Thursday, June 29, 2017

151 Weekends (2020 Project)

Well, HELLO, Blog!  Long time, no see…  I know, I know… That’s my fault.  You see, the last 11 months have been, well, tough.  A year ago today, everything was “normal.”  We were living life at our usual speed.  Doing the normal things.  Had NO IDEA that the rug was about to be pulled out from under us MANY separate times over the next few months.  Number one child moved out, job loss, job changes with financial ramifications, health issues, money issues.  I could go on and on.  But never faith issues!  This season is a test.  SOON it will be our testimony. God is good, ALL the time!

During those 11 months, life continued to happen.  It felt like we were limping at times, using crutches at others, and flat out being pushed on a gurney some days.  But, despite all the turmoil and trials, last fall Finn started Pre-K, and turned 5 years old.  In the winter, we celebrated the Birth of our Savior and Jake turned 10. Spring rolled around and our Twins turned 15; Emma was in Texas that day and Lara in Kansas. Then all the kids finished another year of school. Summer arrived and the pace slowed a little, yet time still marches on.

One more trip around the sun.  Got me to thinking.  You know, those fiery red-headed girls of ours only have a few more of those trips around the sun as kids. A scarce number of little brother birthdays and Christmas mornings around our house as care-free teenagers.  A finite quantity of weekends before they graduate high school, spread their wings, and FLY!

So, I had this little idea.  I'm calling it "The 2020 Project." As in, Class of 2020.  As in, I can see clearly.  As in, see the vision that is your future. And today is the day I begin to work it into existence.  As I think about it and write my modest introduction, I feel like I have bitten off more than I can chew!  DEFINITELY! But, ah!  The memories!  If you know me, you know I take pictures of EVERYTHING. And I do it ALL THE TIME!  Before Smart Phones and cameras at the ready, I always had some sort of camera with me to steal those instants and memories.  Now, it’s that much easier to capture the moment with my iPhone.  Jake loves to tell people I have over 8,000 pictures on my phone – that’s the evidence of my vice.  (Don’t tell him I’m up over 12K now!). While I will still make them turn and smile for a pic or just capture the special seconds from a discreet distance to catch the candid images, this project is, hopefully, to be a little more long lasting.  They say a picture can say 1,000 words, but you have to know the story behind it.  Memories wane.  The atmosphere and nuances are often lost or misconstrued in a photo after the flash fades.  But WORDS!  Oh, words.  They paint the picture.  Add texture, and light, and COLOR! 

I printed a calendar today.  July 2017 through July 2020.  Three years.  Today is June 29, 2017. Starting with this coming weekend.  Ending just a few short weeks after “Jenna & Barbara” graduate from high school – May 22, 2020. (If you know my fascination with numbers, you could probably imagine my eyes lighting up as I typed that.)  Starting with this weekend, there are only 151 weekends left until they graduate high school. 151 Friday nights of fun and adventure. 151 Saturdays of shenanigans spending time doing what they love with family and friends.  151 Sundays of “rest” and worship. 151 Monday mornings to re-charge and face a new week.  Sounds like a lot as I write this.  Looks like a lot as I numbered my little calendar.  But I know how fast it goes!  I want to remember it; CHERISH it.  And I want my girls to as well!  The goal is to write 151 blog entries of memories from each weekend.  It could be just a funny thing someone said or a recap of the weather.  Or it could be a long narration with pictures of a much-deserved celebration; or a tearful memoir of a special milestone in life as they pass through it.  All the stories that I wish I could remember better 30 years later…



Are you ready for the ride?  It’s going to be bumpy for sure!  Those climbs to the top, and dips and valleys as we wind our way through.  Victories, defeats, joyous occasions, moments of heartache. Weekends are precious; memories are delightful. Here’s to the next 151 weekends…

(These dates are assuming Stillwater High School keeps on the same schedule they have been on the last several years, and if Emma stays at Mulhall-Orlando she has the potential to graduate before her sister. So, in my mind the LAST one to graduate completes the project, so for my purposes, I’m using these dates)