Japanese New Year

I love finding traditions that the whole family enjoys.  As a reminder, our New Year's Eve tradition is to pick a country and we do crafts, activities, and eat food that represents that country.  We forgot to this year, but we also plan on celebrating the New Year when that country would celebrate it.  For our second annual New Years Eve tradition, Anna chose Japan as the country to celebrate.  I don't feel that I did as good coming up with great adventures for the kids to go on learning about Japan, but we still had a good time :)  I was very thankful that a friend living in Japan sent me some good sites about different Japanese New Year traditions.

For breakfast, we learned that Japanese families often have eggs, sausage, and toast.  We had leftover sausage rolls and scrambled eggs.  Close enough and it was delicious! 

The kids then colored the Japanese flag and learned that the red center stands for the sun.  We then had a great time making cherry blossom trees using markers and pink tissue paper.  Anna and I agreed that they are one of the most beautiful trees we have seen.  As the kids were creating their masterpieces, I flipped through a book on Japan and gave them interesting little tidbits about this little country.

By this time Brad reminded me that the kids have little Japanese happy coats which we had to go put on!  Both the kids looked so cute! 

Our next project was making fans.  I was thankful my mother-in-law was there to glue the sticks to make the fans!  The favorite project of the day was learning to write "Happiness" "Peace" and "Love" in Japanese!  We also wrote our names.  Japanese writing is beautiful and we all agreed that it looks daunting to learn! 

    
                Matthew's Japanese writing paper has mysteriously disappeared but he did a fantastic job!

One Japanese New Year tradition we thought the kids would enjoy is called otoshidama.  Otoshidama is the tradition of giving a small gift, usually money, to show appreciation to children.  Brad and I decorate envelopes and gave the kids each $1.  (Brad drew a fantastic truck on the front of Matthew's envelope and a monster face on the back.  I drew a heart on the front of Anna's and flowers, smiley faces, and stars on the back.)

The last project for this year was creating an origami jumping frog.  It was super easy to do and actually jumps!

We played a game where you throw a ball (supposed to be a bean bag) up in the air and try to catch it.  Then you throw two balls up in the air and try to catch them.  You keep going until you can't catch all the balls before they hit the ground.  The record at our house.....two balls!  I will admit that I didn't really want to pick Japan as the country this year because I didn't really want to cook Japanese.  My wise husband convinced me to do it promising we could go to a Japanese steakhouse.  We went to Oishii Sushi and Steakhouse.  It was delicious and the perfect hibachi cook was there.  He was perfect because he didn't light a big flame at the beginning which the kids and I hate!  Here, Anna and I both found a sushi that we enjoyed.  This is a first as both of us gag any other time we have eaten sushi!  Some traditions that we didn't do, but I thought would have been cool, were eating noodles (long noodles represents long life), eating KFC (apparently this is a big New Year's tradition in Japan) and listening to Beethoven's 9th symphony. 

Why I hate to cry

I'm grouchy and tired this morning.  That should be a hint to not write a blog, but I feel like it would help sooth the soul a little to write out my feelings.  Growing up, I remember crying.  I don't know that I would say I cried often.  I know that I rarely cried in movies (although I bawled through the movie Pearl Harbor) and I did cry in a few books.  Most of the time it would just be out of frustration.  Somehow, when I was pregnant with Anna it opened up the floodgates so that now I can tear up at a commercial.  The short videos at church always get to me. So annoying!




I've compiled a list of reasons why I abhor crying.  They are in order from the least to the most important reason.




1) It hurts.  After I have cried, I end up with a headache, my eyes hurt from trying to not cry, the bridge of my nose aches for some reason, and I am generally exhausted.  Also, the physical side effects are not pleasant either.....puffy red eyes and a red splotchy face.  Real attractive.


2) It is awkward.  I have seen pictures of people with tears streaming down their face and it is beautiful.  It can be moving.  The reality is though that normally, crying isn't beautiful.  It may be moving because one can empathize or sympathize with the person.  For me the awkwardness comes in how to deal with someone crying.  I don't know whether you are supposed to hug them, get them tissues, ignore the fact they are crying, look away, etc.  And if I'm crying it goes awkward because people feel like they need to hug me and I certainly don't like that.  I prefer the ignore.  However, every once in a while it would be nice to have a hug, but I can't tell you how to tell the difference between when you are supposed to ignore and when to hug.
3) It makes me feel vulnerable. Anyone who knows me knows that I love control.  Although I find it to be a fault of mine, I thrive being independent and tough.  I hate showing weakness.  In my twisted head, I believe that if I cry I'm showing weakness but if say my husband would ever cry, I would think that was him being strong enough to do that.  I think I fear if I show weakness people will look down on me or not trust that I am able to do things.  Part of this comes from a person I went to high school with.  She was a sensitive person and if she cried people would feel bad for her.  Although I'm sure she didn't try to use that to manipulate people, it felt like that sometimes and my perception of her was that she was weak.  I am afraid of being put in that same category.  I try my best to not even cry in front of Brad or the kids.  I know they see me sometimes, but I try my best to turn away, blink real fast, go to another room, or shoo them away.  Our pastor taught us a neat trick of when you feel like you are going to cry, gag.  I tested it out and it works although it looks pretty ridiculous if you aren't careful!  I struggle because I don't want Anna and Matthew to think that there is anything wrong with crying, but at the same time I don't want them to be crybabies.  Crying I'm sure is therapeutic.  And I'm certainly not saying people shouldn't. 
4) It doesn't fix a damn thing.  I'm not a proponent of cussing normally, but sometimes it just states exactly what you are thinking.  In the last day I have shed some tears and it has brought back memories.  When I was little, we were eating dinner at a local restaurant.  Another girl about my age rolled in on a wheelchair.  I couldn't stop crying.  My heart broke that she would have to deal with that.  I don't believe in any way shape or form that she is broken or not as good or anything.....I just know she would face difficulties because of that.  My crying did nothing but probably make the situation weird.  In high school, one Sunday I just woke up crying and couldn't stop.  I couldn't place my finger on what made me cry.  I wasn't sad, frustrated, happy, anything.  The tears just flowed.  Yesterday tears clouded my eyes because we found out that one of Brad's high school football buddies died.  I don't know why it bugged me so much.  Matt, the friend, and his wife were Brad's friends.  I knew them and liked them because they were kind, both have beautiful smiles, sweet, etc.  I have memories of these two small guys playing linemen (I think) and do a fantastic job of it.  I'm sad that he died but I think the tears come more for his wife.  My heart breaks for her. I often worry about things that have a slim chance of ever happening.  One of them is that Brad would suddenly die and what the heck would I do.  That is her reality.  She just lost the love of her life.  She went from a coparent to a single parent overnight.  She lost what I suppose was her rock, the breadwinner, support, friend.  How do you not hate God.  I realize that hundreds of other women are in her same shoes.  I hate that my agony and tears over her situation does absolutely nothing to help her.    She will never know my sympathy.  The tears would not comfort. They are just streams of wasted water.
            

Our Italian New Year's

I'm all about stealing other people's fantastic ideas.  Some time ago I noticed a pin and can't even tell you exactly what it said but what I got out of it was the birth of our New Year's tradition.  Each year we will pick a country, learn a little bit about that country, do some activities representing the country, and eat food from that country.  On our way home from CO, we picked Italy.  There is nothing like waiting till the last minute!!  Monday I dashed to the library to pick up some books and I scoured the Internet for ideas.  Here are a few pictures to help tell what we ended up doing.

 This is most of the ingredients we used to create our Italian New Years. 

Here Anna and Matthew are coloring a picture of the Italian Flag. They also colored a picture of the Mona Lisa. 

Brad made homemade ravioli, I made a Bolognese sauce, salad, bread, Italian sodas, homemade baked mozzarella sticks, and Brad made Fruitta del Sol. Of course you need to enjoy such phenomenal food with great friends!  We did a red tablecloth, green plates, and white silverware to represent the Italian colors.

 

 

 On New Years the kids choose a few items to donate.  In Italy, they items out their windows so represent getting rid of the old to welcome the new.  We read a book about a famous Italian cat named Nini (true or not I don't know).  Anna was excited that the cat in the book was white and the cats on her dress were white as well :P  Next we glanced through a book that went through the culture of Italy.  Then we played bingo (in the picture).  Italians play a game similar to bingo.

 

 

 

We listened to a fictional story about Vivaldi.  In this story they were celebrating Carnival.  So, we used feathers and sequins to decorate masks and wands.

 

 

 

 

Brad went to watch a Husker's game at a friend's house so the kids and I spontaneously decided to make pizzas.  We made them on tortillas (which I have been wanting to try).  They were delicious.  I had a fantastic helper who seemed to enjoy tasting more than working!

 Finally, we learned about Michelangelo and the fact that he had to lie on his back to pain the Sistine Chapel.  The kids got a small experience of that!  Anna painted a Valentine's picture and Matthew painted a blue robot and some circles.

 

We had a blast with this new tradition!  I can't wait to discover what country we will pick next year!  

 

 

Brad

I haven't blogged in a long time....I hope I remember how!  I have been in a slump because there just hasn't been anything lately that I have enough passion to write about.  Yes my kids have been funny and have completed some great accomplishments and if you want to hear about them I am more than happy to tell.  We have had some fun times, which again I would love to tell you about but didn't feel like blogging about.  My lack of blogging has popped up into conversations a few times lately and the only topic that has continuously come to mind was my husband.  So, today I'm going to write about  Brad.

I have written before about our "love" story if you want to call it that so I won't bore with those details.  Really, I can sum everything up in one line......I love my husband.  I'm very proud to say that after being married 7+ years and knowing each other for 14+.  That isn't a very long time in some senses (my grandparents were married for 50+years...a goal we hope to accomplish). But considering that statistically the average length of a marriage is 7-8 years we are doing great.

Brad is far from perfect.  Our marriage has not always been one to write home about.  In fact, at one point in time if you would have given us divorce papers we would have willingly signed without a second thought.  Sometimes we feel more like roommates than a married couple.  There is always something to work on in our marriage. But, this is what we have learned.  Every day you have to CHOOSE to love the other person.  As my grandma says "you have to make allowances for one another".

With all this being said, my husband has many great qualities.  He is a hard worker.  Proof of this is in the fact that he has gotten several positive recommendations at work from his bosses and those that work with him.  He has moved up levels very quickly.  When he is assigned a project he works to do his best.  He is a faithful provider for our family.

I appreciate that he is smart with our money.  When we first got married we had very different views of money, debt, and budgeting.  He came around to my side to save our marriage he says :P  I appreciate that he thinks about our financial future for ourselves and for the kids.  We work well at balancing each other out with money.  When I want to spend on things that are a waste he talks me out of it and vice versa. 

I appreciate how he has grown as a dad.  I love that he is willing to take Anna on dates (and Matthew too just hasn't had many opportunities yet).  When he comes home in the afternoon he is ambushed by the kiddos.  They adore him.  He has their respect and they know if they are in trouble with him then it is serious.  At the same time they are able to have fun with him.  They love to wrestle with him.  One of my favorite things is to come out and find them all cuddling on the couch and each of them reading a book. 

I appreciate how he deals with me.  I can be a handful most of the time.  I honestly don't know how he puts up with me.  For sure I was the one that married up.  When I start to freak out over things, he calms me down.  When I get overwhelmed, he can sit down with me and help me sort things into smaller more manageable goals.  He is a great encourager and supports me in whatever I'm involved with.  When we disagree about something he is willingly to think about the other side.  When he gets angry at me, he is quick to forgive and apologize.  He doesn't hold grudges.  I tend to get involved with things and drag him in too and he does it.  He puts up with me talking all the time even when he is bored out of his mind.  He is willing to play games with me even though he hates playing games.  He is an amazing breakfast cook and a great dessert maker.  He is my rock and security blanket.  He is able to make me laugh.  I enjoy sitting with him and holding his hand. 

I don't know how I was lucky enough to end up with my guy.  I am so blessed to be on this journey of life with him.  I genuinely look forward to spending years and years with Brad.  I enjoy daydreaming about our future together. 

Love changes all

As I got dressed in a purple t-shirt today, I realized that my daughter has changed me.  I enjoy dressing comfortably (another word for sloppy :P) without many frills and in the basic colors of black, green, or blue paired with a pair of jeans or yoga pants.  I own a few pairs of high heels but rarely use them. I prefer chacos or clogs (or my new Converse sneakers....so comfy!!).On the other hand, my daughter is the complete opposite.  Although there are days were she can be found in a pair of sweats, they are few and far between.  She loves pink, purple, sparkles, frills, dresses, nice shoes, and accessories.  That certainly was not taught by me....it is all her.  As the years have gone by, I find myself inserting frills in my shirts, adding a touch of pink or purple to my wardrobe, and heaven forbid wearing a necklace every once in a while.  When I go shopping my eyes go straight for the things she likes and I find that there are several things we can both agree on.  My tastes have changed because I love her and want to make her happy. 

I was thinking how my love for Anna changed something about me. Isn't that how it is supposed to work?  Our love for our spouse/significant other should change us.  Our love for God should mold us into a new being. Our love for a friend may make us do something different.  The love my kids have for me should change them.  Now I'm not suggesting we forget who we are and that we should let someone else make us be something we aren't.  I'm suggesting that we put someone else before us.  It is easy to do that with kids as there is that supernatural thing that sparks inside you to see life differently.  But how easy is it to be upset with my husband because he doesn't show interest in my love for something I found on Pinterest but caring less that I have no interest in the Cornhuskers or in football in general.  If I loved God, wouldn't it not be too much to set aside 10 minutes a day to spend time visiting with Him not letting my mind wander to the worries of the day.  If I loved my kids isn't it worth it to choose to use the patience I have been given to take a breath and redirect their energy instead of sitting in a chair yelling at them.  Love can  make you be a better person, you just have to decide that you will let it.

Speak into being

With the many hours of traveling that Brad and I have done over the last two weeks, we have had plenty of time to sit down an make goals for 2013.  The list is long, includes "to be done by" dates, and has created quite a few projects for our family.  In making the list it reminded me of something that I wholeheartedly believe. 

I believe that you can speak things into being.  Can I speak everything on my list into being?  No, I probably won't even be able to do half of it (see, I'm speaking something into being there...oops).  Can I speak some of into being.....I believe so. 

One of the biggest areas I see speaking things into being is with relationships.  I can look at my darling Matthew who is about to turn two.  I can look at him and say "Oh boy.  We are entering into the terrible twos.  I can't wait for this trying time to be over.  You are going to be a mess."  I pretty much just said that he is going to be horrible and I'm not going to enjoy it.  Well, if I say that then I probably have that attitude and it probably won't be great.  However, I could look at this little boy and say "We are going to go through some trials, but I will love you through them all.  You will develop new skills and learn so much about becoming your own little person.  I will enjoy growing with you."  I admitted that there will be some trying times, but I chose to look at it with a positive outlook and by doing that I am proclaiming that it will be good.  If every time I get discouraged I quickly remind myself about my attitude then I can make the best of the situation.  The same goes with my relationship with Anna, Brad, and whoever else or whatever else I'm involved with.

I think we would be amazed at what we speak into being.  For the positive and the negative.  I wonder how our outlook would change if we focused on what we spoke into being.  As 2013 quickly approaches, I am announcing that I will do my best to speak blessings over my household and all those that my life comes in contact with.  I will speak good things into being.  When I fail, I will learn and try again.  Bring it on!

The Farm

Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go....

That is almost our direct route to our Thanksgiving destination.  Well that plus eight hours :) Brad's grandparents have a farm in KS that we go to each year for Thanksgiving.  Although we would love to be able to host Thanksgiving at our house (mostly so I can do things my way....go figure:P) we are grateful for the opportunity to go each year.  It adds perspective and for the time there takes you to another world.  There is no cell phone service, Internet, garbage disposal, dishwasher, etc.  There is one bathroom for nine people. You travel on a dirt road to the house and the closest town(ish) is around 10-15 minutes away.  You are surrounded by fields and at night you fall asleep listening to the cattle and coyotes harmonize to sing you a lullaby.  As I write this my nose goes up as it sounds terrible, but you know what....we love going.  Anna has been counting the days til we were able to go. Months ago she was listing all things she loved about the farm. 

This is the only time we are able to see his maternal grandparents and aunts and uncles.  He has a sweet grandma who has Alzheimers and a grandpa who I've slowly come to like.  We laugh at some of their quirks such as blaring the TV right before they take their afternoon naps or finding silverware in a cheese drawer.  This trip I enjoyed seeing both my children go and hug Marjorie.  It is fun to laugh at Bill's jokes and discover his humor.  Marjorie and I make a great team with the dishes.

Across the road from the grandparents is one of Anna's favorite parts of the trip....Uncle Bob.  She looks forward to hearing the door creak open to reveal he is there to do chores.  This trip he taught her quite a few things.  First, he taught her the different kinds of cows.  Secondly, he helped her learn to drive.  The first time he took her out he came back and commented that she needed a lot of work. By the time we left she had vastly improved.  She drove Brad and I back on the 4-wheeler and kept a steady pace with the gas and kept a mostly straight line down the road.  Lastly, he taught her the function of cattle.  She fell in love with a cow named Petunia.  She droned on about how you could tell which one was Petunia and how she could pet her.  Well, Bob let is slip that Petunia was going to become steak.  Anna didn't think that was such a great idea but they compromised with a deal that he would at least wait until after she left to sell off her beloved cow.  That's life....  As much as she enjoys being around him, I think he enjoys being around her.  One morning he walked in and called "Where's my Anna?".  I'm so thankful that she has an opportunity to have these experiences.

Brad and I's favorite part is just being able to be around family.  Some of my favorite things about this trip were getting to have a late night conversation with my bil, watching my children be in this environment, being able to help out even though the contributions were small, seeing positive things about people, and just getting away.  I don't know how many more years we are going to get to go to the farm, but I am blessed for the times I have and look forward to the times that we have in the future.