Happy Medium

So I'm trying to find that happy medium between being busy and not being too busy where I can't enjoy life. I'm adding a lot to my calendar this Fall, but I'm looking forward to it. Getting involved in church again (excited about a new small group), volunteering with a couple of new organizations, being a girl scout leader, and working full time. It should keep me plenty busy...I just hope not too busy. My commitments are only twice a month each, so I don't think it will be too bad. I've enjoyed this past year of replenishing and not being so involved, but I'm also looking forward to this new season of busy. It won't last forever. I'm still hoping my weekends involve a lot of 'down' time enjoying Mike and the girls and being together as family...of treasuring what's most important to me. And even though I've been busy lately, I've noticed a lot of laughter in my days, and that feels good. I've also been singing this song this past week..."Life's a dance, you learn as you go, sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow..." I'm definitely entering a season of leading and it feels right and good.

Sleepy ramblings

I should so be sleeping right now...but I just can't. Lots on my mind. School back in session. Trying to figure out where all I should invest my time...besides working, being a wife and a mom...girl scouts? church? other causes I'm passionate about? how much time should I devote to these things? And my body is so sore...skiing and tubing were a blast yesterday...and today, well today, I'm just sore. Wish I could find time to get back to the gym. Perhaps life will settle back into a routine in a couple of weeks...right now it just feels chaotic. This week alone we have parent meetings at school, meeting with surveyor and also with builder (about deck), dog getting spade, following up on volunteer opportunity, meeting with guy from church about volunteering, gymnastics, need to meet up with photographer to finalize our order for family pictures, connect me event at church, and Mike wants to go camping this weekend...which sounds great, just no idea when I'm going to be able to get ready. And I'm not really complaining... this life I get to live is wonderful... it's just that sometimes when I'm in the midst of it, I just wish I could hit the pause button! :)

And why did Morgan have to ask me today on the way to school... "Mom, if you could be doing any job, what would you do?" That's just made me think way too much! :) So I asked them what job they think I would be good at. And Sarah (my daughter who is always thinking outside of the box! - seriously, her answers ALWAYS surprise me!) answers, "I think you'd be a great stuffed animal maker!" It's made me laugh all day. So I'm thankful for both my girls... one who makes me pause and think about deeper issues and the other who makes me laugh!

Better than Dreams....Reality

So if you would have asked me on my wedding day how I'd be celebrating my 15th anniversary...I probably would have answered something like, at a cabin in the mountains, on a cruise ship, at the very least a nice dinner out. So, how did I spend my anniversary?

Well I woke up in our own bed, to Mike snoring at 4 in the morning...think his sinuses are acting up right now. It's a new thing, so I'm hoping its temporary. He left for work at 5:30. Girls brought me breakfast in bed, complete with picked clover flowers from our yard (yes, our yard is more green weeds than grass!). I lingered in bed, played on the laptop....trying to convince myself to get up and face the mountain of laundry from our trip to Michigan. Finally got all 9 loads washed and folded. Mike stopped by the store on the way home to pick up the butter I needed to bake a cake for my meeting the next day, he got home...I realized I was out of oil too...he went back to the store for me...with a willing heart and a smile! Girls came back from playing at friend's house, got on their gymnastics outfits and we stopped by Sonic for dinner...got burgers, coney dogs, tots and coke for our anniversary dinner. Dropped the kids off at gymnastics, went to the park and spent 15 minutes writing letters to each other on our 15th anniversary (no cards, no gifts...just priceless words!). We lingered a bit at the park, dreamed of winning the lotto that we have never in our lives have played...but hey, if we did, we could spend our days volunteering together....did my husband really say that...after 15 years, he really would like to spend every day, all day with ME?! (Is he sure about that?! :)). Picked the girls up, went to Kohls to buy frames for our family pictures, and a new mixer since ours caught fire when I was making the cake earlier. Finished our evening by stopping at Andy's Frozen Custard with the girls...yummy! Got the girls in bed...then cuddled up in bed ourselves. Yes, living the reality of life is sometimes better than the dreams we once made!

15 Years and Counting

15 Years ago I married my best friend and the best part? 15 years later I'm still married to my best friend! Sometimes it just feels like yesterday when I said "I do" and yet when I look back, we've needed 15 years for all we've done together! Here are some of the 'moments' we've shared:

• Both graduated from college
• Lived 9 different places (5 different towns)
• Became parents of two beautiful daughters
• Grieved the loss of Mike's mom and sister and five grandparents
• Welcomed 9 nieces and nephews into our lives
• Purchased a boat, I learned to waterski, he learned to wakeboard
• Discovered we liked mountain biking, Frisbee golf and geocaching
• Owned 4 cars (cavalier, taurus, xterra and suburban)
• Owned 3 tents, lost track of number of camping trips
• Owned two dogs, one hamster and one turtle
• Traveled to/thru 16 states, (MI, MO, OK, IN, IL, WI, MI, OH, PA, NY, VA, TN, KY, NC, KS, CO plus Canada & Mexico)
• Attended five churches (dozens more visited)
• 7 jobs for me, 2 for Mike (plus temporary jobs)
• Only debt is our mortgage

Then there are all the those little things shared that weave into the fabric of life. So I wonder how many times we've:

• eaten ice cream cones
• taken walks
• watched movies
• shared meals
• travelled to visit family
• stolen kisses
• told jokes
• shared laughter
• argued and made up
• found a middle ground
• gone on picnics
• roasted marshmallows
• he held me as I cried
• made love
• enjoyed silent moments
• been grateful for this life that we call "ours"!

How blessed I am to share life's amazing journey with Mike!