2009: My Year In Books

The last couple of years, I've wrapped up the year and all of the books I read in a blog post. Or at least the ones that I remembered I had read. So for whatever it's worth, here are some quick thoughts on the books I read in 2009:

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer ~ Let me first say, yes I’ve made it through all 4 of the books, but I’m still not a diehard about them. That may be disappointing to some of you. I was looking forward to the big wrap-up of the story but found myself ready for it to be over. The baby stuff was just weird. And then the big war…that’s when I gave up…with 100 pages left. I Googled my way to finding out the ending. Sorry.

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom ~ LOVED it! I never had to read this while in school, so this was my first time. It’s very similar to Anne Frank, but in some ways even scarier. Since it’s a true story, I knew most of the outcome, but I was still so nervous for her as more and more people came through the house. She and her family’s bravery, dedication, and faith are amazing and so very inspiring.

Handle With Care by Jodi Piccoult ~ I’ve read several of her books and enjoyed most of them. This was probably my least favorite of hers. I wasn’t ever totally immersed in the characters. The story seemed to be similar to her other books and not the most believable.

Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman by Beth Moore ~ I’ve participated in several Beth Moore studies over the years. This was by far my favorite one. I loved studying the story of Esther and appreciated so much the modern day application. Her study is amazing, and the lessons learned on God’s plan for us will stick with you for a long time.

Firefly Lane by Kristen Hannah ~ Good, easy girly read. It’s about two lifelong friends who take different paths in their adult life. One went for the highly successful career and one decided to pause the career to be a SAHM. The big moral was that neither was completely happy with the choice. Sheds some interesting light on both options. And the sad parts of this book are really sad.

The Everything Potty Training Book ~ Unfair title. It doesn’t cover everything…like when your child walks around in a dirty diaper and could care less. Pretty sure I’ll be re-reading this one (and others of the same topic) quite a few times in the months to come.

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell ~ I made a point of reading it before I saw the movie. It was good, not great, but definitely a fun read. It did nothing to motivate me to want to eat French food, though. Yuck. As far as the movie, the Julia segments were way better than the Julie segments…which oddly enough is opposite in the book.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson ~ I kind of feel like a loser about this one. I had heard for a long time about this book. It’s a true story that was so inspiring. I only made it through half of the book. Part of it might be that I’ve heard so much, I know overall what happens. And the other part is that I got a little bored. Is that horrible to say? Maybe I need to give it another shot?

The Swan House by Elizabeth Musser ~ LOVED this book. Great combination of early civil rights era and understanding the difficulties so many went through; tragedy; the South; a good mystery; putting faith in action; and teenage angst. I highly recommend it!

Blessings by Anna Quindlen ~I wanted to like this one so much. I always loved reading her columns in Newsweek. I’m afraid her fiction writing isn’t the same. By the halfway point, I was really into it. The beginning just includes a lot of over explaining of the characters. It’s a really interesting story, though, about an abandoned baby left at the estate of an 80+ year old woman and the male groundskeeper that becomes the baby’s caretaker.

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller ~ LOVED this book. It’s not your typical Christian life application book. But the story of his faith is very real and genuine. It’s written in a very easy-to-read style. And most of what he has to say about the transition of his faith really makes you think because it’s so different than what you normally hear or read. Looking forward to reading more of his books.

And here are links to the wrap-ups from 2008 and 2007. Any other good ones out there you suggest?

Christmas 2009

I’ve always loved Christmas, and now getting to experience it through the eyes of a 3-year-old made it even more sweet.

The most memorable event this year was the blizzard-like weather that came through on Christmas Eve afternoon. We got 3-4 inches of snow (which around here is a lot) along with a little ice and some really intense winds. It was not much fun to be out in at first. Despite the weather, we headed out to our church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service. Tate loved being in “big church” and the all of the candles filling the room were beautiful.

And Christmas morning was so much fun. Somehow I managed to not get one single family picture of the three of us. Tate definitely had a little more anticipation this year compared to last, but it was still fun to see him walk downstairs and be so completely surprised that there were presents under the tree.

After presents and a yummy cinnamon roll breakfast, we (meaning Wade, Tate, & Macy) finally got to enjoy our first-ever White Christmas and go play in the snow. This time without the sideways wind pelting snow in the face. I’m pretty sure they all 3 equally enjoyed it!

After our little family’s Christmas together, we still had two more to go. I have one picture from each. Not sure what is wrong with my picture-taking these days. (Oh yeah, I’m pregnant and tired all of the time.)

So for the Strzinek Christmas, here are the three cousins all paying homage to the Apple store.

And for the Enright Christmas, here are the three cousins all sporting their newest little chairs.

It was a great season of family and friends. Somewhat glad for it be over, but grateful for sweet memories as well!

Fa la la la la la la la la!

There was much celebrating, partying, and fa la la la la-ing throughout December. It was busy and tiring month. But it was such a good reminder (pardon extreme cheesiness here) to be thankful for so many of the new friendships around us. After a career change, child, change in church, and move in the last 3 years, I’m thankful to see who has come into our lives after so much transition. And I’m still forever thankful for the friendships that have been with us for years (and know that they will be for many more). Isn’t there some “friends are silver and gold” song to sing right now?

Even though most of the Christmas parties we went to were ones with juice boxes and chicken nuggets, Wade & I were able to enjoy some kid-free celebrations as well.

This is our rather large “small” group that we get together with on Wednesday nights. It was a nice dinner and fun gift exchange. My NKOTB T-shirt came back home with me, so I guess I’ve got next year’s gift ready. We’ve enjoyed getting to know all of these families throughout the past year or so and always look forward to our Wednesday nights together.

Then we are fortunate to have another small group that we get together with. Several different crossed paths and a couple of kids the same age as Tate drew us together, and we thoroughly enjoy any time we have with them. We dropped off the kids at one house for their own Christmas pajama party together (Weston & Taylor usually even out the boy-girl ratio, and they were missed that night).

And then the adults headed out for a delicious dinner together. I think we were there for almost 3 hours before we realized that at some point, we need to go pick up the kids. Delicious food, great conversation, and many laughs. And yes, 3 of the 4 girls pictured are pregnant!

We celebrated the season with some fun cousin time and attempts at a Christmas card picture for the Mimi & Grandpa. These three are pretty hilarious together!

And I went to my first cookie exchange. I was very adventurous and excited about trying to duplicate Bakeralla’s white chocolate red velvet cake balls. They started off pretty.

But after almost 3 hours…3 hours!!!...I conceded to the cake balls. As I dipped each of them in the white chocolate they started falling apart. I almost cried. But alas, the show must go on. So I was THAT person that brought the Costco cookies to the homemade cookie exchange party. Not sure if I’ll be invited back next year??? J

This party was a fun one as well. My brave and amazingly-patient friend, Julia, hosted a Happy Birthday Jesus party for about 25+ kids. I have a whole new level of respect for her after this as I really was blown away by her calmness as her home was taken over by the fun chaos.

Several of the kiddos dressed up (woops forgot about that) as shepherds, Marys, Josephs, and angels. As you can see from the picture of the nativity scene reenactment, Tate chose to act as the paparazzi.

The whole thing was super sweet and a great reminder of the season.

Tate’s preschool Christmas party was another fun one. Watching nine preschoolers try to do a book exchange was hilarious in itself. The book Tate ended up with, Starry Safari, has become a big favorite around here.

And a special treat was getting to decorate gingerbread houses with his friend, Jackson, who he’s “known” since Day 1 of his little life. They both did a great job and were pretty proud of their creations. For the next several weeks, Tate would ask to play with his gingerbread house. Surprisingly it wasn’t just to eat the candy and sprinkles, but he would also get a car or Little People toy and have his own little make-believe fun.

And the last one was a fun time with some of his little guy friends where they got to decorate cookies and play non-stop with cars and trains. A perfect day in Tate’s world! J

Tate ~ 3.0

My blogging consistency has slowed down lately, so excuse this megapost, but I want to make sure and document/remember as much as I can about this stage. We officially have a 3-year-old on our hands. So how do I describe Tate at 3? The word I hear the most by others describing him is “energetic.” That definitely describes our little man. He is full of energy and enthusiasm.

He wastes no time when he wakes up ready to conquer the day. If we are headed to a relative or friend’s house or if they are coming to our house, the second he hears the doorbell, he is running full speed to the door excitedly yelling that person’s name. He loves his family and friends and gets SO excited to see them. I try to remind him to take it down a notch, because that much excitement can be a little overwhelming.

But that is who he is: full of excitement, energy, questions, curiosity, and words. We still crack up at what seems to be the self-fulfilling prophecy of his name…“he who talks too much.” He has a lot to say, and this stage is pretty fun to be able to have a little glimpse into how he thinks. It has also showed us that he's got a pretty good memory. Soon, we may not even need a navigation system, because he remembers a lot of the places we've been and who we were with. Right now he likes to say it’s “my turn to talk.” We’re working on being patient and waiting while others are talking.

His interests are also pretty funny to me. Probably because I still feel somewhat clueless in the realm of boy stuff. But I’m learning. He LOVES any kind of car, truck, or moving object with wheels. He can spot a Mustang or a Hummer from a mile away. And last summer he got to go watch a monster truck rally and that may have (scary enough) turned into a defining moment of his little life. He’s a tad obsessed. If he ever sees a truck with the big raised wheels, he loudly proclaims “MONSTER TRUCK!” in this raspy, deep voice.

He could watch pretty much any sport out there and thinks it’s fun to “watch sports” with Daddy in the morning on ESPN. For his birthday, he got his first baseball glove and requests to play with it every single day. Again I’m pretty clueless about most sports, but he seems to have a decent arm, so that may be what our future Saturdays include in years to come. Although, he is also just as excited about throwing a football or kicking a soccer ball. I have had to remind him lately that girls play these sports too. He often tells me that “boys play football, baseball, and basketball…girls play volleyball.” Not sure where that came from.

A big highlight of this year for all of us was his graduation from all of the therapies for low muscle tone. I wrote more about it HERE, and then in December we got the official discharge. Hard to believe that was such a big part of the last 2+ years of his life. We are all so thankful for the progress he made and the amazing people around him (and us) that helped.

Now we have had to switch our health concerns to something else, unfortunately. In late November, he got his first ride in an ambulance. Not what a parent wants to see at only 3 years old. After being admitted briefly into the local children’s hospital for breathing issues, we’ve since started what looks to be treatment for allergy-induced asthma. We’re in the trial period of testing out a treatment, but it seems to be working. It appears to be a mild case and hopefully as long as we can keep his allergies from flaring up (airborne), he appears to be fine. Scary stuff, but I’m glad we’re able to address it.

Tate has thoroughly enjoyed going to preschool this year two days a week and bounds into the classroom with barely a goodbye for me. He’s a pretty social kid, so I think in many ways it’s much more exciting than being home. He has a hard time being quiet at rest time, but I think we’ve made a little progress.

Eating has become somewhat better and doesn’t seem quite as frustrating as maybe a year ago. He is still quite a picky eater but has also added a couple of items to his repertoire. His favorites right now are: peanut butter sandwiches, milk, chicken nuggets, yogurt, applesauce, pizza, Chipotle black beans/rice/guacamole, pancakes, bagels, corn dogs, Pei Wei noodles, grapes, apples, cheese quesadillas, donuts, and any and every dessert or “zer-ert” as he calls it.

He continues to be a great sleeper, which I’m very thankful for. If I let him, he could still take a 3-hour nap most days, but I’m trying to shorten it a little. He transitioned great into his big boy bed. There are still nights (usually after the days with a long nap) that we find him out of bed hiding behind the curtains and blinds trying to read a book. I use the stern Mommy voice telling him to get back in bed, but when I close the door I do get a pretty good laugh out of it.

He loves: being read to, playing trains/cars, playing outside, swimming at the indoor pool all year, listening to music on Wade’s iPod (Beatles, Neil Diamond, and The Eagles are favorites), playing with his friends, anything to do with our dog, Macy, watching Sesame Street , Barney, Little Einsteins, CARS, going to his grandparent’s homes, nighttime Bible stories, paying games on the iPhone, and going to church.

Potty training is still on the radar. I’m of the mindset to wait until it’s obvious that he’s ready. We gave it a try in late summer with not much success at all. So I’m not stressing and will wait a little longer so that the efforts are hopefully not in vain and actually stick for good. We’ll see how it goes.

And then there’s discipline. There’s so much about this stage that is relatively easy and fun, but then you have a rough day of him not listening or obeying and it all feels so exhausting and defeating. We’re trying so hard to be consistent and make sure Tate knows the expectations. There’s definitely been progress, but you realize it’s as tiring for the parents as it is for the kid.

I love this little guy more than I could ever imagine. I get frustrated with him more than I could ever imagine. I remind myself daily that he is not me. As I learn more about him and the personality and unique traits he was created with, I want so bad to bring those good characteristics out rather than form him into the image I have. That’s much easier said than done.

Even though I don’t have it all figured out, I’m enjoying this time as much as possible and find myself so thankful for his uniqueness, his joyfulness, and his enthusiasm. Here’s to year 4!

And here's the annual birthday video that Wade made:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The "Plan B" Birthday Party

A few months ago when talking to Tate about a 3^rd birthday party, he seemed to be excited about the idea of a train party. We booked a great inside location (you never know Texas weather in December) for 15 kiddos and were looking forward to one of those parties where you just show up and let the kids have fun.

So it was a little disconcerting when my friend called me a week before to ask why she couldn’t find that train place in the mall. Low and behold, it had closed down. Somehow, I never got a call from them to cancel the birthday party. Frustration. So I had to get creative and plan a “Plan B” birthday party within a few days.

All in all, it worked out great. It wasn’t necessarily the lowest stress of options and we had to do a little more than just show up, but it was still a fun train party for Tate and all of his friends.

We decided to ride the “big, strong train” (as Tate called it) into downtown Fort Worth and back. When everyone got on the train, they received their party favors…engineer hats and train whistles. I apologized countless times to the real passengers in the same train car as us.

I wasn’t quite sure how a 1-hour train ride would go over for all of the kids, but they did so great and seemed to have a fun time.

The tight timetable of the train schedule made us lose a few along the way (I felt SO bad about that!), but thankfully they were able to meet us at the pizza place later on for dinner and cake. And Tate was pretty excited that Uncle Brad made it as well.

When I would ask Tate about a cake, his request was always for brown cupcakes. In fact, brown seems to be his favorite color. I’m thinking for chocolate?

His friends sure seem to know him well. Lightening McQueen, car tracks, trains, Little Einstein’s…what more could he ask for?

Even with the chaos of a last minute change of plans, I’d say the party was a success. And I’d also say this is one blessed, happy little 3-year-old boy with some pretty great friends and family!

Next post: Tate ~ 3.0

The Big Reveal

Still in blog catch-up mode…back on December 8, Wade & I went to my dr. appt. for the big reveal sonogram. We were first thrilled to see little Baby Strz moving around (moving a lot according to the sonogram technician) and appearing to have all of the important working, operating parts. And then we were both thrilled and shocked to learn the news that we’re having another boy!

I try to be pretty honest on this ‘ol blog, so I will share that as incredibly thankful as I am for what still looks to be a very healthy baby, I was in some serious shock at the thought of a house full of boys.

I think I was most shocked because I came from a house where the girls outnumbered my Dad 3-1 (or 4-1 if you include the dog). And as my pregnancy progressed, everyone around me was convinced this baby was a girl. I tried to stay neutral in what I thought it might be, but probably had it in my head subconsciously that it was a girl. We headed back into the waiting room before I saw my doctor and my first question to Wade was, “So does this mean they’re going to toot on each other all of the time?” His response was a definite yes. :)

My shock has lessened and excitement for a house full of boys has increased these past weeks. I’ve talked to several moms of all boys and know that there are some fun times ahead for our family. And I can't wait to see what the brother relationship will be like for he and Tate.

I continue to be amazed and humbled at the work that is happening as the One who gives us life is using my body to form this little human. The longer you go through it and think about it, it’s really quite bizarre and incredible. I also know from our own experience and from the experiences of so many friends around us that a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby aren’t to be taken for granted. I’m forever grateful for what we’ve been given so far.

This pregnancy is already flying by, but I’m trying so hard to enjoy it as much as possible and relish in my special time with this little guy as I feel more and more of his kicks and moves.

And we of course can’t wait to meet this little person that is going to make up our family, and we already have so many questions about him. What will he look like? What will his personality be like? Will he be a sports and cars kind of guy like Tate or will we get to learn about all kinds of new things? Will he and Tate be best buddies? Will they really wrestle and toot on each other all of the time? So many things to think about and wonder. Good times ahead.

Thanksgiving 2009...Rock Band Style

The rate I’m going on this blog, maybe we’ll be into December posts by the time Christmas actually arrives. This year was yet another fun Thanksgiving with both sides of the family.

We had a new first this year with Tate’s Thanksgiving Feast at his school. We even had an entire table to ourselves because he had so many guests. On days like this, I’m reminded what a blessing it is to live in the same area as both sets of grandparents. Something to definitely be thankful for. And it’s fun to see what a unique, special relationship he has with each of them.

For Thanksgiving #1 with the Strzineks, I unfortunately don’t have many pictures. This year we ordered a fully catered Thanksgiving meal that you pick up ready to go. It was really delicious, a good deal, and a big timesaver. This picture is from Uncle Phillip and is the only one I have. We were thankful that he was with us this year.

Thanksgiving #2 with the Enrights has a few more pictures (mainly to document the evidence). My Mom loves making the traditional meal and slaves away all day. I seriously may never have to cook a turkey for many more years, because she enjoys it so much. More power to ya! And we always enjoy having our long-time family friends, the Barberenas, with us.

The highlight this year was the new addition of Rock Band. And if you know my family and husband, it was only fitting that we got The Beatles Rock Band. The little kids got to break in the set and play a little (see video) before bedtime. Pretty cute.

Then late into the evening, the big kids took a whirl at it. I debated for a long time on whether I would (or should) post this video. But hey, I’m always one to keep it real and to laugh at myself…and various family members. My observation on RockBand. Vocals are the way to go. The guitar is way too hard and the drums are pretty tricky. On vocals, you get to have fun.

See the concentration in the Enright sister’s faces as we try to play drums together?

Even Mom got in on the fun.

And here’s the video that may have to later be deleted. :) After the cute little kid’s turn, you’ll see what I’m talking about. Disclaimers: It was really, really late. I’m exhausted, almost 20 weeks pregnant, this is the 700^th song we did that night, and it’s midnight. I’m just trying to liven things up and not get too bored. Come on, when does a SAHM get to pretend to be a rock star? As you can see from Wade’s intense concentration, it’s a very serious game.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Funny that my Dad never did participate but seems to be having a good laugh in the background? Smart man. Who knows what will happen when we try again at Christmas?

Another Thanksgiving down, and another year of one of my favorite little poems:

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food,

For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fall Fun

It’s only fitting that since I posted a summer wrap-up in October that I post our fall wrap-up in December.

This fall was a little strange as far as the weather goes. I’m sure there are official statistics somewhere, but I think it may have rained 25 of the 31 days of October. That doesn’t allow for much fun time outdoors or many fall, harvesty trips to the pumpkin patch. This year there were only 1 ½ trips to the patch.

The first one was with some of my side of the family. We timed it well as the ground was dry and the crowds weren’t too bad. This pumpkin patch is actually an adorable little working family farm right smack in the middle of the suburbs. Kind of funny and charming.

Tate loved the mini tractors that you got to ride. In fact, he loved them so much, that he didn’t want to get off and share with the others.

So sometimes you even have to go to time out at the pumpkin patch.

Then we recovered and were off for more fun.

During the hayride, you got to stop and feed some of the animals on the farm. Our no-fear child had no hesitation putting a small piece of bread near these massive teeth.

I, however, had a lot of hesitation.

Our ½ trip to the next pumpkin patch was pretty close to what you may call a disaster. It was the day before Halloween after so much rain, we were looking forward to meeting several friends on what looked to be a beautiful sunshine day. Guess we should’ve factored in that a month of rain and a dirt-filled pumpkin patch did not make a good combination.

Here’s the one picture I have from the day as we tried to hide from the mud on the hayride with Annie, Monica, & Spencer. Some friends had already left, and we weren’t too far behind. Tate (and my shoes) were completely covered in a mud/something really smelly substance that smelt up my car for several days. Oh, the sacrifices we make for our children! J

We also got one last train ride in before it gets too cold with Aunt Shannon & Mallory.

And with the fall comes football season. I’m not sure if it’s his inherit, genuine interest or if it’s some slight brainwashing from Daddy, but this kid loves football. Wade has already taught him the Heisman pose.

We also were able to experience my version of “roughing it.” I didn’t grow up camping much at all, so this is about as close as I get to that. We went on a family retreat with our Wednesday night group from church. There was a huge group of adults and kids. Each of us had our own little room with bunk beds. I had no idea how it would go but was pleasantly surprised that Tate slept great. It was a great two days of fun with friends.

Pirate Day at Tate’s school.

A fun playdate with one of his BFFs, Jackson. This is a memorable one because it's where he got his first tooth injury. A simple face-first fall on the carpet resulted in a front tooth that started turning brown 3 weeks later. Nice.

And the fall also means it’s soccer season. My brother-in-law, Brad, is the men’s soccer coach at UMHB. This was an incredible season for the team. They made it through several rounds of the playoffs and even hosted a playoff game, which is a first in the school’s history. To say that Tate enjoys watching the “big soccer boys” is an understatement. He loves going to the games, playing soccer on the practice field, and yelling “Go Cru!” And I’m pretty sure it makes Uncle Brad fall into hero status since his job is to play soccer. We were all so excited to follow the season and were so proud of Brad, who also won the division Coach of the Year. Way to go Uncle Brad and the Cru!

Tate loved the part after the game when he got to go up and say “Good job Uncle Brad!”

Another Giveaway!

I'm miserably behind on blogging, but until I get caught up, be sure to go to Jelby's for a giveaway of some pretty adorable Christmas shirts. Yes, this is again a reminder that my sister and I do not share the same strain of DNA that is needed to be all creative and crafty. Sigh.

There will be 2 winners this time, so click on over and sign up by end of day Wednesday!

And coming to a blog near you (hopefully) soon:

Fall Fun

Thanksgiving 2009...RockBand Style

Another Trip to the Hospital

Thoughts on Interesting Article About Racism in Children

Tate is 3!

The "Big Reveal" of Baby Strz

Kitchen Update

When we moved into our home this summer, we knew that we wanted to do some updates to the kitchen. I love seeing before and after pictures of any decorating project, so I photographed the progress along the way.

The biggest realization I had going through this is that I could never live in a house during a true remodel. All of the changes “we” (term used loosely for contractors, painters, etc.) did were cosmetic. I can’t imagine doing anything structural and having to live through it. From the beginning stages of estimates to the final, final cabinet touch-ups just a few days ago, was about 3+ months. Man, that gets old…and messy. But it’s done, and I love it!

Here is the before:

And here is the after:

Black cabinets are not for everyone and some may find it odd, but I'm a huge fan. In fact, the cabinets in our previous house were black as well. This time, the weathered glaze adds an even different look to them, which I love.

The people who we bought the house from had just installed the granite in the kitchen, except for the bar/serving area. So the projects “we” did were finding a match and installing the remaining granite, painting and glazing the cabinets, installing new hardware, installing new appliances, and painting the walls.

Of course, no decorating project is ever 100% complete. The original homeowners decided not to under mount the sink. Bummer because now I’m having a hard time finding a granite company that will do that after granite is already installed. Still holding out hope.

I might possibly be in a never-ending quest for barstools. Why do most have to be too short, ugly, or way too expensive? And there is much more accessorizing and personalizing to do to finish out the kitchen. But overall, I’m very pleased with the pretty close to final product.

And an added treat that sometimes just makes me giddy is this:

My sister and her type-A self organized the kitchen cabinets. Yes, she organized someone else’s cabinets. She’s weird like that and enjoys it. :) I enjoy that she enjoys it. If not, it would one pile of mess that you would see. Thank you again Shannon!

Now onto actually putting things on the wall in the rest of the house…