It’s time for a budget. An honest, true-to-life, livable budget. So when Jeremy asked what I wanted to do last night, after we ate a healthy dinner of Hamburger Helper, I said, “Get ice cream.” Usually “get ice cream” refers to us jumping in the Altima and heading down the road a mile to Ivanna Cone in the Haymarket… Love that Ivanna Cone! But a budget-minded Tredway must begin to think differently. So we first brainstormed inexpensive Friday night activities. Know what won out? A visit to our favorite three year olds.
At 8:11pm we had no time to lose; the boys would soon be put to bed. We quickly drove south of town and enjoyed half an hour of rowdy fun with these very crazy, highly entertaining miniature geniuses. I call them geniuses because they’re already learning to write their letters, they can recall names of their little friends from daycare, and well, because they’re just so darn cute. When I asked them what my name was (“Becca what?”) one replied, “Becca and Jeremy.” And when it, alas, came time for bed, I got a very sweet drooly kiss on the lips from the other one. Now I know these little guys aren’t perfect, but you can’t beat ‘em for great entertainment on a Friday night!
Whatever money we saved Friday I blew Saturday night. But I think it’s okay because time spent with my brothers is a rarity and our time together this evening was well worth it. Andrew and I battled rain, winds and washed-out roads on our way to Omaha while storms once again ravaged the poor small towns south of Lincoln. Once there, Adam introduced us to a very yummy Vietnamese restaurant and I enjoyed the best chicken curry since my days in St. Louis at Pho Grand. Though not my first movie choice, Chronicles of Riddick was fun and engaging… And kudos goes to the Omaha AMC theater for the best bathrooms in any movie theater anywhere. One thing about sibling time… It’s so nice to enjoy being with your siblings. I consider myself really blessed to have brothers that are cool and fun.
Don’t know what tomorrow holds, besides our usual attendance of the late service at church. What I do know is that it is our sixth wedding anniversary—and such an event deserves a blog entry of it’s own!
Brandywine Gardens has been creeping along in the mild June weather, not growing dramatically… until now. Yesterday we hits temps in the ’90s and I imagine if I had perched on my back deck all day, I would’ve seen the plants grow before my eyes. They LOVE the heat. Granted, the veggies looked a wee wilted by the end of the day, but cool night breezes and a healthy watering cured all that. This photo of one zucchini was taken several days ago—it has probably doubled in size since then. My delphinium are the current pride and joy of my gardening efforts, though I can take absolutely no credit for their beauty. We happen to have fantastic soil that’ll grow just about anything that can grow in Nebraska. We planted the dels and now they’re just gorgeous. If anyone has good recipes involving tomato, cucumber, green pepper or zucchini, drop me an email… I think the Shire will have such fruits coming out our ears in a few short weeks.
It’s been a teary weekend for me… Last night I watched In America, knowing full well I could end up with salty cheeks by the time it was over. I managed to contain the sobs I felt like releasing and only used one tissue — not too bad! (Sidenote: I really liked the movie… Definitely worth seeing.) This morning Tobey preached at Zion. Besides doing a heck of a good job for the second week in a row, he shared some memories related to the tragic death of his sixteen month old niece. As he began this particular illustration I braced myself against empathetically tearing up and yet, when he uttered the words “Daddy, I’m home” as a metaphor to his niece’s entry into heaven, I lost it. As did all the women around me, and a few men, I’m certain. Though I managed to keep the weepy eyes to a minimum, my nose betrayed me and a tissue-dig in the purse was inevitable. Finally, I picked up a book at the library this afternoon entitled, Child of My Heart: A Celebration of Adoption, by Barbara Alpert (Berkley Books). Two pages in and I was racked with intense emotion over the reunion of a birthfather and his biological daughter. I’d share the sweet story here but my keyboard would be positively sticky by the time I was finished. Instead I’ll relay this wonderful passage written by Jamie Lee Curtis, adoptive mom to two children, Annie and Tom:
“I like myself more now that I’m a mother. Annie brings out all my good. And all my weirdness. I can be this nutty wacko mommy for her. You know those markers, the ones you use to highlight sentences? Well, Annie’s my highlighter. She emphasizes the best in me. It just stands out when I’m with her…”
“I don’t care how my family was created. I can tell you what I feel for my children. I love them more than anything in the world I could ever love.”
Wait…
“Wait for Mommy before you cross the road!”
W-ait…
“Can you wait for dinner? One hour more.”
W-a-it…
“Only four more months ’til Christmas!”
W-a-i-t…
“Nope, don’t open that present yet. TOMORROW’s your birthday.”
W-A-I-T-I-N-G can be excruciating as a kid. Waiting can be excruciating as an adult. What’s the toughest thing you’ve had to wait for? Or… What is the best thing you’ve waited for?
She wakes up, lines creasing her forehead, the frown has already been firmly established in her sleep. The day is dark, though the sun is shining brightly, and she pulls the covers up in a vain attempt to block out the impending hours. The unknown, the unexpected, the anticipation of it all overwhelms. She lays back among wrinkled pillows, dreading the day.
…
She wakes up and squints at the sunlight pouring through eastern windows. A Tuesday that feels like a Monday — a fresh start to a new week, a new beginning to rival all beginnings treads on her mind without any heaviness. The adventure, the challenge, the joy of unknown measure awakens a heart bright with eagerness and she throws off the sheets and abandons the myriad of pillows in order to explore the new day.
Every once in awhile you see something that takes you aback and you think, Hmmm… That’s interesting… Seen today on “O” and 16th at 10:30am: A little old man sitting alone at an outdoor cafe table, dressed in a red-checkered suit, wearing an ENORMOUS plush Uncle Sam hat.
Huh. Interesting.
Many things are changing in the Tredway household…
One involves a beautiful blog update, and the other (dare I say it?) potentially involves a teeny pink bundle of joy with ten little fingers and ten little toes… [To Be Continued…]
Lauritzen Gardens is the perfect location for a wedding reception.
In St. Louis, Jeremy and I lived across the street from the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the most beautiful places on earth (or at least the midwest!). When we signed a lease for 4344 Shaw Boulevard we had no clue what sat beyond the wrought iron fences at 4345 Shaw. And such is the way sometimes with God’s plan for our lives… Right beyond the fence lays a beautiful, refreshing oasis that we totally don’t deserve. All sermon illustrations aside, I still miss meandering through the Japanese gardens, winding my way back home via the Henry Moore sculpture and woodland gardens, and enjoying the rotating art exhibits and outdoor summer concerts.
But this weekend, the newly wed Mr. & Mrs. Adam & Kristin Lawton introduced us to the botanical gardens in Omaha, just a stone’s throw away from the Missouri River. Not only are the gardens absolutely amazing, Adam and Kris looked fabulous as well. The reception was intimate and lovely and fun and delicious — and we all had a great time. Now I’ve just got to squeeze another trip to Omaha into the Tredway calendar so we can explore this newfound treat.
I adore Fruit Loops with a passion that is kind of concerning. This adoration began in my childhood (I was the sweet tooth in the family) and has shamefully continued into adulthood. I was far from spoiled by the Loops as my parents NEVER purchased sweet cereals when I was a kid. It was during my one year at Covenant College when I realized, Hmmm… I could eat Fruit Loops for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I want to! So when the hot food options in the cafeteria looked undesirable, to the cereal dispensers I flew. Now that I own my own home and answer to no man (just kidding, Jeremy!), I occasionally indulge in box or two of the rainbow-colored multi-grained o’s. [Funny story: Last Friday night I went through the checkout lane at SunMart and the cashier, just being friendly or flirty — I don’t know which, asked if I was going out partying that night. I glanced at my purchases, a half gallon of milk and a box of Fruit Loops and said, “Oh yeah. It’s a big night for me.”] One word of warning… The Loops must not be eaten for breakfast, afternoon snack, bedtime snack and again for breakfast the next day. There is definitely such thing as Fruit Loop Overload.
Other cereal-lovers might find this article interesting. I can say with great certainty that I’d eat at Cereality (oh Renae, I can sense you groaning right now!) while traveling, though probably not while in Lincoln.