December/Christmas 2016 Recap

Saturday, December 31, 2016

This December recap should be an easy one to write since it really wasn't all that long ago, but it feels harder to recall because of the pace of things.

We jumped right into the holiday spirit the first weekend by attending our little town's holiday fest and tree lighting.  I went early to volunteer for our church's booth and David and the kids came later. Unfortunately the weather was chilly and drizzly, but thankfully the event planners thought it through and put all of the booths in the lower level of the covered parking deck.  We helped the kids make reindeer ornaments out of pinecones, rode in a horse-dawn carriage around the downtown area, listened to the orchestra play a few Christmas carols, and watched the tree light up.  Most of our small group was able to meet us there for it, so it doubled as our end-of-semester social.  The kids and I took the van home and changed into cozy pajamas while David picked up Zaxby's.  We lit the fire, turned on the tree and garland, and ate while we watched Frosty.  Ahhhhhhhh.

The next morning we went to church and turned in our Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes that the kids helped to shop for and pack.  If you haven't heard about Samaritan's Purse and the incredible work they do, be sure to check them out at www.samaritanspurse.org.  It is a fantastic, tangible way to involve kids in giving.


That afternoon we headed down to our neighborhood clubhouse for "Cookies and Cocoa with Santa."  The kids hesitantly approached him and gave him their letters: 


I heard Santa point to the word "Jesus" on Audrey's letter and say, "He takes care of all of us, doesn't He?"  So sweet that Santa knows his rightful place.  They talked with him for another moment and then I took as many pictures as I could in two minutes before they ran off for the cookies and cocoa portion of the evening.  We visited with some neighbors, profusely thanked the organizer (because, boy, do I know), and went home.  


Audrey and Luke with Santa 2016

The next week things began to pick up a bit.  I had a meeting with Audrey's teacher and my co-room mom about their class's winter party, there was a PTA Board Luncheon, and David had his potluck lunch at work.  That Saturday we got all dolled up and attended his company party at Chateau Elan.  It was very well done and we had a nice time mingling and catching up with people.  I am so very proud of him and how he's advanced over the twelve years he's worked there.  I got to meet a lot of his employees that are under him and, aside from feeling really old, I loved getting a glimpse of that side of him.  

 David and me at his company Christmas Party at Chateau Elan

The next week was Luke's class party and Christmas program, both of which went very well. For his party we made snowman soup, reindeer food, decorated an ornament and a cookie, and played "pass the candy cane" and bell toss.  His program was just as precious as it could be and he went after it with the seriousness and focus of a Buckingham Palace guard.  He barely cracked a smile the entire time, but he hit every note and motion with precision.  We went back to his classroom for "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake and punch.  We presented his teachers with their gifts and helped clean up before racing to get Audrey back to school.  (Yes, I took her out so she could go because family support matters more than missing two hours of school.)


Luke (in the blue head wrap) giving it his all at his preschool program

That Saturday we had our "Alabama Christmas" with David's mom's side of the family.  We ate and ate and ate and then unwrapped and unwrapped and unwrapped.  The kids played with their new toys while the adults watched and catnapped.  As usual, it was delicious and filling on multiple levels.  We left there and headed home blaring our Alabama Christmas CD.  

That Monday the 19th was when I got the word that my grandfather had passed away.  I went over to my mom's that night to be with her.  By the next morning, I'd decided I was going to go to Baltimore for the funeral, so I booked all of my travel arrangements and then went to put on Audrey's class party.  I thought I was doing fairly well at staying focused on the task at hand until I stepped back to admire the banner I hung and it read "WONDERLAND WINTER."  Thank goodness for a co-room mom who handled more than her fair share of the work and watched my back too!  

The party went really well.  The theme was snow/snowflakes/wonderland winter (apparently).  The kids made a snow globe ornament with their pictures I'd taken the week before, put together a tea light snowman ornament, played Plinko with a giant board my co-room mom had left over from one of her kids' birthday parties, and had a make-a-snowman relay where teams raced to wrap each other in toilet paper and put on buttons and a hat. After everyone had cycled through the stations, we let them walk through a popcorn bar where they mixed their bag of popcorn with a bunch of treats like marshmallows, chocolate chips, pretzels, and skittles.  The kids had so much fun, but I will say I really miss getting to go around and enjoy it with Audrey because I'm always leading a station.  Still, I got to see her when she came to mine and stole glances and pictures the rest of the time. 

That evening I finished getting everything in order for our Christmas celebrations and started packing.  The next morning I hit the grocery store, took Luke to school (and thanked the Lord I'd already planned on having the pizza delivered directly for his class's special lunch), and went home to finish packing.  David's mom was picking up Luke at school, so I got on the road to the airport around 1pm.  The details of the trip are all written out here, but in summary:  it was a heartbreaking loss of a hero at a really tough time of year, but God was faithful to bring peace and comfort.

I got back late on the 22nd and we went to my brother's house on the 23rd to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family (less my mom of course.)  There was an understandable and mostly unspoken sadness that hung in the air.  I shared a story or two I'd heard on the trip, but we all wanted the focus to be on giving the kids their cousin Christmas, so we kept the reminiscing to a minimum.  Some time around 3 o'clock that day the adrenaline that had been pumping through my veins since Monday wore off and I hit a major wall of bone tiredness.  We got in the van, waved goodbye, and snaked our way around 20, 285, 400, and Hwy. 20 to home.


The five cousins celebrating Christmas 2016

The next morning after the first decent night's sleep in about a week, I got up and put on my running clothes.  Even though it was Christmas Eve, my body and my soul desperately needed my Saturday morning run.  I didn't go fast or far, but I did get my usual post-run Chick-fil-A biscuit and David's burrito and headed home to my couch and coffee.  That thirty minute window of post-run chicken biscuit and coffee is always one of the biggest highlights of my week and it felt especially comforting that morning.  

David's parents came over mid-morning and we celebrated Christmas with them.  We exchanged gifts and enjoyed a pizza lunch (I had actually planned on cooking this year, but they graciously understood my need to not mess with it.)  His mom was nice enough to bring two homemade desserts, which is really the most important part, so we managed just fine. We ate and went back to gifts for a little bit before cleaning up and getting ready for Christmas Eve service at church. 

David and I had to be there early to work the greeter team, so the kids gave his parents the grand tour and then we joined them for the service.  The music was both salve and salt to my wounds as praise and worship usually is for me.  The message was good, but truthfully I still wasn't 100% focused.  The kids got to join us in "big church" for the occasion and they truly enjoyed it.  We closed with a candlelit "Hard the Herald Angels Sing" and went out to the lobby where David and I worked the first time visitors' table for a few minutes.  We said goodbye to his parents and went home to cook our traditional Christmas Eve taco dinner.


Audrey and Luke with their Grandmom and Granddad (David's parents) 
before the Christmas Eve service

After we ate, we let the kids open their ornament gift of the year: a pink bicycle for Audrey to commemorate her learning to ride a bike and a GT football for Luke since he became such a big fan this year.  We set out cookies, milk, and carrots and spread reindeer food in the yard before hustling them upstairs for our final Jesse Tree devotional and a reading of "The Night Before Christmas."  They were excited, but jumped in bed quickly and stayed very quiet.  Santa came and we watched part of a Christmas movie and went to bed.

The next morning, I got up early and went downstairs to enjoy some peace, quiet, and coffee in front of the Christmas tree.  I prepped breakfast a little and then finally around 7:15 decided I was tired of waiting on everyone to wake up and went to stir them.  The kids did their very own walk down the stairs this year (I've usually carried someone or held a hand) and stared at their gifts with big smiles.  As requested, Audrey got a typewriter and a lego set and Luke got a robot costume and a lego set along with some other surprises for both of them.  (Don't worry - their stockings had the stuffed kitty and toy tiger.)  They dug in and played and we sat back and soaked it all in, loving every minute.  We took a break for breakfast and then did stockings.  They opened gifts from each other and one from David and I (we only do three for each of them from us) and then David and I opened ours from the kids. This year I'd surprised David with a six-string "banjitar/guitjo" and he was stoked. We don't do gifts every year, but I do love when something cool comes to mind and I get to pull it off.  We ate lunch and all took naps/rests...well, David practiced on his new toy, but the rest of us napped.

After we got up, we gave the kids their biggest gifts - new bicycles from us.  They were pretty shocked.  Audrey wasn't necessarily pumped, but Luke was.  She was nervous about how big it was and not being able to touch the ground easily.  Reassuring her she'd get the hang of it, we loaded up and took them over to a nearby park to test them out.  After some coddling, Audrey gained some confidence.  We thought Luke might be able to do it sans training wheels since he'd dabbled on the balance bike, but he wasn't quite ready for that yet, so David put them back on.  We let them ride for about 45 minutes and then went home to open the last gift and start prepping dinner.  We ate our ham, corn pudding, green beans, mashed potatoes, potato salad, rolls, and macaroni and cheese on our fine china in our pajamas in the dining room and it was as delightful as it always is. We played some more and turned in for the night fat and happy.  It had been a truly wonderful day and I was so grateful for it. 


David playing with his new banjitar in his new pajama pants from the kids

Audrey and Luke on their new bikes

The next week involved a lot of core family time and rest, which is exactly what we needed. The days that followed were a mix of chill and a little adventure.  Each family member got to pick one thing they wanted to do on the break, so we worked our way through the list. Audrey wanted to go roller skating (the kids did great!), Luke wanted to spend that night at his grandparents' (they did on 1/1), David wanted to go on a hike (we went near our usual lake trails), and I wanted to do some bookstore perusing and eat lunch out (and declutter a little and get a mani/pedi...so Mama got to pick a few things...so what?)  It wasn't anything particularly grand, but it was nice.  The Taylors came through town towards the end of the week, so we had them over for dinner and caught up a bit, which was wonderful.  For my birthday we lounged at home and then ran some errands.  Dinner was our usual Provino's Italian restaurant (free + a gluten free option = done.)  David and the kids gave me a gorgeous 13.1/triathlon bracelet that I loved and much cake was eaten.

The next day we stayed in, took down Christmas decorations (or started to at least - lawdy, we have a lot), and watched Georgia Tech beat Kentucky in the Taxslayer bowl.  That night we cuddled up and watched Fixer Upper, our new family-friendly tv obsession (I've always loved it but got them hooked a few months ago).  I discovered a streaming video on YouTube that let you watch New Year's in London, so we turned that on around 6:50pm and rang in their new year early with sparkling cider.  The kids went to bed around their usual time because we are mean parents and we settled in for four hours of trying to keep our eyes open.  We barely made it, but we made it...not unlike how most people feel about surviving 2016, I imagine.  

All in all, it was a really nice Christmas season.  Less busy/stressful than years before, which takes a ton of intention and work, but is well worth it.  Thank the Lord we were all healthy for the festivities this year because I think an illness would've been enough to do us in. Expectations were kept in check and the schedule of family celebrations was just perfect this time around.  Looking back I see all of this as God's grace.  He knew what was coming for our family with the loss of my grandfather and He covered us well.  

I hope your December/Christmas 2016 was a special one as well & here's to 2017!


2016 Resolutions Recap & List of Books I Read

Waaaay back in January of 2016, I spent hours creating a list of resolutions/goals for the year and a plan to go with them.  I updated my progress a few times at the beginning of the year, but dropped the ball during the second half.  Here's an overall look at how things went:

1)  Get more organized by doing a room-by-room, closet-by-closet, drawer-by-drawer purge this year.  Eh, I did okay on this.  I certainly didn't cover every nook and cranny like I wanted to, but I did manage to hit the high traffic spots (most of them a couple of times). I've reset this as a goal for 2017, so we'll see if my OCD can get it knocked out completely the second time around.  

2)  Give/Serve More. ✅  As you may have recall, I came up with a list of 12 service projects (one per month) for us to do, mostly as a family.  We ended up doing 9 out of the 12, but picked up at least 2-3 other things during the year that weren't on the schedule so I call that success!  I pray it mattered to those we helped and hopefully the kids learned some important lessons about giving back and gratitude in the process.  

3)  Improve Connections with Others by/in:
  • My marriage by spending more quality time with David.  I'm aiming for a date night every other week...once a month minimum.  Also, a night for kids at grandparents once very 4-6 weeks and a short trip somewhere.  ✅  We did great on having date nights and overnights.  We didn't end up taking a short trip anywhere, but have one in the works for 2017.  
  • My relationships with girlfriends by having one monthly lunch or dinner with one of them and taking my annual trip with Kara.  ✅  I had monthly dinners with either Lauren or Lara Lynn most months and took my annual trip with Kara.  
  • My community by attending 2-3 neighborhood social events and planning 2-3 small group social events this year.  Well...I did great on the small group social events!  And we attended a few church events as well.  But, alas, I did not attend any neighborhood social events.  We mixed with neighbors a few times on an individual basis and of course interacted a lot with the Timber Trek, so I'm giving myself a B-.  
  • My extended family by getting together a couple of times outside of the kids' birthday parties.  ✅  We didn't get together as much as I would have liked, but we did manage a few gatherings outside of kids' birthday parties.  
  • Blogging more. 🚫 Nope.  Big fat fail.  A major barrier I've recently pinpointed is that once I spend hours catching up, I'm so over it and tired of writing that I don't want to do it again for awhile.  This ultimately creates a vicious cycle that I find difficult to break.  So, my focus this next year is to power through that initial catching up and write immediately after so I have a better chance of sticking with it.  But as I said in a recent post, some is better than none.  Each post I write is another connection for a reader and another glimpse that my kids and grandkids have into their/our lives.  
One of the goals I had for 2016 that I was too scared to even blog about was doing a triathlon.  As you may have heard (because I wanted to scream it from the rooftops), I did accomplish that feat.  After a ton of work and taking some swim lessons, I did a super sprint in May and a sprint in July.  I am thrilled at having checked off those boxes and look forward to doing another one or two next year (gah!)

I also wanted to continue my goal from 2015 of reading.  I didn't get through quite as many books as I did last year, but I aimed for one per month and beat that goal.  

Here is my list from this year with my yes/no recommendation in parenthesis:
  • Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (yes)
  • The All You Can Dream Buffet (no)
  • Wild (eh)
  • The Blue Castle (yes)
  • My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry (no - didn't finish though)
  • Giddy Up, Eunice (yes)
  • Looking for Lovely (yes)
  • The Undoing of St. Silvanus (yes)
  • Glitter and Glue (yes)
  • The Middle Place (yes)
  • Where the Light Gets In (yes)
  • Lift (yes)
  • The Royal We (yes)
  • Eligible (yes)
  • Loving My Actual Life (yes)
  • The Kitchen House (yes)
  • Love Walked In (yes)
  • The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (yes)
  • The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (yes)
  • Winter Storms (eh)
  • Talking as Fast as I Can (eh)
  • The Magnolia Story (yes)
So, all in all, not too bad.  There is room for improvement as always, but I'm pretty happy at what got accomplished in regards to these goals.  I truly believe that, beyond God's grace of course, the main reason I was able to check off what I did is because I wrote down my goals and planned specific, tangible steps to complete them.  Give it a try for next year.  I already have and will be sharing some...hopefully soon! 

Here's to 2017 and more GOOD, worthy goals getting reached!  Happy New Year!



Pop-Pop Johnson

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

My maternal grandfather, Monroe James Johnson Jr., passed away on Sunday, December 18th.  He was 91 years old, so I'm not sure you can say it was a surprise, but is anyone ever really ready to say goodbye?  I sure wasn't.  

I flew up to Baltimore that Wednesday night to attend the funeral on Thursday and then flew back home Thursday night.  It was a whirlwind trip, but I am so very glad that I went.  I was thankful I got to "represent" our branch of the family tree and be by my mom's side. Father-daughter relationships are so special and theirs was no different.  They held each other in such high esteem.  I know when that day comes for me, hopefully MANY years from now, it will break me in a way that I will never, ever recover from this side of heaven.  I knew it would do the same to her and I wanted to be by her side as she faced that.

I got to the hotel around 8pm on Wednesday night and helped my mom move her stuff from my aunt's room to mine.  I picked up some dinner at the hotel bar and brought it to the room. My mom, aunt, and I talked for awhile before finally turning in.  The next morning my mom and I got ready and drove over to my grandparents' house.  My breath caught in my throat and tears pooled as I walked into that house knowing he wouldn't be there.  He wouldn't be sitting in his big leather chair on the enclosed porch.  He wouldn't come ambling through the kitchen, his large frame filling up the doorway as his big smile spread across his face.  He wouldn't come over and give me a pat me on the back so hard he'd nearly knock me down.

I caught up with a dear friend of the family, "Nobby", as my mom and aunt got my grandmother ready.  She is not in great health either and Nobby had brought a wheelchair van to help transport her to funeral.  We loaded up and I walked out of the house slowly, wondering if it was the last time I would ever set foot there.  

We drove through some familiar streets as we made our way to the funeral home.  I'd spent many weeks there during the summers as I was growing up and visited a number of times in my adulthood.  I knew some pockets quite well, but as with everywhere else, new construction and redone buildings made it hard to recognize other areas.  There is a certain style home that populates a lot of that area of Baltimore that isn't found much down here in the south...small, all brick, usually with white awnings.  Winding through roads lined with those houses always evokes a sense of comfort and home.  Maybe it's because both of my parents grew up there and it's in my blood. 

When we arrived at the funeral home, I sat with my grandmother and chatted while my mom, aunt, and two uncles set up the room.  They pinned old photos on linen boards and had a slideshow running with snapshots of his life...one of five brothers, WWII Army vet, entrepreneur builder who owned his own company, husband, father, uncle, grandfather, great-grandfather, boss, friend.  It's amazing how your entire life can be narrowed down to just a few telling titles.  

As people filed in and the service began, I looked around the room in awe and appreciation at so many who had come out three days before Christmas to say their goodbyes.  There was a moment when they allowed people to stand up and say a few words or share a memory.  I watched as big, grown men let tears stream down their faces as they took their turn to share. Over and over again they used words like "integrity" and "character" to describe my grandfather.  Their stories were like honey to my soul.  The time he loaned money to a new builder in town to help him get his business off the ground and told him not to worry about paying him back.  (That builder is now the equivalent of "John Wieland Homes" in Baltimore.)  The time his niece went to physical therapy with him and he kept telling the therapist he wanted to do more on the bike.  She kept putting him off and having him do easier exercises.  She finally told him "No, you're tired and you've had enough today."  His reply was a laughing, "I'm not tired!  You may be tired, but I'm not!"  The time he lifted an employee by the shoulders out of a crumbling ditch just in time.  The time a man came to talk to him about buying some property and they reached an agreement on price and shook hands.  The man later found out that another guy came to my grandfather just hours later and offered him quite a bit more money for it, but my grandfather wouldn't take it.  It didn't matter to him that no contracts had been signed.  He told the guy he'd shaken on it...end of story.  I was filled with simultaneous pride and devastation as I heard them all share.

We left the funeral home and followed the procession of cars to the cemetery about thirty minutes away.  My mom was in the limo behind the hearse, so I sat in quiet with my thoughts as we passed beautiful scenic fields and farms.  We pulled into the cemetery and made our way to the chapel for the military honors.  In front of me sat my grandmother, my mom, her two brothers, her sister, and her sister's husband.  My grandfather's casket was draped with an American flag and the chapel filled with mourners and the cold Baltimore air.  The director asked us to stand as taps began to play.  I wept hearing the haunting, final notes.  This was the second grandfather buried with full military honors and that song undid me both times.  My cousin's fiance reached for my hand and squeezed it tight.  The young marines in front of us folded the flag and presented it to my grandmother with a final salute. The minister spoke a few more verses and prayed before the pallbearers loaded the casket back into the hearse.  We followed by car and got out to watch them lower it into the ground. My mom and her sister walked up close as everyone else hung back.  They held each other and wept.  No one else knew their pain like the other.  It was heartbreaking.

I helped my mom back to the car and we drove to a nearby restaurant where a luncheon was being put on for family and friends.  The mood lightened as we caught up and shared more stories.  I sat between my mom and Nobby, who was just such a gift from God through the whole thing.  Everyone should be so lucky to have a friend like him in their lifetime.  

I talked to my grandmother a little more and she told me as she had earlier that she didn't know what she was going to do and that she wouldn't ever get over it.  Their marriage never seemed to me to be one of sweet romance or close friendship, but there was a mutual respect and loyalty there for 70 years.  They built a home and a family and were together for 70 years.  That's no small feat.

Before I knew it, it was time for me to make my way back to the airport.  I hugged my cousins, aunt, uncles, grandmother, and finally my mom and walked out to the parking lot.  I focused on getting myself safely down to the airport.  I returned the rental car and made it in plenty of time to get to the gate.  I texted my brothers with an update and tried to hold it together as I waited to get on the plane.

When they called my zone to board, I wheeled my carry-on down the narrow aisle and found my seat.  I sank into it and texted David that I was on my way.  I stuffed earbuds into my ears, closed my eyes, and blared The Carpenters Christmas album.  A woman made her way to the seat beside me and I was so thankful she didn't attempt to strike up a conversation.  I didn't even hear the flight attendants giving their safety talk or feel us backing up.  All of a sudden we were climbing up into the air and the Baltimore city lights were disappearing on the ground below us.  My body quietly shook with gut-wrenching sobs as I looked at the city out of the window.  Even though I knew full well that he was no longer there, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him.  

I landed and got home safely that night by the grace of God.  I crawled into bed exhausted and hurting.  How was it possible that such an incredible man was no longer on earth?  As my aunt said a few weeks earlier, "the heroes are leaving us."  

There just aren't enough words to describe his dedication to God, his family, and his work. He believed in his grandkids like no one else.  He truly thought I could be the president of the United States and often told me to "straighten them out."  If only I could.

You will be so very missed, Pop-pop.  I'm sorry I broke my promise to you about not getting married until I was 35, but I think it's worked out okay.  Thank you for all of the grape snow cones and blueberry pancakes.  Thank you for your legacy of hard work and integrity. As another dear man in my life put it, you stood tall in many ways.  If my children grow up to have an ounce of the character you possessed, I will be eternally grateful.  

To close, some of his favorite quotes and a few pictures:
  • "Be nice to people on your way up.  You will meet some of them on the way down."
  • "There is so much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us that it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us."
  • "Luxury is far worse than war for a country."
  • "You've got to make yourself get up and do.  You've got to say, 'I'm A number 1.'"  (He would always say I was A number 1 in his book.)



Pop-pop and I at my high school graduation in 2001

Visiting in 2010

 Audrey sharing a flower with Pop-pop in 2010

Luke and Pop-pop in 2013 

Pop-pop, Nana, Audrey, and Luke in 2013

His funeral on December 22, 2016

"If a task is once begun, never leave it til it's done.  Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all." - from his dad

Thank you for doing so many things so very well, Pop-pop.  I love you.


November 2016 Recap

Thursday, December 1, 2016

November started off on the right foot.  Soon the left foot joined.  They started jogging pretty quickly (see where I'm going with this?!) and, at some point, broke into a full-on sprint.  By the end of the month, both feet were blistered and limping and just wanted a soaking pedicure.  Read below to see what I mean...

The first week, we did a service project at Audrey's school, had neighbors over for dinner, and had a small group couples' date night at a mystery escape room followed by dinner (guys vs. girls...guys won by a hair).  We managed to stay out until after 10pm (no, really!) and laughed until our bellies hurt.  Later that weekend we visited the rental house in north Georgia that David's aunt and uncle were staying in for the month. The kids hung out in hammocks right by the Chattahoochee River and we grilled hamburgers and then had s'mores by the campfire.  It was so peaceful and we enjoyed visiting with family in the beautiful fall setting.  

Unfortunately, that peacefulness didn't last long.  On the way home, Audrey got sick and threw up more than any kid in the history of earth ever.  We pulled over into a Circle K and did our best to clean up her and the carseat.  She kept getting sick all the way home while Luke just sat there and pinched his nose.  She was two the last time she threw up, so I suppose she was making up for lost time.  We got her home, bathed, and in the bed without further incident.  The rest of the weekend was spent nursing her back to health and keeping a watchful eye on Luke ("What's wrong?  Did your stomach just gurgle funny?!  Do you feel okay?"  CHILL, Mom.)

I'd already planned on keeping Audrey out of school that Monday for some doctors appointments, so even though she didn't get sick again after Saturday night, I was thankful to have her with me for another day.  We took Luke to school and then headed to her eye doctor check-up.  Thank God, her amblyopia improvement is holding steady.  She can continue three more months without patching and then she'll get checked again.  From there, we went to the bookstore and let her browse for awhile before going to the necessary but dreaded blood work appointment we have each year before her GI exam.  I had it done at Children's Healthcare this time, which I will do from here on out.  They got us in fast and handled it like they experts they are.  She was so nervous, but it was over quickly and then we went out to lunch before picking up Luke at school.

The next day was Election Day, so the kids were off.  I wish I could remember what we did, but I honestly can't.  I hope it involved very little errand running a whole lot of pajamas and chill time, so let's go with that.  And in case it's the future and the world has exploded but you survived and have no history books but you're somehow reading my blog, Donald Trump won the election.  I was shocked, relieved, and scared...in that order.  

Later that week, my father-in-law had planned open heart surgery to replace a heart valve. It went well, thank the Lord, and he only had to spend a few days in the hospital (I'm sure it felt like a lifetime to him and my mother-in-law.)  He went in and out of afib a few times and had trouble with medication the next week, but once they got all of that under control, he began to make some real progress.  We are so grateful he is doing well.  Keep praying for him!

Unfortunately, that week also brought about Luke puking.  (In his carseat, no less.)  I guess it wasn't car sickness that Audrey had after all.  He woke up with a fever that Friday morning and I took him to urgent care to get a strep test since it was going around.  It was negative and he didn't have any other symptoms, so it was deemed a virus.  We headed to drop some things off at his school that needed to be sent home with the kids and then go home and rest. On the way home from the school, he threw up.  It was a one and done deal and he recovered quickly, thank goodness, but ugg.  (Also thank goodness that another mom was taking lunch in for Audrey's teacher's birthday celebration that day because that could've been a pain to pull off.)  Puking kids are pitiful (and MESSY.)

The next week, Audrey lost her first tooth.  Finally!  She was at the dentist having a cavity filled (that would be two in case you want to tally it on my "get it together, Momma" chart. Oh well.) I told the dentist it was super loose and had been for MONTHS.  As in, I'm pretty sure it first wiggled in spring.  I was over it and it needed to come out.  She was stressed about it and I knew the fear of losing it at school was weighing on her.  The dentist wasn't too thrilled to keep going after it didn't come out immediately because Audrey was getting nervous.  He didn't want to make her scared of him, which I understand, but we were in too deep at this point.  I told him she was numbed up already and we needed to see it through. Out it came and, though she wasn't sure how to feel at first, she was super pumped by the time we got home.  She left the tooth fairy a note and asked her two questions:  1)  What is your name and 2) Can I keep the tooth since it's my first one?  She was so surprised to see the tooth fairy wrote back "Tiffany" and "Yes" and still gave her a dollar.  She thought that since she got to keep the tooth, she wouldn't get any money.  I personally think the tooth fairy wished she knew that was the expectation beforehand.  Just a hunch.  

That Wednesday, I took Audrey to her annual GI check-up.  Her tTg level at her Celiac diagnosis was 125 (it's supposed to be below 4) and she was in the 2nd percentile for height. Last year, her level was 4 and her height was in the 9th percentile.  This year, her level was what they call "nonexistent", which means less than 2, and she had grown to the 20th percentile.  Can I get a "Praise Jesus, Amen and Amen?!"  Oh my, y'all.  The joy of God's healing...I can't even tell you.

Luke had his Thanksgiving feast at school the next day and told me the most hilarious story afterward:  "I'd already eaten, but was thinking to myself 'Boy. I sure am still hungry. But I don't think they'll give me more.' And right then, Mrs. Rebecca walked by and asked if I wanted more and I thought 'Well LA-TI-DA, I guess I do get more!' ISN'T THAT EXCITING, MOMMY?! ...'Cept, truthfully, I didn't care for the broccoli."  Good grief that boy keeps me laughing.  

We concluded the week with a morning of special centers in Luke's class and celebrating another teacher's birthday.  The kids rotated through a popsicle teepee craft, painting Indian corn with legos, sticking feathers on a paper plate turkey with the letters of their name, making a letter-T turkey, and playing "stuff the turkey" toss.   They had a lot of fun doing the centers and Luke just loves having me in his class, which makes it all worth it.  

That Saturday, my dad and stepmom came over to watch the kids while David and I went to tailgate at and attend a Georgia Tech game with our "Cobb County Crew" (friends of ours from high school and college.)  We had so much fun catching up and reliving old stories.  The weather was nice and only our fairest friends (i.e. David plus half of the others) got sunburned.  We came home to the kids and had a pizza pajama picnic and watched a movie. 

Unfortunately the next week brought some really sad news.  My mom's friend Carla passed away after a few months' fight with ovarian cancer.  Carla was such a faithful friend to my mom and loved the Lord so very much.  When our group of friends went to Panama City Beach in the summer of 1999, Carla and my mom were the chaperones of our crew.  She always was such a hard worker and I know she fought just as hard.  She will be missed, but I'm thankful that she's resting with her Savior now.  

Later that week we hosted Thanksgiving here at our house with my family.  Everyone pitched in and helped with food, which was a lifesaver.  We got a cooked turkey breast from Publix and a cooked cajun one from Popeyes, which both turned out to be pretty tasty.  The weather was warm and it was a gorgeous day.  The cousins played nicely together, but my poor nephew took a tumble at the end of the stairs that my brother and SIL later discovered resulted in a couple of fractured metatarsals.  The poor guy got a boot put on and handled it like a champ.  (It has since healed just fine, thank God.)  My brother Brian and niece came back to stay later that weekend.  The kids played hard while we hauled out the Christmas decorations and worked hard.  Later that weekend we watched Georgia Tech beat Georgia and celebrated with pizza out.  

At the end of the month, we wrapped up our small group for the semester with a little service project that the kids helped with.  They made homemade cards and packed blessing bags full of nonperishable food for the Salt Light Center (Timber Trek beneficiary).  It's been a wonderful semester with our group and we've enjoyed learning and serving with them again.  

So, in summary, this month had two puking kids, five unrelated doctor and dentist appointments, open heart surgery for my father-in-law, two teacher birthdays, a preschool Thanksgiving feast and centers, the loss of one of my mom's best friends, two service projects, a GT game, and the hosting of a Thanksgiving dinner that included broken bones. Add to all that the utter breakdown half of America had about the election results and it's just been a long, tiring month.  Now you get the aching foot analogy I started with.  Good thing a nice, stress-free season is just around the bend...

Some photos to help you visualize:  

Couples' Date Night with our small group

Audrey and Luke at the "River House" (pre-puke fest)

 Audrey lost her first tooth!

 Old, familiar friends at an old, familiar place

Our littlest small group members with the blessing bags 
they packed for the SaltLight Center

Thanksgiving 2016.  Even in the midst of the chaos, we know 
we have so much to be grateful for!

October 2016 Recap - Complete with Pictures!

Tuesday, November 1, 2016

I'm not even going to address the absence since my last post.  Even though I have this postdated early November (thank you, Blogger, for that feature), I know the break was there.
You know it was there.  And I know neither of us like it.  BUT, I know that it matters to me that I keep plugging away at this blog even if I do it so sporadically that there are probably only two of you out there who still read it.  My biggest goal is to get these stories, quotes, and recaps down so one day my kids (grandkids?!) can read them and know what our life was like.  Even if that's only a handful of times a year, it's better than nothing.  I don't know that I'll keep it up forever, but I know I'm not quitting yet.  

Shew - good thing I didn't address the absence.  

Here are some bullet points from October:
  • Kara and I took our annual girls' trip.  This year we went to Asheville, North Carolina and it was awesome.  This trip was especially sweet because of all that she's gone through with her Guillain-Barre Syndrome diagnosis in March.  I remember sitting in the hospital in the spring talking to her about it.  I joked that I'd push her around in a wheelchair if I had to, but that we would have our trip!  On the trip I joked that I was glad I didn't have to push her around in a wheelchair because Asheville is very, very hilly.  ;)  We shopped, ate (even having cake for lunch one day because we are adults and why not?!), got pedicures, and solved all the worlds problems in two days.  I am so thankful for her, her friendship, and our time together!
 Kara and I in front of the Double D's Dessert Bus in Asheville
  • David and I threw a joint 60th birthday party for his parents.  His mom's birthday was in August and his Dad's is in October, but since September was consumed with the Timber Trek, we had it in early October.  Most of both sides of the family came and we had such a good evening talking, laughing, eating, and celebrating them.  We even got a piñata since David's dad mentioned a few months prior that he'd never had one.  The colors were burgundy and gold, we had Ippolito's cater the dinner, and the cakes were from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  The slideshow we put together was by far my favorite part.  I loved getting to see all of those priceless photos of them!
Family that came out for Pam and Ed's 60th Birthday Party 

Breaking open the piñata

Pam and her family 

Ed and his family

Audrey and Luke with Pam and Ed at the party
  • We took our annual trek up to Jaemor Farms.  I think this will be the last year that David lets us do the mini corn maze instead of the full one, so this may be the last time I ever mention Jaemor Farms in writing.  ("Honey.  Do you see them sweating, frustrated, and going around in circles?  I had to break off a corn stalk back there to remember where we've been and a swarm of bees nearly attacked me.  What makes you want to sign up for another 45 minutes to an hour of this?!"  Maybe his goal is to lose us.  That's the only logical explanation I can think of.)  The kids loved the big tunnel slide (Luke's first year giving it a try!), the petting zoo (they had pigs this time!), the hay ride (still doesn't actually have any hay), and the mini pumpkin "train" (first time letting them go solo!)  We ate our picnic lunch, chose a big family pumpkin and two littles ones for the kids' rooms, and headed home.  
Audrey and Luke on the little Pumpkin Train at Jaemor Farms
  • In case you hadn't heard, Halloween is the new Christmas when it comes to school events.  There is so much to do!  It started with Luke's fall festival (the last preschool fall festival - how can it be?!) Praise Jesus I did NOT get fake tattoo booth duty during my volunteer shift this year.  I've done my fair share over the years and, without fail, get sick three days later from holding all those little germy hands while I slap a "Shine Bright" cross jack-o-lantern on them.  Luke loved the putt-putt station and the bouncy house the best, in case you were wondering.  We also did a morning of "special centers" one day that I planned and prepped for his class.  They painted a candy corn page with craft pom-poms, made a bat out of a paper bag, made a pumpkin tambourine stuffed with pumpkin seeds, and pinned the nose on the jack-o-lantern.  
Luke and I at his preschool Fall Festival
  • Audrey had her own fall festival at school one Friday evening put on by the PTA.  I helped set up and then worked the ticket booth while David walked around and kept an eye on them.  They each got "crazy hair" (Luke's was just spray painted orange) and their faces painted.  The weather was perfect for the event and it felt so quintessentially autumn.  I made sure to be done with my shift in time for us to be home, in pajamas, and watching "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" by 6:30pm because after Jaemor farms, both schools' festivals, and our little town's festival, we were just about festival-ed out.  
AJ getting "Crazy Hair" at her school's Fall Festival
  • Audrey also had a field trip this month that I got to chaperone.  The whole grade went to see "Gracie for President" at the Aurora Children's Theater in Lawrenceville and then had a picnic lunch at the town square.  The play was cute, the kids all enjoyed it and everyone was on their best behavior.  After they ate, her entire class played Duck-Duck-Goose together.  The other classes had split up all over the place and I just thought it was the most precious thing that her class stuck together.  The teacher told me they truly do have a very special group this year.  
My girl and me on her second grade field trip to Aurora Theater
  • Audrey learned to ride her bike!  We took her out to a nearby park for a few concentrated lessons over the course of a couple of months.  She didn't love doing it and let us hear about it, but she stuck with it.  I will never forget letting the seat go (with her knowing) and watching her pedal away with tears in my eyes.  Oh my, what happened to my baby?! She's not a huge fan of it, but we're hoping that changes over time.  We celebrated the big milestone with dinner out and frozen yogurt.
  • For Halloween, Audrey was a black cat and Luke was a lion.  We met up with the Kirkleys and several other families from our small group to go trick-or-treating.  The kids did great, even though it was quite warm (can lions have heat strokes?!)  There were definitely not as many houses participating this year as last, which I think was due to last Halloween falling on a Saturday.  However, in a neighborhood with over 400 homes, there was no shortage of places to go.  We had a lot of fun with our crew and came back to enjoy a few treats.  Even a hefty dose of sugar right before bed was no match for the 1.5 miles their little legs walked and they were out in no time. 
  • Our two cool cats ready for trick-or-treating 
  • Other highlights:  We continued leading small group and had a family picnic night with them at a local park.  We also went on a date night, had a 12Stone Church volunteer vision dinner, I sold quite a few home decor items in a local consignment sale, and we had school spirit night at Chick-fil-A.  Also, I did early voting and my heart broke over our crappy presidential candidate choices, but that's all I'm going to say about that.  Audrey continued her weekly art club and Luke had Pirate Day.  
 Luke's Pirate Day at Preschool

Some of Audrey's artwork from art club

As you can tell, it was a very good month full of some very good things!  I hope yours was a great October as well. 

Misaligned Priorities

Sunday, October 30, 2016

In an effort to avoid becoming overcommitted and over-scheduled,  I've had to learn to say "no" quite often.  I've become fairly decent at it over the last few years.  (Though admittedly I'm less proficient in the area of not caring who cares, but I'm getting better.)  I guard our family's calendar pretty fiercely and make sure we have plenty of down time and time for each other.  There is a fine line between living life to the fullest and living a too-full life, and it's one that I attempt to walk very carefully.  (Quick, somebody hand letter that onto a pretty floral background.)

However... 

Even when you make the choices that are only in line with your "best yes" and learn to say no to all of the other junk, there are times in life that are going to be just plain crazy (hello adulthood.)  A few months back I had a lot of balls in the air.  The Timber Trek was in full swing, I was planning my in-laws' 60th birthday party, room mom responsibilities were coming at me from both schools, and dear ones near me were requiring serious emotional support.  On top of that, the house stuff just seemed to keep piling up.  ("HOW do you people wear so many clothes and WHY do you need to eat ALL THE TIME?!")  I was overwhelmed and sinking fast.  

It came to a head one afternoon Audrey and Luke were playing and he did something he shouldn't have.  I called him into the kitchen and laid into him louder and more harshly than was necessary.  I don't even remember what he did, but I know my reaction didn't fit the crime.   His eyes welled with tears and I immediately thought, "I am failing.  I am failing miserably at this."  I calmed down and doled out time-outs for both of us.  As I tried to figure out what to do next, a realization came to me:  If I mess this up, nothing else matters.  If I succeed at everything else I'm responsible for but drop the ball with my family, we all lose.  

Ouch.

I read an article a few weeks ago that railed against the "constant sexist message women are sent: your 'job' will never be as important as your role as a mother — and if you try to do both you will always be failing."    

My blood boiled as I read the lies on the screen in front of me again.  Newsflash:  Your job WON'T ever be as important as your role as a mother.  Neither will any other parent's...male or female, Small Business Owner or POTUS.  
Aside from your relationship with Christ, familial relationships are everything and should be treated accordingly.  

Let me be clear:  This is not about stay at home moms vs. working moms.  As was evident to me that afternoon (and a hundred others before it), it's possible for SAHMs to miss the boat. Just because we're there doesn't mean we're truly present and getting it right...oh lawd, it does not mean that.   And I'm also not talking about perfection nor the need to be 100% accessible to your family 100% of the time.  Balls will be dropped.  
Family members are going to get short-changed during busy seasons.  Kids need to know your entire universe doesn't revolve around them.  We have to step up for each other and share the load.  But if it's too much for too long, something is broken.  

I wrote in this post two years ago, "Perfect balance doesn't exist, so the scale should always tip to the side that has your heart."  That afternoon I realized I was way off balance.  It wasn't a self-imposed guilt trip that I lamented over.  Instead it was actually a quiet, gentle reminder that my priorities had gotten misaligned.  Instead of letting it wash over me in a wave of discouragement, I took it as clarifying, freeing truth.  If I will run my next steps through the filter of correctly aligned priorities, what I need to do becomes crystal clear.  At that very moment, it was about asking my four year old for forgiveness and grace.  

The busyness remained constant over the next few weeks, but God shifted my attitude. Another message came to mind that I clung to:  if my kids see me serving others with a bad attitude and constantly doing so at their expense, what good is that example?  They need to know they matter and I need to remember to let go of what doesn't and hold on tight to who does.