The Royal Wedding

Today was the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

If you didn't know that it was going on perhaps you fasted from all forms of media for lent.  I heard CBS estimate that 2 billion people, or 30% of the world's population, may have watched this wedding.  Whoa Nelly!

Why did people all over the globe want to watch this event?  Perhaps because it is a beautiful and uplifting celebration during times of turmoil on this planet.  Perhaps because everyone loves a fairy tale. Perhaps for a glimpse of an intimate moment shared oh so publically.  Perhaps simply for the fanfare, the crowds, the horses, the carriages, the hats, the white dress, the tiara.

No doubt the world got all of those things.

What 2 billion people also got during the ceremony in Westminster Abbey was a phenominal church service that esteemed holy matrimony and declared Jesus Christ.  

For a few minutes people all over the world heard hymns of praise to God sung by an angelic choir, listened to Scripture readings from Romans 12,  took part in prayers to the Almighty God

including The Lord's Prayer, and witnessed

the declaration of marriage vows from the Book of Common Prayer.

Marriage and Jesus don't typically get a lot of positive media attention...today would most definitely be an exception.  

Thank you for that William and Kate.

                ...I'm a big fan of marriage and Jesus.

Surfing Madonna

This was discovered a few days ago under a train trestle bridge in our town.

It is an elaborate glass mosaic that brings a whole new meaning to the word graffiti.  I saw a story about the surfing Madonna on the news last night (NBC San Diego) and decided to bring the girls to a nearby park today so we could walk over and check it out ourselves.

The news did not do this art justice.
It is amazing.
This work of art is both intricately created and unconventionally creative.

Apparently, on Friday, a few guys posing as construction workers, complete with hard hats, orange vests, and cones, put up this 10 x 10 mosaic.  The men attached six paper covered panels to the wall, and when they peeled back the paper (and ran away????), there she was, the Virgin Mary on a shortboard, sporting booties no less.

HA!  I love people!

The art placement was well timed, appearing on Earth Day and just before Easter, undoubtedly reinforcing the artist's message.

So what's the message here?  
Save the Ocean was pretty explicit (look left on first picture).
Pray for the ocean?
Respect God's creation?
Allow more public art displays?
It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission?
You decide.

As I talked  with Samantha about what we were seeing she said two things that stuck out to me:

"I thought art was on paper.  Maybe they had to do it there because it wouldn't fit on paper."  

I clearly need to do a better job discussing and doing different kinds of art with her.

When I said that the art may be taken down because the people who made it didn't ask for permission to put it up she laughed and said, "Mommy, adults don't have to ask for permission."

What a great glimpse inside the mind of a child.  She thinks adults have it pretty good.  I'm not going to spend too much time straightening her thinking on this topic quite yet - she'd only use it against me.

I should also mention that our little town is known for unconventional public art displays.  

Here are two of our hometown heroes.  Do I live in California or what!?!?!

This is our new Tiki Head, recently carved out of the stump of a huge tree that needed to be removed.
I believe the pirate outfit was a temporary addition.

The beloved "Cardiff Kook," who is regularly dressed up for various occasions.
This outfit was in honor of Van Gogh's birthday in March.

Disneyland

We went to Disneyland on Saturday, April 23rd...Samantha's 4th birthday.

Sam showing Tinkerbell how old she is.

I am not a theme park person, but seeing that place (first time for me, and the girls) through the eyes of my precious 4 year old was truly magical.

Here are my "Top 10" thoughts/reflections/memories about our trip to Disneyland...

1.     By 10:15am we had seen, met, and/or danced with Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella, and Auora.  We could have gone home totally satisfied at this point in the day...but we had paid a lot of money to be there, so we didn't.

2.     I packed enough snacks to feed all seven dwarfs and my girls ate enough snacks to feed about six.  Better safe than sorry.

3.     I have always been mildly claustrophobic – Disneyland reminded me of that fact.

4.     Small World was my favorite ride…short line, long cruise, happy journey across the globe – what’s not to love?

5.     I respect those princesses and fairies for all that cheerful interacting with small star-struck little girls.  I bet they need a beer after work.

6.     Pushing the double stroller through those crowds made me feel powerful.  People really get out of your way when they see you coming.  It also made me feel like I was playing a human version of pacman.

7.     While I tried my best to hold Abby tight and shield her eyes at appropriate times, I am really hoping I didn’t scar her for life by taking her on Pirates of the Caribbean and Snow White’s Scary Adventure.  You did great Abby, Mommy is really sorry.

8.     I totally choked up watching Sam take part in the Disney princesses show.  The experience left my child motionless and speechless.  If you know Samantha you will appreciate what a big deal that is. 

9.     When they suddenly tell you that Thunder Mountain is closed for repair it is best not to consider what the problem could be and simply be thankful you weren’t on the ride when they discovered said problem.

10.     The "Disneyland Wait Time" iPhone app...now THAT is magical!

A very special Thank You to Grandma Janet and Grandpa Bob 

for being part of this big event and helping with Abby (who was amazing)!

Sam LOVED her first roller-coaster. 

Just plain HAPPY!

About to meet Tinkerbell.

Abby spent most of the day clapping :)

Our best idea

Two kids rocked our world.

We were really cocky going into it.  Our kids were a comfortable 3 years apart, we had a great experience adjusting to one kiddo, and this baby was, after all, a major answer to a lot of prayers.  Adding another child would just be more of the same, right?  Wrong.

Now I should say that about the only thing we can blame baby Abby for in this earth-shattering transition was the fact that she was born.  She has always been a super easy baby, but babies, by nature, are very high-maintenance.  And the sleep thing.  Oh my. As a first-time mom, being sleep-deprived felt like a badge of honor.  The second time, child #1 takes that badge off your chest and stomps on it while having a tantrum...a tantrum that is probably more about the fact that mom is, well, different, than the fact that she can't wear her favorite shirt for the 4th day this week. The first time around I took naps, lots of naps.  The second time around, the "you sleep when they sleep" advice would probably land you on the local news:  Three year old found wandering around neighborhood picking flowers while mother napped.

What no one told us is that two children can be really hard on your marriage.  We did one child together and Samantha was a nice addition to our lives.  With two kids it was, as they say, divide and conquer.  Well, divide and conquer works just fine except for the divide part eventually takes a toll on mom and dad. It is such a cliche, but it was honestly a big deal when we could make eye-contact. Not only were we not together much, but when we were, neither of us (ok mostly me) had much left to give.

When Abby was about 9 weeks old we hit rock bottom (well, that's a little dramatic).  I had been minorly, but irritatingly sick on and off for the better part of Abby's short life and then I came down with some awful flu-bug.  For four days I became so sick and feverish I couldn't get out of bed, I couldn't eat anything, and I definitely couldn't take care of my children.  Oh, and Chris was out of town.  There is no fast-track in relational bonding like desperately calling your new friends and neighbors to take care of your children for you.  So, like I was saying, rock bottom.

When this storm passed Chris and I had a much needed heart-to-heart.  He said he missed me.  Wow. Ya know, come to think of it, I missed me too.  A lot.  We came up with a plan that day on our bed that goes down in our marital history as our best idea ever:  2 mornings "off" per week, per person.

While perhaps counter-intuitive we realized that in order to come together we needed to go apart.  In order to have anything left for each other, and in order to be better parents to these two darling girls, we needed to fill our own cups.

Chris doesn't usually have to leave for work until around 9:00am so we decided that each week we would give each other two mornings off, meaning you can do whatever you want, but be back at 8:30am showered and reporting for duty.  For Chris, this has meant:  surfing, breakfast with friends, studying for his upcoming exam.  For me:  running at the coast, walking with my i-pod, Starbucks and a journal...SOLITUDE.  It is not fun to wake up at 5:30 or 6:00am - I am NOT a morning person - yet, I cannot overstate what a difference this has made for us as individuals, as a couple, and as parents.  We have been doing this for 10 months and have no plans to stop.

Whether you are married or single, kids or no kids, what do you need to do to keep your cup full, or at least to not let it get totally empty?

Think about it.  Make a plan.  Do it.


 

Warrior Dash

These are pictures from a date we went on earlier this month.

What?  Doesn't it look like a date?

One of our goals for 2011 is to go on two dates per month, and so far we are on target.  This date was our favorite so far.

We signed up to do the Warrior Dash http://www.warriordash.com/ because we wanted to have an adventure together.  We needed to remind ourselves that we still know how to play.  We wanted to do a date that wasn't dinner, a movie, or a walk at the beach.  This date was none of those things...unless you call dipping in the lake to wash the mud off a walk at the beach.  We had a blast running this 3 mile course full of crazy obstacles.  We laughed, encouraged each other (well, Chris encouraged me...he was doing fine), and held hands at the finish.  It was romantic in its own quirky way.

This date took some planning, some money, and not one, but two babysitters.  It wasn't an easy date, it wasn't a normal date, and it definitely wasn't a clean date...but this outside-the-box date was worth every minute, dollar, and extra load of laundry.      

We are going to frame this picture and put it somewhere in our bedroom because we want to remember this hilarious day, and we want to be reminded that despite the fatigue of busy life with young'ins we are still fun :)

No agenda

We went to the zoo today.

Sam's preschool is on "spring break."  I'm sure someday I will look forward to 2 weeks with my kids home from school for quality family time and fun adventures, but I'm not there yet.  I have really missed my precious 10 hours a week having only one (mute) child at home.  Don't get me wrong, we have had a lot of fun together the last couple weeks, but the house is a mess and I need a break from spring break.

I promised Sam we would go to the zoo during her break and today was the day.  Often we meet up with friends at the zoo, but today was going to be just the three of us and I was really excited about the Kates girls going on safari together.

As I was packing up our stuff and getting the girls in the car I decided to have no agenda for the day.  I will be the first to admit that when it comes to the zoo (or just about anything else) I have an agenda.  I generally have a picture of how I would like the day to go, what I think would be fun for Sam to see, and I steer us accordingly.  Not today.

Today we went where Sam wanted to go and (within reason) I let her dictate the day.  It was hard...I really wanted to see the hippos and the gorillas...the petting zoo and the gift shop just aren't my thing. Sam definitely noticed that she was in charge today and she really enjoyed it (duh!).  And you know what else?  It was a really smooth, really easy, really fun day.  No time-outs, no tantrums, no trouble.

Here is what I learned today:  It is nice for mommy not to have an agenda sometimes...I think Sam would agree.

Here is how our day ended.

Don't tell the American Academy of Pediatrics I am facing Abby forward!

On a side note, forget the YMCA membership and keep the zoo membership...pushing 50 lbs of kids around that zoo is all the work out I need.  I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

My Soul Surfer

We saw Soul Surfer on Sunday night. This was the first movie we had seen in the theater in 15 months. Isn’t that the movie you would choose if you only went to the theater once a year???

The main reason we saw this movie is because if Chris had not married me he probably would have been a character in this movie. Seriously. Chris lived with the Hamilton family for a summer and then later served as Bethany’s youth leader at the tent church (North Shore Christian Church in Kauai). The reference to “Rad Night” in the movie…that was my husband’s job. He will HATE that I am writing this about him, but hey, it’s my blog.

 Basically, he left paradise to marry me. Thanks honey.

Chris knew Bethany and the Hamilton family pre-shark attack, but we did return to visit Kauai once as a married couple and he visited with them post-shark attack too. Chris would tell you that the movie was VERY accurate in portraying the depth of faith and family commitment that this young woman and this family have. The movie also accurately depicted a passion for surfing – a passion that my husband shares.

Moving to California was a really big deal for me (see the “Never Say Never” post). I’m a mountain/lake/forest person…not a beach person. I’m from the Midwest, born to a very proud group of Scandinavian Midwesterners - the kind that like winter. California is the land of fruits and nuts. Surfing is a pastime, a hobby, an activity, a sport. Fruits and nuts and beaches and surfing were fun for my college years (not that I surfed), but not for serious real life with kids and jobs and such. Did I mention that I now hold a California drivers license? Yes, I do.

For years I fought the idea and the topic of moving to California. "It’s just the ocean honey, you can visit any time.” “You can really get into snowboarding, that will fill your need for adrenaline (i.e. replace surfing).” For years I did not understand or respect Chris’ need for and pull to the ocean. I didn't fully grasp that at the ocean he experiences God in an unparalleled way. Although I will probably never fully understand my husband’s relationship with this immense and magnificent force of nature, I can now say that I honor that relationship.

As I sat in the theater on Sunday night something hit me about what Bethany Hamilton and my husband share:

If there is a love for, and draw to, the ocean and surfing strong enough to make a teenage girl who had HER ARM BITTEN OFF BY A SHARK get back in the water, get back on her board, and continue loving and singing the praises of one of God's most glorious creations then there must be something spiritual in that connection.

I respect a connection like that. A lot.

I am glad the ocean and surfing are part of my husband’s life again.

My April babies

What self-respecting mother would start a blog and not use it as an opportunity to brag about her cute children? Not this one.

So let’s just get the “here are my darling offspring” post out of the way…

Meet Abby. She turned 1 on April 5^th. She is as sweet as this picture makes her look.

Abby is a wiggly, jumpy, active, flailing, dancing, clapping, crawling-machine. She will smile you down until you smile back at her. We call her “happy Abby,” because she is. I am told regularly upon picking her up from the church nursery how blessed I am to have such a good baby. I know I am. Unlike her sister at this age, this baby is often up to no-good. Trash cans, toilets, drawers, cupboards, dirt, household knick-knacks…she is into them all. How we love our Abby-cadabby!

3 words for Abby: social, active, mischievous.

Meet Samantha. She will turn 4 on April 23^rd. She is not as angelic as this picture makes her look. J Come on, do you know an angelic 3 year old?

Samantha is “spirited,” “spunky,” and “strong-willed.” Do you know any other nice words for “kind-of-a-pistol?” Sarcasm aside, Sam is an absolute delight. She is the greatest big sister I could ever imagine, she is as social as they come (a day at home is her nightmare), and she is a mushy, affectionate, sensitve, sweetheart. Sam is the type of girl who will be decked out in princess-ware while digging in the dirt for worms and rolly-pollies. I love that. How thankful we are to have been entrusted with this incredible child!

3 words for Samantha: leader, creative, daring.

Never say never

I have a clear history of doing things I say I will never do.

- "Don't worry Dad, if I go to Westmont College I know I will NEVER fall for a Californian."

Meet Christopher...

amazing husband of 8+ years,

father to two beautiful girls,

surfer, lover of all things ocean,

native Californian.

- "I will NEVER go to graduate school."

MA in Communication,

University of Colorado Denver,

May 2009.

- "I will NEVER move back to California."

Happy resident of San Diego County

since September 2009.

- "I will NEVER run any distance longer than a 5K."

Silver Strand Half Marathon,

November 14, 2010.

...but I will NEVER run a marathon,

no really, I mean it.

- "I will NEVER take my children to Disneyland before they are old enough to remember."

We will be there later this month

for my daughter's 4th birthday

- and the baby is coming too.

- I would NEVER Blog.

Ta-da!

I used to criticize blogs for being self-indulgent. I mean why would anyone want to read someone else's thoughts or life narratives? I don't know, but they do. I do too. Actually, I have a theory on why: connection, inspiration, encouragement, entertainment. Those are good things.

Recently, I started re-thinking this whole blog thing and it hit me...blogs are online journals. Hmmm. That actually sounds fabulous. I love to journal, but my pen can't keep up with my mind so I don't do it much these days. I'm a mom, I don't have time for pen and paper.

I also love words and writing. Things become real, or clear, when I write. Writing is extremely cathartic. A blog would be a perfect way to journal and document my "deep thoughts," epiphanies and simple observations about my life and this wonderful world in which we live. A blog would help me keep up my writing abilities. A blog could be the creative, productive, neat-and-tidy space I have been longing for.

But who would read it? I don't know. Does it matter? I will read it. I'm sure my husband and sisters will read it. It will be proof for my children someday that despite the years of diapers, pb&j sandwiches, playdates, and nap-times, Mommy did actually have a good head on her shoulders. Hey, it will be a reminder to me that my mind is still in there somewhere.

And what would my "plan" be for my blog? I don't know. I will just see what happens and figure it out as I go. I can tell you that God and family will be consistent themes because those are two driving forces in my life.

A blog sounds fun. I am going to give it a try.

Here is to self-indulgence...I need some of that in my life these days anyway!