2020 in Review

What a year. Everyone is saying this. Everyone is thinking "Thank goodness it's over." And yes, while 2020 had a lot of really intense challenges, many of these challenges will carry into the new year as well. It isn't going to all magically heal or go away. If this Advent season has reminded me of anything, it's that my HOPE is in JESUS. Not the world, economy, politics, or even my health.

San Francisco was very restricted for most of the year. Even when things opened up, we stayed to ourselves most of the time: I went to stores a handful of times, Chris got a haircut once, we went to a museum four times and we get take-out dinner once in a while. My MOPS group gathered once a a month outside (staying distanced and wearing masks). We did a few outdoor meet-ups with friends with children and once the playgrounds opened in October, our days felt a bit more normal. While at home, the boys have gotten very good at Mario Kart video games, playing Pokemon and other card and board games, building legos and reading books together. (They love the Geronimo Stilton series... it never ends.) It has been a very quiet, slow year.

I had to laugh when I went back and re-read my post for my 2020 goals. Here's an except: 

I want 2020 to have balance of all the good things -- healthy eating, moderate and regular exercise, time in the Bible, focus on my marriage, time to myself, time with my community, focus on my kids eating better meals, focus on my kids education and friendships, wisdom in financial issues, more self-confidence, etc. I want so many things to be more intentional. 

What made me laugh? Well, the part about focusing on my community, my children's education and friendships specifically. Community changed drastically this year. When Covid-19 first arrived our calendars remained quite full with Zoom calls. Nearly every evening Chris or I had something going on. But then it dwindled. We (and others) got tired of the screen time. We still had our small groups and my MOPS group to attend virtually, but other things fell away.  

Education has been at the forefront of my mind all year. I didn't expect this when I wrote that goal.  I had been thinking about Stephen starting preschool . . . not homeschooling preschool and managing distance learning for 1st grade! But this experience has opened my eyes to many things about my children's learning experiences. William is very compliant and listens well to his teacher in Zoom class. He has a stellar internal clock and knows when he needs to be logged in without me saying much. He is fairly independent. BUT, he isn't challenged very much and when things are easy he tends to not care or try harder than the bare minimum. Trying seems like work. We need to exercise that muscle! Stephen would not do well in a distance learning environment... so praying we get this figured out by next Fall when he starts Kindergarten! He learns by active playing. He has learned a lot this year -- from watching/listening to William, from playing games, and putting up with mom's attempt to teach.

My diet plummeted as I was home all day and found myself snacking because there was nothing else to do. On the other hand, with Chris working from home since March, I started walking again each morning and in August started running a bit too. 

I did keep up with my Bible reading plan! Up until December when I switched over to the She Reads Truth Advent book - which is still scripture everyday, just not the plan I had been following. So, that goal was met! So thankful for the quieter pace to keep that a priority this year.

And the kids still refuse to eat what I make. Or rather, William flat out refuses. Stephen will try it. It is hit or miss if he eats it all or requests something else. Breaking this habit of mine/theirs has been harder than I had expected.

Other highlights from this year were:

- In February, Chris's parents took us (without the kids -- Thanks Kate for watching them!) to Napa for a weekend. We toured a few lovely vineyards and had a great time together. Then they spent a few days in the city with us so the boys could see them. It was so fun. And looking back, it is so fortunate that this happened when it did. 

- Stephen turning 4 in May, growing in speech, abilities, and cuteness all the time. William turned 7 in October; he is loosing teeth, growing taller, becoming a quick thinker and figuring out what respect/disrespect is.

- We enjoyed more nature this summer with beach trips, park hikes, and renting a row boat one morning. The boys also got better at biking! We've done one family bike day in Golden Gate Park, but otherwise Chris takes the boys and I get some stuff done at home.

 - Putting finishing touches on our home. Still many things left to do so maybe "finishing" isn't the right word... but it feels more like home now. We've been in our condo for nearly two years now! So thankful it has space for all we need to do from home these days. I also loved decorating it for Christmas.

 - Road trip to Utah to help my sister move. This is the only trip we took all year and the only time we saw my family. So grateful it happened. My sister has since then had another baby so I can't wait for when its safe to to back to meet niece (and see all of them) again.

The year wasn't a waste. We had several highlights! Plus, we loved being together as a family more. I know my boys better and they love each other more than ever before. But outside our walls, the city seems to be changing and friends have moved/are moving away. Our nation is struggling to find unity and do the right thing. There is division on so many levels. There is a heaviness from this year that will linger for a while I'm sure. So, while we had highlights and many blessings to be thankful for, we are grieving too.

That's all for 2020. Wishing you a very Happy New Year filled with HOPE, LOVE, and FAITH.

What a year. Everyone is saying this. Everyone is thinking "Thank goodness it's over." And yes, while 2020 had a lot of really intense challenges, many of these challenges will carry into the new year as well. It isn't going to all magically heal or go away. If this Advent season has reminded me of anything, it's that my HOPE is in JESUS. Not the world, economy, politics, or even my health.

San Francisco was very restricted for most of the year. Even when things opened up, we stayed to ourselves most of the time: I went to stores a handful of times, Chris got a haircut once, we went to a museum four times and we get take-out dinner once in a while. My MOPS group gathered once a a month outside (staying distanced and wearing masks). We did a few outdoor meet-ups with friends with children and once the playgrounds opened in October, our days felt a bit more normal. While at home, the boys have gotten very good at Mario Kart video games, playing Pokemon and other card and board games, building legos and reading books together. (They love the Geronimo Stilton series... it never ends.) It has been a very quiet, slow year.

I had to laugh when I went back and re-read my post for my 2020 goals. Here's an except: 

I want 2020 to have balance of all the good things -- healthy eating, moderate and regular exercise, time in the Bible, focus on my marriage, time to myself, time with my community, focus on my kids eating better meals, focus on my kids education and friendships, wisdom in financial issues, more self-confidence, etc. I want so many things to be more intentional. 

What made me laugh? Well, the part about focusing on my community, my children's education and friendships specifically. Community changed drastically this year. When Covid-19 first arrived our calendars remained quite full with Zoom calls. Nearly every evening Chris or I had something going on. But then it dwindled. We (and others) got tired of the screen time. We still had our small groups and my MOPS group to attend virtually, but other things fell away.  

Education has been at the forefront of my mind all year. I didn't expect this when I wrote that goal.  I had been thinking about Stephen starting preschool . . . not homeschooling preschool and managing distance learning for 1st grade! But this experience has opened my eyes to many things about my children's learning experiences. William is very compliant and listens well to his teacher in Zoom class. He has a stellar internal clock and knows when he needs to be logged in without me saying much. He is fairly independent. BUT, he isn't challenged very much and when things are easy he tends to not care or try harder than the bare minimum. Trying seems like work. We need to exercise that muscle! Stephen would not do well in a distance learning environment... so praying we get this figured out by next Fall when he starts Kindergarten! He learns by active playing. He has learned a lot this year -- from watching/listening to William, from playing games, and putting up with mom's attempt to teach.

My diet plummeted as I was home all day and found myself snacking because there was nothing else to do. On the other hand, with Chris working from home since March, I started walking again each morning and in August started running a bit too. 

I did keep up with my Bible reading plan! Up until December when I switched over to the She Reads Truth Advent book - which is still scripture everyday, just not the plan I had been following. So, that goal was met! So thankful for the quieter pace to keep that a priority this year.

And the kids still refuse to eat what I make. Or rather, William flat out refuses. Stephen will try it. It is hit or miss if he eats it all or requests something else. Breaking this habit of mine/theirs has been harder than I had expected.

Other highlights from this year were:

- In February, Chris's parents took us (without the kids -- Thanks Kate for watching them!) to Napa for a weekend. We toured a few lovely vineyards and had a great time together. Then they spent a few days in the city with us so the boys could see them. It was so fun. And looking back, it is so fortunate that this happened when it did. 

- Stephen turning 4 in May, growing in speech, abilities, and cuteness all the time. William turned 7 in October; he is loosing teeth, growing taller, becoming a quick thinker and figuring out what respect/disrespect is.

- We enjoyed more nature this summer with beach trips, park hikes, and renting a row boat one morning. The boys also got better at biking! We've done one family bike day in Golden Gate Park, but otherwise Chris takes the boys and I get some stuff done at home.

 - Putting finishing touches on our home. Still many things left to do so maybe "finishing" isn't the right word... but it feels more like home now. We've been in our condo for nearly two years now! So thankful it has space for all we need to do from home these days. I also loved decorating it for Christmas.

 - Road trip to Utah to help my sister move. This is the only trip we took all year and the only time we saw my family. So grateful it happened. My sister has since then had another baby so I can't wait for when its safe to to back to meet niece (and see all of them) again.

The year wasn't a waste. We had several highlights! Plus, we loved being together as a family more. I know my boys better and they love each other more than ever before. But outside our walls, the city seems to be changing and friends have moved/are moving away. Our nation is struggling to find unity and do the right thing. There is division on so many levels. There is a heaviness from this year that will linger for a while I'm sure. So, while we had highlights and many blessings to be thankful for, we are grieving too.

That's all for 2020. Wishing you a very Happy New Year filled with HOPE, LOVE, and FAITH.

Christmas Time in the Year of a Pandemic

 

Merry Christmas from the Babiaks!

We hope you found a way to make this Christmas season special. Maybe the quieter holiday allowed for more reflection, more prayer, more thankfulness for Christ's birth than ever before. 

This year has provided a multitude of challenges for every single one of you, my dear readers, as well as my own family. Some of you have lost loved ones, jobs, and friendships. And those losses are strongly felt during this holiday. I mourn with you. 

Virtual life - school, work, MOPS group, playdates, church meetings, etc have taken over our normal social/communal style of living. We aren't running around seeing our friends or racing to the next thing. We're at home. With our children. All the time. Our calendars contain links to Zoom calls, but little else. 

So, for us this Christmas, as we stay at home (yes, we canceled our trip to Texas) we are making space for Christ's birth to touch us deeply. Making time to be in the moment with our children (and each other). And I hope you can pause a bit to do the same.

Our Advent craft countdown with the boys is finished!

Some things I've enjoyed doing this month to help prepare my heart for Christmas:
 - She Reads Truth Advent Reading Plan & Podcast
 - Truth in the Tinsel Advent Reading/Crafts with the kids
 - That Sounds Fun Podcast by Annie F. Downs
 - Noel by Chris Tomlin & Lauren Daigle
 - The Lazy Genius Podcast Episode #189

May you have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Praying 2021 brings something amazing your way.

 

Merry Christmas from the Babiaks!

We hope you found a way to make this Christmas season special. Maybe the quieter holiday allowed for more reflection, more prayer, more thankfulness for Christ's birth than ever before. 

This year has provided a multitude of challenges for every single one of you, my dear readers, as well as my own family. Some of you have lost loved ones, jobs, and friendships. And those losses are strongly felt during this holiday. I mourn with you. 

Virtual life - school, work, MOPS group, playdates, church meetings, etc have taken over our normal social/communal style of living. We aren't running around seeing our friends or racing to the next thing. We're at home. With our children. All the time. Our calendars contain links to Zoom calls, but little else. 

So, for us this Christmas, as we stay at home (yes, we canceled our trip to Texas) we are making space for Christ's birth to touch us deeply. Making time to be in the moment with our children (and each other). And I hope you can pause a bit to do the same.

Our Advent craft countdown with the boys is finished!

Some things I've enjoyed doing this month to help prepare my heart for Christmas:
 - She Reads Truth Advent Reading Plan & Podcast
 - Truth in the Tinsel Advent Reading/Crafts with the kids
 - That Sounds Fun Podcast by Annie F. Downs
 - Noel by Chris Tomlin & Lauren Daigle
 - The Lazy Genius Podcast Episode #189

May you have a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. Praying 2021 brings something amazing your way.

A Quilt for my Niece

My sister Molly had her fourth child in mid November. Which means I got to make another quilt this winter. I had so much fun making the one last December for my nephew I decided to use the same pattern and make a similar one for sweet Johanna Monet. 

With all the Covid-19 restrictions, I'd only been to the craft store once this year. So it felt a little surreal and somewhat indulgent to walk into Jo-Ann Fabrics right before the holidays. And yes, I used the opportunity to stock up on a few holiday projects as well. But this is about the quilt!

I had originally intended to go with a red color scheme, but couldn't find exactly what I envisioned. Then my eyes landed on this floral/butterfly blue fabric and I fell in love with it. It took some hunting for coordinating fabrics and patterns but I did it! So, here it is:

I couldn't find anything orange that I loved at the store, but I knew I had two orange fabrics from previous projects. This orange square with the circles is from a quilt made over seven years ago. Glad I had a stash -- and even more glad to get to use it!

With our slower than normal life style these days, this quilt came together very quickly. It still took me several days, but with Chris's help with the boys, it wasn't hard to find the time. I really enjoyed making this one and am very pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully Johanna will have it for years to come!

My sister Molly had her fourth child in mid November. Which means I got to make another quilt this winter. I had so much fun making the one last December for my nephew I decided to use the same pattern and make a similar one for sweet Johanna Monet. 

With all the Covid-19 restrictions, I'd only been to the craft store once this year. So it felt a little surreal and somewhat indulgent to walk into Jo-Ann Fabrics right before the holidays. And yes, I used the opportunity to stock up on a few holiday projects as well. But this is about the quilt!

I had originally intended to go with a red color scheme, but couldn't find exactly what I envisioned. Then my eyes landed on this floral/butterfly blue fabric and I fell in love with it. It took some hunting for coordinating fabrics and patterns but I did it! So, here it is:

I couldn't find anything orange that I loved at the store, but I knew I had two orange fabrics from previous projects. This orange square with the circles is from a quilt made over seven years ago. Glad I had a stash -- and even more glad to get to use it!

With our slower than normal life style these days, this quilt came together very quickly. It still took me several days, but with Chris's help with the boys, it wasn't hard to find the time. I really enjoyed making this one and am very pleased with how it turned out. Hopefully Johanna will have it for years to come!

Challenge Complete: Foster the Bay 6 Day Fitness Challenge

Challenge week is over! Whew! Foster the Bay hosted a 6-day fitness challenge to raise awareness and funds for their organization, which partners with churches to raise up foster families in the Bay Area. You can read why I wanted to support this organization here. Each morning of challenge week (November 16-2), I was given a fitness challenge and the reason behind it. Here's how the week looked:

Monday: The Juggle

3 reps of 20 lunges in the living room, 3 reps of 20 jumping jacks in the kitchen and 3 reps of 20 shoulder taps in the bedroom. Why? Foster families juggle appointments with social workers and therapists, family visits, school calendars, trainings and a whole myriad of other responsibilities. This challenge reflected the chaos and exhaustion that foster families face.

This one wasn't too bad - but my legs did feel it by the end!

Tuesday: Peaks & Valleys 100 burpies. Why? Every person involved in the foster care system (case workers, judges, parents, foster families and the child) experience highs and lows along the journey. I did 100 Burpies to represent and remember those ups and downs. 

I don't have a photo of the burpies, but believe me when I tell you this one was a struggle! Wow, my arms, back and legs hurt all day and the day after. But I did it. I had to break it down into smaller sets of 10 but I finished!

Wednesday: Walking Wednesday Walk for 30 minutes and pray. Why? Foster care is one of the hardest journeys one can walk through. Walk 30-minutes (or more). You could also take the time to pray for those in the foster care community! Here are a few prayer points:

• Pray for peace, hope and love for kids in foster care across the Bay Area.
• Pray for wisdom, stamina and provision for Foster Families as they care for children in the midst of a pandemic.
• Pray for creativity, generosity and perseverance for Support Friends as they seek to provide critical help to Foster Families.
• Pray for the necessary resources for the mission of Foster the Bay to continue moving forward.

My body needed this day of walking. I had a dentist appointment that morning so I walked there... showed up with a very sweaty top (oops!). I enjoyed the walk and purposeful prayer time.

Thursday: The Bag Carry/role a packed bag or suitcase around the block three times. Then do 3 reps of dead lifts, over head press or other exercise with your bag. Why? The trauma that kids in foster care experience can be complex and heartbreaking - being removed from their family of origin, shifting across multiple homes, new family dynamics, new schools and new communities. This fitness challenge is a small reminder of what these kids walk through and how important it is for us to stand beside them in this difficult season of their life.
Foster the Bay strives to provide stability for kids in foster care by providing loving and safe homes until these precious kids are reunited with their families or find their forever homes. 

This one was a little awkward. I did the workout outside so it felt weird to do bicep curls, upright rows and dead lifts with my backpack (which weighed 13 pounds). But I did it! 

Friday: The 6,000
Run 6,000 steps. Why? At any given time, there are approximately 6,000 kids in foster care in the Bay Area. These are babies, children and teens who each have a name and a story…and every one of their stories matter to God.

I go usually do a 20 minute walk 5 days a week, and I've been working on running more but this one was definitely a stretch. This is the most I've run in a long time, maybe ever. It took me a little over 45 minutes to finish with lots of walking breaks. But I stuck with it and finished! I felt really proud of myself... and a little challenged to do something like this more often.

Saturday: 429
Do a combination of different strength exercises adding up to 429 repetitions. Why?According to the national average, a foster child will stay in foster care for approximately 429 days. As we cross the finish line of our challenge today, we’re going to reflect on these difficult days when they are separated from their families.

This one looked so daunting. 429 reps? Wowzer. I thought this would take me all day, but once I started it was easier to just keep going. Here's what I did (in sets of 20 with short breaks):

60 push-ups (on my knees)

60 plank knee-to-elbow

60 squats

60 crunches

80 jumping jacks

40 lunges

49 shoulder taps

20 tricep dips

I learned a lot this week. About Foster Care and about myself and what I'm capable of. I'm not one to push myself to do a hard workout so I just assumed I couldn't do it. But this proved that I could. Chris and I have been inching our way into finding out more about fostering in the city and now more than ever it's something I want to pursue. It's intimidating, just like these workouts were, but the purpose behind it and the child it impacts are too important to ignore.

I didn't reach my goal of $1000 (yet!), but I'm so proud of how much good we did! Thank you to all those that give. We raised $650!

If you are interested in donating, here's how:

Online Payment Page: 
https://pushpay.com/g/echochurchfosterthebay 
(Choose FTB 6-day Challenge from drop down and put my name in the comment line)
Mail a Check: Foster the Bay; 1172 Murphy Ave., Ste. 130; San Jose, CA 95131

Challenge week is over! Whew! Foster the Bay hosted a 6-day fitness challenge to raise awareness and funds for their organization, which partners with churches to raise up foster families in the Bay Area. You can read why I wanted to support this organization here. Each morning of challenge week (November 16-2), I was given a fitness challenge and the reason behind it. Here's how the week looked:

Monday: The Juggle

3 reps of 20 lunges in the living room, 3 reps of 20 jumping jacks in the kitchen and 3 reps of 20 shoulder taps in the bedroom. Why? Foster families juggle appointments with social workers and therapists, family visits, school calendars, trainings and a whole myriad of other responsibilities. This challenge reflected the chaos and exhaustion that foster families face.

This one wasn't too bad - but my legs did feel it by the end!

Tuesday: Peaks & Valleys 100 burpies. Why? Every person involved in the foster care system (case workers, judges, parents, foster families and the child) experience highs and lows along the journey. I did 100 Burpies to represent and remember those ups and downs. 

I don't have a photo of the burpies, but believe me when I tell you this one was a struggle! Wow, my arms, back and legs hurt all day and the day after. But I did it. I had to break it down into smaller sets of 10 but I finished!

Wednesday: Walking Wednesday Walk for 30 minutes and pray. Why? Foster care is one of the hardest journeys one can walk through. Walk 30-minutes (or more). You could also take the time to pray for those in the foster care community! Here are a few prayer points:

• Pray for peace, hope and love for kids in foster care across the Bay Area.
• Pray for wisdom, stamina and provision for Foster Families as they care for children in the midst of a pandemic.
• Pray for creativity, generosity and perseverance for Support Friends as they seek to provide critical help to Foster Families.
• Pray for the necessary resources for the mission of Foster the Bay to continue moving forward.

My body needed this day of walking. I had a dentist appointment that morning so I walked there... showed up with a very sweaty top (oops!). I enjoyed the walk and purposeful prayer time.

Thursday: The Bag Carry/role a packed bag or suitcase around the block three times. Then do 3 reps of dead lifts, over head press or other exercise with your bag. Why? The trauma that kids in foster care experience can be complex and heartbreaking - being removed from their family of origin, shifting across multiple homes, new family dynamics, new schools and new communities. This fitness challenge is a small reminder of what these kids walk through and how important it is for us to stand beside them in this difficult season of their life.
Foster the Bay strives to provide stability for kids in foster care by providing loving and safe homes until these precious kids are reunited with their families or find their forever homes. 

This one was a little awkward. I did the workout outside so it felt weird to do bicep curls, upright rows and dead lifts with my backpack (which weighed 13 pounds). But I did it! 

Friday: The 6,000
Run 6,000 steps. Why? At any given time, there are approximately 6,000 kids in foster care in the Bay Area. These are babies, children and teens who each have a name and a story…and every one of their stories matter to God.

I go usually do a 20 minute walk 5 days a week, and I've been working on running more but this one was definitely a stretch. This is the most I've run in a long time, maybe ever. It took me a little over 45 minutes to finish with lots of walking breaks. But I stuck with it and finished! I felt really proud of myself... and a little challenged to do something like this more often.

Saturday: 429
Do a combination of different strength exercises adding up to 429 repetitions. Why?According to the national average, a foster child will stay in foster care for approximately 429 days. As we cross the finish line of our challenge today, we’re going to reflect on these difficult days when they are separated from their families.

This one looked so daunting. 429 reps? Wowzer. I thought this would take me all day, but once I started it was easier to just keep going. Here's what I did (in sets of 20 with short breaks):

60 push-ups (on my knees)

60 plank knee-to-elbow

60 squats

60 crunches

80 jumping jacks

40 lunges

49 shoulder taps

20 tricep dips

I learned a lot this week. About Foster Care and about myself and what I'm capable of. I'm not one to push myself to do a hard workout so I just assumed I couldn't do it. But this proved that I could. Chris and I have been inching our way into finding out more about fostering in the city and now more than ever it's something I want to pursue. It's intimidating, just like these workouts were, but the purpose behind it and the child it impacts are too important to ignore.

I didn't reach my goal of $1000 (yet!), but I'm so proud of how much good we did! Thank you to all those that give. We raised $650!

If you are interested in donating, here's how:

Online Payment Page: 
https://pushpay.com/g/echochurchfosterthebay 
(Choose FTB 6-day Challenge from drop down and put my name in the comment line)
Mail a Check: Foster the Bay; 1172 Murphy Ave., Ste. 130; San Jose, CA 95131

Challenge Accepted: Foster the Bay Fundraiser

In 15 days I will begin a six-day fitness challenge to spread awareness and raise funds for an organization I have come to really care about. Foster the Bay is a nonprofit working to increase the number of foster homes available in the 10 counties that make up the Bay Area. They do this by partnering with churches, raising awareness of the need for homes, providing support and walking with families as they enter into this new endeavor and they also work with these churches to build support networks so these families are not doing it all alone. These support networks help gather necessary supplies (cribs, mattresses, clothing, etc) for new placements as well as bring meals, babysit, provide needed breaks and support. 

I heard about this organization through a couple at our church when they first started looking into fostering; then I found myself going to an interest meeting last year and feeling my heart strings being pulled to help in some shape or form. We invited the organization to speak at our MOPS group and share their vision and heart for foster kids, and this summer Chris and I attended their virtual fundraising gala. 

I have several friends from college who have fostered children and eventually adopted; my brother-in-law and his wife are also raising a foster daughter. I've wanted to be a part of caring for kids in tough places for a long time and I love that I get to watch others actually do it. I'm praying that someday we will be in a place to love and care for child in this way. 

But until then, I'm doing what I can. And that is bringing this to your attention. 

There are 6,000 children in the Bay Area in the foster care system. One of the biggest concerns is that there aren't enough foster homes in the area to keep these kids in their counties. So they end up being moved farther away and uprooted from their city, their schools, and nothing is familiar anymore. All of this (including being taken from their parent or moved from one home to another) is really traumatic for these children.  We can help. We can raise funds for this organization to reach more churches, more families that have a heart to help children to have safe and loving home and we can pray.

Would you consider sponsoring me on this challenge? I'm 25% to my goal already, so I know we can make it the $1000 mark in 2 weeks time! I have no idea what the fitness challenge will include, so stay tuned. I'll share more the week of November 16-21!

There are 3 ways to give:

Facebook Donation: 
https://www.facebook.com/donate/792093014680769/
Online Payment Page: 
https://pushpay.com/g/echochurchfosterthebay 
(Choose FTB 6-day Challenge from drop down and put my name in the comment line)
Mail a Check: Foster the Bay; 1172 Murphy Ave., Ste. 130; San Jose, CA 95131

Thank you!

In 15 days I will begin a six-day fitness challenge to spread awareness and raise funds for an organization I have come to really care about. Foster the Bay is a nonprofit working to increase the number of foster homes available in the 10 counties that make up the Bay Area. They do this by partnering with churches, raising awareness of the need for homes, providing support and walking with families as they enter into this new endeavor and they also work with these churches to build support networks so these families are not doing it all alone. These support networks help gather necessary supplies (cribs, mattresses, clothing, etc) for new placements as well as bring meals, babysit, provide needed breaks and support. 

I heard about this organization through a couple at our church when they first started looking into fostering; then I found myself going to an interest meeting last year and feeling my heart strings being pulled to help in some shape or form. We invited the organization to speak at our MOPS group and share their vision and heart for foster kids, and this summer Chris and I attended their virtual fundraising gala. 

I have several friends from college who have fostered children and eventually adopted; my brother-in-law and his wife are also raising a foster daughter. I've wanted to be a part of caring for kids in tough places for a long time and I love that I get to watch others actually do it. I'm praying that someday we will be in a place to love and care for child in this way. 

But until then, I'm doing what I can. And that is bringing this to your attention. 

There are 6,000 children in the Bay Area in the foster care system. One of the biggest concerns is that there aren't enough foster homes in the area to keep these kids in their counties. So they end up being moved farther away and uprooted from their city, their schools, and nothing is familiar anymore. All of this (including being taken from their parent or moved from one home to another) is really traumatic for these children.  We can help. We can raise funds for this organization to reach more churches, more families that have a heart to help children to have safe and loving home and we can pray.

Would you consider sponsoring me on this challenge? I'm 25% to my goal already, so I know we can make it the $1000 mark in 2 weeks time! I have no idea what the fitness challenge will include, so stay tuned. I'll share more the week of November 16-21!

There are 3 ways to give:

Facebook Donation: 
https://www.facebook.com/donate/792093014680769/
Online Payment Page: 
https://pushpay.com/g/echochurchfosterthebay 
(Choose FTB 6-day Challenge from drop down and put my name in the comment line)
Mail a Check: Foster the Bay; 1172 Murphy Ave., Ste. 130; San Jose, CA 95131

Thank you!

Decorating Attempt: Couch Pillows

I have found myself being inspired by author Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester over the past few years.  I discovered her website and book, Cozy Minimalist a couple of years ago when I was desperate to purge and think more minimalistic with my home. She has a very warm style and is very intentional in how she decorates her home -- yes she decorates even though she believes in having minimal stuff. Now, I have a long way to go before my home even remotely resembles her's (it never will...), but I loved the way she talked about using texture and color to compliment her home instead of clutter it. 

I recently heard her being interviewed on the That Sounds Fun Podcast with Annie F. Downs. They were talking about the top three things to have in any home to make it feel welcoming and cozy. I believe they were 1) rugs 2) curtains and 3) pillows. 

One of the first things we purchased when we moved into the condo was rugs, mostly because we had laminate flooring, children and neighbors. We desperately needed to reduce the noise! So we have a large rug and two runners in our upstairs hallway/living room. They all match with the same whimsical teal, blue, beige pattern . . . because I couldn't comprehend how to match rugs and runners any other way. And then we purchased our couches which are grey. And this is what it looked like for a long time:

We have a loveseat and couch and it came with four pillows that matched the fabric of the couch and one more decorative pillow seen above. Hearing the podcast recently reminded me about using colors and textures to decorate for seasonal changes. With Fall approaching I was compelled to make a change. And the pillows were an easy way to do it. I didn't even buy new pillows, I just bought new covers. And being this was my first attempt at really decorating I went on the cheap side because I had so much doubt about what I was doing... and even things like pillow covers can add up quickly!

I purchased two teal covers (which ended up being more shiny than I had anticipated, but match the rug fairly well), and two cream, pom-pom, corduroy-like fabric covers to bring in a bit more texture and warmth, and then one smaller orange frilly cover for a Fall accent.  It looks so different, right?!

I intend to keep the teal covers on year-round and I might keep the cream ones on too but to me they feel more Fall/Winter. So, I'm going to keep my eyes out for something else for Spring/Summer. But can hold off until I find something I really love. The orange covers will be transitioned to other covers as the seasons change too, but it was really fun to try something a little "out there" for me. 

We still have to tackle the idea of curtains which is fairly daunting to me. But slowly our space is coming together. 

I have found myself being inspired by author Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester over the past few years.  I discovered her website and book, Cozy Minimalist a couple of years ago when I was desperate to purge and think more minimalistic with my home. She has a very warm style and is very intentional in how she decorates her home -- yes she decorates even though she believes in having minimal stuff. Now, I have a long way to go before my home even remotely resembles her's (it never will...), but I loved the way she talked about using texture and color to compliment her home instead of clutter it. 

I recently heard her being interviewed on the That Sounds Fun Podcast with Annie F. Downs. They were talking about the top three things to have in any home to make it feel welcoming and cozy. I believe they were 1) rugs 2) curtains and 3) pillows. 

One of the first things we purchased when we moved into the condo was rugs, mostly because we had laminate flooring, children and neighbors. We desperately needed to reduce the noise! So we have a large rug and two runners in our upstairs hallway/living room. They all match with the same whimsical teal, blue, beige pattern . . . because I couldn't comprehend how to match rugs and runners any other way. And then we purchased our couches which are grey. And this is what it looked like for a long time:

We have a loveseat and couch and it came with four pillows that matched the fabric of the couch and one more decorative pillow seen above. Hearing the podcast recently reminded me about using colors and textures to decorate for seasonal changes. With Fall approaching I was compelled to make a change. And the pillows were an easy way to do it. I didn't even buy new pillows, I just bought new covers. And being this was my first attempt at really decorating I went on the cheap side because I had so much doubt about what I was doing... and even things like pillow covers can add up quickly!

I purchased two teal covers (which ended up being more shiny than I had anticipated, but match the rug fairly well), and two cream, pom-pom, corduroy-like fabric covers to bring in a bit more texture and warmth, and then one smaller orange frilly cover for a Fall accent.  It looks so different, right?!

I intend to keep the teal covers on year-round and I might keep the cream ones on too but to me they feel more Fall/Winter. So, I'm going to keep my eyes out for something else for Spring/Summer. But can hold off until I find something I really love. The orange covers will be transitioned to other covers as the seasons change too, but it was really fun to try something a little "out there" for me. 

We still have to tackle the idea of curtains which is fairly daunting to me. But slowly our space is coming together. 

Book Review: Too Much and Never Enough

It has been a while since I've written a book review here. I've been reading a lot and blogging less. I hope to add more in the coming weeks. But this was worth writing about. This week, I read "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" by Mary L. Trump. 

I had not been very aware at all of President Trump's past so when I heard about this book I was intrigued. Our childhood stories have so much to do with how we handle our current relationships and how we see life. Mary L. Trump is Donald Trump's niece and a psychologist so she carries some unique perspectives to his childhood and how that created the man we see today. I will say that the bias she carries as the daughter of Freddy Trump who died young and was seemingly the black sheep of the family is highlighted throughout her writing, but the relationship between brothers does reveal a lot about President Trump's character.

I jokingly told Chris, "If you need motivation to be a good parent (showing empathy and being present for your kids), read this!" Meaning it tells the story of what can happen when both parents are absent (physically, emotionally or mentally). Also, how dangerous it is to have a "favorite" or compare your children to each other.

Fred Trump didn't like what he saw in his son Freddy; he only spoke critically, offering no praise or support. Donald watched this and quickly learned how to be "the best" and ignore anyone who said otherwise. Although several years younger than Freddy, Donald saw himself as better than Freddy from early on. And very quickly became is father's favorite. 

The book goes on to describe how Fred ignored behavioral issues and essentially encouraged Donald to bully others to get what he wanted. His whole family believed that Donald got what he wanted, so there was no reason to stir the pot or disagree. And in his current role, he has surrounded himself with people who will agree with him or risk being fired for challenging him. He has been this way since childhood.

I was also shocked (and outraged) by how many millions of dollars he has lost in his business and how his father kept bailing him out. How banks supported his failing businesses because of the publicity it brought them with the Trump name. And how he and his family have gotten away with tax evasion for decades. And he sees nothing wrong with that. 

I wish no disrespect for our President; there are certainly things I wish would have been handled differently. Knowing his story (albeit from someone else's perspective) helps paint the bigger picture of why he makes the choices he makes. I will continue to pray for the decisions on his shoulders and that he would see those around him as equal, valuable humans. I wish his father would have seen his children that way.

It has been a while since I've written a book review here. I've been reading a lot and blogging less. I hope to add more in the coming weeks. But this was worth writing about. This week, I read "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" by Mary L. Trump. 

I had not been very aware at all of President Trump's past so when I heard about this book I was intrigued. Our childhood stories have so much to do with how we handle our current relationships and how we see life. Mary L. Trump is Donald Trump's niece and a psychologist so she carries some unique perspectives to his childhood and how that created the man we see today. I will say that the bias she carries as the daughter of Freddy Trump who died young and was seemingly the black sheep of the family is highlighted throughout her writing, but the relationship between brothers does reveal a lot about President Trump's character.

I jokingly told Chris, "If you need motivation to be a good parent (showing empathy and being present for your kids), read this!" Meaning it tells the story of what can happen when both parents are absent (physically, emotionally or mentally). Also, how dangerous it is to have a "favorite" or compare your children to each other.

Fred Trump didn't like what he saw in his son Freddy; he only spoke critically, offering no praise or support. Donald watched this and quickly learned how to be "the best" and ignore anyone who said otherwise. Although several years younger than Freddy, Donald saw himself as better than Freddy from early on. And very quickly became is father's favorite. 

The book goes on to describe how Fred ignored behavioral issues and essentially encouraged Donald to bully others to get what he wanted. His whole family believed that Donald got what he wanted, so there was no reason to stir the pot or disagree. And in his current role, he has surrounded himself with people who will agree with him or risk being fired for challenging him. He has been this way since childhood.

I was also shocked (and outraged) by how many millions of dollars he has lost in his business and how his father kept bailing him out. How banks supported his failing businesses because of the publicity it brought them with the Trump name. And how he and his family have gotten away with tax evasion for decades. And he sees nothing wrong with that. 

I wish no disrespect for our President; there are certainly things I wish would have been handled differently. Knowing his story (albeit from someone else's perspective) helps paint the bigger picture of why he makes the choices he makes. I will continue to pray for the decisions on his shoulders and that he would see those around him as equal, valuable humans. I wish his father would have seen his children that way.

Big Boy: 7 years old

My first born turned seven this today. I can't even begin to describe how crazy this is to me. So much has happened in seven years. He has grown and changed so much since that first day I held him. This 7th birthday was unique as are all the birthdays celebrated during the pandemic. Parties and plans have been canceled for everyone. But William was not going to let this dampen his excitement about his birthday. He declared months ago that we would be having a Pokemon party - just for the four of us.

And so on Saturday, we put up a homemade Pokemon birthday banner (thanks to the help of a Cricut a friend let me borrow) and watched the Pokemon Movie and ate a Pokemon cake with ice cream. We let him open one present early and held off on the rest until his actual birthday. (So this morning at 7:30 a.m. he opened the rest!) And at the end of the day he was so happy and felt so loved. Just as he should on his special day. 

He requested the candles be the flame that come out of Charizard's mouth.

William is growing as fast as ever. The jeans I bought six months ago are now getting to too short. He is now 52 inches tall and 53 pounds. His feet look huge. I've been saying these things for 7 years . . . and I'm sure I'll be saying them for another decade. He isn't going to stop growing anytime soon.

William loves legos, Pokemon, and duplos. He loves being read to. Throughout sheltering in place, we have been reading books by Geronimo Stilton, about a mouse solving mysteries. And since the library has reopened (for curbside pickup) we have been reading new ones nonstop. Thankfully Stephen likes them too! His favorite shows are Wild Kratts and DinoTrucks. And our newest "toy" has been letting the boys pay video games with Dad - MarioKart is a favorite now.

He has been doing first grade virtually for the last six weeks and although he doesn't love it (or even like it slightly), he does participate without too much fuss. When the zoom classes run long he gets upset and asks to leave early. And he doesn't like showing up for the class before the teacher. He is very prompt on his own and I barely have to remind him to "go to class." He learning a lot about responsibility this year - signing in to his zoom class on his own and deciding when he wants to do his homework. There aren't any forgotten lunches or homework left at home right now. He misses recess and seeing his friends in person. He was so looking forward to playing soccer with his class (and beating the new kindergarteners). That will have to wait. Still no word on when they can go back to in-person learning. 

During this season of being home so much more than we are used to, we've added a few chores to William's list. He is now big enough to take out the trash which we give a "commission" for. He was so interested in earning more money that we even had him washing dishes, but his interest was very short lived with that one. And the level of cleanliness we expect in the bedroom has gone up a bit. 

As William gets older we are seeing him explore boundaries and experience bigger emotions. When he was young, he was fairly compliant and went with the flow. Now, he is very willing to put up a fight to get his own way and complain when it doesn't happen. He tends to show a bit of anxiety when we are running late or things are uncertain. I'm seeing more of myself come out of him all the time in this area. He also has new fears of spiders, fires and death that lead to long conversations and prayers.

Pandemic life and fire season have certainly changed our year. And he is old enough to know that things aren't quite right. Thankfully he handles it like a champ most of the time. 

My first born turned seven this today. I can't even begin to describe how crazy this is to me. So much has happened in seven years. He has grown and changed so much since that first day I held him. This 7th birthday was unique as are all the birthdays celebrated during the pandemic. Parties and plans have been canceled for everyone. But William was not going to let this dampen his excitement about his birthday. He declared months ago that we would be having a Pokemon party - just for the four of us.

And so on Saturday, we put up a homemade Pokemon birthday banner (thanks to the help of a Cricut a friend let me borrow) and watched the Pokemon Movie and ate a Pokemon cake with ice cream. We let him open one present early and held off on the rest until his actual birthday. (So this morning at 7:30 a.m. he opened the rest!) And at the end of the day he was so happy and felt so loved. Just as he should on his special day. 

He requested the candles be the flame that come out of Charizard's mouth.

William is growing as fast as ever. The jeans I bought six months ago are now getting to too short. He is now 52 inches tall and 53 pounds. His feet look huge. I've been saying these things for 7 years . . . and I'm sure I'll be saying them for another decade. He isn't going to stop growing anytime soon.

William loves legos, Pokemon, and duplos. He loves being read to. Throughout sheltering in place, we have been reading books by Geronimo Stilton, about a mouse solving mysteries. And since the library has reopened (for curbside pickup) we have been reading new ones nonstop. Thankfully Stephen likes them too! His favorite shows are Wild Kratts and DinoTrucks. And our newest "toy" has been letting the boys pay video games with Dad - MarioKart is a favorite now.

He has been doing first grade virtually for the last six weeks and although he doesn't love it (or even like it slightly), he does participate without too much fuss. When the zoom classes run long he gets upset and asks to leave early. And he doesn't like showing up for the class before the teacher. He is very prompt on his own and I barely have to remind him to "go to class." He learning a lot about responsibility this year - signing in to his zoom class on his own and deciding when he wants to do his homework. There aren't any forgotten lunches or homework left at home right now. He misses recess and seeing his friends in person. He was so looking forward to playing soccer with his class (and beating the new kindergarteners). That will have to wait. Still no word on when they can go back to in-person learning. 

During this season of being home so much more than we are used to, we've added a few chores to William's list. He is now big enough to take out the trash which we give a "commission" for. He was so interested in earning more money that we even had him washing dishes, but his interest was very short lived with that one. And the level of cleanliness we expect in the bedroom has gone up a bit. 

As William gets older we are seeing him explore boundaries and experience bigger emotions. When he was young, he was fairly compliant and went with the flow. Now, he is very willing to put up a fight to get his own way and complain when it doesn't happen. He tends to show a bit of anxiety when we are running late or things are uncertain. I'm seeing more of myself come out of him all the time in this area. He also has new fears of spiders, fires and death that lead to long conversations and prayers.

Pandemic life and fire season have certainly changed our year. And he is old enough to know that things aren't quite right. Thankfully he handles it like a champ most of the time. 

Distance Learning: First Week Done

 William started First Grade this week. It was not at all how we intended our son to experience school but with Covid-19 infecting every area of life since March, distance learning is how it needs to be. Six weeks ago we attended a virtual town hall meeting with our school district. It became very apparent from that conversation that I had two choices: 1) expect the district, our school and William's teacher to create and execute an actual distance learning plan and be able to teach my son in Spanish (He's in an Immersion school) better than what happened in the Spring; or 2) Take on the job myself and homeschool him (forgetting about the language, since I don't speak Spanish).

We discussed both options and prayed about it and we kept coming to the conclusion that it would be better to ride this out with the support of the school and keep him at least somewhat exposed to Spanish so when in-person classes became an option he could still attend and not be completely behind in the language. We have been working on math and reading over the summer so we don't have any real concerns of being behind in those subjects if distance learning is a flop.

So, how did the first week go? It was interesting. The first grade teacher seems to be very experienced and I can tell she did her work this summer to make online class doable for six and seven year olds. She started things off very easy -- Just one zoom call a day and three assignments that had the kids drawing, writing and reading. Even with that little of an expectation, William still struggled with motivation to do the work. He didn't fight me on the zoom calls, but was never really looking forward to them. 

Our quiet corner was converted to a school corner using my old standing desk. We hope to get him a better desk soon, but this actually works quite well.

 Things William learned this week include: how to use a touch-screen chromebook (provided by the district) and login to his zoom call and use a new program called seesaw. If I let him, he can do all of these things on his own. I was impressed with the way they had set up the computers so this could happen! He met his teacher and found out who was in his class. 

Next week they'll add a couple more zoom calls and make the school day a bit longer. The end goal is that he'll have school from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with several breaks for at-home work/projects and lunch, but they're working up that slowly. That is a bit longer of a day than I was planning, but hopefully we'll still have time for getting outside, distance playdates, and free play. 

But the really crazy part of our week was what was going on outside. A heatwave hit last week bringing the temperatures up to 100 degrees. We hit the beaches several times and enjoyed the feeling of an actual summer. I can't tell you what it was like to stand in the water, watching my kids splash in the waves, running free and realizing how trapped I had felt most of the summer. All our plans had changed. We stayed home except for the essential trips to the grocery store and the daily excursion to the park. There was very little that felt free. And here I was, watching my kids jump, run, and laugh as free as the birds. It filled me up.

On Sunday night, we had our first thunderstorm in years. Lightening filled the sky throughout the night and into the next day. 

Monday was such a weird, gloomy day. 

Tuesday was hot and sunny so that afternoon we headed to the beach and relived the freedom we experienced on Saturday. It was the most perfect day. 

Then we woke up on Wednesday and saw a red sun and a foggy sky. Fires. There were fires on all sides of the bay. The air was thick with smoke and ash. Everyone started checking air quality reports. 

So, with the exception of a short playdate outside with a friend on Thursday, we have been inside our home, once again feeling stuck with nothing to do. Not at all how I expected this first week of school to go.

And William lost a tooth! 

 William started First Grade this week. It was not at all how we intended our son to experience school but with Covid-19 infecting every area of life since March, distance learning is how it needs to be. Six weeks ago we attended a virtual town hall meeting with our school district. It became very apparent from that conversation that I had two choices: 1) expect the district, our school and William's teacher to create and execute an actual distance learning plan and be able to teach my son in Spanish (He's in an Immersion school) better than what happened in the Spring; or 2) Take on the job myself and homeschool him (forgetting about the language, since I don't speak Spanish).

We discussed both options and prayed about it and we kept coming to the conclusion that it would be better to ride this out with the support of the school and keep him at least somewhat exposed to Spanish so when in-person classes became an option he could still attend and not be completely behind in the language. We have been working on math and reading over the summer so we don't have any real concerns of being behind in those subjects if distance learning is a flop.

So, how did the first week go? It was interesting. The first grade teacher seems to be very experienced and I can tell she did her work this summer to make online class doable for six and seven year olds. She started things off very easy -- Just one zoom call a day and three assignments that had the kids drawing, writing and reading. Even with that little of an expectation, William still struggled with motivation to do the work. He didn't fight me on the zoom calls, but was never really looking forward to them. 

Our quiet corner was converted to a school corner using my old standing desk. We hope to get him a better desk soon, but this actually works quite well.

 Things William learned this week include: how to use a touch-screen chromebook (provided by the district) and login to his zoom call and use a new program called seesaw. If I let him, he can do all of these things on his own. I was impressed with the way they had set up the computers so this could happen! He met his teacher and found out who was in his class. 

Next week they'll add a couple more zoom calls and make the school day a bit longer. The end goal is that he'll have school from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with several breaks for at-home work/projects and lunch, but they're working up that slowly. That is a bit longer of a day than I was planning, but hopefully we'll still have time for getting outside, distance playdates, and free play. 

But the really crazy part of our week was what was going on outside. A heatwave hit last week bringing the temperatures up to 100 degrees. We hit the beaches several times and enjoyed the feeling of an actual summer. I can't tell you what it was like to stand in the water, watching my kids splash in the waves, running free and realizing how trapped I had felt most of the summer. All our plans had changed. We stayed home except for the essential trips to the grocery store and the daily excursion to the park. There was very little that felt free. And here I was, watching my kids jump, run, and laugh as free as the birds. It filled me up.

On Sunday night, we had our first thunderstorm in years. Lightening filled the sky throughout the night and into the next day. 

Monday was such a weird, gloomy day. 

Tuesday was hot and sunny so that afternoon we headed to the beach and relived the freedom we experienced on Saturday. It was the most perfect day. 

Then we woke up on Wednesday and saw a red sun and a foggy sky. Fires. There were fires on all sides of the bay. The air was thick with smoke and ash. Everyone started checking air quality reports. 

So, with the exception of a short playdate outside with a friend on Thursday, we have been inside our home, once again feeling stuck with nothing to do. Not at all how I expected this first week of school to go.

And William lost a tooth! 

Our Week in Utah

After making the difficult decision to cancel our flight to Minnesota this summer we decided to make the drive to Utah to visit my sister. Turned out, my parents, sister and sister-in-law along with their three kids would also make the drive to Utah. So our family reunion still happened! (Minus my brother and brother-in-law.)

My sister Molly and her husband just bought a house so we timed our trip perfectly to help with the move (and add to the chaos they already had going on). We split up between the two homes - so everyone had a place to sleep. 

My mom and I worked on feeding everyone and watching 5 of the 8 kids. (The youngest kids stayed with their moms so they could nap without interruption.) The cousins had a wonderful time together. They played dress up, acted out Pokemon characters, played outside with a slip n' slide, water guns, soccer and a sand box, picked peaches, and chased chickens (sorry chickens). My sister also had a personal inflatable jump house so we used that nearly every day.

The other adults tended to the new house -- patching, sanding, painting walls and crown molding and adding ship-lap to the ceiling. My dad and Chris also spent a lot of time working on the back yard. The last day together we got the moving truck to move the large furniture pieces and last of the boxes over to the new house. We didn't get to really help them settle in, but they did get a couple big projects done to make their house feel more like their own.

Most days were hot; the temp ranged from 96-104 while we were there. That made us limit our outside time quite a bit, but the evenings were amazing. After dinner we headed outside with the kids for ball play. My niece and I had a great time being silly with a giant exercise ball. 

One of the highlights was getting to meet my newest nephew, Grayson. He was just shy of 8 months old when I got to hold him for the first time. He is such a happy little boy but somehow still capable of giving my sister grief with sleeping and eating. I attempted to give my sister some help in this area and rocked him to sleep . . . but I couldn't get him to stay asleep unless I held him, so I did. I held this little man for nearly an hour and cherished every minute of it. 

The week went by fast and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye. I was very hesitant about this trip before we left because of Covid-19 and all the risks that it posed in traveling and being in the same house with my entire family. But the week together was a blessing. After 4 months of not being with any people, spending 7 days with my people was amazing. 

There were hugs, and closeness and masks were only worn when we were out in public places. It was so freeing. My boys hadn't played with anyone in close proximity since shelter in place began (other than each other, of course) and you could just see how much they needed this time with cousins. How much they explored, played and were just being together was so sweet. A burden lifted for a time.

The boys did a great job on the road too. It was a 12 hour drive and thankfully we hit very little traffic and our stops were brief that we made it there and back with relative ease. The boys loved watching a few TV shows (Octonauts) and movies (Lego Movie, Zootopia, and Toy Story 4) on the drive and did well with the pile of activity books I brought along too. Yes, they asked a hundred times if were close and complained a little when they couldn't get comfortable to nap; but overall, they did well. 

Our summer plans were nothing like we originally planned, but I am so grateful we had the opportunity to visit my family and help my sister. Here's hoping none of us get sick...

After making the difficult decision to cancel our flight to Minnesota this summer we decided to make the drive to Utah to visit my sister. Turned out, my parents, sister and sister-in-law along with their three kids would also make the drive to Utah. So our family reunion still happened! (Minus my brother and brother-in-law.)

My sister Molly and her husband just bought a house so we timed our trip perfectly to help with the move (and add to the chaos they already had going on). We split up between the two homes - so everyone had a place to sleep. 

My mom and I worked on feeding everyone and watching 5 of the 8 kids. (The youngest kids stayed with their moms so they could nap without interruption.) The cousins had a wonderful time together. They played dress up, acted out Pokemon characters, played outside with a slip n' slide, water guns, soccer and a sand box, picked peaches, and chased chickens (sorry chickens). My sister also had a personal inflatable jump house so we used that nearly every day.

The other adults tended to the new house -- patching, sanding, painting walls and crown molding and adding ship-lap to the ceiling. My dad and Chris also spent a lot of time working on the back yard. The last day together we got the moving truck to move the large furniture pieces and last of the boxes over to the new house. We didn't get to really help them settle in, but they did get a couple big projects done to make their house feel more like their own.

Most days were hot; the temp ranged from 96-104 while we were there. That made us limit our outside time quite a bit, but the evenings were amazing. After dinner we headed outside with the kids for ball play. My niece and I had a great time being silly with a giant exercise ball. 

One of the highlights was getting to meet my newest nephew, Grayson. He was just shy of 8 months old when I got to hold him for the first time. He is such a happy little boy but somehow still capable of giving my sister grief with sleeping and eating. I attempted to give my sister some help in this area and rocked him to sleep . . . but I couldn't get him to stay asleep unless I held him, so I did. I held this little man for nearly an hour and cherished every minute of it. 

The week went by fast and before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye. I was very hesitant about this trip before we left because of Covid-19 and all the risks that it posed in traveling and being in the same house with my entire family. But the week together was a blessing. After 4 months of not being with any people, spending 7 days with my people was amazing. 

There were hugs, and closeness and masks were only worn when we were out in public places. It was so freeing. My boys hadn't played with anyone in close proximity since shelter in place began (other than each other, of course) and you could just see how much they needed this time with cousins. How much they explored, played and were just being together was so sweet. A burden lifted for a time.

The boys did a great job on the road too. It was a 12 hour drive and thankfully we hit very little traffic and our stops were brief that we made it there and back with relative ease. The boys loved watching a few TV shows (Octonauts) and movies (Lego Movie, Zootopia, and Toy Story 4) on the drive and did well with the pile of activity books I brought along too. Yes, they asked a hundred times if were close and complained a little when they couldn't get comfortable to nap; but overall, they did well. 

Our summer plans were nothing like we originally planned, but I am so grateful we had the opportunity to visit my family and help my sister. Here's hoping none of us get sick...

Anniversary Celebration: Covid Style

"How do you want to celebrate our anniversary this year?" Chris asked me last week.

Saturday, July 11 was our 11th wedding anniversary. Typically, our anniversary is celebrated by going to a fancier restaurant, eating amazing food and having a very intentional conversation. It has been my favorite date every year.

Coronavirus has put a damper on many of our plans. I didn't want it to change our anniversary tradition, too. We talked about it all week, finally deciding that we would do take-out and eat after the boys were in bed so we could continue with our tradition of having that special conversation. And go on a family outing on Sunday morning.

First, I have to say that we've been on a paleo diet (attempting whole30) for 40 days. Our anniversary was our excuse to end the streak and so we went all out (don't worry, I'm back on it again)! We opened a bottle of wine that we got from Chris's parents. It was amazing. And I don't think that's because we hadn't had a drink in 40 days. Paradigm is one of our absolute favorites.

And then we ordered Italian food for dinner. Getting take-out after making three meals a day for 40 days in a row was an amazing gift in itself. Having it be food that I had restricted myself from was an absolute treat. It was delicious. Not pictured is the chocolate dessert we ordered. It was so rich, I couldn't even finish it!

And don't let those take out dishes disappoint you.  Not having to do dishes was part of our plan. It might not look pretty or fancy, but clean up was a breeze.

Dinner was a success, but it was the conversation and attention we gave each other that made our "date night" so special. Our anniversary dates are reserved for reflecting, dreaming, and making plans together. And this year, not even Coronavirus could take that away from us.

______ ______ ______ ______

Since the pandemic is requiring many of us to stay home, work from home and be with our partner much more than we are used to, I thought I would share how our conversation goes... perhaps you want/need to set aside a night to have an intentional conversation too.

There are three things we cover during our anniversary date (usually after our meal/catch up time)

1) Affirmation. We usually start by sharing things we've noticed and appreciate about our partner. Affirming decisions made or character traits tested in the past year. Or things like "Thank you for taking the boys to the park every Saturday so I can ______).

2) Reflecting on the year.  These could be events, trips, big moments or decisions that stand out to you. They could be favorite memories, new places you've been, or new things you've tried. Or they could be really hard moments you've lived through or changes you weren't ready for.

3) Dreaming of the future. What plans do you want to make for the coming year? What changes do you want to incorporate into your relationship? What's your dream and what do you need from your spouse to make that happen? Here is a great opportunity to set intentions for the following year -- for your marriage, career, and vacations and family life. 

Blessings.

"How do you want to celebrate our anniversary this year?" Chris asked me last week.

Saturday, July 11 was our 11th wedding anniversary. Typically, our anniversary is celebrated by going to a fancier restaurant, eating amazing food and having a very intentional conversation. It has been my favorite date every year.

Coronavirus has put a damper on many of our plans. I didn't want it to change our anniversary tradition, too. We talked about it all week, finally deciding that we would do take-out and eat after the boys were in bed so we could continue with our tradition of having that special conversation. And go on a family outing on Sunday morning.

First, I have to say that we've been on a paleo diet (attempting whole30) for 40 days. Our anniversary was our excuse to end the streak and so we went all out (don't worry, I'm back on it again)! We opened a bottle of wine that we got from Chris's parents. It was amazing. And I don't think that's because we hadn't had a drink in 40 days. Paradigm is one of our absolute favorites.

And then we ordered Italian food for dinner. Getting take-out after making three meals a day for 40 days in a row was an amazing gift in itself. Having it be food that I had restricted myself from was an absolute treat. It was delicious. Not pictured is the chocolate dessert we ordered. It was so rich, I couldn't even finish it!

And don't let those take out dishes disappoint you.  Not having to do dishes was part of our plan. It might not look pretty or fancy, but clean up was a breeze.

Dinner was a success, but it was the conversation and attention we gave each other that made our "date night" so special. Our anniversary dates are reserved for reflecting, dreaming, and making plans together. And this year, not even Coronavirus could take that away from us.

______ ______ ______ ______

Since the pandemic is requiring many of us to stay home, work from home and be with our partner much more than we are used to, I thought I would share how our conversation goes... perhaps you want/need to set aside a night to have an intentional conversation too.

There are three things we cover during our anniversary date (usually after our meal/catch up time)

1) Affirmation. We usually start by sharing things we've noticed and appreciate about our partner. Affirming decisions made or character traits tested in the past year. Or things like "Thank you for taking the boys to the park every Saturday so I can ______).

2) Reflecting on the year.  These could be events, trips, big moments or decisions that stand out to you. They could be favorite memories, new places you've been, or new things you've tried. Or they could be really hard moments you've lived through or changes you weren't ready for.

3) Dreaming of the future. What plans do you want to make for the coming year? What changes do you want to incorporate into your relationship? What's your dream and what do you need from your spouse to make that happen? Here is a great opportunity to set intentions for the following year -- for your marriage, career, and vacations and family life. 

Blessings.

Family Outing: Stow Lake

For the past three and a half months, our family outings have been fairly routine. We've taken a drive 30 minutes north, we've gone to the beach a couple of times and walked to our neighborhood parks. Many of the grand adventures we had planned for the summer had to be postponed.

We wanted to make this weekend a little more special because it was our 11th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Every time we've gone for a hike at Stow Lake the boys ask me to rent a boat, but Chris was never with us. And since we can't go on real dates right now, this family outing seemed to be the perfect idea. The weather even cooperated and we had the most beautiful morning rowing a boat.

Kind of hard to admit that we've lived here for 10 years and never thought to do this.

It was the most beautiful morning. We saw geese, ducks, turtles and even discovered statues of rats and spiders hiding near the water's edge. Other than the boys getting bored after the first 20 minutes of our hour-long rental, we had a really great time. I loved it.

* Sometimes we just forget we can take off our masks!

For the past three and a half months, our family outings have been fairly routine. We've taken a drive 30 minutes north, we've gone to the beach a couple of times and walked to our neighborhood parks. Many of the grand adventures we had planned for the summer had to be postponed.

We wanted to make this weekend a little more special because it was our 11th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Every time we've gone for a hike at Stow Lake the boys ask me to rent a boat, but Chris was never with us. And since we can't go on real dates right now, this family outing seemed to be the perfect idea. The weather even cooperated and we had the most beautiful morning rowing a boat.

Kind of hard to admit that we've lived here for 10 years and never thought to do this.

It was the most beautiful morning. We saw geese, ducks, turtles and even discovered statues of rats and spiders hiding near the water's edge. Other than the boys getting bored after the first 20 minutes of our hour-long rental, we had a really great time. I loved it.

* Sometimes we just forget we can take off our masks!

COVID-19 Whole 30: Complete

Everyone's lifestyle has changed at least in some regard, if not in every regard since mid-march. Our grocery shopping and diets went through a few phases:
1) Panic shopping: buy canned and frozen goods; stock up on essentials and favorites in case they aren't available later.
2) Drink more. Long days ended with a drink or two. Several trips to the liquor store . . . also, they deliver!
3) Add take-out to the menu once a week to support local business and give me a night off.
4) Back to normal but more comfort food: Shelves are stocked again so buy what feeds the soul. Chocolate. Crackers. Snacks for the kids (that mom likes too), etc. Sandwiches for lunch everyday. So much bread.

And then the clothes started to get tight and my gut didn't feel too great. I was tired and had low energy. Change was needed. After 2.5 months of eating poorly and not getting the normal exercise I had been accustomed to, I decided to do another round of Whole30. Chris was in, too.

And for the most part, it was awesome. Day 3-4 were terrible and hard and I was angry at everything (this is actually very normal). We ate good foods, snacked a lot less. Slept better most of the time and wasn't quite so low-energy with the kids. And I lost a couple of pounds.

I wanted to stick to it as closely as I could, but I ended up slipping a few times completely unaware until I was prepping our meal and adding an ingredient that shouldn't have been used. I use a meal planning app called CookSmarts and it's so awesome and yummy; they have a few whole30 friendly recipes and a ton of paleo options; but I hadn't read the recipe completely before choosing to buy the ingredients and make it.. so got to step 4 and realized, oops... this needs honey. Or this needs coconut aminos (which none of my go-to stores currently carry). So non-whole30 substitutes were used;  or we went with grace and used the honey. I also made an error when I bought almond butter. I didn't realize the brand I bought had sugar in it! I used it for a couple of days before deciding that it just didn't taste right and read the label.. Oops!

I also found it challenging to shop while taking Covid-19 precautions and not be able to do my normal comparisons between products - either the store only had one option or had signs up that asked customers not to touch products unless they bought them.

So, what did we eat?
Breakfast: Turkey, sweet potato egg bake with onions and bell peppers
Lunch: Salad with meat (chicken or steak), roasted sweet potato, walnuts, avocado, homemade dressing and a side of fruit
Dinner: I tried quite a few dishes. Our favorites: Egg Roll in a Bowl and Pesto Zucchini Noodles
We snacked on bananas and almond butter daily as well as mixed nuts.

I said this last time I did Whole30 and I'm going to say it again. I'm going to try and keep it up as long as I can. We have some travel plans at the end of July so if I can hang on until then, I'd be really pleased.

What have been your shopping/dieting struggles during this pandemic?

Everyone's lifestyle has changed at least in some regard, if not in every regard since mid-march. Our grocery shopping and diets went through a few phases:
1) Panic shopping: buy canned and frozen goods; stock up on essentials and favorites in case they aren't available later.
2) Drink more. Long days ended with a drink or two. Several trips to the liquor store . . . also, they deliver!
3) Add take-out to the menu once a week to support local business and give me a night off.
4) Back to normal but more comfort food: Shelves are stocked again so buy what feeds the soul. Chocolate. Crackers. Snacks for the kids (that mom likes too), etc. Sandwiches for lunch everyday. So much bread.

And then the clothes started to get tight and my gut didn't feel too great. I was tired and had low energy. Change was needed. After 2.5 months of eating poorly and not getting the normal exercise I had been accustomed to, I decided to do another round of Whole30. Chris was in, too.

And for the most part, it was awesome. Day 3-4 were terrible and hard and I was angry at everything (this is actually very normal). We ate good foods, snacked a lot less. Slept better most of the time and wasn't quite so low-energy with the kids. And I lost a couple of pounds.

I wanted to stick to it as closely as I could, but I ended up slipping a few times completely unaware until I was prepping our meal and adding an ingredient that shouldn't have been used. I use a meal planning app called CookSmarts and it's so awesome and yummy; they have a few whole30 friendly recipes and a ton of paleo options; but I hadn't read the recipe completely before choosing to buy the ingredients and make it.. so got to step 4 and realized, oops... this needs honey. Or this needs coconut aminos (which none of my go-to stores currently carry). So non-whole30 substitutes were used;  or we went with grace and used the honey. I also made an error when I bought almond butter. I didn't realize the brand I bought had sugar in it! I used it for a couple of days before deciding that it just didn't taste right and read the label.. Oops!

I also found it challenging to shop while taking Covid-19 precautions and not be able to do my normal comparisons between products - either the store only had one option or had signs up that asked customers not to touch products unless they bought them.

So, what did we eat?
Breakfast: Turkey, sweet potato egg bake with onions and bell peppers
Lunch: Salad with meat (chicken or steak), roasted sweet potato, walnuts, avocado, homemade dressing and a side of fruit
Dinner: I tried quite a few dishes. Our favorites: Egg Roll in a Bowl and Pesto Zucchini Noodles
We snacked on bananas and almond butter daily as well as mixed nuts.

I said this last time I did Whole30 and I'm going to say it again. I'm going to try and keep it up as long as I can. We have some travel plans at the end of July so if I can hang on until then, I'd be really pleased.

What have been your shopping/dieting struggles during this pandemic?

Rearranged Furniture and a Quiet Corner

I'm not sure if any of you are going through a "fix all the things" in your homes as you shelter in place... but we certainly are! Shortly after I posted the tour of my condo we decided to make some changes to our living room; we knew all along that we needed a few other things to make it complete but hadn't known just what we wanted or how it would all fit. And rearranging furniture/decorating isn't one of my strengths so it took some time. But I think we're closer!

The first thing we did was swap the TV and loveseat and move the loveseat closer so it was easier to watch movies (previously it was just a little too far from the TV). Then after weeks of online shopping we picked out a new entertainment stand. Wa-la:

This TV stand was one of our first purchases (from the Salvation Army) when we first moved into our apartment 10 years ago. bye-bye!

 By moving the loveseat we created a little nook for the boys which I was hoping would become a "quiet corner" for reading or listening to audio books. Temporarily it looked like this:

I loved that they had a place to display their art, but it wasn't cozy enough for them to hang out back there. We were also struggling with the "no jumping on the new couches" rule when shelter in place got extended. So, I DIY-ed a few "jumping pads" that could double as cushions in this corner. (Bought a giant piece of foam, cut it in half, put crib sheets on them and called it done.)

The boys love having an approved place to jump, but it has made them much more daring in finding new heights to jump from. (Eek!) Brightside: I don't have to get mad about couch jumping nearly as much. And since the cushions/pads are movable, they can go anywhere -- quiet corner, bedroom or living room. 

The last step was adding a new bookshelf. One I have wanted ever since I had a little baby. But never felt very functional. But now, in this narrow space meant for reading, I think it fits perfectly!

We will see if they want to put up their art again and how that changes the look; but functionally I think it turned out pretty nice. (Current artwork are things I had from long ago, someday I will make a big art poster for the corner... or they can make one themselves).

The whole space looks so different and I am loving it. 

I'm not sure if any of you are going through a "fix all the things" in your homes as you shelter in place... but we certainly are! Shortly after I posted the tour of my condo we decided to make some changes to our living room; we knew all along that we needed a few other things to make it complete but hadn't known just what we wanted or how it would all fit. And rearranging furniture/decorating isn't one of my strengths so it took some time. But I think we're closer!

The first thing we did was swap the TV and loveseat and move the loveseat closer so it was easier to watch movies (previously it was just a little too far from the TV). Then after weeks of online shopping we picked out a new entertainment stand. Wa-la:

This TV stand was one of our first purchases (from the Salvation Army) when we first moved into our apartment 10 years ago. bye-bye!

 By moving the loveseat we created a little nook for the boys which I was hoping would become a "quiet corner" for reading or listening to audio books. Temporarily it looked like this:

I loved that they had a place to display their art, but it wasn't cozy enough for them to hang out back there. We were also struggling with the "no jumping on the new couches" rule when shelter in place got extended. So, I DIY-ed a few "jumping pads" that could double as cushions in this corner. (Bought a giant piece of foam, cut it in half, put crib sheets on them and called it done.)

The boys love having an approved place to jump, but it has made them much more daring in finding new heights to jump from. (Eek!) Brightside: I don't have to get mad about couch jumping nearly as much. And since the cushions/pads are movable, they can go anywhere -- quiet corner, bedroom or living room. 

The last step was adding a new bookshelf. One I have wanted ever since I had a little baby. But never felt very functional. But now, in this narrow space meant for reading, I think it fits perfectly!

We will see if they want to put up their art again and how that changes the look; but functionally I think it turned out pretty nice. (Current artwork are things I had from long ago, someday I will make a big art poster for the corner... or they can make one themselves).

The whole space looks so different and I am loving it.