Because That's How We Do Things: Frog Hunt '09

We all know JD hunts. But you might not know that he's actually pretty good about noticing 'stuff' around him too. When he got home from his last hunt, he told me about this frozen pond with "500 or so frogs beneath the ice". Obviously, I didn't believe him. Maybe it was because he said they were bullfrogs and since his explanation of catching bullfrogs with a red string and fishing line as a kid, I have become a wee-bit obsessed with finding these seemingly invisible amphibians. The temptation that 500 of them could be trapped beneath the ice awaiting my investigation was almost simply too good to be true.

My response to my own disbelief was simple: I guess I'm just going to have to see it for myself then. The enthusiasm spread and soon, the 'frog hunt' was a family affair.

I think it's important that you know something first. When going to look at frogs that are frozen beneath a pond, it's imperative that you pack some kind of ice cracking tool. Like, for instance, this rock hammer:

If you don't have a handy device like this one, then you'll end up doing like JD did and try shooting a hole through the ice with your shotgun. Not very smart, if you ask me. (oh, and just so you know...he did the shooting when he was hunting, not when all the kids were standing around looking at the pond) :) Still not very smart though. If you ask me.

We finally arrived at the pond and sure enough....500 frogs beneath the surface of the ice. They weren't bull frogs though. At least not that I could tell but I'm certainly no frog expert.

...and like a said, a family affair.

About this time, JD looked at me and saw the fire in my eyes.

"Catch one, JAY!"

and if you know JD well, then you aware that he doesn't disappoint in the 'catch one' department. Once he caught a finch in mid flight just because I said he couldn't.

And what's even funnier is he always responds with the same question,

"Which one do you want?"

And as we all stand around trying to find the biggest, fattiest frogs we can, JD starts pulling them out one by one and laying them on a rock. Can you just feel the excitement? They were still pretty sleepy at this point.

Did you know that hibernating frogs don't breathe? Well, they do actually but it's through their skin. I didn't know that 'til I googled it after this trip. It's amazing the science you can learn when you just see something weird...like 500 frogs frozen in a pond. Some frogs even 'hibernate' from the heat and burrow into mud holes. But that's not called hibernation, it's called estivation. Neat, huh? Frogs are cold blooded hibernators, which is kinda weird to me- like an oxymoron. If they're cold blooded, you'd think they'd be just fine in the cold. Bees are cold blooded hibernators too though, did you know that? I'd like to wake a wasp up slowly and then light its wings on fire. I hate wasps. All they are good for is stingin' my babies anyway! hUMPH. Does that make me weird?

back to frogs....

Oh, and did I tell you that JD is also the frog-whisperer? He can literally put a frog to sleep by rubbing it's belly. It's weird.

And if you think he can put me to sleep that way, you're out of your mind. He knows to stay away from my belly.

These little hibernators were all just huddled up here ready for their winter's nap. That is, until a shotgun blast through the ice, a rock hammer chipping away at the window to their world, and screaming on-lookers changed their world forever.

I'd like to say that JD rubbed their bellies until they fell back into their peaceful slumber, but the truth is we just dropped them back in their hole.

We didn't take any home.

We didn't eat any.

We just put them right back. :)

But I will say that it's whole lot easier to explain hibernation to a kid when you can see the sleeping frogs, get one, and wake 'em up.

Thanks for yet {another} family adventure JD :)

I'm BACK! (and randomness)

Okay...so I'm super excited because my laptop is up and running again. My brother did most (okay, ALL) of the work and one hard drive later, I'm back (minus several pictures and some tax information but back nonetheless). Finicky hard drives anyway.


and as for the randomness...I feel like I haven't really 'talked' to anyone lately. We have certainly been living in our bubble lately. Not without good reason though.


Christmas eve was not a traditional one at our house. We usually go to a candle light service somewhere and then head to my mom and dad's to play games and eat soup. Instead, I spent half of the evening drifting in and out of sleep...and then all of the night trying to keep warm in the tub and throwing up between bouts of warmth. It was a real treat, let me just say.

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JD played santa. He set out the cookies with the boys....he read them their books....he waited 'til they drifted off to sleep and started putting some 'things' together. I slept. And puked.

Ryan loved his 'powerful scooter'.

Gage was delighted with his four pack of mini dye cast jets and has yet to cease singing "Highway to the Danger Zone".

It was {perfect} even if I couldn't sit straight up.

---

This Christmas has been kinda weird for me. I've been having these random thoughts about Jesus...thoughts at odd moments but they all tied together in a divinely woven way. Funny how that works. Maybe it's the whole 'being pregnant' thing going on...but my lens this Christmas was fixated on the baby Jesus.

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Like when I heard a song on the radio that talked about how the same hands of baby Jesus that were reaching toward the sky....those same hands created the stars. Think about THAT for a moment.

---

And when, at The Living Nativity, the narrator said "The creator became the created". Wow.

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As Ryan and I walked hand in hand back to the truck after The Living Nativity, he asked "And where does baby Jesus go after the show?" Sometimes it's best with Ryan, to just answer, "I don't know" so that's exactly what I did.

His response?

"Probably back to our hearts."

---

I {hope} in some way {truth} was revealed to you this Christmas.

UNbelievable

I'm MIA.

We have {no} TV. It started smoking....then fizzled with electrical shock. It's dead. {and I'm glad}

I have {no} computer. I 'might' have slammed the lid to my laptop down a tad harder than recommended. Note to self: If you can't pay for a fit, then down throw one.

I've been blog-less
I've been Tv-less
I've been facebook-less
I've been email-less

Sometimes {less} is really {more}...and while I've been enjoying my time {away} from multimedia, there's a part of me that can't wait for it to come back.

Fingers crossed.

{gage}2

Last night, I read "The Night Before Christmas" to Gage. When I came to the line "...and his belly shook like a bowl full of..." I intentionally left the last word blank so see what he would come up with on his own.

"...and his belly shook like a bowl full of...SOUP"!

It was so funny that we all started laughing hysterically and then Gage changed his answer to "CEREAL". He's a pretty smart cookie, that Gage- both soup and cereal are kept in bowls!!!

It's been so fun watching Gage lately. He's really starting to grab onto Christmas this year. What's more is he insists that the baby (as in the baby in my belly)...he insists that the baby's name is...Jesus!

Gage, you are SUCH a treasure to us!

Gage learned this song from the class I just finished teaching at church. Just in case you need a translation:

God made me.

God made me.

Thank you God for making me...

with my eyes and ears and nose and mouth...

Thank you God for making me

(yeah)

{ryan}5

Why do you look so grown up in these pictures?

When you came out from behind the curtain, you scanned the audience looking for me...but couldn't see my frantic wave amongst the others. It was all I could do remain seated and not jump up and down on my chair screaming "I'm right here, Ryan!!!! I'M.RIGHT.HERE"

You sang your little {heart} out.

And I couldn't help but let my pride show.

---

I've worried about you Ryan.

Every day, I worry that I'm making the wrong choices...deciding the wrong things...putting emphasis in the wrong places...

---

I worry about the kids who tell you that you write your name 'wrong' because you like to include your five- because after all, you ARE {5}.

I worry that you defend the life of a sister you've never met.

I worry that you don't see the world like it says you {should}.

I worry that you're not {ready} for school...but mostly, I worry that school is not {ready} for you.

---

I've learned being your mother, that as you {grow} so do I.

---

I've changed my definition of milestone and replaced it with YOUnique.

---

I've watched you carefully these first three months of kindergarten...

...and who would have thought three months ago, you'd be {on target}? {on benchmark}?

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You have a {long} way to go but Ryan, I am so very proud of you.

Proud that you are {YOU}.

Proud that you can stay {YOU} even when it's not easy.

Proud that you've replaced "I can't" with "I won't give up".

Proud that {YOU} are determined.

Proud of your empathy and compassion at such a young age.

I am so very proud of you little {man}.

Random Musings...

1. I went to Shop Ko the other night and saw that they sell 'seven' jeans, which my friend Amy has raved about. I waddled my pregnant self back to the dressing room and attempted to visualize how my pre-pregnant self would look in a pair. Not currently the prettiest thing in the world- but I bought them anyway!!!! Here's to hoping they'll one day button. Lol.

2. Our tree is up and our shopping is done. Does that make me an over-achiever? Nah...just someone who KNOWS that the first three weeks in December FLY by in my line of business. To balance things out, I don't like to send Christmas cards until Dec. 23rd.

3. I got my new camera- the Nikon 5000 and it's this love/hate relationship. I mean, I love the thing but now there is all this pressure to take 'real' pictures...and I'm not sure I can...but I'll watch the video for the second time sometime soon.

4. I blushed a little when Ryan told my dad that he wanted Santa to bring him a remote control boat...mostly because it was followed with "Yeah....that's all I need. My mom said I can choose one thing and that's it". Just tryin' to keep it real.

5. As of this morning at 8 am, I have already gained 30 lbs with this pregnancy! Is this normal???? For me, it is.

6. Sadie (our lab/short hair) has been missing for two days. I finally convinced JD to get in truck and go looking for her. Turns out, she spent a few nights at pet rescue and after $60, is now sleeping peacefully by the fire.

7. Speaking of dogs; I have successfully convinced my kids that misbehaving children in restaurants are served dog food to eat. Is this bad parenting?

8. Things you never expect to hear as an excuse to two students arguing: "Mrs. McElroy...he's just mad that he's about to be my nephew," says an about four 1/2 foot tall 6th grader, "because my mom is marrying his brother." Huh?

9. I am addicted to Mary Kay's timewise c-serum line. Wrinkles be GONE!

10. Nothing beats a lazy Saturday...and decorating cupcakes with two little boys :)

Where is He?

This whole parenting gig is sometimes WAY over my head. I mean, the responsibility to {teach} is tough - especially when there aren't 'benchmarks' or 'standards' laid out before me. Sometimes I'm equipped for the task but frankly, a lot of the time I shoot from the hip. My dad, however, seems to have ALL the right answers for ALL the tough questions.

Like with Ryan.

Scenario One: "I try to talk to Him, but He doesn't talk back to me"
(this particular conversation between Ryan and my dad took place on an early morning hunt)

"Um, Papa Stevo?" (that's what Ryan calls my dad)
"Yes, Ryan" (and by "yes, Ryan" we all cringe a bit because it's the precursor to a tough question- one we all know he's thought a LOT about so we sort of wait in eerie anticipation)
"Why He doesn't talk to me?"
"Who? Who doesn't talk to you?"
"God. I try to talk to Him and tell him to come down from heaven so I can see Him and He doesn't talk back to me".
"Well...if you want to see God, you just have to look around...like right there (pointing to the rising sun)...see that sunrise? THAT'S God. He's right there."

This isn't a rising sun but I felt the need for a picture. You get the point.

And so Ryan, taking in what my dad has said to him says in an amazed whisper...

"You can see Him, Papa?"

"Absolutely. And you can see Him too."

Um, Papa?"

"Yes, Ryan"

"Is Olivia standing next to him?"

-----------------------------------

Scenario Two: "Where does He live?"

"Um, Papa..."

"Yes, Ryan"

"Why God never comes to see me?"

"He can see you all the time"

"Yeah, but why He doesn't come here to live? Why He just lives in heaven and stays there all the time?"

"Well, actually...God lives right there" (my dad taps Ryan on his chest) "He lives right there in your heart".

"Oh...in my heart. Oh yeah, I freegot"

---

WEEKS later...JD goes hunting...and gets a pheasant.

Ryan is poised on a stool watching my dad pluck and 'gut' the pheasant. He sits attentively inquiring about all the organs and their functions.

My heart {melts} because we've got another scientist in the making and what better person to {learn} from than my dad.

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DAYS later while driving to the TriCities...

"Um...mom?"

"Yes, Ryan" (Oh, GEEZ...here it comes...where's my dad????? what's he going to ASK????)

"Do you think if I ask him, papa will cut that pheasant's heart open so I can look inside?"

"Papa would love to cut that heart open for you Ryan...you'll have to ask him when we get home"

"Yeah...because I want to see if God's in there. I'm going to find him in there."

(flashback to a 5 year old literally translating "God lives in your heart.")

{sigh}

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This parenting gig...Lord, just give me the words. And if I don't get it right, just let Ryan give my dad the questions.

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"Inside our skin...there is this space...that twists and turns...it bleeds and aches...inside my hollow heart, there's an empty room...it's waiting for lightning...it's waiting for YOU" ~ Jewel (The Absence of Fear; playlist)

---

Ryan is LIVING the lyrics to this song and I am humbled to be part of his journey to find {truth}.

Happy Birthday (to our 5th star)

Happy {7th} Birthday
Sweet little Olivia Rose.

We miss you like crazy;

every minute;

every hour;

every day;

...until we meet again.

(funny how 7 years can feel like 7 seconds)

Eyes Wide Shut

Sometimes it's tough to see things when I'm not paying attention...or when I'm distracted...or when I choose not to see ... or when something is covering my {eyes}.

I have all these tea sets, you see. I've always loved tea parties and have fond memories of my mom and I sitting down for a spot of tea with mayonnaise sandwiches; of my dolls and I gathered around a table sharing good conversation and exquisite teas. Maybe it's because of these memories that I started collecting tea pots as an adult...

One thing is for sure though, I started polishing those memories of mine so hard they became dreams.
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Last night - out of the clear blue sky - Ryan asked me if I wanted to have a tea party. It's not something we've ever talked about. I mean, we always have our Saturday morning 'coffee' together but tea parties- boys don't have TEA PARTIES.

So I was caught off guard a bit. You? You wanna have a ... tea ...party?
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I jumped up. Literally. I grabbed my BEST tea party tea set...brewed some chamomile tea...filled the creamer with cream...and loaded the sugar bowl. The boys sat in great anticipation as I drew nearer and nearer to our table with the set...
---

Sometimes plans need tweaked.

Sometimes dreams need a little more polishing.

Boys can have tea parties too ...

and with my eyes wide shut, I {almost} missed it.

What Do I Know of Holy?

Sometimes do you look back through old pictures and just shake your head? Shake your head at the irony of the lesson you're {about} to live? I do - all the time. I just look into my own eyes and shake.my.head. Sometimes I want to say, "Stupid...stupid girl. When will you get it?"



Last week, JD picked me up my favorite {Obies} coffee and dropped it off at my work along with a single red rose and a card that spoke to my heart:



Each day is like an ocean wave
returning to the shore-
you have no idea what it will bring,
just as you have no idea what surprises
the surf will lay at your feet.
On calm days, ordinary shells
are left at the water's edge,
but after stormy weather,
all kinds of treasures
are churned up from the deep-
rare finds for those with the patience
to uncover them.
The phases of life itself
are as unpredictable
as the moods of the ocean-
sometimes smooth, sometimes turbulent.
But beyond this mystery
lies one certainty...
While you can never know what gifts life will bring,
you can trust
that every sunrise offers possibilities.
Every day holds beautiful moments
and new dreams
waiting for you to come and find them.
~ Renee Duvall

---
I looked into my own eyes...hands full of sand dollars (which oddly, are all the same shell)...heart full of love and blessings...and it hit me. Sometimes I talk too much and I forget to listen to Him. I forget to look around me and notice Him. I'm so busy asking, that I can't hear. I know God's hand is on my life. I know His plan is laid before me. I trust Him. Really, I do. It's easy to know and feel God when the sailing is smooth- when the ocean is calm. It's tough to remain on course after the seas are churned and after a change in direction. Today, I'm wondering- if I can stand before God and tell him "not what I had in mind" then what do I even know of Holy?

What do I know of you, who spoke me into motion?
Where have I even stood but the soil on your ocean?
Are you fire or are you fury?
Are you sacred?
Are you beautiful?
Lord, what do I know of holy?

The slightest glimpse of You, brings me to my knees.

" For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139: 13-18

Welcome baby boy McElroy #3. We are {so} glad you're here.

More thoughts on having {another}

Today was tough for me.

I woke up teary-eyed and weary.

I was {deep} in thought. I'm blessed by the words of encouragement and cheer that seemed to flood my inbox this morning.

I sighed a lot and took extra deep breaths.

I was more patient than usual...some may call, perhaps, complacent.

I wrote "It's a boy" on my chalkboard when I got to school... s l o w l y....

I wrote "his name shall be...(today the blank was filled with Raul)...tomorrow is anyone's guess.

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Kids are impressionable. Believe me when I say that I take my role as a teacher very seriously. If I'm having an 'off' day, kids take it personally so it's always been a priority of mine to be very transparent with those around me. I've always been very honest with {my} kids...especially when it comes to the element of humanity.

"I'm having an off day ya'll."

Why, Mrs. McElroy?

"Well...because I found out that we're going to be blessed with another boy and I was kind of hoping for a girl; I like tea parties, you know." {smile}

Oh. Is it because your first girl died that you want another one so bad? (bless their honest little hearts- seriously).

"Yeah, actually".

silence.

smiles.

silence.

"Whelp...I guess you girls in here are just gonna have to be mine. How does that sound?"

Cheers.

Laughter.

Some clapping.

"...and you boys in here...you're pretty great too...in fact, I'll just claim all ya'll."

---
and when they all walked to breakfast, I opened my email and read this message from my {boss}:

my dear - from my experience in life right now you will have the joy of:

- having to pick over future girls/friends for your young men

- being paraded around as an older woman by attractive young men - just when you need the kuddos the most having the strengths of men to stand by their mother to the very end

- having your boys will love and adore you and look but never find anyone comparable to their mother you will fall in love with young women for your sons and then have a whole other
experience in life with new relationships of teen and young adult women

-you will be an expert in handling men

-you will reign queen of the household

-you will have the opportunity to mold and shape men who will treat women they way you have always thought men should treat women

-you will have men in your lives someday that will be models to the world in how they work with families

-you are in an ideal state of shaping generations that will carry your husband's name and thus perpetuate the family lineage of generations to come

-God will give you the strength to live with a past and a beautiful future that will unfold and surprise you many times during your journey in life

These words for my eyes...they are music to my soul.

The Verdict is IN {and how I feel about it}

~It's a{nother} ... BOY~

Mis Tres Amigos

...and don't, for one second, let me convince you that I'm not elated. He's healthy...looks just like Gage...and is still sucking his thumb like Ryan. He's got a good, strong spine...long fingers...and all the organs are {present} and {accounted for}. We are blessed. Blessed, I tell you.

...but...I've never been one to gloss things over...to blow smoke or to make something seem anything unlike the truth of the matter...I've always kept it real and so I wouldn't be me if I didn't admit that my eyes are still just a wee bit puffy. It was really, really tough not to burst into tears while the 'dude' was still scanning my belly. I mean, the penile part was hardly questionable. There was no doubt.what.so.ever that this baby was anything but a BOY. Plain and simple.

It's not that I'm not grateful.

It's not that I don't feel blessed.

It's not that I don't feel like the luckiest mother in the world because believe me when I say, I do.

It's not that I don't {want} a{nother} boy.

It's not that I don't like having boys...they are MUCH more fun than I first would have thought.

It's just that I didn't expect to feel this way.

I didn't expect to cry so hard...or want to cry so hard that it just sort of fell out. I didn't expect to not want to talk to anyone...to hardly have the guts to text to my friends while I waited in a room full of people.

I didn't expect to feel these things because having a{nother} girl was always a possibility for us. It was always still a live part of the future.

I've always dreamt of sharing Strawberry Shortcake (the doll, not the dessert) with my little girl...of being the mother of the bride...and showing my daughter how to paint her nails. I've dreamt of tea parties and doll houses for as long as I can remember and I've always looked forward to an explosion of pink in my house. I wanted to dress up a little girl in frilly dresses and have a shoulder for my own daughter to cry on. These dreams of mine may have always been dreams, but they had real {life} in them...they {could} be real.

Today, I am facing the truth that the dream of having a girl is just not going to happen for me. It's not 'meant to be' and while the news of today is EVERY BIT worth rejoicing, it's accompanied by the sad reality that when my only daughter died, as did my dream that swept across her brief life. That.is.heartbreaking and I guess it has just hit me like a TON of bricks today.

This song that is play..."At Last"...I heard this song while I was in a dressing room just after having Olivia. It always reminded me of her...and made me look forward to that moment, you know? That moment when you are snuggling cheek to cheek with a dream you have had your whole life. That moment when you can breathe a sigh of relief and just say "At last...it's here. This moment is here.". I guess for me, I'm just realizing that the dream is still a reality; it's just that it's not playing out like I wanted. I know that sounds selfish but it's also dripping with truth.

This is our last child. This little bundle of joy - a bouncing belly full of boy - this little miracle growing inside of me is a gift straight from God.

Is God {still} good? Absolutely. Without question.
Am I having a boy because I wasn't good enough? That's absurd.
Do I not 'get' a girl because God doesn't want me to have the desire of my heart? That's Satan. God's grace is still sufficient for me.

Will it take me a few weeks to adjust? Um, I'm gonna say 'yeah'. And in the mean time, I am ever so blessed to have such understanding friends- who know the reality of my hurt and feel it with me; who I can call on at any time and share my deepest darkest secrets with...I am blessed to have you GIRLS in my life and don't for ONE second, think I don't see that! I love you all!!!

Happy Halloween '09 Style!!!

Halloween was 'tricky' this year. I was lucky enough to come across this cute little Davy Crocket lookin' coat for Gage this summer at a yard sale, so his costume was easy. Ryan's on the other hand, was a bit more of a challenge. We opted to go 100% homemade with his.

I went a lil picture happy with this post because, well, because my mom's internet is waaaay faster than my freebie wireless! lol.

I think it's safe to say that a good time was had by all and as for me...I was doin' just fine BEFORE the swine flu shot. I'm not feeling so well anymore...

Boo.

{Pumpkin} Update

We went to the pumpkin patch a few days ago and here are the highlights. I just love this picture of the boys! Ryan is doing his best to wrangle Gage in- just cracks me up :)

My battery died right after this picture - when I posed for my first 'pregnant' photo. Go figures~! Ha. No worries though, I'll get 'er done. JD keeps telling me that I need to get a picture before I get huge. Nice, huh? lol.

Speaking of {pumpkins}...I have a doctor's appt on Monday to see if this little baby is a boy or a girl...I'll definitely post about it here right away!

obedience {today}

Today...

I was met by a non-stop barking dog at 6am....

Coffee spilled ALLLLL over my fuzzy pink robe by 9...(thank you Gage)

a Sunday school {partner} who couldn't make it by 10...

and 2 kids to get ready for church in under 5 minutes by 10:05...

and while I wanted to flop right down on the ground and start kicking my legs and flailing my arms, I was reminded...

This day - this day that seems to be starting off {wrong} - this day that I want to end before it begins - this day, is the day that the Lord has made. Let us {rejoice} and be glad in it.

I decided to leave the boys at home with JD while I went to church to teach {my} 3/4 year old Sunday school class. My {heart} was weary- and in a 'place' far, far, far away from gratitude...obedience...and love.

I want to volunteer more {but I'm tired all the time}
I want to be more involved {but I'd rather be at home}
I want to help teaching {but I work full time as it is}
I want to do God's will {but I need His help on a minute by minute basis}

{today} didn't start off great, but on the way to church, He changed my heart- He prepared a {day} to {rejoice} and be {glad} in.

I was alone in the leap room ... and it was one of the BEST days I've ever had! Me {and the five boys I had today} scribbled circles in shaving cream...sang songs at the top of our lungs...sat on the floor and read books...painted with REAL brushes instead of color crayons...dressed up in crossing guard uniforms and danced with orange cones on our heads...we made elephants out of legos...and blew bubbles allllll over the place but mostly, we learned that God loves us...and made us...and teaches us...alllll of us.

because {today} God taught me...

obedience is a choice.
love is a choice.
and living a life with a tender and willing heart - well, that's a choice too.

Wasting a Life

Some people might say that a life without someone to share it with, is wasted.



I'm not sure if I agree with that. I think some people share their lives with a lot of people, and still waste it. And others seem to live what I might call a 'lonely' life, but are truly content and fruitful- a far cry from a waste.


---


Are you wasting your life? Am I wasting my life? How would we know?


---


I just finished the first chapter in a book by Linda Dillow called Calm My Anxious Heart, which speaks of finding true contentment. I've learned that contentment, a lot like joy, is a state of heart rather than circumstance. It's not happiness. It's not glee...it's a steady joy that a person feels knowing that God is in control...from the very beginning until the very end. Dillow suggests that a life that is not content, is wasted. So how are we supposed to know if we're content? And if we aren't content, how are we supposed to get there?


---


In the book, Dillow bulletts the 'recipe' for contentment and first on the list? "Don't complain about anything...not even the weather".


---


This might be a good time to confess that I am a really, really good complainer. I can complain about pretty much anything under the sun, especially the current state of our education system. It surprises me sometimes, how much I complain about a job that I would really and truly do for FREE. That's how much I enjoy what I do, and yet I rarely let up the complaints. Why IS that?


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So my focus this week (and hopefully for years to come but I like to take baby steps...) is to hold the complaints. This life is a gift- from the beginning to the very end and if I am spending that gift pointing out what's wrong with it, then I fail to fulfil my purpose. If I waste the gift of life, I waste my life.


---


And so I'm back to the beginning question...is a life with no one to share it with one that is wasted? Maybe it's just that sharing your life with others allows you to peek a little clearer into the gift that you're living. We are blessed...and sometimes, through the fog that others help us to pass, it becomes clear as day.


---


Yesterday we realized our pediatrician has no more flu vaccinations. As in - none 'til November. We opted to spend the afternoon at one of our family's favorite spots. Howard Amon beats a round of flu shots any 'ol day ;) (Note the potential complain turned optomist, here. I'm trying, can you tell?)



There is SUCH joy in watching children play.

Ryan's fav- the ZIP line!

See how JD is looking around? Like "Is anyone gonna see this?" kind of looking around? And see how Ryan is doing the 'happy dance'?

That's because they both attempted the...shall we say...impossible?

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the swing is supposed to be OFF the ground. Hahahahahha!

...and so are the people who ride on it! :)

This life of ours, it's a gift. And I'm going to try like crazy not to blow it.