Turning thirty-two (and a family visit)

A few weeks ago, my family came to town from Minnesota to visit us and to celebrate my thirty-second birthday. They came over on my birthday morning, bringing beautiful flowers.

The night before, Cooper developed a cough, that morphed into a fever, etc., we had a relatively mellow day and weekend, overall, at home. My mom folded and sorted so many loads of laundry and ran and emptied the dishwasher several times (those two things alone – a lot of work and a huge burden off of me). My brother and dad entertained Cooper and held Finn. And my Grandma Donna snuggled Finn too.

Saturday, my mom helped me start a crockpot beef stew, and they spent some time touring a local garden so the four of us could all nap.

Despite the boys being sick, it was a very sweet weekend. I felt so celebrated between the flower, the acts of service, and some very thoughtful gifts (beautiful yarn, local coffee beans, a cozy shirt, a puzzle, etc.)

I had the gift of being able to make some of our very favorite meals for my family too: burgers on homemade sourdough hamburger buns, crockpot beef stew with homemade bread, and my special birthday treat: sourdough cinnamon rolls.

Some other favorite moments from their visit on my birthday weekend:

• Cooper helping my dad use a special tool to remove mineral buildup from our outside faucets (thanks, dad!)
• watching some building channels on YouTube together (cabin- and house-building, mainly)
• Finn falling asleep in both my parents' arms
• My grandma holding Finn
• My mom, reading library books to Cooper
• A family walk
• Doing a craft with Cooper that my mom brought for him

It was such a wonderful visit!

The weather was absolutely beautiful. Perhaps I write and think about fall a lot, but I think it is a good practice to speak of things that glorify God and pull us to worship– so I will keep writing about the brilliant golds and oranges and reds of the leaves this time of year. They are beautiful, and they are fleeting: such a gift and a reminder that we have a God who makes beautiful things, even ones that peak in glory for a few weeks, beautiful things that draw our eyes past the trees, to the Creator.

At thirty-two, I am firmly in whatever age group of people that cannot remember my exact age. I am usually wearing or holding my littlest, and close by to my oldest. I spend so much of my days keeping our home: preparing food, caring for and bathing and clothing children, playing with them, cleaning and tidying. I'm in a Bible study at church that has been challenging my mind in the best way, and challenging my time management (also good). At thirty-two, joy looks like the sun on my face on a crisp day, a soothing knitting project in my hands, a hug from a friend and the deep encouragement from sister friends who have known me for years, snippets of conversation between chasing after babies at the park, hot coffee with raw milk, snuggling with my husband, kisses from Cooper, Finn's belly laugh, clothes that embrace the postpartum softness, nourishing and homemade food, and an clear-minded awareness that the Lord has dealt with me generously.

Thank you, Lord, for these thirty-two years!