Christmas 2010 Recap

What a whirlwind of traveling, overeating and celebration the past few weeks have been.

Christmas Eve. Here. Dad and Diana are here. They bring Alex, fresh off an airplane from Tulsa. Bob arrives around the same time, but falls victim almost immediately to a harsh stomach bug and spends the evening resting.

Those healthy feast on beef tenderloin, Mrs. Butland's potatoes, fresh steamed green beans tossed with butter and lemon pepper, roasted carrots tossed with olive oil and thyme and dinner rolls (of the most basic sort: flour, yeast, etc.; nothing fancy).

After our Christmas Eve service we return home where the kids open new pajamas from their parents and a new ornament for the tree from Dad and Diana.

Christmas morning. Here. Just us. The first kid is awake by 5:28 a.m. This after a night when I finally went to bed around 12 a.m. Still, though, what parent-- even a tired one-- could be upset with excited children on Christmas morning?

Cinnamon rolls. Stockings. Coffee. Christmas story from Luke. Presents.

Christmas afternoon. Silver Lake. Dad, Diana, Cloe and Alex are present. Blake has been stricken by a stomach bug and is home resting. 

We eat, and we eat well. Ham. Turkey. Twice baked potatoes. There was more, and it was all delicious and worth every calorie.

Sunday, December 26. Silver Lake. A day of nothing. Wonderful, wonderful nothingness. Unless you were Diana, in which case it was your turn with the stomach bug flying around at warp speed. 

Friday, December 31. Oconto Falls. Doug, Wicky, Steve, Sue, Cassandra, Cody and Cedar. We arrive early afternoon and within an hour or two the kids are ripping into their presents.

Later we feast on steaks. Baked potatoes. More decadent, delicious Christmas feasting. We stay up to ring in the new year (all but Caroline).

Nice celebrations, all. 

Wedding Pictures

Many (most?) of you have seen the pictures I posted of my sister's wedding on Facebook, however a few of you have mentioned you're not on Facebook and you'd like to see pictures already.

The wedding site at Abbey Springs in Fontana, Wisconsin (that's Lake Geneva in the background).

My dad with my sister and me.

Diana with the prettiest junior bridesmaid and flower girl I've ever seen.

The bride being given in marriage by my dad.

Joe and Caroline at the reception.

And, finally, Cloe and Blake's first dance.

Highlights

Too much. Lately it's been a good too much, but our lives have been busy.

Some highlights from the past few weeks.

A trip to Old World Wisconsin with Dad and Diana. Our group is shown here at a stagecoach inn in Crossroads Village.



Later that night it was off to see the Milwaukee Symphony perform Mahler's Third in their season finale. The tickets were a birthday present and Bob and I had a nice time seeing the concert together.

There was a year end soccer party. Cooking. Cleaning. Late nights at work for Joe. Squeezing a run in here and there.

A trip to Six Flags Great America with the two older kids. Here they are about to board their first roller coaster.



Soccer practices. Riding lessons. Laundry. A year end preschool picnic.

Madeleine's first non-school show put on by the Wisconsin Hunter Jumper Association.




A fun family birthday party (thanks again, Tammy and Jim!). Doctor's appointments.

Our calendar is still more stuffed than I would like but, like I said, it's been a good busy.

UPDATED: Oh, and I forgot to mention-- a certain baby is CRAWLING!

Birthday Kickball Game

There are times where there is so much going on that I don't even know where to begin, blogging-wise. The everyday activities we busy ourselves with have kept us... well, they've kept us busy.

A birthday (mine). Gatherings with old friends. Kid activities. Laundry. Schoolwork. The fun and the mundane; we've been doing it all this past week and it has kept us on the move.

And so, a highlight: my birthday kickball game in Silver Lake. I mandated participation by all family members and all complied. My team, The Destroyers (Bob missing from photo),



was, ultimately, completely crushed by Pretty in Pink



but along the way we had a lot of laughs (check out my sister's outfit),



some injuries (Joe pulled a hamstring)



and a whole lot of fun.

A Pretty Fish

Many years ago, before I was born, a canvas found its way into my grandmother's possession and she created what you see here. I don't know how she did it; talk of oils and pastels and anything else relating to putting a vision onto paper usually escapes me.

From what I understand from those who knew my mom's mom-- she died just months before I was born-- she didn't consider herself to be terribly talented. I somehow doubt my inexperienced opinion carries much weight in the art community, but I beg to differ. I find Grandmommy's work to be fantastically appealing, especially her use of color and, in this case, texture.



Every day I admire this painting; it's one of my favorites, but I can't help but wonder what its story is. What was Grandmommy thinking when she painted it? Was my mom running underfoot as the fish grew in her imagination? Did Grandmommy lose herself in the orange, blue and pink to drown out the noise of quarreling children? Or, rather, were the seeds of this painting visualized in late night hours after her three daughters were grown? How many troubles of later life were mixed in with the paint?

It doesn't matter, I suppose. With so many artistic endeavors, the interpretation is skewed by our own experiences. No matter how well something is conveyed, it is impossible to get inside someone else's head, and so, for now, I take it for what it is: a beautiful, brightly colored fish that brightens my home.

Flashback: June 2003

Moving day. We leave Janesville, the only home we've ever known as a married couple, and head east to a new everything: a new job, a new home and, eventually, new children.

(then-- that's Hank)



(now)



The June day is warm. Sunny. Joe and I arrive at our new house alone-- Madeleine and Hank are with my family. We spend the day cleaning and unpacking and, later, the children are brought to their new home full of boxes, apprehension and excitement. We eat carryout pizza.

(then)



(now)



This was to be our home for a short time. The theory was we would find something bigger. Later-- someday down the road. This house was to be a stepping stone and meant to be lived in for a few, short years.

Of course, that was seven years ago and we're still here. The boxes are gone, and so is the excitement and apprehension. Our neighbors are no longer strangers, but familiar faces and good friends.

(then)



(now)



I feel though, lately, as if the end is near. This dear, sweet home that has housed so many wonderful gatherings, welcomed home two daughters and stood comfortingly by during the death of a beloved mother, mother-in-law and nana is growing smaller and smaller as we grow bigger and bigger and, as much as I love this house, I feel we may part ways at some point.

(then)



I might be wrong. It's always easier to do nothing than to do something, and buying a home, selling a different one and moving from one to the other is no small something.

But yesterday I realized we are now finally ready to make that jump. We didn't make the jump, ultimately, but we realized we're ready. The idea of calling mortgage lenders and all that implies wasn't just an idea, but a reality and we were ready had the house we looked at been The One.

(then)



(now)



I love this dear little house and today, a day much like the one on which we moved in seven years ago, has me feeling a bit nostalgic.

Birthday Dinner

Since marrying, I have realized not every family celebrates birthdays the way my family has always celebrated birthdays. We have always recognized and celebrated everyone's birthday, whether child or adult. Each birthday honoree gets a meal of their choice, a birthday cake and a dinner dedicated to celebrating their special day. Of course, the more our families expand with marriages and children the greater difficulties our family has synchronizing busy schedules and, so, the more liberties we take with dates and sometimes birthday celebrants are forced to consolidate parties.

Yesterday we celebrated Dad's birthday (actual birthdate: January 21) and Diana's birthday (actual birthdate: February 21).

My sister made the cake...



and Dad and Diana shared blowing out the candles duty.

Flashback: July 28, 2002

We all have those days; days that aren't great, but not bad, either. Things go right, things go wrong. Still, though, who wouldn't trade the things that go right on this bitterly cold day (high of 7, I think, and windy!) for the dog days of summer. Specifically I am thinking--dreaming-- of the day pictured below. A hot, July day swimming in Mom and Bob's pool with my almost two-year-old daughter. I had just quit my job and become a stay-at-home-mom after (almost!) two years of wishing to do so. Joe was a law student, summering at the firm where he now works. The pool water was a perfect eighty degrees. Family was around. Mom was still alive. Hank was kicking happily inside me, eager to come out in just a few short months.

And, did I mention, it was hot?

Office Tour

As much time as Joe spends at work, he and I realized a few weeks ago that Dad and Diana had never seen his office. It's fun to see someone where they work, so on New Year's Eve we arranged a tour.

Here is Joe at his desk, where all the magic happens.



Here are Dad and Diana enjoying my kids' favorite room-- the break room. There is hot chocolate and a TV in there.



Here is a picture of his firm's lobby, all decked out for Christmas. Isn't it pretty?



Here is Joe surveying the view from the window in his firm's lobby.



The next hard-nosed litigator in the family?



Or, maybe not.



The girls take their turn running a deposition.



Obviously they're so good they need no notes, no paperwork, nothin'. I'm quaking in my boots just looking at them.

Fun day. We all appreciated the tour whether it was our first or thirty-first trip.

Christmas Vacation

Some home-schoolers school even when most public and private school kids are off of school. For a variety of reasons we take the time off. Mostly I find it impossible to get my kids to concentrate when their friends are running around outside and calling to arrange times to get together.

I confess I like the time home with the kids where nothing is on the agenda. I like sleeping past 8 a.m. I like that we can run down to Silver Lake today to spend a few more hours with my brother before he has to catch an airplane back home.

So, for this week, we loaf. We relax. We decompress.

Kids that are not mine play here, kids that are mine play elsewhere. We stay in our pajamas if we want to (though if I were to be forthright I would have to admit we do that frequently) and daily routine and chores are minimal. And all this we do guilt free because, after all, it's Christmas vacation. What else are we supposed to do but lose ourselves in delightful fiction for an entire day if for no other reason than the idea is appealing?

The obligatory Thanksgiving post. Sort of.

Today I am thinking that I am tired.

That I have consumed entirely too many calories.

That my house is a complete wreck.

That our calendar for the next month is so full that it's making me panicky.

That I miss my friend Erin's presence on the internet and that I hope she gets her laptop fixed soon.

That I have to go grocery shopping.

That I have the cutest baby in the world smiling up at me right now and that I am happy.

That I am going to leave my to-do list behind today and have one last calorie-fest in Silver Lake.

That it is a beautiful, sunny day.

That I'm over my bitterness about last winter and I am ready for snow.

That Joe was really sweet to text me a gazillion updates from Hank's hockey game this morning.

That I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

So, here it is. Happy Thanksgiving, two days late!

Visit

Last Wednesday night, as I arrived home from hockey practice with four tired and hungry kids I was prepared to meet my poor husband who'd been so busy at work that he'd been leaving around 3:30 a.m. just to get everything done and also to deal with getting four cranky kids into the house and fed and into bed without incident. Instead I was greeted by a bag full of hot, fresh Chinese take-out bought up by Bob. It was a nice treat after a busy day!

French Press

I'm back to using a French press. I was given one eons ago, way back when we still lived in Janesville and Joe was in law school and I was working full-time. I never used it. I was an exhausted new mother of one and I preferred to mainline coffee in the fastest, easiest way possible, and that way was never a French press.

It was purged at some point between Janesville and Milwaukee.

Lately though, I think my taste buds are changing. I do love waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, but lately I've been able to pick up hints of that awful this-pot-has-been-on-the-burner-too-long taste, even when it has only been sitting for thirty minutes or so. And that second cup of coffee? Blech. By the time my first cup is gone, the second cup definitely has that somewhat burned, yucky flavor.

So, with some of my birthday gift certificate* (again, thanks Bob and Alex; I'm still using it!) I bought another Bodum French press. It's a small one (32 ounces, I think?), but it's perfect for me during the week and even ideal for Joe and me on the weekends when we both have a tendency to drink too much coffee without some policing.

I wish it could be instantly made when I wake up, but the difference in taste is worth the wait.



*By the way, my other splurge was for a new, larger electric frying pan that I love, love, love-- so thank you!

Happy Birthday, Joe!

Today is Joe's birthday, but we celebrated yesterday. Apparently I had too much fun chatting with our families, sipping a New Glarus beer and grumbling about the Packers pathetic performance to take pictures.

I don't know, though, if pictures would have properly captured the relaxed, fun atmosphere of the day. We spent the afternoon with Joe's parents, my dad (poor Diana was sick), Bob, his girlfriend and her daughter and my sister and her fiance munching on cheese and crackers and chips and salsa and sipping beer while cheering the Packers onto victory. Well, most of us anyway. Bob and Blake were brave enough to show up for the birthday celebration wearing their Bears hat and sweatshirt respectively, but after giving them a hard time, the rest of us, all Packer fans, managed to avert our eyes from the offending logos.

I made a couple different kinds of chili over the weekend and reheated them in crock pots before leaving for church in the morning. Before the game I whipped up some easy corn bread and that was the extent of my culinary efforts. I was actually able to sit and relax instead of cooking prior to the meal. It was a nice change of pace. Joe's mom was nice enough to bring down an apple upside down cake (Joe's favorite) and I whipped up a mocha torte so we'd have enough cake with the larger crowd.

And the best part? The birthday boy proclaimed the day a success. Happy birthday, Joe!

Caroline's Baptism, II

A follow-up in which I post better pictures. Thanks Dad and Diana!

Caroline's Baptism

I'm hoping some of the other photographers present at Caroline's baptism got some better shots than what I have. In each of mine someone in the picture has a wonky look on their face. Usually multiple people. Please, people, send me your .jpeg and .tif files-- I desperately want them!

In the interim, however, I'll share some of what I have.

Joe and me with Caroline following the service. The gown Caroline is wearing is the same gown worn by my great-grandmother, my maternal grandmother and now all four of my kids. While my mom and I did not wear it, others in our generations did, so the gown is on its fifth generation now. Of course, you can't really see the gown in any of my pictures because no one-- including me-- thought to get a close-up of just Caroline. Ugh!



Our whole crew.



Our family with Caroline's godparents.



Madeleine and Caroline with the cakes made by a very talented friend of ours from our congregation for Caroline's reception following the service.



I think most everyone who attended the service was able to join us for some cake, punch and coffee and I'm more than certain that at least fifty percent of our congregation held Caroline at some point. Madeleine kept asking when it would be her turn and grumbled how everyone else got to hold Caroline for too long. It was a fun celebration.

A much smaller crew including grandparents, godparents and a few friends joined us at home for a relaxing lunch that I failed to really record, photographically-speaking, except for the beautiful flowers Diana brought and the leftover cake.



As a side note, there are a million little things that happen through the course of life that make me miss my mom and it's usually the dumb little things, not the big important things. For instance, you'd think a big important day like Caroline's birth or her baptism would make my mom's absence hit home and it does, in a way, but you know what's really made her absence hit home today? The lack of pictures that I have from Caroline's baptism. Weird.

Anyway, it was a beautiful, happy day and such a joy to witness Caroline receive the blessings of baptism in the presence of family and so many good friends.