Reinforcements

Things have been much better since my last post. My sweet friend Julie Sessoms came to visit this week and it was really fun. It was also a great blessing. As much as I'm not a Hillary fan (Clinton or Duff), I do agree that it takes a village. And this mama is really grateful for Julie coming this week to help out. She took Maggie to the pool for two hours one day while I stayed and slept during the babies' nap time. She made us a YUMMY dinner and held screaming babies while I held other screaming babies. She stayed with the twins so that I could take Maggie to orientation at preschool. It was a real gift.

I do think there's a reason that people used to live in community. We throw that word around these days - kind of a buzz word for the need that we have to be in relationship with other people. But it's more that a need to be in relationship; it's a need for others to be involved in your everyday life. Like someone there to hold my kids while I fix dinner, or to talk to me while I'm doing laundry. It's a need to be near people, to share the load, to walk through life with others - literally. I have experienced that community here in Jacksonville from the folks at my church and other friends who have come by for visits, have brought me dinners, have taken my four year old to the pool. I am so grateful for those friends. It's not just something that's nice to have - it's really a need. Makes me want to meet those needs for others too when I can.

It also makes me want to live down the street from family. I get slightly jealous when Jeannie (my sister with two and a half kids) goes one mile down the street to mom's house so that her kids can play on the swingset. I want to live in Asheville and visit with my mother-in-law while Maggie plays outside and we hold babies and drink wine on her back porch. I want to be in Charlottesville with Ian's step mother, watching her teach Maggie how to play in the dirt and grow amazing things in her garden. I'd love to be in Charlotte and go to my cousin's basketball games or visit Ian's aunts and family, or in Charleston and spend the afternoons with my cousin and her daughter. I'd love to just have everyone I love right at my fingertips to play with, cook with, laugh with, and share life with.

That must be what heaven's like. I guess I just long for that perfect community. My friend Jeff McSwain would say that I was born with that desire - that it is a reflection of God's character. I really am coming to see that is true.

The pictures above are from Julie's visit. She took a few pics of me with the girls, since I'm usually the one taking the pictures, rather than being in the pictures! Also, this last pic is of Maggie and Ian heading out to her first soccer practice. So sweet! Maggie is really growing up so much. She starts preschool on Monday and it's hard for me to believe that she'll be in kindergarten every day next year. Wow. She is such a joy - I really love her to pieces. (Though we have been driving each other up the wall lately - I think it's a good time for school to start!).

By the way, this morning Maggie came out of her room ready for soccer practice - in her shin guards, cleats, shorts and a long sleeved shirt. It's blazing hot here so I told her she should maybe put on a t-shirt, to which she quickly informed me that Mia Hamm wears long sleeved shirts to play soccer. How can I argue with that?