- (minus) one

Here is Molly in the garden on top of the Met in NYC just yesterday.  She has been there for about a week with her Nana (my mom) for her "10-year-old trip to New York."  It always strikes me when one of the family members is gone how different the household feels.  With Mol gone, I have had to be the organizer, maker of plans and overall on top of the family's game.  Usually she does all of these things.  That is not to say that we have stumbled this week, or forgotten anything, it is just that is has been different.

Just Carson, Todd and myself in the house lends to a much more relaxed, easy-going, go-with-the-flow atmosphere which has been really fun!  Some nights we had dinner together, and others, it got late and we realised that everyone had just taken care of themselves!  Carson has been busy this week, for sure, but has been willing to just hang out with us in the evenings.  I treasure that time since I know that next summer (and beyond) we will have less and less time together; and probably less willingness on his behalf to just hang out with his parents.

In a few weeks, Carson will go to overnight camp (for the first time ever) and again, our house will feel strange with one of us missing.  With Carson gone, we will most likely have planned meals each night, each activity mapped out and planned for, and not much time to spare for just lounging.  Which is great. 

Both ways are fun, they are just different.  Now if the temps would just dip below 100 one of these days, all would be perfect!

hazy, lazy days of summer

Two days in a row, you say...what gives?  Mostly I was looking at these shots I took with my iphone right at wheat harvest time, and this one made me think a lot about these kansas summer days.  This is what we see here in middle america most days in the summer: blue skies that linger forever, with a golden yellow cut wheat field below.  Time stretches on like the horizon, and every few days, the wind kicks up a giant thunderstorm; exactly what happened yesterday.

I left the house for a run at 8pm last night, determined to finish the 4 miles + 2 hills this time without walking due to the oppressive heat.  The sky was full with navy blue and grey clouds, and I knew it would rain eventually.  As I kicked it up the hills, I could feel the front line passing above me.  The temperature dropped 10+ degrees, and the wind switched to the west.  It was heavenly.  I could have run forever.  By the time I rounded the corner to my street, big, fat drops of rain were falling, and the smell of hot, wet concrete was everywhere. 

I finished my run with energy to spare, and we got 1.5 inches of rain.  Now, that is a good way to end a day.

summer

I really haven't intended for this space to become a random, quarterly update, but it seems like that is what it is lately.  Life continues to progress as usual, but time seems to go by much more quickly.  I have spent it with friends (above, in Colorado) and family.  Mostly, I am frustrated.  I am frustrated for about 9 hours per day while I am at work.   This is not really news to anyone, but getting it down in writing just feels right.  I have done a few things to move forward and to help with these feelings, and that makes me feel good.  I can't really give out details as of yet, but after the summer, I think I can.

My kids are the best, and Todd is good.  His new job has proven to be very fulfilling and I believe he has found his calling.  Hector has graduated from KWU (praise god!) and is working on his last 2 credit hours, and then will be REALLY done!  It was an amazing weekend spent with his family and ours, and all of the people who have helped Hector get to this point in HIS life.  We love him to pieces, but are also ready for him to take his leap from the nest!

We have been spending time lately with our newest favorite baby, Colin.  He is the 4-month old son of friends of Hector and we (Molly) have been babysitting him recently, and what joy he brings!  I can totally understand why folks love to be grandparents so much!  I have a feeling that we will ALWAYS be a family who takes others in...be it babysitting for, or providing a place to live.  We really love what folks different than us can bring into our lives. 

I have been working really hard getting my body healthy this year, and now it is time for my mind.  This life is just too short to be miserable, and there are many things I have control of and can change.  I have found that cooking has been a great creative release for me, and Pinterest is just a fabulous place to find things and experiment.  Our family eats together and much more healthy now.  We ALL feel better (even when the kiddos complain about their veggies!).  I wish I had more time to photograph.  Right now, my running and health has taken the front seat, and thus the "spare" time in the day.  Some day, again, it will move nearer to the top of the list.

It feels really good here in this writing chair...I believe I will try to get here more often. 

spring

our pond, filling slowly

:: loving my mornings with Carson before he leaves for school and the two of us are the only ones up

:: loving my mornings with Molly after everyone has left for school, and she lets me crawl in bed with her and snuggle

:: Emmy the dog cracks me up lately when she thinks no one knows she has been sleeping on the couch

:: as much as I love travelling abroad, there is nothing better than the first visit to the our farm in the spring, just a few miles from home (see photo above!)

:: Todd is the most happy he has been in many years...life changes are good

:: planning a fun dinner party with my  mom

:: hoping to take a fun trip with my dad and brother this summer...if only I can get the time to figure out what we want to do!



without photos

farm fresh eggs, european butter and an egg crate, for xmas gifts

I have had so many things to say lately...but have no good way of getting them here with photos to go with.  All of my photos are on my iphone lately, and since those photos can't be accessed by a windows machine on the cloud, there they stay. 

:: down 30 pounds now, and I can say that it has helped my running tremendously

:: ran my fastest ever at the St. Pat's Day run in Manhattan this past weekend...what fun we all had!

:: I don't love being mid-project...must get back to work on our kitchen

:: my poor carson has been sick so much these past few months...is it moving on to 6th grade and a new school? 

:: biggest accomplishment so far this year:  Completing the YMCA indoor triathlon in February

::  love, love, love texting, playing WWF and meeting up with old friends. 

:: looking forward to our annual Chicago trip with Todd in May

changes afoot...

::  being 20 pounds lighter changes a lot of things, I wonder what 30 more pounds will feel like?
::  some exciting new plans for our house are in the works
::  doing lots of research for potential new business opportunities is refreshing
::  a healthier lifestyle DOES translate into a healthier life
::  looking forward to the indoor triathlon during the month of February at the YMCA
::  making your mind up about the future makes loving each day much easier
::  finally acting on last year's resolution to keep in touch with old friends has been so fun!

a month of sundays

Tallin, Estonia September 2011

A pretty special thing has happened recently.  Every Sunday morning for the past 4 weeks I have gone on a long, long walk with a favorite sister-friend.  It started when another sister-friend was in the hospital, and we walked to visit her.  Unfortunately she was still in the hospital the next Sunday, so we walked again.  Each time, we interrupted her listening to our church service on the radio.  But that was ok.  The 3 of us being together like that after a brisk walk was just as meaningful to all of us.

The third week, neither of us had much going on, so we decided to walk again.  It was really cold and windy that day, so we caught a ride to the north part of town and "walked in."  This past week, we decided that we were in the habit now, so why not walk again?  We drove to some random, other-side-of-town part of town and started walking.

Our walks usually start with the general complaints from the week: jobs, family, etc.  Then we move on to catching up on friends we have spoken with, and concerns we might know about.  Sometimes we start to talk "about" someone, but we quickly stop each other.  A lot of times we dream.  We encourage, we smile, we laugh, and we sympathize.  Mostly, we draw strength from each other.  We sometimes walk in silence...simply enjoying our friendship...and the silence of the morning.

I know that not always will we be able to enjoy these Sundays together.  Children will grow, jobs will change, parents will age, and hopefully...dreams will come true.  But I will always look back on this month of Sundays with love;  the joy of a friendship discovered in the middle of my life. 

A sisterhood friendship:  it doesn't get any better than that, especially for someone who only has a brother.

tonight is the night...

Although it is 6:30pm and I am still at the office, tonight is the night:

::I will make Rachel Ray's sausage rolls for dinner.  All of the ingredients are already in the fridge
::I will download photos from my camera to my computer and then to my external hard drive
::I will NOT do work from home.

Promise!

this monday morning

::  i was up at 5am to get to my flight.  the wind was blowing so hard at home, branches were scratching the windows.  that kind of weather just makes me want to get BACK into bed.

::  a long layover in chicago is made much better by a great chair in the admiral's lounge.  i heart my amex platinum.

::  this poison ivy is killing me.  i look like a leper and folks at the airport are staring at me.  i think torture by itching could be the cruelest punishment.  i hope the steroids they have pumped me full of start to help soon.

::  progress is coming on the shed/cabin out at the farm (thus the poison ivy).  i have had such a great time working with my dad.  i hope the finished product is as fun as the preparation has been.

::  we're getting bees at the farm one of these days...and a windmill to pump water from a well too.

::  i have been taking a lot of photos lately.  it's sometimes a daunting task to get them from my camera into my computer.

::  GA here i come!

happy [memorial day] weekend

We're planning on doing a lot of this for the next few days...how about you?