dan turns 30!

Yesterday Dan turned 30! I am officially married to a man in his 30s. Creepy. The babies and I went on a mission for most of the day to find him the perfect gift. I already knew what I wanted to get him, but we needed to test-drive the options. Dan has big plans of camping with Jackson... and eventually Audrey and Jonah... so we were after a tent. But, not any tent, a BIG tent that hopefully didn't feel so "tent'ish" if you know what I mean. And we found it, set up in the tent display at the "camping store" as Jackson called it. Our giant memory-maker that is hopefully as simple to set up as it claims to be. 

While on vacation we also celebrated Dan's birthday by surprising him with a mini-party complete with gluten-free cupcakes from a local bakery and a roasting of Dan's first 30 years. Before the trip I had asked his family to send me their favorite Dan memories... the highs and the comical lows. I had them on display and then we told and re-told all the memories that night, but here they are captured in headlines...

When he kicked Jess' wedding dress. -Sarah

When he was little, I had a small Christmas tree set up. One day I went downstairs and he had decorated it with his battle beasts. It was so cute! -Mom

Icky Woods. -Cher

All the times at Myrtle Beach. -Dad

I loved my frog decorations from Dan for Christmas one year... I didn't love the Bush bobleheads. -Sarah

When we got the call to meet him at the Brookville exit on 74. Someone had hit him in the trunk of his car. I asked him to open the trunk... he said he couldn't. I said, sure we can. The real problem was that he was coming home from Biggs with beer in the trunk. -Dad

Three of the best: Jackson, Audrey & Jonah. -Jess

The celebrity breaking down in the middle of Plainfield... all for some cheese sticks. -Cher

He loved Delsym (cough syrup) and the teenage mutant ninja turtles. -Beth

Driving up and down the highway in Chicago throwing money in the toll exits. -Brandon

Opening all the presents each Christmas. -Dad

The Fiero on Fire. -Cher

South Point, Hawaii. -Jess

A basketball game at St. Lawrence when he was in 4th or 5th grade... he dribbled down the court and made a layup at the end of the game to seal our victory. -Dad

After a nice visit to Purdue we got a call when we were at the Sunman exit. My sons were laying in the street fighting. What a night. -Mom

In high school when his friends would beg my friends and I to drive them places... and then would jump out of our car and run away. I have no idea why. -Jess

He lived off fruity pepples, lucky charms and bagel bites. -Cher

Dan was always a sneezer. Every morning he would sneeze like 17 times when we were getting ready for school. -Beth

The way you are with our babies... so.much.love! -Jess

Travelling around the state playing AAU basketball. -Dad

When Dan has a seizure when he was little and mom put him in the bathtub with all his clothes on and then he went to the hospital in an ambulance... and came home with a balloon! -Beth

Little League Championship. -Brian

His relationship with his Grandma Sue and Grandpa Charlie... he always called Dan "skillet" - not sure why. -Mom

Playing baseball at North Dearborn. -Dad

Getting him to kiss Rachel Beetz for a quarter. -Beth

Two of my favorite recent ones: all the signs he made for Joe's 60th and the flower and Mother's Day sign in the front yard. -Mom

Dan has always been the most resourceful person I know. And he's always the first person to jump in and help. -Beth

His many, many nights resulting in pee-filled bed sheets. -Jess

The phone call to come to the St. Leon exit on 74 (are you seeing a patter?...) this time the engine 'blew up' so we had to tow the car home, which was another adventure. -Dad

Purple dress... pretty little boy. -Mom

He would do anything you said if you would count how long it took him. We would say 'go run to the mailbox... 1, 2, 3... stop counting and then start again when he got close... 25, 26, 27.' -Cher

When he held Violet on a visit to Denver when she was just a couple of months old... very sweet. -Sarah

Edamame... why's this stuff so hard to eat? -Jess

All the fall break camping trips in Gatlinburg. -Dad

2007. Toby Keith Concert. Red Rocks. Brian and Dan. Big Trouble -Sarah

All the unfinished projects and your hobby graveyard in the basement... it drives me crazy but I wouldn't change it because it shows your energy and excitement for life. -Jess

Stories around the campfire with Uncle Phil at Redbrush and in Michigan. -Dad

His toast at our wedding. It was very thoughtful. -Sarah

Easter weekend

Happy Easter (a few days late)! This weekend we celebrated two momentous occasions: Easter and my niece Josie's first birthday. JP and I were really happy that Dan was able to stop by Josie's birthday party for a little bit on Saturday night and was also able to come to Easter service with Jackson and I on Sunday morning before going right back to work the rest of the weekend. Hopefully just about a month left of this craziness and then I can have my husband back and Jackson can have his "dada" back who he asks for all of the time- I miss our little (yet growing) family! It is times like these when Dan is not able to be around as much that I am so thankful that we are surrounded by so much family- so much love, support and encouragement. So, so thankful. 

a day at the museum

We all have our roles in this home renovation. Mine happens to be to get the little man out of the house (and out of the way) for days like today when Dan and the work crew know they are going to be especially loud (and especially dusty I might add). Throw in the fact that they had to turn off the water all day and I needed no more reasons to run far far away from this disaster that it is our home at the moment. 


So, off to the museum and to run errands we went. Jackson is feeling SO much better after our scare this week. It's amazing really and we are beyond thankful that he is out of pain and back to being himself. His happy, hyper, hilarious little self. 


After we checked off trips to the bank, the museum and Target we are back home and by some incredible miracle he is now taking a nap despite the loud, LOUD drilling and hammering happening directly below is bedroom. This child is the lightest sleeper ever, so when I say this is a miracle, I am seriously thinking this is a little gift from God. I may be being dramatic, but am still very thankful!

dreams are how we figure out where we want to go, life is how we get there.

warning: the following is a little glimpse into how my mind works. in over-drive. all the time. lots and lots of random thoughts that aren't actually so random to me, but they'll most likely appear that way to you- a little recap of the past few days.


1. last night jackson had his 1 year well check at the pediatrician. highlights include: he is in the 75th % for height and 45th for weight. tall & thin. dr. callahan said most likely from the "baby version of p90x" that jp puts himself through on a constant basis. the little guy basically runs everywhere, all the time. he is a mini Dan. other than that he is 100% perfect. i can't tell you how happy it makes me that we have been through an entire year with zero ear infections and zero antibiotics. 


2. unfortunately, speaking of health, dan seems to have caught the fever/sore throat/cough/runny nose little fiasco that jp and i suffered through this week.


3. the sun in shining today. this is HUGE news! lately the only thing seen coming from the sky has been ice and snow. sunshine, you are completely welcome here anytime. please visit us more frequently. i think someone else is also ready for spring- here is jp peaking outside earlier this week or as he says "ow-si"... 

4. i am making more purposeful attempts to detach myself more from technology. this is especially challenging for me when i'm working. in our office- as i'm sure is the case in most global corporate settings- when we're not in meetings we are tied to our computer screen, catching up on email, working on presentations, doing research, etc. it's almost as if we have this invisible elastic band tied to us and it snaps us back to our screens at any given moment- it's an addiction, really. well, personally, i find that my brain functions 200% more clearly away from the computer screen. so, yesterday, i rearranged my office space to allow for more "computer-less" work time. i have to tell you, even after just one day of making a more conscious effort to be less computer-dependent i felt so much more energized and productive!


5. i am eternally over-the-top grateful for these little pockets of full-on-energizing-conversations that i have during the work day with some of the most amazing women in my life. i love that we can go from 0-60 in 5 seconds- we can go from just passing in the office to discussing deep, meaningful stuff in no time. that ability is a very rare thing to find. i value it highly in my friendships. 


6. i'm still adjusting to the fact that i am the mother to a 1 year old. how did that happen? i have no idea. i feel like just last week dan and i were in high school, chatting it up on AIM and then talking on the phone until we would fall asleep. PS: HERE is what we were doing exactly 1 year ago today... it was our first full day home with our precious little man. 


7. dan sent me this link HERE earlier this week. don't let the name of the blog deceive you, this stuff applies to women just as well as men. we're going to go through this little exercise together. 


8. there was a little quote from church that keeps popping back into my mind. "live your life out loud so that others will see that Jesus is alive EVERYWHERE." i love that. and i feel like that's what i'm doing when i write, when i blog. i'm living my life out loud and i'm thankful for those that read along and in turn live their lives out loud- whether that be in their own blog or on facebook or in conversation or however. it allows us to all multiply our blessings and "wins" and divide up the tough times, weakening them and leaving them that much less tough. 


And, now time to get back to work. Thanks for the little coffee break!

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams." - Dr. Seuss

Yesterday was jackson's first birthday party. it was a seuss'ical good time. It was cold and snowy outside, but it was warm inside with a house full of love, all here for this little man who has forever changed our lives. Ironically identical to the feeling in the hospital this time last year. 

As I was gathering all things Dr. Seuss for his party, I started to realize just how genius that man was. Not only were his writings so entertaining for kids (and us big kids) all of all sizes, but the wisdom he poured out is timeless. Many things I pray and wish for Jackson and often wonder in what ways I will give these lessons to him... whether in words or in actions or sitting back and letting him learn on his own... well, all of these things Dr. Seuss summarizes up in his books perfectly.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..." 

"Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You." 

The MOST perfect cake. Not only what is the most adorable cake I have ever seen with the most stunning details, but to top it off it was the best-tasting gluten-free cake we have ever had. Thank you, Molly! Search "Molly Gaynor Cakes" on Facebook to see more of her creations.

Clearly, it was only fitting that Jackson eat his first piece of birthday cake off of this beautiful hand-painted plate made by Aedriel. Stunning! She is now selling this plate design on her Etsy shop here. The plan is to have such a plate made for each birthday so that he has a full set of the most amazing memory plates when he has a family of his own. 

The birthday party invite designed by another talented Etsy shop-owner- her shop is here. His shirt was also an Etsy-creation, that shop is here. What did people do before Etsy existed? 

My little man's monthly photos... 0-12 as seen here. 

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." 

  

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It's not." 

"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope." 

 

 

"Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" 

 

"In my world, everyone's a pony and they all eat rainbows and poop butterflies!" 

 

      

"You're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So... get on your way!" 

 

 

"So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life's A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you'll move mountains." 

"You’ll miss the best things if you keep your eyes shut." 

"There's no limit to how much you'll know, depending how far beyond zebra you go."