Throwback Thursday

So, since today is often #tbt (throwback Thursday), I decided to find an old photo of Stuart and me to share.

This one comes from 1992. I had gone back to England to see Stuart during my Christmas break at uni. We were sitting in a country pub, enjoying some drinks with another couple. We were 22.

22?!?

Twenty-two!!! 

We just hit double that age this year.

That cold winter night seems an eternity ago. The pub was warm and loud and friendly. There was a fire in a big fireplace. And I remember there was freezing fog outside -- something I'd never heard of before, even though I'd lived in England only two year earlier.

Sigh.

Emily realized she's nearly the same age as Stuart and me when we met.

Sur-real!!

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What "throwback memories" do you remember when you see old photos? I'd love to hear about them!

Wordless Wednesday

A Day in the Life

Or the life in a day?

Sometimes it feels as if we're living many lifetimes in one day. There's so much going on.

My brain tries to sort out our schedule and keep everything straight. Soccer at 3:30...drama at 6:30...dinner at 5:30...little-guy soccer at 6.....laundry, meals, cleaning, and, oh, that's right...I have a newspaper story due.

Still. The soccer season is nearly over. Drama rehearses for a short period of time during the autumn. All will end before I know it and life will slow down, if only a little.

Enjoy the moments as they come, I tell myself.

I got extremely nostalgic this past Sunday when we passed a mom and her young daughter walking on the sidewalk as we drove to church. Suddenly, I pined yearned longed for that time again. It seemed so much easier, simpler somehow. The kids got up and had breakfast. We got dressed. We did school. We had lunch with a couple of PBS shows and then read a story together. After that, it was playtime. The kids loved playing outside. They built "fairy houses" in the flowerbeds and washed rocks and ran around defending our house from "bad" guys. They were little, and I could carry them. My kisses were still magical and healed boo-boos. We colored together.

It was while I was thinking about this and admitting that I missed that time that our 6-year-old piped up, "But then you wouldn't have me."

My heart froze.

He was totally right. He's 11 years younger than Emily and 7.5 years younger than Edward. To go back in time 10 years would erase his existence.

Never.

Then I got to thinking about how much I enjoy the kids now. And while they don't play outside very often anymore...and school takes a bit more time than the morning (mostly due to concentration problems),..and they're not as much into PBS kids' shows anymore...and I can't carry them (they're 5'10" and 5'9" tall now...and even the "little" one is 4'6". Sigh.)...they still love to hug me...and my kisses still have magic of some sort in them because they are filled with love.


Enjoy the moments as they come, I remind myself.

One day I'll feel nostalgic when I see a mom and her teenagers walking along the sidewalk, chatting together.


Enjoy. The. Moment.

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What makes you feel nostalgic?

Sweet Sunday

 

"Our God"

Water you turned into wine,
opened the eyes of the blind
there's no one like you, none like You!

Into the darkness you shine
out of the ashes we rise
there's no one like you none like You!

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power,
Our God! Our God!

Into the darkness you shine
out of the ashes we rise
there's no one like you, none like You!

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power,
Our God! Our God!

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power,
Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
What could stand against.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power,
Our God! Our God!

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power,
Our God! Our God!

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.

And if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against.
Then what could stand against.

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power,
Our God! Our God!

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
God you are higher than any other.
Our God is Healer, Awesome in Power,
Our God! Our God!

Saturday Sweetheart

My very favorite player on the Wyomissing High School Boys' JV Soccer Team!!

Wordless Wednesday

Label Readers

I'm getting really tired of all the labels we give to ourselves and our kids, trying to explain every condition/ailment under the sun.

We all have a label. It's called " human." 

What if we all realize this, take responsibility for our own actions and abilities /struggles and accept each other "as is" without giving ourselves a name or label or condition? 

Whoa.

I've read that "normal "is only a setting on the dryer. No one is normal. Because think about it. Who actually determines what normal is? 

Maybe when we see this, we'll stop feeling defensive -- or judgmental -- and we'll look in the mirror and like who we see, accepting our own selves flaws and all.

Hmm... 

I think that's a start to peace on earth.

Using His Head

Life has been extremely busy with school and activities and...soccer.

Edward has soccer everyday after school, and Ethan has soccer on Tuesday evenings and Sunday afternoons.

Sometimes life feels consumed by soccer. We finished watching the 2014 World Cup just in time for Edward to begin the high school soccer season.

Not that I'm complaining.

It's my favorite sport. I love the speed and skill the players display. It never slows down; only pauses for kicks and throw-ins.

Stuart and I are having fun coaching our U8 team, the Blue Cheetahs. The kids have plenty of silliness and energy to make it very enjoyable.

And then this happens.

Edward's team played Oley, and for the second year in a row, he got headbutted.

Ironic?

Hmm...

Sweet Sunday

So yesterday, Emily and I participated in the Fall 24-hour Short Story Contest. Well, I participated, and she joined me for some writing (and Starbucks) fun.

The contest costs $5, and usually she joins in, too, but she's currently saving all the money she makes to replace her phone. So she just used the prompt to write her own story.

And. It. Was. Awesome.

She felt a bit bummed that she didn't enter since the fall prompts are always decidedly more spooky than the other seasons....and she's very good at writing spooky things.

Still. We had lots of fun together and drank our first pumpkin-spiced drinks of the season.

Sweet times!

Saturday Sweetheart

Edward made this helicopter with K'nex last night. The model itself came from the instruction book, but he made it have working gears and rotors.

Such a clever and creative guy!

Friday Funny

"See, Mommy? I have a 2-pack [of abs]!"

Love this kid!

Birthday Boy

...on his birthday bike!

Last night, Stuart finally found an awesome deal on an awesome bike.

Doesn't he look awesome on it?

Now to accessorize....

Worded Wednesday

The hardest part of loving pets into old age is having to say goodbye. 

Rest in peace, our sweet bunny Tony (L).

Click here to read about when we got them.

All Is Bright

So this happened today:

Emily had her first college (interchangeable with university over here) interview today at Albright College, her first choice of places to get her degree. 

Sur-real to the max. 

Here's hoping they accept her and give her a full-ride scholarship. That would be awesome!

We had to get a snack at Jake's Java afterwards. It's a tradition. *wink-grin*

Starting....

...second grade!

One day down...179 to go. Only kidding. It was an awesome day!

Oh, Happy Day!

What a difference six years makes, right?

From little to "big" in the blink of an eye. Today is Ethan's "Star Birthday," meaning his birthday actually landed on his actual day of birth.

We are so proud of this little guy! He woke up, and Edward asked him if he felt different. He said he felt taller...so we, of course, measured him, and he is actually an inch and a quarter taller.

Happiest 6th Birthday to our special "caboose," Ethan Samuel! We love you more than you'll ever know!

A couple of pics from today:

Saturday Sweethearts

Our favorite September "Birth-Month Buddies."

Come Fly Away with Me!

Ethan's special birthday adventure was to the National Air & Space Museum "Annex" (which, ironically, was the same place Edward went for his 6th birthday adventure). He wanted to see a Blackbird and a space shuttle. We saw both -- and more!

It was an awesome day!

Here's the link to the whole photo album.

Our favorite quote of the day:

The wisdom of a 5-nearly-6-year-old... Heard from Ethan in the car yesterday while we drove through D.C.: "I think the Secret Service is really dumb. Who ever heard of writing 'Secret Service' on a car. They're supposed to be SECRET, aren't they? I don't think that's very secret."

Happiest Palindrome Birthday to My Bestest Friend and Hubby!

44!

Love this man!

We started the day with a power outage...so had an impromptu brekkie out...but it turned out to be a fun -- if busy -- day!

He's the best thing that ever happened on this day! xxoo

Substance of LIfe

Wanna come school with us? *wink-grin*