Father's Day, Penguins, Bunnies, and Splashes

Today was a really, really sweet day. I keep breathing in the peace of the goodness of it.

It's Father's Day. Andy's first. Dad's first as a Grandpa. It was really sad not to be with Andy, but Carolyn and I celebrated him today too. We looked at pictures of him, watched "The Daddy Story Video," talked about him, and prayed for him. Grandpa was celebrated too. Carolyn gave him a shirt that said, "World's Greatest Grandpa" which he promptly put on, and Carolyn wore her, "Grandpa's Little Peanut" onesie. I made Roast Beef for him (my first Roast Beef cooking experience ever and it turned out pretty darned good if I do say so myself), and he seemed to take the day to relax and just be. He said it was most memorable Father's Day ever.

Carolyn was positively irresistble today. Which was good because she was also very anti-nap. She was full of giggles and sweetness though. We watched Mary Poppins again (That was our beginning of deployment present to ourselves). Carolyn has never shown a lot of interesnt in the T.V. aside from the Daddy video when it catches her eye... But when the "Jolly Holiday" part came on and the Penguins came out and danced with Bert, she was positivley TRANSFIXED. She smiled and I was holding her so she was standing up and she bopped a little bit. She just loved it. Now I'm not going to start plopping her down in front of the T.V. on a regular basis, but it was just so cute to see. She also giggles during the, "Love to Laugh" song.

Today was also bath day. Up til today, bath's were kind of iffy for her. She would cry at first and then settle in and MIGHT enjoy herself by the end. Today, I no more than got her in her little tub and she was splashing up a storm. She got me soaked and all of the kitchen counter soaked as well. Boy did she have fun. I LOVE bath days because I get to use the lovely smelling Lavendar and Chammomile soap and lotion. She smells like heaven afterwards. I'm serious. I think I am convinced that when I get to Heaven it will smell like Carolyn after a bath and Chocolate Chip cookies.

But the best part of the day came after bath time. She got really fussy afterwards, and going outside almost always settles her down, so I grabbed a couple of books, and we went down to the pond to read. We got through one book, and she fussed a little more, so I nursed her. (I decided to try nursing outside after Anne Lamott said she did it in, Operating Instructions. It just sounded so romantic). She fell asleep and all was so peaceful... until a big black ant crawled into my sandal and bit me between my toes. I recovered though and we sat there some more. The bull frogs started to sing... Just one first--he was the concert master tuning up the orchestra. Soon a whole chorus of bull-frogs were singing to us. A few minutes later the crickets joined in too.

Carolyn finished nursing and we prayed together. We prayed for her Daddy first, and then for Mom... for our friends, and finally for ourselves. Much to my suprise I haven't cried a lot for all that is going on. But lately when I pray.... when I really get into the quiet spaces when talking to God, I do. And it's not a cry that aches. It's just an honest one. It's the result of talking to Abba in a real way about what is happening. And I feel so comforted afterward.

Funny thing about Carolyn... She is reteaching me all of these things of the spirit that I was afraid I'd unlearned. I find myself able to worship again, for the first time in years--even in song. I don't get tripped up in 'how to do it' or feel awkward about it... It just naturally flows out of me as I sing. It's the same thing with prayer. This little three month old baby is tutoring me in the spiritual disciplines. What a wonder!

So today was a sweet day of breathing in peacefulness. I love oasis days like today.