12 years ago and 12 years later...

A week ago, I pulled up this picture of what David and I were doing 12 years ago. It is almost hard to imagine but 12 years ago, David and I were standing in the front of Calvary Evangelical Church in Van Wert, OH declaring our love and commitment to each other. The fire didn't stop that from happening and it definitely made the day more memorable for everyone there, not just me and David. As you'd guess, the safety policy for candles changed after our wedding. I would say that David and I have had numerous unpredictable events happen in our lives since that day. Not all bad, though we have definitely had our share of unpredictable tragedies. Two of the greatest unpredictable joys are definitely the two little boys that grace our lives every day. They are amazing.

On our anniversary weekend, David and I had the opportunity to celebrate family...my extended Saylor family, Jonah and Judah, and then just the two of us. I rarely have the opportunity to visit with my Grandma Saylor, Aunt Betty and Uncle Ron. My Saylor family is fairly small, especially compared to my Shindeldecker family, and they have lived a good distance from me most of my life. So, on Saturday when David and I had the opportunity to see them, we decided to make the trip to Ohio to visit for a while.

Later that evening, David and I took the boys to Fort Wayne. Last year on vacation, one of my favorite memories was staying in the hotel room on the way home. I had sort of forgotten that Judah was only 7 months at that time and a lot easier to manage in 1 room than he is at 20 months. Nonetheless, he and Jonah loved the pool and jumping on the king sized bed. They also enjoyed daddy pushing them around on the luggage cart. After a surprisingly restful and long nights sleep, we spent most of the next day at the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo. Besides Judah falling into a camouflaged pile of peacock poop, it was a smooth and enjoyable day.

On the evening of our anniversary, David and I dropped the kids off at Danny and Nichole's house. I was pretty ready for some time away from the boys by then. Especially after (in the short stop at our house) they managed to close the garage door while the trunk of my parents van (which we had borrowed) was up, resulting in a couple of scuffs on their trunk and a garage door that came off the track. Somehow David managed to get the garage door working again and the scuffs on my parents' van were minor. David and I went to the neighborhood pool just the two of us. It seemed like our own private pool as there were less than 20 people there. We came home and enjoyed a quiet meal again just the two of us. Getting to talk without being interrupted by the boys is a true gift and a reminder that we need to find time to do this often...not just at the end of the day when we are exhausted. It was wonderful to spend time reminscing about our year, reflecting on our wedding day, talking about our future goals, and just connecting. On days like this, it is a true gift to be reminded of the person with whom I fell in love...and to realize that my husband is still that same person.

Smith Family Walks...

I am sure that when we make our way through the neighborhood we are quite the spectacle. Nonetheless, Smith family walks are the best. There are always running races occuring, someone is generally on someone else's shoulders, and memories are surely being made.

The Delaware County Fair...

I recall that one year ago, David and I took the boys to the fair (with the rest of the Smiths) and that Judah slept in his stroller the entire time we were there. He was barely 7 months old. Jonah was 2 1/2 which is quite different than 3 1/2. I didn't realize how much a year would make. Jonah is practically able to carry on adult conversations now while Judah not only sleeps much less but thinks he is quite the independent little being. One of my favorite parts of the night was watching the boys dance as we listened to my friend perform a repertoire of favorite songs. I must say that Judah has quite the moves!

What we've been doing...

Recently, I made a secret goal (which is no longer secret) to continue to update my blog once a month. Apparently, that was a lofty goal. I think that I sometimes underestimate how busy life can be working part-time and taking care of a toddler and pre-schooler. Even though I convince myself that some days the demands from Jonah (my pre-schooler) are getting less, there is no convincing myself that the demands from Judah (my toddler) are lessening. If anything, the demands from Judah are at their peak. Escaping during the day to make a blog entry is often impossible and by the time their bedtime approaches, I often have next-to-nothing left.

So now, though less reflective, I am making a new goal to make entries at least once a month but with less expectations on myself. Sometimes, I may even let the pictures speak for themselves. We'll see how this goes.

JULY 4th WEEKEND

David and I recently have been talking about how spoiled we feel. We are so grateful for the unique opportunities that we sometimes have. On this particular weekend, David and I and the boys got to spend the weekend at a lake cottage in Northern Indiana with some of our closest friends. Jonah and Judah loved the water (and the sparklers) while I had a blast experiencing a jet ski for the first time. We ended the weekend back in Muncie watching the fireworks display over the river. I LOVED the amount of family time we had that weekend and truly didn't want it to end.

On July 11th, David competed in his 2nd (of 3) triathalons this summer. The event had so much energy and the boys and I had a lot of fun cheering for David. It was additionally special because we also were able to encourage David's brother and sister-in-law. Might I say that all three of them did a wonderful job!

Following the triathalon, David, the boys, and I headed to Ohio where we celebrated family at the Shindeldecker family reunion. There were almost 50 of us present. We also devoted some of the day to welcoming my new great-niece (Sophie Marie) and recognizing my grandfather's 90th birthday.

The Sprinkler Park

Can you imagine the disappointment of 15 children when upon arriving at the sprinkler park, that the electricity is out and therefore the sprinklers were not working for the day!? Fortunately, the adjacent park had fun playground equipment and lots of mud to keep them occupied! Even more fortunate was the fact that a very nice man came and turned the power on so that we were able to use the sprinklers for the hour before we headed home. If I would have had soap, I would have gladly taken the opportunity to shower the boys. Man did they need it!

Picnics are one of my favorite things. Fortunate for me, my boys seem to like them too. I must admit that not having to clean my kitchen following the meal is a definite benefit. This picnic took place at the county fairgrounds prior to walking around and looking at the animals. Unfortunately, many of the animals were not open to the public. I guess that doesn't really matter since when we got home, Jonah told David that we got to see giraffes, dolphins, and monkeys...none of which were at our fair!

I LOVE family time. Next week, David and I will celebrate 12 years of marriage. For our anniversary, we always return to Ivanhoe's near Taylor U where we had our first date. Afterwards, we tromps around campus typically reminiscing about old times. This year, we decided to bring the boys with us. They were so much fun. Being with them, adds an additional dimension to that which I am thankful. They of course loved running through campus and eating ice cream at Ivanhoe's even more!