Annual Lake Trip

Every year we spend a weekend at Lake LBJ with Jeffrey's immediate family. It is always a great time with lots of sun, water and food. Oh, and I forgot to mention food, food and more food. This year was a big year for Mason. He got to drive a waverunner all by himself, go tubing for the first time, and caught a fish. Landon had a great time as well, however, aside from the rides on the boat, he had very little to do with the lake. He was perfectly content to play with his cousin, Cooper, in their little play pool the whole time. Here are some pictures from this weekend:

Landon and Cooper hanging out

Two wild and crazy guys

Mason and Mommy on the Rascal

Mason taking Daddy for a spin

Landon spraying Aunt Allissa

Long time, no blog

Missed me? I bet you were all beginning to think I had officially given up blogging for good. It is a thought that has crossed my mind a time or two, but I am not that easy to get rid of (you can thank my cousin, Laurie and Barbara Anderson for that). Life has been turned upside down for me this summer, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. We will close on our house next week and will be able to move in. Of course the timing couldn't be worse since I start inservice next week as well. It will all work out...at least that is what I keep telling myself. Some of you may have to remind me from time to time that it is alright to live in chaos for a short time. Well, since it has been so long, I will recap our summer via pictures:

My Little Pirates

Slip-N-Slidin'

I am too young to have a five year old, right?

Lounging at Granna's House

Homeless...for now

Well, after a ten day haitus I am back to the world of blogging. We are officially out of our old house and living with Jeffrey's parents until our new home is completed. The move was a tough one since we had to determine what needed to stay with us, what would be safe in non-climate control storage and what needed to be put in our "pod", but we managed to get it all done. I have attached some pictures I took of our new home today:

Family Photos

Our long awaited photo session was this past weekend. Tanya did an amazing job and I am in love with the pictures. To check them out, you can click on this link: http://cozyimpressionsphotography.com/HejlFamily/

Now I just have to decide which ones to get....

Daily Living

The combination of the fact that my mind can't seem to have a complete thought that doesn't include boxes and packing tape and the unacceptable realization that my last three posts have not included pictures has brought me to today's post. We have all heard that a picture is worth a thousand words, well today you will have the easiest read of your life. Here is my 6,000 word essay on daily life in the Hejl house:

Men are from Mars, Women are, well...normal

I find myself constantly in awe of God's amazing ability to take two completely different creatures, bind them together in holy matrimony, and actually have it work out. Ah, the cliche that became such a hit in bookstores: Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. I found myself thinking that this evening as we were digging through our attic in preparation for our move. Jeffrey pulled out two boxes full of his old school notes...yes, you heard me right, school notes. While I always managed to make good grades, I would never consider myself studious. School was for socializing, right? I began the light hearted teasing, and laughed as he returned the favor when we pulled down box after box of Christmas decorations. I tried to remind him that any home that celebrated Christmas would have decorations in their attic, however, those with boxes of school notes from high school would be few and far between. :) You see, what I finally decided it all comes down to is that we are truly from two different worlds. It was all a part of God's great design. Men speak Martian. Women speak Venetian (anyone else thinking about blinds right now?). How in the world does marriage work? I truly believe that the only way it can work is if you have God at the center of your marriage. He is the translator. He is the only one that can break down the language barriers and bring two people together. Without Him, we would be strangers in a foreign land to each other. So, when you are having those moments when you are wondering why in the world you can't understand your spouse, remember to take a moment and let God do the translating for you. After all, that is how He designed it to be.

A Mother's Tale

So, with Mother's Day approaching, I am finding myself reflecting on motherhood and how much it has changed my life. It is funny to me to think back on those days when I dreamed of being a mommy and how naive I was to what that would really mean. Sure, I knew my life would have to change and that sacrifices would have to be made. What I didn't know is that my whole life would become one big sacrifice for the betterment of my children. I know most of you have read the poem, "Before I Was a Mom". Well, here is my own version:

Before I was a mom I:

-got my eyebrows waxed and my hair cut regularly

-went to the bathroom in peace...well, if you don't count the times my students would follow me out of the classroom, but that is another story...

-eat a whole meal without having to get up to refill sippy cups, cut up meat, clean up spills, reprimand children for feeding the dog, explain for the tenth time that yes, you have had this food before and you do indeed like it

-spent my days at a job that provided me with the words of acclamation I need to survive (all those familiar with love languages know what I am talking about)

-could find most anything in the house and never had to fear that what was missing had been flushed down the toilet

-could sleep through the night

-could walk around barefoot in the dark without fear of stepping on toys

-could go to the store for one item and actually make it out in a timely manner

-could tell you the latest bands and their top hits

-could have a conversation that did not include quotes from one of the many children's characters my children enjoy

Now that I am a mom I:

-find that getting my eyebrows waxed and hair cut are a rare treat, but that life still goes on and people are still willing to be around me despite my inability to keep up with my vanity

-find that I miss going to the bathroom in peace! Sorry, I can't find a way to make that one a positive! :)

-find that despite all the interuptions, mealtime is much more enjoyable when it is spent with family

-work ten times harder than I ever have in my life, with little to no recognition and appreciation. However, at the end of the day when I get to run my hands through my children's hair and reflect on the time we spent together, I realize that no amount of money on this earth could be worth more than that.

-realize that without items being flushed down the toilet, dropped in the dog's bowl, stuck up noses and into ears, I would have nothing to blog about!

-have officially kissed good sleep goodbye, but try my hardest not to take for granted the fact that I will never get these years back. My children will not always be coming to my room in the middle of the night for comfort.

-step on toys regularly, but try my best to stop and thank God for the blessings He has given our family. There are families that want desperately to provide for their children and can't.

-can't get anywhere in a timely fashion and have long since come to accept that every task will take twice as long. Yet, on those rare occasions that I do get the chance to get out by myself, I find that I miss their company.

-can't tell you whose songs made the top ten last week, but can sing all the lyrics to the latest Backyardigans CD. While I miss my music, I am making the most of the short time I have to sing along at the top of my lungs with my children. The day will come when they will be mortified by things like that.

-find that my ability to quote all my children's favorite characters is a reminder to myself and others that it is important to show an interest in what our children are interested in. I could honestly go the rest of my life without seeing another Backyardigans cartoon, but I love to watch my children's faces light up when I bust out with a quote. They love to know that I have been paying attention when they ask me to.

To all you mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day!