reyes-chow :: FAITH

Surely, they do not have to grow up!

[More First Day Pics on Flickr]

With Youngest joining her sisters at school, we have officially begun the empty-nest process.  Our "baby" has begun kindergarten and there is something bittersweet about that transition that will probably take us about 13 years to get used to.  It is not that she was not ready - oh she was so so so very ready - but that we are watching our babies grow up.  Eldest began middle school - boo hoo - Middle is now in second grade - boo hoo - and Youngest refused our offer this morning to let her live with us forever and skip the entire growing up process.  Sheesh.

As we hung out in the cry room, helped welcome new families into our school community and otherwise reconnected with our other family, we know that we have stumbled upon a great blessing here in San Francisco.   This community, that we have collectively entrusted one another's children to, allows them to thrive in body, mind and soul and expand their experience of the world, humanity and from our perspective, God.

From 10,000 feet high, what an exciting time.

From the hug and kiss goodbye on the playground a she bounded into the next phase of her life, her parents are a little sad as she moves from what as been to what she is becoming.

And oh what will be.  What will be.  We can hardly wait.

PS: While we do live in The City [see why], Youngest is not flashing gang signs, those are here Spidey Web Shooter hands.

A moment to let go just a little bit more

Yesterday Eldest and I hung out a bit at the cafe before she had to go to summer camp.  As we sat there, she with her grow-up sized peppermint hot chocolate and reading the paper, I had one of those "Our baby is growing up, and I don't like it!"  moments.  It took all my will power not to tear up and break into my own rendition of Butterfly Kisses ;-)   She really is growing up into such a wonderful young lady.  As these moments are bound to happen more and more, I am reminded that God walks with us into the world with the hopes that we make faithful choices, always remember God, respond to grace with gratitude and ultimately grow into every intention that God has for us.  And as I fight the urge to freeze in time each of my baby girls, I too am reminded that we too must have the same hopes for our own children.  And in the end, we, in many ways, must learn to let them go.

And as we wallow in our own struggles to let her and her sisters grow into who God hopes them to become, I remember that in the letting go it is not about my own difficulties with watching my children grow up, but it is about how we always, always, always, must encourage them to remember who's they are over and above our own needs to keep them bound by our own expectation and hopes. 

They are God's and God will never let them go.

Thanks be to God.

My first wordle

[h/t: Robert and Chris]

This wordle thing is very cool.  Because I am feeling all "daddy" as I head home after what seems like a two-week roller coaster, I wordled my post, A Letter to My daughters.  I think folks should do this with their  PIF's - Presbyterian pastor resumes - and see what comes out of those.

Making memories

With all of the traveling, you all are going to have to get used to some blatant "I miss my babies" type notes over the next two years.  These pics are from the day we spent together painting pottery before heading out for The Church Unbound event. 

Makin' Memories.

And just so you know I am not afraid to drop the cheesy daddy song at any time.

She'll appreciate me later, right?

This past weekend I made Eldest help me repair the sink in the bathroom.  It has been a slow-drainer for a while now and finally we could no longer ignore the lagoon that was beginning to form.  Needless to say Eldest was NOT happy, but she was a trooper as I made her snake out the culprit.  I love this pic of her best, "I hate being the eldest!" look on her face.  I told her that her sisters would have their day in the fun soon enough.  Making memories I say!  If you want to see what we pulled out of the pipes [click here].  Nasty.

Three days, 20 fifth-graders and a whole buncha' nature

In about 30 minutes I head to my daughters' school and will join her fifth grade class for their annual camping trip.  Oh joy.  Three dads, three moms and two teachers will hang out with 20 kids that we have know or the past six years up at a camp ground in the woods of Northern California.  Now most of you know that I am not a big nature guy - some say I am not anti-nature, but pro-concrete - , but there was a time when camping and all that nature stuff was a bigger part of my life.  Each year our family used to take a week-long camping trip.  Now it was not sleep-in-a-snow-cave and hunt-for-your-own-food kind of camping, but it was camping nonetheless.  And while my allergies may not be looking for to the next few days and I am pretty sure there could not be a worse time for me to be totally unplugged - "NO COMPUTERS, DAD!" were her exact words - it will be fun to get away and just be Eldest's dad for a while.  She is so excited about the trip and my attendance, it just warms my heart. The funniest thing is that the three Dad's on the trip all have daughters, but we will be in charge of the boys.  Nice.

So farewell for three days.  Wish me luck ;-)

Happy birthday mom

Today is my mom, the Rev. Sarah Reyes Gibbs', birthday.  This crazy lady and I have been through a lot in our lifetime. 

In lieu of any real gifts, let me just remind you of the three grand-daughters that we have given as a life long gift to you ;-)

Love ya mom.  Have a great birthday!

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Happy Mother's Day, Mom

Not uber-big into the Hallmark Holidays, but still feel compelled acknowledge that crazy lady who raised, nurtured and loved her kids through think and thin.  Thanks mom!*

*For more about this lady they call Sarah Reyes Gibbs, feel free to visit her blog, www.reyesgibbs.com, check out her church, Bethel Community Presbyterian Church in San Leandro and or friend her on Facebook.  Yeah, she is THAT hip ;-)

Happy birthday to our junkyard piglet

How the frak* did Middle get to be seven?  We used to call her "Junkyard Piglet" because she has always been small and cute, but don't underestimate her, she is a scrappy one.

* Robin and I have been watching Season 3 of Battlestar Gallactica.  Oh how I missed you Six.

Yeah, that's why we did it

We are the parents of three wonderful girls.  We didn't have three because we were trying for a boy.  The youngest was not an "oops."  We just wanted three.  Four won't be happening, but three is good.

We certainly didn't do it for the reasons that are postulated in the Washington Post article, Three Kids, You Show-Offs, sent to me by facebook friend, Richard.

"Are people having four or five children just because they can? Because they feel that it shows their wealth and status? In a world where the young rich use their $13,000 Birkin bags as diaper bags, one has to wonder."  Molly Jong-Fast

We may be guilty of sometimes feeling superior to other people for a variety of reasons, but this ain't one of them ;-)  If anything we are going back to the old school realities that the more kids the better chance that we'll be taken care of in our old age.  We tell the girls, only one needs to make money.  No pressure, they can choose which one, but someone must support dear old mom and dad in our golden years.

It is interesting about three.  Folks just assumed that when we announces, the Little One - as she calls herself these days - was not intentional.  One of my colleague joked with me after told a group of friends, "You do know how this happens, don't you?"