Strange

I must admit that this weekend I started feeling a bit... strange.

Here is why {I think}:

1. This is the first summer in over six years that I haven't put a classroom together.

2. This is the first summer in over six years I haven't spent hours upon hours in professional development for my teaching license.

3. When I went to the bank this past week to be added to a new account David opened, they asked me what I did for a living as they were filling out my paperwork, and I drew a complete blank. I looked at David while drawing my blank and he said my wife is a wonderful mother and is blessed to stay home. At the end I threw in that I used to be a 5th grade teacher . Why did I say that? Like I said, strange times. I'm in new territory, I tell ya.

4. This is the first time in over TEN years {yes, count them up!} that I haven't woke in the middle of the night to check that my alarm is set correctly. I checked it almost every night in college {5 years} and almost every night as a teacher {over 6 years.} I am terrified of over sleeping. I don't even have an alarm set up on my bed stand in this house yet .

I'm not complaining. I feel really blessed, actually. It is all just strange to me. To go from being a full time career mom living in Arkansas to a stay at home mom who doesn't have to work living in Detroit in a week's time... Just a whirlwind!

We've had a great weekend. David is working some insane hours this week {all day Saturday and a few hours on Sunday due to some new clients the company has picked up.} Harbor and I had a full day Friday of going to the vet's office for a check up for our dog, Bichon, then off to Hobby Lobby to shop for paper to start my Christmas cards, and then to dinner at Outback for Alice Spring's Chicken, and to the downtown area for ice cream and the river walk.

On the way out the door, I took a few pictures of Harbor and I. Since I'm rarely in pictures anymore, I thought I'd share.  : )

And this silly smile is so funny. He is doing really good to smile when the self timer light is blinking. Poor kid. He has learned all about my tripod and I'm really proud of him for being such a good boy and trying his best to cooperate with his mama and her crazy picture taking machine! Ha, ha!

My parents still send care packages almost weekly and we just love getting them! Last week a gift came from my aunt, Cathy, who spent a good deal of time vacationing this summer on Amelia Island in Florida. She sent a cute shirt for Harbor and some sea shells. Today, a package came from Rachel. We so appreciate everyone's thoughtfulness. 

Have a restful Sunday!

Pure Joy

 I am so humbled by all of your sweet well wishes. I loved hearing from so many of you, especially those that live in the Michigan area and even in Canada. It makes me feel like I'm moving close to friends- albeit we have never met in real life- and I feel a bit like I already know some of my neighbors.  It was also such fun hearing from those of you who have been reading my blog for a long time- some since before Harbor William was born. I'm not sure if our lives are very exciting or even interesting, but I'm happy to know my blog is a bright spot in your day. Thank you for taking the time to stop and send kind words our way!

We have remained busy with little time to feel lonely or sad that daddy is so far away. Harbor is so full of laughter and life- just a vibrant sparkle of energy. With Skype, and Harbor's new belief that Daddy lives inside of our computer, the transition has been very easy. David has completed his first week of work and is very busy with his new responsibilities. He has enjoyed meeting his new coworkers and fellow engineers. He has already requested that I mail a few of his statistical analysis textbooks to use for some manufacturing process projects, so I know he is enjoying what he is doing. He seems to thrive on deep analytical problem solving tasks. I'm glad- it makes him good at what he does and I'm so proud of his drive and work ethic.

I'm not sure this will be the best year for my 365 Picture a Day project. On one hand, I know with moving and unpacking, the house in disarray, taking a daily picture may be tough. On the flip side, this may be the best year ever to remain true to my photography commitments and do my best to document what I can. Either way, I am certainly giving myself permission to relax and prioritize as I see fit with no twangs of guilt or regret. Sometimes life presents unexpected time constraints and I have found that going with the flow is the best medicine for avoiding anxiety.  : )

This coming Tuesday will mark two weeks that David has been up north. In 10 years of marriage, this is the longest we have ever been apart. I admire those of you that have been in similar situations with spouses on trips or away on business for long amounts of time. It certainly makes my heart yearn for that companionship and I am thankful to have a person in my life that completes me. David, I know you are reading this- you are loved and missed! Be safe and know that we are cheering you on!

Harbor is 100% all boy. He loves to build and knock-down. Roads, tunnels, and bridges bring him such happiness! He is a mess.

As a full time working mama, my time with Harbor is limited. I just soak him up. He will never, ever again be this little. I mentally try to memorize the feeling of holding his little hand, holding him on my lap, rocking him asleep. He is growing everyday and these days are numbered. Just the weight of him cuddling in my arms makes me so sad sometimes. I would love to always have a baby in my arms.

My parents and I got such a giggle out of Harbor hiding in the pantry. He is just small enough to push the food back on that bottom shelf and lie down inside by pulling the doors shut on himself. He brought his little pillow in with him of his own accord and would yell, "Wow!" every time he opened the doors. We just laughed and laughed which made him more excited. While he was in there, he ate some chocolate. Poor baby. He is so mistreated. Ha!

I really missed David on library day. Not only was I afraid of Harbor William running wild, I missed his presence during such an embedded family routine. Thankfully, my mom offered to go with us and I was so glad. I had help with Harbor (they did puzzles while I spent my time selecting the "just right" books for the week,) and my mom brought her camera which made these fun pictures in the parking garage possible. Harbor calls the parking garage a big tunnel and he is so happy when we park. For him, the parking garage and the library are equal partners in his fun!

I thought I'd post a picture that didn't involve my marriage or my motherhood... just my beauty routine. All girls need to share beauty secrets, right?  : )

Harbor is showing many creative skill sets- he enjoys using his hands to build, manipulate, and create. I couldn't be more giddy about these developments. I even remember finding out I was pregnant three years ago and praying that our child would have a splendid sense of creativity. I just love the end product. Scrap booking these works of art are just too much fun.

Bichon, our Bichon Frise, was our first born child. As many of you know, David and I were married 8 years before Harbor came along. Though she is not the main star of this blog, she is still my girl, forever and always. She filled a niche during those seasons of life and we really love her sweet disposition.

I would love to do some research on the Farmer's Almanac. As a teacher, I teach my kiddos how to utilize multiple reference books, but I really don't know much about the actual creation of the Farmer's Alamanac. With the day lillies blooming, I'm sad to know it is predicting snow in few weeks. Harbor and I have really loved our time outside watering the flowers (and rocks, trees, and asphalt!)

Tomorrow, Saturday, Harbor and I will return to the library to enjoy the parking garage, elevator, and books. Endless aisles of books just waiting to be discovered is nothing short of glorious. I also have a hair appointment and am considering doing something different with my color. Darker, maybe? I'd love to go closer to my natural color so that when I relocate in a few weeks to Detroit, I don't have to rush to find a new hairdresser (Sniff, sniff!!) I'll miss you, Lyndsey! Soooo much! What will I do without your genius??

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. Again, it was great to meet and discover so many new blog readers through your kind comments. Blogging makes the world so small! Take care! Enjoy this balmy, prespring weather! Get out and find some blooming day lillies!  : )

Fabulous Fall

We have kicked off the Fall season just fabulously! Back to school time is very busy for me, but our weekends are full of family time. We have found plently of reasons to be outside and enjoy the changing of the seasons.

With Harbor's 2nd birthday in November, I have been working here and there to get things ready. Harbor has a great love for all things that "Go!", so I have decided on an airplane theme for the party. Someday soon, i'm sure superheroes and villians will replace my themes, but until then, i'm happy to do the party planning.  : )

Since HW was born, my mom and I have tried to make shirts for special occasions, and birthday shirts are just so fun!

Harbor is 22 months old and is a very busy little boy! He is attending MDO two days a week, loves playing on the slide, building blocks, working puzzles, and pestering the dog. He is still not talking much- maybe 11 words at 22 months- but we are hopeful his speech will improve. We have an appointment to double check on his progression this coming week, so we are praying he is just taking his time and that there is nothing major to be concerned with. His comprehension is right on track and he is still using lots of sign language.

Bichon, our Bichon Frise, is a great playmate for Harbor. She is, thankfully, very gentle and allows Harbor to include her in his playtime. Frogs, and snails, and puppy dog tails, that is what this little boy is made of!  : )

A girl that graduated with my husband, David, recently asked me to paint a canvas bag for her son, Hudson. He will use it as a lunch bag for MDO. Andrea is a fellow teacher also, and it was great to visit with her. David's ten year reunion was over a year ago, and it was wonderful to reconnect with so many friends.

Rachel has been busy with college and the University band, but we are so happy when she comes to visit!

Rachel and I recently had birthdays, and since we have a small family, we try to combine our parties. We met at an Italian cafe and enjoyed pasta and cheesecake and a retelling, on my part, of an adventure we had the day before- David, Harbor, and I took a new bike path and ended up getting semi-lost, in the dark, on a mountain biking trial. Not cool when you have a one-year old in a bike trailer. Rachel turned 20 and I turned 29. We laughed that we are both celebrating a "big" birthday- her first year in the 20's and my last!  : )

And for those of you who know me and want to know, I received many thoughtful gifts. David bought me a snazzy ring, engraved with Harbor's name and a new seat for my mountain bike. What every girl needs, of course!! He knows me perfectly- bling and bike accessories.

Regardless of the seasons, the horses love to be fed, and as long as there are apples on the ground, Harbor has work to do!

Biking has really been our favorite past-time of late- since Harbor has been born, really. I hate the gym and prefer being outside and neither of us like the idea and excerising alone, leaving someone behind to watch Harbor William. Biking has been the answer for us- we can bring Harbor with us, spend time outside as a family, and boy howdy, break a terrific sweat! We don't converse much on the trail- David leads and is a good distance ahead of me, and, well, we are usually breathing too hard to do much of anything but nod.

We average about 16 miles a week on the bikes, which is a fair amount of riding. We ride every Saturday and Sunday, usually 6-8 miles per day, and once or twice during the week, depending on work schedules and after school activities. Fayetteville has an amazing bike system of well-planned paths, and we prefer to ride those and avoid traffic, but sometimes we ride real roads. The hills we encounter, being nestled in the Ozarks are demanding, but the scenery really keeps you motivated to keep going. We just love it.

My mom rides with us quite often, and on this particular ride, we did about five miles, from HWY 62 to North Street in Fayetteville.

I've never been ultra-sentimental with Harbor's hair. I'm sad to admit I had his hair first cut well before his first birthday. In fact, at 22 months I think he has had 20 haircuts or so. I can't handle it long, over his ears, or in his eyes at all. His hair is like mine- light, feathery, and fast growing. David usually takes him to get his hair cut, but ended up having to work instead, so I took him and my mom tagged along. Harbor and David get their hair done at a different salon than I do, so it was fun to take him and change up the routine a bit.

With the sky growing darker earlier, we do get caught riding in the dark more often than not, but our bikes are equipped with front and rear LED lights, which make you feel a bit safer. This night we ran a relatively quick ride- only four miles or so- to the park for Harbor to get in a few "slides" before bedtime. I know helmets are important, but we are not religious with our wearing of them. I know, I know.... no lecture needed.  : )

This weekend was our town's annual Bikes, Blues, and BBQ motorcycle rally. It is a big to-do in my family, as we all ride motorcycles, and well, run with the riff and the raff that inhibit these types of events. : ) I'm saying this out of complete sincerity due to the stereo type of motorcyclists and the fact that we know so many riders in town.  : )

David took off work all day Friday to head down to Dickson street with his friends to test drive motorcycles. We recently sold our beloved Goldwing in the pursuit of something more "around town" and less "British Columbia" since our trips to Canada via the 'Wing are a thing of the past. He also demoed some Jeeps in a Jeep "playground" - rock climbing, mound rolling, teeter-tottering, balancing acts. He took his personal Jeep through an obstacle course of some kind as well. And ate yummy BBQ, while I taught the differences between revising and editing all day and prayed our Jeep wasn't sinking into a mudhole.

My family particpates in the Parade of Power ride through town and while we didn't ride this year in the parade, we did take Harbor to the strip for an afternoon train ride and some kettle korn popcorn.

David and I met up with friends for dinner at Pesto Cafe Saturday night and went to hear the Joe Giles band  preform live. Good times! Thanks to Gigi for babysitting for us! : )

 

We are busy, but trying to find time to relax and enjoy one another's company. Teaching is very time consuming and in all honesty, while I love to blog, I have been desiring more time with my family and less time with the computer. It has been so nice to have that break and to be able to reconnect. I totally and completely blog for myself, to remember what our little family of three was like during this time, but I also appreciate those of you who take an interest in us as well.

 Halloween is fast approaching and Harbor will be sporting a spotted girraffe suit. I think we are more excited about candy eating than he is, but now that he is in MDO, he has plenty of opportunties to get the hang of the fall festivities. He recently had "cowboy" day where they brought in horses for the kids to sit on, and are also having a fall themed party, of course. Having a little one around the house makes the holidays that much more fun for everyone. Take care! We love you, friends and family!

The McCash Family  : )