Valentine's Day

Love holiday...greeting card holiday...cupid's holiday...candy holiday...worst day of the year---Valentine's Day is many things to many people.  My favorite part of Valentine's Day growing up, was decorating a Valentine Box for all our cards and candy from school.  I sure hope they still do that when my boys get to school!

In my adult life, Valentine's Day has gotten much less exciting.  It seems like poor guys are expected to jump through hoops on Valentine's Day.  I feel bad for those guys that have to go out of their way to please their gal. (I know one gal in particular that will be quite upset if the perfect gift/flowers/dinner/jewelry are not part of the festivities.)  That seems to defeat the purpose of the day.  If it is supposed to be about love, then why not just focus on that?  I guess it is fine for everyone to celebrate however they see fit, but I think it is just like any other day.  

Of course it is nice to do something special for your other half, but really it just needs to be something sincere and heart-felt.  It seems like guys feel they are obligated to put on a show for this day.   To me, there is no need to spend a bunch of money on a gift or something.  I think it is just important to tell the one you love how you feel about them.  (Personally, I like love letters and poetry--and on any day of the year!)  Both cost nothing and are actually worth a whole lot more than a bouquet of flowers or a diamond necklace.  Be that as it may, I truly appreciate everything my husband does for me each day of the year, not just on Valentine's Day. 

"A simple I love you means more than money."
~Frank Sinatra

"If I had a flower for every time I thought of you, I could walk in my garden forever."
~Alfred Lord Tennyson

"There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved."
~George Sand

"Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own."
~H. Jackson Brown

Prayer

When in doubt, pray.  Well, I am always in doubt it seems like.  I am trying to be a better Christian--so in turn, I am praying that I can be a better Christian. 

How many times do you find yourself praying without even realizing it?  For me, that is quite a bit.  I feel like I am actually praying throughout the day about all sorts of things.  I don't only want to reserve my prayer for catastrophic events.  Instead, I want to have a healthy, open conversation with God about all things, big or small.  What I really want is to be able to instill that relationship with God in my sons.  I never had that growing up and I feel like I am trying to play catch-up at this point in my life. 

I have started talking to my oldest about prayers and how we should use them.  The last few nights I have sat with him in his room and we prayed together.  As we keep this going, he should start to understand the importance of prayer.  I want him to know that just because you pray, doesn't mean things will go your way.  But that it is important to try, because how will God know you need help unless you ask?

A Great Day....to fish.

Have you ever had what you thought was the perfect day?  Just one of those days where everything seemed to fall together just so--one of those days where because of it, you know that the Big Guy upstairs is watching over us.  Sometimes they seem like they come a little less often as I get older.  However, in the same respect, I seem to appreciate these heaven-sent days like no other.  

Well, I think we had one of those days this past weekend.  Our Sunday was hands-down, one of the greatest days we have had as a family.  We had spent the night at Ryan's parents' house so we got to sleep in, which is a great start!  We woke up mid-morning to head out on our first ice fishing excursion as a family.  To be exact, it was the first time Aiden, Aksel and I had ever ice fished.  Ok, yeah, Aksel can't really fish, but he sure had fun chucking his bottle and making it fall in the fish hole a bunch of times!  We decided to head out to the lake that is about 15 minutes away and give it a shot.  We had no idea whether this was going to work or not.  Ice fishing with a 3 year old and a 9 month old---some people would think we were nuts! 

Anyway, the weather was ideal--no wind, 40 degrees!  That is absolutely unheard of in North Dakota in February.  (Side note:  this winter will go down in the record books.  I have never in my life seen it this mild before.)  Ok, back to the fishing--well, Aiden was just so excited, he could barely stay on his feet as we skated out to the fish house.  When we got in, he got a crash course in how to hold the rod, how to tell when there is a bite, and how to reel it in.  Before we knew it, he already had a fish!  And so it began, the day where we were catching little 4-6 inch Perch almost every minute or two!  Aiden loved catching those "little porches!"   Ryan showed him the sharp spikes that are on their fins and had him feel the scales and their mouths.  Every single fish we caught that day Aiden had to touch.  It was magical to see him so intrigued by them.  

As for me, I do not touch the fish.  It stems from an utter disgust of touching anything living (or dead) besides humans.  (Don't worry, we will address that topic at a later date.)  So Ryan spent his day admiring all the fish we caught, while removing them from our lines.  He also had the great joy of replacing our bait whenever necessary.  This didn't seem to bother him at all.  He was just so content watching us have a good time. 

The fishing trip came to a close after about 4 hours, when I realized I would not be winning the 'mom of the year' award, because I totally forgot Aksel's formula---oops!  He was getting grumpy anyway and I think Aiden's attention span had trickled down the fish hole with all the little porches we threw back.  

On our trip home, Aiden kept saying he caught five fish.  It was actually quite a bit more than that, but he likes the #5, I guess.  Both boys fell asleep about a mile down the road.  I figure ice fishing is hard work!  We got home that night with a great sense of accomplishment.  We managed to enjoy the whole afternoon in a 6x6 space without a major meltdown or trauma.  It was heavenly.  

After our afternoon of fishing, we made a visit to see Ryan's grandma.  She was sleeping peacefully and we knew she would soon be in heaven.  Even though she wasn't awake, I know she appreciated being close to Ryan and the boys one last time.  It was a bittersweet visit, but very much needed.  


Our wonderful day wrapped up with the Superbowl and a great win by the Giants over the Patriots!  (This was more of the icing on the cake for this mama, as I cheer for the Vikings, the Steelers and whatever team is playing the Patriots.)  A long day indeed, but I can't say enough how well it went.

I know this whole thing may seem insignificant in the whole scheme of things, but to our family, this was a huge success.  We made some memories that will last forever and learned something new; had a few tears and shared a few laughs.  Whenever this is possible, it is well worth it.  I hope that days like these become more of the norm around here, but until then, we will cherish every one we can get.  

Following the A's

Well, I figured I could offer some explanation about the title, Following the A's--we have two sons, Aiden (3) and Aksel (9 months).  I feel like at this point in our life, this is what we do...we follow the A's.  We follow them all the time in the physical sense.  These are two busy boys and they are constantly getting into things!  We have crayon on the wall--Buzz Lightyear in the toilet (he flew there, of course)--sippy cups and bottles hidden in some very obscure places (yuck).  These two are everywhere.  But this is not news to any of you who have children of your own.  We are raising a couple of high-octane little men here!  Following our boys around is constant.  Of course, we like to let them get dirty and explore the world in their own way; but I admit, we are lacking in the baby-proofing in some areas, so extra attention is necessary. 

Besides the following in the physical sense, I feel like there will be another aspect of this, for our lives have forever changed.  We no longer just do things to fulfill our needs, wants, expectations, etc.  The things we do now are for our kids.  The fact that they are here means their lives have become our lives.  The choices we make now will affect them and which direction they choose to go.  And in their journey, we will follow them.  We can help them find a path to take and then sit back and let them give it a shot.  It could be that they choose to try many paths along the way.  I say, the more chances to learn and explore, the better.  I really want them to know that they have the power to do anything they want, but to always remember that if they need help, they can look back and we will be there.  (Hopefully, in a not so meddling-mother sort of way.) 

Introduction

My name is Sara.  I am a wife to Ryan and a mother of 2 amazing boys, Aiden and Askel (thus "Following the A's".)  They have brought me so much joy I cannot explain.  They also give me the toughest challenges some days.  I am a horrible housekeeper and I can't cook, so this blog will not get you expert tips there.  It would be ideal if I could stay at home with them, but we haven't won the lottery yet.  So, I work at a bank trying to catch fraudsters all day.  Our life is pretty simple, yet seems complicated from time-to-time.  While I am not slaving away at the bank, I am trying to take in all there is to being a decent wife and mother.  I am far from ideal, but I do my best.