Having a rough go with Big guy's attitude so I'm taking my own time out to reflect on some good stuff just for him.
1. Aidan looking out the window and watching the snow on his newly set up Reindeer, magical.
2. Giving his Christmas tree to Micah because Micah never had one in his room before.
3. Learning independence and the joy he gets when he "gets it".
4. Passing out invitations to his friends at school for his Christmas party.
5. Packing for Wisconsin.
6. Saying he wants to be an "easy talk" teacher when he grows up.
7. His coloring.
8. Plugging in the lights every morning before he does anything else.
9. His thankfulness for yogurt.
10. Giving Micah a hug.
11. Wanting to cuddle with me before bed...(which means no singing, no wiggling, or talking just cuddling.)
12. Wanting to put his backpack in the luggage carrier on the Xterra.
13. Soaring in speech. Praise God.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Question...
The question I’m asking today: What can I do to minimize the noise of life so I can hear the sounds that really matter?
Read this tonight while "checking my email one last time" and man it the heart. Stole it from here:
http://www.leadingsmart.com/leadingsmart/2008/11/are-you-tired-of-the-noise.html
Thoughts? Any real solutions out there?
Read this tonight while "checking my email one last time" and man it the heart. Stole it from here:
http://www.leadingsmart.com/leadingsmart/2008/11/are-you-tired-of-the-noise.html
Thoughts? Any real solutions out there?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Christmas List (not for Santa for my friends)
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both
2. Real tree or Artificial? Both...I have an artificial that I love, it has snow and red berries on it.
3. When do you put up the tree? Sometime before Christmas :)
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime after Christmas, usually before New Year.
5. Do you like egg nog? Nope, give me peppermint ice-cream.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? An Old-fashioned bottle Coke Machine (it worked!)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, love, love, love it. It's the willow tree one.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Dad
9.. Easiest person to buy for? Kids, seriously they would be happy with anything right now.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Hand deliver if I do them.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't remember, some from my students were interesting in years past. Like the ugly "#1 Teacher" ornament that was as big as my tree.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Garfield. Love it.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peanut Butter cookies with Chocolate kisses.
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
16. Favorite Christmas song? Mariah Carey all I want for Christmas is you, reminds me of my mom being silly.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel baby...all 1200 miles!!!!!
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Can I use the internet?! I do for everything else.
19.. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Stockings on Christmas Eve with my parents, and gifts with the family (siblings)on Christmas Eve. Santa Christmas morning.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Having to take down Christmas decorations when it is over.
21. Favorite thing about this time of year? Decorating. I love red. Seriously, I love the road trip and anticipation of the season with the family. It is just good.
22. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? Big surprise, red.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? To not have to drive at Christmas and just be the passenger :)Seriously I would love to have clothes that I don't have to shop for. I hate the process.
24. Who will reply to this the quickest? Dumb.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Both...I have an artificial that I love, it has snow and red berries on it.
3. When do you put up the tree? Sometime before Christmas :)
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime after Christmas, usually before New Year.
5. Do you like egg nog? Nope, give me peppermint ice-cream.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? An Old-fashioned bottle Coke Machine (it worked!)
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, love, love, love it. It's the willow tree one.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Dad
9.. Easiest person to buy for? Kids, seriously they would be happy with anything right now.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Hand deliver if I do them.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't remember, some from my students were interesting in years past. Like the ugly "#1 Teacher" ornament that was as big as my tree.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Garfield. Love it.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably.
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Peanut Butter cookies with Chocolate kisses.
15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
16. Favorite Christmas song? Mariah Carey all I want for Christmas is you, reminds me of my mom being silly.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel baby...all 1200 miles!!!!!
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Can I use the internet?! I do for everything else.
19.. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Stockings on Christmas Eve with my parents, and gifts with the family (siblings)on Christmas Eve. Santa Christmas morning.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Having to take down Christmas decorations when it is over.
21. Favorite thing about this time of year? Decorating. I love red. Seriously, I love the road trip and anticipation of the season with the family. It is just good.
22. Favorite ornament, theme, or color? Big surprise, red.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? To not have to drive at Christmas and just be the passenger :)Seriously I would love to have clothes that I don't have to shop for. I hate the process.
24. Who will reply to this the quickest? Dumb.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday 10 +1
Timeout to be grateful.
I know it's Monday night, but it's still Monday and thankful is thankful no matter what time of day.
1. The library.
2. Reading Christmas Books.
3. Heart.
4. Jeremy.
5. A warm day...seriously, who gets this kind of weather in November?
6. Free coffee, I always know how to score this one :)
7. Micah eating dinner instead of dinking around. (And eating frozen waffles he was so hungry)
8. Offering hope to somebody who really needs it.
9. "Not being shaken" Psalm 16:8.
10. Aidan soaring in his speech. Amazing.
11. Testimonies during baptisms at church yesterday.
I know it's Monday night, but it's still Monday and thankful is thankful no matter what time of day.
1. The library.
2. Reading Christmas Books.
3. Heart.
4. Jeremy.
5. A warm day...seriously, who gets this kind of weather in November?
6. Free coffee, I always know how to score this one :)
7. Micah eating dinner instead of dinking around. (And eating frozen waffles he was so hungry)
8. Offering hope to somebody who really needs it.
9. "Not being shaken" Psalm 16:8.
10. Aidan soaring in his speech. Amazing.
11. Testimonies during baptisms at church yesterday.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Hope for a Stuttering Child
It started out as what seemed like a few cute sayings from our oldest son Aidan. The one I will always remember is, "Whatcha-whatcha-whatcha-whatcha Garfeee", which was Aidan at two years old, walking down to Auntie Jenn's room and asking her if he could watch Garfield on her TV. Eventually though the repetitions came more often and eventually were a part of almost every sentence Aidan spoke. Then one time in the Fall of 2006 we left Aidan with some friends for a weekend while Rachel and I went out of town for a mini vacation. When we returned and picked up Aidan he literally could not finish saying even one word. His face would tense up, his eyes would close and he would just repeat the same syllable over and over.
The trip back to our house was emotional and heart breaking. Our son couldn't communicate with us. Our pediatrician told us this was normal and that you couldn't know if a child had a stuttering problem until they were five or six years old. I can remember what I said to Rachel after I buckled Aidan into his car seat and closed the van door: "I don't care what he (the pediatrician) says, we're getting him tested by a specialist. I can't just watch him struggle and do nothing to help him. What if we find out someday that he needed our help earlier? I don't think I could live with that."
I think there is a common perception that people stutter because they are dumb or slow. Knowing Aidan at two years old I knew this couldn't be the case. Patty confirmed that Aidan had a large vocabulary for a kid of his age, and anyone who met him knew that he was smart. He has an uncanny attention to detail and is very mechanically inclined. But still, when Aidan would struggle with his speech in public I would grieve of what people thought of him. I would critique the way Rachel and I had parented and wonder if we had somehow caused his stuttering. No parent wants to see their child struggle.
We made an appointment with a speech specialist through our health care provider. She told us to make a video of Aidan talking while playing and to bring it with when we visited. A few weeks later we met with her and she played with Aidan for about 20 minutes and watched the video. All I remember is just wanting her to tell us what she thought.
Eventually she finished playing with Aidan and turned towards us. In a rather unceremonious way she informed us that she felt Aidan had a legitimate stuttering problem and that he should begin seeing a speech therapist. The therapy wasn't provided through or covered by our insurance. She handed us a stack of business cards and started sifting out the ones that would be in our area of town. I looked at her and asked if it was her son, who would she take him to, regardless of location? Without a second of hesitation she grabbed a card, handed it to me and said, "her".
The card was for Patty Walton at the Center for Stuttering Therapy. As our luck would have it her office was 15 miles across town. We made an appointment and met with Patty for the first time and she spent some time with Aidan and after a few minutes confirmed the earlier diagnosis. But then she offered us the most unlikely encouragement, something Rachel or I had never heard. She told us that this was "so treatable" and not to worry about it. One day, she said, Aidan would speak perfectly fluently. It seemed to fly in the face of all of my life experience. I know adults who stutter and as a child I had friends who stuttered despite being in speech therapy their entire childhood lives.
Soon thereafter Adian began speech therapy. Twice a week Rachel or I would take him to Patty's office for a half hour session. It may not be the first thing you think of, but can you imagine trying to get a two year old to sit still for 30 minutes and "work" on his speech twice a week? Even the most well behaved child would struggle to do that day in and day out, week after week. There were times where we got our money's worth and times that were a total waste, but little by little Aidan began to progress. At times we would think that he was almost done, his speech would be great for weeks. Then a major setback would come and it would feel like we had gone back to square one. No doubt Patty could see the emotional roller coaster we were riding. One time she even introduced us to a woman who had a son that Patty had worked with many years ago. Patty told us that he was now in college and had no trace of stuttering. Still, it was hard for us to make that connection to our own pre-schooler.
There was a long period of time where we lost heart. Children who began therapy at the same time as Aidan seemed to be progressing more rapidly and the game of comparison that all parents play in their minds was chipping away at our hope. It seemed like each week was up then down. Rachel and I began to lose faith and started preparing ourselves for the fact that our son would be a stutterer and that was the way it was going to be. It hurt to give up that hope that we once had, we had gotten our hopes up only to have them dashed. I know that at the lowest point I felt like God had taken the opportunity away from Aidan.
That was a half year ago. Since then Aidan has gone through an unprecedented time of fluency in his speech. Each day he amazes me, whether it is talking on the phone or answering an unknowing adult who peppers him with question after question without giving him a chance to answer. At such a young age he has shown me what it means to persevere. He's also taught Rachel and I not to give up faith when the road looks rough and no end is in sight. "Easy talk" is the daily norm and I've even heard him say "that was a little bumpy" when referring to a rare instance of dysfluency in his speech. How could I ever have doubted in him?
Now I know that children go through far more difficult things than stuttering. My heart breaks for kids with cancer, heart problems or any other type of disease or sickness. We have friends and family with challenges far beyond what Aidan has gone through and we pray for them continually. But stuttering is a challenge for a lot of kids, and specifically it was the challenge for my kid and thus is the struggle most "real" to me. In writing this my hope is that someone will be searching the Internet, curious and/or concerned about their child's stuttering, and what I've written will encourage them to contact a specialist and if necessary, have their son or daughter tested. There is hope! Research and treatments have made tremendous advances in recent times. If your child is struggling, what do you have to lose by checking it out? The sooner you get them help, the better their chances are! Browse over the http://www.coloradostutteringtherapy.com/ and see what you can learn.
In closing, I just have to send my thanks to "Miss Patty". You've meant so much to our family and especially to Aidan. You've been a part of who he is for over half of his young life, and I know your impact on him will last for the rest of his days. Lately I've come to realize the irony that what once was the pain we felt in having to bring Aidan to your office will be replaced by the pain in realizing that your special place in his life will be complete. We are forever grateful for what you have done for our son, but also for the comfort you offered us as parents.
The trip back to our house was emotional and heart breaking. Our son couldn't communicate with us. Our pediatrician told us this was normal and that you couldn't know if a child had a stuttering problem until they were five or six years old. I can remember what I said to Rachel after I buckled Aidan into his car seat and closed the van door: "I don't care what he (the pediatrician) says, we're getting him tested by a specialist. I can't just watch him struggle and do nothing to help him. What if we find out someday that he needed our help earlier? I don't think I could live with that."
I think there is a common perception that people stutter because they are dumb or slow. Knowing Aidan at two years old I knew this couldn't be the case. Patty confirmed that Aidan had a large vocabulary for a kid of his age, and anyone who met him knew that he was smart. He has an uncanny attention to detail and is very mechanically inclined. But still, when Aidan would struggle with his speech in public I would grieve of what people thought of him. I would critique the way Rachel and I had parented and wonder if we had somehow caused his stuttering. No parent wants to see their child struggle.
We made an appointment with a speech specialist through our health care provider. She told us to make a video of Aidan talking while playing and to bring it with when we visited. A few weeks later we met with her and she played with Aidan for about 20 minutes and watched the video. All I remember is just wanting her to tell us what she thought.
Eventually she finished playing with Aidan and turned towards us. In a rather unceremonious way she informed us that she felt Aidan had a legitimate stuttering problem and that he should begin seeing a speech therapist. The therapy wasn't provided through or covered by our insurance. She handed us a stack of business cards and started sifting out the ones that would be in our area of town. I looked at her and asked if it was her son, who would she take him to, regardless of location? Without a second of hesitation she grabbed a card, handed it to me and said, "her".
The card was for Patty Walton at the Center for Stuttering Therapy. As our luck would have it her office was 15 miles across town. We made an appointment and met with Patty for the first time and she spent some time with Aidan and after a few minutes confirmed the earlier diagnosis. But then she offered us the most unlikely encouragement, something Rachel or I had never heard. She told us that this was "so treatable" and not to worry about it. One day, she said, Aidan would speak perfectly fluently. It seemed to fly in the face of all of my life experience. I know adults who stutter and as a child I had friends who stuttered despite being in speech therapy their entire childhood lives.
Soon thereafter Adian began speech therapy. Twice a week Rachel or I would take him to Patty's office for a half hour session. It may not be the first thing you think of, but can you imagine trying to get a two year old to sit still for 30 minutes and "work" on his speech twice a week? Even the most well behaved child would struggle to do that day in and day out, week after week. There were times where we got our money's worth and times that were a total waste, but little by little Aidan began to progress. At times we would think that he was almost done, his speech would be great for weeks. Then a major setback would come and it would feel like we had gone back to square one. No doubt Patty could see the emotional roller coaster we were riding. One time she even introduced us to a woman who had a son that Patty had worked with many years ago. Patty told us that he was now in college and had no trace of stuttering. Still, it was hard for us to make that connection to our own pre-schooler.
There was a long period of time where we lost heart. Children who began therapy at the same time as Aidan seemed to be progressing more rapidly and the game of comparison that all parents play in their minds was chipping away at our hope. It seemed like each week was up then down. Rachel and I began to lose faith and started preparing ourselves for the fact that our son would be a stutterer and that was the way it was going to be. It hurt to give up that hope that we once had, we had gotten our hopes up only to have them dashed. I know that at the lowest point I felt like God had taken the opportunity away from Aidan.
That was a half year ago. Since then Aidan has gone through an unprecedented time of fluency in his speech. Each day he amazes me, whether it is talking on the phone or answering an unknowing adult who peppers him with question after question without giving him a chance to answer. At such a young age he has shown me what it means to persevere. He's also taught Rachel and I not to give up faith when the road looks rough and no end is in sight. "Easy talk" is the daily norm and I've even heard him say "that was a little bumpy" when referring to a rare instance of dysfluency in his speech. How could I ever have doubted in him?
Now I know that children go through far more difficult things than stuttering. My heart breaks for kids with cancer, heart problems or any other type of disease or sickness. We have friends and family with challenges far beyond what Aidan has gone through and we pray for them continually. But stuttering is a challenge for a lot of kids, and specifically it was the challenge for my kid and thus is the struggle most "real" to me. In writing this my hope is that someone will be searching the Internet, curious and/or concerned about their child's stuttering, and what I've written will encourage them to contact a specialist and if necessary, have their son or daughter tested. There is hope! Research and treatments have made tremendous advances in recent times. If your child is struggling, what do you have to lose by checking it out? The sooner you get them help, the better their chances are! Browse over the http://www.coloradostutteringtherapy.com/ and see what you can learn.
In closing, I just have to send my thanks to "Miss Patty". You've meant so much to our family and especially to Aidan. You've been a part of who he is for over half of his young life, and I know your impact on him will last for the rest of his days. Lately I've come to realize the irony that what once was the pain we felt in having to bring Aidan to your office will be replaced by the pain in realizing that your special place in his life will be complete. We are forever grateful for what you have done for our son, but also for the comfort you offered us as parents.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
"Pizza Plants"
If you have seen WALL-E you will know what that means, if not...adults this is for you, Disney's deepest movie yet.
With a quote of "I don’t want to survive. I want to live." And a deep perspective on what will happen if everything is done for us. It was an amazing reminder that I don't want life to be perfect or handed to me.
Has anybody else seen this and have any reflections on it?
With a quote of "I don’t want to survive. I want to live." And a deep perspective on what will happen if everything is done for us. It was an amazing reminder that I don't want life to be perfect or handed to me.
Has anybody else seen this and have any reflections on it?
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
A quick 10
1. Aidan writing notes.
2. Watching my wedding video.
3. Good deals at the grocery store.
4. Giving Micah hugs and him saying "so much" (which means love you so much)
5. Darn good conversations.
6. Starbucks refills (for free!)
7. A yummy dinner that wasn't that hard.
8. Learning to deal with stressful situations in a healthy way while in the moment.
9. Obedience.
10. Miss Patti.
2. Watching my wedding video.
3. Good deals at the grocery store.
4. Giving Micah hugs and him saying "so much" (which means love you so much)
5. Darn good conversations.
6. Starbucks refills (for free!)
7. A yummy dinner that wasn't that hard.
8. Learning to deal with stressful situations in a healthy way while in the moment.
9. Obedience.
10. Miss Patti.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Spinning
For my friend who encourages me in this (the yes/no thing) and is wanting something to read. So I'm cheating and directing you to another blog. Enjoy.
http://www.ordinarycourage.com/my-blog/2008/10/6/dedicated-to-jen-on-her-birthday.html
http://www.ordinarycourage.com/my-blog/2008/10/6/dedicated-to-jen-on-her-birthday.html
Monday, September 29, 2008
Because I needed a fun, non-deep post :)
Saw these questions as interview questions for a writer and I thought, hey I could interview myself...so here it is. Have at it girls and answer some for me if you are in the mood...
A song/band/type of music you'd risk wreck & injury to turn off when it comes on the radio?
Rap. The closet I ever came was DC Talk years ago :)
Best show on television?
Total biggest loser fan...gives me motivation. I always up for a Frasier rerun. And NFL football (every man's dream).
Favorite movie?
I've been noticing lately I reference "Along came Polly and Hitch" especially the dance moves in Hitch. Scary huh? :) But overall I'm a hardcore drama fan.
Favorite room in your house?
All (well except the bathrooms, but someday...)seriously they each are unique in their own way yet they flow together for me.
If you could have anything put on a t-shirt what would it be?
Hmmm...I have to think about this one.
The best part about being your age?
That you let go more and play more. (The worst thing is trying to shop for clothes.)
Favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Thin mints!!!
Poker or gin or bridge?
I'm thinking someday I could be one of those women that gets together with her friends in their big hats and flower shirts and plays cards...until then I have no idea how to play any of them.
Shower or bath?
Shower...like 3 day would be awesome.
Favorite pajamas?
I could care less.
Nightmare job?
Driving around all day and having to read maps and stop and go all the time in traffic.
A talent you wish you had?
Painting on canvas art or maybe knowing when to shut up and not say what comes to mind...that's a talent right?
Dream vacation?
All on bike...all over the country, world, etc.
What's on your nightstand?
Candles, phone, and a rock. Underneath however is full of 1/2 read or re-read books that I have recently dug up. Current ones are At the Feet of Jesus, and You Matter More Than You Think.
Tell us 3 weird things about you:
1. I have to tell myself to keep walking when I see a clearance rack.
2. I wear men's deodorant.
3. I can't sound out anything phonetically.
And back to the t-shirt question...
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? (because nobody would know what to do with that...myself included)
Happy Monday :)
A song/band/type of music you'd risk wreck & injury to turn off when it comes on the radio?
Rap. The closet I ever came was DC Talk years ago :)
Best show on television?
Total biggest loser fan...gives me motivation. I always up for a Frasier rerun. And NFL football (every man's dream).
Favorite movie?
I've been noticing lately I reference "Along came Polly and Hitch" especially the dance moves in Hitch. Scary huh? :) But overall I'm a hardcore drama fan.
Favorite room in your house?
All (well except the bathrooms, but someday...)seriously they each are unique in their own way yet they flow together for me.
If you could have anything put on a t-shirt what would it be?
Hmmm...I have to think about this one.
The best part about being your age?
That you let go more and play more. (The worst thing is trying to shop for clothes.)
Favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Thin mints!!!
Poker or gin or bridge?
I'm thinking someday I could be one of those women that gets together with her friends in their big hats and flower shirts and plays cards...until then I have no idea how to play any of them.
Shower or bath?
Shower...like 3 day would be awesome.
Favorite pajamas?
I could care less.
Nightmare job?
Driving around all day and having to read maps and stop and go all the time in traffic.
A talent you wish you had?
Painting on canvas art or maybe knowing when to shut up and not say what comes to mind...that's a talent right?
Dream vacation?
All on bike...all over the country, world, etc.
What's on your nightstand?
Candles, phone, and a rock. Underneath however is full of 1/2 read or re-read books that I have recently dug up. Current ones are At the Feet of Jesus, and You Matter More Than You Think.
Tell us 3 weird things about you:
1. I have to tell myself to keep walking when I see a clearance rack.
2. I wear men's deodorant.
3. I can't sound out anything phonetically.
And back to the t-shirt question...
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? (because nobody would know what to do with that...myself included)
Happy Monday :)
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Micah.
Usually at this time of the day I am trying to cook dinner while 2 little boys are under my feet. Today Micah went down for a super late nap and is still sleeping and Aidan is lost without his buddy. He's outside not really knowing what to do with himself. So just a quick moment to say I'm thankful Micah is in our lives. And I know his big brother is really thankful.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Exploring
So not only am I not a bath person, I'm not a spontaneous person either. I have a plan for my days even if only in my head. So after a conversation earlier this week with Jeremy that I don' really know how to use my "stay at home mom freedom" I attempted a spontaneous day with my boys. It was not natural for me at all...actually it was hard in some ways but it was good for me (and them) to go "exploring" as we called it.
Here's some of our exploring adventures of today:
1. Got up and went to watch Jeremy play football.
2. Went and played at the park next to the fields...I was the "coast guard mom" and Aidan and Micah "scuba dived" in the rocks.
3. Stopped at the gas station and got Popsicles and nutrigrain bars. Ate them in the lawn outside.
4. Drove past Jeremy and My first apartment out here. If you could call it that :)
5. Drove past where I once took a bad crash on my bike and told the boys about it, lots of questions about that from little boys.
6. Stopped at Auntie Jenn's...she wasn't there but here roommate was and we left her a note that we miss her.
7. Went to the NREL (Nation Renewable Energy Lab) Visitor Center. Had tons of fun standing in front of the solar panel that ran the water fountain so it would start, stop, start, stop.
8. Ate graham crackers for lunch.
9. Drove past a garage sale. Only baby girl clothes.
10. Got home and ate some yogurt for "another lunch".
11. Posted this.
There you have it...my attempt. Now I'm trying to figure out how to do my run today that I skipped, but I'm thinking that worrying about that will just ruin the whole point. I'm still learning :) Happy Spontaneous to all...
Here's some of our exploring adventures of today:
1. Got up and went to watch Jeremy play football.
2. Went and played at the park next to the fields...I was the "coast guard mom" and Aidan and Micah "scuba dived" in the rocks.
3. Stopped at the gas station and got Popsicles and nutrigrain bars. Ate them in the lawn outside.
4. Drove past Jeremy and My first apartment out here. If you could call it that :)
5. Drove past where I once took a bad crash on my bike and told the boys about it, lots of questions about that from little boys.
6. Stopped at Auntie Jenn's...she wasn't there but here roommate was and we left her a note that we miss her.
7. Went to the NREL (Nation Renewable Energy Lab) Visitor Center. Had tons of fun standing in front of the solar panel that ran the water fountain so it would start, stop, start, stop.
8. Ate graham crackers for lunch.
9. Drove past a garage sale. Only baby girl clothes.
10. Got home and ate some yogurt for "another lunch".
11. Posted this.
There you have it...my attempt. Now I'm trying to figure out how to do my run today that I skipped, but I'm thinking that worrying about that will just ruin the whole point. I'm still learning :) Happy Spontaneous to all...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Buckets of Joy
First I gotta say today was just a good day. Enjoyed being a mama. Heard some really great news :) Witnessed some great moments between my boys. And just remembered to live life.
Ended by watching "The Bucket List" (which by the way have had my own in process long before the movie just so you know who ripped off who!) So much to say about this movie. This whole concept...totally a Rachel movie. Even watched the whole "making of the movie" part. Also good.
But the part I really thought about was the 2 questions (you know to get into "Egyptian Heaven" ha ha)But that aside, still worth looking at.
1. Have you found joy in your life?
2. Has your life brought joy to others?
What do you even say to questions like that? How do you even challenge yourself or others with that question?
Be back with more thoughts on that. I better get some sleep first.
Ended by watching "The Bucket List" (which by the way have had my own in process long before the movie just so you know who ripped off who!) So much to say about this movie. This whole concept...totally a Rachel movie. Even watched the whole "making of the movie" part. Also good.
But the part I really thought about was the 2 questions (you know to get into "Egyptian Heaven" ha ha)But that aside, still worth looking at.
1. Have you found joy in your life?
2. Has your life brought joy to others?
What do you even say to questions like that? How do you even challenge yourself or others with that question?
Be back with more thoughts on that. I better get some sleep first.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
My Precious Boy
(Posted on the outside of his bedroom door tonight. All him. Total excitement for his lego store that he set up. I'm supposed to be making a sign that says "Aidan is sleeping in his lego store" I better get to work. )
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
So I'm not a bath person...
...but I have been downright cranky lately and none of my other "normal" fixes are working (running, coffee, wine, talking it out, hanging with my "sisters", even the happy news of IKEA!). It works for a bit but then I'm back to being there again.
So I resorted to a bath and since I can't just sit there I put on my i-pod shuffle and got some insight from Sheryl Crown and Michael W Smith to help me adjust my attitude (quite the theological combo I know)
Sheryl, I Shall Believe
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
MWS, Breathe
And I I'm desperate for you
And I I'm I'm lost without you
And I got to thinking...we don't use the word desperate very much in our everyday life. It's not really something we are proud of to be "desperate" for something because it shows total weakness, total loss of self. And yet we can sing it. We aren't afraid to say we are desperate in the song but can we admit it otherwise?
So I guess what I am saying is when not everything is going the way you think it should be (umm yeah most often) and we try to make it right in our own doing (coffee, running, all that stuff). I guess it's ok to be desperate. Desperate for a God that we are lost without. He created us that way. I should know this I just studied it for 3 months...the whole ceasing self-sufficiency thing , but man it's a lifetime of really getting it.
So what are you desperate for? Can you admit it?
So I resorted to a bath and since I can't just sit there I put on my i-pod shuffle and got some insight from Sheryl Crown and Michael W Smith to help me adjust my attitude (quite the theological combo I know)
Sheryl, I Shall Believe
That not everything is gonna be the way
You think it ought to be
It seems like every time I try to make it right
It all comes down on me
MWS, Breathe
And I I'm desperate for you
And I I'm I'm lost without you
And I got to thinking...we don't use the word desperate very much in our everyday life. It's not really something we are proud of to be "desperate" for something because it shows total weakness, total loss of self. And yet we can sing it. We aren't afraid to say we are desperate in the song but can we admit it otherwise?
So I guess what I am saying is when not everything is going the way you think it should be (umm yeah most often) and we try to make it right in our own doing (coffee, running, all that stuff). I guess it's ok to be desperate. Desperate for a God that we are lost without. He created us that way. I should know this I just studied it for 3 months...the whole ceasing self-sufficiency thing , but man it's a lifetime of really getting it.
So what are you desperate for? Can you admit it?
Thursday, September 04, 2008
"Free"
Ok so I find this happens a lot in my life. Everybody around me crashes at once. Just got off the phone with my friend and when I asked her how I could pray for her she said "my life is a train wreck" which thankfully made us both laugh. But seriously, this is not the life that God wants for us. He wants us to be free. So in my fooling around on i-tunes I found this song, and it hits exactly what I want to say to those "train wrecks" (me included) out there.
The Lyrics:
I feel like the weight of the world is all - crashing down on me
And some how I just don't believe this how - it is suppose to be
And all this expectation on - the way I'm suppose to live
Becomes my minds distraction - with nothing left to give
You said your burden is light and your load - is no more
You said your ways are right and in you I will soar
I want to be free - free to dance and free to sing
Free to live and learn and free
[Oh, free to be me
I feel like my heart is being beat - down into the ground
In you I'm longing for some peace - to be found
I know the heaviness that's - making me cold
Is stealing my youthful soul and - making me old
You said your burden is light and your load - is no more
You said your ways are right and in you I will soar
I want to be free - free to dance and free to sing
Free to live and learn and free
Oh, free to be me
The Lyrics:
I feel like the weight of the world is all - crashing down on me
And some how I just don't believe this how - it is suppose to be
And all this expectation on - the way I'm suppose to live
Becomes my minds distraction - with nothing left to give
You said your burden is light and your load - is no more
You said your ways are right and in you I will soar
I want to be free - free to dance and free to sing
Free to live and learn and free
[Oh, free to be me
I feel like my heart is being beat - down into the ground
In you I'm longing for some peace - to be found
I know the heaviness that's - making me cold
Is stealing my youthful soul and - making me old
You said your burden is light and your load - is no more
You said your ways are right and in you I will soar
I want to be free - free to dance and free to sing
Free to live and learn and free
Oh, free to be me
Friday, August 29, 2008
Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter Lego has landed...
Ok so this kid has way more patience than me with money. While I waste money on the piddly junk all the time, Aidan has managed to save his money for a looooooong time to get his "Coast Guard Rescue" Helicopter. So long that I have no idea when he started, but for a boy who makes .25 cents a job and paid $42 bucks even (with .$85 left) is quite the accomplishment. (He has had some money gifts along the way...so that helped.) And as you will see he even inspired his brother to save too...for "Mickey Lego" ($22 bucks with mom and dad pitching in $1, not bad.) Like I said better savers than me.
Here's the happy...no elated boy...
Here's the happy...no elated boy...
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Good Stuff...in the middle of the week
1. God in the details...like potty training Mikey. Yes, I'm going to be "one of those Christians" on that.
2. Somehow only spending $10 on groceries this week
3. Finding the most fabulous dress ever...even if I didn't buy it
4. Aidan's excitement (and patience) for saving for his coast guard rescue helicopter lego
5. Somehow not having to buy gas this week
6. Studying "Hallelujah"
7. Coffee
8. Email
9. Aidan cleaning his room spontaneously
10. Prayer
2. Somehow only spending $10 on groceries this week
3. Finding the most fabulous dress ever...even if I didn't buy it
4. Aidan's excitement (and patience) for saving for his coast guard rescue helicopter lego
5. Somehow not having to buy gas this week
6. Studying "Hallelujah"
7. Coffee
8. Email
9. Aidan cleaning his room spontaneously
10. Prayer
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
For the grandparents out there (and anybody else that cares)...
This Monday marked a new milestone in the Porier house. 2 boys off to school. Crazy but true. Mommy had a whole 2.5 hours to figure out what to do with (not a problem really:)) Here are some pictures of the happy boys.
Mikey and Ms. Barbara
Aidan and Ms. Mary Lee
Mikey and Ms. Barbara
Aidan and Ms. Mary LeeFriday, August 08, 2008
A (or 17) Year(s) ago...
So I've unplugged more in the last few weeks...thus my lack of entries.
Trying to figure out how to merge backpacking life with real life. Still don't know. Still know I'm more at home in the outdoors than in the city. Still know this is where I need to be right now and I'm ok with that. Just really thankful that I am close to the mountains even if it's Littleton instead of Buena Vista. On that note, I found my backpacking journal from when I first ventured out here 17 years ago and my entry said this...
"It was really sad to leave the mountains. I 'm attached to them now. I feel that made me a stronger person and I'm thankful for that." August 17, 1991
I feel so thankful that years later I am living the dream of living in Colorado. And hey maybe I'm not a ranger wandering the trails everyday but that's ok. I'm here. And doing a heck of a lot better than we were in August of 2007 which I say is reason to celebrate today.
A year ago...
I was having surgery to have my thyroid removed. Lots of unknowns. Lots of worries.
Jeremy's blood pressure wasn't 118/66 like it was today. Way proud of you baby. Way proud.
I wasn't buying fish, almonds, cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash in mass like I do now.
Didn't know how to rest. Not nap (I can do that just fine!) But rest in the Lord. Still don't totally but I'm learning.
Awesome Psalm for today (also found in my Backpacking journal from 17 years ago.) I loved it then for the mountain references found. I love it today because of the power and dependence on our creator.
Psalm 104 (New Living Translation)
Trying to figure out how to merge backpacking life with real life. Still don't know. Still know I'm more at home in the outdoors than in the city. Still know this is where I need to be right now and I'm ok with that. Just really thankful that I am close to the mountains even if it's Littleton instead of Buena Vista. On that note, I found my backpacking journal from when I first ventured out here 17 years ago and my entry said this...
"It was really sad to leave the mountains. I 'm attached to them now. I feel that made me a stronger person and I'm thankful for that." August 17, 1991
I feel so thankful that years later I am living the dream of living in Colorado. And hey maybe I'm not a ranger wandering the trails everyday but that's ok. I'm here. And doing a heck of a lot better than we were in August of 2007 which I say is reason to celebrate today.
A year ago...
I was having surgery to have my thyroid removed. Lots of unknowns. Lots of worries.
Jeremy's blood pressure wasn't 118/66 like it was today. Way proud of you baby. Way proud.
I wasn't buying fish, almonds, cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash in mass like I do now.
Didn't know how to rest. Not nap (I can do that just fine!) But rest in the Lord. Still don't totally but I'm learning.
Awesome Psalm for today (also found in my Backpacking journal from 17 years ago.) I loved it then for the mountain references found. I love it today because of the power and dependence on our creator.
Psalm 104 (New Living Translation)
1 Let all that I am praise the Lord.
O Lord my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.
2 You are dressed in a robe of light.
You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
3 you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds.
You make the clouds your chariot;
you ride upon the wings of the wind.
4 The winds are your messengers;
flames of fire are your servants.[a]
5 You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.
6 You clothed the earth with floods of water,
water that covered even the mountains.
7 At your command, the water fled;
at the sound of your thunder, it hurried away.
8 Mountains rose and valleys sank
to the levels you decreed.
9 Then you set a firm boundary for the seas,
so they would never again cover the earth.
10 You make springs pour water into the ravines,
so streams gush down from the mountains.
11 They provide water for all the animals,
and the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds nest beside the streams
and sing among the branches of the trees.
13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home,
and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
14 You cause grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for people to use.
You allow them to produce food from the earth—
15 wine to make them glad,
olive oil to soothe their skin,
and bread to give them strength.
16 The trees of the Lord are well cared for—
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests,
and the storks make their homes in the cypresses.
18 High in the mountains live the wild goats,
and the rocks form a refuge for the hyraxes.[b]
19 You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.
20 You send the darkness, and it becomes night,
when all the forest animals prowl about.
21 Then the young lions roar for their prey,
stalking the food provided by God.
22 At dawn they slink back
into their dens to rest.
23 Then people go off to their work,
where they labor until evening.
24 O Lord, what a variety of things you have made!
In wisdom you have made them all.
The earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide,
teeming with life of every kind,
both large and small.
26 See the ships sailing along,
and Leviathan,[c] which you made to play in the sea.
27 They all depend on you
to give them food as they need it.
28 When you supply it, they gather it.
You open your hand to feed them,
and they are richly satisfied.
29 But if you turn away from them, they panic.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn again to dust.
30 When you give them your breath,[d] life is created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord continue forever!
The Lord takes pleasure in all he has made!
32 The earth trembles at his glance;
the mountains smoke at his touch.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live.
I will praise my God to my last breath!
34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him,
for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth;
let the wicked disappear forever.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Monday, July 21, 2008
(Aidan's) Monday 10
So today my devotions were Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer."
And today I am choosing to think about positive things with Aidan because he has had a few bad episodes today, I know his heart is good. I know I can easily go down a path of finding all the bad but I'm not. I'm stopping to reflect on the good.
So here are Aidan's top Monday 10 just for him...
1. Laying in bed with him and listening to him explain his lego boxes. "The street sweeper guy has the same shirt as the garbage truck guy but they have different faces and different hats."
2. Watching him do a "y-turn" with his jeep in the driveway and him totally getting it.
3. Aidan seeing Strawberry Shortcake fruit snacks in the grocery store and wanting to get them for his (girl) friends.
4. Bringing me a leaf in from the backyard and telling me it's for when I pray.
5. Looking out the back door and seeing him sitting on top of his cozy coupe just chilling.
6. Calling Micah "bub-buh"
7. Telling me "that's great mom".
8. His questions of life..."how does the lawn mower cut the lawn?"
9. Telling me all about how he wants to be a daddy when he grows up.
10. Cinnamon Toast.
And today I am choosing to think about positive things with Aidan because he has had a few bad episodes today, I know his heart is good. I know I can easily go down a path of finding all the bad but I'm not. I'm stopping to reflect on the good.
So here are Aidan's top Monday 10 just for him...
1. Laying in bed with him and listening to him explain his lego boxes. "The street sweeper guy has the same shirt as the garbage truck guy but they have different faces and different hats."
2. Watching him do a "y-turn" with his jeep in the driveway and him totally getting it.
3. Aidan seeing Strawberry Shortcake fruit snacks in the grocery store and wanting to get them for his (girl) friends.
4. Bringing me a leaf in from the backyard and telling me it's for when I pray.
5. Looking out the back door and seeing him sitting on top of his cozy coupe just chilling.
6. Calling Micah "bub-buh"
7. Telling me "that's great mom".
8. His questions of life..."how does the lawn mower cut the lawn?"
9. Telling me all about how he wants to be a daddy when he grows up.
10. Cinnamon Toast.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
A Bicycle Made For 3?
In an effort to be more green around here we have started biking more. Jeremy has been commuting to work on his bike, and we have integrated family bike rides into our everyday life...grocery shopping was even attempted and successful! One night last week I was out for the night so Jeremy took matters into his own hands and hooked the boys up one after another. Aidan on his new tag along bike (total hit) and Mikey in the Burley. They had a grand time going to the parks (yes multiple) and getting donuts from the gas station. It just goes to show that we don't need a mini van after all :)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Nature Walk right here in Littleton
Ok...we have been back a week now and still haven't posted our trip. We have been too busy looking for new ultralight gear (especially packs), checking out books from the library on the Colorado Trail, and playing in the sprinklers in the backyard.
I (Rach) am still processing how to merge the desire of selling it all and move to the mountains with the reality of jobs, kids, house, and life. But if nothing else our trip helped us get back to the heart of us and why we ventured out West in the first place. That being said I took the boys out for a nature walk this week in an effort to get outside right where we are.
Here are some pictures of our adventure.
I (Rach) am still processing how to merge the desire of selling it all and move to the mountains with the reality of jobs, kids, house, and life. But if nothing else our trip helped us get back to the heart of us and why we ventured out West in the first place. That being said I took the boys out for a nature walk this week in an effort to get outside right where we are.
Here are some pictures of our adventure.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Countdown...
It's now 2 days till vacation and there is something magical about the anticipation of getting ready for a trip. Something about making the lists and checking things off. Getting stuff in place to go.
It's even great to say..."I'll call you when I get back."
Just Jeremy and I are heading off into the wilderness for a week. No wonder I am giddy. Boys get a week with Grandma Faye and we get a week to be together. Good stuff.
I'll post when we get back :)
It's even great to say..."I'll call you when I get back."
Just Jeremy and I are heading off into the wilderness for a week. No wonder I am giddy. Boys get a week with Grandma Faye and we get a week to be together. Good stuff.
I'll post when we get back :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
AIDANNNN !!
Here I am eating lucky charms and listening to Def Leppard thinking I should post this before I forget...
Anyway last Thursday Aidan had his "pre-school" graduation and we went to watch him sing songs with his class...not knowing I was about to witness one of the most precious moments yet between my boys.
So I am sitting in the pews with Micah standing on my lap (Jeremy is playing guitar) and Aidan walks up with his class. And I hear Micah calling out AIDANNNN! AIDANNN!! He keeps calling it over and over and when Aidan sees his brother cheering for him he BEAMS...I mean not just happy but he was so excited that his brother was there for him. And they make eye contact and you can tell they are there for each other. It was priceless. Totally cool. Good stuff to remember especially on those days when you need reminders (we all do right moms?).
Aidan's class. He is on the far left 2nd row striped shirt (no hat...not a conformist in any way).
Aidan and his teacher Miss Chris. She's been perfect...I couldn't have asked for a better fit for him this year.
Anyway last Thursday Aidan had his "pre-school" graduation and we went to watch him sing songs with his class...not knowing I was about to witness one of the most precious moments yet between my boys.
So I am sitting in the pews with Micah standing on my lap (Jeremy is playing guitar) and Aidan walks up with his class. And I hear Micah calling out AIDANNNN! AIDANNN!! He keeps calling it over and over and when Aidan sees his brother cheering for him he BEAMS...I mean not just happy but he was so excited that his brother was there for him. And they make eye contact and you can tell they are there for each other. It was priceless. Totally cool. Good stuff to remember especially on those days when you need reminders (we all do right moms?).
Aidan's class. He is on the far left 2nd row striped shirt (no hat...not a conformist in any way).
Aidan and his teacher Miss Chris. She's been perfect...I couldn't have asked for a better fit for him this year.Monday, May 19, 2008
Monday 10
After an insanely busy weekend I'm dragging this morning...so I thought remembering the good stuff would help get me going. Happy Monday to all.
1. A fridge full of food.
2. Saving 45% on groceries.
3. Micah staying in his "new bed".
4. Coffee.
5. The library.
6. Hamburgers on the grill.
7. Jeremy.
8. Psalm 13 and the "big but".
9. A way cool park that we found to play at.
10. Water.
Ok I'm off...
1. A fridge full of food.
2. Saving 45% on groceries.
3. Micah staying in his "new bed".
4. Coffee.
5. The library.
6. Hamburgers on the grill.
7. Jeremy.
8. Psalm 13 and the "big but".
9. A way cool park that we found to play at.
10. Water.
Ok I'm off...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Darn Good Quote
Sometimes God calms the storm ... Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms the child. Author Unknown
(I thought of you on this one my quote friend :))
(I thought of you on this one my quote friend :))
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Savoring...
Jeremy and my word for the year is disciple and my personal word for the year is savor. Lately I have been realizing how when Aidan was Micah's age (now) I expected so much more from him. So I went back and looked at old pictures of Buddy to make me savor...so I don't make the same mistake again.
Here they are (with a recent picture of his first sleepover, yes...it's a girl :))
Aidan 9 months old and flying...
McDonalds with Daddy. Saturday morning tradition.
A rare moment of sleeping in my arms.
Here they are (with a recent picture of his first sleepover, yes...it's a girl :))
Aidan 9 months old and flying...
McDonalds with Daddy. Saturday morning tradition.
A rare moment of sleeping in my arms.
His first sleepover(at his house) with his friend Jamie. And yes they actually slept!
Thursday, May 08, 2008
What Defines You?
Define: " To determine the precise signification of; to fix the meaning of; to describe accurately; to explain; to expound or interpret; as, to define a word, a phrase, or a scientific term. "
So you knew it was coming...my deep thoughts. I've been doing some soul searching, discussion and Bible reading and find myself asking others (and myself) this question a lot. What defines you? Is it your job? Your relationships? The church you go to? Where you live? The size jeans you wear? Who your parents were?...
The list could go on and on and if I allow myself to be defined by these things I will constantly be like the waves.... because man in the last 4 years a lot of those (all) have changed. So I need to be grounded in truth. All of those things shape me, but define me? Nah... I want my heart to be what describes me. A heart for God, my husband, my children. So much of the scripture focused on our heart. A change of heart, loving with all our heart (Matthew 22:37), a contrite heart (David in Psalm 51:17), Onesimus to Paul (Philemon 12) or those that have a hardening of the heart (Pharaoh in Exodus 4:21).
On that note the following is a commencement address given by the Author Anna Quindlen at Villanova University. It's a good reminder of what our "resumes" are made up of and addresses the heart. A little optimistic or dreamy but makes some good points all the same. I highlighted a couple of the best parts. So read on my friends...
So you knew it was coming...my deep thoughts. I've been doing some soul searching, discussion and Bible reading and find myself asking others (and myself) this question a lot. What defines you? Is it your job? Your relationships? The church you go to? Where you live? The size jeans you wear? Who your parents were?...
The list could go on and on and if I allow myself to be defined by these things I will constantly be like the waves.... because man in the last 4 years a lot of those (all) have changed. So I need to be grounded in truth. All of those things shape me, but define me? Nah... I want my heart to be what describes me. A heart for God, my husband, my children. So much of the scripture focused on our heart. A change of heart, loving with all our heart (Matthew 22:37), a contrite heart (David in Psalm 51:17), Onesimus to Paul (Philemon 12) or those that have a hardening of the heart (Pharaoh in Exodus 4:21).
On that note the following is a commencement address given by the Author Anna Quindlen at Villanova University. It's a good reminder of what our "resumes" are made up of and addresses the heart. A little optimistic or dreamy but makes some good points all the same. I highlighted a couple of the best parts. So read on my friends...
It's a great honor for me to be the third member of my family to receive an honorary doctorate from this great university. It's an honor to follow my great-uncle Jim, who was a gifted physician, and my Uncle Jack, who is a remarkable businessman. Both of them could have told you something important about their professions, about medicine or commerce.
I have no specialized field of interest or expertise, which puts me at a disadvantage, talking to you today. I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. The second is only part of the first.
Don't ever forget what a friend once wrote Senator Paul Tsongas when the senator decided not to run for reelection because he'd been diagnosed with cancer: "No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time in the office." Don't ever forget the words my father sent me on a postcard last year: "If you win the rat race, you're still a rat." Or what John Lennon wrote before he was gunned down in the driveway of the Dakota: "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans."
You walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree; there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your minds, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account, but your soul.
People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is a cold comfort on a winter night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've gotten back the test results and they're not so good.
Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my profession stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the center of the universe. I show up. I listen, I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my friends, and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cutout. But call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh.
I would be rotten, or at best mediocre at my job, if those other things were not true. You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are.
So here is what I wanted to tell you today:
Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast? Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze over Seaside Heights, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water gap or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a cheerio with her thumb and first finger.
Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Each time you look at your diploma, remember that you are still a student, still learning how to best treasure your connection to others. Pick up the phone. Send an e-mail. Write a letter. Kiss your Mom. Hug your Dad. Get a life in which you are generous.
Look around at the azaleas in the suburban neighborhood where you grew up; look at a full moon hanging silver in a black, black sky on a cold night.
And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Once in a while take money you would have spent on beers and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister.
All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough. It is so easy to waste our lives: our days, our hours, our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of the azaleas, the sheen of the limestone on Fifth Avenue, the color of our kid's eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of live. I learned to live many years ago.
Something really, really bad happened to me, something that changed my life in ways that, if I had my druthers, it would never have been changed at all. And what I learned from it is what, today, seems to be the hardest lesson of all. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and to try to give some of it back because I believed in it completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this:
Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the backyard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness because if you do you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived.
Well, you can learn all those things, out there, if you get a life, a full life, a professional life, yes, but another life, too, a life of love and laughs and a connection to other human beings. Just keep your eyes and ears open. Here you could learn in the classroom. There the classroom is everywhere. The exam comes at the very end. No man ever said on his deathbed I wish I had spent more time at the office. I found one of my best teachers on the boardwalk at Coney Island maybe 15 years ago. It was December, and I was doing a story about how the homeless survive in the winter months.
He and I sat on the edge of the wooden supports, dangling our feet over the side, and he told me about his schedule; panhandling the boulevard when the summer crowds were gone, sleeping in a church when the temperature went below freezing, hiding from the police amidst the Tilt a Whirl and the Cyclone and some of the other seasonal rides. But he told me that most of the time he stayed on the boardwalk, facing the water, just the way we were sitting now even when it got cold and he had to wear his newspapers after he read them.
And I asked him why. Why didn't he go to one of the shelters? Why didn't he check himself into the hospital for detox? And he just stared out at the ocean and said, "Look at the view, young lady. Look at the view."
And every day, in some little way, I try to do what he said. I try to look at the view. And that's the last thing I have to tell you today, words of wisdom from a man with not a dime in his pocket, no place to go, nowhere to be. Look at the view. You'll never be disappointed.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Allergies and Attitutdes
Man is anybody else out there dying these days? We are all puffy eyed and sniffling around here. Aidan seems to handling spring time allergies especially tough which means he isn't so easy to live with. Well I hope that's what is contributing to the attitude because I am out of energy as a mom, however I did get a special moment with him tonight just laying in bed and cuddling. Good reminder.
So that's my whining for now. All the other deep thoughts I have would wear us all out so I'll come back later...
Crysti, your shed sounds appealing can I move in for a couple days? :)
So that's my whining for now. All the other deep thoughts I have would wear us all out so I'll come back later...
Crysti, your shed sounds appealing can I move in for a couple days? :)
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
10 Cents
I've been meaning to post this blog for a while but life has been full. Micah ended up in urgent care on Friday night, Jeremy's dad came into town for the weekend, we cut down trees...
I'm writing this more for a scrapbook journal for someday but those of you that humor me can read on.
Anyway, as you know we have started chores around the house for Aidan and he makes money so he can buy legos. He had $19 saved in his piggy bank (still some left from birthday money). And so we went to the store on Friday to pick out his newest purchase. He chose a Mars Mission space thing for $9.99 and then he decided that Micah also needed something so he preceded to help us look for a Woody (from Toy Story) for Micah. All him. No prompting. Just a little boy taking care of his brother. And then to top it off when Micah wanted some Goldfish he offered to pay for that too. When we went to check out he had .10 cents remaining. Man I wish I had a heart like that. To give willingly. And give all I had. I love that my little boy can teach me lessons, I still have a lot to learn.
I'm writing this more for a scrapbook journal for someday but those of you that humor me can read on.
Anyway, as you know we have started chores around the house for Aidan and he makes money so he can buy legos. He had $19 saved in his piggy bank (still some left from birthday money). And so we went to the store on Friday to pick out his newest purchase. He chose a Mars Mission space thing for $9.99 and then he decided that Micah also needed something so he preceded to help us look for a Woody (from Toy Story) for Micah. All him. No prompting. Just a little boy taking care of his brother. And then to top it off when Micah wanted some Goldfish he offered to pay for that too. When we went to check out he had .10 cents remaining. Man I wish I had a heart like that. To give willingly. And give all I had. I love that my little boy can teach me lessons, I still have a lot to learn.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Good Stuff Snow and all.
Despite the snow here are my top 10 things to be thankful for today.
1. Coffee. Always coffee.
2. A new girly fun summer purse.
3. Flowers budding randomly all over the nasty front yard.
4. Homemade salsa by Jeremy.
5. New music from my cousin.
6. New green socks from my cousin.
7. Truly trusting in God's provision.
8. Watching the final Biggest Loser winner. Yeah Ali!
9. Jeremy getting to enjoy his new mountain bike (finally!)
10. Running to randomly selected songs on my shuffle and hearing some music I had completely forgotten about (and Christmas music in April).
Good stuff. Here's to life.
1. Coffee. Always coffee.
2. A new girly fun summer purse.
3. Flowers budding randomly all over the nasty front yard.
4. Homemade salsa by Jeremy.
5. New music from my cousin.
6. New green socks from my cousin.
7. Truly trusting in God's provision.
8. Watching the final Biggest Loser winner. Yeah Ali!
9. Jeremy getting to enjoy his new mountain bike (finally!)
10. Running to randomly selected songs on my shuffle and hearing some music I had completely forgotten about (and Christmas music in April).
Good stuff. Here's to life.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Spontaneous Blessings....again and again
Wow what a weekend.
Friday morning I was just done...you know those days when you are yelling before breakfast is done (assuming any of you actually yell :)) So when Jeremy came home early on Friday afternoon from work I was delighted (and also knew he had hit the wall too). He had been going nonstop for the last 2 weeks between church and work and we were both in some need of rest. But with 2 boys where does rest come from? Especially rest and time together?
Well, Friday night we were leaving the Barnes (our Pastor's) house after a meeting we said "ok we are outta here "...and they said yeah leave the boys here. Aidan and Jaime (their 4 year old) will have fun and Micah is already sleeping so just come back in the morning. And you know what we did? We took them up on it and ran to the hills!! We went out that night and then we went out for breakfast in the morning. When we picked up our kids they were completely worn out so they rested most of Saturday afternoon while Jeremy and I picked rocks in our backyard. And even though it's rocks... it's time together again. (A much longer story than that but I'll spare all the details.)
Then...
Saturday night Jeremy's sister came and watched our boys and we got out again. Pappadeax need a say more...
Then...
Sunday after church we had a staff meeting and I had nobody to watch the boys and so I thought no big deal I'll just not go. And somebody volunteered to watch our boys for us...again. Then we got the afternoon to pick rocks together again.
And today we got more time together again to pick rocks as Jeremy was able to take vacation time so we can get some landscape work done while the sun shines.
Lesson? I have wonderful people in my life. Thank you. Thank you. And a wonderful God who takes care of us.
On another note please continue to pray for my friend Kim's little 2 year old, Lu-Lu. As some of you may (or may not) know she had heart surgery at the end of last summer. Without giving you the full blown story I will say she is in need of prayer to stay strong thorough some rough weeks lately. She has had coupe and because of so much flem she was throwing up...some with blood. Kim updates at... luludavis.blogspot.com when she isn't completely exhausted. Pray for some encouraging days in the midst of this journey for them.
Friday morning I was just done...you know those days when you are yelling before breakfast is done (assuming any of you actually yell :)) So when Jeremy came home early on Friday afternoon from work I was delighted (and also knew he had hit the wall too). He had been going nonstop for the last 2 weeks between church and work and we were both in some need of rest. But with 2 boys where does rest come from? Especially rest and time together?
Well, Friday night we were leaving the Barnes (our Pastor's) house after a meeting we said "ok we are outta here "...and they said yeah leave the boys here. Aidan and Jaime (their 4 year old) will have fun and Micah is already sleeping so just come back in the morning. And you know what we did? We took them up on it and ran to the hills!! We went out that night and then we went out for breakfast in the morning. When we picked up our kids they were completely worn out so they rested most of Saturday afternoon while Jeremy and I picked rocks in our backyard. And even though it's rocks... it's time together again. (A much longer story than that but I'll spare all the details.)
Then...
Saturday night Jeremy's sister came and watched our boys and we got out again. Pappadeax need a say more...
Then...
Sunday after church we had a staff meeting and I had nobody to watch the boys and so I thought no big deal I'll just not go. And somebody volunteered to watch our boys for us...again. Then we got the afternoon to pick rocks together again.
And today we got more time together again to pick rocks as Jeremy was able to take vacation time so we can get some landscape work done while the sun shines.
Lesson? I have wonderful people in my life. Thank you. Thank you. And a wonderful God who takes care of us.
On another note please continue to pray for my friend Kim's little 2 year old, Lu-Lu. As some of you may (or may not) know she had heart surgery at the end of last summer. Without giving you the full blown story I will say she is in need of prayer to stay strong thorough some rough weeks lately. She has had coupe and because of so much flem she was throwing up...some with blood. Kim updates at... luludavis.blogspot.com when she isn't completely exhausted. Pray for some encouraging days in the midst of this journey for them.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Bored.
Yep you read that right I'm bored. Not at home but in the gym. It's been 8 months since Jeremy's heart scare and so we both started running with the intent to work toward running something BIG and long (and painful). Well the painful came through for Jeremy with a hip injury that he has been battling since early on. And let's just say the elliptical isn't the same as a long night run outside and the weather hasn't exactly been cooperating with mountain biking. So Jeremy is struggling finding ways to workout. And I want to run something with him so I too am looking for ways to stay in shape other than the treadmill. (And strength training is SO boring I could just scream.)
So Saturday morning I was watching the boys play at Chick-fil-a and thought...they are getting a workout and don't even know it. What ever happened to playing for exercise? So we did...Jeremy and I played some old fashioned basketball and it was fun to be a kid again. And I woke up Sunday morning super sore.
And then yesterday I went to one of those dorky classes at the gym. Again just to mix it up. (I thought I was doing a core class turned out to be a kickboxing/bootcamp/core mix something). Anyway I ran suicides just like old track days and did some roundabout moves. And yep...calves are killing me. I guess it goes to show that logging the miles on the treadmill doesn't make you invincible.
So here's to being a kid again...let the games begin :)
So Saturday morning I was watching the boys play at Chick-fil-a and thought...they are getting a workout and don't even know it. What ever happened to playing for exercise? So we did...Jeremy and I played some old fashioned basketball and it was fun to be a kid again. And I woke up Sunday morning super sore.
And then yesterday I went to one of those dorky classes at the gym. Again just to mix it up. (I thought I was doing a core class turned out to be a kickboxing/bootcamp/core mix something). Anyway I ran suicides just like old track days and did some roundabout moves. And yep...calves are killing me. I guess it goes to show that logging the miles on the treadmill doesn't make you invincible.
So here's to being a kid again...let the games begin :)
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Puppy, Lego Chores, and top 5
Our internet is wacko...so now that it is working for 5 minutes I'll post for you all. (Especially you that are so interested in my life. You know I can't back down a challenge.)
We lost Micah's stuffed puppy for a day this week. It was truly traumatic...I didn't know I was as attached to puppy (or more) than he was. Thankfully he was at the check in counter at the Dr. office. Counted my blessings on that one.
Aidan had a rite of passage of cashing in his money at the bank and going to the Lego store (Colorado Mills mall for you Lori) and selecting his very first EARNED lego. We have started the chore chart and he is loving it. Good stuff. I only hope his enthusiasm continues. If this continues I will have more accomplished than I can imagine around here...He loves to "have a job".
And yes here is my top 5...or 6 or 3
We lost Micah's stuffed puppy for a day this week. It was truly traumatic...I didn't know I was as attached to puppy (or more) than he was. Thankfully he was at the check in counter at the Dr. office. Counted my blessings on that one.
Aidan had a rite of passage of cashing in his money at the bank and going to the Lego store (Colorado Mills mall for you Lori) and selecting his very first EARNED lego. We have started the chore chart and he is loving it. Good stuff. I only hope his enthusiasm continues. If this continues I will have more accomplished than I can imagine around here...He loves to "have a job".
And yes here is my top 5...or 6 or 3
5 things you can’t live without under 5 dollars:
1. Two Decaf coffees brewed at Starbucks with cream and sugar (under 5) and the DVD player (ok more than 5 bucks I know) in the car for the boys so Jeremy and I can talk.
2. Magazines and Catalogs.
3. Fruit.
4. Water bottles (that I keep losing and usually cost more than 5 bucks to begin with)
5. Lego guys for Aidan. He can take just one guy out of the house and be entertained for hours…now if we could only find Micah entertainment like that.
5 Favorite Movies:(in no particular order and change all the time)
Ok…favorite is too hard so these are movies that either make me think or are just good for the soul.
1. Dead Poets Society
2. A Beautiful Mind
3. Stand By Me
4. Footloose
5. Forget
5 Songs (or albums) you could listen to over and over again: (again, no order)
1. Rich Mullins any song any time…except for that goofy battleship song.
2. Mixes that my sis in law Jenn gives me
3. Old Monster Ballads
4. Sarah McLachlan Christmas Album…especially “River”
5. Jennifer Knapp “Faithful”
5 people who have had a positive influence in your life:
1. My husband…who has challenged me to grow since “Country Kitchen days” and loves me more than anybody.
2. Freda…who I call my “adopted grandma”. She took in our family from the day my parents moved into the neighborhood. She lived with joy until the Lord took her home. I hope I can be an old woman like that (well and a young woman like that too!)
3. Denise…my cousin who has been a sister to me since day one.
4. Aidan and Micah…if your kids don’t have a positive influence on you I don’t know who will! Nothing like little eyes watching your actions and life.
5. My dad…who lived his vows faithfully “till death do us part”.
6. And yep my whole band of sisters.
5 things in your purse you cannot live without:
1. Cell phone/Bluetooth
2. Keys
3. Wallet
How does all that take up all that space? J
5 moments that changed your life forever:
1. Waking up at a track meet to have a phone call from my dad to hear the news that my mom had died.
2. Going to CCU in the fall of 1995.
3. Sitting on a park bench with Jeremy in the fall of 1995 and having “the talk”…my wedding day wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for that day.
4. Sitting at Macaroni Grill and realizing I don’t want to grow old and have no grandkids…and thus Aidan is in the making.
5. Getting a job as a Math Teacher with an English and PE degree.
5 current obsessions:
1. Celebrating the everyday.
2. Challenging others to grow and live with passion.
3. Finding ways to put flaxseed in everything.
4. Making sure that things are special…as soon as it becomes entitlement then it’s time to reevaluate.
5. Finding what truly fills me up in life.
5 places I would love to travel:
1. Backpacking anywhere with just Jeremy and I.
2. Touring by bike…again pretty much anywhere.
3. The beach. Just give me water and sunshine!
4.
5. Holy Lands
5 people who’s top 5 you would like to see:
…Ha, I’m not one to name names…Ok Crysti you are up
Friday, March 28, 2008
Spring Break Thoughts & Rearranging
I've been working on an "everyday" scrapbook which has been good to reflect on...the everyday. (However I have decided digital scrap booking is not for me...not therapeutic oh well.) Like everyday lessons in life, and everyday routines, and everyday stuff we do. And it's been good to look for that because it can so easily be missed...like the joy of sharing an oreo with Micah that he already licked most of the mint frosting off of. And then at that moment realizing I just ate an oreo that was half eaten and not even caring (official mom badge earned for that one.)
But being out of routine this week was interesting. We get a lot of security from routines (especially me) and it is always good to get shaken up a little. On that note...if you like to rearrange stuff (your decorations, your furniture, etc) what does that say about you? Are you a person that likes to have control? Does it mean your life is out of control? Does it mean you just like to decorate? I have had some interesting discussion on this and will defend my point after I hear others...
But being out of routine this week was interesting. We get a lot of security from routines (especially me) and it is always good to get shaken up a little. On that note...if you like to rearrange stuff (your decorations, your furniture, etc) what does that say about you? Are you a person that likes to have control? Does it mean your life is out of control? Does it mean you just like to decorate? I have had some interesting discussion on this and will defend my point after I hear others...
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Good Stuff of Today.
Love to make lists of stuff to celebrate. Here's this week's...
1. Longer days. (Well the days are the same but the daylight is longer, you know what I mean.)
2. Good conversations between Jeremy and I.
3. Playing board games with Aidan.
4. Eating Little Ceasers Pizza on the sidewalk with the boys.
5. NOT freaking out about van repairs...ok only a little bit.
6. Understanding volume displacement problems...geeky I know.
7. Cheesecake.
8. Micah's deep head back laugh...ah haaaaaaa!
9. Friends that you just click with.
10. Watching Christmas Movies at Easter time.
1. Longer days. (Well the days are the same but the daylight is longer, you know what I mean.)
2. Good conversations between Jeremy and I.
3. Playing board games with Aidan.
4. Eating Little Ceasers Pizza on the sidewalk with the boys.
5. NOT freaking out about van repairs...ok only a little bit.
6. Understanding volume displacement problems...geeky I know.
7. Cheesecake.
8. Micah's deep head back laugh...ah haaaaaaa!
9. Friends that you just click with.
10. Watching Christmas Movies at Easter time.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Everyday Life.
Waiting for daddy to come home.
Micah has turned into my helper these days...mopping has turned into soaking.
Aidan's job...cleaning up the shoes. (Not really, he took that on himself...)
Daddy and Aidan making ALL of his legos. He literally thinks, sleeps, and eats legos these days. He has quite the little mind :)Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Superwoman, Growing Young , Shamrock Shakes, and Life.
So I took a little break for a bit. Had a couple Shamrock Shakes. Needed some time to realize that being superwoman doesn't prove much just causes stress for superwoman's family. So yeah...learning. Love the lyrics to an old Rich Mullins song called Growing Young...
"'Cause I've been broken now I've been saved
I've learned to cry and I've learned how to pray
And I'm learning I'm learning even I can be changed
And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well we are children no more we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
And be growing young
Growing young
Growing young"
So friends grow young with me.
I'm thinking I"ll post some pics soon. Taking pictures of "everyday life again".Boys helping me mop, waiting in the window for daddy to get home...stuff like that. Superwoman...I mean Rach will be back soon.
"'Cause I've been broken now I've been saved
I've learned to cry and I've learned how to pray
And I'm learning I'm learning even I can be changed
And everybody used to tell me big boys don't cry
Well I've been around enough to know that that was the lie
That held back the tears in the eyes of a thousand prodigal sons
Well we are children no more we have sinned and grown old
And our Father still waits and He watches down the road
To see the crying boys come running back to His arms
And be growing young
Growing young
Growing young"
So friends grow young with me.
I'm thinking I"ll post some pics soon. Taking pictures of "everyday life again".Boys helping me mop, waiting in the window for daddy to get home...stuff like that. Superwoman...I mean Rach will be back soon.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Priceless...
i-pod shuffle $70, Running Shoes $90, Running shorts $5. A Colorado sunny Saturday morning run that refreshes your soul...priceless.
Or...
new Lincoln Brewster Music $10, Huge Diet Coke $2, Time alone to listen to it...priceless.
Or...
new Lincoln Brewster Music $10, Huge Diet Coke $2, Time alone to listen to it...priceless.
Friday, February 29, 2008
A Mastercard Ad
I'm back...So yep a little sunshine and some peace and quiet has done wonders for me today. So here is my inspiration...
http://aliedwards.typepad.com/
And she quotes from the mastercard ad, " Are people who discover the priceless things in life looking harder?"
And I am wondering if I (you) were to write an ad what would you say?
You know...2 tickets to the zoo $, 1 stroller $...discovering a day of exploring with your children...priceless (that one is for you Tina).
So I'm thinking on it and will get back to you...Let me know if you have any "priceless" thoughts (you know all you who have no life :))
http://aliedwards.typepad.com/
And she quotes from the mastercard ad, " Are people who discover the priceless things in life looking harder?"
And I am wondering if I (you) were to write an ad what would you say?
You know...2 tickets to the zoo $, 1 stroller $...discovering a day of exploring with your children...priceless (that one is for you Tina).
So I'm thinking on it and will get back to you...Let me know if you have any "priceless" thoughts (you know all you who have no life :))
"The Hummer"
Sure enough Aidan already has a name for the newest member of the family. "Daddy's hummer." Not much we can do to convince him otherwise. So if you hear us talking about a hummer know that we 1) Haven't gotten another car 2) are aware that it's an xterra, not a hummer .
On another note I must defend my friends...If you read our blog it doesn't mean you have no life. Jeremy is just jealous of all my deep thoughts. (Which in this last week have been non-existent.) I'll be back soon, maybe some Colorado sunshine and time at the park will give me some inspiration.
On another note I must defend my friends...If you read our blog it doesn't mean you have no life. Jeremy is just jealous of all my deep thoughts. (Which in this last week have been non-existent.) I'll be back soon, maybe some Colorado sunshine and time at the park will give me some inspiration.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The new car
I'm guessing that if you read this blog a couple things are true:
I won't bore you with the entire saga of my hip pain and the frustration that goes along with it. Long story short, if I sit upright in a car I'm fine. If I sit lower down with my legs straight out (and using a clutch) I keep re-injuring my hip. It sounds nuts, but 5 months of frustration and semi-scientific experimentation has proved it.
So, meet the new member of the family. Rach and I don't have a stellar car purchasing record over the last 12 years of marriage (this is car number 12) but we think this is a good one. It's a 2007 Xterra and we love it. We haven't named it yet, but I'm sure Aidan will think of something :-)
- you have no life
- you think it's Rachel's blog
- you sometimes tear up while reading it
I won't bore you with the entire saga of my hip pain and the frustration that goes along with it. Long story short, if I sit upright in a car I'm fine. If I sit lower down with my legs straight out (and using a clutch) I keep re-injuring my hip. It sounds nuts, but 5 months of frustration and semi-scientific experimentation has proved it.
So, meet the new member of the family. Rach and I don't have a stellar car purchasing record over the last 12 years of marriage (this is car number 12) but we think this is a good one. It's a 2007 Xterra and we love it. We haven't named it yet, but I'm sure Aidan will think of something :-)
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Good Stuff.
Always good to stop and reflect on the good stuff. The ones that come to mind today...
1. Lego guys and Aidan's imagination
2. Making Lasagna (from scratch) and liking it.
3. Learning that bringing snacks along brings no less joy than stopping for one.
4. Micah's laughter.
5. A healthy husband.
6. Enjoying breakfast out with Jeremy two days in a row. (Thank you Crick and Mindy.)
7. Discovering little treasures by using what I have. Old jackets and sweaters.
8. Just being at home more.
9. Being educated in politics :P (or at least a tiny start.)
10. Hearing Micah pray...with hooray at the end.
1. Lego guys and Aidan's imagination
2. Making Lasagna (from scratch) and liking it.
3. Learning that bringing snacks along brings no less joy than stopping for one.
4. Micah's laughter.
5. A healthy husband.
6. Enjoying breakfast out with Jeremy two days in a row. (Thank you Crick and Mindy.)
7. Discovering little treasures by using what I have. Old jackets and sweaters.
8. Just being at home more.
9. Being educated in politics :P (or at least a tiny start.)
10. Hearing Micah pray...with hooray at the end.
Monday, February 18, 2008
More Theology From Aidan...
Last night we were reading about Moses and crossing the red sea. And as I was reading the story and the Israelites were waiting to go across Aidan asked, "why didn't God give them a boat to cross?"
And I thought...I bet they were thinking the same thing. And yet a boat wasn't in God's plan because he was getting ready to do something bigger. Way bigger.
So to those of you that are looking for a boat to cross whatever it is that you facing, know that God is getting ready to send you a parting of the sea. Get ready for bigger.
And I thought...I bet they were thinking the same thing. And yet a boat wasn't in God's plan because he was getting ready to do something bigger. Way bigger.
So to those of you that are looking for a boat to cross whatever it is that you facing, know that God is getting ready to send you a parting of the sea. Get ready for bigger.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Partied Out
It's now Thursday and I am now getting to recap the BIG open gym bash.
So I realized a couple things...
I need to hire a photographer for events in my life. (Dad we missed you!) Because I barely took any pictures, but boy did I have a blast!
The chicken dance is way more fun than I remember.
Our boys (and us) are blessed with amazing friends and family.
Kids will eat cupcakes flaxseed and all if you put frosting and sprinkles on them.
Big boys (aka dads) play more than little boys when given the chance.
We should always party like we are 2 and 4. (Eating mini marshmallows, jumping into foam pits, jumping wild, and dancing like chickens. )
Life is good. Thanks for celebrating with us.
Jeremy and I are off for a weekend of relaxation...woo hoo. Will be back soon...
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Birthdays Take 1.
Aidan is now 4 (Feb 5th) and Mikey 2 (Feb 4th). (yes...we planned it that way in answer to the question we get often get...not really but fun to be sassy.)
This has been the week of the birthday celebrations.
...Aidan's "school party" on Monday with Daddy Jeremy playing guitar at school for him.
...Micah's family Birthday dinner on Monday night at Buffalo Wild Wings.
...Tuesday lunch for Aidan at the "lego store" to pick out gifts with Birthday Money
...Family party on Tuesday for Both Boys with Aunties and Uncles and Miss Jess. (And cheesy bread, chocolate chip cookies, graham cracker sandwiches, cake, and cupcakes.)
I feel blessed. I really do. (Although I'm already "cup-caked out" and we still have the BIG open gym bash on Sunday.) I won't get too deep though since I'm already catching flack for my Spider man entry :). Here' a couple pictures instead of my ramblings.
The best mac and cheese in town (yes, there is such a thing.)
The purchases. He looks afraid, but really he's totally excited. Just not up for pictures.
My helper. Testing as we go.Thursday, January 31, 2008
A Hero...
Was watching Spider Man 2 tonight (got it for Christmas and it's taken me this long to get to watching it) and remembered why I loved this movie (well at least some of it, some was long and boring but that's besides the point).
It's because of this quote...long quote but worth reading...
"He knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero—courageous, self-sacrificing people setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them…cheer them...scream their names. And years later, they’ll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on a second longer. I believe there’s a hero in all of us…that keeps us honest…gives us strength…makes us noble…and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams. Spider-Man did that for Henry and he wonders where he’s gone. He needs him."
I highlighted the part about giving up our dreams rather than the part about a hero in all of us, because I think this is the part of being an everyday hero that is tough.
I believe I am a hero to my son when I give up "my time" to play legos...again. (Jeremy does this the best, true Dad hero right there.) Or give up my expectations, my plans, my money, my "mys". All these sacrifices are what heroes are. Real heroes. Which come to think of it I really doubt Jesus went into his life saying...man it would be great to be betrayed and to die brutally on a cross. (He did it though. I think sometimes we get so caught up with knowing that he did it out of his love for us that we forget how much it wasn't what he wanted to do, rather it was what he chose to do out of sacrifice.)
And so when we choose give up our dreams...to have a perfect kitchen, to go on dream vacations, to go back to school, to...to sacrifice that which we desire. We exchange them for playing the steady part of the hero ...which sometimes, wait...never, is very glamorous. But I believe that's what God wants for us. I believe Spiderman isn't all theologically correct (in case you were wondering) but it did get me thinking. And I know I have a long way to go before I release all the "mys" in my life. But I hope I can stay steady. For my husband, for my boys, for what which I am called to right now to be a hero to.
It's because of this quote...long quote but worth reading...
"He knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero—courageous, self-sacrificing people setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them…cheer them...scream their names. And years later, they’ll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on a second longer. I believe there’s a hero in all of us…that keeps us honest…gives us strength…makes us noble…and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams. Spider-Man did that for Henry and he wonders where he’s gone. He needs him."
I highlighted the part about giving up our dreams rather than the part about a hero in all of us, because I think this is the part of being an everyday hero that is tough.
I believe I am a hero to my son when I give up "my time" to play legos...again. (Jeremy does this the best, true Dad hero right there.) Or give up my expectations, my plans, my money, my "mys". All these sacrifices are what heroes are. Real heroes. Which come to think of it I really doubt Jesus went into his life saying...man it would be great to be betrayed and to die brutally on a cross. (He did it though. I think sometimes we get so caught up with knowing that he did it out of his love for us that we forget how much it wasn't what he wanted to do, rather it was what he chose to do out of sacrifice.)
And so when we choose give up our dreams...to have a perfect kitchen, to go on dream vacations, to go back to school, to...to sacrifice that which we desire. We exchange them for playing the steady part of the hero ...which sometimes, wait...never, is very glamorous. But I believe that's what God wants for us. I believe Spiderman isn't all theologically correct (in case you were wondering) but it did get me thinking. And I know I have a long way to go before I release all the "mys" in my life. But I hope I can stay steady. For my husband, for my boys, for what which I am called to right now to be a hero to.
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