That Never Give Up Spirit!

It's a hard thing being a parent. We do so many things for our kids, with our kids, and because of our kids. We drive them to and from their practices and go to their games ready to encourage them.

Last night I drove the 40 minutes across town with my son for his second hockey game of the season. My mother joined us for what we hoped would be a well matched game. The first game of the season his team had done a wonderful job and had ended the game in a 4-4 tie.

The kids looked great in their new jerseys. The took the ice with excitement, and enthusiasm. Then the game began.

It was a hard thing to watch. The boys played hard. They didn't play perfectly. Sitting in the stands was difficult. There is nothing quite like watching your child playing in a game where the opponent is scoring and your child's team is not.

The other team scored 6 goals in the first period alone. Our boys could have skated off the ice, hung their heads and figured there was no reason to keep trying. Did they? NO! They came back on the ice and held them to only 3 more goals in the second period and then only 2 more in the third.

The parents in the stands tried to encourage them, clapping and cheering them on for simply making good plays. In the end the score was 11-0. The boys were of course disappointed. It's hard to not win, and to be outscored by that amount is difficult as well. Just the same an important lesson was learned. Hopefully, it was learned by the team, parents and coaches alike. While it's easy to point out to your child that you simply can't win every game you ever play. It's only through a life lesson such as the game that teaches them to have a Never Give Up Spirit!

I know it was a loss, but in the end I know I was very proud of both my son, his team and the coaches. They played with courage, and kept going. I hope they all realize that this game not only taught them more about the game, it taught them about life as well.

Way to Go Mustangs, it may have been a loss on the score sheet, but on the score sheet that measures good sportsmanship, character and determination it was a win!

Mismatched Thoughts

It's Monday, which always seems so hard to believe. Seems like the 2 days of the weekend are never long enough. This weekend we had some down time which was nice, but just the same it went so quick.

Projects were finished this weekend, touch ups on the new hockey room, blinds removed, new hockey stick purchased, hostas cut down for the winter, the kitchen reorganized.

Family time, bike rides, game time, lunch out.

Zach's first hockey game of the preseason! Wow, that was intense. I always walk away having basically lost my voice. It was just too exciting, and the boys did really well. That makes it a bit tough on the voice all that cheering. Zach had a great game. He was on defense, which he is strong at, but then it's hard as he also likes to score. Hopefully, he'll get the chance to do both this season. We just have to wait and see.

Yesterday, I wrote 4 checks to our elementary school. I think I might have saved someones job at the check cashing section of the Fed! 4 checks, 2 for fundraising, and 2 for pictures. Have to of course write them seperate for each kid. Is that not crazy? Oh, well at least someone can keep their job in check cashing.

Monday's jobs are looming, so much to do before going to get the kids from school. Off to the races we go, whether working from home or working from work, there is always so much to do!

Too Much?!?

More and more I find myself wondering and praying about the fact that we are living in a generation of too much. Too much stuff, too much to do, too much email, too many voice mails, too many activities. The hard part is cutting back on all of it.

I think many of the things that we as a family are involved in are good things. We have been blessed with a wonderful house, and having an older nephew and niece our kids have been blessed with wonderful toys, books and clothes. Even there though I'm finding that the kids don't play with, read or wear 1/2 of what they have. I think Oct is going to be clean the closets month.

Then I look at the calendar and think, wow! Our son is in 1 activity. I know the stories of how much time travel hockey takes. Truth is it does. It's a commitment we made, one that we'll follow through on. Just the same I look at his schedule and think, how in the world are other families doing this and something else.

It was simpler when we were kids, maybe that is a good thing. We went to school, we came home, we played, we maybe went to dance class, we went to bed. Simple. Now it's one to hockey, one to dance, dinner quick as a family before the activities and then touch base on the day at 9 pm when the kids have finally gotten to bed.

I don't know what the answer is. I do know that our commitment to limiting our children's activities will stand. I occasionally feel guilty about them "missing out" on the other things available. Enough of that! They will be fine experiencing the things that they love and not all that is out there. Our family will be happier, and lately we've found white spaces on the calendar and it's a happy thought to think that there is Nothing that we have to do during one of those white space days.

Looking forward to more white space days ahead!

Moving Photos From Memory Manager-Tip for the day!

It is great to get the photos organized but once they are how do you move them around. First, let me suggest that you re title your photos so that they are marked with a recognizable name and not just their number. Next, click on the first photo you wish to move. Hold the shift key down and click on the last photo you wish to move. Drag all the photos to the clip board. From the clip board you can export them to a cd, flash drive, or a different folder on your desktop. For more Memory Manager help please email me directly at kropwithkathy@yahoo.com

Time Savers

Time the element that I think most of us would like to be able to manipulate. To slow it down, or occasionally speed it up.

Time savers, that's more my style these days. How can I do what I want to do as quickly as I can. I spent a lot of time talking about Power Tools that Creative Memories offers recently. I still think my photos are in better shape due to them.

Today's project though is really making Memory Manager work for me. I love our digital software. I even thought I knew everything there was to know about it. Then BAM! I took a webinar class and found out even more. I work with an awesome company that is always offering free training so that I can really know about everything I represent. I love that.

Memory Manager is where I store all of our photos. I usually pull them in from my digital camera and then immediately put them in a folder labeled "to be printed" It's a method that works for me and allows me to then go through that folder and decide what other folders I want to store them in. What an amazing thing to be able to store them in multiple folders for quick and easy reference. Not only that I can search for pictures that are stored in multiple locations at once. So for instance let's say I want to find a photo of both of my kids at Disney World

I could search through the 700+ photos I took at Disney (we had just bought our first digital camera and went a little nuts!). Searching through all of those photos could take up a lot of time. Or, I could search for photos that are located in both my Z and K folder (where I keep all pictures with both kids) and my Disney trip folder. Instantly, I would be able to look through the pictures that only contain the two things I am looking for. How cool is that!

Now when I load in my pictures I quickly title them as the theme that they are taken of. Such as the home improvement ones I just posted are titled Game Room, or the one above titled Disney. It makes it so much easier to search for the pictures I want. I love this program! It makes it quick and easy, of course I still have to find the time to sit down at the computer and put the pictures on to my computer, but once there this is a real time saver!

Did I mention it also reminds you to back up your photos? Last year alone over 70% of photos taken were lost on computer because they were not backed up. Sometimes we just forget to take that step, so a program that every so often starts by reminding me to back up my pictures is perfect for me. Check out the free demo at www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy it will be time well spent!

Staying In Shape

Went to the gym this morning, didn't want to. It felt good once I got there, but really its a hard thing to get back into a program of taking the time to work out. I'm not aiming to be to be the next super model, it wouldn't happen anyway. I just want to feel better, and be healthier so I went. Part of my problem is I think that at my age, sorry not going to reveal that, is it too late to really get started.

Now I'm home and trying to get through the email in box and get other things accomplished. Phil, the incredible husband that he is, (hi honey! since I know you read this!) emailed me photos of the Detroit Red Wings headed off to training camp. He knows how much I enjoy the personal side of hockey and not just the game. I still on occasion wonder if Kris Draper ever pushed the seat of the exersaucer down, but that's another story completely. Anyway, here I am at the age I am trying to decide if it is worth it at this age. When low and behold Chris Chelios http://www.behindthejersey.com/2007/09/12/chelios-packs-mountain-bike/ is loading a mountain bike into the bus to head to training camp. I realize he's been working out probably since he was 2 but it's at least a bit of inspiration for me that I'm not too old to get with the program. He is a LOT older then me though for anyone trying to figure that out.

Way to go Chris! Happy riding. A weekend trip up to Traverse City sure sounds like fun.

Let's Go Wings!

Rememberance

The grey, rainy day seems to be echoing my heart today. It's hard to believe 6 years have past since 9/11. Seems hard to believe that on most days it is something I don't find myself thinking about at all. It's not that I've forgotten, nor will ever forget. How can we forget something that has so changed our nation, changed lives, changed what we do? For our family though, we weren't directly involved. Family members did not loose their lives, and do not reside in or our around the areas directly attacked. Maybe that is why we don't think of it regularly.

Regardless, it's on my mind today. On my heart. I've found myself praying for those that were involved again, as I have every year. I've found myself praying desperately for my 7 year old who for the first time realizes that something awful happened 6 years ago. A child that should not have to think about planes and buildings and death. He started asking questions a year ago after seeing a pamphlet at church on the literature shelf titled America Attacked. He could read the title and we tried our best to briefly answer his questions. It's not that we are trying to hide things from him, it's just the world is so big, and has so many things happening it that he simply at 7 does not need to know. We have found that we don't even watch the news as it is filled with images that are common today in the news, but would have seemed shocking when we were 7 years old. He doesn't need to be exposed to that now. All too soon he will be. So for now we answer questions, giving him the truth in the amounts that a 7 year old, our 7 year old can handle.

Since seeing the pamphlet at church the questions had subsided until Sunday night when the Extreme Home Makeover episode that he was watching was building a house for a man and his family who took time to help on that day 6 years ago. Questions began again, and this morning he wanted to know when the attacks happened, where was he when it happened and what were people doing today to remember. Again, truth, answers, prayer. We watched as President Bush, Laura, the Vice President and his wife observed a moment of silence. We prayed together and I found myself thanking God that it was raining and that I had decided to drive my children to school.

I will continue to answer his questions. I'm sure there will be more in the future. Over time maybe it will allow us all to understand better why this happened. In a few years perhaps it will be his sister asking. But for now at 5 all she really needs to know is that bad men, made a bad decision and many people died because of their decision. She also knows that only the day before that happened we found out that she would be in our lives. So even in the midst of the fear, and the questions we had hope for the future. Hope for a better world. Isn't that what we all really want after all? A better world. There are plenty of times that we will not know the answers to questions. Most of those questions start with "why". So today I'm remembering what happened, but I am thankful because even in the midst of this tragedy, of this horrible event that took place 6 years ago I do have hope. Hope in the fact that this is not the end. God has promised us a new life with Him someday if we put our trust in Him. We may not always know what the future holds, but He does, and He wants us to be with Him. So, today in the midst of the storm of life, I can be sure that there will be a new day just around the corner. As we remember what happened 6 years ago, that is the piece of sunlight that is shining down reminding us to keep looking forward.

Weekend Warriors

Two weeks ago we decided to take our purple/peptobismal playroom and transform it into our version of Hockeytown.

It wasn't a big project but when working around so many other things pulling on our time it turned into a 2 week ordeal.

At first the color just was not looking like the warm tones that we have throughout the house. At least in the rooms we've already repainted. But after 3 coats on the walls, and then several coats of white for the trim, and doors it turned into the room we were looking forward to having.

Our goal was to have it ready by the start of Hockey season. We still have a few spots to touch up with red, and white. A smaller hockey table to relocate to the room, and of course our collect of Red Wings literature. All in all though, it's complete and ready for the Wings to take the ice. Not bad for a weekend of fitting it in between spending some quality time with the kiddos, and friends.

Let's Go Wings!

Hope you're as ready for a great season as we are!

Fresh Air

What a beautiful day it is turning out to be. The sky is perfect the breeze is blowing. Yeah, it's going to be hot, but don't most days hold something we'd like to change. It's the day I set aside for going to the gym. I need to do that, I want to do that, but today that would have added more stress. I decided to enjoy the beauty outside instead. I spent 30 minutes walking this morning. Time alone, time with God. I needed the break. I needed the time to cry out and say "help". The world is crashing in around, so much is needed to be done, so much I want to do. Yet at the center of that I know that if God is not first in my life, the rest will be even more of a mess. Amazing what 30 minutes of talking with the Saviour can do. Not only did I come home refreshed and ready to focus in on the day. I came home knowing that it's ok if our son does not do Scouts. An email confirmed that this is not the right thing for us right now. Doesn't mean that Scouts isn't a great thing, just that our famiy can not and will not do it all, and for Zach hockey is his thing right now. I came back knowing that I need to make a list of all I am involved with and find a way to cross some things off.

I want so desperately to be a part of my kids lives. This is a time when I can be involved in their classrooms, in their schools. Just the same it does not mean that either of them will suffer if I'm not the "room parent". I can't do it. Maybe next year, but if I'm asked this year the answer has to be NO. I will come to parties, but I can not plan them. Do the kids even really care who plans them? They just want to know we are there to support them, and love them.

I set time aside to be in my bible, to be studying the Word. A phone call naturally came as soon as I sat down, but in answering it I soon found more peace about the hockey meeting I went to last night. In 15 minutes today I have found that what needs to be done has gotten done already, that the other mother and I are both more at peace about what is to go on, and that the Coach is able to meet tonight after practice. I found a person willing to give time out of her day to calm my fears. It didn't just happen, God is there saying "hush, and be still" take time for me first and the rest will fall into place.

Yes, I'm still over committed. Sometimes being a responsible, wanting to be involved person does that. Now, I'm going to seek out what God is requiring of me, and letting go of those things that are not needed. I think it's in Philippians, where it says "everything is permissible, but not everything is good". Just because it's available does not mean it needs to be done by me or my family.

Praise God for the beautiful, fresh air that pulled me outside for the walk. In a gym I may have taken the time to focus on Him and seek out that peace, but outside the distractions will limited and the peace that I prayed for came.

Blur

It's 7:45 am, kids are playing, lunches need to be finished for school, breakfast made and the day running. Problem is my mind, has been running since I woke up. Running over what really matters and what needs to go. The problem is that there is so much that seems like it can't go. I've been realizing more and more lately it's the little things that add up to a jumble of too much to do. It's hard to come to that conclusion. Now that I'm there the problem is what to do about it.

I sat at a Hockey meeting last night. A meeting that I'm not sure how I really ended up at. Some where over the last 15 years of my life I've become known as the responsible type that will do the job that no one else steps up for. Another Mom and I said we could help the coach out if needed, but what apparently is needed from the meeting standpoints last night is so much more then I have time for. I agree it needs to be done, but I just can't do it. I have so much else going on. It leaves me wondering where to cut.

I now know what the goal for each day needs to be. It needs to be on letting go, and getting rid of things that are interfering with actually living.

One more thing may be small, but then you end up with so many small things that your life is a blur of activities with no time to enjoy the outcome.

Tool Time

Creative Memories has so many useful tools, it is hard to figure out which one I would say is truly my favorite. I do find that I use them for so many things aside from my album making. Today alone I used the personal trimmer, to get the paper just right for a project my kids were working on, the scissors that are always useful and the tape runner to help adhere the paper to the kids project. (forget the messy glue!)

The personal trimmer is probably one of my most used tools. It's a mini paper cutter, with a friction cutting blade which allows me to cut paper and not myself. I can also trim photos, stickers or whatever else is little and needs an edge cut off. It has a straight edge that helps me line everything up, so there is no more need to cut things a second time to get it right. It is definitely a tool that I would recommend to someone just getting started, or who is an old pro with album making. It also makes a perfect teacher gift!