calm

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It's that time of year again: School is right around the corner and everyone is trying to soak up the last official days of summer with vigor and sunscreen.

As I see my teacher friends posting ideas for their classrooms, it still hits hard a little bit that I don't have a classroom of my own to return to in a few weeks. [read about my decision here and here] I absolutely do not regret my decision to be home with Blythe in this season of life, but I do miss teaching. And I know I will until I return. And that is okay.

One of the best things about my decision to be home though is that I'm more flexible with how I get to use my time. It is interesting however, that though I'm obviously still doing a ton during my days here with Blythe, I still feel the need to fill up my time table or at least make it sound like I'm busier than I really am so people don't doubt that I'm still working.

Which is why this quote struck me the other day. "It's okay to be happy with a calm life." It is? That's not what everything and everybody around me tells me. I feel like everyone is supposed to appear busier than they are, which means if they really ARE busy they have to make it sound like they can barely stand on their own two feet because of their exhaustion. And we are supposed to think they are really great because they have so much on their plate.

You know what? I'm calling bull honky. You wanna know why? One of my favorite people this side of heaven is Grandma Pat. She is one of my favorites for a lot of reasons, but one of the major reasons? She never acts like she is busy.

She always has time to have a cup of coffee or share a slice of pie or sing a song to her great grandbabies. And for a woman in her late 80s, I would consider her life fairly busy- she usually has one to two doctor's appointments a week, not to mention all the others that she drives her friends to. She meets with several ladies in town. She never misses church. You get my point? She can fill up her calendar just like the rest of us. But when I call, she answers. She is never too caught up in the middle of something to let it go to voicemail. When we stop by, she sits and actually carries on a conversation, for hours if we want, regardless of what she was in the middle of when we rang the doorbell. I know, I know, I know. She's retired. I get that. But she is happy with a calm life.

This season of my life, of being home with my little, will not last forever. And though I am doing laundry and making meals and wiping a bottom all day, it is, for the most part, calm. And I am putting my foot down and I am going to be dern happy with it.

Join me?

little things

I was driving down the road today and was just thinking about little things.

And how little things add up to the biggest things of all in our lives.

For example:

Little things:

Brent's family was in Kansas until he was in 6th grade.
Brent's dad worked for Nabisco.
Nabisco had to let a lot of people go.
Brent's family moved.
Brent didn't grow up Baptist but became a part of the youth group at the Baptist church in his new town.
That Baptist youth group went on mission trips with other youth groups.
I grew up Baptist.
I went on a mission trip with Brent.

Big things:
Brent and I met and fell in love and got married and had a baby.

See how that worked out? Let's try it again.

Little things:
My mom grew up in NW Iowa.
My mom's sister grew up in NW Iowa.
My mom's sister married a guy from a small town in NW Iowa.
When I was little we would visit my mom's sister in that small town.
My mom's sister would take me and my sister to the small christian college's rec center and let us roller skate when we would visit.
That small Christian college stuck in our mind.

Big things:
Kali and I went to that college and earned great degrees and met life long and life changing friends and grew into more of the people we are today.

Little Things:

Brent went to a bible college.
Brent studied a lot of different things.
Brent took a church planting class.
His church planting class took place in New York.
A man spoke to his class while they were in New York.
That man was from a large church in Louisville, Kentucky.
Brent had read a book by Bob Russell, the founder of that large church, a while back, and remembered the name of that man.
That man started up a sports and fitness ministry at that large church in Kentucky.
That man told Brent about an internship.

Big things:
Brent applied for the internship and was accepted and therefore he and I started our marriage in Louisville, Kentucky, and met some of our very best friends and were shaped in ways that will affect us the rest of our lives.

Isn't that fun to see how all those little things add up to very big things at the core of who we are?

around here

I got a new camera lens the other day [50 mm 1.8]. I think I'm really going to like it. I haven't messed with it too much, but I have a very good little subject to help me out when I do. 

My great friend and incredibly talented photographer, Meagan, is showing me a few more ways to manually shoot, which inevitably will create better pictures. I have a long way to go, but it's fun. 

We are enjoying her so much these days. 

TRI-ing again

See what I did there with the title? 

It was that time of year again…time for Brent's triathalon, and time for me to wake up entirely too early to be there to see him jump in the pool at 7 a.m. 

But this year my dad was also joining in on the fun swimming, biking, and running. 

This is a super sprint triathalon. They swim 200 meters [harder than it sounds! Down and back twice in an Olympic sized pool! You go try it!], bike 8 miles, and then run 2.1 miles. The point one is very important. 

Brent did really well last year , and finished 24th overall. He of course wanted to improve his time this go at it, so he practiced the swimming a little harder before hand and was a little more strategic in his transitions.

He was out of the pool in no time and hopping on the bike, wearing the helmet that was dented in the front from his bike wreck at the beginning of the month with his brother in law.

I feel like now is a good time to mention he wore spandex pants. Obviously he looks okay in them, but Spandex is just weird.

He came in off the bike and got off of it like a pro. 

And then he was OFF…like a bullet. This guy can run. It's like what he was built for or something…or he trains like a mad man. He was in the top FIVE for fastest running split of the day! 

In the meantime, Blythe was cheering her dad and papa on with the best of them, while eating her breakfast because, well I drug her out of bed for this thing and I had to feed the poor girl!

Her cousin, Henry, and her Nini and PopPop even joined in on the festivities.

It really is a shame that no one pays any attention to her.

While we weren't watching Brent or making sure Blythe was fed and entertained, we were cheering on my dad! He wasn't super excited about the swimming portion, but he did well. I mean, this is the guy that used to plug his nose when he jumped off the diving board, after all.

Once he was out of the pool and on his bike though, I think he felt pretty comfortable and was able to make up some time on the road. 

There is a lot of spandex happening in the next picture.

Then it was time for the run.

His goal was to finish in an hour. His official time was 1 hour and 5 seconds! Sounds awesome to me! 

Brent's official time was 47 something. I'm drawing a blank. I'm sure he can tell you in the comments on this post [please, Brent?]. He shaved THREE MINUTES off his time last year. Awesome. He placed 18th overall and finished 2nd in his age group. 

They both did awesome and I think are already planning on doing it again next year.

Blythe was excited about Brent's medal. Look at the awe in her face.

Waking up at 6:30 and cheering hard really took it out of the poor girl though.

Here's to next year! [And you better believe I am not making any bets about THIS event!]