#place

I'm officially OVER this week.  

Just when I'm starting to feel pretty good, Emma gets sick!

So it goes.

Today's Lenten reflection word is place. 

Initially I thought my picture would be of a place.  A peaceful place, a happy place or maybe a quiet place.

Instead this is my photo...

#place

Leaving work this afternoon I got a flat tire. 

It was not awesome.  

It was 20 degrees outside and I was looking at a 45 minute wait for AAA. 

 Five minutes into my wait a man from the Pine Lawn Public Works stopped and told me I was going to get a ticket if the police saw me just sitting there (never mind the flat tire).   He apologized and said if he wasn't on the clock he would change my tire.

  I'm sure he would have.  

Then the guy pictured above pulled up, hopped out of his pizza delivery car and while shaking his head mumbled  "You're gonna get a ticket, you can't just be here".  

Without a second thought he got a jack out of his trunk and put my spare on.  

I felt shocked and silly but grateful.

I could have felt scared.

Suspicious.

But that would have been ridiculous.

I could see both the Pine Lawn Police Department and the school at which I work from where my car was broken down. 

But I could have chosen to be scared.

Suspicious.

Wondered what his angle was. 

 And in my worry  I would have missed the fact that 

this man was taking care of his neighbor.

How many times do we miss what is right before our eyes?

Over the last few months I have never been more aware of my place of privilege.

How much my privilege causes me not to see.  It's as though my eyes have been closed when I was so sure I could clearly see.

I am in Normandy to teach and yet I am the one learning.  

And sometimes it's more than I can handle.

#Remember

I still don't feel like myself.  

  I'm doing my best but this morning I forgot to put dinner in the crock pot before leaving for the day.  Around 2:00, while in the middle of a gigantic mess in the library with 5 5th grade boys I realized this.   Since I knew they'd be no help in the sympathy department I kept quiet and thought....pjbs tonight??

 Once home we scrambled around and the girls were able to put together a pretty awesome pizza for us.

Feeling a little puny  I said---well so much for the word remember since I totally forgot dinner! 

 And El responded---Mom!  REMEMBER, mistakes happen. 

How are these people part of my tribe? 

 I am so darn blessed!

#remember

North

What a week!   Flu 2015.   I'm getting better but I'm still not there.
We're behind on our Lent photo photos but I know we'll catch up.

#path

 Past Delmar

and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive 

and Natural Bridge Road

Those streets I've been told to avoid.

Past burned out houses and boarded up schools.  

5 miles from home

So close.

Where everything seems familiar but nothing is the same.

So far

Where I never quite catch my breath.

and I wonder

I wonder

how

is 

this 

ok?

Ash Wednesday

It's Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. 

How I love this season!
I had planned to get ashes this morning and attend service tonight.
A nasty virus has other plans for me though.
I wanted to share some ideas for our family reflections and talk with the girls about what they want to focus on.
Instead the girls are heating up soup for me and entertaining each other perfectly.
I am really thankful for those girls.
Over the next 40 days I'd love to write here often.

One of the other things I'd like to do this year is this photo a day project.  I'd really like to get the girls involved too.  

#announce

Lucy made this "lemonade" for me this afternoon.  Water, fresh squeezed orange juice and brown sugar.   To me, this picture is an announcement of love.  I am so lucky

In January

I really love January at our house! 

Routines are set, school is still fun, and things just seem to flow.  

Other than the fact that I'm trying to lose 5 pounds without much success, I'd say Yay! for January.

This month....

Lucy received an Amazon gift card for Christmas.  She used it to purchase Teddy a sweater.  Sometimes money can buy happiness.

If you're looking for Eleanor, try the basement.  She's flipping and flying all over her new gymnastics mats.  

If it's a Monday afternoon and you're wondering where to find Lucy and me, try the zoo.  I feel like those Humboldt penguins are my friends.  We have spent some SERIOUS time watching those guys lately.

Bad photo, but can you even believe how adorable that baby is? 

 Lucy and I are sometimes the only ones in the ape house and if we try hard we can imagine we're in Indonesia hiding somewhere just watching these amazing animals. 

That's when I think, I'm not really sure it gets much better than this, being part of such wonderful imaginary play with my favorite 4 year old.

I would love to know what her inner dialogue sounds like.  

One night last week I asked her to get off of the dining room table....not safe.

A few minutes later she returned  and asked "Now can I get on the table?  I'm safe!"

Trains! 

 I love how just when I think we're done with trains someone gets them out and they're back!

Add in Kevin's 39th birthday, Acro class, play practice, homework, regular work, travel for Kevin, lots of meals, fun with family and friends plus absolutely NO snow...boooo! and you have January!

Happy New Year

Happy 2015!

We've spent the day hanging out together and thinking about some goals for the upcoming year.

Plus we went on an awesome walk.  

It was really a hike but that word makes Eleanor break out in hives so shhhh!

December

It has been a wonderful December!  

I think this was my favorite Christmas Season ever.  

Here are a few things that made it such an fantastic Christmas!

1.) We got our tree later than usual......

 We all enjoyed the entire process so much more.  No rushing and stressing.  Plus the tree is beautiful and still has most of its needles, today on the 6th day of Christmas.  Last year it was a dry fire hazard by the time Christmas morning arrived.

2.) We made time for things that we wanted to do but might have otherwise felt selfish for doing....

For me that meant two Christmas movies at the Hi Pointe and keeping up with my running.   I don't usually run in December, I get too busy and just can't justify the time.  Until this year.

  For Kevin this "selfish time" meant a day off in the middle of the week to take a long bike ride.  

Overall these acts meant happy, relaxed people who were more prepared for the expectations of the holidays. 

 3.) We went to Columbia to celebrate before Christmas rather than after.....

Which meant that we were festive and happy rather than tired and sick.  I loved this change! 

4.) We enjoyed long held traditions, even though things are changing in our midst.....

Blurry but you can still see our Emma in her last holiday sing.  

Teddy Bear Tea.  

5.) We spent as much time as possible at home eating waffles and drinking hot drinks from the Keurig...

Above picture not at home but it is at a home we love and the waffle maker is being used so it still proves my point :)!

We worked this year to make blank space on the calendar to just be.  Such a gift.

5.) We spent as much time as possible with this guy....

and the rest of our family.  Yay!!  I feel so blessed to have the family I do.  I love them like crazy but I like them too!  The older I get them more I am reminded that what we have is a very special thing.

 Some things that are not pictured but also helped...
*Having Eleanor's birthday party with friends in mid December rather than after the new year. Similar to the feeling we had in celebrating Christmas in Columbia earlier, having Eleanor's birthday in early December capitalized on the festive feeling of the month.
*Not sending Christmas cards.  I'm not saying I'll never send them again but I haven't missed sending them the last couple of years.
*Our Want-Read-Wear-Need gifts to the kids.  I LOVE THIS!  It has made such a difference in our gift giving.  We've never been extravagant in our giving but this has helped us to be even more mindful.  The kids make lists with these categories in mind and it is so much fun.  They know they'll only receive 4 gifts and they are content.
*All 3 girls have discovered sleeping in!

Merry Christmas to you!  

I hope it was full of family, friends and a message of hope and love from Christ, the Newborn King!