Today I am in awe of many things.
I am in awe of the selfless love of my husband who works tirelessly without seeking recognition.
I am in awe of the children Our Lord has entrusted to us -- their beautiful physical features as well as their compassionate hearts, thirst for knowledge, desire to understand, and their love for one another.
I am in awe of living in this home. Please, please come visit!
I am in awe of the gift of faith that has brought our family to this point of embarking on internship after 4 years of full-time graduate classes.
I am in awe of the parish we have found here.
I am in awe of the families we have already met here, the opportunities we have in upcoming weeks for fun and fraternity.
I am in awe of the gift of Jesus Himself in the Eucharist and the chance to receive Him daily.
I am in awe of family walks along the river that oftentimes find the 5 of us holding hands all in a row.
I am in awe of the chance to ease into life in a new place before internship and the school year begin as we relish in time together.
Thank you, my God, for your infinite gifts!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
A Little Photo Op
A random handful of photos for your viewing pleasure...
A tired and happy conversation after Boys' Adventure Camp
Pulling out the winter garb just in time for summer
Smiley in the bathtub
Do you see why I can't stop kissing these babies? Thanks be to God!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Good Mo(u)rning!
Bedtimes and wake-up times around the stable have been anything but predictable. We're adjusting to a new home. We're adjusting to a new city. We've had much less routine and structure this past week. And perhaps the main culprit? Eastern Time. The typical 7:30pm little Steed bedtime feels like 6:30pm to them...and, as Maria so sweetly reminded me..."If the sun's not asleep, then why do I need to sleep?"
Well, my darling, the Ohio sun works second shift around these parts and doesn't go to sleep until well after 9:00. And we all feel the effects of a sleep-deprived 3-year-old.
Anyway, bedtimes for certain littles have been late, thus throwing off wake-up times on most days. On one of our earlier mornings, I was reading to Thomas on the couch (you see, Thomas has always been a good sleeper and actually did go to bed at 7:30 Eastern Time. He was fairly refreshed by 5:30am and excited about a new batch of books we had borrowed during a trip to the library). This particular book is called Grasshopper on the Road and is divided into a handful of chapters that each tell a story about Grasshopper's adventures on said road. Grasshopper's first encounter involves a large group of morning-loving beetles. These beetles are all holding signs depicting their love for morning including slogans like:
"Three Cheers for Morning!"
"Make Mine Morning!"
"Morning is Tops!"
You get the picture. Just as we had begun this thrilling tale, Mr. Steed made an appearance in the living room. This was a pre-coffee appearance, mind you. He took a seat on the couch and was listening rather intently to the narrative before beginning some sleepy mental prayer. And one particular line caught his attention. "They danced and sang M-O-R-N-I-N-G spells morning!"
Without missing a beat, Mr. Steed comments, "They forgot the 'u'."
And that, my friends, sums up Mr. Steed's general feelings toward most mornings, specifically pre-coffee mornings.
Well, my darling, the Ohio sun works second shift around these parts and doesn't go to sleep until well after 9:00. And we all feel the effects of a sleep-deprived 3-year-old.
Anyway, bedtimes for certain littles have been late, thus throwing off wake-up times on most days. On one of our earlier mornings, I was reading to Thomas on the couch (you see, Thomas has always been a good sleeper and actually did go to bed at 7:30 Eastern Time. He was fairly refreshed by 5:30am and excited about a new batch of books we had borrowed during a trip to the library). This particular book is called Grasshopper on the Road and is divided into a handful of chapters that each tell a story about Grasshopper's adventures on said road. Grasshopper's first encounter involves a large group of morning-loving beetles. These beetles are all holding signs depicting their love for morning including slogans like:
"Three Cheers for Morning!"
"Make Mine Morning!"
"Morning is Tops!"
You get the picture. Just as we had begun this thrilling tale, Mr. Steed made an appearance in the living room. This was a pre-coffee appearance, mind you. He took a seat on the couch and was listening rather intently to the narrative before beginning some sleepy mental prayer. And one particular line caught his attention. "They danced and sang M-O-R-N-I-N-G spells morning!"
Without missing a beat, Mr. Steed comments, "They forgot the 'u'."
And that, my friends, sums up Mr. Steed's general feelings toward most mornings, specifically pre-coffee mornings.
Friday, July 25, 2014
Steeds Have Landed.
If you're reading this blog, you're well aware that our family recently relocated to Dayton, OH; and you're likely also aware that this move was in an effort to finish up dear Drake's last official grad school year as he embarks on internship in early August. I will say only this about our move: moving is crazy. That's why we plan to do it 3 times in a 3 year span.
No one will be happier than I will when Drake graduates. No one!
This blog is an attempt to keep you, dear reader, up to speed as to the goings-on at the stable (stable for Steeds, of course). I have kept blogs in the past...and I have landed flat on my arse in many of those attempts. But looking back on those writing escapades, I realize that most of why I failed so miserably was because I worried too much about what you (yes, you!) would think about what you were reading. I agonized over the conclusions you might be drawing about me, my husband, our children based on the words on your computer screen (yep, I'm typing this on an old-fashioned lap top. It's even plugged in, so it's more of a glorified desktop. And I daresay, I like it this way.). With that said, I'm posting without expectation on this blog. Go ahead and conclude all you want...that's between you and the Lord. In the meantime, I'll post as I'm able. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be privy to some photos on this blog, specifically starting in the Fall when there's the slightest chance that I might dip my toe into the modern age pool and get an upgrade on my pantech phone. But don't hold me to it.
In recent news, we are loving this house. Loving it! I never felt that our place in Chicagoland was our home...it was always just the place we lived. And while I am full of gratitude that Our Lord provided a place of refuge for us during the first 4 years of grad school, I struggled to call it our home. Both Drake and I are a bit in awe of the chance to live in a pretty home like this one. Oh, and we love visitors, so come on over! Please!
The kids are adjusting well overall. I'm not gonna lie, the first few days were pretty hairy. In fact, the two weeks leading up to the move had me seriously considering having the ears and vocal cords of all the littles checked as both disobedience and screaming were at all-time highs. I am relieved to report that listening is improving and screaming is typically saved for more appropriate affairs like fingers caught in doors (ouch, Dominic) and arguments over using the garbage disposal (this is a pretty novel contraption for Steeds). However, I am still mulling over the idea of DIY seat belts for our kitchen chairs as keeping our children seated for an entire meal, or even for 5 consecutive minutes, is becoming an unnecessarily strenuous enterprise. But that's a post for another day.
Here's to a year of faith, adventure, and growth! Cheers!
No one will be happier than I will when Drake graduates. No one!
This blog is an attempt to keep you, dear reader, up to speed as to the goings-on at the stable (stable for Steeds, of course). I have kept blogs in the past...and I have landed flat on my arse in many of those attempts. But looking back on those writing escapades, I realize that most of why I failed so miserably was because I worried too much about what you (yes, you!) would think about what you were reading. I agonized over the conclusions you might be drawing about me, my husband, our children based on the words on your computer screen (yep, I'm typing this on an old-fashioned lap top. It's even plugged in, so it's more of a glorified desktop. And I daresay, I like it this way.). With that said, I'm posting without expectation on this blog. Go ahead and conclude all you want...that's between you and the Lord. In the meantime, I'll post as I'm able. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be privy to some photos on this blog, specifically starting in the Fall when there's the slightest chance that I might dip my toe into the modern age pool and get an upgrade on my pantech phone. But don't hold me to it.
In recent news, we are loving this house. Loving it! I never felt that our place in Chicagoland was our home...it was always just the place we lived. And while I am full of gratitude that Our Lord provided a place of refuge for us during the first 4 years of grad school, I struggled to call it our home. Both Drake and I are a bit in awe of the chance to live in a pretty home like this one. Oh, and we love visitors, so come on over! Please!
The kids are adjusting well overall. I'm not gonna lie, the first few days were pretty hairy. In fact, the two weeks leading up to the move had me seriously considering having the ears and vocal cords of all the littles checked as both disobedience and screaming were at all-time highs. I am relieved to report that listening is improving and screaming is typically saved for more appropriate affairs like fingers caught in doors (ouch, Dominic) and arguments over using the garbage disposal (this is a pretty novel contraption for Steeds). However, I am still mulling over the idea of DIY seat belts for our kitchen chairs as keeping our children seated for an entire meal, or even for 5 consecutive minutes, is becoming an unnecessarily strenuous enterprise. But that's a post for another day.
Here's to a year of faith, adventure, and growth! Cheers!
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