Sisters Chat about 4-H

Maude: This week I thought we would talk about 4-H. I am not sure if you all heard about the announcement from the Dept. of Labor who is revamping child labor laws but they made it illegal for kids to work on anything but family farms (most family farms are legal entities and therefore would not be considered "family"). In addition there was language that would make 4-H and FFA illegal.This has been rescinded because there was such a big stink.
But it got me thinking about 4-H.
Esther: That's crazy and dumb!
Maude: I know, it is ridiculous!!!
Esther: like we need kids to be learning less. 4-H and helping on farms is such a great way to learn.
Maude: And it teaches them hard work. Plus there is something of a catastrophe looming for farms because around 80% of small farmers are set to retire in the next 10 years and there is no one to replace them.
Lizzi: Wow. That is certainly a catastrophe!
Maude: All the big farms will continue but small farms are the backbone of this country. Imagine the countryside without small farms!!
Yuck!
To those reading this who aren't familiar - What is 4-H?
Lizzi: I don't remember what the 4 h's stand for! Isn't that terrible?
Maude: head, heart, hands and health
Not sure why I remember that...
Lizzi: I was close! I was going to say head, heart, health and home. Close, but no cigar!
Maude: haha, Liz!
Esther: 4-H is an opportunity for young people to learn how to work, farm, build, sew, cook, and lead.

Remembering Mother's Day

Lizzi: We just celebrated Mother's Day this past Sunday.
How many years have you celebrated it, as a mother?

Maude: 4 years

Esther:  2 or 3.  Three years if you count being pregnant.

Lizzi: And mine is 3!

Maude: I didn't do anything when I was pregnant - I figured I would celebrate as my last Mother's Day not being a mother instead! Because I will never not be a mother again!

Lizzi: That's a good idea!

Esther:  Haha! So true!

Maude: I like to celebrate all sorts of things! Anything I can, really!

Lizzi: I have recently heard friends say that what they'd like for Mother's Day is to have hubby take the kids and get to spend the day alone. (Relaxing with a book, maybe a day at the spa, etc)
Do you agree? What is your idea of a great Mother's Day gift?

But a Breath

While I draw this fleeting breath, when my eyes shall close in death

When I rise to worlds unknown, and behold Thee on Thy throne

Rock of Ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee
(Rock of Ages, Augustus Toplady, Thomas Hastings)

Fleeting breath. How often do I think in those terms? Sure, I know each day is numbered, each moment precious, each breath fleeting, but it is not often foremost in my thoughts, causing my words and actions to line up accordingly. I don't know how long I will be on this earth, and yet I don't always appreciate the here-and-now. I don't consistently live with the urgency that I ought. An urgent, heavenward view should be my focus.

News of an unexpected death has the incomparable ability to shake a person into eternal thinking.

Question and Answer Time with Mom

Maude: What is your favorite thing to grow in the garden?

Mom: Why flowers, of course! Sunflowers and zinnias are my very favorites! They don't count, actually, because they are just for fun. Thank you, God, for their beauty. They cheer the heart! I also love tomatoes because I love to eat them! Sun-ripened, fresh from the garden- yum! Also because they are easily canned or frozen, and can be enjoyed in so many recipes.

Maude: That's funny.  I hadn't really even thought of flowers for my garden.  We do have Nasturtiums but that is mostly because their leaves are edible greens for salads.  I mostly think of the garden as functional, not as much pretty.  I am excited about my tomato plants though!  Did I tell you that we started them from seed?  We've not put them into the ground outside yet but we will be in the next couple of weeks.  My husband's never a tomato fresh from the garden so he's excited about that.  I told him about your tomato sandwich.  I always think of you with tomatoes, Mom.

Esther: I planted flowers in my garden this year because I loved how you always did Mama.

Maude: What has been your favorite thing about motherhood?

Mom: My kids! :) By the time I have gotten to the "red hat" age group it's hard to remember anything I didn't like. After the 1st couple babies I even relished the time alone at night with my little one- well, most of the time. I remember being pretty tired with the buddy boys, #9 and #10. My favorite thing? Maybe cuddling in bed. After awhile it got pretty crowded. My favorite thing? I loved loading up the big monster van, Nessie, with all the family and heading off to church. It was not easy but very rewarding. My favorite thing? Sitting around our Dining Room table praying together and singing hymns. What a privilege to worship together as part of education. (As a new believer in my 30's I took seriously Deuteronomy 6:4-9, desiring that my children would love and serve the Lord all of their days.)

Esther: Fun memories Mama!

Maude:  That's a lot of favorites!  Is that allowed?!  Haha!  One can definitely tell you love being a mom.

Lizzi: Those are great memories, Mom! And what an encouragement to those of us "in the trenches" that you mostly just remember the good stuff! :)

Lizzi: What advice would you give a new parent, or parent of young children?

Creativity at Work

My mother always brings out the creative spirit in me. Actually, she is just fun and creative herself, and I trail behind, enjoying her ideas and the end result they display. The first day she was here, she pulled out a goody bag filled with beads, stickers, pipe cleaners, foam shapes, balloons, and more.

Egg Mobile

Memory Monday: Coloring Easter Eggs

Today, we colored Easter eggs. Gramma is still here, so she made the food coloring/vinegar dye and we set to work. It was my first year to attempt coloring eggs with my son. (We did it during naptime for my 14-month old.) He turned three recently, and so it seemed a good year to begin this tradition. In years past I knew I would be the only participant, so I had no desire to begin until he could fully enjoy it himself.

A Special Visit

Right now at my house, Gramma is visiting. We have had a wonderful time and my boys have eaten up each moment they have gotten to spend with her. I have also enjoyed the continual conversation we've filled the days with. Our thoughts may be interrupted constantly by, "Excuse me, Gramma..." or, "Ahhhhh!!" (a blood-curdling scream) but somehow we have managed to piece together where we left off and even continue on into hours and days of contented chatting.

Tomorrow is my (our) Mama's birthday!

My Mama and I

Tomorrow is my Mother's birthday.  I am thankful for her in so many ways.  Some of you may not know my Mother. Let me tell you a little bit about her:

• She gave birth to ten children and loves every single one of her children.
• When I think of my Mom I think of sacrifice. How much my Mother sacrificed for her children over the years. 
• Mom is compassionate, always reaching out to help and serve.  

Memory Monday: A visit to Las Cruces

4 month old Judebug

Almost a year ago today this was my baby. We were in Las Cruces, New Mexico we spent the morning at the Farmers Market then went to a fun Hawaiian restaurant.  We were staying in El Paso, Texas at the time preparing for Andrew's deployment in early March.  Las Cruces is only about a 40 minute drive from El Paso and worth every moment.  It is a great place to visit! Full of good food, sunshine, and those perfect "nook-like" stores I love. But, most importantly Las Cruces has trees! Smallish, kind of strange looking, but trees nonetheless.  After being in El Paso for three months there was nothing I missed more (there is not a whole of trees to be found in El Paso or green for that matter) going to Las Cruces was a nice change of scene. 

Table Talk

Growing up in the O'Brien House, Mom cooked everything from scratch.  She is a great cook and many of my memories are centered around a fantastic meal with everyone crowded around our big table, laughing and talking until long past the meal was over.


My favorite meal was always the beef roast, cooked slowly with potatoes, carrots, and onions and served with Mom's fantastic gravy.  We had that meal most Sundays growing up and it never got old.

Maude's Wedding Story

Most weddings have a funny story.  Mine was NOT funny at the time!!

To understand mine you must know that my husband's family wasn't exactly thrilled about our marriage...

On the morning of my wedding I was 100% sure that my husband was the only man for me and I knew my husband was just as sure about me.

My Wedding Day

Some people hear about my wedding and think it sounds strange, I think it sounds lovely.  I was barefoot, we were in the woods surrounded by trees, and only 27 people attended. To me, that sounds absolutely perfect.     I think it is interesting how weddings portray the individuals preferences and let you see some unique aspects of the couples relationship.  I think that is definitely true of our wedding.  I always knew I wanted a simple wedding, I wanted a low-stress wedding, I wanted an outside wedding preferably in my Mother's woods (which was exactly where it took place),  I truly got the wedding of my dreams.  

The Day of my Dreams

I was never a little girl that daydreamed about her wedding day, or knew how and what I wanted long before the day actually arrived. And I've never been a perfectionist or an organizer, so I probably should've consulted a professional wedding planner after the engagement, right? Maybe, but I didn't. I was blessed to have the enormous help of family and friends to make our wedding day beautiful. It was truly a group effort, and that effort showered us with love as others served, decorated, and sweated on our behalf. In fact, I'm thankful I wasn't as focused on making the day "perfect" because I think if I had been, I might've missed out on the real purpose and joy of my wedding.

True, if we had worried more about the little things my soon-to-be husband wouldn't have had to teach our sweet volunteer how to use the sound machine right before the prelude music began. (We had forgotten to secure someone to run sound, and so the poor man was willing to be "trained" last minute! Oops!) I guess I did slip a little into the non-planning extreme, but it's also true that no matter how hard I would've slaved toward a perfect day, bloopers will still happen. How else does AFV get such hilarious wedding footage for every episode?

Funny Wedding Stories

This weekend the O'Brien family has been focused on weddings as the youngest O'Brien got married on Saturday (only one more to go!).  Over the years and the nine weddings we've had we've accumulated some wedding stories which we will be sharing this week on our blog posts. 

Nearly every wedding has some bloopers but I think my oldest brother's wedding takes the cake (literally!). 

First, while his lovely bride was walking down the aisle her long train caught on the poles that were holding burning candles and knocked it over.  It would have fallen on her beautiful dress if the man sitting at the end of the pew hadn't caught the candle and saved the day!  A flaming bride - almost!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

I know where all my snow went... to Rome - and I want it back!!!

I love snow and cold weather.  I truly do.  And living in Virginia is killing me!  I remember past years of fun in the snow and I am becoming a bit cranky and feeling sorry for myself with my warm and dry winter.

A snowy view from my mom's porch.

Country snows are so quiet and peaceful.  It makes everything pristine postcard perfect.

Memory Monday - Spending Time with Japanese Friends

I went to school at a university that was partnered with a school in Japan which made that tiny West Virginian school one of the most international experiences you can have in the country and certainly in the state.   The student population was 40% American, 40% Japanese and 20% students from other countries.   On top of that there were only 600 students so it was impossible not to interact and become friends with international students unlike larger schools.

I studied Japanese and loved so many of the people I met.  My roommate, Masako, and my good friend, Takumi, were two of my very favourite people and I invited them home to experience a traditional American Thanksgiving.

We took Masako and Takumi to see a nice old house in the area.  I am the 3rd from the left and Esther is the little girl in red beside me!  Lizzi is 4th from the right.  Masako is beside me and Takumi is 2nd from the right and everyone else is one of my siblings.

Secret someone(s)

Today is February first! And not only is this wonderful because a very special person was born the 25th of February (*cough*cough ME!)  I now only have 24 days till my birthday! I am a big fan of birthdays... especially my own.  The other reason  February is special is because of this little holiday that happens on the 14th, we call it Valentines Day.  In our family (the O'Brien clan that is) we started celebrating Valentines Day long before the 14th. It all started this day, the first of February.  Mother started something called "secret someone". To be completely honest I don't really remember how it all came about* (I am one of the babies you know; sometimes that means I don't know how some of the family traditions started I just know that we do them!) Are you curious about this  "secret someone" tradition? Well, let me tell you all about it. (If you are not curious you can stop reading for that is all I am going to be talking about. Just thought I'd let you know!)

Are All the Children In?

Our Mom loves poems and she would often quote this poem when we were growing up. She especially used the title line when we were driving off somewhere in our big 15-passenger van. She had to make sure we were all accounted for! :) It was so special for me to find this poem and made me reminiscent for those days in the "old house on the hill." Also, as a mother now, I can certainly relate to a mom's yearning for her children's presence, and most of all yearning for their hearts to be at home with the Father.


Are All The Children In?
By Florence Jones Hadley

I think oft-times, as the night draws nigh,
Of an old house on the hill,
Of a yard all wide and blossom-starred,
Where the children played at will.
And when the night at last came down,
Hushing the merry din,
Mother would look around and ask,"
Are all the children in?"

The years have come and gone since then,
And the old house on the hill
No longer echoes to childish shout,
And the spacious yard is still.
But I see it all, as the shadows creep
Where old memories merge and blend,
And I seem to hear her ask again,
"Are all the children in?"

I wonder if when the nightshades fall
On the last short earthly day,
When we say good-bye to the world outside
All tired with our childish play,
When we reach the shore of that other land
Where the folks so long have been;
Will mother ask, as she did of old,
"Are all the children in?"

A year in the life of an Esther

Here is a snippet of what was going down in the year 2011 for me and my little family:

Jan/Feb 2011

• Jude began to sit up and roll from belly to back. He started giving lots of smiles.
• We packed up our little Camry and drove the 24 hrs. to get there.
• We stay in El Paso for 3 months and meet a lot of friends.
• I lived out of one room and a crock pot (learned a lot about how little I can truly live on)
• I turned 22
• It snowed in El Paso! (crazy weird)

Fun facts about the O'Brien clan

 

• We grew up in a large old farm house.
• There are 10 children in our family; six girls, four boys.
• 8 out of us 10 children were home schooled  at some point in our education
• Most of us children would consider ourselves "night owls" and often feel more productive in the late night hours than in the early hours of the morning.
• Almost all of us kids can hold a tune fairly well but only one of us plays an instrument. (Not including in-laws in that)
• Some of us have difficulty whistling.
• None of us has a tattoo (that I know of, that is...)
• We all love food and dessert! 
• We all have a strange desire to mix our cake and ice cream till it turns into mush. (Thanks Dad for that!)
• I think all of us would say we love rain and snow (commonly hated by the large population)