Webster's Dictionary

Lia is always asking us what "words" mean. A few weeks ago she had heard the word, "impeccable" and repeated the word over and over, expressing how much she loved this new word she discovered. She didn't know what it meant but she loved saying it. Then she asked us what it meant so I got our Webster's and we looked it up. She was fascinated that there was an entire book of words, all with different spellings, letters and meaning. We now frequent our Webster's when Lia is curious about a word.

Here is our conversation this morning:

Me: "What a beautiful morning, Lia!"
Lia: "I like that the leaves are going to be on the trees again."
Me: "Me too! The grass is shooting up new green sprouts and the leaves are budding! It's beautiful!"
Lia: "Shooting! What do you mean? I'm getting the big book out."
Me: "o-kay."
Lia: (lugging the big red webster's to the kitchen): "I like this book."
Me: (explaining how we look the word up)"here it is, shoot: a sending out of new growth or the growth sent out: as a stem or branch with its leaves and appendages esp. when not yet mature.
Lia: "oh." (still a little puzzled)
Me: "the grass it like pushing up or shooting up from the ground."
Lia: "i like that."

spring is grand

This morning I thought I should post on the family blog . . . although I don't feel like I have much to say, stories to tell or any incredible observations about life. It's been a week since my last post. So, this is just what I'm thinking about on this beautiful morning in Kansas.

I am grateful that spring is here . . . at least it appears to be here. This morning as I sat on my couch, enjoying the quiet of the morning, I thought how wonderful it is to experience Spring every year. I never tire of the birds chirping, the leaves budding on the trees, green shoots of grass coming up from the ground and the beautiful colors that will soon appear all around me. Life. New Life.

Some goals for this spring in no particular order:
1. Be outside as much as possible with the kids.
2. Fly a kite.
3. Take long walks.
4. Sit on our deck, sip tea and read.
5. Enjoy friends.
6. Pause more to listen.
7. Plant a garden (that's really Todd's goal but I will help)
8. Visit the Abbey.
9. allow new life to spring up in me
10. plant flowers

10 years ago . . .

March 10, 1999 . . . I have a very emotional visit with my OBGYN. If I didn't have the baby by the weekend I would need to be induced. Seriously? I had laid in bed for seven weeks and now you're going to try to get me to start labor. No. I just didn't want to do that. My doctor assured me that all would be well and sent me home.

I went home, popped some popcorn, made a glass of sprite and turned on Oprah. My friend Erin was home for spring break and came over to visit.

"hey, come on in! I'm having contractions every two minutes, you can help me time them."

Erin was excited and I was thinking, "we'll just wait and see." I gave Todd and call and he said to call him back in an hour. I did. Contractions still two minutes apart. Called Todd again. "I'm on my way."

Todd comes home. Showers. We load the car with our stuff and off we go to Boone Hospital. Boone Hospital . . . I spent 4 weeks in Boone Hospital. Four weeks lying flat and endeavoring to do all I could to keep Zach in the womb. By God's grace that is where he stayed.

Now, it was safe for him to arrive. It was time for him to feel our embrace.

Wednesday, March 10, 5:30 pm, I arrived at Boone Hospital and all night I had contractions that were two minutes apart. All night long. They weren't unbearable, just uncomfortable. As the night went on, it became hard to walk around so I rested.

Thursday, March 11, 7:00 am . . . "what the heck just happened!" That's exactly what I said as I ripped the monitor off my belly and went to the bathroom. What had happened is my water had broke and the contractions came on one right after the other. Dang!

I don't need to describe the next six hours and fifty-five minutes. I was quiet and extremely uncomfortable.

March 11, 1:55 pm, Zachary Todd Stewart was born weighing 7 pounds and 1 ounce. He was absolutely perfect.

Zachary means, Jehovah has Remembered.

Jehovah remembered our prayers. He gave us a wonderful son. He still is my miracle and I'm undone by God's faithfulness to us.

How have 10 years passed? Zach is 10 years old! That's a double digit!

Happy Birthday, Zachary! We love you!

February

The month of February seems to almost be a blur. I can hardly believe that we are three days into the month of March. It has been a month since my last entry. I have had many funny kid stories to share, beautiful moments with friends and wrestling about the future but I was lazy with our blog and now my memory is slow to recall all of the things that were worth remembering--I will make an attempt though.

Highlights from February

1. February 2. Groundhogs Day. It's also the day that we were engaged. February 2, 1991. 18 years ago we stood on the corner of 9th and Walnut, under a light post and Todd asked me to marry him. We celebrated this year by going to a really cool restaurant near the Plaza--El Centro. Our meal was delicious and our time together wonderful!

2. Lia: Lia for weeks told us that she wants to marry a certain boy in Columbia. "Mom, don't you think he's the handsomest! I want to marry him." We're not quite ready to arrange a marriage yet but it's incredibly funny and sweet. Lia had many noteworthy funny things that I just can't seem to call to mind. What a joy she is in my life! She also shows me just how much I need to grow in the areas of patience and wisdom. **Lia's new favorite word: Impeccable. She just loves to say it and repeats it over and over.
3. Zach: Zach is growing up. He is funny, witty, sweet and almost taller than his Mom. He also needs some help from Dad about how to talk to girls. A recent conversation:

Zach: "Mom, I can tell you're getting older because you have lines in your face."
Me: "Wow! Thanks!" (laughing)
Zach: "Abraham Lincoln had lines like that in his face."
Me: Laughing too hard to respond and thinking, "He also had a beard."

4. Days like spring. There were so many beautiful days in February. At times it didn't seem like winter at all.

5. Shawnee Mission Park: A friend of ours had been telling me about a trail at a nearby park that she frequents--a quiet secret place. We were able to enjoy a long hike and sit by a creek and enjoy the amazing beauty around us. A highlight of February.

6. Conception Abbey: 24 hours of beautiful quietness, stillness, rest and friendship. Conception Abbey is a monastery about 2 hours north of KC. I had for some time wanted to take a personal retreat for prayer and some solitude. A friend and I went together. We each had our own room and enjoyed our meals together. I had no agenda really. I just wanted to be . . . be with Jesus, be still, be quiet . . . mostly be with Jesus. My time there is really worth it's own blog entry. I'm grateful to Todd for giving me the opportunity to go and I'm really looking forward to going again. Quietness is good.

7. School: I began exploring the possibility of going to school. I never finished University and have quietly thought about returning for sometime.

8. Todd's job is going well. Thankful.

9. I continue to work at Starbucks. Thankful and challenged.

10. I really, really, really want to go to Mozambique. I have wanted to go for about a year but during February I started to consider it a lot. Not sure if the timing is right. There is a team from church going in June--if I don't go this time--I believe I will in the future--maybe our entire family will go.