House Camping 2021

The Irish's have been house camping for the last week along with our fellow Texans. 

Over the course of a few hours, all resources that are normally plentiful were not anymore. The winter storm limited electricity, water and halted life as we know it. 

Roads covered in snow and ice made it impossible for product to get to grocery stores. Grocery store shelves were soon completely empty. Water had to be boiled because water pumps could not function properly. Dinner was cooked by candlelight or on the grill. Families huddled in one room to keep warm. Board games were pulled out. 

House Camping.

At our camp, electricity was plentiful. Our plumbing however was a different story. The pipes lost their battle with the low temps, froze, and then one called it quits. Water began to rush inside our walls and escape onto our floor. It sounded like a waterfall. I kept thinking how happy I was that I had just swept. I just started to laugh. What else do you do? It's not everyday you go on a hunt for rogue water coming out of your baseboards and lower cabinets. Maybe I would get a bathroom remodel...

Or maybe not ... a plumber answered our call for help and two holes later the pipe was fixed. There's water damage on the ceiling so who knows...maybe there is a chance for a remodel after all. 

Still, we decided to keep the water shut off while the temps stayed in the single digits. You know, just in case other plumbing parts decided to play the break dancing game.

This meant the rest of the week we didn't do a lot of "normal" house things. Everyday things like wash dishes, wash clothes, wash faces. We had bathtubs full of water for toilet things and Travis pulled out his handy hiking equipment to create safe teeth brushing water. It was an adventure!

We've all heard the stories. Communities in a far away land that do not have access to clean running water. Drinking water always came to my mind. Now I know that it is much more than going without drinking water. I never realized how much I use water in my everyday life. 

Of course in true Irish fashion, in the middle of the crazy we made time to adventure. Those families in far away places do too. We make do with what we have. Resiliency. 

The boys got to play in real snow for the first time (that they remember anyway). They got to sled down a hill and feel snow splash on their faces. They got to build a snowman. They got creative and built an obstacle course out of furniture and mattresses. It was loud and crazy and good. 

Our neighbor shared his homemade sled with us and sprinkled extra salt on the sidewalk. Our brother brought us milk. A bowl of cereal never tasted so good. Our family and friends checked in on us. Families that were without moved in with families that had plenty. Recommendations of plumbers and preventive tips flew across the internets. 

Community living. 

In the Bible the book of Acts tells the story of the early church. The book begins with Jesus sharing the promise of the Holy Spirit with the Twelve. Jesus told them that they will be witnesses of Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Chapter 1, verse 8). To spread the Gospel was their assignment. This was no easy task. Everything familiar was left behind to complete the mission. They relied on strangers to open their homes. They shared their food. They shared their belongings. They shared their gifts of cooking, storytelling, and leading. They shared their love.

Community Living. 

What if we take all that we have lived and done this last week and take it into our tomorrow?

What if we were quick to rely on each other when life happens? Little and small. What if we carried a heart posture of community living even when the worry of warmth, clean water, and safe travels is not part of our day. When the rhythms of life (work, school, keeping little ones fed) go back to normal. 

What does it look like to carry this out?

Life will go back to normal-ish. The sun is already shining and spreading its much awaited warmth. The dogs are getting their long walks. But what if...  

Things I’ve Learned While Sheltering

• Mason can carry his imaginary storyline over multiple days
• Skipping my morning shake leads to Oreos for lunch and ice cream for dinner 
• I need more yoga pants
• There’s such a thing as too much news
• I can do hard things
• I wish I had avocado and lime trees
• My family rocks puzzle time
• Ethan has great comedic timing
• Long walks while listening to a podcast is magical
• Live music soothes my soul ... and watching Garth and Tricia on Facebook Live totally counts
• Mason is an excellent plan keeper
• PBS Kids counts as preschool 
• Teaching comes natural to Ethan
• Mac-N-Cheese is on the lunch menu three times a week ... and all of my little humans cheered
• Slowing down is hard
• Being still is harder
• Nature is not scared of COVID-19 ... Spring still arrived 

This Blanket I Carry

It's been almost two months since the day when I made the longest walk ever from my car to my grandma's front door. I got the call nobody wants to make or answer at 6 o'clock that morning. The drive to Cleburne on a rainy Sunday morning was surreal. There were moments during that drive when I wondered if this was really true. What if I got to my grandma's and nobody was there. I turned the corner and there they were. All of the cars of all of our people. I practically parked at the other end of the block. I wanted to sit on the curb and stop time. If I didn't walk through the door  and look into my Dad's face or hug my brothers then it wasn't real. It didn't happen.

I walked in to a house filled with our family. Everyone sharing the last time they hugged her and talked to her. Some asking questions. Some still in disbelief.

It took me a while to get through the house hugging everyone. Every section of the house brought on a new wave of tears.

 My yada yada aunt was at the end. She let me hug her while she spoke truth and strength into my soul. In my family's dynamic I'm one of the oldest cousins. That means I use my voice a lot. I'm one of the Bigs. I'm encouraging and strong and love big. I feel that's my job as a Big. By the time I got to her I felt anything but strong. I wanted to hide. I didn't want to be the strong one. I couldn't. My heart was broken. 

How could this be? We were just visiting the night before and giggling that she had had such great weeks recently and immediately she gets herself to Mexico. 

Almost two months later and I'm still processing. Some days the tears are far away and joy fills my heart with memories of her. Other days those memories bring on tears unexpectedly.

I'm learning that grief is completely unpredictable and wild.

Everything else in life gets better with time. The new normal sets in and all feels better again. Not grief. It covers my day with a blanket of sad. Some days that blanket brings tears and heavy sadness. Others it brings only happy memories of her. All days God comforts me with His promises that I will see her again when He returns. All days He holds my hand and lets me feel all of the "unpredictable-don't -ask-permission" feelings.

Today was a sad day.

If I'm honest, the sadness has been getting heavier and heavier over the last few weeks. I didn't want to stop and journey through it though. It's sad. Instead I would boss the tears away and reach for God's hand. Eventually the sadness gets too heavy and tears must fall.

Today the tears fell.

On that Sunday morning everyone had a "last time I saw her" story but me. It had been far too long. I missed some precious time with her. I own that. I would do it differently if I could go back. Instead I'll learn from it. Sometimes you just make the time. No matter how hard or long the drive is ... you make the time. No matter the schedules or the season of life you are in ... you make the time. God has been placing community on my heart lately. Family was one of her core values. She loved us all BIG. That's why she loved us all and met us where we were. True she would shoot you straight with some hard truths sometimes but she would also love you just as hard. And those truths were delivered from a place of love...always.

I'll always miss her. 

One day I'll be a fully invested, loving grandma like her and follow her beautiful example.

I'm so thankful God placed her in my life. I'm grateful for the way she poured into our family.

I Called Her Welita

To some she was Grandma.

To others Jefa or Jechu or Ruca or Mama.

To others Senora Torres.

To me she was Welita.

To me she was where I ran the morning I woke up to an empty house. The same morning I became a big sister.

To me she was where we gathered on Friday nights. Where we chased lightening bugs and played freeze tag.

To me she was where I spent summer days waiting for the mailman while my parents worked.

To me she was where we gathered on Christmas Eve. All us cousins eager for midnight to arrive so we could open presents.

To me she was the one that wouldn't let me drink soda because my parents didn't allow it. Instead would have Tang in the fridge and animal crackers on the counter.

To me she was the one that made the best sweet bread and the best gorditas and the best menudo. Mine with only hominy because she knew that was my favorite part.

To me she was the one that always had a garage sale treasure ready to gift.
Ethan has a stuffed Bob the Builder she gifted him a few years ago.

To me she was the one that bought me my quincenera dress.

To me she was the one that had sourced out a wedding package when she found out that Travis was being deployed.

To me she was a woman who never complained about what her life lacked or could have been but always pressed forward with joy in her heart.

To me she was the one who always had doilies on her end tables.

To me she was the one that didn't let a language barrier keep her from building friendships with every person she met.

To me she was the one that made each one of us feel like we were her very favorite. (P.S. I'm her favorite)

To me she was the one that proudly filled her walls with pictures of everyone that entered into the Torres family

To me she was a beautiful example of strength.

To me she defined courage.

To me ...

She was my Welita.

Hello Fall

It's the first day of fall and we are off to a great start. Our family's week nights can get a little crazy with after school activities for Travis and work days that end with a long commute. Sometimes the little people in this house get a little cranky from hunger pains. Then the Z monster sets in and I want to fall on the floor and throw a fit of my own. But today was different.  We chose a different lens.

There were early morning meltdowns. There were tasks that didn't get done exactly as planned. The commute was longer than expected....both ways. The meltdowns made an appearance at the mention of bedtime.

But still ... the happy lens slowed everything down.

Here's how I'm going to remember this day:

The clock was not the boss of me in the wee hours of the morning. Is that something for everyday ... no. But today - four days into a hard week - with more items on the to-do list than I would want - the answer was yes. I sent my kids off with smiles on their faces and left the "hurry up" words and impatient feelings for another day.

When I finally got to my desk I took it one task at a time. Stayed in the moment and poured my best into every word, conversation and task. Everyone had gotten to where they needed to be safely. Everyone got fed. No one was sick. Win!

I had lunch with a long time friend. It had been way too long and the conversation filled up my soul. It was exactly what I needed. I've been blessed with soul filling lunches all week. I think it's God's way of carrying me through the week. Today's lunch was perfectly timed.

At dinnertime we were all home early enough to have a home cooked meal and squeeze in some unhurried play time before meltdowns got the best of us all.

Mason's bath was short but slow. He read lots of books while I got him dressed and we had some laughs before settling down. Just the two of us. He's a boy on the go so to keep him on the changing table I give him books to look through. He sits there and tries his hardest to hold the book while on his back. At times he uses his foot to keep the book up. It's a highlight moment for me every time.

After Mason was down for the night I walked into a batman fight between Daddy and Ethan. I added music to the room and cleaned up the kitchen. By cleanup I mean tackle the important things not make it perfectly neat. Meanwhile the battle in the living room continued.

Then we all settled in for the season finale of Big Brother.

After a summer that was busy with doctor appointments and errands that can't be done during the school year and hot days and a one year old whose teeth won't let him be it was a very welcomed feeling to usher in Fall with a slow "restful" day. A day where I enjoyed all of the people God gave me.

Hello Fall! Please come in and stay a while... and please leave your slow lens behind.



Some pictures from our evening. Complete picture overload on Mason and his book but I cannot get over how much he loves his books!! It makes my bookworm heart so happy!!!!