So close

So we are in week five of living with my inlaws. We have settled in here as much as one can settle outside of your own home and we're anxiously waiting the finish of our own house. We are hoping to be done by the end of November (only two months past our original hopeful finish date) and now that we're so close I just want to get in!

I truthfully don't have much else to say. We're in limbo and my brain kind of feels like it is too. Just felt like I should update so my blog doesn't collect too much dust.

shake shake shake

I feel a little bit like someone has taken the box that holds my life, turned it upside down, and started shaking. Pieces are falling out everywhere and I'm holding on by elbows and toes, grabbing things are they fall past me, trying to make sure I don't miss anything important. Our old house is in boxes and semi-moved out, our new house is about a month away from being finished, and we are going to try to live in a state of limbo for this time period with everything packed away somewhere. Still not sure how this is going to all work out...but it will.

We are also transitioning at camp this week, and are in the process of moving our offices from the camp back to our city office. I pack on my days off and then pack while I'm at work. If you ever need help moving, I've got tons of experience. Um...but no will power. On second thought, don't ask me.

I haven't seen much evidence of all this craziness affecting Tyler until today - where I took some of his less used toys and put them in a box and he proceeded to panic. Like..."what? wait. give me that. i've played with that before! i love this one. um, and also that one. you can't take this! or that! ahhhh!"

After we survived that box, he decided to join ranks and pack a whole box full of our shoes. And then throw the rest of his remaining toys down the stairs to the basement. Yes...I suspect he is processing in his own little way. He remains a trooper though and now just plays hide and seek around boxes and mess, and helpfully puts little bits of paper and tupperware lids in the garbage for me. (We are still working on what is and is NOT garbage...)

Everything is good right now...just...unsettled. I can't wait until October (Lord willing) when we can move into our beautiful new home and re-settle. It's been a long 6 months of building, attempting to sell, work, and now moving. I'm exhausted.

Sentimental

We're moving out of our house in 9 days and it certainly has me feeling a bit sentimental! This was our first (owned) house. We laughed in that kitchen with friends over games and cups of coffee late into the night. We sat in this living room and talked for hours after we found out we were pregnant. We sat on that deck and watched lighting storms and marveled at God's power and beauty. We brought Tyler home to that nursery and rocked him to sleep many nights. We wore pathways through this hallway while trying to ease his pain after surgery. We watched our growing boy throw those rocks that line the driveway outside. That's the floor that Tyler learned to walk on, and that's the window that he sits patiently by to see the first glimpse of daddy coming home after work.

We lived in a house after we were married while we went to school, spent a year working and living in a city apartment and learned much about life, love, and marriage...but this house is different than the others. We brought our son home to this place. What a wonderful place to start a family.

Looking forward to new memories.

Ankles, hips, knees, thighs

...all hurt. BUT. I have started running! I didn't want to write about it until I had actually committed for more than a few runs because my track record with starting things like this is terrible, but I feel like it's time to fess up. Oh, how I am loving to run!

It started this summer when I heard about a fundraising run for the children's hospital which is scheduled to be built here. We've definitely experienced the frustration of having to go to a whole different province to obtain proper child medical care and I feel very strongly about supporting the future children's hospital here. We moved out to camp shortly after I heard about this and so me and my friend who was also living out there decided to murder our bodies get up early and run the gravel road full of hills and dead snakes every other morning (or so...).

The first day I wanted to die. I did exactly what they tell you not to do on your first attempt at running: I ran until I couldn't run anymore. Which was about 1.5 min, but still. It was up a hill, ok? I couldn't recover and thought I would pass out. However I had purchased running shoes and promised the bold promise to my husband that it would NOT be a waste of money, so I dragged myself out of bed two days later and tried again. This time we brought along my sister in law who happens to be a personal trainer. She gave me a good routine to follow and I ended the run feeling fantastic (once I recovered from not being able to breathe, that is).

Yesterday I ran for almost 4k straight without stopping. I know it's not much, but it felt amazing. I am not really a physical activity kind of person. My body seems to be put together wrong for any sort of hard usage, so this is a bit of a push for me. Admittedly I have to ice my ankle every time I come back from a run and it takes a day or two to stop limping, but it's getting better and I feel so. good. It helps that every time I feel like giving up I remember what I'm training for.

I've heard from other people who run how addicting it can be but I didn't believe them until now. I mean, we'll see just how addicted I am when the snow falls and I don't feel like running on ice, but until then I will keep enjoying these beautiful post summer/pre fall evenings running in the evenings through the wonderful little paths in our town.

Winding Down

I have no idea how to mentally debrief this summer. It was...close to the perfect summer. I had no idea how living out at camp would go, but it turned out so much better than I could have hoped for. Mitch commuted an hour there and back every day which was a little much, but other than that it was awesome. Tyler played in the huge sandbox for 5-6 hours a day, took his daily swim in the pool, napped and slept amazingly, and had people loving him everywhere he went.
I had pretty much a dream job as a parent since though I was working full time in August, I got to wake up with Tyler, feed him breakfast, see him through all of lunch, and put him down and pick him up for his naps. While I was working he was being watched by various family who came out for the weeks I was working. He has been one happy kid!

Ok super cheeseball thought...but do you ever have the feeling that if you speak too much about something, the magic will disappear? That's sort of how I feel about blogging about our summer. I could never properly put into words what a wonderful time it was so I can't even try. My wonderful friend took some amazing pictures of this summer that I'll post later and let them speak for themselves.

This week I have off, which is a great way for Tyler and I to re enter being at home. We're back to full swing with house stuff and have a goal of being in by October 1, which is crazy and probably wont' happen...but hey. Why not set big goals?

Summer Lovin

It hit me this week. I'm working at camp. I know it's been almost 8 months since I started, but now that we are living out there during the week it really hit me...I'm working at camp. I'm back in camp ministry. Oh, praise the Lord, my heart is full. I told Mitch when we first got married that I would pray often that God would lead us back into camp ministry. He was slightly apprehensive about these prayers as camp has never really been his thing. However, Mitch has been incredibly supportive and excited along with me as we've made the decision to live out at camp for August. Aside from my own heart, the only affirmation I need to know that we've made the right decision is to watch Tyler. He is beside himself at camp. I don't actually think I've ever seen him this happy. He plays hard and then sleeps hard. Nap times have become 3 hours long and the easiest ever to attempt. He sleeps until almost 8 in the morning most days and greets me with grins and bounces because he knows that he's about to start another day at camp. So so good.

We are happy and blessed. I can't wait to see what these next few weeks bring. Remembering this week that God is faithful.

My boy

Something I've thought about lots when I consider what to write in this blog is what to write about. Ha, ok that is a "duh" sentence if I've ever heard one, but let me explain. I think it's important when you have kids to remember yourself. I don't know if I can fully expand on this, but I'll try...

I think in order to give my kids the best parenting possible, it's important to give them the best of me. Remembering my dreams and passions, and indulging in what I enjoy every now and then. I do not mean doing these things at the expense of my son, but instead in the times that allow so that I can continue to grow personally and offer the best of myself back. Does that make sense?

That being said, I'm not always sure what to blog about...do I write updates about Tyler every week? Do I keep him out of it and maintain this as "my" space? I really don't think either one of those options are wrong...but I've decided that when I write here, it's more of a place for me to process and write my thoughts.

Does what I'm trying to tie together make any sense? Anyway, I digress...

What I really do want to do today is reflect on Tyler. He is...the best part of my day. Every day. He mimics everything these days. I am constantly surprised by which of my actions he picks up on and attempts to replicate - for example, trying to put toothpaste on a toothbrush. Or the other day when he grabbed Mitch's lunch bag and his keys, dragged them both to the front door, and waved goodbye to us as if he was going to work. He gives me kisses almost every time I ask for them, and even sometimes when I don't. And he has turned into a snuggler! I can't express how happy this makes me. When it's nap time or bed time I will pick him up and he wraps his little arms around my neck and puts his head on my shoulders. Pure bliss.

He points at absolutely everything and asks "DAT?!", and will ask this over and over again as we attempt to name everything he points at. He is working hard at matching my determined side and is becoming quite the finicky eater. He will pick up whatever he doesn't want, look me square in the eye, hold the food hostage over the side of his high chair, aaaand....drop. So intentional and SO irritating. In a cute way.

His favorite way of playing is to be chased and will giggle incessantly as we run around the house. He always wants to get caught though and will often run right at me, waiting to be tickled. He has developed such a special bond with our family members, and each one is different and significant in their own ways. He kisses my computer screen over and over when he sees his Auntie Jeana via skype. He growls "papa" as the name for both of his grandpas, and throws a temper tantrum if we try to take him away from his uncles (who he refers to as ca-ca). From the moment he gets up in the morning to when we go to bed he asks over and over for doo-wamma (grandmas) and always wants to look out the window just in case they might be coming over to play. He runs to his Auntie Holly when he sees her and refuses to let go. He has so many wonderful people in his life who love him.

I just could not have imagined myself happier than I am now as a mother. Tyler blesses me daily by his sweetness. Praise the Lord for his goodness and faithfulness, and for knowing the desires of our hearts.