tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58814612024-03-16T02:07:47.344-05:00Kevin and Amy's WorldAmy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.comBlogger1599125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-67124251943606610102014-11-12T10:10:00.006-05:002014-11-12T10:13:21.520-05:00Blogging Adventures Continue<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey everyone! </div>
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After mulling it over for a while I’m going to do something
that lots of friends of mine have done, but I have never done. I’m going to give my blogging life a fresh
start elsewhere. I have loved blogging
at Kevin and Amy’s World, even though it’s primarily been Amy’s World. (By the way, Kevin, thanks for letting me use
your name on my blog all these years!) I
might still post some personal stuff here from time to time, but I will be
primarily posting at my <a href="http://amykoons.net/" target="_blank">new blog</a>. </div>
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I have had a very sporadic blogging life these past few
years. It must have something to do with
adding child #3 which I thought was pretty tricky and then child #4 which gave
me a whole new definition of tricky. </div>
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So I feel it’s time to start afresh and rekindle my love of
writing about life and books and kids and whatever else is going on. </div>
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So, if you are still around, all five of you who might by
chance still read this blog, you can now change your Feedly account and check
out what’s happening over at my new blog: </div>
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<i><a href="http://amykoons.net/" target="_blank">Living Everything</a> </i>at
<a href="http://amykoons.net/" target="_blank">www.amykoons.net </a></div>
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I hope to see you there!
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Warmly, </div>
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Amy </div>
Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-42071676201779977292014-10-15T12:17:00.001-05:002014-10-15T12:17:59.595-05:00Glorious Fall at Eagle Creek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We took a break from all the household chores that love to ensnare us on the weekend, and went on a fall hike. You just have to put it on the calendar sometimes, like you would a doctor appointment, or it simply won't ever happen! </div>
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This is the time of year I wish would last for at least six months but, alas, it's over all too quickly. We are lucky to get three weeks of it! So we try to savor what we can.</div>
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It was a three mile hike and so we had to bribe the kids with hot chocolate (mochas for the adults) and chewy ginger cookies. It worked! They made it!</div>
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Happy Autumn!</div>
<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-56666753716879913022014-10-15T12:12:00.000-05:002014-10-15T12:12:41.478-05:00Meandering at the Zoo<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the best things about getting a zoo pass is that you “have
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And you don’t have to see everything in one day, of course, because you’ll
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Yesterday we went to the zoo. We had been studying really, really hard and I felt the kids deserved something fun in their life as a reward for all their hard work. (I'm a Work Hard, Play Hard kind of person.) We were out running an errand and decided at the last minute to go go the zoo. </div>
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I let the kids each pick one thing to see. We meandered lazily, spending a long time
watching the flamingos stomp in the mud with their webbed feet and use their
beaks to filter food they found in the mud.
It was actually very interesting to spend a chunk of time observing the flamingo. This is the type of thing that never happens when you're in a hurry to "see it all." </div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-66494239635044090632014-10-15T11:53:00.001-05:002014-10-15T12:04:27.710-05:00Friends and Dunes<div class="MsoNormal">
So many pictures to upload off my phone, so little time … Here are the pics from our little jaunt to <st1:state w:st="on">Michigan</st1:state> last
August. This trip was inspired by a
desire to see some dear friends and also some intriguing pictures in a
travel magazine, which touted Sleeping Bear Dunes as one of the top 10 places
to take kids. Since it’s roughly six
hours away, we figured it would be a fairly easy three-day trip.</div>
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First we met our friends <a href="http://bensmom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">the Reitzes</a> in this quaint German
town called Frankenmuth. All the
planters were gorgeous and it definitely had a European feel to it. </div>
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I had to take this picture of Rachelle at the brewery where we had lunch. How cute is that little mug? </div>
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We enjoyed catching up with the Reitz family! We are so glad they live in the <st1:place w:st="on">Midwest</st1:place> now!</div>
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A coffee break in Cadillac. This is where Michigan started getting really pretty:</div>
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We checked into our hotel in Traverse City. After the kids played with the Murphy bed for a bit, we set out to explore the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Old</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Mission</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Peninsula. </st1:placetype></st1:place>The drive was chock full of scenic vistas and rolling orchards and wineries. It was just beautiful. And I think the lighthouse beach at the end of the peninsula is probably one of the most random-fun places I have seen. </div>
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This beach was so quirky with all of the <st1:city w:st="on">cairns</st1:city>. You could walk more than a mile in transparent water stretching out over a sandbar. It was peaceful, calm, breathtaking. We sat there while the kids played for about an hour. I could have stayed much longer. </div>
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Then there was the infamous Dune Climb. It was a workout but not as bad as I’d expected. Maybe this was due to the fact that it had rained that morning and the sand was more compact than normal? We got lucky! And the view at the top was definitely worth the perspiration!</div>
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Isn’t this spectacular?!</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Taking time to observe a friendly monarch butterfly. </span></div>
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Resting after a picnic lunch.</div>
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A beautiful beach at Sleeping Bear Dunes. </div>
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The scenic drive at SBD was amazing. Totally worth the $10 admission to the park! This was my favorite place we stopped, I think. A massive dune that descended rapidly into the great blue beyond. The sea was a wide, swirling blend of blue and green hues, with the gorgeous sky beyond. This is another place I could have spent lots of hours, just sitting there and taking it all in.<br />
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Isn't this just gorgeous? The shoreline on the scenic drive was amazing. Like Kevin said, "It's hard to even believe this is the Midwest." Not that we don't love the Midwest. It has so many virtues and is a great place to live. But this was just something so different and surprisingly beautiful, we could hardly believe we hadn't driven much farther to see it. </div>
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Thank you Travel Magazine, wherever you now are, for giving us the idea for this fantastic trip!!</div>
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This picture was taken on a walk in Traverse City. I think we were out on the marina. Traverse City itself was beautiful. I would love to go back! There were numerous sail boats out. It was a colorful and quaint town, with lots of perfect views of the bay.</div>
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A brief stop in South Haven for lunch and ice cream ended our trip. I'm a big Shauna Niequist fan and she writes a lot about South Haven so I thought it would be fun to stop and see the town. </div>
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Life is too short to not do things like this! It was an adventure we will keep with us forever.</div>
<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-75453730006707958872014-08-15T17:07:00.000-05:002014-08-15T17:07:17.346-05:00Thoughts on 4-H<div style="text-align: center;">
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Meredith did 4-H for the first time this year. I have no background in 4-H. I was a Girl Scout. Although I have no background in 4-H, I've heard enough stories about Kevin's experiences, including art projects and a foray into the world of sheep showmanship, that I have definitely participated in 4-H vicariously. </div>
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When the topic of 4-H came up in our house, I was unsure whether or not I had time to take something else on. Would my bright-eyed, beautiful, scrawny little 3rd grader be able to do this by herself? She is so mature, yet still needs so much help to get through much of her school work. Visions of being up until midnight helping her paste a sub-par, quickly put-together, much-stressed-over, stupid poster, came to mind. There was no way that was happening. Would Meredith come through and do it herself? Yes, she promised she would. So, we decided to start with just one project, to get our feet wet. Meredith chose Horsemen Without Horses.</div>
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I was completely unimpressed with the online information 4-H provides. There's no good 4-H for Dummies website! Since we couldn't make club meetings, because Meredith had a prior commitment, it took us a while to make sense of everything. Thankfully her project leader, once we finally figured out who she was, was super nice and held our hands through the process. </div>
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About two weeks before her project was due, I realized Meredith was still only in the beginning phases of research. I had taken her to the library and she had gone off to some dark recesses of the building with the children's librarian to find books that fell within the parameters of her project. She selected four books, but had probably only read a few pages. </div>
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I marked a sheet of paper with the exact amount of days she had left before her deadline and hung it on the refrigerator. On day four, when she still had made no progress, I said, "Meredith if you blow off this deadline, you are going to have to write a long letter to your project leader apologizing for laziness and deliver it in person." Her eyes widened, she disappeared into her room, and read two of her books before dinner time. (I'm glad that a healthy dose of pride is that motivating for her!) She read the next two books the following day. She ended up with four pages of hand-written summaries. I helped her type them out and then she printed pictures and pasted everything to the poster entirely by herself. </div>
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This is what a sense of accomplishment looks like! </div>
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In the end, it wasn't just the sense of accomplishment and the dose of confidence she got, realizing she could complete something almost entirely on her own, that made 4-H worthwhile. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that most of Meredith's learning is hand-selected by either her teachers at school or by her Tiger Mom (yes, me). She doesn't often get the opportunity to deeply delve into something that she personally has selected to study. 4-H was an outlet for her to choose something she is independently interested in (she chose horses) and then go learn about it. I liked that she was able to complete a self-directed project. I think 4-H is a great tool to help kids to be motivated, lifelong learners. </div>
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Next year Meredith wants to do four projects. We shall see about that ... </div>
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-56990242257841075732014-07-26T16:19:00.000-05:002014-07-29T20:54:37.960-05:00Random summer ... so far<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here are some of the things we have been up to this summer ... other than what you have read on our myriad birthday party posts ... </div>
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Carson got cuter than ever ... I'm seriously in love with this budding little boy. He is so funny. He loves to laugh with us and try to make us laugh. Here he is eating his first whole apple.</div>
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We've been out on the town having fun. Here we are at a splash park about 1/2 hour away from our house.</div>
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I've had to take all four kids grocery shopping every week, now that school is out. It is crazy. Sometimes I think it takes 10 years off my life and other times it is just fine. Usually the former. At the end of our Meijer trips, the kids get to ride the penny pony. They all love it. </div>
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Things have gotten out of hand sometimes. Indoor ball tossing resulted in this vase (probably the only thing I have ever purchased myself that had sentimental value) shattering. It was a memory of young love, in Tahoe, California. Oh well, there are pictures of it whole, somewhere ... Also, in the background you can see a stack of math flashcards. I have religiously reviewed math facts every day with Meredith. This is my labor of love!!! Thankfully we are making headway on speed, which was my biggest academic goal for Meredith this summer.</div>
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I packed a lunch for Kevin and the girls to go to the Indianapolis Symphony lunchtime concert downtown. They had a lot of fun. And Carson and I had fun eating Chinese food at the mall! Someday soon he will be old enough to go too, though. </div>
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I have tried a few new summery recipes, including this watermelon salad. </div>
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Carson has become a full-fledged exploring toddler and if I don't shut all the van doors quickly enough he will crawl into the driver's seat and pretend to drive.</div>
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We have played with our sweet cousins, Madeline, Grant, and Bennett, visiting from Texas!</div>
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Madeline:</div>
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Bennett:</div>
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Grant: </div>
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Meredith, who has been staying up hours to read at night and getting up first thing in the morning to read again for hours, finally got a Kindle! It was our birthday gift to her. We felt she earned it. </div>
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We have gone on many bike rides, including biking to five or six summer concerts! Here we are with the Myers and Kevin's parents:</div>
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We got a zoo pass and met up with the orangutans, etc. </div>
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The three girls have participated in track at our local middle school. Sophia is four and does great. Some kids are even younger, starting at age two!</div>
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We have played with friends ... </div>
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Did I mentioned the whole toddler thing? Here he is, in full Toddler Glory, having climbed upon the table and stuffed the contents of his lunch into a flower vase. </div>
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We went to the county fair. Meredith did 4-H for the first time. I will write separately sometime soon about my thoughts on our first 4-H experience!</div>
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Train ride with grandpa:</div>
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Meredith and Clara did the bungee ride:</div>
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Red Velvet Funnel Cake</div>
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There has been much free time to play:</div>
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There has been time to sit on the back patio and make Slurpees and, for Meredith, to show off her bright neon clothing (things Aunt Megan purchased for the girls for their birthdays). </div>
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And time for group hugs ...</div>
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And here we are at the zoo with cousins and Aunt Beth!</div>
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We have tried some new food. How could I pass up this yellow watermelon I saw at the grocery store? I thought it had less flavor than a red watermelon. The girls LOVED it. </div>
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And I have been going for a run every morning. The mornings have been so cool and pleasant. Last week I saw this egret in our pond. I also see tons of wildflowers and other creatures. My favorite is a family of bunny rabbits. It feels so good to start running again. I'm finally back up to running a little more than a mile without stopping for breaks. I love all the nature around me and I love having more endurance and feeling more fit!<br>
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Summer is the best!</div>
<br>Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-30367925597686986882014-07-26T15:49:00.003-05:002014-07-26T15:49:54.791-05:00Clara's Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Clara is seven! She is one of the most fun-loving and unique people I have ever know. She is always ready with a quick retort that makes me laugh out loud. I love her perspective on life. It's impossible to categorize this girl. She is a tomboy who loves bugs and critters, but she also loves wearing the fanciest dresses at all times, for any occasion, even if we are just going to play at the park. She has so much raw talent for leadership, yet she is the most nurturing, caring big sister to her little brother. I love running errands with Clara in the backseat, telling me random things. She is lots of fun. </div>
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Clara wanted a pool party with only three very specific friends. I decided to create a treasure hunt, for some extra fun and entertainment for the kids. </div>
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The pool-themed cake: </div>
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I had a great time browsing Party City to get stuff for the buried treasure. </div>
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Here the kids are about halfway through the treasure hunt. There were 17 clues and it took the kids about an hour to complete. In the background, the girls are reading a clue and thinking about where the next clue could be found. The kids running toward the camera probably think they already know!</div>
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The last clue led the kids to a buried treasure. I walked about 1/4 mile from our house to a spot the kids were familiar with (we call it the "maze") off the trail from our house, and dug a hole in the ground to bury the treasure. The kids were told to bring a measuring tape and shovels to unearth it. </div>
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Found it! </div>
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Trying to open the chest to explore the booty!</div>
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Walking home after the hunt ... </div>
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A pile of clues ... </div>
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We had the whole pool to ourselves!</div>
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The After Party, with the sisters:</div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-79983864243396489792014-07-26T15:28:00.003-05:002014-07-26T15:28:37.846-05:00Family Party Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This year for the girls' family party, Megan and her kids were in town! Woo hoo!!</div>
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Cake walk:</div>
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Meredith and Bennett sort through the prize loot: </div>
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Granny with sweet baby Madeline: </div>
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The almost-seven year old, Clara Faith:</div>
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We eat a lot of cake in July, since it's birthday month! So for this party, we decided on something a little different, an adaptation of Pioneer Woman's blackberry cheesecake and my friend Rachelle's marbled lemon curd cheesecake. Yum!</div>
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Clara allows the younger kids to help her blow her candle.</div>
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Hanging out with Colin and Christy afterwards:</div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-79822843695347127202014-07-26T14:13:00.002-05:002014-07-29T20:39:20.483-05:00All American Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Meredith loves to come up with her own party themes. She is creative and sweet and companionable. She is fun to hang out with and always has lots of ideas and contributions to conversation. She has become a voracious reader of fantasy and sci-fi. I love the young woman she is becoming. </div>
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Both my July birthday girls wanted very small friends parties this year. The smallness factor, coupled with the fact that they are getting older, made for the easiest birthday parties I have ever thrown. Meredith wanted an All-American theme. She has always loved that her birthday (July 7) is close to America's birthday. </div>
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Talk about easy. All you have to do is go to the dollar store in late June and you have all your All-American party decorations!</div>
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Meredith loves raspberries. We went to Costco and bought a couple large packs of raspberries. Then we made Ina Garten's flag cake with lots of cream cheese frosting. Delish!</div>
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Nine year old girls rock! They probably could have done this whole party by themselves. I was there simply as the photographer. Life has gotten easier (but I still have little boy parties to throw, so I'm not out of the woods yet)! </div>
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The biggest hit of the party was this drink. You take liquids with different sugar contents, and if you pour them slowly over ice, the colors stay separated. The girls loved this so much. I will definitely do this again! I couldn't find the white drink--none of the gas stations where I normally see pina colada SoBe had it when I checked. This drink is made with cran-raspberry juice and blue Gatorade. </div>
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Meredith's snow cone maker from Aunt Christy has been put in constant use since we got it. Of course, we stocked up on Red and Blue colored flavors. </div>
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Meredith makes these snow cones herself. Every family should have a nine year old girl like her!</div>
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The only real "game" we played was Capture the American Flag in the backyard. This was Meredith's idea. </div>
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Movie time!</div>
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Doughnut time!</div>
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My oldest and youngest. </div>
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<br>Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-25268546428078729122014-07-26T14:03:00.002-05:002014-07-26T14:03:37.636-05:004th!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-41486219545830288732014-06-28T09:37:00.000-05:002014-06-28T09:37:19.997-05:00Summer Fun JarWe are really into having fun around here. I like to think that we work hard, and we play hard. <br />
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The summer days are flying by as fast as a wet kid on a slip 'n' slide. So we decided to institute a Summer Fun Jar. We like to bike and swim and do summer reading, VBS, and the $1 movies, and we try to bike to the summer concerts in our village every Wednesday, but I thought that one "extra" fun thing every week would help create some lasting memories. Also, there are some things, like exploring nature, that I want to do more of and if we aren't intentional, it never happens. </div>
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And here's another thing ... my first-born child is turning nine next month. Nine! That's halfway until she leaves for college (most likely). That's halfway to grown-up. Talk about the days flying by ... it's the years that are flying by too!! I guess I am realizing that if you don't seize the moments, they will be gone all too quickly and you won't have opportunities to do these kinds of things. The dust bunnies can wait. They will still be there when Meredith leaves for college. </div>
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Every Monday the kids get to pick one fun thing from the jar. They love the surprise element involved.<br />
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The things listed below are just some fun things I came up with one night while sitting at my computer. <b>I'd love to hear any other ideas that you all have. </b> I have a feeling we will modify this list every year and the Fun Jar will become an old friend who makes an appearance every summer!<br />
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<u>Here's my list:</u></div>
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Sometime this week … go on a hike at the Lion’s Park nature
loop. Bring your water shoes so you can
go creek stomping if you want to! Bring
a Ziploc bag to collect some treasures from nature. </div>
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Sometime this week … go on a hike at Holliday park. Before the hike, go to the nature center and
get the scavenger hunt pages to fill out.
Bring a picnic lunch. Make sure
that you slide down every slide they have.
(There are 17 slides!) </div>
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Sometime this week … take a vote on what your favorite park
is. If you can’t decide, draw numbers
and whoever gets the highest number gets to pick the park. Take a picnic to the park and play. </div>
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Sometime this week … ride bikes to the splash park at
Mulberry Fields. Eat ice cream when you
get home to cool off. </div>
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Sometime this week … go to the Indianapolis Zoo. Make sure you see the new orangutan exhibit. </div>
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Sometime this week … go to the Indianapolis Zoo. If it’s hot, bring your swim suits and get
wet at the splash park. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … go to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Eagle</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Creek</st1:placetype>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Take a hike and visit the nature center and
ornithology center. Take a picnic to
our favorite cove by the lake. See if
the beach is open. If it is, visit the
beach. This might take you all day long!</div>
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Sometime this week … gather two different objects from
around the house and then get some flowers from outside, and paint all of these
things. Pick your favorite painting and
hang it on the fridge. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometime this week … it’s Meredith’s turn to pick something
she wants to learn how to cook and make it for dinner with mom. Sophia and Clara can pick out a dessert to
make with mom. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … it’s Clara’s turn to pick something she
wants to learn how to cook and make it for dinner with mom. Sophia and Meredith can pick out a dessert to
make with mom. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … ride bikes to Dairy Queen and get a
chocolate dipped cone. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … make something paper mache together, or
research another fun craft idea on Pinterest.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometime this week … make a fancy cake and some invitations
and have a tea party. Invite some
friends to join us.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … visit the IMA. Look for a painting you
really love and tell why. Make your own
art in the Star Gallery.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … go downtown and have lunch with
dad. Visit the central library and pick
out some fun and interesting books.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … have a sleepover on the living room
floor with your parents (well, at least your mom …).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … go to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Monon</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>
and ride all the water slides. Invite
some friends to meet us there. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … head to the roller skating rink for a
family fun night. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometime this week … take a vote (dad is the tie-breaker):
should we go mini-golfing or bowling? </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-81245264654512029952014-06-28T09:24:00.001-05:002014-06-28T09:32:59.247-05:00OBX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Outer Banks had been calling to us since the last time we visited, when Clara was a year old. <a href="http://kevin-amy.blogspot.com/2008/09/outer-banks-i.html" target="_blank">Here is my post</a> about going to the same beach house in September, 2008, <a href="http://kevin-amy.blogspot.com/2008/09/outer-banks-ii.html" target="_blank">and another</a>, <a href="http://kevin-amy.blogspot.com/2008/09/outer-banks-iii.html" target="_blank">and another</a>. Back then I was a much better (if better means "more diligent") blogger!</div>
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I can't say I was looking forward to the 14 hour drive. Indiana is apparently the Crossroads of America, which means we are somewhere in the middle, where the intersections apparently assemble, and you have to drive a long way to get anywhere exciting. Haha! A long car trip with an 18-month-old, the worst age for travel in my opinion, was something to be dreaded. But Carson did unbelievably awesome. Whenever he started getting out of control, one of his sisters took over and provided ceaseless distractions. Thank God for big sisters. </div>
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Here are the four junior travelers:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0l2X7Z1vOc4/U63NVIoQS1I/AAAAAAAAJjw/cdg89ri1E1Q/s1600/IMG_4221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0l2X7Z1vOc4/U63NVIoQS1I/AAAAAAAAJjw/cdg89ri1E1Q/s1600/IMG_4221.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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We stopped at Kitty Hawk and visited the national monument to the Wright Brothers and the corresponding museum. It was one of the more inspiring places I've been. A lot of landmarks show the negative aspects of history (war and other tragedy). This landmark was about pure invention, vision, patience, tenacity and final illumination. The hill behind Meredith, in this picture below, is where the Wright brothers conducted all of their hang glider experiments. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gwu6kD1BjU0/U63NeJ8y4zI/AAAAAAAAJj4/pjmicHdNU08/s1600/IMG_4223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gwu6kD1BjU0/U63NeJ8y4zI/AAAAAAAAJj4/pjmicHdNU08/s1600/IMG_4223.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This rock is where the first flight took off. The rocks beyond show where the first, second, third and fourth flights ended. <br />
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Pretty awesome! The first flight on Dec. 17, 1903 set in motion the course of events that led to the first landing on the moon less than 66 years later! This would have boggled the minds of the Wright brothers, especially in the heat of their often discouraging and unsuccessful experimentation. </div>
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Milling around after a presentation on the Wright brothers' experiments.<br />
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Our little clowns. <br />
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We were thrilled that my parents flew out from California to join us for a week at the beach! It was our first joint vacation. Hopefully there will be many more, as our kids get older and we venture out west more. Here they are at the top of the monument hill, with a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean.<br />
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This little dude spends a lot of time in his stroller. If we unstrap him for a moment, he's off with lightening speed. He was the fastest crawler I'd ever seen and now he is the fastest little toddler runner!</div>
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About a half hour south of Kitty Hawk, we arrived at our beach house. Hooray! Let the relaxing times begin. We are ready for it!!<br />
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The view from the deck, outside the breakfast nook. One of my favorite things was sleeping with the windows open and allowing the sound of crashing waves lull me to sleep every night. There is nothing like it.</div>
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A girl with a boatload of sand and a cup ... endless entertainment.<br />
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My dad has always been a kid magnet. Our kids love him and can't get enough. I'm lucky to have had a dad like him!</div>
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Sophia with her personalized sand mountain.<br />
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Carson loved all the attention and loved jumping over the waves with grandma!</div>
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We enjoyed a bonfire on the beach right in front of our beach house. So convenient. If you forget something, it's not a big deal to go back and get it! This was a great memory, watching the tide come in, feeling the cool breezes, sitting next to a smoky warm fire. <br />
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Just south of our beach house is the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in North America. Last time we were here we couldn't climb it because our kids were too young to walk it by themselves and you can't carry children on the winding stairs. My parents watched Carson and the rest of us made the climb. The park ranger was skeptical that Sophia could make it. What he didn't know about Sophia, that we knew very well, is that she is the toughest little girl known to mankind. Our money was on Sophia. We knew she could do it, and she did!<br />
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At the top! What a great view of the Atlantic and the sound. </div>
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Clara read "Keep the Lights Burning, Abbie" in school this last year. She wanted her picture at the top of the Lighthouse to send to her teacher, Mrs. Winkle. :)<br />
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Just watching my favorite people playing at the beach ...<br />
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Fun in the sun ...<br />
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The kids all agreed that their favorite experience was crabbing. They went out with their flashlights late at night, with dad and grandpa helping. It was peak crab season when we were there, and the crabs love to come out in hoards when it's dark. Since we are very sophisticated, the kids caught all their crabs with a plastic cup and put them in a paper bag. Who needs nets, anyway? Clara who is fearless, and a little crazy, caught several big ones barehanded. (She is also famous in our neighborhood for being able to catch house flies barehanded on her first attempt. A brilliant future in pest extermination awaits her, if she wants it.)<br />
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Many lunches were eaten right on the beach.<br />
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Dad and Meredith went out swimming a few times. <br />
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We took the ferry to Ocracoke Island again. It started raining and we took shelter at a restaurant overlooking the wharf. This is where Blackbeard's ship sank and he was beheaded somewhere nearby. Lovely thoughts to ruminate upon during dinner.<br />
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The short walk from our house to the beach ... here is my family beyond the crest of the dune. Such an idyllic scene that I couldn't help but snap a picture.<br />
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We spent many nights on the deck looking at the constellations, which is a favorite topic in our house. On our final morning at the beach house, the adults all rose early enough to sit and watch the sun rise over the Atlantic. No hurrying. Just being. Watching. Appreciating. Quiet conversation and then silence as the fiery orb made its appearance. It was worth setting the alarm. <br />
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On our way out, we stopped at Uglie Mugs and my dad bought us all some coffee and treats. </div>
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Look at these ugly mugs, all lined up in a row. I guess these mugs are famous in the Carolinas? Hysterical. </div>
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We are so glad my parents came to join our week. Could we please stay two weeks? Could we please come every year? It was wonderful. Sometimes you don't realize how crazy life is until you stop for a week and just sit around and do puzzles and take long walks on the beach and take time to watch the sun rise. </div>
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The lovely Blue Ridge Mountains ... of course a picture never does it justice. But they are beautiful ... The kids did great. I can't wait for our next road trip.</div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-82944921963610791152014-05-24T17:55:00.001-05:002014-05-24T17:58:40.072-05:00Meteor Shower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Here is love. Waking from a dead sleep at the sound of your husband's phone alarm at 2:55 a.m.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, to grope for a bathrobe and your eyeglasses, limp downstairs, and sit in a stiff patio chair engulfed by nippy air for about twenty minutes. What would induce this madness, you ask? (Er, I mean ... What would induce this kind of love?) The promise of a meteor shower.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Apparently when I agreed to do this, at the saner hour of 10-something p.m., this little adventure sounded reasonable and maybe even a tad romantic. Sitting with people I love (my husband and daughter, who recently studied astronomy) to gaze at the starry night and see objects that have existed more than a hundred years burn to a crisp in our atmosphere and cause a beautiful display. It was bound to be something we'd talk about in perpetuity, right?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well, for starters, as I sat there squinting at the heavens, I was subjected to squeals of, "Oh! There! Did you see that?" "Look! That was awesome." And "That was a really bright one over there." I, of course, saw nothing. I gave up sacred sleep for nothing, but then rectified my complaint quickly to say, "except spending time with you fine people, of course." Cough, cough.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to get on You Tube at some other decent daylight hour to finally find out what a meteor looked like.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">That's when it happened. Was it an airplane? No, it was too inconsistent to be an airplane. The flashing lights came in quick but sporadic succession. A group of meteors were meeting their fate before my very spectacled eyes. They were burning out of their existence in gloried splendor, and I was right there to enjoy it all, as much as a sleep deprived person can enjoy anything, that is. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In addition to finally seeing meteors I learned all kinds of stuff from a little girl who just studied astronomy and thinks it's cool, and a man who I have long known is a little nerdy but super cute and I love him despite it, and probably because of it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It was great. But the rest of the party will have to continue at some better, more decent hour, please. This girl needs her beauty sleep.</span>Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-38845949062681616922014-05-07T16:04:00.002-05:002014-05-07T16:04:48.451-05:00Art Museum Gardens in the Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
We love the Indianapolis Museum of Art grounds in the spring! Soooooo beautiful. We hit it right at the peak this year, I think. </div>
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-84985094973362299532014-05-07T16:03:00.002-05:002014-05-07T16:03:21.710-05:00He is Risen!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Easter Sunday ... the kids are at such fun ages and growing up too fast! </div>
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This is the first and last time we will dye eggs with shaving cream. What a mess! The swirly colors were fun but the smell got to me. I'd rather smell vinegar any day than Barbasol.</div>
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We made an egg tree. Meredith, at age eight, is an amazing egg blower. She didn't seem to mind and she saved me from having a headache. Nice! If you look closely you will see that the eggs cracked. It lasted about 48 hours before a child got to it. I guess that's pretty good ... </div>
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We made these cute little birds nests to sit by place settings on Easter Sunday. Super easy and fun! I will make these again. </div>
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We always do Resurrection Rolls. The kids never let me forget to do it, as they love it so much. </div>
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Yay! A family snapshot where everyone is looking at the camera. We had to get this before church because there was a fat chance everyone would still look good in their outfits after we let them loose!</div>
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These are my two guys. I love them.</div>
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Some spritzers and appetizers while the ham was baking.</div>
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What a pretty day!</div>
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Grandpa with little Cars.</div>
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Cutting the carrot cake with the grandmothers.</div>
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Carson's first egg hunt.</div>
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The hunt was fun but the big purple ball was the BEST.</div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-6745071377699161342014-05-07T15:45:00.002-05:002014-05-07T16:26:58.671-05:00Happenings II<div class="MsoNormal">
We are chomping at the bit for summer to arrive. It’s been a challenging and rewarding school
year. We have all worked hard and now we
want carefree days riding bikes and playing at the pool. We don’t want to have to rush to load up the
car and be someplace if we can help it.
Last week I asked the kids if they would like twice-weekly tennis
lessons this summer, which would go on for two months. They unanimously agreed that they just want
to play and have lazy days. Tennis will
always be there. It can be saved for
another year.</div>
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Meredith somehow wormed her way into getting chicks from the
library again. This chick “foster care”
program is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime deal because it’s such a popular
program, but when she volunteered at the library to pour chick food into
canisters for the incoming class, the librarian offered her some of the “extra”
chicks to keep at home for 10 days. </div>
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I’m glad she was able to get the chicks again because, after
I had to remind her the second time to give the chicks water, and then when our
kitchen started smelling like death warmed over because she hadn't cleaned out
the cage, it really helped bolster my resolve: I don’t want pets. Ever. Thanks
for the reminder, library!</div>
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But she is cute about it, isn't she? </div>
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Sophia Ballerina had a little "recital" which is a pretty low-key event at her ballet studio, but was a big deal to her.</div>
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There's a free indoor playground at the place where she takes ballet and we always go there to hang out for a while after dance. The ballerina also likes to rock climb. </div>
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To many people, a flat tire would seem like a non-event to chronicle on a blog. Well, let me tell you, after spending more than TWO HOURS (two hours and ten minutes, to be precise) stuck in a car with two small children waiting for a tow-truck driver to come (he got lost--apparently they don't teach directions at tow-truck driver school; and I can't even believe they asked to find me with GPS using my cell phone and I agreed to that, only to have to wait two hours ... but I digress) ... it was a big ordeal. After getting my spare tire put on the van, I immediately drove to Starbucks and got a triple espresso drink. That is what it took for the world to seem right again. Here is what Carson thought of the whole thing. Yes, he cried almost the whole time. You should have seen what I looked like!</div>
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Basically, here is what the American Dream means: You get to spend many weekends doing things like mulching, washing your windows, and cleaning bird dung off your front porch. Here are Kevin and the kids living the Dream. (I was doing the porch duty. Yuck.)</div>
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This is what child labor looks like:</div>
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And I can't even believe I don't have a picture of it but many, many of our evenings are spent shooting hoops. The new basketball goal has been a big hit. Carson cracks us up, as he constantly dribbles the ball (he is AMAZING) and tries to shoot it. I think that is the epitome of optimism that someone so short really, truly believes that, at any moment, he can make a goal. He never gives up trying. He makes us smile.</div>
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-3665096890262351642014-05-07T15:28:00.002-05:002014-05-07T15:28:45.043-05:00Happenings I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Apparently my blog can't keep up with my life!</div>
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Here's what we've been up to this spring ... </div>
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We shop ... too much for Sophia, apparently, who is always along for the ride. </div>
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Clara spends inordinate amounts of time looking around the house for creepy-crawlies. All of the kids would rather be playing outside than doing anything else, in fact, and all of them love bugs, unlike their mother. Here she proudly displays a night crawler she found after moving the sandbox.</div>
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Poor Sophia, I really do drag this third-born around town a lot. </div>
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But the younger two kids are such good shoppers, and drivers of shopping cart cars.</div>
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We have been horsing around the house. Dad is a favorite playmate always. I don't think his back could handle it if we ever had another kid. (It must be a sign.)</div>
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Sophia has made some really sweet little playmates at her ballet class. It's the highlight of her week.</div>
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After a really harsh winter, we have once again begun enjoying the great outdoors!</div>
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This is the cutest little animal I've seen in the woods in a long time:</div>
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And Sophia has continued her Miss Independent streak. Several weeks ago she learned how to ride her bike (at barely four years old!!) all by herself, with no training wheels. In the same week, she also read her first grouping of sentences. I'm afraid that in another few weeks she will be ready to move out of the house and get her own job or something. Crazy!</div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-65322802191050185322014-03-28T09:46:00.000-05:002014-03-28T09:54:57.833-05:00December Snow, March Snow<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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Do you see this happy scene? The scene above is that first December dusting of snow that brings out the kid in everyone, if you let it. Everyone loves December snow. Now it is March. Very few people love March snow. </div>
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The weathermen predicted a harsh winter and they weren't kidding. Last November I told a friend who had moved here from California, "Indiana winters aren't bad. You just pull out all those cute scarves and boots and bundle up and it's just fine." I texted her in mid-January and said, "Sorry, I lied." </div>
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Despite the aversion to March snow, we were grateful that we did get one more big snow the first week in March, just in time for the kids' spring break. We took the older two kids to a ski resort just outside Cincinnati. It was one of the most perfect days I can remember. I guess I was just grateful that we were able to have some quality time with Meredith and Clara, who are growing up so fast. </div>
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It was the kids' second time to snow ski, as Kevin took them by himself last year. They were amazing. By the end of the day, they were going down all the intermediate slopes with flair and grace, snow plowing very little. For me, it had been 10 years. Yes, 10!! I think it had something to do with helping to populate the earth and breastfeeding small babies for the better part of a decade. I'm glad the long hiatus is over and I plan to go as much as I can from here on out. I now remember why I always thought downhill snow skiing was one of the most fun things to do on earth. </div>
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Here we are on one of the lifts, taking in the scenery, and watching the freckles grow on the girls' noses. How I love them. I'm so glad for this day and the chance to make this memory when they were age six and eight. I want to hold on to these moments forever but I guess the still shots will have to do. </div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-71006248023463952882014-03-28T09:18:00.002-05:002014-03-28T09:18:29.048-05:00This Boy<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-6448766907617677802014-03-28T09:17:00.000-05:002014-03-28T10:00:00.574-05:00Sophia Ballerina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My dear sweet girl who loves ballet (maybe I will finally get a girl who sticks with it) turned four in January. Surprisingly, this was the hardest kid birthday for me to reckon with. I think, when you have four children, life is so busy that you NEED the older ones to grow up a little bit so they can be more independent. It's not that you want to fast-forward their childhood, it's simply about survival. But now my baby girl is four. I'm not sure I'm okay with that. </div>
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I have enjoyed Sophia being three so much. On the eve of her fourth birthday, I slipped into her room and watched her while she slept. I couldn't help but feeling a tinge bit sad. She is my cuddle bug. She is the child who expects nothing and contentedly sits by my side. When a kid is three years old, they take everything that you say as gospel truth. Sophia has these big, trusting blue eyes, that say, "I believe you and I love you and I'm just so happy to be with you right now." </div>
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Now she is four. Four is and will be great. But I will always look back at age three with fondness. Sophia, you are a JOY. It's been so great having a three-year-old as sweet as you. </div>
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<br />Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-21374603225804446432014-01-08T15:56:00.000-05:002014-01-08T20:58:59.860-05:002013 Books<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JEr63G_63kg/UsgoVgF6xmI/AAAAAAAAIgA/AZtMGO8rwQY/s1600/IMG_3040.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JEr63G_63kg/UsgoVgF6xmI/AAAAAAAAIgA/AZtMGO8rwQY/s320/IMG_3040.JPG" style="clear: both; float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;"></a>Here’s my recap of books I read this past year. I will list my Top Books at the end …<br>
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<b>The Happiness Project</b>
(Rubin) – Several things that Rubin communicated in this book have stuck with
me throughout the year. What is it that
makes people truly happy? Is it
different for each person, or are there general principles, or a little bit of
both? I was intrigued by the idea of
this likable, intelligent woman setting out to find the route to happiness, writing
about the subject in general, and focusing on a different area of life each
month (relationships, money, etc.). Even though she writes from a secular point of view, and I question true happiness apart from Christ, because He is hope and love and the Bread of Life, I think there are things that are generally applicable that anyone can take from it--and she does mention the correlation between spirituality and happiness. As
an aside, it seems like it is the vogue thing these days to take a concept, focus
on a different aspect of it each month for 12 months, and wha-la, you can write
a bestselling memoir about it. Who
started this trend? </div>
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<b>In the President’s
Secret Service</b> (Kessler) – If you want some insight into what the more
recent presidents and their families were really like, behind closed doors, you
will love this book. It’s chock-full of
so many interesting stories. It also has
lots of fascinating details about the workings of the Secret Service and its
history. The men telling the stories are
people who were willing to take a bullet for the president. They didn’t always
respect him as an individual, but they have always had utmost regard for his
office. This was a great book. </div>
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<b>Be the Mom</b>
(Eyster) – This book had some good things to say about common attitude traps
that moms can fall prey to, and how that affects our families. I thought the book had good reminders but
nothing that blew my socks off. I am
currently (it will make next year’s list) reading an absolutely wonderful book
on mothering called <i>A Mother’s Heart</i>
by Fleming. It is one of those books
that I feel will change my kids because it will first change me, and it’s
making me a more intentional mom. So,
basically, I just hijacked the paragraph about this book to recommend ANOTHER
book. Nice. </div>
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<b>One L</b> (Turow) –
This memoir follows the author’s intense experiences as a first year student at
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Harvard</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Law</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
The competition and stress is so thick, as you read you will feel that you are
sitting in class with the author, praying the professor will not call on you
today. Turow writes well and also offers
some critiques on how the next generation of lawyers is/should be educated. Although the book was written in the 70s, I
don’t think much has changed. </div>
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<b>Plain and Simple: A
Woman’s Journey to the Amish</b> (Bender) – This book is about a modern artist
in San Francisco who admires Amish quilts and decides to go stay with an Amish
family to learn more about the people who make such stunning, yet simple, works
of art. I could never really completely
relate with the author. Her experiences
were somewhat interesting but I found the book to move rather slowly. But maybe that was the point? Since so many people are enamored with the
Amish and their simple lifestyle, I guess this book wasn’t earth shattering for
me. </div>
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<b>The Greater Journey: Americans
in Paris</b> (McCollough) – This book is about the American artists and
literary figures (and some cutting-edge medical students), who went to live in <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city>—the happening
place—during the 1800s. I thought this book was informative and charming. Anything about <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city> is charming, right? And it was interesting to learn more about
who knew who and how these famous people’s experiences in <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city> shaped them. I recommend it. </div>
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<b>Dietrich Bonehoeffer:
Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy</b> (Metaxes) – This book did not disappoint. Bonehoeffer is a modern Christian hero, and
for good reason. In many ways, he was
just an ordinary guy but he had the courage and insight to stand up to the face
of evil, Adolf Hitler, when many church leaders in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Germany</st1:country-region> were capitulating to
him. This book was excellent and I
highly recommend it. It was interesting
how his mother’s faith was probably the biggest influence in his life and
affected his decision to become a pastor and helped shape his worldview. The power of moms!</div>
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<b>The Return of the
Native</b> (Hardy) – Hardy is apparently one of the premier “landscape writers”
in classical literature. It’s been
months since I’ve read it, but as I sit and think of the characters in this
book, strong images come to mind. I
think Hardy did a great job of crafting memorable characters. The book did, however, move really slowly
with not a lot of interesting plot.
Let’s be honest: This is one of those Vitamin Books I read because I
thought it would be good for me and it was on the list of classics I am trying
to read in chronological order. And this
is an example of yet another book (joining three other classics I read in 2012,
and another one later in 2013) about a woman in a discontented marriage, all
written by men. So. Tired. Of. This.
Genre. Divorce may be really awful, but
I’m beginning to think that it’s not always the worst thing. </div>
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<b>Desperate: Hope for
the Mom Who Needs to Breathe</b> (Clarkson and Mae) – This book captured the
essence of my life the last several years, 2013 definitely included. I loved
the format of the book, a young woman with small children who is trying to do
it “right” in the midst of the exhaustion, and an older mentor who speaks so
graciously and kindly, with such insight and wisdom. This was a helpful and encouraging book. It would also be good for women to read who
are out of this crazy phase of life, to get ideas for how they could encourage
younger women who are still in the trenches.
I think the thing that I miss the most right now is my freedom. Even though I love my kids beyond measure, I
feel trapped some days because I don’t have the ability to just go run errands,
or take a quick run around the neighborhood.
Hardly anything can be spontaneous.
I hope I never forget this, when this season passes, so I can be
compassionate and helpful to others who are going through it. </div>
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<b>Bossypants</b> (Fey)
– Hey, a gal’s gotta laugh sometimes. (See
the review immediately above.) This
comedienne’s memoir did the trick. The
book is irreverent at times, but what else would you expect from someone who
makes her living making people laugh? </div>
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<b>The Adventures of
Huckleberry Finn</b> (Sawyer) – What is not to love about Huck Finn? I listened to the audio book on my iPod while
doing chores and my kids would stop to ask me why I was chuckling. </div>
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<b>Cold Tangerines</b>
(Niequist) – I love this woman. She is
so real and I can relate to her so much.
Can I move next door to her, please?
Her writing is evocative, like a rich dessert, and spot-on. After finishing this book, I immediately
ordered the next one and am actually reading the third, her last one, right now
(January 2014) which is also great. Her
blog is wonderful as well. <i>Cold Tangerines</i> is basically a bunch of
randomness, with each chapter speaking to something different. But there is a recurring theme of spark and
zest for life, and living largely. She
also writes from a Christian point of view.
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<b>Holy Land</b>
(Waldie) – This book is a memoir about the history of the suburb I grew up in,
in Long Beach, <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>. After World War II, there was a boom in the
aerospace industry in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place> and
massive amounts of homes were needed to accommodate the rising workforce. It was the second largest development ever
attempted in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United
States</st1:country-region> and the first time that model homes
were used to sell new construction.
There were lines and lines of customers every day and the builders could
hardly meet up with the demand. The book
also details the first shopping center that went up in that area that set new
standards for all modern-day shopping malls.
All of the places mentioned in this book are places I know well and can
easily recall in my mind. I really
enjoyed reading this history of where I grew up. You might not enjoy it like I did but if you
are interested in housing development or random history, you might. </div>
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<b>The Portrait of a
Lady</b> (James) – Isabel Archer is a confident, intelligent, and kind woman
who makes mistakes (one big one: she marries the wrong guy—yes, I know, this
theme in classical literature is getting <i>very
old</i>) but in the end she resurrects herself and reestablishes herself. I really liked Isabel. She had a zest for life that I admired. I cringed when she unwittingly allowed
herself to be manipulated into a loveless marriage. But the ending wasn’t as desperate and bad as
I thought it would be—although it does have an element of ambiguity—especially
after all the other classic books I have read lately. I enjoyed this one. </div>
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<b>A Path Through
Suffering</b> (Elliot) – Elisabeth Elliot has such a beautiful way of putting
skin and bones on concepts and making them relevant and meaningful. She has endured personal suffering and been
refined because of it. I picked up this
book after talking with a friend at our neighborhood swimming pool. She had suffered a health crisis and was
asking me the meaning of suffering. I thought this book might be helpful to
her. I feel that Elliot’s book would be
more helpful to someone who has been a Christian for many years and is already
acquainted with the scriptures. I think
this book assumes that the reader already knows the bible well. I wasn’t sure
this was the right book for my friend, but I did find some helpful articles
online for her. And I was glad I read
the book in the end, but it just wasn’t right for my friend. </div>
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<b>A Year in Biblical
Womanhood</b> (Held-Evans) – This book is hot in Christian circles. After reading about it on different
occasions, and getting a recommendation from my sister-in-law, I thought I
should pick it up. I felt conflicted
about this book. But it did make me
think. I believe that if a book gets
under your skin and makes you think, that’s a really good thing whether or not
you end up agreeing with it in the end.
Held-Evans basically takes a year to ask what living out “Biblical
Womanhood” really looks like. She takes
a new theme every month, for 12 months (see my comment above, after <i>The Happiness Project</i>). She takes the bible literally at every turn. Starting right there, I have a problem with
what she did. I realize that there is
great debate over what should be interpreted literally in scripture and what
should not. But I think that most
Christians agree that not everything should be taken literally—like we should
not sleep out in a tent in our front yard during menstruation—and many Old
Testament rituals are fulfilled in Christ.
Because she took everything completely literally, I felt like her book
smacked of sacrilege and made a mockery of the bible. I think that if a non-Christian read this
book, they would ask why on earth anyone would believe any of this biblical mumbo-jumbo. I think the biggest problem I had with it was
that Held-Evans deemed herself the ultimate authority on the bible and did not
attempt to treat the scriptures carefully and respectfully. I think Held-Evans was trying to make the
point that women should stop bickering and majoring on the “minors” in the
bible, when there is a lot of disagreement on things like “egalitarianism vs.
complementarianism” (something that I can see both sides of, and believe that
either viewpoint can be taken to a wrongful extreme—you can read lots about
this online), and focus on the central point of the gospel and our love for
Christ and others. We should be less
harsh with each other and love each other more, as Christ loved. That’s a good thing. But I also think that the book is a bad
testimony and makes the bible seem outdated, irrelevant, and even worse, just plain
silly. The scriptures are deep and rich
and have stood the test of time, and numerous thoughtful, theological debates. I would not have gotten that impression
reading this book as a non-Christian with no background and experience with the
bible or church history. I think this
book could ultimately do a lot more harm than good. </div>
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<b>Bittersweet</b>
(Niequist) – This was another great Niequist book. The themes in this book centered more on
taking what life hands you and how the good also, almost always, comes with the
bad. Life is bittersweet, for sure. One thing I have been thinking about a lot since
this book is the question of “Who is on my home team?” Everyone has a home team. Some have larger teams than others, but
everyone has one. The people who are on
your home team are the people you would drop everything for to help them in
time of need. This helps prioritize your
life and helps you decide when you should go to extremes to help people. After reading this chapter, an acquaintance
asked me to watch her daughter for a few hours so she could attend a political
luncheon. I was on Day #3 of a bad head
cold and all I really wanted to do was take a nap. So, I told her no. If this lady was on my home team (or if it
was an emergency, of course), I would have probably said yes anyway. </div>
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<b>The <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city>
Wife</b> (MacDuffie) –This was a great historical novel, about the first wife
of Ernest Hemingway, who lived with him in <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city> while he wrote <i>The Sun Also Rises</i>. It was
so well-written and evocative, with so many good word pictures. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot about
Hemingway. It was also about the death
of a marriage, which sounds depressing, but there were so many uplifting, fun,
and good things in this book, that it balanced out the death-of-marriage
part. After reading this book, I spent
hours online reading about Hemingway and all four, yes FOUR, of his wives. </div>
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<b>The Year of Magical
Thinking</b> (Didion) – Joan Didion was married to her best friend for four decades
when he suddenly passed away, after coming home from the hospital to visit
their daughter (only child) who was in critical condition at a local hospital
and not expected to live. Didion writes
so well. She kept repeating the phrase
that “you sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends” to refer to her
husband’s sudden passing. I guess I
wanted to read this book to learn more about her experience in grief. It was sad but also “true” as death is a part
of life. They had a beautiful marriage,
with so many wonderful memories. Grief
is not something that you do, and then you’re done. Although some moments of grief are more
intensely felt than others, you never get over losing your best friend of 40
years. This was a good book. </div>
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<b>The Necklace</b>
(Jarvis) – If reading <i>The Return of the
Native</i> is akin to taking a vitamin, this book is like eating a Jolly
Rancher. My local library keeps a journal
of books that patrons have enjoyed and recommend and I saw this one mentioned
in there. I was flipping through this
journal because I was trying to find a fun and easy book to read on the plane,
should my nine-month-old lap child allow me a few moments to read! (I am crazy, right?!) My interest was certainly piqued after
reading the first chapter of this true story.
In a nutshell, one woman admires a luxury diamond necklace at a jewelry
store, something that very few people could afford to buy. She decides to ask 12 friends to split the
cost with her and rotate taking turns with the necklace, relinquishing the
necklace to the next woman in line at monthly meetings. The women made exceptions, loaning the
necklace freely amongst themselves for special occasions, daughters’ weddings,
or whimsical fancies (have you ever entertained the idea of skydiving, let
alone doing it while wearing a $30,000 necklace?). The necklace goes on to be shared with
unlikely people in unlikely places (a Starbucks barista, for instance) and also
is used to raise funds for charity events, touching many lives. The necklace comes to mean different things
to each woman in the group. It
transcends materialism and brings together these diversified women who may not
have naturally had any other common bond.
I think it’s important for a woman to have girlfriends and I really
enjoyed reading about how these women loved each other and supported each
other, despite their differences. (Warning:
one woman talks about her marital sex life transformation in explicit detail and,
while I’m thrilled for her, I wonder what her teenage daughter thought when she
read the sordid details of her mom’s sex life. If that bothers you, then you
can skip the chapter that has a picture of a woman holding a whisk!) The motion picture rights to this book have
recently been sold and I look forward to seeing what <st1:city w:st="on">Hollywood</st1:city> does with this sweet and fun book. </div>
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<b>Ender’s Game</b>
(Card) – The movie came out this year and some friends hurriedly joined the
throng to watch it at the theater, claiming that it was their favorite
book. So, I got the audio book and
listened to it. I think sci-fi can be
appealing, and highlight truth so wonderfully, and I enjoyed this book a lot,
although it’s not my favorite genre.
Ender and his sister Valentine had such a sweet relationship and I
really did like them. The book swallowed
me up in the details of Ender’s world, especially during the combat training
scenes, and I really enjoyed the awesome plot twist at the end. I recommend it, even if you don’t generally
like sci-fi. </div>
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<b>The Madness of Mary
Lincoln</b> (Emerson) – Wow. I knew Mary
Lincoln was a really difficult woman and I knew people thought she was crazy,
but I never knew that she actually was subjected to an insanity trial and was
declared legally insane. This book
details the account of Mary Lincoln’s tragic life, and particularly focuses on
the insanity trial and its aftermath.
Truth is definitely stranger than fiction at times. This book was mesmerizing, from Mary
Lincoln’s frivolous, privileged, high-society youth, to her sad, bitter, frenzied
end. She was a volatile, troubled woman
to begin with and so you can imagine the affects of losing three sons at a
young age and watching your husband be brutally murdered at a public
event. That would be traumatic for anyone. For Mary, something snapped. The book chronicles letters written by Mary
Lincoln and her friends, and paints a defensive portrait of her son Robert
Lincoln, who has been heavily criticized by historians for having his mother
tried and committed. The book also
delves into the topic of insanity trials in the 19<sup>th</sup> century and how
they were often used for political reasons against helpless, innocent women who
were no more insane than the judges who had them committed. Interesting!</div>
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<b>Blue Like Jazz</b>
(Miller) – My thoughtful friend Beth recommended this book. She said to me, “If Jesus were here on earth
today, he probably wouldn’t be hanging around our churches. He would be out on the streets hanging out
with people we don’t usually give much thought to.” This book gave her a lot to think about and,
after reading it, I agree! One of Miller’s
refrains is that Jesus wasn’t political, but so many churches are so adamant
about party politics, insinuating that being a good Republican is inseparable
with the True Faith. Christianity
transcends politics. Miller was a youth
pastor at a big church and kept repeating platitudes that felt so fake and just
plain wrong, but he kept saying them because he thought that was what he was
supposed to do (“the Lord bless you” for example) and this bothered him greatly. He spent a lot of time at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Reed</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">College</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
which is a hotbed for all kinds of alternate lifestyles and behavior and
“coming out” as a Christian subjected Miller to a heated crossfire of
vitriol. But he learned to love people
at Reed because there was something true and transparent about them. This was an interesting book, full of the
author’s experiences and thoughts, sometimes rambling, but always
provocative. </div>
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<b>What About Going Out?</b>
(Peel) – A friend asked me to help her teach a Sunday School class for the high
school gals at church, using this book.
The subject is dating relationships, and I think it’s very interesting
because my friend who is leading the class and I have such different
experiences in this area. She was raised
in a lenient, non-Christian home and went out with various guys and had several
serious, secular dating experiences. I
was raised in a conservative home where “courtship” was emphasized and I was
discouraged from dating until I was ready for marriage. I went on my first date when I was 22 and got
married eight months later. My friend is
very sincere about her desire to encourage young women to avoid the mistakes
she made. I also see some flaws and
downsides to courtship principles. So, I
think we balance each other out pretty nicely!
I was a little skeptical when my friend handed me this book because I
think a lot of people who write these kinds of books have a tendency to
capitalize upon their extra-biblical opinions in this area. But, I was pleasantly surprised. I think the authors of this book do a really
great job of challenging young people to really look at what the bible says
about honoring God in the area of dating and marriage preparation. I feel like they really articulated the
spirit of scripture without being legalistic.
This short book would give any young person (or parent of a young
person) some important things to think about in this area and I recommend it! </div>
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<b>The Silver Star</b>
(Walls) – I really enjoyed Walls’ other books, <i>The Glass Castle</i> and <i>Half Broke
Horses</i>, her memoir and a semi-true book about her grandmother,
respectively. This one was pure
fiction. Walls writes a quickly-paced
narrative with sympathetic characters, including children with a troubled mom. I enjoyed this one, too, though I liked the
first two better. Walls is a great
storyteller. </div>
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<b>The Adventure of the
Christmas Pudding / The Mystery of the Spanish Chest</b> (Christie) – After
years of reading Christmas books to my children, why have I never thought to
read a Christmas book that’s just for me?
I am slow to learn, sometimes. My
friend Heather mentioned <i>The Adventure of
the Christmas Pudding</i> on her blog.
When I ordered it from the library I saw that it came paired with <i>The Mystery of the Spanish Chest</i>. I have fond memories reading Hercule Poirot
novels during those lazy teenage summers.
<i>The Adventure of the Christmas
Pudding</i> was such a fun story, about Poirot joining a family in their
English country manor, during the Christmas season, to solve a mystery. As I read this book, snow was falling softly
outside my window and I was completely mesmerized by the scenes Christie
created in her book. It was
perfect. So very festive! I also enjoyed <i>The Mystery of the Spanish Chest</i> and Poirot’s witticisms. I love that guy. I need to read more of Christie in 2014. </div>
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<b>Surprised by <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Oxford</st1:place></st1:city></b> (Weber) – This
just might be one of the best books I have ever read. Where to start? First, it was set in <st1:city w:st="on">Oxford</st1:city>, a place that I have been able to
visit twice and loved every minute of it.
This book moved me so much. Some
people have a crisis of faith, Weber had a crisis of doubt. She left her loving, secular family to go to <st1:city w:st="on">Oxford</st1:city> and pursue a
graduate degree. She was a confident,
independent feminist/agnostic, engaged to a really “good man” who was an
atheist. After arriving at <st1:city w:st="on">Oxford</st1:city>, she met some
thoughtful, intelligent Christians who started influencing her. She started wondering if there was something
bigger out there that should have more direct meaning for her (God?). God pursued her. She wasn’t interested in
conversion but couldn’t get away from it.
She thought her life was pretty perfect and secure until she started
having doubts about her disbelief and she couldn’t escape it. She was surprised by <st1:place w:st="on">Oxford</st1:place> and ended up being surprised by joy. This memoir is thoughtful, intelligent,
funny, beautiful, fun to read, and is brimming full of enchanting and
provocative poems and literary references, as Weber was a literature major who
enjoys words. God works in mysterious
ways. Weber made the decision to live
the mystery. This book would challenge
anyone who reads it, Christian or secular.
I hated to see this book end and look forward to reading Weber’s second
book soon, even though it’s not set in <st1:city w:st="on">Oxford</st1:city>. </div>
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The following books are my favorites (books that stuck with
me, coupled with the “enjoyable” factor) in order, although there are
definitely others I read this year that I would recommend!</div>
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Surprised by <st1:place w:st="on">Oxford</st1:place>
(Weber) – Overall best book. </div>
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Bittersweet (Niequist) / Cold Tangerines (Niequist) – So
enjoyable and so relatable! </div>
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Dietrich Bonehoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy (Metaxes)
– Convicting and inspiring.</div>
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The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding / The Mystery of the
Spanish Chest (Christie) – Best Pure Fun</div>
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The <st1:city w:st="on">Paris</st1:city>
Wife (MacDuffie) – Best Novel</div>
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The Madness of Mary Lincoln (Emerson) – Best History</div>
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The Happiness Project (Rubin) – Interesting food for
thought.<br>
<br>
Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe (Clarkson
and Mae) – A shot in the arm for young moms. </div>
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-43596441512894110072014-01-04T11:08:00.001-05:002014-01-05T18:13:06.336-05:00Chinese-American New Year<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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I recently posted about our <a href="http://kevin-amy.blogspot.com/2013/12/sharing-thanksgiving.html" target="_blank">international Thanksgiving</a>. Our dear neighbors, who joined us for Thanksgiving, invited us to come celebrate New Year's Eve with them, and enjoy their Chinese tradition of making homemade dumplings (which they usually would make for Chinese New Year, but no one in the United States is off work then). Everyone rolls their sleeves up and helps make the dumplings. I would imagine that it's much like the Mexican tradition of making tamales for New Year's. </div>
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I wasn't sure what to expect when I showed up. Our friend David brought out three large balls of dough, divided them, and then expertly began to roll out these perfect little circles, like he had been born doing it. You can buy pre-made crusts at the international grocery store, but this family makes it from scratch. It was fun to watch him. He worked so quickly and proficiently.</div>
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Here are David and Winnie, their friend from Singapore, making and filling crusts. The beef filling is pictured and they also made a shrimp and vegetable filling. </div>
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We started filling all the trays, so the dumplings could be boiled at the last minute. Later my friend Julia told me she was nervous about me and and one other non-Chinese lady being able to properly crimp and seal the dumplings. But we did good! </div>
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While we made dumplings, Julia worked feverishly in the kitchen and started filling the table with numerous other goodies. Look at all these amazing homemade Chinese dishes!<br />
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Here is my plate, with homemade dumplings and other delectable items. I went back for seconds and thirds. After dinner Winnie's husband, who is a bassist for the Indianapolis Symphony orchestra, gave us a mini concert. He has been playing with them for 33 years. It was amazing to watch him play his massive instrument so expertly<span style="font-family: inherit;">. If I didn't think I was going to embarrass the socks off of Kevin I would've taken a picture. :) This was a fantastic way to end the year, let me tell you. </span><br />
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On New Year's morning, I made these cute little <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Individual-Baked-Eggs/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=baked%20eggs&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page" target="_blank">individual baked eggs</a>. Aren't they adorable? And they were very easy and Kevin appreciated that they were pretty much pure protein. :)</div>
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We had a pretty lazy day, which is a great way to start the year.<br />
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And the new year started with tons of snow, and the promise of more to come. The high on Monday is -12. Yikes! The kids have been playing in it while they can!</div>
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-55063200119399094612014-01-04T10:51:00.000-05:002014-01-04T10:51:03.801-05:00Local Tourists<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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After being "good," and reorganizing our house after Christmas, we decided to play the tourist and take a trek to Columbus, Indiana, just about an hour south of us, to visit the cute and quaint <a href="http://zaharakos.com/" target="_blank">Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor</a>, which is decked out for Christmas every year. The kids ordered their homemade "green river" soda pop. We also refer to it as alien blood. </div>
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Zaharakos has several antique player organs which were belting out joyous Christmas music while we ate. </div>
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Visiting their soda fountain is like taking a step back in time.<br />
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Sundaes were a treat and very messy.<br />
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I loved this "Don't Care" flavor. Nowadays we have Starbucks; at the turn of the century they had soda fountains. It was fun to think about this part of long-ago culture.</div>
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Across from Zaharakos is an indoor playground (city park). I think it's brilliant for a city with freezing temps every winter to offer such an amazing and expansive indoor park. More cities here in the midwest should do this!</div>
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We decided to swing by the visitor's center and buy a map to take the architectural tour in Columbus. Apparently this little town (less than 45,000 population) is number six in the nation for famous architecture.</div>
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The first stop was the Irwin-Miller mansion. </div>
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Apparently, according to local legend, this is where corn flakes were invented. Kevin thinks I'm crazy for buying into all this stuff hook, line, and sinker. :)</div>
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After our little jaunt to Columbus, we meet Kevin's parents for Christmas at the Zoo. It was decent weather so half the city was there. But we love it. The lights are amazing. </div>
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We enjoyed being tourists for a day!<br />
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-47459202891905063792013-12-11T19:24:00.003-05:002013-12-11T19:24:44.007-05:00Birthday Boys<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
The two men in my family both have December birthdays. It was Carson's 1st birthday and Kevin's *ahem/cough* birthday.<br />
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Here they are! Two handsome guys.</div>
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Board games were played while the lasagna heated in the oven.</div>
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I would like to say that this is his first bite of cake. If he were a first born, it would be. But since he is a fourth born, he has been eating junk for a long time.</div>
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Carson had a lot of help opening presents.</div>
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And there were a few presents for Kevin too!</div>
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I love my men!</div>
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5881461.post-27951010683620441742013-12-11T19:20:00.001-05:002013-12-11T19:20:30.842-05:00Tree Farm Bliss<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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Yes, I understand that it's twice the price as a Costco tree. Although I try to be frugal in general, when it comes to Christmas trees, I'm not very pragmatic. Kevin indulges this part of me. (He's such a nice guy, I know!) I just think that there are only so many years we will have with our kids, and going to a tree farm is a festive, joyful experience. Going to Costco is something we do almost every week. There is nothing special or significant about going to Costco. </div>
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Plus, the tree farm is fun! And it smells like heaven! Yes, I think that maybe heaven will smell like freshly cut pine trees, bonfires, and hot chocolate. It's bliss, I tell you. </div>
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We were at the tree farm for about three hours. I think I smiled a really big smile the whole time I was there. That extra money spent was worth it because it filled up my happiness bank. Maybe sometimes you can buy happiness. </div>
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Thanks for taking me, Kev! We always joke that I'm your biggest kid and it's probably true ... </div>
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Amy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01703068231390465651noreply@blogger.com1