Monthly Archives: September 2011

I find that I am paying much more attention to his face.

I am really seeing him.

I notice the way his  deep blue eyes crinkle when he smiles. I love the kindness that emanates from those eyes.

His deep and frequent laugh causes my spirits to lift and wraps me in warmth.

We laugh a lot.

The thick strawberry blonde head of hair he had when we first met is now mostly white. I think it makes him look even more handsome.

I watch his hands. They are strong hands. These hands have held our babies and taught them both to play the piano, cooked some wonderful meals (he is a much better cook than I am!), played the guitar for me, held tightly to mine countless times through the years, and never shied away from hard work. The well-worn gold band on his left ring finger has been there for nineteen years. I still vividly remember the day I first slipped it on his finger, full of  joy that we had found each other.

I listen to the timbre of his voice. His is a voice that always speaks reason…is loathe to say anything negative about anybody…seeks to understand another’s point of view…speaks encouraging words…prays fervently… and tells me he loves me every single day.

I notice these things much more often now that we primarily see each other on the weekends.  Our time together is no longer unlimited; therefore it is necessary to make the most of the time that we are in the same space.

I find that I don’t take anything for granted. Even the simplest things, like making a run to the grocery store, is an opportunity to spend time together.

I find that I live the life out of every moment when he is home.

I love that after twenty one years together, I am  still discovering new things about him.

As the late, great Rich Mullins once said:

Love is a miracle
It’s a miracle if you can find it

So true.

Treasure the loves in your life.    Study their faces.  Listen to them. Celebrate them. Thank God for them. Tell them you love them.

They are such precious gifts.

They are miracles.

My sister-in-law  Leslie and her husband  Tony came to visit us this weekend.

Over a yummy dinner of takout Chinese food, we started reminiscing about years gone by.

I mentioned that Doug and I knew who really loved us by who came to visit us when we lived in a small two-bedroom apartment in the town of New Canaan, CT after we were married. They didn’t mind that the kitchen was the size of a closet or  that there was only one (hideously ugly yellow) bathroom, or that they would have to sleep on an air mattress on the floor; they just wanted to be with us. Tony and Leslie and their three kids visited us a lot.

One summer afternoon, we all decided to have a picnic at Waveny Park, a beautiful oasis in the middle of the town. The sun was shining and the air was warm; it was the perfect day. Our border collie Charlie joyfully chased our nephews and niece through the open fields. We played lots of ball games and ate  good food.

Nothing momentous happened. It was an ordinary day.

Yet, Tony said something at dinner on Saturday night that surprised me.

He said, “You know what? The only thing I really remember about that day is Susan saying, “We’re making a memory!”

I had no recollection of saying that at all…but I loved that that was the main thing he remembered.

It was true.

We have lots of photos from that picnic and each time I look at them, I can almost hear the laughter of a family celebrating being together on a Saturday afternoon.

Last October, I was able to see Beth Moore speak in Massachusetts. Her topic was “The Lost Art of Treasure.”

In Luke 2, Mary is found to be treasuring so many things in her heart. Beth shared that in the original language, the word for “treasure” means: “to hold or treasure up in one’s memory; to guard, keep, preserve, keep safe, keep close.”

Are you treasuring your days like that? Are you slowing down enough to take in the moment, to truly see the people who are on this journey through life with you?

Beth pointed out the sad truth that “we don’t have time to look for treasure because we live in a cycle of over-productivity and collapse. Treasuring takes time. We have to stop and treasure. We tend to live beyond our limits and we are exhausting ourselves…we need to slow down. You must make up your mind that you will cooperate with God to see the treasure. It doesn’t happen by accident.”

She reminded us that there are treasures everywhere and they are ours for the taking. All we need is eyes to see.

As you begin this day, determine to look for the treasures. They are there.

I’d love to hear about what you find.

Today was the first day of school in our town.

In years past, the first day of school at Brown Academy (our homeschool) looked like this: the kids would greet the day with a breakfast of cupcakes, get most of their work done by noon, then we would go out to lunch and take a walk.

Today was slightly different. 🙂

There were no cupcakes this morning…just cinnamon rolls, eggs, and sausage.

Breakfast was followed by the obligatory first-day-of-school photo:

 I wish I could get my son to give me a real smile for a photo but I take what I can get.

Of course, as I was taking the photo, this is what I seeing in my mind’s eye:

After a flurry of activity, we all piled into the car by 7 a.m.

Ten minutes later, I watched my freshman and sophmore walk into the high school together. As they disappeared through the automatic doors and into a new adventure, my eyes did fill with tears just a bit.

I marveled at Jesus’ tender mercies to me that morning. For one thing, due to the flooding in Vermont, my husband was here to see the kids off to school before leaving to head back to work. Right after he left, my brother showed up to wish the kids a good day. He then joined me for a walk around the high school track. After our workout, we ran into a sweet friend from church who greeted me with a big hug and encouraging words. I love how He cares about every detail of our lives and sends loved ones across our paths just when we  need it most.

I headed home, grateful that my faithful Bichon Frise Buddy would be waiting for me.

I am his very favorite person in the world. The only time he leaves my side is when he hears someone eating anywhere in the house. Then it’s “hasta la vista, baby!” When he is done begging for scraps, he comes trotting back  and promptly glues himself to me.

He did come running to the door, tail wagging happily.

And then he looked behind me, as if to say, “Where is everybody else???”

“You mean you’re it???”

He looked back and me and blinked, clearly bewildered and displeased.

This was Buddy’s reaction when I told him that yes indeed, it was going to be just him and me for the next several hours:

Notice the drooping tail. This was not good news.

I was shocked. I thought he would love the idea of having me all to himself for an entire day.

But no.

He moped at various places all over the house:

In the bonus room…

In the kitchen…

On the back of the couch (where he kept a close eye on the front door in hopes that everyone would come home already)…

He stood guard at the back door…

He waited in vain at the front door…

He paced the hallways…

He could barely contain his boredom at being alone with me in the house…

So he went to sleep until that blessed hour when the kids came home…

I must admit that I was a tad excited when it came time to pick the kids up at the school…

This is my view on the drive there…

We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

The kids came barreling out of the school full of energy, smiles, and excitement.

It had been a very good day.

And as the day ends, darkness falls, and the house is once again quiet after bedtime, I give thanks to my very good God who has entrusted me with these two wonderful children.

I rest in knowing that I completed the assignment He gave me when He called me to home school and I look forward with great anticipation to this new season.

I intend to treasure every moment.