LOST A SOCK

The Life List

It is no real secret that I am quite goal oriented.  I've spent the last three years overhauling the very essence of my self, searching for truth and learning to embrace with gratitude each of my experiences, good or bad, for how it can mold me.  In 2007 I started a list of goals for my life- one hundred of them because I like nice, even numbers.  As things go, I became busy and my list was shelved and briefly forgotten. 

Then in mid-summer this year I really felt a pull back to my list.  I resumed working on it, asking myself again and again what I really, really wanted to do in my lifetime.  Fairly in touch with my personal callings-- that is, knowing at least what intuitively feels right and not right for myself, I included things that were ridiculously easy but meaningful, and things that possibly would take a bit of effort on my part.  Each item means something to me.  I do not concern myself with when any of it will take place, or how, and I am very open to creating edited drafts should the need arise in years to come.  I'll never back down from a goal because it seems difficult or unreachable. 

I never intended to post my list here, until recently when my girlfriend Bree posted hers on her own blog.  Suddenly it made sense that I, too, could share my own life goals.  The 07's are mixed together with the 09's here, which is why some have been completed and crossed off the list.

My Life List of 100

1. Stand in Times Square, NYC
2. Own both of our vehicles outright
3. Homeschool for as long as possible with each of my children
4. Photograph the Northern Lights of Alaska
5. Go camping as a family
6. Write a book and publish it
7. Pay off my (undergrad) student loans
8. Adopt a child from Africa
9. Then adopt more
10. Get a tattoo
11. Eat raw for seven days

 
12. Make a quilt for Nathan
13. Finish losing weight, and stay there
14. Meet Oprah
15. Take Jack on a real train ride
16. Grow my hair long
17. See Paris, France with Kevin
18. Visit Scotland's Eilean Donan Castle with Kevin
19. Own a laptop
20. Throw myself a girlfriend party with all my best girls
21. Spend a sunny summer afternoon on a boat

 
22. Take the boys to Lego Land
23. Sell our first house for (*) profit
24. Bike ride as a family
25. Donate $10,000
26. Inspire someone
27. Pet an elephant
28. Have a home office
29. Own a nice camera with lenses
30. Lay on a blanket beneath the stars, away from the city lights where they can really be seen

 
31. Cry tears of joy
32. Own a jean jacket
33. Photograph glaciers
34. Be fearless in public
35. Earn my Masters Degree
36. Thank (college professor) for the wonderful, human lessons she taught me about being a teacher
37. Hear the Dalai Lama speak in person, here in the United States or far away where the Tibetan Prayer Flags fly

 
38. Take in the Rocky Moutntains in Colorado
39. Publish a book of photographs I've taken, just for myself
40. Take a writing class
41. Attend Maria Shriver's Women's Conference
42. Make a twirling skirt for Marin
43. Photograph Marin in her twirling skirt
44. Tour the Eastern Seaboard in Peak Fall
45. See a Broadway show
46. Attend a Notre Dame game as a family
47. Learn to meditate
48. Drink a beer in a Boston bar
49. Live in my perfect house, detailed with beautiful baseboards, oversized windows and a library, surrounded by tall trees
50. Feel truest peace in my heart
51. Learn to play the accoustic guitar
52. Spend a weekend in Las Vegas

 
53. Complete a Breast Cancer walk for my Aunt Kathy 
54. Be a keynote speaker
55. Start my own charity
56. Befriend my daughter(s)
57. Buy a Thomas the Tank Engine table for the boys
58. Attend a spiritual seminar at The Omega Institute
59. Run a 5K
60. Own two-inch heels and wear 'em proud
61. Attend the religious services/places of worship for twenty faiths (As of late 2009, Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, Baha'i)

 
62. Enjoy fine dining
63. Catch fireflies with my kids
64. Be humble
65. Host an incredible Christmas party
66. Attend a tent revival
67. Own stainless steel appliances
68. Open my own retirement account
69. Rock my sister's baby
70. Attend a week-long silent retreat
71. Indulge my African connection
72. Earn my PhD
73. Teach my children to swim
74. Go RVing! with Kevin
75. Make my own summer dress
 
76. Cross and photograph the Brooklyn Bridge in NY, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Perrine Bridge in Idaho, Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, George Washington Bridge in NY/NJ, Mackinac Bridge in Michigan, Tower Bridge in London and Pont de Normandie in France
77. See a panda bear in person
78. Take my children on an airplane flight
79. Give excellent advice
80. Go horseback riding (as an adult)
81. Meet my dearest Internet friends
82. Habitually give meaningful gifts

 
83. Own a Mercedes Benz
84. Make bracelets for each of my girlfriends
85. Wear braided hair
86. Author an important essay
87. Own a piano
88. Paint on canvas and display it at home
89. Send my children to college, and others too
90. Ride a camel
91. Write an important letter
92. Hatch chicks with KJ
93. See the Vatican in Rome, Italy
94. Set foot in all Fifty States together with Kevin (as of late 2009, 24 of 50)
95. See the Argentine Patagonia
96. Grow a large back yard vegetable garden
97. Eat a fancy cupcake in a charming little cupcake shop
98. Visit Holland, MI in peak tulip season
99. Become a grandmother
100. Serve Thanksgiving dinner to a long, festive table of my favorite guests

Last Of...

So I couldn't help but squeeze every last drop out of this fall. 

If there were six leaves left on the trees, I was going to find them.

In fact, one of the things we've been learning about in homeschool is how plants and trees make food via photosynthesis...which totally called for an afternoon at our favorite zoo, where many different trees are labeled by type. 

Surprise!  I exist in these outings!

We drew pictures, recorded information and made leaf rubbings in our journals.  Then some Canadian Geese came by for a visit, smelling our Teddy Grahams.

Which was the greatest thing that could have ever happened to KJ, whose current obsession is the 1996 movie Fly Away Home.  He's spent weeks now, trying to convince Kevin and I that we must buy a new house (because we totally need three) and soon.  A country house, where we can raise geese.  He wants to teach them to fly South.  Build a plane, teach them to follow his calls.  We've borrowed the movie from our library so many times in the last month I believe they may gift it to our family for Christmas.  Maybe they can use all of our recent Canadian Geese paintings as wrapping paper.

Possibly the blessing in disguise was when he realized that these creatures are more like our pesky, begging German Shepherd than amazing call-answering companions.  Once they got a small nibble of Teddy Graham, they followed us everywhere, snapping at our legs and honking their fool heads off.

Now we mostly like to watch them in the sky.

For Halloween this year, I decided the only way it could be was to head back over to our old neighborhood, where the oaks and maples stand hundreds of years tall, decorating all lawns and sidewalks with yellow-orange leaves.  We've trick-or-treated the last two years in our (newly constructed) (treeless) (sad) subdivision, and I really needed Fall for Halloween. 

Lucky for me, my crew is happy to walk wherever free chocolate is available.

The Three Amigos-- Batman, a Kangaroo with her Joey, and Luke Skywalker, very specifically dressed in all in black, no cape, just like Luke in Return of the Jedi.  I wish that child wasn't so general with his requests.  Heh heh.

It was such an incredible fall this year. 

I would really hate to see it go, if not for something quite wonderful in itself, right around the corner.

Mmmmmm

I have a confession to make... 

There is something I've been doing a whole lot of lately.

Like it's my job.

I've invited it to live in my house,

and I've been bathing my children in it.

Sunday drives, Saturday walks, Tuesday afternoon playground beneath the trees.  No matter.

Ohhh the colors.  The Oaks, Maples, Sassafras, Tree of Heaven, you name it. 

The sunlight and the shadows are just different in the fall.  The sky is another shade of blue that is more lovely than usual, and the breeze has this sound and it carries those smells.

Even the water is prettier at this time of year, if that be possible.

These are not the leaves of last year, or the year before.  Each one lived its whole life this past summer and we will not see these particular ones ever again after the yellow, orange and red, and after they fall.  They did not worry if it was too short or long or hot or cool of a summer, or if for sure they would know the way to their new hues when the time arrived.  Or how they would let go of the branches.  And they've turned out absolutely gorgeous, and perfect.  

There are lessons in fall.

Last year we attempted a fall outing or two, being it my favorite time of year, and it was rough.  We had a brand new baby who was neither fond of the car nor bunting nor the cool air.

And just one year later she's joining the rest of the crew, climbing playground equipment as much as I'll allow. 

How did that happen so fast?

I've photographed all of this so many times over the last several years, but I still can't get enough.  If the sun is shining, we are back out, somewhere.

...Sometimes in southern Michigan, evading local law enforcement for photographing a house that neither belongs to myself and my husband, nor, say, anyone else on the planet we know.

(It isn't my fault they've created the perfect autumn porch, right?)

(No, ma'am, I wasn't trying to photograph you.  Just your mums...)

Okay fine, and this secluded beauty too.  But only because I could imagine myself someday living in it.  After buying it, in the most legal ways possible.

(No one was home.  Geez, look at the empty driveway!)

I love you, pumpkin.

Intoxicating, isn't it?

If you need me, you know where to find me.

Only as far from your property line as my zoom lens will reach, if you've got nice foliage.

Or, in the slammer. 

If I'm unlucky.

Of Fall

 

 

 

 

 

 

Win-fail, fail-win, win, win, fail, win.

I keep thinking that there is going to be a spectacular event where I sit down at the computer for a period of eight plus minutes in order to, you know, actually string thoughts together, but that time has just not presented itself as of recent.  Which means that tonight I blow my new Taking Back Bedtime streak because I miss my blog.  (Note: In recent weeks I have decided it against my better judgment to blow the reasonable bedtime hour streak for cleaning bathrooms, dusting my family room, folding laundry and trimming my up-late-anyway son's hair, all of which are neglected something awful as well.  But you're worth my precious hours of sleep, Internet.) (At least that's how I am calling it tonight.) 

After we came home from our trip I had grand visions of discussing homeschool on the road, and now we've been home for three weeks and I believe that ship has sailed.  I think I've cooked up seven more homeschool posts since then, because hey, this is really cool! and I'd like to document it!  And yet the very process of which I am so hoping to capture is what keeps me from writing anything at all. 

What I am saying is that we've picked apples at the orchard, fed goats from our hands, attended gobs of free library programs, blazed through three quarters of the first grade math book in the first month of school and can sing multiple cheesy songs about the vowels, but my downstairs bathroom's not been swept in three weeks and I can't seem to find time to blaawwwwg.  I (think) I've got my priorities straight, but I must admit that had no idea what I was signing up for when I took on this new little jobbie. 

Also since I was last around, my sister Sant & Leslie set a commitment ceremony date (which we supporters of human rights, gay and otherwise, like to call a wedding date,) we walked the Chicago Breast Cancer 5K for my Aunt Kathy, both Jackson and myself survived the swine flu and succeeded at not gifting it to anyone else in the house (win!) and Kevin and I got to meet Wayne Dyer for the second time this year.  Also, I painted our downstairs office the colors of the seashore.  These days and weeks are most definitely busy ones.

My seven-year-old's rendition of Mount Rushmore, in one of our biggest homeschool projects yet. 

In the initial phases of this book project, I feared that it might go on until next year's vacation, with my older child's disdain for writing and the massive quantity of experiences to be documented, but I learned over the course of two weeks that some things simply take more time than others (gold!) and in the end I hold two precious thirty-page books authored and illustrated by fun-loving little boys who had a fine trip.

And now my three-year-old has not only memorized the vowels, but he also recognizes Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Obrahand Lincoln, for the love of Pete.  And here I thought this first year of homeschool was going to benefit his older brother the most.

Youngest offspring desperately waves for attention from down below in Baby Bjorn, or attempts to twist and pull, twist and pull her own red delicious from the branch above.

Homeschool is everything I had hoped and many things I hadn't thought of all at once.  Now that we've settled into some sort of rhythm and have found our pace by subject, I've finally been released from worries about time wasting and who's learning what and if it's on time or too fast or slow.  There are two students in this class (and one small monkey who steals fallen crayons and scraps of paper) and our days move as they will, quickly as we read about squirrel nests and beaver dams, and slowly when it comes to practicing penmanship.  I am shocked at how well Jack has taken to learning letters and sounds when just six months ago-- three months ago, he had almost no interest whatsoever.  To be honest, I hadn't planned to formally do much at all with him this year, though through his insistence I find myself running in circles to stay on top of his interests just as I do his brother's.  ...Which means I am quickly learning how parents can spend heaps upon tons of money on home education with only my handful of teacher's store trips in six little weeks of classes. 

Watin' on the old school bus apple picking tractor. 

The one thing about the last six weeks that has not failed to blow me away time and time again is my freedom to mother on a whole new level.  So silly to think that many of the art projects and song singing, extra reading times throughout the day and board games were put off in so many instances before now, and I don't even have a solid reason why it was that way.  I was too busy with too many household chores, I thought, or it would make a big mess or require too much time or energy, or whatever was my reasoning in sometimes moments past.  Which of course does not at all infer that I commonly ignored my children's requests for attention or play, but now aware that I am mom and school and teacher alike, I have a million new reasons to read extra books and bring out the paints, scissors and hole punchers just because that's what we are home to do.  It has been fun, a whole lot of fun, to shower my kids with hours upon hours of extra activities (see dirty bathroom scenario above) and be exactly the type of parent that I really want to be.

We've done fall leaf rubbings and played with math dice for Hershey Kiss prizes.  We've written lots of stories with capital letters and punctuation and illustrations, and taken turns reading books to each other.  Our enjoyable day-trips have taken on new meaning as now more than ever I find myself keeping eyes open for teachable moments about the world and God and whatever else I might not have been able to explain while they were away at school.  And they're young enough to be so open to all of it (okay, most of it, if not the damn penmanship) as long as I can peacefully hook their attention each morning.

 
Child breaks it down pencil-microphone style in the kitchen

Because I am forever the short and long-term planning type, I can't help but wonder, often, how long we can do this for.  I mean, in the world of best case scenarios I could see myself homeschooling all three, four, six or seven of our children all the way through middle school.  It works now, very well with a first grader and a preschooler around baby naps while I appear fairly fun in their eyes, still.  But I shudder to think how I might present seventh grade history lessons at the same time as shapes, letters and punctuation (again!) to smaller children.  (Thankfully, I taught middle school Algebra and Science my first year out of college, so those don't scare me.)  I wonder how messy I will have to allow my house to get in order to be fully present for all of those lessons with all of those children (and what if I can't even find some of the children some days to educate, lost beneath piles of clean and dirty laundry, and dust?) and when exactly I will steal time to do things for myself, like blog if those still exist, and eventually earn my Master's degree. 

I suppose I didn't worry about how I would teach KJ his colors while he was learning to crawl (okay, FINE, I DID) so I should probably let this go too, and let life have it's own way with whatever should happen down the road.

Now is good.

During which we added nearly 3,400 miles to our car

We have been home for three days now, and I've mostly gotten things unpacked, in between washing ninety-four loads of laundry, cleaning house, running errands, cutting grass, homeschooling, celebrating Sant's 28th birthday and steam cleaning our family room carpet twelve times, thanks to our miserable canine, who decided to it use as his personal pissing space the whole time we were away.  Not that he didn't have an entire entrouage of extended family letting him out and playing with him a couple times each day.  Nonono. 

So as of this afternoon I can add to the list of things I've done, Ordered four hundred square feet of new family room carpeting.  Isn't that the kind of money everyone wants to shell out three days after returning home from a long vacation?  Meh.

At least we have this going for us!  As our very first vacation stop we visited Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson's Iowa gym.  KJ has long loved her (whatever long is for a six-year-old) so it was only natural that as we were rolling our tires through her state, we look up Chow's.  Can you see the Playing it Cool look in the boy's eyes?  Endearing and hysterical all at the same time.

(Jack on the other hand...nevermind.)

We have been blessed, and are yet to know whether it be by nature or nurture, with amazing car travelers.  We are very much an on-the-go family, so it was great fun to see so many places across the country with a crew who was, for the most part, patient enough to get there.  We stopped every couple hours for stretches, picnics and to throw the football around, and when we were lucky enough to have all three kids asleep at the same time, we gunned the engine for as long as possible, our own bladders be damned.

Also, we taught them to throw their hands up and scream as we flew down steeply-graded mountainsides.  For effect, you know.

By night two we'd gone from Indiana through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, quickly into Minnesota, and we sleepily dropped anchor in South Dakota.  There are many bugs in South Dakota.  Less now, thanks to our windshield. 

We visited the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, by day and by night (maximizing on the Extreme Dork that is our tendency)

and I hooked up with a new Indian Baby Daddy out there

after Kevin ditched me for Sacajawea.  (Jerk)

Lots more quirky fun was had at Wall Drug in South Dakota, where Jack entered into holy matrimomy with a life-sized statue of a 1920's show girl (very scantily clad, and, uh, busty, might I add,) cracking up bus-loads of elderly folk as he conversed with his "Wifey" as she became.  And the only picture I have of Jack and Wifey, my new daughter-in-law, is blurry something awful, and stuck in my cell phone.  Score.

Later that day we finally reached our first major destination, Mount Rushmore!

I had been there a couple times as a kid, but didn't realize until we got there what a child's memory of the place I had.  It was so neat to see it as an adult, and to teach my own children about how the memorial was created, and why, and of which presidents were up there. 

In South Dakota we also visited Dinosaur Hill at sunset one night, which is so simple with its steep climb and aged, concrete giants, but also quite beautiful as it overlooks all of Rapid City, and many, many mountains.  Nothing could complete that evening better than knocking back some serious ice cream for the first time, I think, of forty, on the trip.   

We got up-close with the wildlife at Bear Country USA, which is a driving park filled with free-roaming (duh) bears, and also elk, buffalo, wolves and bighorn sheep.  We put these two out on a bench for hungry animals to snack on, but there were no takers.

Bear Country was the place where Jack purchased his first souvenir of the trip, a black bear named May.  May, the boy, to be exact. 

He loved May like I'd not seen him love many stuffed animals, excited to show May his first dvd, his second state, and so on.  Then we managed to leave May behind, several days later, in our hotel in Colorado Springs.  For the low, low price of twenty-some dollars (more than his original price tag, might I add) May took another route home, arriving on our porch today via Fed-Ex.  It's love, kids.

Next to driving, the thing we did the most of on this trip was swim, for sure.  Back in March when Kevin and I were in California, our greatest expenses involved fancy dinners and we barely saw our (inexpensive) hotel room.  On this trip with the kids, however, quality of hotel (and cleanliness, God Help Me) with indoor pool, water slide and sometimes separate bedrooms and kitchen were of top priority.  Fancy, quiet dinners?  Ha. Ha. Hahahahahaha. 

We swam every morning after breakfast, with the exception of our last morning, when road time was seriously of the essence.  I was so glad to indulge them in that every day, and sometimes even late at night.

After heading out of South Dakota we traveled through quite a bit of Wyoming, the eastern part of which was infinitely flatter than I had imagined, but no less pretty with it's golden grasses and unclaimed wildlife. 

It had a lot of nice buttes, too, heh heh.

And holy hell, may I not forget to mention the Casinos! Everywhere! in South Dakota and Wyoming.  Gas station casinos, restaurant casinos, strip mall casinos, old fast food restaurant buildings turned into casinos...  Crazy about gambling out there!

Being only half-way through our trip route, (now getting into Colorado!  See Rockies!?) I better pause here and check on my children's whereabouts.  (Only half kidding.)  I will be back with part the second soon.

Thirteen, including my own

So now that we are home, I finally get to jump up and down screeching, Guess where I spent my birthday!

Here is where!  Specifically, at the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, suspended 1,053 feet over the Arkansas River. 

But also, we've spent ten days practically everywhere.

I can never be exactly sure how safe it is to tell the whole internet that my house will be void of persons (minus those kind souls stopping in to let my dog out) for a period of time, so then I don't get to share any of the fun that is leading up to a massive vacation.  But it is fun!  And it was fun!  And now the laundry and unpacking I am left with?!  Not as fun!

There is nothing like loading up a car, though, and driving across the country to see in person exactly where it is we live.  (Here, Wyoming.)  Spending most of my life in, or a stone's throw from, one of the largest cities in the country, it is never short of amazing to dig my feet into the dirt of the tiniest towns and fantastic cities to really know what we've got. 

We began in Indiana and straight across Illinois, and then visited Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, and back through the original two again.  We saw thirteen states this trip, bringing us to 24 of the 50.  Almost half way!

Thankfully, we are raising a pretty travel-savvy crew, so they're usually willing to go with the flow.  Multitudes of special vacation treats and daily swims don't hurt any, either, I will be the first to admit.

Now if you don't mind, I better go attack my laundry.  I've got three thousand loads of clothes to sort...right after I sort my three thousand pictures.  Can't wait to share the rest!

Why, hell yes I enjoyed my cake!

Why do you ask?

Well, actually, at first she wouldn't touch it.  Suddenly a bit shy about making a mess, I guess.  Then I handed her a spoon, and she was Off To The Races!

About mid-way through I began questioning how great of an idea this was for my poor child, who consumes actual cake, or sugar for that matter, approximately next to never (I knew I would find some benefit for her being a third child. Girl lives healthy.)  And though I worried that it would knock her little socks off, she did okay.  She remained awake for something like thirteen hours straight, but her head never spun.

Yes, there remains a pink overtone to her skin.

Also, I failed to get a picture of my sweet girl in her birthday dress.  It was pretty and pink, with a big flower.  And this is all I have.  A princess and her presents.

Which were loved forty percent as much as the cards.

We decided to try a September combo party this year, celebrating KJ's birthday as well.  He turns SE-VEN in a couple weeks, people.  Why would he do this?

Also, he's shattered his father's pure Notre Dame heart by straying from the herd, excited as all get-out this year for Oklahoma.  Here's his first Sooners jersey.

No, we have no idea where this fascination came from.  We live in the Northernmost Westestmost tip of Indiana for all practicality, and can spit into Chicago.  Oklahoma?  Eh?

This weekend we were finally able to corral all of the Ray-Dunscombe kids into one room for a sit-down shot (which, hello, five kids under seven, welcome to the impossible) as Bree and Luke and the kids were able to join us as overnight visitors for the weekend.  Where the moms stayed up too late talking, and then the babies took turns waking up all night.  To make us paaaaaaaay. Mwahahahaha!

And then back we go, to homeschool on Monday morning, with the old baking soda-volcano experiment.  Great way to get rid of mashed-together Play Doh, great way to use up all of your dish soap.  That you don't particularly want to use up.

While I am so glad that our Double Birthday Bonanza went off without a hitch, I have to say that I am tired.  The transition from Mom X 3 to Mom X 3 plus Teacher and Party Planner has been exactly what I imagined when we originally took the homeschool leap.  Though I do love it, it has doubled, or even tripled my workload between lesson planning, teaching and cleaning up from school, on top of everything else I normally do here.  I need a serious vacation, friends.  Or a mother's helper.  Or a cleaning lady.

One

I've been thinking all day today about what should be said in this post, and now on the eve of Marin Pie's first birthday I still haven't completely organized my thoughts.  (Cue creative title.)  I want to somehow convey the marvel that is my daughter, truly the happiest baby I've ever known, right along with the profound changes that have come to our lives with her presence.  This baby girl, and the doors she has opened, continually humble me as her mother and as a human being.  She is sweet, and so loving, and smart as can be.  I always love being her mother (even in the middle of the night, still) and without making the moments pass too quickly, cannot wait to see what the future holds for she and I together. 

At one year old, Marin has been taking steps for a bit more than a month now, and has a deep-rooted interest in climbing.  (Gahhh.)  She has a vocabulary of about seventeen words and makes the sounds for puppy, kitty, lion and cow.  She loves dogs, the delectable contents our cardboard recycling can, and babies of all ages.  Her favorite toys include her stuffed Winnie the Pooh, her play kitchen with the million opening and closing doors, and any lego contraband she can get her chubby little hands on.  She loves her Elmo board books, as well as the Touch and Feel animal series, and the time of her life is had while chasing people.  She is happiest singing and dancing with me around the kitchen, and crawling all over Jackson on the living room floor.  She eats a killer variety of the healthiest foods I could possibly ask for, and is particularly crazy about cheese, broccoli and pear slices.  She's a great two-a-day napper, and is happy as a clam to be carted all over the midwest in her car seat, wide variety of strollers (heh) and baby bjorn. 

About six months ago, Marin had surgery to remove the top half of her right kidney, due to a problem she was born with.  It was amazing to see what a trooper she was, and how quickly she came through the surgery and recovery.  We were so relieved after all was said and done.  And now, just last week at a regular follow-up visit we learned that there is swelling on her left kidney as well, and though we're not exactly sure what that will mean for the future, we are crossing our fingers for the best outcome again.  We will begin all of the testing again after Christmas, in hopes of giving her a last chance to outgrow whatever the problem may be.

I feel like I'm running through nuts and bolts here, listing information in a concise way that is not leaving quite enough room to say...God we love this baby.   I never could have imagined everything falling into place so perfectly the way it has, or having a child- a daughter, so amazing as she is.  I can hardly believe that just one year ago we were just officially meeting for the first time. 

Of course, I may have been forced to stamp FAIL across her very blank baby book, but it wouldn't be a birthday around here without a video montage, eh?

Happy Birthday, sweet girl.  Your mama loves you so.

Days Gone By

Today marked the anniversary of the day Kevin and I met down at college, twelve years ago. 

Today was Jackson's very first day of preschool, and KJ's very first day of homeschool. 

Late last night the kids and I arrived home from a great road trip to our friends' lake house up in Wisconsin.  (I took a six year old, three year old and an eleven month old on a three day, seven hundred mile road trip by myself without even a dvd player in the car.  I'm going to tattoo that information to my bicep and wear it proudly.  It was really enjoyable, too!) 

The night before, Kevin flew home from a business trip to Texas. 

Just before that, he too was in Wisconsin.  In another part, just before the kids and I were there, visiting a different friend.

The week?  Busy!

The last month?  Has gotten away from me, in part. 

There are some recent pieces that I don't want to skip over, without at least a mention.  It has been a really, really wonderful summer.

There was Baby Day, v. 2.0

My beautiful godson Nathan. 

(I'm sorry Nathan.  You are my handsome godson.)

(But seriously, a beautiful baby, still.)

A summer afternoon spent at Chicago's Point (with Auntie Jenny) is always a summer afternoon well spent.

We were lucky enough to steal Kevin's Granny for a day and a night while she was up visiting from Florida recently (and would you believe this is the only picture I thought to snap?  Geh.)

And while we weren't the technical hosts, we did get to do lots of bonding with Leslie's mom when she came to stay for a week.  Sant & Leslie hosted their first party at their new home (and obviously we split the tables between boys and girls, ha!)

There have been many days spent on swings, and on the beach.  Some of them at the same time.

And I've made good on my promise (to myself) to spend many a day and many an evening at the water, with Kevin, with the kids, with whoever happened to be trapped in my car as I suddenly decided it the perfect random moment to head north.

We visited the Baha'i Temple in Evanston, IL,

and Sue the dinosaur at the Field Museum.

And also, sat on the moon while we were at it.

My three year old son fell in love with Weeping Willow trees this summer, setting us off on a journey to learn the name of every common tree in our area.

And my baby daughter has loved playing in every form of water.  Here, a splash pad.

We visited our beloved zoo once or twice (or twelve times)

and we rested in the soft, green grass at the park, after long summer afternoon walks.

We swam with Kevin's family on that one hot day,

and we played (loudly!) (happily!) (tirelessly!) with our friends near and far.

We jumped!

And watched the sun set some more.

My baby's beautiful blonde hair has grown and thickened.

And more teeth are joining the party!

Jackson, school today.  A little happy, a little sad.  A little thankful that it's only a few hours per week.

And a little going to hell for Homeschooler's Best T-Shirt.

What a time we've had.