Tired

So much has happened since I posted last. I'll get to the most special parts, but not all right now. I'm trying to hit bed before 2am, which will be an hour earlier than last night. Q's wanting to sleep, but is needing turning and repositioning, really having a tough time getting comfortable.

Perhaps one of the most incredible things to take place recently was that a dear friend's husband had a pretty frightening health emergency. He's more or less out of the woods but will continue to need watching and testing for quite some time. After nearly a week in the hospital, he's glad to be home and his family is thrilled to have him. They can use continuing prayers as he heals, more tests are ordered, and he resumes his search for work.

We've seen rather a lot of car accidents lately, twisted metal and crunched up fenders and windshields. We're feeling a little twitchy about all that and it's shown up in us walking a bit more carefully around each other, taking a little extra time for hugs and backscratches. (Go squeeze someone you love right now. I'll wait here.)

G and E were baptized and Q dedicated a week ago. It was such a lovely service, with other very dear families involved, music that helped the spirit soar, and a really good and blessedly short sermon. One of the best parts of the whole thing was Q grinning "cherubically" through the pastor's words and prayer. Here are the poems read during the service (go with the "becoming" imagery in the first, and remember that it's special to us in part because all three girls have memorized it during their respective first grade years).

The Caterpillar
Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry;
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk.
May no toad spy you,
May the little birds pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.

Holy Innocents

Sleep, little Baby, sleep,
The holy Angels love thee,
And guard thy bed, and keep
A blessed watch above thee.
No spirit can come near
Nor evil beast to harm thee:
Sleep, Sweet, devoid of fear
Where nothing need alarm thee.

The Love which doth not sleep,
The eternal arms around thee:
The shepherd of the sheep
In perfect love has found thee.
Sleep through the holy night,
Christ-kept from snare and sorrow,
Until thou wake to light
And love and warmth to-morrow.

Both belong to Christina G. Rossetti.

Wishing you peace and delight this weekend. Or just lots of sleep.