Ready or Not

Paul checks in with Josh every now and then.
"Are you ready to take the training wheels off yet?"
Friday afternoon Josh surprised us and said, "Yes!"

It was a very hot, very humid afternoon.
And it was sprinkling.

But, as Paul says, when the courage is there...go with it!
Now!

And off come the training wheels!




"Ready to hop on, Buddy?"




You can see in the next few pictures Paul giving Josh careful instruction and advice. I've never been close enough before to hear Paul teach the kids how to ride a bike.




He doesn't think he's patient...but he is.





He doesn't see that what he says is any big deal...but it is.






He doesn't think that what he does is all that special...but it is.





And look at the smile on his face as he watches his third trainee take to the driveway with no training wheels!



Not to mention the look of accomplishment on this precious face!

Paul told Josh on Friday afternoon that all he needed was lots of practice, so...with sweat soaking his hair and dripping down his face, he practiced and practiced after the rain on Saturday afternoon. By the time Carrie and William arrived home from camp on Sunday, he looked as if he had been riding for years.




A noble man with his trusty steed...






And here is what lot of practice will get you...





What's that, Matty?
Is it your turn?!
"Peeeeeese?"





Alright, Matty.
You can have a turn with Daddy now.




Enjoying the Journey,

Playing Favorites

If flowers could feel emotion, then I think that these must be the happiest flowers around.




From a distance, they seem to be floating in the air...like little orange butterflies.




Can't you just seem them smiling at you?




Eighteen years ago this summer, I was teaching summer school in northern Indiana. It was a small farming community with lots of country roads leading to my destination. One morning, I was a little early, so I took a road that I didn't usually take...especially in the month of June.

Can you imagine my surprise when, up ahead, I could see an orange glow?
My favorite color for as long as I can remember has been orange, so I could hardly wait to see what all of this orange was about!

There were trees growing on both sides of the road. Their branches touched over the road like a filmy canopy. The sun filtered through this woodsy ceiling and made the thousands upon thousands of Tiger Lilies glow!

I felt like a bride walking down the aisle.

I really can't find words to describe how breathtaking it was.
Eighteen years later, I can still close my eyes and see that vision.
That whisper from God..."I love you, Jodi. Enjoy the beauty of today."

Ever since that day, the wild, carefree Tiger Lilies that grow on the sides of the road have been my favorite flower of all.

I used them in the bouquets on my wedding rehearsal table.

I have them planted and transplanted in clumps all over my yard.

I get excited when I see the promising clumps of green leaves coming to life in the spring and even more excited when the stems shoot up with the fullness of a bud on each one.
And then the JOY that I feel each June as I look out my window or take a walk around my yard.

Every summer, I take pictures of the same...but not the same...Tiger Lilies.




It won't be long before I have to say goodbye again.
But it's not a goodbye that lasts forever.
You know the kind of goodbye I'm talking about.

Goodbye for now.
Thank you, God, for that kind of goodbye.

Oh...and if you see some crazy lady at the side of a country road, shovel in hand...go ahead and venture to say hello.
She will probably be smiling.


Enjoying the Journey,

On the Other Hand...

The Journey is like the Anticipation of counting down the days until Christmas.
The Destination is like Christmas Day.

Will it truly measure up to everything you thought it would be?
Will you be disappointed once you arrive?

You know, yesterday I said that it was the Journey...but let me tell you what.
The Destination is pretty amazing too!








Welcome to Koeler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan, Wisconsin!

"Kohler-Andrae State Park in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, is the home of majestic sand dunes, miles of golden beach, shimmering blue Lake Michigan water, whispering pines, an abundance of wildlife, and recreational activities for everyone. Kohler-Andrae State Park is one of the last natural preserves along the Lake Michigan shore, and is open for everyone to explore and enjoy."

Everybody get out and stretch while Daddy checks us into the campground!










I think that one of the things I will always remember about this vacation is Joshua's first impression of Lake Michigan.

After we got the camper all set up, Paul asked if anyone would like to take a drive around the park to see if we could find the beach and see Lake Michigan.

By this time, the sun was setting.

The beach area that we happened upon had no dunes hiding it from the parking area. We parked the truck right at the edge of the sand and were able to look out on Lake Michigan.

I said, "Look, Josh! There's Lake Michigan!"

Josh looked and looked and finally said, "Where?! I don't see the lake!"

"It's right there. Right past the sand. See it?"

"No!! I can't see it! Where is it?!"

Finally, he realized that all the blue...as far as he could see...was lake and sky.

His experience with any body of water is that he can land on the other side.
We could tell from the big sigh that came from his little body that he was completely overwhelmed.





After that, everyone jumped out of the truck, threw off their shoes, and ran in the sand...the cold, cold sand!




Well...not everyone.
Matthew really couldn't figure out what we were doing.
He didn't take his shoes off until they were completely filled with sand.






Absolutely breathtaking.
I've been on Lake Michigan before, but I was almost as overwhelmed with the entire experience as Josh was.




It must have something to do with experiencing life through your child's eyes.

Oh...and the answers to the questions at the beginning of this post are "Yes!" and "No!!" respectively.


Enjoying the Journey,

It's About the Journey

You've heard it said...
"It's not about the Destination. It's about the Journey."

There's a lot of truth to that statement.

The Journey is where we prepare ourselves for the destination.
Sometimes that preparation is very messy--but it is also very necessary.



The Journey is where we all come together in anticipation for what is to come.
Sometimes the "what is to come" is way beyond our comprehension and imagination.




The Journey is where we all find our place and make the most of it.
Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we cry. Sometimes we just close our eyes.

Sometimes we get the entire backseat of a six hour drive all to ourselves, and sometimes we don't.




The Journey is where we witness the breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Sometimes we take the view for granted.




The Journey isn't always breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Sometimes it's just downright interesting...and a little strange.
And confusing.



The Journey is where we all sit down, take a breather, and enjoy the tangible things in life.

Sometimes sweet.



Sometimes multicolored and bouncy.




But preferably caffeinated, mocha'd, and Grande in size!




The Journey is where we really...REALLY...get to know each other.
Sometimes we bless others.




But most of the time, we find ourselves being blessed.




Joyfully enjoying the journey,

Wordless Wednesday..."Far From Wordless!"

My blogging plan for this week was to post pictures from our Wisconsin vacation and write down some of the memorable things that were said and done.

Go ahead...ask me how that's working out.

This blog has become my way of scrapbooking for my family...my way of journaling. I like to think that later on, my kids will open up our family's Blog Book and remember.

And laugh.

Well...have I mentioned what a crazy summer this has already been. And how much more crazy it is going to get?!

It's a good kind of crazy, though.
Good stuff coming.
Fun stuff coming!
Lots and lots of stuff!

I am a planner, so when I flip through the calendar on my wall, I get a bit overwhelmed.

Because along with being a planner, I am also a perfectionist.

A hopeless perfectionist.

This week, I am cleaning out the camper, doing mountains of laundry, and really needing to go to the grocery store. You know, all the stuff that comes from being gone for a week on vacation.

The big kids leave for church camp tomorrow, so we are repacking.

Our township-wide Vacation Bible School begins next Monday, so I am pulling things together for the toddler class that I am teaching.

Am I whining yet?

So...

Even if it's only one or two pictures a day...or one story a day...I am going start documenting our vacation!

Following is my Wordless Wednesday pictures of the day.

This is Wednesday, isn't it?







Joyfully,

Wordless Wednesday..."I Love My Grandpa!"

Ask A Kid

This is something that I saw done on someone's Facebook wall. Her daughter, who is 4 years old, answered the questions.

I thought, "How cute! I wonder what my 4-year old would say... Am I brave enough to ask him these questions? He might tell the truth. He might say that I always yell or that I always tell him "No!" or that my favorite thing to do is sit at the computer."

Well, I'll never know until I try.

So I called Josh over beside me, and this is what he said.

What is something Mom always says to you?
“I love you."

What makes Mom happy?
"Flowers."

What makes Mom sad?
"Yelling and when people fight."

How does your Mom make you laugh?
"Doing silly faces."

What was your Mom like as a child?
"You threw hay down on the piggies' backs."

How old is your Mom? I can't remember.
"I think fourteen ninety-one."

How tall is your Mom?
"Fourteen feet."

What is her favourite thing to do?
"Play with me."

What does your Mom do when you're not around?
"Go places like probably to the store."

If your Mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"For putting up the coconut tree on our wall." (I'll explain that one later.)

What is your Mom really good at?
"At being nice."

What is your Mom not very good at?
"Doing races."

What does your Mom do for a job?
"Clean up in the kitchen."

What is your Mom's favorite food?
"Grapes."

What makes you proud of your Mom?
"Because you let us go camping."

If your Mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"A worm that could talk. Or you could be a pumpkin."

What do you and your Mom do together?
"Help clean up."

How are you and your Mom the same?
"We kinda like the same color."

How are you and your Mom different?
"You like orange and I like blue."

How do you know your Mom loves you?
"Because you do nice stuff for me."

Where is your Mom's favorite place to go?
"Mounds."



As soon as I asked the last question, Josh said, "Can we stop right now? This is kinda hard."

Joyfully,

Back to What I Love...

Philippians 3:13
"Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..."

I just might be taking this out of context, but I am going to consider Paul's words as I blog from now on.

I get so hung up on backtracking and catching up on all the things that I haven't blogged on, that I just put my computer and pictures aside until a "better time."

Someday...at that "better time"...I will catch up on all the birthdays, special events, and memorable moments that I haven't recorded.

Guess what.
You already know what I'm going to say.

A "better time" never comes.
And...as I look ahead, I see so many more opportunities to record special memories on my blog.
Now I'm in a real pickle.
Do I go back and try to catch up, or do I take a deep breath and continue forward.

This is not a new dilemma.
It is one that rears its ugly head every so often.
Life is full, and I don't always leave time for quiet reflection.

I'm going to start making that time again...with no room for guilt.

I know I've said this all before.
Let's see how far I get this time. :)

So...
for today I'm going to share with you some of life's simple pleasures.
A few quiet things that I'm thankful for.


Sweet music played by a sweet girl...



My wild and carefree May second rosebush...



Together time...



Cheesy smiles...



Fuzzy bunnies...



Peas and Cheese...



Hard work on a hot day...



Teamwork...



Someone to hold hands with...




Joyfully,

Sweetheart Trail Mix

Remember...
Crunchy...Chewy...Sweet...Salty!

Strawberry Yogurt Cheerios (our base ingredient)
Chocolate Chip Teddy Grahams
Vanilla Flavored Yogurt-Covered Raisins
Valentine's Day Plain M&M's
Rainbow Goldfish
Pretzel Sticks

There are so many great combinations in this one...especially the M&M's and Pretzels!

I think this will last us awhile since we made it in our big silver pan.

This is the pan that I inherited from Mom. She used to make Chex Party Mix in this pan every Christmas...and so do we.



There's a big wooden spoon in the pan, because I had the kids take turns pouring the ingredients in one-at-a-time...and then stir after each ingredient.

This one turned out to be pretty cute...I think mainly because of the chubby little Teddy Grahams!

We may not have this one done in time to make a Trail Mix for the month of March.

Too bad...
Lucky Charms would have been a great base ingredient...especially since the cereal part of Lucky Charms in my favorite! ;)

Happy Valentine's Day,