Amish Cook-Frosted Lemonade Smoothie

BY GLORIA YODER

A change of seasons once more... my five "babies" are all in school!

I'm still working to wrap my brain around the reality that Julia and I now have five days a week from 8:30 to 3:00 to be together in a quiet house. Wow, it's just unreal. Not long ago I snuggled up with my firstborn, and now I'm relishing the reality of her teen years. I'm savoring every bit of it — in fact, every day is a gift I have done nothing to deserve. I tell the Lord that this fall and winter really are His. He knows what is best for each day and how it can be used for His glory, in ways I am not able to plan out on my own.

We chat, we work, we pray, and then sometimes we go away together. Yesterday she got this grin on her face and sheepishly said, "We could go to the store and have a sandwich for lunch." It was a plan. Walking up and down the aisles of the little country store has a meaning all its own when you know there's no one at home waiting for you or who has gotten into a spat while you were gone. Not only that — at 14 years old, (matter of fact, 15 by Sept 11) Julia is no longer begging for every other pretty item she sees! What parent likes to say no to their child, yet how important is it for each child to take a "no" in a graceful manner?!

As you can hear, I have been recalculating life and perspectives. I've been asking God to make the most of this season with my five youngest at school. It's like I pray for them many times throughout the day, yet I don't worry about them. School has been amazing for them so far. We are delighted to have a teacher from Ohio who is willing to come and teach the upper grades this year, and faithful Mary Plank, who has taught school for years, is teaching the lower grades again.

While they are at school, a friend asks, "So what are you doing today, Gloria?"

Hmm, thanks for asking... My goal is not to cram all the work I could now that I have these undisturbed hours on my hands. In the morning, after everyone is double-checked for clean teeth and faces and good-byes are said, Julia and I finish cleaning up in the kitchen and hang up the laundry. In the meantime, I make phone calls and catch up on little odd things around the house.

By 10:00, Julia and I aim to be ready to dig into some sort of project — organizing a closet, making lists for our work bee in a couple of weeks (more on that later!), or doing other projects where we can work shoulder to shoulder. This is a slot where I prioritize time with her and am not likely to take phone calls. It was an amazing time together.

At 12:00 we eat lunch. Now that is a highlight in its own right. We end up reclining on the couches, eating without worrying over manners and ideals and all the other things that go with mothering a table full of youngsters. How can so much love and so much energy go into young ones?

After lunch is perfectly amazing. I kick back and rest. Yep, it's true. It doesn't look the same every day — sometimes it is a nap, at other times it's dreaming of writing a book, or digging through columns from 10 years ago and reminiscing over those days. When I go back down memory lane with old columns, I find myself laughing out loud, then shaking my head, thankful for a period of more rest in my life during the day. I loved life back then, but it was not easy — life consisted of living in the moment, caring for babies and emotional needs, and trying to squeeze in sleep wherever it could be found. As a girl I dreamed of working in an orphanage; yes, it came closer to that in my own home than I ever thought it would. It's okay — today I praise God for being the Healer and leading us where He would have us go.

He certainly does not call the qualified but gives grace to the called.

An amazing dimension is being added to my life as I learn and grow bit by bit in understanding more of how our nervous system affects our entire lives. Whether we have faced fiery times in losses, physical struggles, or difficulties in relationships, we are affected by these things. The good part is that it won't need to define us long term. For me it is a journey of stretching and growing a little at a time, rather than a destination of having it all together. I love learning and am excited to see where it will take me into healing in deeper ways and not being bound to trauma from the past. There are many protocols out there; the CEDAR Resilience Course is the one I have been working with. They have an easy-to-follow workbook and offer coaching. The tidbit I'm taking with me this week is to work toward remaining at rest even as I go about my work and carry out the zillion responsibilities dished out to me.

Julia suggested I share a refreshing smoothie recipe with you this week. She had these at the Zehrs and came home, bragging to me about them!