Good day! I am again surprised at how long I go without updating this thing. You know, I really haven't caught up to myself after the birth of Miss Alice. Something about having 4 kids spaced at these intervals...each in their own stage has been a challenge. But it is teaching me grace on many different levels. Giving grace to them and more difficult: to myself. Living with the fact that I simply CANNOT keep my house clean at this point in my life is a pretty hard pill to swallow. Not that I am even a neat freak but I do gain a certain peace from seeing a bit of artistic balance in my rooms that ideally would not be littered with toys, undies, fruit loops...you get the picture.
Luckily our artistic endeavors are continuing...just not in the style of Pottery Barn. Alice ate a blue magic marker last night which created a striking effect on her lips;o) and my boys have taken up spray painting anything they can find out in the yard. They recently pimped up their old cozy coupe with some chalkboard and gold metallic paint they found in the garage. It truly is pretty funny.
Alice loves the ghetto coupe...notice the fingerpaint on my house!!??!!
Intellectualizing the idea that you should be able to relish spending time with your kids over your own stuff comes pretty easy to me. But I am learning as I gain both age and perspective that the challenge starts after I "understand" how to do something. That's where I seek God. Funny that you can make sense of the way things should be in your mind (even the way you want them to be), but doing them comes as a constant battle of wills. I have learned some points of surrender at this phase in my life. Doing all the things you know are right is just not quite as easy as it seems to me. Man, that's a bummer because I always thought I would just see where I want to go and go there...but in my experience it's a little tougher than that. It usually entails giving up something of myself. Which it turns out is a bonus. I am getting there.
I just finished reading the book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller...I am not a huge book reader. Just because I usually fall asleep before I get anywhere. But this book was like I could have written it. I absolutely loved it and thought it was a great fresh view on following Christ that I can really identify with. I have been on this kind of "non religious" path for a while and well, this book kind of defines why. Well, I say non religious...not like I have given up church and live in a bus...but just that I don't think Christ looks like the typical American church. To me the two are very different. That again is something I am intellectualizing, but not sure yet how to live...more patience.
Our trip to Italy was amazing. Alice, Brian, my Mom and I had a blast exploring, getting lost, experiencing, tasting...it was great. It was a Boeing conference for the Chinook helicopter and Boeing was more than hospitable. We enjoyed everything from an authentic Italian dinner and party on a countryside farm to a formal dinner at an old medieval city center palace. Add to that all of Rome, the Vatican (preps us for Owen's Catholic school next year), Colosseum, Forum, Tuscany, wine, pizza and it was fabulous. I was really glad I got to share it with my Mom who has always wanted to travel there. Here are a TON of pics...but if you want to browse, feel free!
We just returned from our family beach trip to Jekyll and it also was a lot of fun. I did rename it a family reunion as opposed to "vacation"...just semantics I know, but it was a lot of work getting that many people on the same page for some relaxation. All things considered I think we did a darn good job!
Lastly, Alice just celebrated her one year birthday...can't believe it's been a year. Typical response, I know. My best friend from middle school surprised me and visited. She helps me more than she knows. Especially when I planned running a 5K the evening we got back from Jekyll and Alice's party at 2pm the next day...needless to say, Thanks, Robin!!!! The party was great and Alice loves her NON PAINTED cozy coupe that is all hers!
Oh yes,and here are her two bday cakes...the pink elephant for her joint party at the beach with cuz Evelyn made by me and Sara and the second, her lady bug cake made by a very rushed me...she didn't seem to mind;o)
Until next time...CIAO!
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