Earning Her Keep

Rachel is learning that it is better to volunteer than to be assigned jobs. This morning she was able to enjoy the sunshine and play with the hose all because she was enthusiastic about wanting to help daddy wash his new car after a week of rain. She did a great job. She unscrewed the soap, poured the soap in the bucket, filled the bucket with water, scrubbed the car, rinsed the car, and dried the car. None of them did she do for much more than a minute or two as she was more excited about spraying passing cars with the hose. She even coped with Daddy's frustration when he snapped at her for spraying the car right after he dried off all the water spots. Daddy is going to have to get used to this black car thing.

Download

Belly Flop

Rachel likes to play this game called belly flop. She makes special requests to play this game and they are usually made of Daddy. She was very cooperative in helping Daddy try to capture the perfect picture. Although that perfect shot never came to be, there were several that were quite good. Look out Summer Olympics 2024!

Download

Song and Dance

Here's a video of the "real" Rachel Evan Hagerty. Let me warn you, it's 10 minutes long. However, I think it's worth the time. She's hysterical. And, you get to see Bruce playing the guitar and singing. I'm telling you, it's worth it. Every second. (Okay, maybe I can't be unbiased but I really do think you'll enjoy it!)

Today's Harvest

I am continually amazed at the different things dirt, water and sunshine turn into and how good they all taste. All of them except eggplant of course.

Crafty Nicole and the Measuring Stick

My wife is crafty. She has had this cool idea of making a measuring stick to mark off the height of our children and wanted a portable one in the even that we move one day. She has had this piece of wood and some wooden letters in the garage for a while with the ambition of working on it. Well since I got my new car I have put in a special request that I get my parking spot back. She, being the amazing wife that she is, got her pregnant rear in gear and started working on it. A few short days later we were hanging the thing up and marking off our heights. The thing looks awesome and Rachel loves it. Being married is the best!

Garden Update

Just thought some of you might enjoy seeing the progress of our garden. Nicole did a great job planting it. We have harvested a lot of food already. One thing I have been particularly surprised by is the zuccini. As you pick them off the plant grows taller and taller and new ones continue to grow. This is not the way I am used to seeing zuccini grow. I thought they pretty much sent out a few fruit and that was it. This one seems to keep on growing. We have had a few really good carrots and cucumbers as well. The cherry tomatoes are about to all ripen soon which means we are going to have to start giving some away. Our snow peas, snap peas and grean beans have been alot of fun too. Nicole has already frozen a bunch for the winter.

I think throwing the irrigation in the garden and putting it on the timer was a huge plus. There has been a ton of fruit. We have yet to have any of the red peppers since they are still green and Nicole is probably going to harvest her first egg plant in the next day or so. I would imagine she will sneak it in my food at some point. She would have to as I would probably not eat it other wise. Not an eggplant fan. :(

Random Thoughts

So these days I think a lot about what it means to be a mom, what my role is, what my shortcomings are, what I actually enjoy about staying at home, etc. Not that I actually have a ton of time to even have deep thoughts about any of these things.

Anyhow, I did just hear on the radio a commentary about how U.S. culture teaches children that "prosperity" is what will ultimately make them happy. It was interesting to hear thoughts/beliefs verbalized that I didn't even know I held. I think as a parent I often think about my daughter growing up educated, doing well in school/sports/music (or whatever her little heart desires), going on to college, getting a good job and/or finding success in a career, finding a wonderful husband, getting married, living a comfortable middle class life, etc. I think more than I would want to admit I believe these things will make her "happy".

And yet, my faith teaches something different. It's not the resume or checklist of "socially acceptable" achievements that will make her happy, though they may make her life easier. I believe that God calls us to be happy and content wherever we are in life. I want my daughter to find happiness whether she's a janitor or a lawyer. I want her to be happy whether she struggles financially, living paycheck to paycheck, or whether she's swimming in dollars. I want her to be able to find happiness when life deals her the hardest hand. So how do I do this?

The commentary I heard on the radio made me really think hard about what I'll truly teach my daughter, about where I'll invest my time and resources, and the importance of my role in her life. I don't want Rachel Evan to rely on "prosperity" for life's happiness. I want her to seek God's will and purpose in her life. I want her to find true joy that comes from knowing there is more to life that what we see here. I want her to find contentment in who God made her. I pray that I'll continue to search my motives when making decision for Rachel and when teaching her things about life.

Now, on a totally different note. Today Rachel Evan said to me:

R11: "Momma, are you a woman?" (She's recently started calling me Momma.)
Nicole: "Yes, Rachel. I am a woman."
R11: "Noooo! Momma, you are not a woman. You are a mommy."

I laughed when she said this to me. I laughed hard. But, I also couldn't stop thinking about it. Even my daughter knows that we (women) give up so much to be mothers.