Happy Memorial Day!

Happy 1st Birthday K!

Sometimes the word "friend" just doesn't begin to cover it. We first met them before Jeremiah and I moved to Grand Rapids. We were newlyweds and they were on the brink of an engagement. We were thrown together by common friends and the voracious need to watch "Alias", a show to which we were all addicted.  A few months later we ended up in Grand Rapids and ran into each other at church.  We had our first double date where they honestly admitted that they were in the midst of a big fight and as we drove home I said to Jeremiah "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"(yes, I was quoting Casablanca). That moment of honesty has been the foundation of an incredible friendship. Fast forward almost eight years and now we're neighbors, our children play together, we frequently borrow eggs, sugar, shovels and lawnmowers. We are a part of a community. We do life together. Our friendship has had it's ups and downs. We've fought over big issues and miscommunications, and we have taken periods of much needed space, but ultimately we're there for each other. Jeremiah and I continue to be blessed by their friendship and I'd rather not think about what our lives would look like without them. 
Their son recently had his first birthday and I took a few pictures to commemorate the day.

 

Water Droplets

Sunday Evening

Sunday evenings on Lake Michigan are starting to become a habit with us.  This time we took a picnic dinner which I'm not gonna lie stressed me out a lot.  I'm not the cleanest person in the world but seeing my child eat his food while covered in sand did not sit right with me.  If anyone has any advice on how to make picnics on the beach work with children I'd love to hear them. The positives outweigh any negative eating experiences though and we had a great time.  My kids could play in the sand for hours and I, of course, could take pictures of them doing just that for hours.

This makes me smile.

Kate started pulling out this facial expression last week.  I was thrilled to capture it on camera.

Eli decided he wanted a turn at making faces too.

He chose a bicycle.

We went to a carnival celebration tonight at church. It was replete with inflatable games and fair food. We ate popcorn and Eli went down the mammoth slide all on his own.

Shadows in the sand.

Soon my busy life will be not so busy.  My insane schedule of driving Jer to work, taking the kids to the babysitter, going to work, picking up the kids I watch from school, picking up my kids from the babysitter (and that's all before noon on a Monday) will be drawing to a close.  I am thankful for this past year and grateful that it's almost over.  I am thankful for what it has taught me and am looking forward to the next season. This Mother's Day Jer suggested we head out to Lake Michigan for a bit. It was good for me. I love wide open spaces. It centers me and reminds me of what's important.  This past year I've learned that I enjoy caring for other people whether I'm paid for it or not. I've learned that I need to ask Jeremiah for help and not feel guilty when I do. I have come to understand our marriage as a partnership and leading each other means serving each other. I have learned that I would rather have Jeremiah clean the house with me for 20 minutes a night then have thousands of dollars worth of gifts. I've learned that even though being a mom is one of the things I value the most it's okay to want purpose and meaning outside of that title.
I expect that as my other responsibilities come to an end, this time of transition will not be easy.  I hope the things I have learned about myself this past year will stay fresh and will help me as I traverse the next season.
With hope,
Lindsay