Summer in the Park

This afternoon I happily packed Jeff a lunch and I whisked him away from his work to a nearby park. I like munching on his cute face while he's eating. Jeff said he had one wife who didn't love him enough and another wife who loves him too much! I think he prefers the latter but sometimes I tend to smother him and he cries out for his space.

I just always think he's so precious and I love snuggling with him. I'm going through withdrawal since I don't see him every day for an hour lunch break. So once a week I told Jeff I need a mini-date lunch.

I love spending time in the outdoors during the summer. Our church, Richwoods, took advantage of the sunshine and hosted a picnic and celebration of our new church home at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe this Sunday. The kids had so much fun face-painting, playing on the inflatable slide, making cupcakes...it was just bliss. I LOVE THE SUMMER!

Setting Sail in LaSalle

This Saturday was "take your husband to work" day for me. The PJStar assigned me a feature article of a 19th century replica canal boat launching for the public this weekend. This project has been 35 years in the making--legislators pushed for the canal to be put back on the Illinois & Michigan Canal to inform tourists about the area's historical significance. It was an hour-long water ride, complete with two mules towing the boat, just like it did back in 1848. It was quite an experience...I wouldn't say it was worth the admission price...but Jeff was happy to be along for our free ride.

After such a long and draining week, it was such a treat to spend quality time together in such a beautiful place. Working is so much more fun when Jeff is keeping me company. We packed a picnic for the park and enjoyed soaking up the sun and having nice talks in and out of the car.
Jeff was in such a great mood, he even picked out a dress for me to buy at the mall in Peru. Now, that's way out of character!

We concluded our day in Princeton to see the season premiere of "I Love You, I Hate You, Now Change," a modern-day musical examining relationship foibles. Festival 56 puts on such fabulous, Chicago-worthy productions--it was well worth seeing this hilarious and incisive show. The director of the production graciously gave me complimentary tickets since I've written countless articles promoting their work.
I thought it was the best play I've ever seen with Jeff. I was cracking up all night. But Jeff enjoys plays with more depth and metaphorical meaning. Goes to show our different personalities.

Summer with kids

I've had the kids all week while their mom was away on her honeymoon. I discovered a lot of interesting things about their having very distinct personalities and their need to be known and heard. Of course, since Jeff splits custody, I see the kids quite often. But spending intense 24/7 time with them one-on-one has been really eye-opening. I learned that they are 1000% times easier to handle when their friends are over. We had a pool party Tuesday with a friend of mine and her two kids. They got along so well, my friend and I caught up on work while they played away. We looked at each other and just exclaimed, "BEAUTY!" In fact, Max and Laney were getting so restless today I offered to baby-sit my friends two kids and as soon as they walked into our home, Max and Laney were happy and settled down. You'd think having 4 kids in the home is easier than 2 but it's quite the opposite.

But of course the kids crave on-one-on time with us, too. The hardest challenge for me was to respond to the many demands of my boss at the PJStar, who incidentally piled on the workload this week like crazy, while responding to the demands of the children. In between fixing breakfasts and lunches, bandaging cuts, mediating fights, playing with the kids, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, figuring out our bills, etc...I had to write about 5 articles a day while updating the PJStar website content! I wanted to explode by the time Jeff got home from work!
I always thought I could handle working at home while balancing children if Jeff and I are blessed with our own kids...but I realized this week that's just not realistic. I don't want to do two important things poorly. I want to just excel at one thing, and that's being available to my family.

The best weekend

I enjoyed the sweetest weekend with Jeff...I wish we could exist on an island and not be bothered by anyone or anything. It was pure bliss, just being alone without any pressing agenda or interruptions. It's a far cry from our daily grind but our time together made me appreciate him in a whole new way. I always fall in love with him again when it's just the two of us. We enjoyed riding the "L" everywhere, especially since my ankle was swollen.

The art that decorates downtown Chicago dazzles me. I was so thrilled to soak in the culture and materialism of the city. I loved passing by rich people decked out in designer clothes, walking their equally coiffed dogs in perfectly manicured parks. I was in heaven! If someone would just plop me and Jeff down in the city, it would be nirvana.

We got a great deal on a room at the Hyatt, which I highly recommend. The room was beautiful and the location was ideal. In my women's group I always encourage my lady friends to seek alone time and date nights with their husbands, especially when the demands on their time are so occupied by needy children. I crave having my husband all to myself--it's the greatest treat on earth. If he didn't have children already I would've put off having them for another decade.

One thing that I love about Jeff is that on one hand, he's such a simple person but on the other hand, he's exposed to me to incredible culture in the arts and in life. This is a picture of polish beet soup with mushroom ravioli. It was yummy. We also enjoyed the most delicious dinner we've ever eaten together at Cafe Ba Ba Reeba, a tapas restaurant. It sounds gross but the white anchovy dish with almond paste & grilled squid in butter vinagrette is to die for!

We saw two highly entertaining, thought-provoking plays. Really, a trip to Chicago is incomplete without a trip to the Steppenwolf Theater.

We also took a trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. In honor of their 75th anniversary they offered a free admission day. It's a good thing, too, because it's not worth paying full admission price...although the U-505 submarine, a German World War II sub captured in battle, was pretty impressive.
Our trip was so wonderful but upon returning home I was consumed with sadness that our precious time together in such a dynamic place does not reflect our every day reality. I'm already trying to re-configure our current budget to plan another weekend away!

Good-bye WMBD

After six long years of working at WMBD-TV, Jeff calls it quits today. He was an industrious worker loved by all, especially the older ladies in the traffic department who took him out to lunch on Wednesday to say good-bye. They will miss their "Jeffie." While Jeff is happy about the job transition to WEEK-TV, he still has a hard time with change--don't we all? It's hard to leave consistency for the unknown, even when you know you're entering into a brighter future. Leaving a job is kind of like breaking up...you're rejecting one thing in favor of another and there's an awkwardness in saying good-bye even when you know it's for the best. So, let's pray for Jeff on Monday as he starts his new job. We're heading to Chicago tomorrow night to celebrate this new phase in his career.

Dad's Day Weekend

Boy am I glad Father's Day weekend is over. Jeff milked it for all it was worth! He barely lifted a finger in celebration of his weekend! Every time I'd ask him to do something, he'd protest, "But it's Father's Day weekend!" But we had a great time together as a family and he really is such a wonderful father, not to mention a great husband.
Of course, when the kids forgot it was Father's Day, Jeff made sure to remind them it was the "best weekend of the year." He said, "It's the time you honor the person who had the most influence on your life." Max piped up, "Oh, that's a hard one." He scrunched up his face and said, "I just don't get it." Laney said, "Yeah, I just don't know what holiday you're talking about!" Too cute.

Some people asked what Jeff got for Father's Day...well, the kids made him cards and I framed some family photos for his new office. I also purchased a beer making kit for him, which I regretted while I was in the process of running my debit card through the machine. But it gives him pleasure, so why not? He also got some cologne. That's actually more of a gift that benefits me!

The kids and I also made him a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, which has been off-limits in our house for health reasons. Of course, I forgot to add an egg, which apparently makes a big difference in the taste. But it turned out alright anyway.

It was such an insufferably hot and humid morning, Jeff thought it would be fun to take the kids to a nearby pool with a water slide and lots of kid contraptions.

And it was fun...for all of 30 minutes! Just when we got warmed up to the water, an alarm sounded for a severe storm warning and everyone had to get out of the pool. It poured for about an hour...unfortunately, we didn't get a refund but it was nice while it lasted. Jeff, ever the dad, tried to teach Max how to swim and encouraged the kids to take risks by diving in the deep end and sliding by themselves.
Jeff is a great dad because he knows when to encourage them to be risk takers and when to play it safe. He's a loving disciplinarian and always an encouragement to all of us and we love him for it.

T-Ball

T-ball season is in full swing...Max was the cutest T-ball player in the world on Saturday. His light blue uniform looks just darling on him.
The fierce sun beat down on us as the game resumed. Mom thinks all the baseball games the family plays at her house is paying off. Max did great and was proud to use the bat his Aunt Nat and Uncle Nick gave him about this time last year.
Jeff had kind of a forlorn look on his face when the game was over, saying, "Just think. We've got another month and a half of practices and games to look forward to."
Maybe we should've enrolled him in tennis...Oh, well. Next year. Jeff thinks every little American boy should play T-Ball/baseball anyway.
This blog post is short because my brain is fried by the sun. For the first time in our marital history I woke up before Jeff on a Saturday morning to go garage-saleing. I've got the bug...when you're on a budget and you have a chance to find bargains everywhere, it's hard not to pass them up!

Happy Father's Day!

I can only think of Jeff in the context of being a father.
Before we started dating and were just co-workers I commented to him, "It must be a drag to be a single dad." He responded, "Actually I really enjoy being a dad. The divorce has really grown my relationship with my kids. I've gotten to know them as people and it's been good."
I've seen him cry over his children and his desire for them to feel loved and secure despite many seasons of unwelcome change in their lives that were out of his control...he's always present to cheer them on at sporting events and school functions and he's very much the person the kids lean on for their spiritual foundation. Not a night goes by without a Bible story told by Jeff and prayers said to the Lord.
Our culture may put mothers on a pedestal as being of premier importance in the lives of their children but Jeff has taught me that fathers play an equally important role in raising good kids.

Family Flicks

Monday night Jeff and I took the kids to the Glen Oak Park Pavillion to watch "Shrek" projected on the amphitheater. It was a little rainy off and on so there wasn't much of a crowd. We had a great time, spreading our blankets on the ground and enjoying the cool summer breeze while watching a family movie.

Some families got a little restless because the movie didn't start until 9pm...it's supposed to start at dusk, which is around 8:30...but oh well. It's only 25 cents a person to go and it was a nice night. I'm posting the summer family flicks schedule below in case anyone is interested. It shows on Monday nights from June 9-August 4.
June 9:Shrek
June 16: Are We Done Yet?
June 23: Happily Never After
July 7: Back to the Future
July 14: Shrek the 3rd
July 21: The Bee Movie
July 28:Open Season
August 4: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Keep the Change

"All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God." 2 Corinthians 4:15

Our church is kicking off the beginning of our transition from our current building on Terra Vista Drive to the former Leath furniture building. Our pastor recently launched into a sermon series on change to facilitate this process and I find it especially relevant to my life.
Today I scurried around the house and scooped up all the loose change I could find that weighed down my purses, boxes in the basement, and my car. There's nothing that aggravates me more than loose change. I'm always tempted to tell the cashier, "Keep the change!" It dirties my designer bags and weighs me down. (I hate shoving change in my Kate Spade wallet because I don't want to stretch it out...but then I end up leaving it at the bottom of my purse which soils the bottom of my nice bags, too).
I took a ziplock bag full of change to the bank and it totaled a whopping $81.41.
Small change adds up and often amounts to something big. Our pastor said he was moved by reading a memoir called "Now and Then" about a professor who gave up his career to transition to full-time writing. The process brought about incredible loneliness in his life as he missed the camaraderie of his colleagues, he lived in fear of being a failure if he didn't succeed, and this led to physical symptoms of depression. He was in a funk. That about sums up my first six months of marriage!
Yet, he reflected many years later, life went on all over the place...small things became big blessings, like taking the kids to school in the morning...In hindsight he realized some of the greatest moments of his life happened in the midst of bemoaning the darkness.
The same holds true for myself. For several months after I married Jeff, I tortured myself with questions of whether I did the right thing. My career prospects tanked and despite my aggressive efforts, nothing materialized for me job-wise. But looking back, it was such a blessing. While I was crying about why I wasn't marketable in the workforce, I failed to see the Lord provided the perfect situation for me: I left a highly stressful and borderline abusive workplace in favor of the stress-free life-style of writing articles from home with the occasional commute. Sure, it was a step-down financially, but as Jeff pointed out, if I kept my on-air job I would've gone crazy transitioning to life as a step-mom. I devoted the extra time to learn to cook and clean, invest in the children, spend quality time with my husband, and volunteer at church. And while I may not be making as much money as I did in the past, my income still allowed us to start a savings plan to support our future family and to pay for our travel expenses to Hawaii for the next few years.
We often miss the blessings of today because we look back at what we missed and don't allow the Lord to change our inner reality.
I heard a statistic that 9 times of out of 10 people choose the security of a bad past over a healthy future because they're insecure of what the unexpected holds.
I hope that I have the confidence to lean into the Lord in the days ahead to embrace an eternal perspective so that I welcome positive change and don't miss out on the present because I'm blinded by glamorizing the past. I pray for myself and my husband that we see God working in the midst of everything, no matter the circumstance.

Mackinaw Music Festival

"For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops." Leviticus 25:3

The Bible constantly references vineyards in parables...the first miracle Jesus performed was turning water into wine...I'm not a drinker of alcohol myself but I love some of the associations with wine--leisurely times with family and friends, a fancy feast, unwinding at the end of the day.

This weekend Jeff and I had the pleasure of enjoying the beauty of the Mackinaw Valley Vineyard...from its veranda you can see a 30-mile stretch of the Illinois Countryside. We strolled around the lake, listened to live music...and of course, Jeff sampled two kinds of beer.

I fell in love with a Green Onion cheese that took first prize at the Illinois State Fair. For $8 a block it was worth it! We snacked on it for dinner and enjoyed each other's company on a breezy summer night. It was a wonderful treat.

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Jeff and I went to the Farmer's Market at the Riverfront today. It was inspiring to be surrounded by fresh produce. We decided to grow a mini herb garden starting with rosemary and basil. I purchase them at least every other week at the grocery store for $3 at a time...we figured, why not just grow them at home? So that's my new pet project this summer...Tending to my herbs and refraining from over-watering. As Jeff and I got our hands grimy in planting, he kept yelling, "Don't kill the plants!" I accidentally squeezed the roots while situating them in the ground. Hopefully they'll turn out.

Another favorite summer pastime of our family is garage-saleing. Today Jeff and I scored! A church garage sale was having a Saturday special--you buy a bag for $2 and fill it with whatever you want. Jeff found a new rain jacket, work shirt, candlesticks, a rolodex, Christmas decorations, 30 thank-you cards, Spiderman winter boots for Max (hopefully they'll fit!), a game called "Pit", and bookmarks. When you're on a budget, garage sales are the way to go!
As an aside, our small group had a garage sale last Saturday and raised $115 towards the building of our new church!

Congratulations, Jeff!!!

Today Jeff accepted a position as a multimedia designer at WEEK-TV, the NBC affiliate in Peoria. He'll basically be doing the same kind of work for WEEK that he's been doing for WMBD for the past five years...but the station quality and pay is much better.
WEEK-TV has a reputation as being the powerhouse of local news in Central Illinois and is consistently honored by the Illinois Broadcasters Association and Illinois Associated Press as being Station of the Year. Broadcast Magazine named WEEK one of the top news stations in the country during a time when local television is tanking.
So this is a pretty big job promotion for Jeff and I'm so proud of him!!! Of course, we all know he's so talented, any place would be lucky to have him. My job now is to make sure my face is plastered all over his office so that he doesn't forget his wife! The down side to this job is that we'll no longer share lunch breaks. I've got a 12x16 print of my face that will hang on his wall...just to communicate that he is very married! If anyone else would like to chime in with decoration ideas, I'd gladly accept them. I'm no interior designer but I want to make Jeff's office a colorful and cheerful place.

Lazy Laney

The summer kicked off to a lazy start in the Hopkins' household. The sweltering heat and pollen has me sneezing all day--thank goodness for Claritin! Laney is taking a Madame Curie class at Whittier this week. We've spent some good, quality time together after school...eating brownie batter ice cream and popcorn and watching JAWS. I've never seen the Steven Spielberg classic and I found it surprisingly good. Laney rattled off all the different sharks and shark models in the movie. I'm always impressed with her interesting mind. In school, she's learning to make SLIME and wanted to share the recipe:

1. Fill a small cup halfway with half water, half Elmer's glue
2. Add a small amount of Borax dyed with food coloring
3. Stir with a stick for 3 minutes
4. Remove slime from the cup and knead it with your hands for a few minutes

Brielle is Dedicated

This Sunday was a joyous occasion as baby Brielle Elizabeth Hopkins, my niece, was dedicated to the Lord. Her mom and dad stood before their congregation and made a promise to the Lord to do everything within their power to raise Brielle in a godly way. The pastor actually said some touching words about how Brielle is so special to the Lord and His family and she has a bright future ahead of her as an ambassador of God. (I'm just paraphrasing here the gist of what was said but I was really moved and Delaney leaned into me and said, "I think I'm going to cry.")
Of course, dedicating our children to the Lord is scriptural as 1 Samuel 1:11 reads:
"And she (Hannah) made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
As God answered Hannah's prayer and gave her a son, she remembered her vow and gave him to the Lord.
We love Brielle so dearly and pray the Lord's favor on her for a life full of promise and blessings.