Friday, September 28, 2012

Love.

Computer problems kept me from posting this collage (from last week) earlier.  Last week we cherished:
  • homemade peanut butter cookies after school. 
  • A beautiful rainbow (two actually) on our drive to school Tuesday. 
  • The girls are doing a free acting class at the library on Tuesday afternoons, I particularly love the quiet time doing homework and reading with Noah. 
  • Clean towels all folded and put away
  • Sophie's laughter during dinner (and always)
  • quiet reading time in the chair with Abby and Ernie
  • Noah's football game
  • First annual 'Appetizer night'.   A student in my First Year Seminar wrote about a family tradition she had growing up that involved a family room dinner of all the frozen appetizer they were NEVER allowed to have followed by a movie and ice cream.  We loved shopping for these 'naughty' treats (Abby:  " Mom, why is everything in our cart frozen?"  and Mom:  "What do you think mommy would have said if you would have asked for these foods on a 'regular night'?  Kids:  "NO WAY!!")  It was super fun, though left me with a bit of a stomach ache!  :) 
  • Starting a list of 'Newbery Award' potentials being read by each member of the family
Blessings!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Blessings

#1853 3 kids in new converse
#1854 Sunshine coming in my new office window
#1855  Happy Memories in my minivan (lots of state park stickers!) 
#1856 My new Sienna
#1859 A praying mantis found by the girls at Hope
#1862 Saying "yes" to time at the park on Saturday afternoon
#1865  a day of Urban Agriculture in Detroit with my First Year Seminar

Blessings!

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Noah's first game

Noah's first football game was this morning.  They lost, but Noah had some great blocks and they had fun!




Wednesday, September 12, 2012

The end of an era

Lots of trips to the State Park over the years.....

The trunk I loaded the triple stroller in to more times than I could begin to count.  And filled with groceries.  And filled with suitcases.  And loaded with chairs for sports events......


The seats we buckled baby car seats in to.  The seats we buckled toddler seats in to.  The seats they buckled themselves in to for the first time.  The seats they sat in without carseats for the first time.  The seats my kids sat in for just about every single trip and drive for their entire lives. 

The van driving away for the last time!

Noah's Scrimmage

Noah had his first Rocket Football Scrimmage last Saturday.  It was awesome!  It looks like he will normally play left guard and 2nd string center but he even got a chance to be on the defensive line!  It's going to be a great season!

Noah playing center (getting ready to snap the ball).

Noah #34

Noah on the defensive line.

Strategy!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Finding joy

It was a sad week.  My amazing Grandpa Low passed away early Sunday morning.  It was a busy first week of school.  It was a week full of football practice and the first church choir rehearsal for the girls.  It was a week full of classes at Hope (even on Labor Day).  It was a week with 2 trips to Jackson.  In the midst of the crazy, sad week there was joy to be found.

Beautiful sunflowers at our garden (not in our plot).
The girls picking me Queen Anne's Lace (my favorite) at Noah's football Scrimmage.
Watching Noah's football scrimmage on a beautiful 'fall' day (with Ernie on my lap) (more pics later)
Time in Jackson with family:  Laura flew in and we laughed and cried together.  A wonderful antique store.  Ice Cream at the Jackson Dairy.
Memories savored of time with Grandpa including the last photo, taken at a visit last winter. 

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

A new beginning...







This morning at breakfast when we opened the bible to read, the chapter title was, "A New Beginning".  Pretty amazing start for the school year (although I hope there are no floods this year!).  The kids' teacher was not present at open house, so I drove them to school so we could be sure to find their lockers, etc.  They were excited and joyful as they walked in to a new school year.   And just like that, 3rd grade is off and running. 

Monday, September 3, 2012

The summer of no

As we checked off the final boxes of our 'Summer List 2012' the kids said, "Mom, the summer of no was the best summer ever!" 
The summer of no.  No spreadsheet to keep track of the kids events.  Almost no rushing to get somewhere.  No over scheduled days.  99.9% no 'signed up' activities (there was a loop-hole by Noah at the end of July....).  It seemed like the perfect plan to me, I always dread the spreadsheet required drop off and pick up charts dictating our summer days.  But I admit to wondering how it would really play out.  Would we be bored?  Would I long for a place to drop them off by August?  In June I created an "I'm bored" jar filled with chores kids could select if they used the words, "I'm bored".  Guess what?  It was never used.  Eventually it was placed up in a cupboard.  We had amazingly full days.  Days full of laughter and playing.  Days full of forts, hikes and time outside.  Days full of snuggles, reading, and ice cream.  Days full of the joyful sounds of summer mostly splashing and giggling.  We watched Disney Channel and sang along to Disney Radio.  We spent almost 10 days at the cottage.  We spent 10 days in South Dakota.  We took last minute trips to visit friends, pick berries, or wander the zoo.  In short, we enjoyed the summer as children...all of us. 
Tonight Noah is going to bed tearfully praying that Jesus will make summer last a little while longer.  That there will be an announcement that, "do to technical difficulties...summer will not end."  And if that did happen, I would be the happiest mom in the world.
I know that tomorrow will bring 'fall'.  It will bring 3rd grade.  It will bring busy evenings of football practice, religious ed, and church choir.  It will bring busy days at Hope for me with 2 classes and my mentoring program.  It will bring new adventures and new challenges.  My prayer tonight will be that we can always keep a little of 'the summer of no' tucked away in our hearts, and that on the busiest days we can loose ourselves in the treasured memories for just a moment.....until next summer.