"J" #4 Bueller to the rescue

The last time I wrote this out was 1-2-2017. Time for a perspective check. Just what I needed tonight. 

Have done this in the past...haven't done it in a while. Helps me embrace the Ferris Bueller of "life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while you might miss it"...in other words choose JOY.  All my words point me to the same practices...

AIDAN

Believing|  That sharing your faith is real and honest and more of who you are. I see your posts on Instagram and your boldness is growing. I love seeing this in you.

Learning | How to drive. How to handle a job, school, volunteering at church. How to handle when you don't do the dishes. How to say you screwed up. How to apologize and how to make plans and get get life at home done. Oh my boy we are always learning, enjoy the journey.

Eating | So different than I would want you to, but you are you. And I know as your mom I have to let you figure this out. Even if you skip breakfast and buy Mike and Ike's at King Soopers way too much. I just can't wait until the day you call and ask for the the recipe for Black Bean soup. That will be the day.

Working |  Officially at Brick and Mini-Figures. But also at school, friendships, school, on Lego Creations, and sports. All of these things take time and you are finding how to balance all of this and how your job helps afford you to do the other things you want to do, like going to the Nuggets game downtown and yes buying Mike and Ike's

Investing | In your faith and community. You have found that you have a lot of strength in bringing people together...movie nights, mashed potato nights, Nuggets games, and hanging at the park. You love to have ideas and have those ideas come to life. Front Range is helping you grow in this even more,

MICAH

Playing |   Fort Nite. Which is just crazy to me because you have never been a video game guy, but it's not about the game as much as it is about connecting with your friends and so that is what makes it so you. And along the way you are getting pretty good at it. And you are playing the Cajon at church and also...crazy but perfect for you. Love it.

Working |  Officially at school. So stinking hard. You were so mad last week when you had a B+ in Science and weren't going to make all A honor role. And so you worked and you did. You have flourished at school and even though you watch way too much Friends while you do your homework you are figuring out how to thrive and learn.

Reminding | Us to to have peace and let the stupid stuff go. Love this about you. Need this in you.

Watching  |  Friends. Way too much and after you have already finished the series once. Goofball.

 Investing | In your faith and church and the community you have found there. You belong and you continue to connect and grow with your friends there in a deeper way than anywhere else in your life. You give them your heart and it shows.

JEREMY

Believing | That your concussion and health will recover. And going to therapy and doing exercises and trusting that all of this is giving you a new joy and hope for health that you haven't had in a long time.

Giving | Your time. This is a big one right now because you are teaching six classes...way too much overload and so you are giving your time at work so you can repay for the camper struggles of the summer. You always find a way to invest in something when you think you have made a wrong and want to make it right.

Listening | To the Enneagram podcasts with me and helping us understand each other more. This is such a great way that you show me love. And to my Marco Polo's...this listening is when I really know you love me.

Investing |  In your health. In your faith. In trying guitar again. In being a dad. In being a husband. You are such a giver and so you are finding how to be true to your giving self and yet take care of your own health. So important, so what I want to support you in. You are giving your all at VASA. and are rocking it.

Learning | How to be healthier and healthier. You always pursue health and I am so proud of you for that. Right now it is making a healthier shake in the morning and not eating so many empty calories...especially carbs.

Sharing | Your heart more. Your understanding of what it means to be "a 2" on the Ennegram. And how I can care for you more.

RACH

Learning | How to handle more capacity and yet how to let stuff go at the same time. Taking on the Instructional Coach job has stretched me in ways that I didn't imagine, like being gone so, so, much and finding how to have my classroom still thrive without me and not just survive.

Sharing |  My heart more. With others through Marco Polo and in conversations. Being real. Remembering that nobody connects with someone through all their awesomeness, instead through real and honest and learning from our mistakes. And when I do I find I am loved for who I am.

Investing | In too much. Truth is this is a hard one to write. I think I need to invest well in less than a lot in so much. Time to step back and look at what I am missing out on by investing in the urgent. BUT I am investing in my health in a more sustainable and daily way than ever.

Listening | To the Bible. Making this more important than music or podcasts or any other input in my life. Straight up...Proverbs and Ecclesiastes is where I am and it is the gut check I need.

Going | To team training classes with Jeremy at VASA and letting go of Masters swimming for this season in my life. Not getting up early and still trusting that I will get a workout in. It's a huge shift but dang it's a good one.

US

Choosing |  To not drink wine. Such a change from the habits we have created and having this be the way we wind down at night. So instead it's tea and wine on date night once a week. And this discipline is just the change we needed at this point in our life.

Hoping | Always hoping. I don't even want to lose this. Ever.

Connecting |  Through working out together, grocery shopping, watching Fraiser, and all the things. We have found a new place to be together and it has been so so good. Even if it came from the hard of a concussion and having things taken away.