It has actually been 15 years or more since I cleaned an oven. We have always had the self cleaning type, a house keeper or perhaps scrubbing bubbles that came while I was sleeping. Which ever, I, the Woman of the House have somehow been spared……..until now. We have lived here, I am embarrassed to say how many years and though the oven has been wiped out from time to time, I don’t think it has EVER been cleaned. It really has not bothered me until now. I’ve actually been successful in cl...

what a magical morning- i woke to a summons from Tinisha, "nicholas is crying" i went in and there was a bright eyed baby with the question just bursting from him "will you feed me?" i picked him up and took him to make his bottle, changed his diaper, snuggled him up in a blanket, as i snuggled into the rocker with him and fed him. Away in the Manger was playing on the radio in the dimly lit room and i marveled, once again, at the irony of God coming as a child such as the o...

A couple nights ago, my four year old daughter (I have 6 kids from 4 to 20) asked if I wanted to watch her do a dance. She had one of her sisters put on a song for her, and she put on a little ballerina thingy over her pajamas. It was just the two of us in the family room while she danced for me, and the pride and the emotion, and the realization that all she wanted to do was bring joy to me was almost too much to contain. I cried and smiled and enjoyed the moment as much as I have enjoyed...

My seventeen year old son is really quite a fine young man. He hasn’t gotten into any major trouble but then, he isn’t perfect. Trouble with being were he is supposed to be when he’s supposed to be there, keeping curfew, remembering to call us to tell us where he is, are just of few of his minor besetting sins. This past weekend he went to a retreat. We had a chat before he went and I was very clear that I wanted him to let us know where he was going afterward on Saturday. He assured m...

A Liberating Realization When I got the mail today there was a letter of acceptance to kindergarten for my youngest child, Tori. It was then that I had a most wonderful and liberating realization. In just a few months a I will be at home all day long with no children for the first time in 20 years! I think part of the reason it is so significant to me is because as a teenager and young adult I squandered my freedom on a veraciously pursued addiction to drugs and, having been rescued f...