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It took about five minutes to get Ethan's skates on. You have to get them on real tight. Brian tied and taped the laces and it was up to me to help him with his shoulder, elbow pads and his helmet. While Brian was getting dressed I walked off to the rink with Ethan and Carley outside. He stood at the door staring at the ice. An older boy there to help out and a couch came over and said "come on buddy I'll help you come out onto the ice". "Are you ready"? As Ethan attempted to go out there putting his itty bitty skates on the ice I had to take a deep breath. I drew back the tears and could only smile to see my little guy begin his hockey journey at four years old. Ethan has started the learn to skate program. After two years on a backyard rink off and on the ice I have watched and participated in the one on one hockey. I have watched Brian play with Ethan and witness Ethan's overwhelming love of his dad and the game (if you want to call it a game). The program is every Saturday morning and here he is with his dad as his coach. You can see him pushing a chair which seemed to really help. Brian is on the far left if you can't tell. Occasionally he would push the chair out of the way and skate and then ultimately fall. Other times I caught him actually sitting in the chair and taking a break! It was cute. In our backyard the ice is obviously not as smooth so he didn't fall that often. Here he fell a lot! Brian has been working with him on how to get up with his pads on off the ice and he was able to work on that out here with the ice. The instruction seemed to be paying off as he is learning what he needs to do to actually get up on his skates once he is down. He will be getting a lot of practice. After about 3 weeks the kids will be bringing out the sticks and thats when the real fun for Ethan will begin. 
So as our family begins this new journey together it means much more to us than Ethan learning to skate. It is completely about all of us continuing to be a family. Loving eachother and eachothers company. Learning devotion, love and commitment to oneanother. Lastly, it is about having a blast! Whether or not Ethan decides to be on a team or not, we don't know. What we do know is that we will still build the rinks, we will still have a blast and we will still love hockey!
The most courageous thing we humans do is to say "hello" to one another . . . to spend time together, getting to know one another, opening ourselves to each other, loving each other, confiding in and confessing to each other, all the things we do to nurture relationships with one another. Oh what wonders and love we share because we have said "hello." Deborah Lyn, Baptist Peacemaker Extraordinaire
I get so excited when I find a book that I believe in . When I read something that validates my thinking or me as a parent. For 50 cents at a garage sale I picked up Children are From Heaven by John Gray. I was searching for answers regarding parenting and in this Brian and I found the answers we needed. Before I read this book I had no understanding of what a timeout precisely was. We knew that punishment wasn't part of what we believed so I was simply searching for answers. In this book I found the answers I needed and it was beyond a success. I am so thankful I found exactly what I was looking for. This book was exactly what Brian and I believed in and it then validated us and made us feel good as parents. How awesome that a book can do such a thing and be so powerful! I found this book. I wasn't really looking for it. I was just looking. I do enjoy reading psychology. I think it is really challenging to understand our minds. It challenges me to think of things in another way. I guess I just like that sort of thing. Anyway. The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness by Edward Hallowell, M.D. is the newest book I've read that was just really inspiring to me. That is why I wanted to share this with you. Obviously as parents one of our main goals is to raise happy kids. The book can be elementary at times but I can overlook that. It is a simple read but just simply lovely at the same time. Lovely enough to check it out and read. So anyway I hope you all do those of you with kids. I really like the author. I think he seems like a pretty neat man and very loving person. Thats what always makes me love a book like this if I feel I can really connect with the author and here I did. Hope you Enjoy!
I never knew that a little girl could bring a family so so much joy. I just love being with my little Carley. We have so much fun and I so enjoy watching her grow. I appreciate being able to spend so much time with her. Even with a four year old, having another child master the same little things just never gets old. With two children we don't compare the two we just really appreciate their unique qualities. Children are just so lovable. It will never get old listening to Carley sing no matter where we are or what time of the morning it is. With each child you love them and give them the individual respect and love they deserve. As Carley turns two today I think back to all the little moments that have been special to me. The first being when she was born and when she and Ethan met for the first time. Intoducing her to all of our family and friends and the little things like Ethan rolling her around on the floor at four months. I think back to her crawling for 3 and a half months (it really did feel like forever and soon learning to walk. I think about her firt real trip to Pittsburgh for Sarah's graduation when she was only 5 months and all the trips we took to the zoo. And the water, how she just has always loved the water. And last night, her first somersault! Her first real somersault. I was just so excited!The three of us singing happy birthday today will be how we celebrate her birthday. We don't have any big plans. We will get together with family this weekend. The party will be with her mom and dad and big brother. I have ordered a cute little heart charm with her name engraved on it along with a little girl on it to add to her first year charm ( a birthday cake with one candle). Each year I hope to pick a charm and complete a bracelet so one day hopefully she will appreciate the gift from me. Carley, you are my gift. Happy Birthday Carley Ann!
In each of us there exists a lake, where peace lives, and strength is born. Begin each day with a drink from its waters and go there often to refill your cup. The lake is never dry, but the path to it is sometimes hidden. The music of water, the beauty of a flower, or the depth of prayer will show you the way. -Author UnknownI wanted to pass this on to you my loved ones. Thank you Kris and your mom for sharing this.
Carley Ann woke up first and she marched into Ethan's bedroom saying "Santa". Ethan sat straight up in bed barely awake. I had to get a quick photo because it was so cute. They took off to the Christmas tree as Ethan spotted their stockings overflowing with candy necklaces, hockey pucks, ornaments and lots of other cute little stocking stuffers. Carley had to put all the necklaces on right away. They both were so excited and it didn't take long for Carley to figure out what to do. Ethan's gift were wrapped with Spider man paper and Carley had the cute little Care Bear's. That made it so easy for them. They loved it! Ethan loved his new tool belt complete with tools, rod hockey game and giant dinosaur floor puzzle. Carley loved her pretty cradle, musical tea set and especially her little stuffed kitty. "Meow" is now her single favorite word! What a beautiful morning it was. It was still dark outside. The music was playing. I kept thinking of when I was little girl...Thank you Aunt Margaret and Uncle Jeff for coming up to spend Christmas eve with all of us. It was very special with all the kids especially being baby Ben's first. Let's hope for some ice next year so we can take the kids out skating. Do you think you can still ice skate Jeff?
What a miracle of fate that we could live our lives at the same time on earth. Through the maze of a million faces and all the many paths our lives have taken us through the years, we managed to find each other along the way. We understand each other's thoughts, and share the same passion and glory of this lifetime. We are friends, we are soul mates. How incredible God's plan. -Author UnknownI just think this is so beautiful.
