It’s not the same without you..

We are on our first road trip post Janie and I don’t mind sharing—-we are missing that sweet pale blue family rom on wheels.   Kevin’s SUV is no match to the comfort and space of a van.  Comfort aside we are fairing well.  We are 9 hours into day 1 with about 2 hours left on this leg and other than my incredibly ill advised choice to purchase Lucy a book of 300 animal knock knock jokes at the book fair yesterday we are having success.

Knock Knock

Who’s There?

Kanga

Kanga who?

KangaROOOO not WhOOO!

The Magical Disappearing Summer...

 Summer break really did disappear.  Right before our eyes the calendar showed August 15 and snap we were back to school.   Here is a bit of what we spent our summer doing-

A visit with our friends the Mays, who live in Colorado.  As always too short but such a treat.

Emma and I had Muny season tickets, which we loved.  But this is how we looked every single week.  Soaked and tired because of rain delays!  I now have a pair of pants called "my Muny pants" which resemble pajama pants.  We got so used to rain delays and sitting in the rain that I started going to the shows prepared.  Which meant, I washed my face and put my heavy duty night wrinkle cream on, no make up, and I wore my Muny pants.  Which allowed me to crawl right into bed when we got home, no matter how late the rain delay made it!

We had a fantastic trip to the lake with Grandpa Jim and Grandma to celebrate Grandma's birthday!

We got a hamster, we lost the hamster, the hamster met his end, we got another hamster, we lost the hamster, we found the hamster, we took the hamster back to the pet store, and we now are the happy owners of a guinea pig named Oreo.

Emma and Eleanor turned every bit of that fruit into pies which they sold as a fundraiser for a friend of ours who ran for State Representative.  While she didn't win, she'll be back and we're grateful for the opportunity to show up for something important. 

We always have fun in Chicago and this summer was no different.  We took the train (our favorite form of transportation) and on the way, we stopped in Springfield, IL to visit the Lincoln Museum.  It was excellent and well worth the stop.

We spent some time in Colorado and there were highs and there were lows.  But, sheesh, this was a trip I loved.  It was packed with so many good reminders about the power of family, persistence, and unconditional love. 

We spent a week in Michigan with people we love!  Take me back!!

Kevin and I celebrated 18 years of marriage with a trip to Nashville.  We had a great time and loved every minute!




The braces are off!   WOOHOOO!!  What a gorgeous smile this girl has, metal mouth or not! 

The baby turned 8!  She is just pure joy and fun!

There were a million other little things in between that made the summer feel just right.  With a summer so sweet I cannot complain about how brief it felt.  It really is true, time flies when you're having fun!

June so far

A highlight of our week---2018 MJ Dance Recital!  These two were fabulous!  

Our first week of summer was a win.  We settled in, not really with any sort of rhythm but it's coming and that feels great.  Lucy had a camp last week, the older girls worked on figuring out how much to sleep in and how to manage their time so they both feel free and not like total slobs :).  I had one last work commitment last Friday and so now I also feel like summer is here!  I'll still work some but with a lot more freedom until the girls go back to school.  Yay!

A few more moments from last week...

A great visit with Grandpa Bill full of grocery store trips, tons of laughs, a paper map, card games,  a dessert challenge, and driving in St. Louis traffic on a Thursday night! 

 A nice family lunch (Emma was there...her head is just hidden by Kevin's!) after the dance recital.  

Lucy has not stopped reading since summer has started!  I came upstairs this week and found her standing and reading.  She is nearly always on the move so standing and reading makes a lot of sense for her!

Emma and Eleanor are running this summer! Emma even tackled  a loop of the park with me on Saturday!

Summer 2018 is here!

It feels like summer!  We had a really nice weekend of relaxing and enjoying beautiful weather and time to do whatever we pleased.  And this morning, I'm enjoying a cool morning in the back yard while the girls get to sleep in!  We've had no rushing, not a bit!

A favorite summer ritual which I started last year- each morning after I work out I sit in the back yard for an hour or so with my coffee and computer getting caught up on work or reading.  AHHHH!  

One afternoon last week we held our annual summer summit where we lay out the summer calendar,  figure out some ground rules and talk about our hopes for the season.  It sounds pretty official but really it's not.  It's just a time to connect and think about how to have a great summer!    Mostly summer for us is just about extra time to do things we love.

Doing whatever we love sometimes means giving mom a heart attack!  I am really proud of her for getting that back handspring though.  That girl is a hard worker!

Part of our summer summit was a conversation about rebooting our family blog!  We're all pretty excited about it since this is essentially a family scrapbook and the last few years as I've been figuring out how much to share without giving up confidences it's been awfully quiet.  And you know life right now in our house is not quiet!  So much good stuff is going on!  Emma and Eleanor each want to try out blogging here.  From time to time they each want to write about something--no telling what.  I'm looking forward to writing here again, too!

Lent

Again this year I'm doing the Rethink Church Lenten Photo A Day Challenge.    

February 14- Spirit

Yesterday Lucy and I got ashes at the Cheshire Starbucks, where the McCausland site pastor, Matt Fulmer was stationed. She was a little apprehensive about the ashes.  

Matt told her about the significance of the ashes, about our human imperfection, about how much God loves her and is always there for her.  

Lucy lost her apprehension.  She happily accepted prayer and ashes.

And then I asked these two for their picture because in the moments Matt spoke to Lucy and Lucy listened, I felt the Spirit move.

February 15-Water

Unfortunately I have no actual picture from today.  But this picture in some ways represents what I wish I'd taken a picture of.  This morning I had coffee with two women from our church who serve as reading mentors.  They are in the late 50s and early 60s.  We spent an hour and a half sharing stories, laughing, and being together.  They are joy and energy.  Their lives are full and rich and interesting and remind me of what can be.  

This afternoon, I had lunch with Lucy's piano teacher.   She is 8 years younger than me.  We spent an hour and a half sharing stories, laughing and being together.  She has three little boys and is in the midst of big decisions.  Some of the exact same big decisions I found myself working through just about 8 years ago.  She is joy and energy.  Her life is full and rich and interesting and reminds me of what was.  

This was water for my soul.  Being with women who share a lot with me and yet are in different places. 

And this is why the picture of above sums that up.  My 14 year old daughter marching alongside an 81 year old woman.  

Women are amazing!

Summer Camp Day 1

Before the sun was up this morning Kevin, Emma and Eleanor headed to Wisconsin.  The girls are going to be away from home at a summer camp, nearly 10 hours away, for the next two weeks. 

This is a new thing for us.  

Gulp.  

So exciting.  

But

so 

hard.    

This morning as they were getting ready to depart, Eleanor (whimpering) said, "What was I thinking in the winter when I signed up for this?!  I can't do it!"  

I know that feeling.  That questioning of your strength, that doubt of your ability.  

But I also know Eleanor and Emma. 

 I told her, that her February self knew what her July self was forgetting.  That she is strong and wise and so brave.  And that sometimes doing really scary things gives us the push to grow into who we are meant to be.  

I'm praying that tonight the girls are busy singing and having a camp fire, and meeting some friends.  Or at a minimum not balling their eyes out.

With the older girls away, Lucy and I are going to be keeping ourselves quite busy!  We started our day with a trip to Kingdom House where we got to participate in the opening activities for their summer program and then Lucy took over the Executive Director's Office!  She has big plans!

 

Christy came by for lunch and we had a good visit with her.  Then we walked to the doctor, where Lucy received an excellent bill of health.  We stopped by Schnucks on the way home, baked some banana bread, made tuna casserole for dinner, planned a tea party, and had a marathon FaceTime call with Grandpa Bill.  

It was a good day.

But,

I'm already excited to have this little crew back together again!

Summer!

If I had any doubt that it was summer, I've become certain this morning.  It's 9:52 and all 3 of our girls are still asleep!

Lucy did this for nearly 3 hours last night.  After doing this 

in the afternoon which followed having a couple of friends over earlier in the day.   

So much summer fun!

The older girls are having a great start to summer, too.  They planned and oversaw a Moana playdate for Lucy and her friends.  There has been baking, and swimming and of course reading, too! 

And summer just started at 1:15 on Thursday.  I have to say, this is my favorite summer start ever.

Eleanor finished elementary school on Thursday morning and will begin middle school in August.  Eleanor is all of the things this world needs more of.  She is quiet and calm where the world is loud and chaotic.  She is thoughtful and wise where the world is reactionary and shallow.  She is empathetic and kind where the world is judgmental and cold.  She sees the good and believes adventure await around every corner.   

I'm so grateful I get to be a part of her life!