Beautiful Moments

My sis-in-law, her kids, my kids, my mama-in-law, my sister and I all went adventuring to a much known, not so very little pumpkin patch on a day predetermined to be "a good day" for such things.
We:
*went through a maze in which EVERYONE got lost with the exception of my freakishly directionally able sister--who, not only found her own way out, but also returned for those of us more directionally challenged than able and lead us through. Did i mention she's 14 w/ that kind of compass?? It's just sick...sick and wrong.

*visited a little room called the "apple tasting center," where we (gasp) tasted apples. They were crunchy and delicious by the way...and I would share but technology being what it isn't, that's just not possible:)
*saw what had to be the absolute largest pumpkin ever oogled by 8 females and 1 male child at once. (all members of our adventure crew.)


*decided wrangling 5 small kids, 1 teen and 3 moms into a zone with a few hundred persons, animals, gourds and children might be better done on another day. Say, one during the week--when it might be safe to assume only a COUPLE hundred persons, animals, pumpkins and kiddos might appear scampering 'round.

*were astonished by the number of times twinkling blue eyes over a button nose can convince you to go down the slide just once more....

*found hay and wheat in places not usually reserved for hay or wheat.

*touched upon the age old knowledge, that if you stand by a humongous pumpkin looking mildly confused for long enough, a man will appear and offer to put it in the wheelbarrow for you:)

Life without the shades

Sometimes life just isn't what we expect it to be. We ask for experience in abundance, life in abundance and we receive in abundance--so much so that sometimes, just occasionally, we become like so many dirty wash rags. Too much life-ness to soak in, to soak up. We're pulled up short, wrung out, twisted dry and tossed in the laundry room for a good wash.

And so we sit in the filth and ugliness of something just too much to bear, waiting for someone to come along and throw us in the machine. Wash the day clean somebody won't you? Bleach out the memory and return things good as new. Please?

Sometimes life just doesn't happen the way we plan. We are predisposed due to ignorance, experience or any number of reasons to believe, "Surely it will be like this." ...and it isn't. We are not God; not even close. But we know the story should go this way, end this way. We yearn for- anticipate that "happily ever after," that Hollywood ending, those rose-colored glasses. Removing the rose tinted shades is a move cold as death and usually as abrupt.

But, though we are not God, we have God. He's the big kidney bean in the sky, the dude who really does know how the story ends and why. So from our vantage point among the grime, goo and other miscellaneous grossness wasting away in the laundry bin, we look up with eyes hopeful and watch a hand reach in to start us along the trek toward cleaning up, sewing the holes, stitching the buttons back in place. Hollywood ending affixed? Not so much. But understanding, grace and learning achieved? You betcha:)

Be hopeful: Genna