I went to a funeral this morning. My uncle had been ill for quite some time and he passed away over the weekend. I didn't see him often but he figures in some of my best holiday memories as a kid. He would cook this huge Christmas breakfast and he and my Aunt would have this open house kind of morning for family and friends. He was a big, burly man with a thick bushy beard and a big laugh.

Last night I held two precious baby boys, one barely two weeks old, the other about nine weeks old. I watched the delight everyone took in these little people, listening to the birth stories and sharing the joy of new life together. At one point the two Mom's and I were in my room as they nursed their little ones and I was speechless at the beauty of seeing them bond with their sons.

Because of sin we want to go our own way, have our own way, do everything our way. There is a reason that Frank Sinatra had a chart topping hit...

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught.
To say the things he truly feels;
And not the words of one who kneels.
The record shows I took the blows
-And did it my way!

We like to think that the answer to all of our problems is found inside our self. We like to think we'll be happier to go it alone and not count on anyone. We like to deceive ourselves into thinking we're better when we're alone. But the Truth is we were made for community...for fellowship...for connection. No matter which end of the spectrum I saw in the last two days it was clear that at our core we need each other. Whether to multiply shared joy or ease the burden of grief we will at some point move toward each other.

One of the greatest lies of Satan is that we can have community without Christ. But true community is built upon the One who reconciles us to our Father. We experience true comfort, true joy when our hearts are made right and we are in community with God.

I was doing fine at the funeral until one of my aunt's made her way up the aisle to her sister. As she leaned over and wrapped her arms around her sister the grief spilled out and tears fell. One is mourning the loss of her husband and friend of forty eight years, the other also felt loss but I imagine her grief was compounded by knowing her sister hurt. My Mother walked up and added her arms and tears...and I pushed in closer to Rob, seeking his comfort to soothe my own pain at seeing their grief.

No amount of tears, no hugs can actually take the pain away. But somehow there is healing that begins when we come together...when we hurt together.

Smelling those sweet little baby heads and ohhing and ahhing over the gift God has given those young families doesn't add a day to their life. But it does add to the jubilation and praise of God's goodness.

Community...fellowship with God and His people...is a beautiful, amazing thing. But even at it's best I am reminded of I Corinthians 13:12,

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known."

The best is yet to come.

The camera had been safely put away after capturing silly moments of wet fun. I was outside fully intending to splash a little bit with the kids but I seriously underestimated my kids and their determination to soak Mom.
We have two hoses and looking Sarah dead in the eye I reached for one, my intent clear. With a steely eyed glare of her own she reached for the other hose. Without hestitation we drew on one another. Streams of water clashing together, drenching ourselves as much as each other.
Suddenly my hose stopped working! Turning around, peering through a mass of stringy wet hair, I spy Emily. Sneaky Emily with an evil satisfied smirk on her face.
"Emily!" I screamed, pleading for her to turn my hose back on.
She did not. For a little bit anyway.
Eventually an even battle resumed, if you can call even three against one. Abby is to tender hearted to aggressively go after Mom and at first the whole concept of Mom getting wet freaked Claire out.
Sarah, Emily and Sam had no problem though. Sarah would do a full on frontal attack while Emily would sneak around with loaded buckets.
"Oh, I'm just going to water some plants Mom. Not gonna splash you or anything!"
She lied. Repeatedly.
Sam was hilarious. The boy cannot lie.
"Mom, can you feel this bucket up for me?"
"I don't know, son. Are you going to throw it on me?"
"Yes!" And then he'd just grinned this wickedly, happy grin.

There are other things I want to blog about. I actually do have a recipe I tried out over the weekend for a Nutty Bar Cheesecake. And we've started a new family tradition that I really want to share with you. I've taken some fun pictures in the past week or so as well.
But for now...I'm just enjoying my family.

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family. ~Thomas Jefferson

Books, Books, Books!

We love books.
Big books.
Small books.
Grown up books.
Little people books.
Poetry books.
Biography books.
How-to books.
Mystery books.
Learn something kind of books.
Entertaining kind of books.
The Book.
And now, my friend Melynda over at Our Blessed Arrows is having a book give away...yippee! It's all a part of the Cheerios Spoonful of Stories Contest. Check it out for yourself...but if you win you have to promise to share the books!
:-)

Bits and Pieces

Sometimes life, although fine and dandy, just isn't monumentally blog worthy. However, I do have pictures to offer as proof that we are still alive and bumping around. So here's a peek into the last few days of the Hadding home. (This is our first movie/slide show...enjoy! :-)