With the decision for Joel to take a job in West Bend came a whirlwind week of getting the house ready and loads of differing emotions. He quit one job, we skipped a Christmas party to attend his new work Christmas party, we baked Christmas cookies with Grammy, painted the basement, cleaned the house from top to bottom, had 2 showings for the house, and visited Santa. Between all these things, I had a couple good cries, and to be totally honest, a bad attitude. Though we believe God has lead us to this decision, since then, I have been a baby. Appleton has become my home. I will try to blog sometime in the future about that.
Thankfully, God is faithful, even when you are acting like a baby. Here are the 2 messages He has given to me in the last 24 hours.
1) He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whether in Appleton or West Bend. No matter what kinds of churches they have or don't have. With or without our amazing small group community. He doesn't change.
2) While making waffles with an excited toddler this morning, I realized there will always be this. Warm waffles, coffee, apple slices. And for a little while longer, baby toes, sippy cups, and a few meltdowns to go with it. Nora is crossing milestones off her list as quickly as I can cross them off in the baby book. Annabelle can hold a conversation with you. I don't want to miss these years with worry about a future I can't control.
So, here's to memories in the midst of the seemingly endless chaos. And here's to His strength before I have taken too much time trying to use all of mine.
Monday, December 10, 2012
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Saturday, September 29, 2012
60 years
To anyone who knows my dad, please don't share this with him. I will share it with him at his party next weekend.
Dear Dad,
As part of the festivities in celebration of your 60th, we were supposed to think about memories. And, as your oldest daughter, I have too many to count.
But as I was reminiscing today, I kept being drawn to the same idea. I have always known that I was Daddy's little girl, but I never once thought I was daddy's little princess.
Don't get me wrong. I was spoiled. Before the cabbage patch doll even made it to America, I had one. Every Christmas, the tree was overwhelmed by a stack of gifts for each of us. I have been to Italy, France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, cruises, Disney, and so much more.
And I always knew I was loved by my daddy-boy. I knew he was the man that would take care of me and be by my side for each new stage of my life.
But thank God, I never considered that I would be daddy's princess. Princesses are waited on hand and foot and never learn to care for themselves. You taught me hard work and risks. You taught me about how to correctly handle money. You taught me how to stand up for myself in a work environment that you probably could have fixed for me. Because of you, I have never been in debt to anyone except you. Though, as a younger girl this may not have been true, I have never felt entitled to anything. You helped me navigate my way through buying my first home, always keeping me focused on what I could afford, not what I wanted to afford. I am a strong, confident woman. And without the love and guidance of my daddy, that would not have been possible.
At every major milestone, you were there, proud of me. The day you dropped me off at college, I will never forget the tears in your eyes as you kissed me goodbye.
And the big one, my wedding day. You made all my dreams come true. And on that day, I knew I could relax and enjoy because you would handle everything. You honored the people who were important to me, you made everyone feel welcome, and most importantly, you made me feel beautiful. I remember standing with you outside those church doors. Anxious as the music played. I took your arm as you led me toward my husband. I didn't dare look too closely at you.
The sweetest moment of all came when you picked out our dance music. Butterfly kisses. You made me feel so special by keeping it a surprise. I tear up now just thinking about it.
Daddy's little girl. And now, Papa's princesses. Annabelle and Nora will always know they are Papa's princesses. And as it should be. Spoil them. Overdue everything. Let loose and dance. Watching you with my daughters is a gift. They adore you and I know the feeling is mutual.
Of course there are the funny stories that we tell over and over again. Our flight to Prague. The first time you met Joel. The music-guessing game I always failed. How about the time I replaced the cord on my dryer and had to hang up on you?! I'm pretty sure you thought I was dead.
You have navigated some tough times recently, and I have had the chance to see your heart. You are loyal and true. You work hard to ensure that everyone has a voice in our family. Thank you.
But one of the most important lessons I have learned from you, and from mom, is commitment. Your marriage may not always be perfect, but I have never doubted your commitment. As the years have turned into decades, you are still there, navigating life together. Thank you isn't enough for the example you have been to me. In a culture that doesn't honor commitment, I have a solid foundation to build my marriage on. I can't express how much worth this has to me.
The best part? The journey continues. More celebrations are to come. Christmases and birthdays. Vacations and trips to the zoo. Swinging. Eating ice cream and pancakes.
My Dad.
My girls' Papa.
Happy 60th birthday! I love you more than words can express.
Forever Daddy's little brown-eyed girl, Your Kate-Lynn
Dear Dad,
As part of the festivities in celebration of your 60th, we were supposed to think about memories. And, as your oldest daughter, I have too many to count.
But as I was reminiscing today, I kept being drawn to the same idea. I have always known that I was Daddy's little girl, but I never once thought I was daddy's little princess.
Don't get me wrong. I was spoiled. Before the cabbage patch doll even made it to America, I had one. Every Christmas, the tree was overwhelmed by a stack of gifts for each of us. I have been to Italy, France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, cruises, Disney, and so much more.
And I always knew I was loved by my daddy-boy. I knew he was the man that would take care of me and be by my side for each new stage of my life.
But thank God, I never considered that I would be daddy's princess. Princesses are waited on hand and foot and never learn to care for themselves. You taught me hard work and risks. You taught me about how to correctly handle money. You taught me how to stand up for myself in a work environment that you probably could have fixed for me. Because of you, I have never been in debt to anyone except you. Though, as a younger girl this may not have been true, I have never felt entitled to anything. You helped me navigate my way through buying my first home, always keeping me focused on what I could afford, not what I wanted to afford. I am a strong, confident woman. And without the love and guidance of my daddy, that would not have been possible.
At every major milestone, you were there, proud of me. The day you dropped me off at college, I will never forget the tears in your eyes as you kissed me goodbye.
And the big one, my wedding day. You made all my dreams come true. And on that day, I knew I could relax and enjoy because you would handle everything. You honored the people who were important to me, you made everyone feel welcome, and most importantly, you made me feel beautiful. I remember standing with you outside those church doors. Anxious as the music played. I took your arm as you led me toward my husband. I didn't dare look too closely at you.
The sweetest moment of all came when you picked out our dance music. Butterfly kisses. You made me feel so special by keeping it a surprise. I tear up now just thinking about it.
Daddy's little girl. And now, Papa's princesses. Annabelle and Nora will always know they are Papa's princesses. And as it should be. Spoil them. Overdue everything. Let loose and dance. Watching you with my daughters is a gift. They adore you and I know the feeling is mutual.
Of course there are the funny stories that we tell over and over again. Our flight to Prague. The first time you met Joel. The music-guessing game I always failed. How about the time I replaced the cord on my dryer and had to hang up on you?! I'm pretty sure you thought I was dead.
You have navigated some tough times recently, and I have had the chance to see your heart. You are loyal and true. You work hard to ensure that everyone has a voice in our family. Thank you.
But one of the most important lessons I have learned from you, and from mom, is commitment. Your marriage may not always be perfect, but I have never doubted your commitment. As the years have turned into decades, you are still there, navigating life together. Thank you isn't enough for the example you have been to me. In a culture that doesn't honor commitment, I have a solid foundation to build my marriage on. I can't express how much worth this has to me.
The best part? The journey continues. More celebrations are to come. Christmases and birthdays. Vacations and trips to the zoo. Swinging. Eating ice cream and pancakes.
My Dad.
My girls' Papa.
Happy 60th birthday! I love you more than words can express.
Forever Daddy's little brown-eyed girl, Your Kate-Lynn
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Sitting
For the first time in a week, I sat down. I truly sat down.
I leaned my head back, grasped my lukewarm coffee cup in both hands and listened. The sound of pages flipping, the hum of the monitor, and Pandora. I gave myself a short rest. No thoughts of discipline, runny noses, laundry, poopy diapers, or prepping for our next adventure.
I closed my eyes. My daughter, my beloved 2 year old, was quiet. She was mumbling the words to her favorite books, but she was quiet. No "help me, Mom". No "No, Mama". No tears. No direct defiance. She was doing the activity that had sustained us since the baby was born, but the activity she had neglected in recent weeks.
With her brown bucket to her right, the pile of books on her left kept growing as she paged through each one.
I knew there was snot running down her face, and I knew that pile of books was a battle of wills about to happen, but I sat in the quietness for as long as I could.
Moments later, she emerged, face as I assumed it would be, smelling a little rank, carrying a fly swatter. But I did my best to focus on her eyes. They are beautiful. She is beautiful.
As a friend of mine reminded me recently, "This is all developmentally appropriate. We are helping them to become secure, independent little people."
And on days that I have hard time remembering that, God's grace is sufficient. Even for me.
I leaned my head back, grasped my lukewarm coffee cup in both hands and listened. The sound of pages flipping, the hum of the monitor, and Pandora. I gave myself a short rest. No thoughts of discipline, runny noses, laundry, poopy diapers, or prepping for our next adventure.
I closed my eyes. My daughter, my beloved 2 year old, was quiet. She was mumbling the words to her favorite books, but she was quiet. No "help me, Mom". No "No, Mama". No tears. No direct defiance. She was doing the activity that had sustained us since the baby was born, but the activity she had neglected in recent weeks.
With her brown bucket to her right, the pile of books on her left kept growing as she paged through each one.
I knew there was snot running down her face, and I knew that pile of books was a battle of wills about to happen, but I sat in the quietness for as long as I could.
Moments later, she emerged, face as I assumed it would be, smelling a little rank, carrying a fly swatter. But I did my best to focus on her eyes. They are beautiful. She is beautiful.
As a friend of mine reminded me recently, "This is all developmentally appropriate. We are helping them to become secure, independent little people."
And on days that I have hard time remembering that, God's grace is sufficient. Even for me.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Favorite stories of late - Big sister
It's definitely been awhile, but at the end of July, we went on vacation with the Lullo family. And it was everything we hoped it would be. Restful, beachy, family time, and lots of kid time. Days were spent back and forth to the beach and nights were spent around the dinner table and at the local ice cream shop, Oinks.
And a week with Annabelle in a different environment, brought with it many stories.
We found out, though we may have known before, that Annabelle loves to swim. And I mean LOVES to swim. We eventually made her wear a life jacket because she has no fear in the water. She wanted to go out in the water as far as humanly possible without drowning. She quickly learned the phrase "too deep!" And the thing most likely heard out of Annabelle's mouth, "Lemme go!"
Leaving the beach was always a challenge. Between all our stuff and the fact that Annabelle couldn't really walk through the sand too far, it was always a little trying. Auntie Carrie was carrying Annabelle and suddenly, Auntie Carrie was laughing. Annabelle had said something funny, but my sister refused to tell me what she had said. Turns out Auntie Carrie taught Annabelle her first swear word. The little girl had some gas and Auntie Carrie knew that the diaper Annabelle was wearing didn't offer much protection. So she exclaimed "oh crap, kid!" To which Annabelle replied with, "oh crap, kid".
But my favorite Annabelle moment was not one a mom should be proud of. And proud is probably not the way I would say it. But I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. See, I was putting Annabelle to bed. We have quite the routine and it is virtually the same every night. Stories, devotion, prayers, then I get up, kiss her, and leave. As I was getting to the kiss her part, I said "I am so proud of you. You were such a good girl today." And I meant it. Her reply? With her thumb never leaving her mouth, she smacked me. Square in the nose. In shock and for fear of laughing in her face, I told her we don't hit and immediately left the room. I will never, ever forget that moment. It was hysterical.
A few other things I never want to forget:
- She calls a computer a "pacutor".
- Blimp is "ba-limp"
- If you ask her to count, her first response will be "1,7,11"
- She is starting to show some sweet love to her sister. She loves to get teething toys for her. And there have been a few times that I have caught her playing near her, and a few more times that she has read her stories.
- On the flip side, we are already hearing "No Nora" because Nora REALLY wants to touch her. And Nora's funny story, when Annabelle cries or whines, Nora laughs :)
And a week with Annabelle in a different environment, brought with it many stories.
We found out, though we may have known before, that Annabelle loves to swim. And I mean LOVES to swim. We eventually made her wear a life jacket because she has no fear in the water. She wanted to go out in the water as far as humanly possible without drowning. She quickly learned the phrase "too deep!" And the thing most likely heard out of Annabelle's mouth, "Lemme go!"
But my favorite Annabelle moment was not one a mom should be proud of. And proud is probably not the way I would say it. But I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. See, I was putting Annabelle to bed. We have quite the routine and it is virtually the same every night. Stories, devotion, prayers, then I get up, kiss her, and leave. As I was getting to the kiss her part, I said "I am so proud of you. You were such a good girl today." And I meant it. Her reply? With her thumb never leaving her mouth, she smacked me. Square in the nose. In shock and for fear of laughing in her face, I told her we don't hit and immediately left the room. I will never, ever forget that moment. It was hysterical.
A few other things I never want to forget:
- She calls a computer a "pacutor".
- Blimp is "ba-limp"
- If you ask her to count, her first response will be "1,7,11"
- She is starting to show some sweet love to her sister. She loves to get teething toys for her. And there have been a few times that I have caught her playing near her, and a few more times that she has read her stories.
- On the flip side, we are already hearing "No Nora" because Nora REALLY wants to touch her. And Nora's funny story, when Annabelle cries or whines, Nora laughs :)
Nora's growing up
Yesterday, Nora and I made this video to show off some of her new skills to our family that is at a distance.
http://youtu.be/Eju7wAINnds
She has been laughing like this for a couple of days and it cracks us all up. Also, in the last week and a half, her two bottom teeth have emerged.
As you can see from the video, she is sitting up all by herself. And yesterday, when she was laying on her belly, she got up on all fours by herself! Yikes! Time to start re-baby proofing the house. She is eating more solids (went through a phase where she was terrible at it and uninterested).
Mostly, she is just the sweetest little honey. I am proud of the little person she is becoming. She loves people and isn't afraid of anyone. Good thing, too, because the fall is coming and she will be going to childcare on Wednesday mornings while this mom is at Bible study.
I will try to post more on the big sister later. She is a trip lately. Some good, some bad. As a teaser...two nights ago we were at a friends house for dinner. When we sat her at the table, she looked at me and said "give me some food." oh boy!
http://youtu.be/Eju7wAINnds
She has been laughing like this for a couple of days and it cracks us all up. Also, in the last week and a half, her two bottom teeth have emerged.
As you can see from the video, she is sitting up all by herself. And yesterday, when she was laying on her belly, she got up on all fours by herself! Yikes! Time to start re-baby proofing the house. She is eating more solids (went through a phase where she was terrible at it and uninterested).
Mostly, she is just the sweetest little honey. I am proud of the little person she is becoming. She loves people and isn't afraid of anyone. Good thing, too, because the fall is coming and she will be going to childcare on Wednesday mornings while this mom is at Bible study.
I will try to post more on the big sister later. She is a trip lately. Some good, some bad. As a teaser...two nights ago we were at a friends house for dinner. When we sat her at the table, she looked at me and said "give me some food." oh boy!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The neighborhood
Children attract children. And in our neighborhood, that is especially true.
I purchased our home when I was still single, almost 8 years ago. Marrying Joel did this house a world of good! If you haven't been here since he took over, you would be amazed.
And with the addition of children came the addition of children's toys. As Annabelle got older and Nora came, we realized we needed some outdoor things for Annabelle to enjoy. So this spring, Joel built a swing set. Two kids swings and a toddler swing. Nothing fancy but still beautifully built.
(right after the swing set was built)
And they started to come. Maybe it's that we were spending more time outside, but within days of Joel putting the swing set up, we had a backyard full of kids. One day, it was me, the girls, 2 3rd graders, a 2nd grader, a kindergartner, and another 2 year old.
Now, keep in mind, our backyard is what some would refer to as a "postage stamp". And that is being generous.
But God is teaching me a lot through this. First of all, it has really been great getting to know my neighbors. We have a family behind us that is really sweet and has a 2 year old that plays very well with Annabelle. Two days ago, after dinner, Parker and Annabelle ended up in the baby pool before Wendy (Parker's mom) and I could stop them. They were fully clothed.
(Parker and Annabelle - appropriately dressed in their bathing suits)
But the hard lessons are coming with a few children who live across the street. In the 8 years I've been here, I have had little to no interaction with their parents. And even though 2 of their children spend a significant time in our yard, they still have spoken little more than a few sentences to us. They are very nice kids, but with very little guidance.
No boundaries and no supervision means that we have had to draw some boundaries over here. The kids know they have to ask before they can play in our yard (though it's really a formality). But more than once, KS (who is 8) and KR (who is 9) have asked to have dinner at our house. And one afternoon, KS rang our doorbell twice in 2 hours to see if Annabelle could play. She is 2.
Every day my heart breaks a little bit more. And I am reminded of how much God loves these children. And, the harder part, their moms.
God's Word says to "Love your neighbor as yourself". For some of our neighbors, that is easy. And for others, it is the true test of our faith. Are we really willing to love those who are so different than us in such a significant way?
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Lots of birthday fun
We had over 2 weeks of fun for a big 2 year old! She was definitely celebrated and enjoyed every moment. We are so grateful to all who made Annabelle feel so special.
1st celebration - Playdate at City Park with Claire! Many friends joined in on the fun!
Daddy left a note on her high chair in the morning.
Beautiful sister!
Spent the morning at the Children's Museum with Kallyn and Claire. Then lunch at McG's before a nice long nap!
Running through the sprinkler in the afternoon.
After noodles for dinner, present opening, and a walk with Daddy...we ended the night at Dairy Queen.
The following weekend...we had all the family over for a party!
She got MANY wonderful gifts...
And the most beautiful cake!
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