Mather Blather: Pictures don't lie but they also kinda do

Sunday, February 13, 2022

Pictures don't lie but they also kinda do

Every once in a while, the contrast between how I feel and the images my most recent pictures capture presents itself quite starkly. The start of 2022 has felt overall really tough on a personal level.

What weighed heavily on our minds were Elise's very rocky recovery from her 3rd macrodactyly surgery, my brother's complications from surgery, and my sister's lengthy illness. Elise and Lily constantly fighting continues to drain me to a puddle of complete defeat. The latest battle is Elise's constant screaming at Lily anytime she's practicing her singing behind her closed bedroom door. It's simply proving too hard for Nate and me to find ways for our family to do much adventuring all together. It's still easier if we divide and conquer.

Omicron is on the decline, signs of Spring are popping up, and a little bit of new and very welcome availability on my schedule in just a few weeks helps make the near future look a little bit brighter. Nate and I also have lots of ideas for travel and summer plans so it's about that time to start figuring it out.

Paul played in two tennis tournaments so far in 2022. He likes to compete and it shows. He's also all in with his baseball team practicing 3x a week. Baseball tournaments start up in March.

Grandma and Grandpa visited from Michigan. Arm wrestling and making jewelry a plenty

Moxie does this regularly jumping on me and hanging out like I'm a pirate and Moxie is a parrot.

Mathers now have glowing skin

Day trip to Astoria

Lily and Mom - Champions at the Parent/Child Club Tennis tourney

Dad played with Paul and even though they didn't win, they had fun....after recovering from a couple close and tough losses.

Lily has been very much into redecorating her room. Here it is during the day

Here is her room at night. Paul and Elise jumped in on the action and decked out their rooms with cool LED lights too.

We took Elise away for a night getaway, just the 3 of us, to Silverton after a rough post op doctor's appointment.

A bright light of the month was Lily and her best friend trying out at the local high school open auditions for a role as one of the Van Trapp children in the Sound of Music. They both got Louisa and get to split the 8 shows between them. Couldn't have worked out better. Here they are in front of the newly built high school that's ready for students Fall 2022.