The Schmidt House: November 2015

2015 Schmidt Year in Review

Our year was full of excitement, as usual.

I (Megan) feel this year has been one of growth, focus, friendship, endurance, overcoming and accomplishment.

As I reviewed what I wrote in 2014, I see a great deal of things that have stayed the same and yet I feel SO MUCH has changed....in good ways....
I feel like the daily laundry, getting in a run, engaging with my kids, dinner every night at 5:30pm as well as being mindful of my time spent with my friends, husband and family remains a refreshing, consistent endeavor. (clearly, we are out the baby phase!) I feel like even our travel, camping, family time, and all things that I coordinate within our family to ensure they run smoothly, have continued to come easily, with less stuff required, and more independence on the part of the kids (packing their own bags, making their own breakfast, buckling their own seat belts).
When the clock struck midnight on New Years morning of 2015, my friend Emily and I signed up for the Monumental Marathon...26.2 miles...at what would be by then, age 40. As I hit this 40th year (in April), I embraced the "next chapter", I was full of gratitude for my husband, my children, my family and my friends. This has been a year of REFLECTION...of GROWTH...of SETTING A GOAL and ACCOMPLISHING IT! This has been a year where I have felt the healthiest (physically, mentally, and emotionally) I have felt in a really long time. And I discovered why...because I RAN!

My time (and space in my head) was no longer filled with school responsibility (I am now officially retired from the Oaks Academy Family Tree Organization Co-Chair role, which I had served in some capacity for the last 5 years, the last 3 being the lead Co-Chair).
Instead, I have been able to just SERVE in my children's classrooms, go on field trips, and help teachers weekly - which I had never had the time or capacity to do when I was running school-wide events monthly instead.

Running gave me so much...it gave me clarity as I pondered thoughts while I ran, it gave me time alone, time with a friend (I often had a running buddy, and weekly ran with Emily too), time in nature, time sweating and burning off steam (or stress), time WITH my kids (often they would ride bikes next to me), it gave me the missing piece to what I had left behind (consistently, at least) but never realized how much I NEEDED it. (If you look back at my childhood, teen years, college days - I was an athlete)

This journey of running 26.2 miles on Nov. 7th began the second I clicked "purchase" on January 1st...and has continued to bring me such great joy!

In the midst of running, I found JuicePlus+ - which has been a great benefit to myself and my family. I love this product so much that I have become a Rep and it's become a passion of mine as well. I love this journey to health that we are on!

I have also started teaching more at Butler University in the Health and Recreation Center (HRC). I teach First Aid and CPR and starting in the summer of 2016 I will be promoted to a new role where I will oversee the entire program. It's still very part time, but I am excited to be back in the classroom at a collegiate level again!

Lastly, I am the Head Girls Basketball Coach for both the Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball teams at the Oaks Academy. (the FIRST EVER teams for girls at the school!) I have girls who do their best, play their hardest and represent the Sum, Posum, Debeo, Ero philosophy of our school, daily. (I am, I can, I ought, I will.) I absolutely LOVE coaching again!

Joe is best described as BUSY. Finishing his 10th year at IMPA, he has taken on some big projects and excels at everything he does there. He was promoted to Vice President of IMPA Service Corp (ISC) in April and it has brought many challenges and opportunities that Joe thrives at. On top of his full time job, he is graduating with his MBA at Butler University on December 19th! (IMPA has fully supported and funded this endeavor! Praise God!) It has had him in class or at the library a few nights a week with lots of papers and studying after the kids go to bed for the past 4 years...and now he's finally finished!

His barbershop singing (especially with Rip Chord, his quartet) has dwindled significantly, but he found a few opportunities to sing, perform and practice throughout the year - even Joey joined him in singing Tags at Paynetown and Brigade this year.

He is coaching basketball again at the Oaks Academy for the Varsity B team - which is with 6th to 8th grade boys. His team has a few players with very little experience and his role this year is really to develop those players who, when playing Varsity A can become more versatile, but his coaching is also creating a level of play and focus that has lifted this program to another level. Go Oaks!

If Joe isn't working, studying, coaching or singing - he's spending every minute with his kids while fixing, digging, moving or burning something around the house - in the name of Home Improvement!
He just amazes me. I am SO THANKFUL for him!

Joey (10 years old) is in Fifth grade at The Oaks. He LOVES school. He excels in reading, science and math. He is a sponge with any topic that comes along. Fifth Grade focus is presently on Astronomy, so he is in heaven! He's taken a liking to plays, writing "books" and "scripts" on the computer, and overall creating dramatic stories and telling jokes daily. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Imani - who is just a perfect fit for this boy's personality.

His favorite things are playing the piano (he's in weekly lessons), reading books, writing his own songs on the piano, running, riding his bike, and listening to his HD radio and the Classical Music Station every night. His favorite TV shows are Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.

Morgan (8 years old) is in Third Grade at The Oaks. She likes school - but more so because she gets to play, organize, lead, talk, and hang out with her many, many friends. She is our social butterfly (I have no idea where she gets it!). :)
She is doing well with her reading, spelling, writing, and LOVES her teacher, Mrs. Dubach and her classmates.
She is passionate in her story telling, and concerned and involved in the friendships and relationships in her life. She loves to create, cut with scissors, color, paint, play in mud, play in water and get messy. She loves being outside, barefoot, hair everywhere, gathering leaves, potting soil, digging in dirt and collecting rocks, feathers, tumbleweeds and shells. She took a pottery class last winter and will do so again this winter as well - she LOVES getting dirty and creating things!

Although she is still struggling with sucking her fingers, we are confident she can quit....she is REALLY trying - and we have even offered to get a family dog once she is completely double finger free. (Surely this will end soon!)

Jameson (6 years old) is in First Grade at The Oaks Academy. This sweet, tender-hearted boy is doing GREAT with his wonderful class and amazing teacher, Miss Nussbaum.
He is rough and tumble, yet sweet and sensitive. He is a servant - always listening for ways to help others and provide whatever is needed before even being asked.

He LOVES sports - He played basketball last winter and will play again this winter. He is often my "assistant" during Basketball Extra and Open Gyms and wants to come to all my practices too. He played soccer this past spring and fall.
You should see his follow through! Especially now that Daddy and I are coaching, he insists on shooting hoops everyday after Joe gets home from work (or practice) - we have a hoop in our garage and a "full" court with 2 hoops in our backyard. He has also taking a liking to football after going to watch his cousin MJ play HS games all fall. We have a full grass field, marked with white paint and everything! He is either shooting hoops, playing football or kicking a soccer ball every time he is outside. He loves playing trains, cars, and Rescue Bots with his little brother too.

Jackson (just turned 5 in November) is our silly, noisy, funny, playful cuddle bug. He has a sense of humor that no child at that age should grasp yet...the looks, the delayed response...almost like punch lines!
He loves to laugh, play, push around trucks, or hot wheels or trains. He builds and plays with his big brother JJ really well (until he bops him on the head or scratches his back).
He is just a joy and we are so thankful our family is complete with our JackJack.
He is in a 4s Preschool class at ECC (Early Childhood Center). He is our final child to have Mrs. Frayer and Mrs. Arhnart. They just love him! He has the same teachers that all 3 of our other kids also had. He enjoys his teachers and classmates.
He definitely makes this family complete!!

We hope this letter finds you well!
Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Visit this blog or become "friends" of Joe or I on Facebook!
http://jandmschmidt.blogspot.com/

Or check out stuff we're a part of:
http://meganschmidt.juiceplus.com
www.theoaksacademy.org
www.butler.edu
www.facebook.com

Happy 2016 to you!

Joe, Megan, Joey, Morgan, Jameson and Jackson

Joe did his annual November fun - Indiana Brigade - which is quartet singing to the extreme!
He even sang with his old (and first ever) quartet - TIMELESS!

School photos for 2015-2016 school year at The Oaks Academy
Joey - 5th
Morgan - 3rd
Jameson - 1st

A sweet card given to Megan the day before she ran the Monumental Marathon

We are ready to RUN!!

Emily, our coach Nick Tranbarger from TS2 Training join me for a pre-run photo.

My amazing family were EVERYWHERE on the course cheering Emily and I on!

WE FINISHED! 5:23

HAPPY 70th Birthday Bubba!

Thanksgiving Feast in 1st grade - Jameson was Semoset

Joey is playing basketball for the JV B team at the Oaks - he does the jump ball to start each game (just like his mama used to!)

Happy 5th Birthday Jackson!

He had a Star Wars Birthday Party with his pre-school friends

His good buddy Timothy shares the same birthdate - so Jackson went to his party the next day!

On Jackson's actual birthday, he got breakfast in bed and a homemade cake (that he helped bake!)

The day before this 3rd grade scripture verse was given to Morgan to memorize for the week, Paris was attacked by a terrorist group....quite a fitting scripture to store in our hearts this week.

IT'S SNOWING IN NOVEMBER!

Joe and I joined the Hulens at the Steve Martin and Martin Short comedy show - we got tickets for Megan's dad for his 70th birthday - so they joined us too!