This Present Joy

Preface The H.U.G.E. gap in dates from the last post to this one is one of the big reasons why our summer vacation trips were so necessary. Life is so fast-paced and each day seems to just collide right into the next. Before I know it, weeks have turned into months. This trip was a much-needed break for our family. To just get away from all the hustle and bustle, regroup, re-energize, relax. . . SO, our summer vacation had a Part Two. . . this time, all four of us were able to go. We were headed for Perdido Key, Florida with two other families. The week's agenda included hanging out at the beach, eating, hanging out at the pool, eating, hanging out at the beach. . . perfect vacation! If you can believe it, we departed for Florida about 6 hours after the girls and I arrived home from Omaha. I'm still a little in shock with how my Type A personality was able to overcome that. I didn't have to start packing from scratch--I just had to reorganize suitcases a bit, pack in the wa...

I don't know exactly how many years in elementary school I had to write a response to this question come August or September--but it was more than once. I think most of us in school came to expect the question--a bit like you expect pop quizzes or expect Show 'n Tell to be a part of the school routine. I have no idea if teachers nowadays still ask their students to write a paragraph answering this question, but I'm bringing it back on my own! I feel like my summer started gradually, rolling into June, then it accelerated, speeding through July and now into August. I suppose July went by so quickly because we had a few fun trips planned. After the 4th of July, the girls and I flew up to Omaha to visit Grammy. It was Carly's third time to fly and Hannah's first--making it my first time to fly solo with both of them. I knew Carly would probably do well, since she was older and was easily occupied with stickers or activity books. But, Hannah sitting in my lap for 1 hour...

When I was pregnant with Hannah, I remember having some apprehension about Carly's reaction to having a younger sibling. Would she be jealous of the time we devoted to her sister? Would she feel left out? Would she act out towards her? From day one, she has been the devoted big sister to Hannah Jane. When Hannah was only a week old, Carly trekked up to the hospital ICU with us, clutching a gift bag, ready to deliver a special toy to her little sister. Over the past year, Carly has made Hannah's entire face light up more than anyone else. I don't know if it's the fact that it's another "little person" around, a "little voice" or just the antics of a 3-year-old, but Carly makes Hannah laugh and giggle the most. These are the giggles that tumble over one another--the kind that you want to record and play over and over again. J and I love seeing our girls interact--Carly loving and helpful, Hannah soothed and entertained by her older sister. Of cours...

Aren't weekends splendid? I love it when Friday arrives. It means a little more relaxation for all of us, no major schedule, a break from work for both me and J and just good, quality family time. And, during the summer, there's not much that can top spending a weekend evening with an ice cream cone in hand. We love Braum's custard-style frozen yogurt, so we bought a few pints and brought them home to make our own ice cream cones. Carly loved her chocolate concoction. And, Hannah joined in with a vanilla sampling. Pure summer fun.

I've never really been one to make New Year's resolutions. Well, I take that back. I used to make resolutions. Back in high school, I remember dating a journal page with 01-01 and having great feelings of starting anew. There was something redemptive of a new year--new goals, new challenges, grand plans of doing things differently and better. I probably often wrote something to the effect of, "Worry less." I say "probably" because I honestly can't remember (some effective resolutions, huh?) Anyway, what I do remember is straying from my handful of resolutions only about 3-4 weeks into the year. So, I realized that resolutions weren't the most encouraging thing to make--simply because I didn't always stick to them. I like to think of them now as "good suggestions" for myself for the new year. You're probably wondering why I'm talking about New Year's resolutions when we're almost 4 months into the year. This year, it just...

A few weeks ago during Carly's preschool pickup time, I read a sign outside of her classroom door that said something like, "Next week, you may send your child to school dressed as a cowboy or cowgirl since we're having Texas week." They have a new teaching theme each week, and this was the particular theme for the upcoming week. I had been wanting to buy Carly a pair of boots for a long time, so this was the perfect excuse. We headed out one evening to a local store and happened upon MANY, MANY pairs of boots--and this was only the children's section. J and I scanned the shelves to find some not-so-ostentatious styles while Carly was happily distracted by the plush stick ponies and the rocking horse. She had already shed her street shoes and donned a pink cowgirl hat; she was all business and ready to sign up as an official Cowgirl. After a brief time of trying on some boots, we made our selection. (I made a mental note at the register to ask Carly to wear her bo...