2019 has been keeping us on our toes when it comes to dealing with life's curve balls. Life has also been full of so many fun moments the last couple of months....thankfully.
As far as the not so fun news, it's been unfortunately health related but we are confident it's all just an annoying hiccup. We are very grateful that Uncle Eric is almost completely recovered from his January surgery to stay aggressive in fighting his GIST cancer as well as an unplanned 2nd surgery a few weeks later due to a complication. Nate's Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a little while ago and is currently going through chemo but the treatment plan is in place and she'll beat it. Opa had another procedure for skin cancer and cataract surgery. Oma is dealing with painful hip bursitis which is really impacting her mobility. I'm getting a myomectomy surgery in about a week which will hopefully put an end to a frustrating and lengthy saga in my personal health. I have learned anemia is no joke and not being able to do the day to day activities that bring me joy really tailspins me into a dark place.
As far as the fun moments, there have been plenty. The ease I mentioned in my first post of 2019 is definitely long gone and we are running around from one thing to the next these days. We are a sports loving family and we are in full swing. Spring is definitely our busy season by choice, especially for Nate. Tennis and volleyball just isn't enough so we are tacking on baseball and softball and wow, they sure pack in a lot of games within a couple of months. Nate is coaching Lily's softball team again and Paul is as happy as can be playing with his friends on his 1st grade baseball team.
Elise continues to be part of such a sweet neighborhood Girl Scout Daisy Troop. It's clear Elise wants her own thing. If she plays tennis, it's very much preferred to be alone with me. She wants to do roller derby now as "Elise the Beast." I am not sure how I can make it happen logistically but I'm working on it. It'll be interesting to see what interests she pursues with her internal desire to be different from the others. It feels like the sibling dynamic is impacting her the most these days on what path she's on. It's on my mind quite a bit on how to best navigate this with her.
Here are some photos from the last couple months.
Our Mother/Daughter Group visited this soul boxes exhibition recently. There are still 8 days left to check out soulboxproject.org at the Multnomah Arts Center. Each origami box represents a life lost due to gun violence in the US. Please go. Take your kids.
- Over 211K deaths due to guns since 2014.
- Over 40K deaths per year in the US
- This exhibit has 15K boxes to represent that number of deaths so far in 2019
- The goal is to have an exhibit with over 211K boxes in DC during the 2020 election year.
- Keep making boxes
- About 60% of gun deaths are by suicide
Seabrook Washington was our destination for 3 nights with friends over Spring Break.We were impressed; lucking out with the weather was a huge help. Seabrook is definitely worth googling - cool story to this small coastal resort town. If the weather cooperates, there are enough activities to keep everyone occupied for several days.
Love this picture of all of us just hanging out. 11 Kids and 10 adults in all.
Nate and I had a blast at our 80's prom themed school auction. Crimping hair sure takes a long time.
When we do have downtime at home, I'm so glad the kids still love to play with Playmobil.
Lily and Oma went on a date to check out Broadway's Aladdin at Keller.
Paul is in his element on the baseball field. Shy is the last word I'd use to describe him during games. He leads chants and talks non stop.
Elise/Oma date time. Elise is a foodie and addicted to treats.
Easter 2019 - Right before the Easter Egg Hunt started
Oma did such a nice job making our front yard look so green, colorful, and festive. Thanks Oma.
