Invisible Mother

I took this from my friend Becca's blog! It is really neat.


The Invisible Mother......

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England ... Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals- we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside
of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing pieces fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college forThanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Congrats Nicely Family

I am really excited for my good friend Barb because she had her second baby really early this morning!! Muriel Lucyann Nicely was born at 2:24am! She is healthy and weighs 8lbs 5ozs and is 20.5 inches long! Congrats to the Nicely family! We cannot wait to meet her!

Riding the pony

Reese is obsessed with ponies! She loves them all! She has My Little Ponies, books on ponies, other toy ponies... you name it and she has or wants the ponies! (all this is fitting because my sister has a pony and LOVES horses too) When I was born my grandmother's brother built all the future grand kids a rocking horse. Reese LOVES this. I think that this is her new obsession. She rocked on it for a while tonight, would get off and go back to it over and over again! It is so cute so we had to take pictures to post. (she is also obsessed with princesses... i think whatever her calling in life it is going to be expensive... hehe)

Reese riding!

So much fun!

Mom... please...

Fall time

I was in charge of doing a dessert for book club last night and since it has been sooo fall like for the past week, I decided to make pumpkin pie! Turner went to the store to get the ingredients with me and then we all made them together! Here are some cute photos of the kids helping me out! It is so fun to bake with them!

Turner was the stirrer and Reese helped with the crust!

Good job Turner!

Pumpkin time

Last weekend we went with Ryan's mother to Valley View farm to get pumpkins! It was so much fun. The kids are really excited about fall and Halloween. Here are some photos from our adventure!

Turner posing by the pumpkins!

Both kids in the fun little kids maze! Reese LOVED IT! Turner thought that it was fun, but only wanted to go one time. Reese went through it like 5 times!

A big smile the whole time.

She ran out and tight back in again over and over.

Hmm... how tall are we...


The kids put there faces in all five of the cut outs. They thought this was really funny!

Reese picked out her pumpkin! And she carried it (with a little help!!).

Turner and I waiting for the wagon to put his in!

Grammy and her Reese!

Grammy and her Turner!

A fun day was had by all!

Reese time!

One of the most amazing benefits to Turner going to school is that I am able to get the one on one time I really crave with Reese. It is not that I don't love spending time with both of my kids, but I never had the extended one on one time with Reese that I was lucky enough to have had with Turner. We do a lot of fun things together and she is finally adapting to leaving Turner somewhere for a little while. We hang out with friends, go to stores, or sometimes come home and hang out together. I have noticed that she is definitely more outgoing and really excited about showing me things when she does not have to compete for my attention. It is amazing how she is becoming such a sweet and smart little girl! I am absolutely enchanted by her! One day we came home and made brownies together... here are some pics from that day!

Spoon: Check!


Stir: Check

Big Smile: Check Check!!

I LOVE HER!!!

Turner's art

I am so proud of Turner and how well he is doing at school! He is bringing home and overflow of art work everyday! He says it is one of his favorite things to do at school... hmmm, I wonder where he gets that from... hehe! I am just so proud that he is loving school and bringing home all the fun stuff to show Ryan and I! Here are a few he brought home a few weeks ago...

His first cut and paste project


It has an apple poem on the back!

He brings home a new letter every week
(I need to get more pics... we are on letter F in real time!)