Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

visiting family

Saturday smiles: family festive fun edition

We’re home.

That’s No. 1 on the list. No matter where we live, home will always bring a smile to my face.

In part, that’s because of the people we love. The weekend has been full of catching up with cousins, celebrating a marriage, meeting our nephew, spending time with aunts and uncles, and sharing life with family. What we lack the other months of the year, we pack into our short trips home. No matter how long we stay, it’s always too short.

Here are some pictures from the past few days. Of course, the weekly smiles post wouldn’t be complete without saying that it’s good to have the family back together. I missed the kids like crazy and even though they drive me crazy sometimes, I’m glad we’re all in the same state (crazy?) again.

Yeah, they’re angels. Including the monkey.

They were all dressed up for my brother’s wedding reception. Congratulations to Chris and Clara!

Best. Reception. Ever. And we’re so happy to have Aunt Clara in our family.

The kids haven’t really been to many weddings, and now that they’re older, we get experiences like these.

Daddy-daughter dance preview. She enjoyed her dance lesson.

And her very own big girl soda. (Oh, wait, we were in Chicago, so it was “pop.” Yes, Pennsylvania, you have converted us.)

I don’t know if this was the actual reaction to the lemon-lime taste or the excitement of being awake far later than normal. Or all of the above.

 The reception was the first chance for my brother, my cousin Shawn and me to all be in the same place at the same time for the first time in a VERY long time. It was Cousins Collide Part 1.

Part 2 took place at Uncle Jon and Aunt Cassie’s house when our kids met their cousin Kaiden for the first time.

Two things about this picture: a) This reminds me of every forced family photo I’ve ever seen. Someone in the photo is always visibly unhappy to be there. Thank you, Corban, for filling that role, and b) you can’t tell me these three aren’t going to find some way to get in trouble together. Man oh man are we in trouble.

(Side note: Phil was speaking in a list like this to Corban that day and said, “A, such and such …” and before he could continue, Isabelle said, “What’s “B” Dad?” It was sass-tastic if  I’ve ever heard it. Cute when she’s 4, not so much when she’s 14 and rolling her eyes at the same lecture we gave her a week earlier.)

It was so much fun to be able to feed Kaiden on our first meeting. I love narrating for babies, so in this picture, I think Kaiden is saying, “Look, man, are you sure you know what you’re doing? It’s been a while.” Actually, Phil is an accomplished bottle feeder because he and Isabelle had to share some bottle moments in her early months.

I’ve loved this little guy since the day he was born, and I love him even more now that I’ve met him in person.

We also got in a visit with Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Zach. Fun times at the park. FYI, if you’re anywhere near John Dixon Park, watch out for the “snakes.” Corban drew a bunch of them on the ground with chalk and said, “I’m not going to protect you.” You’ve been forewarned.

And the weekend isn’t even over yet. We’re off to see some fireworks tonight and visit Uncle Lewie tomorrow. Then it’s back to PA for, literally, God knows what.

A week without the kids was refreshing and somewhat productive. When I look back at all that happened in a short week’s time, I feel good and blessed.

May your week be full of blessings and may your eyes be open to see them!

Saturday Smiles: End of the year edition … and news on the blog for 2012

Happy last day of 2011!

We do a lot of remembering on New Year’s Eve, for good and bad, about the year that’s wrapping up, and we look on the coming year with hope and expectation.

Whatever 2011 held for you, I wish you every good thing in Christ for 2012.

Here are my weekly smile-makers. And read on for a preview of what you can expect on this blog for the new year!

We got a Wii for Christmas, and while trying out the swordplay game on Wii resort, I laughed so hard I think I scared my 3-year-old. My husband crushed me in the duel, and for some reason, it was funny to me. Laughing uncontrollably, for whatever reason, is a guaranteed smile-maker, even after the fact.

My son and his “tiny wittle bear.” I’m not sure how this started, but he got this little stuffed bear for Christmas, and now when he looks for it, he says, “Where’s my tiny wittle bear.” Totally adorable. Perhaps not the best picture, but I wanted to capture the moment before we lost the bear. I nearly left him at a rest area on the Pennsylvania Turnpike yesterday.

Holding babies. Though we didn’t meet our nephew yet, we did meet and see my husband’s cousins’ new babies. There are four this year, not counting our nephew. Babies fascinate me. I always wonder what they’re thinking. Plus, they’re easier to talk to than grown-ups sometimes.

Our son decided that his Christmas present to us would be learning to do this.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIT4QFbRK88]

This morning, he climbed out of his crib before I could go in to get him. And he ended his 3-hour nap by strolling into the living room unannounced and carrying no less than three of his sleeping friends. Toddler bed, here we come.

Our daughter’s personality. It has blossomed of late, and she is sporting a major ‘tude. In the coming months, I sense there could be more drama in this house than a high school theater club.

Endings are never fun for me, but a song I’ve always liked says that “every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” So, the end of the year brings new beginnings.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2012. A trip to Disney. My husband’s graduation from seminary. And the great unknown after that.

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So, speaking of 2012 …

I don’t consider it a New Year’s resolution, exactly, but I’ve wanted to get on a more regular blogging schedule for a while. This year, I’m going to give it a shot, for my sake and yours.

Here’s what you can expect:

My Cup of Tea — Okay, so I usually start the day with coffee, but I do enjoy a good cup of tea, too. On Mondays, I’ll start the week blogging about something that’s been rolling around in my mind that I just can’t keep to myself. I’ll pretend we’re talking over coffee or tea, and I’ll tell you what I think or how something has impacted me, and you can tell me if you agree or disagree. I love conversation and thinking about things in a new way.

The Weekly Read — On Wednesdays I’ll post a review of a recent book I’ve read. Through Christian Speakers Services, Blogging for Books (Waterbrook Multnomah), Tyndale Blog Network and BookSneeze (Thomas Nelson), I have regular access to Christian fiction and non-fiction, but I’d like to branch out. If you’ve read something good recently, I’d love to hear about it! I recently joined GoodReads, so you can see what I’m reading or want to read, or send me a recommendation.

Saturday Smiles — I’ll continue to write about the things that have made me smile that week. In the couple of months since I started this exercise, I feel like I’ve noticed the positive things happening in my life more, and I’ve let the negative parts of the week go a lot more easily. It’s been a good, life promoting addition to my week.

I may find reason to stray from this schedule from time to time, but for the most part, you’ll know what’s coming.

Happy New Year! And thanks for reading!