Family Camping Trip (The First Ever)

Camping is something Chris and I have always talked about doing as a family. We went on a handful of trips prior to having children and Chris has gone with his men's group several times, but going all together seemed challenging and I wasn't sure I was up for the work required. But the desire never left. So this year, with our boys ages 5 and 7 we ventured out for a 1-night camping trip.

We drove north to Tomalas Bay/Point Reyes area and camped in a little town called Olema. The campground had a fun little playground and decent bathroom facilities. Great for our first attempt. The boys were enamored with the fire -- mostly interested in putting out the fire with their squirt guns (which I had packed for the beach trip on day 2). 

We arrived in late afternoon with just enough time to set up the tent and start dinner. We cooked macaroni and cheese on the stove and grilled hotdogs once we got the fire going. Then of course, roasted marshmallows for our s'mores dessert. The boys did great roasting their own dinners (with a lot of supervision of course).

The sun finally started setting around 8:30 so we got the boys ready for bed. They were much too excited and talked in the tent until 10 p.m. when we joined them. We finally had to separate them with Chris and I in the middle. And no one slept well (which was expected). I guess we didn't realize how active Stephen is in his sleep; and William couldn't quite hold still either (at one point he was sleeping on my knees!). We got up a little before 6 a.m. and noticed this guy walking nearby:

Heron

(Other animals spotted over the weekend: deer, fawn, raccoon, pheasant, rabbit, gophers, and chipmunks.)

After a leisurely breakfast of instant oatmeal, scrambled eggs, coffee, and hot chocolate, we packed up our site and headed for a nearby hiking trail. We decided to make our way to the "Divide Meadow" which was a 3 mile round trip hike. We don't do a lot of hiking so this was going to be a stretch for the boys, but the trail was well marked and an easy walk. That didn't stop Stephen from begging to be done 5 minutes from the starting point. 

Chris did a great job keeping Stephen motivated and he did walk the entire thing on his own. On the way back Chris started singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall to keep him entertained and it worked! He loved counting down with dad . . . and singing about beer.

The Destination: Meadow Divide

After the hike we took a drive up to Tomales Bay; there is a small beach called "Heart's Desire" which was beautiful. It was a really warm day which was a treat. Very rarely are we warm when at a beach! I even went in the water to cool down. We only stayed about an hour and then packed up for home. We were all very tired.

Our first camping trip was a success. I do hope we can try it again soon. (Really helped to have friends lend us everything we needed for this one!)

Camping is something Chris and I have always talked about doing as a family. We went on a handful of trips prior to having children and Chris has gone with his men's group several times, but going all together seemed challenging and I wasn't sure I was up for the work required. But the desire never left. So this year, with our boys ages 5 and 7 we ventured out for a 1-night camping trip.

We drove north to Tomalas Bay/Point Reyes area and camped in a little town called Olema. The campground had a fun little playground and decent bathroom facilities. Great for our first attempt. The boys were enamored with the fire -- mostly interested in putting out the fire with their squirt guns (which I had packed for the beach trip on day 2). 

We arrived in late afternoon with just enough time to set up the tent and start dinner. We cooked macaroni and cheese on the stove and grilled hotdogs once we got the fire going. Then of course, roasted marshmallows for our s'mores dessert. The boys did great roasting their own dinners (with a lot of supervision of course).

The sun finally started setting around 8:30 so we got the boys ready for bed. They were much too excited and talked in the tent until 10 p.m. when we joined them. We finally had to separate them with Chris and I in the middle. And no one slept well (which was expected). I guess we didn't realize how active Stephen is in his sleep; and William couldn't quite hold still either (at one point he was sleeping on my knees!). We got up a little before 6 a.m. and noticed this guy walking nearby:

Heron

(Other animals spotted over the weekend: deer, fawn, raccoon, pheasant, rabbit, gophers, and chipmunks.)

After a leisurely breakfast of instant oatmeal, scrambled eggs, coffee, and hot chocolate, we packed up our site and headed for a nearby hiking trail. We decided to make our way to the "Divide Meadow" which was a 3 mile round trip hike. We don't do a lot of hiking so this was going to be a stretch for the boys, but the trail was well marked and an easy walk. That didn't stop Stephen from begging to be done 5 minutes from the starting point. 

Chris did a great job keeping Stephen motivated and he did walk the entire thing on his own. On the way back Chris started singing 99 bottles of beer on the wall to keep him entertained and it worked! He loved counting down with dad . . . and singing about beer.

The Destination: Meadow Divide

After the hike we took a drive up to Tomales Bay; there is a small beach called "Heart's Desire" which was beautiful. It was a really warm day which was a treat. Very rarely are we warm when at a beach! I even went in the water to cool down. We only stayed about an hour and then packed up for home. We were all very tired.

Our first camping trip was a success. I do hope we can try it again soon. (Really helped to have friends lend us everything we needed for this one!)

Be Strong & Courageous

I started following She Reads Truth (.com) during the Advent season and loved their reading plan/book so much that I decided to do their plan for Lent too. Over the 40 days of lent we are reading the book of Joshua and Mark. I just finished Joshua this morning. Easter is coming!

The memory verse they included in the study was Joshua 1:9, which I had chosen two decades ago as my confirmation verse, and memorized it again in college so I knew it well and it came back to me easily. But as I stewed on it week after week (as the book has you do) the words took on greater meaning.

Courageous/Discouraged

Strong/Afraid

The word courage is defined as "the ability to do something that frightens one or strength in the face of pain or grief." So to be courageous is to be full of courage... to take on the things that frighten you or to move forward with strength in the midst of pain or suffering. 

To be discouraged would be the opposite -- to have a lack of courage. To be unable to move forward in the present pain or fear. The dictionary says "having lost confidence or enthusiasm; disheartened." Some Bible translations use "dismayed" which can mean to be afraid or broken, shattered. 

If Joshua were discouraged or afraid, he may not have followed the Lord's directions and taken Jericho. Or any other cities God had given them. If he were discouraged, he may have let Israel wander for another 40 years in the desert. Who knows what would have happened if Joshua forgot that God was with him!?

This exhortation to be strong and courageous certainly makes sense for Joshua who was the new leader of Israel looking to take over the land God promised them. It would indeed require strength and courage to face many battles. Does it apply to us?

I think it does. We received the same promise of God's presence of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. God is with us wherever we go because the Holy Spirit is in us. We are also told in 2 Timothy 1:7 " For God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control." 

The other word that came to mind as I read this was "encourage" -- to give someone support, confidence and hope. Our words have such strong powers -- we can encourage someone just as easily as we can discourage someone. Our self-talk can do the same. 

I'm hoping that I can fill my mind with scripture so that my self-talk is really gospel talk. That I can be encouraged by the Word of God to be strong and courageous -- for whatever task lies ahead. After all, God is with me wherever I go.

I started following She Reads Truth (.com) during the Advent season and loved their reading plan/book so much that I decided to do their plan for Lent too. Over the 40 days of lent we are reading the book of Joshua and Mark. I just finished Joshua this morning. Easter is coming!

The memory verse they included in the study was Joshua 1:9, which I had chosen two decades ago as my confirmation verse, and memorized it again in college so I knew it well and it came back to me easily. But as I stewed on it week after week (as the book has you do) the words took on greater meaning.

Courageous/Discouraged

Strong/Afraid

The word courage is defined as "the ability to do something that frightens one or strength in the face of pain or grief." So to be courageous is to be full of courage... to take on the things that frighten you or to move forward with strength in the midst of pain or suffering. 

To be discouraged would be the opposite -- to have a lack of courage. To be unable to move forward in the present pain or fear. The dictionary says "having lost confidence or enthusiasm; disheartened." Some Bible translations use "dismayed" which can mean to be afraid or broken, shattered. 

If Joshua were discouraged or afraid, he may not have followed the Lord's directions and taken Jericho. Or any other cities God had given them. If he were discouraged, he may have let Israel wander for another 40 years in the desert. Who knows what would have happened if Joshua forgot that God was with him!?

This exhortation to be strong and courageous certainly makes sense for Joshua who was the new leader of Israel looking to take over the land God promised them. It would indeed require strength and courage to face many battles. Does it apply to us?

I think it does. We received the same promise of God's presence of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. God is with us wherever we go because the Holy Spirit is in us. We are also told in 2 Timothy 1:7 " For God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control." 

The other word that came to mind as I read this was "encourage" -- to give someone support, confidence and hope. Our words have such strong powers -- we can encourage someone just as easily as we can discourage someone. Our self-talk can do the same. 

I'm hoping that I can fill my mind with scripture so that my self-talk is really gospel talk. That I can be encouraged by the Word of God to be strong and courageous -- for whatever task lies ahead. After all, God is with me wherever I go.

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.

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!

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...

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!

Shelter in Place: Week 7

We just finished week 7 of sheltering in place . . . 50 days since William has been home from school. March moved at a snails pace and we struggled to find some sort of structure that could be maintained as long as necessary. April did go by much faster, but last week San Francisco announced the mandate to shelter in place would be extended for another month, with a few restrictions being loosened (construction workers can work, realtors can sell homes and people can move, and a few others).

April had a few special celebrations -- I should say holidays that I tried to make special. The first was Easter -- we decorated eggs, did virtual church, and I hid eggs in the common area of our building. The boys loved it.

The second was Chris's birthday. Typically on his birthday I would give him the day "off" --he could go wherever he wanted for the whole day (usually includes a museum, movie, cafe, etc). Since that wasn't happening this month we will postpone his actual day off. This year, I made him homemade ice cream and brownies, put up a banner, had the kids make cards and he opened gifts from his family. The kids thought it was great and a lot of fun. Chris can't wait for his day off.

Our routine has changed a bit with William's class beginning distance learning. He has a zoom call with his class three times a week that lasts about an hour and then a couple of extra small group calls during the week for extra help. I love that he is getting more exposure to Spanish and that his teacher is really focusing on William's reading, speaking and comprehension in the language. In just two weeks his pronunciation has gotten back to where it was back in March. His reading level will get back to where it was too with a bit more practice.

How does William like distance learning? He really doesn't like it. He loves his teacher but he doesn't like zoom calls; he would also much rather play than do homework or read. He does really well in a classroom environment but that isn't the same as Zoom. After each call he says it went fine and he had fun, but he still struggles before every call.

Stephen loves being home with William. He sits right by his side most of the day and thankfully William doesn't seem to mind it too much. When we don't get outside he literally bounces around the room. He runs up and down the halls and jumps on everything. I bought a big foam cushion for him to have some extra padding . . . both for his safety and to save my couches. He is having some fun learning to do somersaults and handstands.

I don't know if it is an actual regression or if he is just out of practice having to talk, but he doesn't use words as much as he used to. He groans to get our attention and tries to tell us things with grunts and sounds. We are working on this with him, but I'm hoping that once we can be around people again, his speech returns to normal.

We've been taking the boys to the nearby park to play in the trees. They've been collecting sticks and making weapons to fight the trees and now they are in a bug collecting phase. Please, let this be a phase. They haven't been running around as much with this type of outdoor play but I also like that they can be in nature instead of on a soccer field everyday. The truth is, they probably need both everyday and that's hard for me to make happen.

Chris and I are doing well; Chris manages working from home with ease. Although I know he'd prefer to be in the office and face to face with his co-workers. We have a nice rhythm for our days and I enjoy the extra help with the boys and getting to eat all our meals together. We started ordering take-out dinner once a week - to give me a break from cooking and to just have a little fun with new food.

Not much else is going on in our house!

How are you hanging in there?

We just finished week 7 of sheltering in place . . . 50 days since William has been home from school. March moved at a snails pace and we struggled to find some sort of structure that could be maintained as long as necessary. April did go by much faster, but last week San Francisco announced the mandate to shelter in place would be extended for another month, with a few restrictions being loosened (construction workers can work, realtors can sell homes and people can move, and a few others).

April had a few special celebrations -- I should say holidays that I tried to make special. The first was Easter -- we decorated eggs, did virtual church, and I hid eggs in the common area of our building. The boys loved it.

The second was Chris's birthday. Typically on his birthday I would give him the day "off" --he could go wherever he wanted for the whole day (usually includes a museum, movie, cafe, etc). Since that wasn't happening this month we will postpone his actual day off. This year, I made him homemade ice cream and brownies, put up a banner, had the kids make cards and he opened gifts from his family. The kids thought it was great and a lot of fun. Chris can't wait for his day off.

Our routine has changed a bit with William's class beginning distance learning. He has a zoom call with his class three times a week that lasts about an hour and then a couple of extra small group calls during the week for extra help. I love that he is getting more exposure to Spanish and that his teacher is really focusing on William's reading, speaking and comprehension in the language. In just two weeks his pronunciation has gotten back to where it was back in March. His reading level will get back to where it was too with a bit more practice.

How does William like distance learning? He really doesn't like it. He loves his teacher but he doesn't like zoom calls; he would also much rather play than do homework or read. He does really well in a classroom environment but that isn't the same as Zoom. After each call he says it went fine and he had fun, but he still struggles before every call.

Stephen loves being home with William. He sits right by his side most of the day and thankfully William doesn't seem to mind it too much. When we don't get outside he literally bounces around the room. He runs up and down the halls and jumps on everything. I bought a big foam cushion for him to have some extra padding . . . both for his safety and to save my couches. He is having some fun learning to do somersaults and handstands.

I don't know if it is an actual regression or if he is just out of practice having to talk, but he doesn't use words as much as he used to. He groans to get our attention and tries to tell us things with grunts and sounds. We are working on this with him, but I'm hoping that once we can be around people again, his speech returns to normal.

We've been taking the boys to the nearby park to play in the trees. They've been collecting sticks and making weapons to fight the trees and now they are in a bug collecting phase. Please, let this be a phase. They haven't been running around as much with this type of outdoor play but I also like that they can be in nature instead of on a soccer field everyday. The truth is, they probably need both everyday and that's hard for me to make happen.

Chris and I are doing well; Chris manages working from home with ease. Although I know he'd prefer to be in the office and face to face with his co-workers. We have a nice rhythm for our days and I enjoy the extra help with the boys and getting to eat all our meals together. We started ordering take-out dinner once a week - to give me a break from cooking and to just have a little fun with new food.

Not much else is going on in our house!

How are you hanging in there?

Shelter-in Place: Week 4

We are heading into our 4th week of sheltering in place. School officially closed in San Francisco on Monday, March 16th but we had pulled William out after school on Thursday afternoon. Chris had been working from home since Monday, March 9th and we he had a feeling we needed to make that call--not knowing the school district was a day away from announcing the closure.

The last three weeks feel like six. We have a functional routine for the kids and that helps a ton but we are missing our neighborhood playground outings immensely. I should say I miss them. My kids don't seem to care they can't play at our usual hotspots; but the tantrums at the end of the day tell me that even though they aren't asking for it their bodies desperately need to be more active than what we can do at home. And I miss the opportunity to sit outside in the fresh air and watch them play.

So, what do we do all day?
Here's our routine:

7 - 9 a.m. = wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, morning choice time
9 -10 a.m. = computer time: abcmouse.com activities and online Spanish books (listening)
10 a.m. - 12 = choice time
12:00 - 12:30 p.m.  = lunch and story time
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.= quiet times
1:30 - 2 p.m. = choice time
2 - 3 p.m. = Academic time (currently we do not have work assigned by the school)
3- 4 p.m. = computer time: abcmouse.com activities and yoga
4 - 5:30 = choice time (sometimes we go outside)
5:30 = Dinner as a family
6 - 7:30 = bedtime routines (boys have staggered bedtimes)

And then from 7:30 - 10 Chris and I virtually catch up with our men's/women's groups or MOPS, play games or watch movies.

We miss seeing our friends and having playdates and dinner guests. Zoom and social media help us keep in touch but it's not the same. You know this. Stephen and I had a fairly solid routine before this all started. Nearly every morning from 9 - 12 we had something going on and were spending time with people -- things like MOPS, a child observation class at SF City College, a women's bible study that offered childcare, and a two-day a week playdate/child care swap with a friend. We miss all of that. And William is missing his classmates as well and all the things they did together.

I am very grateful for how well the boys play together; some days they don't want to split up for quiet time. There are of course times of disagreement, fighting and wrestling. We did end up increasing their screen time with some learning apps and special programs like the videos of Mo Willems doodling or the museums that offer viewings of their animals. One month in and they are handling that okay; the first week was hard as they'd complain or cry or fight me when the program was over. Having our schedule helps keep the boundaries in place.

And those two hours a day help me get my stuff done. What stuff? you ask. . . 
 - quiet time/prayer/Bible study
 - connect with friends and family
 - prepare for MOPS virtual meetings
 - clean (dishes, floors, laundry, bathrooms, etc)
 - read for fun
 - prepare homeschool materials

So, while it's more screen time than I would prefer but it does help me feel like I have some time for myself and the things I need to do. And that way I can be (or try to be) more present during their playtimes so I can play too.

How are you doing with your families at home?

We are heading into our 4th week of sheltering in place. School officially closed in San Francisco on Monday, March 16th but we had pulled William out after school on Thursday afternoon. Chris had been working from home since Monday, March 9th and we he had a feeling we needed to make that call--not knowing the school district was a day away from announcing the closure.

The last three weeks feel like six. We have a functional routine for the kids and that helps a ton but we are missing our neighborhood playground outings immensely. I should say I miss them. My kids don't seem to care they can't play at our usual hotspots; but the tantrums at the end of the day tell me that even though they aren't asking for it their bodies desperately need to be more active than what we can do at home. And I miss the opportunity to sit outside in the fresh air and watch them play.

So, what do we do all day?
Here's our routine:

7 - 9 a.m. = wake up, eat breakfast, get dressed, morning choice time
9 -10 a.m. = computer time: abcmouse.com activities and online Spanish books (listening)
10 a.m. - 12 = choice time
12:00 - 12:30 p.m.  = lunch and story time
12:30 - 1:30 p.m.= quiet times
1:30 - 2 p.m. = choice time
2 - 3 p.m. = Academic time (currently we do not have work assigned by the school)
3- 4 p.m. = computer time: abcmouse.com activities and yoga
4 - 5:30 = choice time (sometimes we go outside)
5:30 = Dinner as a family
6 - 7:30 = bedtime routines (boys have staggered bedtimes)

And then from 7:30 - 10 Chris and I virtually catch up with our men's/women's groups or MOPS, play games or watch movies.

We miss seeing our friends and having playdates and dinner guests. Zoom and social media help us keep in touch but it's not the same. You know this. Stephen and I had a fairly solid routine before this all started. Nearly every morning from 9 - 12 we had something going on and were spending time with people -- things like MOPS, a child observation class at SF City College, a women's bible study that offered childcare, and a two-day a week playdate/child care swap with a friend. We miss all of that. And William is missing his classmates as well and all the things they did together.

I am very grateful for how well the boys play together; some days they don't want to split up for quiet time. There are of course times of disagreement, fighting and wrestling. We did end up increasing their screen time with some learning apps and special programs like the videos of Mo Willems doodling or the museums that offer viewings of their animals. One month in and they are handling that okay; the first week was hard as they'd complain or cry or fight me when the program was over. Having our schedule helps keep the boundaries in place.

And those two hours a day help me get my stuff done. What stuff? you ask. . . 
 - quiet time/prayer/Bible study
 - connect with friends and family
 - prepare for MOPS virtual meetings
 - clean (dishes, floors, laundry, bathrooms, etc)
 - read for fun
 - prepare homeschool materials

So, while it's more screen time than I would prefer but it does help me feel like I have some time for myself and the things I need to do. And that way I can be (or try to be) more present during their playtimes so I can play too.

How are you doing with your families at home?

Lent: Failed Facebook Fast

Well, I didn't meet my goal of giving up Facebook for the 6 weeks of Lent. I was successful for 15 days and then the emails started coming in about the Coronavirus; my husband started working from home and I just had to check in with online community to see what was going on. I hadn't realized how much of my news comes from you all!

What were those 15 days like? Peaceful. Quiet.

I read books, I played with my boys, I listened to podcasts, I cleaned my house and I put down my phone. I don't think I had quite broken the habit of picking up my phone to check Facebook, but I was more quick to put it down than waste time looking for a distraction. Dinners weren't silent --Chris and I had conversations.

It was worth it.

And now, a week after schools closed I'm back into my old habits and it's not good. I'm overwhelmed by the news, the links to free resources, the continuous updating of my feed. It never stops. I find my patience thinning as I'm "interrupted" from my scrolling. I'm annoyed by the "play with me" requests. As if the articles, the status updates, the pictures are more valuable to me than my own children. But this is when my kids need me present. I need to show them how valued they are. I need to put it back down.

There are a few FB groups I continue to check in with but other than that I'm hoping to continue the fast with a renewed resolve to be present with my family. It will be worth it.

Well, I didn't meet my goal of giving up Facebook for the 6 weeks of Lent. I was successful for 15 days and then the emails started coming in about the Coronavirus; my husband started working from home and I just had to check in with online community to see what was going on. I hadn't realized how much of my news comes from you all!

What were those 15 days like? Peaceful. Quiet.

I read books, I played with my boys, I listened to podcasts, I cleaned my house and I put down my phone. I don't think I had quite broken the habit of picking up my phone to check Facebook, but I was more quick to put it down than waste time looking for a distraction. Dinners weren't silent --Chris and I had conversations.

It was worth it.

And now, a week after schools closed I'm back into my old habits and it's not good. I'm overwhelmed by the news, the links to free resources, the continuous updating of my feed. It never stops. I find my patience thinning as I'm "interrupted" from my scrolling. I'm annoyed by the "play with me" requests. As if the articles, the status updates, the pictures are more valuable to me than my own children. But this is when my kids need me present. I need to show them how valued they are. I need to put it back down.

There are a few FB groups I continue to check in with but other than that I'm hoping to continue the fast with a renewed resolve to be present with my family. It will be worth it.

2020 Goals and Intentions

What do I want this next year to look like for me? for my family?

If I learned anything from 2019 it's that goals take time, focus and hard work. I was very focused for a short time on my diet and overall health. I lost weight but then gained it back when my focus shifted. I was very focused for a short time on scripture reading . . . two or three days at a time before I lost focus for weeks. I also know that I get tired when I add too many hard things to my daily life. And by "hard" I just mean out of my normal. It isn't hard to host people for dinner but it's out of my normal which makes it special, but also work to it do more than once in a while. Playdates are great but I tend to overbook and then feel exhausted from running around. See what I mean?

I learned a lot about my anxiety in 2019. I know what triggers it and I know how to step into the moment and breathe and think through it. I still hate the feeling of anxiety bearing down on me, but I'm learning to deal.

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. Which as I write this, I'm thinking this means I need to have more energy to plan, give, and process.

But for now:

I find January a good time to focus on health -- because I spent the last two months ignoring it and I desperately want to get back on a healthier track. My plan? I'm going back to my Shaklee Life Shakes for breakfast for the month and setting a new "rule" that I don't eat passed 7 p.m. Late night snacking as become a habit for me once again and I need to break it. There are many other things I could add, but we're taking it slow.

I'm also going to take every opportunity to feed my boys what Chris and I eat for dinner. Typically, I would make them their own meals of food they don't complain about but I'm finding that this list is getting smaller and smaller. I need to broaden what they eat and increase the produce they consume. I need to take control of what I put in front of them and they can be in control of what they put in their bodies. Baby steps. But I will celebrate small victories here.

I'm also going to try to fit in time to read two chapters of my Bible each day. My plan, which I have yet to try is read in my room while Chris has breakfast with the boys... which could work out well since I'm having a shake in the morning and not really a sit down meal.

We recently had a sermon in church about using our time wisely as it's a gift from God; and I was motivated once again to be focused. Focused on the Lord, my family, and our community. Spend my energy and time on things that matter.

What about your? What are you focusing on this month? This year?

Happy 2020!

What do I want this next year to look like for me? for my family?

If I learned anything from 2019 it's that goals take time, focus and hard work. I was very focused for a short time on my diet and overall health. I lost weight but then gained it back when my focus shifted. I was very focused for a short time on scripture reading . . . two or three days at a time before I lost focus for weeks. I also know that I get tired when I add too many hard things to my daily life. And by "hard" I just mean out of my normal. It isn't hard to host people for dinner but it's out of my normal which makes it special, but also work to it do more than once in a while. Playdates are great but I tend to overbook and then feel exhausted from running around. See what I mean?

I learned a lot about my anxiety in 2019. I know what triggers it and I know how to step into the moment and breathe and think through it. I still hate the feeling of anxiety bearing down on me, but I'm learning to deal.

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. Which as I write this, I'm thinking this means I need to have more energy to plan, give, and process.

But for now:

I find January a good time to focus on health -- because I spent the last two months ignoring it and I desperately want to get back on a healthier track. My plan? I'm going back to my Shaklee Life Shakes for breakfast for the month and setting a new "rule" that I don't eat passed 7 p.m. Late night snacking as become a habit for me once again and I need to break it. There are many other things I could add, but we're taking it slow.

I'm also going to take every opportunity to feed my boys what Chris and I eat for dinner. Typically, I would make them their own meals of food they don't complain about but I'm finding that this list is getting smaller and smaller. I need to broaden what they eat and increase the produce they consume. I need to take control of what I put in front of them and they can be in control of what they put in their bodies. Baby steps. But I will celebrate small victories here.

I'm also going to try to fit in time to read two chapters of my Bible each day. My plan, which I have yet to try is read in my room while Chris has breakfast with the boys... which could work out well since I'm having a shake in the morning and not really a sit down meal.

We recently had a sermon in church about using our time wisely as it's a gift from God; and I was motivated once again to be focused. Focused on the Lord, my family, and our community. Spend my energy and time on things that matter.

What about your? What are you focusing on this month? This year?

Happy 2020!

Resting in Texas (Christmas 2019)

We spent the last 10 days of 2019 in Texas staying with Chris's parents.  Our goals for the trip were: Spend time with family/get the cousins together as much as possible and I added on: read and rest. And for the most part, it was one of the most relaxing weeks of my life -- definitely of my year.

Read and Rest:
I went for a walk nearly every day (I missed two), walking a total of 28 miles! I haven't had that much time for a regular walk since this summer. During my walks I listened to a couple of new-to-me podcasts:

      * Cook Smarts - https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/category/podcast/ (learning to meal plan a little smarter and get my kids to eat better too).

      * Annie F. Downs - https://www.anniefdowns.com/podcast/ (she's just so fun to listen to and has some great interviews about the enneagram)

Not only did I get some time alone to walk and listen to podcasts. I had quite a bit of time to read. I hadn't intended to read so much as I know it doesn't take much for a book to pull me away from the real people right in front of me, but I enjoy it so much I couldn't help it. I did try to avoid grabbing the book at inappropriate times... here's what I read:
 - Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renee Lavoie
 - The Silence Between Us Alison Gervais
 - Dare to Lead by Brené Brown (only finished half so far)
 - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (just started on the flight home)


Illness:
The only part of our time in Texas that wasn't relaxing/near perfect was Stephen getting sick. On Christmas Eve we took him to an urgent care where we discovered he had Strep Throat. He was pretty miserable for several days before starting to move around like his normal, active self. He and I skipped the Christmas Eve family gathering and went to bed early. Not much will slow Stephen down so when he wasn't moving from my lap for hours at a time I could see how sick he felt. I felt bad for him being sick over Christmas but glad we had the help and time to just sit together and rest. (I read a lot while he napped on me.) And with the help of medication, he was able to participate in lots of cousin time and play (just not as actively as he normally would have).

Family time: 
Mom took Chris and I with the boys to the River Walk in San Antonio to see the lights. We haven't done this with the boys yet and I was hoping they would love it. We hadn't seen many Christmas lights this year. They liked the lights, but I don't think they liked the walk along the river. They might also have been a bit weirded out because we never do anything after dark. 

I can be sure of two things when I visit Chris's family -- we will play games and we will drink wine (or beer if you prefer). And we did both several times during our visit. It was so nice outside they even played games outside while the kids played in the backyard! Somehow when we try to organize game nights with friends the kids always make it impossible, but with this family the kids hang out and watch or run off to play as they please. It's not really a hindrance. I love that my boys are growing up around this and becoming interested in playing too! (It helps too that there's usually an adult not playing so they can watch the kids.)

William is much more into sports this year than past visits. And he had us all playing football or baseball several times. We took full advantage of the backyard!

And yes, we spent a lot of time with family. Chris's sister, Shannon was home from China too -- we loved spending so much time with her. She's so great with our boys too - reading, playing games, going on walks and playing outside. Somehow she has energy for it all! And Chris's brother Brad lives 45 minutes away from his parent's place and drove his family over nearly every day to see us. Their boys are the same ages as ours and they have two younger girls. It was a full house but so much fun! I love seeing how they play together. I know it will look different when they are older and not as close; but for now, they have a lot of similar interests and play easily.

We also spent one afternoon with Chris's high school friends. We try to get together with them every time we are in town. I love watching these guys get together. They are so tightly bonded. And their wives and kids are wonderful too and I love spending time with this group of people.

We ended the week with fireworks. This tradition still scares me a little, but the men are very safe with the boys. William and Stephen LOVE fireworks and want to be as involved as we allow. 

It was a great time with family -- a family I am so grateful to be a part of.

We spent the last 10 days of 2019 in Texas staying with Chris's parents.  Our goals for the trip were: Spend time with family/get the cousins together as much as possible and I added on: read and rest. And for the most part, it was one of the most relaxing weeks of my life -- definitely of my year.

Read and Rest:
I went for a walk nearly every day (I missed two), walking a total of 28 miles! I haven't had that much time for a regular walk since this summer. During my walks I listened to a couple of new-to-me podcasts:

      * Cook Smarts - https://www.cooksmarts.com/articles/category/podcast/ (learning to meal plan a little smarter and get my kids to eat better too).

      * Annie F. Downs - https://www.anniefdowns.com/podcast/ (she's just so fun to listen to and has some great interviews about the enneagram)

Not only did I get some time alone to walk and listen to podcasts. I had quite a bit of time to read. I hadn't intended to read so much as I know it doesn't take much for a book to pull me away from the real people right in front of me, but I enjoy it so much I couldn't help it. I did try to avoid grabbing the book at inappropriate times... here's what I read:
 - Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renee Lavoie
 - The Silence Between Us Alison Gervais
 - Dare to Lead by Brené Brown (only finished half so far)
 - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (just started on the flight home)


Illness:
The only part of our time in Texas that wasn't relaxing/near perfect was Stephen getting sick. On Christmas Eve we took him to an urgent care where we discovered he had Strep Throat. He was pretty miserable for several days before starting to move around like his normal, active self. He and I skipped the Christmas Eve family gathering and went to bed early. Not much will slow Stephen down so when he wasn't moving from my lap for hours at a time I could see how sick he felt. I felt bad for him being sick over Christmas but glad we had the help and time to just sit together and rest. (I read a lot while he napped on me.) And with the help of medication, he was able to participate in lots of cousin time and play (just not as actively as he normally would have).

Family time: 
Mom took Chris and I with the boys to the River Walk in San Antonio to see the lights. We haven't done this with the boys yet and I was hoping they would love it. We hadn't seen many Christmas lights this year. They liked the lights, but I don't think they liked the walk along the river. They might also have been a bit weirded out because we never do anything after dark. 

I can be sure of two things when I visit Chris's family -- we will play games and we will drink wine (or beer if you prefer). And we did both several times during our visit. It was so nice outside they even played games outside while the kids played in the backyard! Somehow when we try to organize game nights with friends the kids always make it impossible, but with this family the kids hang out and watch or run off to play as they please. It's not really a hindrance. I love that my boys are growing up around this and becoming interested in playing too! (It helps too that there's usually an adult not playing so they can watch the kids.)

William is much more into sports this year than past visits. And he had us all playing football or baseball several times. We took full advantage of the backyard!

And yes, we spent a lot of time with family. Chris's sister, Shannon was home from China too -- we loved spending so much time with her. She's so great with our boys too - reading, playing games, going on walks and playing outside. Somehow she has energy for it all! And Chris's brother Brad lives 45 minutes away from his parent's place and drove his family over nearly every day to see us. Their boys are the same ages as ours and they have two younger girls. It was a full house but so much fun! I love seeing how they play together. I know it will look different when they are older and not as close; but for now, they have a lot of similar interests and play easily.

We also spent one afternoon with Chris's high school friends. We try to get together with them every time we are in town. I love watching these guys get together. They are so tightly bonded. And their wives and kids are wonderful too and I love spending time with this group of people.

We ended the week with fireworks. This tradition still scares me a little, but the men are very safe with the boys. William and Stephen LOVE fireworks and want to be as involved as we allow. 

It was a great time with family -- a family I am so grateful to be a part of.

2019 In Review

This is one of my favorite traditions. Reflecting on the past year and sharing the highs and lows with those who may not have lived close enough to know about them. Especially now that my blog isn't updated as frequently as I would like.

This year feels like one of fullness and relief. After years of praying, applying and waiting for a new housing situation to work out we are now celebrating and rejoicing in thankfulness for our home of 10 months.

2019 started out with hope. We had been approved for a bank loan and qualified for a second load through a city program for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in the Western Addition district. There was a lot to do to prepare for the move while at the same time guarding our hearts from major heartache if this were to fall through as so many other potential homes had. We cleaned out our storage unit, got rid of all of our baby stuff and anything else we hadn't used in years. All in hope that this move would happen.

And then in February we made the move! I remember that day very vividly. I brought William to school knowing that when a friend dropped him off at "home" it would be a space he had never seen before. We hired movers and they did it all in a day. Chris handled the clean up and last minute things we'd left behind. It was surreal to see our apartment of nearly 9 years empty again. It looked so big!

In March, we got the news that William got into our first choice elementary school - a Spanish Immersion program. We were so relieved and excited. He finished out his year of Transitional Kindergarten in June and started Kindergarten in August. He is doing well. For the first few weeks he would say "I didn't learn anything, it's in Spanish." But by the end of the second month he seemed to be picking it up quite well and he had some really great friends! Now, after 82 days of school (they keep track), he seems to really like it. And we all love his teacher.

In April, we had our first experience with stitches. William had a run in with a door and cut his forehead deep enough to need 6 stitches. I was so thankful Chris was with us and took control of the situation. We made our way to the urgent care and they cared for him so well. Seriously, amazed by the care and attention these two women gave him. They skipped their lunch hour to see him right away and let him watch PJ Masks while they stitched him up. The worst part was they finished before the episode was over! I can't say I handled this event well, but I did learn a few things. I had no idea that this would be my training for when Stephen had a collision with a railing in June and also cut his head. William, now understanding that the word "wound" was more serious that "owie" alerted me to the injury by screaming "Stephen has a wound!" Sure enough, there was blood everywhere. Back to the urgent care we went, but he didn't need stitches. Just glue and an order not to get it wet for a week. We were all much more prepared this time around, but it still isn't something I want to repeat.

In July, we spent two weeks in Minnesota. It was my favorite time of summer -- fair season. As we did when we were kids, we made it to every fair we could get to . . . for a total of three. We went to parades, rode rides, ate corn dogs, played kiddy games, saw animals. and went to a bull ride.

We spent as much time as we could with my siblings and their kids which included a few nights at a hotel with a pool. The pool provided so much entertainment for us all. I loved being with them -- would have loved more time together. It's never enough. We ended our trip with a afternoon at the water park and dinner at the buffet with my parents. The kids (and I) had a blast!

In mid-August our "Fall" schedule took affect. School started for William, and Stephen and I started swim classes on Wednesdays, attending a child observation class at the city college on Thursdays, and a playdate swap with another family on Fridays. Then my mother's group (MOPS) started in September and we were in regular a routine. I'm coordinating MOPS again this year with a team of lovely women. We have such a great group and it continues to be a blessing to me and our community.

In November, Chris flew to Texas for a few days to attend his cousin's wedding and spend time with family. The next week he started a new job as a software engineer for Granular. He had been quietly looking for a new job since May. He loved working for Rhumbix for just nearly 2 1/2 years but it was time for a new experience. The new job started out a bit rough and with the Thanksgiving break and a few days off for sickness, he was feeling a little down about it. But now he seems to have found a groove.

And for Thanksgiving break we took a road trip to Provo, Utah to visit with my sister and her family. The pass through Tahoe was a wreck with snow so we drove the long way around the mountain making a 12-hour drive a 16-hour drive split up in two days each way. Traffic on the way home was so heavy that we spend an additional 3 hours in the car than we hoped to. The boys handled it as we expected -- voicing how we all felt every 15 minutes. Even though our time with the Hunt family was shortened by a day we still had a fabulous time and the boys loved playing in the snow. Now Stephen keeps asking "When will it snow in San Francisco?"

My sister, El, had a baby on December 1 and I'm trying not to think about how old he will be when I get to meet him face to face. They are doing well! The rest of December basically flew by. We ended the year with a trip to Texas and spent 10 days with the Babiak family. Will try to write about that soon. And now, I can't believe we're at the year's end.

There are a few other things that need to be mentioned. As is true with most of life, in the midst of the "good" we experience the "hard" and "sad" and down right "awful" moments too. When we were in Minnesota over the summer, we lost my Uncle Jerry. So while I wrote above about all the fun we had, we also had the hard and sad experiences too. So many emotional conversations were had and hugs were given. And time together treasured. I was thankful to be home with family during that time.

And in August, a dear friend of mine passed away. So while we were adjusting to our new routines I was in a heavy mourning season and trying to be supportive of my friend's family in any way I could. The hard moments live along side the everyday . . . making those everyday days so very hard to get through.

I'm carrying hope into the New Year knowing that each year will have hard days and good days. Our new home has given me a lightness which contrasts the darkness I had in previous years. That lightness feels so good - unhindered, freeing. With the burden of finding housing behind us I am hoping that our prayers and focus can be put on those around us and on our children as they grow.

May you have a blessed New Year - with renewed hopes and dreams; may your burdens be light.

This is one of my favorite traditions. Reflecting on the past year and sharing the highs and lows with those who may not have lived close enough to know about them. Especially now that my blog isn't updated as frequently as I would like.

This year feels like one of fullness and relief. After years of praying, applying and waiting for a new housing situation to work out we are now celebrating and rejoicing in thankfulness for our home of 10 months.

2019 started out with hope. We had been approved for a bank loan and qualified for a second load through a city program for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in the Western Addition district. There was a lot to do to prepare for the move while at the same time guarding our hearts from major heartache if this were to fall through as so many other potential homes had. We cleaned out our storage unit, got rid of all of our baby stuff and anything else we hadn't used in years. All in hope that this move would happen.

And then in February we made the move! I remember that day very vividly. I brought William to school knowing that when a friend dropped him off at "home" it would be a space he had never seen before. We hired movers and they did it all in a day. Chris handled the clean up and last minute things we'd left behind. It was surreal to see our apartment of nearly 9 years empty again. It looked so big!

In March, we got the news that William got into our first choice elementary school - a Spanish Immersion program. We were so relieved and excited. He finished out his year of Transitional Kindergarten in June and started Kindergarten in August. He is doing well. For the first few weeks he would say "I didn't learn anything, it's in Spanish." But by the end of the second month he seemed to be picking it up quite well and he had some really great friends! Now, after 82 days of school (they keep track), he seems to really like it. And we all love his teacher.

In April, we had our first experience with stitches. William had a run in with a door and cut his forehead deep enough to need 6 stitches. I was so thankful Chris was with us and took control of the situation. We made our way to the urgent care and they cared for him so well. Seriously, amazed by the care and attention these two women gave him. They skipped their lunch hour to see him right away and let him watch PJ Masks while they stitched him up. The worst part was they finished before the episode was over! I can't say I handled this event well, but I did learn a few things. I had no idea that this would be my training for when Stephen had a collision with a railing in June and also cut his head. William, now understanding that the word "wound" was more serious that "owie" alerted me to the injury by screaming "Stephen has a wound!" Sure enough, there was blood everywhere. Back to the urgent care we went, but he didn't need stitches. Just glue and an order not to get it wet for a week. We were all much more prepared this time around, but it still isn't something I want to repeat.

In July, we spent two weeks in Minnesota. It was my favorite time of summer -- fair season. As we did when we were kids, we made it to every fair we could get to . . . for a total of three. We went to parades, rode rides, ate corn dogs, played kiddy games, saw animals. and went to a bull ride.

We spent as much time as we could with my siblings and their kids which included a few nights at a hotel with a pool. The pool provided so much entertainment for us all. I loved being with them -- would have loved more time together. It's never enough. We ended our trip with a afternoon at the water park and dinner at the buffet with my parents. The kids (and I) had a blast!

In mid-August our "Fall" schedule took affect. School started for William, and Stephen and I started swim classes on Wednesdays, attending a child observation class at the city college on Thursdays, and a playdate swap with another family on Fridays. Then my mother's group (MOPS) started in September and we were in regular a routine. I'm coordinating MOPS again this year with a team of lovely women. We have such a great group and it continues to be a blessing to me and our community.

In November, Chris flew to Texas for a few days to attend his cousin's wedding and spend time with family. The next week he started a new job as a software engineer for Granular. He had been quietly looking for a new job since May. He loved working for Rhumbix for just nearly 2 1/2 years but it was time for a new experience. The new job started out a bit rough and with the Thanksgiving break and a few days off for sickness, he was feeling a little down about it. But now he seems to have found a groove.

And for Thanksgiving break we took a road trip to Provo, Utah to visit with my sister and her family. The pass through Tahoe was a wreck with snow so we drove the long way around the mountain making a 12-hour drive a 16-hour drive split up in two days each way. Traffic on the way home was so heavy that we spend an additional 3 hours in the car than we hoped to. The boys handled it as we expected -- voicing how we all felt every 15 minutes. Even though our time with the Hunt family was shortened by a day we still had a fabulous time and the boys loved playing in the snow. Now Stephen keeps asking "When will it snow in San Francisco?"

My sister, El, had a baby on December 1 and I'm trying not to think about how old he will be when I get to meet him face to face. They are doing well! The rest of December basically flew by. We ended the year with a trip to Texas and spent 10 days with the Babiak family. Will try to write about that soon. And now, I can't believe we're at the year's end.

There are a few other things that need to be mentioned. As is true with most of life, in the midst of the "good" we experience the "hard" and "sad" and down right "awful" moments too. When we were in Minnesota over the summer, we lost my Uncle Jerry. So while I wrote above about all the fun we had, we also had the hard and sad experiences too. So many emotional conversations were had and hugs were given. And time together treasured. I was thankful to be home with family during that time.

And in August, a dear friend of mine passed away. So while we were adjusting to our new routines I was in a heavy mourning season and trying to be supportive of my friend's family in any way I could. The hard moments live along side the everyday . . . making those everyday days so very hard to get through.

I'm carrying hope into the New Year knowing that each year will have hard days and good days. Our new home has given me a lightness which contrasts the darkness I had in previous years. That lightness feels so good - unhindered, freeing. With the burden of finding housing behind us I am hoping that our prayers and focus can be put on those around us and on our children as they grow.

May you have a blessed New Year - with renewed hopes and dreams; may your burdens be light.

Merry Christmas from the Babiaks

Merry Christmas to you!! I hope you are enjoying this season of joy, peace and hope with those you love. We are currently in Texas with Chris's family and enjoying the literal peace and quiet of the country.

December marks 10 months of living in our new condo. And we still love it. It was really fun to decorate and figure out what Christmas looks like in our new space. We still don't have anything on the walls so we had a lot of options! The boys continued in the tradition of going with Dad to pick out our tree. This will most likely be the last year we have Chris's pickup to make the trip easy, so it was a bittersweet outing. We are hoping to sell the truck next month. 

The boys were very excited to unwrap all the ornaments and find their favorites. They weren't at interested in actually putting them on the tree by the time I was ready for them. We had the tree up, the stockings on the wall, garland on the china hutch and a wreath on the door. The final touch was our advent calendar; or rather string of envelopes. We decided to put them above the stair railing. So every time we go up or down our stairs we are reminded of the anticipation of Christmas Day and the stories we've read as we wait.

Once again we are doing the Truth in the Tinsel advent activities. Each morning William opens the envelope for the day and finds the clue (star, shepherd, sheep, Mary, Joseph, etc.) and each day we read a portion of scripture and complete a craft that associates to the story. We did really well until Day 17. Then evenings got taken by other activities and we fell behind. (Trying not to let it get to me.)

I had every intention of doing something festive each week in December. Going ice skating, visiting the gingerbread house, seeing Christmas lights, drinking hot chocolate, etc. But this month was busy with just every day stuff; and Thanksgiving being at the very end of November I felt like was missing a few days to get ready for it all. I was thankful for the Christmas tree and advent crafts to remind me of the season. 

Last week was a bit more festive. On Sunday the kids sang during the church service and Stephen was a little wise man in the nativity scene. They did a great job and were just the cutest kids. You can watch them here (start at minute 16).

William had a Winter Festival Performance at his school on Thursday night. His school doesn't have an auditorium so they had a stage set up outside. Thankfully it wasn't raining! Each class performed a few songs and some even danced. William's class sang Feliz Navidad and Estrellita Donde Estras (Twinkle, Twinkle little Star). He did very well -- and had been singing it non-stop at home all month!

So, while the month feels like it has been too busy to do all the things we wanted to do, it still had plenty of Christmas spirit and focus on Jesus. Chris and I also managed to fit in a date night and I had a few evenings with friends. Those were great bonuses!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you!! I hope you are enjoying this season of joy, peace and hope with those you love. We are currently in Texas with Chris's family and enjoying the literal peace and quiet of the country.

December marks 10 months of living in our new condo. And we still love it. It was really fun to decorate and figure out what Christmas looks like in our new space. We still don't have anything on the walls so we had a lot of options! The boys continued in the tradition of going with Dad to pick out our tree. This will most likely be the last year we have Chris's pickup to make the trip easy, so it was a bittersweet outing. We are hoping to sell the truck next month. 

The boys were very excited to unwrap all the ornaments and find their favorites. They weren't at interested in actually putting them on the tree by the time I was ready for them. We had the tree up, the stockings on the wall, garland on the china hutch and a wreath on the door. The final touch was our advent calendar; or rather string of envelopes. We decided to put them above the stair railing. So every time we go up or down our stairs we are reminded of the anticipation of Christmas Day and the stories we've read as we wait.

Once again we are doing the Truth in the Tinsel advent activities. Each morning William opens the envelope for the day and finds the clue (star, shepherd, sheep, Mary, Joseph, etc.) and each day we read a portion of scripture and complete a craft that associates to the story. We did really well until Day 17. Then evenings got taken by other activities and we fell behind. (Trying not to let it get to me.)

I had every intention of doing something festive each week in December. Going ice skating, visiting the gingerbread house, seeing Christmas lights, drinking hot chocolate, etc. But this month was busy with just every day stuff; and Thanksgiving being at the very end of November I felt like was missing a few days to get ready for it all. I was thankful for the Christmas tree and advent crafts to remind me of the season. 

Last week was a bit more festive. On Sunday the kids sang during the church service and Stephen was a little wise man in the nativity scene. They did a great job and were just the cutest kids. You can watch them here (start at minute 16).

William had a Winter Festival Performance at his school on Thursday night. His school doesn't have an auditorium so they had a stage set up outside. Thankfully it wasn't raining! Each class performed a few songs and some even danced. William's class sang Feliz Navidad and Estrellita Donde Estras (Twinkle, Twinkle little Star). He did very well -- and had been singing it non-stop at home all month!

So, while the month feels like it has been too busy to do all the things we wanted to do, it still had plenty of Christmas spirit and focus on Jesus. Chris and I also managed to fit in a date night and I had a few evenings with friends. Those were great bonuses!

We wish you a Merry Christmas!