Today Has Been Sort Of Crazy...

... aren't they all?

We started our day in Animal Kingdom, where we had all kinds of wild experiences.  These included:

Reaffirmation that Grace will never be a paleontologist:

 But Ian might:

And the realization that Miah is fearless (she rode most of Expedition Everest with her hands up) and that Mama will panic on roller coasters that are just too big for "the baby"...  Miah is the first kid who I have ever seen look for a reasonable way off the ride when it stops at the broken tracks before going backwards.  I now remember why people have children in their 20s:

Our character greetings were ridiculous.  Baloo was so funny, but he might have gotten a little over excited when he chased Grace after she left the character greeting area.  I probably laughed far too hard about this.  As a side note, while waiting in line my kids informed me that only Caleb has seen The Jungle Book.  I have no idea how this happened.  It made little difference, because we are all TaleSpin fans:

And then there was Rafiki, whom Grace desperately wanted to meet.  The only problem was that we didn't make it onto the Wildlife Express Train until the last train of the evening, and we were informed that all of the characters had already left.  This was seriously going to be a disaster.  I have never prayed for a character to still be at a greeting spot before, but I did today.  Well, believe it or not, Rafiki was somehow hung up and Grace was able to sneak in for the last character greeting of the day.  Thank goodness, because I couldn't figure out how to cram another trip to Animal Kingdom in over the next couple of days:

Of course, we were so late getting out of there that they had to hold the train back for us... particularly because we needed to stop to take a picture with the elephants.  It's family tradition.  One does not go to Disney without getting a picture with the elephants: 

Per normal, Finding Nemo, the Musical, and Festival of the Lion King were fabulous.  Festival of the Lion King was made even more so by Ian and Miah being chosen to participate in the show:

I have always loved Kilimanjaro Safari.  The best quote of the day came from Miah who shouted, "Hey Dad!  Look at that blade of grass!"  Sometimes it's the little things...  

The low point of our day was when we got a call from the resort informing us that we would have to move cabins because of a maintenance issue!  I really thought I might cry over this, because it is no easy task to pack up and move this much stuff and this many people, but our pre-teen and teenager crew managed to get the job done in about 90 minutes.  I am struggling a little bit with the fact that I am still awake at this hour, but at least we are all set for the remainder of the trip.

A highlight of the day was heading over to Epcot one last time (that makes four visits this time around) for dinner at Le Cellier.  We have always wanted to eat there, but at $50.00 a plate, there was just no way without the free dining plan!  It was really good steak, but I know it wasn't a good value, since we had to use so many table service credits.  Undoubtedly, the funniest part was when Miah was upset that the server kept taking our silverware after each course.  This was particularly funny after she tried to return the silverware she didn't need earlier in the trip.  Again, keepin' it classy...

We are quickly approaching the end of this vacation and continuing to try to capture every moment and memory.  You don't get these times back...  

L.

Pictures Taken Today: 281

First Steps...

Oh my goodness, I really had no idea what it takes to record an EP!  Just sayin'!

Grace and I had such an amazing day at the recording studio yesterday.  We booked four hours, because somehow I thought that might be enough time to record six songs... Uh... not so much! 

Grace did manage to get all of the piano parts recorded for her album, and they sound amazing (and we've only heard the rough copy)!  We have booked four more hours, so in a couple of weeks we will be going back to record the vocals.

I am so glad Grace was blessed to have this experience!  I can't wait to hear the finished product!

Here's some pics:

L. 

Labor Day Celebration...

... a day early, but it's all good.

It was a really nice day with grilled food,  listening to Dad read his journal, relaxation, and board games.

We used to play a lot of Chinese checkers with Phil's mom and dad.  It had been years since we had pulled out the box, but we sure had fun:

I did remember why I stopped playing, though:

Looks like we now have "Chinese Checkers: The Next Generation":

L.

Vacations Are My Love Language...

Sometime this summer, I came upon a couple of photos on Facebook that made me chuckle and then caused me to contemplate the art of vacationing.

First:

I have to be honest...  I don't relate all that well to this photo.  But it does make a good point, at least to a certain extent.  This summer, we did a little bit of traveling, but we didn't really take a vacation.  I was feeling particularly crummy about this when a dear friend of mine started posting about the amazing family vacation her family was getting ready to take (read this, jealous)... a road trip out west, which is exactly what I wanted to do this summer.  (Kelly, if you're reading this, keep reading...  I got over it, and I looked forward to all of your vacation pictures and updates!  I loved them, and I can't wait to hear all about your trip, because we are going to take a similar one... someday...)

But here's the funny thing that happened to me.  As the pictures started showing up, I found myself saying things like, "St. Louis!  Oh my goodness, that was one of my favorite trips ever!"  And, "Hey kids, come look at this!  Do you remember when we had a view of Pike's Peak from our apartment in Colorado Springs?" And, "Check out the Grand Canyon!  Hey Seth, did you know dad and I visited the Grand Canyon when I was like 2 days pregnant with you?"  Our friends had an incredible trip.  And I just about fell apart when I realized that, in many ways, we had already lived it!  We have lived that kind of life from which you don't need to escape.  My goodness, the past 17 years have taken us an awful lot of places!  And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Then, there's the second picture: 

And this is exactly it.  This is why I enjoy vacations so much.  This is why vacations are my love language.  You see, I have rarely seen a vacation as an escape from life.  Instead, I have viewed vacations as an integral part, days and weeks in which we clear our calendar of the mundane, ordinary tasks so we can just be together.  And even though it's not an escape, I do think it makes us all the better when we return to our ordinary lives.  Vacations are something special.  They are celebrations in the midst of struggles.  They are ceremonial.  And, dare I say it, they may even be sacramental.  

Live a life you love.  And let it include memory making in whatever form you can.

L.

Such A Nice Day...

My mom had some free time, so we met up with her for lunch, a trip to the park, and some crazy good frozen yogurt! 

 The kids loved the waterfall:

 We hadn't been to this park since Seth was a baby:

 Mom and I actually got to sit and talk while the kids played:

 It helps to have someone big enough to chase Miah!

 Mmmm...  Fro-Yo...  We'll have to come back here again:

One of the best things about coming "home" is that we're close to grandparents now!  I love that my kids get to make memories with them during this stage of life!

L.

Oh, Saturday...

... how I have missed you.

We have had such a busy few months!  Today we finally had time to get the Christmas decorations up (better late than never) and to watch a couple of Christmas movies (How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) and The Polar Express).

Getting Ready to Decorate:

Next time it's her turn to hang the angel, 

she'll be a Senior in High School:

Here We Are:

 

L.

Sometimes...

... it just blows my mind - these things I get to do.

Today was... snowy...

We started out by attending the EMD mixer quiz, which was an awful lot of fun.  Phil and I both quizmastered, and Seth and Grace quizzed, and Caleb ran score sheets to the office, and it was just great.  We might be addicted to quizzing... just a little...

If I have never mentioned how amazing Grace is, I might just throw it out there that she is the only quizzer I have ever known who has placed first at a district quiz on three separate districts in one year...  Seth also had a pretty nice day, placing 10th, which means that he has placed in the top 10 on three districts, this year, as well...

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again.  There's nothing quite like coming home...

After the quiz, we ran some errands and then headed for the church board Christmas party, which was an excellent way to end a wonderful day. 

L.

Twelve Years Ago, Today...

… we made a choice.

Sitting in a little house on the EMD campgrounds, Phil and I looked at each other and asked (and answered) a question, “Are we going to sit around talking about it forever, or are we going to do it?”  And then we jumped in, with both feet, and started on a journey that lasted for a dozen years and changed us, forever.

Today, we pulled a moving van into the driveway at a little house on the EMD campgrounds.  And just as the decision all those years ago was an answer to the call of God on our lives to leave home; this day was an answer to the call of God on our lives to return.

It’s been one of those days that you just couldn’t dream up, even if you tried…

From the sounds of Caedmon’s Call’s “Coming Home” blaring on the radio, at sunrise, as I crossed the Michigan border…

To the welcome we received from friends, old and new, for the unloading of the truck (and I have to note here, that two of those sets of friends had also greeted us, in Colorado Springs, when we first began this journey – simply amazing)…

To watching the kids run across a field to a playground to play with kids they knew in what seems like a former life... and they don't even realize it... but I do...

To the worship with Olivet’s “The Narrow” that seemed to hit on every era of our adventure, leaving me in tears for most of the night… happy tears… astounded tears…

To the way this house even smells and feels like that first little house...

I am, perhaps, a little floored at the way God works things out. 

“How many years did you plan this moment here just to show me that you love me?” (Britt Nicole, Seeing for the First Time).  I am so thankful, and I wouldn't change a thing...

L.

Quizfest 2013...

Wow!  It had been a long time since we'd been to Quizfest, as other events have filled our schedule for years!  It was great to be back!

In addition to having a blast catching up with old friends, I am just loving getting to know our new team.  What an amazing group!  These guys managed to go into the tournament seeded 4th, and although they dropped to an 8th place finish, that is still incredible, especially since half of them had never been to an invitational quiz before! 

Durand, 8th Place

Back Row: Josh, Grace, Kelsay

Front Row: Sam, Kyle, Seth

 More than that, we just had an awful lot of fun!

Hanging Out After the Quizzing Was Finished:

Who Can Resist Squishing Seth?

Apparently not Phil or Kyle:

Dinner Time!

It only took us three tries to find a Pizza Hut

that was open and had eat-in seating:

As far as individual results go, Seth placed 11th and Grace placed 3rd!  We are looking forward to more of that as the year progresses...

Top 15 - 

Grace is up front, and Seth is behind that tall guy:

I love being a part of the global quizzing family... always have... always will...

L.

Happy 12th Birthday, Grace!

I don't know exactly why, but Grace's birthday, this year, caused me to stop and think about the circumstances surrounding her birth a little more than I ordinarily would.  Maybe it's because we are in the process of moving back to the place where she was born... the place where we resided for just weeks of her life before setting out on a twelve year journey that would change us forever.  There will be more on that soon...

But what I was actually dwelling on was the fact that I was surprised to find that I was pregnant with Grace, at all, just four months after Seth was born.  After giving birth to Seth, I was repeatedly cautioned to use birth control... to not get pregnant again right away... because I was taking Coumadin, a category X medication in regard to pregnancy, a medication that, when taken during pregnancy, should result in central nervous system defects, deformed limbs, and developmental retardation.  And I just never thought to worry about it, because it took 2 1/2 years to get pregnant with Seth, so surely we wouldn't have another baby right away.

But we did.

Grace hummed for the first 24 hours of her life.  I am relatively sure that the medical community was mystified.  I remember getting some funny looks from family members who were, most likely, wondering what on earth was wrong with this baby.  Somehow, I wasn't too worried (which is really saying something, because I can tend to be a worrier).  I remember telling people that she was fine.  Nothing was wrong with her.  She was just going to love music.

Well...  I was right.

So, if you ever stop to wonder why I am amazed by Grace at every turn, maybe this little story will help.  Like I said, I don't think of it often.  I had all but forgotten about how her life began by the time she taught herself to read at age four... and by the time she published a story in a magazine... and by the time she started racking up trophies and scholarships for quizzing... and talent show wins for songs she has composed.  But mostly I have just forgotten, because I see her making friends, loving people, helping wherever she is needed, and loving Jesus - becoming exactly who she was made to be.

I love this girl!

Happy birthday, "Pretty Princess"!  You are the best surprise of my life!

Love,

Mom 

PS  I don't want to forget the really important b-day details... So... Grace chose Little Caesar's Pizza and Italian Cheese Bread, Coke, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting, and Extreme Moose Tracks Ice Cream, today...  L.

This Was Hard...

... but maybe not quite as hard as I thought.

Now that it's listed, it would be excellent if we could get a buyer...  maybe this week?  ;)

L.

Random Thought...

It just occurred to me that I paint Miah's nails far more often than I painted Grace's nails at age 3.  I stopped to consider why.  Who does this?  At any rate, it finally hit me that when Grace was Miah's age, I was spending an awful lot of time putting her hair in pigtails, leaving less time for nail painting.  I sure love my Miah, but I'm always wishing she would grow more hair!  Oh well, at least she's color coordinated:

L.

Happy 13th Birthday, Seth!!!

I don't feel like I can possibly be old enough to be the mother of a teenager.  But, sure enough, I am!

It's new ground for birthdays for us.

I think Seth's favorite part of the day was picking out two dozen donuts.  Seriously.  It was more impressive than Disney World:

Since this is a "party year", the big cake is comin' up in a couple of weeks.  But, ya know, you have to have something to stick a candle in:

And some presents...  Seth asked for a "lifetime supply of orange pop".  With as fond as I am of letting my kids drink pop, this is almost a lifetime supply...  But I made him promise to outlive it, anyway...  I think the latest I've heard is that if he asks for a year's supply of pop on every birthday, it will, in essence, be a lifetime supply.  This really probably is a year's supply:

 

I am so proud of this guy!  Mama loves you "the most-est", Seth!

L.