We just love our new Midtown Memphis place and I am so glad to stop trying to keep up with the Jones’s. This move came with MUCH, MUCH thought and soul searching and I am ever grateful we landed where we have! It was a BIG move from 3,000 sf with a pool and a yard and all that to 1700 sf. Right now we’re just “behind” and a little tired and taking a little break to enjoy our immediate family and friends and extended family. It’s a lot to absorb this time of year! Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and God Bless! Life is so very good.
Completed the Annie Oakley super sprint triathlon on July 30th with my friend Amy. I wasn’t in my best shape; the end of the summer vacation had taken a bit of a toll, but I still finished in under 1:30. It’s a 400m swim (did I mention I’m a lousy swimmer?), 11 mile bike ride & a 2 mile trail run. Look forward to trying again next year!
We were running crazy this Spring with sporting events. The boys elected to opt out of Fall ball and we didn’t push them. Wonder if they’ll want to play this Spring? This is a picture-heavy post but it covers the entire season for Evan’s first time playing Tee ball, Lucas’s baseball and Evan’s soccer.
This one and the one that follow are some of my favorites!
Had some help from Lucas at the video camera!
Yeah well, what did you expect?
” Did you see it, did you see it?”
“OH, you did! YAY! I’m proud of myself too!”
Lucas played catcher (just like Uncle Ryan) quite a bit!
In January of 2010, Matt and I decided that a change was brewing for us. Since then, through much discussion and planning, we are a major step closer to the change we knew needed to happen. We have been scaling down our possessions and are now successfully moved into a 1700 sf rental house in Midtown Memphis and are closing tomorrow on our 3,000 sf time, money and energy drain in North Bartlett (Arlington zip code–so Barlington, if you will).
I spare you all the gory details of course, but has been a long journey as you can imagine. I simply couldn’t be happier about where we are in our lives right now and the movement of positive energy in our midst. We still have several boxes to unpack, some organizing to do and some systems and routines to establish, but isn’t it cute so far?
It’s so funny to me that I still feel the “First Day Back Jitters!” I used to LOVE Back to School time and now I have a second grader who dreads it and a very impressionable kindergartener. Not to mention, I’m now a teacher and for the past eleven years I have returned a week before the students who are busy doing the Fall School Shopping events…AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST. Yes, it’s too early…there’s so much summer still to come. I think the calendar should be shifted…We should have July and August off and be in school during June. Could save bunches of money for the schools not having to air condition during the month of August, but they don’t ask me.
Anyway, life has been really busy for us this summer, hence my posting has been very light. It’s been a summer of reflection and growth…for all of us. I’ll try and get around to posting some details…or not. We’re working on going off the grid a little–who knows how much. Just going with whatever feels right at the time. For now, this is just a little update about us going into a new, exciting school year. #25 for me (including my own schooling), #3 for Lucas and #1 for Evan. I don’t know how Matt should count his…I’ll hafta ask him.
Loving this song again just now as I enter a brand new school year (after a particularly tough one):
We celebrated with The Birthday Ring on Lucas’s actual birthday on Sunday. He opened gifts from his brother, Granna and Grandpa and Mom and Dad. The following Friday evening was his Star Wars birthday slumber party with his closest friends. All 9, 10, 11 or 12 of them! I say the numbers that way because at any given time those numbers represent the head count–we had a few come in & blaze out and even one came later. It was 18 hours of FUN!
Getting the party favors put together for his friends. How nice of Evan to help.
We ordered a Star Wars inspired cake before we picked this adorable kit from Williams-Sonoma. My friend Michelle told me they had Star Wars pancake molds or cookie cutters (I couldn’t remember–turns out it was both!). We picked up the cookie cutters, you see, and we cancelled the cake order before they even started making it!
We made both chocolate and yellow batches of cake mix with sweet cream frosting for the chocolate ones and chocolate icing for the yellow ones. Let me just tell you, we took great care to put those characters from The Dark Side ON the dark icing. Of course what is inside is light. This illustrates that there is both light and dark in all of us. Ha, we had a good time even getting ready!
As the boys showed up they played games upstairs before heading out to play in the pool.
We had the cupcakes for dessert before taking in a night swim and having light saber battles in the yard.
These boys were fun to watch while Lucas opened his gifts.
Winding down with a Star Wars movie and popcorn (or some hoops).
In the morning, a breakfast of homemade pancakes, courtesy of Chef Matt, awaited those who stayed the night.
Pick up was at noon, so we had time for a few hits on the pinata (I mean five between three boys) and another swim.
Later on, once the dust settled, we built this X-Wing fighter from Uncle Ryan. Thanks all for making this such a special occasion for all of us!
School’s out for summer! We celebrated by this splurge of a Pirate Boat! The boys had 2 voyages within 24 hours before she sunk.
We had a small get together with friends for a cook out on Memorial Day. Robert and Scoot helped us say goodbye to my beloved corkscrew willow that we planted some time ago in the back corner.
Of course the boys had to stop and watch!
Looks a little barren in that corner now, but we’ll decide on something to take its place. Happy Summer!
Evan heads to BIG school next year and has graduated from pre-school. Doesn’t he look so grown up?!
And it was here where he couldn’t hold it all together any more. Notice how he has hardly smiled? Rare for Evan to be sure. What follows is the calm after the storm. Out of respect for his privacy I have omitted the storm.
He obviously cares a great deal for Ms. Joy!
And, evidently, Phillip too.
Ms. Emily has been wonderful to him this year…and us too!
And of course, Ms. Nellie was very special to Evan too as he made great progress “growing up” this year.
We took Saturday afternoon to use our Paas egg dyeing kit. I always struggle with how messy I allow it to get. I mean, it’s not like it doesn’t STAIN. We used to have a stainless steel table in the kitchen, but this year we have a wood table. I put the paper down for protection; it seems to have worked. I actually shot more video than photos but here are the highlights.
The boys found it a challenge to wait for the eggs to take the color. Technology threatens to ruin our capacity for patience.
Sunday morning, after the Easter service, Evan decided to be a Grumpy Gus when it was time for the egg hunt.
Can I just say for the record, how nice it is that we’ve found a church home! We used to crash other church’s festivities and it wasn’t nearly as cool as hanging out with our own friends. Joshua and Lucas are so funny!
Funny bunny!
Sunday afternoon we turned our dyed eggs into deviled eggs and had a lovely traditional Easter dinner just the four of us.
A little Easter gift from us to the boys. Aren’t those bubbles awesome?!
