Out and About

One of the best new discoveries this year was Hoosier Outdoor Experience, which is held near Indy every September.  We will definitely go again!  It is put on by the DNR and the goal is to encourage a love of the outdoors in kids.  We had a blast.  There were so many activities it was impossible to try them all.  

Sophia is a fearless third born.  Here she is trying her hand at rock climbing. 

And here, my lefty is teaching my righty how to swing a golf club.

One of the kids' favorite activities was canoeing. Near this pond was a demonstration of fly fishing and that was Kevin's favorite.  It was fun to meet people who are passionate about various outdoor sports and learn from them.  

And the pictures below are from a family art night where we had a dinner and learned about etiquette and then did our own paintings.  The kids loved it.  In the first picture, the kids were learning that they should wait 90 seconds between each bite of dessert they take.  Kevin set the timer on his phone to show them how long that is exactly.  It was excruciating for them! 

 

 

 

 

Apple Picking 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall Walk

 Oh autumn.  How beautiful you are.  How fleeting you are.  We have enjoyed a lot of fall walks these past few weeks ...

 

 

 

 

I love that Sophia rides her bike with her tongue hanging out of her mouth.  This girl has endurance and can pedal her bike for at least a mile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pittsburgh, Parties, and Puking

Yes, unfortunately, I have to put all three of those words in the title of this post.  I wish it could just be Pittsburgh and Parties but Puking was part of the trip as well.  

First of all, we drove to Pittsburgh in a caravan with a bunch of Kevin's family members to attend a surprise 30th birthday party for Kevin's sister Shannon.  The surprise went off amazingly.  Shannon's husband Jeff arranged for her to discover various people in various aisles as they shopped at Target.  She was completely unsuspecting and we enjoyed hearing her shrieks and screams of joy as she discovered different family members in different aisles.  Lastly, Megan and her two boys were discovered.  They had flown into town from Texas and Shannon was completely surprised.  It was super creative and really awesome.  Then we headed to their house for a fun bonfire and some family time.  The next day we toured Pittsburgh, had a family dinner, and went swimming at the hotel.  We were planning to go to church on Sunday and then have lunch with everyone before heading home.  But ... 

At 3:30 a.m. I woke to a rushing, hurried sound.  Then I caught a glimpse of Kevin carrying Sophia to the bathroom where she proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach.  There was a family member who had  been sick with the flu the week before, so we figured this was probably the flu and not just an isolated incident.  We sat and thought about our options for a few minutes and then decided we had better high tail it out of there.  We still had a seven hour drive ahead of us.  I didn't have enough changes of clothes for everyone to stay ahead of the mess.  Not to mention, there were no extra plastic bags to put dirty laundry in.  Thankfully there is that dry cleaning bag in hotel closets!  

I looked at my three children--two of them sleeping peacefully and Sophia, who was crawling around everywhere, panting like a dog, and saying, "I a puppy!"--and thought to myself, "They are a time bomb waiting to go off.  Let's go!" 

Kevin and I started feeling phantom upset stomachs.  Was it just our imaginations or worse?  I think one of the worst things about knowing you have been exposed to the flu is waiting for it to happen.  Ugh.

Let's also just say that ... this was the first time I had ever been tempted to steal a hotel towel before.  Seriously!  It was SO tempting.  Sophia's blanket we had brought from home had already been soiled.  What else could be used to cover her in her car seat?  

You will be glad to know that I kept The Eighth Commandment and resisted the urge.  

Thankfully we made it home in record time without further incident. And only I came down with the stomach bug a day later. It's not something that is fun, ever, but especially when you are pregnant.  Ugh.  But, here I am, alive to tell about it.  So that's good. 

Here are a few Pithy Pictures (love the "P" theme of this post) that I snapped on my phone.  I wish I could have gotten more family shots, especially of all the cousins together.  But, alas, we made a hasty departure and it simply wasn't meant to be. 

Meredith on the strip.  She was amused by this bear:

Clara loved walking around town with her cousin Samantha who was very affectionate and compliant (the opposite of Sophia!):

What a great view and what a beautiful city!  I love all the bridges.

 

 

Can it be? An athlete in our family?

This year something surprising happened.  Clara turned into a soccer star!  Last year she was content to watch the corn growing in fields and never seemed to be concerned with which way the ball should be going. This year Clara put her mind, body and soul into the game and turned into this amazing athlete overnight.  It was seriously fun to watch her games this year.  She made many goals and was super aggressive in going after the ball and playing defense.  I was the crazy lady sitting on the sidelines yelling, "Go Clara Go!!"

Kevin was an assistant coach this year and I know Clara loved having her daddy there to help out.  He actually ended up running a lot of practices and some games because the head coach traveled a lot. He was really good with the kids, despite the fact that some of them drove him crazy because they never listened!! (Let's face it--kids aged 4-5 are just really tough to herd and get on the same page.  He wins the Patience Award.)

Eden was Clara's team mate and maybe that's one of the reasons she loved soccer so much!

Playing defense:

That's my girl!  Whoo hoo!!! Go Clara!

 

Happiness

I think I’ve figured out the recipe for my personal happiness. 

I have heard that having a sense of purpose is the common denominator of happy people.  I think this is probably true.  I also acknowledge that all my springs are in God and without him there would be no reason for living and no happiness. But when I say I’ve figured out the recipe for my own happiness, what I mean is that I have pinpointed the blessings that God gives to his children that I particularly enjoy and fill me with a sense of pleasure.  So here they are:

1. Time to think and also write, if I have the urge.
2. Freedom to get up and go when I have the urge. (I am very independent.)
3. Something interesting to read.
4. Good food to eat.
5. A little sprinkling of random adventures and experiences.
6. Connecting with a few good friends a few times a week (including my husband, who is by far my closest friend, and my kids).

Generally I am an eternal optimist.  In fact, Kevin has nicknamed me "Pollyanna" and calls me that when I am especially obnoxious in my optimistic observations.  

But I confess, I have been a tad down lately.  And here is why: the little time I have to carve out for myself to think/write, get up and go, read interesting things, make good food, seek out random adventures, and connect with friends, has been completely sucked up by an overwhelming need to sleep (it’s my third trimester of pregnancy and I’m paying my dues) and just the general busyness of life with a young family.  While I wouldn't trade my family for anything, and I would choose to have four children all over again if I had the chance, it’s still just plain hard some days. And I acknowledge that I have had the attitude of biding my time lately. 

When Sophia cups my face in her hands and says, “I love you soooooo much.”  Or Clara asks, “Mom, someday can you take me to that state (country) that has the kangaroos?  I really want to go there with you someday.” Or Meredith surprises me with a homemade card telling me I’m the best mom, those are all rays of happiness pouring into my life that I will miss someday.  So right now I’m trying to capitalize on those really happy times, that are so fleeting because kids grow so fast, and not focus on the fact that the things that generally make me happy are rather elusive right now. 

Have you noticed that the things that are the most worthwhile and the most valuable in life are the usually the things that involve the most work and the most sacrifice?  For example: a good marriage, transparent friendships, a deeper walk with Christ, successful child-rearing, etc.  

This weekend I am particularly reminded about how much I love the freedom to flit around and eating good food and having time to write because I have been given those things.  Kevin took all three kids camping with some neighbors and I have the next two days all to myself.  Yes, he is a very brave man!  But this will also be a great memory for all of them (or at least the kids, haha!).  Sophia, who is only two-and-a-half, was so excited that “we going camping!”  She doesn’t even know what camping is but she is excited. 

So far, I am only four hours into my “weekend off.”  I have run some errands.  I particularly enjoyed leisurely strolling the aisles at Trader Joes and choosing some fun chocolate and cheese for the weekend.  Then I went to a Greek restaurant that I have wanted to try for months and ordered a gyro to-go.  It was worth the wait!  And now I am sitting here listening to the Jason Mraz station on Pandora, eating chocolate from Trader Joes, and uploading photos while I write. 

What shall I do tomorrow?  There are so many options but I think I shall go Christmas shopping.  This baby is due in December, after all.  If Christmas happens this year, it won’t be because I procrastinated.

Maybe happiness is ultimately seeing the blessings in every day life?  Maybe that’s harder to do when you are tired and overwhelmed.  But one thing I do know: I am a very blessed lady. 

Now I need to go refill my chocolate. 

Oh, and here is a picture of Sophia "helping" me get ready for their camping excursion today.  Isn't she the cutest thing?  Ever?   

 

Of Studies and Granola

The pace of the new school year is starting to feel more comfortable and familiar.  Clara and I plod along with her kindergarten books every day and I think she is enjoying the extra attention from her mom.  She is reading really well, with occasional complaints because the work is getting more challenging for her, and she seems to enjoy phonics/writing and math.  Her favorite thing, however, is sneaking off to play with Sophia.  They are best of friends right now.  Clara also loves to do puzzles and bake stuff.

Here are Clara and Sophia on Clara's first day of kindergarten.

 

 

 

Clara, with her phonics book:

 

Meredith is really loving her Highlands Latin School experience.  It has been really wonderful to see her grow and be excited to learn.  One day she came home and said, "Mom, I learned about DIPTHONGS today!!"  She sets her alarm for 6:30 on the three days she attends classes and has been really responsible to self-manage her morning, get herself dressed (and allow extra time for doing her hair, which is really important you know!), and make sure she has all her books and homework to get out the door.  She needs to leave around 7:15 and so far we have been able to have about 20 minutes of bible time, God's World news, and reviewing her memory work before she leaves.  (My pregnant self can nap later in the day!  I love starting out the day with her in a peaceful, constructive way, and I want to still do these things with her every day.)

I had thought Meredith could use a little more outside accountability, and positive peer pressure in a class setting, to do better in math.  This theory has proved to be true.  Math is now her favorite subject, after P.E. of course.  I have really appreciated getting emails from her teacher encouraging me to push her to master her facts.  Otherwise I might still be content to let her battle out the problems on her fingers.  It has been wonderful to not feel like everything rests on me but I am part of a team to help her in her school work.  I also love the schedule of three days of classes because we still have time on the home study days to continue doing all the things that we really loved about full-time homeschooling.  We take long nature walks, have good conversations, do Story of the World, and work on fun projects that Meredith is interested in like learning to sew.  So, I feel it is the best of both worlds.  I am really grateful God has opened up this opportunity.

 

I have learned a valuable lesson: We can think we have a good long-term plan but if we are open to new things, something even better can come along.

Here is Meredith on her first day of school:

 

Here is Meredith completing her homework, with her friend and carpool buddy, Solomon:

 

We have had some early mornings, lately, and here is my precious night-owl daughter:

 

Sophia deserves a completely separate post, all of her own.  (And I will deliver one, soon.)  She is hysterical these days.  Kevin and I have both said numerous times that we have never enjoyed a toddler as much as we have enjoyed Sophia.  Maybe it's because this is the biggest space we have had between children.  Or maybe it's because we are older and finally are more relaxed in our parenting.  Or maybe it's just because she is so outrageously cute with her independent-thinking, nothing-is-going-to-stop-me, third-born personality.

 

Here she is after a "Mom's Day In" (a MOPS-like type program) I recently signed up for.  She is eating some peanut butter granola that I made with the other ladies during the morning session.  I met a woman at my neighborhood pool a few weeks ago and she convinced me to sign up for MDI.  It had been two years since I had done MOPS.  I thought to myself, "I was really happy when I did MOPS.  I really like this lady I have just met at the pool.  YES.  I will do this."  It has not been a mistake.  I really needed those two days a month to just sit and have coffee with a group of supportive moms.  It has been a real shot in the arm so far.  And there are other side benefits, too, like sometimes you get to bring home yummy homemade granola!

 

I never expected that Sophia would be so excited to be in a "class."  The only regular thing I have ever taken her to so far is nursery (i.e., non-structured activity).  When I took her to her MDI class she was so ecstatic.  When I went to pick her up, she did NOT want to leave.  Finally, she resigned herself, but kept walking around saying, "Where's my paper?"  She had colored a picture of a leopard, as a part of learning the Creation story.  For the rest of the day she kept pointing to that picture, which I had hung on the refrigerator, and saying, "That's my lipp-urd. I made it in my class!!!"

 

Other than having little time to write these days, which I really miss, life is good.  As the weather cools and the leaves change and fall, this feels like a new season, in more ways than one.

 

Ten Years

 

Ten years ago (and one month and 22 days), Kevin and I were married. I had good intentions of posting something on this blog the day of to commemorate the occasion. But ... life gets busy and full sometimes! Grandma and Grandpa took the kids for the night and we went out for dinner AND breakfast, and that felt very luxurious, but the day otherwise passed without a lot of fanfare.

Originally we were planning to take a big trip. We had scoured the internet, renewed passports, and contacted a travel agent about all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean. It was fun to dream. But then a series of things happened where we decided we needed to postpone the trip. Maxing out two different high-deductibles for heath care needs basically sums it up. Plus, I think it will be more fun to snorkel, zipline, and go horseback riding on the beach if I am not seven months pregnant. Maybe when this child is weaned, we can go. Jamaica will always be there, right?

There is something symbolic about having the most trying year in our marriage so far happen on such a landmark year, I think. It has made me grateful that our marriage is strong.

Marriage is where you hang together when it's thick and when it's thin. We feel like we have been stretched very thin this year. Knee surgery, aside from the tremendous amount of pain Kevin experienced, has been really time consuming because of constant physical therapy. I try not to be the needy wife but, let's be real, when that man walks through the door, it means I'm not doing zone defense by myself anymore! Kevin and I both feel like we have been working double time. Pregnancy is also not my most shining moment, I must confess. Feeling sick or low on energy, coupled with the added responsibilities lately, makes me feel like surviving the day is a huge accomplishment in and of itself.

How can things be so overwhelming, yet so happy and so rich? Honestly, it was sad to give up the Caribbean, but not life-shattering. It's because I'm happy. I married the right man and I love him and we have made a good life together. I think this when life is easy and I also think this when it's hard.

Kevin and I respect each other. I think he is amazing in every way and I am so proud to be his wife. I know he loves me and respects me too. I never feel insecure in my stay-at-home mom role, because he supports me one hundred percent and thinks it's a tough and worthwhile job.

We also share a sense of humor, which I think is so important when life gets hard. He makes me laugh. I make him laugh. A day usually never goes by without laughter. I wouldn't want it any other way.

My favorite part of the day is when the kids are in bed and we purposefully push the rest of the work aside, trying to ignore it as best we can, and just chill together. The house is quiet, the conversation is good, and we laugh about the day. Lately we have been watching White Collar, pretty much the best TV series ever, on Netflix. When it's 10:45 p.m. and we know we should call it a night, it's really hard to not watch the next episode to see what other twists and turns of plot await us. Sometimes we give in. Yes, we are responsible adults ... but only to a degree!

That's my marriage. I love everything about it.