Less is More

Oh my gracious!  There is an avalanche happening in our game closet!

 So I decided to do my Forty Days and Forty Bags work on it and resuscitated the game closet.

Ahhh, organized by shape and sorted by child; let's see how long this will last.  This closet gets many visits in a week.
Donation Containers: 1
Garbage sack: 1

I also went through the kids' closet and sacked up their clothes that are too small for them or ones they are not interested in.  I didn't have to do much work here because I had cleaned and organized their closet last fall.  So I took the vacuum to it and picked up those teeny tiny lego pieces and voila!
Donation Bags: 2 grocery sacks
Hand down to friends/cousin bags: 2 grocery sacks

Less is so much more and it's my motto to help me through this process. 
Clutter my house, clutter my brain because then I have too many things to think about and care for so I will purge on; our closet is the next feat tomorrow.

Can You Believe . . . ?

That it is the end of February?

This is one reason I like February because of the short month and then March is here and that means spring!

I have decided that I like the Lenten Season more and more as I get older. 

It used to be Advent Season that ended with Christmas and the New Year; because I like birth stories, babies, and Christmas.

But I think Lenten ending with Easter and concurrently sharing spring time is more spiritually relative for me.

Maybe it's because I've decided to do 40 Bags in 40 Days and purge the house of trash and old things,

maybe it's because I need to feel God's love,

maybe because I'm ready for spring: colors, new plant life, and fresh air,

but I know I'm ready for something.

 Not sure what Indy is thinking, but I think he can't wait to play outside more. . . so that his sister doesn't dress him up anymore.

 One thing about hunkering at home is game night; Headbands is a fun, fun game that makes us laugh out loud all the time!

Even though snow is exciting and pretty on the eyes, it's nice to think we won't have many more days of snow and that the green grass will be peaking through very soon.  This is a pic of our neighbor's snowman.  It was HUGE and then it melted and started reaching down to either pick up his hat, bow, or do a yoga move . . .

So, five containers and one and a half trash bags later, Paul and I started the first day of 40 bags in 40 days in the basement.  His strength was much needed.  After we were all through, I just sat and soaked up the cleanliness and the nonclutter of the basement.  So now I'm three days ahead of my plan (6 days if I go by bags). Ahhhh, a spiritual awakening for sure!  Or at least a basement awakening! 

Mexico 2012

Here's a few pictures of our vacation . . .

Paul and I spent five unbelievable days with some great friends.

We celebrated our friends' 15th Wedding Anniversary at Grand Palledium, Riveira Maya, Mexico.

We plan to come back for our 15th year Wedding Anniversary--only seven more years!

Great times, good food, wonderful service, and so very, very relaxing!

We haven't laughed so much in our lives, which was the fun part of being with friends.

Never a dull moment!

It was bittersweet to leave; so nice to be in the moment, relaxed, and without a list of things to do.

But we truly missed our kiddos, even if they didn't admit to missing us!

Asta La Vista, Mexico!

Hello, Reality!

From the Stands

Imagine you are eight years old again, with knobby knees and elbows and dealing with life head on.  Imagine yourself on the ball court, using all your concentration on keeping a good control of the ball while dribbling down the court, not to mention looking up once in awhile to view your path.

 

We watched Connor play basketball on Saturday and it was so much fun watching the boys play.  They are really understanding the complex concepts of basketball.  In fact, I was told by Connor that I don't know much about basketball because I haven't played for such a long time and he knows more because he is playing . . .  it all happened because of a discussion on "jumpball."

 With that conversation, I guess you can say that Connor has great confidence in himself!

Yet, there are a lot of things for him to learn.

There's a lot for all the boys to learn.  Like look up and find an open player to pass to, rebound, get your hands up, keep an eye on the ball and your man, and don't take the outside shots, etc.

Funny how we parents are up in the stands shouting, pass it to so-n-so, he's open.  Parents are standing up and pointing to the open guy in the lane with such vigor.  I had to chuckle because we see SO much more than what they see on the court!

They think simple concepts, using their new skills, do their one play they know either on the right or the left side.  They know to shoot the ball when they are in the lane (which was a concept that Connor learned because he used to dribble in the lane).  Once in awhile you find a kid that really "gets" it and make a mental note to seek him out when the boys are in High School because he's going to be a star.... but on average they are all learning.

I think we can be in the same situation as the kids when we are fully in our game of life.  Using our new skills, placing comfort in our old habits.  Having a hard time looking for that open man (or opportunity, a change, a challenge) because we are concentrating too hard. AND the rest of the world and God above is pointing out to us how to play, vigorously from the stands. 
We only to need to look up for guidance . . .



Status Quo

Status Quo is our life right now; nothing broken to fix and nothing too exciting, and so we embrace this time.

Our days are filled with routine: getting ready for school, getting ready for pre-school, getting ready for work, doing housework, being with each other at the end of the day and repeat.

Mix in a few practices and ballgames here, dance class there, a dash of wolf scouts, and a pinch of religious education and that is the recipe of our life right now.

We have been playing more games lately . . . got some new ones for Christmas and so we join around the table or floor and play.  It seems that TICTACTOE is a popular mobile game:  Olivia loves to make her own rendition of the game because x's and o'x get so boring!

We've been enjoying watching Olivia read and write.  It's amazing how they progress from letter recognition, to letter sounds, to basic phonetics, using pictures and hints, and POOF!  They are reading and writing. . . She likes to write about what she loves: pups, cats, BFFs, "Py Ple" (people), Mom, Dad, Connor, & "ivryfg" (everything).  She produces artwork like a factory; each a fresh new piece.

 Connor has really been intrigued by wars lately.  I was hesitant and thought I should be concerned about this at first but I think hope it is innocent.  He's always been into something and he loves the facts.  It started out with dinosaurs, moved on to insects and snakes, then Star Wars to total Harry Potter fascination, and now it's wars.  I have learned so much about WWII through Connor.  (actually, I have learned so much about whatever he's into). 

His last library visit, he checked out WWI books.  I told him that maybe he should study and research about the different wars, see why they started, how they ended, examine what life was like . . . now it's his quest.  He's a good historian, gets this from both sides of the family it sounds like . . .

Hoping the corner of my basement will become a graveyard for artillery some day when he moves on to other curiosities and fascinations. . . Meanwhile, my analysis of Connor's war fascination will waver, wonder, and wager the positives and negatives (because that's what Moms do, we make sure it's the best for our kiddos).

 January is a month for birthdays:  Grandpa Mehmen, lots of friends, Grandma Roberts hit a milestone age of 60 and uncle Brent is hitting his milestone age of 40, today!  So we wish everyone a Happy Birthday and many blessings this year!

Winter is finally among us!  Makes us want to hunker down and get long winter's sleep.  Hopefully, the urge to purge will be among me because I have a list of closets to tackle and clean, along with some other winter projects.  Of which one is almost finished!  I'm a bit embarrassed to say but I finally am working on Olivia's first year digital baby book!

Now, excuse me as we get back to our status quo!

Stay warm and healthy, everyone!

Heat Wave

65 degrees in January means we will milk the weather for all it's worth!

Play on the playground, in only our sweatshirts?  Don't mind if we do!

We also made snowmen, but we did it by chalking them on our sidewalk, like their swimwear?

So glad Paul and I are traveling to warmer climate next month, we've just got to get away from this horrible winter weather !! [wink, wink]

[I've been taking pictures with my I-phone lately and that is why I document them through Instagram.  I like the filters and I like looking at other people's photos.  It is amazing how they take their pics solely from their I-phone, there are some awesome pics.]