Project 365, Week 4

I shared in several people's pain this week, something I count as such an honor but its also heavy. I wonder at how life can be so difficult and hopeless and stunning and magical. Sometimes what we experience is a direct result of choices made and sometimes there was no choice made at all, its just the side of the tracks we were born on. Sometimes we treat our bodies well and still get sick and sometimes we abuse our bodies and live to be 100. The less I understand about the hows and whys, the more I trust and believe in God.

January 21

Sweet girl...I picked her up from her weekend youth retreat and we drove the long drive to drop the baby off.

January 22
SO cold, SO icy, SO pretty.

The kids have taken to grabbing my camera to snap random photos around the house. My really expensive one is and has always been off limits. Yet still, even if they are side by side, Amanda will take the one she's not allowed to have. That is what she did right before she came over to take this. I impatiently reminded her...again...that she needed to use the other camera. She grabbed the authorized camera and said, Mom, you might want to fix your frustrated face, I'm going to take a picture. Oh, that girl!

January 23
My newly-moved-out daughter texted saying she missed me and could we meet. She's only been gone 23 days, but it felt SO lovely and freeing to be talking with her from my new friend and mentor position. I don't need (or want) to know all the details and I can just say (in a nice, kind way), hope that idea/plan/logic works out for you. ;)

January 24
Tons of rain, enough that the hot tub filled to overflowing and the covers floated off. Amanda felt 50 degrees was warm enough to go paddle boarding with the covers.

Shaun and Avery toiled over her class choices for high school. She seems to be catching the vision of AP and college classes, understanding it will have lots of future benefits.

January 25
Sometimes he's racing out the door, sometimes we have time to chat before the school bus comes.

January 26
Saturdays are for sports.

January 27
We finished our 2000 piece puzzle, a household record.

Amanda and Aiden had siblings friends over. The boys played nerf and laser guns, while the girls took a more relaxing approach to the day.

Project 365, Week 3

January 14

These girls studied diligently for their mid-terms, Avery's first, since she's taking a high school math class. Since I'm the mom, its my job to say, for the record, that she scored a 99%. ;)

January 15
We found our happy place. :) I noticed the $20 bill after we took this. We went from a town that never charged late fees to a town that does charge. Yikes!

Sixth and seventh grade chorus and band concert. Mercifully we were able to leave before the band went on.

The kids were excited to celebrate my birthday. So was I. Nothing like nearly dying to make you REALLY happy about getting another year older.

January 16
Shaun and I took a really long lunch break. I guess its an annual thing now....he takes me clothes shopping and buys me a couple staple items, like a black skirt that I can wear 150 times over the next year. I don't like clothes shopping and he doesn't like that I don't buy myself things, so it works for both of us.

During lunch we processed a phone call we'd gotten from our foster care agency as we were walking into the restaurant. Would we consider taking a 6-week old baby for 4-6 months? Oh, and he'd be coming that evening. We said yes. I can't explain our yeses and nos, except to say that we try really hard to pay attention to what God is impressing on our hearts and Shaun and I are almost always on the same page.

I love this man and his big, beautiful, generous heart. I feel so privileged to be the one who knows him best, who gets to do this crazy life by his side.

(Mercifully, the next day we found out the baby would not be coming to live with us.)

January 17
Typical afternoon/evening around here.

January 18
Quiet evening with the boys while the girls are at youth group.

January 19
Avery went to New Hampshire with a small group from church for a retreat. I'm so thankful for amazing leaders who speak into her life.

Super sweet boys. :)

January 20
The icy storm caused a big mess but was super pretty.

Alayna, who had spent the night thought we were a little crazy to do the hot tub (we are).

Some family braved the elements to come have dinner and hang out. So fun!

State of the House ~ January

I'm going to attempt to reinstate my monthly State of the House...a little look back at the month on a whole. Its always incredible to me how much life and often change can happen in just 30 days.

For sure the most significant change for us was K moving into her own place. I love her and she left on good terms, but there was a growing tension as she started to get closer to freedom, as is natural when you're 19, I think. The positive change was felt almost immediately in our home when she moved. So far we've seen her weekly and J has spent a weekend night at her house each weekend. She's busy with work and figuring out who she wants to be and working through full-time school. I'm super proud of her for all she's accomplished and all she is handling.

January is long and slow and we have relatively few activities going on. We spent many an evening at home working on puzzles and playing games and reading, all while listening to our Showtunes station. I stopped to breathe in moments when the kids and I were in the same couple rooms working in the kitchen and on the puzzle and were all singing along to a song from Wicked or Greatest Showman. Or Amanda and I waltz our way across the floor. There's so much magic in those ordinary moments. Plenty of moments are spent arguing or yelling, which maybe makes the sweet ones sweeter.

Avery is taking a cooking class at school and wanted to try dinner a few nights. Given the choice of cooking or doing dishes, I'd always choose doing the dishes...maybe we'll be able to work out a deal! :)

January also holds my birth day. I used to be mixed about the day...another year older combined with New Year's resolution/contemplation activity left me sometimes feeling unsure about another birthday. Now, post-cancer, I'm really just thankful to have been here another year. It almost wasn't but it is so I can't waste a minute begrudging grayer hair and more wrinkles. They are a gift.

Here's a few snapshots from our month, many were taken by the kids.

Project 365, Week 2

Its January, the time of year when I fight the urge to hibernate. :)

January 7

We had our annual company-wide meeting, now with five people!

January 8
My dad stopped by for a while and Avery taught him Boggle.

January 9
I went out with some neighbors on the premise of planning our neighborhood progressive dinner. They also shared some struggles and I felt so privileged to be brought in to their story.

January 10
I try to soak up the sun and blue sky when it comes around because in January, I struggle without it.

January 11
For the first time, I had the baby's mom drive part way to meet me. She was 30 minutes late and I was waiting I was talking on my phone, trying to help negotiate an argument between two kids who were at home alone. My phone was plugged in, so it drained my car battery. I called my knight, who had to leave work and come rescue me while I waited in a cold car entertaining a six-month old baby. Good times. :)

Later that night we got to host Avery and Amanda's youth group small group or "Tribe" as we call it. SUCH a nice group of girls and SUCH great leaders.

After dinner we went to the skating rink. I only watched, but was fascinated by the crowd at open skate. There were teens being silly, couples holding hands. There was an older gentleman wearing a helmet, fully aware of the brevity of life and his non-invincibilty. And then there was this sweet scene of a father kneeling with his child, the father knowing this is for the ultimate good of the child. The child not fully trusting that the father has her good in mind, not fully believing that by obeying what the father is telling her, she will experience fun and freedom that she never would have by staying clinging to the wall.

How many times have we asked our children to trust us? How many times have we asked them to push past the fear because there is something good on the other side? How many times has my Heavenly Father shown me that by heeding his instructions, trusting in his plan, I can skate with purpose, the cool air blowing across my face, not having to stay clinging to the wall. It was a powerful picture for me to see in that moment.

I'm convinced middle school kids are the bravest of us all.

January 12
Yay for morning snuggles.

And big blue eyes.

Cousin time!

January 13

We got to see an official performance of "The Keys". Brent has a beautiful heart and an impactful ministry.

Aiden has an awesome group of "bros" at church, its so fun to watch their developing friendships.