These Dreams & Thrift Shop

1. These Dreams - Heart. It's Heart!  Honestly, this isn't my favorite Heart song. That would be Barracuda but "B" was full so here they are with my 2nd favorite. Who doesn't love a good 80's power ballad by a girl group?  Well, look no further. Here is a great one from Heart. This song marked a comeback from the group after dwindling popularity after the late 70's. It's been covered and used in numerous TV shows and movies so I'm sure you've heard it, a snippet, or a version thereof. Somewhere along the way. But the original is the best, as it usually always is. 

2. Thrift Shop - Macklemore. Ok. So you have to know this song. I mean, how could you have escaped it?  Did you know what "pippin' tags" meant before this?  I doubt many people did. It's catchy. It's mainstream hip-hop. And yes, I have no shame in stating that I can recite/sing/dare I say rap every word. The boys love this one too and it's always one to please when it comes on. Causing us all to stop and jam for a couple of minutes.  Maybe even on the way to Goodwill to score some great second-hand deals?

All is well, T down, in Drosche Land. 

Habits & Here I Go Again

1. Habits - Tove Lo.  So this one is fairly new. One, I love her name. Two, this song is awesome.  It is one that I can play on repeat countless times. It's got. A great beat, hook, chorus, everything.  Then it's also a bittersweet song. About loss and what it does to you. But not to get too deep and analytical about it, I just love it. This is also one of those songs that I heard and immediately thought it was going to be big. Then bam, it's everywhere. So yeah, it's like I discovered it. Sort of. Right?  Maybe I just got in on the ground floor. Either way, Tove Lo is everywhere and has released subsequent awesome songs. And it all started with this one. 

2. Here I Go Again - Whitesnake. Some songs just want to make you rock out and dance on top of a sports car. Well, at least if you're Tawny Kitaen. I mean, how can you not love this song. A classics 80's hair band ballad. It has everything. A great chorus, head banging potential, a great video.  As a child of the 80's I had to include this one to honor all of its awesomeness. Again, one I can (and am currently) listen to on repeat endless times. Throw in the fact that the boys will rock out with me and it's golden!  I also can't say the words, "Here I go" without finishing out the line from the song. Timeless. 

All is well, H down, in Drosche Land. 

Game Over

Soccer is done!

Sorry, did you not catch the excitement in that last sentence? It's done!  Yes, the soccer season for both boys is over!  Now, don't get me wrong. It was great. We enjoyed it. The boys had a blast. But it is nice to have Tuesday nights and our weekends back. Maybe we can slow down a bit. Maybe. 

Jackson did a great job and really grew as a player. His favorite positions was Goalie and in his last game yesterday he did a great job. This is a good position for him because it meets all of his needs. He gets to sit and watch the game, analyzing it all and following along. But at the same time, he does get the action and can throw himself, literally and figuratively, into the game when needed. He hadn't played soccer in a few years but quickly got right back into it. It also helped that we played in a league through his school, so nearly all of the boys in his class were on the team. They all get along so wel and practice at recess every day. This was good for him and helped him to build and strengthen his friendships since he is new at SML this year. I really hope that all of the boys want to play again next fall in 2nd Grade.  All of us parents want to keep the team together and I think it's a great idea. 

There weren't enough classmates in Braeden's grade that were interested in playing through the school league so we had to venture out into our area to find a place. We found one. It came highly recommended. They have leagues all around the city and had just recently expanded this season into our area. While Braeden had fun, especially since he got to be on the same team as his cousin Austin, we were not really impressed with the league. It was pretty disorganized and communication was lacking to say the least. We just don't roll that way here in Drosche Land. Braeden enjoys soccer, and every other sport for that matter, and it pretty good. But this season he didn't grow as much as we'd like and overall we were disappointed. Luckily though he had fun so that was good. Next time we will seek a different league where things run a bit better. 

It was a good season though. The boys enjoyed themselves and Amy and I firmly believe that soccer is the sport for them. So we are taking the winter season off and will play soccer again in the spring hopefully. We'd rather do that than put them in a variety of sports every few months. They both have some good skills in soccer that we'd like to hone. It caters to Braeden's natural athletic ability and is a great outlet for Jackson's extra energy, thanks ADHD. Plus it is fast-paced so he doesn't get bored or confused. 

So we've reclaimed some time and hopefully can slow down just enough for the holiday season to speed life up a bit. Plus, these past few games were super cold as we are getting hit early with some fall/winter weather. I love the cold weather but not every Drosche is as much of a fan as I am!  Oh well. 

All is well, off season, here in Drosche Land. 

Kickin' It

It's been a while since the boys played sports. We took last year off since there were so many changes with new jobs and new schools. That was ok. We needed the extra time to adapt to the changes and get into new routines. 

However, as the new school year approached, both Braeden and Jackson every so subtly reminded us that they wanted to play sports. Again. As luck would have it St. Mark offers soccer through a neighborhood league for the kids who are not old enough for the school's team. This seemed very convenient and right up our alley so we signed them up. Sadly, Braeden's team didn't have enough 3rd Graders interested to make a team. Bummer. So we put that on hold for a bit. Jackson though joined the majority of the boys in his class on the 1st/2nd Grade team. This is great because they practice once weekly at St. Mark and have games on Saturdays, often at St. Mark. It's also less competitive than a separate league which is good for Jackson as he just wants to play. Win!

As it turns out we were able to get Braeden joined on a league near our house. His cousin, who is in 4th Grade, is also playing and we just found out they are on the same team. Another win!  They practice once weekly, the same night as Jackson. Even though it's way out by our house, the fact that it's on the same night makes it a win. Their games are on Sunday so our weekends have been taken up by soccer for the next few months but it's all good. Braeden's team is also more competitive, good for him as he is more serious about sports than Jack. 

So, everything ended out working for the best. Both boys get to play and Amy and I get the benefit of convenient scheduling. That's definitely something to rejoice about since it will likely not always be the case. But they are excited and so are we. This weekend marks our first games so stay tuned for details and pictures about that. I'm exciting about taking my camera out and using it more often. It's spent quite a while away since things have been so busy lately.  Another win. All in all I think we are ready for a fun and successful fall sports season here. 

All is well, having a (soccer) ball again, in Drosche Land. 

One Last Shot

Not as in chance.  Literally.  A shot.  Like the kind you get at the doctor.

See today we took all of the kids to the doctor.  Yes, all 3.  If you've never taken 3 children to the doctor, then you're missing out.  Trust me, it's a trip.  But seriously it wasn't all that bad actually; they did quite well.  See, Braeden and Stella were up for their yearly check-up and the boys needed their TB skin test for the adoption.  

Now, given past incidents Amy and I were pretty hesitant and worried about how this was going to play out.  3 kids, all getting shots.  Ugh.  The thought of the impending crying and screaming was definitely a fear.  However, all ended up quite well.  The boys were super brave for their TB skin tests and Stella only cried for a little with her shot.  All in all the trip was a success and we were able to happily cross one more thing off of our adoption to-do list!

So now we continue to wait.  Wait.  We were given a 2-week window from Home Study approval to when we would hear from Matching.  We went past that marker last Friday and we are doing our best to be patient.  Luckily we have the upcoming Disney trip just a few days away to occupy us in the meantime.  Once we return though I hope we are able to maintain our patience.

So, there's the latest adoption update.  Nothing huge or landmark but a victory nonetheless.  So for now we will take that.  And wait of course.

All is well, on the road to Matching, in Drosche Land.     

To Swim, Or Not To Swim

Not really much of a question anymore here in Drosche Land. 

You'll remember from my last post that Braeden chose to cut short his swimming career on Monday.  You'll also remember that we chose to let Jackson remain on the team since he was enjoying it and working hard. Well, then Tuesday came. 

I should back up a tad and give you some information you'll need to know. About a week and a half ago we received a check from the swim team. It has Jackson's name on it. Hmmmmm. That's odd. We wondered what it was for so I emailed them. We didn't hear back. Error. Glitch. Some misunderstanding.  Well, Tuesday Amanda (Amy's sister) texts me. She got an email about a similar check she had received for Audrey.  Turns out Audrey was on the original cut list from the beginning of April after Guppy School.  We'd discussed the scenario that Jack and Audrey had been cut but figured not since we hadn't heard anything about it. We then received a similar email about Jackson. Bummer.  Somewhere along the weeks the information never made it to us. Hmmmmm.  Frustrating. Not that he'd been cut, I'm a firm believer that cuts happen and support trying hard but knowing that not everyone is gifted in the same way. Not everyone is going to be the best, or even mediocre, at everything. Something's are just not for some people.  It's the communication breakdown that's frustrating. But, we moved past that. After all, there's nothing to be done about it now. 

So we broke the news to Jack. He was sad at first, afraid he'd let us down. We reassured him that he did is best and we were proud of him. He just wasn't quite ready this year.  That helped and he is over it now and has moved on, not really giving it another thought. 

Thus ends our brief foray into swim team. We came. We saw. We swam. We have 2 team swimsuits to show for our trouble. Looks like the boys don't need new ones this summer!  :) In the end all is for the best. We suddenly have a much clearer schedule as we finish up May and the school year. Our Saturdays will not consist of 4:30 am wakings to be at a meet from 6:30 until 4:00.  All in all I think we will survive. Maybe it's just His way of telling us to slow down. Clear our minds and schedules. Maybe to focus on the adoption?  Maybe?  Maybe?  Or maybe just to take a break and take a breath. Either way we are all fine with these happenings. Oh, and did I mention I dont have to wake up at 4:30 tomorrow morning!  Whew!

All is well, out of the pool, in Drosche Land. 

Catching Up

Hey. 

Well, April is behind us now and all of the A-Z posts are behind us. It was a fun month and I am excited to have made it through my 3rd A-Z Challenge. But enough about that, I'll save the reminiscing for the upcoming reflections post.  This post is about what else happened in April. It was a busy month here and I wanted to be sure to share everything.  Hopefully it won't end up being super long, but I'm wordy and make no promises. Here goes.

Swim Team. Well we jumped in feet first with Guppy School in early April. It was hard at first for the boys. They both can swim, but it had been since September so they were a little hesitant. But we kept on, after all we'd made a commitment and we were determined to see it through. Daily practices are rough but we did our best. Sadly though Braeden ended up missing about a week's worth due to his involvement with the school play. Upon returning to practice this week he didn't seem to be in it at all. We'd had conversations with both boys throughout the month about trying hard and doing their best. Jackson seemed to be showing some improvement and worked hard. Braeden though was a different story. For some reason he just didn't want to try. We were surprised as he has always been the athletic one and has never had a problem trying sports. Swimming though must not be his forte. Despite our stance on quitting, we allowed him to withdraw from the team this week. The daily struggle and drama were just not worth it. For him. For us. For his coaches. He paid us back for the cost of his swimsuit and we have chalked it up to a life lesson, hopefully one he will learn from. Jackson on the other hand is still on the team, he wanted to stay so we are encouraging him to keep at it and try hard. Time Trials are this Saturday and thus begins our loss of Saturdays with swim meets taking them over. 

Speaking of the play, Braeden had a blast. Quite uncharacteristically he took this seriously and gave it his all. I heard great things about him from the teachers in charge of huge play. How he was paying attention, knew his cues, worked hard. It all paid off too last week as we proudly watched our little squire take the stage.  He's already wondering about trying out for the play next year, we've shelved that decision for revisiting. So April had a win-lose aspect for Braeden. 

Adoption. We completed our second Home Study visit and had anticipated our report and file to go before the committee about a week ago or so. However, we were once again reminded that not everything is on our timeline, but His. Due to illness and issues in the life of our caseworker, our file will not be presented until next Tuesday, and I will update once we know more. So we have been dealing with that. Sure it's frustrating, we've been in this process since September and are eager to get a placement and be finished. However, May is so crazy busy since we are teachers that it is also somewhat of a blessing because we know we will be through May before anything else happens. So we wait. Ugh, there's that word once again. Wait. But hopefully we can continue to be patient about it. 

What else happened?  Easter came and went. Stella was made for hunting eggs it seems as she went at it seriously. A toddler on a mission. I still haven't gone through all of our photos so hopefully there's a belated Easter photo post soon!  I served on an Accreditation team for another Lutheran school last week. Planning for and being out of the classroom for 3 days was crazy, but the experience was awesome and I had a blast. It is so amazing to get into other classrooms just to watch, observe, and talk to other teachers. Often this is far more valuable than any conference.  I hope to have these opportunities more in the future.  Oh, at St. Mark next year we are adding a second Kindergarten class and a former coworker, and great friend, of mine will be the teacher!  That was super exciting as she is Stella's godparent and it will be great to be on a faculty with her again after a year apart. We are already planning, along with the other Kindergarten teacher, fun things for next year. So there's some good news from April. 

I think that brings us up to date then. So, it may not sound like a lot but factor all of that into daily life, along with other stuff I'm sure I forgot to mention, and April flew by. As of now there are only 16 days left of school, gasp, and I don't know if I am ready to say goodbye to my students. Although, I never truly am anyway. These next 2 1/2 weeks will be a flurry of assessments, projects, cleaning, and fun. Just the way May is intended to be.  So, now that the catching up is taken care of, we can proceed with regular, current, posts about the adventures here. How was your April?  Busy?  Was it a blur or did you have time to slow down and enjoy it?  Regardless, I hope it went well!

All is well, caught up, in Drosche Land. 

Just Keep Swimming

No. This movie isn't about Finding Dory, the upcoming sequel to Finding Nemo. Although, since I'm on that topic now, I'm quite excited to see it. The first movie was awesome and I love the character of Dory. Ellen is hilarious. Plus Stella is just getting to the age where she is into Disney movies. Right now the favorite it Frozen, and boy is it her favorite. So I know she will love this one too but I digress. 

Nope, I'm talking about actual swimming here.  Last year, you may remember, we took some time off from the boys playing sports since Stella was so young. It was just too much to lug a baby and all of her paraphernalia around to practices and games. Far too much schlepping in the heat for us. But it's a year later and things have finally, somewhat, settled into a smooth groove. So we decided to re-enter the world of competitive sports again. 

Their cousins joined a swim team last spring/summer and the boys wanted to then. Amy and I kind of took it in but didn't think too much about it since we'd decided against sports already. However, time flies and enrollment time was soon upon us a few weeks ago. Thus the discussions and decisions began. We were clear with them that a swim team is quite different than soccer or t-ball. The sport is different, the schedule very different, and swim team parents are a whole different breed all their own (more on this later if you have no clue what I'm talking about).  We also were very clear with them that once they sign up and commit, there would be no backing out. Not if it was too hard or something else came along. They agreed and we began. 

The first task came right before Spring Break when we had to have them fitted for their swimsuits. Wow. I mean you watch it in the Olympics but those suits are teeny. I mean teeny.  Since the boys are already on the small/slim side their suits basically look like Lycra socks. But they loved them and it only pumped them up more when they tried them on and ordered them. I myself am so glad I will not be donning swimwear that is anything close to what they'll be wearing. You're welcome. 

We still have goggles and swim caps to get but practice doesn't begin for 2 weeks. In that time we will be preparing for the many practices and meets that will be overtaking our lives for the next 2 1/2 months. But, in the end it will be great excercsie and they will become such great swimmers just by the constant exposure to the sport. So it's a win-win. I'll try to remember that when I'm waking up at 5:00 am every Saturday to head to a meet. That thought, and tons of coffee, might help the day go by more smoothly. We'll see.  But ultimately everyone is excited so that is a good thing. Plus, having all 5 cousins in huge same sport and on the same team (albeit in different age brackets) will be nice too. Easy to make it to everything and see everyone.  Another win-win. 

All is well, testing the waters, in Drosche Land. 

Not What I Expected

So, last week was my birthday.  I turned 30+3.  Nope, still not ready to type the number. Oh well.  

It was a good birthday.  Nice and easy.  But it made me think a lot.  I mean, here I am in my (thankfully still) early 30s.  I guess I am now fully an adult.  No denying that.  Marriage.  Career.  3 kids.  2 dogs.  House in the suburbs.  Doesn't get much more adult than that does it?

But it got me thinking about how much life has changed in just the past few years, much less the last 10.  Is this what I expected 30+3 to be like?  I don't know.  Did I ever really think about being 30+3?  Probably not.  But I can guarantee you it was nothing like this.

Now, don't get all shocked and judgmental.  This post isn't necessarily heading in the direction you may think it is.  It won't be what you're expecting (ha, pun on the post's title).

No, this isn't what I expected my life to be like.  I never thought I'd be a teacher.  But here I am in my 10th year teaching 1st Grade and not a day goes by that I am not thrilled with my job.

I knew I would be married, I mean I am pretty co-dependent so it was a given.  But I could never have expected to have a wife like Amy.  One who supports me in everything I do.  Encourages me to be everything that I am and want to be.  Does the bills.  Cooks amazing foods.  Is an awesome mother.  Nope, I didn't expect any of that.

I wanted kids.  But these 3?  They far exceed anything I could have dreamed about.  Braeden, Jackson, and Stella all daily make me smile.  My heart swells and often I can't imagine loving them any more than I do.  Sure they test my patience (also a daily occurrence) but lying down to sleep at night I thank Him for these 3 blessings that I never could have expected.

Teaching at the same school I attended, and loving every minute of it?  Nope, didn't see that one coming.

To have met and made some of the friendships I have?  Again, I'm codependent, but these people are great.

I could go on, but I think I have made my point.  

Nope, I never expected 30+3 to be this.  To be everything that it is.  To be here where I am.  To have the blessings that I have.  To be as thankful as I am.  Nope, I'm still surprised.  God has given me so much to be thankful for that I am in awe.  Daily.  Sure, getting to 30+3 has been an adventure.  The road as had many twists and turns in it and has often been bumpy.  Hurricanes.  Adoption adventures.  Job changes.  So much more.  But it has led me here and here is good.  It's exciting to continue down this road and to see what comes next.

So, maybe this post is a bit sappy and sentimental, but it was a very contemplative birthday this year.  Guess that's what happens when you turn 30+3.  Didn't see that coming either.

All is well, but that's to be expected, in Drosche Land.

Back At It

So, here I am.

Back.

I believe that last year there is a similarly titled post around this time.  

So, August was supposed to catch us up on July and the summer.  Then August began.  August is to teachers, what April is to accountants.  Needless to say, things have been ridiculously busy here in Drosche Land.  So much change going around, our heads are still spinning.

So I'll try and cram as much into this post as possible to catch us up and bring us current. But it may get long so if you need to pause for a snack or beverage, that's cool.  

So, where were we?  July.  We bought a camper.

We stayed at home for July 4th and, as usual, celebrated with some small time fireworks.  We enjoyed it and no one lost an eye or finger!  Although there was a close call with a rogue firework that didn't go as "aerial" as it should have.  But the kids enjoyed it and I got to blow stuff up.  A win-win.

Jack's favorite are the sparklers!

Braeden's first time with a Roman candle!

  

Then we were getting ready to head to Arkansas for our big family vacation with Amy's family.  We do it every year and Arkansas has become a favorite spot of ours.  Well, a few days prior to leaving, 2 I believe.  We took the van in to get inspected.  It failed.  Crap.  So we took it to our mechanic to figure out what the issue was.  Turns out she was in worse condition than we'd anticipated.  I mean, she was well loved, a true workhorse.  But her time, with us at least, had come to an end.  The needed repairs were expensive and there was no guarantee that she would even last a year.  So, we decided to get a new car.  Shut up!  Yes, we did.  Although we'd enjoyed being car payment free for about a year, we couldn't avoid it any longer.  So we headed to Carmax (where we bought the van) and looked for something to meet our many needs.  We'd researched online and ended up just happening across a Toyota Sequoia.  It had what we needed and wanted.  It was big, with a 3rd row to hold everyone and everything.  It could tow our new camper.  It has a sunroof.  Ok, not a need but still a perk!  Best of all, the price was great and we got a fair deal on the van as a trade in.  So, we bought a new car, just about a week and a half after the camper.  Seriously.  It's never a dull moment here.

The new car in all her ginormous glory!

We are totally in love.

So we headed to Arkansas in our new (to us) car and loved every minute of it.  The vacation was awesome!  Stella did very well considering it was her first ever vacation away from home.  Our family was luckily understanding of the fact that she wakes up early and only teased us a little.  The boys found a new love of riding on a boat and being pulled in the tube.  I found that I can hold my own against Amy's brother and cousins, all around 10 years younger than me, on a rough and wild ride on the aforementioned tube!  Still got it!  It was great to get away and we enjoyed the much-needed vacation.  Possibly the best part of all was when we went fishing and Jack caught his first ever, and second, and third fish!  Amy learned how to unhook them so we will be prepared for our next big catch.  I caught a catfish that was just slightly too small to keep, much to Jackson's and my dismay as we love us some catfish.

I have a habit of taking "Road Trip" pictures.  Amy kindly obliges!

Jack the fisherman!

I love this shot of Amy and I.

Stella enjoyed the lake and didn't fuss too much over her lifejacket!

My girls!

Catch of the day!

Braeden enjoying the boat!

The last bit of July was spent at home, relaxing and bemoaning the fact that summer was all too quickly drawing to a close.  You know the drill.  But, before we all got back into the swing of things, we did make some time for a trip to the beach.  Now, I know people, even my fellow native Houstonians, hate on Galveston.  Yes, the water isn't crystal clear.  Yes, there is seaweed.  I get it.  But I still love me some Galveston.  We had a blast.  The boys have always loved the beach but we weren't so sure about Stella.  Turns out we needn't worry at all.  She is a little beach bum herself. She took right to it and didn't fuss all day.  She enjoyed herself splashing and running around, every now and then stopping to try and eat some sand.  It was the perfect goodbye to summer and left Amy and I wondering why we don't make it to the beach more often.  So we make plans to camp there over Labor Day!  However, with the latest development of Jackson's broken arm, we have had to cancel that since casts and water don't exactly miss.  Another camper trip foiled!  But there are plenty of other times coming up.

My girls at the beach! 

My favorite shot of the day!

My boys playing around!

Stella and I building sand castles!

So, that brings us through the busy month of July and into August.  True, August is nearly over but we're nearly caught up.  I promise.  This post has gotten lengthy, although I hope I've won you over with the many pictures!  :)  I'll do one more catch up post to fill you in on the joys that have been August 2013 here in Drosche Land.  Then we'll be squared away and ready to move forward.  And yes, that post will come before the end of the month.  I have a week!  

All is well, nearly caught up, in Drosche Land.

  

Windy

Can you tell it's been a busy month?  Can you tell it's May?

Yes, I'm still here.  Behind in posting and behind in reading and visiting, but I'm here.

Now that summer is officially here (today was the last day of the school year!) I hope to get back into the swing of things.  

It was about this time last year, give or take a few weeks, that I posted about the winds of change that blew through Drosche Land, reread here.  That was when Amy left Trinity and re-entered the classroom as a teacher at a new school.  Well, the winds of change died down after this but never truly went away.  In fact, they've picked back up.

If you've put two and two together then you've probably figured out what I'm getting at.  Yes, I am also now leaving Trinity and moving to a new school.  It was something that began back in January and was finalized around Spring Break.  But I didn't post about it.  Life was busy.  April came and brought the A-Z Challenge.  Then May came and brought its usual crazy busyness.  But I figured today was a great day to finally get this post out there, since it is the last day of the school year.

Why leave, you might ask.  Well, it's just time.  Time for change.  Time to move on.  I truly feel as though God is moving me around in ministry.  Calling me to go where He needs me.  It is something that was stirring inside of me for a while.  A nudging.  A small, nagging feeling that didn't go away.  So I prayed and I listened and I thought.  Doors were opened and I was led through them.  It wasn't an easy decision to make by any means.  I'm not always eager or receptive to change.  Quite the opposite sometimes.  But this was a change that was clearly in His plan for me.

Where are you going, you might ask.  Well, that is the funny part of the story.  I am heading to the school where I attended 2nd - 8th Grades.  The school where I met Amy.  The church I grew up in.  Small world huh?  Made even smaller by the fact that the principal was actually my 8th Grade teacher.  Crazy huh?  I'll be teaching 1st Grade again, my dream job.

What about the kids, you're probably asking now.  Well, that was a big decision for Amy and I.  Again, not an easy one to make.  We have made the choice to split them up.  Braeden and Stella will attend where I am working.  Jackson will be moving to Amy's school.  We decided this more many reasons.  Logistical.  Emotional.  Financial.  Personal.  We also wanted to give each of the boys a chance to stand on their own, make a name for themselves.  So far we have been blessed with this decision as they are both ecstatic about it and cannot wait to start at their new schools in August.  We truly feel like we've made the right choice.

So change.  It's coming again.  Soon.  Today was quite emotional for me as I said goodbye to my students.  This year was an awesome year and I truly bonded with them.  I'll miss them tremendously but know they will achieve success in whatever they do.  Today I was also reminded that I don't just have coworkers, but friends.  The past 4 years have brought some great memories and great times that I'll cherish as I move on.  Friendships have been made that I pray remain strong.  I feel they will.  

There you have it.  A bittersweet day.  Saying goodbye.  Ending a chapter in life while simultaneously beginning a new one.  Moving on.  Moving forward.  That's what is happening here.  The next couple of months will be a whirlwind as summer officially begins and I mentally, and then physically, prepare for a new year at a new school.  But life is good.  We are blessed for what we've had and what He has in store for us.  Blessed.

All is well, windy and changing, in Drosche Land.  

         

Z = The End

The end?

I know what you're thinking.  "The End" doesn't start with a "Z".  Well dear readers, you have 2 options.  1 - continue reading the post to see what it's about and how they're related.  2 - read the title with a heavy fake French accent to get your zzzz fix.  You choose.

Ok, here goes.  So, the letter "Z" is at the end of the alphabet right?  The theme of this year's A-Z Challenge was baby/Stella/kids right?  Well, that's how it all fits together.  See, just as "Z" is the final letter in our alphabet, Stella is the final child in our family.  I've mentioned this before but it seems like an appropriate time to mention it again seeing as how it fits the theme and ends the theme.

The road to Stella was unexpected and not nearly an easy one.  None of the pregnancies were in fact, but hers was extra dramatic.  Life was crazy during the pregnancy, it was a roller coaster, Amy went on bed rest.  I could go on, but it's nearly a year in the past so it's well over by now and is far behind us.  The blessing that Stella has been to us all has far outweighed the troubles we experienced on the road to have her.  

It was not a decision that Amy and I took lightly when we decided to stop at 3 children.  Sure, we wanted more but it just wasn't the best idea for our family.  God has blessed us with 3 amazing children and Amy and I both feel our family is complete.  This makes it easier as we watch Stella grow and change, hitting and passing milestones.  Sure, sometimes it is bittersweet as we realize that it is the last time we will have a baby doing this or that, but at the same time there is a peacefulness about it.  A sense that everything is as it should be.  As HE would have it be.

So, now you see how "Z" = the end.  Told you it worked.  Although saying it with a French accent works well too!

All is well, 26/26 down and challenge completed, in Drosche Land.        

Y = Yo Gabba Gabba

Yo Gabba Gabba.

You know, the TV show.  On Nick Jr.  With DJ Lance Rock.  And the weird characters.  Well, if you've never seen it, look it up so I don't sound crazy myself for talking about it. It'll give you a frame of reference  for this post.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

Ok, are you back?  Good.  First of all I have to thank Amy for helping me to think of a topic for this post.  "Y" isn't necessarily a difficult letter, I just hadn't thought of one yet. And here I am, barely getting it squeezed in for the "Y" day!  Yikes!  I'd better get on with it.

Anyways, Yo Gabba Gabba.  It's Stella's first favorite show.  Yes, she watches TV.  Don't judge me.  She doesn't watch it all day and it isn't used as a babysitter.  I know there are tons of people out there that think that kids shouldn't watch TV before a certain age and/or shouldn't watch too much.  Clearly I'm not one of them.  Yes, I know about the studies and correlations to behavior and whatnot.  But, at the same time, for every study that proves one thing, there's at least one study that proves the opposite.  So yes, Stella watches TV.  So do the boys.  We love us some TV in Drosche Land.  I watched TV lots when I was a kid and am still addicted now.  I grew up to be perfectly fine.  Most of the time.  :)

Ok, enough soapbox.  Yo Gabba Gabba.  Stella loves it.  She loves the characters.  The music.  The movement.  She actually dances to it sometimes.  I think it's dancing.  It is a mixture of jerky movements and a rocking/bouncing.  Yeah, I think it's dancing.  We're thinking about a Yo Gabba Gabba theme for her 1st birthday, but I'm not sold on it yet.  We will see.  

With a toddler back in the house these kind of kiddie shows are back.  Truthfully though, they have never fully left as the boys still enjoy watching them, although they won't always admit it.  They actually get a kick out of Yo Gabba Gabba too, but if you ask them, they'll deny it and say it's for babies.  But between you and I, we know the truth!

So, Stella watches TV and she loves Yo Gabba Gabba.  Soon enough the television will be taken over by princesses and fairies I'm sure.  But for now we have these quasi-educational "baby" shows with cutesy songs and characters.  But it keeps us all entertained!

All is well, 25/26 down, in Drosche Land.

Farm Livin' Is the Life for Me!

Green Acres?  The classic show from the 60's?  Come on, someone has to have seen it.  I loved that show when I was a kid.  In the 80s that is, when it was in reruns on Nick At Nite.  I'm not that old.  If you have no clue what I'm talking about, look it up somewhere.  I wonder if Netflix has it?  I doubt it.  Hulu?  Hmmmm.  But I digress.

So, we may not be living on a farm per say, but I'm one pair of overalls and a pitchfork away from it.  See, remember the last post about the raised bed?  Well, it's still sitting.  Lying in wait.  Last weekend we had the cousins over since Amanda and her family are getting ready to move.  Packing with 3 kids? not fun.  So Amy and I invited them for a sleepover so they could pack.  Turns out 6 kids in Home Depot is a ton of fun.  You get a lot of stares and quizzical looks.  The funniest thing was the fact that they all could have been our children.  The hilarity of that fact was brief though as I realized how old it made me feel.  Anywho, where was I?  Oh yeah, last weekend.

So we used the 5 older kids as slave labor volunteers to help in our backyard makeover.  Stella enjoyed sitting outside with us all and watching.  The kids helped to sand and paint a picnic bench we have from Granny and it turned out great as you can see below.  I don't remember the name of the color, the kids picked it out, but I'm in love and am referring to it as Smurf Blue.

After that we all planted the seeds we had purchased at Home Depot (I knew that previous tangent started with an actual purpose).  We may, and by may I mean truly did, have over bought seems and  underestimated the amount of space we have.  But we got them all started anyway.  Except for the carrots.  Turns out you can't start them in a separate place, they have to go directly into the ground lest you get crooked roots and thus, crooked carrots.  Who knew?  You learn something new every day!

So, in our dining room, in little starter pots we have a variety of seedlings that have already begun to sprout.  Corn (yes corn, we're stoked about it), flowers, green beans, jalapenos, rosemary, onions, watermelon, tomatoes, and a few others I can't quite remember at the moment.  See what I mean?  We may have too many seedlings and not enough space.  But we'll deal with that when we get to it in a few weeks when it's time to transfer.  We have plans, and bricks, to put in a few more smaller beds.  Until then they'll just hang out in the dining room.  It should make for an interesting Superbowl party this weekend that we're hosting!  But that's a topic for another post.

See, I told you  we're practically farmers here.  Impressed aren't you.  In just a few short months we hope to be enjoying a fruitful bounty (that's farmer talk for crap-load of veggies)!  We're excited and the boys have loved checking on the seeds' progress every day.  It's cute and I think it will be a great learning experience.  Probably not just for them, but Amy and I as well!

So, there you have it.  Farm life.  Right here in Drosche Land.  Next step?  A goat.  I've always wanted one.  Maybe not such a great idea with our crops though.  Darn!  Chickens?  Eh, 2 dogs and 3 kids is probably enough!

All is well, planting and sowing, in Drosche Land.

Beginning the work on the bench

A group effort

The finished product!

I used some of the blue paint to paint our stone path

They're beginning to sprout!

Done!

Done!

With what, you ask? Soccer! Today was the Boyd's last game of the fall season! Now, don't get me wrong, I love it and it was fun. The boys had a blast and I'm glad we did it. But man am I happy it's over with! Our Saturdays are once again our own, to do with as we please. It's a good thing too because, as I'm sure it is with you dear readers, preparations for the holidays are in full swing here in Drosche Land!

It was a good season. Braeden's second and Jackson's first. It could have been a bit more organized, especially Jackson's team, but overall it was a good experience. Braeden really has improved and, as is the case with any sport, possesses a true love of the game. Jackson ran around, a lot. I'm not sure how many skills he picked up along the way, but he has a general understanding of the sport and what it means to be a part of a team. So I guess that's something.

I didn't get as many pictures this season. Very few in fact after the first game. Having Stella with us at the games meant less time to point and shoot. It's probably not such a bad thing after all though. As much as I love taking pictures, after a few hundred soccer shots they all start to look the same! I learned that from our first foray into soccer!

As you can see from the picture at the top of the post, the boys each got a trophy and that was probably the highlight of the season for them. Something to show for all of the work they put in. Something that says, "Congratulations on being a mini Beckham!".

The boys, Braeden especially, have already begun to plan out spring sports. He want to try his hand at T-ball again. Yikes! We shall see though. I can't even think about another season right now though. I'm just going to relish the fact that we have a very long time before we need to worry about it again!

For now, I'm going to enjoy the time off. Well, not really I guess as the holiday season will consume all the extra time and energy we have regained! But that's ok, it is Christmas after all!

All is well, postseason, in Drosche Land.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day!

I know, it was yesterday.  But I was too busy relaxing and stuffing my face to wish you dear readers a Happy Thanksgiving.  I have so much to be thankful for and I often forget that.  I hope you enjoyed or are enjoying your break and focusing on your blessings!  I'll try to touch on the Thanksgiving Break thus far before Stella wakes from her nap.  Hopefully that's a while longer.  Little Miss needs her some nap!  :)

The week began with Amy and I heading to a teacher's conference in Austin.  We left the boys with Amy's Mom, the dogs with my Mom, and took Stella with us.  The original plan was to leave all 3 kids but after Stella's ridiculously long sickness, it was easier to keep her with us so we could stay on top of it.  As it turned out, Amy was able to get a room to herself and I joined her.  Overall the conference was great.  Until I sprained my ankle!  See, I don't get injured often.  I don't know what happened and I wish it were a great story.  However, truth be told, I was getting up and stepped funny.  I nearly fell into a coworker and a chair.  Classy.  Even better was the fact that I nearly passed out and, according to Amy and coworkers, probably went into shock.  Judging by the color of my face, I'd have to agree.  My ankle swelled up nice and big.  Since I couldn't walk, I spent the rest of the day in a wheelchair.  Nice, just my luck.  However, by that night and the next day I was able to hobble around quite nicely.  It's better now, still pretty swollen and very tender.  But I can walk normally for the most part, stairs are still slow-going!  Want to see a picture?  Because you know I took one!

OUCH!

I must say though how grateful I am to Amy.  We were going to split Stella duty at the conference, but my little stumbling block (literally) changed that.  She really stepped up to take care of both of us and I owe her majorly!

Once we were back home we began to clean and launder from the trip while prepping for Thanksgiving.  Amy made the most amazing homemade cornbread & chorizo dressing!  I mean, seriously!  Ridiculously delicious!  We started the day off at the Thanksgiving Day parade here, a tradition Amy, Amanda, and her Mom started last year while Adam and I were in Vegas.  The kids had a blast!  Their favorite part: the horses.  More precisely the horses, ahem, using the restroom in front of us!  This was the highlight of last year's parade and this year the horses didn't fail them!  Ahhhh, the joys of kids.  Stella did great and enjoyed herself as the other kids did as well.  Still too young to try food, she napped (thankfully) during the meal and drank her first Thanksgiving dinner!  

I then went out with Amy's Mom for some early Black Friday deals while Amy took the kids home to sleep.  I love this, so much fun.  Next year we'll have to figure out a plan for the kids so Amy can join us!  I love a good deal, plus all the excitement!  Today we shopped some more and she is out right now with the kids, the cousins, Amanda, and her Mom at the movies.  I stayed with Stella this time and am currently speed-blogging my way through her nap time.

Tomorrow we head out to East Texas for Thanksgiving with my family.  Another, longer, car trip with the kids and we will test out the effectiveness of loading movies onto the iPad!  Thanks Apple , iTunes, and iCloud for making life so much easier!  Sunday we come home and begin to prep for heading back to school.  Not much "resting" this break, but it has still been a lot of fun.  Hopefully next week brings us back to normal and our usual routine now that everyone finally is healthy again.  I think we've had enough illness and excitement for a while!

So, that was our Thanksgiving break thus far in a nutshell.  I could go on for longer about the food, but just thinking about it makes me hungry.  Maybe I'll grab some leftovers before Stella wakes?  How was yours?  Full of family, fun, great food, good deals?  I hope it was a blessed time for you, regardless of your plans.  Below are some more Thanksgiving pictures!  Enjoy the rest of your break!

Amy, her Mom, the kids, and their cousins at the parade!

Stella at her first Thanksgiving Day parade!

Amy and I at the parade.  Love this picture!  Love me some Instagram!

All is well, thankful and blessed, in Drosche Land.  

Sunday Snapshot - GOOOAAALLL!

Well, as promised, here are some of the best shots I've gotten so far this soccer season.  I chose Jack for the main picture above since it is his first time to play.  He is so excited about it too!

Braeden is also enjoying his second soccer season quite a bit.  It never ceases to amaze me that he seems to have some uncanny, natural athletic ability.  It's like he has some innate understanding of the game and possesses a wide variety of skills.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, he didn't come to this by me!

Another thing that amazes me about having the boys in soccer is that they never seem to get tired.  Sure, the slow down (very slightly), but they keep going.  Especially Jack (obviously) who runs around and plays while Braeden's game is going on (as of right now all of Braeden's games have been first).  You'd think that by the time his actual game started he'd be done, but no, he gets right in there and goes for it!

So, every Saturday until early December is spoken for.  To be filled with more sporting fun.  The boys live for their practices and games right now.  As soon as one is finished, they're asking when the next one is.  I hope their love of the game continues as they grow older.  There are so many positives to being involved in sports.  Plus, who knows?  Maybe we have the next David Beckham here?  Bend it like Drosche?  Ok, so it doesn't sound as good, but you get the picture!

Oh, and not to be left out, here's Stella.  Lounging and watching her brothers play!  So far she's enjoyed it quite a bit and has been pretty easy-going!  Let's hope that stays the same!

All is well, picture perfect, in Drosche Land.

  

Goooooooooooaaaaaaaalllllll!

Wow, I need to get back into regularly blogging rather than this weekend stuff! Anywho.

It's fall, finally, and even though the weather hasn't caught up quite yet Amy and I had to make good on a standing promise we'd made to the boys long ago. You may remember that last fall Braeden played T-Ball and the spring before that he played soccer. Well, with Amy pregnant last fall and spring we decided to take a break from sports. Thank goodness we did! Last spring was so crazy, I don't know how we would have survived had we made that commitment. But we'd made the deal with the boys that once fall came around, they could start sports again. Braeden loves it and Jack would finally be old enough to join in on the action. We decided on soccer and made the plans.

Flash forward to September. It's now time or register them and they couldn't be happier. We get the paperwork in and the supplies purchased no before we know it, we're a sporting family again.

Braeden picked up right where he'd left off. It was as if he hadn't missed a beat. Having some experience under his belt meant that he could take a step up in FFPS (we opted to go that route again after our success last time) and be on a team with others who had played before. Turns out 6 year-olds are more coordinated and easier to wrangle on the field. His team is the Octonauts, check out the Disney channel cartoon if you're unfamiliar, an interesting name but the team loves it! As always he gets in the game and has at it. I swear he must get his sporting abilities from Amy because I know it doesn't come from me! 😄 He's loving it once again and has only had one mishap. The very first game last weekend he twisted his ankle and fell hard, sidelining him for the remainder of the game. Ay and I were a little worried we'd make it to the ER for 3 straight months but he ended up being fine after giving it a rest overnight.

Jackson took to the game right away also. He has some experience from a program he participated in last year at school so it's not totally a foreign idea for him. The best part is that he gets to run around. Trust me, he needs to run off some of his extra extra energy. It seems as though since he turned 5 he's constantly wound up! He still has some work to be done, both technically and team-wise but he's getting there. Some might call him a ball-hog, I call him committed! I think this season will be good for him and if nothing else, he's having a blast! His team is the Ninjas and he's a bit bummed it's not an animals name. He had his heart set on the Tigers. But I think Ninjas has a nice ring!

Stella has joined us for most of the practices and all of the games so far. She's at the age where she is a bit easier to maintain while out and about so having her tag along is no problem. As long as it doesn't get too hot she's a happy camper. Hopefully that fall weather will come and stay so even that be an issue.

I'm, of course, taking tons of pictures. I'm hoping to get some up for tomorrow's Sunday Snapshot post but we will see what happens. Until then. I'll include some that I took on my iPhone, thanks Photostream! All in all though we are enjoying the soccer season. It will take us into the beginning of December so our Saturdays are game days for a while. After this season we will see about what spring has in store for us. For now though it's just all fun and games!










All is well, soccer balls included, in Drosche Land.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Bust A Move

It's no secret that the boys love them some video games.  It might border on addiction, but it's all good.  Now that school has begun we limit their video game time to the weekends, during the week it's homework and family time at night.  Needless to say they spend a majority of the week looking forward to the weekend.  It brings a whole new meaning to the 80's song "Working for the Weekend".  You know the one.

Thanks to Redbox the boys can play new Wii games all the time without Amy and I having to shell out the big bucks for them.  A great try before you buy situation.  Last weekend Amy stopped and picked up a new game on a whim, this one for the whole family, Just Dance.  She thought it would be something fun and different for us all to play together.  Little did she know the hilarity that would ensue.

As it turns out, the game was a huge hit in our house and we all spent the better part of a day and a half playing it.  None of us will be appearing on So You Think You Can Dance anytime soon, but we've each got a few good moves in us!

Groans of disappointment were sounded when it was time to return the rental, but who knows.  Maybe we have a future with this game?  What better way to spend time together as a family than acting goofy and honing our dance moves?

I took a quick video of the boys dancing to one of our favorite songs and I still can't help but crack up every time I see it.  Good times.  Oh and yes, Jack is only in his underwear.  He's at that stage in life. Well, actually he's been at that stage for most of his life!  Ahhhhh, even more ammo from this video to show to his future wife!

All is well, as a family of dancing machines, in Drosche Land.

Back

So, it's mid-August and I've been MIA for a week.  That can only mean one thing right?  That's right folks, it's Back to School time in Drosche Land!  Yes I know what you're thinking, "Gee, it's awfully early Dusty!"  And yes, you're correct.  However, Trinity always starts earlier than the other private schools and public schools.  It doesn't bother me because it comes in handy in late May and early June when everyone else is itching for summer and I've already been scratching for about a week.  Ok, maybe that wasn't the best analogy but you catch my drift.

Trinity started back this past Wednesday.  So that means that the kids and I already have 3 full school days under our belt for the 2012-2013 school year!  Stella's first day went well, though technically she started back before that when I had to report, but it was still the first day of the school year.  She does really well at school, she eats really well (though she does that well really anywhere she goes).  She doesn't nap too much but that just makes for easier nights if you know what I mean!  :)

Jackson started Pre-Kindergarten this year!  I can't believe we are about a month away from his 5th birthday!  Where has the time gone?  He still is under the impression that once he turns 5 he'll move right into Kindergarten and begin losing teeth.  It might sound odd but those are the things he associates with being 5.  Luckily he loves his teacher and class so when those don't happen at the end of next month there shouldn't be too large of a meltdown.

Braeden. First Grade.  With me.  Crazy, but true.  The moment we've been gearing up for has come. So far it's gone very well and he has had no problems differentiating between Daddy at home and Mr. Drosche at school.  I'm doing well too, it is a learning curve, but it's a great class this year so I know we will have a ton of fun together.

Wednesday was also Amy's birthday!  Her birthday falls on the first day of school every few years.  Possibly one of the best things that happened for her that day was that, one of the positives of stepping back into the classroom and out of administration was the fact that, for the first time ever, she was able to drop the kids off at their classrooms for the first day of school!  I went in early to prep and she brought them in later before heading to work herself.  It was great to see her get the opportunity to be a Mom on the first day of school and do those fun things!  I know she enjoyed it.

The first few days went very well for me.  Now we are gearing up for Amy's first day on this coming Wednesday.  She is totally prepared and ready.  I couldn't be more excited for and proud of her.  She is going to have a fantastic year.  We have already had a lot of fun talking shop together and I know that will continue throughout the year as we share the joys of teaching First Grade!

So, we're back in action here!  Something old, something new.  It's going to be a great year though!  Below I've attached our annual Back to School pictures!  Exciting times!

All is well, back to school, in Drosche Land.