Wednesdays With Soren

We have our daily routine, Soren and I.   I love my little shadow and I love the time I get to spend with him.  Every day is a blessing (of course there are many days I have to remind myself of that!) but Wednesdays are my favorite.  It's "date day" and we do things together that don't tend to happen on other days of the week.

After dropping big boy off at school we head to Starbucks.  The same Starbucks every time...the one with the barista whose son is the exact same age as Soren, the one with policemen sipping their coffee outside on the patio, the one where we pass the giant tractors in an adjacent parking lot and I'm reminded to "Look, Momma!" as if it's the first time we've ever passed them.  We open the door with gusto and my handsome little date says "Hi, Friends!" a tad bit too loudly to the customers inside.  We are acknowledged with smiles, and questions, and high-fives, and compliments galore on his hair.

Oh that hair.  Is it ever a conversation starter!  Who knew that a cowlick would garner such attention?  Both my boys have their Daddy's coarse porcupine hair, but Soren has the cowlick of all cowlicks...a perfect little wave right at the top of his forehead.  It's absolutely adorable and in style right now, but I just hope it will still be in style in 80 years 'cause there ain't nothin' that can tame that bad boy.

We get in line.  Correction...I get in line, Soren makes the rounds to his "fans."  Considering that his fans include the baristas, he assumes that it's acceptable to make his way behind the counter.  Every time.  And every time I tell him, "Not now, Buddy.  In 16 years you can work here and get me a discount but today you're with me, Kid."

I am a creature of habit when it's not "holiday time."  Tall raspberry mocha, light whip.  My little guy prefers a petite vanilla scone and juice box but today he chose the pink sprinkle mini donut.  The beloved scone may have been replaced.

We enjoy our treats and chat with strangers.  How I will ever teach him to be wary of strangers is beyond me.  When it's time to scoot on out we hold hands and hop hop hop across the parking lot to the van like bunnies.  Or sometimes we march like soldiers.  Rarely do we ever walk.

On our drive we comment about baby horses, trucks, train tracks and churches.  Soren loves churches, and so do I.  At two and a half I think he just instinctively knows that churches are places where Jesus is present.

This kid, this precious little boy, melts my heart into a lovely sappy puddle.  I love him...and I love our Wednesdays together.  I think he does, too.

My New Bible Study Group

We have found a church!  We are so grateful that God has brought us to The Vine and we are truly enjoying the worship, preaching, fellowship, and (for me) the women's Bible Study.  It's been about 10 years since I have been involved in a women's Bible Study group and I am so glad that this season in life is allowing me the time to do so.  In years past my small group has primarily consisted of women my own age.  Since this study takes place on Wednesday mornings I assumed that it would be full of young moms...but that's not the case.  There are ten women in my small group and I am the second youngest!  The other ladies are in their 50's, 60's, and 70's...and I am learning so much from their experience.  Paul's letter to Titus instructs the older women to teach the younger women and this is exactly what's taking place.  At first I was a bit uncomfortable..after all, what do I have in common with a 70 year old?...but I am blessed by their experience and wisdom.  And it seems that they are enjoying my "youth," as well.  What a blessing it is to learn and grow!

Oh, What Love!

Last night I spent some quiet moments decorating the house for Valentine's Day.  I know, it's a bit ridiculous, but I'm so enjoying having a home that's truly mine to decorate.  So when it comes to superfluous holidays I'm probably going to decorate the heck out of them for a while...just because I can.

As I crafted the banner above for my mantel it hit me like a ton of bricks.  GOD IS LOVE and apart from Him there is no pure love anywhere else in this world.  God's love is deeper than the deepest sea, higher than the tallest mountain, wider than the expanse of the heavens.  And God's love is for ME.  I am His daughter and He loves me fiercely and passionately, through and through.  There is no beginning or end to this love because He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.  My little brain can't take it all in.

And all God desires of me is to simply love Him back.  I can love Him in my unspoken prayers, I can love Him by honoring my husband, I can love Him by caring for my children, I can love Him by obeying His Word.

Thank You, dear LORD, for the simplicity of this amazingly complex love You lavish upon me.  May I love You well, as I strive to love others the way You love.

Walking Through The Bible

There's a great song that my friend, Terry Kohlenberg, wrote many years ago to help kids learn the books of the Bible.  Obviously, its words ring true for adults as well.  The chorus goes like this...

"Walk, walk, walk through the Bible!  Run, run, it will do you good!  SO GOOD!  Walk, walk, walk through the Bible...eat it up, munch it out, chew it up it's spiritual food.  YUM!"

I've found myself humming this tune lately as I have started my own new journey through the Bible this year.  I read A LOT, but the ratio of "pleasure books" to reading my Bible has most definitely been in favor of books that aren't God's Word.  I really want to change that, so for the first time since my seminary days I am setting out to read the Bible from cover to cover this year.  I printed out a schedule from Blue Letter Bible that I hope will keep me on track.  I've decided to read it chronologically in hopes of gaining a better understanding of biblical history, as well.

In addition to this endeavor I have also joined  the Women's Bible Study at church.  I haven't been in a Women's Bible study for about ten years and I am looking forward to learning and discussing God's Word with other likeminded women.  The curriculum for the Bible Study is called The Amazing Collection where each week we will study one entire book of the Bible.  Clearly, the lessons are more of an overview than an in-depth study, but I hope that this study and my own personal walk through the Bible at home will cause my heart to crave more of the things of God than the things of this world.

I am really excited for this journey!  Anyone want to come along?

Year In Review

I saw this "interview" on another blog and thought it would make me reflect on the past year.  So, here goes...

1.What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
Exercised consistently for 6 months...and liked it!  Met my birth mom and sister!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I did relatively well with my resolutions...but there's always room for improvement!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
No immediate or extended family members, but a few friends.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank God.  I truly worried I could have lost both of my parents, but that didn't happen.
5. What countries did you visit?
None.  Sigh!
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More discipline amidst the chaos of raising two little boys.
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Moving to Georgia takes the cake.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Todd and I purchased our first home.  We've been dreaming of this and praying for this since getting married, so this was HUGE!
9. What was your biggest failure?
Using profanity with my kids on one specific occasion.  I'll never forget it.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Um yeah...cursed gallbladder!
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our home!
12. Where did most of your money go?
Our home!
13. What did you get really excited about?
Our home!  (Hmm...I'm sensing a theme here!)
14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
This is a hard one.  I can't say any particular song screams "2011."
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:
– happier or sadder? About the same
– thinner or fatter? Thinner by 18 pounds.
– richer or poorer? Both!  Poorer (hello, mortgage!) but richer (cost of living is much less in GA than CA.)
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Eat veggies, exercise, pray, Bible Study.
17. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Eat junk food, frivolous spending, worrying. 
18. How did you spend Christmas?
We had a mellow Christmas at home this year, just the four of us.
19. What was your favorite TV program?
Parenthood.
20. What were your favorite books of the year?
Tough question since I love to read!  I really enjoyed and was inspired by "Same Kind of Different As Me" and was challenged to live "out of the box" more than I ever have.
21. What was your favorite music from this year?
Brad Paisley.
22. What were your favorite films of the year?
The Help.
23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I seriously don't remember what I did for my birthday so it couldn't have been all that spectacular.  I turned 39. 
24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Being more patient and intentional with my husband and kids would have made the year more satisfying.
25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Adventurous--I tried skinny jeans for the first time this year after swearing them off beforehand.  I like them...alot!
26. What kept you sane?
Other people's prayers on my behalf.
27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Tell people you love them, and often.

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Nice To Meet You, 2012

2012 is here.  How did that happen?  It seems like it wasn't all that long ago that Americans were wigged out over the impending global meltdown of Y2K, but yet here we are twelve years later alive and kicking.  Much has taken place since Y2K on a global scale, but so many significant events have taken place in my own little life, as well.  Most notably...

2002--Todd and I started dating
2004--Wedding bells!
2006--Nolan makes his debut and I leave the working world
2007--We left San Diego for a brief stint in "the OC"...and Todd's current company
2008--Move to the Bay Area
2009--Hello, Soren!
2010--Nolan starts school
2011--Move to Georgia

So, 2012, what will you bring?

The tail end of 2011 was a bit of a whirlwind.  Well, who am I kidding?  The entirety of 2011 was nuts!  Since my last post, "the holidays" have come and gone.  They were good, but a bit lonely.  Knowing that my extended family was thousands of miles away in a completely different time zone didn't sit well with me.  Being in our new home establishing new traditions was a wonderful blessing, but my heartstrings were pulled back to California from time to time.  I suppose that's only natural.

We had a quiet and rather non traditional Thanksgiving (considering my kids don't like traditional Thanksgiving fare,) and a sweet Christmas.  The highlight of our Christmas was simply the fact that all four of us were home and together.  Todd had been traveling every week since Thanksgiving with end-of-the-year wrap up stuff for work, so the kids and I spent many nights Todd-less.  It was wonderful to all be together again...as it should be.

Over the break we took the boys to play in the snow for the first time.  They both squealed with glee and absolutely loved it.  So much so that Nolan looks for snow outside our windows every morning when he gets up.  Apparently this area of Georgia gets a good dusting a couple of times per winter, so we've got our boots perched by the door in anticipation of that magic day.

And then today, oh today!  My baby started preschool.  He was as proud as a peacock to wear his backpack and carry his little lunch box to school this morning.  Soren has wanted to go to school since he was a little pipsqueak, and today was his big day to become a student...just like his big brother.  The great preschool expedition of 2012 is affording me 8 hours of kid-less time per week!  Can I get an "Amen!"

Other than the hope for more snow, preschool for Soren and (gasp!) Kindergarten for Nolan in the fall, 2012 is the year I'll celebrate my fortieth birthday.  How in the world am I that old?  Seriously, how?  I am dumbfounded...and yet the day will come.

It's good to be back blogging.  Hopefully, I can keep it up.  I really want to...and I really want to be more intentional about photographing everyday life.  Specifically, I hope to end the year with more than one or two photos of Todd and me.  I am so not good at photographing our journey as a couple, but I rarely seem to miss a photo op of the kids.  Again, I suppose that's only natural.

So hello, 2012.  Nice to meet you.  Please be nice.

Angst

So much has been going on our lives the past few months.  So much that I want to share but can't seem to get the gumption to write about.  It feels too overwhelming and I just don't feel up the task.  I have a notebook full of  blog post ideas that I keep ignoring...but feel like I shouldn't neglect.  It's crazy, but I've been in angst over my lack of blogging.  This blogging angst, among other things, has caused me to be not nearly as present with my family as I need to be...as I WANT to be.  So, for the remainder of the year, I'm not going to give any time, thought or attention to my blog.  Not that it received much action in the past few months anyhow...but you know what I mean.  I am going to not only put my blog on the back burner for the remainder of the year but turn the burner off and make use of a completely different stove.  My family needs me.  I need my family.  I need more of Jesus and less of me.

Happy Thanksgiving.  Merry Christmas.  Happy New Year.

See you in January.

An "Out Of This World" Halloween!

The boys had so much fun dressing up in their "other worldly" costumes!   They are both chocoholics, just like their Mama.

I can hardly believe that it's now November, but Sears made sure to remind me that Christmas is a-comin' in their very Christmas-y commercial that aired bright and early this morning on the Disney Channel.

Don't you just love this time of year?

Learning Curve

As we continue to settle in to life in Georgia I am learning many things about my new home.

1. Out in the "country" (where we live) it is DARK at night.  Really dark.  Streetlights are not plentiful out here.
2. The "highways" are NOT highways at all, in the California sense of the word.  Most "highways" are two lane roads...one lane in each direction.
3. Although I'm a planner, I need to step it up a notch.  The closest grocery store is about 4 miles away and the closest Target is about 6 miles away.  On two lane roads these are not short trips.  No more "Oops, we're out of milk!" trips.  Shopping is more of an event now.
4. The "highways" typically don't have protected left turns.  I've been honked at a couple of times because I forget to go on green when I don't have an arrow.  Or maybe I'm being honked at for my California plates.
5. Speaking of dark...the sun doesn't rise til 7:30.  Soren gets up around 7:15 and it's practically pitch dark.
6. We are totally unprepared for the coming winter months.  A California jacket for my kids can't serve as a Georgia jacket.  We learned that this morning.  Brrrr!
7. Back to the highways...why must the highway change names four times in an eight mile stretch?  It doesn't help a newcomer get around.
8. Southern hospitality exists.  People are kind.  They wave, even if they don't know you.
9. Basements are godsends.  No more junk in the garage.
10. Yard work is not my thing...especially when said yard is .4 acres.

Quickie

Just a brief update to let y'all know we're alive and kicking.  Life has been crazy with the move, Dad's surgery, and now Mom is in the hospital, too.  Last night she had emergency surgery to repair her ruptured colon.  Seriously, I just want my entire family to be FAR FAR AWAY from hospitals.

I'll write more soon.  Truly, there is lots to share.  For now, just keep my family in your prayers, if you would.  We appreciate them greatly.