Dear Kerri,

July 2008 - the day you left (& me very, very pregnant)

        So you wrote me over two weeks ago.  I was so excited to get an email from you.  It's been so long.  And you had so much to tell me.  You love your new house in Michigan.  I can't wait to see pictures. Abby and Jack are so old, so smart, so active.  You finally have that land for Matt to hunt on.  You're in the country and life moves slower for you.  And you seem so happy.
             And I am so pleased for you. I know you've lived in a cramp space for some time. No one deserves this new living more than you.

I've wanted to write you back but it seems like every time I thought about it, I wasn't at a computer and there's no way I could write a long email via phone.  I needed all my typing fingers for this.  I got your email right about the time when my life was so positively opposite of yours that I had to step back and compare.  And wonder what the heck we are doing rushing.  Wonder why I started a full time job and at the same time signed the kids up for activities that require us driving them somewhere every night of the week.  I treasure any week night we have together as a whole family and I long for weekends when we just sleep in and hang out.

Please don't misunderstand - I love what I'm doing.  After working and volunteering at Lutheran South where I'm guessing most students have what they need and maybe some more, I am working with kids who don't.  Kids whose bed is the living room couch, who depend on the free breakfast served at school, who tell me they've been saving up their money for the book fair all month and have  $10 to spend. And speaking of the Book Fair.  I've put my heart and soul into setting this one up.  I have no idea what I'm doing.  It's a one woman show. At Lutheran South, we had the luxury of 15 or more moms who sign up to help.  In our school, it's just me and some awesome 8th grade helpers.  How blessed I am to have those kids.
And a plus for my drive to work - I get to see some beautiful sunrises -- it almost erases the agony of the 30 minute drive. Almost.

So why am I returning your email and adding it to my blog?   I agree it's kind of weird. But, it just seems like the right thing to do.  So much has been happening with everyone this fall, so I might as well catch you and everyone else up.  It's been a good solid month since I've even clicked open the blog so I think it's time, though I hope not to sound like a Christmas card letter.

 Kenny is a super star who gets the kids ready in the morning and gets them to school and has an intricate car pool system set up for pick up.  He's busy working on, well work things I don't quite understand, and he's helping coach Elijah's flag football team. Oh and he's running most mornings to prepare for the Houston 1/2 marathon.

Elijah is in 4th grade - and for the first time ever tells me he has too much homework and doesn't like
school.  He still gets all his work done either at school or on the long drive home, but he's moved into the category of kid who dreads waking up in the morning.  He's playing flag football this year but has already told us he's not playing in high school because it's not "his sport."

Lydia is Lydia.  Easygoing.  Sensitive.  Enjoys school enough - 2nd grade.  Two of her friends from last year are not at LSA anymore so that makes her sad, but she seems to make friends easily.  She's dancing again this year, and for the first time is in Girl Scouts (sigh of relief from my Girl Scout loving mom :-)) and she loves to be in the kids choir at church.

Lanie is in Kinder.  She tells me how much she misses her days at home with me like last year.  And I miss them too.  Out of all three, she's having the hardest time transitioning with me working.  I feel bad leaving in the morning because she hangs on me, but Kenny says after I leave she's just fine.  Just a show. It's funny though, both girls have drawn pictures lately and the mom is always walking to work.  I don't know to like or dislike that image, but since last year Lydia though all I did was sweep the kitchen floor, it's a nice change.  Lanie is also dancing, in choir, plays in the kids bell choir, and on the fence about joining Girl Scouts.

I am suffering from some serious hip/leg/knee/foot issues that I'll be looking at soon.  I think it has everything to do with driving - being in the sitting position for 30 minutes every morning and every afternoon.  My super Google searches lead me to a piriformis syndrome. Just look it up.
This too shall pass, I'm sure.

I wish we could visit.  I would love nothing more than a cold, snowy Michigan trip.  We will make it happen one of these years.  Can you believe you've been gone from Houston for 5 years?  It doesn't seem that long, it's going so very fast.
And I feel like we could step right back to where we left off.

I'll stop writing to Kerri now, and get back to blogging.

Sorry to those readers (mom) who've been awaiting a new entry for almost a month.  Things just got a little crazy and writing tends to be the last on the long list.  But please know the Ward family is good.  We're busy, but we're good, and loving every moment.  Okay, that's sappy, we may not love every moment - kids fighting, driving a tempermental truck, complaining kids, homework, getting to sleep at midnight only to wake up at 5am, but we are laughing through every moment - and that's good.

He Restores My Soul

Last Thursday I was going to write a post called "Transitions Make Me Cry" but I think the good Lord kept me from writing until I could get to this Labor Day weekend. After a first full week of teaching and early mornings, and still late nights, confusing car pools, guilt, activity start dates coupled with Open Houses, and so much on my plate, I was about to scream, or well, cry with a completely selfish pity party.  It always happens that way.  I tend to fall into myself and forget God's big picture.  So for those who crossed my sad path last week, I can only say that I'm coming into the new week refreshed, and my soul more at peace.

For the second year in a row, we've gone to Galveston for Labor day weekend.  And just like last year, it was the respite needed.  I started the weekend grumpy and after 48 hours with the Hergenraders, their beautiful beach house, 7 kids who I adore, 1 golf cart, 9 jellyfish caught in nets, 1 night ghost crab caught by bucket (& then unfortunately stepped on), and of course the beach, I was restored.  In fact, I took some needed time to walk out as far as I could in the water, with kid sounds far behind me, and just listen to the waves and have a talk with God. I was a bit reminiscent of my Florida days when I truly was alone at the beach every weekend and I could wade far out in the water alone in prayer. Of course not TOO far out, I'm still afraid of shore-loving sharks. But far enough.

The kids had such a good time.  In fact, Lanie now wants her own sandhouse, as she continued to call it.  But Sam, age 6, kept her straight, "It's a BEACH house, Lanie. Not sand."

Elijah didn't even give me too hard of a time that we didn't stop at Paradise Pier or the Go-Karts or Schlitterbahn.  One of these days. It was a purely hangin' out kind of time.

Thank you Mike and Tina for letting 3/5 of us crash on your floor and sharing this amazing place with us.

Now for all the pictures: