Monday, May 28, 2007

Memorial Day




We went to a Memorial Day parade in the most picture perfect all-American town today! I am absolutely infatuated with Worthington, OH and would love to live there. Unfortunately, it's on the other side of Columbus so it's not a smart idea since Mark works east of the city. Oh well. In the meantime, we had a great morning. I love the patriotic holidays. And in my old age, I'm getting sappier as the days go by. I could not help getting teared up seeing the Vets pass by throughout the parade, especially the older men. (If you haven't read Tom Brokaw's book, "The Greatest Generation," you should.) And I think a big part of that was seeing people stand and clap for each and every group. I am proud to be an American, and even at their young age, we are teaching our kids to keep their flags off the ground, to clap for the soldiers, and to stand when they hear the national anthem. I love seeing them in their red, white, and blue!

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Counter Culture

I just finished watching a two hour documentary on hippies. What many of us have suspected for some time is true...I was born a few decades late.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Miami Ink

This show is my latest TV interest. This winter, with Mark coaching so much and not knowing too much of the city yet, I spent more time than usual watching reality tv. I don't get into the games and competitions, but I have an unhealthy fascination with watching other people's lives. It seems like just about every network has a couple of versions of just watching people, and I readily admit that it's a pretty big waste of time. But I like tv, what can I say? My favorite right now is Miami Ink, on TLC. It's about a tattoo shop in South Beach and all the people who work there. Some of it is about their personal lives, but I think the really fascinating part is hearing what the customers' tattoos mean to them. Most of them come in knowing exactly what they want to have done. And it's always very personal--anything from a girl's journey to becoming an American citizen, to guys' siblings taking their own lives, to a father who loves his daughters, to a woman coming out of an abusive relationship, to a guy who feels peace everytime he looks at the ocean, to a young mother who wants to be a strong role model for her kids...it's really interesting stuff if you're looking to waste a half hour of your day!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Summer Is Calling

It's getting to be that time of year again. Lost of bubbles, sidewalk chalk, riding bikes, wagon rides, whiffle ball, and this year we've added soccer balls, orange cones, jump ropes, frisbees, and a few other odds and ends to the growing box of outside toys. We're outside as much as possible, so I'm loving the dollar store here because I've found quite a few little treasures to help keep preschool minds occupied while getting fresh air.

It's also time to start planning for our three-week excursion to the Pennsylvania Hills for basketball camp! It's only a little over a month away. As usual, I have long lists and a box started of snacks, pullups, extra bubbles, chalk, etc. I'm really looking forward to it this year, in a different way than last year though. Last summer I was still so homesick for Clarks Summit, my home of 10 years. We had been gone for a year already, but I just couldn't shake it. This year, I'm happy to say, God has given me peace and has begun to fill my heart with a feeling of home here in Columbus. I'm sure one of the major differences is that I actually GAVE Him my homesickness this time around. You'd think after 29 years I'd finally figure out that God is everything, but my human mind will forever be learning, I suppose... but I digress. What I was saying was that I'm looking forward to camp again this year, but for different reasons. Last year I was craving time with good friends there that I missed so much and also some mental regrouping for myself since we had moved twice in 10 months. This year, I'm really excited to just be with my kids on campus. The longer I'm gone, the less people I know. I have a few friends I can't wait to spend time with, but mostly, I'm just psyched about the fact that both my kids are getting bigger and will enjoy so much there. AND there's less baby stuff to bring--no pacifiers, no wipes, no booster seat for the cafeteria, no sippee cups... What an amazing feeling!

I feel the rest of summer sneaking up on me too because a couple of weeks after camp, Mark's brother and his wife are coming down for about 4 days to help us build a deck! Yaayyy! Then a few weeks after that comes our Ireland trip, and then summer is almost over. This is really going to be a great few months. In the meantime, we have a very relaxing and fun May planned, so for now, I'm kicking back, doing a little planning here and there, but mostly just enjoying this time of life. God has given us so much and I plan on NOT taking anything for granted. So bring on the lemonade, the Memorial Day parade, some casual cookouts at the park, and whatever else blows our way. Like I love to say, it's the simple things...