The Macs » Blog

he makes me glad to be home

Girls weekend was great, but I can’t tell you how good it was to come home. I remember the times Joel and I went out of town after Cora died. I longed to know how Cora was doing. I wished I could just pick up the phone and check on her. I wished that we could swing by our parents house on the way home to pick up our smiling baby girl. Instead, I remember coming home and walking back into our quiet house wishing I didn’t have to face the reality of her still not being there. Oh man, those were hard days.
I am so thankful for what my reality looks like today. So thankful. Now my reality is coming home to two silly, loud, dirty boys. My reality is very busy days that often end with a tired mama. I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to walk off that plane on Sunday and be greeted by a grinning two year old running into my arms…and a husband who loves me so much. I am one blessed mama!
On Monday there was no more time for shopping or pedicures or staying up late talking. Instead it was back to business as usual at the Macs. Levi usually has quite an agenda for our days. Monday morning he was out in the fields checking on his daddy’s corn. When I ask him how the corn is today he says, “Look pwetty good.” It makes me smile every time.
 His dad taught him about weeds. He knows which plants are corn and which plants are weeds.

 And now pulling weeds is part of his daily agenda. He walks along the rows of corn and picks weeds. It keeps him busy for quite awhile. Do you have any two year olds who need to burn some energy? Send them on over and they can pull weeds in the corn field with Levi! 🙂
He takes his job as weed puller very seriously. And he pulls weeds in my garden too. I told Joel that this will probably be my most successful garden yet because of my little weed puller!
I loved coming home to my little farmer. He makes me so glad to be home.
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  • Stef - I love your peace and contentment, Jess. You’ve been such an inspiring blessing to me.ReplyCancel

  • Mum2twopreciousgifts - I have an 8 year old and a 5 year old that need to burn energy. Just wishing I could send them your way for a day to help Levi pull weeds.

    Beautiful pics Jess.

    p.s. I wish I was young enough to bend over to pull out weeds without saying ‘ouch’ and grabbing my back!

    M xReplyCancel

  • DianeTaylor - I hear you, Jess – I cannot imagine how hard that must have been for you and Joel.

    Dear Levi: thank you for helping your mamma and daddy in their gardens. If you have any extra energy and want to come to Baltimore, I have a beautiful memorial garden, complete with a granite stone bearing my son’s name. It has LOTS of weeds – can you come pull some out for me?

    Thank you!ReplyCancel

  • Sarah - Love the pictures of him in the cornfield. True farm boy. My mother-in-law likes to tell the story of a time when my husband went out to pull weeds in the garden and he pulled all the tomato plants also.

    Sarah @ This Farm Family’s lifeReplyCancel

  • Heather - Thanks for the post, Jess. I have a 9.5 yo and an 8 yo (both girls) and sometimes I wish I could come home to peace and quiet (these girl talk non-stop) and then I read one of your posts and I remember that coming home to peace and quiet will be a reality for me all too soon….so instead I soak in the chatter and I smile, knowing this will only last awhile, and when it is gone…I will miss it so.ReplyCancel

  • Lyssa at Living Simple in the South - Great post, love it! Glad you got some time to yourself to strengthen your perspective! IT always helps me to get out and come back with fresh eyes! Levi is adorable…those rubber boots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ReplyCancel

  • Creole Wisdom - Your perspective is so wonderful. I love your gratitude.

    Levi is so cute! The corn does look pretty good 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Cristin - Ahhh! Too bad you live so far away. My little guy has a farmer daddy too and loves to be outside. I think my Avery and your Levi would be great friends!ReplyCancel

  • Laura - He’s so precious!!ReplyCancel

  • We4Kingz - Absolutely precious!!! He will be a good farmer one day. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Sarah - I have a 4 year old who has tons of energy to burn, wish you were closer so I could bring her over and the little boys could have a play date.
    Guess I should teach her to pull the weeds in our yard and let her do that every morning, maybe she’d actually nap. … probably not though.

    As a woman and as a mother, you are an inspiration.ReplyCancel

  • Margaret - Levi is so cute! He is so serious about his jobs! Good perspective on a Mom’s life. Glad you have these boys in your life, but I am sure there is always the thoughts about Cora.ReplyCancel

  • Mindee@ourfrontdoor - Everything about this post makes me smile. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Anonymous - If we didn’t live in Colorado, I would send my 2 year old, Drake, right over to help little Levi!
    ~MelissaReplyCancel

  • Kimberly - Jess, I love hearing stories about your sweet boys. Reminds me of the days, long ago, when my boys were little. Glad you made it home safe & sound! 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Andrea {kerubo mama} - These pictures are stunning (especially that first one!)
    Your beautiful heart puts a lot of things into perspective for me. xoxoReplyCancel

  • Unknown - God used your words to speak right to my heart this morning! With 4 litle ones ages 6,5,4 and 9 mths its hard to not feel overwhelmed and just desire time alone with peace & quiet. I must remember to instead be thankful for the blessings He has so graciously given me-and to lean on Him. Thank you for your gentle reminder. You are truly a precious woman wife and mother.ReplyCancel

  • Suzanne - I am so sorry for the hard times, and I am so happy for the good times!! I love the little weed-puller in his little boots. So cute! He is going to have Griffin out there helping him soon!ReplyCancel

  • Bryn Bird - We are farmers too but produce farmers. You should see the 4, 3, and 2 year old out there in the strawberry field. We have about 60,000 plants and they are SO good at knowing what is the strawberry and what is a weed. Last week we sent them out for 2 hours!!! I loved going over and listening to the 4 year old say, “Honey, I found a big weed for you over here!” to her sister and her saying, “Oh sweetie that is big!” They were like little old ladies gossiping away!
    Farm kids get the best little life.ReplyCancel

  • Rich and Carolyn Dewey - Good work Joel and Jess! Love that he’s a weed puller already!!! :)) You have two precious little boys.ReplyCancel

  • Auntie EM - I have never lost a child (thank God because the only way I got to be a mom was to adopt my one and only son) but I do know the loneliness and quiet after my husband passed away 3 years ago. Oh, those quiet evenings….no one sitting on the bench to greet me when I came home….no one to laugh and be silly with….no one to talk to….it still makes tears come way too quickly. But the quiet didn’t last too long. My son, my daughter-in-law, and my darling sweet 2-year-old grandson live with me now. JOY beyond words to have them so close in my life right now. I’m so glad you have your two sons. I can tell they bring you so much joy in spite of your hardest loss ever. Cora is smiling down at her brothers and her parents and I think she is very happy that you are happy. Your boys are just so darn cute!!ReplyCancel

  • Katie Smith - Love this post… what a cutie!ReplyCancel

  • Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - OH Jess. That last picture of Levi is so precious. I wish I could send Nate out there to burn some energy!ReplyCancel