Pausing to Enjoy It

Packing always makes me panic, moving is stressful, and I'll be glad when this is over. I am not the first person to realize that, and I am far from the last.

We are loading up tomorrow and heading out very early Saturday morning for The Good Life.

My mom and I were talking the other night. After she listened to me freak out, she said something that really took a day or two to sink in. She reminded me of how exciting of a time this is, and that it is stressful, but not to miss out on enjoying it, too. And my "adopted mom" (my best friend's mom) reminded me that this is the beginning of a great and wonderful journey.

Wow, I needed those words from both of those wonderful women.

As I've been packing, I've been rediscovering forgotten things...like autograph books from when we went to Disney World as a family, old activities and lesson plans for classes that might find their way into my classroom, music from what feels like a lifetime ago...and picturing life in the new apartment. Creating new memories. Having visitors (hint, hint, my dear family and friends!).

It's fun to remember the past, and it's fun to dream about the future.

There's no going back now!

~"Moving on is a simple thing; what it leaves behind is hard." [-Dave Mustaine]~

Beyond the Recipe

Have you ever realized that a lot of wonderful conversations happen around food? Dinner time in college was one of the greatest socializing times we had. We'd develop a routine with what time we'd all naturally gravitate to the cafeteria, and then we'd linger as long as we could after our plates were clear just to talk.

At home we move slowly away from the table after we're done eating, too, but the food is much better (of course). We have some pretty great cooks in the family, and some tried-and-true family recipes.

You know what I love more than consuming the products of these family recipes, though? Having my family teach them to me. As I learn the right way to roll the dough or the secret ingredient or how high to make the graham cracker crust (or not make it, as the case may be...lol), it's amazing what I can learn about my family. It seems like with every recipe I also hear anecdotes about my relatives. I get to know them better as I improve in the kitchen. It's a win-win situation.

That was the creation of the week. Another family recipe gained, another thing off my To Do list, and more lessons about the people I love. A huge thanks to my Auntie Cindy for that. :)

When all else fails, I will not starve in my apartment because I can always resort to making a cheesecake. You know, when I have 2 hours to spare. I hear first year teachers have all the time in the world...(yeah, right). :P

~"Part of the secret of success is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." [Mark Twain]~

Compromised Time

Today was a long day (hence the belated post...again...), so the post I had planned got tossed out the window. Oh, Robert Burns, you and your idea about "the best laid plans." You were on the nose with that one. But it was fantastic.

It's easy enough to lay things aside to soak up things I'll be missing for a while...

Driving up to Racine instead of taking a nap so I can have more time up there? Alright.

Bouncing between Racine and Spring Grove a few times in one day to see my family instead of doing homework? Sure.

Making cheesecake with my aunt according to the Secret Family Recipe and being able to cross it off ye ole To Do List rather than packing? Yes, please.

I always panic right before I'm leaving home, trying to fit in as much time as possible with my family. Maybe it's a preemptive strike against homesickness I'll feel later. Or maybe I have to make up for all of the minutes that I won't be here with them.

Dorothy had it right: There really is no place like home. And it really never gets any easier to leave.

What A Cousin Weekend Looks Like

Cousin Movie Night: The Drive In Edition

(Jess, Matt, and Jen)

passing the time until the movies start.

(we sometimes pretend to like each other)

he's basically like a brother to me.

sisterlylove.♥

"i wanted to braid my hair and be just like yooooou!"

cousinsisters. ♥

graduation day.

the look of a smartypants with a masters.

it's all the rage, you know.

"suit up!"

jobo.

cousins picture.

grown ups picture.

(Uncle Vic, Liz, Matt, Auntie Cindy, Uncle Tom)

He's a Phoenix.

~"What's that? You want me to come back there and talk to you?"~ [Due Date]~

Real Time And Conversations

I had the gift of spending a bunch of time with 3 of the girls I adore so, so much -- my cousins Jess, Jenna, and Jordan.When I'm home, I spend as much time as possible with my family, but really I think these girls get the most. I talk about them quite a bit, and I'll probably talk about them a lot more before The Big Move, too.

Friday: shopping, errand-running, and ice-cream getting (minus Jen). [Okay, so the ice cream was a bribe for Jor, who does have a fair amount of patience (sometimes) for a 9 yr old, but even a 9 yr old can understand the value of ice cream in exchange for stretching her patience and good behavior a liiiiittle longer. And it was THE most colossal ice cream cone I'd ever seen. There were at least 4 scoops in that baby!]

(Jor and I talking about The Big Move as we shop)

Jor: Why are you moving there? Isn't it cold?

Me: What?

Jor: Yeah, aren't there mountains and snow and everything?

Me: You're thinking Uh-Laska. I'm moving to Nuh-braska. No mountains there.

Jor: Oh, yeah! (thinks for a minute) But you went to Alaska once, right?

Me: Yes, yes I did.

Saturday: sleepover with the girls at our aunt and uncle's where I was animal-sitting (Thanks, Uncle Vic and Lizard!). Picking 2 movies and getting popcorn and candy to go with it. Making it through one movie. Singing and dancing. Jess joining us. More dancing. Hunting for the rumored second cat, Lucy, with no luck. TV watching together. Dropping off to sleep, one by one. Learning just how little bedspace you get when sharing a bed with a dog, a cat, and a little girl simultaneously.

(Jen's watching TV in the other bedroom...and I can't remember what Jess said/what I said...)

Jen: I'm hungry!

Jess/Me: So get something to eat.

Jen: I can't!

Jess/Me: Why not?

Jen: Because I can't pause the TV!!

Jess/Me: We call that 'old school technology'. We couldn't pause TV when we were growing up, and we survived!

Today: slow to wake up. Watch the girls tirelessly play ball with the dog. Homework after they go home. Jess keeping me company while I cook. Baby playtime break at her house. Back to the house to hang out until Uncle Vic comes home. Head home to my own bed.

A fantastic weekend with my girls. :)

~"Cousins are different beautiful flowers in the same garden." [-Anonymous]~

My Bridge

I feel like I've been caught up in nostalgia and admiration since I've been home, and most of it revolves around my family. I love these new eyes that I'm seeing home with because I can see the things and people here that have shaped me. I am embracing memories of all kinds, from the ones that I share with others as often as I can to the ones that would probably have a thick layer of dust to blow off off first if they were tangible.

So, my friends, I don't think you've seen the end of my reflections and stories from home. I hope you don't mind because not only am I enjoying it, but I also think I need this. There's something wonderful in remembering where I've come from, relishing the most time I've had here in so long, and using it all to gain momentum to branch out into the beginning of my adult life.

~"The family is a link to our past, a bridge to our future." [-Alex Haley]~

Conquering the Cranky McCrankypants Feeling

I have been cranky all evening. I could pinpoint some of the reasons (like a long and drawn out Coleridge biographical article that's nowhere as interesting as his life actually was...), but the bottom line is that I know the real problem is needing to just take some time to be still.

Awake,

still,

and calm.

Rational.

One of my favorite things about being back home is rediscovering so many of the little things I'd forgotten about. One of them is a piece of paper with my great-great-aunt's writing on it that I have tucked on a shelf so I see it frequently.

Think, thank, plan and pray and get going.

Thanks for reminding me, Aunt Mill. Days like this are when I need it the most.

The Past and Future Memories of a House

The peeling paint on the siding and the broken bricks on the sidewalk gently remind me of their 107 years as I soak in the 2-story white wonder, imagining what it looked like when it was young. I slowly walk around, peeking in windows when I can, seeing the shell of what's to come when the work's done.

Another family's story is contained in these walls. Each creak of the floor, each window seat, each fire in the fireplace has been the backdrop of their memories. It has seen a family grown, children grow into adults, children taking care of their parents. It has held birthdays and holidays, hot summer nights and cold snowy days. The yard has been a jungle to explore, a perfect wedding spot, and has kissed many bare feet running through the grass.

The sun makes the violets glow a vibrant purple as it sets. I gather a bouquet from the thicket of flowers, shivering from the cold but glowing with happiness. I turn around and walk back toward the house, smelling the violets and smiling.

This house has known many memories with another family, but memories with our family await it. My nephew will remember this house as Nana and Papa's house, the house he gets to do his growing up in. There is so much exploring awaiting his little feet, and there are so many gatherings that our family will have there as it grows and changes. I realize that someday my kids will think of it as Nana and Papa's house, too. Whoa.

I pause as I put my car in reverse to leave, and I smile at the house one more time. It can't tell me the stories it has already seen, but we can share the stories that will be it's future.

~"A house with a memory; it's more than a house/It was once home to me."[-"A House I Once Knew" - Leo VanMeer]~

A Great [Easter] Song

This song was part of the Easter service this morning at church. What a fantastic Easter song!

The music's great. The lyrics are phenomenal. The video's footage, effects, and text are all delightful. I really hope you'll take a few minutes to watch it.

The service was one of my favorites that I've been here for. They had so many people involved in so many different ways. This church is wonderful about giving people opportunities to use their many gifts, and there are so many very talented people here. They even had a lot of children involved in today's service, which of course is always something I love to see. I'm really going to miss this church!

After church we had a big lunch, a big nap, and one of the other pastors and his family over to swim for a while. Delo made Easter baskets for us and even hid some eggs for us to find -- it was super-sweet! It was a very, very relaxing Easter.

So, dear friends, I'd love to hear about your Easters as well. I hope it was an all-around fantastic day!

~"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." [John 3:16]~

(Part 2:) The World In Me

A continuation of yesterday's post, based off of yesterday's quote.

f r i e n d s

like

f a m i l y...

totally twins.

partners in crime.

some of my oldest friends.

the reason for the season. ;)

love those Schmidt boys!

these guys keep me grounded.

this boy loves peanut butter almost as much as i love our friendship. almost.

one of our last gigs while all of us were still at cuc.

two of the most beautiful women i know.

mama lisha!

big brother on the carousel at the mall. :)

gotta love a trip to Madison with Ls.

silly string fights were just the beginning.

~"Because I knew you, I have been changed for good." ["For Good" - Wicked]~

Football Fan(atic) Family

I come from a family that loves football. Half of my family (Mom's side) lives in WI and are Packer fans, half (Dad's) is from IL and loves the Bears.

When it comes to football, I'm totally a Daddy's Girl.

Dad's side also has a lot of superstitions that come with the football season. We are very particular about what jerseys or Chicago gear may or may not be worn on game days, what foods we eat, etc. We're serious about keeping them; we're not serious about believing them. It's just a fun tradition we have going on.

I love Bears vs. Packers games the most because of the rivalry in the family. My brother's a Bears fan, too, so it's fun when the two of us get to watch the game with Mom's sides. It's more fun when Da Bears win, but that's obviously not always the case. (Today we lost...10-3. Ouch.)

I think the family togetherness is secretly the true root of my passion for this sport.

~"In life, as in a football game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard." [-Theodore Roosevelt]~

Christmas In The Air

Christmas took over my life for the past few days.

So much Christmas music.

So much cookie making.

So much Christmas Elf-ing.

Making stockings with our names on them, picking up the annual kielbasa (Polish sausage) from the butcher, and wrapping presents. My favorite part was picking up my cousin from the airport as a surprise for the girls. They didn't know he was coming home for Christmas (the first time he's been home since May).

And Christmas Eve was worth the year of waiting.

It's my favorite night of the year because my entire Dad's side of the family gets together. It's the one holiday all of my cousins are guaranteed to be together. And every year we have somebody dress up as Santa, a tradition we've had since before I can even remember. Nowadays it's usually a dear friend of my older cousin's. This year was the best. He was hilarious, and my youngest cousin LOVED it. She's the real reason that we do it; the rest of us have finally come to grips with the fact that Santa's not real. We watched a video of Christmas 1994 (discovering your brother rocking a mullet and obnoxious fist pumps: priceless). We ate, we laughed, we shared stories, and it was wonderful.

Now I'm watching A Christmas Story on TBS...the first half. I caught the second half first. That is just how I usually end up watching it every year. In pajamas...even if it's after noon.

Merry Christmas, everyone. I hope it's wonderful. I hope it's restful. I hope it's joyful. And I hope you make memories you'll look back on later and laugh about. I hope God's blessings wrap around you today.

Christmas Part 1

Fresh snow.

2 year old (nephew's) laughter.

Fresh cookies.

Gift wrapping (an art form).

Fresh energy.

Buzz Lightyear (nephew's obsession).

a beautiful evening.

Cousinfriendsiblings

This was my posse growing up. My cousins and I are more siblings/best friends/arch rivals (depending on the day) than real cousins, and I wouldn't trade what we've got for anything.

I am impatient to see their wonderful faces again and share some crazy times.

I love the holiday season...mostly because of this. :)

~"I know why families were created, with all their imperfections. They humanize you. They are made to make you forget yourself occasionally, so that the beautiful balance of life is not destroyed." [

-Anaïs Nin]~