Exclamation Mark!

https://videopress.com/v/JJCADgtT?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true “Poppy, I’m coming!” Thomas hollered in what he calls his Poppy yell. When his family spends the night over, it’s what motivates him to transition from bath time to bedtime without a fuss. Once he’s said goodnight to his mom and dad and baby brother, Timothy, he starts across the house to Poppy’s room. …

Fishers of Men

No. No. No. It had been that kind of day for Amelia. Did she want peanut butter and jelly? No. Would she like oatmeal? No. Turkey and cheese? Yogurt? Cheese pizza? No. No. No. We were both tired and she needed to eat dinner, but true to what her mom and dad told me before …

Casting Cares

I asked Thomas to help me get the mail from the mailbox. Our box is exactly his height at present because of an incident the week we moved into our home. The postal carrier back over our box, taking the entire post down. My dad and my husband repaired it but as a result, the …

Know Real Love

Thomas is precious with his baby brother, Timothy. He has a special voice reserved for their conversations and thankfully, not at his usual volume. He wakes up wanting him and throughout the day, he wants to hold baby brother, with help, of course. He’s good for a few minutes of pure sweetness but when he’s …

A Huge Mistake?

Our baby boy will be twenty-six when his son is born. He has been blessed with a wife and daughter who adore him, and now God has chosen to give him a baby boy of his own. He has no idea what adventures await. We surely didn’t! One thing my husband and I have always …

Really, Not Really

“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I told my daughter last night. Quick as a flash, Thomas quipped, “Not really jump, Lolly!” The quirky smile on his two and a half year old face proves that he has his Poppy’s wit already. Maybe he gets it from his mom and dad, but who’s to …

Proving Ground

Timothy is adapting to life outside the womb. He still bundles himself into a tight ball and even swaddled, he scrunches and squirms. He’s experiencing gravity in a new way now that he’s not suspended securely in amniotic fluid. He has to work at eating, the air he breathes is still new to his lungs, …

Forward Thinking

Before my third grandchild was born, my daughter began planning for life with two boys. She made appointments and reservations based on her new reality and no one really questioned her reasoning. Planning ahead is a good thing, but how far is too far, and is there such a thing as not far enough? You’ve …