Memories from my Phone

 

Violet playing a football game in the leaves in South Bend.

Violet waiting beyond patiently for her birthday cake she shares with Grandpa Cip.

Wearing Daddy's gloves as the weather gets colder.

Trying to pick the right Daddy/Daughter self snapshot!

I tried to resist it, but a cold Sunday morning with no other activities equates into putting up the tree and letting the girls decorate for an hour.  With the darkness outside by the mid-afternoon, the soft glow of the tree is calming and a welcome source of light.

 

 

Audrey at one of two birthdays last weekend.  It is great to venture out with her friends and get her ya-ya's out!  

Cake = Contented Audrey. 

Long Road

It is Friday night!  School is over, the week is done, the lights warm the living room while outside the darkness stalks.  The girls are playing with various toys, the floor covered in plastic bobbles and bits of pink and purple doll accessories.  While a clean floor is a luxury around here, watching my children make a mess of it brings a distinct kind of satisfaction.

The nights are getting longer as winter strengthens its grip around the days that once belonged to autumn.  Frost and slight flurries are the precursor to the inevitable blankets of snow that will fill our world soon enough.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I take time to recognize the people and things in my life I am most grateful for.  My parents for always giving me support and advice as I continue to make mistakes on my road of life.  I am thankful for my family members who send love from all over the country, and give comfort to me in knowing that they are always there for me and my kids.  I am thankful for having a job where I feel rewarded and also have the ability to pay the bills and make a difference in my community.

As the weekend draws on, I have time to sit and watch my children, and think a bit about the future and the long road we all have yet to travel.  While nothing is a given in life, I look forward to watching and participating in the life of my family.  I see other people and their children out and about, and wonder if they are as in-awe of the developing lives in front of them as I am with my kiddos.  It is tiring, at times, to repeat instructions and routines and find different ways to communicate important things to your children.  I gain more and more appreciation for my own parents every day that I am lucky enough to be a daddy.  I hope that I am around long enough to see a good portion of my children's stories in life.

But the road is long, and we must enjoy the mile we are in, and live for the day.  We are here, together, right now.  I miss my family across the country a lot of the time, but understand that we are still connected by the time we have lived together and the experiences we all share.  Now I carry the advice and laughter and ideas and interactions of my past into our future.  So this is what I give thanks for as we hit another mile marker of life and set-out for new territory and adventure.

Drifting

The Orelove Family by Kim

Today is a holiday, and I lay in bed drifting in and out of sleep, trying to convince my jittery mind to take a rest.  The girls are having a nap as the weather outside contemplates snowing the first real snow of the season.  While my hopes hold out for a few more days of seeing the sidewalk, I know that sooner than later our world will be filled with the white stuff.

Violet rocking the three-wheeler in the driveway.

The past few days have been filled with the daily grind:  work, cleaning, laughing, movies, etc.  It is simple and happy most of the time, although there are moments of sisterly arguments and disputes over particular toys...but those pass quickly once a parent becomes involved.

Violet and rainbow umbrella on a chilly November morning.

We now have our sights set firmly on Thanksgiving and getting to see family in Virginia.  The tradition of driving East continues for yet another year.  This time, Hanukkah will overlap the turkey holiday, which does not happen all that often, so another layer of uniqueness is placed upon our time in Richmond.

Fresh cinnamon, raisin, walnut bread.  Yum.  

Audrey and Violet helping to make apple cake!

As I get a little older, I become slightly more aware of the world around us, and even though I try not watch the news, I cannot help it sometimes.  These are the times where I become a bit paranoid and worry for our future, which I am certain every parent does at times.  However, every time I leave my house and take a look around, I see good things happening and people who appear to have a little common sense and humanity.  Either way,  thinking about what it means to be human and being thankful for all that we have in our lives makes the entire holiday shopping and consumerism model seem unimportant and trivial.

Violet, 2 years old

So let it snow outside.  Let it build up to the windows.  I have a roof over my head, and a blanket to keep me warm.  When I wake, my daughters and I will have a snack and listen to music as we paint pictures in the living room.  

Violet getting her iron levels checked at her 2-year appointment.

Audrey and Violet at Family Reading Night at daddy's school.

Audrey in the dive.  

November Thoughts

We have been busy these past few weeks.  This was my first time at home over the weekend in about a month!  Kim was in Bloomington for the Indiana University homecoming with her college core of friends.  It is important to spend time with your friends, as I got the chance to do so this summer, and it is great that Kim also has a close group of people she keeps up with.  

With that being said, it was Daddy and Daughters weekend!  We hit the Brookfield Zoo on Saturday, and then went to McCormick Place today for a dairy processing convention, where we had lots of cheese and ice cream and a chance to catch-up with the wonderful Uncle Stuart!

As November spread its frosty fingers over our windshields, Violet turned two years old!  It is a parental cliche to think about where the time has gone, but I guess they are cliche for a good reason.  Violet has been a wonder in our lives, bringing zest and intensity all wrapped in a bundle of laughter and smiles!  Happy birthday to my little warrior!  

Today was spent cleaning house, which feels great once it is all done.  There is something about a clean floor, clearing clutter, and an empty dryer that bring immense satisfaction to my day.  Cleaning allows me to figure-out what we need, what we don't need, and to also let my brain sort-out whatever thoughts are stirring.  

Below are some of the things we have been up to lately, trying learn, love, laugh, and grow together as our little family unit!    

Daddy shows-off his medal after finishing the Grand Rapids Marathon in Michigan.  It was a great run, very beautiful and well-organized.  It was no Chicago Marathon, but still very glad I tried this one this year. One to consider returning to if my legs let me!  

A close-up of the finisher's medal.  It was the tenth year (obviously) of this particular marathon.  There is also a half-marathon, and I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to run either distance!  

Audrey in the fall leaves.  She helped rake the leaves in grandma's back yard, and then proceeded to leap into them!  

Halloween 2013:  Audrey is a fairy princess and Violet is a lion.  The rain kept us in for most of the day, but the sun broke through for about 30 minutes, so we jumped in the wagon and managed to get to a few houses for trick-or-treating.  Violet still isn't sure about the whole process, but she really enjoyed the apple on lady gave her, and I am sure a few pieces of her sister's candy stash will find their way into her clutches!

Lighting the candles on Friday night.  The girls helped make this fresh challah loaf and we lit the candles on Violet's 2nd birthday.  It was a nice way to celebrate the end of the week, a birthday, and just being together as a family. ...and the bread was amazing!   

Brookfield Zoo:  This pumpkin was nearly 1,800 pounds!  It was a bit chilly on Saturday morning, so the girls practically OWNED the zoo.  We saw all of the major animals and no one was around.  It was like getting a private tour!  It was our favorite day at the zoo ever!  Audrey even told me she knew that she wants to be a zoo keeper at Brookfield when she gets older.  

Audrey and Violet at the dolphin measure wall.  The dolphins were very active, and we spend about a half hour just watching them swim past our viewing window.  

Again, notice no one around!  We were all by ourselves at the pinniped viewing area.  Here are the girls with the massive walrus sculpture.  

We spent all summer collecting the wax Mold-a-Rama animals.  Last month the zoo released three special Halloween limited-edition molds:  The Devil, Frankenstein, and a skull!  Here are the girls getting the last two molds at the end of our day.  Audrey is doing the "Mold-a-Rama Dance", while Violet anticipates holding the warm Frankenstein mold as it is pressed-out.  

The collection is complete!  A successful day at the zoo!

We had a great day today at McCormick Place with Uncle Stuart.  It is always a treat seeing him, and he makes the girls so happy!  We enjoyed just hanging out by the water fountain and running around in a quiet area of the convention center.  

Audrey is fascinated by the "jumping" water display in the convention center main floor area.  

The girls and Uncle Stuart take a break from running around and enjoy some goldfish crackers and milk.  

Violet taking a mini-break before resuming "chase Uncle Stuart".

The Stu Crew.  Off for an adventure.  

Around the Bend

October has been a fast month.  Our little family has been moving at a rapid pace, getting-in the travel and outdoors that we will soon not be able to enjoy once the winter weather truly takes hold of the land.  Snow flurries have visited our afternoons a few times, reminding us that we are not immune to the changing of the seasons.

Last week, Kim and I left the girls with Granny in South Bend and headed up to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  This year, I skipped the Chicago Marathon and opted to run a smaller venue in Michigan.  The city of Grand Rapids is beautiful, and reminds me a lot of my hometown of Juneau.  There is a lot of activity, with people biking and running and just moving outside.  The city seems built for movement, which was great considering I needed to run a marathon.  The actual marathon was great, although I did not come close to a PR time.  The course was stunning, and the spirit of the event was very positive and it is always uplifting to see people participating in an event where they are reaching their goals and hard work is paying-off.

Now the leaves are in constant free-fall and our breath shows itself during the day, too.  Pumpkins are on the doorsteps of many houses, and traces of ghosts and goblins are in the windows throughout the neighborhood.

The girls are taking the fall season in stride.  They do not like the extra layers of clothes and jackets, but a chilly trip to the park is never out of the question.  Now we set our sights on Thanksgiving and the winter holidays after that.  As the winter approaches, thoughts of friends and family keep us warm.

Apples, Fog, and Sunsets

Violet in the apple orchard

Audrey making her picks!

Last week we traveled to somewhere in Indiana and visited an apple orchard.  I was hesitant to participate, to say the least, as part of the Bears game would be missed.  Being raised in Alaska, there is still something about being in the Midwest that I find unusual.  The idea of tractor rides and picking apples is so wholesome that I am surprised when I catch myself really enjoying the experience.  The farm petting zoo is a treat for everyone.  Having a chance to see and interact with animals anywhere is an important part of life.  Violet was fascinated by the miniature pigs and getting to scratch a goat behind the ears.  Audrey got her ya-yas out running through the hay maze and checking out the tractors.  I was amazed by he rows and rows of apple trees.  The fields were so massive that tractors pulled large trailers of people to the different sections of the orchard so they could pick different types of apples.  I found myself strolling through the orchard, mesmerized by the sheer volume of apples, enjoying the moment of watching my daughters play under trees and picking apples to munch on while laughing in the sun.  At the end of the day, we arrived home full, and happy...satisfied with the entire experience.  I managed to watch a few minutes of the Bears getting beaten like a rug, and ended-up turning off the game and taking a nap, which was apparently what the Bears decided to do, too.

Sisters on the Moo-Choo Train

The weather has been turning, and we find ourselves in muggy, warm weather during the day, and cool evenings with a slight breeze.  I am wearing a light jacket in the mornings on my way to work to cut the chill.  On my runs it takes a little while to get warm, and I am no longer worried about heat getting the best of my hydration.  The marathon in Grand Rapids, Michigan is just over two weeks away, and I am getting excited to run in a new state and experience this highly-recommended race.  My knees have been telling me to ease-up, and I have been tapering my training to adjust to my body, but it is still great to get my runs in and feel that sense of accomplishment.

Violet peeking out the window

The warm days have been creating fog in the mornings, and some mist in the evenings.  Recently my best friend's father passed away, and a couple other people I have known have also died.  This, along with my own aging, have caused me to pause and reflect on life a lot lately.  There are so many things I hope to accomplish, and there are a seemingly infinite number of questions that I may never have answered.  I believe life to be a lot like running through the fog, only being able to see where you are, knowing a little about where I've been, and not quite able to see too far ahead.  I know that I have lived a blessed, great life.  I owe a lot of that to my family and friends, and I am trying to make good decisions that are positive and help me become a better person.  I try to do my very best to recognize the moment I am in, as we don't know what will happen in the next.  I know where I want to run, and the map is in my mind, but if I look too far ahead, I make missteps and risk an injury.  To wrap-up my cliche about running and life, I just want to say that I have so much love for my family and friends, and I hope that whenever it is my time to run off into the fog, I hope that people know that.

Violet playing house

The fog disappears during sunsets and sunrises.  The light piercing the horizon cuts through the mist and shows me the way home.  The sunrise and sunset reminds me that time is limited on this spinning sphere we call Earth.  Every day is a gift, and whether we go to an apple orchard, on a run, or sit and watch a football game, we are making choices of how we spend our time here, and while I don't always use my time wisely, I do my best to navigate through the fog and make it long enough to enjoy the sunset at the end of each day.

Violet

--

Cobwebs

Sometimes you wake up in the middle of the night with lots of thoughts in your head.  Some of these thoughts are current concerns, related to work and family and the day's events.  Some thoughts are things that have already happened and remain for my conscious to ponder.  And finally, there is a third layer, almost a mist, of seemingly random memories that have for reasons unknown stuck in the cobwebs of my mind.

Sometimes I wonder why that third layer lingers.  Images from childhood sometimes.  Other times a slice of a memory I cannot place, but I know it was from a while ago.  The mind is powerful, but cannot keep everything in the foreground of our thoughts, as it would be overwhelming and too complex for us to operate with so many memories and images flashing in in front of us.  There are things from our lives, though, that are placed in the whirlwind of subconscious that remains ever-twirling as we go through our days.

These past few weeks in the Orelove family have been like a whirlwind of sorts.  With the school year now in full tilt, we have all adjusted to our daily schedules and enjoy our time apart, and reuniting every afternoon to play, eat, and read bedtime stories.  It is Audrey's birthday in a couple days, and I am reminded of what a special time this is for a child.  The world is a big, fast place that often overlooks the young.  It is important to celebrate children, and birthdays are a great way of doing so.  Feeling special is and experience I want my children to have often, but when the entire family focuses their love and attention on them each year, the feelings and emotions are heightened exponentially.  Of course there are presents and gifts that factor into the equation, but the best gift is the love and recognition Audrey will receive and how her confidence will grow as a result of it.

The Jewish New Year is also here, and I am happy to wish my family a healthy and happy transition during this time of renewed faith celebration.  New years are cyclical events that allow us pause for reflection and gives us the opportunity to adjust our lives and assess the paths and relationships we are forging.  Are we happy?  Can I be better?  Does this way make me a stronger person?   How can I change to make my life more powerful?  How can I help others?  These are some of the questions I ask myself during this period.  Sometimes I have answers, other times I can only hope to remain aware of the question as I move forward seeking an answer.

So here we are, all in our own little cyclones of thought and memories and hopes and dreams...all twirling around this world, sometimes colliding with others, sometimes all alone.  We have these thoughts and dreams and memories and ideas all working in one way or another to provide each of us a unique outlook on life, and if we are lucky, we find other people who share some of these shards and can understand our perspective a little and sympathize with our lens through which we see things.  Ultimately, many of the bits and pieces of life get caught in the cobwebs of our minds.  Sometimes we find them and examine them more closely, and some of them remain there, unidentified, yet still impacting how we see the world.

Audrey's chalk of Daddy and Audrey playing in the sun.

A heavy fog on my morning run.  Very peaceful and exciting to run in!

Violet on a Sunday morning trip to the grocery store.  She gets to ride the mechanical horse, Sandy, after checkout.

These rays of sun were shining at the end of the day.  It made me take a moment to appreciate the "big picture", which I really needed that day.

Audrey teaching Violet how to use her scooter.

Audrey wining tickets at a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese.

Audrey and Kim blowing out birthday candles at Grandma Flesher's house this weekend.  I can't believe she is 5 years old!

Audrey and her birthday presents from the day.  How are we going to get everything home?

After all was said and done, Audrey enjoyed flying a kite outside on the perfect fall day.

Going with the breeze.  Audrey flying a kite.

Audrey, Oren, and Violet at Grandma Flesher's house.  Climbing the fence.  

Audrey and her new bike!  Thank you Grandpa Cip.  

Violet, Audrey, and Daddy.  I hope this is a memory that gets snagged in my cobwebs.