Teeter-Totter

We spend quite a bit of time like this anymore, his black laptop next to my white one. He's reading Wisconsin census pages from 1880 and I'm reading my kids blogs being continually amazed at what cute grandbabies I have. He's jotting down notes about Lars Torreson Sandvik from Holmedal, Norway, and I'm jotting down notes to Jenna, Amanda and Jennis about life in the fast lane. He's excited to find a relative that's been hidden, and I'm excited to talk to a child in Idaho I haven't touched base with in too long. He finds a detail from the past to share with me and I find a detail from the present to share with him. He's very much wanting to make connections with his relatives of the past, and I'm very much wanting to make connections with relatives of this day. I support him as he is working to connect our family from here backward, and he supports me as I work to connect our family from here forward. It occurs to me that both are absolutely necessary. He is forging the links that secure us to our heritage, and I'm strengthening the ones that we make right now with our posterity. With the two of us standing hand in hand, he reaches out into the past with his free hand, and I reach out into the future with mine. Connecting families for generations.
We are like two little kids sitting on a teeter-totter; one going up, the other down. Neither of us would hop off and drop the other, neither of us would want the other to get hurt. So we give a little push as our feet touch the ground, giving the other the momentum to reach a little higher. It's all about family, and we need and love them all.

"sigh"

Okay, so life is good, and there's really nothing to be annoyed about, but I must admit I'm just the teensiest bit irritated.... I wanted to make this cute post, but noooo, only 5 photos upload at once, can't find the original post to go back to, sooooo, okay, try again. and again. and here I am yet again. HERES THE POINT: To make the best sense of these entries, go down to "My Valentines" start there and read UP, because as you all remember, new posts go on top of old, not on the bottom as in a letter, which would actually make sense when one is trying to create one long chain.... whatever....

Now, honestly- what ones would you leave out? :)

Just going to keep doing the "create new post" thing until I get all my picture on here. (Zach, what am I doing wrong?)

More Cutie Pies...

In that one picture that looks like Chloe might be trying to wrestle Harley, she's really just trying to put her sock on.

My Valentines

I look forward to our monthly gatherings and all the chaos and laughter. There's always enough food, never enough time, barely enough room, always plenty of plates but never enough silverware. We greet one another with hugs and smooches, kick off our shoes and drop those diaper bags. Seems like we just get dinner going and it's time to do dishes, and dessert, and before you know it there are shoes to find, (forget the socks...they'll show up later) Legos to pick up, (forget the swords...they'll show up later, too) and babies to get home to their beds (they'll fall asleep on the way, but get their eventually). Then it's over for another month and we look forward to catching up with each other in a few weeks. My how those kids grow! I try to have a kind of "theme" each month, and February is a natural. We sometimes share valentines, but I didn't get organized and get the word out in time this year. (Next year everyone try to help me remember.) But we did have fun creating individual pizzas. The furnace was out when we woke up Sunday morning, but like Danny said, "After having the oven on at 450 for two hours the house was quite comfortable". All the guys in the house tried to figure it out, but it turned out to be a part that needed replacing. Ah, what's life without a few challenges.
I try to catch everyone, but I see David escaped me this time. I'll make sure to track him down next month. I gave the camera to Jennis so that I could prove I'm not making this stuff up. Thanks everyone, for making the effort. I think it's valuable in creating the bonds that bind us through thick and thin, thinner and so thin we're transparent. I have appreciated the prayers and support I've felt from you while we waded (and waited) through this dumb house stuff. I love you!