Category Archives: Family File

Thoughts on family life

Second Grade

Posted on by

IMG_0563Second grade was awesome.  I loved my teacher.  She was young and pretty and married to the sixth grade teacher.  I found out her first name was Anita, so when we were assigned to write a story, the main character in my riveting tale was a mysterious character named Anita.  I wanted so badly to be the teacher’s pet, but she didn’t seem to pick any favorites.  Then, at the end of the year, Carla got to take home the class turtle, so I knew she loved Carla more than me.  I was crushed.  However, I did win the award for most book reports.

I felt very fancy on picture day.  My mom didn’t fuss with my hair very often, so the pin curls made me feel extra stylish and flouncy.  Too bad she didn’t cut those bangs a little straighter though.  I don’t know why I wore the same plaid dress in both my 1st and 2nd grade pictures.  Somebody wasn’t paying attention.

A few weeks into the fall quarter, Anita noticed I was having trouble seeing the blackboard from the back row.  She sent a note home and it wasn’t long before I was sporting cat-eye glasses.  By third grade, the lovely curls were chopped off in favor of the ever-popular pixie haircut.

Never again would I be as beautiful as I was in September of 1966.

My Wedding Ring

Posted on by

DSC_0861

Thirty-five years ago, when I had curly hair and a skinny waistline, I stood before a church full of people and promised to love and to cherish PB my whole life.  My handsome groom and I sang a song together to seal the deal.

But when the time came to exchange rings, something went awry.  My sister and PB’s brother had conspired to pull a prank on us.  My future father-in-law held out his open Bible to receive the gleaming gold bands from the maid-of-honor and the best man.

Instead, gleaming plastic Oscar Meyer wiener rings were presented.

There was a momentary pause as we took it in.  A gasp (PB), a frown (his dad), a nervous giggle (me).

Unfortunately, the microphone standing right in front of us picked up my voice as I whispered, “I can’t do this!”  Oh yes.  More gasps, frowns, and nervous giggles from the congregation.

We carried on.  “With this ring, I thee wed.”  With this plastic, Oscar Meyer ring, I marry you, and that’s no bologna.  Hot dog!

Even though the O.M. boy with the frankfurter hat had been thoroughly blessed, we discarded those trinkets shortly after the ceremony and slipped on the real rings.

A few years ago, I got to thinking about those unique little pieces of our history.  I found one on Ebay for $5.00 and gave it to PB for Christmas.  We said, “I do” all over again.

This is our story.  This is our song.

DSC_0862

“Love’s grown deep inside of us,

And time has made us sure,

That the reason we stand here,

Is because You’ve touched Your hand here.

The love we feel today is meant to be shared by two,

So we commit our love to You.”

Still do.

Starting Five

Posted on by

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared photos of my grands.  I’m still amazed that five grandchildren have graced my life in the past two and a half years.  Since I have writer’s block and can’t think of anything to say, I will default to my little team of kiddos.  There’s always something to say about them.

Here’s my starting five line-up:

Hudson, AKA Hud Bud.

DSC_0598

He is our starting center, because, well, he started it all and he’s used to being in the center.

Strengths: Tall, most experienced, smart and in-charge.

Needs to work on: Passing the ball and not beating up on teammates.

Elijah, AKA Eli.

DSC_0607

This guy is our power forward.  Don’t get in his way.

Strengths: Size, strength and having his own personal gym.

Needs to work on: Not crying when he gets fouled.

Eleanor, AKA Ella.

DSC_0600

This little lady is a force on the court.

Strengths: Enthusiasm, spirit, and determination.

Needs to work on: Control.  And how to dribble while holding three purses.

Charlie, AKA Charlie-boy.

DSC_0601

He’s our speedy point guard.

Strengths: Quickness, especially if there is a dog nearby.  And well-defined muscles.

Needs to work on: Being a little more aggressive.  In a nice way.

And last but not least, Evie, AKA Evie-girl.

IMG_0366

She rounds out the team by being the other guard, but she’s secretly holding out to be replaced so she can become head cheerleader.

Strengths: Always looks good on the court.

Needs to work on: Lowering the decibel of her screams.

There you have it, folks.

It looks like a good season.

Opa and Nonnie are cheering them on!

Checkout Line

Posted on by

grocery

Here’s how you know you’re life has changed:

You are in the checkout line at the grocery store.

You wonder why there is so little in your cart.

You remember that the 15 people who filled your home for several weeks have dispersed and there’s only two of you left.

You bag up your measly purchases and swipe your card.

You push your cart toward the exit.

You walk past the other checkout lane and are momentarily disoriented.

You see someone familiar and you are slightly taken aback.

You realize it is your newly married son unloading a full cart of groceries.

You panic for an instant as random thoughts run through your mind —

Should I be paying for his groceries?  How many bags of chips are in that cart?  Did I ever teach my son how to grocery shop?  I never sent him to the store for anything but a gallon of milk.  Have I failed as a mother?  Will he survive?????

Your eyes meet for an awkward second.

Then your newly married son smiles and says, “Hi Momma!” and gives you a big hug right there in the checkout line.

That’s when you know you’re life has changed.

Mr. and Mrs.

Posted on by

IMG_0259

The new Mr. and Mrs.

I still get teary-eyed looking at this picture.

IMG_0289

The family Scrabble board is complete.

Her name fits just right.

10408712_10201904636929574_7361387886748053273_n

These guys.

All five grands dressed up fancy for Uncle Jake’s wedding.

IMG_0267

Three weddings and five grand babies in three years.

Holy moly.

This Nonnie is plumb tuckered out, but with a full heart.

Wedding Week Interview #3

Posted on by

Weighing in on wedding week is brother and Best Man, Sam.

Me: How do you feel about your little brother getting married?

Sam: Oh man…..it’s almost an unexplainable feeling because this is my brother and best friend, so there are a whole lot of emotions.

Me: What are you most looking forward to on Saturday?

Sam: I’m most looking forward to when all the guys put the tuxes on and we’re hanging out waiting for the wedding to start.

Me: Where do you see the happy couple in five years?

Sam: Hopefully still being my next door neighbor.

Me: What are three words that describe your relationship with Jake?

Sam: Oh man……deep, protective, entertaining.

(We’re taking bets on the probability of whether or not there will be tears during the best man’s speech.  Odds are currently running 2:1.)

10400985_512928855410_9084_n

 

Wedding Week Interview #2

Posted on by

Wedding week continues….

Next up: big sister Katie.

Me: How do you feel about your little brother getting married?

Katie: Oh….I feel old.  I changed Jake’s diapers and carried him on my hip.  Not recently, but like 22 years ago.

Me: What are you most looking forward to on Saturday?

Katie: Seeing Jake’s face when Kelsey walks down the aisle and watching him cry his eyes out.

Me: Where do you see the happy couple in five years?

Katie: I see them living in the woods and having their own reality TV show.

Me: What are three words that describe your relationship with Jake?

Katie: Ummmm…long-distance, book-ends, favorite 🙂

In all fairness, this interview was done in the kitchen while five babies were pulling on Katie’s pant legs.  One was crying, one was screaming, one was whining, one was drooling, and one was shouting.

All this while eight adults were in the other room watching “Thomas the Train”.

1923415_525315027906_3945_n

Wedding Week Interview #1

Posted on by

It’s officially wedding week in our household!  I thought this blessed event should be commemorated in a special way, so for the next few days I will be doing a series of interviews of various members of the family.  Given the nature of this slightly dysfunctional, but entirely charming clan, this should be fairly entertaining.

Day one: Sister Anna

Me: How do you feel about your little brother getting married?

Anna:  (My gosh, I can’t do this…. sniff, sniff)  I feel sad that it’s the last wedding because I really like these parties.  I’m excited to see the culmination of five years of them getting to know each other and learning to love each other well.

Me: What are you most looking forward to on Saturday?

Anna: Babysitters.  Also, the crying during the father/daughter dance, and the laughing during the mother/son dance.

Me: Where do you see the newly married couple in 10 years?

Anna: In their new hand-crafted house, built by Jake……with a baby, maybe two…..continuing to pursue the things they love.

Me: What are three words that describe your relationship with Jake?

Anna: Spontaneous (free tote!), loving (nook me), and open and honest (brother-sister time on the roof).  

Um…I think these are inside jokes….half the time I have no idea what these two are talking about.

Me: That was four words, Anna.

Anna: (laughing)

photo-2

A Blessing For My Son

Posted on by

Jake 001

This is my baby.

He’s getting married in a few days, so naturally I’m getting all sentimental about this child.

I love this picture because it captures a moment I treasure, the perfect day.

 A summer day, barefoot on green grass, peaceful river, gentle breeze, garden ready for planting, Wisconsin cheese t-shirt, worn out blue jeans, favorite blankie hanging on the clothesline.

So, reflecting on this photo, here is a blessing for my son as he marries his love:

May you have the perfect summer day to begin your life together.

May you walk in green pastures of provision and rest by still waters of peace.

May you be refreshed by the wind of the Spirit blowing through your lives.

May you sow seeds of faith in the fertile ground of love and reap a bountiful harvest.

May you remember where you’ve been, who you are, and whose you are.

May you find satisfaction in hard work and a job well done.

May you always feel wrapped in the security and comfort of the love of God and family.

Love, Mom

Powering Down

Posted on by

stationLife used to be so much more simple before all the time-saving, productivity-boosting, technology-driven gadgets came along.  Ironically, I often feel like my gizmos steal a lot of time and keep me from being more productive.  Huh.

For instance, I used to get ready for bed by washing my face, brushing my teeth and setting my alarm clock.  This nighttime routine took about 10 minutes.

Now, here are the steps I go through each evening:

Wash face and brush teeth.

Check email for messages.

Check Facebook for messages.

Check blog for messages.

Download podcasts to listen to in the morning.

Plug in laptop to charge overnight.

Plug iPod into computer so it’s charged for my morning walk.

Check tomorrow’s weather forecast on phone.

Check GroupMe and Instagram to see if the kids added anything.

Set alarm clock on phone for 5:25 a.m.

Pick which song I want to wake up to and set it.

Check the Up app to see how many steps I took during the day.

Close all the apps I opened throughout the day.

Plug in phone to charge overnight.

Switch my Up bracelet to “night” so it can track my sleep.

Turn my Kindle’s Wi-Fi on to download books I may have ordered.

Check battery level on the Kindle and plug in if needed.

Kiss PB goodnight.

Goodness gracious, my bedtime routine is a production and a half. It’s no wonder I sleep so well.  Powering down is a lot of work.

When Jesus sent the disciples out by twos for a season of ministry, He told them, “Don’t load yourselves up with equipment.  Keep it simple; you are the equipment.” (Luke 9:3) 

Ah yes.  So for the next two weeks, I’m going to unload my equipment, simplify, and focus on the people in my house.  And there will be lots of them — five little grand-people and all the adults that go with them.  It’s a good time to disconnect from my gadgets and equip my heart to love my people.