The home stretch of high school

Here she is. The senior. Last semester of high school. She doesn't like this picture. It was a quick take picture for a scholarship application...I think she threw on the sweater at the last minute because we realized a t-shirt picture didn't look professional. She stood against the wall in our dining room and "snap" the picture was done. 

She got accepted to BYU, and there was much celebration. There was only about two seconds of hesitation when her finger hovered over the "accept" button. Should she wait to hear from UVA? Nope. Click "accept"!

Since then it has been a flurry of scholarship essay writings and applications. Nearly every evening Madi asks me to read through an essay or sign a stack of completed applications. Hours of work. But they are paying off. So far, she has won three scholarships: Daughters of the American Revolution, Sigma Mu Mu, and Lee Jackson Essay contest. 

She found a roommate through a BYU Instagram search which reminded me strangely of a speed dating experience. Technology is amazing, and Madi and Mackenzie (from Houston, TX) have already signed up for housing together. Heritage Halls filled up fast, so they settled for Hinckley Hall in Helaman Halls. 

This girl has focus and purpose. I am thrilled for her. And as I watch her pursue her goals with determination and self-motivation, I am a proud mama.

This is such a mixed-emotion time. Of course, I'm thrilled for the future...for the next chapter of her life with college, learning, friends, and independence. But how strange it is to realize she will spend more of her life out of my home than she spent in my home. I will miss her. Dearly. I will always cheer her on...and we will (thanks to the beauty of smartphones) stay in touch easily. But it will be different.

So how do I reconcile the two "Madis"? The Madi as a baby and child and adolescent. Her very existence affected every part of my daily life. To the adult Madi. Who will forever be connected to me, but with a natural, and necessary "disconnect." I suppose, I will just be grateful. Grateful for the opportunity to mother her and grateful to see the person she is becoming.

Spring Break (2017) - A Catch-up Post

Furry running companions led us through through the sleepy streets of Fort Payne and past the spooky, abandoned hospital.

Birmingham, Alabama greeted us with green. The lime green of the newest spring leaves. My eyes, still used to the browns of winter from the north took refuge in the green. After touring the museum across the street from the infamous church it felt strange to linger in warm sunshine and lush greens. My mind wrestled with the hurt and hate documented in the museum while listening to the laughter of Charlotte and Joseph as they posed with the statues.

Grandad and Nana met us with the biggest hugs when we arrived...at 10pm Saturday night. I felt truly welcomed. Spring in Vicksburg is lovely. The blossoms sent their petals spinning through the afternoon air showering us with my favorite kind of "snow" storm.

Southern-style pigtails for our alligator swamp tour. The hungry boors and friendly racoons were my personal favorites.

I felt like a teenager when Elise and I snuck out of the hotel with Karen, Glen, and Joseph at 9pm to explore New Orleans at night. We ate warm beignets at Cafe Beignet on Royal St to the sound of live jazz. Spontaneous parades of bicycles of blinking lights and glow sticks surprised us; the riders blasted music from a boombox. Darth Vader danced to music on a side street. We averted our eyes or made quick detours out of some of the more "colorful" stores.

A tour of the McRaven House with the girls on our last day in Vicksburg. We pried the tour guide for ghost stories even though it wasn't the official ghost tour.

A few more highlights:
Walking across the Selma bridge.
Sonic stops. Many of them! Jackpot of extra cookie dough mix-in.
Karen's food finds including Clumpies ice cream.
Grandad driving over an alligator in the middle of the highway...and feeling the bump as we did the same!
Southern food: hush puppies, fried catfish, and fried green tomatoes on our last night in Vicksburg.

Family and Service

Last weekend, both sets of grandparents joined us at church. Mom and Dad Reed (who are currently serving a mission in Richmond, VA) drove up from their mission. In spite of Mom Abbe's illness, Mom and Dad Abbe drove 16 hours (one direction) to be with us. The occasion? My husband was set apart to serve in the bishopric of our church congregation. This is a big deal for him. In our church, the ministers are not paid; they volunteer their time. This new calling is a wonderful opportunity for service, growth, and testimony building. 

This position in our church will also impact our family in terms of less time with Owen. His evenings and weekends will include church meetings, training, and administrative work. For Charlotte, the impact is personal. She said, "I won't be able to take a nap with Dad during sacrament meeting anymore!" Yes, they were sleeping partners during last year when Owen was working the crazy night-shift hours. But now, Owen will sit up on the stand with the rest of the bishopric. 

As with any substantial change, I've been thinking about the "big-picture" questions lately: the purpose of life, the value of family, and what makes a life worth living. The answers I feel are most genuine are really the most simple. I feel as though I am at my very best when I'm invested in serving others. I've learned this from my own parents and in-laws who delight in service. I've learned this in the walls of my own home as I've tried to focus on my children. The tug and pull of self and service are real. Finding balance is a struggle. But the truth that people, and connecting, and working together bring joy is also real. 

I take the most comfort in something my parents reminded me of as they were walking out the door, bags in hand, ready to drive back to Richmond. "Your life is mirroring our life," my mom said. "When you were a senior in high school, I served in the stake and Dad served in the bishopric." My memories of that time are sweet. It was a busy time, no doubt! I remember driving from event to event, often with my mom. I have a vague recollection of watching my dad sit on the stand or conduct sacrament meeting, instead of sitting next to us on the bench. These are happy memories. Good memories. 

Memories worth repeating. 

Loudoun County Fair 2017

The fair began with a bang this year as Elise won Junior Miss County Fair and Amelia was the runner up! The girls answered their questions with sincerity, personality, and eloquence. I knew Elise was a front runner when she answered the question, "What is your long term 4H goals?" with the joke, "World peace for the children...through bunnies!"And I loved when Amelia exclaimed, "You can show your animals all year long!" 

The rest of the week was filled with the best of fair: demolition derby night, frozen turtle pie on a stick, bunny dress up, circus acts, and carnival rides. We spent our days hanging out in the bunny barn, and on the best days, we stayed until past the evening entertainment to close up the barn. There is something so exciting about the morning setup - watching vendors organize their stalls, seeing the animals be fed, being one of the first people on the fairground. And nothing is quite as magical as the lights of ferris wheel at night or the cheers from the crowd during the nighttime bull ride.  

 
 
There were a few NEW highlights to our week. Grandma and Poppy came for a visit and shared a day-at-the-fair with us! Elise participated in the hypnosis show. And Madi participated in her first Round Robin competition.

And on the last night of fair, I actually had a date night with my favorite person. We watched part of the monster truck show, walked through the blinking lights of the carnival, and shared a treat.

To me, fair IS summer and summer IS fair. Summer is just not complete without our fair week. It is the culminating fun after a year of meetings, preparation, and work. I love working at the ice cream shack with the kids for that wonderful "free scoop." I love our frenzied baking day and entering cakes into the fair. I love the thrill of auction night, with the 4H kids wearing their freshly-pressed, button-down shirts. I love how by the end of the week, I knew some of the vendors by name, and they knew me. I love the way the cowboys kneel during the prayer before the rodeo. I love waving to the kids while they ride the rides with their friends. 

Only 11 months, and we get to do it all over again. I can hardly wait. 

Sun, Sand, and Ice Cream

Oh the joys of summer. There was that moment...there on the beach, the sun toasting my skin, my toes digging until they found cool sand, while I watched Owen and Truman work on their masterpiece sandcastle. The ocean spread out before me so big and full of color. I counted at least six variations of blue: cornflower blue in the sky, turquoise, sea green, steel-blue, deep blue (almost navy), and sea foam blue. It was the epitome of summer. Waves crashed, seagulls called, and I bobbed and played in the ocean with my family.

And then there was the ice cream: summer's true delight! I loved the sign "Welcome Home" that greeted us as we entered the air-conditioned sanctuary and began to select our flavor for the day. Our first day at the Island Creamery, I figured we frequent the parlor every-other-day. Um. We went. Every. Single. Day.

Can I just admit that having access to cable TV was also part of the vacation joy? We haven't had cable for three years, which means the only time we ever watch TV is if we're watching a DVD. But for a week, we enjoyed Chopped, NASA's Unexplained Mysteries, and Forensic Files. After a day of sunshine and swimming, it was so nice to sit in comfy chairs, snuggle, and watch fun shows together.

Thursday night, the Marina hosted a kids' pool party. Madi and Elise started their own spontaneous dance party. As the sun set, it painted the world with rose and gold. Somehow that beautiful ocean, looked even more beautiful. The marsh grass glowed in bright lime green. It was magical light. Summer's evening gift. 

Mormon Prom 2017

A little rain, a bit of mud, lots of pink, a beautiful backdrop, thousands of twinkly lights, and incredible kids were just a few parts that made this year's Mormon Prom memorable.

First of all, the dress. Oh this was a challenge! Back in February, Madi and I spent a couple weeks pouring over pictures and prices on the internet. There were late-nights of frustration when we decided there was just NO POSSIBLE way we were going to ever find a modest, pale-pink, reasonably-priced dress. We settled on trying one of those "made-to-order" sites where we entered measurements for a custom fit. I think I closed my eyes when I finally clicked "submit" hoping that the Chinese company would actually come through and deliver a dress that looked like the picture. Miraculously, the dress arrived a nail-biting 14 days later. Thankfully, the dress was perfect!

The date. Madi was asked by Josh Holtom, a wonderful young man in our stake. They doubled with Mara Berringer (one of Madi's closest friends) and Spencer (one of Josh's closest friends). It was a true date with a special dinner at Lightfoots in Leesburg. I love that it all worked out! The picture of Josh and Madi with the boutonniere are one of my favorites from the night - I had just mentioned something about the huge amount of trust shown during the pinning of a boutonniere. Madi laughed and I think Josh tried to laugh.



Friends. We are so blessed to have an incredible ward with wonderful youth. The Hamilton Ward youth and their friends met at the dramatically picturesque Morvan Park for pictures. We applauded the color coordination of the beautiful ladies.

The theme of the dance was "Enchanted Evening." Antique mirrors, garlands, bottle-lights, and paned glass windows decorated the lodge-like setting.

The food was Pinterest-worthy. I mean, really?! 4000 cake pops in a woodland setting, s'mores bar, and Italian Sodas were some of the highlights.

The personal highlight - besides seeing my daughter and friends enjoying themselves - was a tiny celebration that passed almost unnoticed. My husband ended his year-long, night-time work schedule Friday night. Which meant that for the first time in a year, we attended an evening event together. We chaperoned the dance. We talked with our friends from the ward and stake, peeked in at Madi (only a couple times), sampled the yummy food many times, and celebrated. 

200 Miles

Last year my girls and I signed up for craziness: running 200 miles as a relay team from Charlottesville to Williamsburg. When my girls rated their most favorite experiences from 2016, this race was at the top of their list. So, we did it again! This year, we added another Abbe girl.

As I ran my miles, I found myself contemplating the ridiculousness of putting ourselves in this "artificial" extreme situation - very little sleep (if any), long miles, and long car rides in between. I'm guessing my pioneer ancestors would scratch their heads in confusion about this activity. But in the middle of the extremes we found laughter, courage, teamwork, and more laughter. And that's why I love it. It's a break from the normal. It's a goal achieved by relying on each other. 

The night time runs included an extra adventure when Elise was startled by barking dogs. I bolted from the car in Mama-bear fashion when I heard her scream, ready to take on the vicious dogs myself. Thankfully, they were fenced. In an act of dedication, Elise decided to finish her leg even after the scary encounter.  

More courage was shown by Jess (AKA bandit runner) who completed her legs in spite of terrible allergies and asthma. That girl pulled out her inhaler, medicated herself, donned the scarf (to the envy of all!) and ran!

There is something beautiful about watching my girls work together and accomplish hard things. One of my favorite moments of the race was catching sight of Amelia, who ran the last leg of the race. Amelia had been in the other van with her best friend, Melanie, for the duration of the race. When I saw her emerge from the woods with a quarter mile left, I felt so proud of her. I was equally proud and touched to see Melanie at her side. They finished the race together. 

Some more memorable moments:

The gratitude I felt as my head hit the pillow, even if the sleep was only for two hours. 

The incredibly rejuvenating feeling of a shower.

Representing OMF again..."See A Cure!"

Sweet Frog before second set of legs.

Enjoying the witty banter of Jess and Joseph.

Crazy man riding a bike past the window of the Iron Horse restaurant (those beads and the bonnet).

Elise's joy at finding a blinkie light during her leg. 

The failure to find breakfast...and the glory of finally eating an omelet and pancakes (post race). Sleeping while waiting for our food to arrive.  

Marci's comment: "I feel so blessed to do this!"

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 

High-fiving preschool kids at the end of my first leg.

"Exchange Zone Ahead" signs.  

Cat-fact questions from Van 2. 

Having Luke Sauter drive down in the middle of the night to run 13 miles with our team.  

Peanut Butter M&Ms. 

Madi saying, "You know you're tired when the asphalt feels comfortable."

Here's the dream team (from left to right): Jess, Joseph, Jenny, Luke, Melanie, Amelia, Madi, me, Elise, Cori, and Kyle. Way to go! Let's do it again!