30 Before 30

Well, the time has come. I considered doing this post ages ago when I actually started this list. But life happened and here I am, three days from turning the big 3-0. How do I feel about that? Fine, actually. Maybe it will hit me in one way or another, but for now, I'm cool with it. I'm not anxious about ending my twenties, in fact, I'm happy to be where I am. I love my husband, my kids, and the crazy life God allows us to lead, being held in the palm of His hands.

What is 30 before 30? Oh right, you might not know. Inspired by a friend who did this a few years ago when her twenties decade came to a close (and she was inspired by her friend), I decided to make a list. A list of 30 or so things that I wanted to do, see, or finish before turning 30. I didn't stress over it (as you'll see) but just had fun. Why stress? It's 30, for goodness sakes, not 100. I gave myself a head start and actually made the list about a year and a half ago, updating it on the Notes app on my phone, and adding to it whenever I felt the need. So, in no particular order, here goes...

1) GO TO DISNEY WORLD WITH LAILEY (DONE!)

2) RECORD A CHILDREN'S CD
(IN PROGRESS) It will hopefully happen eventually.

3) REDECORATE OUR MASTER BEDROOM FAIRLY INEXPENSIVELY BY SELLING A LOT OF STUFF 
(DONE!) We did not, in fact, sell a lot of stuff, but rather re-purpose some furniture and donate a lot of things. A garage sale was going to be too much work. I did save birthday and Christmas money for awhile to make it happen. Unfortunately I have either deleted or misplaced the "before" picture, but this is the after. In short, this is what we did:

AFTER - but still in progress

 - Remove 2 nightstands, one chest of drawers, one large mirror on other dresser, two desks. Not counting the large mirror (which was a part of the dresser we refinished - not pictured) that's FIVE PIECES OF FURNITURE. Gone. Outta there. I can't believe we had it all in there. The reason we could do this is that we also moved the kids into one room. Our nursery became an office/multipurpose storage room/junk place again. The chest of drawers became a homeschool and art cabinet. Confused yet? Yep. So happy with that change. One more step to simplifying our house as much as possible.

 - Change room color from peach-ish orange (never what it was supposed to be) to a soft gray. LOVE.

 - Take tall bookshelves from nursery that were black and paint white and aqua.

 - Move bed to left wall instead of between windows.

 - Replace non-working fan with chandelier

 - New quilt, sheets, pillows, and curtains

 - Hang pictures (including a very cool piece of artwork that my sister painted for me for Christmas last year)

TO BE DONE

 - Style bookshelves. Now that #27 (see below) is done, we have more room and can do this.

 - Paint trunk and use something fun to cover sides. The paneling was starting coming off and I decided to take it all off and revamp it. Not sure yet what I'll do.

 - Finish hanging pictures

4) HAVE AT LEAST ONE SUCCESSFUL GARAGE SALE AND PURGE

(DONE) Well, we didn't have the garage sale but we have gone through loads of stuff and donated carfulls of it. Like that word, "carfulls?" We did. One of the blessings of a small-ish house for a family of four is that it prevents me from being a packrat. If I don't have the space for something, I donate it. A good rule is "one in, one out." Meaning, for every one item I bring in I try to remove something else that isn't needed. Like clothes, for example. I gave away about half of my clothes. If I hadn't worn it in about a year (with the exception of a few special items) then it went bye bye. This, however, has wonderful benefits. I make room (and an excuse) for new clothes. :) So smart, I know.

5) TRAVEL TO WA TO SEE FAMILY

(NOPE) We'd like to save for it for 2014.

6) FINISH READING THROUGH THE BIBLE

(IN PROGRESS) I'm about 3/4, maybe 4/5 through. Again, one step at a time.

7) GET SOME OF MY PHOTOGRAPHY FRAMED OR ON CANVAS AND USE AROUND THE HOUSE.

(DONE. AND STILL IN PROGRESS.) I have framed some pictures that are up in our room, but I'd like to do more. Canvases are expensive though, and I have to prioritize.

8) TAKE A PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

(NOPE) I have not taken a workshop, but have read and studied a lot on my own. The underlying goal here was to improve as a photographer, and I feel that I have. I can look back at pics a year ago and I've already learned so much.  I hope to continue to improve and look back in another year and think the same. I love it.

9) READ A CLASSIC

(DONE!) I chuckle at this one. It began with the great ambition to read Les Misérables, a favorite of my SIL Julie, which is very very long. I started it but didn't continue. Who knows why. But this summer I picked up reading again after a long hiatus. Having two kids will do that. I didn't even mean to accomplish this goal, and some would heatedly debate if the books I read are "classics," but nonetheless, I have read 6 of the 7 Harry Potter books and have absolutely enjoyed every minute. I'm dying to finish the series but have made myself wait since I have too much going on this month and it's torture to pull myself away from a good book. I will be patient. Oh, and if anyone spoils the ending for me, you will die. That's right, Amy, you too!

10) WATCH "GONE WITH THE WIND"

(NOPE) Anyone up for a movie night?

11) FINISH AND PRINT MADDOX'S BABY PHOTO BOOK

(NOPE) Hasn't happened either, but it will maybe over Christmas break. The pictures are all saved, just have to find the time and money. 

If you've made it this far through the list you're probably thinking one of two things:

a) Wow, she hasn't finished a lot. What a slacker. Or...

b) Wow, it makes me feel so good Sarah has not finished all her goals and is totally 100% okay about it. I can stop with the mommy guilt!

Continuing on...

12) TAKE A FAMILY CAMPING TRIP 

(DONE!) We went to Chattahoochee Bend State Park last fall and it was wonderful. Maddox's first camping trip.

13) SEE A BABY BORN

(DONE!) I had the amazing privilege to be with my sister when her son, Matthan, was born. Love that little guy!

14) RUN A 5K WITHOUT STOPPING

(ALMOST DONE, unofficially) I didn't actually enter a race, but I did start running a little this summer and ran close to 3 miles.

15) WRITE AND DISPLAY OUR FAMILY VALUES

(NOPE)

16) FRY AN EGG ON THE SIDEWALK

(NOPE)

17) TAKE BALLROOM DANCING LESSONS

(NOPE) Hopefully this coming year though.

18) BEGIN HOMESCHOOLING LAILEY

(DONE!) And I'm so incredibly excited about this one. We're doing Classical Conversations this year. This is a curriculum but also a community, so Lailey goes one morning a week to "school." She is learning so much and so are we. There is too much to explain about CC, so maybe it will make it in another post.

19) CONTINUE LEARNING TO COOK HEALTHY VEGAN/VEGETARIAN MEALS

(ALWAYS IN PROGRESS) I have learned so much about cooking in the last couple years since we've really improved our eating habits. That's not to say we eat perfectly (no such thing), but we do get a variety of whole foods, which is my goal.

20) LEARN ALL THE MOVES TO "THRILLER"

(NOPE) Still willing to learn though!

21) TAKE ANOTHER CAMPING TRIP WITH EXTENDED FAMILY

(DONE!) Last Spring (2013) we went with my dad (Grandpa Jim); Amy, Tim, and Matthan; and Christy, Jason, Sadie, and Titus. It was a crazy trip but a fun memory.

22) MAKE FLOSSING A HABIT

(DONE...and not done) I was really good for awhile, thought I mighta had a habit. But then again, maybe not.

23) GO SING KARAOKE

(NOPE) Again, any takers? I would totally go if someone would go with me.

24) PRINT ALL MY FAVORITE ONLINE RECIPES AND MAKE AN EASY TO USE BINDER FOR MEAL PLANNING AND COOKING

(DONE!) 

 

25) PRACTICE THE PRESENCE OF GOD

(DONE?) Can one ever be "done" with this? I do feel that I practice his presence in some ways, and I will continue to do so and am always learning.

26) CATCH UP WITH BLOGGING 

(NOPE) Bwahahahaha.

27) INSTALL SHELVES IN LIVING ROOM TO DISPLAY BOOKS AND MOVIES

(DONE!) This was a relatively simple project with such great results. We made SO much space elsewhere by getting movies and books out of the way. The shelves area bit full but they're so functional. We were able to de-clutter our living room and that makes me so happy.

28) GET PAID FOR TAKING PICTURES

(DONE) I really don't want a full business, but in the past year I have had the opportunity to grow in the photography realm. I get to do what I love and make some money at it. 

29) BE CONTENT.

(FOREVER IN PROGESS) I tend to be an overachiever, even if I don't want to admit it. I always "think" I can do it all, and in the past I'd have an endless list of things I wanted to do in my head and I used to be unhappy with myself when I couldn't do them. Okay, sometimes I still do. But then I sit back and remind myself that even when I don't "feel" like I've accomplished a lot in a day, I've done so much. What is it about we modern young moms who think we have to do it all? I know Pinterest contributes to that lie. I even took a vacation from the site for awhile when I started feeling like I wasn't doing enough and knew I needed to get off that destructive path of thinking. The world makes us think our kids have to be in adorably coordinated clothes, our houses have to be perfectly decorated, our meals have to be planned and super healthy, our clothes must be stylish and beautiful, and the list goes on and on. None of these things are bad, but when we hold ourselves to these ideal standards all the time, it's exhausting, unbiblical, and sinful.

Luke 10:38-42

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

How many times do I miss "what is better" because I'm "worried and upset about many things?" Who cares if my kids aren't dressed while we're at home memorizing Bible verses? So what if my house stays messy while I'm investing time educating my daughter to know God and make Him known? Sometimes a frozen pizza frees up kitchen time so that my husband and I can have real, uninterrupted, adult conversation in the evening. 

This goal of "being content" has changed my life. I will never have it mastered, but I'm content with even that! When I start feeling like I haven't gotten anything done (which is ridiculous because most moms have done 20 things before breakfast is over), I breathe and remember what is important. I don't allow myself to have "mommy guilt." I might have it, but I dismiss it or pray about it. I try to keep the important things important. At the end of the day, the only things that matter are God and family. That's it. 

30) THERE IS NO #30.

And I'm content with that. 

Camping at Indian Springs State Park

Another fall, another family camping trip. This one was very last minute. As in, three days prior, I said, "Let's go camping!" and we booked it. Three days later, we loaded the car (way too full) and headed off. The compromise with this last minute trip was that we'd try a campground a lot closer to home. Indian Springs State Park is one we have never tried, and if I remember right it's only 35 minutes or so away from us. Upon arriving in the park, we looked at each other and remarked, "That was short!" Compared to our usual two hour plus drive, that was easy-peasy. We checked in and decided on our site, which wasn't difficult since there were very few people there (it was mid-week) except a few campers and RVs. Our tent was the only one to be found. 

Call it good fortune or good planning, but we have never had heavy rain on a camping trip. Once a short drizzle that let up quickly, but no heavy or steady rain. Well, there's a first time for everything. In fact, this was a camping trip with several "firsts," and they weren't all good. One of which was extreme difficulty with lighting a fire. I'm no fire expert, but I can build a good fire in decent conditions. This time the wood was too green, or wet, or something. We didn't have fire starters (my fault), and due to rain prior to our stay, everything surrounding the campsite was also nice and damp. When it comes to camping, fires are a must. In fact, if I couldn't have a fire, I doubt I'd go camping at all. 

So, right after dinner outside, it started to sprinkle, and then it picked up. By that time the sun was going down, but it wasn't too cold. The kids had been playing on the playground right across from our campsite (another first, and the perk of getting a good site), and when it started to rain, we debated having them come back to the site to stay "clean." Well, anyone who camps should have just laughed at that dumb statement. There is no "clean" when you're camping with kids. 

What happens when it rains on the playground? Anyone? WATER SLIDE. Yes, the playground slide quickly became a slippery and fast ticket to flying into the woodchips and mud. The kids were ecstatic. They were covered from head to toe (the following picture does NOT do it justice) in dirt and mud. Oh, and they were so happy. I realized I might as well just let them play and get dirty then shower them off and put them straight in pajamas. That way we could save our other clothes for the next two days. 

(All my pictures from this trip are from my phone. I actually forgot my Nikon DSLR (gasp!), but I probably wouldn't have gotten it out much due to the rain anyway, so it wasn't a big deal.)

When they were fully saturated, it was time for a shower. I stood outside the campground shower and attempted to clean them, low water pressure and all. Then I put them straight into pajamas and let Davey carry them back to the tent one at a time. It was tricky but it worked. Once the kids were snuggled in all dry, there wasn't much else to do. No fire due to the rain. So what do you do at 9:00 pm in a situation like that?

You go to bed.

The next day was damp but not rainy, but we were still having trouble with the fire due to the wood we had bought. Ugh.

That night at least we did have a fire. My dad (Grandpa Jim) had brought a laser pointer back from his recent Europe trip and Maddox loved it. It has a kaleidoscope effect, which looks really cool at night in the trees. That was some good entertainment, especially for Maddox.

After packing up our final day, we went to the natural spring located in the park. Many people come to gather water there and drink it, claiming it has health benefits. Smelled strongly of sulfur (read: rotten eggs), but hey, people love it. The kids were much more happy climbing on and through the gate to the springs.

 Free fun at its best.

 A final walk to the river for some wading, and then our trip was finished. It was nice to have a short drive home.

 I love little toes!

Maddox is TWO

Oh my sweet baby boy. You have grown so quickly. Is it even possible you are TWO? It does not seem like long ago that you were born on a hot August night (natural birth story). You stole our hearts from the beginning, and everyday as we watch you grow we feel so blessed by having you as a part of our family.

You've grown in so many ways over the past year. At one year, you were only talking a little and hadn't started walking yet. Now you are running, jumping, climbing, and talking quite a bit. You rarely ever sign anymore because you can tell us what you want in sentences and phrases. Occasionally we have a tough time deciding what you are telling us, but most of the time you can say anything you need to. Often quiet around people you don't know well, they are quite surprised when they do hear you talk and remark about how much you say for your age.

You love a good adventure. Splashing in puddles, running, climbing things, "body slams" on the couch from Daddy, and making anything into a drum are a few of your favorites. Your dinner plate often gets flipped, food and all, and becomes a drum with your fork or spoon when you have had enough to eat. You love to explore but usually do everything close enough to me or Daddy so you can run and get a snuggle when you need it.

This year you absolutely loved the beach. Sand, water, waves, you couldn't get enough. 

Though I'm sure you'll grow out of it eventually, you love to dress up and play tea with your sister. I often find you in her pink fuzzy boots, with a scarf and hat on!

You love to eat! Anyone that knows you well remarks on your ability to put away quite a bit of food. You're a bit picky, like most toddlers, but if you like it, you sure can eat it!

Getting chased and chasing us is one thing you just can't get enough of. Sometimes, you just fall down on the spot because your legs quit working during a fit of laughter! We love tickling you and hearing your gleeful laugh and then "a-din!" (again)

You have the sweetest blue eyes and blonde hair. It takes me one booster seat, a favorite movie, some shears, and the time it takes for you to eat two lollipops to finish cutting your hair. You tolerate it pretty well, actually. So long as I don't forget the lollipops. That doesn't cut it.

You have funny little quirks that I adore. You love your blanket (also called a miney, a la Lailey), but you really like snuggling with pants. Yes, pants! Particularly pajama pants. Soft jersey cotton ones. Who knows why, but when you find some, you curl them up by your shoulder, suck your finger, and lay down. Sometimes you will find my clothes and do the same thing. Scarves, shirts, pants, and the like. I am considering making you a blanket of the same material. Maybe I should make it in the shape of pants!

You love to FaceTime with Grammy and Grandaddy, snuggle and read with Grandpa, and spend as much time with your grandparents as you can. They adore you as much as you do all three of them.

Your favorite books (when I can get you to sit still long enough) are:

Your favorite movies and shows are:

By far your favorite thing of all is MUSIC. To say you love it is an understatement. For a long time your favorite song was "Big God" (The Akins), but now you've added "Kneel" and everyday you ask for "Bid Dod an Kneel." You will listen to it a dozen times in a row if possible. Now you tell me everyday "Bid Dod an Kneel, iPad, Duh Atins, NOW!" We're working on you being a bit less demanding, but you definitely know what you want. Anytime you hear a song with a good beat, whether in the car, at the grocery store, or at home, you start nodding your head and dancing around.

You love to sing and will sing as many words to songs as you can. Lailey is definitely inspiring your singing abilities, and you two enjoy singing together. Amazingly, you are starting to match pitches and will finish musical phrases that I sing for you. Since you are quite a snuggler, you often tell me before bed, "Tay A-wate, wock you" ("'Stay Awake,' rock you), which is your way of telling me you want your favorite lullaby from "Mary Poppins," and you want me to rock you a few minutes before bed. It is one of my favorite parts of the day when you lay your sweet head on my chest, curl up with you finger in your mouth, and make song requests. You usually pick from "Winnie the Pooh," "Stay Awake," "Baby Mine," and your new favorite "Den Sings Ma So," which translates to "Then sings my soul" and means "How Great Thou Art." I couldn't believe how quickly you learned that one.

You are very serious about your drum playing. Anything from spoons, forks, chopsticks, wooden spoons, pretty much anything long enough becomes a drum stick. Your most-played-with toy since your first birthday (that's half your life when you think about it!) was your drum from Uncle Nick and Aunt Julie. For this birthday, your new mini drumset from Grandpa was instantly your favorite thing and we couldn't get it out of the package fast enough. You also like to play on a little piano, on which you actually try to play, not bang. And though you haven't quite figured out the strumming yet, you love to pick up your red ukelele (you call it a guitar) and dance and jam out. So far you are consistently a lefty when it comes to guitar. You also like the xylophone, maracas, djembe drum, kazoo, and recorder. Someday, if you follow in your daddy's footsteps and continue in your love and talent for music, it will be fun to be able to tell people how tiny you were when you started. You could play the drum before you could walk!

 Mommy, Daddy, and Lailey love you so much Maddox. You are a treasure and a gift. Your silliness and sweetness bring such joy to our lives every day. Happy Birthday, Maddy!

Noah's Ark

So, one morning this summer, I was sitting with Lailey and Maddox at breakfast and I had a stroke of brilliance: "Do you guys want to go to Noah's Ark??" Cheers all around! Who doesn't want to see peacocks, ducks, lions, tigers, and bears, oh my? Davey was out on a run or something and so I decided I would fly solo. Of course, it took 12.79 times longer than it should to get ready and we headed out way too late (creeping into nap time), in the heat of the day (they're only open noon - 3pm. Weird, but true), and it was an extra-specially-hot-stifling-GA-heat kind of day. Ah well, sometimes I like to live on the wild side. 

My all ambitious plans of "packing a healthy picnic lunch" were replaced by a drive thru run. But hey, this is real life, right? We were greeted by the peacocks and chickens during our lunch, so that was entertaining.

After lunch Lailey got a preventative lecture about not harassing/chasing/bothering animals, and I resisted the urge to tell her loudly enough for the other parents who were allowing their 5 year old boy chase the rooster. Grrrr.

Despite appearances, she did not grab the rooster.

Emus? Ostriches? I can't remember. I'm SO educational, I know!

Sorry, we have no food! Because my children ate it all.

Gotta give it up for the almost 2 yo who smiled like a pro.
Have NO idea what the pouting about from Lailey. Probably just hot and tired.

Lailey got to pretend those crackers were from her.

Hello, chicken!

Little booty, littler booty...chicken booty!

Her treasure for the day -  a peacock feather.

One hot and tired kid, but she made sure she tucked that feather behind her ear.

By the end of our little adventure, the kids were officially DONE. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but at least we got to see some animals, right?

New Smyrna Beach 2013

Maddox and Grandaddy in line for the new Penguin ride at Sea World

 Time for the annual Akin family vacation (I'm actually posting this 3 months late but have post-dated it back to June. Savvy, I know.) This year was a ton of fun since both kids could truly enjoy the beach. In fact, that was what we did most days. But we also went to Sea World. All eleven of us, in fact, including my dear sis-in-law who is pregnant and didn't complain about the heat. It was a really fun day and the kids did surprisingly well. Here are the photo highlights.

They ate a PILE of orange slices!

Probably the equivalent of 3 whole oranges between them

They don't look thrilled watching the Whale and Dolphin Show, but that's because we were so hot

LOVED this show!

We spent so much time at the beach. The kids finally learned to like the ocean, partly due to the fact that the beach had a couple sandbars that would slow down the waves and create a nice gentle wading pool near the shore. We put them both in arm floaties (just in case they fell) and they would play for hours.

Davey making Addy laugh

 Lailey really wanted to build a sand castle, but 4 yo ambitions rarely match attention spans, and Davey and I ended up building a nice sand castle after say, 5 minutes from Lailey. I love the sky in the picture above. A storm was rolling in and we had to clean up soon afterwards but it made a cool dramatic backdrop.

Sweet baby boy, almost 2 years old

Can't get enough of these two!

"Fish heads, fish heads, roly poly fish heads..."

Keeping little bro safe

"Why hello there, shadow"

Chilling out with Daddy in the condo

New Smyrna Beach is still one of the rare places (so we hear) that you can drive on the beach. This is a typical summer weekend. I guess we're used to all the people and cars, but looking at this picture again makes me realize just how crazy it gets!

At the mall with the giant flip flop. She was fascinated!

Another favorite thing we do is head to Orlando for Downtown Disney. I can't get enough of anything Disney-related. Oh right, and the kids love it too.

Lego Land!

You can "build" Lego Men and buy them. 

Or your kids can just be entertained for a really long  time playing with them. 

Silly faces by the Lego wall

Having all three cousins play together was so much fun. I know they'll be so excited when their new cousin arrives sometime in November!

Cousin kisses (they really adore each other)

Maddox is holding a COIN WRAPPER, despite appearances.

Grandaddy and a flying Lailey

Jumping in the waves

Grandaddy and his little man

On our last night, we played on the beach and I brought sparkler out just for fun. So we got creative and while they're not the best pictures (I didn't have a tripod) they're kind of trippy and neat.

After several attempts, we got it!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

Mickey Mouse

Awwww

Well, another vacation memory!