my 2014 one-little-word

Newsflash: it's bitter cold today. Oh, you've heard? I mean, it is impressive when schools are shut down state-wide three days in advance. And a -53 windchill is pretty awesome. I suppose this really is weather to talk about.

It's also weather that will lead you to do crazy things to survive. Like last Thursday night when Rory and I stayed up until 2:30am because we got this funny idea that we should go to Disney World this winter. Without the kids. With Rory's amazing folks lined up to watch the wee ones, we booked our tickets and made reservations at a hotel.

I haven't stopped smiling since. I am so excited. Rory and I need time to play. We need to reconnect like that, and I can't wait to spend a few magical days with him at the happiest place on earth.

I took note of a serious shift in my winter attitude once we got this escape plan on the calendar. Suddenly I  had something to look forward to, and no forecast of subzero temps were going to get me down.

Contrast this to last winter, when the only getaway we had planned was a trip to Dysart, Iowa to see my Great Aunt Stella. I was looking forward to this trip in a big way, and was devastated when Elsie got the flu the day we were to leave. It was the furthest south we were going to get that winter. It wasn't until summer that we finally were able to reschedule.

All that to say, last winter was long, but also uneventful. I had nothing on the calendar to anticipate for all six months of that long, long winter.

This trip to Florida, where the temps will likely be in the 60's, has me thrilled. I have noticed my shift in attitude when I wake each morning and all throughout the day. I am excited, I feel hopeful.

My Grandma Bredberg didn't love surprises because, as she said many, many times, "Anticipation is half the fun." And it's so true! I love a good surprise, but I also love getting excited and feeling the hope and eagerness for something fun on the calendar.

Choosing my one-little-word has taken a more time this time around. I first landed on Inspire. And then morphed that into Inspired. Then I was thinking about Spontaneous, because our trip to Duluth was so awesome, and so last minute. And I want more spontaneity in my life.

But it wasn't until this whole plan to go to Disney World that it all fell into place. And the word I chose is: Anticipation. Anticipation has everything to do with hope for the future, planning the fun to be had, and is the opposite of reactionary. It is totally proactive. If there are going to be things on the calendar to Anticipate, then I have to plan them. It's forward looking and reminds me of my deep believe that we make our own lives, our own fun, our own choices. And then our lives look like the results of those choices.

This doesn't mean we're going to Disney every month. In fact, I love this word because it lends itself to little things to anticipate as well. I went grocery shopping last night in preparation for the cold and got the stuff to make a big pot roast. All day long today we could smell our heavenly supper in the oven. And we were so excited to sit down at the table tonight. So from something as small as a good meal at night, or a babysitter on the calendar for a date night, a trip to the cupcake shop or a trip to Disney...it all gives me something to look forward to. To Anticipate.

I am really excited about how motivated I am by this one-little-word. It feels like a new role of mine. Different from Arnold Schwarzenegger's The Terminator, I am The Anticipate-r. These are my days to live, and I want to live them fully. I've got my calendar out lots lately, planning babysitters, looking for fun things to go and do. It's going to be a fun year to live out this word.

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This is my fourth year choosing a word to focus on during the year. I love the practice and highly recommend choosing a word for yourself if you've never done this before. It's different than a resolution, and sort of shapes the whole year...maybe it's something you want to focus on, something you want to welcome into your life, something you want to be more of... Here's a huge list to help get your wheels turning...

reflections on my 2013 one-little-word

My 2013 one-little-word for the year was Reflect. It's a good word, and a good practice. I enjoyed it for the first half of the year as it led to some soulful conversations and thoughtful writing at the end of most months.

But you know, I had a little epiphany with this word and in the end I didn't care for it anymore. I'm just now (with some ahem further reflection) realizing why.

Reflection is all about looking backwards.

I spent the year turning my head to the recent past and asking reflective questions about my own life: am I happy? what would make me happy? what do I need to accomplish to be happy?

The whole process of reflection is quite self-centered and takes little notice of the long view. (Okay, I hear what you're thinking...yes reflection is important. Yes, what we discover can shape our future. Yes, it is good to take note of how we spend our money, time, gifts etc. Yes, you are right. But hear me out.)

I think I spent the year over-reflecting. Thinking too hard about the happiness of my every day. And the truth is, taking care of two very dependent kids, meeting their every need, feeding every meal, changing every diaper (or potty training mess) isn't necessarily happy work. It's worthy work, but not always laugh-out-loud slap-my-knee I'm-so-blissed-out happy.

Checking in with myself so frequently was getting me all out of joint. Becoming so introspective was becoming a serious downer. Because turning so inward isn't healthy. There's a whole lot more to life than just my own little opinions of my own little life.

So I'm going to stop reflecting so much in this year ahead. And in 2014, my word will turn my head back so I'm looking forward again. It's exciting, it's got me all fired up and I'm already living it out.

More on that tomorrow...

best of 2013

This is my third year doing a 'best of' post, and every year I am amazed at all that happened in three hundred and sixty-five days. It's such a fun way to reflect on an entire year.  And once again, this year was packed full...full of chickens, kittens, bees, two growing children, a garden, maple syrup, a chicken coop, and lots of cupcakes. 

I give you the best of 2013:

Next up: some thoughts on 2013 and why I'm totally ready for a fresh start in 2014.

(And here's the best of 2012 and the best of 2011.)
Happy New Year Everyone!

merry christmas eve!

Elsie got a trial run of her christmas outfit this morning so I could take a few pictures when the sun is up. I had to make a photo collage because she is a moving target and a tricky one to capture.  (I just went through the last five years of Christmas blogging and found this sweet video of my kids from last year. Look at how this little girl has grown in one year!)

Merry Christmas Everyone! I hope and pray the enormity of this holy day moves our hearts once again. God came to rescue each one of us, to rescue us from this fallen world, our sinful self, to bring us hope, new life, peace that passes understanding, forgiveness and life never-ending through this tiny little baby Jesus. May that good news sink deep into each of our souls.

The Christmas City Express

A week ago Ivar was eating lunch at the kitchen table and sadly lamented, "I miss my choo choo trains." I asked to clarify, "You mean the ones up in your room?" "Yes. I miss them. I want to play with them." I assured him he could go and play with them after lunch.

But it got me thinking. This boy is crazy about trains right now. I sat eating my lunch, watching him miss his trains and thought I've got to get this kid on a train. And then I realized there probably are some Christmas train rides this time of year.

I found The Christmas City Express up in Duluth, emailed Rory out in his office with the last minute idea and called my folks to see if they would watch Elsie for the 24 hours we would be gone. It was a go.

So Friday afternoon the three of us drove up to Duluth for 24 hours of Christmas magic. Ivar was so excited when the train pulled up at Fitgers Depot. He held his ticket and gave it to the conductor proudly. The train ride was fifteen minutes and drove so we could see Bentleyville, a huge and awesome light display in Duluth. When the train stopped we were at the Duluth Depot, also known as Christmas City.

Inside there were model railroads and play railroads. We stayed in that room and played for a while until a bell rang and the doors opened into the next room housing all the huge trains. When we walked in there was a girl singing Christmas carols with her keyboard. And all the trains had wreaths on them.

We were led to a carpeted area where a fantastically animated woman greeted us. We sang Jingle Bells with the girl who had now left her keyboard and picked up her guitar. And then the woman who greeted us started telling us the story of The Christmas City Express, a story that she herself wrote. She was awesome. I'm assuming some sort of Elementary Ed major with a theater background. She knew her audience.

The story was about a train that she once rode when she was a little girl, going to see family for Christmas. The train got stuck in the snow while deep in the woods and everyone was so sad that they would miss Christmas. So the conductor went out into the woods and brought back a beautiful spruce tree to set up in the train. The little girl took the bow off of the package she held on her lap, and placed it on the tree. And then everyone else took the ribbons and bows off their gifts and decorated the tree too. The other passengers on the train began singing Christmas carols and then they heard jingle bells out in the snow.

And this point, we all heard jingle bells coming from inside the train behind the screen. The kids started yelling, "It's Santa! It's Santa!" And sure enough, just like in the story, Santa appeared.

Oh my word. Christmas joy filled my heart! I was as excited as the kids.

After the story we got a snowflake ornament, just like the one Santa had given to the little girl in the book before the train started back up and the people in the story returned to the Duluth Depot. And then we got to meet Santa.

Ivar had practiced many times in the car. We would say, "And Santa will say, 'and what do you want for Christmas, little boy?" And Ivar knew his answer, "A choo choo train!!!" I got a little video of their sweet farewell.


santa and ivar from Becca Groves on Vimeo.

After we met Santa the bell rang and it was time to get back on the train, back to Fitgers Station. It was a fifteen minute ride, and when we returned they had hot chocolate, cookies and a huge bon fire waiting for us. The program director in me was in awe. They hit  this whole experience out. of. the. park.

Then we drove to the lift bridge and had supper at Grandma's. But not Grandma Margaret's, Ivar would have you know. A restaurant named Grandma's was just about as confusing as it gets.

It was an awesome 24 hours. We stayed at the Best Western in Superior, Wisconsin, where the rooms were about fifty dollars cheaper than any hotel in Duluth, and it is just over the bridge. We watched Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and Ivar got a real kick out of Guy's name. A guy named Guy. Now that is silly.

In the morning we had breakfast and swam in the pool before we went back to Canal Park to get hot drinks at Caribou. We were home by 1:30 to get Elsie and were so glad to see her, and so glad we had left her for special time with Grandma and Grandpa. She would have loved the train ride, but the drive back and forth and overnight in a pack and play would have been hairy. It just made our quick trip so much smoother. And fun to focus solely on Ivar.

I can't say enough good things about this experience. Look it up next year: The Christmas City Express. Super sweet, a super fun memory and hopefully a new tradition for our family.