Ragnar Relay - Madison WI to Chicago IL

Ragnar=crazy (running all through the night)

Ragnar Friday/Saturday, Moving on Tuesday=completely nuts-o

The timing was horrible, but we were so glad we did it. Fun friends, fun race. Good times!

Mike Smiley, Tim Holloway, Kim Holloway, Andreas Lex, Kylee Eyre Dial, Rodney Dial, Melissa Walker, Paul Walker, Brik Eyre, Susan Eyre, Brent Paul, Me!

Lake Forest Beach

I love the water! Ocean, lake, it doesn't matter. Large bodies of water give me a calm, happy, peaceful feeling. For two years while Brent was in grad school we lived in a high-rise apartment right on Lake Michigan. Every morning we woke to beautiful Lake Michigan. I loved that view. We now live only about 15 minutes from Lake Michigan, but we don't get over there often enough (mostly because the lake front villages are persnikity about their beaches and make it next to impossible for non-residents to gain accesss...grrr!). Yesterday Isaac had a piano recital in Lake Forest so we took an impromptu drive to the lake afterwards. I can't think of a better way to spend a half hour with the family on a Sunday afternoon.

Isaac's Piano Recital

Isaac had his second piano recital on Sunday. It was held at a beautiful old chapel at Lake Forest College. His teacher, Michelle Ryder, is wonderful. We are so happy to have found her. Isaac's been with her for a year now and is doing great. Isaac peformed "Windmill" and "Concert Time" from his Alfred book.

Our New Home

Our cozy little home sold in just a little over a month and the buyers need us out by June 14th. So, we are offically moving on. It's bettersweet. Exciting to look forward to a little more space and a huge DIY project, but sad to say goodbye to the nicest neighbors and friends anyone could ever ask for. We've been blessed to be surrounded by a pack of sweet, creative, smart, fun kids, amazing parents, great families--and wonderful friends. My neighbors have helped me raise my kids. My kids have grown-up with the comfort of knowing there are five back-up moms and five second homes they can pop into for anything they might need (snacks, band-aids, snacks, phone, snacks, potty, snacks...).We have an inspection scheduled for the new house on Tuesday. If all goes well we'll move-in sometime around mid-July. The new house needs a lot of love. We have some fun ideas but it will take time to get it where we'd like it. It will be a work in progress for awhile.

Life in the Olden Days

Ethan: “Mom, were there only forks in the olden days?”
Me: “I don’t know, I think they probably had spoons.”
Ethan: “Well! (with attitude) You were there, not me! You should know.”

A Week with Jane

I've spent the last week with a new best friend. I admit I'm obsessed. Her companionship has made all the mundane tasks of my day perfectly pleasant and even enjoyable. Thank you Jane Austen for keeping me entertained as I fold laundry, wash dishes, shovel snow, run on the treadmill and even shop. The free audiobooks on my new Android phone are amazing. In the last 10 days or so I've finished Pride and Prejudice,  Persuassion, and Emma--all while productively completing my routine tasks. This is the beginning of a beautiful relationship.

(So far I've listened to Libervox readers Elizabeth Klatt and Karen Savage. I highly recommend both!)

Proud but Scared!

Morgan's gymnastics meet season has begun. She's a great little gymnast and a delight to watch--although as a parent it's pretty scary to see your little girl flying through the air and landing on a 3" wide beam. We're proud of her and all the long hours and dedication she puts into the sport she loves. Here are a few photos and videos from her first meets of the season.

BTW - Morgan doesn't like any of these pictures. She claims they make her look bad because her toes aren't pointed enough, knees aren't straight enough, yada yada yada. I think they are beautiful, so I'm posting them whether she likes it or not (someday she'll thank me).