Like Family

Growing up in a military family and living on base, we were always surrounded by friends. Since we didn't live near relatives, our friends were our family. We did life together. And that was my normal. It never dawned on me that life on a military base and the relationships formed there are very different from life in suburbia... until recently.

A friend (military wife) remarked recently that what we (our collective group of friends) have is more like what military families find on base and not like the typical suburban relationship. And that got me thinking; she's right. She's absolutely right.

Maybe this (our friendship) is due to the transient nature of our area, though I doubt that. After all, there are plenty of people in each one of our neighborhoods who are recent arrivals, yet we haven't bonded with them in this way (not to say they don't have these types of relationships with others, either). A greater reason is our similar love of and for God. That probably seems obvious, especially since we all know each other through church, however, even attending church together doesn't bring this immediate close-knit community that we have. (Case in point: Friends who have moved away and who are still trying to connect within their new church communities.) Yet perhaps the most compelling reason is a combination of the two: our love for God brought us to a church home that's filled with other believers who desire a relationship with other people. And I'm so thankful to be a part of that.

I am so blessed by these women, and so thankful to call them family, that I can't imagine why they'd want to move away (to be closer to family). Yes, my family is local (a definite blessing), but I don't even see them as often as I see my girlfriends. Honestly, I just couldn't imagine living in a community with just my family (no offense), and that's probably due to my upbringing: remember, we never lived near family, so my "norm" was substituting friends for family.

What a blessing this is! I know that if I need anything, I have a network of friends on which I can rely. The odd day is that on which we don't have plans with someone. Again, what a blessing!

So to my girlfriends who are part of this community (and yes, this includes those of you who have moved away), thank you. Thank you for choosing and allowing me to be a part of your family. You have no idea how much I treasure your friendship, or how grateful I am for your presence in my life.

So much for that idea

So, at the beginning of the (calendar) year, I had the crazy notion of documenting our entire year via photos. That meant taking a photo EVERY DAY. At the time, it seemed like a decent idea, especially since I had ample opportunities for a variety of photos, and it encouraged me to take photos of Hunter (I've heard that photos of the second child are significantly less than those of the first). All went well for the first month or so, but then, life became, well stayed, really, life. How many photos of the kids playing could I really take? How many messy food pictures? And what about the totally contrived, last minute mundane photos when I realized that I hadn't documented anything that day?

Thus came June. Sometime during that month I realized that I was going to abandon this project. It had lost its appeal, and I, the clutter-hater that I am, didn't want any sort of digital clutter taking up space on the computer. Besides, I'm behind on my scrapbooks as is, so why would I want to pressure myself with photos that weren't even scrapbook worthy? (And, to be honest, I did happen to forget to take photos one day.)

And so I'm free of this self-imposed restriction. Ahhh, freedom. Freedom to enjoy the moments as they come, taking a visual snapshot each day, and an actual one on occasion. For no matter how hard I try, I won't be able to stop time or capture every single moment. Instead, I'll just savor them.

Photo Celebration

Hunter enjoyed the week-long birthday celebration, especially since that meant enjoying birthday cake on a regular basis. (Maybe it's a good thing we aren't celebrating anymore; too much cake --- though tasty-- is too tempting to have around the house.)

On Wednesday (last week), we celebrated with a playdate at the playground, complete with friends, juice, and cupcakes. Hunter loved the attention (he was the man of the hour, after all!), and the freedom to climb the playground equipment. (The tunnels were his favorite, probably because he could play peek-a-boo with whoever was standing outside the tunnel.)

Saturday we celebrated with family (both sets of grandparents, Great Grandma Teddy, Uncle Ray, Aunt Mel, and cousins Alyssa and Kenzie). After devouring lunch (that boy can pack away some fruit!) and cake and ice cream, Hunter opened the gifts... with a little help from his cousins and sister. His favorite gifts were a set of cars that you pull back and let go, and a Cozy Coupe, which didn't surprise me or Scott since Little Man LOVES to ride anything with wheels. Apparently, Leah loves the CC, too; so much so, that she got up early Sunday morning, went downstairs (by herself), and camped out in the CC along with Hunter's toy remote! I think this toy is going to be pivotal in learning about sharing. 

And, to cap off Hunter's week-long party, Sunday night he took a few steps on his own from the couch to his CC. (Mind you, he hasn't done so since, but it looks like he's in the final stages of not walking. Watch out, world!)

 What's a birthday playdate without cupcakes?

 It's a DUMP TRUCK (not a bus, as my dad thought).

 Hunter loved walking around with Alyssa.

 Scott opened up the Cozy Coupe and the kiddie pit crew sprang into action.

 Hunter immediately took to his dog pillow-pet. Guess it's the next best thing to owning a real dog.

 I think he'd live in his CC if he could (and if Leah let him).

 (Me to Scott: "I wish you'd smile for the picture." Scott: "What? I am smiling." 

*sigh* seriously? At least the kiddos are cute!)

Yea, ladies. Check me out!

Look Who's One!

Thanks to the unintended blogging hiatus, I have a few post-worthy topics to cover, however, they'll have to take a backseat to an update on a certain birthday boy.

My baby boy is now ONE. ONE!! How is that possible when I remember cuddling with him at the hospital, snuggling through the wee hours of the night, enjoying his perfect tiny self and newborn softness? His first year has certainly had its share of challenges, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. After all, doing so would mean a life without Hunter, and that's unthinkable!

*HIGHLIGHTS
     -Eight teeth.
     -Cruising everywhere. He particularly enjoys pushing Leah's (dinner) chair around the kitchen, despite the unbearable racket it makes. He gets frustrated (fusses) when he gets stuck.
     -Prefers self-feeding to being spoon-fed. (This is also a lowlight; see below.)
     -Survived and (dare I say it?) enjoyed a very LONG week at Vacation Bible School.
     -Loves all things on wheels. The drawback? Mommy and Daddy's backs can handle bending over (to hold Hunter on the vehicle of choice) only so much. If you see us hunched and hobbling, you'll know why.
     -Cuddly.
     -Adept communicator, even without words. Through pointing and "uhhhhs" he lets us know what he wants, whether it's something from the pantry or a toy from the shelf.
     -All-around happy, playful baby.

*LOWLIGHTS
     -Still not sleeping through the night. Looks like we'll have to bite the bullet on this one and prepare ourselves for a few rough nights (crying it out). I am not looking forward to this because...
     -Quite the temper. When he doesn't get what he wants when he wants it, watch out. The HULK emerges, and it's not a pretty site.
     -Prefers self-feeding. This isn't such a bad thing (see above), but it does make feeding him his vegetables (which are still pureed) a bit challenging. He will actually block the spoon. No, this isn't accidental. He is VERY PURPOSEFUL about thwarting us while sneaking in a piece of food from his tray. Sneaky boy.

As we did with Leah, Hunter's first birthday celebration will take place over several days. The four of us celebrated with gifts and cake on Sunday. Funny how Hunter wasn't interested in his cake initially, but once Scott placed a bit in his mouth, the boy scarfed down the rest of it in two bites. Then, because he couldn't get enough, he promptly started EATING HIS HANDS in an attempt to consume more chocolatey goodness. Too funny.  Later this week we'll celebrate with a playdate with friends, and then we'll cap off the celebration with extended family. Perhaps this seems a bit excessive, but I don't care. He's my adorable, loveable, playful baby boy... and he deserves it.

 So tiny, so precious. 

 June 24, 2011. Our family became complete.

 So. Stinkin'. Cute.

 June 24, 2012. One year old!

 Birthday cake: the initial taste.

 Birthday cake: can't get enough. Notice the shiny hands (from the baby slobber).

Busy but Blessed

This past weekend was certainly the busiest we've had in a while (though to be honest, it was busy for only three of us, really), and though we were exhausted come Tuesday, it was well worth it.

First up: A visit to the Air & Space Museum (downtown) with Ann, Tyler, and Kate. The place was packed (plenty of school groups and bikers), but we managed to navigate the crowds to check out some of the exhibits. Leah's favorite? The elevator (that's what she told me, though I think it was seeing a cat cutout in one exhibit). Hunter's favorite (yes, I think he had one)? The solar system exhibit. Hunter kept reaching up to touch the planets. We capped off our visit with a picnic. Perfect!

Next: A trip to Luray to visit Jen Ann, her boys (Trystan & Phoenix), and Megan. This was Jen Ann's second time seeing Hunter and Megan's first, so the trip was extra special. We relaxed at Jen's place and then headed up the mountain for a short hike. The hike wore Leah out (evidenced by: "Mommy, carry me" even though I had Hunter in the Bjorn), but she still didn't nap (no surprise, really). Oh, and Hunter didn't either; in fact, he slept for maybe, MAYBE, a total of 30-45 minutes the entire DAY. (That was the only negative the entire trip. Thankfully, he was his happy self despite the lack of rest.) Guess who did nap? (No, not me. I was keeping an eye on L & H. Megan. Hmmm, maybe hanging out with all the kids wore her out.) Once everyone was rested, we went out for dinner before the kids and I drove home. To say I was exhausted is a bit of an understatement, but the visit with Megan and Jen Ann was so worth it, especially since I don't get to see them often.

Finally: John, Rachel, and their girls (Lizzie & Hannah) joined us for spiedies on Monday. Their visit was all Leah could talk about since Sunday (every time she heard the door open, she'd ask, "Is that Lizzie?"). The kids had a chance to play while we adults caught up before sitting down for lunch. We capped it off with an ice cream pie (courtesy of Rachel) before they had to leave so all the kids could rest.

A fabulous weekend, to be sure, but boy, it's been nice relaxing at home these past few days. I don't think I could handle weekends like that all the time!

 Leah's favorite "exhibit". 

 Megan shows Leah how to use the magnifying glass. 

 Leah & Phoenix. She LOVED playing with Phoenix.

 Brotherly/ sisterly love.

 Hmmm, maybe that's why he didn't nap; he was having too much fun with Megan.

 Cuddling with Jen Ann and watching the Wizard of Oz.

 At the top of our hike. Notice the magnifying glass (gotta get that girl one).

 Nothing like hot dogs, ice cream pie, and hanging out with a friend.

Well, at least Lizzie and Hunter were willing to smile.

For my girlfriends far away

God taught me a little lesson today, and I don't think I would have been receptive to it had I not had friends move away recently... again. (That's the downfall of living in such a transient area.)

God has blessed me with a solid group of friends and acquaintances, so sometimes it's difficult for me to cultivate (or seek out) new friendships. After all, life is busy enough already, so it's not as if I have an abundant amount of free time to develop  new relationships, much less spend the time I'd like with current friends. Still, I'm learning, and I'm trying not to be so selfish, especially considering the importance of girlfriends. Besides, if God has blessed me, then shouldn't I try to bless others?

Friends who have moved away have shared how difficult it has been trying to make connections, and this makes my heart ache. After all, these are dear friends, whom I love, whose kids I adore. These are GREAT people who deserve to have a wide circle of friends.

Which made me realize that there are others, like my friends, who might be experiencing the same drought, but here. Couldn't I then extend to them what I wish someone would extend to my girlfriends?

So that's what went through my mind today after meeting a young mom and her daughter (same age as Leah) at the library. She's only been here for about a year, and though she's part of a church, she asked about exchanging information so that we could get the kids together for a playdate. My initial thought was, "Well, I already have enough friends," (certainly not the loving attitude I'm called to demonstrate) but then God re-directed them. He made me consider this mom's perspective: asking about a playdate for her daughter might have been more about seeking friendship for her.

Then I realized that regardless of whether or not we hit it off, maybe I could help her connect with some other moms, too. Maybe that's why we went to the library after lunch, even though it cut into nap time. It wasn't about checking out books (though it was for the kids) or getting out of the house for a bit: maybe it was to make a new friend or help another mom get connected.

I'm learning, Lord.

The Truman Show

Many years ago, Jim Carrey (sp?) starred in The Truman Show, which chronicles the life of Truman (Carrey) but unbeknownst to him. He lived his entire life before an audience, and many seemingly basic decisions or circumstances were calculated ratings ploys at the hands of the show's producers. Obviously, in this day and age of reality TV, the movie's premise is thought-provoking and perhaps a bit closer to reality than originally planned.

This got me thinking: to what extent are our lives like TTS? Though we aren't unwilling, clueless participants, we do reveal (some more than others) almost every aspect of our lives. Consider: Twitter (post your thoughts anytime, anywhere, allowing "followers" to keep abreast of your every thought); Facebook (post the events of the day, no matter how mundane, trivial, exciting, or revealing; if possible, include photos of said events); YouTube (post videos of the above to prove why others should envy you/ your life); Blogs (long detailed stories of said events, complete with photos that weren't included on FB).

Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever chronicled an entire day via social media? I'm talking every detail from "got up" to "burned the toast for breakfast" to "had to visit the restroom... again!" What would happen to that person's "status" in the on-line social media environment if she did? How would people respond? Would they feel it necessary to respond to EVERY update, or would they grow bored with the play-by-play, and ultimately "unfriend" that person?

I imagine such a detailed update would be difficult; after all, a person consumed with doing so all day probably wouldn't have much to post because she'd be focused on posting everything (and thus wouldn't have time to get anything else done). Still... it makes me wonder...