Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Tuesday

I'm still alive, just not blogging so much lately.

I turned 40 a week or so ago. I was going to make a post about it and then decided not to. Forty was kind of a tough one for me. I've been dreading it for a few months. The trip to Mexico definitely took my mind off of it for a while. And I like that Mexico was really my birthday present, even though it was early, becasue when my actual birthday came around it was a good excuse not to really celebrate it. We already did that in Mexico. So the actual day was low key, which is what I wanted. Forty arrived, it's here, it happened. Life goes on.

Lately I have kept busy planning another vacation. We're going to the Oregon coast this summer with the kids. Every single year we say we're going to do it and then every single year something comes up and we change our plans. So this year I told Shawn I was going to book something and we're going to do it no matter what. Ever since Josh started high school, it has been occurring to me that our days are numbered with him. He only has three summers left before he graduates and moves on to other things and probably won't be around so much. So suddenly all those things we've been saying we're going to do "someday" are starting to panic me a bit. We don't have all that much time left to do family vacations and all the things I want to do before my kids start getting too old to do them.

So this summer we're going to Oregon. The Oregon coast is kind of a special place for me. We went there a few times when I was a kid and I just fell in love with it. When I was in high school, my family stayed at a little inn right on a cliff overlooking the ocean and to me it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen in my life and I said to myself that one day I would spend my honeymoon in that exact spot. And we did. We rented a place at the same inn on the cliff for our honeymoon.

I always thought we'd go back there with our kids someday, but unfortunately that inn is no longer open, or it's no longer functioning as the same type of vacation place it once was, so we can't go back there.

But we can definitely go back to the coast. I've been doing some research and I finally chose a place. I rented a beach house in a little town that I think will be perfect. We're going for a week in July. The Oregon coast is about an 8 hour drive from here, so its a doable roadtrip with kids. We're going to spend the night in Portland on the way so we can enjoy some activities there before we hit the coast. I love Portland.

So I'm definitely looking forward to that. We took the boys to the Oregon coast when they were really little but they don't really remember it, and Clarissa has never been to the ocean, so I think it's going to be a really fun adventure. I like having adventures to look forward to.

We also have a little adventure happening next week. Josh has entered the Kiwanis Teen Film Festival for the third year in a row, so we're taking a quick trip next weekend so he can participate in that and see if he can pull off his third win. It's in my hometown and it's going to be super weird to go there because my mom is still doing missionary work in Malaysia, so we can't stay at their house. I had to get a hotel room in my own hometown, which seems really strange to me because we've always had a place to stay. Feeling like a tourist in the town I still consider home is funny to me. But it will be nice to get away for a couple of days with the kids. We decided to all go and make a fun weekend out of it. I like visiting my hometown, even if it is for a really quick trip.

So that's what is keeping us busy lately. It seems like we're always planning something these days. I'm also trying to figure out the rest of Josh's summer plans. This summer Josh is taking drivers Ed, taking four online summer school classes (it's part of his whole weird high school thing. If he takes some of next years classes early over the summer it frees up his schedule for some other things he wants to take.), he's hoping to complete his Eagle Scout project, and he's participating in a pioneer trek with our church. And we'll be in Oregon for a week. I don't know how he juggles all his stuff but he does a good job. I'm just trying to figure out how to make it all happen around the other stuff we have going on. He's going to have to do some of his summer school stuff on our vacation.

Matthew is working on a new piano song that I absolutely love. I will film it when he finishes learning it. It's sounding great so far.

Clarissa is keeping busy with her social life. Still joined at the hip with her best friend. Clarissa is amusing me lately with her need to accessorize her outfits for school. I was such a tomboy as a kid and I still am. I'm a jeans and t-shirt person. Having a very girly daugher has been an adventure for me for sure. Clarissa will only wear dresses and leggings, no jeans, and lately she likes to wear jewelry to school. She has all these little plastic beaded necklaces that she loves, and I find it adorable how she spends time deciding which one matches her outfits. I'm used to raising boys. This girl stuff is all new territory for me. But she makes it fun, I enjoy her so much.

So that's the update from our house. Just busy as usual, and I turned 40 in the middle of it. I'm pretending it didn't happen. I told the kids I was turning 39 and 1 this year, lol. That works for me. :)

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Matthew's latest song

I just wanted to share the piano song Matthew has been working on lately. It's not perfect yet, I just took this video this morning when he was practicing before school. This is what I get to hear every day and I absolutely love it. There is something about the piano being played in my house that just makes me so happy. My mom used to play a lot when I was growing up, so maybe it's a nostalgia thing, but I just absolutely love hearing the piano played in my house.

Matthew usually practices in the morning before school and it sets a nice peaceful tone in the house in the mornings. His morning songs are usually peaceful. Then after school he usually practices again and sometimes makes up songs or just goofs around and it's always very lively and fun and it brings laughter and joy to our afternoons. The other night Shawn was doing something in the kitchen and Matthew was playing the piano and Shawn asked Matthew to play some background theme music to whatever it was Shawn was doing and he just immediately switched into a funny made up theme song for Shawn. We're endlessly entertained by the piano around here.

So here is Matthew's latest song. I think this is what he's planning to play for the Spring recital in May, so he has some more time to practice it before he has to perform it. I love that kid! His piano skills make me happy!