2012 Grateful List

Have you ever driven across the state of South Dakota?  Well let me tell you...between Rapid City and Sioux Falls on Interstate 90...there ain't much to look at.

But that's o.k. because during the boredom of this drive on December 24, after a delightful weekend in the Black Hills, I took time to reflect on the year and actually slowed my brain down long enough to think about writing on my blog again.

Cal was in the back seat with the kids watching one episode after another of the TV series "Chuck" which Carter had received on DVD as an early Christmas gift.  (Probably not an entirely age appropriate choice for our youngest darling, but the the laptop decided to quit and she couldn't watch her Barbie movie anymore...so what else could a girl do??  Please don't judge me, I already stress about the amount of iPod, iPhone, iPad, Twitter, Instagram, FaceBook, Snapchat, texting, Netflix time that we attempt to monitor and control.  It is simply exhausting trying to stay on top of it all.  We are doing our best with momentary lapses. :)

I do worry about losing the good ole' days of I packed my Sister's Suitcase  and The Alphabet Game that I tolerated on long journeys as a child.  Although, earlier in the day, we did have a rip roaring game of Name that Tune - Christmas Carols going.  So I figure if we can somehow mix all the new technology together with classic car games, board games, books, and plain old real conversation....we might be able to raise 3 semi-adjusted 21st century children.  (And, honestly, I greatly enjoyed the peace and quiet of my driving stint.)

So in my reflections of the year this is what I know to be true...we are blessed and we are grateful!

Grateful List for 2012:

1.  A positive career move for Cal at the beginning of the year to work for Fishback Financial.

2.  A miraculous surgery for Cal's mom to repair a shattered femur.  She had to spend three months in a wheel chair putting no wait on her leg, but she made it through that time and is now walking with a walker again.  The surgeon who performed the 5-hour surgery said he was doubtful she would ever walk again  God is so good!

Thanksgiving 2012

3. Three kids...in three schools...on one campus.  A high-schooler, a middle-schooler and an elementary student...all at Sioux Falls Christian.  We are thankful for a smooth transition to highschool and middle school for Paige and Carter.  And we are thankful Taryn is still in elementary because it's nice to have one kid who loves to have mom and dad eat lunch with her and go on field trips.

They still tolerate the first day of school picture :)

Christmas 2012

4.  More opportunities to share God's love with lost and lonely teens and young adults through my work at  the Dawson McAllister HopeLine.  Every Sunday night I am privileged to work alongside wonderful volunteers who show up to answer phone calls and one-on-one chats with kids who are desperately reaching out for HOPE.

5.  A driver's license for Paige at the age of 14.5. Originally, I was not sure if I was a fan of her getting her license at such a young age in this crazy state...but it didn't take long for me to be VERY grateful that I didn't have to drive her to and from every volleyball practice, basketball practice, early marching band rehearsals, youth group and countless social events.

Oh boy!

6.  A great celebration with my family as my dad turned 70.   The legacy of Christian parents handing down their faith generation to generation is a gift I appreciate more every year.

Doing what the Schelhaas' do best -- feasting!

7. Family memories created on vacations to Florida, Chicago, Pierre, SD (must get in a fishing trip) and the Black Hills.

Cocoa Beach in February

Chicago Skyline - June

Gino's East before the Cubs Game

Bragging rights for the biggest fish! (August)

After a day of skiing. (December)

Cold day at Rushmore

8. No concussions or broken bones for Carter -- this mom is yet to come around to being excited about her son playing tackle football...but he had a great, injury-free season and is now enjoying basketball and middle-school drum-line.

9.  The twirling, cartwheeling, jumping joy of Taryn.  We think she might be spending more of her life up-side-down in various dance/gymnastic moves than right-side up at this point. The girl just has to dance!

Spring Recital

10. Above all I am grateful that we rest assured in the knowledge of a Savior who loves us so deeply that he entered this world to dwell among us and prepare a way for us to live with Him eternally.

May you all have a blessed New Year!

Jen

Now is the time!

It's good to get a way with the family.

The five of us...together for five whole days.

No constant parting of ways to run to a practice or a game or a social event or meeting.

Days to simply be all together...having fun.

These are my people -- they make me who I am.  They define my heart.  It feels so good to be together.

No additional friends...The brother and sisters must be friends for these few days.  

No distractions of a dirty house, laundry, errands.  We can really listen and talk and laugh at each other and with each other.

We fly to Florida ....definitely a bonus when the family get-a-way has us leaving behind snow and heading to 85 degrees.

We visit my mom and dad...another added benefit...spending quality time with 'rents.

On a Sunday morning we go to a Nature Reserve and my dad in his wisdom says that sometimes observing God's creation is just as good as going to church.  An act of worship to marvel at the creativity of God.

Moss Laden Trees

Storks, cranes, spoonbills, Ibis, Herons, Egrets and more -- my dad with his bird book names them all.

Except he can't find these odd ducks in his book.

Gators

 Girl and her dad

Boy and his grandma

Vacations are a time of creating memories and inside jokes that will stick.

Like when Paige said she was going to "Blow a casket."

Or when grandpa said we should just "Sleep until we wake up." (Meaning no alarms.)  And Carter dryly points out that he always sleeps until he wakes up since when he's not sleeping he's awake.

Or when playing password (giving one word clues to your team mate to get them to guess a certain word).  I say "Pimento" -- Paige guesses "Aspirin"...thinking a pimento was like Ibuprofen.  (Good Grief!)  Yes, the word was "olive".  And Carter is giving clues to try to get us to guess the word "Box" and his first clue is "Fun."  (Really?  I was to guess "Box" from the word "Fun". He is an easily entertained boy.)

(And here's the thing with inside jokes -- they probably should be kept "inside" because written out...they aren't nearly as funny as the side splitting laughter they produced in the moment.  Oh well!)

More great memories were created in the magical land of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Huge AI fans and this Disney version of the show did not disappoint

 Paige is not known for her soft-spoken ways and she let us have it on the Rock-n-Roller Coaster.  She screamed at the top of her lungs from the moment of departure till we got off.  At one point she was screaming "I'm going to pee my pants."  Carter - well he was speechless.  I had to nudge him at the end of the ride because he looked stunned.  I'm not sure if it was the speed or embarrassment over his sis.

Probably our favorite day was our day at Cocoa Beach.

We couldn't get this boy out of the water.

 Screaming again!  Although her real screaming occurred when she was attacked by a flock of 30 sea gulls as she was eating a bag of Doritos.  It was quite a sight to behold. Cal joked that he should have put some crushed chips in her belly button while she was laying out.

Looking for the perfect wave

And the perfect shells to bring home for every kid in her class.

Family...the greatest gift God has given me in life.

My mom said while we were down there that every age that she has reached has been rich and full...but if she had to pick a time that she would go back to it would be the years when my brother and sister and I were in our school days...when we were active, involved, dreaming, thinking, discussing under their roof.  The stage our kids are at right now.

These kids of ours...they are so quickly moving forward in their life's journey.  And before we know it, they will have moved on...

But now...Now is our time!

Ice Feathers

The landscape has been BLAH this winter.  Don't get me wrong...I'm not complaining about the warm temps or scarce snow this winter has provided.  But it's just so brown and dead! 

So when I awoke to frost adorning every tree branch, grass blade, and weed, my heart was made glad!

Overnight -- God made creation grow brilliant white feathers!

Welcome!

My baby sister has a baby son.  And I feel it again...how the heart breaks open to love another unconditionally.  I look into his eyes and he belongs and I simply love him. How is it that a heart keeps finding room to love yet one more?

And I watch my sister...I see how she looks at him.

A love that is fierce, protecting, adoring, consuming...does he know how much she loves him?

I remember laying next to Carter when he was probably 6 months old and we just stared at each other....gazing into each others eyes for a quiet moment.  This busy little boy simply held my gaze and his eyes didn't wander away.  And I thought in those moments..."I am this boy's world...he adores me...I am the woman by which someday he will compare other women."  It was a poignant moment because I realized that while he would hopefully always adore me...he would soon push the limits, disobey, argue and test me...and someday he would find another woman who he adored more.  But this was my time!

These are the precious moments my sister is living in...and I'm a bit jealous.

However, I also watch how she works hard to give equal attention to the 3 year-old darling who has had her world rocked by the entrance of baby Nico.  Oh Miss Corrie with the oozing imagination, please know that your Mama loves you just the same.

It's not easy...this new balancing act.  That part I would not be eager to return to.

I'll never forget when 2-year-old Paige hurled a block at 2-week-old Carter's head...leaving a blue lump.  I called Cal in tears. Who was this child that was was out for blood?

However, with some un-ending, yet tough, sleep-deprived love along the way, those days do end.

Granted, my kids still probably fight more than not, but they do love each other.  Funny how they can say the meanest things to one another, but anyone else says something negative about one of them and they have each others back.

So to my sis I say -- just keep on keeping on.  Days won't be perfect, but moments will.  Enjoy those.

And to Nico and Corrie I make this promise, Auntie Jen will always have your back.  I love you dearly.

Domestic Diva

If you know me at all, you know that I don't consider myself very creative when it comes to the home. But I'll let you know I do have my moments.  They are rare...but if I actually have enough time and inspiration, I can let my hidden baking and decorating genius shine.

It just so happens that one day this Christmas break I let the domestic diva in me come out of the closet.  I have recently become a bit addicted to Pinterest and found so many things I wanted to try.  I had a 6 hour stretch with nothing on the agenda and I set to work to make some goodies with the kids.  Funny how they each lasted about a grand total of a half an hour each, until they got distracted.  And I was left with a mountain-sized mess that reminded me why I don't often do this...6 hours in a kitchen is not exactly my paradise, but I was pleased with the outcome.

Now because of my time on Pinterest and certain blogs, I have also been inspired to start taking artistic pictures of my creations which I will share with you today.  (Actually, these serve as proof that I can be domestic!)

I began the day by making a Blueberry Coffee Cake -- Yum!  You can find the recipe here.

Next up, I candied pecans to serve on a salad.  These are absolutely delish and I recommend you visit this site and make them yourself.  Every Christmas I buy a bag of candied pecans because I love them so much and spend a fortune for them.  These were far less expensive and just as good!

Then I whipped up 3 batches of toffee for our neighbors which the girls and I delivered later that day.  (This is actually a microwave recipe from a friend that is so easy!)

We then thought it would be fun to make Peppermint Play Dough to give to my niece as an added little gift.  Another Pinterest idea found here.  I even decorated the jar!!

In the midst of all this, I also stuck a ham in the oven and made garlic mashed potatoes because our family of 5 was going to open our Christmas gifts this night.  And so we hauled out the few Christmas dishes that I have and set a pretty table.  Taryn wanted a candle light dinner, and we came up with this centerpiece idea from things we had in the house...a few up-side-down wine glasses and Christmas ornaments.

Not bad, huh?

Now if you check back in 3 years you might find a similar day, but likely...not until then!