2017, Get Thee Hence

Well, hello again.

I am happy to report that 2017 is a thing of the past, and that 2018 is here in all of its glory.

2017 was a rough year for me. Emotionally. Spiritually. Mentally. In many ways, it represented the culmination of a lot of junk--personal junk, family junk, more personal junk--that needed to be pulled out, acknowledged, examined, and dealt with, in a way I had never had to do before. In a way I very much did not know HOW to do. It was hard, unpleasant work that, at the time, I would have rather not had to deal with, though in retrospect I can very much see its value. I can see the struggle, and feel grateful that I somehow, miraculously, had the desire and the strength (and unending personal support) to get through what, hopefully, has been the worst of it. But not seeing or acknowledging the need for such an uncomfortable inventory would not have made it unnecessary. It would only have served to prolong the need for its eventual occurrence. 

I'm not done with the junk yet. Not by a long shot. But I am not as afraid of it, or unequipped to handle it, as I was not very long ago. ("Do you hear me?? I'm not afraid anymore!") I am also getting over the fear of being an imperfect, broken soul. Of knowing it, feeling it; accepting it. I am discovering that the pain of daily berating myself for endlessly falling short is far worse than the pain of saying, "I'm not perfect, nor meant to be perfect in this instant. And I am fine with owning that." My weaknesses, vulnerabilities, frailties, will ever be a part of my life. I pray that I can grow in them and through them, but I no longer attempt to pray them away. Because they are a part of who I am, of what makes me, me. Which I am finally beginning to see is perfectly, wonderfully okay.

Please enjoy these images of my biggest cheerleaders and supporters. The literal reason that I was able to get out of bed and face my life and be a human (not a robot) all 365 days of dumb 2017.

They are my life and my world. They want me, and need me to be whole. And I am working on that for them. Far as I have to go.

"Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

We are quite naturally impatient in everything

to reach the end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way to something

unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress

that it is made by passing through

some stages of instability—

and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;

your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,

let them shape themselves, without undue haste.

Don’t try to force them on,

as though you could be today what time

(that is to say, grace and circumstances

acting on your own good will)

will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit

gradually forming within you will be.

Give Our Lord the benefit of believing

that his hand is leading you,

and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself

in suspense and incomplete.”

--Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Melting for Spencer

See this cute boy?

We love him. Very much.

Which is why we braved some unseasonably, torturously hot, early June weather to take him to meet his best friend and hero, Lightning McQueen. Craig, bless his amazing heart, had the foresight to get us tickets for the free event, which meant that we went right in to the hot event, instead of waiting in an interminable hot line to get into the hot event.

We all about sweated our faces off. and we were glad when it was over. But what a cool experience to be there with this cute boy, for whom the Cars universe has been a daily obsession for the last 2.5 years.

Can't wait for him to visit Radiator Springs at California Adventure when we miraculously get rich and can actually afford to go there.

Hallelujah, Orange You Glad?

Hallelujah, we made it through the rigors of 1st, 4th, and 6th grade.

Little did we know, the end of the school year would mark the beginning of the Infamous Lice-capades of 2017. But that's a story for another time. Maybe. If I can get over the horror of it all.

The end of the school year and beginning of summer felt good for a moment, I'll tell you that.

And just look at how much these cuties grew in one year.

{from no teeth to new teeth}

{little girl to little lady}

{yep...she's wearing an almost identical outfit on the first and last days}

Another school year down. About a million to go. But, we'll get there!

P.S. This happened to be one of my few "On" years when it comes to teacher appreciation gifts. (I'm pretty sure the pattern is, one year on, two years off.) 

Those lovely ladies sure lucked out this year with their "Orange You Glad It's Summer?" care packages.

See you in about three years, Mommy Who's On Top of It.

Builders, Inc.

Seems Julia has inherited yet another quality from Daddy: the Desire to Build.

Before it got too hot to do anything outside but go swimming, she started working on a backyard structure to which she can retreat to be away form the chaos of the house. (She may or may not have inherited this tendency from moi.) Dashing Daddy was good enough to lend her a hand.

I am so grateful for kiddos with a desire to try new things, and a loving hub-star who takes the time to teach them skills and general awesomeness.

After the weather cools, we'll see if he has also passed on the 90% gene this beautiful firstborn of ours.

{90% gene: in which a project becomes functional at 90% completion, and never gets worked on again.}

Celebrating Savanna

This year our little Vanna girl hit her decade mark. Wowsers. Hard to believe this snuggly infant has gotten so darn big, so very fast.

{practicing puckering up her lips for a lifetime of kisses}

Savanna is one of those amazing girls who always helps you feel loved. She is compassionate and strong, super smart and hard-working. She is such a blessing to have in our family.

We celebrated with a friend movie and lunch date, emoji party, swim party, banana cream pie, and presents. Oh, and a little bit of "Pin the Glasses on the Emoji," which was pretty darn funny.

Happy 10 Years, cute girl!

P.S. It is now July and some of Vanna's bday decorations are still hanging from the kitchen ceiling.

P.P.S. Since we are talking about celebrating this beautiful girl, I should insert here that Savanna was chosen, at the end of her 4th grade year, to participate in the National Elementary Honors Society during 5th grade. Students are picked based on grades, service experience, and leadership qualities. And maybe cuteness.

We are so proud of this girl and the beautiful person she is continuing to become!