Year Round Holiday (even after 8pm)

Well folks I know what you're thinking-
1)It is not even close to Christmas
 and
2)I have been blogging incessantly about how excited I am for summer.

While Christmas is not even close, and I am incredibly excited for the summer heat - I lovelovelovelove Christmas time. It is not only the actual event of Christmas Eve/Day that I love. It is from November 1st until January 2nd - the whole holiday season that I am in love with. It is the spirit of the holidays. The crisp air, beautiful decorations, amazing food, all of the baking, all of the giving, all of it. I love it all. I feel that this coming holiday season will be the best yet (I say this every year- and I always seem to be right).

"One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind"  -– Romans 14:5-6 (NIV)

Maybe I should try to bring the joy of the holiday spirit to all of my days. I think I just might give that a shot.

Today I had my first final of the semester and I proud to report that it went well. I am glad that it is over - now only 2 left and I'll be on my way to summer bliss.

Boys are doing good :) Growing, chatting, and keeping us on our toes. They have a pretty set bedtime of 8pm. This of course varies some on the weekend, but nearly every night during the week they are in bed at 8. But as of lately, they have been in bed and monkey-ing around until well past 9. They are not crying or whining, just not sleeping either. Usually it is a variety of laughing, switching blankets/stuffies, and making funny faces. And while it would be nice for the house to be quiet after 8- I choose to pick my battles on this one and as long as they remain in their beds, I will listen to the laughter coming from their room. I think it is part of the brother thing.

Until next time,
Carmen



an odd kind of day.

Today was an odd kind of day. Let me tell you why.

I'm in a religion class, and it is about death and dying. While this sounds kind of dark and awful, most times it is not like that at all. We examine historical, political, and cross-cultural issues surrounding death and grief. It is an interesting class to say the least. Well today was the final day of that class and when I walked in, the professor had everyone put all of their things away except for a single piece of paper and a pencil. Then he said, "You have ten minutes left to live and all you have is that paper and pencil. Go."

Yep. I had a day like that. A day where I had to sit and find some sort of final things to say to all of those people who I love so dearly. Let me tell you that I am not a big fan of crying in general, but there I sat in a classroom full of 58 other students and I had tears rolling down my face as I put that pencil to paper.

What do I say? How do I say it? How can I do this? Why would you make us do this?

But you know what? I have been in college for two semesters, and I learned more from that blank piece of paper than anything else I have studied all year. I learned more about myself in those 10 minutes than I have in the past 20 (almost 21) years. I learned a lot today. A whole big bunch... And as much as I resented that piece of paper in that moment, I am also certain that the same piece of paper will have a lasting impact on the rest of life. 

On a more chipper note, I just got back from a 3 mile run and I feel like a rock star.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." 1 Corinthians 13:13

Love to all of you,

Carmen 



Magic.

Can't. Keep. Studying. So I took a quick break from a couple long days of studying to hang out with the guys. We had a great time :) We played outside, mowed the lawn, colored with sidewalk chalk, grilled dinner, and then finished the night off with ice cream sundaes. Doesn't get much better than that.

Christian colored an orange airplane. It was quite fancy.

Nolan colored many different dynamic drawings. I am not exactly sure what they were, but they were brilliant none the less.

Mommy drew kidneys, complete with the aorta, descending vena cava, cortex, pyramids, and renal calyces.

By the time we were done, our feet were many different colors. It was a blast.

We made ourselves a magical afternoon. And it was perfect.

Until next time,

Carmen



Cats with Hats & Summer.

As cute as these cats are, they are not mine. This picture was just too cute to pass up.

I am a crazy cat lady. I don't know exactly how it happened, but it did. A little over two years ago, I got my cat Lucinda. She is white with gray ears. She is my cat. Yosi tries to say that she likes him more, but it isn't true. She even sleeps above my head on my pillow at night. She is the only other girl in the house, and we are great friends. We also have a loaner cat named Ed. He is alright. I never really thought that we would be a two cat family, but for now we are. Ed has been staying here for almost a year and he is working his way into our hearts. One day he might go back to his other home, and chances are I'll be sad when/if that happens. Lucinda would probably miss her cat friend too.

Well I have one week of classes left, then finals week, then home. I'm pumped. I can't wait to say that I successfully completed my first year of college. Not only that, but I am just ready to spend some time at home with my guys. AND, I'm excited for summer itself. Here is my plan for the summer:

Summer

-play outside

-make popsicles

-play with sidewalk chalk

-learn how to bake vegan muffins

-go to the beach

-learn how to mow the lawn

-play outside

-drink lemonade often

-build many sandcastles

-go to the beach

-take those awesome naps that happen when you get home from the beach

-buy and use lots of sunscreen

-run

-play outside

Can't even wait <3

"Rejoice evermore. " 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Carmen

 



Time is running.

I think that is speaking directly to me right now. School is busy. Home is busy. Work is work. Sleep is scarce. Coffee is definitely burning a hole in my stomach lining. But I am loving it (mostly). And when I don't feel very lovey about studying math after 6 hours, I make some more coffee and keep going.

Two weeks until summer vacation, and I have never been so excited for summer in all of my life.

Oh, and I've been running. You know, outside?
Yosi and I decided awhile ago that we wanted to run a marathon together. So I've started training. My body hurts. Everywhere. I think my hips are the most traumatized. I have confidence that they will adapt soon and before long I'll be gliding through the air.. okay well I hope to be walking without a limp by Sunday at least. BUT, I am running with love. I really do enjoy getting out and just going.
Me, my own two feet, and fresh spring air.
It's empowering and I always feel great afterwards, except all of the hurting.
I should say proud. I always feel proud afterwards.
I really am proud that I have logged a little over 8 miles since Tuesday. While that is nowhere near he 26.2 of the marathon, I am getting there :)

Boys are good. It is really starting to dawn on me that they are getting older. Christian is going to be five this year. What? Where did that time go? And Nolan? Well, I recently bought Nolan tiny little pairs of underwear. I can't believe they are growing so fast.  I was cleaning out one of the closets the other day and I found a newborn sized diaper. I looked over and saw my two little men playing happily and could hardly remember either of them being so little. I cried.


Enough for now,
Carmen



My blessings, My A, and My Moat.

*a word of caution: this post is all gushy and wonderful. it just happened.

Today I feel blessed. So incredibly blessed. I was trying to think of some words to describe my life. Here are some things I came up with:

hilarious

beautiful

chaotic

winging it

( I know that's two words but if you know me you understand )

bold

busy

curious

testosterone-y

( I also know that it's not exactly a word, but seriously I live in a house full of boys of various ages )

adorable

mine

Sometimes I think that the last one is the craziest part of the whole thing. I have a wonderful husband. I have amazing little boys (amazing and a teeny bit wild active). I have found faith. I have somehow managed to end up with all of the exact things I thought I never wanted. God works in mysterious and amazing ways. 

 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Well today was a busy day here. I woke up a little later than planned and had to rush around the house this morning getting myself and the little guys ready and out the door. I have an 8am lab on Tuesdays so that made it a little more chaotic than usual. But we made it just fine. In more exciting news, I gave a big presentation today for a group project and it went so well! My group and I had been working hard, but I was still a touch nervous about how it would go. I shouldn't have been because all of our preparation definitely paid off, what a relief! One more thing- remember that project I was working on last month? I got it back. And I earned an A. End of bragging.

When I got back into town from school, I went and scooped up the boys and we were off to the park. We had fun :)

magical.

He looks so grown up. Kind of.

I love this.

We built a sandcastle, with a moat and bridge. We're awesome like that.

Until next time,

Carmen











About living and dying.

I work very part time at a psychiatric hospital. I'm talking 16-20 hours per month (hey I'm pretty busy). So because I am not there all too often, I don't have a specific job, I just fill in where they need me.  Tonight they needed me to sit with a man as he died. And so I did.

I did not know this man well, I've only met him a time or two before. It didn't matter much. I sat with him, and held his hand like we were old friends. And while I've sat with patients at the end of their lives before, it never gets any easier.

There is something profound about sitting with a person as they go from living to dying. I think it is one of the most real moments there is in life. Watching how temporary life really is.

It's hard to explain.

I could not do much for him, but I could sit there with him and keep him company. I could hold his hand. I could pray with him, and tell him that he was not alone.

"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18.

 

My life is temporary. I will be grateful for each day. I will focus my heart on the what matters most, and appreciate all that life has to offer.

 

Rest in peace Mr. S.

 

Carmen

This and That.

You do it too, right? You also probably drive to the store to get paper plates for dinner because doing dishes seems very un-fun.. Right?

In my last post I talked about the wonderful condition my home was in. How clean and tidy it was. It's not right now. It's messy. Real messy. I had a late night at school last night and an early morning this morning so when I got home this evening all I wanted to do was enjoy my guys. So instead of actually making dinner and doing the dishes, we went to the store and got pizza and paper plates. And while the pizza was in the oven, I colored pictures of cats with Christian instead of cleaning the kitchen. Totally worth it.

There is no verse today because I am the boss of this blog and I could not pick one.

Since today I feel like doing things I love, (like eating pizza, and not washing dishes) I thought I would do a quick and dirty list of 8 things I love. Here goes. (only the first 3 and in order-after that it's fair game.)

1) kids. mostly my own, but other kids are ok too.

2) husband. exclusively my own on this one.

3) coffee (usually in excessive amounts).

4) morningstar meatless chik'n nuggets: buffalo style. deee-licious

5) when the boys first wake up and they smell like sleep.

6) pilates. because who doesn't love to be in touch with their core?

7) coconut oil. it does fantastic things for the texture of my baked goods.

8) mustaches

Need I say more?

Until next time,

Carmen

Extremely clean, not very neat, and asking a lot.

My dishes are done. My floors are vacuumed. My bathroom is mopped. But there are toys everywhere. And laundry that is not put away. And some textbooks on the dining table. And some coloring books on the coffee table. My house is clean, but not always neat. I have kids, and they are boy kids and they are not the tidy kind. One day my house will be neat, but not today.

Late Happy Easter to everyone! I hope your Easter weekend was as lovely as ours was here. On Saturday afternoon we had a wonderful Easter dinner over at my moms, and then Saturday evening we spent time with Yosi's folks. Sunday we did nothing. Nothing Easter related anyway. Yosi had a soccer game out of town and the boys and I lounged around the house Sunday morning. When Yosi got back home in the afternoon, I cleaned.
 And cleaned.
And cleaned.
Not the 'picking up' kind of cleaning, but the kind where suddenly the car is spotless, and the refrigerator looks brand new, and before you know it you are re-organizing the kitchen cabinets. So the house currently is very clean, but there are mega blocks everywhere.

I had an extended weekend on the account of the holiday, and so tomorrow is the beginning of the new school week. My heart is heavy. I am at the point in the semester where all of my classes are getting very demanding and I am spending less time at home, and more time on campus. Which means less time with the boys. I will push on and finish the semester strong. All I can see right now is finishing and spending long summer days at home with my loves. Only a few more weeks left, so I will smile, work hard, enjoy the hard work I put in, and be proud of the grades that I earn.

"You do not have, because you do not ask." James 4:2

This week I will be asking pep in my step. For peace and patience in my heart. For the strength to rise to the occasion and meet the demands both my school life, and my home life. I will ask that I am wise enough to not only be thankful for the opportunities I have been granted, but to also enjoy them with my whole heart.

Carmen

Love.

It has been a long long week, full of trials that I am trying my darnedest to be thankful for.

  "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds," James 1:2

As a mom, I think the toughest trial around would be having a sick child. And as luck would have it, Christian is sick, and has been since Wednesday. He has been hit with one respiratory problem after another this year, and this bout is no different. He is currently on 4 different medications, but is finally finding some pep in is little steps again.

One joy to find from this trial might just be the utmost respect and appreciation I have for our family practitioner. He is a fantastic physician and I will be one blessed lady if I can one day be a doctor like him. He is perfect for our family, and I am lucky that God has put him in our life to be there to guide us in some tough trials.

Another joy I can find in the trials of a sick child is the joy of family . You know? When things are going along swimmingly, we forget to stop and look around. We forget how much we care for one another. We get comfortable. But during times of trial we stop and pray together. We really show our love for one another by offering help, and prayers, and laughs and all of those good things that seem to mean so much more when life suddenly stops being easy.

This brings me to my very short point for today.  

I love being a wife and mother. During happy/hard/funny/stressful/exhausting/sad/peaceful/chaotic times. I find joy (somewhere) in all of them. The picture there at the top is not me (if you couldn't tell). Those people are not even people I know. But they are old, and they look as if they are in love, and that they have been in love for quite some time. I want to be like those old folks in that picture. Me and Yos - old, wrinkly, and full of joy.

That is all,
Carmen



Open Windows.

I love hearts. I love studying the body, and how it works. Hearts have a pretty darn important job, and they are designed to perform that job meticulously. I love that about hearts.

Sunday Funday.

1. Mopping with the windows open.
2. Napping with the windows open.
3. Doing laundry with the windows open.
4. Studying with the windows open.
5. Making an Italian dinner for my Mexican in-laws (with the windows open).

Those are the highlights of my day and it was fantastic. Relaxing and (semi) productive. The boys had a busy day playing outside with cousins and they were two tired little men at bedtime.

the verse:
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)

I like how the wordage reads "bearing with one another". It almost makes me chuckle. Sometimes there are difficult people or situations in everyday happenings where it can be soooo trying to grin and be kind, when all you really want to do is be angry/annoyed/jealous/upset etc. I think what this verse is getting at is that all of those things are going to happen sometimes, just be patient and kind-hearted. I think I will focus on this verse this week and be mindful of it during my everyday interactions that can (sometimes) bring about the need for gentleness, and patience (and for some reason, my patience reserves have been running low since birth).

Until next time,
Carmen