can't put my book down...

My mom has often lamented that she wished she would have read to us kids more when we were little. It's one of the guilts she harbors as a mom, which I find a bit hilarious because all three of her kids were honor students and all three of us got our masters degrees. Clearly we could read and write. And reading comprehension was always my best score on standardized tests. But for so long I dreaded reading. Hated it. And I absolutely know why: because for 25 years of my life, it was all assigned.

Assigned Reading! Gross!

I remember teachers making bookmarks with the reading schedule and what chapter we should be on by what date. And I was always behind. Always. And not because I was a slow reader. But because the book was assigned. It just never felt like a pleasure.

My best friend growing up used to read books under her sheets at night with a flashlight. I remember a few times she was grounded because her mom caught her reading so late at night. Ha! I couldn't even fathom what that would be like. (Mostly because at the same time I was army crawling into my parents bedroom at 10:30 each night to watch M.A.S.H. with them, without them knowing I was there.)

Anyway, this whole thing with me and books has sort of continued. Every so often I read a book I adore and it gets me excited, but I have trouble starting books.

This has all changed, however. I have read six books in the last six weeks, and I don't know what has gotten into me. I remember my own mom getting lost in books all during my childhood and knowing on family vacations that "we had lost her" while she read in the car. And I think I'm turning into my mom. Some of those books I read in two days. One week I read 2 1/2 book. I actually haven't read anything in the last seven days because I thought my family deserved a bit more eye contact from me. :)

A few things that have changed:
1) I used to read a lot of non-fiction memoir or topical books. But I'm onto fiction, and I love it.
2) I try to read the first 100 pages as fast as I can. And if I don't like the book by then, I return it to the library. This month I started two books this way and felt no guilt returning them, unfinished.
3) I am choosing to read books that come highly recommended. After basically a lifetime of not reading for pleasure, I feel I have many options! (I'm also trying to read through this list. So far not one book has let me down!)
4) We currently don't have a tv in our house. Which is obviously great motivation to read for entertainment!
5) I have found that reading outside is one of my favorite things. The combination is perfection. Add an icy drink, and life is really, really grand.

And you? Do you have a favorite fiction book you'd love to share?!! I'm all ears! (I'm about to start that book pictured above, just as soon as I put the kids into Quiet Play Time. Hooray!)

pregnancy pillows

I've been waking up between 3 and 4 each morning unable to sleep. I toss and turn and try and then give up and eventually end up downstairs wide awake. This has led to some productive moments, like Saturday when I ordered my blog in book form for the year 2011 and then packed our 4th of July picnic to be eaten later that day at the parade. It has also been informative, like this morning when in the midst of flashing lightening I saw the silhouettes of five enormous raccoons waddling towards the garden. And it has been beautiful as I've watched the sun rise over the grove and slowly the shapes of our outdoors become visible.

But mostly it has been frustrating. Because I know I need to be sleeping. I'll want to have been sleeping come 9 am. And that's the problem. So I've been using these wee hours (it's currently 3:57) for a bit of research. Today it was pregnancy pillows and a little google image search came up with the above photo spread. I remember blogging about these when I was pregnant with Ivar and wondering who in their right mind would order such a thing. Mostly my concern was where to store such a beast after the baby comes. Today I looked into a few of them, but then I remembered my other concern with these from five years ago. Do you notice anything missing in these pictures? Or anyone? Where is the husband? It seems to me that if you order a pregnancy pillow, which appears to be the size of two additional human bodies, there is no longer room in your bed for your spouse. Which might be problematic if your husband enjoys sleeping in his bed too.

So I've put together my own special set of pillows that seem to help, but mostly my problem isn't so much with the pillows, it's just that I'm wide awake. I am assuming 3 am will become a feeding time and all of this is simply preparation for what is to come.

Now I'm off to pick out pictures to print from the year 2014...

(and Rory has a new garden update up at The Grovestead!)

the pre-party panic attack

Thursday night we had our neighborhood over for a potluck. I love my neighbors, knew everyone coming and told myself all week long that I didn't need to fret over this gathering. It was casual, everyone was bringing something, I know these people, it would go fine. My folks came over the day before and helped get the yard ready and spiff up the place. They did so much! They weed whipped every tree and raised bed and around every building. They cut down dead branches and trimmed trees, planted and transplanted, pruned the raspberries and weeded the garden a bit. Mom even folded my laundry. It was incredible.

I woke up on Thursday morning certain that I could accomplish what needed to get done without stressing about the party. I went grocery shopping right away, put the pork in the crock pots, took the kids to get haircuts and fed everyone lunch. During quiet play time I swept and mopped my kitchen and cleaned off the counters (hooray!) and cleaned the bathroom and garage a bit. 

And then it was 3:00 and I saw that the big crock pot was actually set for Warm and not on 4 hour cook (ahh!) and I still had the following on my list: buy ice, set up tables and chairs, gather dishes and place settings, make lemonade and ice tea, shred the pork, make the salad, and shower and look presentable. And that was when the panic set in. I had two hours until everyone was to arrive at 5, and two kids who seemed to be just as needy as their mama. 

The irony of the whole day was that it was supposed to be a quiet day. The barn is completed and the builders had packed up the day before. But the inspector showed up first thing in the morning, found three things he wanted reinforced, so the builders came back by 10 and stayed all day to make the changes. And the water guy showed up and started digging the trench and tearing out trees to make way for the water line from the well house to the barn. And at one point our neighbor came by to chop the hay in our field (but was unable to get to the field because of the six foot trench running through our yard.

So much for spiffing up the place! Trees were falling and dirt was everywhere!

At 3:00 I didn't cry. I didn't yell. But on the inside I was freaking out. And I proceeded to freak out towards my husband anytime he showed his face. Which became less and less and the party drew near and I was getting more and more panicked. Funny how that works.

So it makes a girl wonder. Can a person host a large group gathering without having the pre-party panic attack? My guess is that it is probably possible. I bet I might even host a gathering at some point where everything goes smoothly and no water guys are ripping my land apart and I prepare with grace and a smile. But I decided last night that having people over is the goal. The goal is to build community. And if it is stressful, it is still worthwhile. The worst thing would be to throw in the towel and say, "we don't entertain." Because the party was awesome and I love our neighbors and it was worth every minute of work and panic to have everyone here.

It also made me think that when a man marries a woman he should know what he is signing up for. A fitting vow would be, "I promise to take you, Becca, even when you're a hot mess before company is coming over. I promise to act as a landing pad, no matter how unwarranted, for all of your anxiety, perfectionism and social stress that comes along with party planning. And I promise to forgive you of all of your pre-party intensity once the party is over and we both recognize it was a worthwhile success of a gathering."

And it was a worthwhile success of a gathering. We ate well, gave barn tours and got all caught up with the friends we wave to each day as they drive by. More pictures to come.

goldilocks

On Saturday night we met up at Troy and Sara's bus after worship. We were there to listen to Sara's new album that is coming out in the fall and I need you to know I ADORE this one. I love it so much. Just like I've loved ever other of her records. But get excited. I cannot wait for it to be released so I can tell you about each song. It's so, so, so good.

It meant we didn't get back to our own room until a little before midnight. I was pokey brushing my teeth in the black room by the light of my cell phone (our kids had been sleeping in our room with Mimi while we were gone) and Madison and Rory had already gotten into their own beds a while earlier. And then there was a knock at the door.

I opened the door and found a mom, asking if I had seen her 8-year-old son. She said they had just been to fireworks and Perkins and she knew he came in the building, but didn't make it up to her room. I assured her I hadn't seen him, but that if she was going to look outside I'd join her. She said she wanted to try the other rooms first, to be sure he didn't go into the wrong room.

I shut the door, and stood scrolling through instagram. And then with the light of my cell phone, walked over to my bed and in the dim light saw an eight-year-old boy sound asleep and spread out on my bed. I was so shocked! I flew to the door looking up and down the hallway for the mom. She was knocking on another door a few rooms over and I whisper-yelled, "Mam! He's in my bed! I had no idea!"

She came and scooped him up and said he had been getting our rooms confused all day long. She left with her son and then I was left with a room full of sleeping family and no one to tell, "There was a boy asleep in my bed!"

The next day I saw the family at the cafeteria and met the kid who had crawled into my lower bunk and made himself at home. He didn't remember any of it, but I will never forget. Also, he had blonde hair. Which pretty much makes him my personal Goldilocks.

family camp at lake geneva christian center

We just got back from a weekend up at Family Camp. Rory and his family grew up going to Lake Geneva for kids camp and family camp, while I was a few lakes over on Lake Carlos at Mount Carmel. This was my first time sleeping over at Lake Geneva and I was so excited to get to experience Rory's camp.

When we took the Osakis exit on Friday afternoon, it just happened that we caught up to Troy and Sara's bus that held both their and Kyle and Lisa's families for the weekend. I swear to you I turned into a fifth grader when I saw that bus. I was so excited to be going to camp and to run into family on the way made me a bit ecstatic.

I think the very best part about attending a family camp is all of the downtime to catch up and have meaningful conversations. I talked so much in the last three days, always switching it up depending on who I sat next to at mealtimes or found in the coffee shop or ran into on my way to the next thing. I got caught up with nieces and nephews this way too, which is always a joy. We ate most meals in the cafeteria and the only things scheduled each day were morning worship and evening worship, powerful times when the camp gathers together in the worship center.

Going to family camp with your extended family is basically like planning a family reunion where you don't have to plan much of anything. You just plan to play and laugh and talk and read and nap a lot. I can't recommend it enough. In a few weeks we'll head up to Mount Carmel for more family camp with my side of the family. We can't wait for more!