APPLE PICKING AND A VISIT TO HARRISONBURG AND FAMILY MISSION

We did apple picking earlier than usual, in the middle of September, and I am finally getting around to writing about it now.  At certain points it got too warm, even though we had started out first thing in the morning, and we slowly shed all the layers we had on, but the apples were delicious and it wasn't freezing cold (like it was last year when we went), so it was exactly what I was hoping for.  When we go, we pick a whole bunch of apples and then eat them over a span of a couple of weeks, and that is what I look forward to most about the fall. 

We decided to make a whole weekend out of it and go visit Harrisonburg (where Ken and I went to school and met for the first time) with the girls. So we booked a cute Airbnb in Mt. Crawford and had ourselves a family retreat. Ken put together a little video (above) of our couple of days away, and we have loved watching it over and over again! 

And here are some photos, a mix of iPhone camera and the DSLR:

In light of driving to articulate my life mission statement I've also been thinking and discussing the idea of a family mission statement with Ken. We keep adjusting it, but currently, it sounds something like: Our family mission is to create and offer a safe space for rest, conversations, and growth (for others, as well as ourselves) so that we all can thrive and be able to love ourselves, each other, and God in the ways we are created to.

During this weekend away, we took time to talk together about some tangible goals that we thought our family should work towards together. Ultimately, we would want the girls to be able to contribute to our family mission statement, but while they are young, coming up with a list like this shows what is important to us in this stage of life. Here is the list we came up with:  

Family goals:

• Go horseback riding together (Sloane)
• Go to a farm (Logan)
• Play in a volleyball quads tournament together (Ken)
• Do BJJ together (Sloane)
• Travel to Taiwan and Korea to visit where our families are from (Ken and Christine)
• Ride a train (Sloane and Logan)
• Sloane and Logan buy mom and dad a meal (Ken)
• To get Rusty back (Sloane and Logan)
• Do all do our homework and housework
• When we see a need, try to help - even if it's little, do something!

We also talked through what we each thought are behaviors and attitudes that are important to us as a family. This seems like a good way to introduce the idea of family values that we can hopefully hone down and in on as the years go by: 

Family Behaviors and Attitudes: 

• Sharing 
• Using our words 
• Being a good listener 
• Asking good questions 
• Being a leader (in action and in thought)
• Always choosing to be kind 
• Being honest
• Gratitude
• Not wasting food

It was really fun to talk through these things together as a family!

PAY ATTENTION

photo from Austin Kleon's blog, which I have found inspiring lately

As odd as this may sound, my busy these days feels a little different because it's not just the activities or to-do list that take up my time, it's the thinking. There is so much to think about! I have started making "to-think" lists, because I have found it critical to carve out time to think deeply.  

It comes from a place of wanting to go deeper in the ways that we live - in my relationships, my reading, my work, parenting, creativity, etc. I want to work through the what, how, when, where and especially why I am doing what I am doing. It's invigorating and challenging, and sometimes I get a case of brain strain. ("I'm sorry, I can't make it tonight. I need time to think.") 

Thinking time has become some of my most valuable time.  Thinking time these days looks like not filling in with noise, music, TV, or busy work but sitting in silence with the purpose of thinking through a problem or question. It's helpful to take notes, so does bouncing my thoughts off of friends and family.  Walking time is probably some of the best thinking times, but it's harder to fit in. 

One of the questions I'm chewing through lately comes from wanting to be more specific with my purpose and life mission statement.  This sort of exercise requires deep diving into my stories, knowing my strengths and passions, and envisioning the future, so it's quite the endeavor. It's especially pertinent because we (at work) are working through what it means to help our clients through this process, so I'm approaching this from several angles.  I'll share what I come with here on this blog as I go.