Snow Days

This post finds me back to business as usual after a wonderful 3.5 days off. Let me back up to where I left off and say that Jeremy and I had a fantastic time in Kansas City last weekend at the Gary Allan concert. The concert was at Harrah's Casino and we stayed at the hotel on-site which worked out fabulously. The convenience was well worth the extra cost. We were about 10 feet from Gary (I'm on a first-name basis). Very exciting and as usual, a great show. I didn't even mind standing for hours in my red boots. I saw that people were handing him things after the show to autograph and decided next time we're in an intimate venue like that, I am going for it. Last week I saw that they added a show at the MO State Fair. I texted Jeremy immediately, "WE'RE GOING." We can take the kids this time and let them experience the fair and the concert; Gigi and Gramps may even go too. I can't buy tickets until tomorrow but I've already booked a room. I remember more than once calling every hotel in a 50-mile radius of Sedalia when we would decide far too late to try and go, and they would all be booked. No playing around this time. Jeremy and I went to the Fair quite a bit when we were dating; his dad used to take him and the boys every summer. The first time I went I remember Gene and the 3 boys picking me up at Finger Lakes in their minivan. We took Jared once when he was about 2 1/2 and left Baby Jenna home with Grandma. I haven't been back since; Jenna and Julia have never gone. Jeremy and Jared did get to go a couple of years ago to see Jason Aldean. They slept in the pick up and I think that was easier said than done. I also remember going to a LeAnn Rimes concert at the fair once with Ruf, Tiffy, and DD. I'm not sure if Jeremy or my mom went to that one. Anyway, hopefully it will be a fun time for the family (and won't be 109 degrees). So we'll have this fun trip to look forward to (the kids don't know it yet; too long for them to deal with the excitement. I'll bill it later as an end-of-summer/back-to-school "last hurrah"); then Nashville for the week of New Year's - if mom is able to get it booked. We are all really looking forward to that; hopefully Tiffy, DD, Missy and Todd will all get to come. Note to self: start saving for these trips NOW.

Last Monday, after Jeremy and I got home from KC, we went to Jenna's last KV game. This was a fundraiser for the KHS team and Grandpa bid/won at the silent auction for Jenna to get to work for 3 hours each with 2 of the HS basketball players. No word yet on when that will be, but it should make for some good one-on-one time for Jenna.

Tuesday Jenna had a game with MI. She had a great game and scored 3 times! I think she's really going to be a good little ballplayer - she definitely has the drive for it.

 Wednesday the girls had pajama/pancake day at school. I didn't get a picture but they were excited - and it made for an easy morning: no dressing/no breakfast to make at home.

Thursday we had a snowstorm come in and the kids got out of school at Noon. Jared rode the bus home and Jeremy picked up the girls and me. We went home and snuggled in, watching movies and relaxing (in between lots of laundry). School was cancelled Friday so I took the day off. Jenna was supposed to have a game that night that had to be cancelled. We had another relaxing pajama day and just hung out. Jeremy ran to the store for me Friday and Saturday and I cooked all weekend. Beef and Noodles Friday, chili Saturday, lasagna Sunday. It wasn't until Saturday afternoon I realized we had beef on a Lenten Friday night (oops). (Speaking of, I did well the first two weeks as far as staying away from chocolate, even though Jeremy keeps forgetting and bringing home cookies from his grocery trips - he can't make it through the store without bringing home some type of junk food. I did mess up over the weekend but I'm not throwing the towel in. Going at it with renewed commitment!). The girls made Grandpa peanut butter cookies on Saturday for his birthday the next day. We didn't end up seeing him until yesterday, and he stayed and ate lasagna with us. Also on Saturday, Jared went to "little Conner's" across the street (our wonderful neighbors, Vicky and Terry - their grandson visits often and pounds on our door when he wants the kids to come out and play) to watch the MU game and play xBox. Yesterday I took the kids sledding at swimming pool park. Jeremy loaned our sled to Derek so I tried to make one with a rope and Jeremy's creeper. That didn't work so well. So I headed to Wal-Mart to find them sold out of sleds. Westlakes just had a flimsy plastic sheath for five bucks so I tried that. Jenna did pretty well on it, but luckily someone had left a snow saucer there that we borrowed. The kids had a good time but I definitely don't get mother-of-year award. I couldn't figure out why Jenna and Julia's faces were so red, long after we had come in from playing. "It wasn't that windy," I thought. Maybe its because they put their faces in the snow a couple times (crazy kids). I had a co-worker remind me this morning that all the bright sun reflecting off the snow would indeed cause sunburn even when its 30 degrees in February. Hit the fail-blog on that one and now I can't wait to get them home and get aloe on them. Didn't seem to get Jared or I but the girls really got it.

A Kirksville monument - at "Swimming Pool Park"
(It's not called that anymore, but I still call it that. Nowadays it's "Rotary Park"). 

This is my homemade sled - didn't work so well, but in theory, it should have!

How a little girl's bedroom looks on a snow day.

How two sisters snuggle after a long, fun snow day!

Jersey serving as Jared's Kindle prop on one of the snow days. 

 Jenna and I watched the Oscars for a while last night. Here is my other Oscar buddy:

So after our leisurely weekend, we are back at it. Jenna is supposed to have a game tonight, tomorrow night, and Wednesday in Moberly at the St. Pius tournament. The girls have dance tonight. And mom is scheduled to have a surgery in Columbia tomorrow. However, the weather may foil all our plans. We are due for another winter storm to hit later today; more snow and sleet predicted tonight and tomorrow, with hazardous driving conditions in the forecast. It remains to be seen if we'll get to have any games or if the surgery will have to be rescheduled. Jeremy is at the store getting more groceries as we speak, in case we get snowed in again. If there's an upside to him having less work through the winter, its that he does help take the girls to/from school and with some chores around the house (*sometimes*).

Banter

 So when my sisters, mom and I email or text each other, we basically sound just as we do when having a conversation in person. Thought I should post this email exchange between Tiffy and I because our bantering cracks me up. Not to mention that the subject, appropriately, is this blog.  First I want to add that Julia decided to give up Sprite for Lent (this is her vice that she doesn't get very often,  but Grandpa usually comes through for her). Also - so far so good on me staying away from chocolate; even though it is only Day 3, this is still a feat for me. My lovely husband forgot my declaration and got me my favorite candy bar (PB Twix) for Valentine's Day yesterday. Ohhh the temptation. I hid it in a cabinet above the stove so I wouldn't have to look at it. I will probably inhale it on Easter (if I don't forget its up there). 

And just to show an example of one of mom's very funny texts, which are referenced at the end of this email exchange, I must record for posterity the text we got from her yesterday, in which she channels Pepe le Pew. OK kids before you ask who Pepe is (pronounced Pep-ay, stay with me), he's a classic Looney Tunes character - a French skunk always in pursuit of l'amour: 

Happy Valentine's Day mon cheries! Le pant...le pew....love, 

And the love, - with no signature is one of mom's classic moves. She used to send us cards or write us notes, sign off with "love," and then forget to write "Mom". Now we do it on purpose as an ode to Muthern (that's one of her monikers, created by Tiffy I think, along with "The Mothership," created by Melissa I think, "Gigi," created by my kids, and "Grams," created by DD. Oh and then there's Betta Chedda Cheese Woman that I somehow invented as a kid. She answers to them all, but I digress).   

And one last thing to share. The girls don't have school today so they are spending the day with Gigi. On the way to her house this morning, Jenna said "I love spending time at Grandma's house. There's just something about it. And I love when she comes to stay with us at our house too. She's nice and funny and wise." Awww...

Now for the email: 

Sara Grgurich <grgfam5@gmail.com>

Feb 14 (1 day ago) to Mom, Tiffany, Meli

"Okay Here's The Deal!" - Julia has been known to walk into a room and start a conversation like this, more of an announcement usually on her part than a conversation. I decided to start my email like this. HA!

Now that I have your attention, I'm just sharing that I started a "blog". Its not a blog per se in that I'm contributing any real food for thought or entertainment or witty writing. I've been writing things down (pencil and notebook yo) that the kids say or do that are funny and also write about the things we do, like holidays, trips, etc. And I do good for a while and then don't write for 6 months. This is just a dedicated place I can go to jot down goings-on in our life, even and probably most especially, the mundane things that comprise everyday life. The  main purpose is so the kids can go back and read it when they're older and want to "look back". Of course they will have a million photo albums they can look at. But I've decided to add words.

It is actually more of a diary and as such, it’s quite boring. After making a few posts I realize I tend to ramble on. I don't think it will be necessarily interesting reading, or expect that you'uns would want to keep up with it on a regular basis, but sharing in case you want to look at it sometime. Actually, when I put something on there I really want you to see, I will let you know so you can go look at those times.

So I'm just sayin'.

http://familypictureshow.blogspot.com/

I wrote something in the first post about wanting to remember how we played the music scored for our five voices, which led to the title, Quintet Vignette because, get it? Quintet = a group with five members. Vignette = a picture with no definite line or border, as in we're still growing, don't know where our story/lives will go.

Also I've noticed I tend to mostly take pics on special occasions anymore, need to get back to taking some in everyday life so maybe this will prompt me.

love sotes

Davis, Tiffany C (TIFFANY)

Feb 14 (1 day ago) to me, Mom, Meli

OMG I looooooove it!

I’ve been DYING to have you do this, and for god sake PLEASE continue writing in it, especially the Grgism’s that come out of the mouths of those babes. I love the layout and have found my new reading material, hip hip, HOORAY!!

And I LOVE the titles of the posts, hmm mm.

This is VERY exciting toots. Thanks for sharing!

 And FYI,  I DIED when I read this “Jeremy would sing along to Garth Brooks' rendition of "Shameless" but sing "I'm shaveless" instead”

 Rofl!!

AND I LOVE THE NAME!!!!

Ok I’ll stop shouting now

Sara Grgurich <grgfam5@gmail.com>

Feb 14 (1 day ago) to Tiffany, Mom, Meli

BAHA!! ThanksToots! I am glad that I have a place I can just go and type real fast when they say something funny because now that I've filled one notebook up, these things just get jotted on various pieces of scrap paper and lay on my desk until I can figure out somewhere to shove them. Now I have a place. ;-)

Davis, Tiffany C (TIFFANY)

Feb 14 (1 day ago) to me, Mom, Meli

This is the greatest gift you can give them, this blog. I love it. I’ve commented on two of them already LOL. I love how you’re serious and insightful but then also funny. You can do entries where it’s just a short funny, like what you share with us in email or text, you HAVE GOT to get some of their funnies written down.

Jenna “I don’t want to go to Juvy!”

 Julia: “okay here’s the deal”

 Jared’s reaction to you singing the Mizzou fight song.

 Julia woo’ing Todd into buying her a vacuum. LOL!!

I could just go on and on. LOL.

 Jared and DD calling Mom, “grams”

 Jewels fascination with the biebs. (aka Justin Bieber) LOL

Sara Grgurich <grgfam5@gmail.com>

2:24 PM (22 hours ago) to Tiffany, Mom, Meli

LOL! Exactly! OK I remember Jared's reaction to me singing cracked me up but I can't remember what it was! See why I have to write this stuff down?! I can't remember anything. I may have actually written that one somewhere. I was also thinking that this will help them get to know me from another perspective. I mean, obviously, they know me. But right now they know me 37 years old from their current perspective (children)....may be interesting for them to read from their adult perspectives one day. Yeah that makes no sense, but you know what I'm sayin'. Like if we could know what mom was thinking during this age in her life...

Davis, Tiffany C (TIFFANY)

2:54 PM (22 hours ago) to me, Mom, Meli

Muthren! Write a blog!

 Bahahaha

 She doesn’t even read mine, I don’t think she has time to write one of her own. WE should start writing down what she says. She’s been cracking me up all day today (text)

 FYI her motto is: drumroll

“Silver threads and golden needles”

 I LOVE IT. And she came up with that all on her own. She’s a big girl now!

(lol)

 Sara Grgurich <grgfam5@gmail.com>

3:26 PM (21 hours ago) to Tiffany, Meli, Mom

Mom is definitely funniest texter ever! Been hearing about her motto and wondering what she is up to! Perfect for her ;-)

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18

Happy Valentine's Day!  Or, as Jenna still calls it, "Valentimes" (love it). This morning the kids found a treat for them on the table. Jared got Batman-themed hot wheels and a little valentine I made that said, "You make my heart race!" I'm sure he thinks he's getting too old for my antics but he still plays along with me. The girls got a little coloring set (sketchpad with markers for Jenna, twistable crayons for Julia). I wrote "You put color in my life" on Jenna's little cut-out heart and "You color my world" on Julia's. These were items I already had picked up on clearance quite a while ago so I dug them out and just made the little cards last night before they went to bed. Something fun to start our day. The girls have Valentine parties today and it was a non-uniform day as well, so they had an extra spring in their step this morning. And to top it off, Grandpa went to Jenna's basketball practice after school and then took the girls out to the playground at the Lake. Jared got to go play at his buddy Conner's house. We've had a couple of days of nice weather and its great they got to take advantage of it today.

Jeremy and I are headed to KC on Sunday. We're going to see Gary Allan at the VooDoo Lounge in Harrah's Casino. We saw him there in November 2011 for our anniversary (and many years ago at the State Fair). He is my favorite musician and I'm very excited to be going again! Thank God for Grandma. If it weren't for her, Jeremy and I would never be able to occasionally slip away. She is staying with the kids Sunday night and we'll he home Monday in time for Jenna's last KV game. Happy Valentine's Day to us!

"...for dust you are, and to dust you will return." Genesis 3:19

Yesterday was the first day of Lent. While taking the girls to school I realized they would be going to Mass that morning so I made a quick phone call to work and was able to join them. I enjoy going to Mass with the school kids, and should try to do it more often. Its refreshing to see the kids performing the readings, the music, and helping out with the other duties. Not to mention that Father Chris explains things in simpler terms which...um helps me out too. Jenna sat by Julia, who sat by me; a small preschool boy sat on the other side of me. Something about holding his tiny hand in mine during the Lord's Prayer was moving to me, along with hearing all the little voices, including my two little girls', reciting the prayer.  I have to mention one of my favorite parts of Mass: when we all say, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” Anyway, we all received our ash cross on our foreheads and soon it was time to head to work. I noticed the sun was shining and the birds were chirping - promises that Spring will be here soon!  I'm attempting to give up chocolate for Lent. This is huge for me since I love it and indulge far too much. Jenna is going to give up temper tantrums and (try) to give up sloppy handwriting - she gets dogged for sloppy work fairly regularly at school, but she CAN do it, she just needs to s-l-o-w down. Jared is going to give up soda. I think Jeremy has yet to pin something down, if he does; he's never taken this observance too seriously. He does however stick religiously to abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, and on Ash Wednesday (Hello McDonalds fish sandwich).


I have to give a shout out to my girl Jenna. She's been playing basketball with a parent-run group at Kirksville Middle School. Her softball coaches put it on and I think this is her 3rd year playing. While it does allow her to practice drills, the "games" are more like loose scrimmages (played on a half-court) and for a while, pretty much anything went. Jenna was fouled at one point by a girl coming up over her head from behind and hitting the ball out of her hand. Jenna told me "I didn't know you could do that." I replied "Um I really don't think you can." There were basically no rules. Not knowing a whole lot about the game myself, I asked Coach Corbett to talk to Jenna a little bit about what constitutes a foul; what is okay to do and what is not okay. There doesn't seem much point to these scrimmages if the girls are just picking up bad habits and aren't taught the rules of the game - the games were actually getting ridiculously wild. He said he thought that would be good for all the girls and since then, they have started "pausing" at practices to point out illegal moves right when they happen, so all the girls can learn from it. At the games they are actually calling fouls and are now shooting free throws when fouled. It has helped tremendously to bring some accountability to the girls.
Turns out that MI is allowing 4th graders to participate with the 5th-6th grade basketball team. I asked Jenna if she wanted to play and she said yes. I took it that the 4th graders would be a back-up to the team and might only be played if someone was hurt or needed to sit out. I wasn't too concerned about her not playing in games yet; I just thought getting to practice with them would be a good experience for her. So now in addition to her Wednesday practice with KV, she practices on Tuesday and Thursdays with MI. MI practices right after school which is very handy. She loves it. She only got to practice with them twice before the first game on Tuesday this week. We headed to the game and I reminded her not to be upset if she didn't play; she was there to support her team. Let me tell you, she looks adorable in her uniform. I didn't get a picture but trust, I will. Turns out she did get to play quite a little bit. I was nervous. This was the REAL deal. A real game, real clock and buzzer, real refs, score keeping, calls made, playing in actual formation - a huge change from what she's been doing with Kirksville. And let me tell you, those girls were moving fast. And she was out there with 6th graders - one girl on the opposing team was taller than Jared. That little girl held her own. She kept up and had some really great plays. I was very proud of her. She was a little frustrated for not making her shots, but I thought it was a strength in itself that she was getting the ball and attempting to shoot; she'll get her groove in time - but for the first (very fast-paced) game she's been in, she did great.
I've decided that next year we'll drop the KV team and just play with MI. Being a small school and small team, she will get much more play time and more individual attention at practices. At Kirksville, the 5th and 6th grade teams are still parent-run and anyone can play, which makes for a huge team. Last year, I think there were 50 or 60 boys playing and I honestly think the chaos of it all may have turned Jared away from the game a bit. Overall, he's a relatively cautious person and not real aggressive; that may be part of his lack of enjoyment of the game too. It seems he may be better suited to sports that he can play individually such as track and swimming - where he is mostly competing against himself. Time will tell. I just want him to stay active regardless of whether he plays on any team. I'm learning that politics are a huge part of sports - playing intramural sports and just for fun may be the way to go.

Friday Night

It's a rare Friday night that I find myself without all 3 of my sweet little urchins, but it looks like that is in the forecast tonight. The kids are headed in 3 separate directions: Jared is going to Fun Night at his school; Jenna is going to the KHS girls basketball game with Grandpa (and wearing purple to support cancer research); Julia is going to spend the night with Gigi. So, I could go home after work and get a head start on cleaning up the house and starting laundry....or I could go see Identity Thief with Jason Bateman and Melissa McCarthy (love her). I've been waiting for this one to come out; the previews alone kill me. I'm always told the laundry and housework will be there later, so there's really only one choice I can make ;-)
The rest of the weekend will be spent with the usual weekend chores; hopefully I will get to edit some pics as I never finished December's much less January's. Jenna has a basketball game in the morning and some brand new shoes to break in. I think Jeremy and Jared are going to a car show tomorrow in Kansas City. Monday morning, per usual, will arrive in a flash so I plan to simply enjoy this Friday Night.

I go back...

This weekend a friend, Jodi Russell, from junior high (that would be Oakland Junior High) posted an old pic on Facebook.  We determined it was taken at the end of our sophomore year at Rock Bridge Senior High. It took me back in a flash. When I look at the picture, I don't even feel like it was all that long ago. In reality, it was 21 years ago. Twenty-one years. Just blows my mind. I was blessed with a great group of friends in junior high and high school. Shan Rich is on the left (he's the one who gave me Annie, a little albino kitten after Murphy mysteriously disappeared from Finger Lakes - Ruf always contended that a Chinese family abducted him). Then there's Jeremy Gooch on the right. I used to pick Jeremy up for school and drive him to Rock Bridge in my little golden Turismo. Yes, a Turismo. Never heard of it? It was made by Plymouth. Ruf found it for me and I named her Gizmo. Jeremy would sing along to Garth Brooks' rendition of "Shameless" but sing "I'm shaveless" instead. Must have cracked me up since I remember it 21 years later. Jeremy was completely enamored of my sisters and even left a classic inscription pointing to such in one of my yearbooks. I've been able to catch up with several old friends on Facebook, including Shan, Jodi, and Carrie Kallenbach. It's crazy to see everyone, all grown up, married, children...in my mind they looked just as they did at 15 until the advent of Facebook. I wonder what happened to some of our other close friends, Jeremy included. I know the last thing an adolescent wants to do is "slow down" and enjoy this time in their lives as it seems you just want to hurry up and get on with "life". Seeing this picture and even pondering a bit about things I would change now that I'm equipped with hindsight, drives home the need to stress to Jared, and the girls as they grow, that this is one of the best times in his life - ENJOY. Jared has a pretty good group of friends himself, and that makes me happy. Something I encourage both Jared and Jenna to do, and I think Jenna actually does this but I'm not sure how good her record-keeping system is at this point, is to write about their lives. Even back in the day, my "journaling" was through my pictures. I had tons. I wonder if I still have then. I'm afraid I don't. I would love to see a picture of Gizmo again.

Shan Rich That summed up alot of time between classes Sara talking and Gooch and I laughing Haha  Or was she singing ?

Saturday at 7:08pm via mobile · Unlike · 3

Archiving Memories

This blog is a long time coming. I've spent years trying to document our life, envisioning that one day my kids will look back and marvel at "the way things were"...how they grew up...how we spent our time...what our home was like...how we laughed, cried, and played - how we played the music that was scored for our five voices. 
My method of choice has always been photography. I have always loved taking pictures. I remember my dad buying me my first camera at K-Mart, a little black Kodak, film of course, that I used for *years* - until long after the rest of the world moved to digital. If only I had the money I've spent on little yellow vials of Kodak film and its development. I must have been in junior high because I recall taking the first of many pictures with that camera at Oakland Junior High. Pictures of good friends (best friends you'll ever have), pictures from my cheerleading days, pictures of family and my cats - Murphy (Jersey looks so much like Murph, I would inadvertently call him "Murphy" the first few weeks we had him) and later Annabelle, my little white albino kitty and a gift from my good friend, Shan. 
The love for photography grew, not that I'm any sort of pro on the technical side, but I honed my skills on the emotional side. I love to capture the essence of a person or a setting - timing really is everything. More importantly, I love to look back on a photograph much later and be swept back to the moment.  Discovering Baby Jared in his room, all his books scattered around him as he searches for just the right one. Feeling the crisp Autumn air as little Jenna kicks up her heels at her YMCA soccer game. Breathing the salty fresh air as Baby Jules discovers warm, grainy sand for the first time. When my kids were younger, I didn't have much extra time to write about our life - images were the substitution for words. Click, click, click and there you have a blog post. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is cliche for a reason: it's so true. 

You can never have too many books!

Jenna is truly a rock star!

Discovering. 

 I have a vast collection of photo albums; the books of our lives. I've made each baby a scrapbook detailing their first year of life and kept a baby book for each of them. I've made memory books, photo calendars, photo cards. Pictures are my thing. But eventually I knew I had to jot things down: little things the kids would say or do that would crack us all up, small accomplishments and major triumphs, details of a holiday or birthday. I think I began by writing little notes in the back of baby books, then in a notebook that I think is now full of words and buried in mom's old cedar chest, and sometimes on any random scrap of paper I find hoping that I'll remember to permanently save it somewhere safe. Many times I've thought that I needed to start a blog. Nothing poetic or particularly insightful; just a place to jot down the mundane details of our everyday Life. I thought this when we took our totally awesome Christmas vacation to Florida in 2011. I need to write about loading Farrah to the brim with clothes and gifts and snacks and pillows and toys and movies and music, making the 2-day drive, Grandma in tow, to Melissa and Todd's house in Satellite Beach. I need to write about the kids racing out into the salty waves; Christmas Eve morning with my girls, Tiffy, Missy, and Starbucks on a beach walk; Jenna driving Todd's boat while dolphins played around us and Christmas lights reflected on the water; not having the foresight to bring swimsuits our first day at the beach (hey I know it was Florida, but it was *December* - I didn't know!) so Julia was left to her vices and chose to greet the waves in her pink and white polka dotted panties; Jared going a little too far out for comfort and Grandma vehemently explaining SHARKS to him; Julia holding DD's hand for reassurance against those overwhelming waves. I need to write about taking the kids to Kennedy Space Center; about the un-convincing Santa we were so looking forward to and his too-skinny wife; about the girls looking forward to the much-touted ice skating only to find it was a small, square patch of some strange, anything-but-smooth substance...but they did try. I need to write about Aunt Tiffy's delicious lasagna we had just before Uncle Todd proposed to Aunt Missy on Christmas Eve, and about the kids opening gifts under Aunt Missy's tree on Christmas morning, unwrapping the tickets to Disney World and to Universal Studios Islands of Adventures; about the girls' breakfast with the princesses in Cinderella's caste; about Jared attempting to conquer Space Mountain and not quite succeeding; about the fact that my kids got to ride Splash Mountain with their grandma, grandpa, aunts, cousin, and mom and dad (despite Jeremy's fear of heights, he did look Splash Mountain in the eye and lived to tell about it); about not being sure if Julia was big enough to ride it but the first thing she said when she got off was, "I want to go again"..and she did, two more times; about Julia meeting Rapunzel and Jenna blushing and grinning when she met Mickey. I need to write about the ninety-seven billion people that chose to go to Universal the same day that we did and how we spent most of the day shoulder-to-shoulder with everyone around us; about Jared being chosen for a wand demonstration at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (maybe with a little help from Uncle Todd).

"...And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
Ecclesiastes 4:12

Not sure how well he could see without his glasses, but this boy LOVED the ocean waters. 

Little Girl...BIG Ocean!

Livin' the life.

Aww...one of my favorite pictures ever.

Christmas Eve Morn'

Waiting patiently on Christmas morning. 

We're going to Disney World in the morning...Universal the day after that!

"The taste of salt, the dance of waves...and my soul wells up with Hallelujahs." 
Christmas Morning 

And another fav. See why I love pictures? 

Entertaining each other in a LONG line at Universal.

The Girls meet The Mouse. 

I need to record these memories; so one day the kids, even their kids, can read about this time in our lives; after all, I love any glimpse I get into my own childhood, and that of my parents and grandparents. I wanted to write again when I got to take a fairy-tale trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia, driving with mom and dad and picking Tiffany up at the airport in Nashville, to see Todd and Melissa marry. How the island was beautiful and its history fascinating. How we got to stay the night in Nashville on the way home and it all felt like magic to me, like it could be my hometown. How Jenna missed me an awful lot and wouldn't let me out of her sight for weeks once I returned (bless her heart). 

Mr. & Mrs. Allen

Driftwood Beach

I love those sun rays peeking through the clouds. 

I was very excited to spend the night in Nashville on our way home: view from our hotel room. 

Before taking Tiffy to the airport the next morning, we got to visit the legendary Ryman Auditorium. Images of Loretta and Patsy, Johnny and June danced in my head. 

"The polished wooden pews sat glistening in the afternoon sun that filtered through the windows

 and gave the aroma of a thousand old guitars."

A blog also seems like the place to save some posts I make on Facebook. Posts like:  


Today we'll celebrate Jenna's 10th birthday. She's the perfect "middle child" - takes care of her little sister and humors her brother. She's sweet, tough, Miss Independent and works hard. She's a bright light in our lives! (01.06.13)

and

My little mancub is becoming more man and less cub. 12 years old today, he's taller than me, smarter than me...but he'll always be my Baby J. (01.15.13)

and from yesterday's dinner at the Farm, Julia helping Grandpa wash (and pick feathers off!) the quail he fried for dinner (sooo takes me back to my childhood- eating fried quail, *not* touching it, but go Julia!): 

The chefs are preparing quail this afternoon: 



So I've finally started. One post down. This post has taken me much longer than anticipated, and I'm still learning. I hope to drop in to talk about our lives at least once a month. I hope to touch base on our everyday lives too, not just all the exciting stuff. 

I suppose I should at least give a little intro as to Where We're At in our lives. Jeremy owns and operates Jeremy Grgurich Trucking and I handle all the paperwork involved in that. Sometimes I don't want to after working full-time myself and managing a household, but I do it. I'm working in grants in the Sponsored Programs Dept. at ATSU; I've been at ATSU since Julia was 7 months old, but only in Sponsored Programs since March of last year; before that I was in Financial Aid. I'm still adjusting to the job; the verdict is still out as to how I feel about it (other than I'm very grateful to have it). Jared is in 6th grade at Kirksville Middle School. He likes to hang out with his friends, swim, play video games, and is interested in technology. He's smart and witty. He allows himself to become aggravated by his sisters as much as possible but overall is a good big brother. Jenna is in 4th grade; she transferred to Mary Immaculate School this year and really likes it there. She's a tough girly girl: likes to play sports, run and climb, dig in the garden with Grandpa...and get her nails done and dress up too. She is a big helper; definitely has a servant's heart. Julia started Kindergarten this year (Mary Immaculate); she is working on learning to read and spell that long last name of ours. She's funny and makes us laugh but she is the baby and she knows it - milks that for all she can. What's going on right now: Jenna has started basketball and practices on Wednesdays; games on Saturdays. Both girls are in dance and go on Monday nights to Melody's School of Dance. Jared, for all his height and the comments be constantly gets about playing basketball, has chosen not to play this year. He doesn't seem to be very interested in it. He is very interested in music and wants to learn to play the guitar and piano, and is learning percussion in band this year. I'm going to have to find someone who can teach him; that is on my to-do list. So for the  most part right now its work and school, chores and homework, practices and games, and much yearning for Spring so the kids can get back outside and play!