Back to School Day Three

The boys are officially back to school, and I am already exhausted. After the summer of a full house it is quiet here all day long. I should be rejoicing in the silence but I miss everyone during the day. It is one of those catch 22 moments. I love them at home until the wrestling begins, then I am glad to send them off to school. Then, I miss them because they are gone.

Here they are two years ago while school shopping. Now, I am not as fun to hang out with anymore. Where has the time gone?

Back to School 2012

The boys officially went back to school today. Though, after a summer filled with football practice and band rehearsals, it didn't really feel like much of a vacation for them. I am really proud of their dedication to their activities, even on days I grumbled about taking them they were up and dressed, pushing me out the door.

Most of our friends posted pictures of their kid's first day of school pics. I forgot to take a picture; bad me. I am sure the boys will not be too upset that I get their picture tomorrow. After all, how many high school boys like their mom blubbering over their first day of school. Which speaking of, this is Colin's first year in high school. He is our youngest and cannot imagine where the time has gone. This kid is going places, his quick mind and wit has everyone liking him. I am excited to see what happens over the next few years.

Today is Andrew's birthday; he is fifteen. Wow, he was in second grade when we moved here, it is amazing to see the man he has become. He wants an ice cream cake for his birthday so I will hit up Pinterest later to find one I had pinned awhile back. I feel bad his birthday will be kind of haphazard. The boys get out of football practice at five-thirty tonight and Chuck has softball until seven o'clock. Trying to figure out where dinner and cake fit in to that schedule.

Well, we pulled it off. The boys ate dinner while we were at the game and we cut the cake after we arrived home from the game. I took a pass on the cake due it being calories I didn't need but everyone else enjoyed it. I know it wasn't the best birthday for him but I will make up for it with a shopping trip on another day.

We survived day one as it winds down. The boys are doing homework, Chuck is working on ads and it is time for this tired mom to catch up on some reading for class.

Blessings.
Dawn

August Rush

Wow, this has been one very busy month. We spent the first couple weeks of August preparing for Danish Festival, and now football, fall softball, church activities and preparing for school have filled the calendar.

Legacy Field

Andrew

The new football stadium is complete and the Freshmen Football team were the first to play on the field. That following Friday was the big, official game against our rival. Seeing all the local residents turning out for this momentous occasion was moving. The kids will look back on that night over their lifetime with pride. Football  is now officially in season.

Colin # 58

I am really proud of our boys. They have faithfully attended every practice since June and it has been showing on and off the field. Physically, they are stronger, but they have matured greatly through this experience. They still act like teenage boys, wrestling and being goofy with their friends, but I see them taking responsibility for their actions and their futures. They have grown too quickly. (It  is a mother's prerogative to digress on her babies.)

Chuck has been umpiring for the last couple years for the city leagues, he is the commissioner for our church softball league and he is overseeing the building of a new community park. He is passionate about softball!

The last couple years he played in the church league, this year he decided to play in the city league; I think it has upped his game. His skill level has gotten better and he is looking really attractive in his uniform. (Don't tell him I said that, it will go to his head.)

Andrew and Alisha at the Whitecaps Game

Labor day weekend is my last Sunday at the little church I have had the opportunity to serve at this summer. They have hired a new pastor and my interim job is over. It has given me great experience and insight into the politics of the church. I can walk away from this experience with more confidence in what I am doing in ministry and know where I need to still grow. Where I go next is still up in the air, but I know God will takes us where he wants us.

At the Whitecaps Game

We were able to host an exchange student from China over the summer. Rob, his American name, was a delight to have in our home and we learned a great deal about cultural differences. 
The boys and their friends enjoyed learning about being a teenager in China and I think it opened up their minds to our global impact. We are looking into doing this again for the school year. 

Casey, Jenny and Rob

The summer has gone by quickly and we have not done all the things we wanted, but the time we have spent with family and friends has been precious this summer. 
We are looking forward to many more experiences to fill our cup; it has been running over lately and we are just fine with that.

Harper 

Danish Festival 2012

  

Alisha and Andrew after marching.

Every year on the third weekend of August, Greenville hosts Danish Festival. In honor of the Danish founders of the city this 3 day festival brings out the best in this small community.
Our house is on the parade route of the festival, so we start planning and cleaning in July. Touching up little things here and there in the yard and house to accommodate the 50 plus people we host over the weekend. This year was exciting because we had several exchange students visiting.

We had planned on our house being in the midst of remodeling so we didn't send out invites but told our "regulars" to come and enjoy. Chuck got out the grill and did burgers and brats, while everyone else provided side dishes. The food is always yummy!

This was Lisa and Jedidiah's first year at Danish Festival so it was fun to see their reactions. Most don't believe us when we tell them the parade is almost two hours long. The fairy tale parade the night before and the bed races are always a must see. This year our church youth put together a team. It was great seeing them win the race this year.

On Friday night, all the the local fire departments participate in the fireman's parade. It is a procession of about 100 fire trucks going through the streets with their sirens and volunteers. It is a great way of reminding people who has their backs. We are so blessed to live in a caring community.

The Grill Master 

Alisha and Andrew 

Family and Friends

Everyone is lined up waiting for the parade. We serve lunch right before the parade begins that way everyone can eat before and during. We are always blessed with some great friends who show up.

This year my mother-in-law drove from Omaha to join us. She loves these kind of things. After the parade we walked downtown to all the arts and craft booths so she could shop.

I have discovered over the years I don't take as many pictures of the parade as I do the people at our home. I cherish the relationships we have with everyone who comes each year. This year one of our dear friends brought his parents, whom I haven't seen in a few years. It was such a delight to see them again. Also, we had new friends join us this year, looking forward to cultivating those relationships.

That is what the porch is all about. Time with family and friends building relationships, because that is what is important in life.

More Friends

The Motley Crew

Find a seat where you can

Three students from China

The teens hanging out

Students from China, S. Korea and Mexico. 

Our church teen band

My adorable niece

Chinese students taking a break

Porch Talk

I found this phrase on here. This is perfect for our front porch sign. I am going to go to Joann Fabrics or Hobby Lobby this week to find a canvas for it, depends upon who has the best sale. 

This sign seems to sum up everything we do on our porch. We invite friends and family to sit and take some time away from the chaos of the world and just relax. This is where relationships are built, conversations are sometimes deep, laughter comes from the belly and the heart and love abounds. So if you are in the area sometime, come join us on the porch.

Pinterest and the Absurd Cake

I admit it; I am a Pinterest junkie! I have been steadily organizing my pantry, making homemade cleaning products, cooking and crafting more regularly than I ever have. This site allows us to dream of future homes and spaces and stare wide-eyed at some of the craziest stuff we wish we would have thought of. 

Well, I decided to share one of our cooking creations discovered on Pinterest:

For Chuck's birthday, our oldest daughter, Jenny, suggested a cookie dough crust filled with Oreo and Butterfinger topped with brownie batter and baked. For a girl that doesn't like to cook, she rocked it. This recipe came from the browneyedbaker. We used Ghirardelli chocolate chunks in the dough instead of regular chips. Then used Oreo on one half and mini Butterfinger bars on the other half. I have a toothache just thinking about it. 

Jenny's instagram photo of the event. 

After baking this sugar coma cake, we took it one step further and frosted it using a cooked frosting recipe from PioneerWoman, tinted it blue and sprinkled with edible glitter, topped with one of Chuck's favorites; Star Trek! 

We discovered that a small sliver is more than enough for any sugar junkie. Secondly, it tastes better cold or slightly frozen (the fudgy, chewy brownie was ecstasy) and the cooked frosting was not necessary, but for the sake of it being a birthday cake the cooked frosting recipe was less sweeter than most which was good, though it was full of butter. 

Something like this is fun for special occasions and the entire family enjoyed the absurdity of it. 

Mind over attitude or vice versa

Two things we have discovered this week. One, our bodies are not as young as we would like to think they are. Two, our minds are fooling us about our bodies!

As you read in a previous post, Chuck is going to take on the Tough Mudder in October. This week we started out with great intentions of working our daily to get into shape. It has been a fiasco. After the first day my legs were so sore from squats I had to stop for a couple days. Chuck was not as sore but he slacked off and working out went out the window.

So, we decided that today we were going to start over. We went to the gym and did cardio and strength training.  Chuck  got on the treadmill and ran for a bit and I was on the elliptical. We both responded well, but one thing I noticed was lack of endurance on both of our parts. I stuck with lower body strength training and I think Chuck did overall. Neither of us pushed beyond our limit; we continued to play it safe. I am not sure how this is going to play out, but what are minds are telling us we can accomplish, our attitudes are giving off a different vibe.

This reminds me of how we approach life. At some point in our lives someone encouraged us or said something that created a block in our minds. How we carry experiences and the voices of others has a huge impact on what we do in life. Playing it safe has its advantages and disadvantages; my neighbors have a yard with no shrubs or flowers around their house because it is easy to maintain. While another neighbor down the street, has the gorgeous garden that they tend daily. Neither neighbor is wrong in how they keep their yard, it is just one chooses ease for the sake of other things in life, while the other chooses the daily chore for the beauty and pleasure it brings them.

Success doesn't come easy, it requires hard work, dedication and doing something you love. These are not new concepts, but often times we get caught up in the patterns of the daily grind. Do we need to spend so much time on social media sites or can we be working our our goals? Not all goals have to include work, we should build time with friends and relatives into our goals. I have been convicted on this lately and it is time to stop playing it safe.

My two cents...

Dawn is absolutely correct in saying that this has been a challenging week for us.  She is extremely busy attending her TESOL classes and the kids have been excellent in helping us around the house.  To say this week has been challenging would be a vast understatement.
Since Sunday, I have found myself in a deep depression.  It doesn't happen often and I can usually get myself out of this rut within a day or two.  Unfortunately, this time I haven't been able to jump out of it...

So.....I've been doing a lot of praying this week for some clarity and for God to take this anger out of my heart and depression out of my mind.  Yesterday, I got my answer...


Steve West is one of my best friends from high school and on Facebook.  Every once in awhile he'll send me a note to see what I'm up to.  He's in St. Louis with his wife and three daughters and is just a great guy.  If we lived closer to one another, I could almost call him a best friend as we have several things in common and can just tell it like it is.

Monica and Steve West....and me.

Anyway, in his email yesterday, he told me about the Tough Mudder event taking place back home in Poplar Bluff.  I had heard of the TM events, so I looked up the website and video.  After some emails back and forth, I knew I had found the motivation I needed to kill four birds with one stone.

1. Training for the Tough Mudder would help me quit smoking
2. Training for the Tough Mudder gives me a goal to train with Dawn to help her attain her weight loss goal.
3. We get to go home and see my family...which I love doing!
4. This physical and mental test will strengthen my relationship with God.

For those of you who don't know, a Tough Mudder event is a 10 to 12 mile obstacle course with 28 obstacles designed by the British Special Forces.   Here's a short video:  

Steve and I are going to do this with two more of our former classmates:  Brian Allen and Scott Kennedy.  We are team Adventure Freaks 2 and we're just looking to finish...a nice slow pace with teamwork involved.

I don't know if it's the barbwire, the mud, the electric wires, or the ice cold water...but I'm excited.

I've already downloaded the training program for the event and was up at 5 am to get started with Dawn...she was still exhausted from her busy week, so we'll start our workout together next week.  I did finish my first training day though about 30 minutes...and I'm whupped.  

By the way...my last cigarette was about two hours ago...

I'm gonna go take a shower, get dressed, give thanks to God for leading me out of this darkness and having Dawn in my life, and finally go to work.

God is good...

Challenges

I am completing my masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Other Language (TESOL) and am currently attending an intensive week of class on campus. This week has proven to be a challenge for everyone in the household.

The kids have been picking up the slack in many areas and it is a relief for me when I get home at the end of the day, exhausted, to see I don't have to worry about the meals and the house. There are little things that don't get done but I am not stressing about those. I admire the kids for taking on the challenge while still engaging in their day of football practice for the boys and work for Jenny.

Which, speaking of Jenny, I am seeing a new side to her this week. She is working with exchange students over a period of four weeks and I am impressed with her ability to make them feel at ease. She has a natural ability to communicate and step up into responsibility. For anyone who knows my daughter, this is an amazing step for her. The thing is, she has found her niche, she is really good at this. Her observation skills in her interactions have made her a valuable asset. I am really proud of her.

Another note on challenges, I am going to let Chuck add his two cents on what God has placed in his heart. I am so excited for him and for God answering prayer in an unusual way. But then, he is a God who doesn't always do things the way we would think.

Fish Heaven

Today I was talking with our three year old grandson, Xander, and he informed me he killed his fish. His mother told me the fish story and though I felt sorry for the fish, I couldn't help but laugh. Apparently, Jamie, his mother, went to feed the fish and discovered it was missing. After some prodding our little angel told his mother that he was playing with the fish. She asked him several times where the fish was and he insisted they has played and now the fish was sleeping. Xander had put the fish behind the antique clock on the shelf so it could sleep.

Jamie explained to him the necessity for water and fish needed it to live. He now understands that his fish was not sleeping. Poor guy!
The odd part is that our other grandson discovered his fish laying on the bottom of the tank. His mother, Lisa, told him the fish was sleeping. After he lay down for his nap Lisa took care of the fish.

These are the stories they will want to hear as they get older. Our lives are a wonderful collection of stories meant to be shared. So share!

Saturday was my family reunion and we managed to have almost all of the kids there. Sam had to work but Lisa was able to attend. So, all the kids and the two grandsons arrived to get reacquainted with distant cousins. I hope over time my kids will see the importance of staying connected to distant family. Right now they rely on immediate family but there is much wisdom and joy that can be gained from branching out.

Xander and Colin

Jedidiah

Over the years the number in attendance has dwindled due to distance. I have not seen my cousin Beth in ages and it was nice to see her family for the first time. Though, I do feel a bit old seeing little ones I remember now have children of their own.

I get a bit melancholy after these events for three reasons: I feel guilty for being so disconnected from extended family and these are the people who remember my parents. Every time I run into my cousin Carol, I remember all the promises to come and see her only to have not followed through. It makes me sad to see how busyness in life has interfered with relationships.

My parents have made such a significant impact on this earth and over time fewer people remember them. I am reminded on occasion just how unique their lives were and how they lived, I just wish others could be inspired by their sacrifice. There are days I miss my mom and when I am around extended family members it doesn't feel so lonely.
Our family and friends are the foundations in this life that keep us real. Often we take for granted they will always be around, but they won't. After the loss of my cousin, Bob, last year, I was reminded that time is precious when spent with those you love. 


My cousins, Rita and Darwin, are amazing, They are both late into their lives and still ride bikes around 20 miles a week. Good golly, after a mile I would be aching. I have got to start moving more. 




This was a good weekend of catching up, laughing and remembering loved ones, and of course, lots of food. 

What a day to start a blog, Friday the 13th!
As Chuck said, we have talked about starting a blog for over a year now and it just didn't seem like the right time. It is like having a child, if you plan it the time is never right, you just have to let it happen.
So, here we are, about to embark on a new adventure. So, glad you could join us.

Okay...So Dawn started this blog for us after months of us talking about it and talking about it and talking about it some more...


Where I'm usually the one to push her into doing something, she made the first move and I'm actually happy she did.  I have no clue what we're gonna write about or share, but I'll start with how this blog came to be.


One of the things I love most about my marriage to Dawn is that we have our "porch time".   If you know me, then you know I smoke...bad habit, don't start please.  I refuse to smoke indoors, so I always go on the porch.  Dawn would join me and we would watch the world go by on our street.  We do a lot of our quality time talks there...chat with our neighbors as they walk by...and dream about the future.


We have several pieces of furniture on the porch and depending on the mood, you'll find us sitting on the couch, the stairs, or even our double lounger (I love that lounger...great for naps on a lazy afternoon).  So, we'll just find a seat and relax...de-stress from our day and catch up on life.  


We have absolutely no clue where this blog is going to lead, because we know we are not in control...God is.  Our relationship with Him is deep and always growing.  Dawn is a licensed pastor in the Wesleyan church and I'm a grad student, working on my MBA with hopes of becoming an Executive Pastor in the future (or I want to win a lot of money on a game show with my Sheldon Cooperish brain)...


By the way...I talk a lot and have been known to write books with my emails.


"Wisdom from the Porch" may have actual bits of wisdom in it.  Here's one...never play leapfrog with a unicorn.  One of my favorites.  Most of the time, we'll probably just write about what's going on in our lives at that time.  The thing is, this is one form of our legacy...something that will be left behind when we leave this earth to enter His eternal kingdom.


We don't have any pictures of us on our porch.  I've asked and was quickly told no by Dawn.  I pouted, but it didn't help.  But, I am posting one of my favorite pictures of us.  This was taken by our very good friend Cecilia Krenz at her wedding.  Go figure, this young lady just married her love, Jordan (Hi, Jordan!) and she grabs a camera and takes this wonderful picture of us.  

By the way, CiCi and Jordan are about to have a baby.  Well, CiCi is gonna have the baby...Jordan will be there to coach, support, and do whatever CiCi tells him to do.  I can't wait to see the baby!


Anyway, I digest...I hope to coerce Dawn into getting a picture of us on the porch...nothing posed...just us.  I might have to have one of the boys do it for us.


There is a bazillion things I could say right now, but I realize it's also 12:30 am and I have to be up to get the boy's ready for football practice and I have to work as well.  I'll close this for now and thank you for reading this...there will be more coming from the porch later.


Chuck


p.s.  i like purple...