5 & 6: Powder Valley

One day, beautiful and sunny but with very stubborn kids and ultimately unhappy parents.  The next, a do-over.  Cold and windy but with very compliant children and content parents.  Never give up.  The next greatest day lies just ahead.

 



Hike #4: Castlewood State Park

One goal I have this year is to complete 52 hikes in 52 weeks.  So far, we are right on track.  I am loving this new family activity, and Lily has even asked if we are going to go on a hike this weekend (in anticipation, not dread)!  I even think Emmy gets a little excited when she sees the backpack, and little William with his little legs is the ultimate trooper.  Carl has always been fond of long walks and hikes, but I just didn't fully get it until now, and I'm hooked (on the hikes....I'm still not a big fan of long walks through town).  Another activity that I have always wanted to try is cross-country skiing.  I'm hoping that I get the chance to do it at least once this year.

 



 

 The initial uphill trek was worth it

 Watching the train below

 

 

 

Hike #3: Queeny Park

Although the kids sometimes initially resist our hikes (Lily started one by saying it was the worst day of her life), they always end up enjoying exploring new surroundings and trying out new skills.  Today, the kids did close to 3 miles in the time span of 3 hours.  Obviously, our hikes are not rushed and purposely so.  In this way, we are free to uncover the little worm in her nutshell, find the perfect walking stick, appreciate the picturesque tree-lined path, marvel over the form of a tree that bears the beautiful scars from weathering a storm, and experience the thrill of challenging ourselves and discovering that we are capable of more than we thought. 

Centered

My name is Lily
and I like to play
all day
out in Mother Nature
hey

I needed Lily's spontaneous humor today to keep me focused on what is important.  Good thing she is always there to deliver.  This rap came at bedtime for no apparent reason and just made my day. 

It was beautiful outside (mid 60s) today which is both nice and a bit scary for January.  William, Emilia, and I spent leisurely time at the zoo to make the most of the weather.  Although I really love outings with friends (because, let's face it, I'm desperate for the adult conversation), I know that in the end, I am less stressed when it is just us because I'm not distracted and attempting to divide my attention.  I was able to follow William's whims which led us to spying on the birds in the pond, going on a bear hunt, interpreting conversations between the penguins, taking a carefree ride on the carousel and braving the tunnels on the train.  To top it off, I got the best parking spot ever...it's the little things that are sometimes not so little.

The zoo exploration trip served as personal therapy since emotions are running a bit high around here.  Okay, maybe it's just me.  Like a pendulum, I can swing back and forth from blissful to desperate and back again in a manner of seconds.  I sense the hesitation in Carl's voice when he calls from work as he tries to gauge my current emotional state....poor guy.  The job hunt has led us to options that have spanned from various Midwestern cities, to the pacific northwest, to northern territory, to overseas.  And it seems that more are added every day.  We had hopes of knowing our destination by the end of January, a hope that is quickly fading.  For those who are anxious to know our future destination, all I can say is you have no idea.  It takes everything in me to stay positive during this process.  My main guiding light through the murky waters of the unknown is those little beings.  Truly, they are the light of my life.  They test my limitations, but in their inevitably pure and innocent, perfectly imperfect way, they lead me to my center.  They lead me to home.

Wednesday

an embrace and kisses before boarding the school bus

watching little mister march to a beat all his own on the soccer field

chatting with friends while watching our boys put out imaginary "emergency" fires on the playground

a call from work just to say, "I love you"

nuzzles with little mister before naptime

welcoming hugs after school

a pint-size helper during dinner preparations

sisters sharing drinks on the counter, legs dangling

an impromptu game of ping pong between brother and sister

belly laughs from the baby

a boy running to his daddy after work

a family sharing a meal of chili full of fresh veggies and beans with warm, gooey grilled Havarti sandwiches

playing peek-a-boo with a sleepy baby

piles of freshly laundered clothes returning to their places, waiting for the chance for more adventures with the little ones

a request for a monster hug

little fingers holding mine and a sweet wave good-night

stories and girl talk

hot, soothing tea

 

.......a good day, a great life......

 

 

 



Peaceful

The first full week of January always feels like the calm after the storm to me.  After the flurry of activity from October through New Year's day, January brings with it calmness and a return to routines...not bad things.  We have entered a more peaceful state with a feeling of both coziness and familiarity with a sense of new beginnings just around the corner. 

 

 

 Stripes in soft cotton seem to be the clothing of choice among the little ones lately.



 A very stoic Emmy.  She has several teeth coming in right now so she has been feverish, sleepy and wanting to nurse more frequently.  She is such a sweetheart, and I am thankful that I can provide some level of comfort to her until this phase passes.

 

 

 William does his part to cheer up his baby sister.

 

 

 Success.

 

 

 Lily donning her stripes today with a new dress from Aunt Angela.

 

 

 There's our sweet, happy baby girl.

 

 

 Stripey baby legs

 

 

Dinners so far this year have reflected our family's state of being as well.  We've had some wonderful cozy feel-good classics such as roasted pork loin with root vegetables, spaghetti pie and shepherd's pie.  As always, I enjoy exploring and testing the waters with some more adventurous recipes as well.  This cookbook has been quietly waiting on the shelves for just the right time, and tonight seems like the perfect opportunity to venture into some new recipes of this gorgeous book.  Baked cod with ginger and soy on asparagus sounds heavenly, and I'm looking forward to dinner with the family gathered around the table already.

2013 Hike #2: Phantom Forest

 

Gifts for our feathered friends

Winter break officially ended yesterday for Lily.  For her last day of vacation, we decided to collect pine cones in the backyard and make birdfeeders for some of the Cardinals that we had noticed hanging out around our house.

It was a messy endeavor, my favorite kind really.  I love watching William and Lily exploring in the backyard, finding their treasures and creating something with their own hands which is both organic and benefits the wildlife in our own backyard.  I truly hope that they never lose their sense of curiosity.  I hope that they never stop finding beauty in the world around them and trying to better the world with simple acts of kindness.  Above all, I hope that they never take for granted the most sacred of all relationships, that of siblings.


"Hope" is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—

--Emily Dickinson