Posts from — June 2008

I write about 100 blog posts in my head daily, and by the end of the day, I’m so tired I can’t put any of my thoughts into words.  Would you like to catch a glimpse of my brain in action? If so, keep reading.

Topics I’ve mulled over (and over and over):

1.  All of the things I’ve enjoyed doing with Gage in school this year (I’m one of those weird homeschoolers.)  And, the things I’m planning on changing.

2.  The way in which I have been extremely introspective over the past few weeks.  Analyzing and re-analyzing why I feel certain ways in certain situations.  It’s wearing me out!  I’ve got to get over it!

3.  The sweetness of my 2 year old asking us to pray when we put him to bed.  And, how I found him hugging his friend and telling him he was sorry, with no prompting from an adult.  This kid is just plain sweet and I could write a blog post daily on how he brightens our lives.

4.  The funny things my 8 year old says.  Oh, and I plan to post a picture of his latest “costume”.  He has been Indiana Jones for the past 2 days.

5.  Life here at seminary.  Not always easy.  Glad Jared’s not in school right now.  Oh, and we only have one more year left!  That’s exciting!

6.  I actually have a lot on my mind about seminary life right now.  In fact, that’s what has consumed my mind over these past few weeks.  Things like:

-Having time to socialize when you barely have any time to spend as a family.  Something has to go, and it ends up being the social aspect  of our lives.  It’s either spend the small amount of time you do have with close friends or try to develop new friendships.  We’ve chosen to invest in the small handful of friends we have.  It’s hard because I feel that it causes us to appear as if we don’t give a rip about all of the other people around us.  Not the case.

-Dealing with the fact that there are MANY people around here who don’t know us for who we really are.  And, coming to grips with the fact that it is impossible for that to happen.

7.  And, why exactly am I so worried with people knowing me for who I really am?  This, I have also pondered endlessly.

8.  Coming to grips with the fact that I have issues with worrying far too much about what other people think of me.

9.  How is this issue going to impact my life when my husband becomes a pastor?  I see lots of growing in my future.  And, I don’t think it’s going to be easy.

10.  Life as I used to know it.  A glimpse into my past, living with a drug addicted husband. (No, not Jared!)  The problem is, where do I even start.  And, what do I share?  That would be why I haven’t blogged on this topic as of yet.

11.  Racism. How living in the Midwest has opened my eyes.

12.  All of the AWESOME outdoor ventures the boys and I have enjoyed here in the great state of Missouri.  This place truly is beautiful.

13.  Careers I would choose if I could live my life 3 or 4 times.

14.  The struggles of raising 2 kids, spaced 6 years apart.

15.  My postpartum psychosis nightmare of 1999.

Okay, I’m going to stop now.  I feel better.  Any votes on what I blog about next?

As we sat in church today, I realized that one of the best Father’s Day presents I could offer my husband for the day was a trip to Grant’s Farm.  I know, my mind wanders sometimes, but that’s not the point.  The point is that my husband enjoys beer, especially when it is cold, and Grant’s Farm gives it away for free.  So, as soon as the service ended, I offered up my suggestion, and he was all for the idea.  We didn’t even have to pay for parking because the nice lady decided to let us slide by with our annual pass from last year.

My husband deserves far more than free beer for Father’s Day, but I think he did enjoy the day with his family.  We love you, honey.  You seriously deserve an award for all that you do for us.  Your sacrificial service to all of us is such an example for our boys, and I believe they will be excellent husbands one day, as a result of watching you.

I love this man, and so do his grandsons.  Gage inherited his Papa’s brown eyes and his love for fishing.  The twinkle I see in my Dad’s eyes as he watches his grandkids is priceless.  I have no doubt, that many years from now, Gage will have this same twinkle in his eyes as he teaches his own grandkids how to cast a fishing rod and shoot a bb-gun.  We all love you dearly, Daddy.

This morning just started out bad. Out of ALL the days of the month Jared could have chosen to sleep in, today was just NOT the day to do it. As chaos escalated in our house I grew more and more irritated. Gage was supposed to be doing his Math, but was taking forever and coming out to ask for help every second. And, every time he came out of his room, he used it as an opportunity to aggravate his brother, which then caused even more chaos. Jared decided, as he was lying in bed at 10:30 that it would be a good idea to sing to Shea. Me, being the wonderful, encouraging wife that I am finally yelled from the kitchen, “Jared, I hate to tell you, but you’re gonna have to stop singing. I can’t take it.” Later, I heard Jared tell Shea, “The best thing you can do is stay out of her way right now.” Thankfully, things turned around for me today, and I am actually sitting here listening to my precious husband play his guitar and sing, and I am not bothered at all.

Emily and Matt let us watch Andrew on Saturday while they went to a wedding reception on campus.  We could not have been happier!  Jared and I both sat down on the couch together,  and just stared at him while we took turns holding him.  It brought back the memories of when Shea was born and we would argue over which one of us got to hold him.  Such sweetness!  Babies are an absolute miracle.  Of course I had to take pictures, too.

 

Gage was so sweet with Andrew.  He came in, completely covered with mud, and wanted to hold him.  He took a shower just so he could.  As Andrew slept in his arms he said, “Mom, what if he wakes up?  Will he cry?  And, what in the world are you going to feed him?”

gave my blog a facelift!  He stayed up late last night working, and when I checked my blog this morning, this is what I found!  I love it!

I just discovered a place in South City called St. Louis Bicycle Works and I’m really interested in learning more.  I need a new bike, but can’t afford to spend very much.  They recycle bicycles.  What’s great is the fact that the people fixing the bikes are local kids from the neighborhood.  They attend classes on Saturdays, learn how to fix bikes, and then, earn a bike for completing the classes.  Check out the website.  I’m planning on investigating this some more.  I’ll let you know if I end up with a “new” bike!

Our visit with my Mom and Aunt Lynda was wonderful.  I was completely inspired by their zeal for life and am encouraged to know that I share their genes!  They climbed through EVERYTHING at City Museum and if you’ve been to City Museum, you will know that this is no small feat.  They almost put me to shame!  They also did wonders for my self-esteem because, you know, they only see my strengths (moms and aunts are biased that way!).  So, I was encouraged to go after my interests and give life all I’ve got.

See what I mean about the genes?  They are beautiful!

Aunt Lynda at the bottom of the biggest slide at CM!

 

Girl’s night out at Forest Park (Jazz concert)

Granny with her boys at MOBOT

Two of my favorite women in the world are coming to visit us tomorrow!  My Mom and her sister, Lynda.

My beautiful Mom

My beautiful and artistic Aunt Lynda

I cannot even express how excited I am to have them come for a visit.  We’re going to cram as much fun into 3 days as we can!