Life in the Burbs

A good friend of mine used to say that crowns are anything that bring glory to the wearer. I always thought this was a good reminder of how tempting it is to take  the things God has blessed us with — our crowns — then “wear” them in a way that brings glory to ourselves. Whether it’s a job, money, fame, renown, status, talent … a crown could be anything. It’s hard to keep those things in perspective and not use them to bring glory to ourselves.

On a slightly different note, Saturday was just about as close to perfect as you can get. We spent the morning riding bikes and playing in the park, then we went to a music festival in the afternoon. We capped the day off with baths, a story, prayers, a song and goodnight kisses. As the boys got their last minutes of playing in before bed, we talked about how big they’ve gotten and how much fun the day was. This was the kind of day I used to envision when we were awaiting their arrival into the world. We were both amazed at how much they are learning and how curious they are. We love taking them out and showing them off, as they charm just about everyone they see. It’s also pretty natural to want to protect them and shield them from some of life’s harsher experiences. Bullies, mean words, disappointment, , failure … they are sure to encounter these and other hard realities. But we also know that this is part of the human experience, and no amount of effort on our part will make them immune from pain and hurting.

This brings me back to my friend. He said that crowns are anything that bring glory to the wearer. We can keep the crown and bring glory to ourselves. Or we can turn around and give the crown back to Jesus. He may keep it, or He may bless it and give it back to us for His glory and purpose. That’s what we choose to do with Samuel and Nathaniel everyday. We acknowledge that God used miraculous circumstances to bring them into the world, and He has a divine plan for their lives. We know they are His and God has given us the privilege of raising them and witnessing each and every special moment. The same God who carried us through difficult times and heartache will be their strength no matter what awaits them in the future. In the meantime, we cherish every giggle and new word, endure all the food throwing and willful tantrums, and share their looks of amazement at new things, the snuggles, hugs and kisses. It’s the best way I can imagine of honoring God for the abundance with which he has blessed us.

Gina, the boys and I took advantage of the cool weather on Saturday by riding bikes to Washington Park, which is just down the street from our house. This was the first time I actually pulled the bike trailer behind the bike. I had just been using it as a glorified stroller. I can tell you, I am not sad at all that I never tried to pull the trailer in Charlottesville. The boys are HEAVY, and C’ville has a lot of big hills. I’m thinking Illinois is a much better place to start this tradition!

After a brief ride, we stopped off at the playground and let the boys play for awhile. Nate, as usual, wanted to swing, and Sam liked the slide. It was a little big for him, though, and I had to slide down with him. It won’t be long before they are doing these things independently, so I cherish these opportunities to play with them and watch them experience new things. The only thing I was nervous about were the Canadian geese. After a few run-ins with those things in Fort Collins, I am not a big fan. After they hissed at Sam and Nate, our time at the pond quickly ended.

We are going to a BBQ and Blues festival downtown this afternoon, where Nate is going to demonstrate the Virginia Shuffle for all these Illinois folks. I’ll be happy to eat a pulled pork sandwich and watch all of the people. I think Gina wants to try the ribs. It seems like a fitting end to my first week of classes at UIS.

Sam has started trying to wear my and Gina’s shoes. This started with slippers, but he has already moved up to my dress shoes or sneakers. I just wish we had some cowboy boots for him to try. Nathan isn’t too interested in the shoes, but he does love jammin’ to the beat!

Move aside, Mr. Jefferson, we’re in the Land of Lincoln now! On Sunday, we finally made it to the Illinois State Fair. It was Family Day, which means Gina and I got in for a discount. This also meant we were able to justify spending more money on all that healthy Fair food. All you Texans out there know exactly what I’m talking about. Battered, deep fried and served on a stick! They even had deep-fried candy bars, but that will have to wait until next year.

Sam and Nate loved all the sights, sounds and tastes of the fair, especially funnel cake. They were too small to ride any of the rides, but they did get to stand and watch the kiddie roller coaster and the trucks. They also saw the petting zoo with pigs, donkeys, calves and goats. The most intriguing part of the fair was the Band Organ, which you will see below. Nate also got inspired to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a tightrope walker.

We are all excited for the fair next year, and we definitely won’t wait until the last day to go. By this time, the boys will be tall enough to ride some rides, and maybe I will work up the courage to ride some too. I will let you know how I enjoy the deep-fried candy bar. What’s that my dentist hears? “Cha-ching, cha-ching!”

One of Sam and Nate’s favorite parts of their trip to Texas was playing with their cousins, Kierra, Zach and Kendall. One of the reasons we wanted to get them to Texas was so they could play with their cousins while everyone is still young. The boys are in such a cute stage and it passes so quickly. This is a great pic to commemorate the occasion! Thanks Carol for getting such a great photo!

I mentioned to Gina this morning that today is the first Monday in a long time that I had to get up and head to a job. I had to be at orientation last week, but it didn’t feel like going to work. I took the car and Gina just kind of hung out with the boys. Well, we have talked through our weekly schedule and today we got up and at ‘em. Personally, I was a little tired of having such a slack schedule. Graduate school was a lot of work, but I was never really on a schedule of any kind. I had classes for two years, but other than that I kind of did things on my own schedule. This may sound like a good thing, but it takes a lot of self-discipline and a good system for remembering what is due and when.  I much prefer the traditional work schedule, even though my schedule is still far from the 9-5 life most people know.

Gina and the boys and I had a great weekend. On Saturday we ran some errands and worked around the house. The boys now have a shiny new CD player and some new building blocks. We also got a bean bag, but I seem to be the one who has used it most. I’m sure the boys will find some creative use for it, such as a landing pad for diving off the fireplace hearth. On Sunday we went to church, then spent the rest of the afternoon at the Illinois State Fair. Videos and pictures are forthcoming. It was the last day of the fair, and I’m glad we went. It was inexpensive, fun and totally new for the boys. They were too short for any of the rides, but they will be ready to go next year. Of all the attractions at the fair, their favorite was the band organ. I guess they just love music, even if it’s Polka music.

If you have tried to leave a comment in the last 3 weeks or so, you probably noticed that my blog tried to get you to register. Well, that feature has been fixed, and now you can make comments without having to sign up for anything. Just so you know, when you have to enter your e-mail address to comment, no one sees that but me. I host this blog myself, rather than using Blogger or another third party, and your e-mail address isn’t being put on a spam list or anything.

So go ahead, fire off your comments. I know you want to!

Sam and Nate are starting to learn the names of some of their family members. If your name is omitted, just keep waiting for the sequel in a couple of months. Everyone will eventually get a turn.

For those of you who know my sister, you know her love language is Target. The store. She loves it. A lot. Well, in honor of Aunt Katie, we re-enacted her favorite Saturday activity by going to the Target in Springfield. We got a new CD player for the boys, a bean bag and some new sippy cups.

Katie, I thought you would like to know this. When you come visit, there is a Target and it’s waiting for you to officially christen it. It’s not as cool as that two-story monster in Boston with an elevator that will carry your cart. And it’s not as homely as the one in Casper. It’s somewhere in the middle, but still stocked with all kinds of red and white goodness.

Sam and Nate would like to showcase some of their vocabulary. Don’t expect to understand what they are saying. Just nod, smile and ask more questions.