Sometimes, even optimistic people get tired and worn down

My optimism and zest for life remain, despite feeling a bit worn down the last week+ with...

1) our car broken into and ransacked a few weeks back and most of my flyfishing gear and flies stolen (it was all hidden in the car but they found it),

2) an IRS audit of our finances for 2014 and 2015 (close to 200 hours combined now providing detailed information; turns out we UNDERclaimed our expenses so things are looking good),

3) a car rooftop rocket (storage) box explosion at 65mph (nothing lost and no car accidents behind us in the wake of all the camp chairs blowing out),

4) a car door fire (mostly just smoke) from a stuck power window motor,

5) TurboTax incorrectly applying a health care tax credit we were ineligible for in 2016 (if you can't trust tax care professionals, who CAN you trust with your taxes?! maybe it's time to pay an in-person tax care professional),

6) a neighbor friend losing his life light (no matter that alcoholism ruined his liver, watching the life of a friend fade is still a challenge)...

and other various things.

Yet, despite all this - or perhaps BECAUSE of all of this - I feel compelled to live life abundantly, cherishing the wonder and beauty and fragility of it all. I am healthy, I am loved and have (do) loved, I walk this path with a marvelous and supportive partner, and life continues to amaze me every day.

We may lead a charmed life in many respects, but life is still hard. Always will be. All things considered, we're doing pretty well. Because we've got each other. And we've got YOU!

If you're so inclined, we would sure appreciate you sending prayers heavenward for us, shaking of sticks, rattling of bones, chanting, sending of positive vibes, whatever it is you feel inclined or compelled to do to channel good energy our way.

Because who couldn't use a little more goodness in life?! AmIRight?!

Thank you, friends! We sure love you - it's true. <3

The 6yo mic drop

I'm often up before everyone, getting a little work in before the family awakens. LJ is usually the next one up and he often joins me as I grade papers or get a jump on emails (for a theoretically less interrupted day). This morning, he came down to the office and sees me responding to emails as I catch up from a week of travel and limited e-communications.

LJ - Papa, why do you type all the time.

me - Well, my work sometimes requires a lot of typing.

LJ *matter of factly* - Hm...maybe it's a health problem.

...to which he gets up and walks off. I think that was the 6yo equivalent of a mic drop. I really wonder if children have any idea how profound their thoughts often are.

"And with that, I just have two more words to say...Obama out."

Late Start Friday

These two can fight like cats and dogs...but also fully love each other.

Both Cat and I have been under pressure of work deadlines of late. We've been working late, getting up early to work before the kids get up, working weekends. Just a lot of work. But we know it's not the norm and we're cognizant of not letting it become a habit. This world is already full of enough hustle and bustle.

So this morning - after laying in bed past our normal waking time and listening to another Colorado wind storm (with gusts of up to 100mph) - when the kiddos awoke and realized we were still in bed, they wanted snuggle time. Since these moments will be gone soon enough (does the speed of time increase as our children age?!),  we said "get in here!"and the kiddos bounced and trounced their way under our covers.

We all talked quietly for a time, listening to the wind howl through our windows cracked slightly open. Then tickled and wrestled. Then talked about how our day looked for each of us. And after a little whispered inspiration from Cat, we all decided that despite our busy schedules, it was time for a late start to our day.

You see, last year the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) had late start Wednesday's every week. And our family came to rely on those extra 45-50 minutes each Wednesday morning to read books, share a cup of tea together, make pancakes, create something, just take the morning a little slower. But after BVSD did away with them this year, we've been longing for them to be brought back (not everyone was happy).

BVSD still hasn't brought back the weekly "late start" day. But we decided today was going to be an O-G late start Friday - we needed a no rush morning...a day to say "our family comes before schedules". So we got up and dressed and took our time walking to Southside Walnut Cafe (on Foursquare) for breakfast, read the comics, colored, told stories, leisurely ate breakfast, then had a pleasant stroll with the kiddos to school.

This morning's comics Finn and I discussed...

We think (hope) that taking these sorts of times together sends a clear message to our children (and partner) that family comes first - not work, not school, not routine schedules. Family. Sure work and schedules and school are all important, but these routine mental health days or late start school/work days make a lasting impression (we hope).

A perfect O-G morning.

Cleaning up their neighborhood (and the creek)

The kiddos proud of their work cleaning up Bear Creek, CO. Instagram pic by Cat.

These kiddos inspire us! While on a walk yesterday with their Nonny (maternal grandmother) and auntie, Finn noticed an unusual amount of garbage along the creek near a busy road intersection (likely the stemming from the previous night's wind storm). So she hatched an idea, decided to recruit her brother, found a garbage bag, and cleaned up a section of the creek!

Today, on our morning walk to Creekside Elementary, these two were busy further hatching their idea...to organize a school-wide cleanup of the creek that runs by their school - Bear Creek!

It's little moments like this that help me realize the messages we send our children - whether by action or in conversation - can really stick in their minds.

If you want to know more about your local creek and watershed, head over to the EPA's excellent "Surf Your Watershed" website, poke around and consider Adopting Your Watershed!

The O-G 2015 Christmas Newsletter

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas everyone-

We hope this newsletter finds you all safe and blessed this holiday season.

We write this newsletter from snowy Colorado with hot tea in hand. We had a beautiful snowstorm over the Thanksgiving week and are hoping we get more on Christmas day…although it’s supposed to get to 65 this week! We are enjoying the exciting and variable weather Colorado has to offer.

Our family had a full summer this past year. We enjoyed a one month vacation in June in Oregon (exploring Utah, Nevada, and western Colorado on our way home) and had a chance to camp with amazing friends on the east side of the state (thank you Feldhaus, Shippentower, Tattam and Naylor families for making it special!), in the Willamette Valley (a big thank you to the House’s Funny Farm for hosting our crazy zoo) and the beach where both sides of our family came over and spent several days camping with us. Also, a big thank you to Cat’s parents for putting us up while we made a few trailer repairs and Cat recouped from the flu (yup, she got it while on vacation).

The second half of our summer brought two trips to New Mexico to spend quality time with our Hedges family God-children, then to explore Ghost Ranch during the Mountain States Mennonite Conference (MSMC) general assembly…what a beautiful time listing to our new favorite band The Steel Wheels while enjoying the beauty of the southwest.  Rounding off our adventures we made our final summer family trip to Oklahoma in September where Cat presented some of her Eastern Shawnee history work during the Eastern Shawnee History Summit (PDF program). We also attended the tribal Powwow…it was a wonderful time connecting with our Oklahoma family while watching our kiddos build deeper connections to Oklahoma and our family there.

The Steel Wheels

The kiddos are loving our Colorado adventures and their school here in Boulder. Finn is in the 4th grade this year (I know, brace yourselves…she’s up to my shoulders and we’re entering the scary world of HORMONES!!!) and has really excelled in reading and math. She’s loving her teachers, friends, and has joined leadership group and choir…allowing her to explore her two loves of social justice and music. Our girl is growing fast, easily the tallest in her class, but her beautiful smile and zest for life have only increased. She’s loving our exploration of the area and especially time at home in her tree fort…reading a book and feeling the breeze.

Jeremiah August is growing so fast and keeping us on our toes as always! He’s in the first grade this year and we are so loving his zest for learning. Reading has really taken off for him this year…all of a sudden he sees words everywhere and loves to read them to us.  Jeremiah has changed a lot this year, learning to control his little boy impulses more and more everyday (we’re still a work in progress on that one) but is still his full of life self.  He loves flying planes at the park, riding his bike all over, and exploring the woods! Both kiddos are loving the adventure of living in Colorado, they’ve become fans of deep snow, southwest summer nights, and exploring from the Rockies to New Mexico to Oklahoma.

Cat’s year has been busy with her work taking off more and more while chasing the kiddos and their busy schedules. When we moved the kids said they wanted to see Mummy and Papa often at their school…so that has meant a lot of running back and forth (we live only a block and half from the school) for both Mummy and Papa but it has really been worth it see the kids feel safe and at home in their school.  Cat’s work for her tribe has increased this year and kept her busy. This past winter she wrote and was awarded a large three year grant that will keep the Family Violence Prevention program serving women and children of her tribe for another three years…God is good! Adding to her work for her tribe she was asked this past year to write a book chapter for a book the tribe is writing on Eastern Shawnee history. Her chapter focuses on Eastern Shawnee tribal members moving to the Pacific Northwest and how that’s changed their cultural connection and identity. She is still teaching women and gender studies for Oregon State University and has now added teaching similar classes for Utah State University…both from home, both focusing on minority perspectives.  It’s been wonderful for our family to have Mum working from home especially as everyone has settled into our new life in Boulder. Life can get a wee bit nuts for Cat while she juggles work and home but she loves being available for the kiddos when they need and keeping and tending an inviting home environment.

Eastern Shawnee Tribal Seal

Jeremiah has been enjoying his interdisciplinary, Environmental Studies PhD program here at CU-Boulder.  He finished two years of course work in one year and is now in his second year in the program with a much smaller class load but starting his qualifying exams and dissertation research.  His advisor is a wonderful man who understands family and life commitments and values Jeremiah’s contributions (academic and otherwise) over the past 20+ years.  God is good. While this past year has been a busy one for Jeremiah (and family) he has settled into his niche at CU and is enjoying the journey – this new season in life for him.  It makes his life a bit crazy, trying to be a PhD student, teaching classes (which pays the bills), organizing science communication and policy conferences, writing for science magazines, organizing Mennonite men’s retreats and being the Papa and husband he loves to be. Thankfully he’s been slowly chopping commitments from his list to really focus down on family and his PhD. But as he says…sleep is overrated (wink wink).

Our beloved pups are doing well and loving the dry weather of Colorado. Quinn turned 13 this month (I know…crazy...is that even possible?!) and Sidda will be 11 in February! They are both in great health though starting to slow down and nap in the sun a bit more.  Quinn has fallen in love with stalking and killing any small rodents or squirrels that dare to think about coming into our backyard and Sidda is still her happy go lucky self…though she’s now assumed the role of dog pack leader when hiking….making sure Quinn stays on trail and doesn’t wander off too far. It’s been interesting to watch our pups age.

We feel like when we make our way back to the PNW (yes that’s still our plan) we will have thoroughly turned over every stone imaginable in this area – given Colorado a fair shake. We feel this move has taught us (and is still teaching us) to love the moment we are in. Life is certainly not perfect for the OG’s (did I mention Finn is experiencing hormones, hit us with the sex talk, little man rides his bike like Mario Andretti, and Jeremiah and Cat feel their blood pressure rising each year) but we are learning to find the joy in each moment.

We hope this letter and OG news sees you into a happy and healthy new year.

With much love and prayers for peace,
The Osborne-Gowey Family (Jeremiah, Cat, Finn, not-so-little Jeremiah)

Santa and the Russian Jetliner

Apparently it's a parenting faux pas to tell your children Santa may have died aboard the Russian airliner that was recently shot down.

Yes, it's true - I did say this. 

But in my defense, I was joking with them that Santa wasn't coming this year. They knew I was joking - or at least I THOUGHT they knew. But when they asked why he may not be coming to town, I took the opportunity to thread in current events they may have recently heard on the radio. Apparently that made it waaaayyyyy more believable because the atmosphere went from light-hearted and kidding to a full-on hush in the car for several seconds. Aaaand I let it linger maybe a bit too long, at which point Cat broke it up by pinching my arm and saying, "Papa!" in a low, teasing rebuke.

This joke was taken a bit too literally by our little guy as he apparently chewed on it for several days before deciding it must be true. Then, when attending a play where there was a Santa letter writing station and mailbox, he looked to us in confusion, thinking it a futile effort to write a letter to a dead magical man. So I took a moment to tell him I was just joking and it was OK to write a letter to Santa. After all, the magic resides in our hearts, not in some fat old guy that breaks into houses at one night a year and watches you the other 364 days. But I digress.

After some thought, LJ decided it couldn't hurt to write a letter to Santa, even if he wasn't convinced the old guy was still alive. So he did. And we moved on.

What really brought LJ back to confusion (er, believing) was when a package addressed to LJ arrived a few days later in the mail...a package from Santa (who apparently resides in Florida?! this time of year; who knew?!). In it, was a personal note from Santa assuring him that he was indeed alive and well, had been watching him and knew he'd been pretty good throughout the year (yes, Facebook stalking does exist), and would be delivering presents to him and his friends this Christmas.

Thanks for keeping him in the magic, mom! *she had the package sent*

So now we await Santa's arrival tonight. And we'll be checking the official NORAD Santa Tacker (http://www.noradsanta.org/). Currently he appears to be somewhere over Izmir, Turkey and has delivered close to 3 billion (yes, BILLION) presents! Consumerism appears to be alive and well!

Time to go caroling!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Exaggeration

Today we had an opportunity to talk with our kiddos about exaggeration, stretching the truth, and deceit, thanks to LEGO! 

Little Jeremiah *proudly*: Papa, today I watched NinjaGo down on the futon in mummy's office!

Papa: That sounds like fun, son.

LJ *proudly*: Yeah, I watched FOURTEEN episodes!
*Papa raises his eyebrow*

Mummy: *chuckling* We'll, you didn't watch THAT many episodes...

LJ *exasperated*: Yeah...BUT I WATCHED MORE THAN TWO! (his usual limit) 

While his exaggeration wasn't an intentional lie, it was a great entry point into a discussion on truth. Such is parenting!

If you haven't yet checked out NinjaGo episodes (Netflix and Hulu) they are fun. LEGO also has some fun online NinjaGo Rush games. We just haven't yet figured out how to balance our peaceful Mennonite traditions with LEGO crime. ;)