Thursday, June 21, 2012

On the Blog Again...


So last summer I took an unexpected break from blogging for a couple overwhelmingly busy months (as if I have any other kind).

After the summer was over and the fall routine settled in again, I sat down to write my "sorry I was MIA all summer" post. Then it dawned on me: no one - not friends, family, or distant readers - had commented about the fact that I disappeared for months. I thought about this for a while and realized that Facebook was sufficient for keeping loved ones up to date and my blogging life had probably reached its natural end. I decided to write a final post and call it good, but that post just wouldn't come.

For some reason, people have recently started asking me what happened to the blog and it got me thinking about why I started it in the first place. Certainly not for the fame and glory and money (although if anyone wants to offer me that, I won't refuse). Mainly it's a diary of our life. I realized that so much of the boys' first few years were documented, while Miren's first year will soon be fuzzied by mommy amnesia.

So I'm back - even if it's just to satisfy my own navel-gazing and family journaling needs.

With that in mind, here are a few of the most important moments of our last year...

We got the world's coolest bike. And despite my tricycle past, I can actually ride it:


Took a trip to Mackinac Island with my parents:

In front of the Mackinac Bridge.

Held Miren's Dedication:


Celebrated Robbie's 30th Birthday:


Had one family reunion or family party after another:

Celebrating Grandma Marion's 80th Birthday

We remodeled our only (and incredibly tiny) bathroom, forcing us to travel to our neighbor's empty bathroom (they were in Europe) every night for bathtime for months. Our children decided that most of the trips needed to be done naked, which our neighbors doubtless appreciated:

The crappy "Before" picture.

The equally crappy "After" picture.




Fionn started his first year of preschool:


  
 
Emerson made huge gains in all areas and got a wonderful kindergarten placement for next year. I pushed for more testing in the fall and - as I suspected all along - he qualified for autism spectrum services. More on that later:


The handsome man himself.

Miren learned how to do all the important baby things:


Miren also learned that her smile could help her get away with pretty much anything:


Once mobile, she quickly dispelled the myth that at least one out of three kids is bound to be easy:

Miren enjoys her first Popsicle.


I celebrated my 30th Birthday. It was not quite as exciting as Robbie's :) :



We lost our beloved "Mama:"

Mama meets newborn Emerson for the first time.

Fionn earned the title "World's Best Big Brother:"

Fionn shares his Valentine's sucker.
We enjoyed visiting friends and drinking good beer in Wisconsin:

Fionn enjoys the view of Milwaukee from his "bubble" in Discovery World.

We decided to rip up our entire yard and fill it full of edible plants and perennial flowers (pics coming).

The boys got to go on their first fishing trip thanks to dad and papa:


I continued to slog through grad school classes and finally decided the focus of my ministry will be the environment:


I started a Michigan chapter of Kidical Mass (kidicalmass.org):

The kids help me run the booth at "Bike Bash."

Families setting off on our first ride.





And in general we had some crazy fun:


Miren's first Easter egg hunt.


April Fool's Parade




Robbie brought the boys some wrestling masks from Mexico.



Christmas chaos.
Feel more caught up than you ever needed to be? Good. Now hopefully I'll write again before next year.


5 comments:

  1. Welcome back! I've missed your updates and wanderings and look forward to reading about your navel-gazings. Write on!

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  2. I've been checking for updates all along...didn't mention it to you for fear of seeming 'pushy'. You and Robbie have such a busy schedule with those gorgeous kids I didn't want to add any pressure. I'm glad to see a new post - you write so beautifully it's refreshing to read :-)
    Miss you all,
    Julia

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  3. So happy to be on your blot again. You and your family will always have a special piece of my heart. Loves and hugs... Nani

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  4. I'm an adult with albinism and just recently found your blog. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I sincerely hope that you continue to blog.

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  5. I checked off and on over the months and then just let it be :). Never mentioned it because...well...I totally get it. And I always felt that asking someone when the next blog post is coming is a bit like asking a full term momma-to-be, "What? No baby yet?" Annoying.

    Glad to see you back. And your comment on the family journaling struck a cord.

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