Rolling Out the String

Eliza finds a Saturday morning sunbeam.

I am almost done (finally) with the latest collection of short stories by Stephen King.  There is this one particular story about a man in a nursing home.  At one point, he writes that this place is as good as any to "roll out the string."

That line struck me as rather powerful.  I have been thinking about it since yesterday, and sometimes it really feels as if we have a ball of string that we are holding onto.  Although it is really just one end of the string we have in hand, and we are constantly trying to reel-in the rest of it one handful at a time until the ball comes completely unwound.  We pull and grunt and struggle to keep-up, yet it never completely stops or comes to a halt in our arms until it has reached its end.

My view as the girls play next to the fire.  Sweet weekend!

So I liked the idea that we are slowly unwinding, and we get to, for the most part, choose where we roll out our string.  These past few weeks we have been spending our time at home.  We have freshly-painted rooms and walls throughout the house.  Our floors are mostly clean.  Today, this lazy Sunday, our windows are open and the fresh air blows through each room, getting the dust out and letting our home breathe.  The birds chirp and the trees bustle as the wind pushes through on its way to nowhere in particular.

A little to the left and I see my backyard!  I love the birch trees!

Our days have been intense, and I imagine they will continue to be.  We have lives now, and each of us is carving out our time how we best see fit.  Fortunately, a lot of that time is together.  Other time is for work, and fitness, and self.  These are all good things, too.  This warm early spring day, though, finds us all just taking a moment to breathe deeply and think about what to carve out next.

The sun tries to penetrate the blinds in our bedroom.  

The clouds are moving quickly over the sky as the wind continues on its torrid pace today.  We snack at the kitchen island counter, listening to tunes and happily munch an our assorted yummy things.  A friend is visiting in an hour or so to pay with Audrey.  Violet and I will go swimming to give Audrey some friend time and also to burn some of Violet's infinite energy supply.  The sun is hiding behind clouds, but light is everywhere.  The winds are cooler now, but still welcome and fresh on this Sunday afternoon.

A Sunday morning run is so nice!

The rest of the day will be spent laughing and maybe napping.  Some work and reading for me is definitely in my evening plans.  Monday is still far enough off that I don't let my mind get too caught-up with the responsibilities it brings.  Adventures are everywhere today, and tomorrow and always.  For now we are happy playing with our time...savoring it...enjoying it....using it to be and be happy together.  For now we are glad to be here, letting the string roll out.

A quick afternoon trip to Ikea for a desk and a coffee table.  Home again, home again!  

The Things We Do

Saturday night slippers and a fire.  Can life get any better...I think not!

 A grey Sunday morning has found our little family happy and content.  The past week has been a one that feels like a blur for some reason.  Time has really been speeding by as of late, and it is nice to take a day to just relax and get some good family time in.  This morning we worked-out at the YMCA and played with some friends.  The weekend has been a nice one weather wise, with a high somewhere in the low 60's!  We were outside most of the time and just enjoyed some yard work and the girls have been biking up and down the block.

Phoebe looks on as the girls bike and scooter around while the temperatures are up this weekend!

Get your motor running!  

Work is going well, and the end of the school year is just around the corner.  There is a lot that I am still learning every day.  I am working on paperwork and reports at the moment, then will begin preparing for testing and such before spring break.  It is a lot, but I love it a lot, too.  I brought my family to a spaghetti dinner on Friday to benefit the band and concert programs in my district.  Then I spent a few hours at the Fun Fair for our district on Saturday.  I got to get soaked in the Silly Shower.  If you know me, then you know that was right up my alley.

Abel in the Silly Shower for D60 Fun Fair! 

Kim is doing well, working hard at work.  W are getting the house painted this week, so it will be nice to have some cool colors that feel like ours.  The house is pretty much put away, so it will be nice to re-hang pictures and such this week and get the house looking like we actually live here!  We will also start having some more visitors and guests once we get things in place and the paint dries!

My ladies on the new couch!  Notice the new colors in the background!

So that is really it.  We are going to do some grocery shopping later, laundry, dishes, and a nap.  Some reading of professional development books for me, then a meal and basically get ready for the next week to begin.  For now, though, these are the things we do.

-a

Monday Night Quick Note

It is quiet now.  Monday night after a long holiday weekend.  Today we enjoyed some play dates with friends, shoveled the snow, and had some laughs.  Life is good.  Here are a couple snapshots from life these past few days.  

The girls making a mess in the living room!  Still cuties, though!

This is a birthday gift from my aunt and uncle in Virginia.  I miss them and love them so much.  It was nice to start my weekend off with a cup o joe and this mug.

Eliza enjoys the fire.  She stares at it for 10-15 minutes at a time with her head on the grate!  Goofy cat.

Valentine flowers for my lovely wife!

Violet takes Phoebe on a snowy Monday walk!  Phoebe watches geese in the park across the street.

Happiness

Saturday morning, after a night of good sleep.
The sun is what wakes me, not an alarm.
Two little girls enjoy FruitLoops and waffles, munching happily as the day lays before us, a blank canvas.
The fire is set in the fireplace and the cat purrs as the heat strokes her side.
The cold wind whips the trees and slaps the window, but my hot coffee is all that my hands feel.
A sunbeam hits my lap as I explore my most recent running magazine.
The heater near my feat makes them toasty warm inside my slippers.
A mindless cartoon plays quietly in the background as my girls color and play with little plastic toys.
The dog snoozes upstairs on a comforter that has fallen from the bed.
I know that other responsibilities will find their way into our morning...
but for now, we are happy and content.