Sundays

I've wanted to post for awhile about our Sundays - I may have posted this before but I can't remember.  Sundays have become our (or at least my) favorite day of the week.  For the last few years we've really tried to make Sundays our Sabbath - a day of rest.  It's been wonderful.  I really try to rest (at least as much as I can with 1 and now 2 small people at home).  We do church in the morning, but I try to have leftovers or something really quick for lunch.  Last night, while I made supper, I put together a quick soup that I could just heat up today when we got home from church.  I don't clean, do laundry, go grocery shopping, or various other tasks.  When Liv was still napping I relaxed - watched football, read, looked at a magazine, did my Bible study, and on a rare occasion "crafted" something...  Then when she stopped napping we had quiet time where she played in her room, and Aaron and I could still have some down-time of our own.  We're still doing the same during Tate's nap. 

Then Sunday evenings is our dinner and a movie.  Our supper-time staples are typically venison summer sausage, cheese, crackers, carrots or other veggies, and apple slices.  And we usually add some sort of chips and dip or popcorn.  Then we set up camp downstairs and eat and watch a movie or show together. 

Now this isn't perfect from week to week.  There's some Sundays I'll put in a load of laundry, or we'll leisurely run an errand together as a family.  I may wash some dishes, but I try not to :).  But here's why I love Sundays - it's not become some legalistic observance, but a chance to mentally and physically disengage.  I don't feel guilty for not cleaning cause it's Sunday; I'm going to rest.  Things that don't get done Saturday get pushed to Monday.  We go for walks, take a bike ride, play outside, sit around, play a game, read books - do fun things as a family.  It's become an island of calm in the midst of a busy week.  God really knew what He was doing when He called for the observance of a Sabbath.  It's so helped me recharge, connect with the family, and be ready for another week.  It's become a day I guard and can feel it when work or something else necessitates us being gone or doing something else that day.

I write this not to sound super-holy but to encourage you to try the same.  Take a day to slow down, cease striving, and rest.  See what you think! 
(Photo above courtesy of Liv taken today, Sunday :).

Things to remember...





One of the reasons I blog is because I want to remember various moments in our lives as a family.  This photo below was taken about a week and a half ago.  I had said the word "whoops-a-daisy" to be silly, and Tate laughed.  Then we asked him to try to say it - it came our "hm-mm-day" and has gradually evolved to "hmp-a-daze".  I giggle everytime and just think it's the cutest thing.  (I'm the mom so I get to think it's the cutest thing :).  This picture also clearly shows his very distinct dimple right near his lip and his scooter which he can slowly ride on his own.  He is understanding more and more of what we say, and it seems like he adds about one new word a day.  When we picked up Liv from school last week he saw her out the car window and said "Na-na".  We refer to Liv as Nuna which is the Korean word for big sister.  Then I had him try again to say Nuna which he did.  On Friday I took him for a walk and kept pointing to trees and saying "tree".  Then today out for a walk he pointed at a tree and said "tee".  He's getting it.  I feel like at some point he just going to explode with language.  I'll be so happy and so sad at the same time - I LOVE his little babble right now.  It's about the sweetest thing cause he uses hand guestures and intonation to tell you all about what's happening.  I'll miss it a lot.

 

 

The other thing that gave us a giggle was in the car last week.  A couple years ago a nearby orchard introduced us to the Chestnut Crab apple (pictured below next to a normal size pear... they're small).  I love them because (1) they taste really good and (2) they're small - a nice little taste of apple and the perfect size for small children.  So we gave Tate a little apple to eat in the car as we drove.  A few minutes later we turned back and the apple was gone.  He had done this another time... he ate the WHOLE apple.  Aaron wondered if he had eaten the stem too.

As if to answer our question, Tate passed up the stem with a tiny shred of apple peel on it.  We laughed at this little garbage disposal we have. 

We had a great visit with Aaron's family last weekend.  Tate got to meet his great grandparents, great aunts/uncles, and lots of cousins.  I was so grateful we could go for the day.  The light wasn't ideal, and some of the pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped.  This is a generation shot with Aaron's mom, her parents, and the kids. 

 

So amidst the busyness of the fall, we've been so grateful for moments together with our little family and our extended families.

 



Big Week!

Last Wednesday, the 5th, Liv had her first day of kindergarten!  She had half-days last week and begins full-days at school tomorrow.  I have to pack her a lunch tonight!  How do you send 33 1/2 pounds off to school all day by herself!  But she's such a big girl and so excited to be at school all day.  

 

 

The next big event was Friday night when she started riding a 2-wheeler all by herself.  She could've done it earlier but lacked the motivation.  Coming home from school where (I think) all her friends were talking about learning to ride their bikes suddenly brought the motivation :).  She rocked it.  No troubles, and now, at the end of the weekend, can go all by herself.  We got Aaron a new bike and all went out today.  Tate loves riding in the bike seat on the back of my bike, loves it.  We rode around while Aaron rode with Liv.  He got a mountain bike and had her going down the small hills in the grass at the nearby middle school.  I got a kick out of it.

So here we are, kicking the school year into gear for our whole family.  Labor Day weekend/first week of September is Aaron's busiest week of the year.  Liv started school, and Tate and I hung on for the ride :).  Tomorrow we'll start our days together.  I'm looking forward to our mornings with just the 2 of us.  I'll be back to doing the same things with him that I had done with Liv - running errands, grocery shopping, hanging out at home in our comfy clothes, library time, indoor play center, cleaning, cooking, playing.  Then after nap we'll get to pick up big sister and hear about her adventures.  Here we go!