Little slice of life

I see the cat peer around the corner of the garage, so I know that the door into the house stands wide open. At least it's only 47 out. Or so the car tells me. It is cozy & quiet in here where Lucy is napping & I'm enjoying a moment of calm before entering the after-school chaos inside the house. Drew is puttering around in & out of the garage "fixing" things & raiding his daddy's work bench.

Oh, there goes the cat back inside. Not much to see out here, I suppose. Now Drew is licking a baseball & I can see a wet spot on the back of his pant leg. He wanted to wear training underpants today. Potty training is not going well. He can go in the potty, but generally chooses not to. He can keep his diaper dry for long stretches, but tells me in a matter of fact voice, "Mommy, it's too hard," when I suggest sitting on the little potty. This from a boy who I discovered today knows his right from his left!

I jump, now Darcy is banging on my car door. I push the button & the window goes down...2 guesses, but you only need one..."Mom, can I have something to eat??" I ask what she wants & cereal it is, so I say okay. I get a quick status update on the state of things inside & decide I can stay put a few more minutes. Besides, I am watching Drew & it is so warm & cozy here.

Drew updates me on the status of his car repairs, "Mom, I fixed my car with Daddy's hammer. And with his triangle." And so he did. And he goes back & forth between his car & the tool bench talking to himself the whole time. Good thing we have a nearly endless supply of wood pieces. I'm not sure exactly what they are fixing, but the pile on the car keeps growing.

Darcy is back again. Bowl of cereal finished & a good report that Jack has started his homework. He didn't get to watch the Super Bowl last night, so it is on the docket for the afternoon if he gets his work finished quickly & with no complaints. He is actually pretty good at that, especially with football as a motivator!

Inside, I know there are folders waiting to be signed, Sophie will need to read to me, and Drew still has that wet spot needing to be changed. Then laundry to fold & put away, and dinner to be started.
Oh, now here's Jack wanting me to check his geometry problems in math...reflection, rotation & translation. And he tells me he's going to work ahead to finish the all the homework in this unit (he enjoys geometry just like his mama.) After a few minutes, he wants to get in the car to work, so I know the gig is up. I convince him to go inside to finish his work for tomorrow, so he can watch the game.

Almost immediately Darcy comes out screaming because she says Jack hit her because she was sitting where he wanted to sit. Yes, the gig is definitely up. Lucy is awake from the crying, but at least she's content.

It was nice while it lasted...back to reality!

(And this is who greeted me in the kitchen...Sophie-Fixit-Man! Complete with taped on brown moustache & beard!)

Blog Anything

I am tired & I am fighting a cold/cough. I am frustrated that I have not written a blog post in 25 days & have pretty much stunk it up at keeping that lovely list of "resolutions" that I last wrote about (25 days ago!) I have thought of countless clever blog titles & things that I'd like to post. I have spent many hours at the computer editing photos & trying to update my blog header. (I love the new Mac my hubby so wonderfully surprised me with at Christmas, but I realized that we have not purchased any software for it, so I can't do simple Word documents & such right now.) I have a busy, fun day tomorrow volunteering at the kids' school, so I really need to get to bed now...but as each day passes by, the thought of getting back into blogging, of catching up on everything, well it gets more & more overwhelming.
So here I am, outside the window, boom box held high singing In Your Eyes and hoping this time I can make it work...that I can stick with it!
One of these days I'll get my header updated (or I could just be really early for next Christmas, ha!!) One of these days, I am going to post pictures from our Christmas, not because you want to see them at this point, but because I want to post them.
So there, I blogged something, anything!  Nope, it's not pretty & it's definitely not perfect...I just hope you all get the Say Anything reference & no one thinks I'm actually standing outside a window somewhere. ;-)

Oh, and because Say Anything makes me think of great love stories, here is a real life one for you...my dear & wonderful in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last week!

 Isn't this wedding photo beautiful!

  God has blessed their marriage in many ways, including 3 children & 8 grandchildren...but the real blessing is the wonderful example they have set for all of us! 

Happy Golden Anniversary Pop & Nana! 

We love you & are so thankful for all you do for us!
(I will share more photos from our celebration dinner when I get back into a better blogging routine!)

Where to begin?

It's a brand new year & we had wonderful holidays, but honestly I still feel like my mind is somewhere back, oh, mid-September...how has all this time elapsed so quickly?? I get tired of hearing myself say how behind I am on blogging, so I know you all must be sick of it...but it's true, I am behind, waaaaay behind. And I know that I don't have to blog, nor do I have a schedule that I must adhere to, but I enjoy blogging & it is my way of capturing for posterity just a little bit of what our life is like now. I think I know I will want to remember these days, both special holidays & plain-jane days...so I do like to keep up with everything here & that is why I am often having to catch-up. And right now, I am not sure where to start...there is still Jack's birthday party post from the start of December waiting to be finished...and the annual ladies Christmas Tea, assorted Christmas parties, programs, parades, concerts & more, my annual Christmas Cookie Exchange, Christmas outings, oh, and Christmas itself with multiple family gatherings & much joy! December truly was a fantastic, fun & faith-filled month!
But for now, I will start with today, January 1, 2012. a new year, a fresh start! And I promise (myself) that I will get to all of those other posts very soon! (And also update the blog header!) I look forward to sharing all those special events with you & reliving them as I look at the photos & write about the memories. And I am not generally one to make a lot of New Year's resolutions, but this year I do have a few...(definitely not listed in order of importance!)
-I would like to blog at least twice a week, every week...but extend myself grace when I don't.
-I would like to spend more time playing games & reading books with my kids.
-I would like to be more intentional in my time with God...reading more of His word & spending more time in prayer listening.
-I would like to start planning our dinner menu weekly...or at the very least have a plan for dinner each night before 5:00pm!
-I would like to entertain friends in our home more often...and invite new friends over who we would like to get to know better...and release myself from the pressure of having to do things "big"...just simple get-togethers, low-key & fun!
-I would like to exercise purposefully 2-3 times a week...just doing something...walking (definitely not running!), jumping on the trampoline, squats, lunges, crunches...I'm being super honest here, but anything would be more than I have been doing (unless you count, chasing kids, carrying kids, going up & down stairs, & squatting to pick up toys all day long!)
-I would like to be more available to help others when they need something & to be used where God wants me to serve.
-I would like to be more disciplined in when I go to bed (I'm saying this at 1:45 am) & when I get up.
-I would like to live my life so that others can see where my priorities lie...God first, then husband, kids, church/family/friends.

Well, I guess that is a lot of things! Hmmmm, maybe this is why I generally do not do resolutions...oh well, let's see how things go!

And since I said I would start with today...here are some family photos we took today. My brother, Pete, generally only visits once a year for a couple of weeks at Christmastime. The kids spend the whole year looking forward to his time here, and this year was no exception. They have enjoyed every minute spent with Uncle Pete! My parents & Pete came over this afternoon so that we could attempt to get a family photo for the first time in many years...The kids were actually fairly cooperative, but out of 100 photos, these are the best...and still there is generally someone moving, not looking or making a funny face in each one...but that is life & that's what I want to remember!

 Darcy all sweet & snuggly on our new couch (thanks to a little Christmas $$) 

 Jeff (the most awesome husband!!) spent most of Friday & all day Saturday purchasing, loading, unloading & assembling the new couch & entertainment console. We love IKEA furniture, but it did involve 1,037 boxes & a whole lot of parts!

 But we have wanted a couch in our living room for so long & already it is a loved, much used space! We look forward to much snuggling by the fire the winter!

Lucy's new favorite person! 

 Uncle Pete adores his newest niece...

 ...and the feeling...

 ...is most definitely mutual!

 Sophie being a ham in Grandpa's hat

 Yaya doesn't let Uncle Pete have all the time with Lucy!

 Horsing around

 Piggy back rides for everyone! (Between that & jumping on the trampoline, Uncle Pete's going to need a back adjustment when he goes home!)

 We had to wake Drew up from his nap while we still had light outside for pictures...

 "You woke me up for what??""

Lucy's always ready to smile!

 Getting the area set for pictures

 I don't have a tripod, but our ice bucket & stand worked great...just had to get the height just right...too low...

 Still not quite right

 Better, but now Jack pinched Darcy

Okay peeps, smile!

Lucy looks right...

 and Lucy looks left...

 Now Drew looks to the sky!

Everyone almost looking!

 Even closer!

Hey, everyone looking!! Smiles, optional!

Everyone looking & smiling, even Sophie...but you can't tell since her head is behind Lucy!

 You know we kept trying different poses to keep things fun!

 Yaya & Grandpa with the grandkids!

Things are starting to get a little silly...

 Jack is tickling Drew's ear...and

Yippeee! Drew is SO excited that we are done & he can go play ball!!
Wishing you all a very Happy & Blessed New Year! 

Christmas Imperfection

Whew, I last left you right after Thanksgiving & as we were preparing for Jack's 10th birthday celebration...and here I sit the night after Christmas.

A whole lot of life has happened in this last month...birthday parties, Christmas teas, concerts, programs & parties (yes, all plural!), Cookie Exchanges, outings with friends & all sorts of merriment & festivities! We decorated the house real purty, oh & there was the shopping, the laundry, the cooking & all the preparations for the aforementioned parties, programs, presents & the like.

There was a whole lot of picture taking going on...2500 photos taken in November & December alone! And, sadly, what was not happening during that time was blogging. I had the best of intentions & lots of ideas & blog-worthy events rolling around in my head, but they never made it to the screen. Partly because our PC has been dying a slow & painful death...at least that's what it feels like any time I try to do something. So photos didn't get edited or uploaded & blogs did not get written.

But {squeals of delight!!!} my dear & wonderful & thoughtful husband surprised me on Christmas & he surprised me good! For now I sit in my familiar office chair at the same desk I've used for at least 10 years, but there is a nice, new, shiny, pretty, awesome & fast iMac smiling back at me!!! My dinosaur PC is still hanging on for a bit longer while I figure out how to get all of my stuff (mainly 100 GB of photos from the last 10 years!) transferred over as quickly & efficiently as possible...so far it is somewhat challenging, but I am sure we will prevail! And once I'm up to speed on the new operating system, I am hoping to gain some efficiency blogging. My goal for the New Year is 2-3 posts a week...but that's a post for another day!

So tonight I just want to say that I hope you all had a blessed Merry Christmas. I do LOVE Christmastime & can't wait to share all of our fun things with you in upcoming blog posts. This time of year literally sparkles & that just makes me happy. But as the song says, "All the presents & lights make the holiday nice, but the real gift is you...Happy Birthday, Jesus...Jesus, I love you!"

These pictures are from our Christmas Eve...everyone so cute in their new Christmas PJs, but the night was fraught with imperfection.

Our church has three beautiful candle-light services on Christmas Eve. We were scheduled to serve in the nursery at church for the 4:00pm service & planned to meet family at the 6:00pm service. We needed to be at church at 3:00pm. At about 2:30 we woke Drew from his nap only to discover he had a fever of 103.5...so quick change of plans. Jeff took the big 3 to church to serve & attend the service, and I stayed home with a pitiful Drew & a perky Lucy!

I had visions of finishing up the present wrapping & snapping some pics of Lucy looking oh-so-adorable! in her pretty Christmas Eve outfit...

But, alas, I forgot what it is like to stay home with a sick little one...for he was a bit hyper & then a whole lot of needy. So we snuggled & had some together time & then I got both kids down for a nap...

And I wrapped about three presents before everyone was home from church & kids were up & the excitement of Christmas EVE had set in!!

 So we got the kids into their cute Christmas PJs & steered everyone towards the tree...

 Someone was moving, jumping, squinting or wiggling in every shot!

 Can you tell that Drew is feverish?!! Poor thing, he really was a champ!

 Christmas Eve Cuteness!!

Oh, the imperfection of it all!

 The loud, messy, blurry, painful imperfection.

 But it made me think & reminded me of the first sacrifice Jesus made when He who IS perfection took on flesh. He was born a lowly birth & laid {ever so lovingly} in a cold, hard feeding trough.

 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One & Only, who came from the Father, full of grace & truth. John 1:14

And so, He not only bore our sins, but he lived in this imperfect world & experienced the pain of living inside a mortal, human body. He remained perfect in spirit, yet was fully man & fully God. Amazing, amazing love!

 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5 

 Wow, I've realized my own views of imperfection are so small when I think on the perfection of Jesus wrapped in imperfect cloth, imperfect skin...when I try to picture in my mind Jesus in Heaven amid utter splendor & perfection saying to the Father, "Okay, I will go. I will trade this for them."

Truly, truly! a weary world rejoices at this unfathomable display of love! 

And so I celebrate our imperfection this Christmas because Jesus came to redeem the imperfection of this world...and that's the best gift I could ever imagine!