Violin Recital

Caleb did awesome at his recent violin recital.

At his first recital a few months ago, Caleb was feeling super shy. Luckily, I was part of his performance so I got to go up with him and that definitely helped. But I really wasn't sure if he was going to get up and perform.

What a difference a few months make.

This time, at his second recital when it was Caleb's turn, he popped off his chair, marched up front, nailed every note with that cute big smile on his face and sat back down as if nothing happened. I was SO proud of him! LOVE THAT KID!!!

Whirlwind

You know that game called Balderdash? It's that game where each person makes up a definition to an obscure word and then you try to guess whose is correct? I always use the definition "a swift moving whirpool" and get lots of points. Not sure why...except that it gets me lots of points. And my dad is my all time favorite person to play this game with. He was a toxicologist and all his definitions were very scientific with words that were 23 letters long. But really...that has absolutely nothing to do with this post. Except that the title is whirlwind...which reminds me of whirpool...which reminds me of Balderdash. Which reminds me why my sister and I always say, "This doesn't relate, but..." And Chris laughs at us. But really--everything does relate. We just do you the favor of not explaining the whole train of thought that got us to the next point. Anyway. Such a long post...why not make it longer? So...this doesn't relate...but:

What a crazy whirlwind. Within a 7 day period at the end of August, we
1. Accepted an offer on our house
2. Found a new house just a few miles away and put an offer on it that was accepted
3. Caleb started kindergarten
4. Chris was offered and accepted a new job

Can you fit anymore life events into a one week period? I guess if we were pregnant or had a baby. Neither of which happened.

Oh my gosh. Moving. Wow. What an adventure.

We worked for months trying to finish projects we had started on our house that was kind of trashed when we bought it. I wish I had pictures of when we bought it. Chris has done SO MUCH! New flooring, light fixtures, crown moulding, chair rail, base boards, scraped and painted ceilings, painted every darn part of that house, installed lighting in the living room where there was previously none, new doors throughout the house, new sinks, new toilets, new bathroom cabinets, new blinds, new deck...you get the idea. You name it, Chris probably did it.

And we had come a long way...but there was much to do to get it ready to sell. Which you could only appreciate if you saw the house when we bought it. So all last summer and fall and winter we were doing projects. I'm exhausted thinking about them. If I never paint a paneled door EVER again...it will be too soon. 13 of those darn doors. Just suffice it to say we worked hard. Really hard. And yet...when we left there was SO MUCH more we wanted to do to make it nice for the next family. Especially since we happen to know and love the family that bought it!

But let's back up a bit and talk about the adventures in showing the house. Oh my. Did you know it is hard to keep your house clean with 2 crazy boys? Actually, they were a huge help. It's just hard to live in a house and show it! It was just simply an adventure. Like the time they called at 5:28 and said there was a showing at 5:30pm right in the middle of a dinner I was making to be delivered to a friend and while the house was full of 500 neighbor kids. As soon as I put the phone down, there was a knock at the door. I'm shooing all 500 of the kids out the door, trying to find shoes for everyone and meanwhile shoving food in the microwave and oven. Then there was that time when I was teaching Joy School at our house and had a last minute showing. Let's just leave it that backyard preschool is adventurous. Let's also think of the number of trips to McDonalds and Sonic during other showings.

Bleh. Oh and then there was the time when we were watching a couple friends at our house and ended up having a "movie theater" in the parked car up the street complete with popcorn and juice during another showing. (Ok...that was kind of fun. But still adventurous). A lot of time spent in the car running here and there wasting time during other showings:

Suffice it to say--9 months worth of adventures. Whew! I am exhausted just thinking of all that cleaning and last minute adventures. :)

Oh, and then there are the fun adventures of closing on our new house. And the time when I flew in on Tuesday night after a cancelled flight only to be greeted Wednesday morning (24 hours before closing--3 days before we said we would be out of our house for the new owners) when they called and told us we couldn't have the house. And then by the end of the day saying...oops. Sorry about that. Yes you can. But the closing day is going to be pushed out. Again. Or how about the time when we showed up to closing and they said...you can sign the paperwork...but the bank still doesn't have all the stuff ready.

And then there is the actual move. Of course we move the weekend of our big church service fair that Chris and I were both heavily involved in. Thursday night we pack the truck. Friday morning we go to sign the paperwork on the house, expecting to have the keys by 10am. But the bank doesn't have everything done. Chris spent the entire day babysitting the guy. Signing more paperwork. More babysitting. Did you sent that to the title company yet? Not yet? Hurry up please. How about now? No? The entire day. Seriously. Then we unenroll Caleb in one school. Find out the person we need to talk to at the new school isn't in for a couple days. Wait for keys. Get stuff ready for the Service Fair the next day. Wait for keys. Clean the old house. Wait for keys. Pack last minute stuff from old house. Wait for keys. Start to worry because the truck has to be back by 6pm for the next person. Wait for keys. More babysitting of crazy bank guy who has messed our stuff up through the ENTIRE process. Wait for keys. 4pm. Title company closes at 5pm. If we don't have our keys, we won't be able to get our keys until Monday. Stuff is still on the truck. Truck still has to be back by 6pm. More phone calls. More waiting. Finally get keys! Yay!! With the help of AwEsOmE friends, bust an entire truck full of stuff into our new garage in 50 minutes. Go to bed late. Drag boys out of bed early to be at the church Saturday morning at 7am to set up for the Service Fair. Have fun. Finish cleaning up at 1:15pm. Be at Caleb's violin recital at 1:30pm. Go back to old house to clean. Ugh. More work than we should have left until then. Lifesaver friends help. Go to IHOP with no shoes on because they somehow got packed up with the last remaining stuff. Do NOT care AT ALL. Boys go to bed late. Chris goes back to knock out our final list at the old house. His cell phone dies and he doesn't have the list we made. Does the best he can. Comes home at 3am. After the time change. Up early for church the next morning. Up to our eyeballs in boxes. Caleb's church clothes that we set aside are suddenly lost. Ok...ok...you get the idea. I'm exhausted just thinking about the whole process. I never want to move again.

It was a whirlwind in every sense of the word. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. And yet...we are learned so much and we are feeling totally and incredibly blessed. We can't believe we are finally in our new house and are totally loving it! Already we have almost forgotten all the headaches. And what a sweet reunion we had with our stuff that was packed up for over a year.

Thank you to all of you that helped make this possible and worked along side us tirelessly to help us move. You know who you are--and we love you dearly.

Halloween

A little trivia contest for you:
Which costume did Carson use to trick or treat this year?

A. The cute dog



B. The cute lion



C. Batman on a tricycle



D. Optimus Prime


If you guessed D--Optimus Prime--you are correct. But the boys sure loves to dress up lately! Even when costumes are way too small! :)

Caleb and Carson had a funny little series of negotiations going for weeks before Halloween. They had to have similar costumes...so which should they be. Carson was dead set on being Optimus Prime--but the "bad Optimus Prime." Despite many explanations and clarifications that there is no such thing--he was bound and determined. Caleb wanted to be a knight and have Carson be a dragon. Caleb wanted to be Mario and wanted Carson to be Luigi. Caleb wanted to be pirates with Carson. Carson? He just wanted to be the bad Optimus Prime and wanted Caleb to be Bumble Bee. Finally--Caleb relented. He told Carson, "Fine. I will be Bumble Bee this year, if you will be Luigi next year." Carson agreed. Ha! I laughed for a long time about their little negotiations. Let's see if either of them remember or even want to be the same thing next year!

As usual, I'm kicking myself for not posting sooner since I really cannot remember everything we did to celebrate Halloween. But here is what I do remember (and can find pictures for):

Pumpkin carving




We also went with some of our favorite friends to a fun pumpkin patch with lots of fun activities including a petting zoo, story time, a maze, etc. We had a lot of fun. But shhh...don't tell Caleb! We went while he was at school!



And...that's all I remember. Though I have vague recollections about fun Halloween projects and crafts and treat making and and trunk or treats and school carnivals and....

Ranch

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch....

While I was on girlcation (see next post), the boys had a great time together. They camped out in the living room



Went all together to Caleb's group violin lesson:



Went swimming, ate out, went to SeaWorld and who knows what else! :)



And just so you know--I am a big advocate for girlcations (see next post). I think Chris has always done a good job helping me and showing appreciation for me--but there is nothing like 4 days with crazy kids to remind a dad just how much work and fun it is and how they can best help out! :)

Girlcation!

Last year for my birthday, Chris surprised me with a girlcation. He had talked with my sister and set up a little vacation for me. We had so much fun and decided we should do it annually and just meet up at a different place for a long weekend once a year.

This year's girlcation location was Cincinnati! My sister, Kaylyn and I met up in our old stomping grounds of Cincinnati for 3 glorious days. We didn't really take any pictures though. Could NOT find the camera before I left. Oh well.

It was so fun to see and visit so many people that we both knew and grew up with. And really-- just be together. We also went to Time Out for Women--which is a weekend conference of inspiring speakers and music. And of course, we had to eat at Larosas and Skyline and who knows where else.

Excuse me while I go wipe some drool off my face....





And I'm back. Oh yeah...and Red Fox! My dad used to take us there and we LOVED it! These pictures are for you, dad! :)



Another little break...more drool...sorry!


Unfortunately, on my way home, I made it as far as Chicago and then my flight got cancelled. So Chris had an extra day juggling work and home and boys and schedules. And I eventually made it home the next day. After waiting several hours where they delayed my flight every 10 minutes for just a few minutes later, and waiting in a long line to get my flight rebooked, and waiting in a line to get on a shuttle to the hotel they put us up in, and waiting in a line to check into said hotel...I was kind of done waiting. And I was anxious to get home and finish packing up our house because I thought we were moving in only a couple short days. But the only real damage done? Frost bite in the airport. I joked with Chris about digging in my suitcase to find a pair of socks to go with my only shoes--flip flops. But after a couple hours of freezing...I may or may not have really done it.


Many thanks to Chris for holding down the fort and encouraging me to go. I love my sister and I loved spending time with her. And I love having just enough of a break that I can't wait to go back and do my normal routine.

Family Pictures

We recently had family pictures taken by Jessica at Memora'belle Photography. Love her!!!! And love the pictures!! If you're looking for someone to take pictures, check out her site here! You even get a dvd with all the pictures and the rights to them so you can print whatever you want. Great deal!

Here are some of my favorites:













One of my favorites that shows how it really is...


Fun times!

Lost

Lost: My sidekick of 5 years, 6 months and 29 days

Cute, blond haired, blue eyed. Answers to the name of Caleb.

If found, please return him to me as soon as possible!

Anyone know where this guy went?

I sure don't!!

Kindergarten started yesterday. Huge sigh.

My Caleb was SO unbelievably excited. It made it easier for all of us. And I did it. I dropped him off with that huge grin on his face and lived to tell about it. But truly--Carson and I have been a bit lost the last couple of days ourselves. It feels so strange without him being around all day. And Texas schools are so lame--the bus comes at 6:50 AM!! (yes, that's right people 6:50AM!) and returns at 3:10pm. All day kindergarten and it starts before anyone should even think about being awake! Lame!

You'd think I would have caught on to how fast he was growing up. What with his Joy School graduation:



Mastering swimming lessons



(Talk about improvement! Caleb went from being fairly timid in the water to full on swimming under the water! It helped that he took swimming lessons with one of his best buddies ever!)

Oh and then there is how well he is doing at violin and how well he did at that violin recital a few months ago


He did such a good job! He really made us proud!

So you see...all the signs have been there...but I have just been in denial!!

We prayed and debated and prayed some more about what we were going to do with Caleb this fall. Public school, private school, home school. We looked at every option. 500 times. But in the end...we went with public school.

This quote from a lady named Karen Beaumont quoted here describes my feelings exactly:

“I love a winter storm. … When the wind starts to blow and the snow begins to fall, a feeling of excitement starts to build. … When I can’t see the trees at the neighbor’s farmyard, … I phone my husband! … He then picks up the children who are at school. … It is hard to describe the feelings I experience as our family is gathered home, and the storm rages outside. … And I love it! Everyone is safe; we are together. We have lots of food and water. The longer it lasts, the better. … We are shut off from the world. … We bask in the warmth of our home and in the warmth of our love. My heart is full, and I am at peace. Sometimes, I wish I could just stay like that forever, with my family gathered around me, protected, shut off from the evil influences of the world. But alas, the storm blows itself out eventually, we dig ourselves out, and off we go to face the world again.”

I sometimes want to just keep my family locked up and safe and protected at home with me forever! There is so much junk in the world and I would love to just keep Caleb sheltered forever. But at the same time, I felt like maybe Caleb could be a light to someone--and if so--it would be pure selfishness to keep him home. "In the world, but not of the world...."

When I read this quote from Joseph B Wirthlin--I knew what I had to do: "Perhaps all of us sometimes would like to withdraw and isolate ourselves from the storms of life and from the fiery darts of Satan. However, we must be in the world but not of the world, meaning to go forward in the midst of the sin, evil, and corruption that are in the world but resist and reject them. Being in the world can be frightening because we live at a time when Satan is becoming more and more bold. The Lord said, “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.” (John 17:15.)

And so...though I know it is not the right choice for everyone--for Caleb, we felt strongly about where he needed to be. He is out there already being a light and a leader. And it was harder than I ever thought it would be to bring him there! And yet more fun and exciting then I ever thought it could be! Funny how that works!

The Three Amigos

Another marathon blogging session. 5 new posts. Life is just insanely busy right now. Need to figure out a way to simplify a bit. More on that later. Maybe. If I get around to it anytime soon. Yes...I know...you will not be holding your breath!

Amigo #1: Carson
Now this amigo likes to get sick...really sick...about once a year--the same time every year. Like sick enough you will find him laying down in very random places:




And sick enough that he gets to do the ever so fun steroids and antibiotics and breathing treatments:



Amigo #1 loves to make silly faces and make us smile:




He is frequently seen around town posing as superman



He has an unnatural ability to identify logos. Like this one:

He saw this truck and excitedly said, "Look mom! It's the ice cream truck!!" Hmmm...now knowing he can't read it...I looked and looked trying to figure out where on earth he could tell that was an ice cream truck. He could just tell by the logo! He does this all. the. time. It kind of freaks me out.


You can also find him cruising through stores in semi-odd riding positions. Exhibit A:

He loves it. We just go with it.


Amigo #2: Caleb
This amigo is all about dinosaurs lately.

Maybe he needs a pet. But probably not. :) Because he told me recently, "Mom? I don't want a cat or dog. Because I don't want them to pee or poop on our floor. That is SO gross." Insightful. :) Next he told me, "So I decided that I will be a kitty and Carson will be a puppy and then we don't need to get a pet!" They take their roles very seriously! Very! Carson constantly refers to himself in the 3rd person as "the puppy." "The puppy wants some milk." "The puppy doesn't want to do that." "The puppy is funny." But I digress. This is about Amigo #2.

Amigo #2 loves to help.

The minute I stop to fill up on gas, he jumps out of the car and goes to town washing the windows on the car.

See that popcorn?

Amigo #2 saw a lady drop her debit card. He made sure she got it back. The VERY nice lady went and bought him that popcorn and then tracked us down to tell him thank you again. How nice is she?

Amigo #2 is definitely always good for a laugh and pure silliness



Amigo #1 and #2 are both pure craziness and silliness. But they clean up nicely:




Amigo #3: Chris
He's pretty busy. But he finds time to wrestle with our guests



And even though he's busy--he will still run in the door, see one of our neighbor's kids excited about his new skateboard and decide to show him some tricks before running out the door to a meeting. Love the hurried outfit.



Perhaps a bit of the silliness of Amigo #1 and #2 could be traced back to Amigo #3



And last but not least, here is the video I made for this year's Father's Day about the three amigos over the last year.