Week 2: Interpret a Song - Breathe

My favorite song right now is Breathe by Jonny Diaz.  Every time it comes on the radio, Meiners says, "Mom!  The right song at the right time!" because really?  I need that song every moment of every day.  After the millionth moment of absolutely losing my marbles this week, I posted this in our kitchen:

"No Drama Momma" became my battle cry.  I have to admit - it helped.  Mostly.  I would guess my moments of complete and utter loss of control of my patience reduced by...maybe 10%?  Nah.  I kid.  Mostly.  

Way more like 12%.

Grandma and Grandpa came for pasta dinner and a sold out Beginning Violin concert!

Grammie enjoyed dinner and the concert, too!

Yikes.  Just breathe?  Baby?

Ouch.  Breathe. 

Xopenex helps her Breathe!

In addition to BREATHING and REMEMBERING that Jesus wins in the midst of the chaos of single-parenting while The Mister worked out of town with a winter concert this week and extra rehearsals, basketball practices, breakfasts and dinners and crazy school lunch spending, three different school starts, work, two hour bean bag snuggle conversations discussing painful childhood moments for one of my people, and additional doctor's visits because someone broke his arm, we also enjoyed an exorbitant amount of coughing that led to a stethoscope to a chest and every-four-hour breathing treatments.  Oh yeah.  Breathe.  And Just Be.  Because chaos calls and all I really need is for Him to blow air into my lungs (and into hers!) and to keep me moving and going and ultimately worshiping because truly, that is the only point.  He reigns.  He gives.  He wins.  It is good.  It is good to rest at God's feet, and to just be.  Take it in.  Fill your lungs with the peace of God that overcomes.  Lay down what's good and find what's best.  

Love this kid!

He is just the best!

Love.

Lyrics to Jonny Diaz's song Breathe:

Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel you say just

Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe

Third cup of joe just to get me through the day
Want to make the most of time but I feel it slip away
I wonder if there’s something more to this crazy life
I’m busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see
That I only have time for me, me, me
There’s gotta be something more to this crazy life
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day
When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear you say just

Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need

Is to take it in fill your lungs
The peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
So let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe

Just breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Just breathe

And the video:

October 3rd

We went to dinner last night, and my stomach felt a little off.  The hairs on the back of my neck were up since The Mister came home sick from work in the middle of the day two days ago with a stomach bug.  And he *never* comes home sick from work.

Indeed.  Whereas I woke to this handsome face this morning and the prospect of a sweet day spent together celebrating our 16 years of marriage...

I was sick, and his face turned into this:

Mine too.

He went and bought us new phones, and the twins new phones, too.  Which made their faces look like this:

Those expressions are actually pretty tame compared to the screaming Pookie exhibited as she came running upstairs to see her "surprise" after school.

I watched the high school parade in isolation from the bedroom deck.

And stayed home alone while three went to the football game and two went to a Homecoming party.  I watched Mom's Night Out and folded laundry.  It was a fiesta for my soul while my body rested.   I look forward to feeling better as soon as possible.

Hearts in Harmony Event :: Part Two

Part One can be found here.  More about what Hearts in Harmony (and The Space Between) is about starts here.

We were engulfed all day with requests for photos and interviews and singing on stage (eventually all four of the kids arrived from their other activities and were able to sing with Erin as she performed)!  The whole day was fun, exhausting, memorable, and did I say fun, exhausting, and memorable?!

Cornbread from 92.3 WIL was with us for the first half, making things crazy-super-fun as you can see below!

There was jumping roping and hula hooping, EKGs, ECHOs, healthy snacks, and heart healthy quizzes for all the kids to enjoy!

One of the best parts was having all of Pookie's doctors and nurses show up to share in her fun.  We are so, so grateful for - and adore - all of these amazing people!

My other favorite part was hanging out with Dan Gray from KPLR Channel 11 and Fox 2 News most of the day.  He and his {gorgeous} wife - I didn't get a picture of her: Bummer! - (and their teenaged kids!) stayed nearly the whole time and were so sweet and gracious!  We've been fans of his for years, but now - immeasurably more!   (You can see his coverage of Pookie, the song, and the Hearts in Harmony event here.)



By 2:00, we were famished, dehydrated, exhausted, humbled, honored, happy, grateful, and a little relieved to be able to sit down...kinda like now, after finally posting all these photos!  ;)

One more giant thank you to St. Louis Children's Hospital for giving us this amazing opportunity.  There may be a chance in the near future to help us get The Space Between played on local radio stations during their listener-driven hours ... I'll be sure to keep you posted!

*mwah!*
Karin

Hearts in Harmony

Even as a kid, my mom always warned me to not overdo lest I wear myself out too much and fall on illness.

Whelp.  February 2012, one of my favorite months of all time, came and went.  Then came March.  And illness has spread from one of us to the other to the other to .. well, me.  And I can't seem to shake it.  But the blog must go on, right?  There are stories to tell!  I have to get back up and get going!  (Feverish, exhausted, delirious a little...sure.  But there are stories to be told!  Write stories under these circumstances?  They'll be {in}famous for sure...)

February 25th was our Hearts in Harmony event!  Oh man ~ when the marketing agency called me last fall to initiate all the eventual hooplah surrounding Pookie and her heartbeat in a song written and performed by Erin Bode, February 25th seemed loooooooooooong in the future. 

And then it was here!

Wow.

And what a day!  What an experience.  What a time of our lives!!

First of all, my amazing and brilliant twins were awarded the opportunity to participate in our school district's Academic Olympics.  Holy Cow.  Stress.   We had to get Meiners to basketball with Coach Daddy, Pooks and T to the high school for Academic Olympics before rushing Pookie right on out of her event and on to Heart in Harmony.  She looks a little scared here, doesn't she?  Thank God for Grandmas and Grammies who made all the above possible!  ;)

Pookie may have been {un}deniably nervous, but Mr. T was definitely in his element ;)!  Mr. T performed for the Math Olympiad.  He called me later and told me he'd answered 18 out of the 30 problems.  Because he insisted on using only a pencil and paper even though the students were allowed to use calculators.  I told him I was so proud of him for staying true to himself - a true mathemetician, for going old-school - no calculator, and for being an awesome representative of our family and God's kingdom.  He is such a super kid.  Totally obsessed with Pokemon.  And math.  But an amazing spirit I am so lucky to call My Son.

Pookie represented with Storytelling.  And she is a little storyteller.  I completed a parent's personality assessment of the kiddos in a parenting class I took at church recently, and one of Pookie's attributes included, "Wild Storytelling..."  ;)  (She was an "otter;"  T was a "golden retriever."  I oughta write about that when I'm feeling better, too...)

Then came The Event.  Can I promise more tomorrow?  The Tylonol is kicking in and I'm feeling better, but ooooh golly can I imagine that Memory Foam Pillow in my immediate future and  I don't want to miss any important details NOR fun pics! 

I'll see you again tomorrow!
~Karin

P.S.  To see Pookie's story on NBC, click here!

Fox 2 News Tonight!

Just in case you haven't heard, Erin Bode wrote the most amazing song about my daughter Katelyn with her heartbeat embedded within the song.  You can buy the song on iTunes by clicking here.  It is seriously the best song ever.  And I'm not just saying that because it's Katelyn's story and her heartbeat.  I promise you ~ you will love this song!  (Seriously - go buy it!!  ;))

Last week, Dan Gray, of Fox 2 News and KPLR Channel 11, came to interview Katelyn here in our home.  You can hear his interview {here} and more about the story of the making of THE MOST AMAZING SONG tonight during the evening news.

I had a fun time with this interview because it was very laid back - in my own living room!  I was surprisingly quite calm and so appreciative of all the chores the kids have been assigned lately because the house was presentable without much tension or work!  {How nice is that?!}

{They're fake interviewing here for my photo - I love the facial interactions between Katelyn and Dan Gray
 - asking the tough questions!!  And I actually found it interesting that they had me close the curtains due to the intrusion of natural light through the window affecting their video quality.  So different from a still photo standpoint!}

The videographer arrived later than Dan Gray, so we had the chance to really sit down and talk with him ... in retrospect, I should have asked him lots of questions about what it's like to be a reporter and his transition from one big station locally to his current big stations.  But I'm a mom.  So I talked to him about his family.  And his travels.  Maybe he's just lucky I didn't ask about his lunch menu and afterschool plans?

Anyway, it was another super fun opportunity for us and we continue to say thank you to everyone involved in making this one of the most amazing and memorable winters of our lives!  Later in the week Katelyn participated in a photo shoot for a magazine which I'll talk about later.  In the meantime, watch the news tonight!  I'm hopeful that Dan mentions the one thing I haven't been able to say during any of our previous interviews...and just in case he doesn't,I'll say it here anyway:

I want everyone to really understand at the beginning of the song when Erin sings, "I wanna make you understand the world that I know, surrounded by angels, here now we go again" that this really is our story.  We are surrounded by angels who were our sweet friends, who traveled this road with us, and the many amazing friends who still are traveling it with us every day.  Ultimately, this isn't just Katelyn's story or just Katelyn's heartbeat.  It is all their stories.  It is all their heartbeats.  And now they are getting the chance to be heard, too.   

So, I just think that is super cool.  Watch the news tonight, but seriously, go buy the song, too. 

{{Heart Hugs!!}}
Karin

"The Space Between" in the news

The news segment sharing Erin Bode's song The Space Between featuring Pookie's heartbeat  aired last night!  You can see the whole thing here.

Thanks to everyone who's watched it, bought the song on iTunes, or just sent us a big 'thumbs up!'  Yesterday was such a fun day ... I'll say more later, but just wanted to get the link up on da'blog!

Love to all...

fame

Pookie's story and song have made it onto the hospital's website!  You can find it here.

We hope you'll also head over to iTunes and purchase The Space Between by Erin Bode.  It's a fabulously catchy song ~ with a great beat (Pookie's own heartbeat)!

Here is a link to the actual music video on YouTube!!

Finally, Monday, February 6th (Today!), our local NBC news has a special segment planned about Katelyn and the song at 10:00.  We can't wait to see it (commercials have been playing since Thursday)!  We've sure enjoyed the attention and certainly owe our friends at Children's Hospital a huge thanks for letting us be a part of this whole experience.  Ultimately, we pray God gets the glory.  He sure is giving us a great ride!

{Prayers for Peru}

At Christmastime, a gentleman came and spoke to our church congregation about his life in Africa growing up.  He shared tales of an abusive father and malnutrition, of running away and finding Jesus.  He is now a world traveler and passionate voice for Compassion International.

As a result of his story, Katelyn decided to ask a few of her friends to join her in sponsoring a 10 year-old girl from Peru through Compassion International.

We told her she would need to come up with the money on her own, so she and her friends met one Saturday afternoon and agreed to bake and sell cupcakes under the auspices of {Prayers for Peru}.

We made sample cakes and distributed them with order forms to a couple different locations.  After one week of collecting orders, they had 25 boxes of cupcakes sold!

Katelyn and her friends met this weekend for the ultimate cupcake bake-a-thon!  We showed them how to "gut" the insides of a vanilla bean to unleash all that rich yumminess. 

We talked about how to measure flour and sugar accurately for our baking to be successful.

 And we swirled and swirled and swirled buttercream frosting until their hands cramped ;). 

Yesterday morning, the girls delivered their cupcakes to their clients, and they are receiving rave reviews.  I am super proud of the energy these girls gave to this project, how excited they were to not only get together but also to learn about and help a little girl in Peru who doesn't have all the extravagances we have here.  And above all, I love each one of them for their compassionate hearts.

Tears ~ A Dramatic Reading

Saturday night we sent the kids to bed at 8:30.   A pretty standard bedtime routine unfolded.  Sashi went to bed and immediately fell asleep.  The boys went to bed and giggled a few minutes then fell fast asleep.  Pooks went to bed and came out half a dozen times complaining about being hot, thirsty, and sweaty. 

Two hours later, John uncovered the reason for her discomfort.  She had carefully burrowed herself under her heavy comforter away from parental eyes in order to score a couple of free hours quietly playing her DS.  She vehemently begged him not to tell Mom.  Oh he told all right.  We are still debating a variety of torture practices an appropriate punishment for the crime, but we started by taking away her new helicopter (the self-prescribed "best Christmas present EH-vah" per Katelyn)...and letting her brothers fly it whenever they want.  Oh the horror.

To commemorate the event, John spontaneously ad-libbed a funny poem about her predicament.  Then set the boys to dramatically acting out the story ... videotaped the entire escapade and uploaded it to YouTube (like all good parental figures).

Without further adieu, my boys in Tears ~ A Dramatic Reading...

It's That Time!

Girl Scout Cookie Time!

Have you ordered yours yet?

JR4H

The kids enjoyed a super fun assembly at school on Friday! 

The St. Louis area ShowMe Jumpers came to show off their amazing skills with jump ropes!  The photo above shows two giant ropes being twirled from four corners while two young athletes simultaneously jump over both ropes!  The girls waiting in the foreground soon jumped into the spiderweb of big ropes with their own small ropes and jumped all three at the same time...and one girl even jumped through a hula hoop while jumping through those two giant ropes...I mean, it was crazy cool, energetic, and fun to watch! 

I couldn't jump twice with one rope let alone to an entire funky song with aaaaall those ropes going at the same time!  WoW!

And due to some unfortunate events that ended up bringing Dad home from his business trip early, we were both able to see the kids do a spectacular job introducing the ShowMe Jumpers to their school and giving this talented group a bundle of jump ropes for schools in Joplin.

We are super proud of our kids!  And duly impressed by the kids' skills from ShowMe Jumpers!  If you are in the St. Louis area, you HAVE to get these guys to come to your school's Jump Rope for Heart event, too!  The whole school was PUMPED to kick off their fundraising efforts for the American Heart Association!  Meiners and Pookie received free jump ropes for being Ambassadors for the AHA, and Meinie came straight home to start perfecting his rope tricks.

Please remember, if you aren't sponsoring someone already, all four of our kids are standing by jumping to accept your donation for healthier hearts!  Go here if you have a heart for this effort like we do!