Category Archives: Life in general

You are awesome

ememby_youareawesomeIn case you were confused about it or happened to forget this fact about yourself, let me just tell you that you are awesome! Really, you are, pinky swear!

There was apparently an ArtPrize flash mob and because of that I saw a bunch of “You’re Awesome” signs around town and on the news… so why not jump on the bandwagon and spread the love a little more. There’s enough awesomeness to go around, right?

Awesomeness is pretty universal – we are all awesome – even if and when we don’t feel like it. No matter who we are, what we believe, where we live, who we are friends with, what we do for fun and/or what we’ve accomplished (sometimes getting out of bed and showering is the greatest accomplishment). We are awesome. You are awesome. I am awesome (and humble). Let’s not forget it.


If you’re looking for other inspiration, I created a page where all these are collected… maybe you’ll find what you are looking for there.

Tuesday Musings

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  • I continue to find it fascinating that my kids only ask theological questions while we are in the car… What is heaven like? Will we ever be as old as God since we will live forever in heaven? Will there be food there? What does it look like? How come Satan didn’t want to stay in heaven? Will it be hot or cold in heaven? How can we live forever? What happens if I do something bad? Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? The questions are endless and I do my best to answer them but almost NEVER do they ask them once we are home. It’s like the minivan is their stage for grilling their mom about religion.
  • They also talk about farting and underwear to make each other laugh so there’s that.
  • We did ArtPrize with and without kids… I much preferred touring downtown with just my husband and not having to clothesline Jack by pulling on the hood of his sweatshirt to keep him from knocking down an art piece or crawling under the ropes that keep people back from the artwork (I saw in the news that someone else’s child broke a sculpture that was on a bench… that totally could have been us. In the article, it was funny how the security guy at the venue basically blamed the mom for this happening; clearly someone who didn’t have kids himself, or had the rare breed of child who behaves perfectly in public and doesn’t try and approach the pretty, breakable artwork that was not roped off and seated on a BENCH in a public space).
  • This past weekend was pretty sweet… one of those weekends I always envisioned having when I was a grown up. Friday afternoon Liam had a friend over, then a sitter came and I went out with my college friends. Saturday I went to a thing at church, then got to go have lunch BY MYSELF at Panera with my music and a book, came home and sent Simon off to rugby in Detroit while Liam had another play date with his BFF. We went to a local farm stand for donuts and apple cider slushies (seriously so good), let the kids play and then drove the BFF back home and was invited in for drinks and delicious food which helped pass the evening so wonderfully. Sunday was church, Sunday school, homemade roasted butternut squash soup, a nap on the couch, Simon played outside with the kids and I made applesauce and then the hubs and I watched the premiere of Homeland. I could not ask for more (other than someone to clean my kitchen).
  • I accidentally caught part of an episode of Blacklist and I might like it… the jury is still out on that one.
  • Love The Voice and much appreciate not being bombarded with Christina’s cleavage during the early rounds – I’m sure it will make an appearance later but I might be back to liking her again so I could be inclined to forgive it. [Hilariously I was using my voice recognition for text my friend Stef about it and said, “And I think she’s being less bitchy this year.” And my phone changed it to “b*****” – totally got censored by my own conservative phone.]
  • The Today Show had a segment called Fact or Fiction today where Matt Lauer presented two stories and you had to determine which was real… sadly one about Extreme Ironing (like with the household tool) was true. It is a thing.
  • Simon’s going to Iowa this weekend for a football game with my dad, brother and nephew… here’s hoping this coming weekend is still as good as the last one. I am not real hopeful. There’s a 50/50 chance one of my kids will puke while he is gone. The first three times Simon was gone after Liam was born, the kid threw up each time, no lie. And one time I fell down the stairs (unrelated to the puking), bad things happen with my dearest is away is what I’m saying.
  • I get unreasonably mad at the local weather people when they tell me humid weather is on the way. I hate humidity (dear children, in this case, it’s okay to use the word hate. We are allowed to say we hate humidity and robbers).
  • You really have to love meteorology to want to become a weather person.
  • Just got an email from a retailer advertising mesh yoga leggings… um, no. That seems ill-advised.
  • After reading an article in Costco’s Connection magazine (of all places), I really want to read Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, “David and Goliath.”

In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks.

  • My kids are OBSESSED with Pokemon. Liam got a Pokemon-branded binder for his birthday and Jack has been carrying around his cards in his hand or a plastic box so yesterday I bought him a 3-ring diner and card-holder pages so he has his very own binder. Last night he slept with it, pulling it up under his cheek and stroking it lovingly. Cute and disturbing.
  • I’m going to print a Pokemon picture to stick in the front of the binder – we’ll see who is the fun parent then!

A year of contentment

ememby_yearofcontentmentWe were going around the circle in our small group, sharing our prayer requests and things we were planning for the coming year and I realized what I wanted for my/our life: a year of contentment. Almost immediately after saying it out loud, I followed it up with saying, but if Simon were to switch to first shift at work, I’d take that, too – that’s the kind of change that I’d welcome to throw a wrench in the gears. Gee, I don’t ask for much.

This has definitely been a year of change and I’m well aware that God answers prayers in ways we aren’t always expecting, despite what our hopes may be and sometimes He goes above and beyond what we could even imagine (this house is our above and beyond because it is so much more than the dwelling itself). So I realize that in praying for a year of contentment, I could be opening up the door to God teaching me to be content, despite the circumstances (Note to God: I’ve got finding contentment in all situations down pat – not perfected by any means, but I’m willing to learn other lessons.) And I’m not praying for boring, or hum drum, but just simple contentment.

From Simon’s mom leaving this world last July to our move on July 1st, it was as near to a year as you can get and it has been quite a year. Plus, there is almost another year in advance of her passing that we were making plans to visit and then saying goodbye and after our move there has been a good three months of settling in, unpacking and adjustment, so we are all set to chill – to take a minute. Now, I can’t make that actually happen, but I can prepare my heart and mind and focus on the things that matter. Enjoying the every day, not looking for the next best thing and not preparing for another great adventure, or a great sadness (though most great sadnesses cannot be planned). Life is an adventure. And life is good and life brings with it hardship. That’s life. But making this house a home, starting a book club and entertaining friends and family whenever we can, these things will do me just fine.

Life is seldom boring, but we are also seldom content. We crave change and excitement and when we don’t, it tends to come looking for us and rocking our boats in ways we weren’t prepared for. And that may still happen to me, to any of us, but in the meantime… I’m going to strive for contentment, though I know I can make no promises to myself that it will fully happen. There are little things that I’ve already been doing that certainly lend themselves to contentment… figuring out ways to deal with the kids and their unsavory behaviors (an allowance system has been put in place and rather than yelling or punishing when they do something on the offense/deduction list, I simply say “That’s ten cents” and mark a tally down on their post-it note); keeping track of things I’m grateful for (dear friends, I need to revive our year of gratitude… you know who you are) and revisiting the things I love like reading, crafting and hanging out with my favorite people (girl’s nights out and date nights/days with my Australian hubby – FTW). And then I know I also need to re-focus on my spiritual life and look to God for my ultimate contentment, the rest is just filling my life with nice things, but without building it all on the rock, I will get easily washed away when the rain comes down or the flood waters rise.

Please join me in praying for contentment, in seeking it out. And please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas on contentment – maybe we can get there together.

Also, if you’re going to tell me I’m crazy or unrealistic in hoping for a year of contentment – just can it. That’s what I have my husband for and I’m not married to the rest of you so I don’t have to hear it from you.

Wednesday Musings: Media Edition

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  • Our three months of getting all of the channels with our television provider is just about up and I’m a little bit sad about that… but it was perfect timing as it gave us new shows to watch when the mainstream stations were mostly on summer hiatus.
  • New show I am in love with: Newsroom. It from Aaron Sorkin so it has the fast-paced, witty banter like The West Wing but a whole new cast of actors/characters for me to love. [I still miss The West Wing].
    • Jane Fonda ironically plays a media tycoon, a female version of Ted Turner, if you will… she also plays someone who is high fairly well, which makes me believe she is perhaps well-practiced.
    • Olivia Munn just might be one of my favorite actors – yes, she is gorgeous, but is also smart and great at line delivery.
    • I do not see the appeal of either of Meryl Streep’s daughters: Grace and Mamie Gummer (Grace is in Newsroom, I could do without her).
  • I’ve re-found my love of Homeland and since the new season launches at the end of the month, they are finally replaying the last season so I’ve gotten to binge on that. Do you watch it, have you watched it? You totally should. Then we can talk about how much we hate Brody’s wife, feel sorry for Carrie and wish we could hear Damian Lewis’ British accent in real life.
  • Even though I’ve never watched it before, I’m very much enjoying the final season of Dexter… perfect timing since the series finale is up next week.
  • And then there is Rookie Blue, a network show that has new episodes airing throughout the summer… much like the characters on ER before them, this team of cops has the worst set of luck when it comes to horrible things happening to them. Members of their squad are regularly kidnapped and shot at and they switch up romantic love interests like crazy, but still, it’s my guilty pleasure (and Simon’s). Oooh, we also love Suits and I am hooked on Covert Affairs (despite the unbelievability of Piper Perabo as a CIA agent).
  • For the fall I’m looking forward to the return of Castle, Chicago Fire, Scandal, The Good Wife, The Vampire Diaries (my always guilty pleasure), Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, Parenthood and The Voice.
  • Sadly there is nothing new that excites me at all.
  • I’m a little bit (read: a whole lot) excited about the following upcoming movies: Rush, the next Hunger Games movie, Divergent and Fault in Our Stars. I’m sure there are others, but those are the top of my list.
  • Music I’m enjoying lately: To Build a Home (Cinematic Orchestra); Roar (Katy Perry – yes, it’s true); Safe and Sound (Capital Cities); All I Want (Kodaline); Bloodstream (Stateless) How it Ends (DeVotchKa), Let it Be Me (Ray LaMontagne) and Down (Jason Walker).
  • Music I am not enjoying: Anything and everything by Miley Cyrus. She is trash, plain and simple. Misguided and pathetic trash. She is in need of an intervention, a reality check and good timeout. Role model for anyone, she is not.
  • I’ve also fallen back in love with Coldplay… Simon DVR-ed a show of their concerts and every song made me happy. More than happy… their now on my list of groups to see live. Adele, Coldplay and Mumford & Sons. No big deal.
  • And now I will admit to watching Step Up: Revolution… I just love, or rather, enjoy, dance movies. I can’t help it. Simon just rolls his eyes and sighs but then he has loved martial arts movies so he can’t judge me any more than I can judge him (except, I totally judge him).
  • Books on my to-read list: Ocean at the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman); Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple); Allegiant (Veronica Roth – the third in the Divergent series; if you read Hunger Games, read these); Cuckoo’s Calling (J.K. Rolling); Beautiful Ruins (Jess Walter); And Life Comes Back (Tricia Lott Williford); The Husband’s Secret (Liane Moriarty) and David & Goliath (Malcolm Gladwell).

Instagram… Take 37 (or something like that)

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Abstract art or condensation on my water bottle…


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New neighbors… we see deer in our back yard at least once a week and I don’t know that I will ever tire of it, though I might not end up ever planting anything back there which would be a bummer since having both a vegetable garden and a flower garden are on my life list.


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We went to a water activity-themed birthday party and it was awesome! The grand finale was a super long slip and slide which was just the best!


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There were also giant bubbles.


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Friday night at the ice cream shop.


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And after ice cream it was necessary to burn off a little steam at the fountain.


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Haven’t heard this song for AGES but have heard it three times in the last month on The Coffee House station – you better up your game, XM. (at least it’s not something by Shawn Colvin – they love her, too, and I DO NOT)


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A brief moment of brotherly love.


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The covered bridge in Ada is a magical place.


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How this is even comfortable, I don’t know.


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Mumford & Sons on Pandora and feet up on the couch… perfect Friday night.


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George agrees…


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We visited the Farmer’s Market, we bought dill for making pickles. Jack clearly does not approve.


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Peek-a-boo… someone likes to pop up when I am standing at the kitchen sink.


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Saturday afternoon nap time… note the jeans and sweatshirt in JULY.


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Jack’s new talent.


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I so love it when they get along.


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Date night with a stop at the Rockford Brewing Company… cider, raspberry ale and something very dark – all very good.


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Hanging with some besties. Girls are a whole different deal than boys…


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Liam’s birthday outing with his BFF, Alejandro… McDonald’s for lunch, Chuck E. Cheese’s for games and Krispy Kreme for donuts (instead of cake).


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Just adding another “log” to the fire… it only took 3 hours to burn.


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Playing catch with baby Ethan at Quinn and Chris’s summer house… we didn’t drop him even once 🙂


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Nephew Mitch (who has a new radio show, BTW), by fire light.


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I do just love that face.


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Sun pickles… the best dill pickles EVER.


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A cold, but gorgeous day at Duck Lake and Lake Michigan.


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The personal trainer’s license plate (but of course)


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Jack loves removing Lego heads and playing with just them… here, they face off with cars… we call this every day life.


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Extreme close up.


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My faithful companion.


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The new IKEA catalog… swoon.


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Driving to a friend’s house we happened upon a cat leading a string of ducks across the road… as our car approached, the cat turned around and walked back off the road and the ducks all turned to follow. What in the world?


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File this one under “Can’t Possibly Be Comfortable”


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I watch the VMAs… decided I was too old to be doing that because I continually exclaimed, “Are you kidding me?” but then Justin Timberlake performed (and reunited with ‘Nsync) and all was right for a moment. My favorite part of watching is also being on Twitter and reading snarky tweets aloud to Simon.


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French macarons (or macaroons) brought to me fresh from Paris. Little bites of heaven. I had never had one before and my coworker fulfilled a life list item for me. So far, passionfruit with chocolate filling is my fave.