Slowly easing into 2025

 Relaxing and delicious are definitely how I'd describe the Holidays.  It felt good to feel unhurried pretty much the whole time and focus on all that is good (not work).  We enjoyed all our usual traditions with Oma and Opa.  My sister came for a few days as well which always adds more humor, love, and giggles to the house.  We missed seeing more family but looking forward to a reunion in Chicago over Easter.

    Christmas Eve at Oma and Opa's 

Traditional Christmas Eve steaks.  You can see Eric showing up in the pic too. :)

Family shot. So much delicious food.  Oma's Italienischer Salat is always a hit

Christmas morning

Paul really wanted a PS4 steering wheel.  Oma and Opa liked trying it out too.

Christmas dinner.  Elise channeling a classic Eric face.

Enjoying Nate's birthday breakfast at Stepping Stone with Lolo

Nate is so different than me when it comes to Birthday meals.  I wouldn't consider cooking a meal for everyone on my Birthday.  Nate on the other hand wanted to make this delicious lasagna for all of us.  

Family walk on a mild day at Mt Tabor while Lolo was in town.

New Years Eve, East coast midnight toast after enjoying fondue.  

Some fun with friends too, including a few rounds of the Salad Bowl game.

Our longtime Portland crew of friends getting together.

January threw us back into a full schedule of go go go, sicknesses, and sitting in front of a computer working a lot again.  A trip to Seattle (waterfront renovations by Pike Place Market are complete and looks fantastic) to cheer on Lily's volleyball team and explore the city, the boys skiing in central Oregon, Lily getting her drivers permit, and Paul and I winning the club parent/child tennis tournament were some fun notable highlights.  A really sick cat, sicknesses throughout the house, our beloved fairy garden being stolen from our front yard, and work challenges for both of us were not the not so fun highlights.  The political landscape is a scary dark cloud that we see but simply not focusing anywhere near as much as we used to right now.  Just can't yet.

Ski Time

Lily driving in a parking lot.  Straightening out the wheel has room for improvement

Elise has done a complete 180 in the last 30 days.  She now very much cares about what she wears, skin care, and make up.  This picture below is not something I expected to see this past month.

Elise dressing up as Paul.  Pretty good!

Enjoying a quick stroll with Lily after volleyball ended in Seattle.  Mere hours later, Lily was down hard with Norovirus.

Paul and I had fun playing in the parent/child tournament.  Champions!

3 Teenagers + 5 Phones = A new kind of Mather adventure

Paul and Elise turned 13.  I vividly remember sitting in the Dr's office when I was 37 weeks pregnant being told that I'm fully cooked and just say the word and I could be admitted and induced.  I wasn't ready.  Oh my body was telling me I was ready but my brain wasn't.  I wasn't ready for having 3 kids under 3. I wasn't ready for two babies at the same time. It was the only time as a mom that I could kinda make time stop.  Fast forward 13 years and here I am wishing they could cook a little longer at age 12.  

Paul's birthday party dream came true this year getting to do K1 Speed indoor go-karting with his friends.  He had another injury during baseball season breaking his foot shortly before our big Japan trip. After traveling around Japan with him, I want to travel the world with him.  Even though he had to deal with wearing a boot in the oppressive Japan heat, he was an incredibly chill, curious, and fun travel companion.  I noticed his world open up in a life changing way with the questions he asked and comments he made. Biking, baseball, and tennis kept him most active.  PS4, YouTube Shorts, playing drums, and cheering on the Timbers kept him occupied too.  Paul is conscientious, outgoing, and helpful.  He acts like a big brother taking care of his sisters. He would be rich if he made money every time he caved to his sisters just to keep the peace.  His first text to me on his new phone was "love you more."  

Elise's year centered a lot around music and art.  Seeing Vampire Weekend, Smashing Pumpkins, and Green Day live definitely rocked her world.  Her creative talents amaze me every day.  What she is capable of with her hands whether it's giving massages, sculpting, painting, sketching, calligraphy, or cooking with such steady detail is really fun to see.  She quit karate but recently started up rowing and let's just say I hope I'm still talking about rowing this time next year.  It's been a great start. Elise's emotions and behavioral challenges this past year showed at times, being bigger than her growing brain and body can handle.  We are so proud of her working through a lot of tough moments on our Japan trip with big crowds and quick transitions and challenges at school.  Elise is quirky, creative, and thoughtful.   Elise keeps us on our toes with all her energy and ideas (usually late at night).  

Elise's Birthday celebration is tonight so a little pause to the Holiday vibes we are very much enjoying.  She wanted it very separate from Paul's birthday party and requested a sleepover.  She also requested pizza, zucchini/squash salad, and salmon + cream cheese crostini.  I didn't see those last two requests coming.  We are all very much looking forward to celebrating Christmas at home with Oma and Opa.  

The holidays make me think of Eric a bit more than usual because that's what we do this time of year.  We want to tell those we love that we're thinking of them and make more memories together.  I know I'm not supposed to use the word hate but it's what I feel.  I hate knowing that I won't witness Eric experiencing more fun life milestones with his family and I won't be old with him sharing memories and laughs together about our crazy family.  I hate it.  

I also think of our friend Troy, my mom's sister Ursel, our neighbors Johanna and David, and my mom's best friend and dear family friend Sabine who we lost this past year.  Such good people we are so lucky to have known.

Here are a few pictures of recent moments.

                        Celebrating my birthday with an early dinner (pre-election) out with my Monday girls night crew, almost 25 years running.  

A birthday present was also seeing my grade school friend Manju who just recently moved to California.   

Thanksgiving at home with Oma, Opa, and neighbors.  Kids are channeling Eric in this photo.  I can hear my Dad saying "ERIC!

                                     

                                    Loving the Holiday look in our living room.

                                        

Enjoyed an overnight adventure to Olympia with just Lily to see an old friend.  

Traditional 1st day of Advent picture.  

Paul and Elise after just signing page 2 of their phone contract.  

Random moment of Elise in her bedroom.  

Paul enjoying his new Hoodie from Manju. He is all about athletic wear ALL THE TIME.

Paul's Birthday Party post race

Elise's Birthday Sleepover Party and taking a moment to enjoy our cat Moxie

September/October 2024 - Back to School mode

 The 1st term of the school year is officially done.  Paul finished his first season running x-country.  After Paul had to deal with a broken foot for most of the summer, we especially enjoyed watching him run races with his friends and see him find his stride again. He enjoyed being with his friends, and continuing to improve his 3K PR throughout the season.  We'll see if he'll do it again next year.  Paul really loved his first season on the local mountain biking team racing against other 7th graders and traveling around the state on weekends.  He is an easy yes for doing it again next year.  No question, Lily will be back for her 3rd season of high school volleyball next year.  She continues to love the sport and it shows with how much time she puts into it and the goals she sets for herself.  We are super proud of the team making it to playoffs, Lily making 1st Team All Conference, and recognized as co-MVP of her team.  Nate and I stay focused on cheering her on,  supporting Lily's goals,  and gently reminding her to stop and enjoy the ride and the friendships thanks to her passion for the sport a bit more.  I'd like to say Elise is on the hunt for her next sport but table tennis is the only sport to make a fall showing a bit more in Elise's life.  She decided to quit karate for good.  She continues to do Girl Scouts, piano, and German which is fantastic.  She just needs to move her body more and we haven't found a new activity yet.  

Oma and Opa are back as of a couple weeks ago.  They are finding their routine again and we appreciate their culinary spoils.  We are all glad they are back and feeling good overall.  Our lives are at very different speeds but the check-ins we have throughout the day to share the going-ons of our lives are our micro-connections that we all look forward to.

I wouldn't say our work is thriving for either of us these days.  Nate's company has had to go through multiple rounds of layoffs and reorganizations. Nate's job is currently safe and he works so hard to bring the morale up for his team and get good work done every day.  My company is private but also working to find its footing in the same industry.  

It was the first Halloween that we didn't have our kids all together at any point for a costume pic.  Paul fulfilled his childhood dream of being a hot dog and Elise loved donning her own face paint creation to turn into the Joker.  Lily was planning on being the sun but ended up chilling with friends instead.  

The morning after Halloween felt like a noticeable shift to what takes up headspace - the pending election, so many November birthdays, and Holiday prep.  It's a tense time for our country with election day right around the corner.  No question I am anxious and nervous what the results will be and how the country will react.  I will do my part by voting and keeping calm-a-la.  

Elise at Fall Girl Scout Camp

Paul after finishing his first x-country race

 

Paul racing at Mt. Bachelor

                                                    

After the final race of the season

                                                    

Lily in her element as a front row hitter.

                                          

Annual pit stop for wellness checks

                                           

                                                                           

Halloween decor

Welcome back to Portland hugs

    

 Elise showing off her wine pouring skills.

Fun trip to Bend with both a volleyball tournament and mountain bike race on the same weekend.  Elise opted to stay home with Oma and Opa.

Our creative and artistic Elise

Happy hot dog Paul

    

       7th graders Paul & Elise. 10 grader Lily

Sabbatical, Japan, Oahu, Traverse City, Lolo Surprise and Back to School

Our family trip to Japan was a whirlwind adventure.  It is easy to fall in love with Japan as a tourist with the chance to peek in on a culture that intertwines nature, history, and modern technology so beautifully.  The food is delicious and the Japanese have created this clean and impressively safe society.  

Overall, I'll remember the following from Japan

- Seeing our dear friends Aya, Ichiro, and Ren from Okinawa.  We had one of our best days ever spending time with them.

- Goosebumps moment:  seeing a sticker that says "Eric Around the World" on a railing while taking a picture of Tokyo Skytree during an early morning walk.  No other sticker in sight - my brother Eric and family were very much on my mind due to Eric's 1 year heavenly anniversary.  

- Observing my kids fall in love with new food and new sights. They were troopers moving around every couple of days to someplace new.

- Missing being able to chat with the locals freely; I really do love the light chitchat with strangers. Grateful for Google Translate which is as necessary as taking your passport to navigate Japan.

The good easily outweighed the bad.  Japan was really good to us. 

Oahu stop on the way back to Portland.  Turtle Bay Condos on the North Shore. 

Nate took Paul and Elise to Traverse City shortly after our Japan trip to see his family while enjoying life on the lake for a week.  

Lolo came to visit during the first week of school.  We always LOVE having Lolo here.  Lily started her sophomore year at Lincoln and is busy in some new classes like Journalism and Computer Science and playing her 2nd year of varsity volleyball.  Paul and Elise started 7th grade and they have mixed feelings.  They have math, language arts, and art together which was a nice surprise.  Paul is going to do a mountain biking team, cross country, and tennis this fall. Elise will start up karate again.

Paul was able to take his boot off shortly after returning and slowly get back to enjoying his sports. He joined a mountain biking team and completed his first race. He and Nate also love watching Timbers games together.  Our 9th Annual neighborhood Block Party also happened with special remembrance of our dear neighbors and Block Party regulars Johanna and David who passed away this summer.

We are quickly all coming back down to Earth as we think past Labor Day Weekend.  Nate's 2 month sabbatical is ending. He is returning to work on Tuesday in a new managerial position for a company that is going through a lot of layoffs right now.  The day-to-day routine and fewer family dinners together is about to start.  We knew it was coming.  It's okay.  We had a heckuva summer.