Life and Times of the Sharp Family

When I decided to continue my journey of blogging thankfulness past one year, I gave myself permission to have some unspoken posts. These unspoken posts are days where I feel thankful about something that I would prefer not to share with others. Today is one of those days. I am feeling tremendously blessed right now for an unspoken reason. Lord, thank you so much for all that you do and the ways in which you bless me. In your name I pray, Amen.

I'm thankful for this kid, who loves his Grandma in the most pure, sincere way: And for this kid, who loves her Grandma too, but also idolizes her big brother and wants to do everything just exactly like he does: And finally, for this kid, who didn't want to write a letter at all and clearly doesn't understand " Inside Voice: Quiet " as well as I originally thought: I'm thankful for my awesome kids -- who manage to bring me joy even on the darkest days; who make even the best days even better. Thank God these kids are awesome! Lord, thank you for giving me some pretty sweet kids.  Thank you for all the laughs I got to have because of them today.  I am grateful that you made me their mom on purpose.  In your name I pray, Amen.

The kids are big fans of the show Yo Gabba Gabba. A song that they have learned from the show teaches kids about using their  inside voices when they are inside. Today I needed the kids to be quiet while I was in a meeting. I talked to them about using their inside voices while mommy was talking. They did a great job. Lord, thank you for my wonderful children, and their desire to be good kiddos. In your name I pray, Amen.

Today was Breslin's last official day of daycare.  A week from today he starts KINDERGARTEN!  I remember leaving him with my mom when he was just over 7 weeks old, when I tearfully walked out the door to drive my car back to school after a unbelievably short maternity leave.  It marks the end of an era for Breslin.  Along the way, he was blessed with some pretty amazing caregivers.  In the spring after he was born, we managed to secure family members to watch him until the summer.  It was pretty cool to know that people like my mom, Bob, Colby's mom, my dad, Laura, Suzanne, my Grandmommy, Colby's Grandma Vilminot, and April were hanging out with him.  Somehow it made being away from him a little easier. Then there was his first official "center" at Miss Kris' house.  Finding her was completely a God thing, without a doubt.  I remember anxiously calling center after center for rates and availability.  Every place was full or ex...

Today, my aunt gave my kids a gift from her trip to Mackinaw City -- three shirts made to look like those of Thing 1 and Thing 2 from Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat. When we got home, the first thing these crazies wanted to do was to put on their new shirts and run around the house. They were terribly cute being what they called "Wild Things", growling, and shrieking -- even going as far as to make us call them by their "Thing 1", "Thing 2", and "Thing 3" names for the rest of the evening. I can't wait to put the take them out in public wearing the shirts.  Now, Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3 are all sleeping after a long, hard day back in the grind.  Tonight I'm thankful to be the mom of such cute little things.  They were the refreshing joy I needed after my first day back at school. Thank God for Things 1, 2, and 3!  And thanks to Mimo for the new shirts! :) Lord, thank you for my crazy kids and for the joy they br...

Tonight we pulled up to the Little Caesar's in Marshall, Michigan and taught our three intently listening children two very important things about how pizza has changed from when we were children: 1) You can get it for $5. 2) You can get it in a drive-thru. I am horrifyingly nostalgic when I begin to think about the huge role the Hot 'N Ready Pizza has played in our lives.  Colby and I pretty much lived on them during our first year of marriage at Alma, stopping by the local Little Caesar's once, maybe twice, a day. We have had them at the Sharp's house more times than I could even fathom.  We buy them for roughly half of the birthday parties we throw (which is a lot...we have a lot of kids).  We get them 2/3 of the time we don't feel like cooking or don't have anything in the the fridge to whip up.  The list goes on.  And on. It's hard to imagine how a pizza could cost only $5, but we are thrilled beyond what is probably reasonable t...

Remember Red Light, Green Light?  It's a game you might have played as a kid.  Someone sits at the "finish line" and everyone else lines up at a designated spot some distance away.  The person at the finish line yells, "Green light!" and everyone runs as fast as they can towards them.  When they yell, "Red light!" everyone has to stop.  Whoever makes it to the finish line first become the next person to yell "Red Light!  Green Light!"  Repeat, ad nauseum. After dinner at my mom and Bob's house tonight, we played a rousing game of Red Light, Green Light.  Apparently they have learned the rules of the game at Heaven's Little Helpers.  Breslin, Dharia, AJ, my mom, and I played countless rounds, with my mom and I getting called for cheating and letting the kids win in about equal amounts.  Dharia is a stickler for the rules, so each time we would cheat, we would be severely reprimanded and sent back to the starting line.  Here she is,...

Tonight I heard about some good news for a good friend.  I don't know if this friend is ready and able yet to make this news public, yet, so I can't share the details of this good news with you here.  Sorry.  I know that's a bit obnoxious. But, I was very thankful to learn of it.  Good news is always fun to hear.  The best part is, I know that this good news has the potential to impact many more people in an incredible way -- so I'm pretty stoked about that, too.  Thank God for good news! Lord, thank you for my friend and for the amazing things you are doing in her life.  Please continue to bless and guide her.  Thank you for your perfect timing.  Amen.

Not the best picture, I realize.  Do you know how unbelievably difficult it is to take a picture of your own right ankle?  A day after finishing the Ironman, I got the M-Dot tattoo on my right ankle.  I was casually strolling down the street in Burlington, VT and saw a sign for Moose Tattoo on the sidewalk.  Throughout my entire training, I'd been going back and forth on whether or not I would get the popular, yet controversial Ironman symbol done after the race; but when it came right down to it, I didn't waffle.  I marched up those steps and in the time it took Colby to find a parking spot, I was walking out with a finished tattoo. I took the quiz in Cosmo  yesterday while I was sitting in the bathtub  , and it turns out that I have their blessing to get it as well, as it is both symbolic and small.  Unfortunately, my other tats did not pass the same test.  Ah well. Tonight I'm thankful for this p...

Another great thing about living in Albion, besides the Albion District Library  (day 417), the Whitehouse Nature Center (day 603) and the Dean Aquatic Center  (day 606) is undoubtedly Lopez Taco House. I was first introduced to Lopez, as it is affectionately called in these parts, at the tender age of 12, by a good friend of mine who had close ties to the Albion community.  I had 3 cheese enchiladas and my world was never the same. These days, I'm not proud to say that I would probably trade one of my children for a chicken wet burrito if the mood struck me.  But just for a minute.  Maybe they could do dishes or something.  Lopez is a family owned restaurant.  They could be up for striking a deal.  Anyway. That's not my biggest problem now. Because it turns out my kids love Lopez too. After hitting up the library for story time today, we heard some librarians talking about getting lunch at Lopez.  It was one...

My Dharia Lou can be one tough cookie. Today, we rectified the letter we got in the mail, acknowledging that she was delinquent on several of her vaccinations. Read: My poor baby had to get four shots today. I told her that she was going to have to get some "pokes" and that it would probably hurt, but we had to do it so that she didn't get sick later.  She seemed okay with it, told me she was going to be brave, and marched resolutely up to the examination table when the nurses came into the room brandishing 4 syringes. When I asked her if she wanted to sit in my lap, she shook her head no, but told me she'd like for me to hold her hand. She did shed some tears, but when it was all said and done, she was proud of her four Looney-Tunes bandages and asked the nurses if she could pick out a sticker for her brother and sister in addition to the one they offered to her.  She happily selected a lollipop and seemed no worse for the wear by the time w...

Living in a college town is pretty cool.  It brings a cyclical feel to our community.  For example, fall move-ins have now begun, bringing life and traffic back to town.  Campus gets quiet and concentrated in mid-December, as students quietly shuffle through the falling snow around final exam time.  And when the fraternity houses start playing beach volleyball in April, you know summer is just around the corner. Another reason I love living near Albion College is their amazing facilities that they so willingly share with the community.  The Whitehouse Nature Center , which we visited a few days ago, is one of those.  Another is the Dow Athletic Center, which allows people in the community to become members for an annual fee.  We are proud members of the Dow, and much to our children's delight, this includes access to the pool in the Dean Aquatic Center. I have used the pool for a couple of years now for swim training for my triathlon...

Colby and I took the girls to Ketchum Park in Marshall this morning and the trip ended up lasting through mid-afternoon, happily. We've been to this park before, but have never really been able to appreciate it fully for whatever reason.  The girls played out various scenarios together throughout the play structure designed to resemble infamous and historic places in Marshall -- such as the Cronin House, the Brooks Fountain, and the Honolulu House.  It's a unique playground, for sure, and has lots of shady spots for moms and ads to sit.  Colby and I made a Biggby stop beforehand, so we were sitting pretty.  I'll never get tired of hearing Colby order me a "Skinny, Dirty Chai Latte?" in the Biggby drive thru.  Never.  Anyway... The park is also situated on either side of the banks of Rice Creek, hence there is a North and South Ketchum Park that is connected by a pretty cool-looking old pedestrian bridge.  It's pretty easy to get down to the creek, ...

Breslin got to go on an adventure with his Grandpa Stuart today.  My dad whisked him off to Detroit for a Tigers game tonight and then a Day Out with Thomas tomorrow -- or as Breslin says, "Thomas in REAL LIFE!".  Breslin has been very excited about the whole thing for a long time now, although it was fairly obvious that Thomas was the big draw.  Colby and I were a little worried he'd be asking where Thomas was the whole baseball game and might potentially be a whiny drag; but from the look of it, he had nothing but fun at the game tonight: Mickey was there apparently... Gotta ride the Tiger carousel, naturally! Fireworks after the game... Eating a hot dog together at Comerica! I'm so grateful that he was able to have this quality time with my dad making memories that will last a long time. Thank God for an overnight adventure! Lord, thank you for giving my dad and Breslin time together.  Thank you for the fun they h...

We went for a hike today in the trails at the Whitehouse Nature Center, on the campus of Albion College.  Colby and I often run through the trails, and I love to snowshoe there in the winter.  We have many times discussed taking the kids for a hike there.  Today, we decided to go for it. We packed a couple of backpacks full of snacks and juice boxes, loaded up the bike trailers and headed out.  0.7 miles later, we were at the trail head. It was a beautiful, cool day.  We found it refreshing to be outside in the crisp air taking in all of the the vibrant colors and sounds.  The kids had a great time climbing trees, splashing in the river (okay, Dharia fell in the river, but it was still fun), finding big sticks to poke things with, and scaring away the surrounding wildlife.  Breslin, naturally, loved finding the numbered trail posts that signify certain species of trees and following them in order.   I think it's safe to say that...

Sometimes Breslin gets a big idea in his head that won't go away until we figure out how to make things happen. Tonight Breslin came up to us and said, "I need to dress up like a robot." After lots of failed attempts we were able to come up with a costume that Breslin felt was acceptable. Lord, thank you for blessing us with a creative boy with a huge imagination. Help us to always support his big ideas and giant dreams. In your name I pray, Amen. 

We took the kids to the Cascades Falls tonight to enjoy Disney night.  This included a band playing popular Disney tunes and a parade of somewhat creepy Disney characters that the kids could hug or stand with for a picture. If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely adore the Falls.  If I could, I'd go every night in the summer.  Colby and I have an extensive history there, too.  The architecture, the water, the music, the lights--I find it all terribly romantic.  I resigned myself to a very un-romantic evening, but was looking forward to it, nonetheless, especially given my kids' reactions to the announcement we were attending "A Disney Party".  When Dharia and Breslin heard that we were going to see the Disney characters, they flipped out.  I mean full out sprinting from one end of the house to another.  They were most excited to see Mickey and Minnie, but I told them that I wasn't sure if they were actually going to be there. ...

I never thought I would be so happy to have my dumb van back. Remember how I told you about all that gas leaking everywhere last week , and how it was going to cost over $1200 to fix the van? Remember how once I told you that Rob Sharp is the bomb-dizzle ?  **Mental note: never use that phrase again.  Especially in front of Rob. Well, one thing that I didn't really think about as I was contemplating that sticker shock of fixing the van's leaky gas tank was how much I would miss all of the space and convenience that the van offers.  In the Saturn, when we go anywhere as a family, it means that either Colby or I are sitting in the middle of the backseat between two kids in car seats -- this is the opposite of comfortable, if you're wondering.  Add in the fact that getting the kids in and out of the car requires the opening and closing of suicide doors, and you've a got a first class pain in the you-know-what.  Literally.  The middle of the back seat ...

Today I celebrate 9 years of marriage to my best friend, my partner in crime, the love of my life. I am so unbelievably thankful that God picked Colby for me.  My husband is one big huge blessing that could never be completely covered in one post.  I'd never even try. So tonight, I'm thankful that 9 years ago, we said "I do" down at the lake, surrounded by candles -- it was nothing less than pure magic. I am so grateful to have had Colby by my side, for better and for worse, through these nine years.  Thank God for 9 years! Lord, thank you for a very special night 9 years ago that bound us together for the rest of our lives.  I pray that you would continue to bless us and help us to grow in our marriage to honor you.  In your name I pray, Amen.

The Sharp family had the best time hanging out with the Montagues at the Calhoun County Fair today. The kids had a blast riding ponies, eating fair food, petting animals, and then visiting a near by park. Lord, thank you for allowing us to spend such quality time with our friends and our children. Thank you for blessing us with such amazing loved ones. In your name I pray, Amen.

Breslin and Dharia are spending the night at Grandma Sharp's house tonight. They were so excited to spend an evening filled with Popsicles, coloring, and time with people that love them dearly. AJ was very sad to be left behind, but she had a wonderful time playing the role of only child. She enjoyed every second of our undivided attention. Lord, thank you for giving Breslind and Dharia an opportunity to spend time with family members that love them so much, and thank you for giving us a great evening with AJ. In your name we pray, Amen.

I learned late last night that Dr. Lee died suddenly of a heart attack.  Dr. Lee was my chiropractor.  But he was more than that too.  He was the " Run Doctor " and the founder of the Albion Chiropractic Clinic that I've been visiting since we moved here five years ago. He was truly an impressive man -- involved in the community and continually seeking excellence in his profession.  You can read more about him here . Dr. Lee made me feel like a million bucks every time I walked through the door, acted like everything I said was interesting, and always had a smile on his face.  I saw him frequently during my training for the Ironman as he was a genius at helping me take care of the nagging overuse injuries that would inevitably creep up on me.  I left each and every visit not only feeling physically better, but emotionally uplifted because of my interactions with him.   I spent a lot of time thinki...

Today was the "Talent Show" at daycare.  I read this on the crayon-covered, coffee-stained calendar on the floor of the Saturn on the way to dropping the kids off.  So, sadly, we hadn't worked out any choreographed routines, nor did I bring the karaoke tracks or batons with us. I left it up to the kids to decide what their "talents" were, and just "go for it".  The girls took this challenge gamely, and even seemed excited about the show.  Dharia even told me that her special talent could be baking little cakes for everyone at daycare, as she plans on someday becoming a chef. I told her that was a fine idea.  Hey, who am I to crush my daughter's dreams? Mental note: apologize to daycare staff. AJ said something I didn't really understand, but I imagined that she was contemplating showing off her Greco-Roman wrestling moves, which she has been working hard at perfecting on Bres and Dharia lately. Breslin was not excited about the ta...

Apparently, "The ABC Song" is now known as "AJ's ABCs".  Let me back up a little bit. Pretty much every night, I sing to AJ.  Her playlist never varies and always goes in the same order: 1) "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" 2) "Smile" 3) "The ABC song" 4) "Twinkle, Twinkle" That is, until the last few days when she has started requesting "Grandpa's ABCs, which is a children's church/vacation Bible school variation he taught her when we were in New York. What threw me for a loop was the request for "AJs ABCs" that followed directly after "Grandpa's ABCs".  I only knew "Grandpa's ABCs" because he told me about it.  Was this some weird alternate rendition that only AJ knew?  After a bit, I used my reasoning skills to consider that maybe her request for "AJs ABCs" was just, in fact, the ABC song that everyone knows.  When I started to sing it to her, she n...

We spent the entire day today in St. Joseph, Michigan.  We woke up at 9 am.  I am interrupting the flow of this post to emphasize that we woke up at 9 am.  Are you kidding me?  That's absurd!  Colby and I were thrilled! Colby and I sipped on coffee while the kids swam in the hotel pool.  It was one of those cool hotel pools that was both indoor and outdoor, with the little doggie door-like contraption that you could swim through to get from one to the other.  Thanks to the new swim bubbles my dad bought the kids, Colby and I could relax in deck loungers without worrying about any of our kids drowning.  Those bubbles could be something to be thankful in and of themselves.  But, that's a different story. After our swim, we headed off for Silver Beach Pizza, which is an old train station that has been re-purposed into a restaurant specializing in pizza and beer.  Actually, it's still half of a train station, as it ...

Dharia woke up this morning fever-free and ready to rock.  Her choice?  The Big Lake -- that is, Lake Michigan. We had the suits, towels, beach toys, and peanut butter and jellies packed and ready to go. We needed to stop for just a moment to gas up the van.  As my husband went inside to pay, a lovely elderly gentleman informed me that we were leaking gas all over the ground underneath the van.  Another man walked up, concerned, and told me that it was so bad that we shouldn't even drive the van home.  Home was only 1.5 miles away, so I figured that this was a pretty big deal. Fortunately for us, College Motors was literally right across the road, so we unloaded the kids and left Colby to drive across the street with the chance of blowing up in a giant fireball.  By the grace of God, he didn't. Q:  What's more depressing than seeing nearly $100 worth of gas leak out of your car onto the cement below?  A: Finding out that it will take $12...

I fully intended to have a day packed with of fun and adventure.  We have been lurking about the house way too much lately, which makes me more than a little crazy.  This morning, I dreamed up some grand options for whisking the kids away.  I thought about a spontaneous camping trip to a beach town, a trip to the John Ball Zoo and Aquarium in Grand Rapids, or a day of geocaching in a random town. Then Dharia woke up with a fever of monster proportions and that was the end of that. I fought my own petulance and desire to pout as I contemplated the consequences of yet another day at home. Then, Dharia asked me to cuddle up with her on the couch.  Once I got bundled in next to her, she wouldn't let me leave.  To kill some time, I started Lilo and Stitch and had the delight of watching her experience this amazing movie from Disney for the very first time.  I realized that my kids have had very little exposure to the fantast...

Breslin has been bugging us to go on a scavenger hunt lately.  I would try to start making one, but it always ended up being a little more work than I want to put in.  Tonight I decided I was going to man-up and just do it.  I started doing some research online and ended up at the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau Geocache Challenge. I have heard about geocaching a lot, but have never had the opportunity or the resources to do it. It's basically a treasure hunt using GPS coordinates.  When we explained the premise to Breslin, his face lit up like a Christmas tree and it was game on.  We looked up a few caches in Albion, sent the coordinates to Colby's new fancy phone (donated by his brother), and we were off in the van to search out our treasure.  We stayed close to home at first, because we weren't really sure what we were getting into. The kids loved following "the map" and looking around the first location to find the container.  Finally, afte...

My kids have been sporting some super-awesome t-shirts today.  Of course, Breslin, Dharia and AJ always make me smile, but when they look cute, they are even more fun to be around. Take, for example, this t-shirt that Breslin wore tonight to Relay for Life.  He got it from my mom and Bob.  Breslin's Papa Bob makes his meatballs for Breslin about once a month and my boy enjoys trying to beat his personal best for meatball consumption at every opportunity. Last week, Kathy bought Dharia this t-shirt for her birthday, which she has been wearing around pretty much non-stop.  I think it's fairly obvious why I love this shirt so much: In my family, t-shirts are almost prized possessions.  My husband has more t-shirts than you could ever imagine, including several Rubbermaid bins full of t-shirts in the basement that he has on rotation..  It's amusing to me that my children share Colby's love for a good t-shirt and I'm grateful that my k...

Today I had some cleaning to do.  The kids were headed off to daycare, but the girls wanted to help me dust before they left.  I gave them each a piece of paper towel and chuckled as Dharia and AJ followed me around the house in the wake of my dusting mania, rubbing down chair legs, shelves, and tabletops.  They were so giggly and delighted to help wherever I directed them; it definitely made dusting a more enjoyable experience.  It was like I had my own little dusting fairies, flitting about the house, smiling and laughing and making me so thankful to have these daughters of mine -- who desire so badly to just be close to me that they are even willing to do the dusting. Thank God for my little dusting fairies! Lord, thank you for my daughters and for the closeness we share.  Please help me to be a good mom, and to soak up these moments with them.  In your name I pray, amen.

I got Quicksilver back yesterday, as previously mentioned.  I sort of wasn't expecting to want to get on and ride right away, but this evening I decided that a bike ride sounded just perfect.  When I wheeled the bike into the garage, however, I noticed that not only was I missing a couple of pedals, but I definitely had a flat back tire. This would be the sort of thing that would normally make me say, "Mehh, I don't really want to ride my bike that much." I was elated that among the challenges I faced on the IM Lake Placid bike course, a flat tire was not one of them.  I have forever felt woefully inadequate in even the most basic bike maitenance, and I have repaired my own flat tire a total of 1 time in the seven years I have owned my bike.  It didn't go so well, and I ended up having to have it re-repaired by an expert a couple of days later. Today, I decided I would change my own tire --even if it was the back tire, making it about ten times harder...