For My Dad

There is no man on earth more special to me than my Dad.I was four days old when my parents brought me home from Hinsdale Hospital.  It was a matter of days before they were able to take me home that they found out they were going to be parents for the first time  I'm adopted.  There are many different ideas or meanings behind an adoption but the one I grew up with was that John & Grace were chosen by God to be my parents.  I was born to a single mother who could not care for an infant and she loved me so much that she gave me to an amazing couple who could.  It couldn't have been a better "fit."

I can't tell you how many times over the years I would get "you look just like your mom and dad."  I was always proud and often hid that little smile in that wanted to tell them why that would be silly.  One of my very first memories I can remember, baggy of carrots in hand, was going to my dad's softball games.  I remember playing at the park during the games and cheering when I saw my daddy at bat.  My dad worked for my Grandpa's garbage business and I remember some days we would find where my dad was working and go have a small picnic lunch with him or bring him something cold to drink on a hot day.  When the weather was nice he would ride his bike to work and back in the day he would have Saturdays off. 

I always loved Saturdays as a little girl.  My mom worked on the weekend and we would get to spend the whole day with my dad.  We would get the oil changed in the car, go to the pet store, visit my mom at work and we would often go out for lunch.  I grew up watching my dad wear many hats. He seemed to know how to do or fix just about anything.  My dad was always better than the other dads.

As I got older my dad seemed goofy.  He would do his very best to embarrass me.  He would always sing loud in a store, the car or public place and I can still remember every year for the Calvinettes Square Dance feeling tortured.  My dad was joyful, never caring what anyone else thought of him...but as a tween that's all that mattered to me.  I love my dad but somewhere deep down he enjoyed to torture me. 

He was a little girls dream dad.  He would let us do his hair for what seemed like hours on a Saturday afternoon.  He would sit and watch those movies where they spoke English over Chinese and their lips never matched with what was being said all while we put hair ties and headbands in.  My dad would get out in the driveway and play basketball with me, we would work in the garden together and even go on bike rides in the forrest preserve.  Whatever we wanted or needed him to do he was always there, front and center.  My dad never disappointed.

As I grew up we had a special bond.  I lived and breathed soccer and it was something my dad and I were able to share.  He took me to all my games and I'm pretty sure everyone knew he was my dad.  He was the loudest one there cheering me on.  I can't explain the feeling but I'm sure professional athletes feel the same thing deep in their core when a crowd of 22,000 cheer them on as they take the field, court or ice.  I can still hear him yelling, clear as day if I close my eyes "Go get 'em Hide!"  There was really nothing better than hearing all his joy and pride screamed for the world to hear.

The older I got the more I realized just what an amazing man he was.  He would get up for work around 2 a.m. and some days wouldn't get home until 5 p.m.  He always does his best to provide for his family and even my exhausted Dad will make the time to come to our programs, concerts, games and sometimes two weekly Bible Studies.  He is a special man, respected by his family and truly loved by all his girls and his grand kids. 

When I was in my twenties we had a chance to spend a few sweet times together.  When the World Cup came to Chicago my Dad got us amazing seats to some of the games.  I'll be honest sitting next to him when I wasn't playing hearing his cheer was startling but I loved it just the same.  He never holds back.  I certainly would have never admitted it when I was younger but MAN was I spoiled.  Nothing over the top but my Dad has a way of making a little girls dreams come true;)

Shortly after those games I remember traveling to Florida for a week all by myself.  It was first solo trip and my flight was at 6 a.m.  I got to the airport  a little after 4 a.m. and after I checked in and settled in a my gate with a book my phone rang.  It was my dad.  I wondered who else would be up at that hour.  My Dad isn't much of a phone person but he stayed on the line and chatted with me for a while.  It was a couple weeks after September 11th, 2001 and he must have known I was slightly nervous about the flight.  Again...special Dad.

A few years later my dad & I went on a mission trip that was close to both our hearts in Honduras.  We spent a little over a week having breakfast and devotions together, working at the orphanage and farm and taking in the sights & smells of a country very foreign to us.  We had an amazing time and I was able to see first hand just how hard of a worker my dad really was.  It was my first time actually out of the country and it was neat to experience that with my dad.  What a sweet time we had together.

Not only is my Dad possibly the best Dad but now he's also a great Poppa.  Our children adore him.  Grandma get a pretty good reaction when she pulls up to our house but if Poppa steps out the whole crowd erupts with cheers and pure silliness.  I've had the amazing privilege and blessing of calling this man my Dad.  I thank God for him and who he is and I hope that I have made him proud. 

"The glory of young men is in their strength but the splendor of old men is their gray hair."
Proverbs 20:29

Happy Father's Day, Dad!  (Oh, and you would say your hair is blond, not gray.)

What's Been Going On...

Life here in Lasloland has been quite busy. I believe I'm still in a fog from the blizzard this winter. Life seemed to sort of fast forward from that point until now. I almost can't believe it's already June because somewhere in my mind we just celebrated Christmas.

It's certainly been an eventful start to the summer.  Last week the kids finished school.  The week ended with an amazing dinner at my in-laws.  Our dinner included fresh spinach, lettuce, rhubarb, radishes, onions and asparagus all from their garden.  What a treat!  That night the oldest little lady in our family spent the night at my parents for a sleepover and the next morning she and I went to a new spa that opened up a few blocks from our house to get mani/pedis.  She LOVED it!  It was her first time going with me and she grinned from ear to ear the whole time.  That afternoon we had a surprise guest. Elissa came over for a few hours and relaxed w/ James & I as the kids rode bikes and swam away the afternoon.

After our first weekend of summer vacation...(which was in the high 90's by the way) we spent Monday the way we spend just about every other day of our lives, outside.  It was about quarter to four in the afternoon and the kids were all happily and safely riding their bikes when tragedy struck.  I ran inside to grab the sunscreen and Noah came to the front door in a panic. He told me Dylan crashed and was bleeding.  I of course told him to tell Dylan he'd be okay, but he then said he couldn't because too much blood was everywhere.

I ran two houses down only to see it was true.  Poor Dylan had somehow fallen off his bike and the force sent his face straight into the concrete.  His lip was cut open and there was so much blood that it was pooling and clotting right on his swim trunks.  I quickly scooped him up and ran to the house.  There was so much blood I almost couldn't see into his mouth.  When I tried to look I almost passed out.  I have been hurt a lot over my life & seen and heard my own surgeries and can handle it, but the sight of other people's blood gets me every time. 

I quickly called James to come home and help me because I knew that by the looks of Dylan's other front tooth that was dangling, he needed to be seen by a professional. Dylan already lost a front tooth last fall from an accident. I posted about his experience here.  So, James rushed home, changed and he and Dylan were off to the doctor.  I waited for what seemed like years to hear any word on what was going on.  Finally I received the call that they had to pull Dylan's other from tooth that seemed to be dangling in his tiny mouth and that we'd have to make a return visit in a month to check on another tooth that he knocked loose to see if tightened back up on it's own. 

After a few hours my little guy was home with quite possibly the fattest lip I have ever seen.  It was frightening, really.  We considered taking him into the ER because even after he returned home his poor little lip was still bleeding but stopped just before bedtime.  After all he'd been through that day as we were putting the kids to bed Dylan said "I'm glad I could teach Madison & Noah a good lesson of how NOT to ride with no hands."  We had been wondering the whole time what exactly happened.  What an ordeal, what a kid...glad that was behind us!  Or was it?

This is the next day & about half the size!

The very next day Noah was riding his bike and managed to skid and take a chunk out of his knee, his elbow and wrist, get complete road rash all along his left arm and somehow managed to scrape his pelvic bone.  Noah was a mess.  Physically and emotionally.  It was a long couple days with little boys on the injured list.

So, what does this week hold?  Oodles and oodles of activity.  For five days Madison, Noah & Dylan are involved in an adventure/outdoor camp.  They learn about all areas of nature, bugs, birds, animals, trees & seeds.  They all just love it!  Then, 3 evenings this week they are part of Creation Station, a VBS type program from my parents church.  All the kids are headed back over to the Laslo Grandparents for a sleep over tomorrow and Thursday we have a church picnic.  June seems to really be flying by now.

So, if you wondered why I haven't answered the phone all week and thought "what on earth is she doing?"  Now you know.

What I'm Going to Do on My Summer Vacation

Well, it's officially summer here in the Laslo household.  As of 12 p.m. on Thursday afternoon I now have one kindergartner, two first graders and a seventh grader.  Yes, I just wrote SEVENTH GRADE!!!!  Once again I feel completely caught of guard that my children are growing up so quickly.

Already today I field millions (okay, but maybe only a slight exaggeration) of questions as to what we were doing today, tomorrow, the next day, when they were going to some one's for a play date, when someone was coming to our house for a play date, when vacation was, if we could go swimming and how many days until we leave for Michigan.  Yep, these will be the very conversations that I can promise you I will have daily. 

Summer at the Laslo's means hours of playing our backyard, swimming & sprinklers, riding scooters, rollerblading and evening bike rides that sometimes include ice cream.  It's the very time of year the kids look forward to and talk about from the end of August to May. 

This year since all the kids seemed to get older on me again we decided to do something different this summer.  I personally think it's brilliant.  Now that the kids can read and have more time in the morning with no school I've made a new "LIST."  The list is great.  Now every morning when the kids wake up they simply take a look at the list.  There's no need to ask me when we are having breakfast, if they can go outside, etc...  The list lets them know exactly the order that the morning routine should happen.  It's been great so far.  The beds are being made, clothes are being put away and teeth are being brushed without me asking.  The kids also know that they can't do any of the outdoor activities until their list is done.

Right now the list may be a novelty but it's working so I'm not going to mess with it.  As the weeks get busier it may be tough but I think it's going to be a great discipline/learning tool for them now that they are old enough to do these things independently. 

In a couple weeks the boys will have soccer camp, Madison will have Poms camp, the three middles are going to be going to an outdoor adventure camp, the oldest has a few grass-cutting jobs for the summer and Mackenzie and I plan to do plenty.  Our weeks are filling up with barbeque's, picnics, sleepovers, parties, Vacation Bible School and friends but I have to say I wouldn't want it any other way.  This is what summer is all about.

Thanksgiving

I have a couple (dozen) posts fighting to be next to be posted but just like the rest of the things around here most were left unfinished. They are just going to have to keep waiting...I found this as I scrolled through this neglected blog.  I don't know why it was never posted.  It's nothing spectacular.  It's not amazing.  It just happened to be a great little reminder to me today and I thought I'd share.

Today I have so much to be thankful for. Almost 31 years ago a young woman who I have never met gave birth to me . She chose life and God chose a family for me. So, here I am reflecting on the things I am most thankful for and I can't help but think just how thankful I am to her. I have never met her, I don't know her name or where in the world she is today but I am so thankful to her.

God so carefully orchestrated my conception, birth and life and I can't help but be forever thankful to Him. Of course I'm not thankful every day. I'd love to be but I'm simply not. There were some days in my recent past when I was writhing in pain from kidney stones and wasn't very thankful. I certainly should have been but wasn't. I am thankful that my Heavenly Father loves me despite my unthankfulness if I confess those sins to him.

I have way too much to be thankful for. I have an amazing husband that works so hard to provide for our family and providing for a family of seven isn't an easy task. He loves what he does. Even on his toughest days of work he will come home and help give baths, read stories, fold laundry (that I may have let pile up throughout the day) and even helps get all five little children tucked in their beds. He is a master at baking cheesecakes and could win a Throwdown with Bobby Flay any day. 

I am thankful for so much my heart is bursting and I wanted to share it.  I'm not a writer and I know my posts have nothing to offer the world, but...I'm a wife, mom, daughter, niece, sister, friend and I'm thankful for those titles and the people I share those relationships with and I have no others words than "Thank You."  Thank you God, for all the rich blessings you have poured out to me.  I do not deserve even the least of these but am so thankful.