Leaving on a Jet Plane

Here is our obligatory airport picture.... Trent was MAD about the picture, due in part to the 4 am wake up call.

Just Two

Grace is having a "date night" with grandma and grandpa.  Having just two kids, even with Bret out of town, seems so easy.  Based on this logic, we should adopt another child, as having three would seem easy then!

Summer Bucket List 3.0

With the advent of summer, I must attempt a new summer bucket list.  I have shortened it... from 100 to 50, in an attempt to help my sanity!  We've already hit up Chuck e Cheese, which is our "end of year" tradition on the last day of school, so we're down to 49!

So, in honor of summer 2015, here's our list

1. Fly on an airplane
2. Visit a national park (or two!)
3. Eat off a food truck
4. Go to the circus
5. Have a sleepover
6. Take a hike
7. Go geocaching
8. Go on a water slide
9. Eat great Thai food (and keep trying until it's great!)
10. Wade in a river
11. Play pinball
12. Stargaze
13. Go on a zip line
14. Go to a movie
15. Take a walk on the beach
16. Memorize something meaningful
17. Become a jr. ranger
18. Go roller skating
19. Sleep in a barn
20. Feed horses
21. Go fishing
22. Have a bonfire
23. Watch a season of the Muppets
24. Play the license plate game
25. Learn to play Chinese Checkers
26. Go to a museum
27. Visit Daddy at work
28. Eat great Cuban food (and keep trying until it's great)
29. Go to an aquarium
30. Read several books
31. Learn to play a new card game
32. Play on a tire swing
33. Wash Mommy's van
34. Have a cookout
35. Learn to skip rocks
36. Learn to play Sudoku
37. Go the splash pad
38. Play at an indoor park
39. Go to the zoo
40. Send postcards
41. Go to the library
42. Try a new kind of pizza
43. Take a long drive
44. Pay for someone else's food
45. Play in the sand
46. Go on a roller coaster
47. Eat great fried chicken (and keep trying until it's great)
48. Visit a state park
49. See bright lights
50. Go to Chuck e Cheese

Someone is FINALLY on the charts!

Thanks to growing six inches in a year, this three year old is on the charts finally.... barely at 22 percent!

June's Challenge--Memorize something meaningful

There is power in words.  Real power.

And, so this month's challenge is to put good words--life giving words--into our minds.  Memorizing comes easier for some, so there's no expectation on length, but it should be something that takes an entire month to memorize.  It should be something that requires that your drive home from work is oft littered with you reciting pieces of it over and over again.

So, this month, because I love me some Bible, I am going to memorize the book of Colossians.  All of it.  As I am driving the Loneliest Road in America (no, really), I'm going to be chugging along with memorizing the great epistle by Paul.

Maybe the Bible isn't your thing.  That's okay.  I'm not mad at you.

But, I can still think of great things to memorize: from Martin Luther King's Dream speech to Shakespeare's sonnets.

I thought this New Yorker article on the power of memorization was lovely. and this little blog from Psychology Today made me think--if you need a little nudge.

All in all, I hope you'll consider joining me this month.  If you are having a hard time coming up with something, the former teacher in me would love to direct you toward something.  And, I promise, I won't grade you on it in the end.

May's Challenge

May is one of the best times of year to be outside, so why not enjoy it to the fullest.  May's challenge is easy.

10,000 steps a day or 300,000 steps for the month

You can buy a pedometer for about 10 bucks or get one of the new fancy-shmancy ones... it's up to you.  I have one of these new tracking devices (the sleep part is the most depressing), and I get about 5,000 steps (half of the daily goal) just from daily life of grocery shopping, walking to the bus stop and getting the mail.  The extra 5,000 takes about 30-40 minutes of walking.

Who will join me??????  You have enough time to strap on a meter... so let's do it in May!!

Happy birthday, little man!

Be still my heart!  My sweet baby is 3!  What he lacks in size (he's still sooooooooooo small), he makes up for in attitude (oh, it's a big, big tude), and more than anything, we feel blessed to be his parents!  So, happy birthday to my music adoring, Bob the Builder playing little guy!

April's Challenge--Cooking Central

I like to cook, really I do.  But, I have to be honest about the demands of the given day, and often, I am left looking between an empty fridge and the clock, counting down the time until Bret walks in from work and says, "What's for dinner?"

And, because of it, I often fall back on about the same 20 dishes!  From tacos to spaghetti, I've got an arsenal of quick and easy meals that are on-demand performers.

But, this month, I want to stretch that bank of recipes, and I want to cook entirely new dishes.  So, this coming month is going to be simple in concept: when I cook, I'm going to cook something new.  It's not to say that I am going to cook every night because that isn't going to happen, but I cook about five nights a week, and I want to make sure that those nights, we are trying a completely new recipe.

The hard part for me will be the grocery shopping.  As the primary grocery shopper in the family (bad things happen when I send Bret--even with a list), I have a pretty quick "get in and get out" routine that still covers my bases for a lot of different meals.

This month, I am going to have to make a much more detailed list, which will take time and energy--the very things I feel like I am lacking when it comes time to make dinner.

But, I'm committed.  Do you want to join me in my challenge?  Are you excited to try a new recipe (or even recipe swap) almost every night for a whole month?

Pinterest and Pioneer Woman: here I come!

March's Challenge--The Minimalist Game

With just two weeks left on our "No Critical Conversation to our Spouse" Challenge, I have to let you know about our next challenge... to give you plenty of time to consider joining in the fun!  Spring is almost here... and there is no better jump start to your spring cleaning than this--play the Minimalist Game with me.

We all have too much stuff.  Some of us are purgers by nature (me), so the thought of getting rid of stuff we don't need or use is exciting.  Admittedly, there are those of you who struggle a bit more with this idea.

Did you know the average U.S. household has 300,000 items?  And, did you know that United States children only make up 3.7% of the world's child population, but our kids have 47% of the toys and books in the WORLD!

So, this coming month's challenge (see my original post on the 11 month challenge) was created by minimalist gurus (info HERE) and is simple.

For the first day of the month, you get rid of one item.  For the second day of the month, two items.  And so on.  Technically, the winner is the one who can go the longest, but I am telling you RIGHT NOW that I am going all the way, baby!

Obviously, it gets harder and harder, but when I look at the toys, books and stuffed animals that my kids have, not to mention the clothes that don't fit and the dishes I don't use, I think I can do it.  Plus, let's not even get started on the garage!

So, in total, we'd be getting rid of right under 500 items... out of the house!  But, I like round numbers, so I think 500 it is!

So, are you with me?  Do I have any takers?  Even if you think you can't do it, what a great opportunity to try and, in the process, to reflect on the stuff in our lives... and if it really needs to be there!

In addition, if you are here in Indianapolis, I would like you to consider partnering with me as I partner with the Exodus Refugee Project.  I am planning on donating all of my household and furniture items to help refugees who are showing up in the United States, often fleeing religious and political persecution.  These refugees, who often travel with nothing but what they are wearing, need to be set up here with a small apartment, full of everything from glasses to bedding--and their kids need some toys too!!

So, consider joining me, and we can encourage each other along the way.  March 1=the fun begins!

Sad Day

Yesterday was a rough day for this mama: this little thing no longer uses the word "spacewhips" to talk about "spaceships."  I'm going to miss that one.

I mean... COME ON!

These are HARD!  And, to use them in a sentence... in SECOND GRADE!

Yikes!

Ortho Visit

And, so it begins... again.

In an effort to fix Grant's bite (not his teeth, mind you... that's a different chunk-o-change), Grant had to get two braces this morning (after a year with a retainer a bit ago)!  Grant settled on one blue and one gold, after he heard me DIE laughing when he said he wanted "all gold."

Here's hoping that this will do the trick... because real braces for all my kids is a not-too-distant reality!

The 11 month challenge

I was supposed to write about this in December and begin implementing with the first of the year.  But, life happened... and now, I find myself three days into February: already late.  And, I am tempted to say, "Forget it... there's always next year."  But, even if it isn't a perfect start, today's the day!

This challenge has been a brain child of mine for a bit.  The basic thought is this: what if, instead of a New Year's resolution, I committed to do something every month.  I could set out the rules of the month beforehand, and anyone who wanted to join the month's challenge could do so.  And, if I do them all alone, so be it... but I'll be better for it in the end.

So, I have devised 11 challenges: some spiritual, some practical, some physical.  I hope to tell you what the challenge is long before the first of the month so you can consider your own participation.

This month's challenge is simple in concept and difficult in implementation.  It is birthed out of the women in my small group at church, and we've already been on this particular challenge for over a week.

The challenge: simply put--no critical comments to your spouse (or someone else).  This means if Bret does something dumb, oblivious or even mean, I'm going to keep from speaking out critically.  This means that if Bret is tackling something--from driving to parenting--differently than I would, I am going to keep my mouth shut.  I find that too often I am quick to criticize and quick to correct--this will be a real lesson in patience.

I'll keep you posted on how I do, and if you're up for the challenge, let me know, and we can act as an encouragement to each other.  God is the giver of good gifts, and Bret is one of my most precious, and by the grace of God, I hope he knows that unequivocally at the end of this month.

Coming up in March: the great house PURGE!  Stay tuned!

Roller Coaster

Totally excited tonight when I realized, while doing our taxes, that Grant and Grace's college accounts have an extra $3000 than previously thought.

And, then, I finished my taxes, and I owe $2500.

Bummer.

Spelling List

This is my second grader's spelling list for this week.... not your mama's spelling list, that's for sure!

The Christmas gift...

...that keeps on giving!  One of my favorite gifts of the year!

Mama Loves Free Stuff

Listen, it's like I have a little secret, and I keep telling y'all, and no one believes me.  So, here I go again: Expo TV and Tryology are the BESTEST.

Expo TV is a website where you submit two minute video reviews of a variety of products.  Do one review a year.  Do four a day.  It's up to you and what products you have in your home that are in need of review.  For every review, you get points.  And points=gift cards.  Easy.  One "average" review is worth between 500-1,000 points (some are worth 25,000!).  Two minutes.  No more.  Using your phone's camera.  A $5 Amazon gift card is 600 points.  So, you can see how these gift cards pile up quickly.  Sometimes, there are lots of review options; sometimes, they only are in need of a few. Right now, there are four possible options for review... just goes in cycles.

But, then, there's Tryology.  Love it.  Tryology is the arm of Expo TV where you don't earn points.  You still do 2 minute reviews.  But, instead of points, you get to keep the product.  Products range from household cleaning products, to mattresses, to major appliances, to toys.  I have received lots of toys, a shed (yes, the outdoor kind for mowers), a few electric razors, two electric toothbrushes, and today... yes, today, I got this in the mail for free!!!

That's a new Keruig 2.0 with like 10 packs (now called K Cup Packs) of hot chocolate, tea, and coffee.   All I have to do is a two minute review.  Piece of cake.  To be honest, I don't even apply for the smaller tryology programs.  It's not worth too much of my time to get free laundry soap.  But, a shed?  A new coffee pot retailing for $170 plus loads of coffee?  Yep, I'm in. 

This is not a scam, and I don't even care if you use my link (https://www.expotv.com/register?rid=79590) to sign up--if you do, I think I do get a few points--not enough to make it worth this blog post, that's for sure.   You don't always get selected (I'm dying for a new mattress, for example), but when you do, it's loads of fun to get free stuff in the mail!

So, let me know if you do it... but more importantly... if you get anything cool for free!

A Letter

Dear Husband:

It’s 17 degrees here right now.  I tell you this—because as I type this, you’re on a plane bound for sunny Florida. 

It’s also trash and recycling night--a fact you might have overlooked in your hustle to get out of the door this morning.  I understand: screaming children have the same effect on me.  Also overlooked, quite possibly, is the state of our driveway.  You know the one: the long, steep one that we have to traverse to put out said trash and recycling.  Can you believe that we had four (count them: FOUR) huge trash cans to put out there tonight? 

But, I digress. As for the state of our driveway, it’s ice.  And, I know this because I almost died.  With our three kids deep in homework and play, I am certain that had I fallen, as I almost did on multiple occasions, I would have met my frozen death.  I mean, we’ve raised super capable kids, so when I didn’t return, I am sure the two older would have just put themselves to bed.  There would have been no search party.   The two-year-old was my best bet, but seeing how we had the worst afternoon in parent/child history, I think he would have cackled as he turned away from the window in “oblivion.”  Kuddos, by the way, on the responsible kids.

The ice driveway has scared away the mail carrier.  She’s dropping packages on the street, by the big rock.  You know, WAY out there.  The UPS guy delivered a package today by walking through the crunchy grass, as to avoid the driveway and walk.  I am pretty sure I saw him “flip me the bird” on the way to his truck.   Don’t bother sending flowers as a peace offering; the delivery person would most likely protest or break a neck, neither of which is an ideal situation for this frazzled mama.

Since I’ve been trying to extend grace, I’ll let this one slide.  But, if you ever leave me with three crazy kids and a driveway of ice again, I plan to summit the ice hill to come looking for you—even all the way in sunny Florida.

Now, go walk barefoot in the sand for me—and let’s hope you find some change to buy chocolates at the airport as a possible apology.  Or some ice melt.  That might make me happier in the end.

With warm thoughts,

Your wife

A Year Older

This kid is 8!  Be. Still. My. Heart.

... because like two friggin' seconds ago he looked like this! 

And, as much as I love the little man that he's becoming, the conversations that are growing deeper, the jokes that are becoming funnier (thank goodness!), and the heart that is getting bigger, I still miss the little boy who needed me--a lot.  Because, as we raise this boy into a man, we want him to be able to leave us.. and leave with confidence, which means needing his mama less (and differently) with each year.

And, lest you tell me that I'm "jumping the gun," let me be clear: 18 is right around that proverbial corner.  And while he still needs me (and will even then and beyond), it's clear to me that "the now" is the training ground for "the then."

And, I'm mindful that we can't wait until he's 18 to show him how to be a man.  I'm mindful every time I send him into the post office on his own, let him get left behind in a store (head in a book, no doubt) only to find us much later, tell him to figure it out on his own, enforce manners to the point of nausea, and encourage a heart of service to others--it's all just a stepping stone.  I don't want to keep my baby a baby--I like watching him grow up!  It's just going too fast... that's all.  Just too darn fast.

So, happy birthday, my faithful little boy who is kind (I mean KIND) to others.  What a heart you have, and I, for one, am excited--if even a little tearful--to see how God plans on growing you up!  You made this mama's life the day you were born!

Where we have been

Everyone on Facebook is doing it, and I thought it might be kind of fun to look at our family maps so that we can plan accordingly.


Bret's map... only three states to go


Erin's map.. missing the middle (and Maryland and Delaware)



Combined Kids (Grant has the most with 21; Trent the fewest with 14)