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Ten tiny fingers, Ten tiny toes. Eyes that cross when he tries to look into mine. Cowlicks in a pattern unique to only him. A swaddled miracle– an inexplicable marvel in a world of the empirical. That a life is knit within a mother’s womb is nothing short of grace and glory. And we live in a world that extols a child as a wonder if that child is desired and yearned for, and dismissed as unsubstantial if he isn’t. I never feel the crushing pain of unwanted babies like I do when I bring one of mine home to our loving family. I’ve been overcome with a flood of emotions each of the last six times we’ve welcomed home a precious newborn, helpless, vulnerable, and eager for nurturing. I’ve stared in amazement at the tiny limbs that once kept me awake at night with its kicks and stretches…and I’ve […]
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» Continue ReadingI wish I could say that adjusting to six has been a piece of cake. It really hasn’t. Clearly, it’s easier in that we don’t pull over anxiously when a newborn wails. I don’t panic when the little man spits up, blows out, or grows baby acne. I’ve seen it all before. Nothing new here. And yet…I wake up everyday to the reality that I have six young boys to care for! Troy and I have never felt as outnumbered and overwhelmed as we do now. There is continual running in and out of the house…and constant yelling, laughing, wrestling, sword-fighting, arguing, whining, and crying. I’m sure it’s no different at your house. There is a two year old conveniently pitching a temper tantrum over the slightest thing while I nurse the baby, unable to attend to the correction and training that is needed. There’s the trying to teach three older […]
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» Continue ReadingIt’s the Mother’s Day card aisle at Target, and I’m not picking out a card; I’m watching people. I can’t help it. I’m a woman of nuances, of details, and of observing moments that may go unseen. There are women of all ages crowding this aisle as I survey the scene stealthily. I’m reading their expressions and the look in their eyes. I’m guessing at the collective thoughts in the cluttered dialogue bubbles swarming over this aisle. “Maybe not this one…it’s too sappy.” “Wish I could say this of my mom.” “This is one I wish I could receive, but I haven’t been this inspiring, this loving, this encouraging.” “How about a funny one–to keep it light.” “I’m not sure we see our relationship the same way…” “I want to honor her and tell her I love her, but my mom really wasn’t all these things to me.” “There’s so […]
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» Continue ReadingWould it surprise you to know that I never aspired to be a mother, much less a mother of six? In fact, I didn’t give much thought to the art of homemaking as a young woman, as I was more than preoccupied with my notions of ambition and education, value and worth, none of which included the regular use of a mop or the continual employment of diapers for 11 years. I still chuckle when I think about how difficult it was for Troy to get me to go and register with him for wedding gifts. Picking out china, shower curtains, pots and pans…it just wasn’t high on my priority list. Domesticity and motherhood seemed far too docile and tame for a girl who dreamed of the front lines on the mission field, or perhaps owning my own business, or delving deep into an area of study…I didn’t know, I […]
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» Continue ReadingI muttered these words under my breath all day yesterday: “Oh, if I have to clean up one more spill!” “Why doesn’t anyone ever put things back where they belong?” “Please just stop talking…” “I can’t do this.” “If only…” “I just want to get something done today.” That was the mother I was yesterday. I was tired, I was anxious, I was looking to my to-do list and not to Christ’s to-BE list. Have I forgotten everything I learned about my true identity in Christ? Have I so quickly forgotten that I do not need to have everything go my way to have peace today? That a clean home is not my shelter and orderly children don’t earn me anything that the blood of Christ hasn’t already provided for? That the thing standing in my way to happiness today is ultimately my expectations wrapped up in sinful pride. When I […]
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» Continue ReadingEven with the master bedroom now turned into an all-boys bunkroom (I promise I’ll post pictures sometime in the next year ), true camaraderie between the boys doesn’t just happen. Sure, they love each other, but friendship– loyalty, laughter, considering one another more important than yourself– that doesn’t come naturally. And, with a new baby, I sit at my spot where I nurse throughout the day and watch (and hear) all the interaction between the boys through the filter of “What kind of brotherhood is Haddon growing in to?” Not a day goes by where there isn’t fighting and bickering among them; feelings get hurt, careless words fly, and defenses are raised. So believe me– it is not bliss and kumbaya-around-the-fire everyday at the Simons’ house. But as I do believe that loving takes continual effort, it’s really no surprise to find us learning these lessons over and over again… […]
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» Continue ReadingTomorrow my Number 5 turns 2. This little one was born into an emotional and painfully stretching time in our family’s journey. But God brought him into the world with sparkly eyes– eyes that say, “Smile! You have no idea what God will do next!” He’s been a constant source of hilarity, wonder, sweetness, and reminder that God tells big stories through little moments…and little people. His oldest big brother promised piggybacks down the stairs…and he’s kept his promise. He’s got amazing examples of loyalty, sharing, gentleness, and camaraderie in his older brothers. And now, Number 5 is a big brother. He’s slowly picking up the ways of brotherhood, and my prayer is that this birthday boy will one day be among the ranks of big brothers Number 6 will look up to as well. And as these early days with a newborn prove to be exhausting, disorienting, and easily wished […]
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» Continue ReadingWith a diaper bag packed and ready to go, I started the first layer of a new painting last Monday, hoping to keep my mind off of the impending due date. We can be so anxious, waiting for what we do not know, when the Lord has us securely in his hands… My birth story is short and sweet: I had inconsistent, but uncomfortable contractions on Monday night. They stopped and I went to bed. I woke up at 3 am Tuesday morning, unable to sleep through the contactions that were building. As with the other labors, I quickly jumped in the shower and begin timing the contractions. By the time I dry off, I’m convinced it is the real thing, call Grandma and Grandpa to stay with the boys, and we head off to the hospital. There may have been some crazy driving at 3:30 am, as the labor intensified […]
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» Continue ReadingDear baby boy, It’s safe and protected where you are right now. You are rocked to sleep as I waddle up the stairs with laundry. You don’t know how tired I am…from where you are, it feels but warm and soothing. And that’s how it should be. In a few short days (or perhaps even hours!) you will enter the world in which so many friends and family have anticipated your arrival. Our arms will be welcoming and my breath will be warm on your cheeks. But darling, this world is not a soft and gentle place. Your skin will immediately know the dryness of the air…but my dear, that is just the beginning of it’s harsh influences. You will arrive in a world that is conflicted. It isn’t sure what is truly right and what is wrong. It doesn’t always know what’s worth fighting for. Nor does it understand […]
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» Continue ReadingWe are exactly 1 week away from Number 6′s due date, and there is great excitement and anticipation around here. There is so much unknown with a new little life. What journey will the Lord lead us on with this child? What joys and challenges will we uniquely face in raising this child that He has created? Sometimes motherhood is what we expected, or more…but sometimes motherhood ushers in a journey of faith that we did not intend to go through. Do you identify with this? I’m at The Better Mom today, sharing about trusting the Lord when He takes you where you never intended to go in motherhood. He is faithful, even there…where you didn’t plan to be. Join me at The Better Mom today.
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» Continue ReadingDoes this statement seem wrong to you? God is good if he causes my labor to be smooth and perhaps 15 minutes long. What about this one… God is good if we weren’t so tight financially. Or this… God is good if things were less stressful and my kids don’t get sick. These statements are clearly untrue, and yet…I betray what I believe by the conditions on my happiness. Friends, I am about a week and a half out from my due date, and unlike my first pregnancy, I KNOW what is coming…I know the pain of labor, the exhaustion of long nights of newborn + other littles, the hormone swings, the unexpected sicknesses when you have multiple kids, the delicate balance between taking it slow and keeping up with what must be done, the dependency of a newborn, and the cost of diapers. I know, and I’m tempted to […]
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» Continue ReadingI really did not expect to be celebrated for the sixth time with baby boy #6. Never did I imagine so many loving friends coming together to do so, and to do so with such flair. My sweet friend, Annalea, who way back when interviewed me online and co-hosted a Christmas blog series with me, has now entered my world of real-life friends after her family moved cross-country last summer from Illinois. It was such a delight and dream for her, along with 8 other dear friends, to host such a lovely party for me. They knew me so well…and it showed in the details. Annalea’s sharing about it over at her place today, so pop on over and take a look at this celebration for this nugget that will soon arrive, in just 2.5 weeks!
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Hello, friend...I'm Ruth. Welcome to GraceLaced, where you will find my imperfect, but grace-filled musings on the Gospel, motherhood, crafting, art, domesticity, cooking, and the often-times overlooked joys of finding grace in the everyday of life. Read my full profile here.
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