Live Blogging it, Instant Pot Version

4:30  Decide we will have dinner in the brand new Instant Pot (which I purchased for a fabulous low price at Kohl's of course).
4:31  Commence reading all the directions.
4:32  Feel terrified that the house will blow up due to exploding pot pressure
4:40  Feel vaguely competent and begin looking for a recipe.
4:42  Gather ingredients for mexican chicken recipe.
4:46  With great trepidation, begin the Instant Pot cycle and pray we live to see tomorrow.
4:46:05  Adjust cycles several times, re-reading non-user-freindly directions and searching fruitlessly for an apparently misnamed function.
4:50  Watch the steam valve spew steam, and remind all the children to give the Instant Pot a wide berth at all times, lest death occur.
4:55  Approach the Instant Pot, being certain the valve is in its low, resting position.
4:56  After removing the lid, attempt to shred meat and find it is done, but not at shreddable done-ness.
4:56:05 Feel frustrated.
4:57  Add two more minutes to timer and hope for the best.
5:01  Attempt to speed along the valve-dropping process, touch the valve (as the directions say can be done), and jump backward a mile when steam wails out of the valve.
5:02  Take deep breaths and remind myself that I am in charge of the Instant Pot.
5:03  Pour myself a glass of wine.
5:04  Attempt to remove the lid and find that it is stuck.
5:05  Listen to ridicule from my eldest son. Stick my tongue out at him.
5:06  Re-read the directions AGAIN to see what is wrong.
5:07  With great fear and trembling, mess with the valve thingy and let out the rest of the steam.
5:08  Finally open the lid and give great thanks that the meat is shreddable now.
5:09  Shred meat in kitchenaid mixer (one of its amazing uses!).
5:10  Serve dinner to family.
5:11  Call the Instant Pot a qualified success.

Stack 'Em Up!

Two months.  That's how long it has been since my eldest girl left for college.  Two months of getting adjusted to life around here without her.  Two months of her getting adjusted to her new life.  I've missed her terribly, but I've also been surprised that I've been doing all right in her absence.  I'm so proud of her. . .she's working hard - at her job, her studies, her extra curriculars, making friends, and keeping her faith nurtured while away from home.

And like I said, we are finding our way as a household of six.  Getting out six plates instead of seven. . .me and the kids being able to fit into our teenager five-seater instead of needing an SUV. . .moving  two of the kids into new bedrooms and reorganizing. . .'circling up' to say our morning prayer with six instead of seven. . .the list goes on.

BUT - this weekend, we got a brief few days to be all together again.  My girl had a long weekend and came home, and it was glorious.  She helped out in my classroom, she hugged and loved and played with her siblings, we baked cookies and bread and made chili (until the power went out - for 24+ hours 😐 ).  We watched movies and cuddled on the couch, she flopped on my bed like old times and talked to me at bedtime, and we laughed and laughed and laughed.  It was good for my soul.  Saying goodbye today (while not as hard as two months ago) evoked a few tears from both of us.  Having everyone home just feels right.

And I remembered what I blogged about a year ago (you can read that blog post here). When my kids started driving, I had them enable the Find My Friends app on their iPhones, allowing me to see their location.  I only look at it if I have a concern about someone's late night drive or arrival time, but it's very comforting to have when someone is running late etc.  And as I blogged about last year, when everyone is home, the little circles with everyone's pictures on them are stacked up neatly together, right on our house.  Oh - how I love seeing them all here!

I know my kids leaving the nest is exactly what they should be doing; it is what we have been preparing them for.  We want them to spread their wings and fly.  But I cannot tell a lie.  When all the circles are stacked up at our house on my little iPhone map, my heart soars.

When all of us are home together, all is right with the world. 💗

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Last night, on the drive home from a lovely wedding, my husband said this to me:

"I was looking at you tonight, and you looked so beautiful".

I told him thank you and pondered his words.  I was so appreciative to hear them: I never take for granted those kinds of affirmations.  I try always to take those declarations to heart  -- not because my husband doesn't say them often enough, but because I know that with each compliment, he is showing his love for me.  

Last night in particular I was thinking about beauty.  I am not beautiful by worldly standards, but my husband thinks I am.  And why is that?

I thought about it as we drove home, and realized I could apply the same thought to how I see my husband. Objectively, he is a handsome man (I know I can't exactly be objective, but I KNOW this to be an objective truth! :).  Yet as I was thinking about his face, I realized how beautiful it is to me.  You might look at him and notice he is good-looking, but I get to see so much more.  I see his lovely features and easy smile but I also see our shared history:  I see our children, our years together, all our moments - both the good and the bad.  In his beautiful face I see our commitment to each other, the marriage that sustains our love.  I see him as the selfless father he is, giving and giving to our family, no matter his exhaustion level.  I see in his face his deep desire to lead the people of his flock to Christ, and his commitment to truth.  I see his integrity, his honesty and his wisdom.  I also see his weaknesses and areas of struggle, and I love him all the more for them.   

Through the window of his face and physical body, I see who he is.  And many of his close friends could say the same of him to some degree.  But I am grateful and blessed to see more.  To look into his face and see things that no one else is able to see.  God gifted me this man, and through him I am able to see true beauty. Through him and our marriage, I am able to see a little glimpse into heaven.  

And it's beautiful.

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

Song of Solomon 4:7