September 06, 2011

joy in the sorrow

September 06, 2011/ molly balint

Last May, I shared about the passing of my friend and neighbor, Sarah.

But one thing I didn't tell you in that story was my last "conversation" with Sarah before she died.

Just days before, she sent me several messages through twitter (of all places) curious to know if we had any interest in her pony, Ariel.

If you've been reading this blog long enough, you'll know that my daughter Emma is a horse girl. From her depths, the girl loves horses. Childhood "passions" come and go, but Emma's love of horses has only grown deeper roots in her little heart.

She has been riding and taking lessons since we moved back to Maryland. I watch this video of her, four years ago and I am reminded that she has been waiting for "a pony of her own" for quite a long time.

But a pony is no small commitment. If I had a dollar for every time I answered the question, "When do you think I'll be ready for a pony of my own?", I'd have enough dollars for seven ponies by now. Aside from being old enough for a pony, or having enough know-how, the big, glaring issue was right outside my kitchen window.

A farm with no fencing.

You can ask any of my close friends to know that I've been trying to figure out ways to get this little farm of ours started, to find the money in our squeezed-tight budget for fencing. (It is SO expensive!) Should I do something on kickstarter? Should I get a job? Should I make stuff and sell it on etsy?

Meanwhile, I'm telling my anxious daughter that some day the time will be right. Pray, I say. God knows your heart. And He already knows the perfect pony for you. And He knows when the time will be right.

I often needed to remind myself of the same things.

When Sarah sent me those series of messages, asking if we were interested, something jumped in my heart.

Little did she know, that many of our errands brought us driving right past her house. That Emma would often get quiet in the back seat, hiding her tears--not just for a pony, but for Ariel. "She's the perfect pony for me. I don't think they have anyone riding her right now. Do you think they'd ever sell her?" And I'd give her my same words of wisdom, which by now she could probably recite to me by heart. Pray. Wait. When the time is right....

That morning, when Sarah asked me, I immediately got on the phone with Dan. Teary, nervous. I had no idea that Sarah was just days from the end of her fight, but I knew this was one of those things she needed to settle.

Dan simply said, "Tell her yes. We'll just have to figure the rest out."

We didn't tell Emma anything. The heartbreak if anything fell through would have been horrible.

The man who owns the barn where Emma has been riding for the last several years said to bring Ariel there. She could stay until we were ready. For free. A gift.

But for a handful, Emma spent every morning this summer at the barn--taking care of Ariel, learning from the wonderful people who work and board their horses there, from my stepmother, who has taught her everything she knows.

Eventually, with all this planning and fussing, she began to put the pieces together.

"Is Ariel going to be mine?"

Finally, last week, in the middle of the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Ariel arrived home.

By perfect timing (and God'd faithfulness to Emma's prayers, I believe) we found the funds for fencing. While we were in Virginia, a team of Amishmen descended on our farm and installed it.

Everything has come together. The timing is finally right.

And there, in the midst of the sorrow of losing Sarah, is the big, bright glow of joy. She's sitting bareback on a pony grazing in my back yard.

July 18, 2011

country wedding on the farm

July 18, 2011/ molly balint

I'm not even sure where to begin with sharing some photos from my cousin's wedding last weekend. I was a bridesmaid and Emma, Mary and Elizabeth were flower girls. The wedding was held on my grandparents' farm just around the corner from us.

(the girls + their boots. thanks to my cousin megan !)

My dad is the oldest of 15 children, so just our family alone makes for a pretty big wedding.

M + C wedding at the farm

Over that past week, as family slowly arrived and the house filled up again with activity and life, I did my best to soak up every moment.

M + C wedding at the farm

This wedding was truly a family affair. From the fluffing and hanging of tissue-paper flowers, to the mowing and weed-eating and de-wasping of the lawns, to the weeding of gardens, the folding of name cards...every visit to my grandparents' farm during the week leading up to the wedding meant people scattered about doing their part to make this wedding an amazing, beautiful, thoughtful event.

My photos don't even come close to capturing the day. I felt like I was in a bit of a daze of family and celebration and baby-wrangling, and prying my children from the dance floor to be sure they were eating something. So I look forward to eventually sending you all to the photographer's photos once he posts some. (He was amazing, by the way--and I'm not just saying that because he and my husband hit it off right away.)

Maggie cross-stitched all the table numbers. The tables were simply covered with brown burlap, blue Ball jars and a mix of flowers.

My aunt created coloring books for the kids' table with images that were meaningful to our family and the farm.

Not that I am shocked by this, but my children hardly left the dance floor. Elizabeth in particular has some moves that must come from her father's gene pool.

All local produce, greens, chicken and beef from my family's farm. Served on the back of a hay wagon.

Maggie freezer-paper stencilled Birdy and Sam onesies for the wedding. Birdy also loved the dance floor, but apparently for very different reasons....

We won't discuss the fact that Birdy managed to crawl under the DJs table and start fiddling with his cords. Thankfully, no damage was done, just a small heartattack for her mother....Birdy is going through the "if you don't want me to touch it, I'm gonna find it" stage. It's loads of fun.

And as the sun went down it became even more beautiful. The day, the weather, could not have been more perfect.

Luminaires all along the fence posts and lining the lane....

(and see that tiny little doorway in the background, at the top of the stairs?? That is where we lived when we first moved to Maryland with all three of our children. Some of my favorite days and best memories, even though it was a wee bit crowded. :)

Though Birdy checked out early, can you believe I let my children stay on the dance floor until the bitter end---10:45! Yikes. But these kinds of days don't come along very often. It was so worth it.

And then, there's the day after....the gathering in the "parking lot", as we call it. The sitting around, playing guitars, harmonica, singing, the babies crawling around, dodging scooters and bikes. I love the lazy day after the wedding.

And that evening, in pure Maryland style, crabs in the patio.

Definitely summer's highlight. Definitely.

January 31, 2011

that's SO last year

January 31, 2011/ molly balint

First of all, thank you, for all the comments and encouragement and commiseration and "I'm in the midst of it too" on my last post. I seriously still intend to sit down and reply to many of your comments. It has just been hard to find a chunk of time on the computer, or I should rephrase that-- a chunk of "productive" time on the computer. But seriously. Thank you.

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Every year just before the holidays, I tell myself that this is going to be the year that I get my act together and mail out a Christmas card. And every year, I'm determined to not go the route of pre-designed, purchased photocards. I vow that I'll design my own unique, creative version.

That vow hasn't gotten me very far. It has been more than SIX YEARS I'm guessing since I sent out a Christmas card. And even then, it might have been a baby announcement, not a true holiday greeting.

But this year, I came to my senses and ordered our Christmas card from tinyprints. Hello? Why had I not been doing this earlier?

But....I was still determined to add our own "flair" to the whole thing so at the very last minute I whipped up a little "best of 2010" to throw in with the card.

I have to say, I kind of love it. It was so fun making every one come up with their list. Emma had hers finished in five minutes. Dan and I agonized over ours.

And let me just say, apparently, I don't watch a lot of movies. Coming up with a best movie title for 2010 was painful. I know I saw some good movies. I'm sure I did. But in the end, 3:10 to Yuma was the best I could come up with. I remember it having a really good story line. And Russell Crowe. That makes a good movie, right?

Anyway, I've been meaning to share our card with all of you. Since I couldn't possibly afford the postage for a card for each of you. :)

Next year, we plan to add another category for the girls. But I think I'll keep that one under my hat until the end of 2011.