Getting started

OK, so this is my first official BLOG!!
I decided to begin blogging so that I have a better record of my thoughts and of special moments with Tim and the kids.
While I'm pretty good about writing down the cute things the kids say, I have so many thoughts, ideas and feelings that pass by and could eventually be forgotten.
So while I may not be an every day blogger, I hope to do this once or twice a week to keep better records of our family life.
I decided my first blog would be about my communication and writing style and about things that are most consistent in my thoughts so that certain threads will be recognizable (and probably funny) throughout my blogging days.

Communication:
First, I LOVE exclamation points! They make me feel positive and they reflect my excitement about life, including the little things!! One exclamation point is usually not enough for me!
I LOVE being on the computer. I love typing. I love surfing the net. And I love researching all the questions and concerns I have. Sometimes this is a great thing, as I feel prepared and knowledgeable. Sometimes this gives me extra angst about things that I'm already worried about (I'll list those momentarily)!!
Last, I deflect emotion with humor. It is a family trait, and it's something my brother Chris and I noticed this Christmas while spending the day in Boulder together.
If either one of us would show any emotion about something in a conversation, or even if one of just said something nice about the other, we would quickly follow it with a joke.
I love humor of all kinds, and I love people that can take a joke. I like self deprecating humor!

We laugh a lot in our family and we are often unsure as to who is the biggest kid in the house.
Kayla thinks I'm so silly but she still claims that Uncle Chris has me beat!
Tim has loosened up over the years and is now able to dance around the family room with us and he can really let loose! He is the funnest person I know!

There will be exciting, new or special moments I'll blog about so that one day we can all look back and laugh, and sometimes maybe cry.
But here are the things that I'm often thinking about and working on:

1. I'm always planning a trip. Not a day goes by where I am not discussing an upcoming trip with someone! This is a product of having family and friends so spread out over this country. But it is also a product of our need for adventure!
Currently we are planning a Spring Break trip to Las Vegas and Phoenix, a dinosaur dig trip in Western Colorado for this summer, and a possible international trip in 2 years.

2. I'm always thinking about family. I talk to my parents and brother every day, and I talk to Tim's parents just as much. I miss my Grandmas in Michigan. I think about them all the time and I wish I could see them every week. Chris and I made a trip to see them recently without our parents. What an amazing trip! I think we learned more about our Grandmas in that short weekend than we did in several years combined.
It was so neat to learn about who they were as young people, with jobs and ideas, crushes and problems... to learn that they broke rules or didn't always agree with authority, whether it be parents or religion or politics. They are both so fun and smart! I can't wait to visit again.
Outside of my immediate family, my brother is my best friend and I need him for my daily dose of tear pouring laughter.
Kayla and Collin love their cousins! It is more fun than ever to get together these days. The kids play and laugh non-stop.
I wish we had more opportunities for Kayla and Hannah to get to know eachother the way she and Collin have had the opportunity with Jack and Nick. Hannah is the only other girl in the family and she is far way in Florida!

3. I'm always thinking about education. I'm always thinking about what the best thing might be for Kayla and eventually Collin. Kayla is an old soul and we feel enormously blessed to have her in our lives. But it is a big job to keep up with her passions and convictions and her budding mind. She's got a lot going on in that head of hers. She is also the only one who can calm me down when I'm stressed out or mad. She always has a pearl of wisdom for me or something to say that really makes me think. She was NOT an easy newborn or baby, but she turned in to the smiliest, happiest toddler. And now she's such a fun kid with a big heart.

Collin is proving to be a lot like his sister. Funny, smart and full of ideas. We are learning to be a little more careful with him though. He is the sensitive one. He has a harder time taking a joke and he doesn't want to feel like he's being laughed at. We work to be sure he feels special and loved for who he is. Collin has taught me to relax a LOT. He jumps off his dresser, climbs the furniture and flies through the air! He is the essence of "boy" and a breath of fresh air in my life.
The day he was born was the best day of my life because it was such a perfect birth and he was such a perfect newborn. He was so quiet for the first couple of months and I will always cherish the first moment I held my son. Collin loves to be home. Unlike Kayla, he has no need for playgroups or Gymboree. He'd rather play with Mom or Dad any day. His perfect day is to stay in PJ's all day long and just play with his family.

4. I'm always thinking about the evening. As pathetic as it may sound, I LOVE thinking about what shows are on that night. Tim and I are reality junkies!! I love it!
I love our routine. I cook dinner while he entertains the kids. Then he does the dishes while I give them a bath and get them ready for bed. We both read to them and we always makes up stories to tell them. Then we retreat to the family room with the fireplace on and who knows- Survivor, The Apprentice... something will be on.
We love politics and we spend a lot of time learning about and talking about the candidates.
We can be a bit competitive... darts or board games.
We also love having treats after the kids go to bed. Ice cream, candy or cookies... every night!

5. I'm thinking often about where we want to live. Tim and I are adventurers at heart.
While we love the thought of staying in one house forever, we could still move a few more times. There are so many people we want to live by. There are so many cities we'd love to experience! Tim and I are realtor.com junkies too. Always checking out housing prices in different places. To name just a few of the places we'd love to live... Boulder, Denver, Fort Collins, Phoenix, Northern California, Michigan, and most of all- the East Coast baby!
Oh how I fell in love while on a trip with my friend Liz. I felt as though I was home for some strange reason. Especially in Salem. (Was I a witch in a past life??) ha ha
Realistically though, we'll probably stay by the comfort of family and friends in Colorado or Arizona. We can dream though...

6. God. I'm always curious about the true nature of God. Religion is so interesting to me, but I have to wonder whether God even needs or requires "religion"
I feel that all of us possess a physical and spiritual being. I think that our religious experiences and choices can nourish our spiritual side. But I do wonder how much of religion is man-made and how much is a reflection of God's will for us to worship? Hmmm...
After having kids, I sometimes even feel that our souls existed before our bodies.
It's interesting because I feel like I'm getting to know my kids every day, yet I also feel that I've known them forever. And I believe that our souls are bound together for all of time.
I'm a bit Mormon that way!! :)

7. Terrorism. While this is not on my mind as much as my family and lifestyle... it worries me that our nation might really be one of sitting ducks. We are so involved with our tiny little worlds, and so sure of ourselves. I don't think we are as aware of the dangers as much as the rest of the world. I even wonder how safe schools will be in the coming years.
Travel worries me a bit too. But even so I plan to travel and continue having faith and fun in this world!

Well, from now on I think I'll blog about memories, experiences, thoughts and funny stories.
But these are the basics of the "House of Dean".