James was released Sunday afternoon. Praise the Lord! He is on some pretty hefty steroids to keep his lungs strong, but they felt comfortable enough with his improvement to allow him to go home. They'll keep close watch on him over the next week to make sure that the pneumonia has truly retreated.

He still has quite a recovery ahead of him, but he is so glad to be back to the comfort of home. I was reminded again of how pleasant it is to come home to comfort. I noted it after the miscarriage and subsequent surgery, and I saw it again as we returned home last night. You don't really notice it until there has been a lack of it. There is no comparison between a hospital room and a pleasantly appointed bed room. I could just see James relaxing for the first time in days as he slid under the cool soft sheets, with the ceiling fan blowing a light breeze. There was our quiet green painted walls and our favorite photographs to see just across the way, and a window out to our backyard to look at. We have soft lighting on either side of the bed…no overhead. Such a contrast to the dreary beige walls, harsh lighting, and rough sheets and blankets of the hospital! I think we often mistake a magazine perfect home with a friendly, comforting home. Sometimes they are the same things- being both pretty and functional, I mean. But I think it's so important to make sure your home is comfortable over being picture perfect. So what if the couch is the latest thing in furnishings- can you sink down in it with a good book and cuddle with the kids? Is it easy to clean? Will you often find a member of the family curled up on it? It truly doesn't take a lot of money, so much as it takes a bit of forethought and consideration. And isn't it interesting how a few pieces of home can make one feel comfortable in unpleasant settings? Your own pillow, the quilt from home…a favorite picture or two? And what little touches make a sick one feel better? A glass of water, an interesting book to read (or perhaps a new coloring book for a little one who must stay abed)…they only take a few minutes, but the little touches show how much the sick one is loved and cared for.

(Although, as James laughingly pointed out to one of the nurses, it won't be very long before we will return to the hospital- just a few weeks- but thankfully, it will be for a much happier reason. Only a few weeks until Bean makes his debut. My oldest, Ben, wanted to know why we didn't bring him home from the hospital yesterday, as he associates the hospital with me and having babies. What a giggle we had over that!)

It's June! June! June!

Which means that a certain appearance by a certain wee one is coming very, very soon. Just six more weeks!

June also means love for me, for him…it's our anniversary month. Singing a love song over my Beloved…very inspired by this challenge to prayer.

We've been traveling as well- my brother graduated a week ago Saturday- we were supposed to stay here at "Grandma Camp" until the homeschooling convention at the end of this week, but a sudden medical emergency in the family led to James and I heading back home for four days. My mom graciously offered to keep the children for the time (brave soul, isn't she?) and gracious, if they didn't have a total blast! They've been all over, seen all sorts of things…and they had to tell me all of this all at once this morning. I think, in translation, I heard something about a ship museum, a firehouse, seeing a butterfly, a lighthouse, ponies, sending a code across the wire, and a sandy beach. Oh, and feathers. Quite the adventures, I tell you. Pictures coming soon, I promise.

We slipped back into Grandma's house yesterday night, after everyone had already drifted off to sleep. Come this morning, I awoke before the children did, waiting. Isaiah's blonde downy head popped up first, and he smiled shyly when he realized just who was sitting in front of him…"Mommy!" He crawled up in my lap, wrapping himself up double so that he would fit around my baby belly, curled on to my shoulder, and sighed contentedly. A few minutes later he was whispering about all the adventures he had been on, his voice getting more and more animated, and soon Lorelei's curly head appeared beside us…"Mamamamamama! " She joined in to the story telling, and Daddy was soon awake and listening too…Lorelei's sweet voice "Uv you daddy, Uv you mommy"…and then Ben awoke, his brown, brown hair peeking over the edge of the bed. "Mommy! How did you get in here! I didn't see you come in!"  Can I just say how much fun it was to suprise them? I smiled as each kiddo would look at me in suprise and then recognition, and then the big grins and smiles as they realized I was "really, real!" Those little moments- they are the best in the world, treasures of the highest measure. When I went to get David out of his crib, he looked at me, with the biggest, sleepiest smile, and said "mama!" in full recognition…I about cried. He has never said it before, and it was so sweet…'course, he's been saying 'dada' for months and months and I felt a wee bit left out. Such a gift it was!

It's the little things, the little moments, that make it all worth while. It was lovely to have such a precious reminder this morning.

(I love how Isaiah's glasses are always slipped down his nose. No matter what I do, they will not stay where they belong!)

These two. Man, are they getting big. And tall. And very boy-man like. And opinionated. And rough and tumble. And gracious, can they get muddy in a heartbeat! There's no baby to them anymore, which is just as it should be. (Though they will always be my babies. *smiles*) They are fourteen months apart. Depending on the time of year, I often get asked if they are twins. They are best buds and each other's worst enemy at the same time. The depth of their love for each other is deep, deep, deep. They will fight each other like you wouldn't believe, but woe to the person who picks on either of them- the other will come to the brother's defense in a heartbeat. Never mind that said brother was just picking on him a moment before!

I guess I am just having a mama moment. I cannot get over these two- how big they are, all the things they've learned this year, all the stuff they've accomplished. Growing in so many ways. Feeling a bit inadequate to the task of being their mama- we're moving into the elementary years now, which I have absolutely no experience with. Toddlers, now, I'm pretty familiar with that path! But elementary boys with big big questions and big big hearts? I just want to do my best and help them grow.

I'll have two pairs of "twins" with my sweet princess girl in the middle. Our ultrasound today was quite definitive…Mr. Healthy Bean was being quite photogenic. Such amazing pictures we got today! Even his little toes!

Me. Momma to four boys and my song-filled girl. Wow.