Nora's Baptism

Nora made the incredible decision to be baptized!  She has been talking about it throughout the pandemic, but we ended up waiting until now once church was reopened and we were able to meet with our family pastor to discuss in person with Nora.  Pastor Jacob was very helpful in asking and answering questions for Nora and explaining what baptism means.  (I feel inadequate in this, so it was much appreciated.)

On Sunday, November 22, we had a private baptism with just family and it was such a blessing 💓  Pastor Jeff walked us through the baptism and I physically baptized Nora.  Nora also shared her favorite Bible verse: 

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-disciple.  2 Timothy 1:7

She was very excited to get a new Bible from church, some devotional books for girls, and a necklace she says she will wear every day.  

I am so very happy and proud of our girl for making this decision and commitment.  She has a very inquisitive mind and loves asking questions and learning more about God.  I am excited to see where God leads her life and service to him 💓

Before the baptism

Before the baptism

During the baptism

Outside after

Papa and Gma Beckmann

Papa and Gma Picker

 

Reading her new Bible from church

Special thanks to family and Hope Summit Staff for making this happen in the midst of the pandemic!

Round Here

Life continues to be impacted more and more by the increasing spread of COVID-19 in our area. 

Brent learned on November 10th that Think would be closing the lobbies of their branches again and he would be working from home through at least the remainder of 2020.  We're sharing an office again and enjoying the extra time together.  

We learned on Tuesday, during Governor Walz's update that winter sports will be postponed through December 18, so Luke will not be starting basketball practices on Monday as planned.  We were also advised not to have other households in our homes during the increasing spread of COVID-19 so our plans for Thanksgiving have been cancelled with Brent's family.  

And, we learned yesterday that Stewartville schools will begin distance learning after Thanksgiving break through January 15, which also means basketball is postponed until school buildings are open again.  

So, life is changing quickly.  We're regrouping and trying to embrace the time together, especially during the holiday seasons.  We've started a list of things we want to do before the end of the year: food to make, treats to bake, Christmas movies to watch, a fun things to do together.  It's easy to think that since we're all home that we automatically get quality time together, but that is not the case.  We have a lot of distractions (electronics) to derail us, so it's helpful for us to be intentional in this unique season.  

Nora's reaction of Gov Walz's updated COVID restrictions.

"Boo COVID"

Snuggling up for a Christmas movie 💓

Pro of having Daddy working from home:  reading a book together before nap.

Oral fixation???  A spoon and a fork in his mouth at dinner.

Hanging with Riggins to watch football last weekend.

The big boys watching the game while also on their phones.

Sweet Erik shared his tablet with Jace to watch a cartoon.

Here's to a blessed and healthy holiday season in the midst of unique times💓

Recently Read

I've been very driven to learn more about the BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) struggles for equality and better understanding my part in it as a white woman and how I can possibly make a difference in the world around me.  

The past few months I've read the following books to begin my learning:

A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota is a compilation of BIPOC individuals who have spent part or all of their lives in Minnesota (predominately the Twin Cities area).  I was able to get an e-copy of this book via the SELCO Library app, so if you have a SELCO library card, this book is at your fingertips!  Sixteen Minnesota authors share their hearts and stories about being a minority in our state.  The accounts range from first and second generation immigrants, foreign adopted children to white Minnesota families, indigenous people, and migrants from other areas of the United States.  Some accounts also touch on being LGBTQ in Minnesota.  

A few accounts that stood out to me were "People Like Us" by David Lawrence Grant (see also a blog post on this chapter).  His perspective on the media coverage of shooting deaths in Minneapolis/St Paul really struck me.  Another account that left an impact was about a black woman who lived in the south while attending college and faced blatant racism in terms of where she was and was not welcome.  She moved to Minnesota thinking she would have more opportunity has a black woman in her field.  Her accounts of racism in Minnesota, though not as blatant, but just as limiting, harmful, and painful were very hard for me to read.  I also learned from several accounts the unique prejudices faced by bi- or multi-racial people.  Several accounts shared the difficulty in belonging, even within their extended families, because they were not one race.  

The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration follows three individuals from their beginnings in the Jim Crow south, their decision to leave, their harrowing migrations, and their years of adjustment to the new world of the north.  The book was published in 2010 after years of research and interviewing hundreds of black migrants.  Isabel truly created a work of art in weaving the personal accounts and US history and culture together into this book.  

This book challenged one of my long-held misunderstanding: Why would a black person stay in the segregated south?  I have wondered this since I was a kid. I never understood why an oppressed black person would stay in the oppression.  I learned quickly in this book that the decision was a huge one, the migration was difficult, dangerous, and isolating, and the "promised land" of the north did not provide the opportunities expected.  

This is a thick book that reads very fast and is so very engaging.  I felt intimately connected to Ida Mae, George, and Robert.  I covers American history from the Civil War to the present from both the high and personal levels.  If you read no other book this year, I recommend this book.  (I have a copy if you're interested in loaning it.)

I am also anxious to read Isabel Wilkerson's book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent, which I have on hold at the library.

Let Justice Roll Down is John Perkins biography written in 1976, only half way through his incredible life.  He turned 90 years old this year.  I first learned of John Perkins in a podcast this summer.  His simple yet profound insights pulled me in immediately.  He has lived remarkable, difficult, impactful, and sorrow-filled life.  

This book addressed by long-held question: Why would a black person stay in the segregated south?  John's life takes this to another level because he left the south and intentionally returned.  John's life answered my question simple and eloquently: He stayed to invoke change.  He stayed at the cost of much pain and hardship and created a life with his family which expanded to include many lives in Mississippi.  

The timing of reading this book after The Warmth of Other Suns was perfect.  It showed me the other side of the coin.  Isabel Wilkerson showed me the sacrifices of migrating and the impact on our world today, and John showed me the sacrifices of staying and the impact on our world today.  

I also own this book if you're interested in loaning it.

The Greatest Generation was my next read.  It is similar to A Good Time for the Truth in that it is a compilation of accounts, only the accounts were written by a biographer: Tom Brokaw. I expected the book to depict a heroic United States and its involvement in WWII.  I was quickly converted to believing Tom Brokaw truly aimed to report the truth of this generation.  The realities of their early lives during the depression years, their experiences during the war (whether in foreign lands or in the US), the urgency to begin life after the war, and the years of impact they made on our world today.  Tom Brokaw also addressed the ugliness throughout: US internment camps for Japanese Americans, segregation and the devaluing of minority groups, and sexual inequality.  

What stood out to me was the experiences of this generation.  Their first 20-30 years of life were full of struggle, loss, and life-altering experiences.  These experiences shaped this generation.  Everyone was impacted by the depression and everyone was impacted by the war.  No one was excluded.  This difficult beginnings lead to a greater appreciation for life after the war.  When education is difficult to come by, you appreciate it more when it's reality.  When providing a home for your family is nearly or actually impossible, you appreciate it more when you can provide it.  It really helped me understand my grandparents in a new light.  It also opened my eyes to how truly privileged I am today.  

Another impactful discovery for me from reading this book was that millions of people experienced life during and after WWII and their personal and political beliefs fell along a large spectrum.  For example, not every soldier in WWII was pro-war going forward, not every scientist or leader involved with the atomic bomb development and bombings of Japan were supporters of the acts and how to handle atomic power after the war, and not every veteran was pro-veteran affairs going forward.  This helped me understand better how individual perspectives can differ even after experiencing similar history.  Tom Brokaw instead showed how these personal beliefs shaped each survivor of the WWII era.  They made unique impacts on our world today through public and not so public lives as politicians, teachers, leaders, farmers, medical providers, and parents/grandparents.  They learned from their past to create what they felt was a better future.  

An excerpt about Mark Hatfield:

Commenting on the Republican newcomers, Hatfield told a reporter, "There are those who think we should be of on mind.  They feel, perhaps, that diversity in the party is a weakness, not a strength.  I'm an Old Guard Republican.  The founders of our party were for small business, education, cutting the military budget.  That was our platform in 1856 and I think it's still a darned good one."  Some of the newer Republican senators, with their strict conservative dogmas, may never understand a man like Mark Hatfield, but then they've never shuttled Marines ashore under heavy fire at Iwo Jima or Okinawa.  They've never looked out on the unworldly landscape of nuclear devastation and shared their lunch with a starving Japanese child.  

All in all, I was very impressed by this book and I came to respect Tom Brokaw and his approach to journalism.

Up next on my reading list is Born a Crime by Trevor Noah and Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Patton.  Both books are about apartheid in South Africa.

Brent Joins His Older Wife

Yesterday, I celebrated 39 years of life for the man I love.  He's not a fan of birthdays, but I planned a day for us to get out of the house together.  It was so delightful to be together and on our own agenda while the kids we at school and/or hanging with Brent's parents.  

I began brainstorming a way Brent and I could have a day together back in October after I had a fabulous massage at Mall of America and I knew he would love it too.  Unfortunately, because of the pandemic, my original plans for the day did not work out.  We were going to do indoor golfing and lunch with friends, but their daughter ended up being sick.  We were going to have dinner with Brent's brother and wife, but then a schedule conflict popped up for them.  Plus, COVID-19 cases in Minnesota are at an all time high 😕

I punted and planned a day for us to visit Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis.  We started the day visiting our friend's bakery and coffee shop in St Charles: Roasted Bliss.  It was our first time and we loved every bite and brought even more treats home to share with the kids.  It's truly amazing and I recommend it to all! We then made our way to Minnehaha Falls to explore a bit.  Brent nor I had ever been before so it was nice to check out and thankfully we had sunshine to keep us warm on a 34 degree day.  (For those that know Brent well, you know he hates the cold.  But, he humored me in a walk around the park 😊) We had lunch at Highland Grill, at the suggestion of my lovely cousin.  We finished our day at IKEA and MOA doing some Christmas shopping together.  This is a treat because we typically do a lot of it individually though we both have input into the gift selection.  One of the best part of the day was getting our massages before we left MOA at New Dragon Acupressure.  My friend introduced me to this place in October and it's incredible!  

We're so grateful for the chance to be together, to celebrate 39 years of life for Brent, and to Papa and Gma for helping out with the kids.  

Some pics from Minnehaha Falls:

Monday Musings

We had another week of warm weather!!!  I think I mentioned a few weeks back that I thought warm fall weather was over, but it wasn't....we had a week in the 70s!  

We had a great weekend together relaxing and playing, including two trips to Florence Park to play in the leaves.  

Friday Fun at Florence

Sunday at Florence with Family

Four little cousins, hiding in the leaves

Luke and Nora successfully finished their first quarters of ninth and second grades respectively and got to have a long weekend for a break.  Luke also finished drivers education!  So, come February he'll be able to take his permit test and start driving with Brent and I.  Is this really happening???

Nora has also been making great progress with piano and she started playing Christmas music this week!  I haven't started listening to Christmas music yet, but I really enjoy listening to her play it.  

Jace has been full of new sentences recently. He now wakes every morning and from every nap by yelling from his room: "Mom, I ready to get out!"  Other common phrases we hear:

• What time it is?
• Three more minutes (while holding up three fingers)
• What this for?
• Play with me?

Another favorite has been his increased attention for snuggling together to read books.  We can bring a stack of several books to the chair in the living room and read together until we've finished the pile.  This makes my momma and reader's heart happy 💓  I love the time together!  Jace is also starting to "read" books himself by turning the pages and telling the parts he remembers from his favorite books.  I remember Nora doing this a lot too 😊

Brent would also say that Jace is very attached to me right now.  He is often my little shadow around the house. He snuck up on me tonight while I was vacuuming and I hit in the head.  I should know he's always nearby 😕

A few other fun highlights from the week:

Me trying to watch AFV with the family...

Jace has piled his favorite trucks on me...

Nora's interpretation of me stretching

Fun dot-to-dot work by Nora

These are Jace's animals...

They show up in an unlikely herd in various places around the house 😏

Animal herd on the piano

Jace's art work from daycare

Laundry fun with Jace 😆

Jen's Joy

Personality profiles have always intrigued me.  

(For those not familiar or interested in this topic, personality profiles essentially help us understand ourselves and those around us.  Some examples are Myers-Briggs, DiSC, Enneagram, and Gary Smalley's Personality Types Inventory.)

I have had so many "ah-ha" moments in understanding myself and those close to me (family, friends, coworkers) as a result of analyzing myself through personality tests.  My favorite profile and the one I've spent the most time using and learning has been Myers-Briggs.  I am a IST/FJ.  I'm Introverted, Sensing, right in the middle of Thinking and Feeling, and Judging.  My personality traits according to Myers-Briggs:

I'm also interested in The Birth Order book by Dr. Leman and Brent has ready different leadership/workplace personality books through the years as well.  One that stuck out to me was Strengths Finder by Tom Rath.  The gist is that finding and focusing on our strengths helps us enjoy and be more successful at our work.  

ALL of this to say, I love organizing.  It brings me joy, it energizes me, and it works well with how my brain thinks.  I like logical and practical organization tools and systems that work in every day life (tying back to my strengths with Myers-Briggs).

Recently I have been very into organizing the house.  I've recently watched Hot Mess House and Get Organized with The Home Edit and found a lot of good ideas and inspiration.  Then...I unleashed on our toys and kitchen specifically 😊

Pantry Before and After

These may not look very different, but they feel very different.

The snacks moved up to a level that Jace cannot access.

I now have zones for breakfast, meals, and back stock of regularly used items.

A place for everything and everything in its place 💓

During the process...make a mess to make progress 😊

Spice cupboard before and during

Spice cupboard after my turn tables arrived!

SO much better!

The rest of the cabinets/drawers I did not get before pictures, but here are some after pictures:

Baking drawer

Fridge with added turn tables!

Baking cabinet with new expandable racks!

More baking with new expandable rack!

These racks are amazing!

Candy and vases - rarely used, but all easier to access

"Morning" (all the things used each morning, easily accessible over the coffee maker for Brent) and recipes

Kids dishes, cups, and water bottles

Love the perfect size of these new bins I found!

Little man getting in on the sorting 😆

He's been my mini-shadow lately.

I also organized Nora's closet, desk, and craft table, as well as the toy cabinet in the play area.  It's so nice to feel like what we have we actually use (I donated or sold more items) and to actually be able to access everything easily.  I'm happier in the kitchen since reorganizing and Jace has seemed to like the streamline of his toys too. Plus, he and Luke have always been better at putting things away than my free-spirit, Nora 😆  She doesn't join me in my joy of organizing😏

I still have more on my list to tackle: our master bathroom and a smaller tidy up on the storage area (we did a big effort on this last spring).  

It's especially nice having these projects done and in progress before Christmas when new things come into the house as gifts.  

Thanks for joining me as I nerd-out on my organization victories!

What's the thing that brings you joy?  Something you could do all day and not grow tired of it???