Deep Breath

The kids enjoying a break in the back of the car during a warm afternoon of playing outside!

A saying I like to repeat often is, "Sometimes, the most important time is the space between two deep breaths."  I take a mini "break" by simply taking two deep, slow breaths and savoring the moment in between.  Afterwards, I feel refreshed and able to make my decisions more clearly and efficiently.

Violet and Audrey enjoying the newest gold panning trophy from Uncle Michael.  We now receive an Orelove gold panning trophy every month!

The past two weeks, for the most part, have provided me with that moment to breathe and think.  This is the time of year where our family looks towards the summer, enjoys the spring and all of its outdoor activity options, and contemplates the future a little in terms of our living and goals for the next period of time.

First trip of the season to Brookfield Zoo!

With both my job as an educator and young children, we have very cyclical schedules and lives in general.  From our daily routines of breakfast to brushing teeth, to our yearly traditions involving holidays and our favorite activities, we have managed to develop a very comfortable and rather predictable routine.  It is nice knowing when people arrive and when they go throughout the day.  It is nice knowing what we will be having for dinner or what activities will be presented on the weekend.  Sometimes, though, it is a blessing to simply be and allow ourselves to go any way the wind blows.

Audrey in a gorilla size shirt at Brookfield Zoo.

As my children grow a little older, I am excited to begin exploring larger circles and traveling a bit more.  While Audrey has already been to Alaska twice, I look forward to the time when I can bring the entire family again and take-on some hiking and camping adventures.  Looking towards the future where we can share and build more opportunities to strengthen our family bond and be more inclusive of those most important to our lives.  While I am always encouraging everyone to enjoy the present, there is still something to be said for focusing your eyes on the future for a few minutes every now and then!

Audrey and a flower from her friend, Jack.

As the sun rises a bit earlier each morning and the mercury finds its way a little higher each day, we find ourselves with more and more energy, ready to take-on larger projects and go a little further on our walks and play a while longer outside.  The energy we hold allows us to talk more, laugh more, run more, play more.  So, as spring finally takes hold in our lives, and the plants and animals find their way back to our neighborhood, we, too, begin to blossom again and stretch out in the sun and take a deep breath or two, and take comfort in the space in between.

Violet showing as recent masterpiece!

Phoebe in all of her glory.

First carousel ride of spring at the zoo! 

I have spent a few days this winter working on my baking.  Here is a fresh batch of classic chocolate chip cookies!  

'TIS THE SEASON TO BE GRILLING!  FA LA LA LA LA, LA LA LA LA!

Audrey raspberry fingers!!! 

Violet raspberry fingers!

Hitting a Wall

Violet has started to enjoy coloring.  Here is her latest masterpiece!

In running, there is a term known as "hitting the wall".  This happens when your body mentally and physically reaches its limit and tries to convince you to stop.  You start to feel completely drained of energy, you think about stopping and how much easier it would be to just stop and walk.  Its as if every little voice in your head is telling you to just give up and it is nearly impossible to block it.  You literally feel like you cannot take another stride.

Yesterday was our first grill of the year.  We are trying our new propane grill!  Phoebe can smell the burgers somewhere!

Sometimes I feel like I hit the wall in other areas of life, too.  Yesterday, at the end of my work day, I just arrived at a point where I didn't want to do anything else, not even grading or anything.  I think that there are things in everyone's life that they "hit the wall" with.  Sometimes it is difficult to find a new way to accomplish a goal, or progress in your profession, or reach goals for you and your family.

The girls hold the April gold panning trophy of the month from Uncle Michael.  The Eagle used to be a wind vane piece, but he swapped it with a gold panner, so now he has a panner on his wind vane and an eagle sits atop this 1980 trophy! 

This winter was a wall of sorts for the family.  Feeling the same way each day, cold, tired, etc.  Feeling trapped indoors, doing the same list of things over and over.  There were a few days where we hit our own wall and felt like giving up and submitting to another round of movies and couch time.  At work, there were times when it was easier to continue the same routine rather than move forward with a more challenging line of curriculum.

The girls are rediscovering the dollhouse that Zadie bought Audrey a couple years ago.  They enjoy playing house, but usually end up arguing over who gets the top floor.  Still, it is fun to watch their imaginations work and play together.  

Whether it is at work, or home, or somewhere in between, we need to continue to push forward and experience new things.  When work is over in June, I am doing my best to line-up some new experiences for the summer.  I don't want to find myself giving-up on activities and missing opportunities to experience a different perspective or an enjoyable activity.

Audrey found this Buzz Lightyear costume from Halloween a couple years ago.  Actually, she was wearing this the day Violet was born!  Kim and I were in the hospital while Audrey was out trick-or-treating with Grandma Dixie.  This was a reminder to me at how time flies!  

When running, to get past "the wall", you need to continue running no matter what.  Even if your legs are on fire, just keep moving.  Often, the more challenging aspect of this is mentally moving past your anguish.  Believing that you can move and keep moving is often more difficult that actually doing it.  The mental is more challenging than the physical.  So we will be moving more outside in the days to come, trying new activities such as biking and swimming and keeping our bodies in motion.  Professionally, I will work on changing the educator I have been, and work to evolve into a more productive and challenging instructor.

It is not that we are physically unable to be more active, but rather mentally we have become accustomed to doing less with the time we have.  As the weather warms and our opportunities to explore outside more and more, our little family is breaking through our winter wall.

Of all our family members, Phoebe is probably the most excited to be outside fr extended periods of time again!  The grey on her muzzle has not slowed her down any!