After Grad School

My graduating class and I have been talking a lot about how hard it is to get back to writing now that we have finished our master's program. There are a billion and one reasons that we're having trouble picking up a book to read or sitting in front of a computer to write. I need time to recover from sleep deprivation. It's hard to feel motivated without a deadline looming. I'm not sure where to go with a novel without the feedback of an advisor. I have all this grad school weight to work off, and I'm not as bendy as I was two years ago. It's still summer and there are yards to tend, vacations to take and kids to get ready for school.

But the thing is, that all of these excuses have always existed for us as writers. Then again, I did get engaged and I'm planning a wedding and a move across the country as well as looking for a new job and getting used to the idea of becoming a stepmother. So maybe I'll give myself permission to not write for just a little while longer.

Mother's Day, Then and Now

She holds me just as tightly and loves me just as much now as she did back then. She instilled in me my love of books and stories, and it's thanks to her sacrifices and encouragement that I've been able to do so many amazing things. I'm lucky to have this woman as my mother.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

My Holiday Newsletter

I hope that everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as I did. Chicago was snowy and freezing, but to spend time with my family and childhood friends, I'll put up with the miserable weather. If you follow me on twitter or Facebook, you've seen most of these pictures, but I think they're worth sharing again.

My friend and I discovered coconut nog this year. Yes, dairy-free eggnog! My excitement over this is probably completely disproportionate to how good it actually is, but I miss eggnog.

I'm sure you are aware, but my immediate family is just about as nerdy as you can get. My brother decided to nerdify the Christmas tree as well. So we had the TARDIS from Doctor Who as the topper, and Star Wars snowflakes as ornaments. Next year I'm planning on getting him some more nerdy ornaments for his collection.

My cousin is teaching in Thailand for the next year, and she's incredibly homesick. So a bunch of us crammed onto my aunt's stairs to say hello to Emily. You'd think that with so many people, one person wouldn't be missed, but we always miss those who can't be with us on Christmas.

We had two little miracles born into the family this fall. I'm holding Zackary, who gave us quite the scare by coming two months early. My aunt weighted him on her kitchen scale on Christmas morning, and he had finally hit eight pounds exactly. My other cousin's baby wasn't able to join us as he was just diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and had only been released from the hospital a few days before Christmas. Instead of exchanging gifts, my extended family all made donations to the Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation on Ryaln's behalf. (Yes, I did include the link there so you can donate as well if you feel so inclined. In fact, I encourage you to keep the Spirit of the Season past the New Year and find a charity to support throughout the year.)

As part of our Christmas tradition, we pass around a fiber optic poinsettia to be displayed in the recipient's home until the next Christmas. On the tenth anniversary of the poinsettia, my cousin Tim handed it off to my brother Michael. As my brother and sister just moved in together, Tim got double the laughs--my sister had it five years ago.

Just in case you were worried that I didn't treat myself to anything, I had fun putting together this "Leopard Gecko Palace" for Harper. I've actually been working on it for about six months--growing the plants and finding the terrarium decor that I wanted. I'm happy to report that Harper LOVES his new digs. It used to be that he'd fight me every time I'd try to put him back in his tank, and now he tries to crawl back in whenever I take him out.

Last year was a...difficult year for me, and this year has been filled with trials for a lot of people I hold dear. My family has gone though some incredible challenges, but we are all making the best of our situation. The worry and heartache have made us express our love and emotions in a way we've never had to before, and we find ourselves relying on each other a lot more. A good friend of mine was in critical condition after a hit-and-run driver, and I often found myself praying for the well-being of many friends serving in the military or living in volatile places overseas. Far too many friends and family members have been too close to tragedy for comfort--including friends attending the Boston Marathon, others who work at the Navy Yard, and still others in the path of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and tsunamis. In many ways, 2013 was an anxiety-filled year, but my family and friends have been lucky. And to the many individuals who have not been so lucky this year, I grieve with you.

Someone at my hometown church asked me how my year was, and I told him it couldn't be better. And reflecting back on that answer, I have to say my response was totally sincere. My life is incredibly fulfilling, and I feel the love and support of a lot of people every single day. I might complain about school wearing me down and work stressing me out, but I love what I do, which far outweighs all of the negatives. I'm probably happier now than I have been at any other point in my life. And don't think I'm unaware of just how special that is. I am grateful every day for all of my many blessings.

Happy Fathers Day!

There have been a lot of people who have taught me a lot of things in my life, but no one has taught me more than my father. Sorry, Mom, but you know I'm a daddy's girl.

P.S. This has always been one of my favorite pictures of my dad because you can see the joy of being a father on his face. And the way my mom (taking the picture) and dad are making my sister laugh is priceless.

Happy Mothers Day!

I usually write a sappy post about my mom and how much she's taught me and how much I love her. Well, my brain is fried from school and work and the usual stresses of life, and the only thing that I can think of is how much I wished I lived closer to me mom. I miss her cookies and her hugs, sitting in the garden and talking about books. If there's one thing I've learned from living far away from my mom, it's that I'll never stop needing her.

This might be a short post, but it's filled with love. Happy Mothers Day, Mom. I'm so glad you're mine.

Putting Off the Apocalypse

Tomorrow is 12/21/12, and there's no way the world can end. I have big plans for 2013, and after the rather harrowing year I've had, I'm looking forward to many good things in the year to come. It's become a bit of a tradition for me to look at the past year while setting some goals for the next. So here's a look back as well as a peek at what's to come.

PAST: My year started with a trip to the ER followed by emergency surgery. While it took my mom a couple of days to come take care of me (I'm always glad to have my mom visit), there was an amazing community of people right here in Northern Virginia who stepped in when family couldn't. Friends brought me to the hospital, picked me up, made meals for me, changed my bandages, picked my mom up from the train station, and kept me company while I recovered. I will always be grateful for the family I've discovered in my own back yard.

FUTURE: I look forward to the many opportunities I'll have to show my love and appreciation for my friends. I look forward to attending kid's soccer games, going out for celebratory dinners and finding the perfect gifts for baby showers and bridal showers and graduations and birthdays. While I might not look forward to it, I'll happily help friends move, grieve with them when they lose a loved one and take them to a movie when they need a little break.

PAST: Working with writers' groups have not only made me a better writer, but they have also made me some wonderful friends. Together we've explored new worlds and learned about the past, laughed at silly boys and gone on great adventures. These men and women encourage me and teach me and love me, and in the past year, I've never needed them more. I would also be remiss if I didn't mention what an honor it is to be a member of SCBWI and work with my local chapter. Becoming a member of that organization four years ago was the best decision I ever made.

FUTURE: There are so many amazing books I'm looking forward to reading next year. I'm fortunate to have a lot of really good friends with upcoming publications, so bare with me as I do some name dropping. Sara Zarr, Mike Martin, Megan Shepherd, Lisa Papademetriou and Anne Marie Pace already have books slated for release, and I'm sure I'll read a dozen more.

PAST: Starting grad school was terrifying and thrilling all at once. I never realized it was possible to be stressed out and totally at peace at the same time. I had an amazing adviser who taught my to write broadly until you find your story and encouraged the poet within me to be brave. I quickly made some of the best friends I could ever imagine in my fellow VCFA classmates. School also allowed me to discover Vermont summers and cross the boarder into Canada where I actually used my rusty French in real conversations.

FUTURE: Right after the New Year I get to see what White Christmas was really all about when I go to Vermont for my second residency. I'll bring my new ice skates and winter coat to play in the snow as well as a fresh notebook and plenty of hot cocoa to get me through lectures. For summer residency I'll go up a few days early, and (hopefully with my brother in tow) visit Cooperstown and hike in the Adirondack Mountains.

PAST: I discovered my Natitude this baseball season. Excuse me while I get a little misty-eyed just thinking about it. I have loved baseball all my life and the White Sox will always be my first love, but I've watched the Nationals grow from their very first season into a championship team. I was in agony when Jayson Werth snapped his wrist, heartbroken when Rick Ankiel didn't make the cut, excited when Bryce Harper and Tyler Moore were called up, and astonished when Teddy finally won the race. I was at Game 4 to cheer on their first post-season run, and it will be an experience I'll never forget.

FUTURE: What more could a life-long baseball fan ever wish for? Oh, yeah, to see their team play in the Wold Series. I can't wait for April.

PAST: With my project for grad school, I've learned a lot about my family this year. I've spent a lot of time combing through documents and listening to family members tell stories. In doing this, I've also learned a great deal about myself. Mainly I learned that I come from a long line of kick-ass women (my mother, grandmothers, aunts and sister among them) whom I can only hope to be like.

FUTURE: My little brother comes home from Hawaii next summer, and I'm excited to be a lot closer to him once again. I'm sure my sister and parents will be down for visits, and I know I'll see a few aunts, uncles and cousins throughout the year. I love my family, and more than anything, I hope the New Year brings them happiness and success.

I know the past year has been very difficult for many people. People I know and love continue to struggle financially, and words cannot describe the horrible loss that happened last week. The world is full of war and hunger and unhappiness. But there is also goodness, kindness and hope in the world. I hope in the coming weeks we can all remember the things that are worth living for. From this natural-born pessimist to you, may 12/21/12 be just another day in this holiday season and may it bring you a little closer to family, friends and joy.

The Next Big Thing

There are two schools when it comes to talking about your work in progress (WIP). The first is that you don't talk about it at all. Period. The second is that you talk about nothing else. I'm kind of a combination of both, and over the years I've become much more of the second. But my current WIP necessitates me talking about my work with a lot of people, and it's taken over such a huge part of my life that it's basically all I think about. So when the talented, beautiful, amazing Jessica Cooper asked me to participate in The Next Big Thing blog game, I agreed.

Here are ten questions (and answers) about my current WIP.

What is the working title of your book?
Okay, maybe this isn't going to be as easy as I thought. Right now it's just kind of labeled "Grandmother Poems," but that is just about the worst title possible and kind of makes me dread scrolling to the top of my manuscript. I've been tossing around some ideas like "Forest of Things" and "Children of No Country," but my working titles usually go through several amalgamations before I settle on something I don't hate.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
After complaining to a friend that I can't finish anything, he asked me the most basic question: "Why?" That made me think far more than you would expect. It also made me realize that I couldn't get to the end of anyone's story because the beginning of my own is all muddled. So I started at the beginning, writing about the grandmother. How very meta of me.

What genre does your book fall under?
Creative nonfiction is kind of the catch-all for what I'm working on. It's parts poetry, biography, memoir, speculation. Who knows what it will be in the end.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
All unknowns. My characters are very vivid in my head, so I'm not sure I'd be able to say who would "fit" the part best. Good thing I'm not a casting director, or even a screen writer.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
I will be the one to mark her grave: Leona Rodak Gaglione, 1917-1979, beloved wife and mother.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I can't imagine what agency would be willing to represent this type of book, so it might end up being self-published. But hopefully my other WIPs will get my foot in the door of an agency that's willing to take a chance on this.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
This is a WIP and very much in the early stages, but I'm hoping to have a draft finished within a year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
It's a little like A Step From Heaven by An Na with elements of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, Everything Is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer and Thomas and Beulah by Rita Dove. (Yes, I did just compare my mess of a WIP to Printz Award-winner, a classic novel, a New York Times best-seller and a Pulitzer Prize for poetry. And yes, I am aware that this could possible be the most ridiculous comparison ever made.)

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
My grandmother's family immigrated from Poland a few years before she was born, and their lives were far from easy. My grandmother made some very bad choices in her life that still affect my family, but I've also seen how my father has been able to forgive and overcome the past. This book is an exercise in forgiveness.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
When most people think of immigrants in the early 20th century, they mostly think about New York City and the Ellis Island Experience. This WIP, however, is set in Omaha. When a lot of people think about Poland, they think about a country in Eastern Europe that gets invaded by just about everyone that is now a member of the European Union. This WIP, however, is about the strong cultural identity of a people with no country. I like exploring the unexpected, and I think others will like it as well.

I'm not a big fan of "tagging" people, but if you do a Next Big Thing post, let me know. I'd love to find out what you're working on!

Stepping into the Past

I've always been told I look just like my grandmother Leona Rodak. I've also learned enough about her to know that she made a lot of really bad decisions in her life, decisions that continue to affect my family even though she's been gone for almost 35 years. Though I never met her, she's had the single most influence over me behind the members of my immediate family--influence that hadn't always been for the good. So I've started a journey to make peace with my grandmother.

I've decided to embrace my Polish heritage and learn about immigrant life at the turn of the century. I've been contacting family members who knew Leona and her siblings, and I've done more research on Omaha from 1910-1930 than I ever expected to do. I've spent the past two months trying to piece together the lives of people who are no longer around to tell their story. I've also written page after page of poetry and prose, fiction and nonfiction about my grandmother's family. And I've learned a lot of unexpected things.

My grandmother was a pretty amazing person. She went through a lot in her life, and my family has left an amazing legacy of women who were independent, powerful, compassionate. Yes, her life was filled with mistakes and horrible tragedies, but it was also filled with incredible stories of survival and love. I've spent so many years resenting my grandmother that I never really took the chance to know her. But maybe looking like my grandmother isn't such a bad thing.

Daddy's Girl

I haven't always been a daddy's girl. In fact, there were a few years there in my late teens/early twenties when I thought my dad and I would forever have a strained relationship. Maybe it's because we're both so stubborn and set in our ways that we never really tried to understand each other. Then one day—quite out of the blue—I realized I was what needed to change about my relationship with my father.

So here we are, ten years later and 700 miles apart, and I'm closer to my dad than ever. I thought about him often this week. Practically everything I did came as a direct result of something my father taught me to love. I work in Washington, DC, because my father knows the importance of being politically active; even the field I work in is directly related to my father's work. Every time I downloaded a new song on my mp3 player, I thought about sharing it with my dad because he's a musician and music lover. I watched old Star Trek (Deep Space Nine and Voyager) episodes because I grew to love the series when my dad watched The Next Generation with us. As I listened to baseball games (both Nationals and White Sox), I thought of the games my dad took us to and how we used to complain whenever he'd steal the remote on Saturday afternoons and turn on a game. Each time I opened up an assignment for grad school, I thought of how proud my dad is that I'm getting an advanced degree because he never had the chance to finish college.

Then last night, my thoughts turned sad when my dad posted on Facebook about how much he missed his own father. My grandfather passed away many years before I was born, when my father was still in high school. My father's gone about 40 years without his father there to ask career advice, to watch a baseball game, to chat about the day. It made me think about how lucky I am to be able to miss my dad and then pick up the phone and hear his voice. How blessed I am to have had 30 years, more than 11,000 days, to have my father there for me.

I know this is a really sappy, but it's Fathers' Day after all. So even though there were a few years in there I'm sure I didn't say it often enough and miles prevent me from saying it in person, I love you, Dad. I always have, and I always will.

Girls' Night at the Ballpark

The Nats lost, but it was more the company than the game that made it a great night.

Friday Five: TGIF

For today's list, the five things I'm most excited for this weekend. It's a simple list, but then again, everything seems a little simpler on the weekends.

1. Writing: It's been a rough week at work, which makes it difficult to come home and write, but the weekends mean I can leave work at work and focus on writing. Here's to getting one more chapter finished.
2. Chaos: I'm planning on finishing the Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness. These books have kept me on an emotional precipice since I picked the first one up two weeks ago. Seriously, I think this roller coaster might be even worse than it was with The Hunger Games.
3. DC Adventure: Some good friends are moving next week, so as a farewell, we're having a clue-based race around town to visit all their favorite places. I haven't done one of these since I was a teenager, and I can't wait to see where the clues lead.
4. The Avengers: I watched Captain America this week and I'll watch Thor Saturday afternoon, all so I won't be behind on Joss Whedon's newest film. I might not actually have time to see The Avengers until next week, but this superhero kick is kind of fun.
   
5. My Mom: Being so far away from family is never easy, but on Sunday I have an excuse to be a little homesick. I'll get to call my mom and tell her I love her, and I'll get to hear her say it back to me. What better thing to do on Mothers' Day?

Giving History Color

Near the beginning of The Rock and the River by Kekla Magoon, narrator Sam Childs reflects on a series of marchs led by Martin Luther King, Jr., in Chicago during the summer of 1966. Though this is a work of fiction, it was rather surreal reading about this event as I had heard the story once before—from a very different perspective.

When I was in middle school, my teacher gave us an assignment to ask our parents what life was like when they were in 8th grade. My mom talked about her fear for her older brothers who were in the military at the onset of the Vietnam War and that she loved a relatively new music group called The Mamas and The Papas. My father spoke of how his father was under investigation for being a communist supporter because of his ties to Chicago union groups and his excitement for all the new developments in the U.S. space program. Dad watched Star Trek and Mom liked Dark Shadows. And then we started talking about the civil rights movement.

The summer before 8th grade, my dad remembers his parents taking him to go "window shopping" in downtown Warrenville, an affluent suburb of Chicago. What my father didn't know was they were actually going to watch a march against public housing segregation. "I watched as King walked down the street," my father told me, "and then I watched as my parents turned their backs as if they weren't interested in what was going on." As a 12 year old, my father watched his parents pretend like black people didn't matter, that the challenges the black community faced didn't affect them and their white friends. Looking me right in the eyes, his blue eyes bright and serious, my father told me, "In that moment, I knew my parents were wrong."

Martin Luther King, Jr., leads march down State Street in Chicago during summer of 1966.
(Chicago Defender Archives)

Up until that point, I had always believe segregation was a "Southern issue" and that bigotry was a thing of the past. But in that moment, I knew my father was teaching me one of the greatest lessons I could ever learn: All people are equal.

This conversation happened 15 years ago about an event that had happened 30 years before that, but I will never forget what my father said. It very much affected my views on racial divides. It affected the way I built relationships. It affected the way I viewed media. It affected my beliefs on women's issues, gay rights and religious freedoms. It affected the kind of newspaper stories I wrote in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and it affected the work I do on healthcare reform. In fact, it still affects all of these things.

How grateful I am for parents who taught me to look past the one-dimensional labels we give people. I'm grateful that I had the chance to grow up in a divers community and that I still live in a diverse community. I'm grateful for my many wonderful teachers who taught me that history isn't colorblind—that the histories of Africa and Asia and America are just as important as the history of Europe. And I'm especially grateful for books that reenforce these same lessons for children of a new generation.

Here are some contemporary YA novels that address race issues in America:
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Peña

Friday Five: Five Weeks in Five Pictures

The past five weeks have been a little crazy, but it's been one of those crazy wonderful months. I know that I posted a couple of these pictures, but they kind of bear repeating. So here are the five best things that happened to me in the past five week.

Chicago Trip

When you get to spend an entire week with your family and best friend, you'd be thinking about it and smiling about it a month later as well. I wish we could be together everyday, but I'll just have to be content with fond memories and plans for another trip soon.

Uncle Ron's Visit

I love when people visit me in DC, but I especially love seeing my family. So when my uncle came to town, we had an amazing few days touring the monuments—especially seeing MLK Memorial for the first time— and spending a morning at the National Arboretum—my uncle's a master gardener, which made this visit especially fun.

SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Conference

I know, I can't say enough about how wonderful this conference was. I net so many wonderful people there that I hope to keep in touch with for years to come. Joining and then volunteering with SCBWI was the best decision I've ever made.

Meeting in the Berkshires

I was asked to speak at a conference in Massachusetts, and despite the early snow, I had a wonderful time. Hopefully the attendees found my presentation worthwhile (I spoke about building relationships with local media) because I know it was lovely to meet all of them.

Grad School App

That's right, my very first graduate school application is complete (except for one promised letter of recommendation that hasn't been submitted yet). I cannot tell you what a relief it is to have the first one in—now the other two don't seem like such insurmountable obstacles. My decision to go to graduate school is seeming more and more real and getting more and more exciting.

Falling in Love with the Second City

Growing up in the shadow of man-made mountains, I never realized that most kids don't go to Broadway plays or museum exhibits practically every week. It wasn't until high school that I discovered even the kids from my hometown didn't spend their summers exploring the ethnic neighborhoods, swimming in the largest of the Great Lakes or cheering on the Boys in Black.

A few weeks ago when my best friend from Idaho met me in Chicago for vacation, I wanted to help her fall in love with my favorite city in the world. There was only one slight problem: I've had almost thirty years to explore Chi-Town, and Tammy only had six days.

Day One: Home Sweet Home

After landing and meeting up at the airport with many hugs and much giggling (yes, I giggle), Tammy and I met up with my family at Protillo's, the best greasy Italian beef around—and their chocolate cake shakes aren't bad either. We then drove around my hometown to show Tammy where I went to school (it was homecoming weekend, so we saw everyone leaving the powder puff game), all the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings along tree-lined streets, the library where I spent the majority of my free time, and the old downtown area, complete with riverboat casino and the last theater Frank Sinatra preformed in before his death.

Day Two: Bookends

We started off the day with an L ride up to the Newberry Library. Though I've walked past it many times, this was the first time I had ever been in the library built by the man who founded the American Library Association and has the highest honor in children's writing named after him. We then walked down the Magnificent Mile and saw one of the only buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Of course, sampling Chicago's famous stuffed pizza and taking pictures of Cloud Gate (more commonly known as "The Bean") are must-do tourist activities. We then ended our day chilling at the Harold Washington Library, which was—at the time of its completions—the largest public library in the world.

Day Three: Faith and Family

Saturday morning we headed to the LDS temple in the morning with my mom. The grounds are always so peaceful and beautiful, and this particular temple has a lot of meaning to me personally. We also ran into some old friends of my parents who knew them BC (Before Children), which was kind of cool. Back at my sister's house, her boyfriend Tom was getting ready to leave for a month of Army training in Germany. We ate lunch and played some card games until he had to go. While Tom will only be gone for a little while, his trip to Germany is in preparation for deployment to the Middle East next year. Not an easy afternoon of good-byes.

Day Four: Hyde Park

This had to be the most beautiful day of the entire trip. We didn't spend anywhere near enough time browsing the local bookstores, but we did spend a few hours learning the history of the written word in the Oriental Museum. They were setting up for a wedding at the Rockefeller Chapel, and a few knights in shining armor were practicing their sward skills on Quad of the University of Chicago. After walking around the Museum of Science and Industry and discussing the Columbian Exposition that took place there in 1893, we enjoyed the perfect weather along the lakefront. To cap off a pretty perfect day, we had dinner with my middle school English teacher, who, after all these years, is still correcting my grammar.

Day Five: View from the Top

What does the world look like from the top? Very small. The Willis Tower—nope, I just can't do it. The Sears Tower is not my favorite tourist stop in Chicago, but we did start off the day walking through Grant Park, where we strolled the Museum Campus and enjoyed the cooling spray of the water at Buckingham Fountain. The gardens were still a bit of a mess from the Chicago Marathon the day before, we everything was still in bloom. We also caught a bit of the Columbus Day Parade, and I stopped by my favorite paintings at the Art Institute. Then we traveled up to catch a glimpse of four states on Skydeck before hopping on the L to Old Town where Second City performs. I've seen the troupe several times, but as improve mandates, no show is ever the same.

Day Six: Boat Ride

The Wendella Boat Tours have been a staple of family activities for years, and no matter how often I do it, I always have fun. It's the perfect view of my favorite city. After five days of non-stop touring, we headed back to my parent's house for a not-so-quiet dinner with my high-school best friend and her family. (I love it when my worlds collide like that.) It doesn't seem to matter how far away I live or how long I've been gone, but dinner at my mom's table always feels like home.

Honestly, I already miss Chicago—especially my family. But I'm also glad to be back in DC. My heart might reside in a few places across the country, yet I'm always glad to come home again.

Time Flies, or Time to Fly

In less than 20 hours, I'll be with my two sisters—one my sister by blood and the other my sister by choice, but both my best friends in the world. Gwen and Tammy have never met, so I'm way excited for them to get to know each other rather than just know each other through me. This is also Tammy's first time to Chicago, which means I get to play tour guide in one of my favorite cities in the world.

Packing/laundering/cleaning is a pain, and I'm terrified to leave behind the excessive amount of work I have. But even that can't keep me from wanting to jump out of my skin in anticipation. God really knew what he was doing when her created sister—there's nothing better in the world.

Jokes My Father Taught Me

It's Father's Day once again, and holding with semi-regular tradition, I must insist that my dad is the best dad in the world.

One of the best things my dad taught me is how to laugh, really laugh.

Oh, the Irony
Dad taught me how to find irony in any situation and laugh at myself. No one makes perfect decisions every day, and everyone has a little bit of social awkwardness that can't be hidden, but if you can learn to make those experiences larger than life and give them a sense of the ridiculous, you can make anyone laugh.

Inside Jokes
We have a lot of inside jokes in my family, and most of them involve dinner-time conversations that got out of hand. All of them revolving around my father. Quoting movies, bodily functions (yes, my father is seven at heart) and childhood memories feature prominently in these jokes. With one phrase, Dad can make us all laugh until tears stream down our faces. If you ever join in on one of our family dinners, I recommend you avoid talking about spiders, angry letters, mashed potatoes, moving furniture, wise guys and building camp fires, or you might think you've sat down to dinner with a bunch of raving lunatics.

Bring on the Cheese
While Dad loves to play with words and laugh at good memories, he also has a repertoire of jokes that never fails to make us groan. (I'm trying to keep it fairly clean and P.C., but these are still really bad jokes.)

Q: What’s red and goes ding-dong?
A: A red ding-donger.
Q: What’s green and goes ding-dong?
A: A green ding-donger.
Q: What’s blue and goes ding-dong?
A: Sorry, they only come in red and green.

Q: What’s the last thing that goes through a flies mind before it hits the windshield?
A: It's rear end.

Q: What's red and green and goes 50 miles an hour?
A: A frog in a blender.

Q: Why did the turtle cross the road?
A: To get to the Shell Station.

Q: Why are blond jokes so short?
A: So brunettes can remember them.
(I inherited my blond hair from my father, so he taught me this one early. Of course, he taught me all his blond jokes first.)

Happy Father's Day, Dad! I hope your day is filled with joy and laughter. I know you have filled my life with both.

Another Family Wedding

I'm not really a wedding crazy person--I didn't get up at 4 a.m. to watch that British wedding, I don't flip through bridal magazines for fun, and I don't have to take tissues with me when I attend a ceremony--but nothing makes me so content as to see my family happy. So when I got my cousin Bill's wedding announcement, I began planning a trip. And because I wasn't able to make the last family wedding, nothing was keeping me from this one.

Bill and Susie were married by Susie's childhood pastor in her home-town church in Winnebago, IL. You could tell it was just the quiet wedding Susie wanted, and if the smile on Bill's face was any indication, it was just what he wanted, too.

While everyone couldn't make it, the majority of the extended family came to lend their support. Most of us younger cousins were able to make it (my sister is the half-way point of the 21 cousins), and we never seem to be able to spend enough time with each other. A few people had to leave right after the ceremony, but the photographer managed to fit us all into the frame.

Of course with so many people snapping pictures of the big event, my uncle had to get a picture of me taking a picture. But the sunset sure was beautiful at the forest preserve where the reception was held.

So, Bill and Susie, I wish you all the best in your marriage. And remember, there are a lot of people loving and supporting you.

(Thanks to Uncle Ron for the pictures.)

Friday Five: Christmas Time Is Here

There is nothing in this world I love more than my family, and Christmas is the perfect holiday for family. With me in D.C. and my little brother in Hawaii, it's not easy getting us all together, so this is the first time in four years we've all been home for the holidays. This Friday Five is dedicated to the five members of my family and what I love about them loving Christmas:

My dad is like a little kid when it comes to bubble lights. I don't understand why he gets so excited about them (probably some childhood attachment, the same reason I love colored lights instead of plain white ones), but every year when he puts those strands on the tree and watches as they start bubbling for the first time all year, his face lights up with glee.

Like my dad and bubble lights, my mom can't get enough Nativity scenes. She loves collecting them and displaying them, and finding something unique about each one she gets. She has plush ones for little hands to play with, hand painted ones older than me, and special ones brought to her from all around the world. I think she likes being surrounded by reminders of why we celebrate this holiday season.

Music has always been a big part of our lives, with early exposure to everything from Wager to the Beatles and an abundance of music lessons and concerts and stereo systems. But it's my little brother who fills our home with the sounds of the season. The way he can play anything he picks up leaves me in awe (a talent my sister shares), and I can't think of a better sound in the world then him tuning up a guitar.

Holidays and food go hand in hand, but Christmas at home means a little something more when my sister bakes the pies. I don't have a picture of it, but she makes the most amazing egg nog pie that I look forward to every Christmas and desperately miss when I'm away. And the way she laughs with these little hiccups and quotes While You Were Sleeping at just the right moment makes her the best dinner companion in the world.

Tom may be a relatively new addition to our family, but he's certainly become an irreplaceable addition to the holiday season. He shares my love for games, so we've started our own little tradition of driving my sister crazy with our friendly competition. Whether I win or lose, I can't even tell you how much fun it is to play with him.

I hope all of you will be able to spend the holidays with those you love most. And if not, may you be able to be with them soon. Merry Christmas!

Two Different Faces

Only one more day, and then I get to be with my sister Gwen, one of my favorite people in the entire world. We talk on the phone almost every day and keep in touch through blogs and facebook and emails, but there is nothing like being able to having her right there next to me on our adventures. I love talking to her and laughing with her and just hanging out with her.

But things haven't always gone that smoothly between us. We're not even two years apart in age, so we often got thrown together when we were kids. Our parents would make her include me in many of her adolescent activities, and I felt as if I was trying to come out from under her shadow all through high school. We argued about who had more ice cream, stole each others clothes and spent a lot of time trying to outdistance each other. We were your typical sisters.

I'm really not sure when all that began to change, but somehow the unbelievable statement "you don't want to be around each other now, but you'll be best friends when you're older" became a reality. Maybe it was while I was away for a year and a half as a missionary for our church and she was my most faithful correspondent. Or maybe it was when we began talking about books and movies and found out how much we have in common. Or maybe it was in the six months I lived with her after graduating college when we had time to get to know each other, not as little girls, but as the unique adults we had become.

Living so far away from Gwen isn't easy. Although we see each other at least three times a year, it never seems like enough. I can't wait to pick her up at the airport and give her a huge hug. I want to stay up all night and find out about everything she hasn't been able to tell me about over the phone. I want to see her new hair cut. I want to hear her voice in person. I want to look into her eyes to see for myself that she is well and happy and still my big sister.

God really knew what he was doing when he gave me my sister. It might have taken me a few years to figure it out, but I wouldn't trade her for anyone (or anything) else.

Mothers and Daughters

I have two house guests this weekend, and while one actually is my mom, the other might as well be my mom, too, which means I will never feel like my house is clean enough for them.

I spent all last night laundering linens and going grocery shopping. (I couldn't let my two moms think I sleep on dirty sheet and eat nothing but take-out.) This morning I woke up early to scour the bathroom before work. And I went home for lunch to clean my floors.

That makes it sound like either my house is a disaster or these two women will think less of me if my house isn't immaculate. Neither one of these scenarios is true, but I think it's programmed into daughters to crave approval from our mothers. We want them to see what perfect women we have turned out to be. That we ourselves are the perfect housekeepers/mothers/hostesses/workers. That we have full lives and accomplish great things all while keeping a perfect house.

My mother will love me, dirty house or clean, empty cupboards or full. But isn't it nice to know that my mom will have a clean bathroom to use while she's here? After all, nothing is too good for the woman who raised me.