Molly Piper

For our Fourth of July celebration, we decided to drive down to Colorado Springs to do a little mountain exploration!

Funny story: on our drive here, as soon as we crossed the Colorado border, the boys were yelling, “Look! A mountain!” from the backseat. What they really saw were some slightly rolling hills, about 20 feet high. I suppose after driving across Nebraska, anything looks like a hill.

Anyway…after consulting with some Colorado dwellers, we decided to not go to Mt. Evans on the 4th of July (our original plan), because they thought the traffic might be horrible coming back. We took their advice and did Pike’s Peak and Garden of the Gods. It was an awesome day–really hot (but it truly is a dry heat, which I didn’t used to believe in, but now I do), beautiful blue skies, and amazing rock formations! The kids all traveled really well, too, so that always helps!

I won’t even try to do justice to Garden of the Gods with the pictures I took, but will put some up later of the ones Katie (our nanny) took. (P.S.: Katie took over 500 pictures yesterday. Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!)

But here’s a funny little video of Morrow playing on the rocks. He told me last night while I was getting him ready for bed: “I’m good at climbing mountains!”

Then after our time at Garden of the Gods we had a little picnic in Manitou Springs (crazy little cute town that it is!).

Happy Fourth of July from Cay-Cay & Widget!

After our lunch we decided to do the drive up Pike’s Peak, which is over 14,000 feet! I drove the entire way up, and am happy to report that I only had to do lamaze breathing a couple times! It was pretty freaky at times, especially knowing that I had six other people (who are everything to me) in the car with me.

It was so cool to drive above the timberline. That was at about 12,000 feet. The trees just start dropping off and the ones that are trying to grow are all puny-looking, just because they don’t get the moisture and oxygen they need to grow up there. So amazing.

I was also a little obsessed with watching the temperature drop. Our rear-view mirror has the temperature gauge on it, and it was fascinating to watch the temperature go from 90+ at the bottom to about 55 at the top. Loved it!

When we got to the top, I definitely noticed a difference in the air. I even felt a little nauseated. We brought plenty of water and snacks so we were good to go after a couple minutes.

I kept proclaiming loudly, “We’re at the top of the world!”

And here’s a good one of my man with half of his brood.

So any of you experienced in Colorado, tell me: is the Pike’s Peak drive comparable to the drive up Mt. Evans? Is the Mt. Evans drive scarier? I’m just curious and trying to weigh our options for things we should or shouldn’t do during our time here, especially with kids.

So I have this one friend…no, I guess I should say we have this one friend. No, I guess I should say we have these three friends…okay, this is already confusing and you probably don’t care.

But do you have one of those friends who’s an incredible gift giver?

Our friend Roger and his daughters Eden and Sierra are insanely good gift-givers. And I hesitate to name names because I don’t want them to get all self-conscious and feel like they might not be able to maintain their level of awesomeness now that Molly’s blog readers know about it! But I do want to name names because they’re amazing. They deserve some kudos/props/w00ts/whatever-the-cool-word-is-now.

For my birthday I got this:

From top to bottom you spy with your little eye:

• Row 1: a Bedazzler. Yeah, that’s right. I now own a BEDAZZLER!!! How did that take 32 years? And yes, it’s a stud setting machine. You know you’ve always wanted one.
• Row 2: A book called “Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys,” which is a peek into the real-life stars of the 1970′s TV series. Shaun Cassidy, baby! Then there’s a box of fettuccine (I’ve heard it’s tradition to give people fettuccine for a 32nd birthday). And then the Shower Floss, a device that can be attached to your shower head for in-the-shower flossing. I mean, why didn’t this take off?
• Row 3: A mystery book about the Partridge Family. Seems to me like this was a Sweet Valley Twins predecessor or something similar. I’m looking forward to reading that one. Then there’s a little jar of Bedazzler studs for my first project. And of course, a Quaker Chewy granola bar.
• Row 4: A brand-spankin’-new Wendy’s polo shirt. I have no idea how they scored that one, but I’m forever grateful. And inside the polo shirt, they had wrapped up a book I really wanted.

True confession: I’m not a very thoughtful person. Well, maybe it’s more that I think of things I want to do, and then I’m bad at the execution. So I’m always in awe of people who are good gift-givers. I want to be like them!

Who are the good gift-givers in your life? What was a thoughtful gift you received?

And if you don’t want to answer that question, then tell me what kind of item you’d bedazzle if you had (insert Oprah announcer voice) a BEDAZZLER!!!!!!

Well, friends, today’s my birthday.

I was woken up by a sweet little two-year-old hand tapping me gently. When my eyes sluggishly opened, there was a burst of song from Abraham, Orison, and Morrow. They came bearing chocolate chip pancakes and orange juice (two of my favorite breakfast items). I was too tired to even eat them, so the boys were happy to do their part to consume them for me.

These are good memories. Sweet family, sweet gestures… but every year I think about a different birthday.

It was 2004. It was coming up on my first birthday as Mrs. Molly Piper. I was already carrying Mr. Piper’s firstborn. He asked me one day, “When’s your birthday? May 25th?”

He was totally serious.

I, of course, was just shocked that he didn’t know my birthday. What in the world could he be thinking???? So he (tried to) explain himself:

“Well, I know it’s one day different from Bob Dylan’s birthday. But I just can’t remember if it’s the day before or after.”

Ohhhhh…rrriiiiiggghhhht. Now it makes complete sense. You can remember Bob Dylan’s birthday….

I didn’t get seriously mad at him or anything. I’m sure we laughed about it then. We still laugh about it now. That’s a mistake you only make once.

So every year we celebrate my birthday and Bob Dylan’s. It just so happens that Mr. Dylan is having a milestone birthday this year. Last night we listened to a documentary about his life in Minnesota and enjoyed it so much.

Happy 70th birthday (tomorrow), Bob Dylan! I like “sharing” a birthday with you.

I just have to keep posting pictures, because I love them so much!

We lovingly call this face “Bulldog.” Whenever she does it, we get the biggest kick out of it! I was so excited to catch it on camera!

Me with my blue-eyed-boy! I don’t think I’ve told you all, but while I was in Hawaii, Whit became an all-out crawler. The kid goes everywhere! He’s unstoppable. And he has the softest, most nuzzleable (is that a word? It is now.) head ever to top a baby.

The twins will be 9 months old next week! I can hardly believe it.

Yesterday was the twins’ first Easter! It was much like any of their other days in most ways, except that they got to be held pretty much all day by visitors and friends. Pretty good gig for them.

I haven’t told you all very much about our live-in help, Miss Katie. I’m choosing to respect her privacy and our relationship by keeping most details about her out of my blog. But I will say…I love her to pieces. She’s amazing with my children. Seriously, her coming to live with us is an answer to prayers that I hadn’t even thought to pray, but God said, “Hey Molly, I think you need…” and just gave it. So great.

Well, one of the specific things I love about Katie is that she’s a photographer. And she really loves to take pictures of my kids! Double yay for us! She just got a new lens for her camera the other day, so all of us were treated to fun pictures of yesterday’s Easter festivities while she played with her new toy!

She grabbed these ones of the twins:

What I love about the second one is how it really captures who they are right now. Whit is always playing this game when he’s in his highchair, where he lays his head down just like that, and then someone (or everyone) copies him, and then he does it again. It’s so cute!

And Cadence, she pretty much always has her mouth open that wide, smiling or making these funny growling noises. And her arms are always out to the sides like that. Always.

And here’s my big boy on Easter:

And my other big boy:

A couple funny things about this one: 1. it was 60 degrees out and he needed neither the coat or the hat, but had almost no concept for a warm day. That’s the kind of spring it’s been around here. 2. He’s attempting a jail break under the front gate. And he even has a sneaky look on his face!

I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday.

This morning at church, they played a video that really inspired me. It’s gonna sound so weird when I describe it, but here goes anyway: It’s the “cast” of the original Christmas story, but followed and recorded via a social media platform like Facebook.

And when I tell you that tears streamed down my face during it, you might really think I’m crazy. But watch it and see what you think:

A few things struck me as I watched it:

• Mary’s faith and reliance on God: I think whoever made this video honored what we see of her in the Bible–her faith, her character, her resolve to do the Lord’s will. I want to be more like that.
• A love story between Joseph & Mary: When he gets the news that Mary’s pregnant and he goes to type “hurting” but then backspaces and writes “confused.” Just thinking about the humanity of their emotions in the midst of the experience of bringing the Son of God into the world made me wreck.
• Their JOY: Just like you and me, they were overjoyed and awestruck with their child. And yet there was a whole crazy dimension to their experience that you and I never will experience, knowing that they are beholding God’s Son–the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Also, I think it was especially moving to experience this video in a room with a few hundred others. There was laughter. There were tears (trust me, I looked around and I wasn’t the only one wiping my eyes). It really struck me that here were are, thousands of years later, gathered together to worship and celebrate the same thing the angels and shepherds celebrated that night…

Immanuel, God with us.

It’s still the most shocking and scandalous story ever told: God puts on human flesh and is born of a woman. (Think of how many religions would be offended by just that statement alone.)

And while some might scoff at a video like this, thinking it’s an attempt to make Jesus “relevant,” I would say that yes, Jesus is relevant. He’s the most relevant reality that’s ever been. And if people tell His story over and over in ways that’ll break into my cold, hard, media-soaked heart, then I say bring it on.

I need the Christmas message. I need Mary and her firm and child-like faith. I need Joseph, and his confusion and then his tender regard for his very pregnant wife. I need the shepherds and angels to be my examples of worship. I need Immanuel, the little baby God who turned heaven and earth upside down.

I need Christmas.

(HT: 22 Words)

For Thanksgiving we traveled Up North (in Minnesota that’s a proper name for all destinations north of the Twin Cities) for an awesome time with our dear friends, the Mathises.

Funny thing about those Mathises–we’ve known them for years and have been good friends, but last year, Megan & I were both pregnant with TWINS together! Her twin boys were born one month before ours. So on our trip, there were TONS of babies! I’m so thankful for Megan’s wonderful family, willing to have all of our craziness with them for 3 days.

I don’t have time for much more than this today, but thought I’d show you the twins on their first Thanksgiving.

Here’s Mr. Whitsun:

And Baby Cadence with her Mommy:

Finally, the double double trouble!

I know it’s late for Thanksgiving posts, but I’m on my own timetable this year! Can you believe all those babies??? Sometimes I just laugh out loud when I think about it!

Last Sunday was Orison’s 6th birthday! I decided that we’d just have one marathon day and have Orison’s birthday party on the same day as the twins’ dedication, since it was his actual birthday anyway.

We do birthdays pretty simply. I don’t kill myself over a cake. I let the kid pick what they want to eat, and so it’s usually a simple menu (this year it was mac & cheese with hot dogs in it). I don’t do favor bags. I let my mother-in-law host it at her house (!). We invite a couple families we’re close with, and that’s it. Voila! Kid birthday party!

I didn’t grow up with a birthday “party” every year. We had one every few years, and that was good! I don’t personally think that kids should get used to a huge party every year. I know it’s their special day, but making it special with family is sufficient, in my opinion.

Anyway, off that soapbox. Back to Orison.

There was the birthday plate (of course):

It’s so crazy for me to say this: “I have a SIX-year-old!” I can’t believe I’ve been a mother for six years. I can’t believe he’s so grown up.

There was the birthday song with cake and candles:

He requested chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. It was delicious (and I can say that, because my mother-in-law made it, not me)!

There were presents:

Legos from Granny & Papa (my parents in Pennsylvania)! They shipped his present in a Milk Bone dog biscuit box, and we kept teasing him that he was getting dog biscuits for his birthday. But he knew better. He kept saying, “Papa’s just trying to tease me!” He knows you well, Papa!

There were friends and cousins:

What else does a kid need? He was so happy with his birthday.

One of the most special presents came from his Grandmama, who did a special skin graft for Orison’s very well-loved “Teddy.” I think that’ll have to be a post by itself, but suffice it to say, his teddy bear has new life, thanks to the skilled hands of teddy-bear-surgeon Noel.

As I put him to bed that night, we prayed together and I got choked up as I thanked God for six years with Orison. He was laying on his top bunk and peeked his head up over the rail with tears in his eyes to give me a kiss. He told me, “I almost started crying!” and I told him, “That’s okay.”

There are some things that are good to cry about. Tears of gratitude are a welcome sight in the eyes of the Lord.

We brought in year #7 with lots and lots of joy! Happy birthday Orison! We love you more than we could ever tell you with words.

(And of course, a very special thanks to my uber-talented friend Wendy Maybury for the photos. Love you, Wendy! Thanks for loving our family well!)

I know I’m totally late to the post-Halloween internet party (you know, the one where everyone posts their pictures and talks about how cute their kids are?) But you’ll have to bear with my tardiness and stomach just one more of those posts, okay? I’m definitely on my own timetable this year!

We carved pumpkins with the boys on Saturday evening after supper. I was really surprised that Morrow was eager to reach in and grab the pumpkin guts! I was so proud of him! When Orison was his age he just screamed and cried while Abraham and I did all the scooping. But I suppose if you have an older sibling to model the task, things that are unknown aren’t quite as scary.

One of our spectators got kinda cranky during the carving, but one was hanging tough with us–Cadence!

Sunday night we took the kids trick-or-treating with some friends. You have to excuse the hat on our Superman–it’s Minnesota, and when the sun goes down at night, things get cold really quickly!

And here was our whole crew:

We had Superman, the punk rocker, a Jedi, Batgirl (her mask is in her hand), Dino, and a sweet spider.

I have sooo many memories of trick-or-treating around my neighborhood as a kid. It was so much fun! I’m glad my kids get to enjoy this weird tradition with me now!