June 2017/Audrey's 8th Birthday Recap

I know I've been trying to get away from doing the monthly recaps, but I can justify this one because I think it'll be pretty short and easy.  

(Sidenote:  If you missed it, I already covered a lot of the activity of last month in these in-depth posts:  Triathlon #3 - June 3, 2017 in Greenville, Trip to Boston, and Triathlon #4 - June 17, 2017 in Callaway Gardens.)

So between all of that, what else did we possibly have time for?!  

Well the biggest thing of course was that Audrey turned 8!  That morning before David left for work we gave her her birthday present from us:  a new desk and chair for her bedroom, complete with stationary supplies.  She adored it and immediately began organizing her rubber bands and new pink accessories, just as I knew she would.   

She got to plan out the day from start to finish, so after I tore her away from her new desk, we began at Kids Up (where I think she and Luke quickly realized they are now too old for Kids Up. Sad.)  Afterward we stopped by Jilly's Cupcakery to pick out her birthday cupcake and then came home for lunch and rest.  That afternoon we went back out to Queen of Hearts (a big antique store that she loves to roam around in) and the mall, where David met us for some shopping and dinner.  She chose a dress from Gymboree and hairbands and stick-on earrings from Claire's.  Per her request, we searched fruitlessly for a tankini bathing suit that looked appropriate and finally gave up and rode the merry-go-round.  She chose Tin Lizzy's restaurant for dinner, but obviously refused to let us tell them it was her special day, so there was no embarrassing singing.  David drove the kids home in the van while I went by the Dollar Tree to grab the last few favors for her birthday party.  I walked in the door around 7:25 and by 7:29 (the time of her birth), we were singing to her and enjoying our cupcakes. It was a simple but really fun day that was full of both "she's getting so old" moments (choosing shopping at the mall as your birthday activity?!) but also a feeling of "she's still firmly planted in kid world, thank the Lord" (you want to ride the merry-go-round? Of course!)

We celebrated with family and friends at her "Cartwheels and Cupcakes"-themed birthday party that Saturday held at her gymnastics gym.  She had about 14 friends (mostly friends plus their little brothers!) and they spent an hour on the floor doing an obstacle course, bar work, and rope swinging. Afterward we went into the party room where they got to decorate their own cupcakes and pose for pictures with photo booth props.  Audrey decided to open her presents there and it was a flurry of wrapping paper and ribbon.  Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head home.  The only consolation was that my mom came back and stayed the night with us so she could start her "shift" for mine and David's trip to Boston the next morning.  We had pizza and then watched Little Big Shots before turning in.  

Other highlights of the month included a week of gymnastics camp for the kids, a few playdates, some trips to the pool, a splash pad gathering with our small group buddies, visits to the library, a couple of dentist appointments, a trip to the dollar movies to see Trolls, Father's day celebration meals, and a girls' night in for our small group.  Our church also broke ground on their new campus, which means our days of meeting in a nearby high school are numbered.  We're excited, but since we're not the ones getting up at 4:30am every Sunday to get there for set-up, it's not quite as big of a deal to us!

So I guess we did find time to squeeze in a few other things in June after all!  It was a really good month with a bunch of summertime adventures, but I do hope we get a little more taste of the lazy side of the season next month.  Pictures will be up on Facebook soon, so check them out there.

Lately... Late April/Early May 2017 Recap

So how ya doin'?  ...What's that you say?  How dare I ask because it's May and that should be self-explanatory?!  Preach, sister.  Things have been pretty nonstop around here since the end of spring break in April.  

Where to begin...How about with the house? Let's see, we had an unplanned porch repair to tear out and replace rotten wood on the ceiling from an active leak that also had to fixed.  David and I did serious yard work for three Saturdays in a row with me working on it some weekdays as well.  In addition to the usual upkeep, we planted flowers, laid mulch and pine straw, created a new framed-in mulched area under our deck addition, and added some decor and outdoor games to the patio area.  I repainted the mailbox, the window baskets, and the wall candle holder we have on the deck and scrubbed the deck, porch, and all the patio furniture until it was shiny...or at least not yellow from pollen anymore.  Inside we finally finished the family room makeover that I started in January (earlier if you count it starting with my mantle makeover from last year!)  We also had our duct work and windows cleaned.  

On the school scene, we had Luke's class Easter party, egg hunt, field day, parent-teacher conference, and volunteer appreciation lunch.  Shew.  There hasn't been as much activity with Audrey's school, but I did have PTA nominating committee duties and two board meetings plus a volunteer appreciation lunch.  With both schools I've also been busy planning, communicating, and executing end of year teacher gifts and activities.  Thankfully Luke doesn't have a big end of year party and AJ's is going to be incredibly easy on me.  

On the social scene, we had a small group picnic, a nice date with a hike and dinner at a new-to-us restaurant, multiple Easter egg hunts, my nephew's birthday lunch, and a few play dates/kids' birthday parties.  We also threw a surprise anniversary party at our house for my dad and stepmom with my brothers and their families as well as my stepmom's kids and grandkids.  David grilled delicious hamburgers and the weather was perfect.  It went really well and they enjoyed it.  

What else?  David was out of town for a couple of days, which always makes things tougher. We had multiple doctor's appointments for Luke and I.  Thankfully they were all well visits this time...finally!  Audrey has continued gymnastics and celebrated her summer birthday at school.  Luke started swim lessons at a nearby indoor pool and we got him registered for kindergarten.  I hate the phrase "I can't even", but I can't even go there right now.  There are so many emotions surrounding that situation that it will have to be it's own future post...if I can see through the tears to type it.  For now I will continue to live in denial thank you very much.  

So yeah.  It's been a crazy month since my last post.  I'm sorry for the fly-by update, but I wanted to get it all out quickly so I could be caught up and MAYBE get back into smaller, more frequent posts.  That went so well for those solid couple of weeks.  But if I were you, I don't think I'd count on hearing much more out of me for the next 8 days until school is out.  Home stretch, baby!  We can do this!

December/Christmas 2016 Recap

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!

November 2016 Recap

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!

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. 

September/Timber Trek 2016 Recap

As I write this, we are nearly at the end of October.  I don't know how it happened, but it's true.  Audrey asked me the other day how to write the date in numerical form and I responded "8/21/16"...apparently I am still very much in August.  Which is unfortunate, as I think September was a great month and I hate that I missed it.  

Here are the things I *think* happened last month, but I'm not sure I can be trusted:

• Labor Day weekend was crazy, but fun.  We were in Alabama on Saturday, over my dad and stepmom's on Sunday, and in Cobb visiting friends on Monday.  Nearly eight hours in the car total, but it was time spend with lots of people we love, which made it very much worth it.  

• Audrey's school fundraiser was at the beginning of the month, which meant a lot of communication and a lot of counting.  ("Really, Tommy?  Did you have to collect $0.16 from each of 32 relatives?"  Can I just write a check for $20 and NOT have to count all these coins?!)  Nonetheless, the school exceeded their goal and the class reached all of their personal incentives, which meant I got to supervise a "field trip" to the park next to the school for lunch and recess.  It was great to get the time with the class, as AJ's teacher isn't too keen on parent helpers this year.  

• Luke started Pre-K!!!  Unbelievable.  He was ready and excited.  Since he has the same teachers that Audrey did and a couple of buddies in his class, we were all pretty comfortable.  (But mark my words:  I will be a wreck next year.) 

• My mom came out and spent the night with us one Friday.  I had a cold and wasn't feeling the best, which put an unfortunate damper on things.  David and I still got a little date in and we all went to the neighborhood pool for a final swim of the season.  The kids bid it farewell through chattering teeth and blue lips.  

• We attended Suwanee Fest and enjoyed seeing the sights and overpaying for spray painted tattoos and bouncy houses for the kids.  

• Luke had a playdate with his friend Lilly that absolutely adores him.  (I can't remember if I wrote about it before, but she gave him a Bible for Valentine's Day last year and is head over heels for him.)  Her mom had been asking about a time they could get together and I finally relented.  She brought her older brother and Audrey came too.  Unfortunately, Luke was more content to run around than pay much attention to Lilly.  He tried, but he didn't cater to her quite like she expected.  I heard later that Lilly's feelings were a little hurt.  Sigh.  I'm not sure it's going to be longterm match.  I guess she's learning the hard lesson of managing expectations and he's learning that girls are often guilty of not communicating those expectations.  Plus, you know...they're FOUR. 

• We started back up with our small group.  We're co-leading with the Kirkleys again and discussing the sermon series.  We have mostly the same couples this time around, with the exception of one that left and a new one that came in.  It's actually Audrey's friend Kaelyn's family, whose mom I've known for years and did women's Bible study with.  

• Audrey began attending art club after school one day a week.  This girl of mine continues to knock my socks off with her artistic abilities.  At her parent-teacher conference at the end of the month, her teacher commented on how balanced she is and that she's great at doing a variety of things.  She's reading on an end-of-fourth-grade level and earning some "E's" in her gifted class, which is quite rare (S's are the norm). We are so proud of her for all of her achievements.  More than any of that, though, we're ecstatic that once a week she chooses to sit with a little boy in her class at the allergy table so he won't eat lunch alone.  (Others rotate with him too.)  As we told her, it doesn't matter how smart or talented you are if you're a jerk (we used nicer words.)  I pray she always has a heart for others.  

And of course, the Timber Trek happened this month!  Had I written this a few weeks ago, I'd have a lot more detail and umph for ya, but as it stands, it already seems like a million years ago and just thinking about it again makes me exhausted.  Here are a few highlights:

• Over 100 participated (half of which were from the neighborhood)

• $2,400 was raised for Family Promise and The SaltLight Center

• 22 businesses sponsored (And y'all, these were hard-won.)

We came in almost exactly where we did last year in terms of participation and money raised.  It was great weather and everything went very smoothly.  I am so grateful for the volunteers (many of them return helpers that got duped again!) and the support.  I love that people now know a little bit of the story of Family Promise and The SaltLight Center and can no longer say "I had no idea!" when they hear the staggering statistics of homelessness in our county.  I also love how the kids get to see me bust my butt for something that matters and join in as helpers.  

I'm still uncertain about whether there will be another race next year.  It's SO MUCH WORK.  Just so much.  Even though dealing with the HOA was much easier this year (non-existent, really), securing sponsorships nearly sucked the life out of me.  I hit up 70 businesses, most of them in person.  Every time someone made me do 7-8 follow-ups for a $75 level sponsorship, I was again reminded how very much I want to be a generous giver. Almost without exception, those at a $300 level or higher were the easiest and nicest to work with and those that gave the least were as stingy/flakey as could be.  

I know I won't do another one with Fundracers unless they take a smaller cut (and I don't want to take it on solo, especially since I wouldn't be able to offer tax deductions unless I incorporate), so we'll see what I can negotiate.  For now, we'll count this one a success and thank God for his blessing and favor on it.  

That's it for September!  Resolution updates will come for October's recap, which should be very soon.  In theory...

July 2016 Recap

I'm crazy behind on posting and it's driving me nuts, so I'm going to give a short recount of July in hopes that I can hurry and get August written this weekend as well too.  I have some serious catching up to do if I want to avoid this being a record-low blogging year, but one step at a time...

• For the 4th of July weekend, we went tubing on the Chestatee (it is a super calm section and we tied the kids' inner tubes to ours...they did great!), saw fireworks with friends from small group at a local park, and did our usual family reunion at David's Great Aunt's on the actual 4th.  It's always great to see everyone, although they and their children sure do keep getting older.  Glad that's not happening to us.  

• Audrey wrapped up her very first soccer season.  We are so incredibly proud of her and all the lessons she learned about being a team player, sportsmanship, and running towards the ball even if everything in you is scared and telling you to run away. The highlight of the season was when she got hit hard in the face and then got right back in the game and played on.  She was as tough as nails!

• We got to soak up a lot of extra grandparent time this month:  we went to the movies with my mom (The Peanuts Movie for $1!) and then AJ spent the night with her, the kids spent the night at David's parents, and my dad and stepmom came over for a visit.  Huge perk of summer to get that extra time with family.

• David and I went kayaking on the Chattahoochee River.  We did it for the first time last year, but this time we started out going downstream and then rowed back upstream at the end.  And yes, it did prove to be as tiring as it sounds, especially after I'd done a brick workout that morning.  But it's always cool to break out of the rut and do something different and adventurous like that together.  You just gotta remember to keep your mouth shut to avoid the E. Coli.  (Kidding.)  (Sort of.)

• We went out to dinner to a cool local spot and then went bowling with our small group.  I came in last by far, but I knew this about myself ahead of time and it was still a really fun night.  

• AJ had art camp for four mornings one week with a buddy of hers.  Each day the teacher led them in doing a 16 x 20 canvas painting and a craft, all with a circus theme.  She enjoyed the art itself a lot, but I think there was a decent amount of down time that made her a little bored.  We'll see if it's a repeat thing next summer.

• I did my second triathlon and lived to write about it here.  

• We went to visit Kara and her family for two nights towards the end of the month.  With all that she's gone through lately (she's doing incredibly well, by the way), it was an especially sweet trip this year.  We did a LOT of hanging out and catching up while the kids played and the guys went golfing.  We also squeezed in a boat ride to see the Purple Martin birds come in to nest at Bomb Island on Lake Murray that evening.  Once Audrey and Luke gained some courage, the kids took turns jumping off the back of the pontoon boat.  As the sun was setting, the birds were flying overhead, and the kids were laughing, I sat back and took it all in.  It was one of those "YES.  These are the 'good ol' days'" realization moments.  It is a rare and precious gift to have an entire family that your entire family gets along with and I'm so thankful for it!  

• I tried water skiing for the first time!  We all went out on David's parents' boat one Sunday afternoon and I gave it a try.  I got up the first time and each subsequent time, but no one really told me what I needed to do once I was up, so it didn't last long.  The first time I leaned too far back and the second I leaned too far forward.  The third time I'm not really sure what happened, but it sure didn't feel good when I fell.  Since I was less than a week out from my tri, I didn't want to push it too hard, but I'm glad I finally gave it a shot. 

• David and I celebrated our 12 year anniversary with some serious yard work.  As I wrote on the before/after picture I posted on Facebook, some anniversaries you celebrate with fancy gifts or tropical getaways and some anniversaries you work shoulder to shoulder in 90+ degree heat sweating your faces off to get a job done. As long as we're together and on the same page, it's all good.  (Next year I vote for the getaway.)

So that was pretty much July!  Great month of a lot of summer memory-making fun.  I'll update on resolutions in next month's recap, which hopefully will be following soon.  

June Recap/Trip to New Smyrna Beach/Audrey's 7th Birthday

So sorry I've been MIA for almost a month.  It's been a whirlwind of a summer thus far.  We went straight from school letting out to the beach, from the beach to Audrey's birthday and party, from the party to prepping for carpet installation, from the carpet installation to 4th of July festivities.  I'm ready for those proverbial "lazy summer days!"

In order to not spend hours writing this update, I'm going to bullet point the month's highlights:

• Luke took swim lessons and did pretty well.  I feel like sometimes he pushed back on what the coach was asking him to do and the coach let him off the hook too easily.  Still, he got more comfortable in the water and learned some good basics and survival skills, which is great.  

• Audrey started soccer through a local program called i9 Sports.  I love their template of one game a week with practice right before the game.  They also have a short season of only six weeks.  It's a great way to introduce kids to organized sports and the subsequent lessons without overcommitting your entire family for months on end.  I'll do a lengthier update on how she did in next month's recap.

•  Our church campus hosted a small group leader cookout for us.  It was great to catch up and meet others as well as hear the support and excitement from our campus's leadership.  As one of them said, "Take a minute and look around you.  In a few years, we'll look back on these humble beginnings as the 'good ol' days.'"

• We took our annual trip to New Smyrna Beach with David's mom's side of the family the third week of the month.  We did it all:  David played golf, he and I had a date, we had a date with each kid separately, we attempted a crab hunt (it was way too buggy to stay out long!), I read and blogged, we ate flitters galore (and just food in general galore, too), the kids got to reel in some fish that David's cousin and uncle caught, we played cards, and we did Go Karts with the kids for the first time.  Of course, we also swam swam swam and the kids even "rode waves" a couple of times (it was super calm.) I managed to get in all my tri workouts thanks to a local gym and a great YMCA I found, which let me chill the heck out about my fear of losing ground.  We also celebrated Audrey turning seven a little early with a pizza party, craft time that she led for the girls, and a walk on the beach.  Unfortunately, as is par for the course for our trips down there, someone ended up sick.  AJ got terrible heat rash towards the end of the week and we kept her indoors for a full day to let it recede a little.  It looked awful, but we kept hydrocortisone on it and Benadryl in her as needed and it slowly went away.  Other than that, it was a fantastic week that went by too fast...more so than any previous trip down there that I can remember!  

• David had a good, quiet Father's Day.  We had just gotten in from NSB the night before, so they all slept in while I did my brick workout and then we went on a hike by the Chattahoochee River.  We gave him some golf accessories and took him out to dinner that night.  He sort of gets robbed with AJ's birthday falling right around the same time, but he's a good sport about it.  

• AJ's 7th birthday was great.  She wanted to eat from her favorite deli for lunch, so we got a picnic to go and went down to our neighborhood pool to swim and play.  That afternoon David came home early and we sent her on a scavenger hunt to find her present from us:  a Barbie Dream House!  In a "she's getting too old too fast and the window is closing" panic, we decided to splurge this year.  She was ecstatic!  When I took her to Toys R Us a few weeks early to get some ideas for presents, she walked past the dream house in a box, looked at me, and said "Well.  I know there's NO WAY."  I kept catching her sneaking back and checking it out.  It was a total full circle moment for me when she saw it, as that was by far one of my favorite childhood toys.  I even cleaned up a few of my old Barbies to give her with it, though I made sure she knew there was no pressure to keep any of them.  We played with it for the rest of the afternoon, setting up everything just so.  We ate her dinner choice of nachos and then had cupcakes from Jilly's on the back deck and sang to her right at 7:29 (the time she was born.)  It was a great day celebrating our amazing girl!

• AJ's "Mermaid Splash Birthday Bash" was the following Sunday evening at Bogan Aquatic Center.  That's right...her very first not at home.  (Well, her first birthday was at her grandparents' house, but this was the first that I didn't put on from scratch at a home.)  She had SO much fun swimming and playing with her friends and cousins.  She went around and around the lazy river and played on the little water playground they have.  They giggled and squealed for an hour and a half before we pulled them out to do cake and ice cream.  She told me on the way home that it "exceeded all of her dreams."  Score!  Plus, it was a breeze to put on since I did very minimal decorations (foam mermaid centerpieces she put together, balloons, pics of her at the beach/pool through the years, a GF mermaid cake from Sally's Bakery, and a paper banner)  and didn't have to plan a meal, craft, or game.  I also didn't spend days cleaning and setting up before and after.  I could get used to that!  

• As I mentioned, we finally got the carpet replaced.  I say finally because I originally got some quotes at the end of spring 2015.  After realizing how much it would cost to do it, we waited until the spring of this year.  But March/April was all about the deck and May is no time to deal with anything extra...hence June 2016.  It was a TON of work to get everything cleared off the furniture and packed away.  China cabinet, bookcases, dresser tops, underneath the beds...everything had to be put away.  And of course I couldn't miss the opportunity to do a little purging and organizing as I was doing it, which just took longer.  Since we had the entire upstairs and main level carpet replaced, that pretty much left the sunroom, basement, and bathrooms to pile stuff in.  The crew arrived early on the 30th and worked like crazy.  As they would finish a room, I would go in a vacuum so they could put the furniture back.  The new carpet was so much thicker that I actually hurt my shoulder pushing the vacuum on it! (I think David doubted me until I made him try it out in the hall.  We ordered a new vacuum on Amazon the very next day.)  It was a long, exhausting day, but the new stuff looks great and I'm very pleased with the color and how soft it is.  I completely underestimated the dust and post-installation clean-up required over the next week.  It took forever to get it out of every nook, cranny, and blind.  So to sum it up:  Lot of work.  Love the result.  But basically we're moving before we need carpet replaced again.  

I realize I did not give a resolution update in May, so here's a doubled-up version:  I'm staying on top of social stuff with at least two dates with David and a dinner with a girlfriend a month.  We also had two small group gatherings this month - one with our co-leaders at the cookout and one with the ladies for a girls' night.  I got to see my brother and niece twice this month when they stayed with us.  We also visited with David's grandmother and aunt while she was in town.  And obviously there was a full week with David's extended family in New Smyrna.  So, outside of blogging, I'm doing pretty well on the social goals.  BUT, I have completely dropped the ball on the service projects as we did not do birthday boxes or the neighborhood clean-up.  Ugg.  Realizing that as I write this will hopefully help to get my rear in gear.  For organization goals, I've done pretty well.  I did the dining room, garage, and most of the craft room and kitchen this quarter.  I still need to tackle the office, but in my defense, I also did both kids' rooms again this past month in preparation for the carpet.  (It is a CONSTANT battle to not drown in toys and art projects around here.)  As usual, doing well in some areas, need improvement in others.   

To close, some good quotes from the kids:

• AJ, after David told her that "they say" most everyone dreams every night but that they don't always remember it:  "Daddy.  You should trust the person that experienced it and not what you read on the internet."  TRUTH, girl.  

• Luke:  "Did that fire truck turn his 'whee-ers' off?"  (He meant sirens!)

• AJ, after telling her she probably wouldn't get any wisdom teeth:  "Oh no!  Does that mean I won't have any wisdom in my mouth?!

I know I squeezed  a lot into this one update and I'm sorry it wasn't more detailed (or maybe "you're welcome" is more apt!)  I just knew I needed to get it done or I'd lapse into a procrastinating absence for several months.  Hope your summer is going well and here's to a few lazy days in the latter half!