National Lutheran Schools Week

This week is Nationak Lutheran Schools Week, and there are "theme days" all week. The first was yesterday with Western Day, and I think that these are two of the cutest cowgirls this side of the Mississippi. We found the hats and were very excited. Grace has this belt buckle, which is almost as big as her hand, and the vests (does anyone think Roy Rogers had a Winnie the Pooh vest?).

The problem came when we were getting ready yesterday morning and realized that Faith had boots to wear, and Grace did not, as a result of leaving them at a friends house over the weekend. If anyone knows Grace, shoe dilemmas are not fun. The solution: We leave early and drive to Payless. You will be glad to know that there was a pair of Hannah Montana cowboy boots with rhinestones on the sides that fit perfectly. As we were leaving, Grace said, "Don't you think it's fun to shop before school? In any case, it all worked out and we were informed at dinner that no one else had boots as fancy as hers.

Also, for those wondering, the first loose tooth came out on Leap Day! It came out at school which was thrilling because everyone gathered around as she pulled the tooth out, and she got a "treasure box" to keep the tooth in for safe-keeping. The Tooth Fairy was very generous, leaving her $4 dollar bills and 11 quarters. Plus, the Tooth Fairy knew she hadn't gotten to show everyone the tooth, so she left the tooth for Grace.

Look for more "theme day" photos this week.

Ouch! and a Milestone

It has been a busy few days in our house. First, over the weekend, we managed to get a picture of the girls together, where they both look sincerely happy. These are always my favorite pictures...no special occasion...no forced smiles...no crying.


Then, on Monday, Grace discovered her first loose tooth and it has been VERY EXCITING. It is hard to see in the picture, but if you look at the bottom left, you can see her pushing on the said tooth. In case you are wondering, Grace is hoping she might get $2 so that she can give Faith a quarter, save two quarters so she can buy Papa a soda when we go to DC, give two quarters for the child her class sponsors in India and put 3 quarters in her bank. She asked if I knew when the tooth would come out, and expressed her frustration when I couldn't give her an exact date, explaining that she really needs the money. Finally, she is hoping that it will come out at school, because if it does, you get to go see Mrs. Nipp, and she will give you a special box for your lost tooth. We will certainly keep you posted on the loose tooth.


On to Baby Faith. No, her face is not dirty in this picture. Those marks are all scrapes. When I got to school Monday, this is how I found her and it caused me to draw in a breath. Apparently on the way to art, Faith and Autumn tripped over each other and fell, with Faith using her face to break the fall. As described by Faith, here are more details: "Autumn and I bumped each other and I falled down on my face. Autumn's nose bleeded a lot and we both were crying. They said they would call my mama, but they gived me a wet paper towel and I was ok." I am thrilled that this comes right before we are having Easter pictures taken.

Me, You and a Sled for Two

We woke up to a couple of inches of snow on Sunday, so we promised the girls that we would go and get some sleds and go sledding on President's Day. Sure enough, as soon as we woke up on Monday, we bundled up and took our sleds to the hill behind Falcon Stadium. It was a nice day, which was causing the snow to melt rapidly, but we got in a few runs anyway. The hill is actually pretty big, but by the time we were finished, both Grace and Faith were going down the hill by themselves. We knew it was time to go when Faith was asking Ryan to carry her up the hill and complaining that her bottom was wet. All in all, a lot of fun for the Struck Family.

We Love #20, Part I

Grace has been in Basketball since January, and she really likes it. Here are some of her favorite things about being on the team: boys that will do what she tells them to, her #20 jersey, making baskets, running really fast, and picking out snack when it is our turn to provide snacks after the game. I think we can agree that these are things most WNBA players are concerned with.

The game on Saturday was the first one that Ryan was able to attend, and he is a much better basketball parent than I am. He is able to keep track of her Game Stats, while I just can recall how smart and fast and cute she is. Perhaps this is also because he wasn't trying to pay attention to the game, take pictures and keep Baby Faith off the court by himself. This is much easier for two parents.

Anyway, here are her stats for this week's game: 1 basket, 2 assists and 2 blocks. Does anyone else believe this qualifies her for the MVP Award? (which does not exist, because they are 6 and we are just happy when everyone gets to play, and no one leaves crying).

More Christmas Presents

We had an extra Christmas with Ryan, which was thrilling to the girls. Grace liked the jersey and Faith liked this Beanie Baby from Grammie. Faith was concerned that Mommy didn't have as many presents to open as everyone else, but it was fun for me to just have my whole family in the same room again. On a side note, does the picture of Faith remind anyone else of Lenny from "Of Mice and Men"?

Welcome Home!

After 134 days, Ryan is finally home! You can't see it in this picture, but the girls made Ryan a really fun sign welcoming him home. We were able to go to the gate to get him, which was really fun. All the way to the airport, Faith kept asking if I was sure Daddy was on the plane to come home, and Grace wanted to know how many planes he had been on. Faith was alarmed when we got to the aiport, thinking we were leaving on a plane and would miss Ryan. We felt very supported and encouraged when we saw that many members of his Department at the hospital came to greet him.

We had a nice afternoon at home, then went and had pizza with a few of our friends. Faith kept running in every few minutes to make sure Ryan was still there. We have heard her say "I don't want Daddy to go back to Iraq" about a dozen times since we picked him up. Grace was thrilled to have Ryan walk her into school today.

We have learned a lot through this deployment (that's another post), but the biggest thing we are taking away is that God is good (all the time!).

Home is Where the Heart Is

With another family Christmas behind us, I have been thinking a lot about the “home is where the heart is” phrase. It sometimes doesn’t feel totally accurate or complete to me. It doesn’t take into account that “home” often includes the people that drive you the most crazy, or cause you the most frustration. It does not mention the different personalities that can create tension when all together for extended periods of time.
We look forward to Christmas every year, because it is the time, in our family, when most of us are together at the same time. This is no easy task, given how many different cities and states we all now live in. The excitement and expectation build and we can hardly wait to be together.
Then, we all get together and in spite of everyone’s best intentions, some sort of episode inevitably occurs. Most often it starts over something small, then turns into something big, complete with eye rolling, sighing, yelling and a lot of crying. Why this happens is hard to say. It can’t be blamed on our childhoods, we enjoyed a safe, happy home, with loving parents. Maybe the why doesn’t really matter.
So, if we know how it will turn out, why do we continue to do it? It comes back to the “home is where the heart is”. This group of people, with their opinions and accompanying drama, occupy the biggest part of my heart. I’ve known them the longest, have lived with them and belong to them. I carry pieces of them with me, without even having to think about it. I think of Heidi whenever I am not brave enough to do something, because I admire (and envy) her boldness. I can’t see “Billy Madison” without thinking of Christie. Jenny’s independence and drive inspires me. Troy’s kindness and patience comforts me, Eric’s dry wit makes me laugh out loud and Vic’s relationship with the children moves me. Mom has the ability to make everyone feel loved, welcome, supported and wanted, no matter how tired she is. Dad’s intelligence and unconditional love humble me.
Since we aren’t together very often, these are the things I dwell on about my family. The tense, dramatic moments fade into the background when I’m away from my family and I just pack up all of these things and carry them around with me.
I know it’s been said that “your family only loves you because they have to”. Maybe not totally accurate, but maybe it’s also not such a bad thing. Maybe there’s some safety in this. That in a scary, unpredictable world, how your family feels about you at the end of the day stays the same. This is why we can be our real selves (which sometimes includes some not-so-desirable behavior), and know that we are always loved and wanted.
Yes, these are the people that drive us the most crazy, push all of the right buttons to start a fight. But these are also the same people that you call when you’re having a new baby, getting a promotion, or buying a house. They are also the people you call first when you feel like you’re the worst mother in the world, when your baby is sick, when you’ve had an accident and so on and so on.
This is why I come back. These places, people and memories make up the best of me. They are my home. And my heart wants to be with them. So maybe the phrase is ok as it is…”home is where the heart is”.