Blue Ink, Medium Point

I'll miss you, Grackie Bird

2011-11-14T19:19:00.001-05:00

He was many things:
a son, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, a friend
a deacon, a Southern Baptist, a Gideon
a WWII veteran, a cancer survivor
a county clerk, a lifelong citizen of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky

I knew him as Grackie Bird.
Yes, I get strange looks when I call him that. He probably did too, but he never seemed to mind. The story goes that my lovely southern grandmother tried to get me to call him "Grandaddy" when I was a little tyke. That was a mouthful for any young one, and it came out as "Grackie." And stuck! Bird comes from his last name, my wonderful maiden name, Birdwhistell. I'm sure there's no other grandfather named Grackie Bird on the planet!

Today Grackie Bird passed away. He had a fall, injured his spine, and several hours later was no more. He was just 4 weeks shy of turning 89. It certainly came as a shock to us all.

Tomorrow in his mailbox, he will receive a card from me that he will never get to read. It was a really, really belated thank-you card for the birthday gift he sent me. I told him thanks on the phone, but I enjoy sending cards as well. I also wanted to tell him how important he was to me. How he's a role model for me. I hope he knew that already, even though he didn't see the note.

Grackie Bird was an amazing man of God. I recall he and my Granny Bird reading their Bibles every night without fail. He loved God and was an active leader in his church. That is his biggest legacy for me. And he has pressed on faithfully these past lonely years since Granny Bird died.

And now he is at peace. With family and friends who have preceded him. And some knuckleheads still here to consider his memory.

As he always told me, "Glad you got to see me!"
Yes, Grackie Bird, the pleasure's all mine!

Sweet Truths

2011-10-31T22:49:00.002-04:00

Conversation sparked by Halloween candy:

Kaelyn: What's a nerd?
me: A nickname for people who like to study.
Kaelyn: Then I'm a nerd! And so is Daddy!

Random Anecdote from Summer That I Keep Meaning to Blog About: Part 1

2011-10-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

Kaelyn and I were at a pretty snazzy neighborhood pool with some friends. Giant pool, diving boards, zero entry section, and a curling water slide. Like I said—snazzy!

I had been in the pool all day, but for the last few minutes of our time there, I was already drying off, sitting on the edge while Kaelyn played. I was in the midst of talking to Kaelyn about some new flip she was trying, when, breaking up the background ambiance, was the sound of a person yelling to get someone's attention.

Directly opposite the pool was a woman also sitting on the edge. She was hollering at someone behind me in the snack bar area. "John! JOHN! Reese Cup!" she yelled. "John, JOHN, JOHN! Reese Cup!" she yelled again. Wow, she must really have a craving.

I turned my attention back to Kaelyn. But when the lady yelled it again, I caught out of the corner of my eye that she was looking my direction. It's then I realized: I was wrapped up in a towel I've owned for years, designed to look like a giant Reese Cup wrapper.

She never talked to me. Never that she liked my towel. Never even made eye contact to smile or give a cheery nod. Nope. She just screeched over my head, across the complex, somewhere in the snack bar region behind me, to tell someone else to look at my towel.

Whoever John is, I hope he was fully entertained. For all that trouble, the two of them at least could've bought me a peanut butter-y, chocolate-y snack!

Field TRIPPED

2011-10-13T21:45:00.003-04:00

Today was Kaelyn's first field trip day as an elementary schooler. I got to chaperone. Here's the breakdown of Iron's Fruit Farm in Lebanon, OH:

• It was full of mud but no rain: yay! Rained on the drive there and back but not while we were out in the fields. Praise the Lord!

• The apple cider donut made it worth being a chaperone. :) Seriously, have you had an apple cider donut? If not, you're missing out on one of fall's greatest creations.

• Hayride! (I reminisced about my grandparents' former farm. Ah, fall!)

• Kaelyn and I picked white pumpkins in order to make them into a cute owls my mom suggested. I'll post pics if they turn out as planned.

• One little boy in my assigned group came to school feeling ill. Oh great. He, of course, snuggled on me for comfort after he puked in the pumpkin patch. Seriously, this is great. I tried to keep my hyper-germaphobia under control and used TONS of hand wash all day! (Sickness and being covered in mud? It was starting to push my borderline OCD.)

• I finally got to put all 22 faces to the names Kaelyn talks about each week. Cute kids!

• Met some great moms and got to know the teacher & assistant teacher better.

• Had fun watching the teacher snap photos of the kids who fell asleep on the loooong drive home. Cute.

• Got to see a glimpse of Kaelyn in her school element. I like the way the teacher has taught them respect as well as information.

• Got to interact with Brownie, the class turtle, before we left. I've never seen such an active turtle. They even let him out during the day to let him take walks around the room to exercise his legs. Hilarious. I've never been smitten with a turtle before.

All right. Enough typing. I think I need to bathe one more time just to make sure all those germs are gone.

It certainly says something . . .

2011-09-12T14:29:00.001-04:00

Kaelyn gave this to Steve. No, it wasn't commentary on his fathering skills. She was actually trying to write his initials. She just didn't realize Eugene began with an E! :)

[Yes, honey, I told everyone your middle name. Don't worry, the movie Tangled made it cool.]

Kelly the Klutz

2011-09-08T13:51:00.001-04:00

I'm a clumsy dork, and I often hope people aren't paying attention to my oops moments. Not a week goes by that I don't smack an elbow, a toe, or a hip bone into something as I walk. By the time the bruise appears, I've forgotten its origin.

Like today: I was at a new gym location. (Way snazzier than the one I went to last year. I like!) Anyway, that's my excuse—I was new to the territory. I get on this elliptical machine and work out for a while. Afterward, in a state of high endorphins and slight light-headedness, I step off and turn . . . right smack into a concrete support column. It was a moment of beauty and grace. Um, yeah, apparently I forgot that I'd chosen a machine location that was tucked into the corner of the room. (Note to self: next time, exit stage left.) My knee is still wincing.

But it's not just my physical injuries. Yesterday morning I somehow lost control of the Special K cereal box as I was trying to pour. Flakes and dried strawberry bits flew into my daughter's face and piled up in the silverware drawer. I cannot explain the trajectory these pieces flew. (Kaelyn now gives me a wide berth when she sees I'm in the kitchen.)

When I was a teen, I recall reading a book called Megan the Klutz. (And yes, I just found it on Amazon.) It was cheesy, but it made me feel slightly better to think there could be other awkward adolescents out there. Maybe I should go find a copy and re-read . . .

All in all, I'm fortunate to get through the day. Somehow I survive. My dignity can't say the same.

Haiku for your day

2011-08-30T12:13:00.004-04:00

Gnat herds in the park
I think one flew up my nose
Perils of jogging

My first day of kindergarten

2011-08-18T14:13:00.003-04:00

My stomach was in knots. I was a little short of breath. And my heart raced inside me.

It was the first day of kindergarten.

No, this isn't some distant memory I recall from my own childhood. This actually happened Tuesday. And no, technically it wasn't MY first day of kindergarten. It was my first day as a mom of a kindergartner. And I survived!

I used to shake my head in wonder at parents who expressed such stress or apprehension over their child going to school. What is the big deal? I wondered. I figured I would be skipping all the way, happy to drop off my child and have more "me" time.

But something changed.

Somewhere along the way, I went from a woman who wasn't quite sure I wanted kids (I can't control their every move? they'll have free will and may rebel against me? I'll get a pet, thank you.) to a person who can't wait to see a little girl's smile and feel her hug every morning. I've become a mom who, at random and unexplained times, can cry at the drop of a hat or a tug-at-the-heartstrings sappy commercial, whichever comes first.

What I thought I'd be and what I thought I'd want has changed. (Of course, those things have probably been readjusting themselves from the moment I met my dear and entertaining husband, so I shouldn't expect otherwise.) All in all, I'm OK with that.

So this summer, I tended to put off dreary things like laundry and cleaning, and even nice things like blogging and emails, so that I could squeeze out every drop of time this summer had to offer. Because I knew when August 16 began, our world would change.

We had an AMAZING summer. Not one huge thing but a ton of small moments, etched together to form a picture of joy. I was intentional, and that made all the difference. I hope I learn something and continue to be intentional with each of my family and friend relationships. And I have Steve to thank for working so hard to allow me home time with Kaelyn.

Yes, having some more time to do some things will be a positive of the whole thing. And eventually it will all become routine—once I establish a routine and it's not all so new. As I see how Kaelyn is growing from her time with new friends and great teachers, learning things beyond my skill set (ex: German), I will feel even better about this whole thing. (She's already had great stories to tell!)

For now, I'll miss my little helper as I go about my day. I'll continue to figure out what else I want to be when I grow up and what needs I can fill for our church and others in this new weekly schedule.

And I'll start finding out all the joys that come in seeing a little girl become a little bigger and a little more independent kindergarten girl.

Just One

2011-08-11T00:42:00.002-04:00

The hubs wrote a blog about our one-kiddo household. I liked it.
When/if you have the time, please read it here.

Pretty as a Picture

2011-06-28T00:37:00.002-04:00

Picture In Landscape 5x7 folded card

Create cute birthday cards, valentines and more at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

I always thought Steve's great photography looked like a postcard. I had a great discount offer from Shutterfly for some free cards, so I took some pics from one of my favorite trips ever and made them into 5x7 cards. I think they turned out great! By sharing this I get a little treat from Shutterfly. They do reward me for using them, so I'm OK with it!

June has been fun

2011-06-27T00:15:00.003-04:00

This has been a fun summer so far. We have:

• made trips to the zoo with friends and family
• enjoyed our neighborhood city pool
• walked, played, and picnic-ed in the park
• traveled to Lexington to see my family
• spent a week at VBS with Steve's family
• begun working on Kaelyn riding a bike with no training wheels (well, Steve has; he's more patient than I!)
• had fun family days and nights when the three of us took walks in parks, ate yummy meals, spent time in IKEA, and generally were silly together (We do that well.)

I don't want summer to end! :) Hope yours is fun so far too.

I am not a rebel

2011-05-16T21:33:00.005-04:00

I am a rule-follower. When I consider infringing upon the smallest regulation, it gives me heart palpitations. If someone projects authority, I will strive to obey it.

I don't take risks. But I have a friend who does. And when I'm with that friend, I've been encouraged to live a little more, go beyond my bounds. In a good way! No harm has come by me to loosen up on matters that aren't rigid. I've been known to dip a toe into waters I'd normally shy away from.

But my friend's willingness to take risks causes people to give a label. Which is sad because I know my friend's heart. Passion for God and people and truth come before all. So if some rule is slamming God or hurting people or deceiving the truth, my friend will snap it in half. In a nice way. :)

I just get sad when my friend is perceived poorly, assumed to be a certain way because of sticking up for such beliefs. I'll admit that I have had (and may occasionally still have) a tendency to look down upon people who aren't as goody-two-shoes as me. Why can't they just fall in line? I wonder. But I'm glad I met my friend. Now my perspective is different. And I thank God for humbling me, reminding me that He made everyone with different strengths. I've got my own foibles. And if it weren't for rule-benders or breakers, who would fight for freedoms or truths? Jesus was considered a wee bit of a rebel himself!

So to my friend I say: I know your heart. If others don't see it yet, that's their problem. I've got your back.

When my prayers changed

2011-04-28T09:36:00.004-04:00

Prayer: what does it do? what does it change? does it matter if we pray or what we pray if God is going to do what He's going to do anyway? why do some prayers get answered but others don't?

Though I have grown up following God, loving Him, and having faith in Him, these questions always creep up in the back of my mind. And I always keep praying, trusting that something is happening, even if I don't always know what. Yet this week I prayed in a new way.

I do know that prayer is about deepening our relationship with our Creator and Father, not just about a laundry list of wishes we want fulfilled. So even when I pray for things, I obviously say to God that I will accept that He knows best, even if it's against my wishes. That's even how Jesus prayed the night before He was crucified. So that's what I do.

But I've often felt that I pray weakly. Yes, I have faith that God can do anything. But I know He sometimes chooses not to, for reasons I don't know. So sometimes I give a mumbling "your will be done" without much hope. I feel like I'm trying to obey that way. Yet then when I look at some dear friends who pray with fervor, stating how powerful God is, fully asking Him to do the miraculous. Maybe I've felt that I don't have the right to ask such of Him? I don't know.

Tuesday night changed that. One of the most fervent pray-ers I know—the most confident in God's might and miraculous nature, who freely asks God and just KNOWS He will answer—was told by doctors that she might not live through the night. And I just couldn't accept that.

So God and I had a conversation. At first I put Him off. I got home from the hospital and busied myself, distracting my mind from the sadness I felt. But then I went to my room and had it out with God. I felt like Moses, who "reminded" God of all His attributes, told God that if He was to move and take action that it would show everyone all of His glory and power.

I'd always wondered about that whole relationship. God knew all of this; why did Moses say such? But I remember Steve preaching about this text—that it was a process God wanted Moses to experience. God remained the same, but He wanted to get to this point in their relationship, wanted Moses to see from a new perspective.

The thing is, the whole time I prayed these similar things, God knew what was on my mind. And I always trust that He knows what I really want and feel. But this time I verbalized it. I laid it all out in no uncertain terms. I had faith in His power and I begged Him to use it. "We all need Kathy. All of us need her. It's not time yet." I still was sad, not sure what God would choose to do. I could think of times when people still died though many prayed. Then He reminded me of all the other times when people lived—my grandmother lived through two major surgeries last year, though we thought death was imminent; my brother lived though he was born three months early; Kaelyn lived when she came early too; and on and on. So I trusted in His power once again.

And in the morning, hope rose anew. Kathy still lived and began to get stronger. Each day this week, she is doing something more, improving and improving. Doctors are astounded.

But, like Kathy knew all along, we understand who is in control.

NYC pictures

2011-04-22T00:03:00.003-04:00

Last week at this time my mom and I were in New York City. It was my first time there. What a great 3.25-day introduction to the city! If you aren't on Facebook or haven't seen my pics there and are interested, click on this. (Even if you aren't on Facebook this link will still show you the pics.)

I'll share some more detailed thoughts later, but here were the highlights:

* We saw two Broadway shows: Anything Goes (where I got to see the mom from Arrested Development, as I know her) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (sitting 8 rows from Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette—very funny!); both had great music and fun dancing.

* We took an NBC studio tour (saw the Saturday Night Live stage and Jimmy Fallon show studio). Plus we saw a great view from the top of 30 Rock.

* We toured Central Park in a pedicab. Unique experience. (All places reminded me of things I'd seen on TV and movies. I must be way into media! Oh well, that's fun, right?!)

* Figuring out the subway was fun.

* Times Square was exhilarating most of the time and only one time was it overwhelming.

* Yummy quick food. We didn't eat anything sit down but there were so many great places with healthier food than our fast food.

* World Trade Center tribute area was tearful.

* I got to see Audrey Morrison become Mrs. Brock Adams! She was the inspiration for the trip and its timing. Yay!

* And everything was terrific fun with my mom! :)

What Kaelyn did today

2011-04-18T22:29:00.004-04:00

Yes, it's true. Without any fear, she asked to hold two snakes at the zoo. This is the first time I've seen them allow people to hold the snakes there, not just pet them. Sometimes she can be hesitant about things, so I was proud of her being bold!

(By the way, I was out of town for the weekend—more on the fun in another post—and I think Kaelyn looks older since I returned. Is that possible?! I realized it was probably the longest I've been away from her, I believe—3 nights, 4 days.)

Woman of Faith

2011-04-05T23:30:00.004-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately about a particular friend of mine at church whose faith is amazing. I think all of us at church have been thinking about her a lot. Kathy is facing a major health threat with smiles and complete utter confidence in God to see her through. She embodies the true definition of joy. How often do you see that?

I've struggled to put into words an adequate post describing how amazing Kathy is and how much she has affected me and all of us at Echo Church. Now I don't have to. Another friend Rachel did it for me! Rachel posted a blog today, putting so eloquently into words some of the thoughts I had, plus more. I encourage you to read what she wrote here.

Here is (most of) our group of Bible study ladies. (Sadly, some couldn't be there to participate in the pic.) Kathy is in the front, second from the left:

SPRING BREAK!

2011-03-31T22:45:00.004-04:00

Do you have great memories of spring break? My biggest memories begin in jr. high. From 7th until 12th grade, I was involved with my church singing/drama group. Every year we worked on a program and then took a trip on spring break, performing at churches along the way. Four of my years we went to Florida; two times we went to Texas. Those spring breaks are FILLED with life-changing experiences and terrific memories. I made some amazing friends during that time and was mentored by some amazing adults.

This week I’ve had a different spring break experience. Kaelyn had her first spring break. Mind you, it’s preschool, so it was only two days when she didn’t go to school. And the cold front changed the plans I originally envisioned—trips to the zoo, park, etc. But I’ve tried to be intentional about this week:

We’ve taken things slowly—We haven’t had major deadlines and schedules, so we’ve been free to take our time. Which means I haven’t been ~~growling~~ urging for her to get going faster.

We’ve laughed a lot—We still had errands to run, as usual, but we tried to make things fun. Example: when neither of us had the energy to go grocery shopping, though we were sitting in the parking lot of the store, we put the windows down and played and cracked up laughing for a while; and we had a snack at the Target eating area before proceeding with the task.

We’ve played—We’ve gotten together at two friends’ houses for play dates and plan to meet up with some fun cousins for lunch tomorrow. And at home I’ve tried to be less on email and take on just small chores per day (that didn’t take much arm-twisting!) so that I could appreciate games of hide and seek or pretending to be Rapunzel’s mean, fake mom (see: Tangled) or times of reading and painting.

I’ve tried to make a special effort this week to be more patient and more appreciative of spending time with Kaelyn. (In the back of my mind, I keep thinking of how our time together will change when she begins school full-time in the fall.) Each morning I’ve looked forward to waking up and seeing what we’ll get into. I continue to be amazed that my heart is so full of love for this little girl. I never imagined just how much joy I would find in being a mom.

So no big trips, no partying hard on this spring break. But it just might be one I’ll remember.

Mightier Than the Sword

2011-03-23T23:20:00.003-04:00

So in case you don't know, the name of my blog is Blue Ink, Medium Point. That's a dedication to my favorite writing utensil. I find it has a great flow and makes me write the neatest. (To name drop, Bic is my favorite brand.)

Well I've met second best, runner up, something unexpectedly fun:

Thanks to my generous friend-in-law, Mandi, I am now in possession of a Sharpie Pen. And I must say, it's been an entertaining journey in the handwriting department. I've written checks and other church account items with it. I took notes with it during Steve's sermon. And so far, I like the performance. I find that I enjoy printing with it a little more than I do writing in cursive with it. But all in all, I'm intrigued.

Thanks, Mandi, for expanding my horizons!

Kentucky Girl

2011-03-16T23:27:00.004-04:00

Can you feel it? The madness in the air? It's March Madness, baby! The most exciting time of the college basketball season. And I'm loving it!

To kick of March, the very first day of the month, I participated in my annual tradition: going to a Kentucky basketball game with my dad. It was the final home game of the season, and it was tense at times. The Cats did pull off a win against Vandy. And Rupp Arena never fails to thrill with the intensity of thousands of fans! Here is the view from my parents' seats:

I LOVE going to games. And last year both Steve and I got to go with my mom and dad because the people beside them weren't using their tickets. This is a treat. I hardly ever go to games with my mom—I could probably count those times on one hand. That's because I always use my mom's ticket when I go! Thanks, Mom, for always sacrificing! :)

And going with my dad is always a blast. Some things are steadfast: the places we look to park, the friendliness my dad exhibits toward all the friends who sit around him, my dad's whistles and cheers as the opening lineup is announced. There are the chants and cheers, the yelling at the refs, and the jumping to our feet on a fast break.

I remember as a little kid, going to my grandparents house so they could babysit me while my parents went to a UK game. I wondered when I would get to go. "When you're old enough to pay attention to the game," my dad said. So that night I practiced. I sat in front of that TV through every play and every commercial break. I did not go to the bathroom, get a snack, or anything until halftime. And then I got back in time to sit through the second half. When my parents picked me up, I proudly told my dad, "I did it! I paid attention! I can go next time!"

Thanks, Dad, for taking this kid every year. From Walker to Chapman, Mashburn to Ford and Brassow, Mills to Prince—I've been there, loving it. Thanks for teaching me the game, teaching me to love it! Through all the excitement, my favorite part is spending time with YOU!

C-A-T-S . . .

Smile of the Day

2011-03-10T21:54:00.002-05:00

Kaelyn picked out some new summer shades.

Sound the Alarm!

2011-03-04T21:13:00.002-05:00

Today Kaelyn and I were picking up Steve's SUV from getting some things fixed on it. We graciously got a ride to the west side of town. Afterward, we pulled into UDF (that's a gas station, convenience store, and ice cream shop combo, for those of you non-Cincinnatians) so I could . . . well, to be honest, so I could use the ladies' room. (We're going full disclosure here.)

I park right outside the door (scored a good spot on a rainy day) and drag Kaelyn inside. Then I have to wait for the restroom key. La di da . . . waiting . . . waiting.

When suddenly I hear a familiar sound: the sound of Steve's car alarm going off!

I drag Kaelyn back to the door and see a man sitting in the drivers' seat, door propped open, digging into the change that's in our console.

My heart is pounding, hands shaking as I yell, "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Oh, is this your car?" he asks.
"Get out!" I say firmly. (Firmly? That's putting it lightly.)
"I'm sorry. Here's your dime," he says while handing me back the money he just snatched from my car.

At this point, I'm surprised that I didn't wet my pants, but I still had to go. So I stopped the alarm, slammed the door, and marched Kaelyn back into the store. As I'm doing this, the man says, "I'm sorry. I got the wrong car. This is mine." And he goes two parking spaces over to get into a blue SUV (which looks COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, even the type of blue doesn't match ours) and starts scrounging around for change again.

At first I didn't believe him. How could he get into our vehicle and think it was his? I think he's just saying that to steal our change. (I've had many a story told to me in my neighborhood. I'm not too trusting.) But then his significant other/wife/girlfriend pokes her head out the door and berates the guy for being an idiot who got into the wrong car. Now I'm wondering if he's out of it, on a substance, or what.

As we pass him again in the store, he apologizes again, and I think I finally believe him. Hands still shaking, I drag Kaelyn back out to the car, as Kaelyn keeps asking, "Why did that man think our car was his?" I have no idea, I want to say.

The deal is, Steve's driver side door has issues sometimes if you don't close it right. (And I didn't because I was just running in and out.) The SUV was locked, but the drivers' side door still could get open. And because it's locked, opening the door still activates the alarm. In this case, good thing!

I promptly consoled my nerves with ice cream . . . but NOT from UDF! We got out of there and settled on Graeters instead. No drama there!

Almost Famous

2011-02-27T18:02:00.002-05:00

I used to desire fame. I dreamed of life on the stage or on the big screen. (I'm dramatic enough!) Or I dreamed of writing a bestseller. (Although despite the saying "everyone has a book inside" I don't know what I'd write at this point. Maybe I'm a better editor for someone else's story!)

Now I am content in my sphere of life. Deliriously content. I've experienced such a wave of this contentment lately. No specific reason. But I guess that's God's peace—passes all that understanding, right?!

Things will always change (and I do dread change sometimes!), but right now I see that where I am in life suits me. I enjoy my piece of the earth shared with my favorite people. Yes, this may seem contradictory to the fact that I'd like to sell our condo to move just up the street, but I am speaking of my community, my city, my friends, my family, my church.

So on a night when I watch the Academy Awards and wonder what it would feel like to be in a movie, to be famous, to receive an Oscar, I also enjoy being plopped on my couch, cuddling my two favoritest (made-up word!) people in the world, eating pizza in my cozy pants, and watching the entire thing on TV.

God knows best what will bring true life, true peace, true joy now doesn't He?

Sidenote #1: I still wish I could've been an extra in the movie George Clooney is filming here in Cincinnati right now. I sent in my photo to the extras casting place, but it was after I'd been late on hearing about it, so thousands of others beat me to the punch. Oh well!

Sidenote #2: The other day Kaelyn and I were watching my friend Kelly Butler's brush with fame on The View. (She was there as they educated people about Rett Syndrome. I encourage you to watch and learn more.) I told Kaelyn that Brooklyn's mommy was standing next to a movie star.
“I want to be that when I grow up,” she said.
“Me too.” I responded.
She looked at me funny. “But you’re just a mom.”
I told her “Sometimes you have to make choices.”
She said, “I think I’d rather be a mom than a movie star.”
I told her she made my day! :)

Writing = sanity

2011-02-22T21:33:00.004-05:00

The other day I mentioned that back on January 1 I had scribbled some thoughts on a scrap of paper about creativity. I'm typing them out now so I can toss the scrap of paper!

January 1:
Sometimes the mental effort required to take both the mundane and the exciting events of life and place it into words feels taxing. Other times, I have to sit and craft something intelligent or else I worry about my own senility. If not unleashed, it builds up inside without me realizing it, and I feel mentally bloated! And then that makes me feel tired and useless.

Yet when I allow the dam to break and words to pour forth, I find the sanity and focus I was seeking. It's like I need the reassurance that I still possess some semblance of the skills I thought I had within.

Time Keeps Passing

2011-02-21T11:17:00.007-05:00

So on February 12, Kaelyn turned 5. I think she's just the cutest, sweetest daughter on the planet. (And that's what all moms are supposed to think. For me, it's easy!) All she asked from us as far as gifts was a Rapunzel wig. She got an outfit to go with it. She was ecstatic. Can't you just see in the photo above how she's imagining that she's Rapunzel? The gleam in her little eye?!

And I got all nostalgic and tearful, thinking of when she was just a 4 pound 6 ounce preemie.

Before falling asleep the night before her birthday, I relived the craziness of 2006 that was her eagerness to arrive early into the world. And then I had those overwhelming just-before-falling-asleep panicky thoughts: time is going by too fast! she's going to go to school in the fall every day, all day. My baby will be away from me for so much of the week. What will I do without her? What kind of influences will she be exposed to? Will she stick with all the things we've taught her? (And yes, I've had these types of thoughts before.)

I guess this is again, a trusting God thing. That's what the ladies of my Bible study would remind me! But it's a lot easier to read about trust than live out.

At least when I see her smiling, precious face, I feel a little more reassured. God's already made her this far. He can take her where she needs to go from here.

(Lanterns were a big focus of the movie, Tangled.)
(And a frying pan was prominently featured as well.)

Check, check . . . check 1 . . .

2011-02-19T16:45:00.005-05:00

Excuse me. Tap, tap, tap. Is this thing on?

Hi there. It's me. Kelly. I may look unfamiliar to you. But take a minute and you'll soon recognize me. I hope.

You see, I live here. Yeah, I've been traveling around in my own life for a while, not taking the time or energy to dazzle you with my wit via the blog. I don't mean to deprive you! I've just been living. And it's been fun. And tiring. And life. You have your own, so you understand.

But I have missed you. Sure, Facebook is an entertaining substitute for a while, but it's limiting. When my status gets more than a paragraph long, people start to scoff. On here, I can ramble all I want. You have to listen! (Or you can quietly click off my page. Go ahead. It's OK. I'll never know.)

When I write, it challenges my brain and my creativity. I miss that when I don't do it often. I even jotted down some thoughts about that very idea on a piece of paper when the new year began. Maybe I'll type it up and post it sometime for you. (If you're bored and have nothing else to read.)

Nevertheless, blogging is good for me. No one else has to read. Maybe no one is reading now. Maybe this is like my dream where I feel all unprepared yet excited to go perform a play onstage . . . but then I wake up before I ever see an audience.

I've become motivated. Last night I met a blogging celebrity. When blogging began, I used to read blogs from people I know. Then I expanded to blogs that discussed topics I like. And then those that entertained me. Finally those that inspired me. Ree Drummond, aka: Pioneer Woman, does all those—discusses things I like, entertains me with her humor, and inspires me with her style of writing. Thus, my first blog celebrity! She writes in such a way that you feel like she's your friend. (Others have said this too. I'm not just crazy! Just ask Rachel McCoy!!)

Pioneer Woman wrote a book about how she met her hubby. And last night she was at Joseph Beth to sign copies. So I had to meet her.

She was just as personable as she appears online. It was fun. And I told her she inspired me. Now I just need to put that inspiration to use.

Someone asked her during Q&A about blogging. She said just write every day. (I feel like I may have heard that during a class or SEVERAL in college!) I've missed doing that. Maybe I'll start now. OK, perhaps I've said that before. (I won't check back to find proof.) How about: I'm going to try to write more. And I'll do it for me. Not for an audience. Not even for my family. I'll do it because I write. And the best thing to do for a person who loves to write is . . . to write. I don't want to neglect what God has given me. So I'll do it for Him too!

See you again soon! (I hope.)

Still Kickin'

2010-11-24T00:51:00.002-05:00

So I was bound and determined to post more often, even if it was short. I had 3 good ones in a row for October. Then a drought. I do post some Facebook status updates more often now. Doesn't help if you're not on there and desperately wanting reading material, right?! :)

Never fear. I won't leave you hanging for too long.

Life is good. Full of fun. Hope yours is too.

Later.

Our Other Child

2010-10-10T22:45:00.005-04:00

Tonight we celebrated the 5th birthday of Echo Church. As Steve has said, seeing the birth of a congregation and watching it grow is like another child in our lives. Steve posts his thoughts about this endeavor all the time. Now it's my turn!

We had a lot of fun celebrating on 10.10.10. Some great friends came to support us who were there at our very first service. Other visitors came with friends. It was fun to see new faces. And then there were the hard-working, always dependable, set-up and tear-down and bring food and use their talents kind of people who ARE Echo Church. For them, I cannot begin to say thanks enough!

As we got there to begin setting up, three different times I realized I didn't have something we needed. Every single time, I got a text at that very moment from someone who said, "Can I help? What do you need? Yes, I'll bring that." God provides, even in the small ways. And I love knowing there are tons of people at Echo I can count on, call, and they will have my back.

Worship in the stained-glass sanctuary was neat to do again. It made me feel the largeness of God, the largeness of the purpose and responsibility of a church.

What an amazing journey it has been. When it all began, I believed in God, I believed in Steve and Aaron, yet I wondered, "Where do you start? How do you get to be a church?"

Tonight I looked around and thought, "Well, here we are. Somehow, we ARE a church!" It happened, and people have invested in our lives, in the city, in the body of Christ that meets on E. McMillan Street every Sunday night.

Thinking over the five years, they have been the most exciting times of our lives. And seeing the people who have come into our lives through Echo—seeing their talents, their passion for Jesus, their care for us—my heart swells.

How do you get to be a church? You gather. And you pray for people who want to serve Jesus together, who want to live in community together. And when they come, you rejoice and live as the church.

And that's what happened to us.

A Little Song & Dance

2010-10-06T23:42:00.004-04:00

Someone in our house likes to sing.
Make that three of us. She comes by it naturally.
We're quite musically entertained in our house. (Except for someone who criticizes Glee all the time.)

No wonder Kaelyn now sings descriptions of things she is doing.
Sample lyrics (about hurting her chin when she had to get stitches): "It didn’t feel good; Dad said I had to go to the hospital; I did not get a shot; I just cannot wait till it’s all healed . . . like right now."

But then I realized that I sing everything too. Usually to tunes of songs I know. I've done this since Kaelyn was a baby. So it's no wonder she sings. But, unlike Ellen, I don't dance too much. When I do, it turns out like this:

Life Moves Fast

2010-10-03T23:26:00.005-04:00

Life moves fast. I think of things to blog about and then, suddenly, a month has passed without a word typed here. When things happen, I'm too busy happening and not writing about it. When things aren't happening, I'm not feeling creative enough to write! :) Such a tortured artist I am! But I won't give up on blogging yet.

September brought many things:
• Firsts for Kaelyn: besides beginning preschool, she also got her first set of stitches that same week. The accident involved her trying to help me wash dishes, me trying to help her avoid slipping in water but somehow contributing to her slipping and falling onto our tile floor, resulting in a busted chin. She took it in stride, as usual!

• My first gym membership. Steve got a huge discount for us via his workplace. And now I can work out as part of my personal time while Kaelyn is in school. Kind of odd as I'd never stepped inside a gym until last month. I had to have some friends' input and in-person guidance on how to use the machines so I didn't look like a complete idiot!

• The wedding of our dear friends Melissa and Shawn. I got to be a bridesmaid. Steve did the ceremony. A backyard full of beauty was the setting. It was lovely!

• Our community's annual festival. Fun was had by all! (Reference face-painted photo above. It is one my new favorite shots Steve has taken.)

• Family togetherness: we had lots of fun family times taking walks, visiting places like the museum or Fountain Square (see photo following this bullet point), and eating out (which we do well!).

• My birthday. I turned 33. I always tell people this age just makes me think of "the age that Jesus died." Like now that I'm at this age, I should feel wiser than I do. Or once I make it past 33, I will have been on earth longer than Jesus—so what do I have to show for my time on this earth? It's a challenging thought.

• The home team happies. I watched the city light up with joy because the Reds are going to the playoffs for the first time in a while. I continue to enjoy Cincinnati and do love it as my own. Maybe not as much as Steve because that's just not possible! :)

• Warm fuzzes. I continue to be thankful for Echo Church. What a family we are a part of. I continue to find joy seeing the relationships built, the support and encouragement offered, the passions and talents people have. And next week we'll celebrate 5 years of being a congregation. It's my favorite church to be in, and I'm not just saying that! :)

• Books. I've been super thankful that I've had time to read this month. I miss it when I don't!

Coming up this month, I will be speaking at a purity retreat, working on a new freelance contract, singing in a wedding, and much more! Stay tuned.

First Day Funny

2010-09-07T21:18:00.003-04:00

Kaelyn had a BLAST today on her first day at preschool. She woke up excited, and it didn't stop! This included her singing a song she made up, dubbed "I love preschool" as she got ready. (I have no idea where she gets that.) But the best came from the first moments of school:

The parents were asked to stay for a few minutes as class began. The teacher read a book called The Kissing Hand about a little raccoon who didn't want to go to school (discussing separation anxiety). The story said he was going to school at night. The teacher asked, "Why would the raccoon go to school at night?"

Kaelyn shouted out: "Because he's nocturnal!"

All the parents laughed. (Thanks to trips to the zoo for improving her vocabulary.) The teacher had an amused expression and asked, "Do you know what nocturnal means?" Kaelyn put on her explaining voice to say, "He's awake at night and asleep during the day."

Oh dear, we have a know-it-all on our hands. I'm sure that comes from the PATERNAL side of her gene pool! :)

. . . And the Beginning of New Things

2010-09-04T23:36:00.003-04:00

Two prominent events in the life our family:

Kaelyn begins preschool on Tuesday. This is huge.
Although I'm excited for her and not weepy at all (I promise!), the only time I get sentimental and clingy is when I think of it as just the first step toward her becoming more independent. From preschool comes kindergarten (probably all-day kindergarten) and the many years that follow where she is away from us every day and influenced by (but hopefully influencing) others we do not know.

Will she want to imitate everything everyone else does (like now), or will she take to heart my message that God made her to be HERSELF? I want her to feel more confident in who she is than I was when I was young. I want her to enjoy school and not get bullied. I want her to be smart without being a know-it-all. I want her to stick to the morals and values and ideas that honor God but yet be loving toward all she meets.

Breathe. Breathe. Don't panic. Don't put unnecessary pressure on her. She is in God's hands. God did make her for a purpose. Try not to freak out and think of the glimpses of her teen years that I keep seeing when she tilts her head and gives me that look, that attitude, that "I don't want to listen to you" huff.

AHHHHHHH!

Whew. OK, now that all of that is out of my system, I will I'll try to just focus on the fun of preschool and not hyperventilate over how old she will continue to grow. :)

She is definitely excited, ready with backpack and pink lunchbox! And cute new outfits from Nana. With those things, any 4-and-a-half-year-old-girl can conquer the world, right? (That "half" seems to be very important in her age, as she keeps emphasizing it.)

We have our condo up for sale. This is huge-er.
In a whirlwind 2.5 weeks' time, we saw a house we began to love on a street we adore—only a few streets up from us now, but right by the park. And then we decided it was worth attempting to sell our condo in order to, possibly, if our place gets an offer, time it right to then make an offer on that house. (Lots of if's but God can work it out if it's meant to be, true?! True!)

[Subliminal message: You want to buy our condo! You want to buy our condo!]

Big craziness ensued: painting, putting some furniture in storage to make our place look more spacious; cleaning in more detail than I have in my life; stressing over every spot and flaw.

We survived. And now we wait. And wait. And in the madness of cleaning each morning in case a surprise interested person wants to stop by and see the place, I try to remember what started this whole thing. Oh yeah, that house. And then I try not to give my heart over to that house—the one I want to own but do not own. As Kaelyn says, "It's so hard to wait."

On a positive note: if you want to stop by unexpectedly, now is the time to do it—our house is clean!

[Subliminal message: You want to buy our condo! You want to buy our condo!]

The End of Summer . . .

2010-09-04T23:18:00.005-04:00

What a summer! I've hardly had time to post because of all the adventures and just enjoying the daily living of life. Such summer experiences included:

• Zoo trips with friends, whether church peeps or neighbors
• Family times like going out to eat, just the 3 of us, and walks together, meeting Daddy for lunch
• One Reds game with my parents; Dad cheered the Braves to a win, but it was a fun night for all
• Kaelyn learned to swim and "graduated" Level 1 swim lessons (with minor crushes on the college guy lifeguards for Kaelyn and a few other preschool girls)
• I enjoyed getting to swim more since Kaelyn was confident in the water; and I loved chats with friends and with new acquaintances I met at the Mt. Adams city pool (it rocks!)
• Ladies Bible study nights and Sunday worship and other events with awesome Echo friends I get to share life with
• Watching the World Cup
• Prepping for Melissa and Shawn's wedding that's coming soon . . . awwww!
• Lunches with friends, whether at a park or at a restaurant
• Play dates with fun moms and their fun kids; we visited many a playground
• Fun times with the fam—like more visits with my in-laws than any other summer; we took advantage of Margaret being off this summer; Kaelyn even had a tea party with Grandma and her girl cousins (while the boys had a party on a separate day); finally got to go to "Jaxon's pool" since he invited Kaelyn to come all summer! fun for all; and a week at my parents' house while Steve was at a convention in July
• Movies and TV! Saw Inception (wow) and got into reruns of shows we'd never seen: Modern Family and Freaks and Geeks.
• Kaelyn got three different days of three different churches' VBS programs
• And Kaelyn went to her first Day Camp experience, thanks to Aunt Mandi, the dean, for getting us involved! (Kaelyn now brags on "my camp in Indiana" and "I swam in a pond"); it was great fun
• Almost every morning Kaelyn came in to wake us up and snuggle in between us; a great way to start each day!

And much, much more!

I am Woman, Hear Me Roar . . . in Pain

2010-08-07T21:42:00.004-04:00

So this weekend we've done some heavy duty cleaning and a little furniture rearranging. I had a "mover's high" (as opposed to a runner's high)—after I assisted in lifting and moving furniture, even down a crazy stairway, I felt like I could do anything! (Insert visual image of me as Rosie the Riveter here.)
Then today, I was sore.

That just seems to be my state of living lately. First I got a back issue this summer. Then a foot/tendon issue. (My feet are flattening says the doc; that sounds flattering, doesn't it?) And now I get water in my ears when swimming, yet I've never had such a problem my entire life. (I feel like Kramer on the series finale of Seinfeld, shaking out water from his ear the entire episode. "Got it!")

I feel old.

I am just over a month shy of 33. That's not old! Then why do I feel it? Sigh. I guess this is just the beginning.

But I won't take it lying down! I did help lift and move an armoire and a couch this weekend. That has to count for something!

Fellowship of the Fountain

2010-07-12T10:10:00.006-04:00

Maybe it's the beauty of the water lifting to the sky and then falling back to the sparkling pool beneath. Maybe it's the soothing sound of the water. Maybe it's the tranquility inherent in the park.

Something brings people to the Mirror Lake section of Eden Park each day. And there is a camaraderie formed by those who spend time in this area.

Go at any point of the day, and you will find people admiring the fountain, exercising around the fountain, or playing in the grassy area nearby. There are people from all walks of life: elderly adults taking it slow, little kids on bikes, college students throwing ball, starstruck lovers gazing into one another's eyes, various individuals walking dogs or reading books or enjoying the view. People of all ethnicities and ages and economic situations are drawn to this particular spot in the park, from dawn till dusk, usually in any type of weather.

You'll notice that folks are generally amiable as they spend their time doing whatever they came to do. I've not been struck by that fact so strongly until this morning. I was beginning a sort of mid-year's resolution to get more consistent exercise. So when Steve returned from his run, I took off toward the park for my own short jaunt. While approaching the fountain, I observed my fellow compatriots.

There were several people walking around the fountain, one man stretching beside the fountain, another person asleep on a nearby bench, and one other runner. No matter who I passed, whether the person had headphones on or not, I made eye contact with the person and we greeted one another. One was a nod of understanding. Three were cheerful hellos. It warmed my heart and made me smile and kept me pressing onward in my small pursuit.

It didn't matter how similar or different we were in our life situations. We were all gathered at the fountain on this beautiful morning. We all witnessed beauty and joy and peace. We shared something in common.

*Photo above © 2006 Steve Carr

More to Come

2010-06-18T00:11:00.002-04:00

I wanted this blog to be about lots of different things in my life. Depth, spiritual growth, humor, observations, family moments, etc. This year I haven't kept up with it as I once did. I find I list the day-to-day of my life as Facebook statuses now. Or else I just keep living the day-to-day and don't stop to write about it. I've been tempted to just list some occurrences that have happened recently, yet that's not what I want this blog to be about, random lists and bulleted info on my month.

Writing sharpens my skills, just as my blue ink, medium point pens at home sharpen my handwriting. So I want to challenge myself to keep blogging and keep striving for something. I just need to figure out what that is. I've been reading a wider variety of blogs, and I've been thinking about what I want this space to truly be. I'll work on getting there soon.

Please know that there is more to come.

Where Dreams Come True

2010-05-20T21:43:00.004-04:00

Walt Disney World is touted as "Where dreams come true," and I think that might have happened for a certain 4-year-old I know!

Kaelyn was very patient as we had anticipated the vacation since February. Our whole year culminated in this past week. And what a week it was! Being our first big vacation just the three of us (we've done getaways with my family a couple of times and small excursions in the past), we splurged on it all—flew to get there, stayed in a super nice resort, got the dining package with nice meals. And it was terrific!

Here are some highlights:
• Kaelyn experienced her first plane ride. She was amazed that she could "see everything" on earth out the window and that "We're close to Heaven. We'll see God's face!"

• Kaelyn also loved the monorail rides, which we took daily. (We also did two boat rides to and from places, as well as bus rides. We used almost every form of transportation possible!)

• We got to meet Cinderella (Kaelyn's fave princess) 3 times during the trip. Two were planned, one was spontaneous. The second planned one was a surprise to Kaelyn and included meeting Prince Charming (who Kaelyn got really shy around!), the wicked stepmother, and two stepsisters. Those step-family members were terrific actresses, not breaking character! Totally fun.

• We also met almost all the other princesses there were. Each time Kaelyn was starstruck. (We just missed Tiana and Tinkerbell.) But the main ones Kaelyn wanted to see were there in full force—Belle (another ones we saw 3 times & the Beast once), Jasmine (plus Aladdin!), Ariel (with her legs on!), Snow White (twice), and Aurora (twice). Plus we met the Fairy Godmother, Mary Poppins (who I adored and took pictures with too!), and Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy. What great fun!

• The Polynesian resort was amazing. Two pools, one with a great kids area and volcano/waterfall atmosphere and a slide that I took advantage of. A beach area. And a view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks over the castle each night. (Oh, and ask Steve about the nightly lagoon light show.) Plus tons of ducklings that begged for food and one tried to take a bite out of my toe!

• The food was spectacular. The meal plan gave us dessert all the time, so we were totally overdosed on sweets. And we had some terrific meals in France at Epcot and a great buffet for our last night's feast. And we got to eat in Cinderella's castle, which I really enjoyed!! Plus we bought refillable mugs, giving us access to fountain Diet Coke 24/7. Not that we took advantage of that at all . . .

• The rides were great fun, and we didn't have to wait long for most of them. (Don't ask Steve about Peter Pan or he may tell a story on me.) Kaelyn's faves were Small World and Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride, which we each did twice. Steve and I loved Soarin' at Epcot, one where you're surrounded by a movie and you're lifted in the air and moved about as if you are hang-gliding over California. Awesome!

• Everyone we met were so friendly. From the transport to the hotel to the "Aloha's" by everyone at the resort to the servers and ride operators and even the guy taking out the trash—we met smiles and enthusiasm. Everyone treated us well, called Kaelyn "princess" (although that's a habit we must break!!), and acted like they cared, at least! :) We were impressed down to the details of what they covered.

And we had a couple of low-lights. (But they weren't terrible. All were fixable. So maybe they were more medium-lights?)
• Our first night there was interrupted by a screaming baby next door at 2 a.m. and then the child's loud siblings and even louder parents who danced and screamed in excitement from 7 a.m. until 8 a.m. that morning while we were trying to sleep in! We changed rooms and enjoyed a new floor and new, quiet neighbors the rest of our stay.

• Our personal stroller we brought from home got taken in Epcot the third day in. It was cheap and small, but still the hassle of it all. There was another stroller like ours with some items in it, and we think someone got mixed up. We got free Disney stroller rental coupons while we waited to settle the matter. We got a call from lost & found a day and a half later. The other people never claimed their stroller, so they gave it to us. Theirs was just like ours except slightly newer and less worn. Bonus!

• After it took us 30 minutes to get through Orlando airport security on the way home, we heard the tail-end of an announcement saying the plane from Orlando to Cincinnati had a part broken. We may be delayed for many hours or until the next day. Oh crud! About 15-20 minutes later, we found out that there were actually 2 flights to Cincinnati, and ours was OK. Whew! What a relief. And it made us appreciate our trip home all the more!

Inner Beauty

2010-05-08T23:46:00.003-04:00

I was commissioned to create an inner beauty pageant that will be the theme for my mother-in-law's church's women's banquet in a couple of weeks. (Enough possessives in that sentence for you?)

In writing it, I was looking at biblical and non-biblical women through the years who exemplified these qualities:

Faith
Righteousness
Truth
Peace
Trust in Jesus' Salvation

What a list! I realize that these are qualities I see in women all around me today—from my mom to my mother-in-law to my Gran to my aunts to my sisters-in-law to my friends.

I've realized lately how important and wonderful are the relationships God has given me with some amazing women.
• I've watched my mom care for her mom literally battling back from the brink of death. There are some qualities in them both I've never fully appreciated until I saw them fight through it together.
• I've gotten to see deeper into the hearts of my friends at church, from Bible study night to times when I get to chat with them one-on-one. And I am strengthened by their experiences and friendships.
• I've had chances to lunch, text, and reconnect with some women I only see once in a while.

And I am humbled that God allows me to know you all.

I want say thank you to you—you women who are a part of my life. Thank you for being godly. Thank you for surrounding me with your love, giving me examples to emulate, being listening ears and companions to share life with.

I hope to embody these inner beauty qualities as a mother, as a wife, as a woman of God. I feel pretty weak in these on many days. But thankfully, God gives a lot of grace.

Things I've Learned So Far This Year

2010-04-14T21:24:00.004-04:00

In no particular order:

• Real Simple magazine is great. (Plus I found it for a real simple price on Amazon in December; $5 for a year is a steal!) I'd never read this monthly before this year, and it makes me smile and relax each time it arrives in my mailbox.

• In March the Cincinnati Zoo offers discounts for membership and upgrades. (Thanks to Katie for the tip.) We got a huge discount on upgrading to the rides pass. We thought Kaelyn would enjoy the train and carousel this year. Plus we get a friend in for free each time we go! (Contact me if you ever want to go with us!) So far, we've already been a ton this spring. Tulips are in bloom now, and it's gorgeous!

**Side note: Last Friday I rediscovered a part of the zoo I'd forgotten about the past few years. Thanks to Susan, Kathy, and Dillon for reminding us where the camel, emu, and antelope reside!

• It's possible for me to have fun decorating a birthday cake and cupcakes. (Thanks, Mom!) My new goal is to decorate some more cupcakes with Kaelyn this year.

• Not far from us a healthplex has an open gymnastics times for kids on Wednesdays. (Thanks to Beth M. for sharing the fun.) Parallel bars, balance beams, mats, trampoline, and more. It was a great place for Kaelyn to get exercise in the winter.

• Spring lifts my spirits more than ever. It has now surpassed my previous favorite season—fall.

• It's great fun to anticipate a vacation with a 4-year-old. We have a countdown until we go to Disney World in May!

• I didn't recall much about the old school Disney princess flicks: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White. Now I know them well! (Thanks Jess!)

• I can live without Diet Coke. I don't want to, but I know that I can. :)

• Steve does a great Prince Charming voice when playing with Kaelyn.

** Side note: I continue to find new facets of how amazing my husband is!

• Echo friends are wonderful. Wait, I already knew that. I've just made new Echo friends this year and rediscovered how powerful relationships in God can be.

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T22:12:00.004-04:00

I am loving how Kaelyn gets this year, more than ever, what Easter means. Last year she knew of a cross and a rock, but this year she has gained a bit more understanding. I'm sure each year she'll keep seeing more light on the subject. Just as we all do, right?

She has been praying each night, "Jesus, thanks for dying on the cross and being alive again for us." Steve was reading her a Bible book about Easter last night. When he got to the picture of Jesus on the cross (done in a nice closeup focusing on His face only for preschool eyes), he said, "We're sad." Kaelyn said, "But I'm glad he was on the cross so that we could go to Heaven." True, Kaelyn, true. Through sadness we are still glad. She won't fully grasp the sadness now, but how great that she sees the joy.

Speaking of joy, we had a joyous Good Friday as a family, enjoying Steve being off work and enjoying great weather. Here are a few pics.

Steve takes great pics. And Kaelyn is a well-rehearsed model! :)

March-ing On

2010-04-02T21:45:00.003-04:00

So my friend Cathy recently emailed me to see if I was doing OK since she hadn't seen me blog in a month. Wow, I hadn't realized it'd been that long, but March has been full. I'm actually glad it's over.

• First, I was watching a LOT of basketball this month. March Madness was fun. Sadly, my KY Wildcats are out of the tourney, but I had a blast watching them this year. What a great season. Made it really fun to be a fan, and we fans haven't felt that in a few years.

• Second, I was using free time to finish a freelance project: the third book in this curriculum series. I had worked on the series before I left Standard, and now I get to help finish it up. Not to mention my continued freelance work each week with The Lookout, which has been enjoyable.

• Third, my grandmother had a heart attack two weeks ago and emergency heart surgery last week. We weren't sure she was going to make it, yet we knew she was in God's hands either way. That was really sad and tense. But the GREAT news is that she has improved and is healing, and we are all so grateful. We've made a couple trips to Lexington to see her this week, and that's been nice to be with her and my family.

• Finally, we've had some great family times, whether the three of us were out to eat or enjoying the beautiful weather in the park. Just last night we hung out downtown at Fountain Square, and it was a great night. Kaelyn made new friends playing by the water, and the kids were even entertained by a man who played the flute for them. Today we went to two parks since Steve was off work. Ahh, it was nice. :) Also this month, Kaelyn and I have made a few trips to the zoo, by ourselves or with friends or cousins. Can't beat great spring weather!

And now it's April. I didn't even have time to pull any April Fool's pranks, although I'm never good at those anyway. And it's Easter weekend. I'm enjoying it!

So that's been life in March. Things coming this month:
• Kaelyn begins soccer and Steve coaches. I watch. (No real games; they just teach basic skills to the kids. It's a fun socialization time.)

• Church has been great and continues to grow, as we all continue to grow closer.

• I've got other writing projects this month, such as helping write a women's event for Price Hill Church of Christ and creating something for me to say as I speak for Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy 3rd and 4th graders' chapel service. In May I'll work on something dramatic for Standard's VBS department. Fun times!

• We watch Steve continue to train for his second marathon in May.

• We count down until our family vacation in May: Disney World! I'm as excited as Kaelyn! :)

Obsessed

2010-03-03T21:21:00.002-05:00

I have an obsessive personality. I prefer to think about it like this: I am passionate about the things I like.

When I like a certain food, I go on kicks where I compulsively buy the item every time it’s on sale. (Because who couldn’t use five boxes of Multi-Grain Cheerios, four boxes of rye Triscuits, six bags of frozen peas, and 20 two-liters of Diet Coke? Plus we’re prepared for the next blizzard now.)

When I like a TV show, I reaaaaaally like it. I read blogs about it. And I think about it. (And occasionally the characters show up in my dreams and are my friends . . . so maybe I should talk to a therapist about that one.)

It’s always been like this, I presume. I’ll have to ask my parents to be sure. But I think evidence can be found in my collection of stuffed animals (my parents built shelving around my entire room to house them all) and my “wallpaper” of cute boys (magazine cut-outs such as Jordan from New Kids on the Block, Zack from Saved by the Bell, and Kirk Cameron [it’s true] smothered my closet doors).

So perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Kaelyn is a little bit obsessive with her tastes. Currently she wakes up every morning, comes into our room, and asks, “What twirly thing can I wear today?” Meaning, she wants to wear a dress or skirt. And certain ones aren’t twirly enough. (It has come in handy as a motivator. Now the punishment for misbehaving is that we will put jeans on her!)

Next she adds accessories. The other day we left the house and Steve looked at her in the car and asked, “Did you put a crown on?” Oh dear.

The latest and greatest thing is lip gloss. You know it’s an obsession when she hides it. She was once quiet in the car. I looked back to see what she was doing. “Don’t you want to look out the window, Mom?” she asked, trying to divert my attention from the fact that she was putting on gloss for the tenth time that hour. (She’s getting too sneaky!)

The problem is, when she puts on lip gloss, she is afraid of doing certain things that could potentially cause the gloss to come off. She asked me at her family birthday function, “Why does everyone want me to give them a kiss? Don’t they know I have lip gloss on?” When I ask her if she’s hungry, one response is, “Hmm, I don’t have lip gloss on, so yes, I will eat some yogurt.” And the other day she refused to eat because she had it on. In frustration, I grabbed a napkin and wiped it all off her mouth. “There! Now you have to eat!” (Uh, yeah, it’s starting to get to me.)

But today I had to draw a line. I’ve noticed that she even talks differently when the gloss is on. Today she refused to say p’s, b’s, or m’s, not wanting to press her lips together, in fear that the lip coloring would disappear. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So now this is causing speech impairment. I calmly told her that gloss won’t leave her lips just by talking. She still had issues all day. Sigh. I told her she will have to take a break from the stuff the next two or three days. She seemed OK at the time (because she already had some on), but I know she may be in tears tomorrow when I remind her of the suspension.

I guess I am partly to blame for donating some compulsive genes to the pool . . . do me a favor—pass the Diet Coke.

The Show Must Go On

2010-02-28T13:18:00.005-05:00

It has been six months since I took my final bow on the full-time employment stage of Standard Publishing. Yet I have remained behind-the-scenes, assisting for these past six months.

You see, Standard contracted me to train the new editor of ENCOUNTER. There is a decade's worth of information in my head about the teen magazine and its processes, so if I didn't have some time to go through things with the new person, an item (or two!) might have fallen through the cracks. I was happy to oblige, as I care about the magazine, its readers, authors, contributors, and I care about my former boss and all that landed on his shoulders in my absence. And so these past months have seen me spend time every week explaining procedures, troubleshooting situations, and even proofreading some issues (up until last night!).

I was initially concerned about turning over the role of editor to someone else. If you've ever been involved in the creative process of anything, you know the sense of ownership that you often feel about an object you've helped to mold. Sometimes it can be hard to let go.

But I was pleasantly surprised not to feel as troubled in letting go. A lot of it is that I've enjoyed interacting with the new editor and seeing her skills. Made it easier to watch her take over and make the performance a success. And I think the other part of it has been this backstage period, as I've had opportunity to view from the wings as the show continues on in my absence. And it looks good!

So now it's time. My contract is over. My obligations end. I can sneak out the back door quietly and smile upon my exit.

To the hard-working cast members, I say, "Break a leg!"

Princess Party

2010-02-13T22:43:00.004-05:00

Kaelyn was spoiled by all my family in Lexington today. She opened so many presents that Steve called a couple of intermissions and got her to do some jumping jacks and high fives all around to keep her going. She literally fell over after it was all said and done. What a day for a 4-year-old! She now owns most of the Disney princess dolls, many other princess-themed items, a Cinderella costume, and more twirly dresses. Thanks, everyone, for all the love!

Thanks especially to Nana and Baba for hosting! My mom always outdoes herself in creativity for parties. She always knows how to make birthdays fun. This was no exception. Do you see the castle in the background of the picture above? My mom built it out of cardboard and decorated it. She's amazing!

My contribution to the party was a doll cake (with assist from Mom).
Ever since I went to a Pampered Chef party over 10 years ago, I've been wanting to attempt this cake someday. For me who has never decorated a whole cake ever, I feel pretty good about it! Scott told me it was NOT a wreck. :) My mom, brother, and sister-in-law had some laughs decorating cupcakes last night too.

Erasing Melancholy

2010-02-08T21:20:00.003-05:00

I stoop to feel the hardened earth beneath my fingertips,

Scoffing at the words I’ve heard professed by sordid lips—

That this dreary cloak of winter days wrapped around my soul

Can be a hibernating balm to my spirit’s gaping hole.

What feels to me antipathy toward the atmospheric pressure

Could become rapt eagerness of spring’s forthcoming weather.

So while the frigid burden weighs enormous on my psyche

I’ll grasp anticipation of warmth erasing melancholy.

—Kelly Carr

February 2010

I Vacuumed My Child Today

2010-02-03T23:47:00.004-05:00

I let Kaelyn play with packing peanuts today to keep her occupied while I responded to some email. This was the end result. A bit messier than I expected since she decided to break each of them into an infinite number of small particles! And I give myself big kudos for letting her have a little fun, since I DESPISE the sound of Styrofoam squeaking against the hardwood floor.

I thought our little Swivel Sweeper would gather up the pieces, but no, I had to bring out the big guns—the main vacuum. Kaelyn hates the main vacuum because it is so loud. But I had to make her sit there by it because she was still covered, and static electricity + foam = impossible to just brush off clothing.

Final decision: I had to vacuum my child. The only way to get the mess off her was to take the hose tool on the vac and suck all the stuff off her clothes. But she still had a billion pieces (give or take a few) embedded in her hair. "Can you vacuum my hair?" she asked. I was afraid of what that would do to her. But in finishing her shirt, I accidentally got a piece of her hair sucked in, and it grabbed all the foam without pulling on her hair or hurting her in any way. So then I DID actually vacuum her hair! It made me think of old commercials for this great vacuum haircutting product. Hey, it worked, so that's what counts.

A New Song

2010-01-07T22:17:00.002-05:00

Sunday night I learned a new song at church. Googling it, I discovered that it's been around for a bit, but I'd not heard it until Sunday: "Revelation Song"

Sam and Beth sounded awesome on it. As we sang, I was overwhelmed by many emotions. I get to help lead it this Sunday. I hope I can do it justice. If you click here you can read the lyrics while listening to Kari Jobe sing it. (Scroll down a bit to activate the video.) Chills. What will it feel like to someday praise God in person? Even more chills!

I also created some new ring tones for the new year. I took some songs I like but hopefully won't get too sick of. I picked parts of the songs that wouldn't annoy:
"Relator" by Pete Yorn and Scarlet Johansson (yes, the actress)
"Rescue" by Seabird
"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" by She & Him (I used the ending instrumental only)
"Right as Rain" by Adele

Decade End

2009-12-31T18:48:00.003-05:00

So it only dawned on me two weeks ago that this was not only a year end but a decade end. Pretty crazy, as in my mind it felt like the millennium just began. I thought I'd list 10 places I was this decade. (And I was working on my list before I even knew Steve was working on his. So anyone who reads his blog too, know that I didn't copy!)

Top 10 places I was in the 2000's (in no particular order):

Vegas—A gift from my parents before Kaelyn was born was a chance to fly anywhere in the country. We chose Vegas. It was a blast. Considering that Kaelyn arrived (early) only a couple of weeks after we came back, I'm glad she wasn't born out there—since what happens in Vegas . . . you know the rest.

Hospitals—I'd never had a hospital stay until 2006. And between my 16 days of bed rest/recuperating from Kaelyn's early arrival and my 5 days in December 2007 for a spontaneous collapsed lung, I've had my fill of hospital stays now!

Siesta Key, Florida—on a private beach with the softest sand I’ve ever felt; it may be the most relaxing vacation I've ever had; and we met Dick Vitale, college basketball announcer, at The Broken Egg restaurant.

Front row at Brown Theatre seeing The Swell Season in concert—I've never been front row at a concert. This was such a cool experience, truly interacting with the band. And they are amazing musicians.

Other theatres—(yes, I like to spell it that way; makes me feel fancy) in the Aronoff in Cincinnati I've seen Phantom of the Opera (in the closest seats I've ever sat in), Stomp, Wicked, White Christmas, and Dora (although that was a bigger thrill for Kaelyn, obviously); in the Lexington Opera House I saw Chicago; and I've seen quite a few Cincinnati Shakespeare Company plays now, in their theater downtown and in Eden Park several times.

Sports arenas—in this decade I've seen my first UC basketball game live, my first Bengals game live (sitting in a fancy box), my first non-MLB baseball team, the Florence Freedom, and my first Cincinnati Cyclones hockey game; I've also gone to a good number of Reds games (especially fun as Kaelyn has gotten into the sport) and to annual UK basketball games with my dad in Rupp Arena (that will always be the best!).

On indicia pages—That first page of books/magazines that lists copyright and other details that you may often pass by? That's an indicia. And I stop to look at those now because my name has been on quite a few this decade. I got to be the editor of a teen magazine for almost all of this decade, and I edited some books along the way as well, even compiling two that got me listed as an author.

On stage at church—this decade I've participated in drama teams, told stories as Bible characters for kids, spoken at a couple of women’s events, and led worship.

Echo Church—OK, so this is the only one I copied from Steve. When I glanced at his list, I realized that I definitely needed to add Echo to my list, as it's been my favorite place to be on Sundays in my entire life. What an experience and testing of faith to participate in a church plant; what an amazing family of believers who have been the church over four years; what trust God has taught us. And the preaching's not bad either.

Israel/Jordan/Paris—favorite trip I've ever taken, and at first I didn't even want to go all that badly. The Bible has come alive to me now that I've seen these locations with my own eyes. It changed my perspective so much and was a beautiful vacation as well as historical one. And our stop in Paris (while getting stuck there longer than anticipated) allowed me to soak in a lot of sights and delicious food in such a short time.

Year End, part 2

2009-12-31T18:44:00.002-05:00

I had 10 music favorites in 2009 as well that played many-a-time on my iPod:

That’s Not My Name by The Ting Tings (became a ringtone for me)
Single Ladies by Beyonce (still liked it this year, all year)
Low by Flo Rida (as some Bible study friends say, “He can’t fool me; his name is Florida.")
Blame It by Jamie Foxx (I blame liking this one on the hilarious fact that he has Ron Howard toasting with his boys in the song's video.)
Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti (a fun summertime song)
The Show by Lenka (free iTunes downloads can be gold mines!)
Bulletproof by La Roux (again, yay free iTunes download)
Why Do You Let Me Stay Here by She & Him (yay Zooey Deschanel)
Know Your Enemy by Green Day (repetitive but addicting)
Jingle Bells by Frank Sinatra (my new holiday fave for December; I enjoyed because of the added refrain “I love those j-i-n-g-l-e bells”)

I was going to go into other media favorites in subsequent posts, but TV and music were my only thought-through lists. Enjoy what you get.

Year End, part 1

2009-12-31T18:25:00.002-05:00

Thinking over 2009, I realized I was close friends with my DVR, especially as it's better to watch shows once Kaelyn goes to bed—I can hear shows better and not fret over what words they are saying that she shouldn't repeat! I never thought I'd be that into TV, but a good laugh does wonders for my day, and most of the shows I like offer just that!

Top 10 shows I enjoyed this year:

Arrested Development (We never got into the show while it was on, but our new DVD copies have been burned through quickly this fall/winter. Can't wait for them to make the movie.)
Pushing Daisies (RIP—the show ended this year, but now it still lives for me on DVD)
Glee (I've even purchased some of the show's songs on iTunes.)
How I Met Your Mother (Who can beat a good slap bet?)
The Amazing Race (Makes Sunday nights after church a nice way to end the weekend.)
The Office (Jim and Pam's wedding was great. Although there have been other episodes that haven't amused me as much this year, these characters always rank highly to me.)
Community/Parks & Recreation/30 Rock (Yes, a three-way tie completes my favorite night of TV—Thursdays on NBC. Each week a new one of these shows becomes my current favorite.)
Ace of Cakes (Thanks Lindsey for telling me about this terrific Food Network show and for helping me catch up by lending me your DVDs.)
Property Virgins (I've found that HGTV is a nice network to turn on in the background while I'm doing other things. From doing that, I've gotten hooked on several shows, but this one was probably my favorite this year. Something about the host is fun. House Hunters is another good show.)
Broadcasts of all UK games (I'm a little concerned with the SEC's contract with ESPN right now because some games may be unwatchable for me. But I'm hoping UK's skilled team this year will persuade ESPN to show all their conference games on channels that we own! This team is a great one to watch on our new TV!)

I used to like Scrubs, but this season's debacle causes me to nix it from the list. Should've gone out on a high note when it had its finale.

And my favorite time of the holiday season is watching the Rose Parade tomorrow. Since I was a kid, I've been fascinated how they cover all those floats in real flowers! Some day I will go to Pasadena and see it in person—that's a life goal.

Save the Words!

2009-12-30T21:44:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Alicia posting on Facebook, I just discovered a new site: savethewords.org
I'll let them explain in their own words:

So go now and adopt! It will be a locupletative experience!

A Birthday Wish for My Husband

2009-12-29T23:45:00.001-05:00

Yes.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T13:24:00.004-05:00

Through the ups and downs that occur each year, each month, even each day, it's amazing to stop and recognize how God has blessed us with His provision, His presence, His grace. We hope you have seen the same in your year and your decade as well.

Have a wonderful Christmas 2009.

It's Snow Fun!

2009-12-08T17:04:00.004-05:00

There wasn't a ton of snow yesterday, but there was just enough!

Thoughts on Grief, part 2

2009-12-01T15:06:00.003-05:00

While I was processing my own emotions, I was thinking of all the helpful things people have done to comfort me during two especially trying times that have befallen me this year. And so I thought I'd make a list to help you (and me) when someone else is grieving and we don't know what to say or do to be of comfort. (Funny how I don't know what to do at times. All I have to do is read this list. If these things comforted me, then I'm sure they would be ideas I could do for someone else!)

* food—You may have figured this out about me, but food is the way to my heart! I love food, and I loved the fact that people brought me food when I was down. Because who wants to decide what to do for dinner when your brain isn't functioning right? Some people took me out to eat. Some people brought meals. In the spring, my family sent us a fruit bouquet. (There's nothing like dark chocolate-covered ANYTHING to lift my spirits!) And Diet Coke—months ago Tabitha knew the way to make me smile by bringing me Diet Coke in my time of need, since I can't function without it! :) Back when we were at Christ's Church at Mason, Sally was always great at organizing food deliveries to friends! Food is so common, yet for me it helped so much!

* hugs—I'm a tactile person who feels much better when I've been given a hug. I feel that way every time I see my parents! And I especially remember when Susan gave me a hug at church when she first heard I had sad news. She didn't have words to say, but she didn't have to say anything; the hug was perfect. And I appreciated Melissa giving me a hug too. I know she's not a huge huggy person all the time herself, so it meant even more! :)

* the unexpected—Another thing Melissa did was to leave a book on my doorstep that she thought I'd like to borrow. She knew reading would be wonderful for me, and it was just what I needed. Lyndsey brought me flowers at Bible study. A freelancer I worked with but have never met face-to-face sent me flowers. Examples of unexpected tokens that let me know others thought of me.

* cards—How rare it is to receive cards in the mail anymore, right? Well Beth has an amazing card ministry. She has sent me cards during sad times and even everyday encouragements for no special occasion. They mean more than she will ever know. Audrey has done the same, never failing to make me smile with the cards (and photos!) she sends.

* visits—I know visiting is hard, especially in a hospital when someone is ill or going to someone's house, because you aren't sure what to say when you get there. And sometimes there isn't a lot to say. But it can mean a lot to have someone sit with you, even in silence. And grieving can happen when people fall ill themselves. Many people visited me when I was hospitalized several years ago. Carol and Mandi were great at that, coming to chat and make me feel normal again.

* specific offers—Where would I be without Sheryl and Ed watching Kaelyn for me? (That's on regular occasions, but in sad times too!) Sometimes people make that general offer, and I don't know whether to take them up on it, but Sheryl is always insistent and specific on times and dates. And the break in responsibility, just for a few hours, is what I need. Sometimes I offer to others in generalities, but I may have to change that now and ask, "When can I watch your kids for you?" or "When do you need a ride?" or "When can I take you out for coffee?" Not just a general offer, but find a specific time to help. Sometimes it's easier for people to accept and be helped when we are specific.

* keeping things normal—I appreciate the sentiment behind people trying to protect me. For instance, I had a friend not tell me someone was pregnant, thinking it might hurt my feelings after my miscarriage. That was very thoughtful. However, I don't know how it is for others, but for me, I don't want people to hold back information. It makes me feel left out. I can fully rejoice for others, even if I'm hurting. And I want to have the opportunity to share in everyday joys. Calling to invite people to join social events, even if they've just experienced a loss, can be helpful. They might need a distraction. Or they'll say no if the timing isn't right yet.

* prayers—I am the worst at praying for myself when something difficult happens to me. It's that fog again, clouding my thoughts. I know that in all my times of pain, I've been strengthened by others prayers when I didn't have words to pray myself. I didn't always know how to ask for prayer, even during prayer request time at Bible study. I appreciated when people prayed for me even when I didn't speak up. Or offers to pray WITH me, right at that moment. Obviously all prayers at any time are good! But the occasions when someone wants to talk to God with me, sitting right beside me, are so powerful. I remember my in-laws coming to the hospital years ago and bringing me the Lord's Supper and praying with me. Those are moments of God I will never forget.

I can't list all the ways and all the people who have encouraged me over the years. (I hate to begin naming names because I will leave someone out!) But these were specifics that came to mind, and I thought it might be a good list for me and anyone to consider when offering comfort to friends.

Thoughts on Grief, part 1

2009-12-01T14:34:00.003-05:00

So I'm processing, and I thought I might do this online. I often read other people's blogs about emotional issues, and it helps me. Perhaps these thoughts can help someone else.

It has been a little over six weeks since we found out that we were not having the baby we were eagerly anticipating. And to be honest, Steve and I have both expressed that we can be happy whether the future holds another child or not. We are not "incomplete" in any way. We feel blessed with everything God has given us in life, and we are OK with however it turns out. Yet I still feel like I'm going through some grieving or maladjustment with my own emotions at times. It's not every day. But at times. It's just weirdness inside my head—and I think that everyone goes through funks at times, from different triggers. Maybe this was just my trigger.

I wrote this down last week when I was having a moment:
I feel like an egg. I'm looking good and whole and composed. Yet the slightest turbulence makes me feel as if I'm cracking open and spilling out. It comes unexpectedly when I think things are OK. Tears come over something small.

Makes me want to nestle away in my mind, shutting everyone out. Or I feel like snuggling up in my cozy Grinch pants and Snoopy sweatshirt and hide and not face the dishes or the dirty bathrooms or even the simplest decision, like what to fix for dinner.

I keep up a good appearance on the outside, smiling and enjoying people. And I do enjoy people. But I'm ignoring thoughts. When I'm by myself, I must distract myself. I end up using some sort of media or game or anything to avoid the silence. And I used to love and crave silence.

I talk to God in snippets, but at times I've tuned out opportunities for long conversation.

I feel like eating junk foods (but that's just normal!) and buying stuff for me and Kaelyn every time we are out, when I'm normally a tightwad and not prone to use shopping as a catharsis. I'm unmotivated to do things that used to motivate me. I don't know why or how to change any of it right now.

That's what I wrote last week. I also feel like I've given in to some angry feelings, lashing out at Steve or Kaelyn or even inanimate objects when things don't go my way. I feel like I keep justifying these emotions and bad habits, thinking I deserve it somehow as a comfort. I think I've made progress in a few areas the past few days, so that's good.

I also realized that I need comfort from people, even when it looks like I have everything together. When we first got the news and told people, they asked how I was. I could tell certain people felt awkward about asking, just as I feel awkward knowing how to comfort people at times. Subconsciously, I tried alleviating such awkwardness by giving short answers and changing the subject. Later I'd be sad, thinking I had passed up an opportunity to be comforted . . . or to explain that I was in pain. I don't mind that people know I'm sad. I just don't always know how to express that verbally. Which is why I write! :)

That's where I am. I'm just trying to figure out why I feel the way I feel and finding motivation to do some things I've been putting off. I'm not walking around with a little grey cloud over my head all the time. I'm just in and out of some emotional fog. Can we make a deal? If you see me foggy, please ask how I'm doing, and I'll try to get over my awkwardness and give you an honest answer! And if you're in a fog from grief or from anything, no matter what it is or how long it's been, I'll do the same for you.

Art Review

2009-11-30T23:36:00.004-05:00

I am now the proud owner of four pieces of Arian Armstrong art.

I discovered Arian's talent through being friends with her sister and brother-in-law, Andrea and Tye, and from working for years with her aunt Lynn. Then I heard about her some more as my former employer hired Arian, her husband, and her mom to create a book.

Now I'm hooked on Arian's blog, keeping up with her amazing artwork and photography, among many other skills. And for a while now I've been wanting to make a purchase. It just took me a while to figure out what I wanted. When I saw the two pieces above, I just had to get them for Kaelyn's room. I also got two others to make a nice set! It was my first purchase off Etsy.

Check out her work sometime: http://ariansstudio.blogspot.com/

The Old Man and The Scene

2009-11-20T22:26:00.006-05:00

Title of this post = a summation of all the events that have gone on these past few weeks, including a 60th birthday celebration for my dad! We've crammed a lot of activity into the last 15 days.

• For the birthday boy, we headed south and met family members at Gatlinburg. We cozied up in a cabin that included an indoor swimming pool (which is about as "roughing it" as I want!). It was a great time to spend together as a family. I learned to skip rocks, play "cutthroat" pool, and I learned some interesting tidbits about my family, a lot of which came out during the game Imaginiff. There were four fancy Nikon cameras within our midst, so we have a billion photos. I'll choose four that show (mostly) smiling faces from our outing into the woods:
There's my brother, Scott, on the left and his wife, Jessica, in front of him. Us and then my mom in front of Kaelyn. My aunts Kay (in back) and Ann (in front). Then the birthday boy in blue on the right.

Am I saving my brother or pushing him in? You'll never know! :)
Oh, and ask Steve about falling into the river. I wasn't within pushing range when that happened!

Other highlights once we returned to town:
• Played some competitive Tribond and Taboo with friends.
• Took Kaelyn to a Fancy Nancy event at Borders bookstore. They got to listen to the newest Christmas Fancy Nancy book and then make some crafts. There were about 35 girls plus parents crammed into the children's section of the store!
• Took my mom to an early birthday outing, surprising her to see the musical version of White Christmas. It was a fun and beautiful show! Makes me want to learn to dance.
• Went to see New Moon with Jess, who drove to town for the fun. We got our first choice of seats and avoided most hyperventilating teens. Instead, we were surrounded by civilized adults like us. (That is, a theater full of grown women who I heard all gasp in unison when the 17-year-old actor took his shirt off. YIKES! I promise, I did NOT gasp! Jess can verify it.) I like this flick much better than the original.
• Finally, last night we were at Eden Park to experience Balluminaria, where 11 hot air balloons were inflated and lit up, surrounding the lake. It was fun to see it with a bunch of Echo Church friends. It was PACKED with people, probably because it was such a nice day.

To see the cool pics of the balloons (and more family pics of us, if you're that bored!), click here to go to the Flickr page that showcases all Steve's groovy photography skills.

A Rose by Any Other Name . . .

2009-11-05T23:59:00.003-05:00

I've got one more Kaelyn post before I get back to sharing some of my own thoughts around my blog. But this made my day:

We had lots of errands to run today, so we began our day with breakfast at McDonalds. We went to the Hyde Park location. Hadn’t been there in several months. As we left, we said bye to an older woman who works there. I recalled meeting her several months ago, but we hadn’t seen her since. And we hadn't talked to her today except on our way out the door. As started to walk out, Kaelyn looked at her and said, “Bye, Rose!”

I looked at the woman’s name tag, and Kaelyn was right! At first I thought, She's just learning to read, so she didn't read it. Could a 3-year-old really remember her name from one conversation we had with her months ago?

The woman was surprised and flattered and smiled really big as we went out.

Outside on the way to the car, I told Kaelyn she was beautiful. That is honestly the first word that came to mind. I felt like I saw God's beauty as He used a little girl to make this woman smile.

I asked Kaelyn how she remembered her name. She said, “I asked her name, and she told me Rose. Rose is a flower that we smell.”

Today, stop and smell the roses and bless someone as you do.

Photo Ops, Halloween edition

2009-11-01T00:20:00.004-04:00

Here's our little ballerina butterfly. That's what Kaelyn called her costume. Really, the entire outfit was inspired by our trips to the library, when she discovered the character Fancy Nancy. Here is the specific book cover from which the outfit was derived! (Thanks, Nana and Baba, for getting Kaelyn her very own copy of the book!) See what reading does to a child?! :)
We had a lot of fun at trick or treating time tonight. 16 of us gathered at Echo to give out treats. Five people came in costume—nice! (Steve and I didn't get any outfits together. Too busy outfitting Kaelyn! ha ha) We had music playing and tons of candy, snacks, etc. Steve and I took took Kaelyn to about 7 or 8 houses on the street where the church is. She liked that, but she also had just as much fun handing out candy to the kids who came by. She was thrilled to talk to them, look at their outfits, and make sure each person had enough treats!

Steve loves to entertain the masses. He did some dancing in the street (yes, IN the street, great example for our child, who knew she had to stay on the curb!) to Michael Jackson music and to "Livin' On A Prayer" (of course).

And here are two pics from the family pumpkin carving earlier this week. Kaelyn was at first scared when I told her the pumpkin had goop for us to scoop out. Then she seemed to enjoy it. Later, we enjoyed baking and eating the seeds.

And check out Steve's carving skills. That's the head of Dora. Isn't he creative?! What parents will do for a kid! :)

Photo Ops, part 3

2009-10-29T23:45:00.004-04:00

So in continuation of photo week of my child, here are some candids of Kaelyn's soccer season. It by no means is a competitive situation at all. We joined in the fun to continue developing friendships with some Mt. Adams families we hung out with at the community pool last year and this year. Kaelyn played with them in the spring, and enjoyed meeting kids, but she didn't like to actually participate much, especially when they had to line up and do warm-ups!

This fall was different. Her increased age, her better developed friendships with the kids, and her daddy as one of the coaches all added up to a fun session. The kids split up into age groups and learn some skills, and then they'd play a little scrimmage (amoeba ball, everyone bunched together!) at the end.

Last week was the last meeting, and the kids and the coaches challenged all the rest of the parents to a big game. The kids won (despite some parents who really wanted to score!), and I was especially thankful for the mom who was the parent goalie the second half, who helped allow Kaelyn the joy of making a goal!

The main goal was accomplished: Kaelyn made some new friends (and so did I), and we already had a playdate today that came from it!

Coach Daddy leading some jumping jack warm-ups.
Kaelyn is closest to the goalie in this next one, having just kicked the ball (or at least touched it accidentally, but it looks good!).

Photo Ops, part 2

2009-10-28T14:51:00.008-04:00

Kaelyn's love of animals, her interest in watching the Derby, Preakness, and other races this year, and my Kentucky roots in horse country all added up to my idea that she might like watching horse races at Keeneland. So last week on the beautiful Wednesday that we had, Kaelyn and I headed to Lexington, my parents took the afternoon off, and the four of us had a great day watching the ponies run! (Kaelyn kept calling it "the horse games.")

I was surprised that she had enough attention span to stay for 6 races, but she kept wanting to watch. With a half hour between each race, that's a good chunk of time for a 3-year-old! Here are some pics. First is Kaelyn and my mom meeting a Clydesdale (brought in by Budweiser; he was apparently in commercials). Second is my dad and Kaelyn meeting a horse that leads in the race horses and keeps them calm. (Kaelyn had a good seat for several races, right on the rail!)

We saw Calvin Borel, the jockey who won this year's Kentucky Derby and who rode Kaelyn's favorite horse, Rachel Alexandra, to win this year's Preakness. After Kaelyn watched Rachel Alexandra win the Preakness, she now calls every horse Rachel.

Kaelyn loved playing with my binoculars. Doesn't she look official?

The last is Kaelyn cheering after her horse won. (She picked two winners in a row because she thought they were pretty. Guess we should have bet on them?!) I think she looks super old in this photo though!

Random note: for any of you who look at the blog directly (not through a Reader feed or Facebook), sorry that the titles of these posts aren't showing up right now. I know it's been like that for a while. Steve explained the issue, and it will eventually get fixed. But if you're ever dying to know what massively creative title I've come up with (ha ha), you can scroll your mouse over where the title should be, and it should show up in light blue. At least it does on my Mozilla browser.

Photo Ops, part 1

2009-10-28T00:01:00.003-04:00

Cincinnati's Books by the Banks occurred on October 17, and Kaelyn got to meet some literary friends.

When Steve saw the costumed characters, he asked: Is Clifford really small or is Curious George really big?

Gains & Losses

2009-10-17T20:24:00.003-04:00

For a few weeks, we anticipated gaining a new precious member of the family. But before we could even share the news of the pregnancy with everyone, we found out yesterday that we have experienced another loss. Just two months along, and the little one is, as we told Kaelyn, now in heaven where God is taking care of it.

Two losses in a year has been a hard road to go. At least we know God's strength and dwell in it.

What we've been up to

2009-10-09T22:39:00.003-04:00

You'd think with me being at home full-time now that I'd have oodles of time to blog. Well, I'm still a slacker! :) And somehow the days fill up without me even realizing it!

Some family fun highlights of late:

Sunday, September 27 we rode on the Newport Duck Boats. Kaelyn has been fascinated with the river, and this was a fun way to experience it! The boats were built during WWII (made by women—all those Rosie the riveters out there!) and went on land and water. It was cool to drive directly into the Ohio River. Kaelyn was a little worried we would all fall in, but she had a blast once she realized we weren't going overboard! We even got souvenir quackers! (Come over sometime and Kaelyn will gladly quack for you!)

Tuesday, September 29 we went to watch a half game each of the CCU women's and men's soccer teams. They play home games at Xavier, just up the street from us. It was fun, and Kaelyn was so excited to watch soccer. She also appreciated seeing Sam, our worship leader, play and get to talk to Nate, another CCU student who attends Echo and who Kaelyn was trying to impress!

Friday, October 2 we had a family birthday party for Steve's dad and all the cousins whose birthdays are in October. Steve's mom suggested roasting hot dogs and marshmallows on a campfire in their backyard/woods area. It was a lot of fun, and it was great to have all siblings, spouses, and all 12 grandchildren together at one time. I don't think that's happened all year. So Mandi suggested a photo shoot. It was entertaining! Isn't this a great crew?!

Saturday, October 3 my parents came to town. We had a great day with them, and my mom lent us some chalkboard paint and created some fun on Kaelyn's wall. It's great!

Sunday, October 4 was our combined morning worship service with the congregation we rent our building from, Walnut Hills Christian Church. We had a great crowd and neat service. Afterward we ate and watched the Bengals play. Kaelyn learned to cheer Who-Dey!

Wednesday of this week we had a fun family picnic up in the well-kept secret of the Mt. Adams playground. Kaelyn got to ride her tricycle, kick the soccer ball with us, and play on the slide and swings. What a fun little getaway. We had the place to ourselves!

And now you're caught up. I know you were really worried about that. But this blog helps ME remember what we've done lately, so if you were bored, that's OK!

Family Resemblance

2009-09-22T21:12:00.004-04:00

If you're on Facebook, you may see these pics twice. But for those of you who are blog only readers, I wanted to share some fun photos.

On my last day at Standard Publishing, my favorite procurement department (namely, Paul Wharton!) supplied Kaelyn with these great accessories. You can tell he has girls of his own because he found ones to match her outfit perfectly!

After we allowed/forced Kaelyn to watch our wedding video, I told her I had my wedding dress upstairs. I offered to try it on (yes, my idea, and it fit!) and then she wanted to try it on!

Tea party with Daddy! Actually, Kaelyn was making him some coffee. I thought they were a cute pair and had to snap a pic.

See any resemblance? Kaelyn wanted to take my picture, so I posed. Then she wanted to pose like me. Like mother, like daughter.

Also, trying to make Kaelyn like me, I have gotten her into my Elvis music! She now requests "Teddy Bear" and "Hound Dog" for their animal references, of course. But I even got her to jam to my favorite, which she calls "You're dancing song" (aka, "Jailhouse Rock").

Classic Literary Reviews

2009-09-22T14:54:00.003-04:00

I've been reading some classics of late that I've always heard of but never read. Here are some reviews:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
I've always heard of the brooding character Heathcliff. But I must admit that I anticipated something entirely different than the despotic man he turned out to be. While there were some joys sprinkled in, the novel was heavy to read, I felt, because the setting and mood cast such shadows and felt so burdened by despair. Most characters were often so unlikeable that I wasn't sure I cared if anyone found happiness!

But then again, I do appreciate Emily for not writing a story that would have been "typical" of her time or ours! As her sister Charlotte once said about her, she created such poignant characters that no one will ever forget Heathcliff and Cathy. Although the characters weren't pretty at all, they were detailed and distraught and creative. All in all, I am glad that I read it and experienced it, even if I'm not sure I'd pick it back up to read again!

Villette by Charlotte Brontë
Last December I had my first experience with Charlotte's writing in Jane Eyre, and I wanted read more from her. So I just finished Villette. Charlotte's writing is so detailed about every bit of every landscape that crosses a character's eyes. Sometimes I would grow weary of such descriptions. And in both novels she spans such a large range of time that, as I did with Jane Eyre, I pushed myself through the early section of the character's life before I really got hooked on the novel. Looking back, both beginning sections added richness to the characters, but for me the beginnings just didn't grab me right away in either book.

The novel reviewed my years of taking French classes, as quite a bit of scattered dialogue in the book was written in French and translated in the end notes.

Lucy, the main character, experiences so much sorrow in her life. Again, it's sad to read at times. Yet she continues to say to the reader that life is what God gives us and that He is not to be petitioned to have our burdens removed but to seek strength to bear them up. She never expects any joys but relishes those that do come. And she tries to realize that if the joys end, it's only her lot in life that she must not try to change. What a perspective on life! Yet something admirable to consider, even if she is fictional!

The ending was interesting. I won't give it away, but I did have to Google it in order to verify that my interpretation was accurate. I read that Charlotte wanted to end it one way, but her father read the novel and wanted a different ending. She made a slight compromise, which leaves a little bit of mystery, but her original intent does show through to the reader who has picked up on details.

Room with a View by E.M. Forster
This was another interesting character sketch. A coming of age story set in Italy and then England. At times the descriptions were such that I had to go back and check to be sure that I had grasped the meaning correctly. A lot was communicated about characters through description rather than dialogue. Dialogue for sure, but some long paragraphs you just couldn't skim through or else important plot points could be missed that were hidden inside.

Again, I read that Forster was debating on how to write the ending for his characters. I think it worked well. It is called a comedy, which I feel is described on many novels that aren't laugh out loud humor. It's more satire used as a description of English people in that day. Like when I read Jane Austen, I pick up on some of these, but I'm sure I missed satire in other situations because I'm not a knowledgeable about the time period. Sometimes with this story, I did feel there was much ado about nothing, but I think that again it was done to poke fun about how the times were and how men and women were "supposed" to behave in "society."

One note: If you don't want to have the plot spoiled for you, it's best not to read back cover copy or critiques when reading classics. They often give too much away! I was frustrated that the back cover copy said too much on my copy of Wuthering Heights. Frustrating! But at the beginning of Villette, there was a warning that basically said, read this critique after you've read the book so you can enjoy the surprises that happen along the way.

Compared to the action of other works, these classics sometimes took a long time for very little to happen! That only bothered me during my impatient moments! Yet even when I haven't exactly vibed with all of the content, I have appreciated reading them. I feel my brain is challenged when reading the language of a different time period, and it often inspires me to do some writing of my own! For that, I am always grateful.

Movie Reviews

2009-09-17T23:49:00.003-04:00

Earlier this year I had commented to someone that I hadn't been to a movie in the theater for quite a while, and these past few months I've made up for lost time. I am also glad that the movies I saw were good. I hate going in with high expectations and being disappointed. I try to have no expectations from now on!

Last night I saw Paper Heart. Cute and sweet—those are the best words I have. It's about a fictional documentary, yet kind of based on real-life. A girl searches for the meaning of love and wonders if she will ever fall in love. So she interviews a bunch of people about love. There are interviews with the sweetest older couples who have interesting stories about falling in love. And there's a section where kids on a playground share their views on love that cracked me up. Charlyne Yi and Michael Cera are soooo awkward—but in a cute sort of way!

Another flick I talked about already on the blog was Julie and Julia. Delicious and light. A good escape.

And my favorite recently was (500) Days of Summer. Saw that one with Steve. From the opening, I whispered to him, "I like this so much already. I hope it stays this good." I was not disappointed. It's a terrifically filmed piece, using so many types of filming styles and editing broken up in the mix of things. And the fact that it jumps around in time gives hints of things and keeps the balance of lighthearted times and sadder times. I wanted to see it because I love Zooey Deschanel, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good Joseph Gordon-Levitt did (and he kept reminding me of Heath Ledger at certain angles). But I won't build up this movie too much so that if you see it, YOU won't be disappointed by high expectations! :)

And way back some time ago, I saw Sunshine Cleaning. Of all these flicks, it's definitely the most gritty content-wise. And the most heart-wrenching at times. Yet it's powerful in the way the characters and their relationships are revealed. A different type of film I know not everyone will like. Yet I was touched by it. I'm such an Amy Adams fan that I was compelled to see it, and Emily Blunt was really good in it too (so I will try to like the fact that she's engaged to Mr. Halpert).

Looking for a place to serve?

2009-09-17T23:42:00.002-04:00

The Walnut Hills Kitchen in our neighborhood has some openings. If you live in Cincinnati and have a group that could help, here is the info:

Dear Friends,

We are in the process of finalizing our sponsorship rosters for the upcoming year. As of this date all sponsors for the Over-The-Rhine Kitchen will be returning for 2010. However, due to some changes in our Walnut Hills Kitchen roster, there are several weekend sponsorship opportunities available. The open dates are as follows:

4th Saturday breakfast (odd months) - 1/23, 3/27, 5/22, 7/24, 9/25, 11/27
(this meal is served from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.)

2nd Sunday dinner (odd months) - 1/10, 3/14, 5/9, 7/11, 9/12, 11/14

(this meal is served from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.)

Saturday dinner - 7/17, 7/31, 9/11
(this meal is served from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.)

This is a perfect opportunity for a church group, a secular group or organization, or just a group of family members and friends to get together to enjoy fun, fellowship and giving back to the community. If you need help getting started, our staff is happy to provide you with menu ideas, tips for where to shop to get the most out of your budget and what types of food our guests enjoy.

A meal sponsorship involves obtaining food for the meal; preparation of the meal and proper set up and clean up of the facility. Your group should plan to serve at least 150 guests.

Our Walnut Hills Kitchen is fully functional, equipped with a double oven, a ten burner stove, a convection oven, a warming oven and all the necessary pots, pans, and utensils required for large scale cooking.

We provide all dishwashing soap, trash bags, food handling gloves, and floor cleaner with mops and buckets. Each group provides their own linens, (dishrags and towels), and paper products on which to serve the meal including plates, napkins, cups, and plastic dinnerware. There is a 100-cup coffee pot and two 5-gallon cold containers on site; one is for water and the other is for a beverage.

Please spread the word to anyone you can think of who might be interested in helping us to continue our mission to feed the poor, the mentally ill and the homeless living in our community. As Fr. Tom reminds us, there are many reasons why people are caught in the trap of extreme poverty. However, while we are looking for answers, we can all do our part to alleviate some of the suffering.

ON BEHALF OF THE POOR IN OUR COMMUNITY,

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS!

Sincerely,
Melody

Melody Byrom, Manager
Over The Rhine & Walnut Hills Kitchens & Pantry
"Nourishing the body, mind and spirit"

Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity
www.overtherhinekitchen.org
513-961-1983 ext. #2

Slightly off target

2009-09-08T18:39:00.005-04:00

Ever had a day when every decision you made seemed to have some flaw? Nothing tragic, just things progress and continue to miss the mark until you've wondered why you even bothered? Had that today. I must preface this with the fact that all of these events ended up being fun. But there were parts that I just didn't anticipate. And they highlighted foibles in ME that I didn't want to own up to!

Mistake #1: Taco Bell
So we met Steve for lunch since he's teaching tonight and won't get home till after Kaelyn's bedtime. A chance for us to see him in the long day. For some reason, those Taco Bell commercials tricked me last night, and I thought that would be a fun stop. Well, we stepped inside and all aspects of my germophobia kicked in high gear. I freaked out at Kaelyn, or any of us, touching anything. No table was clean. Nothing felt sanitary. (I felt like the Seinfeld episode where Elaine's boyfriend and coworker took her to a germophobe support group. Maybe I need that.)

Steve said, "It's a Taco Bell. What did you expect?" Apparently I had forgotten since it's been ages from the time I last dined in a fast-food taco establishment. I'll remember next time. We walked next door to the nice, new, clean Wendy's and treated ourselves with a Frosty to make up for it! I was all smiles there!

Mistake #2: Museum
Where we met for lunch was only blocks from the Museum Center. Since we just got our pass last week, and it seemed overcast today, I thought it might be a nice stop. I told Kaelyn we'd go to the Natural History Museum instead of the Children's Museum this time to be different. I figured we wouldn't take long. Well, I should have assumed that once we got in there, we'd be there a while since everything was a new experience and touchable. (Fortunately, they have hand sanitizer everywhere!)

We did have tons of fun, but I must say that the basement part with the models of the ice age animals and dinosaurs is a little creepy when it's in the basement, it's dark, and no one else is around. Part of me felt like the animals were going to come alive like on Night at the Museum. Part of me was creeped out that someone could jump out at me from around a dark corner. We liked some of it, but then Kaelyn said, "Let's get out of here," and I agreed. Note to self: have Steve take her through that exhibit next time!

Anyway, by the time we got done, Kaelyn didn't get a nap and I never got to run to the grocery store. Fun, but just not what I expected to accomplish today!

Mistake #3: The playground
Again, this was a fun outing with some new neighborhood moms and their kids. I enjoy time with them. But now I'm stinky. And I already took one shower today. Having to take two is so horrible, you know! :)

And I've been stressed because Kaelyn has gone into a new phase: tattletale. It started last week when she was playing with her cousins. Today she wanted to tell the moms what their children were doing at all times. Especially telling on the youngest boy, who is like 18 months old. I think part of it is because she was the oldest kid out there. So she must think it's her "job" to do this. She's used to having older kids to follow around and imitate. Now she's the one they look to. Maybe she needs leadership training! Maybe the other part is that she's an only child, not used to these littlest kids. Maybe it's just a phase that some kids go through. The moms were good sports, so I just have to get over my own self and not feel bad about it. All kids are into something, right?!

And so now we're back home. But you know, Kaelyn seems to have had fun today. We got to see Steve and his smiling face (which we miss daily around the house now!). So all in all, if I spent time with the ones I love most, my own issues I'll just have to get over. (I still might need a support group . . . or two!)

Thoughts

2009-09-02T16:07:00.002-04:00

I was talking today with a friend about things that are logical and things that are not. I wrote the following words:

Rarely is anything in life logical. And when God grips our hearts with a passion and urges us forward, logic lays by the wayside as faith proceeds. All we can do in our limited span of years on this earth is honor God and serve others in the name of Jesus with the abilities and opportunities He has afforded us. If that is your ultimate goal, He will be pleased and see you through.

These words speak to some decisions we have made as a family. Perhaps they speak to you as well. Some decisions didn't always make sense to others. Sometimes the decisions didn't make sense to us! But we were trying to follow where we thought God was leading. We still are. God is mysterious. Sometimes you've got to just step out and hope it's in His direction! And often the answers we get from Him come in unexpected forms.

In Good Spirits

2009-08-31T23:36:00.002-04:00

I'm in good spirits. I just returned from watching Julie & Julia with Melissa. We decided we should movie to Paris and take cooking lessons. Mostly, we agreed that food should be consumed (delicious French food!) while watching that movie. Yum.

And that has been the breezy feeling of my day! Who knew retiring at almost 32 years of age could feel so freeing? :)

I took Kaelyn to the Cincinnati Children's Museum with some new friends and their kids. And Kaelyn successfully made it through a soccer practice with no tears, having fun the whole time! She was proud of herself, and so were we. I think she feels much more confident this time around, and she knows more of the kids now too.

Ah, we are all growing, indeed!

I encourage anyone reading this to enjoy a sumptuous meal today (with lots of butter!) and smile.

All About Steve

2009-08-26T23:50:00.002-04:00

So there's a new movie coming out called All About Steve. I think I'm going to have to see it. The title sounds familiar to my life! :)

(Love you, babe.)

August 09—the month that was

2009-08-20T16:16:00.008-04:00

What? You're telling me I have a blog? Seriously? I seem to have forgotten how this works!

As Steve's been at his new job and I've been winding down mine while holding down the fort during the day, it's been a whirlwind month. No wonder I haven't blogged lately. Not to worry, for any of you sad readers out there. I'll be sure to make a comeback at the beginning of September when I no longer have a salaried position to keep up with! :)

We've had some fun this month. The first two weeks of the month, Kaelyn and I got in some final visits to our community pool before it closed. Then the three of us have taken weekend/evening family outings to the park, fun eating establishments, and to our first Reds game of the year.

The Reds game was this past Tuesday night. Can you believe we've gone all year long, living so close to the stadium, yet we haven't attended until now? Well, look at how the Reds are playing, and then assess that question again! Of course, the entertainment of the Reds game was just about everything but the game itself. Kaelyn got to meet Rosie Red (pics below) and freaked out with excitement as she saw her coming! Then we discovered there was an inflatable jumping/slide activity on the outer part of the stadium right where we were headed out. Kaelyn was ecstatic again, claiming this as her favorite part of the game. Hilarious! We hardly watched the Reds. But at least we saw Homer Bailey have his first hit and RBI of the season. And they were winning . . . when we left the stadium. The game wasn't over, and it went extra innings, and by the time it was said and done, they lost. That's OK, we had a fun evening out of it!

Yesterday was a different kind of entertainment. The car had been making a hesitation occasionally at high speeds on the highway. We hoped it wasn't any sort of transmission problem. But it hadn't happened consistently enough to determine the problem. It happened occasionally, and most often after large amounts of rain. Figured maybe too much water somewhere that needed to drain out. Well, not yesterday! It all fell apart!

I was taking Kaelyn to meet Mandi at a gas station. She was going to take Kaelyn back to her house to play with her boys for the day while I went in to the office to make some meetings. About two miles before the exit, the car started that hesitation, stuttering thing. But this time it did it twice in a row. Not a quarter mile later, it did it three times in a row. Probably a total of 10 times in that last two miles from the exit, it stuttered. I pulled off at the exit, turned to head to the gas station, and my car completely shut down across the street from my destination. I coasted into a driveway and Mandi pulled over to check on me.

After giving it several minutes to catch its breath, the car started again. With Mandi following (Kaelyn safely in her car), we caravan-ed down the highway at a Granny rate of 60 mph with cars flying past. A mile from the exit where the car repair shop is housed, my car did it again. Pulled off the highway for another breather, and back to it we went. I've not felt so tense and nervous driving in a long time! We finally made it, Steve met us there, and by yesterday evening, the shop called to say it was a faulty crankshaft sensor. (Click the link and you'll be well educated, as I was.) The part was quickly replaced and low cost and this morning it was good to go.

I was actually a little sad not to make it into the office, as I'll only have two more official times left next week! (And one of those days, they are taking me out to lunch. Yum! Got any good ideas on what Mason-area fine dining I should choose?)

And now you're caught up on my life. What have you been up to?

Family

2009-08-04T22:56:00.006-04:00

Just wanted to post a pic of my two favorite people. This was taken on Father's Day when we visited UC's campus and I got to see their football stadium for the first time.

Friday Kaelyn and I made a trip down to Lexington to see my grandfather. He was in the hospital but appears to be doing somewhat better with some heart medication now. His smile and laughter at Kaelyn made it worth our trip! We got to see my other grandparents, my aunt, my brother and sister-in-law, and my parents. Whew! Got them all in one quick day! Mom and Dad have cool new landscaping with a stream now in their backyard. And Jess and I sat by the fire pit to chat about the Twilight series she let me borrow and read. What a night!

Steve and I celebrated 11 years of marriage on Saturday. Neither of us did our usual post about it—we let each other off the hook! :) Thanks to three great ladies at church who played with Kaelyn while we went out for the evening. One of our stops that night was Joseph Beth, where we were blessed by one of our neighbors who works there and we ran into several other people we know, reminding us why we love living and ministering here!

Steve and I have been reminded so many times lately how much we love our church family. Echo is filled with amazing hearts who love and serve God. We're so thankful to have them as our friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ. We all enjoyed an indoor picnic on a rainy Saturday over a week ago and we're putting on a movie night for the community tomorrow. Bible studies are encouraging, and church is just good! :)

Steve began his new CCU gig this week. So Kaelyn and I have had two days on our own so far. We miss him around already! I'm still working at home through the end of this month, so I am balancing things now but imagining what our days will be like, starting this fall. A fun new chapter, to be sure! Preemptive thanks to my mother-in-law, to Mandi, and to my parents who are on sitter duty this month so I can make it into the office a few more times!

I love my family—every piece of it! :)

Things I've learned . . .

2009-07-22T22:35:00.003-04:00

Steve and I lived many places and taken on many roles in our almost 11 years of marriage, in my almost 11 years of being a full-fledged Cincinnatian! I was thinking about what I learned from each situation:

living in: Madeira
church: Madeira Church of Christ
time: August 1, 1998 through early 2000
lessons: I learned to be a wife, especially a minister's wife. I learned more about Cincinnati than I knew before as I adjusted to life here. I began my work as an assistant editor at Standard Publishing while finishing my journalism degree from Northern Kentucky University—so I learned some stuff there indeed. And I learned to live in a really small apartment and share a space with a BOY! (That takes getting used to.) I met people here who later became some of my dearest friends (that's you, Sheryl and Ed!).

living in: Bridgetown
church: Oak Hills Christian Church
time: early 2000 through fall 2002
lessons: I learned that I loved having an apartment that had 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and a hallway and a dishwasher!!! (All things our first place didn't have.) I also became an editor, no longer an assistant, learning to take on responsibilities of a teen magazine. Steve and I learned to lead worship together as we volunteered at our church. I also got to head up a drama ministry. Mostly from that church, I learned what true community means. It was beautiful! We also learned to be typical westsiders (all of Steve's family living within a 5-mile radius, and we saw each other for lunch every Sunday!). This closeness to family allowed me to grow closer to one of my best friends, my sister-in-law (that's you, Mandi!).

living in: Landen
church: Christ's Church at Mason
time: fall 2002 through fall 2005
lessons: I learned fully about being a minister's wife from a new perspective. I took on new ministries, working with college students, people my age, high schoolers, and preteens. I told stories to the children dressed as Queen Esther and Miriam and Mary. I perfected my table/chair setup skills (that I learned at CBC!) each Saturday night for church. I learned to be flexible. I took on new duties at work, requiring me to figure out what Sunday school curriculum was all about so I could edit/write it, while continuing to edit a magazine! Whew, this was a busy but fun time. I met one of my other closest friends (that's you Carol!). And I had a chance to live in the coolest house. We had way more space than we needed, but it was such a wonderful place with a great neighborhood lake we took walks (and sometimes bounced a tennis ball) around. I also learned to live in people's basements when our house sold before our new condo was ready. I humbly learned to rely completely on the goodness of others' hearts.

living in: Walnut Hills
church: Echo Church
time: fall 2005 through now
lessons: I learned to be a mom. Still learning. Never will stop learning! I drew closer than ever to my parents through several different hospital stays. I learned what it means to plant a church. I learned to rely on God daily unlike any other time in my life. I learned new sides of my husband as I saw him humbled and trusting in God as he never had before in his life. I learned to balance working from home with work to do at home. I learned to LOVE Eden Park as my backyard! I learned to pare down all that stuff we accumulated in the house that was bigger than what we needed. I learned to literally love my neighbor (that's you, Veena!). And I learned what it means for church to truly be my family and my dearest friends (that's all of you, Echo peeps!).

I used to fear change. OK, so I still do. But I'm keeping an open mind this time! As I enter a new stage in life, I can't help but look back on all my life changes with a big smile. God has my back. And I can't wait to see what he'll teach me next.

An Odd Week

2009-07-22T22:23:00.003-04:00

Last week was weird. So maybe if you're a reader of Steve's blog, you've already heard. Steve got a call on Monday discussing a job that Cincinnati Christian University wanted him to consider. By Wednesday evening we'd made a huge family decision: he'd take the job and I'd quit mine. WOW! Not exactly what we expected in our week.

I've LOVED the fact that I've worked from home four days a week ever since Kaelyn was born. I'm so thankful Standard allowed me that. Yet the ultimate desire was to stay at home with her, period. Even on the best days working, I'm still working and distracted from her during portions of my day. It's a stressful balance at times, especially as she's grown older—my opportunities for uninterrupted work times are narrowing! And there's always guilt—I have deadlines to meet but a cute little girl to raise, so who gets my attention?

My dear husband knows all too well my guilt and stress level. So he has unselfishly decided to jump back into a life of going into the office 5 days a week while continuing to preach and oversee Echo Church—all so I can quit my job. I'll take on administrative church duties during the week and I'll watch Kaelyn. And I may take on a freelance project or two if Standard really misses me! Because I WILL miss editing! :)

Today it hit me as I talked to my coworkers (both in-house and authors I work with across the country)—I'm really leaving Standard at the end of August. As I leave on August 28, it will be 11 years TO THE DAY since I started there. Pretty cool. I've had a good run there. The words people said to me today—encouragement about our family decision and encouragement about my skills that will be missed—meant the world to me.

I can't thank Steve enough for providing for Kaelyn and I, his girls—in huge and small ways. Thank you, Steve, for being the godly man you are.

A Mooovelous Time

2009-07-12T21:41:00.006-04:00

This post is dedicated to Rachel, who reminded us that on Friday was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. Anyone dressed like a cow got free food. Kaelyn and I gladly met Rachel for lunch there.

So here's the fun Kaelyn had with the outing. She already had the boots that happened to fit the occasion! (And she picked those out herself, by the way.) And the look on her face below was CRACKING me up in this pic, so I had to share. What kind of fashionista pose is that, anyway? She did get LOTS of compliments and smiles on her foot attire.

Dora Live!

2009-06-27T23:53:00.005-04:00

Steve wins Daddy of the Year award as he decided to buy tickets for Kaelyn to see Dora Live! Kaelyn's cousin Jaxon was able to come along with us. Great fun! (Aren't they cute in the pic above? They look like siblings!)

Both kids had a blast. They were enthralled with the action onstage, not wanting to blink. They were so well-behaved. And they were really pumped when I told them that Dora and Diego were cousins just like they were cousins.

The excitement was palpable as Jax and Kaelyn prepped for the show in the lobby of the Aranoff! (Hanging at the Aranoff on a Friday night—such cultured kids!!)

Steve and I laughed that the show ended with the characters singing Gloria Estefan's song "Get On Your Feet." Now THAT will be in my head for a while. Not sure if it's better or worse than having the Dora theme song in my head.

Mightier than the sword

2009-06-26T00:20:00.004-04:00

I want to say thank you to all of you who read my blog. It's because of you that I'm top of the list.

Tonight I was looking at Stat Counter that gives me fun info on who reads my blog. I check it occasionally out of curiosity. I discovered that someone had Googled the words "blue ink medium point" and found me. Apparently when they Googled that phrase, I came up #1 out of a million hits on Google. Wow! #1! Steve did a quick check and told me that I also appear #1 when Googling "medium point blue ink" or even just "medium point."

So right now I'd like to thank all the little people that made my rise to fame possible. I promise I won't forget you when I'm a celebrity, signing autographs, accepting awards, being stalked by paparazzi, fielding requests to be on reality TV shows, etc.

:)

Shop—for style and a good cause

2009-06-24T22:13:00.005-04:00

Last week my dear friend Emily kicked off her online business: Stop Traffick Fashion.

Please click and find a great place to purchase items for the special lady in your life (especially if that special lady is YOU!). All items have been made by survivors of trafficking. Purchases support the organizations who care for victims of modern-day slavery and give them hope and skills to have a better future (or have a future at all).

Most importantly, click to learn more about what goes on in our world today. It will break your heart and open your eyes. I pray that God uses anyone and everyone to rescue precious souls He has created.

Great Dads I Know

2009-06-20T22:45:00.003-04:00

My dad: I've been wanting to blog about this story for a while. I figured Father's Day was the best time. The picture below is a victory pose. On Easter weekend, while visiting Lexington, my brother and I FINALLY beat my dad at something—cornhole. Sure, it took both of us teaming up against him (and his teammate, Steve). But you don't understand how victorious an occasion this was for Scott and I. We NEVER beat him.

You see, my dad didn't approach teaching his kids with the attitude of "I'll let them win and feel good about themselves." It was more like, "I'll show them what real competition looks like to prepare them for the disappointments in life now. They'll struggle, but it will make them stronger." He always made us earn victory in the area of sports or any competition. We finally beat you, Dad. Admit it! :)

I tease, but Dad is so much fun. Struggling to beat him in sports was the only struggle I can ever recall! I love you, Dad, as a father and seeing you as Baba to Kaelyn. Thanks for being wonderful to anyone who has ever met you!

Steve: I cannot say enough good things about his daddy skills. Kaelyn loves her special "Daddy and Kaelyn Day" each week when I go into the office. I arrive home to see two smiling faces and hear fun stories every Wednesday. Steve has taught Kaelyn so many things, from the alphabet to cheering for the Reds to strumming a guitar to loving her city, its people, our church, and our God. What more could I ask for?

Ken, my father-in-law: His compassion for people shows itself in ways that are tough, touching, entertaining, and also often unseen by many eyes. He never seeks the glory, always saying it's done for his Father in Heaven. That speaks volumes. Steve says that who his dad was and is molded Steve into the man he became. That's praise enough for me!

A Tribute

2009-06-19T23:18:00.004-04:00

It's real now. I have been in a bit of denial. But . . . they're gone.

Veena and Bala moved out Sunday night. And still this week as we've walked by, Kaelyn and I still look over at their door, half imagining we might still see their faces in the window.

We met as neighbors and parted as friends. And they'll remain in my heart forever.

For almost a year, Kaelyn and I spent several nights a week, visiting with Veena in her house. We fed fish, Kaelyn sang the Birdie Song in order to get cookies, we shopped for groceries together. Our nights won't be the same now.

I want to honor Veena in this post especially. She's become one of my closest friends. We come from such different backgrounds, yet we found so much in common. I learned a lot about India, and I tried to persuade her to like my favorite American things: Diet Coke, cheese, etc. (Not sure that I was very persuasive!)

Thanks, Veena, for being one of the kindest, most generous people I know. Thanks for spoiling Kaelyn! Thanks for sharing life with me . . . I want that to continue, even long distance! :)

My new look

2009-06-18T20:58:00.002-04:00

If you see me in the next couple of days, I am not wearing purple eyeshadow. That's a bruise over my eye. Kaelyn enthusiastically jumped into my bed this morning and dove in for a hug. Her forehead cracked against the bone over my eye. Good thing I didn't cuss out loud! She wasn't phased, but it was killing me! But how can I complain when I have a daughter that is that excited over morning hugs?! Worth the pain every time! :)

RIP, trusty laptop

2009-06-12T12:36:00.007-04:00

On Tuesday, ten minutes in to a phone meeting I was a part of, my computer freezes up. It wasn't restarting correctly, so I spent the rest of the meeting trying to mentally imagine the book cover designs we were discussing. Steve takes a look, Googles some things (trying to determine why my screen was flashing blue, green, and red), and we find out the logic board on my computer died. I'm not sure what it does exactly, but it appears to be key to making the computer functional! And it would cost half the price of a new computer to replace that part.

Steve had been thinking that we'd need to replace my laptop at some point because it's had a few issues lately and has been running daily, all day every day, for over five years now. It's been good. I can't complain. All that work took its toll. Which we knew it would. But still, when it suddenly happens, all I can think about is the files I hope not to lose, both work and personal.

I had backed up files last week for work but not in a while for home, which bummed me out since I had some things I'd written lately. Steve goes to the Apple store, thinking if we buy a computer right then, maybe they could figure out how to transfer contents of my hard drive to the new one. The store was closed all week because the big Apple unveiling convention is going on. Are you kidding me?!

Next step, Steve Googles again (oh yay, the power of the internet!) and finds some people's hacks for getting a computer with a dead logic board to turn back on. Steve tries a couple of things and here's what helped: inserting quarters under the keyboard to apply pressure enough in the right spots to get it to boot up again. Seriously! But any little movement made it shut back down. It would come up for five minutes, and he would pull over some of my files onto a Flash drive. Then it would die again. He'd reboot, same process. Piece by piece he got all my files for me, work and personal. Praise the Lord!! Steve is my hero.

So we've had some savings built up and decided we'd just use some to buy a new computer. We ordered a new laptop online and my new 13-inch MacBook came to our door yesterday. (This is the version that replaced my no-longer-being-made iBook.) It's very nice with features I've never had before! Plus I like how the keyboard feels when I type. (It's the little things in life!) I have all my files, and I can work and write and function again. Funny, I never thought I'd be so dependent on technology.

Smiles for your day

2009-06-09T01:18:00.005-04:00

Some quotes by Kaelyn that have made me smile recently:

“I’m just thinking about chinchillas.” Lots of Go, Diego, Go watching has at least helped Kaelyn learn about some exotic animals. Her favorite at the zoo is the sloth.

“I can hear the music in my head!” Kaelyn wanted to hear the song "Single Ladies" (yes, she occasionally wants to put a ring on it), so I let her listen to my iPod. She's done that before, but this time she was fascinated with how the ear buds made it feel like the music was in her brain. She yelled this phrase loudly to Steve and I while she was jamming to the song.

“I’m calling you. Press 5 now. Please leave a message.” So Steve has taught Kaelyn his cell phone number, and she likes to call it. Apparently she's heard the voicemail computer lady a few times because she stated the previous sentences while playing with her toys the other day.

“Coach Mike said my name and gave me this!” Kaelyn successfully completed an 8-week stint playing soccer with some neighborhood kids. It was really casual, but she still found a way to be intimidated and tearful at least every week. Yet she was so proud that, on the last night, her name was called and she got to go up in front of everyone and receive a team picture.

And finally, Kaelyn wanders around the house with her little guitar that my parents gave her and attempts to sing “In the Highways” off the O, Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack. I thought she might like that song because it's sung by three little girls. (These are the Peasall sisters who, by the way, we interviewed for ENCOUNTER when they became teenagers.) This song is her new fave (besides "Single Ladies") that we have to listen to each time we're in my car. I had to teach her what a hedge was!

And here is "business casual Kaelyn." Aunt Liz gave Kaelyn this shirt, and I thought she looked like she was so old and headed to work when I put it on her. So I put on black pants and her hair in a bun. She looks so beyond 3 here! She is contemplating her little penguin toys in this photo Steve snapped.

Catching Up on Book Reviews, part 2

2009-05-30T21:05:00.003-04:00

Another belated book review for you: The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A. J. Jacobs.

A.J. is Jewish by heritage but is agnostic rather than practicing. In his words: "I am officially Jewish, but I'm Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant. Which is to say: not very." And that's a snippet of the humor in his writing that caused me to enjoy the book more than I thought.

So what made this agnostic delve into the Bible? He wondered why religion isn't dead, why so many people live with and because of faith everyday. He started with the Old Testament first, interesting since there are so many more rules there. He devoted about 8 months of his year to the Old Testament, and that part of the book was the most interesting, captivating, thought-provoking. He grew out his hair and beard for a year, wore white the whole time, tried to figure out how to make a sacrifice and stone someone, and wouldn't even touch his wife's hand during her time of the month. (Her reaction to that was hilarious.)

When he got to the New Testament, things started to drop off in interest to me. Probably because he realized that to truly live according to the New Testament, you needed to fully believe and trust that Jesus Christ is Savior, Lord, and God. Since he didn't believe that, he found it less compelling, and his writing seemed to convey that as well.

Besides striving to live according to the Bible, A.J. also used his year to visit with different people who were radically devoted to the Lord, from rabbis to people we'd label as "evangelical quacks" living out in the middle of nowhere and doing some strange practices. What was neat was that he gained something from each relationship and learned something from each person's devotion.

I read this book last fall, and now I can say that I don't recall everything he wrote. But I recall that it really got me to delve into practices of the Old Testament. I kept thinking, "Is that really in the Bible?" and then I'd look it up and read a section of Scripture I hadn't read before or hadn't in a while. Surprisingly, the book became a Bible study of sorts for me. Also it caused me to appreciate the daily rituals people did for God and it made me appreciate that I'm not required to live according to so many rules now. But it also convicted me that I could use some more discipline when it comes to my spiritual life.

Overall, it was a good read. It caused me to think. I recommend it. Let me know if you'd like to borrow my copy. And I enjoyed his style of writing so much that I am now reading another book of his that he wrote before this one: The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. I'll let you know how that goes.

Cabin pics

2009-05-27T23:46:00.005-04:00

Ahhhhhhh . . . my pool!
(indoors—bottom floor of cabin)

cabin shot: definitely my version of "rustic"!

the skylight that woke us earlier each morning than we planned

what a view!

tree and rocks from hike; Steve's new camera at work

Little Cabin in the Woods

2009-05-23T12:36:00.005-04:00

When I usually think of Gatlinburg, I think of the main street full of shops with pancakes, taffy, air-brushed T-shirts, and black bear figurines. I don't think of peace, stillness, and God's revelation. Yet that's what I found this week.

Steve and I headed south on Monday, dropped off Kaelyn in Lexington with my parents, and rented a "luxury cabin" (said the website) in the Great Smoky Mountains, complete with a pool table and an indoor swimming pool. Yes, that's what made me excited—swimming! I don't know why I'm obsessed (probably because I grew up swimming every summer at the pool on my grandparents' farm). But I'm like a kid. Seriously, my favorite part is still flipping and doing handstands! Steve just laughs at me and shakes his head.

It was a nice getaway. We avoided the typical Gatlinburg shopping madness. And besides the hiking, the swimming, and the new pool-playing skills I developed, I had time to just sit and stare at trees and stars and soak in God's Word, contemplating His wonders. I needed that!

As I care for a 3-year-old, work from home, and enjoy time with others, sometimes I forget what it's like to just sit and think. When I do, I realize why God created Sabbath rest. Although He definitely speaks to me through other people and activities, His Spirit is able to get my attention in different ways when I am still and listen.

I began by reading 1 Peter. Our women's Bible study is getting ready to delve into this book, so I thought I'd get an overview. I look forward to dissecting each chapter later. But for now, the verses that caught my attention were 1 Peter 2:21-25. It's a stunning wake-up call whenever you are feeling like you have stress/burdens/overwhelming situations. I highly recommend it—just prepare to be humbled! It says:

"[Christ] is your example, and you must follow in his steps" (NLT). Then it busts out a list of all Jesus did: never sinned, didn't retaliate when he suffered, put his life in God's hands, carried our sins in his body on the cross . . . you know, basic sacrificial living.

Wow. What a person to emulate. How sacrificially have I been living? Way beneath the bar Jesus set. Examples of my own selfishness smacked me in my face. I've been easily frustrated lately. It's because I've been concerned about my own comfort, happiness, etc. Definitely not the point of life at all.

The theme of God showing me my own self-involvement continued as I read the first three chapters of 2 Corinthians. But this time He gave me some hope for growth:

"The Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image" (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT).

What hope! What excitement! God revealed how sinful, how self-focused I am, yet He reminded me that I don't have to stay that way. I'm in the process of being made glorious . . . if I follow His Spirit.

I CAN step away from ME. Although I live with myself 24/7 and it's hard to ignore my own inner monologue (like Zach Braff on Scrubs!), I don't have to let these thoughts dominate my actions. I can be made more like Jesus. It will be hard to step outside of myself. But God says it's possible. He says His Spirit will help. He also says it's a process ("more and more like him"), so I don't have to be perfect overnight. (Like that would happen anyway!)

What a great role to take on: glorious image of God. That's a job description worth living for.

Pics from the day, part 1

2009-05-10T23:15:00.007-04:00

I had a great Mother's Day! Thanks to Steve and Kaelyn for making me feel special, from our time at Alms Park today to the yummy El Rancho Grande last night! You both show me so much love.

The weather was gorgeous today. Couldn't ask for more beautiful weather! Steve took some fun pics for me.

Pics from the day, part 2

2009-05-10T22:45:00.006-04:00

My two favorite people in the world!

Happy Awesome Women Day!

2009-05-10T22:01:00.003-04:00

What can I say that hasn't been said? I have amazing women in my life. Some are mothers, some aren't. All have played a role in shaping my life.

My mom—best in the world! My heart has broken for her this spring as the rain has not helped her health, bringing a damper on her usually bright days. It brings me to tears to hear of her pain. She has the most vital spirit and a giant heart for others. I love seeing her as a Nana. I love having her as a role model and confidante. I love the closeness we've always shared.

My mother-in-law—what a hard-working woman. She makes me tired thinking of all she does to serve others. She raises some great kids, and I'm blessed to be a part of the Carr family!

My Gran—what an amazing life she's led, and I hope to live with the same grace she brings to the occasion.

My aunts Liz, Kay, Ann—so thankful to have these fantastic ladies who bless my life with their love and make me laugh and enjoy life just being around them. Thanks for the wisdom, the examples you've been in my life.

To Sheryl—you are a great aunt to Kaelyn! Thanks for all that you mean to her and to me!

To Mandi, Heather, Becky—thanks for being great moms. I especially appreciated your comfort and advice and perspectives during my trying March.
To Jess—Thankful that you are a part of my family and a terrific aunt!

Thanks to all my female friends—whether moms or not, you deserve to feel how special you are. Why not today?! I learn from all the women God has blessed in my life, and I can't thank God enough for you.

My Marathon Man

2009-05-03T12:26:00.009-04:00

Today was a big day for our family. Steve ran Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon—his first! (As he says, maybe his last!) He did the half marathon last year. Kaelyn and I are proud of him!

Kaelyn and I had a plan designed by Steve to catch him at three places. The first was at the entrance of Eden Park, just down the block from our house. Paul and Carol and Emily were there with us. That was the 6.5 mile marker and the giant hill all the runners have to trek.

Next we hopped in our car and drove up the highway to bypass the closed roads and headed to Mariemont at a little bend in the course. The scariness occurred as Kaelyn and I waited for Steve to appear: we witnessed a woman driving who had a seizure, lost control of her car, and hit a cone—right in front of us! Someone had to open her door and grab the wheel and hit the brake for her. She was slumped to the side, and it was one of the scariest things I've ever seen. I tried to look to see if she was OK and divert Kaelyn's attention at the same time. Because there were plenty of emergency people around in case the runners needed help, the lady received medical attention ASAP. Someone told me that she was awake and more stable before they drove her off. So by the time Steve came by, we'd already had plenty of excitement for one morning. (News link here. But I have more info than they have listed!)

After we saw Steve at Mariemont, he had under 11 miles left to go. That gave us over an hour to get back on the highway and drive down to northern Kentucky where we parked. We then were able to walk across the Purple People Bridge and stand not far from the finish line to watch him end. As we waited and watched, Angie and Dan found us. They had run the half marathon and stood with us for a bit.

I was glad Steve wore his red shirt (plus our names on his arm!) because he was easier to spot, especially at the end. I saw him and started jumping up and down so he'd see my red jacket. He said he was glad I jumped because there were so many spectators at that point he said he wouldn't have seen us otherwise. He said, "I'm done!" as he finished up the last mile. And he ended up getting in under his 4-hour goal.

We got to see John Skerl at each of our stops too. He was the other friend we knew running the whole thing, so it was neat to see him as well.

It wasn't as cold or rainy as predicted, so that was a huge blessing for runners and spectators alike!

I had fun cheering people along, feeling like we were encouraging and doing our part. Runners say it's nice to hear people, so Kaelyn and I joined in. Kaelyn had an early start to her morning, and she did a great job sticking with me the whole day. You can see her smile here as she was excited for Daddy and excited to walk across the bridge.

And here were our words of encouragement. The right photo, green paper picture is Kaelyn's interpretation of Daddy running! And the left photo, orange paper picture is Kaelyn cheering him on! (Thought you might want a translation there!)

P.S. Three weeks since my last post? Yikes! I've been playing hard and working hard. Life has been busy but full and fully enjoyable! Thanks for still reading and not giving up on me! :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-11T21:59:00.002-04:00

Two Steps Forward

2009-04-09T22:38:00.002-04:00

Inspired by Melissa sharing poetry during April, National Poetry Month, I thought I'd share something that's not quite as deep as her contribution. I read it in Entertainment Weekly (so you can see where the depth is headed!).

To make sense of Paula Abdul's confusing ramblings on American Idol, the EW folks decided to put her words into poetic format to find inspiration. To read them all, go to ew.com/paula

Here are two of my faves:

A Heads-Up To David's Bodyguard

David.
You are ridiculous.
I want to squish you,
squeeze your head off,
and dangle you from
my rear-view mirror.

(Judging David Archuleta's season 7 performance of ''Imagine'')

Losing It (Weight Version)

You gotta love the fact that it was —
it was either a number 1 or top 10 record
and everybody danced to it back in the day
and everyone was doing that
bam, bam, bam, bam, bam...
But you know what I love so much about you, Taylor,
is that —
someone should be shooting this,
and making an exercise video out of it,
and we'd all lose a whole bunch of weight.

(Judging Taylor Hicks' season 5 performance of ''Not Fade Away'')

Word to Her Mom

2009-03-31T23:05:00.004-04:00

She's bad. She's bad. You know it.

There are a million phrases that come to mind to create a caption for this photo. Leave a comment and share your own favorite!

She was dancing in her sunglasses and Daddy's hat while the three of us were watching the MTV show Taking the Stage (filmed in Cincinnati's School for Creative & Performing Arts!). She was trying to imitate the students' hip-hop moves and looked so cool that I had her pose for Daddy's camera.

Space to Breathe

2009-03-28T23:20:00.001-04:00

Space to Breathe

If I had the time
the thoughts
the clarity

What would I dream?

What thoughts would drift upward
a praise unto their Maker
and recall the abilities blessed
upon this life?

My hours of daily meditation
seem no meditation at all
The days tumble over one another
each hour filled with one thing
or another

And yet to where did they escape?
What is left to mark their passing?
What evidence traces out the moments?

Time etches onto the calendar
And I strive to make meaningful
what I am given

Life is full
and beautiful
yet sometimes I seek space

Space
to breathe
to be present
to create

And space is what I must take
when it is given
I do believe it is given
if I stop to recognize it around me

Kelly Carr
3/28/09

Life's Little Details

2009-03-28T22:10:00.004-04:00

To keep the masses happy (or at least because Mandi asked!) I will attempt a blog post. I knew I hadn't written in a bit, but it was longer than I thought! Recap:

• March 17-22: I was nurse to a sick child (with croup) and sick husband (with some cold/flu ick). They didn't even go to church last Sunday night, so I know it was bad! They are both feeling much better now, although it's crazy how long some symptoms linger.

• March 23-27: I finally succumbed to the germs around me and became ill myself. It went up and down, as I felt like I was hit by a truck one day and then had energy enough to go to work the next only to fall back to the depths again. Yikes! Yesterday I had a very manly voice. Today it's completely gone! Kaelyn kept saying, "Mommy, talk to me. Don't whisper!"

• My NCAA tourney brackets have wilted. I chose some underdogs, and the higher seeds, for the most part, have prevailed. Considering Kentucky wasn't in it, I've enjoyed watching without having too much at stake.

• Speaking of Kentucky, my basketball team fired their coach. I never did connect with Gillespie, so I was OK with it. Now we wait to see who will be next, and we'll hope the powers that be take their time to make a more fitting decision this time.

• Two weeks ago I hung out with Mandi and Brody at the Children's Hospital. Not exactly a play date! Little Brody was having difficulty breathing and dealing with RSV. Sad to watch. He's doing better now. Mandi's boys have had it rough lately.

• I've been through some different emotions as the whole grieving process continues. From numb to feeling far from God. But the prayers of people (thanks!) have sustained me, and God has gotten my attention in lots of ways this past week, sharing messages directly to my heart. It's been nice.

• I felt like I was still cool last night as we had a sitter for Kaelyn (spending the night with the Carr grandparents) and were out till midnight. Trying to stay young! (Even though I had to sleep all day and be on drugs to feel well enough to go!) It was a concert by Tye and Andrea, known as Artists & Authors. Tye leads worship for Echo, and they had their CD release party/concert last night. It was a great turnout and a fun venue—The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout. It was a former theatre that had tables, seating, bar, swanky hang-out type of situation! There were probably over 300 people there, and a great representation of Echo peeps. Plus Zip's burgers beforehand—yum! (Great idea, Melissa, with the cool new haircut!) Lindsey and I had a great time making running commentary on everything/everyone the whole night, but trying to talk loud enough for anyone to hear me over the music is the cause of me having no voice today! Totally worth it!

• Kaelyn did well in her first overnighter with Steve's folks. (She's stayed late there but not overnight.) She slept in her Dora sleeping bag all right, but she apparently conned Margaret into letting her stay up till 11:00!!! Oh, the fun at grandparents' houses! She did nap a long time today.

• We've been a bit saddened that it's finally happening—two of our closest neighbor friends put their houses on the market. We're excited for Bala & Veena and Dustin & Theresa and the jobs/schooling/situations ahead for them. But we're sad for us because we've really appreciated them as friends and neighbors! Anyone reading this want to be our neighbor? Please come by one of these great condos! :)

• I'm infatuated with the Food Network show Ace of Cakes. Thanks to Lindsey for the tip and for lending me season 1 on DVD. Love it! It's so amazing the beautiful art they can make with food!

• And today our friends Larry and Kristen got engaged. Larry asked Steve to hide out and be the paparazzi to capture photos of the private proposal at Eden Park. Way to go guys!

I heart Chik-fil-A

2009-03-16T13:14:00.003-04:00

Got to eat Chik-fil-A for lunch today when we ran to the Kenwood Mall to pick up a computer part for Steve. YUM! When we got home, Steve found this video (a song parody/tribute to the terrific restaurant!). For those of you who love the chicken like I do, you'll enjoy!

Catching Up on Book Reviews, part 1

2009-03-15T15:49:00.003-04:00

I realized that I had on my "things to blog about list" (yes, I do write down those ideas every once in a while) some books I read last year and this year that I have yet to blog about. The two from last year were quite long ago (spring or summer and fall, I think) but I must have forgotten to share my thoughts on these items. I will correct the errors, starting now!

I enjoy borrowing books from Melissa (considered my local library branch—she has a great collection!). Last year I borrowed several from her by the author Anne Lamott. I enjoyed Anne's style of writing in the three books I read. But I think the first one that I read is still my favorite: Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.

In the book, she describes tips she has shared with students in the writing classes she has taught: challenges about writing what you love and maintaining the love of writing. I recall feeling inspired and gaining some good tips in the process.

A side fact that I enjoyed from the book was a random tidbit that meant a bit to me. Growing up, some people (like my dad) would call me Kelly Girl. And in Bird by Bird, Anne mentioned the term "Kelly Girl" as common in the vernacular some years ago. Curious, I searched online and found this:

"Founded in 1946, Kelly Services got its start as Kelly Girl Service, Inc., a business dedicated to placing females in clerical positions. Back then, when employees arrived at a customer's office, they would introduce themselves by saying, 'I'm your Russell Kelly Office Service girl.' According to founder Russell Kelly, his employees got tired of the long phrase and started saying, 'I'm your Kelly Girl.' The short version stuck, thus the term, 'Kelly Girl.'" (from vault.com)

How funny! :) My dad says he didn't know this fact when calling me Kelly Girl. He just liked the way it sounded!

Thoughts on Life

2009-03-11T23:57:00.003-04:00

We're doing OK after the past week we had. Thanks for your prayers. We feel God's strength.

The weekend's warm weather lifted our spirits. And I enjoyed taking Kaelyn on a short, late-afternoon trip to the zoo yesterday! I did want to post some different thoughts I had this past weekend. Just in case sharing helps anyone else—and it helps me to share and process!

My first random thought was a little snarky. I realized that, back when I was 5, my brother died in March. Several years ago, my grandmother died in March. And then we found out about the baby last week, which is, of course, in March (in case you didn't already figure that out!). So maybe March just sucks for me! I thought about boycotting March this year, like refusing to call it by name, instead choosing either February Part II or Pre-April. Those are my options right now! :) I do know some good people born in March—maybe that will help me reconsider this boycott.

And on a more serious note, I went through some grieving emotions on Friday night and wrote this poem during my tears:

We gave you no funeral
Gave you no name
You were a heartbeat that
appeared on the screen one week
And disappeared the next
We didn't get to know who you were
boy or girl
personality
color of your eyes or hair
I was so scared
And now so sad
Sorry that we missed the chance
to meet on earth

3/6/09
by Kelly Carr

Blue Ink, Medium Point

I'll miss you, Grackie Bird

Sweet Truths

Kaelyn: What's a nerd? me: A nickname for people who like to study. Kaelyn: Then I'm a nerd! And so is Daddy!

Random Anecdote from Summer That I Keep Meaning to Blog About: Part 1

Field TRIPPED

It certainly says something . . .

Kelly the Klutz

Haiku for your day

My first day of kindergarten

Just One

Pretty as a Picture

June has been fun

I am not a rebel

When my prayers changed

NYC pictures

What Kaelyn did today

Woman of Faith

SPRING BREAK!

Mightier Than the Sword

Kentucky Girl

Smile of the Day

Sound the Alarm!

Almost Famous

Writing = sanity

Time Keeps Passing

Check, check . . . check 1 . . .

Still Kickin'

Our Other Child

A Little Song & Dance

Life Moves Fast

First Day Funny

. . . And the Beginning of New Things

The End of Summer . . .

I am Woman, Hear Me Roar . . . in Pain

Fellowship of the Fountain

More to Come

Where Dreams Come True

Inner Beauty

Things I've Learned So Far This Year

Happy Easter!

March-ing On

Obsessed

The Show Must Go On

Princess Party

Erasing Melancholy

I Vacuumed My Child Today

A New Song

Decade End

Year End, part 2

Year End, part 1

Save the Words!

A Birthday Wish for My Husband

Merry Christmas!

It's Snow Fun!

Thoughts on Grief, part 2

Thoughts on Grief, part 1

Art Review

The Old Man and The Scene

A Rose by Any Other Name . . .

Photo Ops, Halloween edition

Photo Ops, part 3

Photo Ops, part 2

Photo Ops, part 1

Gains & Losses

What we've been up to

Family Resemblance

Classic Literary Reviews

Movie Reviews

Looking for a place to serve?

Slightly off target

Thoughts

In Good Spirits

All About Steve

August 09—the month that was

Family

Things I've learned . . .

An Odd Week

A Mooovelous Time

Dora Live!

Kaelyn: What's a nerd?
me: A nickname for people who like to study.
Kaelyn: Then I'm a nerd! And so is Daddy!