August 26, 2024 by Stephanie

George Turns TEN

How has it been a decade already?

In honor of his birthday, here are 10 of our favorite memories over the last decade.

We had our annual Storm the Gate event this week at my work, and I cannot go to the event without thinking of the year that George peed on the lawn. He was newly potty-trained, just turned three, and here we are on a college campus celebrating a new class. He was used to peeing in our yard, so just as several hundred college freshman and many staff and faculty gathered on the front lawn of campus, here is George pulling his pants down around his ankle to pee on one of the biggest trees on campus.

This past summer George had a charity lemonade stand at school. He saw that his table was not getting as much traffic as others, so he decided to add a something special. He offered a unique George dance for a $1, and each time he did it, it got more elaborate and special. I love his creative brain and willingness to put himself out there.

When he was about 4 years old, we went to the zoo and off course there is a train. This was in the height of his obsession with all things that go. We basically went to the zoo for him to call the train and follow it every where. He was so excited. And there is a moment that will live in my brain where the excitement was bursting from him as he happened to “Choo Choo” call and then it drove by like it heard him. He was so ecstatic that his little body shook as it went by.

There are so many memories around Legos, so we are wrapping it all into one. Tom built him a special Lego table, and we have spent so many hours creating and building together. From our Lego Master competitions during COVID to building all kinds of different scenes. Our favorite though is when our family all chipped in for his 5th birthday to get all the sets to the Volcano Rescue theme. It was so fun to see his reaction and then spending all the time building the complete scene. Some of those sets we still use now.

None of the kids have taken conventional swimming lessons past 2 years, so we have taught them by a lot of determination and exposure. The summer that George was 7, he was determined to swim under water. We tried different things all summer, but a few weeks before the summer ended, he just made it happen! I loved how proud he was off himself. He jumped out of the water in disbelief that he actually did it. And now we can’t keep him above water when we go swimming.

When George was in pre-school, he was really into Little Blue Truck. After reading the Christmas book, he was convinced that there as a Christmas Tree Truck guy that delivered our tree. We counted down until we put up the tree with a paper chain. And then we put it up over his nap. He came down in disbelief that it was delivered, and he thought it was the coolest thing ever .It was such a magical year where he believed this so fully. It honestly may have been the start of his obsession with Christmas, which led to his 6th birthday being a Christmas themed party (in August).

Before Daphne and Wally came along, I got a lot of solo nights with George. Tom was on shift work, so he was only home at night a third of the time. So we had a lot of just me and George nights his first couple years. It was so special to spend that time together, and I remember so many random things from our solo time then. While there are a lot of things he may not get as a first born kiddo, but he is the only one who got that.

When George was 6 and Daphne was 3, there was a black snake on the driveway. Daphne walked over to the snake because she was curious. He jumped between Daphne and the snake. Then he picked her up and ran away with her. He was a beast taking care of his sister. So no matter how much they can bicker and fight, I know that he will protect her when he needs to.

George meeting his siblings when they were born is such a special thing to witness. He was so sweet as a three year old with Daphne. He would rub her head and say sweet things to her to calm her down. When George met Wally when he was 6 years old, he cried because he was so emotional about having another sibling. He sat and just held him for so long, and always wanted to love on him. To watch them together and see their bond grow is so significant.

And for our most favorite George memory, is one before he was even born. He has been surprising us since the day we found out about him. You can read the full story here. It is funny to look at those pregnancy announcement photos that say September. Again, he has kept us on our toes since day 1.

My favorite thing to do with him is when we go for walks, and we just get to talk and explore. Tom’s favorite thing to do with him is drive around in the car and get to talk and listen to music. So in generally we love conversations with this kiddo, which are ever abundant. He always wants to talk through things and ask questions about things around him. Being able to give him space to talk has been so special to build as his parents.

It is weird to say I have been a mom for a decade. George has taught me so much about love, forgiveness, being fearless, and enjoying the moments for what they are. He is the first to take a piece of my heart with him, and I just love watching him grow. He is so kind and funny. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He wants to know everything about everything, and he lives out being curious and not judgmental. He is a ray of sunshine who is as pure as he can be. He is really special, and it is a joy to be part of his world.

Happy birthday kiddo!

May 9, 2022 by Stephanie

37

As I sit here at the end of my birthday today, I can only smile at the life that I have been given.

There are certain moments of the year where I get reflective and take a moment to be thankful of what I have been given and my current place in life. Things have never been completely easy, and this last year was certainly not a walk in the park. However, my birthday has always been one of those times each year where I can pause and soak in my blessings, see how I have grown, and be thankful for those surrounding me.

This past year was a true testament of how investing in my own growth matters. It was the first year that I can honestly remember ever that my anxiety was not crippling. There were many trials this year that would have sent a younger me in a spiral. Now, has the constant overthinking stopped? Not at all. However, I have become more confident in who I am and learned strategies to knock away the self doubt.

I don’t have to be perfect. In fact, I am far from it. This year I am finally coming to terms with this. God uses broken leaders. There has been peace in finally accepting that I don’t have to be perfect all the time, and being broken doesn’t mean that I can’t still move forward. It only took me three decades to get here, but we all run our own race. (Hebrews 12:1 is one of my favorite verses.)

I talked about the start of my counseling journey last year after giving birth to Wally, and honestly that was a game changer for me. I have learned so much about how to truly accept myself and starting to understand I am not responsible for other people’s opinions. This is still a hard journey, but at 37 I am finally letting some of the things go instead of replaying old conversations that happened yesterday or even 20 years ago. It’s nice to look back at the post, and realize that the work that I have been putting in has been paying off.

I may not be the strongest, but I am stronger.

I may not be the wisest, but I am wiser.

I may not be the healthiest, but I am healthier.

I may not be the best, but I am happy with who I am.

There is not a quick fix in this life, and I am by no means perfect, but I am finally enjoying the journey. Intention has been my focus. I have learned this last year to control my thoughts more deliberately or to reconstruct them when my anxiety does settle in. I have learned to engage in projects with my whole self and know that I am there for a reason even if I don’t understand the why. I have learned how to be better than I was the day before, and even if I wasn’t there is humility and peace in trying again in the next moment. I have learned how to believe in myself.

In the end, I have my family and a purpose in life greater than I could have ever imagined. If my kids were to look back on this moment, I want them to be proud of who I am, and I finally feel at ease with that thought.

So here is to another year around the sun as broken as ever, but more free than ever before.

May 18, 2020 by Stephanie

Daphne Turns Three!

Today my baby girl is three. It’s hard to believe that this sweet girl is now such a big girl. She is less and less like a toddler every day. To honor her today, I wanted to share three words that I feel perfectly describes this gal.

Independent

She has always done things in her own time frame including her own birth. She came out early and hasn’t stopped doing things at her own pace since. She is constantly telling us that she can do things on her own. She rarely asks for help, and she is the most determined person I know. She is constantly learning and pushing herself to be a big girl. I think the perfect example is watching this girl push herself on the tree swing. She is most content when she does things for herself. She is ambitious and curious, and I love seeing her come into her own power. But again, she will let you know when she is ready. And I love her confidence about that, and I pray that she always feels free and knows her worth.

Headstrong

Along with her independence, this girl’s will is nothing to mess with. She is as stubborn as a mule. This comes with positives because of that determination but can be also extremely frustrating when she tries to out wait you on something. Her tantrums can last for hours, but that stamina also plays really well for her when she is learning something new. When she puts her mind to something she will find a way to do it. She is uncompromising when it comes to what she wants. She also knows how to fight for what she wants. This girl can hold her own with George and often leaves him in her dust. Daph is not going to buy into something that she doesn’t find meaning in, and she stands by her opinions. She has such conviction when she decides to do something or stand for something, and this makes me excited to see how she is going to change the world.

Purposeful

These words all seem to over lap, but I feel that with her feelings she is very intentional with what she shares. She can be guarded and shy, but when she lets you into her inner circle she is never letting you go. She loves big, and to feel her love is nothing short of amazing. There is no one she loves more than her stuffies. She has names for them all, and often does roll call to make sure she knows where they all are. She is always mothering them and carrying at least one stuffie around at all times. She rarely cuddles with anyone, but lately she has been sneaking in our bed in the middle of the night to be close to her mommy and daddy. She says the sweetest things and has the most perfect timing and delivery. She has purpose with everything she does, and you can see those wheels turning as she is processing things around her. It is amazing to see how smart and careful she is with her feelings.

Daphie Girl, you inspire me every day. I am honored to be your mommy, and you are always amazing me with who you are becoming. You are going to do incredible things my dearest.

I asked George what he loved about his sister, and he said that she eats a lot and is funny.

December 15, 2019 by Stephanie

Lego Birthday Party

It only seemed natural to have a Lego birthday party for our boy this year. He is obsessed with all things Lego and building is his favorite past time.

It was one of he easiest parties we have put together mostly due to the fact that Legos are so popular. It was simple to find all the things I needed, and usually at a great price because I could actually shop around.

We brought all of George’s Legos and used them for all kinds of decorations. We put a handful at each table so kids (or adults) could DIY the table centerpieces.

I got the tablecloth and balloons from Amazon. My sister-in-law made the sign. It’s handy to have artsy people in the family!

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These cute little crayons were our party favors. The boxes I got a the Dollar Store, and then the crayons I got on Etsy and Amazon.

I got the cake and cupcakes from Hy-Vee. And then these little sweet-tart Lego candies from Amazon. We still have tons of these candies!

George picked out the candles himself at the Dollar Store.

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Whatever Legos weren’t being used for the centerpieces, we just had them out for everyone to create. I used extra tablecloths on the walls for more decoration in the Lego creation areas. We had everything from Mega Blocks, Duplos, and little Legos. The kids seemed to really love it, and I loved watching George with his friends and family making things.

Not to toot my own horn, but the pinata was the best idea I had for this party. Amazon had a Lego one, so it was perfect. The pinata itself came with little toys and then we just bought big candy bags to stuff the pinata. The pinata also came with a stick and a blindfold.

One of the “birthday packs” on Amazon that came with the balloons and tablecloth also came with these party bags which were perfect for picking up the guts of the pinata. This was so fun, and great for all ages! Watch the video at the end for snippets of it!

Daphne’s shirt actually came from my in-laws when George was her age. So it was the perfect hand-me down for the event!

George’s shirt was perfect for the event with its Lego stitching. I am sad that he has already outgrown it! I got it on Etsy.

This was also the first time we opened gifts in front of people, and George’s reactions delivered!

This kid’s spirit only grows as each year passes. It was so fun to watch him with all the things and people he loves at his party.

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Here is a fun video recapping the day.

And to keep the videos going, here is a recap of his fifth year!

November 4, 2018 by Stephanie

Space Birthday Party

It’s my M.O. to get behind documenting birthdays, so here we are 2 months after the fact for George’s 4th birthday.

Better late than never.

Tom is obsessed with space so when George was little, I started collecting all the space books I could for the two of them to read together. And George has also grown to love all things space, so it was only fitting to have this as one of his themes.

It was out of this world!

My mom drew this sign. She is so talented!

I got these treat boxes on Etsy, here. I just filled them with candy (Milky Ways, Starbursts and a star whistle). While they are cute, they take forever to cut out. If my mom had not been so patient with them, Tom and I would have given up after 2 rockets. They are a beast to put together.

My sister-in-law put together these centerpieces. Aren’t they cute with George cutouts on the planets?

My sister-in-law also owns blow up planets for her classroom, so they came in handy for our decorations.

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I did pretty basic on the food. I got these cookies from Hy-Vee. However, I don’t think I will do that again because they were pretty pricey. Their cakes are where they are at anyway.

As per usual, we had it in the church gym. It is so easy to do here. We had a couple activities in the gym. Daphne was just having a blast running around living her best life.

One activity was this cardboard rocket that the kids could color. I had gotten it for my niece years ago off Zulily. She gifted it down to George, so it was perfect to bring out. Unfortunately, it did not make it past the party.

I got these balloons from Wish for like a dollar, so it was a steal! I am kicking myself for not buying more than one packet because George still asks for these.

My mom made this meteor toss game. Seriously, she made it out of our trash and a little spray paint.

We decided to go all out on this party, and we got a bounce house. It was totally worth every penny. Although for the size of the thing, I really paid nothing!