Chapter 1: The ties that bind

Anytime my family can think of a good reason, we’ll pull out our calendars and start planning our next meeting. Since we couldn’t make it to Kansas for my nephew, Cade’s birth, the next big event was Easter. So while spring was blooming in Austin, Eloise and I flew north.

Now I know that I should say the best part of this holiday was simply thinking about Christ’s sacrifice. But honestly, the most memorable part of the weekend was a shallow, superficial, and timeless tradition: The Easter Egg Hunt. There’s nothing like sweet, snotty-nosed children fighting to see who can steal the most eggs, for the most candy, in the least amount of time. I tried modeling the mission for Eloise while Papa gave a motivational speech (involving a lot of whoop’s and yippee’s!), but she was content sitting in the grass, dumping the basket, and filling it again. And, repeat.

A month later, my brother and his wife gave us another excuse to get together. We drove to Oklahoma City for SNU’s graduation and celebrated Mother’s Day while we were there. It was such a strange reminder of how quickly time passes. Chris went through this same rite-of-passage nearly a decade ago. So much has changed around us, yet our insides have stayed the same. I wonder if we’ll feel this way in fifty years, and if we’ll always see each other as we were and not as we are.

Chapter 2: Moving On

It’s hard to see a dream die, but there’s something peaceful about knowing it was a good dream… and then waking up. When we started the Keva Juice in August of ‘07, we thought we had finally made it. Chris was his own boss, owning his own business. And while we watched the company grow, and I watched Chris grow-up, the numbers just didn’t. We prayed for a buyer, but none of them bit. So, one Friday in June, we decided to close our doors.

Our prayers weren’t ignored though! A friend called some friends, who knew a company that wanted some equipment. And that same Friday afternoon, they made us an offer to buy everything. Three hours and lots-of-movers later, the store was empty and our hearts were full. We put a R.I.P sign on the door and drove home.

Chapter 3: A big, big world

With school out and the store closed, we spent the entire summer together. Lots of time + little money = a long road trip. And by long, I mean driving 2500 miles in four days with two suitcases, one cooler, and a very active toddler. Ever since we met, Chris has told me fairytales about Seattle. He would buzz about the deep-blue sky, the perfect cup of coffee, and bracing yourself on the ferry’s front deck. So when he brought up the idea, I wasn’t surprised. When he said let’s go now, I was. It didn’t seem responsible or rationale or adult-like. But the excitement was contagious, so we told a few friends, even fewer members of our family, and left town two days later.

The Northwest was as magical as I imagined. But I don’t think it was the surroundings, although stunning, or the food, though amazing. It was stepping out of our lives and looking in. We were on this crazy adventure, and we were together. And while it might not have been “reality”, it was a much needed break. I love my family even more after spending those two-and-a-half weeks confined together – even if it was spent listening to the “Yellow Bus” song over and over and over…

Chapter 4: New Beginnings

I once read that the reason babies are so precious is because their sweetness makes you forget about the sacrifice. It must be true, because I’ve never seen anyone so gladly give up sleep and put up with screaming than a new mom. But visiting my new nephew, Miles, this fall, made me just a tiny bit nervous. Having just one child was an adjustment… but how would we handle one baby AND a toddler?

We hadn’t officially decided to get pregnant this summer, but we were ecstatic nonetheless. As a teacher, spring babies are the best because you can squeeze maternity leave together with summer vacation. So with a due date of April 23rd, I’ll be able to skip the 8th graders-going-on-seniors drama and enjoy some time off.

Now if we can just teach Eloise to be completely potty-trained, articulate, and self-sufficient, then having another baby should be a breeze! At least, that’s our plan.