Sweetness

I had to blog about this because I never want to forget this moment.  Let me explain…

Cali had gymnastics today.  She is very serious about gymnastics and works on improving her skills at home ALL. THE. TIME.  In fact, she has spent her own money buying herself a gymnastics mat and a balance beam.  She wants to purchase a set of bars, but she's a little low on funds.

Anyways, after she comes home from classes, she spends quite a bit of time practicing on her balance beam, her mat, or the trampoline. We sit and the living room and hear the "thunk, thunk" above us as she is upstairs practicing.  She calls Chris and I both up for us to watch her "routines."  We tell her she's awesome, of course.

She also plays the viola.  She has tryouts tomorrow.  Between gymnastics routines upstairs, she would come downstairs to practice her viola.  And she continued this for about 2 1/2 hours…gymnastics, viola, gymnastics, viola, etc.

I walked in the dining room while she was practicing her viola, and just stood and had to watch her for a minute in amazement.  She amazes me at her dedication.  I LOVE that!  It made my heart smile to walk in and see her sitting there in her gymnastics leotard playing her viola.  Such sweetness!!!  I'm thankful that she understands the need to work hard at something.  That if you want to be good at something, you have to give it your all.  I love this girl, and I see a bright, shiny future for her.

Revitalization

I've decided to revitalize the old bloggity blog.  Mainly, I want to keep track of the happenings around Casa de Campbell and record it somewhere...since I have no time anymore to scrapbook or do anything creative.  I'll just do it here.  Besides, I will be environmentally friendly by saving trees and such.

I was going to participate in the "Week in the Life" challenge, but I only got through 45 minutes of my day.  So, I just wanted to share "A Day in My Life"-yesterday...

The alarm went off at 6:30 and I pushed the snooze button until 7:07.  I went to wake Cali up but she croaked out, "My throat hurts and I have a really bad tummy ache."  So me in all my motherly glory said, "Okay, I will go back to bed."  Then I hear Averi's alarm going off just a few minutes later and I yell, "Are you getting up?"  And she yells back, "I REALLY don't feel good...I didn't get any sleep last night because I can't breathe."  (Darn allergies).  So we all took the day off.  Chris included.  He had a dr. appointment so he was just going to work from home.

After I got up at, ahem, 9:00...I decided I was going to document my whole day in pictures.  So, here are the 45 minutes that I got...

Teddy running up and down the fence with the neighbor dogs, Levi and Sissy, when I let her out to go potty.

Pretty sweet potato vines that I planted this weekend.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE peonies!

My pretty rosebush.

I had to take some shots of the lovely things growing in my backyard.  I didn't get any pics of our little garden because I noticed my neighbor sitting on her back porch having coffee...now why did I let that stop me???  Just one of those flaws that I'm working on.

I come in to find Cali all curled up on the couch watching Phineas and Ferb.  I'm beginning to wonder if she is really sick or not.

I catch Chris working next to Cali on the couch.  

Then I find Thomasina in the window sill wanting in...this is after she wakes me up at 4:40 AM to let her out!!!  I think I will just make her wait a little longer.

And I go to check on Averi...and she actually IS sick.  She spends most her day in bed...not on the couch watching cartoons-coughing or groaning when I walk into the room like some other girl I know. 

This is where my pictures end.  But I went on to have a really great day.  I just don't have photos of it.  I went to lunch with my friend, Tyra.  We ate at this really fun place called Cool Greens.  It is kind of like a Chipotle but with healthy food-like salad and wraps and such.  VERY GOOD!!!  

Then it was off to buy groceries.  Fun, fun.  Then I got to take a NAP because I didn't have to pick anyone up from school OR take anyone to practice or lessons.   Then we cooked an awesome dinner on the grill.  And Chris cleaned the kitchen!

Who could ask for a better day?  And it made me think...this is what happiness is.  Not the big things, but the little things that make up each day. 

Remembering...

I, like many other Americans, remember that day.

That day that all of our lives changed.

That day that left us feeling vulnerable and fearful.

That day that left you asking, "why?"

That day, I was sleeping.

My phone rang at 8 something in the morning and it was Chris calling me to tell me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center tower.

We had a four year old and a six month old.

I was tired when he called. He was on a business trip and I hadn't gotten a full nights sleep...that six month old's fault.

I wasn't really paying much attention to what he was telling me.

I got off the phone.

A few minutes later, a friend called...told me the same thing.

I became a little more alert.

Then, Chris calls again...not only had a plane hit one tower, but another plane just hit the other tower!

It's looking like an attack on America.

I'm fully awake now...and along with millions of others, glued to my TV watching the footage of the second plane hitting that second tower.

Unbelievable, that's what it was.

How could something like this happen?

And the very scary part of all of it was my husband was in Chicago getting ready to head to the airport to fly home.

But then they grounded all of the flights.

And he had to drive all the way from Chicago.

Luckily he hadn't returned his rental car.

I remember being on the phone all day.

Talking to different people about the events.

All of us shocked and scared at what all of this meant.

I remember all of the crazy rumors.

And the truth.

Other attacks happened.

The Pentagon.

A plane that went down in a field in Pennsylvania.

For some reason it was rumored that gas prices were skyrocketing and that there was going to be a shortage.

I went to get gas in my car.

There were ridiculously long lines at the gas pumps.

My babies sat in the backseat strapped in their car seats.

Did they sense my worry?

Did they sense anything was wrong?

All day the images played over and over on the television.

Planes hitting buildings.

Buildings collapsing.

People afraid.

All day, I waited for Chris to get home.

Luckily he had a cell phone.

I got to talk with him throughout his travels home.

I felt thankful.

Thankful that all that I loved were safe.

But I also felt scared.

Scared of hate.

I praised God when Chris got home.

I questioned God on what had happened.

That day will always be with me.

I was changed that day.

My family was changed that day.

Our nation was changed that day.

I will always remember.

I Just May Be Doing Something Right.....

Sometimes I feel like I am failing miserably at this whole "mother" thing. There are lots of times that I would like a do-over. I believe that being a mother is one of the hardest things in life. I mean look at all the messed up people around you who blame all their problems on their childhood...maybe their mother was too overbearing, too critical, too wrapped up in themselves, too worried about what others thought, too abusive, too uncaring, too negative, etc. etc. etc. It is hard to find the right balance to guide and nurture your children into becoming compassionate, productive, spiritual, confident people. I struggle with it EVERYDAY!!! I want my kids to think back and remember me as someone who loved them more than anyone else in this world, someone they trust with their life, someone who was their biggest fan, someone who they wanted to spend time with and be with, someone who didn't fix their problems-but gave them the tools to fix it themselves. I want them to think back and remember their childhood as happy, fun, loving.

Today, while going through Averi and Cali's backpacks, taking out all of their school stuff I found an autobiography assignment that Averi did. One of the topics she had to write about was the best advice she ever got. This is what she wrote:

"The best advice I've ever received was from my mom, she told me to 'Never Give Up.' I've always been into drawing, but time after time I would get frustrated. I thought I wasn't good enough. But she told me not to give up. To keep trying. I practiced and practiced. Everyday I strived to be better. And I did. Now I'm in AP Art and plan on taking art classes this summer. I won second place in the art show, and was chosen to have my art on the art show flyer. I was in the All-City art show, and in the May Fair. I didn't give up, and I never will. A little advice can go a long way. A little advice is something I now live on."

Wow! I just may be doing something right. You don't get many accolades being a mom. You don't get a yearly assessment or evaluation that tells you how you are doing or that commends you for the things you are doing right. But when you do find things like this. Or you hear things like, "You were my most favorite teacher ever!" from Cali. Or you get a thank you for something...it just, it just makes you feel validated!!! So, today I feel like I'm a good mom and that I am doing it right.

FYI-This picture was taking at Averi's school art show where she won second place. All of the drawings on the board are her's. Isn't she talented????

A Parable of Motherhood-by Temple Bailey

The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is the way long?" she asked. And her guide said, "yes, and the way is hard. And you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning."

But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, and gathered flowers for them, and life was good. And the young mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this."

Then night came, and storm, and the path was dark, and the children shook with fear and cold; and the mother covered them with her mantle, and the children said, "Oh, Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the mother said, "This is better than the brightness of day, for I have taught my children courage."

And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, but at all times she said to the children, "A little patience and we will be there."

So the children climbed, and when they reached the top, they said, "We could not have done it without you, Mother." And the mother, when she lay down that night, looked up to the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned fortitude in the face of hardness. Yesterday, I gave them courage; today I have given them strength."

And the next day came strange clouds which darkened the earth-clouds of war and hate and evil, and the children groped and stumbled, and the mother said, "Look up, lift your eyes to the Light," and the children looked and saw above the clouds an Everlasting Glory, and it guided them and brought them beyond the darkness. And that night the mother said, "This is the best day of all, for I have shown my children God."

And the days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years. And the mother grew old, and she was little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And when the way was rough, they lifted her, for she was light as a feather; and at last they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide.

And the mother said, "I have reached the end of my journey; and now I know that the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk alone, and their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates."

And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said, "We cannot see her, but she is with is still. A mother like ours is more than a memory; she is a living presence."

Remembering Easter

Remembering waking up to, "Hey, the easter bunny didn't come." Coming from two girls who claim they don't believe in the easter bunny anymore.

Remembering sticking the baskets out on the front porch while the girls were occupied and them finding that the easter bunny HAD come as we left for church.

Remembering sitting in church next to my grandma.

Remembering singing old hymns that I remember singing every Easter growing up.

Remembering the much needed rain!!!!

Remembering how blessed my children are to have cousins their age to share life and holidays with.

Remembering how blessed I am for having a mom who made the day special for us by cooking us a delicious lunch.

Remembering the craziest egg hunt ever....it was raining so we had to improvise by sticking all of the eggs into a trash bag and letting the kids draw them out one by one. It was actually pretty fun.

Remembering how pretty my girls looked all dressed up for Easter.

Remembering the glorious nap I got later in the afternoon.

Remembering the sacrifice made for me.

Remembering God's love.

Remembering the promise and beauty this season holds.

OH. SO. CLOSE!!!

We are soooo close. After 5 weeks we are almost there. Our entryway/bathroom remodel is almost done. I cannot wait to have it done and over with!!!! I'm sick of plastic taped floors and paper taped trim and paint clothes and paint buckets and mess everywhere. I don't know which makes me more excited-the mess being gone or the actual finished rooms. I love, love, love how they have turned out. As soon as I get everything back together, I will share photos.

Here is what we have done:

Bathroom

• re-tiled the entire room...shower, floor, walls, sink counter top (this also entailed rebuilding the outer shower wall and strengthening the ceiling and replacing the drain and shower pan)
• removed wallpaper
• removed the popcorn off of the ceiling
• textured and painted the walls and ceilings
• painted and added pretty touches to the cabinet
• new light fixture, toilet, shower fixtures, sink and sink fixtures
• new light switches and switch plates
• new fan

Entryway

• removed tile floor and replaced with wood floor
• re-textured and painted the walls
• painted the ceiling
• replaced door handles, locks and hinges on front door, closet door, garage door, bathroom door, and basement door
• painted front door black

Whew!!! It is looking so good. I feel like a kid at Christmas.

On the wall next to the garage door we have been recording our heights for the past few years. Even Teddy has her height recorded.

Ideally, I would have liked to have kept it forever, but...my room makeover would have looked rather odd. So we had to paint over it. Actually the texture wiped it out first. Here's a bit of our family history hidden behind texture and paint on the wall of our home. It is heartwarming to know that it IS still there, just hidden behind a layer of mud and color.

So before Stan the man (our painter and my mom's husband) came the next day to cover it all up, we recorded our heights one last time. Chris measured 5'11". Me, 5 foot 1 and 1/2 inches...did I shrink or something? Averi four eleven and a half...she's catching up with me. Cali measured in at 4 foot 3 and 3/4 inches. And Teddy is 1'4". Awww!

What is some hidden treasure around your house?