The Main Event

Okay. So, you should know that I have more than two poses of Katie with her new American Girl doll from Christmas. The doll comes with her to church regularly and sleeps next to her bed in an old doll bed at night. She has to change into pyjamas at night and (usually) regular clothes in the morning. For those of you who have kids with similar fixations, perhaps you can sympathize. Anyway...thought you'd like to meet Katie's newest addiction. :-)

Other news...

An update since Christmas. One of the many things on our newly created "To-Do" list (from the previously mentioned brainstorming session) was to get an old toy shelf of August's painted to match his room. Here are some pictures of August and Katie having fun "helping" with this job!

A Party Fit for a Princess!

Our daughter will be 7 years old this month! When she was born, we worried about her making it to her first birthday. We spent weeks while she was a preemie at the hospital worrying and praying for her. Then when she finally came home we were surprised at how much more quickly she began to gain weight and thrive...

Now we are wondering about the monster we created...The pink parasol holding, twirly-dress spinning, shiny pink or purple nail sporting, sparkly shoe wearing, "Mom I really, really want to wear a dress" saying, GIRL. I KNOW she didn't get this from her mom who is happiest in flannel and blue jeans!
[On the other hand we have a son who prefers sweat pants and who told me once (when I was getting ready for a "date" with daddy) that he liked the mom who wears jeans and goes camping better!]

Well, the seventh birthday is special and we are transforming our ordinary home (or some of it at least) into a castle fit for a princess! We will all wear our finest and invite some neighborhood royalty (from Katie's classes at school and church) to a Royal Ball, Royal Banquet and Royal Scavenger Hunt. (For August we transformed our basement into a jungle one year for a Wild Adventure Birthday Party.) I imagine that party pictures will follow for those who are curious how a ranch home in the mid-west can become castle-like. I think you'll have to use your imagination quite a bit! :-)

Blessings!

New Look for Angela's Notes

I always seem to slip into a funk after Christmas. Every year I try to prevent it by mentally preparing myself. Sometimes I have tried to schedule myself to be so busy that I don't have time to think about being blue. No matter what I try, I still manage to have a bit of the down-and-outs in January and February. Well, since we're now in March and I'm coming out of it again, I finally seem to have something to say. Probably not very witty or charming, but I am at least writing again. As I was editing my blog I realized that I was sick of looking at the old layout--I'm not sure I ever really liked it. So, here is a new look which may make the words I write seem more interesting or at least a little clever.

I am using some of my new energy to do the traditional spring cleaning that Mum and Oma always seemed so determined to do. Maybe a few good habits rubbed off on me! :-) Happy Spring-Airing-Out to you all!

Gearing up for Summer...

It's spring (almost) and the weather occasionally reflects this. I've been trying to get our kids out and about on those beautiful days that make you forget about winter coats and hot chocolate and instead think about swimming and bicycling. We recently spent an hour at nearby bicycle safety town after school. Katie is working to get rid of the training wheels. We are a little slow at this because the kids can't really ride their bikes in our driveway (our street is too busy to take the chance they might go down hill toward it by mistake). So we rely on periodic trips to parks to practice our cycling skills. She was starting to get the hang of it the last time so I'm hoping I'll be able to stop running after her before I have to have my back put in traction! The first few times we tried, when Katie thought she was falling, she would suddenly let go of the bike and grab my arm with both of hers. This almost sent us both flying a few times before I convinced her that this was a bad idea. Now she is beginning to stay focused and is feeling a little braver.

I don't know about all of you, but I have observed that in my children the act of learning to ride their bike by themselves is fundamentally connected to their self-esteem and feeling of independence. It is really a turning point for them to trust themselves and to manage the power of speed and maneuvering, as well as deciding where to go!

Speaking about getting outdoors...After many years of putting aside our backpacks and opting instead for the mini-van, family sized tent, coolers filled with milk and apple juice, and the kids favorite--Smorz Cereal (which we only buy for camping trips because it's basically sugar-coated sugar!)...we are trying something new this summer! An overnight backpacking trip!!! I know some of you are wondering WHY any sane person would do this on purpose. We can't explain all the details, but I think we just need to try it with our kids (who are now hopefully old enough to carry a backpack a few miles with out crying "Mommy, carry me!") We are waiting for the weather to get a little warmer and plan to start out close to home and not go too many miles out. We'll see how it goes...

Maybe, just maybe this is the start of something! Maybe, one day, you'll be reading a newspaper article about a family that hiked the Appalachian Trail and you'll look at the picture and say, "Hey, I know them!" Whatever! :-)

Planning for the Future

This year Bret and I did something we haven't done in several years. We scheduled a "date" (no kids) and went to Borders Bookstore together. We found some comfy chairs, bought some expensive coffee, and took out the laptop and some clipboards. Then we proceeded to brainstorm about our goals for the next five years. We thought about house projects and repairs which may come up, we thought about trips we'd like to take, and we thought about our goals for the kids (in five years they'll be 11 and 15!). It was an interesting conversation. Some things we had both thought about and hoped to accomplish, and some things one of us hadn't thought about at all. We are spending some time praying about our ideas and waiting for guidance.

It was a fun way to welcome the new year and it was good to spend some time dedicated to this topic. Otherwise we seem to find ourselves caught up in the daily chores and the kids' needs and never get a chance to think about future goals, let alone discuss them with each other!

I challenge you (if you haven't done it yet) to give this a try...

Are you ready for change?

I can't believe it's been over one month since I've written anything on my blog! Many of you are probably tired of checking and wondering--"When is Angela going to write in her blog again?!?" You may be thinking, "Is she okay?" "Has something happened?" Perhaps you have not checked my blog in many months and are thinking, "What is she talking about!" Perhaps you have never visited my blog and are thinking..."If this is an example of what Angela's blog is like...I'm not sure I want to read this drivel..." :-) Well, whatever you are thinking, I AM updating my blog--finally! And you can continue to read it..or not..as you wish.


Change. It seems to be a season of change. I'm not sure but it seems there is something in the air...maybe in the water...who knows. One thing is certain, life as we knew it no longer exists. The kid who ran around our house in diapers talking about animals is now writing books and poetry--about animals. The other kid who wanted to be a ballerina cowgirl, now plans to be a petshop owner. An economy we thought was stable is now in question and the future seems to be uncertain. At times like this I find it helpful to remember that I've felt something like this before, and that in previous times of uncertainty, God helped our family through. I, for one, am counting on a replay of divine intervention!


We are busy with the many details of life. The kids are continuing to enjoy piano (Katie more than August) and both of them are doing very well. August (much to my delight) is learning Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" (a simplified version). I'm taking advantage of sitting in on the kids' lessons and am brushing up on my own very, very rusty and very minimal knowledge of piano. I like the simple versions of the classics, but even these clearly take a fair amount of practice on my part before they sound like anything remotely resembling music.


Our Ford F150 came out of our garage yesterday for the first time in many months. It was a red-letter day, a day of great joy and celebration. It was a day of joy rides with dad in the big green pickup. We celebrated by going out for supper! I joyfully parked our minivan in the garage that night! Yay! I guess I'm easy to please...sometimes.

It is also great to finally see some warmer weather on the horizon. Here in Illinois we have had the coldest winter we've experienced in a long time. Our wood supply dwindled and then finally ran out as our wood furnace warmed the house. Now our gas furnace has been back on the job, but it just doesn't provide the same warmth! I'm looking forward to the arrival of spring this year! It will be fun to get into the garden again this year, too. Last year I planted a whole lot of asparagus, so I'm hoping to be able to harvest some this year!

Change seems to be part of God's plan for the world. The seasons, the growth of the green leaves in spring. Their turning to gold, red and brown in fall. Even the cold of winter serves its purpose...and if nothing else, helps us appreciate the spring and summer even more! Blessings, Angela