My brain is brimming with things I want to talk to you about. It feels like a long time, and I miss you all. I am writing today with a quick check-in before I get a move on all the laundry piles and suitcase packing and grocery shopping that need to happen in the next seven-ish hours before we head to Central Oregon for a long weekend with my Sis and her family.
This may or may not be me procrastinating.
Back at Christmas, my sister gave all the kids superhero capes decorated with stars, hearts or lightening bolts (along with stylishly coordinating masks) so they could save and dart and fly or stand confident, hands placed firmly on hips, chests pointed skyward.
This morning, my sis is packing her family of five for five — count ’em five different trips — back to back adventures of various kinds and texted me:
“Pack superhero capes. I’m putting mine on now! I’m gonna need all the help I can get!”
Lisa-Jo Baker often talks about how motherhood deserves a superhero cape, and anyone who’s ever walked the day-in day-out of parenting knows all about the extraordinary acts of courage and bravery required.
There are the marathon days, and then there are the sprints, and preparing your family to head out of town is one of those, and I’ll need an extra power boost to get us on the road.
So imagine me today in front of the washing machine, kneeling at the suitcase, flying through the grocery store with my superhero accessory firmly in place. (Not sure yet if I’ll be wearing the mask.)
Quite a visual, no?
Once away, we’ll be celebrating Miss J’s birthday, which is tomorrow. My girl will be eight. I can hardly believe! In the last few weeks, she’s begun a new work venture as a pet sitter, and I will tell you, that future veterinarian has got the touch. Animals love her, and she refills food and water bowls and plays with cats and rabbits and removes what she very professionally calls “scat” with the greatest of ease.
We are so looking forward to this weekend to be with some of our favorite people in the world, swimming and biking and eating and living up the birthdays of my unique, tender and spunky second-born girl and her adorably precious cousin, E, who just turned 7 on Tuesday.
I hope to be able to write more next week. In the meantime, know that I am thinking about you and am so thankful for you.
For all the ways you keep showing up.
For your extraordinary feats of courage.
For your everyday hanging in there.
For your messing up and getting up…
Onward and upward, heroes.
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
Dear Ashley
Oh, you must enjoy your time with your precious family!! I just love the messing up and getting up part. If people are like me, this is quite true of us all. Hope your little one has a great birthday.
Blessings and love
Mia
Oh yes, I write that line from experience. Thank you, friend. My J had a wonderful birthday weekend…we all loved it!
How fun! Enjoy every precious moment celebrating birthdays and family and love. Onward and upward indeed.
Thanks, dear Tanya!
What’s your super hero name, and what’s your super hero power?! Maybe a writing prompt for a future essay? ;o)
Oooh…super hero name and power. I’ll keep thinking about that. I bet you already have yours picked out! ;-)
Oh – and BTW – Happy B-day to J! can’t believe I have one turning 8 soon, too!
Thanks, friend. I know! Eight?!?
Have so much fun making memories with some of your favorite people, sweetie. I can totally picture you doing all kinds of amazing and ‘ordinary’ things in your superhero cape, btw ;-D I think you definitely deserve one of those! And happy birthday to your beautiful J! xoxoxo
Haha! I actually did put one on for a few minutes while I packed. :-) Thank you for your birthday wishes, friend. She had a wonderful time celebrating!
I love this idea so much Ash…I think we all (of every age and ilk) ought to have ourselves a superhero cape. I’m thinking too that maybe the badges on that cape ought to be exchangeable…some days we deserve that lightning bolt, other days a pulsing heart, other days a sword and shield. We all perform acts of courage, and sometimes outright heroism, and it seems to me that deciding today’s a good day to don our cape would be a help in lifting our hearts skyward.
Much love to you, and all of you’s! Happy Birthday dear J! You will be SUCH an amazing vet one day! Have fun all, wear your sunscreen! Laugh! xoxoxo
Mama, what a great idea. The interchangeable badges. Yes, yes…such a good plan! We did have a wonderful time and thought of you so often! xoxo
Sister fun, family fun = the BEST! Love the superhero capes. We have many around my home of 4 sons and a daughter. I never thought of putting on one myself! Maybe I will just go put one on….
Hardly a thing I love more than seeing the kids donning theirs. For mamas, too, I highly recommend it. :-) Thank you for your presence here today.
You my sweet sister are my superhero. So often, in the midst of chaos, you are calm; in the midst of dark, you are light; in the midst of defeat, you are conqueror; in the midst of self, you are selfless; in the middle of hopeless, you find Hope. You do so much, so well! Your family and mine are so very blessed by you. We love every minute of this memory making with you 5! Xoxo
Sissy, you are the best. Your words humble me to the bone. Thank you for seeing me this way — brave, courageous and precious sister of my heart. We so loved our time with you five. Love you with all my heart!
I think you’ve got the superhero thing figured out, Ashley. Better yet, the anti-hero- the woman who knows it takes Jesus to really fly and who lets Him soar through her. I love that about you. And we haven’t even met face to face. Or cape to cape :) Oh, yeah, and I LOVE the fact that your sis supplied the kids with capes :) She sounds like a keeper!
Right back atcha, sister. Oooo, I like that — the antihero who lets Jesus do the flying. :-) Would love to meet you “cape to cape,” and I’m sure you’d love my sis, too. She is most definitely a keeper! Thanks for cheering me on, Alicia.