Monday, January 30, 2012
Heaven at Home
I just read this book and I can't praise it enough. It's written by Ginger Plowman, who also wrote "Don't Make Me Count to Three" (another great read!).
In this book, Ginger Plowman wittingly and honestly gives wise, Biblical. and practical tips, tricks, and advice on having a peaceful home. She covers chapters on you (as the mother) being peaceful, on instilling unity among siblings and with your husband. She challenges us to discipline in a consistent way and in a way in which our children listen to us.
At the end of the book, she has a great section on managing your home. She doesn't have hard and fast rules of any sort, but she draws on some Biblical principles (such as being good stewards of money and being orderly as God is orderly) and applies them to running the household God has given you. From meal planning, to organizing your calendar, to having a routine when cleaning your house, to not over-scheduling yourself, to helping your children also be involved, this section of the book was enlightening and convicting.
To say the least, even if you feel you have everything the way you like it, the book will be full of good reminders, and it may even push you to change the way you run your home.
Monday, January 23, 2012
A little more fun
Ahh...the adventure in Colorado continues.
You know, it's been really nice to have such great weather while we've been here. We've had sunny blue-skied days almost every single day. I think this entire trip so far, we've had only 2 cloudy days, and one was only cloudy in the morning. We brought our winter coats, but we've only worn them a handful of times -- if that. Today, mom even opened some windows. We are blessed.
The second half of our trip (though not done yet!) is going great. We had 2 more trips up to Denver (one was more business for my folks, but I was able to visit a friend during their meeting and we were all able to have lunch with another set of friends!) where we were able to see Scot's uncle, Dave, and his wife Jenny, my great-Aunt Nina, visit with friends, and shop at IKEA!
Oh yes, we explored IKEA and let's just say that I exhibited immense amounts of self control. I know I can send stuff back in a box, but I told myself that I would only buy things that fit in my suitcase. Even with that stipulation, I bought quite a bit. They're all soft/light/flat/small things, so it shouldn't be a big deal, but I will say that if we end up moving back, IKEA is going to be more dangerous than Target!
And of course, shopping has not been confined to large new buildings such as IKEA. I'm without a ROSS in Cleveland (or Ohio for that matter!) so we've perused the racks there, but left empty handed most every time. A combination, I think, of the sale racks being picked over from Christmas still, and my now inability to pay over 5 bucks for a shirt when I know I can get good quality and mint condition shirts at our Goodwill! So we've hit some of the nicer thrift stores in the area, and I'm very pleased with my finds. What's a vacation without some shopping, right?
I think the biggest highlight of the last week, though, was yesterday. And no, I'm not going to talk about the Giants' amazing win over the 49ers, although that was great, too. Sunday after church and lunch, my dad took me to Manitou Springs to "do" The Incline. Yes, I am a little on the crazy side, but I figured if people come to this area from around the nation and climb it, than I can, too. Olympiads do the climb to challenge themselves, and little nobodies like me do it to say that we have.
For a little background, The Incline is something I've always wanted to do, but have never been brave enough. Some people, like my brother, can run up the thing in as little as 20 minutes. (now that's what I call crazy!) Others, like me, walk it as fast as our heart-rate and legs will allow. It's an entire trail of steps made up of railroad ties. When you get to the top, you've climbed a mile in distance and over 2000 feet in elevation, your legs feel weak and your heart feels like it's racing as fast as train over a bumpy down-hill track. It's brutal and wonderful all at the same time. I was shooting to finish the climb in under an hour. I made it in just shy of 45 minutes. We ran down the lower part of Barr Trail (3 miles) in just 30 minutes. The scenery down was breathtaking and I can say that I enjoyed every minute. I'm in a little pain today when it comes to walking up and down stairs, but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
And of course, a trip into Manitou isn't a true trip until you've tasted some of the spring water and walked into my favorite soap store ever, Salus. Ahh...to pick only 3 soaps was hard, but I did it, and now my soap collection is replenished.
The rest of the week is planned to bequiet, which is the way we like it. We pack the first 2 weeks full, and then just relax the last week and soak up the family time. We have a couple play dates and friends coming over to visit, but otherwise, we're staying close to home, reading lots of books, playing at parks, digging in the dirt next to the house, and just enjoying the time we have left. Friday is going to be here before we know it.
Here are some more pictures. Enjoy!
You know, it's been really nice to have such great weather while we've been here. We've had sunny blue-skied days almost every single day. I think this entire trip so far, we've had only 2 cloudy days, and one was only cloudy in the morning. We brought our winter coats, but we've only worn them a handful of times -- if that. Today, mom even opened some windows. We are blessed.
The second half of our trip (though not done yet!) is going great. We had 2 more trips up to Denver (one was more business for my folks, but I was able to visit a friend during their meeting and we were all able to have lunch with another set of friends!) where we were able to see Scot's uncle, Dave, and his wife Jenny, my great-Aunt Nina, visit with friends, and shop at IKEA!
Oh yes, we explored IKEA and let's just say that I exhibited immense amounts of self control. I know I can send stuff back in a box, but I told myself that I would only buy things that fit in my suitcase. Even with that stipulation, I bought quite a bit. They're all soft/light/flat/small things, so it shouldn't be a big deal, but I will say that if we end up moving back, IKEA is going to be more dangerous than Target!
And of course, shopping has not been confined to large new buildings such as IKEA. I'm without a ROSS in Cleveland (or Ohio for that matter!) so we've perused the racks there, but left empty handed most every time. A combination, I think, of the sale racks being picked over from Christmas still, and my now inability to pay over 5 bucks for a shirt when I know I can get good quality and mint condition shirts at our Goodwill! So we've hit some of the nicer thrift stores in the area, and I'm very pleased with my finds. What's a vacation without some shopping, right?
I think the biggest highlight of the last week, though, was yesterday. And no, I'm not going to talk about the Giants' amazing win over the 49ers, although that was great, too. Sunday after church and lunch, my dad took me to Manitou Springs to "do" The Incline. Yes, I am a little on the crazy side, but I figured if people come to this area from around the nation and climb it, than I can, too. Olympiads do the climb to challenge themselves, and little nobodies like me do it to say that we have.
For a little background, The Incline is something I've always wanted to do, but have never been brave enough. Some people, like my brother, can run up the thing in as little as 20 minutes. (now that's what I call crazy!) Others, like me, walk it as fast as our heart-rate and legs will allow. It's an entire trail of steps made up of railroad ties. When you get to the top, you've climbed a mile in distance and over 2000 feet in elevation, your legs feel weak and your heart feels like it's racing as fast as train over a bumpy down-hill track. It's brutal and wonderful all at the same time. I was shooting to finish the climb in under an hour. I made it in just shy of 45 minutes. We ran down the lower part of Barr Trail (3 miles) in just 30 minutes. The scenery down was breathtaking and I can say that I enjoyed every minute. I'm in a little pain today when it comes to walking up and down stairs, but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
And of course, a trip into Manitou isn't a true trip until you've tasted some of the spring water and walked into my favorite soap store ever, Salus. Ahh...to pick only 3 soaps was hard, but I did it, and now my soap collection is replenished.
The rest of the week is planned to bequiet, which is the way we like it. We pack the first 2 weeks full, and then just relax the last week and soak up the family time. We have a couple play dates and friends coming over to visit, but otherwise, we're staying close to home, reading lots of books, playing at parks, digging in the dirt next to the house, and just enjoying the time we have left. Friday is going to be here before we know it.
Here are some more pictures. Enjoy!
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| Meet Baby Yoda. My dad taught him to do this whenever he says "may the force be with you" |
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| The boys doing a little exploring of their own in IKEA |
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| On a walk with their Grandude. |
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| On one of the trips up to Denver my mom went through I don't know how many books with the boys. |
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| First hockey game (Bantam level). Can you tell he was excited? |
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| My dad took them out on the ice after. They thought that was just the coolest thing ever. I thought it was neat that they were walking on the same sheet of ice Scot played so many games on growing up. Just sad he's wasn't with us to experience it. |
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| "Can we read more books, Grammy? Please?" |
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| And like any good Grammy, she says yes, every time. |
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| Half-way up The Incline wondering what the heck I was thinking |
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| At the top. Finally. If you look hard enough you can see the town of Manitou and the "trail" behind us. |
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| At the end of the whole thing. Whew... |
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Mini Vacation Update
That "mini" up there in the title does NOT refer to the type of vacation we're having. Just the length of update you're about to get.
One thing is for sure. This is vacation. Total and complete vacation. And I love it.
We are enjoying fun trips to places like Garden of the Gods, Focus on the Family's Kid's Corner (I went down the A-Ben-Di-Go 3-story cork-screw slide. Never again, though, never again.), and up to Monument to go sledding. We're making a few day trips up to Denver to visit friends and catch up. We're eating at great places like Garbanzos(wish they had these in OH!), Trinity(some of the best sweet potato fries around), Josh and Johns, (a trip out here is not complete without a good scoop of either Oatmeal Cookie or Mocha Java Jolt!) and, of course, Texas Roadhouse. We're watching movies, playing games, eating popcorn, and enjoying each other's company. My parent's newest "toy" (besides their humongous TV) is their dry sauna which I'm getting into as much as I can.
Like I said, a true vacation. If only Scot were around, then it would be close to perfect. :)
Here are some pictures! Enjoy. (I'll have a whole facebook album up once I get home, for now, these are just a few of my favorites)
One thing is for sure. This is vacation. Total and complete vacation. And I love it.
We are enjoying fun trips to places like Garden of the Gods, Focus on the Family's Kid's Corner (I went down the A-Ben-Di-Go 3-story cork-screw slide. Never again, though, never again.), and up to Monument to go sledding. We're making a few day trips up to Denver to visit friends and catch up. We're eating at great places like Garbanzos(wish they had these in OH!), Trinity(some of the best sweet potato fries around), Josh and Johns, (a trip out here is not complete without a good scoop of either Oatmeal Cookie or Mocha Java Jolt!) and, of course, Texas Roadhouse. We're watching movies, playing games, eating popcorn, and enjoying each other's company. My parent's newest "toy" (besides their humongous TV) is their dry sauna which I'm getting into as much as I can.
Like I said, a true vacation. If only Scot were around, then it would be close to perfect. :)
Here are some pictures! Enjoy. (I'll have a whole facebook album up once I get home, for now, these are just a few of my favorites)
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| Walking in the glorious weather |
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| Garden of the Gods |
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| Pikes Peak with the garden on either side...LOVE |
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| Playing with their dirt trucks in the vacant side lot |
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| And what's the use of dirt trucks if you can't race them?! |
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| Fire + Marshmallows + Kids = pure undulated joy |
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| Drew quite enjoyed his s'more... once he took the graham cracker off. |
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| Yes, we had to drive to find snow. Ironic, I know, but we had a blast. |
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| Evan went down with anyone he could, although he wasn't quite brave enough to go down solo on this hill |
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| Grandude telling his famous version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears! |
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| One of my favorite pictures, not only for whose in it, but for what it represents. Our parents have been friends for 20 years this summer and us "kids" have all kept in touch, too. And like David told me once, "I want my kids to grow up with your kids like we grew up with you and Jared". Here's to another 20 years and lots more kids. :) |
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| Trip to post to check out the tanks, armored personnel carriers, and helicopters! |
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| The "Narnia Room" at Focus on the Family. The boys were a little clueless, but I thought it was crazy-cool. Especially since you get to this room through a wardrobe complete with fur coats! |
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| Games with Grandude on one of his days off. |
Thursday, January 5, 2012
vacation
Just so you know...I'm on vacation.
I'll try to post a little here and there, but don't expect to see me on here too much.
I'm enjoying blue skies. Warmer (than Ohio) weather. Sunshine. And mountain air.
Can you blame me?
I'll try to post a little here and there, but don't expect to see me on here too much.
I'm enjoying blue skies. Warmer (than Ohio) weather. Sunshine. And mountain air.
Can you blame me?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
An instant world
We are raising children in an instant world. Long ago are the days where letters by "snail mail" were the main source of communication. Where you found out someone was getting hitched or expanding their family via their annual Christmas letter. Where you had to wait until you got film developed to figure out if that picture from graduation turned out. Where you had to go tot he back of the classroom to flip through the encyclopedia to figure out where Gila Monster were from. Where long lines were used as time for chit chat.
No. We live in an instant world where what are friends are up to can be viewed via their status updates. Where an unanswered email of 3 days sends the message that you're being ignored. Where email is being replaced by texting. Where people can check to see what movie is playing down the street (and buy tickets) on their iPhone while waiting in line and tapping their foot because they didn't have time to stop at the store in the first place. Where people get upset when you don't answer your cell phone, because, hello?! you're supposed to have it on you and the fact that you didn't answer twice in a row means you're probably lying dead somewhere. Where Evan asks if he can see the picture right after I snap it. Where reading an actual paper book is becoming rarer and rarer.
How on earth am I to teach patience to my boys in a world where everything is so instant?
I stand in the long line (when both boys are having good attitudes) and talk to them about it. I make them wait patiently at the bottom of the ladder until the little boy or girl are done climbing. I purposefully make them wait and talk to them about patience.
But they are still growing up in this world. This instant world of ours. And I'm just trying to teach them that waiting just a little bit isn't a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a good thing.
No. We live in an instant world where what are friends are up to can be viewed via their status updates. Where an unanswered email of 3 days sends the message that you're being ignored. Where email is being replaced by texting. Where people can check to see what movie is playing down the street (and buy tickets) on their iPhone while waiting in line and tapping their foot because they didn't have time to stop at the store in the first place. Where people get upset when you don't answer your cell phone, because, hello?! you're supposed to have it on you and the fact that you didn't answer twice in a row means you're probably lying dead somewhere. Where Evan asks if he can see the picture right after I snap it. Where reading an actual paper book is becoming rarer and rarer.
How on earth am I to teach patience to my boys in a world where everything is so instant?
I stand in the long line (when both boys are having good attitudes) and talk to them about it. I make them wait patiently at the bottom of the ladder until the little boy or girl are done climbing. I purposefully make them wait and talk to them about patience.
But they are still growing up in this world. This instant world of ours. And I'm just trying to teach them that waiting just a little bit isn't a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a good thing.
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