Simon Says BLOG!

Ollie- Our newest family member

2011-11-17T14:48:00.001-05:00

For years David has wanted to add a dog to our family. He has been talking about rescuing a Greyhound since I met him and then about 8 years ago he started talking about Italian Greyhounds.

I didn't know anything about greyhounds or most dogs for that matter. I did have 3 dogs while growing up that I loved and I feel very strongly that if you are going to have pets that they are a part of the family and should be treated as such. So....that meant I didn't want any. I figured I already had enough to do. (Selfish maybe, but this blog is about transparency).

Over the last year I have been more and more open to the idea of adding a pet to the family. We have a gap in the ages of our kids and many times people have commented that it'll be like having two little families. I detest that idea. I want us to be one big family. We are very initial about how we structure our kids activities and our time together so that we function as a family of six. I had already starting getting sentimental about the idea of David having the dog he's wanted since we got married, add to that the bonus of the kids sharing memories and experiences of the same pet and I was ready to take the plunge.

I started doing research and seeing what the options for rescue were available in the DC area. I found a great organization called the Italian Greyhound Club of America. We completed the application, had a home visit, spent time with several IGs (or Iggys) and in just over six weeks, on Sep 28th, we got to bring home Ollie!

He is WONDERFUL! I am so glad that he joined our family. Ollie is a great dog and a joy. The kids adore him. He loves to cuddle and burrow in blankets and believe it or not, he rotates whose bed he sleeps in. Ollie is 8 years old and in great health. Hopefully, we will have many years together.

1st Day of Pre-K

2011-11-17T14:16:00.001-05:00

A week after the older boys started school, it was Sybella's turn. It's her third year of preschool and now she is in a Pre-Kindergarten Class. Honestly, I wondered how she would adjust to the extra hours of school this year and interestingly enough, it wasn't her but little brother who struggled to adjust. After having all the kids at home for the summer, Cooper didn't like having none of his buddies around. He's fine now but clearly, I am not as much fun as I thought I was. :o)

First Day of School 2011

2011-10-27T14:49:00.000-04:00

September 6th was the older boys' first day of school. They were excited to be starting a new year. Connor is in 5th grade this year and Colin is in 8th grade. They are definitely young men now.

They were gracious enough to pose for pictures and even to allow their pajama-clad littles to join them. And boy, were the littles tired- the middle school bus comes early!

First Slumber Party

2011-10-24T16:19:00.000-04:00

The week before school started Sybella finally had the opportunity to have her very first slumber party. It was particularly important for Sybella to have her friend Kylee over for one last extended play date before Kylee started kindergarten. The girls have been best friends for as long as they can remember (literally)! They have been in church, play groups, Bible Studies, Small Groups, and even 2 years of preschool together, not to mention numerous shopping trips, play dates, and lunches. But, with birthdays 3 months apart, Kylee meets the cutoff for starting school this year and Sybella didn't. Fortunately, the ~~pain~~ sadness, drama, and absolute realization of this sunk in for Sybella in the spring so, now it's just about harnessing the last moments of summer.

The girls dressed in their PJs from the American Girl Store trip in June and proceeded to giggle, play, giggle, play, giggle, play and not sleep very much. They had a blast!

Who could've known then that Sybella would have Kylee's Ollie the Otter over for the night and just a a month later our family would get a rescue dog named Ollie.

What beautiful friends! They don't get to see each other as often now with school in full swing, but they are still managing to find some quality time to hang out. :)

11th Birthday!

2011-10-24T15:42:00.000-04:00

On Aug 21st, Connor turned 11 years old. I can't believe how fast time flies! He is an amazing young man.

In early August, we had a party for Connor at our pool including: swimming, table tennis, tetherball, pizza, cupcakes, and more.

Not only did Connor have many friends attend but his cousins were able to attend as well.

Cooper and Andrew (cousin)

The AMAZING Birthday Boy

Sybella and Hannah (cousin)

Although he is now one year older, Connor is a joyful soul and I hope he always stays a kid at heart!

Happy Birthday Son!

Family Vacation

2011-10-24T13:23:00.000-04:00

This year for our family summer vacation we again went back to Myrtle Beach, SC. The kids love this vacation spot and asked to return this year.

This year Sybella and Cooper were both able to really enjoy the waves and sand...

We always boogie board while we are at the beach but this year, the boys also used the skin (skimmer) boards to glide across the top of the water in the shallow areas. And yes, our most adventurous child, Cooper, spent lots of time trying to figure it out. He discovered it's harder than skateboarding. :)

We had 7 days just swimming, running in the sand, building castles, and enjoying the sun. It was amazing! David took a special day with each of the kids to do something one-on-one that they wanted to do. He took Colin golfing. Connor chose a 3D movie, Sybella took him shopping. And Cooper took him outside for a walk and to throw the ball (every day---apparently, the youngest gets more dates!)

The Big Doll House

2011-10-23T13:39:00.002-04:00

I have a friend who calls The American Girl Store the Big Doll House...and that it is! I had a chance to visit the store when David and I were in New York last year. In June, a brand new store opened in Tyson's Corner. I knew that the first time I took Sybella I wanted her to bring her Bitty Baby (Sophie) and have lunch at the cafe.

So, the week it opened, we had a girls' day. Sybella and I, along with my mom went for lunch and our friends Shauna and Kylee joined us. We made reservations for opening week over 2 months in advance--- who could've known this was the toughest reservation in DC to get?

The girls LOVED it and now Sybella is asking for both her first of the American Girl Dolls and wants to have her birthday party there....we'll have to see about that.

Getting ready to eat.

The girls loved the high chairs for their babies.

Taking home their wares

Father-Daughter Dance

2011-10-23T13:14:00.000-04:00

On June 18th, David got a special Father's Day gift. He and Sybella attended a Father-Daughter Dance. It was a special date night. There was dancing, games, activities, and lots of fun had by them both!

Daddy even picked out and bought Sybella a special new dress for the event.

How adorable!

Virginia's Gold Cup

2011-10-22T09:28:00.001-04:00

In early May, David and I had the opportunity to attend Virginia's Gold Cup in The Plains, Virginia. For those who don't know, this is a horse race on a grass track. It is great fun. There is food, hats, horses, more hats, seersucker suits, the races, and lots of socializing. Thanks to our friends Jamil and Lambeth for inviting us!

Cooper's Second Birthday

2011-10-22T09:11:00.001-04:00

For Cooper's Second Birthday, April 25th, we decided to have a family party. Here are some great shots of the Birthday Boy. He enjoyed everything about the day-- singing, clapping, cupcakes, candles, presents, and of course, ALL of the attention on him!

Camping!

2011-10-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Over Spring Break (April 2011), David and the older boys went on their first camping Trip. They spent three days in the Shenandoah National Park. We aren't campers (anymore...we did enough of that when we were in the Army). But, David wanted to create a special Father-Son Memory and he felt like the best way to do that was to take all of them a bit out of their comfort zones, away from their electronics (His and the Kids') and just have some fun! They enjoyed hiking, climbing, and Smores-making.

My Running

2011-08-11T10:08:00.001-04:00

I have now had the opportunity to process for 48 hours and I am ready to share what the Sports Medicine doctor told me Tuesday. As suspected, my injury is plantar fasciitis. I had this 5 years ago and successfully treated it, but it's back.
Unfortunately, I have a much further progression than I have ever had before. Ultrasound shows that at the point of connection to my heel bone, the fascia is measuring 7mm in thinkness (swelling) with a 4mm pocket of fluid surrounding it. Looks like it was heading towards rupture...not good.
The solution: no running for 3-6 weeks with physical therapy (2x/wk) and cross-training (3-5x/wk), then reevaluate. If it heals, back to running with modifications (gait, stretches, etc.). We would evaluate other options such as five fingers or shoes with orthotics at that point. If the fascia is not healed at 6 weeks, we will talk about interventions (steroid injection potentially- ouch).
I do not have a bone spur and I do not desire surgery. I am a runner. I want to run long into the future. So as heartbroken as I am, I am going to get well and focus on the long-term. And, yes, that means no Marine Corps Marathon for me this year.

~(a VERY sad) Sharon

Listening

2011-07-14T11:26:00.000-04:00

I am a rule follower. I have said it often and it's never really bothered me that I follow rules. I mean, doesn't that mean that I have integrity? I suppose in moral evaluation rule following is great but I have discovered over this summer that it can also be a pressure point or a driver to some of my behaviors (can all my nurse friends say OCD).
I am marathon training. It's a feat! It's harder than I ever anticipated. It's as much mental as physical and sometimes I even wonder if mentally I've gotten soft (b/c I wouldn't have in the past considered myself soft). So, I have found that I lean to my "rule-follower" tendencies to keep me on track with my training plan. If the plan says I am running 6, 3, 5, 7, 12 this week then in the past, that's what I would be running...no matter what. Injury, fatigue, schedule, life, crisis, nothing would stop me. But I have found that this training is a "marathon, not a sprint" -- pun intended. I MUST LISTEN to my body; sometimes it can do the plan, sometimes it needs the plan to be modified. If I want to make it to Race Day healthy and prepared (mentally and physically), there has to be a balance between my listening skills and my "rule following." I know this is likely not news to many of you out there but this is a true epiphany for me. And, it doesn't just apply to running, it applies to life.
I said to a friend last week that I have discovered: I am best off when I allow guilt to result in grace.
My new commitment to myself is now to keep the end in mind and listen before I act.

~Sharon

Car Adventures

2011-06-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

This week was hectic and I had a son who was sickish (long story). I didn't realize how off kilter I was until Friday though...here's the story:

Thursday, I came out to my Tahoe, we were in a rush, as you often are with 4 kids. I noticed immediately that something wasn't right. My steering seemed sluggish and there was an "engine overworking" sound to the car when I got above 45 mph. There were no "alert" lights or indicators on. The tires seemed fine. So, I kept going to my destination with a cautious driving stance. It became clear thru the day that this was not a temporary issue. There was definitely something wrong with my vehicle. I suspected power steering or drive belt. I called the mechanic and told them the symptoms and said, "it's almost like when I drive in 4-wheel drive but worse." The mechanic said that could check it the next morning.
On Friday, I took it in and had an hour to kill with the 2 youngest kids. We walked a mile to enjoy a slurpee and visit the local fire station. When we returned to the garage, my mechanic told me, it's done- you guys are ready to go. I was surprised and asked what was wrong with it. He chuckled and told me, Nothing.
What?! I knew that couldn't be right; something was definitely wrong with my truck. I looked at him quizzically and he said, "you know how you said that it was driving sorta like it was in 4-wheel drive? Well, it was in 4-wheel drive...you must have hit the button accidentally or one of the kids did. The indicator light is hard to see in the sunlight, especially if you didn't mean for it to be on. (I think he was just being gracious.)
He told me that he checked out all the belts and fluids and everything looked great. He didn't even charge me for the time and effort he spent on it. All in All, "no problem, no charge" was a great thing to hear from the mechanic but I still felt silly!
There will be no more "driving" for the little kids and no more trips to the mechanic without checking the 4-wheel drive light for me. :0)

~Sharon

Doing great...simply?

2011-05-08T09:43:00.004-04:00

I am always amazed how people will throw money at a problem. Recently I have been more interested in the behavior of people working in austere condition throughout the world. When a decision is made to spend money and the end result is something that lacks longterm viability. A recent example was the purchase of a large generator for a village. Turns out the generator runs on petroleum which is near impossible to find in this region. The point...LOTS OF MONEY spent in a solution that didn't work. This morning I watched Arvind Gupta speak on the simplicity of toys that also serve as teaching aids. I love his passion, simplicity, and the great things he is empowering people to accomplish...and all of this at MINIMAL COST!

Enjoy...David

Family Picture

2011-04-12T23:54:00.001-04:00

I have lots of photos and videos that I want to get out but the best place to start is probably with our most recent family photo; It ain't easy to get 4 kids on a couch smiling, looking in the right general direction, and interested in the 40th photo of the day, while at the same time having the parents stop giving instructions long enough to smile. The kids did pretty good!

~Sharon

Meltdown

2011-03-18T14:41:00.002-04:00

All the parents reading this title know exactly what a meltdown is...it's the moment at which your child's resources, reserves, and rational responses evaporate. Usually a meltdown comes when they are beyond tired, in a growth spirt, & haven't eaten. The trigger for the meltdown is totally unrelated to it's cause and is usually so ridiculous that the parent can't see it coming. One minute everything is fine and then you put lunch on the blue plate instead of the green plate and it's as if lightening has struck. There is no real solution to the meltdown. It requires time, rest, food, love, and patience. Once it passes, it's over; over that is, until the next time.
Interestingly, meltdowns are not exclusive to children. They are universally human.
They happen when our margin is gone. Think of margin like the margin on a sheet of paper. It's there for a reason. It gives the visual boundaries necessary to write and read a page properly. It's a place for a teacher or editor to put notes or corrections. It's a place to put extra or forgotten information.
In everyday life, margin is our reserve - the place where we absorb unexpected or overloading circumstances to our time, emotions, & finances. The margin is a temporary extension of our abilities. We are designed to live inside the boundaries of the margins; we can only sustain expenditures of time, efforts, or finances to a certain amount and then to need rest and restoration.
When we find ourselves instead living IN the margins on a consistent basis, we are on dangerous ground. We are going to be prone to meltdowns and unfortunately, the meltdown isn't the worst of it-- it can get much worse. It can lead to financial ruin, unbearable stress, decreased effectiveness, health problems, damaged relationships, and much more. The meltdown is your warning. It's a red flag that says, "Get back inside the margins before you break or break someone else."
Last week, I had a meltdown. I don't even know what the trigger was- I can't remember. But I know that I was reduced to a child-like meltdown. Tears and all. I had spent the week living IN the margins.
In no particular order these were the circumstances:
1. sick kid
2. no quality sleep x3 days
3. major project due for a kid
4. kid with classes 2 nights that week
5. orchestra concert
6. week 2 of my diet
7. race training (running)
8. spouse out of town for 10 days
9. unexpected (bad) interim school report for a kid
10. 2 projects due for my non-profit volunteer work
11. First week of swim lessons
12. Sore throat and allergies for me
and who knows what else.....
Thankfully, it was late in the evening. I put the kids in bed and just fell to my knees (literally) to pray. I love our big family and I support my hubby's travel schedule, but sometimes in managing it all, I forget that I don't have to carry it all too. God wants to carry it with me and for me.
Over and Over again, I see how Psalms 40:1-3 rings true in my life:
"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire.
He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord."

I am glad this meltdown was short and now I have a re-centered perspective for both my kids' meltdowns and an a reminder to stay out of the margin.
~Sharon

Lent 2011

2011-03-09T17:01:00.001-05:00

Lent is defined by the Merriam-Webster's Online dictionary as: the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern, and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting.
The interesting thing that jumps out at me is that the definition says 'weekdays' - I have always given up things every day from Ash Wednesday until Easter...So, theologians, is it only weekdays and if so why is it only weekdays? Does that mean that you indulge as much as possible on Saturday and Sunday? Somehow that just doesn't seem right to me.
Curious musings aside, this year I am giving up something that is not easily named. I guess I would call it blind indulgence. I have not been treating my body much like a temple (valued home) lately.
So, I am going to be keeping up a food journal thru the course of lent and utilize it to acknowledge how fatigue, poor choices, complacency, and stress are affecting me physically, mentally, and spiritually. This should help me to make choices without blind indulgence (the idea that if I don't know or pay attention, I am not responsible.)
How about you? What are you giving up for Lent?
~Sharon

Connecting Habits

2011-02-24T13:01:00.000-05:00

When David I and first got engaged, he began to take my hand whenever we prayed. Whether we were in a corporate, small group, or private setting, every time prayer started, he would reach out and take my hand. It became a habit, not even a habit, but more of an expectation, something that we enjoyed. It connected us- physically and spiritually. Then a day came when if he was distracted and didn't reach for my hand, I reached for his- I had joined the habit.
I can't think of a time when we haven't held hands for prayer, if there was any way to be near each other at that time. Rarely, we'll pray over a meal at a large holiday gathering and we'll be on opposite sides of the room and just can't get to each other; in that case, we make eye contact before we bow our heads.
Now, this isn't a compulsion...it's a point of connection, a habit we developed rather unintentionally years ago. But, it's amazing. Why is it amazing?
Because in the good times and the bad, we connect.
Let's be honest marriage isn't easy. Two people falling in love and wanting to sacrifice a lot over the course of a lifetime, is a miracle in itself. There are going to be bumps along the way. Tough times, disagreements, frustrations, they will all happen. Having a 'connecting' habit is a great way to bring you back physically, emotionally, and spiritually to the good between you. It's a reminder that the bad isn't so bad and that 'this too shall pass.' There may be times, when these little connecting habits are all you've got or at least the best you've got in the communication department. I am not talking about when someone didn't do the dishes for the 100th time, even though it was their turn. I am talking about when there is a job change, a job loss, excessive work hours, disagreements over kids, money problems, addictions, extended family disputes, health crisis, mental instability, persistent schedule obstacles, and any number of other things a couple may face.
The simplistic beauty in this habit is that it's not entirely dependent on us. Even if we don't find (or prioritize) a time to pray together alone, we are going to be exposed to prayer- at church, in small groups, at meal time, at weddings, in lots of different places.
I wish we could say we planned it; this connecting habit is honestly one of the best things that ever happened to us...and we did it on accident!
And now, I am thrilled to say that the habit has spread to our kids. They love to try and reach out to grab our hand before we can even reach for theirs.

What habits do you have with a spouse, child, or other family member that connect you no matter what's going on in life?
What connecting habit would you like to start now?

~Sharon

Balance

2011-02-18T09:36:00.002-05:00

I came to the conclusion this week at the gym that I have not been pushing myself enough. Now, I am a regular at the gym and even though sickness laid me off a lot in the last 2 months. I work hard and I'm in good shape; I run 10-20 miles a week- that's pushing yourself enough, isn't it?
Yesterday, I reaffirmed for myaelf that it isn't.
I was doing abs (which I hate and have done 3 of the last 5 days) and found myself pushing super hard for the last 10, then I let out a deep sound that mixed the 'out loud sigh' and a groan. The kind you should make when you are pushing to the next level of growth. Training, changing, and growing should hurt. Not hurt in a painful way but hurt in the 'I'm getting something for my effort and it's something worth having' way.
Why was I doing abs? Well, I don't like the way my abs look or feel but the bigger reason is that my core is weak and it has been contributing to other potential problems with my hips and knees. When parts of our body are out of balance then the other parts of our body must compensate. Usually it's not in a good way either.
This brought me to revisit the idea of balance as it relates to my life, not just exercise.

Why is it that when we are pushing in one area we slack off in others?
Work and Family
Cardio and Weights
Children and Spouse
Faith and Obligations

You name it, we struggle as humans (I know I am not the only one) to find a good balance.
A friend of mine long ago talked about faith, family, finance and fitness as the four spokes on a wheel. The wheel will be flat and not rotate if all four areas aren't in balance and in the case of fitness, there may be an internal wheel made up of Cardio, Stretching, Weights, and Nutrition.
It has been a 2 year journey for me to get back to looking at stretching, weights, and nutrition in addition to my cardio craze and you know what? until I got all four in balance I could only achieve sub-optimal results and risk getting hurt!

Is part of your life out of balance? Why? Do you want to fix it? How will you do it?

Indecent Proposal?

2011-02-17T14:06:00.001-05:00

I don't know that I would blog about this normally but with all the unrest in the Middle East and Africa, I don't know that this huge piece of legislation got enough attention, so I am doing my small part to create consideration and discussion.
Yesterday, the Senate voted to extend the Patriot Act for ninety days to give the House and Senate a chance to come to agreement or compromise regarding the future. The House had already voted to extend the act until December. The White House also supports extension of the act. (reference: BBC) Items covered in the act include: extension of wiretaps, access to business records, and surveillance of terror suspects, among other things.
I understand why this bill came into existence following the September 11th attacks and I can understand why it had so many supporters (and opponents). I had just exited the military less than a month prior to 9-11-01 and was still working at a military hospital. David was serving on active duty in intelligence at the time. There were definite concerns about further imminent attacks on American soil. There was a perceived if not real threat with significant potential consequences. I had questions and concerns when it became law in October 2001 and almost 10 years after the it's creation, I still have to ask some questions when it comes to the Patriot Act. I won't answer these questions for you, I just pose them here as something to be considered:

1. Does its provisions compromise the constitutional rights of Americans?

2. What freedoms, if any, should Americans be willing to trade in the name of intelligence gathering?

3. If/When the act is in place (including it's standing since 2001) should it's provisions be limited by time (called 'sunsets'), for example, should it's powers be considered a necessary requirement for 12, 24, or 36 months following an attack on American soil-- with the ability to reinstate the act following new attacks? ---this is how the act was originally designed and each time a sunset was reached, it's measures were extended or made 'permanent.'
4. What results have we actually achieved thru the Patriot Act? (Realistically and maybe necessarily, we will never have an accurate answer to this question, it's more rhetorical in nature.)
5. Is loss of dues process a worthwhile trade for gathering intelligence here in the US even if that intelligence stops an attack? --since activity related to use of the Patriot Act is usually protected information, for reasons of National Security, when an error is made under the act (a person under surveillance, detained, or resources seized in error), is recompense ever made to those affected?

After asking all these questions, I have to caveat that oversees intelligence collection is a different ball game; I do not question the government's (Intelligence agencies and Dept. of Defense) need to collect intelligence oversees. Also, I don't think that non-citizens are necessarily entitled to the same rights against surveillance that US citizens are entitled here in the US.
The conclusion I come to regarding the Patriot Act is that it is a slippery slope. It feels a little like a movie I saw long ago called Indecent Proposal. Maybe you've seen it. It's about a couple in need of money to fulfill a dream and avoid financial ruin. They go to Vegas and gamble what they have in search of the needed funds. They lose their money and are approached by a millionaire who offers $1million dollars for a night with the wife. The couple agrees to this 'deal' and signs a contract because this would solve their financial problems.
They learn the hard way that life is complicated. Following that night, they aren't just able to forget about their compromised marriage and how they managed to get the money.... the sacrifice looked reasonable in the beginning. They justified their choice, but in the end, they had given up something that they couldn't just forget about and couldn't be replaced. This couple nearly destroys themselves in the process.
I am concerned that the price of the Patriot Act is just too great.
Is congress accepting an indecent proposal on our behalf?
Thoughts?
~Sharon

**Please note: Although this blog downloads to 2 Facebook accounts and a Twitter account. It is the sole opinion and commentary of Sharon R. Simon. This blog is not the work or opinion of David E. Simon or his employer, Mission Essential Personnel.

How was your day?

2011-02-14T08:04:00.000-05:00

Years ago, I made a conscious decision that I would become intimately familiar with what David does for a living (even back when I worked). Why would I do this? Certainly not so that I could have burdens to bear and stress to endure or because I don't have enough to think about. For me, it was a decision about how to best partner with him in marriage.
For David (and for many men I suspect) so much of what is going on with him emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually is tied up with what he is going thru, achieving, chasing, or dealing with at work. Knowing what he does and how he processes it, as well as the dynamics of his workplace have helped me to listen, understand, know how to pray for & with him, as well as give advice or have discernment about a situation from a different perspective (when he asks of course).

Now there are several key components to doing this:
1. I am only familiar with David's workplace and co-workers from his perspective (and there are 2 sides to every scenario). If an issue arises, I often just listen or simply ask him to think of it from the other person's perspective.
2. I think about his work, job endeavors, and career path as "ours." And it is ours- we make those decisions together and I live with the commitment, hours, and travel required, picking up all the extra slack. BUT, he is the one who owns them everyday so I have to remind myself that my attachment to them is for his benefit First, not mine.
3. I try (very hard and fail often, and yet keep trying) to only give advice or an opinion when asked.
4. I visit the office for various things and engage with co-workers often; I interact and build relationships as the opportunity presents itself without regard to office politics and challenges-- they are always changing and I don't need to concern myself with those.
5. David has always worked with women and many times needed to travel with them. Knowing each of these women (and their spouses if they have them) creates a natural protection for my marriage. There is a clear knowledge and respect by these women for David's wife and family and therefore a decreased opportunity that a inappropriate or uncomfortable situation could present itself. ***This is not because I have anything to worry about where David or his co-workers are concerned! This is just SMART, PROACTIVE, marital strategy.

The idea of really understanding the answer when you ask "How was your day?" may not appeal to you but I have learned that even in the busiest seasons of our lives, this practice has helped keep us connected. I'd encourage you to find out one new thing this week about how your spouse spends his/her day.

~Sharon

A New Stage of Life

2011-02-12T23:36:00.002-05:00

It's not unusual with four kids to feel like you are in Taxi Driver Stage- the time in which you seemingly serve only as a means of transportation for everyone's activities. This stage occurs a few years after Bessie the Milk Cow Stage- filled with breast or bottle feeding CONSTANTLY and the Potty Pooper Stage- a time in which your party IS the potty, poop, accidents, back-breaking hovering and much clothes washing. None the less, the Taxi Driver Stage is as time consuming and messy (and filled with sheer joy and laughs!) as the stages before it.
Today, however I got a glimpse of a total different stage that I had never seen before (not sure that I like it either). I'm calling it the Mass Exodus Stage- the stage at which you don't just run your kids around, dropping them off for an hour or two, rushing back to pick them up again. In this stage, the kids are old enough to have day-long or in fact, weekend-long activities, routinely; I'm not just talking summer camp. I'm talking regularly scheduled calendar-worthy all-day activities. What?! Next, you'll tell me that they'll be driving (in just 3 short years) to these things- I may end up calling that the Scared S*#@less Stage.
HOW did I get here?
Well, an egg meets a....oh, sorry, I meant- How did I come to this revelation today?
Connor is in Ohio with his aunt and uncle this weekend. Colin spent Saturday snowboarding with his small group and then, to compound the sense of exodus, Sybella, my 4year old, went out to play with a 1st grade neighbor and her older brother. I was left at home with just one young son. That's a 75% reduction in labor, distraction, entertainment, and sweet, sweet moments. To top it off, David left for a week-long business trip- so he couldn't even make it feel like I was getting much deserved time off from the work of motherhood.
I am tearing up just writing this. I typically celebrate the passing of stages and talk fondly of a time in life without the obligations that come along with kids- but this weekend, the Mass Exodus made me stop and 'feel' their departures. I have SO much respect for the moms I know who are sending first and second children off to college. I am saying a long prayer of thanks today that I have an 11 year span between my oldest and youngest- at least I will get to ease into these stages of aging children that lead us to the Empty Nest.

What Stage are you in right now? What do you love best about it?
~Sharon

Mom Chat

2011-02-11T14:45:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I had the humbling opportunity to do a Mom's Chat for about 15 women hosted by my friend, Brooke. The idea was that I would give information on several topics from my experiences, errors, and lessons learned with our 4 kids and then there would be a time for Q&A. We didn't get a chance to do much Q&A due to starting a bit late and the fact that I prepared too much content (in fear that I wouldn't have enough- the thought of being unprepared is torture to me); but, amazingly enough, I think it went exactly the way it was supposed to go.
As I worked thru my preparation for the event and praying for both the event and the women involved, I kept expecting that God would give me exactly the parenting information that would help and encourage the women attending and.... he didn't! Instead he gave me two things to share that are awesome and I thought they might be an encouragement to others of you.
The first is the idea that Jesus knows exactly what burden each of us is carrying and although the burden may not seem big to anyone else, it's big to us; he knows it, and he wants to be in the middle of it with us-- we just have to let him. How reassuring is that! There is no one I'd rather have with me in the middle of my biggest challenges than Jesus.
The second thing I shared was that negative self-talk is discouraging and destroying women in awful and unnecessary ways. We talk to ourselves, criticize, and undermine ourselves with words and unforgiveness that we wouldn't use on our worst enemies. (At least I know that I have talked to myself that way.) I asked the ladies to write on a card something that they have been self-talking that they wouldn't admit to their best friend, their husband, or God himself. I encouraged them to destroy the card or better yet, leave the card with me or a friend as a symbol of the finality of this negative self-talk in their lives. Several women left cards with me and others have shared their cards with friends. It's amazing the steps that can be taken to break damaging behaviors with one 3x5 card!
So grateful for the opportunity to share my journey with the intent of helping and encouraging other women. Also especially grateful to Shauna, Tracy, Brooke, Lora, Glenda, Terri, Tobi, Kim, and Eileen for encouraging me- and speaking things into my life to help me be and live better!
~Sharon

Live out Loud

2011-02-05T20:08:00.002-05:00

Lately, the blog has turned into a simple scrapbook of our lives; it's been a place where I attempt to post at least two-three times a month a recollection of our family events and pictures of the kids for all our friends and family across the world.
In 2011, I will be ramping up some content (of subjective quality) that is more a sharing of thoughts in an attempt to Live Out Loud. I will of course keep the pics of the kids and the events of our lives- I just want to give the blog some depth in 2011.
Stay tuned for new posts soon!

Skiing!

2011-01-11T16:25:00.000-05:00

Just before Christmas we took the kids skiing. David has been skiing many times but none of the rest of us had ever skied before. Colin and Connor elected to snowboard and had a blast. Sybella, David, and I skied. Cooper got to play in the snow a bit but mostly he hung out at the lodge or with the other young kids at the lodge childcare center. Our best friends, the Oswalds, went too and it was so much fun to vacation again together! It was a short two days of skiing but it was an awesome family time.

Visit with my Young Cousins

2011-01-02T17:05:00.001-05:00

On New Year's Eve, I got a special & spectacular treat: I got to spend the day and evening with my littlest cousins. They are 10 and 8 and yes, they are my first cousins. My dad's older brother Carl got married for the first time a bit later than his brothers. He and his wife, Susan, although my Aunt and Uncle, have always felt a bit more like cousins since we have gotten married and had kids in the same general time frames. So, it was a bit surreal (yet totally amazing) hanging with their family on Friday and spending time with Sienna and Cade who are younger than my oldest children. We had a great time and had the blessing of spending some time with Susan's family as well.

Candy for my Stocking

2010-12-27T23:10:00.000-05:00

As a child, I got a LifeSavers Storybook (8 packs of LifeSavers) in my stocking every year. This year, my mother gave me a singular pack of Wild Cherry LifeSavers (my favorite flavor) in my stocking and I could't be happier! I am on the way home from NYC (an awesome trip) but the " NYC blizzard" has made returning home significantly longer than expected. We are on the 'express train' but it is still taking much longer than the regular train normally would. My wild cherry LifeSavers (and the fact that I could still be sitting in Penn Station waiting for a train) are doing a great job at keeping me positive!
~Sharon

Christmas 2010 - TIMES SQUARE

2010-12-27T09:53:00.001-05:00

Sharon and I ended up in New York on December 26th during a major snow blizzard. We ran around Times Square and Broadway while 6 Inches of snow blanketed the city!

4th Birthday

2010-12-20T07:50:00.000-05:00

Really, It's not that I don't want and need to post about Sybella's 4th birthday but oh my goodness, I just realized that I have been so busy, I haven't posted a thing in December!
So here goes:

On Dec 1st Sybella turned 4 years old. I can't believe it's been 4 years since our only girl, a princess, and a perceived 1st born (both the boys were in school by the time she came along) came into our lives. Amazing. [Note: I intended to put a photo here from when she was born and I just realized that I haven't transferred them from my other computer...oops]

This year Sybella had a birthday week of fun and adventure.
On her birthday, her preschool went on a field trip to a local Tiny Tots Concert.
Then, after dinner we opened her gifts from our family-- it was a lady bug year as requested by the birthday girl.

On Dec 2nd, I braved Chuck-E-Cheese to host a party with all of Sybella's friends from preschool. She had never been to CEC before but clearly marketing works because she spent months telling us that she wanted to have her party there. (she must have seen a commercial?)

On Dec 3rd, we took fancy cookies to class to celebrate at school. They gave her a crown and she was the center of attention for the day.

Sybella had an awesome birthday week- hope she's not expecting that kind of fan fare every year! :0)

Blogs I Follow

2010-11-28T23:24:00.000-05:00

David set up this blog long ago and I slowly but surely I began posting to it; now, I post 80% or more of the items but interestingly, I have never really known anything about design or settings. Today, I finally spent some time exploring and while I am not yet brave enough to change the background, I finally put a "blog roll" in place. There is now a list of many of the blogs I follow on the left side of the homepage. Check it out!

2010 Army 10-Miler

2010-11-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

It was another year of fun at the Army 10-Miler (Oct 24, 2010).

Last year I ran by myself. This year- David, my brother Joel, and my sister-in-law Stephanie, all ran too.

It was beautiful weather, which is always a bonus on race day. I also ran much faster than I did last year-- a hard earned accomplishment!

This year I also got the chance to catch up with several folks that I hadn't seen it a while: Todd Little (LTC and TCU grad), Misty Cornett Lever (another fellow Horned Frog), and Jennifer Brown (an Ob-Gyn that I worked with at Madigan).

Here is a shot of the of us after the race:

Frying Pan Park

2010-11-27T14:51:00.003-05:00

In late October, we had the chance enjoy a play-date with the St.Clair cousins (all the kids that weren't in school). We visited Frying Pan Park in Herdon, VA.

We saw lots of animals, ate lunch, and played. The kids loved the sheep, pigs, cows, horses, turkeys, ducks, and peacocks. A beautiful sunny day and fun with the family. We couldn't ask for anything more!

Thanksgiving Feast

2010-11-27T13:36:00.004-05:00

Every year the elementary school does a 'Thanksgiving Feast.' This year was no different. Sybella, Cooper, and I had the opportunity to go Connor's school and enjoy lunch with him and his friends. Connor loves showing off his younger siblings to the kids in the class and the younger kids love both eating with Connor and all the attention.

We had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green beans....along with Pumpkin Ice Cream. Not too bad a fare for cafeteria food!

**Unfortunately, the Middle School does not offer a Thanksgiving Feast so, we didn't get to eat with Colin this year. :0(

Conflict or Harmony

2010-11-24T06:31:00.006-05:00

It's interesting, I suspect that people would say of me, "She doesn't mind conflict. In fact, she likes it." That's true but it's also totally not true... What?!

Let me explain. I have an analytical mind, I enjoy a debate (I get that from my dad). I have no problem with conflict in which there can be resolution. And that resolution, does not have to be me being right. I am happy to be wrong (just show me), I am happy to apologize, I am happy to compromise, I am happy to form a different opinion based on sound reasoning or fact.

Conflict in which I feel powerless, meaning: conflict in which there is not transparency, conflict in which there are malicious motives, conflict in which communication isn't present, conflict in which my motives have been assumed, conflict that is riddled with gossip, or conflict in which people assume that I don't get me feelings hurt--- these are the conflicts in which I do not do well with! They grieve me. I use the word 'grieve' in the most serious of connotations, GRIEVE me, they cause me physical ailment. I wrestle with them.

I am desirous of peace, desirous of reconciliation (I get this from my mom).

Where is all this coming from?

I didn't have some crisis in my life, I didn't have some major conflict or falling out yesterday. (Promise.)

I was reading this morning and came across this:

Ps 133:1 (NLT) How wonderful and pleasant it is

when brothers live together in harmony!

Ps 133:1 (NIV) How good and pleasant it is

when God’s people live together in unity!

This just struck me... I have lots of people in my life: family, friends, neighbors, associates, organization peers. There is conflict in these situations. Anytime you are in relationship with people for more than a year, there will be conflict (for many, it could take a day). All it takes is enough interactions to get past the superficial.

However, I am in a season of my life where there is peace. (in same cases, it's absence of conflict, in some it's mature relationship where conflict is easily resolved, and in some cases, it's just grace-filled situations paired with forgiveness.) It makes life so smooth. Harmony is wonderful and pleasant. It provides for so much freedom. Freedom to spend my energies elsewhere. Freedom to be creative and explore (which takes focus for me). Freedom to grow, engage, and flourish. Harmony is a gift. A gift that I am Thankful for...

I love the holidays and what I love most about the holidays is having family and friends around. I don't get to have all of my family around like I wish (many of them live FAR away or cost is just too much, or they have other family to visit). But I am so thankful for both our family and friends. And in this season of celebrating Thanksgiving, this passage spoke volumes to me about the blessings of harmony.

(And for all you natural debaters out there, no I don't think absence of conflict is all good or should last forever...I am just grateful for peace in this season of my life.)

Referee Squared

2010-11-18T23:33:00.005-05:00

This should, but may not be, an incredibly long post about what a great son I have and how he is following in the footsteps of his dad- we now have Referee Squared at our house.

Here's the story:

My awesome son, Colin, is a Entrepreneur, skilled at soccer, and has a hero in his dad. That all adds up to becoming a soccer referee (and collecting his first paycheck) at age 12!

After years of playing soccer, this year, Colin went thru a 10-hour class, a mentoring session, and a test to become a Grade 9, United States Soccer Federation Soccer Referee.

He serves as a Center Referee for recreational or house games for kids that are at least 2 years younger than he is. He can serve as an Assistant Referee (Linesman) for a more senior referee to kids in the older age groups.

He did a total of 13 games this season and had lots of encouragement and recognition from his dad (who was a National Referee). Colin did a great job! He has a good understanding of the game, of his role, and of the need serve as a teacher to the young kids who are still learning the game. He is planning to ref again in the spring and take the class to upgrade to a Grade 8 referee. (All this, and he made the honor roll in his first quarter at Middle School- 7th grade- while taking 3 Honors classes.)

Can I just say that this kid makes it easy to be a proud mama!

Future FIFA Referee?!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-16T22:24:00.009-05:00

Halloween festivities at our house this year included the preschool parade in which the kids dress up and parade around for the parents and sing songs for us. It was entertaining as usual and Sybella loved the fact that she and Kylee chose to be the same thing for Halloween. (Thanks Shauna for remembering your camera!)

Then we dressed up again on Halloween to trick-or-treat in the neighborhood. I usually stay home and pass out candy and dad takes the kids around to get candy. This year our older boys dressed up (for what was likely Colin's LAST year) and went to their friends' house to trick-or-treat. So, unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of them.

Sybella was Tinkerbell this year for Halloween. She loved the costume but particularly enjoyed the 'glitter' hairspray that made the outfit! What a girl! (the lighting is great in this pic, sorry)

Cooper was quite a handsome 'UPS' man...however, nothing was getting delivered; he was eating it all, including this Chocolate Kiss, before it could get anywhere. He has decided he LIKES candy. (I have to change my hiding place several times a week- he sees the older kids get a piece and he waits 'till he thinks no one is looking and tries to get some for himself.)

Giveaway!

2010-11-11T07:59:00.003-05:00

The Christmas Spirit of giving is already underway- check out this awesome giveaway and get more information or inspiration about adoption.
Adoption is something that is often on my heart. Many of our friends are parents thru adoption and we even had the blessed opportunity about one year ago to share a trip to Korea as our friends brought home their precious boy. It is as touching to me today as any birth I have attended as a Labor and Delivery nurse!
This past Sunday was Orphan Sunday and I am so proud that churches and organizations all over the country are bringing awareness to the needs of orphans and foster children. In DC alone, there are 4000 orphans.
If you have never thought about adoption or foster care, I would encourage you to think about it in this upcoming holiday season....even if you are not prepared to adopt or foster at this time (or ever), there are things you can do for those in the journey, the kids affected, and the workers who tirelessly serve them. Look for an opportunity to serve or give this year-- the blessing returned to you will be great!

Milkshake Dates

2010-11-07T19:00:00.000-05:00

Yes it's 40 degrees outside but Sybella requested a "Milkshake Date" and I'm a sucker for younger women and freckles! Love my little girl...

September Catch-Up

2010-10-30T14:40:00.008-04:00

Here are some highlights from September:

Note: Since I was adding several pics, they are smaller than usual but if you click on any picture, you can view a full-size version.

Wedding Shower:

We started off the month of September by hosting a Wedding Shower for Phillip (David's Brother) and his fiancee, Christy. It was a fun evening of food with friends from VA, MD, DC, & NJ. It was a great opportunity for many of their friends to meet and get to know each other a bit before the wedding. We also had the chance to bless them with gifts and prayers as they entered the last month of preparation before their wedding day.

4yo Preschool- 1st Day of School:

Sept 13th was Sybella's 1st day of school (sorry no pictures of the boys...I don't know how I missed that!). She is in a 3-day a week program from 9am-Noon this year. She loves her preschool and we are so blessed that her BFF, Kylee, is in class with her again this year!

Sept 27th Haircut:

I have to admit, I thought that Sybella was past this stage...but, she cut her hair. I was shocked. She loves to use the scissors, she cuts paper almost daily, I just didn't think I would ever have to write another blog about Sybella taking scissors to her hair. I think she had just turned 2yo and I was pregnant with Cooper the first time she did this. This time it was particularly painful to me for several reasons:

1. I was standing RIGHT next to her. Seriously, I was about 12 inches away.

2. I was looking right at her and I couldn't react fast enough.

3. When she was 2, she didn't really know better, now she should.

4. When she was 2, she did very little damage. You couldn't even tell that she had cut it and I didn't do anything to 'fix' it.

5. This time, she had a bob on one side and long hair on the other side--- required a MAJOR hairstyle change. We cut her hair into a bob at the point where she had used the scissors. She ended up losing about 6-8 inches of length.

6. Sybella made her flowergirl debut, 12 days after her haircut, on Oct 9, in her Uncle Phillip & Aunt Christy's wedding (I had envisioned the dress with lots of long curls).

Ok, I wasn't thrilled to have Sybella switching to short hair (especially right before her flowergirl debut) but, I have to admit that this cut is cute!

Fat Matt's

2010-10-23T12:40:00.001-04:00

What more can I say?

Every year Sharon and I go to Atlanta and we NEVER miss the chance to eat at Fat Matt's. In recent years this joint has become even more famous as it gets mention in movies like "Up In The Air".

Half-Marathon

2010-10-18T20:08:00.003-04:00

Pam, Kate, Lauren, Sharon, & Lexi

Thanks Ladies for a Great Race!

In September, I had the opportunity to run a Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) with some gals from our church. Thanks to Lauren for getting us started by sending out an email to see if anyone would like to get together and do some longer runs on Saturday morning. This was a relaxed (show up when you could, with no guilt over missing) way to have some companionship on what is a mentally grueling process of training for a race. The plan to do the 'Half' together didn't come up until later but it was the perfect way to celebrate some of our results at the end of summer. We chose the Wilson Bridge Half-Marathon. It starts at historic Mount Vernon, goes up the George Washington Parkway, across the Wilson Bridge (and the Potomac) and into the new National Harbor Complex in Maryland. (It's a 2 state race.) There was quite a bit up "uphill" running, I am glad I didn't look at the elevation map until the morning of the race. The view was amazing though and made it worth the hills!

I have run one other 'half'...it was 11 years and 3 kids ago. Colin was just 1yo at the time. This was a fun opportunity to prove that I still have 'it,' whatever it is. I didn't tell anyone but my secret goal was to finish this race faster than I did the other one. And honestly, I was convinced I could do it until about a month before the race when I started struggling with runner's knee. So on the morning of the race, I figured I'd give it my best and be happy about however it turned out.

Long story short, I ran the first 6 miles at a GREAT pace which saved me on miles 10-13 where my knee was really hurting. The last mile was absolutely no fun, I couldn't even enjoy the last mile 'high' because we were running on gravel and it made my knee hurt worse. But, I am happy to say, actually I am THRILLED to say that my official time was 36 seconds faster than my time 11 years ago!! Apparently, I still have it. :0)

**For those who are curious, I have deferred the Marathon until next year. I had enough time to train in a perfect world. But as you can guess, with a husband who worked very long hours this summer and 4 kids (one who was teething and not sleeping thru night most of the summer), it is not a perfect world. The marathon is coming up in 2 weeks and I could have done it but I would not have been happy with how much I probably would have needed to walk (vs. run) and I would have risked injuries. Ultimately, I started not to enjoy training b/c I knew I was pushing my physical and mental limits. The pressure of the process by far outweighed the pleasure in the pursuit. So, in a VERY TOUGH decision, especially for a first-born, type-A, who doesn't like to ever quit anything, I decided deferring to next year was best. I am happy with the decision that I made and I hope that the training goes better next year with a few extra months to build distance and prevent injuries.

Army Intelligence Ball

2010-10-18T19:46:00.005-04:00

On Sept 18, David and I again had the opportunity to attend the Army Intelligence Ball at the Crystal City Hyatt. It was the 30th Annual Ball and it was a spectacular time. We like the chance to get all dressed up and you can't beat hanging out with a table full of people that you enjoy spending time with! This year I did leave just a tad early, I had a half-marathon to run the next morning-- Staying out 'till midnight in 3 inch heels doesn't match well with getting up at 5am to run 13.1 miles (post coming soon).

He doesn't always smile for pics. :0)

Music Man

2010-10-14T21:39:00.003-04:00

OK- It's definitely time to start some catch up blogging. So over the next week I will try to post some new stuff, starting tonight:

Cooper is our "Music Man!" This child has music IN him.

Music moves him, connects with him, and can change his mood in a way that is amazing.

He loves music in a way that has made every person in our house love music more.

There isn't a time when music is on, when Cooper isn't dancing (and of course, everyone in ear shot is encouraging him to dance more).

His favorite toy has become the iPod. He has an iPod? No Way, but there are several iPods and iPhones in the house and Cooper is always trying to find and 'take' one.

Tonight while I was giving one of the kids a spelling test, Cooper snuck off, found an iPod and speakers, dragged them up the stairs, turned them on, and hid under the counter to enjoy his music.

No Wrong Prayers (except maybe this one)

2010-09-23T20:49:00.000-04:00

I have always believed that there are no wrong prayers, that really, it's ok to have conversation with God and be straight about what you are feeling. But when I catch myself saying this bedtime prayer with Cooper, I have to wonder, "Is this just Wrong?"

The prayer is:

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord I stay asleep,

If I should wake before the dawn,

I pray my whine don't wake my mom.

Amen

With Love,

A Sometimes Tired Mother of 4,

Sharon

Using kids to fight? Really?

2010-09-15T20:23:00.000-04:00

I spent the last three days with the real war fighters at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was great to spend time with friends and make new friends. Some of the challenges and stories would shock the average person. I am grateful at I can stay connected and I maintain a clear sense of what is really going on in Afghanistan but the article below is a reflection of the challenges and frustrating.

What is it that I am failing to understand? I just can't see any circumstance that warrants this behavior...

Taliban using kids in Afghan fight: http://usat.me?40088670

Obstacles Welcome...

2010-09-05T22:21:00.002-04:00

I enjoyed reading about the career path of such a successful leader in
business.

Ralph de la Vega, a native of Cuba, became President and CEO of AT&T
Mobility and Consumer Markets in October 2008. He is responsible for
all wireline as well as wireless networks. Previously, he had been in
charge at Cingular Wireless and assumed further responsibilities when
AT&T consolidated. Before that, he was the President of Latin America
Operations, and the President of Broadband and Internet Services for
Bellsouth's operations in ten countries.

Hearing the set backs and challenges he faced was really intriguing
given the perspective of being a customer in the wireless market and
watching how it played out in the public spotlight. While he offered
'his' process and steps to success...I think the value came through in
his anecdotes and openness about the resistance he faced and failures
like AT&T's U-Verse Project. His book addressed rumors, gossip, and
drift within an organization as well as how to build a team for a
major project like his solution on on the AT&T and Cingular merger
(that alone was well worth the purchase of this book).

David

Checkmate!!!

2010-08-30T09:51:00.001-04:00

Cooper was playing chess this morning with chess pieces that were as big as he is. The boys tried to teach him but he had more fun knocking them over then trying to beat his opponent.

Teaching Connor to Sail...

2010-08-28T12:12:00.001-04:00

No words needed!

2010-08-27T10:09:00.001-04:00

Vacation, Relaxation, & Expectation

2010-08-26T21:36:00.001-04:00

Enjoying our time in Jamaica (kinda).

Like I've always said, I am more about transparency than some touchy feely posting. The first 24 hours was rough. DC left me so hyped and tense that it took all of the first day and most of day two to unwind. So now we are starting to relax...some lazy river, canoeing, and body surfing.

I know some of you think all those activities can't possibly produce relaxation but when your a Simon it's more about distraction and changing the focus of our attention. To prove that point...I read 74 emails during the first day of my vacation (hardly a vacation)...so I unplugged and stopped reading today.

So vacation is going great, the relaxation has begun, but the expectation was skewed (according to Sharon). We left the kids to play and disappeared to the floating river to grab drinks and drift along. Topic: My EXPECTATION of vacation.

See, my expectation of vacation is relaxation...which I accomplish with a whole lot of peace and quiet, several books, and adult beverages. When you have four kids...this isn't going to happen. So I have had to reframe my thinking and expectation of what this vacation would be like.

More to follow this week on being TIRED vs. being RESTED which is what really came out of today.

Bottom line- day two in Jamaica has been wonderful and it was time to get away. Cheers to all my friends.

David

End of the Summer

2010-08-21T23:29:00.002-04:00

I took sometime tonight to figure out how I could get back to blogging. 2010 has been a huge disappointment for me in the simple fact that I failed to share my journey with my friends and colleagues.

The pace of DC and business in general has kept me focused but yet distracted. Focused on revenue and support to my clients but distracted from the things that had made me successful. During my vacation over the next two weeks I hope to find that focus and passion again.

Part of my secret to sharing the stories more readily will be the fact that I can now post blogs through email. Since 80% of my life has been consumed by "electronic" mail ....I figured I should figure out how to maximize it to benefit my goals.

Cheers in the remainder of 2010!

David

4 (out of 7) St.Clair Cousins

2010-08-14T21:50:00.000-04:00

My brother and his wife moved to the DC area last year and I LOVE it. We have busy lives and we don’t see each other enough (I am sure that all of you who live within 30 minutes of your siblings and have kids understand this). But, having not grown up near any of my extended family (read “grown up as a military brat”), I will never tire of the precious beauty of my kids saying and knowing that they want to see their cousins!

Now, I have highlighted my brother’s family here b/c I have recent pictures of some of the cousins at the playground. But I have to say that my brother-in-law also lives in the area (SCORE! More family to hang with) and he and his fiancé are WONDERFUL about hanging out with us and including the kids in their plans.

Thank you God for the blessings of family!

**Disclaimer: I didn’t mention my mom at all, but she lives a block away and has moved to two different states to follow grandkids. Wouldn’t trade that for the world.

Mommy-Daughter Date

2010-08-12T08:31:00.001-04:00

Sybella got a chance to go to the “nail place” with me on Aug 5^th. We had a mommy-daughter date. She had a good time, was remarkably still, and was totally doted on by the ladies. She chose a pale pink nail polish for her fingers and toes and then we sat and chatted while the pampering commenced. The polish lasted almost a week which is much longer than it lasts when I do it….and it looked better from the start. :0) But most importantly, in a house full of guys and with a little brother that needs lots of attention, Sybella got to have one-on-one girl time with mommy!

Awesome New Recipe

2010-08-11T20:44:00.002-04:00

Tonight I made this Summer Stir Fry for dinner. It was incredible! Wow, I haven’t had a dish this flavorful and filling (that didn’t have lots of fattening stuff in it) in quite a while.

Disclaimer: Although the name tends to bring Asian cuisine to mind, it’s not a Asian stir fry. Also, I made it with steak strips instead of shrimp since we have a severe shellfish allergy at our house.

A Fun August Challenge

2010-08-06T10:51:00.000-04:00

I subscribe to (follow) several blogs; some are blogs of my friends, some are business blogs, some are ministry-related and some are just to get ideas and encouragement about the antics and experiences of being a stay home mom. They aren't always revolutionary everyday, but I find that in general they are great guideposts and mile-markers.
I thought I would share this one for anyone who needs to make some changes in daily life to get revved up for fall and school starting (and doesn't desire to read Proverbs 31 daily):

Enjoy!

Look what I can do...

2010-08-03T11:17:00.000-04:00

Now, I can open doors and climb chairs. Do you think Dad'll notice if I borrow his cuff links to teethe on?? How about the leather watch band?

Trying to get a nap...

2010-07-12T22:20:00.000-04:00

We parked the car for about 15 minutes last week while waiting to pick Colin up. I was on the phone and when I hung up, I had 3 sleeping kids in the car (apparently, summer can wear you out!).
I HAD to take a picture of Connor napping because as a stomach-sleeper, I have TROUBLE getting comfortable and sleeping anywhere beside my bed. I can absolutely understand that this was the most comfortable position he could find. I felt bad when I had to wake him up before I could drive home. I know vehicle safety has necessarily come a long way but I remember sleeping in the front seat with my head next to the steering wheel as a kid.
Sweet Dreams Connor!

Fusion

2010-07-11T23:58:00.000-04:00

Last week Colin attended Fusion (youth group camp). He had a blast! They spent the week doing skits, small group activities, bowling, bar-b-q-ing, sports, water games, hanging at the water park, and going to Six Flags. They also spent a day doing community service.
One of Colin's favorite parts (shown in this picture) was his first funnel cake. Sad he had to go to camp to experience funnel cake?! We dropped the ball on that one. And apparently, they have come a long way...his had caramel and chocolate syrup along with the powdered sugar. What a great summer memory from an awesome camp week.

Field Trip #1- Crime & Punishment Museum

2010-07-02T14:53:00.000-04:00

We took our first Summer 2010 Field Trip on Wednesday. We got discounted tickets from Groupon for The National Crime & Punishment Museum. With a 1-yr old that already carries a cap gun around saying “Bam-Dam” and with 2 sons that are in to ALL things guns, battles, wars, etc. (and in fact, one is outside right now playing cops and robbers), this was a perfect field trip. Don’t fret for my poor daughter; Sybella also had a great time- her favorite parts were the interactive stations and the “emergency vehicle driving simulator.”

I was very impressed with the museum. There are historical facts and tidbits everywhere along with plenty of relics, mementos, and memorabilia. The perspective of criminals, crime-fighters, victims, and the public are all presented in various forms. The displays are at a good height and kid friendly (my kids could read the descriptions on their own and they weren’t scary). The museum is now the studio location for the TV show America’s Most Wanted. And therefore education of children about cyber-bullying, giving out passwords or information, and personal safety are all highlighted throughout the museum using kiosks, multiple choice questions and McGruff the Crime Dog.

Other activities included: safe cracking, seeing a modern jail cell, riding a police motorcycle, being in an old-west jail, being in stocks, seeing a guillotine, and an entire CSI lab walk thru.

The older kids also got to pretend they were “SWAT” officers and shoot a 9mm in a gallery style game using a video- they entered a house for an arrest and couldn’t fire their weapons until they had a weapon pointed at them (think Hogan’s Alley game). The boys’ shots were all on target, 80% were lethal, and they never fired before having a weapon drawn on them. As a mom whose 2^nd home is Texas, I am PROUD.

Age recommendation- 9 and older for maximum benefit *however, there was plenty of room for my younger kids to wander, touch, and play without breaking things or being in the way of other patrons-- and there were things that were fun for my 3 ½ year old

Content Recommendation- I was thinking as I walked through, this would be a great date night activity.

Dig those Dinosaurs

2010-06-29T16:31:00.001-04:00

Today we went to the Kingstowne Library to see a puppet show. It was a show called Dig those Dinosaurs. The puppets were marionette puppets that danced to music. It was cute and the kids enjoyed the different puppets, all the movements, and the music (even the big kids- although they wouldn’t admit it). We were joined by 3 other families from our church, which we loved- it’s nice to be able to see them and spend more time together. Afterwards, we headed to Red, Hot, and Blue (a good BBQ place) with the Oswalds. It had been too long since our last lunch date. :0)

Summer Reading

2010-06-28T11:34:00.000-04:00

School ended last Thursday, so today officially started our summer reading. Each of the boys will read a book a week (if we can stick to the plan!). They were a little surprised that I had already looked at the Fairfax County recommended reading lists for their grade levels and checked out books from the library for them. **chuckle** Do they think I was born yesterday? I know that if the books aren’t already at the house and ready to go that we will NEVER get on the right track. Since we are now on the right track, I am hoping that we can stay on course—feel free to ask the boys when you see them how the books are and if they are keeping up on their reading. :0)

We are starting off with Code Talkers: A Novel about the Navajo Marines of World War II for Colin and Archer’s Quest for Connor.

We also will be taking our first field trip this week. We are visiting the Museum of Crime and Punishment.

By: Sharon

2010-06-01T11:15:00.001-04:00

We enjoyed time at the pool all weekend. What a great way to spend Memorial Day: pool, family, fun, friends, veterans, and food!

My Miracle

2010-05-17T09:23:00.003-04:00

Miracles come in all shapes and sizes. Over the last 3 weeks, we have had our own little miracle named Christina. Christina, you ask. Yes, a wonderful angel who on less than a week's notice came from Tennessee to stay with us for 12 days to help us out following my surgery. It was minor surgery but it required me to rest and do no lifting over 15 lbs (which is of course less than my 1-yr-old weighs). I needed a great solution on not much time and one that would create a calm and peace in our home. Christina (and her family) were our answer. Thanks God for providing this relationship years ago in Puyallup, WA so that our needs could be met this year in Washington, DC!

Cooper's First Birthday

2010-05-01T15:08:00.005-04:00

April 25th was Cooper's First Birthday.
It was Elmo and pizza everywhere in a low-key family event. Must say it was one of the best birthdays ever planned at our house and it'll be our last "1st Birthday" so everyone was doting on our 'baby.'

Can't fathom life without this little guy so it's crazy to think just one short year ago he was joining us for the first time.

First Solo Flight

2010-04-20T21:52:00.000-04:00

By: Flight Instructor Bob Garity

Simon says, "Turn me loose!" And we did. Congratulations to David Simon who has been chomping at the bit to complete his First Solo Flight. Weather conditions at JYO (Leesburg Executive Airport) this morning were ideal and David became "one" with his Diamond Star. His confident smile was evidence that he thoroughly enjoyed his 1st experience as "Pilot in Command."

**Photo is not the exact plane David used but is an example of the Diamond DA40 that he regularly uses.

Pyramid Art Show

2010-04-13T22:02:00.000-04:00

Fairfax High School had their Pyramid Art Show on March 23rd. It's an opportunity for students to showcase a portfolio of work. I will say, I was impressed. Art was NEVER my forte. I love art, I was just never any good at it myself. The portfolios that the high school students had looked professional; every kind of media you can imagine was put to use. The perspectives and point of views including the "green" projects and quality social messages reminded me that high school student are beginning to think like adults (despite the crazy hormones).

Since we don't have a high school student yet, we wouldn't have even known about this fabulous art show had our 6th grader not been invited to participate! Yes, you heard me correctly, our 6th grader was invited to submit a drawing to display at the art show. In what I would say is a community event (disguising a very smooth marketing strategy), the high school invites all the elementary and middle schools to bring a collection of pieces. It increases art awareness and encourages the students to continue taking art classes as they rise to the next school. Colin's elementary school selected 6 pieces to display at the art show and his was one of them! Congratulations Colin!
The whole family went to the art show and proudly supported Colin in his debut as an artist! It was a blast.

My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself

2010-04-09T14:53:00.004-04:00

Susanna Foth Aughtmon ROCKS!
I know that's not how Book Blog Reviews are supposed to start and I don't care.
I love to read.
Fiction, Non-Fiction, Magazines, Newspapers, Blogs, Biographies, and really, I'll even read the back of a hairspray can while waiting for my kids to get out of the bathtub (I don't want book pages or my Kindle to get wet). But, as much as I love a crime novel or a sweet story, I have never experienced an author that resonates with my spirit and soul as much as Sue does. I feel like I know her; I feel like we're friends! And the truth be told, even though I know her dad, and she used to go to my church (before I did), and I read her blog faithfully, and I saw her speak once, and I met her once for like 5 minutes, and I have girlfriends that know her (and I am kinda jealous), I don't know her in person the way most people think of knowing someone. But let me tell you, Sue lets it all hang out. She is transparent in a way that most people can't imagine. She communicates about REAL life and REAL relationship with Jesus like Nobody's Business. Her writing is amazing and conversational. She's brave enough to put things on paper that the rest of us try to pretend we don't think about let alone do.
Sue's first book, All I need is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans, was awesome and her newest book, My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself, is even better. As you guessed from the title, this book is about 23 of the lies we tell ourselves (and let the biggest Liar confirm for us); my favorites were 2, 15, 16, 18, 21, & 22. No I am not telling you what they are because you need to get the book. What I will say is: This book is GOOD. Good like: I laugh & cry every time I pick it up (because I am in harmony with the highs and lows), I am sucked in immediately, I can't put it down, I am letting my kids stare at the TV and eat Oreos for dinner kind of good.
If you are a woman, Christ-follower, mother, church planter, sister, daughter, teacher, volunteer, chocolate lover, jewelry lover, bargain shopper, dreamer, independent thinker, tired supergirl, or ever told a lie to yourself or someone else...I'll stop, that covers all of you, You Need To Buy and Read This Book. I guarantee you'll like it.

* Available now at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
**This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing. ---The FCC makes me put that on here, but I WOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT ANYWAY!

The Year of the Marathon

2010-04-09T14:14:00.004-04:00

David and I have recently decided that we need to start picking something from our 'Bucket Lists' to focus on each year. I know, we have 4 kids and therefore VERY little free time, but if I don't want the bucket to be overflowing in 30 years, I need to find time to do some of them. Consequently, this year is going to be the Year of the Marathon!
I have wanted to run a marathon since my early 20s. I have run a half-marathon and several other medium length races but never a marathon. I started training once about 6 or 7 years ago and had an injury that put a stop to that. And, before I knew it 2 more kids and a few more years had come and gone. But the marathon fever is still there- and if Oprah can do it, I am SURE I can (of course I won't have a coach, a chef, an assistant, a staff, and I do have 4 kids...). Right?!
I started looking at marathon options in December and trying to decide which one I would run. I don't like running in the cold or rain, so I was hesitant to consider anything here in DC. When I started looking at warmer destinations, I immediately thought of San Diego and Hawaii. I turned 35 a few weeks ago and since 35 is a milestone year of sorts, I strongly considered running in Honolulu since I was born there. It could be great fun and definitely cool to tie such a significant accomplishment to my birthplace. Unfortunately, David informed me that the dates conflicted with one of his biggest projects of the year- I didn't want to go without him and the kids and I also don't want to put this off any longer- 26.2 miles isn't gonna get easier as my body gets older.
I decided ultimately that it was more important to have my friends and family around than to have great weather so on Wednesday, I registered for the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon which will be on Sunday, October 31st. Guess what, when I checked the website, I discovered that this is the 35th Anniversary of the Marine Corps Marathon---so we'll commemorate our 35 years together. I Like it!
Now, if I could just make time to go get my new running shoes and if I could figure out a way to have my kids enjoy 2 hours in the double jogger, the training plan would be easy (ok not easy, but easier). That might not happen soon, in the meantime, me and the treadmill have regular dates!

Miracles

2010-04-08T22:09:00.000-04:00

According to dictionary.com, the definition of the word Miracle is:

mir·a·cle [mir-uh-kuhl]

–noun

1.	an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause.

2.	such an effect or event manifesting or considered as a work of God.

3.	a wonder; marvel.

4.	a wonderful or surpassing example of some quality

Pastor Mark Batterson has recently challenged the congregation at National Community Church to take time during the season between Easter and Pentecost (May 23, 2010) to fast and pray for miracles.

I have firmly believed in miracles for as long as I can remember. But I fully acknowledge that we often forget to believe that God is miraculous except when we find ourselves in crisis (personally, professionally, financially, relationally, or by association to someone we care deeply for who is in crisis). Yet, he performs miracles in our lives and circumstances every day whether we acknowledge them or view them as miracles.

I am thrilled to remind myself that big or small, there are many things in my life that exist by divine appointment and intervention and there could or should be a few more. Now, I am not talking about treating God like a genie that grants wishes. I am talking about supplicating the desires of your heart, knowing that God is omnipotent, and then submitting those desires to His perfect will.

I look foorward to sharing this journey with other NCCers (especially my ladies small group) as we seek God for amazing things personally and corporately.

Book Review and GIVEAWAY-- Here Burns My Candle

2010-03-26T16:05:00.009-04:00

I have not done many blog tours/book reviews this year since having my 4th child---I wonder why?! But when the opportunity to review this book came up, I couldn't pass it up. Liz Curtis Higgs is a wonderful writer and with books like her Bad Girls of the Bible trio--she has intrigued me before. Well, let me give a resounding endorsement, Liz Curtis Higgs has done it again (written a fantastic book that is)!

I have always been drawn to the story of Ruth. And now, there is a awesome fiction book with a Scottish twist to bring this fabulous story to life in a completely new way. The story of Ruth is about love, loss, culture, family, connection, loyalty and so many other deep human emotions. Who better than an acclaimed author like Liz Curtis Harris to deepen a readers connection to those emotions (especially in a Scottish setting)?
Here Burns My Candle drew me in with it's language, characters, and the themed quotes to start each chapter. I have to admit that I was worried a bit about how I would enjoy the Old Word Scottish speak; I didn't want to feel like I was reading a high school English class assignment---and I didn't! I don't know if it is the ease with which the story flows, the connection to the characters, or my love of stories that give a picture of history, but I was glued to the pages and actually enjoyed the dialect. Liz does a great job of using history and detailed setting to support her characters and bring the story to life. The weaving of this story is amazing.

Publisher's Summary:

A mother who cannot face her future.
A daughter who cannot escape her past.

Lady Elisabeth Kerr is a keeper of secrets. A Highlander by birth and a Lowlander by marriage, she honors the auld ways, even as doubts and fears stir deep within her.
Her husband, Lord Donald, has secrets of his own, well hidden from the household, yet whispered among the town gossips.
His mother, the dowager Lady Marjory, hides gold beneath her floor and guilt inside her heart. Though her two abiding passions are maintaining her place in society and coddling her grown sons, Marjory’s many regrets, buried in Greyfriars Churchyard, continue to plague her.
One by one the Kerr family secrets begin to surface, even as bonny Prince Charlie and his rebel army ride into Edinburgh in September 1745, intent on capturing the crown.
A timeless story of love and betrayal, loss and redemption, flickering against the vivid backdrop of eighteenth-century Scotland, Here Burns My Candle illumines the dark side of human nature, even as hope, the brightest of tapers, lights the way home.

GIVEAWAY: You should read this book AND I have one copy to give away free!
If you aren't the lucky winner, no worries, you can buy it here.
Leave a comment on this blog or on my FB note and I will randomly draw a winner on Thursday (April 1st).

**This was book and the giveaway copy were provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.

Thoughtful Thursday

2010-03-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

Here is a great picture of "My Guys"-- aren't they adorable??

This picture was taken this week after Colin's Area Orchestra Concert (post to follow).

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-24T14:34:00.000-04:00

Cooper's 9-month Check-Up

2010-03-16T17:13:00.002-04:00

Almost 2 months ago, I took Cooper to the doctor for his 9-month check-up.
His stats were:
Weight: 18lbs-12 oz (25th percentile-this is BIG for our kids, they are usually 10-15th percentile)
Height: 28 inches (45th percentile)
Head Circumference: 17 1/2 inches (25th percentile)

He had his 2 lower teeth by this visit. He was crawling well.
He was developmentally on track. He feeds himself, plays with his feet, babbles, and all such things.

Update:
Now, at 10 1/2 months old, Cooper can crawl up the stairs (all of them) of course we stand with him with protective hands ready just in case. He says Da-Da and Dow (Down from the high chair). He uses sign language for milk, food, more, up, and down. He has 2 more teeth coming in (total of 4). He eats everything: mac-n-chz, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, grapes, bread, turkey, cheerios, green beans, carrots, etc. Cooper is a cheerful child. He loves to laugh and is ticklish. He cruises the furniture quickly and is trying to balance standing on his own. Now, if we could just get him sleeping thru the night.

Catch Up

2010-03-10T23:09:00.008-05:00

When you have been gone this long from blogging, where do you even start????

I have no idea! So, I will just jump in with a little summary of life.

David- doesn't have to travel too much with work now (as compared to previous seasons of life) but over the last month, he has been very busy. The first week of February he stayed in DC for the week in order to support the President's National Prayer Breakfast and to work. DC isn't far away but his schedule is so packed during this week that it just makes more sense to stay downtown. The next week was Snowmagedden for us in Northern VA. Here at the house we got 30+ inches. Then David's travel went in motion. He spent 8 days in Germany, had 30 hours at home, then went to Columbus, OH for 4 days. He had 3 days at home and then spent 3 more days in Columbus.
He is home now and it is SO NICE. We miss him when he's gone.

Colin- He is doing well in 6th grade. He loves school and loves playing outside. He is participating in Area Orchestra (experienced students from 6 Elementary Schools). Their concert is in 2 weeks. Colin is prepping for Spring Soccer Season and already starting to plan his birthday party (he can't wait to be 18, so 12 needs to hurry up and get here). Just a couple of weeks ago, I attended the Parent Orientation Night for Colin's move to middle school next year. Colin has been attending Youth Group at The Falls Church since January. He loves it. There are about 200 kids for the first hour and then they break out into small groups of 12. He has a great group of 6th grade guys and 2 awesome leaders (we are thrilled that he likes it and BONUS- it's only 15 minutes a way!).

Connor- is ready for Travel Soccer Season to start. He has enjoyed Winter Training (for the last 6 weeks on Friday nights) but he is ready to be in fully engaged in the season. His team attended a Pre-Season Scrimmage Event last Sunday and went 2 and 2. In the last game, Connor scored the winning goal! Since he normally plays midfield or defender. He has had many assists but this was his first goal in a game since starting Travel Soccer. It made it that much more special to him that it was the game-winner! Connor is also doing well in school and enjoys it. He starts learning the recorder this month and can't wait for next year when he will be learning Violin.

Sybella- loves preschool and is ready to start swimming lessons. She has the vocabulary of a much older child and is quite certain that she is the "first born," it must be that 6-year space between her and Connor. She is a wonderful helper and so smart. I am constantly amazed by the conversations we have. She is truly a blessing to me. The highlight of Sybella's month is that while dad was gone to Germany, Sybella's room went from white (with marker drawings) to Lime Green (or Lemon Green if you ask her, she can't remember the word lime). Last week she wore her 'Cat in the Hat' Hat to school to celebrate Dr. Suess' Birthday. She loves Dr. Suess books, especially Apples up on Top, One Fish Two Fish, and The Cat in the Hat.

Cooper- This child is ON THE MOVE. He can crawl up the stairs (all the way to the top). He can surf down our short staircase (5 stairs) on his tummy. He uses sign language to communicate: milk, more (as in food), and down (when he's done in the high chair). He is trying to stand independently, cruises our furniture with ease, and will soon be walking. He has the cutest curls in the back of his hair and his eyes have stayed blue. He is starting to try to say words: DaDa, Dow (for Down), and shakes his head No whenever he doesn't want something. He has a contagious smile and is definitely going to be trying to keep up with the older kids! He has 2 bottom teeth and the top 2 are coming in now. The only thing he doesn't do that I am READY for him to do is.......you guessed it, Sleep Thru The Night!

Sharon- I am busy staying at home with the kids. I have taken on a role as the Connections Ministry Leader at our church. I have taken on a project for the PTA. I still attend Community Bible Study in McLean once a week. I am leading a Video Teleconference Small Group this semester (a new role and total experiment that I love-- post to follow soon). I am the treasurer for the Travel Soccer team. I am working diligently on weight loss. And drum roll........since I turn 35 this month, it is the year of the Marathon (post to follow)!

BonBon Charms

2010-02-13T11:36:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, my BonBon Charm and chain arrived. I LOVE it. Thanks so much to Erica, owner and creator extraordinaire! She worked with me to custom design this charm; I have four kids with long names and I wanted Psalms 127:3 reflected on the charm: "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him."
Check out her site- you'll love it.

P.S. Thanks also to Sue Foth Aughtmon, author of the book All I need is Jesus and a Good pair of Jeans and the Blog "Confessions of a Tired Supergirl." Sue is Erica's sister and introduced me to BonBon Charms.

New Day

2010-02-11T22:19:00.002-05:00

I have been meditating on this passage today.

Lamentations 3:22-23
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.

Last night I was up again in the middle of the night for almost 3 hours, 2+ hours with Cooper and then 30 minutes trying to get back to sleep. Cooper has not been my best sleeper. He used to wake up 4-5 times at night. By working with him and trying many different things, we again have him consistently waking up only once at night (in the last month). Unfortunately, every time we get him to this point, he gets a cold, a burn (see previous post) or cuts teeth and then we start all over. Sleep training is not easy and in the newest phase, he is fighting and mad; he got stubbornness from both parents.
Last night I was left frustrated and crying myself. I mean, including pregnancy, I have slept thru the night about 15 times in the last 19 months. And there are days when I finally hit the wall (figuratively). Add to that that we have been in the midst of the 2010 DC Blizzard read "locked in the house" and I was miserable. But today God gave me Lamentations 3:22-23 and I was reminded that He is Enough for me and this too shall pass. I had my most productive day in the last month and I felt Great. God is Good and I am glad for mercies beginning afresh each morning.

Rock Star

2010-02-06T09:54:00.002-05:00

This morning, Sybella came half way down the stairs and called to me. She posed on the stairs in her "Rock Star" Glory---how adorable. My girl, famous---- at least with us.

Cooper's Burn

2010-02-02T10:18:00.001-05:00

DISCLAIMER: The pictures contained in this blog/note may take a minute to download and they are GRAPHIC. Please do not show to children. This photos were taken the day after the incident.

Many of you know that on Jan 9th, we were out to dinner and Cooper, our baby was burned by scalding coffee spilled by the waiter in a restaurant. Praise God, he is doing much better! He had first degree burns over his entire foot and 2nd degree burns/blisters on each of his toes. I (Sharon) also had a 12in by 5in first degree burn to my leg (through my corduroy pants -- which gives you some indication of how hot the coffee was).
I have taken a long time to decide whether to post this or not, but our blog serves as a "family history" of sorts and this was definitely a significant event in our lives. I have never seen one of our kids in pain like this before. They have had many injuries and even knocked teeth out, but when the injury occurs, it's over quick. Burns just keep on hurting (even thru healing) and there is so little you can do. I am very thankful for the Pediatric ER at Fairfax Inova Hospital. They were AMAZING and coordinated all of Cooper's follow-up with the pediatricians and the plastic surgeon. Cooper has required many dressing changes and pain meds. The other kids have often helped with his dressing changes and comforted him. As well, Sybella was very upset and still doesn't want us to order coffee in restaurants anymore.
We are still dealing with the restaurant over the issue and continuing to moisturize Cooper's new and healing skin.
Thanks to all who have prayed and asked about how Cooper is recovering. You are a blessing to us!

Winter Strings Concert

2010-02-01T21:28:00.003-05:00

On January 27th, our family attended Colin's Winter Strings Concert. Colin is in 6th grade and is a 3rd year violin student. He is enjoying strings now more than ever. In fact, he is enjoying it so much that he is now interested in joining the orchestra in Middle School (7th & 8th grade) next year. [Interested that is, since he discovered that the middle school intentionally makes sure that orchestra does not interfere with playing sports.]
Coin's Favorite Pieces from the concert were The Nutcracker March and Sakura.
Colin is also participating in Area Orchestra with students from 6 other Elementary Schools in Fairfax. I have found that he is practicing the theme from Mission Impossible much more often than the other music; wonder why?
Colin has also turned into a part-time teacher as well---Connor is ready to start learning the violin so Colin has started giving him pointers and teaching him beginning notes. Love it when they want to help each other out, especially with learning!

ASBC Advisory Board

2010-01-21T06:18:00.001-05:00

The American Small Business Coalition has named David as their newest Advisory Board Member.

Here is the link to the Press Release--

Congratulations to David and the ASBC!

Dominican Missionaries become Haitian Support

2010-01-20T22:32:00.007-05:00

As many of you may know, Bud and Karen Simon, David's Parents, are missionaries to the Dominican Republic (DR). They are affiliated with Missionary Ventures International (MVI). Not only do they serve as missionaries but they are also MVI's Field Coordinators for the country.

While they are safe and healthy, as you may imagine, with the earthquake in Haiti, they have been very busy in the last week. In many cases, travel thru the Dominican has been the only, best, and/or most reliable way into Haiti.

Some of what they have done this week:

Karen: Manage their DR ministry responsibilities

Blog information for their friends, family, supporters, etc.

MVI Field Coordination: supplies, volunteers, & travel of MVI's Interventions to Island

Assist Haitian Field Director with Coordination (Infrastructure issues leave him often unreachable)

Fielding Phone Calls from volunteers & those wishing to donate/inquire or plan trips

Coordination with other missionaries, churches, and non-profits to prevent duplication of efforts. They have worked with YWAM, Convoy of Hope, Foursquare Church Denomination, World Vision, and many others this week. Tragedy has magnified the opportunities to bring the Body together to be HIS hands and feet.

Financial Support Raising and planning

Pray for Bud and the Haitian Team

Bud: Travel to Haiti, Leading a team of men, supplies, medications, and donations.

Worked 5 days in Haiti doing medical, search & rescue, evacuation of the dead, comfort the wounded/sick, encourage the mourning, and pray with the people.

Bud returned home to the DR early Wed (today) morning. He will do some work on the truck, re-pack and return to Haiti before the week is out.

WHAT can YOU do?

1. GIVE- Bud and Karen are uniquely positioned to be of a direct, immediate (and long-term), personal help, both to the people of Haiti and the teams of volunteers coming to assist them.

Unfortunately, a natural disaster was not in their budget planning for this year.

You may have already given to Haiti relief efforts and the economy may have hit you hard...I understand, but I suspect, you can give (sacrifice) more. Whether it's a latte ($4), a car payment ($400), or lots more ($4,000-40,000), ALL donations are needed and will go directly to the efforts in Haiti. No donation is too big or too small. Please don't hesitate, just give.

You may click on this link: MVI Donations ****Go down to Secure Online Donations, MAKE sure to select the 5th box, "Other" and type "Simon's- DR"

2. Pray- The people of Haiti need your prayers. The volunteers need your prayers. Bud and Karen need your prayers. The governments of Haiti and the Dominican need your prayers. The UN needs your prayers. The State Department, Homeland Security, Embassy staff, and many others need your prayers. The orphans need your prayers.

3. Read- Bud and Karen's Blog.

Thank you!

Collapse

2010-01-03T19:46:00.008-05:00

I usually am the guy who is pretty generous in my blog reviews but the only thing distinct about The Collapse of Distinction was that Scott McKain's distinction collapsed. I felt like the points were are relevant and factual but there was no meat.

There was wide spacing and white space everywhere which led me to believe that the text began to be more about page count to make this a hard back seller rather than about quality of data.

His points are important to understand and if you have never taking a marketing class, or you are struggling with breakthrough objectives...then pick this one up and be reminded about the basics of relevancy to your user base.

For me, this book missed the mark. But it did have a GREAT COVER! See...I can find something positive :-)

Fearless

2010-01-03T18:36:00.007-05:00

I keep saying that I am going to get back on my blogging kick and give a shout out to the books I have been reading. Unfortunately, I have been doing a lot of writing for work and my writing for pleasure (not that work isn't a pleasure) has diminished to non-existent...

In 2009 I had some great reads that included:

1. Fearless

2. Me, Myself, and Bob

3. Collapse of Distinction

4. Billy

5. The Shack

Some of these have been posted to the blog-O-sphere but I owe a posting to Max Lucado and his release of FEARLESS.

The book had some great thoughts and gave some insight as to what motivates people and what drives people to fear.

The biggest take away for me was how to help people work through their fear and the stories that give you practical examples of real people that needed to work out issues of fear. Whether you live in fear or are surrounded by others with fear, Max presents a book that is easy and fast to read that leaves you with great take aways.

Aquarium and Seoul Tower

2009-12-14T16:19:00.000-05:00

On our last couple of days in Korea, we took in the Aquarium at Building 63 (tallest building in Seoul) and took the gondola ride up to Seoul Tower.

The girls enjoyed the "domed fish tank" that they could crawl inside.

The Teddy Bears from the Teddy Bear Museum were also a big hit.

Keller's Gotcha Day

2009-12-13T15:45:00.000-05:00

On Friday, Dec 11, 2009 - Joel and Shauna picked up their son, Keller, forever to have him as a member of their family. Their "Gotcha Day" was amazing and here are just a few shots of us celebrating together.

Now, Cooper is not the only "Little Brother" around.

Cooper enjoyed the day, even if he didn't know what was going on...

The kids having a Tickle Fest.

The Oswald Family of Four!!

Sightseeing in Korea

2009-12-12T20:30:00.009-05:00

We took the opportunity to see a little of the city and sights while we were in South Korea. Seoul is a fascinating place; there is so much to do and see.

Of course, we will not have enough time to do and see everything that we would like.

To be totally honest, we came prepared for that. We did not want to plan to do too many things and then have the time change, jet lag, and kids' adjustment to create disappointment. It was a good plan because the kids have not adjusted quite the way I expected and so each thing that we have gotten to do or see has been a total blessing (including and most importantly sharing the memories, pictures, and stories of Joel and Shauna's first interactions with their son).

Today we went to the Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Blue House (their White House) & walked through and were overwhelmed by Namdaemun Market----I NEVER thought that shopping would overwhelm me, but you'd have to see this place to understand.

We also had a fabulous authentic Korean lunch at this tiny easily overlooked restaurant. The food was delicious (bulgogi & kimchi) & service was amazing. They found a wonderful man named Chester to translate for us & help us order. The ladies held and loved on baby Cooper while we ate our meal. We all enjoyed the food and the experience.

We still hope to see a few more things before we head home. We hope to do a little shopping tomorrow afternoon and between Saturday & Sunday we plan to go on a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone, between N & S Korea) Tour and go up in Seoul Tower.

DISCLAIMER: I am catching up on blogging, so I am "back-blogging a bit...these are blogs I started a couple of weeks ago and I am just now finishing."

First Day in Korea

2009-12-11T22:04:00.000-05:00

After arriving in Korea on Monday night, our first trip out of the hotel on Tuesday was met with a little surprise, SNOW. Not much, just a dusting, but still it invigorated all of us and made it feel like Christmas. The weather was mild and pleasant compared to the forecasts (we overpacked when we brought the long underwear). We had a chance to wander around in the area outside the hotel and the Joel and Shauna also got to meet their son, Keller, for the first time-- Amazing!

**Don't forget, you can click on any picture or mosaic in our blog for a better/larger view.

Getting the Call

2009-12-10T15:06:00.008-05:00

On Thursday, Dec 3rd, we were excited to get the "call" from our friends, Joel and Shauna Oswald that they had been authorized to travel to Seoul, South Korea to pick up their son. Needless to say we were all excited. Joel and Shauna have been on the adoption journey for this, their second child, for a long time.

We have prayed and rejoiced with them through the process and were happy to volunteer to help when the opportunity arose. Neither Joel or Shauna have ever been to Korea and would be traveling alone this time (their China trip to get Kylee was done with many other families at the same time) and also, they wanted to take Kylee with them on the trip but would need someone to assist with Kylee on several days because she would not go along to the visits/meetings or to pick up Keller. Since David has many times traveled to Seoul for business, he is comfortable in the city and with the transportation. And since Sybella and Kylee are best friends, we were happy to volunteer to join them on the journey.

On Thursday when the call came, Shauna and I got out our computers and started looking for some flights that wouldn't be outrageous and would get us to Korea in a timely manner; of course they wanted to get their son as soon as possible. Sunday (72 hours later) was the best option---we booked the flights and started the whirlwind process to get last minute preparations done for both the trip and stuff that needed to get done at home.

David and I had decided that we would take Sybella and Cooper but leave Colin and Connor at home to attend school and stay with Granda (my mom).

On Sunday, we went to the airport excited and sure that we were in for an adventure- small children and 14 hours on a plane is certainly never boring. We had a snaffu in the airport, long story short, we left our diaper bag (embroidered with Cooper's name) at the counter and instead of paging us to come back and get it, Delta, who we purchased the tickets thru, called the airport police and turned it in as an unattended bag. Really?! Needless to say, by the time we figured out we didn't have it, we had already come thru security and were almost ready to board the plane. No diapers for 14 hours???!!! Korean Airlines is amazing. They went above and beyond all our expectations. They went & retrieved our bag from the police promising to send it to us the next day and gave us diapers for the trip. Then when the flight was delayed by 30 minutes, they re-opened the plane door to go ahead and give us our diaper bag. Amazing!

The flight attendants were wonderful and the whole flight was kid-friendly. So, despite our anxieties, the flight was awesome!

The Oswalds on the plane as a Family of 3

A Hair Cut

2009-11-29T16:26:00.005-05:00

Sybella found some scissors today while I was feeding the baby (on the couch- just 15 feet away) and proceeded to RAPIDLY cut her hair. Seriously, she was speed cutting; by the time I got to her and stopped the fiasco, this is what I collected on the floor!!

I didn't take a picture of Sybella after the haircut but here is a shot I took 2 days later (on her birthday) and amazingly, Sybella has so much hair that you can't even tell that she cut it. Gotta love it.

Still Fighting for Freedom

2009-11-28T23:01:00.006-05:00

I found out today that our company lost an employee yesterday. Our CEO at Mission Essential Personnel has made it a point to remind us that we are dedicated to human freedom. I think it is easy for people to forget that there is a war going on. Maybe not a traditional war but a war of ideology and a war on freedom.

Seven months ago I made the decision to become part of the company and have not looked back. Being able to be a part of such an important mission has made every day rewarding and gives a clear sense of purpose for what I do. It is so important to be happy with what you do for a living. Having passion about your job can only come from a job that has significance or meaning for you. I once heard someone say, "I hope we don't HAVE to go to work; we all GET to go to work."

Back to the reason for writing this blog. Junaid Hijran, was serving with the Marines in southern Afghanistan. He completed his tour on Thanksgiving and departed

to Kabul for time off. At a checkpoint along the way, he was pulled from his vehicle and brutally murdered by the Taliban on the side of the road. Junaid was 26 years old, maybe 5’1”, and all of 95 pounds. His nickname was, “Tough Guy”, given to him by one of our managers in Kandahar.

Junaid wanted a better Afghanistan that was free from oppression and violence. In the midst of all the potential dangers, Junaid still volunteered to serve. All too often we take our freedom in America for granted.

He is a hero.

Christmas Bazaar

2009-11-21T21:28:00.004-05:00

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, Washington Christian Academy (formerly Washington Christian School) has it's Annual Christmas Bazaar. This has been going on for as long as I can remember. You see, I attended WCS from 2nd grade thru 7th grade. Back then it was a small school that utilized combined classes (2 grades together with the same teacher), no lunch room, curriculum taught with the backdrop of Reformed tradition, and most importantly, they kept the main thing the main thing. My greatest childhood memories are from WCS.

Eventually, parents wanted a 9-12th grade option so WCS added high school and became WCA. This fall, WCA opened in it's newest location, a beautiful campus in Olney, MD. So, this year's Bazaar served as both the Best place to get a Bazaar favorite, Dutch Almond Pastry (Banket) and as an opportunity to see the new school.

Students and teachers often pilgrimage back to the school for the Bazaar because it's a great chance to have mini-homecomings. And, this year, that is exactly what I did. I took 3 of my kids (Connor had a soccer tournament) and ventured to my Alma Mater for the day. I was blessed to be able to reconnect with a handful of people and catch up on the stories of many others.

Here are a couple of my pictures from the day:

This is my friend Brenda Ritsema. Brenda and I were close in school and I idolized her sisters (I was the oldest so I thought big sisters were cool). Brenda's mom was our Librarian and the maker of Banket (see above). We hadn't seen each other in 21 years. Brenda married a guy who also went to school with us for a couple of years, so now she is Mrs. Brian Vos. I also got to meet her 3 month old son, Noah. It was amazing to see Brenda and her family again.

Here is a photo I took with Mrs. Dick at the Bazaar. I was absolutely astounded to see her there, along with her husband and son. She was my 3rd, 4th, and 7th grade teacher (I told you it was a small school back then).

Thanks WCS/WCA for providing an environment where kids can thrive while examining things in the light of God's glory-- I only wish that we lived close enough for my kids to attend!

Things I Think About

2009-10-30T15:09:00.005-04:00

In any given day, we think about thousands of things. I suspect that most of the time they are habitual or repetitive thoughts regarding our 'To Do' Lists, E-Mails, Meetings, Phone Calls, Meals, Chores and the like.

I often break up the rut of my thinking by exploring things that I absolutely have little or no capacity to engage in.

This is an email that I sent this morning to my husband:

"I MUST be sleep deprived. Here are just some things that I was thinking about this morning:

Painting the two bedrooms

Bunk Beds for the Little Kids

My MBA (yes, graduate school)

Friends Colin could take to his Scavenger Hunt

The trip to Korea

Flying in Chad’s Cessna

Losing weight

Blogging

Working Out

Marathon Training"

Have a great day and THINK about some New, Exciting, Invigorating, and maybe even Spiritual things today (even if you won't get to them)!

Halloween Parade

2009-10-29T14:47:00.000-04:00

Today at preschool, the kids had a Halloween Parade for the parents. It was adorable.

Sybella dressed up as 'Cindabrella' (Cinderella for those who don't speak 3-yr-old) and Cooper was her Coach (but it was past midnight, so he had turned into a pumpkin). There were many other characters in the parade: a cute Nebraska cheerleader, fire fighters, superheroes, a post man, Yoda, fairies, and various animals.

**Don't forget, if you click on the mosaic or any other picture in our blog, it will enlarge for better viewing.

O-H-I-O

2009-10-23T10:43:00.004-04:00

Sybella is getting ready for Homecoming this weekend. She is quite the cheerleader: O-H-I-O!

Go Buckeyes, Beat the Golden Gophers (Minnesota)!

Wordless Wednesday (10/21)

2009-10-21T23:36:00.001-04:00

Bumbo Seat

2009-10-19T21:02:00.001-04:00

Cooper loves to "sit up;" of course, he can't sit up yet on his own. A Bumbo Seat is the next best thing. Cooper can hang out and see what's going in the house while I help with homework, make dinner, or read to Sybella.

Wordless Wednesday (10/14)

2009-10-14T13:38:00.003-04:00

Army Military Intelligence Ball

2009-09-14T21:41:00.005-04:00

On Saturday night, we had our first date WITHOUT the baby: the Army Military Intelligence Ball, a formal event! So, all moms know that means it'll be lots of fun and yet a bit painful to need to wear a formal 4 months after your 4th child is born. But, it turned out awesome!

We had a great night, great friends sitting at our table, enjoyed time with each other, and finished it with a ride home in the convertible.

Connor told David that if he got a new haircut and lost the glasses, he could be James Bond--so David decided to pose (he also earned mega-husband points by calling me his "bond girl")

Our friends Guy and Maggie Timberlake

Kelly Carper and I hanging out at the end of the ball.

When we got home (LATE), my mom was still holding the little man. Thanks Mom!!

Boys First Day of School (2009)

2009-09-08T14:13:00.000-04:00

Today was the boys' First Day of School. It was a rainy morning so I drove them to school instead of having them take the bus. It gave me a chance to snap a quick picture of them before they ran off to start a new year.

It's amazing to me how old the boys are and what awesome young men they are!!

Colin is in 6th grade this year and Connor is in 3rd grade.