Shadow Tales - Last Edition

 I've been blogging now for 15 years, sometimes for my sake (gotta get the words out!), other times to share a thought about faith or parenting, and most of the time to preserve our family history.  The landscape of my blogging habits have changed as the years have passed -- I no longer can write about all the funny things my kids say (they still say them, but now they'd rather not share them with the whole universe).  I don't know what the future of this little corner will be, but I may now and then still share my thoughts and heart here, as I will do today, about our little pupper, Shadow.

I've blogged about Shadow here and here and here and scores of other times.  But this post isn't quite as silly or tongue-in-cheek about our furry family member.  A little over a week ago, quite unexpectedly, we had to put Shadow down.  While we are very thankful he is no longer in pain, we are missing him quite a bit around here.  Our house just isn't quite the same.  A few things we're missing about our pupper doggo:

• Our dishwasher pre-wash cycle.  Shadow very kindly and thoughtfully pre-washed all of our dishes as I loaded them into the dishwasher.  Now that he's gone, we have to hope the dishwasher can handle the food remains on its own.
• And in the dishwasher category, every time I put the dishwasher detergent in, I opened the under-sink cabinet.  This cabinet was SHADOW'S cabinet.  No matter where he was in the house, I swear he had a sixth sense about it and would make a beeline to me to receive his due for someone opening the cabinet -- a treat.  He basically got a treat every time I opened that cabinet.  
• Sharky Shadow!  Shadow had a very bad habit of counter-surfing (see below for things we aren't missing in his absence), and when we would eat dinner at the dining room table, Shadow would lurk about, his nose sniffing the air next to the table, hoping to pounce on whatever was on someone's plate.  From across the table, only his black snout could be seen, bobbing up and down like a shark's fin.  While it was a naughty habit, it always made us laugh.
• Kangaroo Shadow!  Whenever we would come home, Shadow was EUPHORIC at our arrival. He was wild with delight and bounced up and down, jumping quite high, causing us to nick name him kangaroo boy.  Sometimes he would try so hard to be good and sit for a minute, but after a sec, the excitement would get the better of him and he would be jumping up and down again until you put all your stuff down and petted and loved him.  Now when we come home, its quiet and no one seems interested in jumping up and down at my arrival.
• Playing bally!  Shadow looooooved his tennis balls and we have roughly 75 rolling around our house.  He would lovingly lick the furry thing as if it were precious, and if you threw the ball he'd run to get it, sliding all over the hardwoods.  He never seemed to learn how to play fetch though -- he was notorious for bringing it almost back to you, but not quite.  He liked to play hard to get and made you work at it to get it back.  My husband was his primary playmate.  The other thing about his tennis balls is that no matter how many balls were near him, if one was under the couch (or a bed or a dresser), that was the ONLY ball for him.  He would bark and bark until someone finally retrieved it for him.  Then he'd happily lick it for about five seconds and then lay down next to it.
• Allllll the love.  I have often said that no one loved me like that dog loved me.  I seemed to be his person (though he loved everyone), and if I was gone, he'd sit at the dining room window waiting for me to return, or look out my bedroom window and whimper.  He followed me around literally always -- and I always knew he was up to no good (chewing a sock or toy or pen) if he wasn't under my feet.  Since he passed, I look for him countless times a day - he was never far from me for long.

He was such a good boy, aside from his naughty behaviors, which we seemed to just take in stride as part of who he was.  As I referenced above, we aren't missing his counter-surfing tendencies, and we've all commented on how we are now living it up by placing our plates and food on the edge of the counter.  My daughter has left a few fidget toys on the floor too -- something that would never have been ok when Shadow was policing the territory.  

He was a big part of our family for the seven years he was with us.  We are thankful for all the joy he brought us during that time.  He was the best boy.

Gifts

As the year winds down and comes to a close tomorrow, I've been pondering 2021, as most people probably are doing.  Christmas and the end of 2021 didn't look exactly as we had planned, a truth that many families are experiencing in varying ways.  Every day this week, I've taken an early morning walk (it IS Christmas break, after all!), and on the walk, I've focused my prayers on all the good we've been given.  With each footstep, I reminded myself out loud this truth:  Gift.  Gift. Gift.  We have been given gift upon gift upon gift.  As I walk each day and pray, I've listed some of God's immeasurable gifts to us:

• family.  Though our holiday looked a little different than we planned, we are still rich in the love of family
• technology!  Facetime, texting, sending pictures digitally. . .so many ways to stay connected
• laughter.  Even amidst some changed plans, so much laughter
• home and all our needs taken care of
• a beautiful and gracious church family!  We are surrounded by love through our church family
• new traditions and memories. Our daughter's fiancee joined us for Christmas this year and it was wonderful to have him here for our celebrations
• good health. What a gift we have been given in our bodies.
• our newborn Savior.  Amidst changed plans and minor disappointments I have made many efforts to keep my eyes focused on Jesus and the abundance of gifts He's given to us -- most importantly, the gift of Himself.  Everything pales in comparison to His overwhelming love for us.  

Gift upon gift upon gift. 

With Age Comes Wisdom

They say with age comes wisdom.  I don't know how wise I'm getting in my old(er) age, but I do know that I have learned a few things over the years and also have gotten more comfortable with who I am.  Below are a few quotes and bits of wisdom I've adopted over the years and love to bestow on my family at opportune times. :) 

• Read the room.  I don't know how many times my oblivious children have asked an inane question during a phone call/intense conversation/crisis situation/parent dozing.  Look around and decide if now is the perfect time to ask if you can have a cookie.
• Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.  I know this one is a little cliche, but it rings so true.  We're always looking ahead and so easily miss what is right under our noses - these children, these moments, this life.  
• If you have something nice to say, say it! I've written about this before, and I still try to make it my mantra every day.  The cashier has beautiful hair, tell her!  Your colleague has a lovely way of making others feel comfortable, tell her!  Your husband makes you coffee every morning, thank him!  Seize the moment to be kind!
• A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.  I saw this on a sign in my college library and it has stuck with me.  Again, my precious offspring have often come to me with a wild look in their eyes because they need a protractor/snack for school/kleenex box (read about that one here)/special color shirt that they don't own. . .for tomorrow.   When asked how long they've known about said need, the answer is always days or weeks.  I am happy to help my children out with whatever they need, but plan ahead a bit, people.
• Do small things with great love. I have this sign in my kitchen as a daily reminder to take up all the small tasks I do for my family as gifts to them.  I so often do small things with great grumbling and annoyance.  I remind myself that these little things are how I show my family I love them.
• Know your audience.  I'm not sure how to sum this one up, but it boils down to thinking of the other person's feelings before speaking.  I've been on both sides of this - I once said "I'm starving" to a cashier, without thinking about the fact that she might know what it's like to actually be hungry (and she questioned me about it).  And I've been told by someone with a much larger expendable income lament that they hadn't taken an (elaborate) spring break trip in a few years (we've never taken one).  
• These are the good old days.  I recently bought a sign with this sentiment on it (my daughter has informed me that we have waaaaay too many signs with words, but I don't listen to that kind of crazy talk).  This phrase reminds me that I'll look back on this time (and indeed I already look back on our earlier parenting years this way) and realize that these are the good old days.  Now.
• Mail a hand-written thank you note!  We're big on thank you notes around here.  I think taking the time to write a personal note of appreciation is such a kind gesture.  When in doubt, always write a thank you!
• And finally, with great silly fanfare, I do what I want!  My kids are always telling me I should do this or do that, or wear this or don't wear that, and I am often heard saying, "I do what I want!" If I want to sing or dance or laugh at ridiculous things, I'm gonna do it.  If I want to wear something that my teens deem "special", I'm gonna do it.  If I want to hug my kids or check in on them a bit more often than they feel is necessary, I'm gonna do it.  

So there it is - "wisdom" from this late 40s mamma.  Take it or leave it!  But if you live in my house, you're going to be reminded of these things on the regular.  Hopefully these thoughts will help shape them into kind and loving people. :) 

Four Things I'm Loving Right Now

 Four things I'm loving right now, in no particular order:

1. Text threads!  My parents, my sister and I are all in a thread we've dubbed The Fab Four.  We text all kinds of stuff, silly and important, and it always makes me smile.  One of my kids just yesterday learned that we did not make up the name Fab Four.  The child was disappointed and vaguely annoyed at the Beatles, I think, for coming up with it first. 
   I'm also loving the text threads with my kids, near and far.  They are laugh out loud funny to me.  I am so very thankful for technology keeping us all connected over the miles!
2. Fall!!  Fall colors, fall candles and today, for the first time, crisp fall air! I never want summer to end, but this year, since summer keeps haaaanging on, I am ready!  Out with 80 degree temps and in with the 50s and 60s! And, while my children have told me I'm not really a redhead anymore (sniff, sniff - there goes part of my identity for 40+ years!), I still wholly relate to this meme:
   
   

    3.  TTTT!  For about the last year or so, my decorating obsession of choice has been the TTTT.  Dubbed so by my children as the Two-Tiered-Tower of Tchotchk(e), I have endured countless minutes of ridicule, but I have stood firm.  These little bits of decor have brought me Great and Abiding Joy.  Someday when my children have their own houses, they can decorate as they wish (I can only hope they don't decorate with their current favorites: dirty socks, food wrappers, backpacks and tennis shoes.)

My fall TTTT, which is showcasing the fabulous movie Thoroughly Modern Millie in the forefront

My 4th of July TTTT, the only pic I have of it, which includes our July 4th charcuterie -

 I'm a sucker for a theme!

And this precious thing - a baby TTTT, which I did not buy whilst at Hobby Lobby, but considered buying for many minutes until boring common sense prevailed

4.  PreK!  I don't remember if I've blogged about it or not, but this year I moved from teaching preschool (3/4s) to PreK (4/5s), and I LOVE it.  I taught 3s for 7 years and had absolutely no desire to move out of the 3s.  I adored their sweet little smiles, personalities and love, and I saw myself teaching 3s for the rest of my career.  So when I was offered the switch to PreK, I had to ponder and pray about it for moment.  It might not sound like a big change, but there really are quite a lot of differences between the two, and I wasn't sure I wanted to let go of my precious 3s. But after a little bit, I felt a peace about moving to PreK and gladly said I would move (which entailed moving classrooms, supplies, curriculum, the whole nine yards).  And I am truly loving it!  I've mentioned many, many times here that change is not my jam. At all.  Like I said, I was quite happy to remain where I was! But teaching PreK has been incredibly rewarding to me.  I love all my little students, with their eagerness to learn, their precious hugs, and their love of Jesus. The whole move was a good reminder to me that God works in everything, including change. 

Teaching in EC affords one the opportunity to wear super cute shirts like this. Try not to be jealous of my cutting-edge fashion.

On Growing Our Family -- 2020s Version

I always thought that we would have another child after we had our youngest daughter. A friend recently said to me, “You have five kids, right?” I responded that we did, and then I paused and said “Well, almost six!” 

Not so long ago, if anyone had heard me say that I had almost six children, it would be an automatic assumption that I was pregnant. Now, since those days seem to be behind us, my friend knew what I meant. Now, almost six children means that I am soon to have a son-in-law. My daughter got engaged this summer and is getting married next summer. I have run through all the emotions --well, all of the happy and nostalgic ones that is! We are thrilled for our daughter and her fiancé. He is a wonderful young man, who loves Jesus and loves our daughter. I think they will have a wonderful married life together. 

But, as you know, nostalgia and sentimentality are my specialty. Many times since her engagement, I have called to mind the movie Father of the Bride, (1990s Steve Martin version). When this movie first came out, I was about the age of Annie, the bride. Oh, how excited I was to find my groom and have those happy moments of wedding planning for myself, which did indeed happen a few years later. But in recent years, I have watched the movie with my own children, and instead of relating to Annie the bride, I now relate to Steve Martin (you can read my thoughts from  2016 about the movie here - and if you haven't seen the movie yet, watch it right away! You're welcome.) Now it is me, getting ready to let my child go and managing all of the emotions that come with that. And just like the scene in the movie,  I can picture my grown adult daughter as a little girl, sitting across from me saying “I met a man and he’s wonderful and brilliant and we’re getting maaaaarried! “. How is it possible that this time has come so soon? Time is a mysterious business, and it is hard sometimes to believe how quickly it passes.

But, ready or not, here we are. And we are ready. We have raised our daughter to love Jesus and to look for a man who also loves Jesus. She is marrying a fine young man who treats her well and loves her very much, and we couldn’t have asked for anything more. And here I am. “Expecting" my sixth child in July. It’s a new way of adding a child to our family (albeit an adult child!). For so many years, we were adding a child to our family every couple of years. And now we are again, in this new and wonderful way. A new son! **  Family is precious, and I am incredibly thankful to God for the gift of our family.

**My younger daughter told her brothers that they better get married someday, so that we can start adding some more girls to this family for goodness sake!  

Mommy's Nights: Full Circle

Many years ago, a little girl and I went shopping.  This shopping excursion was born out of a need for efficiency more than anything else:  I needed to get my new little kindergartener ready for school. And the thought of buying crayons and glue sticks and kleenex and a Friday folder, plus having her try on uniforms with two little boys underfoot just sounded like a recipe for disaster.  So I found a night when my husband was home, left the two precious but rambunctious boys home with him, and took my little gal to Meijer and Old Navy. 

And Mommy's Nights were born.

I can vividly recall being in the dressing room at Old Navy with my little girl while she tried on navy polos and khaki skirts.  She was so excited to get to wear a uniform like the big kids in our school.  Buying her back to school clothes and supplies was so fun that I stretched it out a bit and if memory serves, we got ice cream afterward.  And when I got home, I remember telling my husband that this is the way I wanted to shop for school supplies every year: one-on-one, in a special way, with dinner or a treat.  

And so that's what we've done.  For 16 years, I have taken each child out individually.  Some rough math shows me a guesstimate of 66 Mommy's Nights.  66 times I've taken my littles and not-so-littles out for dinner or ice cream, snapped a selfie, laughed til we've cried, and oh yes - shopped for school supplies.  Finding time for 5 nights (or mornings or afternoons sometimes - we're flexible!) every August isn't always easy, but somehow we've prioritized it every year and it's become a strong family tradition:  Mommy's Nights (which in later years are sometimes called Back To School Nights) are a staple after so many years.

And this year, that little girl who was over the moon about her Old Navy uniforms is going to go on her last Mommy's Night. She's starting her senior year of college and next year won't need dorm supplies or notebooks labeled for each class.  And her last Mommy's Night is going to look a little different - we're not only shopping for back to school items, but also for her wedding!  

How did it happen so fast? I don't know.  I just don't know.  But I do know that while she's not the gap-toothed little gal in the Old Navy dressing room anymore, she's still that same girl - happy to shop with her mom and laugh till we cry.  Excited about what's next (leave behind the uniforms - how about a wedding dress!) and happy to share the moments with her mom. 

Thankfully I have many more years yet with her younger siblings to carry on this tradition.  And also. . .my college senior is going to be a teacher after she graduates. . .so maybe she'd humor her mom for a back-to-school-as-the-teacher Mommy's Night next summer. :) 

A few other posts I've written about our Mommy's Night tradition can be found here  and here and here. :) 

Vacation By The Numbers, Part 2

We just returned from a two-week plus stint in the Wild Wild West (and we even heard the Will Smith song by the same name on the way home!).  It was a great trip, full of beauty, physical exertion, laughter and precious family time.  Here’s a quick numerical summary:

3 campgrounds 

8 states (IL, WI, MN, ND, MT, SD, WY, IA)

7 Thrivent shirts spotted, not including the ones we wore

4400 miles driven (almost 100% of which were driven by my husband, I drove 0 miles pulling the camper - I drove 0.1 mile to do laundry one day)

2 National Parks visited (Teddy Roosevelt and Glacier)

2 National Monuments visited (Little Big Horn and Devils Tower)

13 nights camping in our 20 year old pop-up, who is showing her age a bit, but still hanging in there for our adventures

1 night camping in our friends’ amazingly luxurious camper, causing all of us to dream a bit of getting a new camper someday

12 varieties of wildlife spotted (bighorn sheep, antelope, muskrats, bald eagles, mountain goats, free range cows, wild horses, bison, moose, grizzly bears, deer, prairie dogs)

2 free pizzas, given to us by a Glacier NP employee while we waited in long construction delays after a day in the park

40 miles hiked by 4 of us (12 of which were very strenuous), and 25+ by everyone else, who said no thanks to a hike with a 2600 foot elevation - you can make your guesses about who chose what)

2 (+5 of their kids) friends from college we ran into in our campground in Glacier as they were about to check out

1 Floreo (floor Oreo) nearly consumed by me.  On one of the last legs of the trip, my hilarious eldest two children planted an Oreo which had fallen on the floor, on the console between my husband and I.  After several hours of driving and being annoyed by its presence, I took a bite of it, which resulted in hysterical laughter from my precious children - they’re so funny!

2 back seat butt warmers, continually turned on by children to toast their unaware siblings’ booties

1 great family who hosted us on our trip back with gracious hospitality - it was great to catch up with them (and eat a wonderful meal and take showers without wearing flip fops!)

1 wild fire 5-7 miles from us on one of our hikes - we could see the smoke billowing up from it, and general haze the whole trip from all the other fires in the west

102 degrees on our hottest day, with lots of upper 90s days as well 

1 Corn Palace in South Dakota revisited and several pictures taken to be compared with great nostalgia to pix taken on 2014 on our Yellowstone trip

1.25 theme songs - The Ecstasy of Gold from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, as well as just the words “Lil’ Bit” from the song Lil Bit.  Theme songs have become a tradition each year for us.  You can see some of our other winners here and here and here  and here)

75ish hours in the suburban 

1 bald pop-up tire, noticed and changed by my husband preemptively in a Culver’s parking lot about 2.5 hours from home

And most importantly, hundreds of memories — of so much laughter, shared experiences, arguments and complaining (you do know my family, right?), beautiful mountains, lakes and glaciers, loud, whole-family car songs, and just general togetherness.  My eldest daughter got engaged a few weeks ago (we’re so excited about it - more on that to come!), and we all knew that this trip was the last of its kind, with all seven of us crammed in the pop-up and suburban.  These great camping adventures are not always easy - they’re full of as much hard work as having fun and relaxing.  But there is something to all that time pulling together as a family to keep everything afloat - it unites us in a unique way I think.  Every year as we return home from a family adventure, I am thankful.  Thankful for my husband who plans everything, for the ability to travel so many places, even on a tight budget, for the beauty which God has gifted our country, and for my precious family and our time together.