so at some point in august, i determined that september 1st would be our first day of school.  it might have been just after i got the curriculum i ordered and was excited to start.  or it might have been because mikey kept asking when we’d start school (he was mainly excited about the magic school bus science kits i had bought).  or it might have been because i’m a homeschool newbie and didn’t realize that all the “cool kids” start after labor day.  (i’m kidding on the last one.  but definitely will go for after labor day if i were to do this again next year.  not that i’m…

something i’ve really loved about moving back is being able to have playdates with church friends again.  believe me when i say that my kids really, really love this part about being back. because playdates mean having another buddy to dress up with.  and make faces with.  this is mad face.  (watch lauren in these pics- totally cracks me up how she completely ignores me in order to watch the faces made by friend a.  recall this is the one who normally is always making the faces.) scared face. surprise face! a little friend for my allie.  something i’ve been praying for for her and am so grateful that God…

just thinking about the events of 9/11 ten years ago.  so grieved for those who lost loved ones that day, especially the children who lost parents.  so proud of those who ran in while everyone else was running out.  so thankful for those who serve or have served in the military to protect our freedoms and this land we love.  so thankful for their families who send them as well. and so very grateful that God was with us that day and has been with us every day since and will be with us every day forward.

and summer’s gone.  at least it felt that way with the bulk of it being taken up with the whole moving again thing.  but once we got mostly unpacked and settled in (er, once we just plain got sick of unpacking and left the rest of the boxes stacked in the garage for the next move), we found ourselves well into august already. and because i know i will never get around to doing separate posts for each of the following events, i’m going to lump them all together here in one fell swoop. so hold on to your seats, because here is our ghetto grand attempt to make one…

soon after our wedding, phil and i moved out to minnesota for phil to begin medical school.  we didn’t know a soul out there.  we had no family or friends anywhere near us.  i had just changed my last name to his and suddenly even my own name wasn’t familiar to me. it was just him and i together, starting this new life together.  and at first, it was exciting to be ‘just us’ on this adventure together.  we said goodbye to everyone we knew, left our jobs, our apartments, our church family, and took off on a roadtrip as newlyweds.  we moved into a teeny apartment on the eighth…