Not All Together

Hello again to the blog world.

Life has been hard.
I have not known what to write.

My precious grandma died on December 6th. We saw it coming for months prior, something that weighed heavily on me.
A physical weight on my shoulders.
Dread of the absence that was coming.

However, the knowing meant I was able to spend time with her and really cherish it over the period of those last months. Thanks to my sweet husband, I was able to make several trips to stay with her, kid-free.

Just us…such a treat.

Maybe one day I will be able to put into words what a treasure she was and what a privilege it was to be her granddaughter. Or maybe I won’t ever be able to put it into words here.

But I will know it in my heart. I feel it in my heart.

So thankful for her life well-lived. So grateful to our God for the opportunity to be loved well and to love well in return.

(*us at Owen’s 3rd birthday party)

“I believe in the holy shores of uncreated light.
I believe there is power in the Blood.
All of the death that ever was, if you set it next to life,
I believe it would barely fill a cup.
‘Cause I believe there’s power in the Blood.”
- Andrew Peterson, Lay Me Down

Amazing editing and so HELPFUL!

I should be working on the 22 (out of 30 total) continuing education hours I still need to complete by next month.
I should be doing that.

Instead, I am blogging.

Go figure.

A few things:

1. I got a haircut today. It has been at least 6 months (maybe 9?) since I had one. Months ago, I ran into my hair stylist at Target and apologized for my sad, sad hair and told her I clearly hadn’t gone to anyone else…I just hadn’t gotten a haircut in a looong while. And then I waited some more.
Let me tell you, this haircut feels a.maz.ing.

2. A little shelf for the bunk beds in the boys’ room. You know, to keep a flashight, some water, and a book on. I thought I had this brilliant idea first. Then I saw this in the always wonderful Pottery Barn Kids catalog.
Yes! That was what I wanted….but not for $39-62 a piece.
So I made some. From the kitchen section of IKEA.
For $3.99 a piece.
I love how this little project turned out. Cannot wait to show them off.

3. For next to those shelves, I am dreaming of this:

(source: bexpert)

How fun!! I like the J for our last name (and the colors!), but am eyeing the O and the K. That room is a little nautical inspired already, with fish sheets and an antique oar.
Just dreaming…

Off to start my continuing ed…

I love Halloween. Love it.
Creativity and imagination for costumes PLUS candy AND cute kids. Yes, please.

My Dalmatian and my little fireman

I had to buy leggings for Knox’s costume. Is it wrong that I think he is a.dor.a.ble in something from the little girls’ department?
His legs are just the cutest.

We missed out on going to the pumpkin patch this year. We waited until the last weekend to go, and then it rained most of the weekend. Instead, we set up a pumpkin patch in our backyard with the big pumpkin and squash Pappy and Grandma grew on their Iowa farm.

I call this one “wild”.

Seriously, the boys are so used to Scout running right by them at 100 MPH; they don’t even flinch.

What a difference a year makes!

We did make it to SeaWorld’s halloween activities with our friends Matt and Anna. The SeaWorld employees’ costumes are excellent and the candy is good.

Thankful we live so close to all this stuff and can enjoy it with our kids and friends.

Knox squealed his way through the Sesame Street live Halloween show, the longest he has ever been entertained by anything. Ande and I had fun just watching him.

And last night was our annual RUF Halloween party at our house.
Our family costume this year…

Ande made his fire hydrant for $0 from stuff we already had. That man is priceless. He can make anything. (I’m fire, FYI.)

Some of my favorites from the party…
Tetris

Ken and Barbie (Toy Story 3)

Our family (imitation is flattery, right?)

Paper, Rock, Scissors

Such pretty face painting!

ICEE and bee

So fun! :)

Happy Halloween!!

Yesterday, in my car, while driving by the airport
watching planes take off and land (a favorite of his)…

Me: Owen, maybe you will be a pilot when you get bigger. Do you want to fly planes for a job when you grow up?

Owen: (Thinking) Um….maybe when I’m sixty I can do that. Yeah, when I’m sixty. So I can stay with you a long time, Mommy.

I told him he can stay with me ’til he’s 60, that’s fine.
In the rearview mirror, I watched him think about it and smile.

Oh my.
Such sweet things.

(I know he’ll change his mind, but I smiled, too.)

Our family is THRILLED there is a new Slugs and Bugs kids’ album coming out very soon.

For nearly two years, Owen listened to the first album over and over and over again, begging to go to sleep with it playing at night. I heard it every.single.day. during those two years, and I did not get tired of it.

Several songs on the new album have been released early, and they do not disappoint. Given that we are in the adoption process, we were especially anticipating Randall Goodgame’s song about the adoption of his son, Ben.

Randall says,
“Two years ago I flew to pick up my son Ben from Ethiopia. He was 2 years old, and now he is 4. Adoption is now a huge part of my family’s story, so I knew we needed a Slugs & Bugs song about adoption. I also knew it would be a challenge.

Within the narrative of every adoption there is an echo of deep sadness. Something has broken that will never mend. Something beautiful may be revealed in time, but any adoption song I would write would need to somehow acknowledge the whole story – not just the sunny side. Still, it also needed to fit on a fun and happy Slugs & Bugs CD. In time, I wrote a lyric that acknowledged the facts about the hard beginning, but quickly turned to rejoice in the beauty reflected by our adoption into the family of God.”

Wanna hear the song? Click here.

It is especially sweet when Owen’s precious little voice is singing it while Knox is dancing around. :)

Things have been unusually busy here at our house.

This is Ande’s busiest time of year with students. We’ve been meeting and hosting and going to events…all should calm down a bit after tonight’s final New Student Dinner hosted by some wonderful alumni (insert long sigh of relief here).

This one started Safe Start survival swim lessons for drowning prevention.
He has almost mastered the back float and started wall work today. All the while screaming his little head off. My heart is hard to it, though, having been through it with Owen and seeing all the benefits. Safety first, buddy, safety first.

If you have a pool (or just live in Florida!), I encourage you to do this for your child. They can start at six months. It is amazing!!

This one and I have been doing “School Practice”, thanks to a preschool workbook I happened upon at Target. He loves it. LOVES. As in I have to limit the number of worksheets we do per day. Who knew tracing and coloring could be so fun? But the real excitement? Safety scissors. I’m pretty sure he dreams about them.

We toured a preschool this week and loved it. Truly. But I’m really struggling with if/when he should go.

Here’s the thing: almost always, I really love being at home together. I treasure this time before he starts school. We’re involved in a lot, so there’s plenty of social time with other kids. And he’s smart and is learning by our routines everyday. Plus the years go too fast anyway…

But at the same time, I want him to be ready to be away from home once he starts kindergarten. I am thinking preschool would help him (and me!) ease into that. Anyone have any thoughts on the subject?

And finally…
I have just read books 1-4 in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series. Why hadn’t I ever read these?!?! Amazing!!!

I imagine it is quite a different experience to read these as an adult vs. reading them as a kid. Reading as an adult, I relate to the adults. I can’t even imagine the guts it took to be a pioneer. Wolves howling outside your home without a door with your children tucked in bed? How did Ma ever sleep?

All I can think about is how Ande would make an awesome Pa. Really!!! I can see him building our house by hand and killing our dinner.

Looking forward to:
a girl’s night out tomorrow
a date with Ande this weekend
catching up on DVR’d Parenthood
checking out the remaining Little House books from the library

Hope you’re having a good week!