, but who cares? It's kind of fun to be random sometimes. Then we walked over to the park and perused the farmer's market. I spied some beautiful sunflowers (which I just love) and had to buy them because they were just too happy to leave there. We sat in the park for a bit: Luke cooing and I reading a book I'd brought and then I gave him a flower which he happily waved about and tried to eat. He is growing so fast. Now he can roll over! And he is using his hands a lot more. It was a beautiful day. Warm breezy and happy.

children's museum

Last week I took the girls to the Children's Museum in Portland and there were so many people there! I was a little crazy, but they had fun.

baby kisses and baby mice

Last week the Sophie and Emma were with their mom and I had more time with Sarah who often has to just go along with what the older ones want to do. When I put her down for her nap I sang her lullabies and kissed each of her toes--both of which she liked and she kept sticking her toes between the bars of her crib for more kisses.
Later we went outside and Sophie and Emma had found baby mice in the barn which they proudly help up for my inspection.

little dips

This morning I went down to the dock with Sarah. I carried her down and then let her walk the long planks to the water's edge. The big puffy clouds in the deep blue sky were framed by trees and the marshy wetlands surrounding us. They were mesmerizing and I just wanted to sit and stare at them, but Sarah was just looking at the ground and concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, so on we plodded. She gripped my finger and took very determined steps. The long dock is made up of several sections that are anchored together and there are gaps between the sections. My foot bridged the gap with out hesitation, but her tiny foot would have been swallowed up by the black hole if she had stepped into it. Every time we got to the gap she would pause, grip my finger tighter and take a giant step over the chasm. It made me think of the little dips in life that seem so big to us, but are manageable with God by our side. He is there to carry us over them if we need. As we climbed back up the hill to pick some wildflowers, Sarah laid her head on my shoulder and cooed along to the hymn I was singing. We all need to have that same gentle trust and know that someone bigger and stronger than us is in charge and has our best interest at heart.

IRR photo blog

This is my Honduras and Nicaragua trip in just a few pictures.

coastal survival


open water survival


48 hours on a cargo ship


the river trip


hiking to jungle clinics


medical clinics


the day the deuces got stuck


hanging out with the firefighters





some of our team


the Duehrssen family


helicopter rescue training

family

These pictures were taken at my graduation a few weeks ago. I am so grateful for such a wonderful, supportive and crazy family.

many Junes

Yesterday Sophie sat down next to me and asked "Are you always going to be our nanny?" "Well, just for a while" I replied. "You need to be our nanny for many Junes" Sophie continued, "Sarah's birthday is in June and you need to be here until she is big--at least 10 more Junes!" I thought it was very insightful of her to note that her baby sister would be needing me the longest and that she would grow older in all the "Junes". Most children remember their birthdays, but don't pay much heed to those of their siblings. She is not the most orderly or focused child, but there was definite order to her words. Just the fact that she wanted whole years from June to June was significant.
My friend Anthony asked me the other day which was my favorite child and which was the most difficult. Sophie currently comes out on top of the difficult category due to her temper tantrums, but I have a feeling that she is going to endear herself to me in a way that none of the other children will.

the new Mary Poppins

I have always loved kids, so I thought it would be fun to nanny over the summer while I studied for the GRE and figured out what I was doing next. I posted a profile online and before I knew it, I was employed. It was almost too easy, but I feel it was no accident. I feel like God hand picked families for me and that I am in their life and they in mine for such a time as this. I don't know what the next few months hold, but they are such a great fit for me. I started with one family and then ended up adding a second. Both families hired me instantly upon meeting me and they told me "We don't usually do this, but you're hired! That was easy!" No background check, no references, no time to think it over. Done. This was very humbling for me because I know that they saw something in me that instantly put them at ease. I heard a song a while ago that became a new favorite of mine. I heard it just days after I had expressed the same words to my cousin. It says: "the only thing that's good in me is Jesus". Anything good that they see in me is all Jesus.
So now I have a 3 month old named Luke on Tuesdays and Thursdays with occasional company from siblings Hayden, 14 and Josephine, 11. Monday, Wednesday, Friday I have three girls: Emma, 7, Sophia 5 and Sarah, 1. They are a handful, but a lot of fun. They are so sweet and affectionate and I just soak up all their kisses. It amazes me that they just take me in with open arms and LOVE me. A stranger. This kind of unconditional love that children exude ripples through my heart and out my fingertips. Isn't this the way it is with God? We love Him because He first loved us.
It's nice for me to have "Luke days" to balance out my week. He is a very good natured baby and is always making me smile. He laughs a lot and it makes me laugh too. He even laughs in his sleep, it's precious. I can't believe how big he is getting, he seems to get bigger each time I see him.

this is Luke
Emma and Sarah

rain, rain, go away?

Wow, I haven't posted anything in over 2 years and I almost forgot I had this blog. I have been wanting to start blogging again and happily rediscovered it. A lot has happened in my life in the last couple years, but I won't cover all of that.
I have been home for about 6 weeks now and it has been raining almost all of that time. At first I was distressed by all of the rain because I wanted a sunny Maine summer, but I decided that I really love rain. I was outside yesterday and it was pouring rain. The air smelled earthy and fresh and the cheerful banter of large drops pelted me all over. I was surrounded by green and growing and living things. I had to smile. This is the life.
The best thing about my life? In a word? God. I have come to love and understand God in a whole new way recently. God is so good! I am learning and growing and incredibly blessed. So I don't care if it rains the entire summer. I am happier than I have ever been and rain or shine, my heart is overflowing.