The One That Started with a BANG!

June 30 - July 3 (4), 2017
So, this past weekend was the first in my countdown.  This was weekend #151. (Thanks for all the awesome response, BTW!  I am so glad to get to bring you along on this journey of weekends as we countdown.)  And, it was a L O N G weekend!  From Friday night until the last fireworks launched and exploded in the night sky late Tuesday evening, it was a weekend jam packed with family, friends, and memories.  I am still not sure what the best format for these little notes will be, so it might change as we learn together how best to document these times.  As for today, I am going to do it chronologically, by twin.  We will see how that looks and make changes as we grow.

Lara (age 15 years, 1 month; Stillwater, OK)

Friday night, Lara was still with her friends at Falls Creek (Church Camp) in the Arbuckle Mountains of south central Oklahoma.  It was their last night there, and I am sure she was making the most of it!  She was good to call me every day and tell me fun snippets and stories from her day.  I still remember MY days at Falls Creek as a youth, so I know she will cherish these days.

She arrived back in Stillwater mid-day on Saturday; she was excited about the trip she had been on and thoroughly exhausted by it as well.  She wanted food, her bed, and some peace and quiet.  I obliged her all of those, but only after telling her that I had arranged a babysitting job for her at 6:00 that evening.  My pittance for the short turn around was that I did all of her camp laundry – as well as the 2 weeks of laundry that had piled up before she left.  This is a big deal.  I haven’t done her laundry since 5^th grade!  While her nap was not quite long enough, she made it to her baby-sitting job, and her clients were very pleased with her work!

Sunday, was truly a day of rest for her.  No one asked anything of her, and she kept a lazy schedule.  Monday was more of the same.  With the Holiday coming up on Tuesday, everyone was keeping it low key and just preparing for the upcoming festivities! 

Tuesday – Fourth of July!  We were going over to some friends’ house that evening for food and fireworks.  We had a few items we were bringing with us, so we dedicated the morning to food prep.  Lara had decided earlier that she wanted to make celebratory cupcakes, so she set about that task.  She even let her 2 little brothers help along the way – with minimal bickering.  Later in the afternoon, we stopped by Uncle Brian’s gravesite, set off our traditional smoke bombs commemorate his favorite holiday, and reminding ourselves of how much we miss him.  Then, it was off to our get-together!

Celebrating our Freedom with a family that means so much to us was an excellent way to spend a beautiful evening.  It was HOT and STICKY when we got there in the late afternoon, but by the time the sun started setting and we went about blowing up a vast pile of pyrotechnics, it really was a nice night.  Lara spent time with wonderful friends and family, and we all had a fabulous time!  I will let these pictures speak for themselves, just a little….

Emma (age 15 years, 1 month; Orlando, OK)

Emma was not with me this weekend, so my knowledge of her weekend is a bit more ambiguous.  Nevertheless, I know she had a great Fourth of July!  Thanks to her Social Media, I got a glimpse into what she was doing from her Instagram posts and her Insta-story.  I am sure her Snap Chat was much more exciting, but I don’t Snap.  I asked her what her favorite thing was from this weekend and she told me it was watching fireworks from her house.  While probably not “fun,” I also know she had some sort of mishap in her barn and may have broken some toes.  We will have to see how that pans out.  I hope that this accident will not turn out to be the most memorable part of her summer! Looks like from the photos she had a good time with her friends and stored up some memories!

Next weekend both girls should be in the same place.  I can’t wait to see what memories we will build moving forward!

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)

 

March Madness

Ah, March!  In like a lion, out like a lamb.  Right?  Well, not in Oklahoma!  Our weird weather has been even weirder over the last few weeks!  And illness is EVERYWHERE!  The flu (A and B), a crazy stomach bug, and intolerable allergies have plagued my little neck of the woods, and I am SO OVER IT!  But, there is good news to be shared!

I don’t know if you can tell by the picture, but that’s my Rustic Cuff, on my phone, at MY DESK in MY NEW OFFICE!  Ok, cubicle.  OK, not even a cubicle.  Just a desk – out in the open, facing windows that look out to nothing so they keep the mini-blinds shut.  But!  I AM EMPLOYED!  Back on the beautiful campus of Oklahoma State University, and back in the BEST Student Union in the nation – where LIFE happens!  Could not be happier.  Working in the Registrar’s office, where my main responsibilities will be with the planning and execution of Commencement Exercises (Spring Graduation is in NINE weeks; no pressure!), as well as tuition and residency appeals.  God is GOOD!

Since my last BLOG POST in January, I was also blessed with a little part time marketing gig that helped bridge the gap.  I was doing some design and digital media work for a local real estate agent and her team.  That was so fun, too!  Just a few hours a week, but let me flex my creative muscles, earn a little grocery money, and get out of the house for a few hours a day.  Thankful for dear friends who led me to that opportunity after my vulnerable post at the end of January.  Also since that time, I went through an intense interview process for another position which I was ultimately not awarded, but definitely learned a lot and knew more what I wanted out of a job.  All this to say, I have had a lot of positive over the last 6 weeks.  And I am so grateful and thankful.  But, we still need Britt to find his place in the world of the employed!!!!!

I’ll be honest again, we have had some dark moments over the past few months.  We’ve both been depressed.  Our relationship has had some pretty tough moments – even some in front of our kids that we can never take back.  But through it all, we have been held HIGH by our Lord and Savior!  There is still a purpose in this process; still things to fall in place.  Your prayers have been heard.  Some have been answered.

Can I ask again?  We covet those prayers!  We looked back over our records and since August, Britt has applied for 150 jobs.  That’s a lot.  One Hundred and Fifty.  Applications.  A dozen or so interviews; none of them panned out.  It hurts.  It’s hard.  HARD.  And some days the will to apply and the motivation to keep going are so far down deep, that finding them is the most difficult part of the day.  (Especially when I have had such (relative) good luck.  That’s tough on the old ego…) So, again, we ask for your prayerful petitions to help my husband, the father of my 4 children, to find meaningful employment to provide for this family.

I’d be more than happy to tell you about his background and qualifications.  About his education, skills, and experiences.  He’s so smart.  (He’s Jake’s Dad  – Jake didn’t get it from me!) He is loyal, trustworthy, honest, and hard working.  If you are anyone you know can lead us to a job opening that would fit for him, please let us know!

We’re on the downhill slide for this school year.  9 more weeks.  Then we have 2 sophomores, a 5^th grader, and a Kindergartner.  How can that possibly be?  But summer is expensive with kids at home.  It is truly our goal to have full time employment for him BEFORE the kids get out of school.  Will you help us reach our goal?