2018 In Review

What a year! And not a lot got written down or posted. Some big things happened this year so I'll start with those (even if it isn't chronological as I prefer to do). The links within the post below will take you to blog posts I did write this year (in case you missed it and want the full scoop!).

* William started transitional kindergarten. What is that, you ask -- it's a public kindergarten/preschool option for kids who turn 5 after September 1 and before December 31 and miss the cutoff for regular kindergarten. The school he got into is fairly close by, a 5 minute drive or a 10 minute bike ride. He rides his tag-a-long bike with Chris each morning at 8 a.m. and I pick him up at 2 p.m. everyday. He loves it. He's excelling. We're all very excited. He turned 5 in October and thinks he is the best at everything!

Photo by: Matthais Giezendanner

* Stephen is two and a half years old. He keeps up with his big brother pretty well so you can imagine how active he is! We have a pretty good routine during the week with outdoor play/gym play and naps. I have a neighbor who has saved me by coming over three times a week to watch Stephen while I pick up William from school. I honestly don't know how I would get his nap in otherwise. And this one needs his rest to make it through the day. 

*I traveled quite a bit this year. By myself, with the kids, or just with Chris! 

In February my Aunt Carol passed away and I flew home by myself in early March to attend the funeral. She had been suffering from complications of diabetes for several years and this last turn was just too much for her body. She was so strong in faith and was always giving praise to God for what she had and giving blessings/being a blessing to those around her. She is greatly missed. I'm so glad that we spent an evening together during Christmas last year. And I was blessed to be able to attend her funeral with my family, aunts and uncles and cousins.

In June, I took the boys by myself to Minnesota to see my family. My sister had her third baby and I thought I'd try to be helpful make her life as chaotic as possible. It was such a great week; I love having my boys get to be with their cousins! We ended the trip with an engagement party for my cousin Heather and a few nights with my cousin Mary. I loved being home.

In July we traveled to Texas with the kids and then left them with Chris's parents so we could travel to Spain for two weeks! We traveled to San Sebastian, Barcelona and Madrid. It felt like a once in a lifetime trip, but we hope we get to do it again! If you get a chance to travel with your spouse without the kids, do it!

And in September I traveled with my friend Beth to Louisville KY for MOMCON -- a conference put on by the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) organization I'm a part of. It came at a really great time as the revived energy I had gained in Spain and drained away. It was a very restorative conference -- not so much physically but emotionally and spiritually. I heard amazing speakers, had great break-out sessions and got to hang out with my sister Molly too! I've been a part of MOPS for four years but this is the first year for Beth and I to coordinate our local group! It's been a really fun year so far and the group is growing which is awesome to watch and be a part of.

* Chris has been at Rhumbix for a year and a half! He seems to really like it and they seem to really like him! I'm very grateful it is a good fit. There are times when the working day goes past dinner time but he is able to work from home so even on those days he is still able to help get the boys settled into bed with for me.

He participated in Movember -- a month long campaign in November to increase awareness for men's health. He grew a mustache for 30 days. It was the first time in our marriage for him to grow facial hair. I supported the cause completely but was grateful when December 1 came around.

*Chris and I were a part of a marriage community group this year going through a new curriculum  called "Storied Marriages." We met with three other couples for nearly 8 months talking about some really hard stuff -- digging up stories from childhood and how that effects our current relationships. I felt like I learned more about my husband this year than in all the 9 years we were married! It was amazing and fruitful and we hope to be a part of another group again.

* I think I talk a little about housing every year but there continues to be glimpses of hope nearly every year along with the low valleys and disappointments. This summer we applied for what seemed like the perfect place (location wise anyway) and found out in September that although we qualified for the program we were one slot away from getting the unit (it was a lottery). It was heart breaking (again), and we really had no idea what the Lord had in store for us if THIS wasn't it. And as of the writing of this update, we are entering escrow on a two bedroom/ two bathroom condo! It really came out of nowhere and at a time when we least expected it. It's in an area of town we know little about but are learning quickly. I'll write more about it after it's complete . . . because if this city has taught me anything, it's that the process can stop at any moment. Stay tuned.

* I go through purging and cleaning cycles quite a bit; living in a small space makes that mandatory for my sanity. In January I did some major shifting and reorganizing of our home. And at the end of this year I joined two friends in a minimalist challenge where we got rid of a certain number of items each day for a month. It was supposed to start with letting go of one item on day one, two items on day two up to 30 on day 30, but I was swimming in a state of overwhelm by clutter that I did it backwards. So for the last 30 days I have gotten rid of 30 - 1 things . . . a total over over 450 items. I cleaned almost every nook and cranny searching for things to get rid of. Some were easy (how many drawings can I keep!?) and some were really hard . . . like my unity candle holders which I loved for my wedding but have no real purpose for now. It's been a great process for me in understanding how I value material items. Some things are okay to hang on to but most of the things I came across in the month were not useful nor held any value to me emotionally . . . but hoped that one day they would have purpose. And the reality is, most of the time it wouldn't. So why hang on to it? I will probably do it again sometime in 2019! Let me know if you want to join me!

* I tried the Whole 30 diet for the month of May and ended up loving it. I told myself I would keep it up but that just wasn't true. I went back to my normal diet pretty quickly even if I tried to cut out dairy and white bread occasionally.  It was really good for my body and my mind though so I think I'll do this again in 2019 as well. As much as I want to just practice moderation, I do a lot better with strict rules. I'm learning a lot about myself!

I've been seeing a counselor for depression for two years and feel like I am more fully myself than ever before. Having someone to talk about all the daily challenges of raising little men in the city and digging down to my core to uncover some unhealthy habits/self talk has been so helpful and I'm so grateful to be on the upside of this battle. There have been some down moments with health and housing and losing my aunt and my parent's health suffering as well, but I've seen a lot of blessing come my way too.

The new year promises to be a busy one . . . an adult one at least! We'll know more about the condo and hopefully have our will completed (it's only taken us 5 years to get it done...); We'll find out where William goes for Kindergarten next fall and see if we have a new neighborhood to figure out. It's all exciting and terrifying--living in faith that God has our lives in his hands and we are here in San Francisco because he has a purpose for us to stay here.

May you have a wonderful New Year -- and I pray that you, my lovely readers, will cling more to your faith in God and seek his will for the year along with me!

Oh yeah, and we had 10 days of unbreathable air because of the Camp Fires in Northern California. That was a big deal. So thankful for the rain that finally came!

What a year! And not a lot got written down or posted. Some big things happened this year so I'll start with those (even if it isn't chronological as I prefer to do). The links within the post below will take you to blog posts I did write this year (in case you missed it and want the full scoop!).

* William started transitional kindergarten. What is that, you ask -- it's a public kindergarten/preschool option for kids who turn 5 after September 1 and before December 31 and miss the cutoff for regular kindergarten. The school he got into is fairly close by, a 5 minute drive or a 10 minute bike ride. He rides his tag-a-long bike with Chris each morning at 8 a.m. and I pick him up at 2 p.m. everyday. He loves it. He's excelling. We're all very excited. He turned 5 in October and thinks he is the best at everything!

Photo by: Matthais Giezendanner

* Stephen is two and a half years old. He keeps up with his big brother pretty well so you can imagine how active he is! We have a pretty good routine during the week with outdoor play/gym play and naps. I have a neighbor who has saved me by coming over three times a week to watch Stephen while I pick up William from school. I honestly don't know how I would get his nap in otherwise. And this one needs his rest to make it through the day. 

*I traveled quite a bit this year. By myself, with the kids, or just with Chris! 

In February my Aunt Carol passed away and I flew home by myself in early March to attend the funeral. She had been suffering from complications of diabetes for several years and this last turn was just too much for her body. She was so strong in faith and was always giving praise to God for what she had and giving blessings/being a blessing to those around her. She is greatly missed. I'm so glad that we spent an evening together during Christmas last year. And I was blessed to be able to attend her funeral with my family, aunts and uncles and cousins.

In June, I took the boys by myself to Minnesota to see my family. My sister had her third baby and I thought I'd try to be helpful make her life as chaotic as possible. It was such a great week; I love having my boys get to be with their cousins! We ended the trip with an engagement party for my cousin Heather and a few nights with my cousin Mary. I loved being home.

In July we traveled to Texas with the kids and then left them with Chris's parents so we could travel to Spain for two weeks! We traveled to San Sebastian, Barcelona and Madrid. It felt like a once in a lifetime trip, but we hope we get to do it again! If you get a chance to travel with your spouse without the kids, do it!

And in September I traveled with my friend Beth to Louisville KY for MOMCON -- a conference put on by the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) organization I'm a part of. It came at a really great time as the revived energy I had gained in Spain and drained away. It was a very restorative conference -- not so much physically but emotionally and spiritually. I heard amazing speakers, had great break-out sessions and got to hang out with my sister Molly too! I've been a part of MOPS for four years but this is the first year for Beth and I to coordinate our local group! It's been a really fun year so far and the group is growing which is awesome to watch and be a part of.

* Chris has been at Rhumbix for a year and a half! He seems to really like it and they seem to really like him! I'm very grateful it is a good fit. There are times when the working day goes past dinner time but he is able to work from home so even on those days he is still able to help get the boys settled into bed with for me.

He participated in Movember -- a month long campaign in November to increase awareness for men's health. He grew a mustache for 30 days. It was the first time in our marriage for him to grow facial hair. I supported the cause completely but was grateful when December 1 came around.

*Chris and I were a part of a marriage community group this year going through a new curriculum  called "Storied Marriages." We met with three other couples for nearly 8 months talking about some really hard stuff -- digging up stories from childhood and how that effects our current relationships. I felt like I learned more about my husband this year than in all the 9 years we were married! It was amazing and fruitful and we hope to be a part of another group again.

* I think I talk a little about housing every year but there continues to be glimpses of hope nearly every year along with the low valleys and disappointments. This summer we applied for what seemed like the perfect place (location wise anyway) and found out in September that although we qualified for the program we were one slot away from getting the unit (it was a lottery). It was heart breaking (again), and we really had no idea what the Lord had in store for us if THIS wasn't it. And as of the writing of this update, we are entering escrow on a two bedroom/ two bathroom condo! It really came out of nowhere and at a time when we least expected it. It's in an area of town we know little about but are learning quickly. I'll write more about it after it's complete . . . because if this city has taught me anything, it's that the process can stop at any moment. Stay tuned.

* I go through purging and cleaning cycles quite a bit; living in a small space makes that mandatory for my sanity. In January I did some major shifting and reorganizing of our home. And at the end of this year I joined two friends in a minimalist challenge where we got rid of a certain number of items each day for a month. It was supposed to start with letting go of one item on day one, two items on day two up to 30 on day 30, but I was swimming in a state of overwhelm by clutter that I did it backwards. So for the last 30 days I have gotten rid of 30 - 1 things . . . a total over over 450 items. I cleaned almost every nook and cranny searching for things to get rid of. Some were easy (how many drawings can I keep!?) and some were really hard . . . like my unity candle holders which I loved for my wedding but have no real purpose for now. It's been a great process for me in understanding how I value material items. Some things are okay to hang on to but most of the things I came across in the month were not useful nor held any value to me emotionally . . . but hoped that one day they would have purpose. And the reality is, most of the time it wouldn't. So why hang on to it? I will probably do it again sometime in 2019! Let me know if you want to join me!

* I tried the Whole 30 diet for the month of May and ended up loving it. I told myself I would keep it up but that just wasn't true. I went back to my normal diet pretty quickly even if I tried to cut out dairy and white bread occasionally.  It was really good for my body and my mind though so I think I'll do this again in 2019 as well. As much as I want to just practice moderation, I do a lot better with strict rules. I'm learning a lot about myself!

I've been seeing a counselor for depression for two years and feel like I am more fully myself than ever before. Having someone to talk about all the daily challenges of raising little men in the city and digging down to my core to uncover some unhealthy habits/self talk has been so helpful and I'm so grateful to be on the upside of this battle. There have been some down moments with health and housing and losing my aunt and my parent's health suffering as well, but I've seen a lot of blessing come my way too.

The new year promises to be a busy one . . . an adult one at least! We'll know more about the condo and hopefully have our will completed (it's only taken us 5 years to get it done...); We'll find out where William goes for Kindergarten next fall and see if we have a new neighborhood to figure out. It's all exciting and terrifying--living in faith that God has our lives in his hands and we are here in San Francisco because he has a purpose for us to stay here.

May you have a wonderful New Year -- and I pray that you, my lovely readers, will cling more to your faith in God and seek his will for the year along with me!

Oh yeah, and we had 10 days of unbreathable air because of the Camp Fires in Northern California. That was a big deal. So thankful for the rain that finally came!

Merry Christmas!

From our family to you and yours, we wish you the most wonderful Christmas blessings. I'd also like to share one of my favorite verses with you.  One that I think encompasses the season.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

What have we been up to this season?  Trying to abound in HOPE! 

We've been following the "Truth in the Tinsel" Advent book for this season with the kids. Each day William opens an envelope to reveal the clue for the days reading and project. He is much more excited about this than in years past -- it probably has to do with his new ability to read!

Later in the day we read a passage of the Christmas Story from scripture and talk about it. We've talked about Gabriel bringing the message to Zechariah, Mary and Joseph; the name of Jesus, the Kingdom, the stable and the manger, and baby Jesus and on December 24 we will end by talking about the Cross.

After the story, we do a craft. I will be honest -- most of them are a little to involved for Stephen and take a bit of prep work on my part. But William loves them! And I have hope that if we do this each year the discussions we have (and their abilities to pay attention) will just get better and better. It's exciting to talk about the birth of Jesus every day for a month and watch it click more with each retelling.

We hung the stockings and put up a tree. The boys had a blast decorating it; it's all so special for them. We took out our box of Christmas books and special Christmas stuffed toys to play with. 

We visited a gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel earlier in the month which was really fun. It's a two story house actually made of gingerbread with beautiful Christmas scenes inside. The boys loved the train that wove in and out of it.

We attended our church's cookie decorating event where the boys got completely carried away with frosting and sprinkles and ran around with all the other children until bedtime.

And last Sunday our church had a special service where the kids sang in church. You can watch it here (starts at minute 19). 

William had a winter party at his school last week which was really fun. We skipped naps so Stephen could watch his brother sing "Feliz Navidad" and "Must be Santa " with his classmates. He did a great job and even broke out in a dance at one point. And that was before he stuffed his face with cupcakes and cookies at their little party!

On Saturday we celebrated Christmas as our little family of four. (We left for Texas on Sunday.) It was a really fun day. It began with pancakes shaped like Christmas trees, followed by opening gifts -- which resulted in lots of play and fun until it was time to go ice skating. The California Academy of Science museum has an ice rink and is the cheapest option in the city (if you have a membership, which we do!) I didn't expect much from the boys and their first time skating on ice but they both did really great and I was even a bit surprised by how long William lasted. Stephen didn't last long but I think he still enjoyed the experience. And I had a blast and was so glad we could do it all together! I was very rusty myself as it's been over 8 years since I've skated!

After the sun set we went on a drive to look for Christmas lights. We didn't find very many homes that were all-decked-out as you might in the suburbs but we found enough. And what made it even better were the kid's comments about the lights -- or rather just commenting whenever a home had lights at all. Stephen especially loved saying "There's a Christmas tree" every time he saw one!

photo credits: Matthias Giezendanner

It's been a busy month but one of my favorites. Stephen is getting old enough to understand gifts and decorations and hopefully starting to understand who Baby Jesus is and the Christmas story. William is really loving all the special festive projects and outings we get to do and he still loves reading his Jesus Storybook Bible each night (which has 24 stories between creation and the birth of Jesus!)

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas celebration with those you love. Merry Christmas!

From our family to you and yours, we wish you the most wonderful Christmas blessings. I'd also like to share one of my favorite verses with you.  One that I think encompasses the season.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

What have we been up to this season?  Trying to abound in HOPE! 

We've been following the "Truth in the Tinsel" Advent book for this season with the kids. Each day William opens an envelope to reveal the clue for the days reading and project. He is much more excited about this than in years past -- it probably has to do with his new ability to read!

Later in the day we read a passage of the Christmas Story from scripture and talk about it. We've talked about Gabriel bringing the message to Zechariah, Mary and Joseph; the name of Jesus, the Kingdom, the stable and the manger, and baby Jesus and on December 24 we will end by talking about the Cross.

After the story, we do a craft. I will be honest -- most of them are a little to involved for Stephen and take a bit of prep work on my part. But William loves them! And I have hope that if we do this each year the discussions we have (and their abilities to pay attention) will just get better and better. It's exciting to talk about the birth of Jesus every day for a month and watch it click more with each retelling.

We hung the stockings and put up a tree. The boys had a blast decorating it; it's all so special for them. We took out our box of Christmas books and special Christmas stuffed toys to play with. 

We visited a gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel earlier in the month which was really fun. It's a two story house actually made of gingerbread with beautiful Christmas scenes inside. The boys loved the train that wove in and out of it.

We attended our church's cookie decorating event where the boys got completely carried away with frosting and sprinkles and ran around with all the other children until bedtime.

And last Sunday our church had a special service where the kids sang in church. You can watch it here (starts at minute 19). 

William had a winter party at his school last week which was really fun. We skipped naps so Stephen could watch his brother sing "Feliz Navidad" and "Must be Santa " with his classmates. He did a great job and even broke out in a dance at one point. And that was before he stuffed his face with cupcakes and cookies at their little party!

On Saturday we celebrated Christmas as our little family of four. (We left for Texas on Sunday.) It was a really fun day. It began with pancakes shaped like Christmas trees, followed by opening gifts -- which resulted in lots of play and fun until it was time to go ice skating. The California Academy of Science museum has an ice rink and is the cheapest option in the city (if you have a membership, which we do!) I didn't expect much from the boys and their first time skating on ice but they both did really great and I was even a bit surprised by how long William lasted. Stephen didn't last long but I think he still enjoyed the experience. And I had a blast and was so glad we could do it all together! I was very rusty myself as it's been over 8 years since I've skated!

After the sun set we went on a drive to look for Christmas lights. We didn't find very many homes that were all-decked-out as you might in the suburbs but we found enough. And what made it even better were the kid's comments about the lights -- or rather just commenting whenever a home had lights at all. Stephen especially loved saying "There's a Christmas tree" every time he saw one!

photo credits: Matthias Giezendanner

It's been a busy month but one of my favorites. Stephen is getting old enough to understand gifts and decorations and hopefully starting to understand who Baby Jesus is and the Christmas story. William is really loving all the special festive projects and outings we get to do and he still loves reading his Jesus Storybook Bible each night (which has 24 stories between creation and the birth of Jesus!)

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas celebration with those you love. Merry Christmas!

#MinGame Round 1

Last month I joined my friends Anya and Suzy in a minimalist game. A challenge to get rid of things for 30 days. On day 1 you get rid of 1 thing, day 2, 2 things, all the way to day 30 where you get rid of 30 things. In total, you are getting rid of 465 things in your home.

When the challenge started I was knee deep in overwhelm because of the clutter in my 650 square foot apartment. I was in a mood to throw everything away. (No wonder I joined them!) So, I decided to do the challenge backward. Start with 30 things and go down to 1.

On the first day I went big. I brought out all the things I had saved from my wedding day. Things that I will never use again. Like my candle holders, my head piece (and all the bobby pins still with it), my wedding planning book, etc. I had been thinking about it for a while and this challenge gave me the push I needed to clear it out.

Most days weren't that hard. I had wanted to clear out a lot of the kids books but I had to do that slowly otherwise they got really upset. I also went through my closet and drawers several times getting rid of two or three items each time. I went through my boys drawers often too and got rid of the things that no longer fit or they refused to wear. I cleared out the things under my bed and got rid of a lot of old papers from my previous jobs and planners from years ago.

I went through my bookshelf which held so much more than books and got rid of all the things we don't use (like a handful of odd paperclips, wires, and broken pieces of who remembers what!), I went through my linen closet and got rid of sheets that had holes and after Thanksgiving gave away my table cloth and napkins I only used once a year. I went through my jewelry and if it was broken, missing a match or I didn't wear it in the last five years I got rid of it. I never wear bracelets because they hurt my wrists (or fall off while I wear them) so I gave away my entire collection.

I even brought my kids into it. They could tell I was giving a bunch of stuff away and I asked them to join in. We went through all their trucks and animal toys. I let them keep most if it -- they are sentimental creatures it seems. But we got rid of 17 cars and plastic bugs! I was so proud!

I wish I could look around my home and tell that I got rid of 465 things . . . but I can't. I feel like I didn't even make a dent. There is one shelf that looks different but that's it. It felt good to let go of a lot of things I had been hanging on to, just hoping for an occasion to wear it or a situation that called for just that one thing. But those situations never really arise (and if they do, I forget about the thing I had stored away).  It's amazing what we hang on to!

It was a fun challenge and I was thankful to do it with friends. We messaged each other daily with pics and conversations about what we got rid of each day. Without their accountability I wouldn't have been as motivated as I was to finish. They made it fun. We're talking about doing it again after the New Year... want to join us? (This time, I'll start with just one thing on Day 1 . . . )

Last month I joined my friends Anya and Suzy in a minimalist game. A challenge to get rid of things for 30 days. On day 1 you get rid of 1 thing, day 2, 2 things, all the way to day 30 where you get rid of 30 things. In total, you are getting rid of 465 things in your home.

When the challenge started I was knee deep in overwhelm because of the clutter in my 650 square foot apartment. I was in a mood to throw everything away. (No wonder I joined them!) So, I decided to do the challenge backward. Start with 30 things and go down to 1.

On the first day I went big. I brought out all the things I had saved from my wedding day. Things that I will never use again. Like my candle holders, my head piece (and all the bobby pins still with it), my wedding planning book, etc. I had been thinking about it for a while and this challenge gave me the push I needed to clear it out.

Most days weren't that hard. I had wanted to clear out a lot of the kids books but I had to do that slowly otherwise they got really upset. I also went through my closet and drawers several times getting rid of two or three items each time. I went through my boys drawers often too and got rid of the things that no longer fit or they refused to wear. I cleared out the things under my bed and got rid of a lot of old papers from my previous jobs and planners from years ago.

I went through my bookshelf which held so much more than books and got rid of all the things we don't use (like a handful of odd paperclips, wires, and broken pieces of who remembers what!), I went through my linen closet and got rid of sheets that had holes and after Thanksgiving gave away my table cloth and napkins I only used once a year. I went through my jewelry and if it was broken, missing a match or I didn't wear it in the last five years I got rid of it. I never wear bracelets because they hurt my wrists (or fall off while I wear them) so I gave away my entire collection.

I even brought my kids into it. They could tell I was giving a bunch of stuff away and I asked them to join in. We went through all their trucks and animal toys. I let them keep most if it -- they are sentimental creatures it seems. But we got rid of 17 cars and plastic bugs! I was so proud!

I wish I could look around my home and tell that I got rid of 465 things . . . but I can't. I feel like I didn't even make a dent. There is one shelf that looks different but that's it. It felt good to let go of a lot of things I had been hanging on to, just hoping for an occasion to wear it or a situation that called for just that one thing. But those situations never really arise (and if they do, I forget about the thing I had stored away).  It's amazing what we hang on to!

It was a fun challenge and I was thankful to do it with friends. We messaged each other daily with pics and conversations about what we got rid of each day. Without their accountability I wouldn't have been as motivated as I was to finish. They made it fun. We're talking about doing it again after the New Year... want to join us? (This time, I'll start with just one thing on Day 1 . . . )