Jam-Packed Hiatus! The 2012 Edition

A few posts ago I promised that we would never again go that long without posting again.  Then life happened!

Let's see, it looks like the end of 2011 is where we left off.  It's safe to say the Chopins have had some visceral life experiences since then.

Jo-Jo came into our lives on March 20, 2012.  He was a healthy 6 lbs 4ozs, and other than not really wanting to eat, he was just as healthy as any other Chopin baby.  We were surprised to have a blonde-hair child, especially since Cindy and I have such dark hair.  But, his appearance certainly favors the Chopin/Theriot side of the family and is a nice contrast in a family full of darker-haired children.  He has certainly brought us some joy.  Although his sleeping patterns have been anything but typical Chopin child, we love him all the same.  And so...table for 7 now!

So, a family of six was difficult enough to co-exist in a 3BR, 1,700sq ft house.  It was a huge push into us starting the search again for a new house.  We had been looking since 2008 for a larger house after James was born.  After literally looking at over 100 houses (God bless our wonderful realtor--Donna Christianson) and only putting offers on two of them (both of which did not go through), we were starting to wonder whether we would find anything that would fit our needs of a growing family and a functional house for a home-schooling family.  It was the third day of the new year and our realtor said she had a hunch about a house in Bendel Gardens, which was our first house to view.  I was immediately skeptical.  Bendel was never on my list of potential neighborhoods.  I remember years ago Cindy and I were driving around Lafayette trying to find a neighborhood for us to roost and she suggested, "What about Bendel?"  Deflated, I told her that she could pick the ugliest, smallest house in Bendel and it would be light years out of our price range.  Don't you love it when you try to set parameters on God's blessings?

Well, the house we looked at that day was pretty close to what I thought it would be--well out of our price range with still a tremendous amount of work that needed to be done.  A lot of work!  Fortunately for our family, I am married to the world's greatest optimist.  And even though I don't consider myself a prototypical pessimist, I am a realist by trade.  It's very difficult for deals to work exactly how you need them to work--anything can go wrong.  I won't bore you with the long details, but God made it happen!  He used great people in our life to help us along the way--Les Pitre, Clint Baer, Brett Bayard, and many other friends and family who donated their time and talents.  We have a house for our family that works!  And although the stress of buying, remodeling, selling our existing house, paying two mortgages, balancing a sleepless newborn and just general worrying sent me to the cardiologist, I must say....God is so faithful to us!  We don't deserve His goodness to us, but it is nice to know that He never fails us.  So we accepted his gifts of new home-ownership....and in a great location!

So here is what the rest of the kids did in 2012....

Gus tried his hand at a new (or gently renewed) sport this year--soccer.  He had not played organized soccer since he was five years old, but played with the HFHE-organzied soccer practices.  He has speed, endurance, ability and drive.  He just needed confidence.  Suffice it to say that soccer has truly helped develop his confidence.  Gus developed into quite the well-rounded soccer player, playing mostly goalkeeper, midfielder and forward.  He earned the moniker of "Mr. Clutch" because of his uncanny ability to make a goal or stop a goal when the pressure was greatest, usually at the end of a close game.  He quickly became a leader on his team and really helped to foster some self-confidence.  He's got the soccer bug and I don't see him getting rid of it anytime soon.

Another athletic feat Gus accomplished was running his first 5K in late November.  After training only 10 days on the tales of an ending soccer season, Gus ran it in under 25 and a half minutes, beating yours truly by about two minutes.  So bragging rights belong to Gus (and he does remind me from time-to-time).  It is undeniable that Gus is a child who needs physical activity, both for his physical and mental health.  We saw a lot of smiles from Gus in 2012.

Super Beedle soared in 2012 in what he loves most--Christian Youth Theater.  Beedle was in two performances in 2012--the winter performance of Willy Wonka and the fall performance of Peter Pan. Beedle was James, Charlie's friend, and an Oompa Loompa in Willy Wonka.  He enjoyed getting to sing a solo in a bright yellow shirt, and then don a florescent-green wig in the second act to be the smallest Oompa Loompa in the cast.  As for Peter Pan, Beedle was casted as a pirate, which he enjoyed performing with his best friend, Aaron.  The two of them had terrific comedic timing as young zany swashbucklers-in-training.  Beedle also served as the understudy to young Michael.  In preparing to be the understudy, Beedle had to practice the "stunts" that Michael did.  This involved flying on wires--a first for CYT and, more importantly, our safe-ground-loving son.  I'd love to tell you that he couldn't get enough of being hoisted into the air and swung across the stage.  But that didn't happen.  It took a whole lot of baby steps, coercing and comforting, but eventually he became comfortable enough to rehearse a few scenes.  Fortunately, his ability was never tested in a live performance.  But for Beedle, even the mere attempts in rehearsal, was quite an accomplishment for him.  Beedle continued to take three semesters of classes to help blossom his creativity and help him gain more confidence in performing.  Oh and I think he spent the rest of the year reading and playing Lego's.  That's Beedle for you!

Gracie spent the year doing what she does best--dancing!  She has really enjoyed being in ballet and has done quite well.  The year 2012 was a non-performing year but she still put in a lot of time and effort into improving her skills.

James spent 2012 being adorable and perfecting the art of playing well with others.  James has always been our most agreeable and lovable child.  He's unflappable, generous and kind,  He spent the greater part of his year playing with others, learning to how to be a big brother for the first time and being a connoisseur of mix-matched pajamas.  I think he was successful!  We are certainly proud of the good-hearted boy his is becoming!

    As a family we took our bi-annual trip to Petit-Jean Mountain.  Of course, we went when it was very cold, so we could truly enjoy the mountainous setting.  While there we discovered some new trails, went on some old ones and just relaxed in our favorite family vacation spot!  Here are some scenes from the trip:

   We rounded out the year with a wonderful Christmas season.  It was a perfect time to be reminded just how blessed the Chopin family truly is!  There were highs.  There were lows.  There were breaking points.  But never were we without God's providence and faithfulness.

Bowl Bound!

The Chopin family has been blessed with some amazing football this year. All of our teams are on a roll! The LSU Tigers are 13-0 and playing for the national championship. The Saints and the Packers are dominating the NFL. Very exciting times! But it is hard to deny that the most pure joy has come from the surprise success of the UL Ragin' Cajuns. Despite being ranked dead-last by several prognosticators, the Cajuns, let by fiery first-year coach Mark Hudspeth, achieved a record of 8-4 and accepted an invitation to play in this year's R+L Carriers' New Orleans Bowl. This was the first bowl game that the Ragin' Cajuns have played in since 1970, when they lost to Tennessee State in the Grantland Rice Bowl. This would be the first Cajun bowl game in my lifetime, and the lifetimes of my kids as well. You can imagine it is arguably a little more meaningful to me.

So with the Cajuns playing in the New Orleans Bowl, there was no way the family's major football enthusiasts, Gus and me, were going to miss it. Accompanied by Uncle Brian and Sam (Gus's age), we traveled to the Big Easy to cheer on our beloved Cajuns. And we weren't the only Cajun fans there. There were people wearing UL gear all over the city! As we went to the Insectarium, the Riverwalk, and places in between, we saw red, vermilion and white everywhere! The pregame gatherings took place at Rouse's and Champion Square, next to the stadium. While Gus and Sam were able to toss the pigskin, Brian and I savored the moment, watching tens of thousands of passionate Cajun fans act as giddy as we did, relishing the feeling of not only relevance, but confidence. It didn't matter the opponent (sorry San Diego State), there was not way Cajun Nation would be denied.

The Cajuns started red hot and jumped out to a comfortable first-half lead. They were enthused by the 40,000+ Cajun fans cheering them on.

The Aztecs made a game of it in the second half and charged back to take the lead with less than 40 seconds to go. The never-say-die Cajuns marched half the field with precision to set up the drama--a 50-yard Brett Baer field goal. Here's what we saw...

He nailed it! Cajuns win 32-30! On top of the most exciting finish in New Orleans Bowl history, the Cajuns set all types of records. Cajun QB Blaine Gautier set a N.O. Bowl record with 470 passing yards. His receivers set a record receiving yards. But the best record set has attendance--42,841--which shattered the previous record by more than 10,000. The Ragin Cajuns came to paint New Orleans red and that's what they did!

Truly a moment to cherish for the rest of our lives! For Brian and I, all the emotions of cheering for medicore (and offense worse) teams and dreaming of the sweet satisfactions of bowl victories were rewarded. For the boys, they have started their young lives knowing that the Ragin Cajuns are winners. They will certainly expect to play in a bowl game every year. And maybe that's not a bad thing--expectations!

We got back to our hotel room pretty late--after 1am. As tired as I was, I couldn't sleep because I was so excited. As tired as the boys were, they couldn't sleep either.....largely because they had video games to play. Regardless, satisfaction!

I was really glad to have this experience with a best friend and a godchild, but most importantly, I truly savored getting to experience it with Gus. It was his first time in the Superdome and obviously his (and my) first bowl game. The excitement, the anticipation, the anxiety, the elation--glad we could share that!

Looking forward to pulling for the Ragin Cajuns for years to come!

Oh Christmas Tree!

It is a tradition in our household every year to go shopping for our Christmas tree on St. Nicholas' feast day. So yesterday, in the cold and rain, we went shopping for the perfect tree. We went to our favorite tree lot, across from the new Burlington Coat Factory, and searched far and wide for what will be the holiday centerpiece of our living room. After debating, we came across this beauty...

It wasn't long before we were on our way home with our tree strapped to the top of the vehicle. And after Mom and I spent longer than we liked to get the tree level in the stand, we sat and watched a holiday classic--The Polar Express.

Tonight we spent the evening putting the finishing touches on the tree. It has always been our tradition to let me do the dirty work--string the lights and place the ribbon. The little ones have the fun tasks of placing the ornaments in their own special areas. Of course, their placement is only a suggestion, as Mom gets the final say after bedtime.

In our search for and decoration of the tree, we always experience such wonderful joy. There is so much anticipation and so much excitement. And as we anticipate the true reason for the season--the coming of the Savior--we see the tree as an opportunity to realize joy.

Oh Christmas Tree! Oh Christmas Tree! How beautiful thy branches!

Where the Heck Have We Been?

For those of you who have loyally followed our blog for years, we apologize for not posting for the last nine months. It hasn't been out of a desire to not share our blessings or keep our family's

activities a secret (we haven't joined a cult). I think a couple of things have kept blogging out of sight and out of mind. One, we got iPhones, which means we rarely use the family computer anymore. We are on these devices even when we get home. They are portable and relatively convenient.....except for blogging. The other reason, is the obvious--we've been too busy living
life (and recovering from it) to blog about it.

A LOT has gone on in the last nine months! I don't think we could ever catch up with posts in the short amount of time we have to post them. So what you are going to get is the cliff notes--the abbreviated version--of the last nine months in the Chopin Family Experience. With pictures, of course.

Here we go...

One of the highlights of the spring was the Christian Youth Theater (CYT) experience. Beedle has been a part of CYT for over a year now. He brought Gus aboard in the spring to be a part of the acting and performance classes. Beedle took it a step further with his desire to audition for the spring musical--Beauty and the Beast. To audition, you had to be eight years old. Beedle was eight-years old and one week on the day of the audition. We had very little expectations for Beedle being in the play, mostly because he was young and inexperienced. And sometimes you just don't know how he will respond in certain situations. But we both agreed that it was best that he got out there and give his best effort, getting the experience of auditioning in front of people. Well he did. And through the grace of God, he was cast in one of the lead roles--Chip, the teacup. Praise God! We were shocked, surprised, humbled, elated, excited, afraid and proud all at the same time! Over the next ten weeks we watched our little birdie, who we never wanted to leave the nest, soar in his abilities to perform. Never was he nervous. Never was he afraid. Was he perfect? In these parents' eyes, just about!

He enjoyed all of the fruits of being a "star": signing autographs, posing for pictures, and getting praise and attention for his talents. We were swollen with pride. Even now, we can't help but look at him as our little Chip. This propelled Beedle to learn more in his craft. Since B&B, he has taken a voice class, performed in the most recent CYT musical "The Sound of Music" as a neighbor of the Von Trapps, recently auditioned for and cast in CYT's upcoming musical "Willy Wonka" as James, Charlie Buckett's best friend, and is currently taking a dance performance class. Beedle has certainly found himself in the arts. He's still doodling, still creating, still finding ways to make the world a more beautiful place.

Beedle also had another exciting event in the spring--he made his First Communion! He had been preparing for the past two years and was finally ready to celebrate his most important sacrament. He looked absolutely handsome, and even chose to honor me by wearing the exact same jacket I wore for my first communion. Here he is with his godfather...

It was a wonderful experience for him. It was followed by a crawfish boil at our house with his godparents and other family members. We was one happy Catholic boy!

Gracie has spent the year investing more time into her passion--dancing. She, along with her ballet studio, took our family into an enchanted world under the sea in their latest ballet performance "Into the Sea". She, and her fellow ballet classmates, were beautiful lionfish...

As an overly-critical parent, I was honestly amazed to see how much she has progressed since her first ballet two years ago. She has worked very hard and seems to have much more control when dancing. Plus she looks so happy on stage. The performances went very well and Gracie was treated to a date with Mom and Dad after the last evening.

We had a lovely dinner at The French Press and after went out for ice cream at Borden's. Dancing seems to be her passion. But something else she has a knack for is soccer. She participated in homeschool soccer in the spring and did a great job.

She shuffles around like a little bee and handles the ball pretty decently. We have found that busy time works best for Gracie--she's much better behaved and is usually much happier. Which means we're happier!

James is our most naturally joyous child. He is happiest when he is playing with his siblings, most especially with Beedle. James has been called to duty in the line of superhero service. Super Beedle has dubbed James as Amazing Boy, his faithful sidekick.

Together they have been ridding the world of evil and crime. I think Beedle and James play best together because Beedle is creative and knows no limits. James shares in creativity and is enthusiastic to do anything with his big brother.

Besides looking a whole lot alike, they have the same interests--Star Wars, Veggie Tales, Mario and Luigi (see picture), Indiana Jones, and Legos. Other than that, James is still our "snugglebug". Every morning, he's the first one up and comes to snuggle with Mom and Dad. He seems happiest when playing through his imagination and when he's cozied up next to his Mom or Dad, and often both.

Gus finally got to do something he has been begging us for years--play tackle football. He always wanted the opportunity to go out there and play the game he so closely follows on TV.

To give him the opportunity to play with some friends of his, we signed him up for the Vermilion Football League. Unfortunately, even though his friends were the same age as he, their birthdays were just after the cutoff date, so Caleb was forced to play as the youngest (and smallest) in an older division. As disappointed as he was to not get to play with his friends, it didn't stop him from wanting to play anyway. After the first few practices, however, Gus quickly realized that the game in real life wasn't as glamorous and easy-going as the game he watched on TV. The game is played in sweltering heat and there is a lot of running and hustling. But the most glaring difference for Gus was the hitting. He quickly found out that sometimes it hurts to play the game because it is violent in nature. Gus really struggled with the idea of getting hit so much. I think it was really a challenge for him because he really didn't expect to struggle with that part of the game. He really came to a crossroads on whether or not he would quit. Mom and I were proud of him for working through it and honoring his commitment to his team. It was a long season--practices every Tuesdays and Thursdays (sometimes on Wednesdays too), games on Saturdays in Abbeville, coaching changes, position changes. The team needed Gus to play safety, which he started at most of the season. In the last couple of games, he got his wish and was moved to wide receiver, which brought him more excitement.

He saw the end of the season in early November with mixed emotions. Part of

him was glad it was over--the hitting, the hard work, etc. But part of him was sad to see it end. I think that up to this point in Gus's life, the experience of football has been the greatest challenge he's faced. It taught him a lot of life lessons--teamwork, doing your job, self-sacrifice, discipline, and how to deal with victory and defeat. But above all else, Gus had to learn perseverance through difficult times. We are certainly proud he did not give up. What Gus does next, nobody knows. But whatever he chooses to do, we already know his character has been forged. We are most proud of him! What a great example to his siblings!

Over the past nine months we've been afforded a couple of opportunities to get out of dodge. In early June, Mom, Gus, Beedle and I, went up to Washington DC for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. My Kiwanis club sponsored a local bee and the national bee were inviting sponsors to be a part of the national bee experience. The club graciously asked me to represent them so we turned it into a mini-vacation/history lesson for the older boys. Gracie and James stayed behind and spent time at the Ardoin's house. We flew to DC--the first time flying for Gus and Beedle--and stayed at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor, MD. In the sweltering heat of June, we tried to get in as much sight-seeing as we could--the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the White House, the Capitol, the Smithsonian museums.

I was even able to take Gus to see his first major league baseball game--Washington Nationals vs. Philadelphia Phillies.

The boys also got to learn first-hand about public transportation. In fact, in one day, we traveled by rental car, shuttle bus, airplane, metro train, metro bus, and taxi. I guess we all take transportation for granted. The trip was at times arduous and tiring, but it was an opportunity we couldn't pass up. And I think they felt pretty fortunate to have some "two-on-two" time. It's amazing the perspective of eight and nine year old boys! Here I am thinking that they would be in awe of the Lincoln Monument, or the White House, or all this rich American history. If you ask them what the best part of the trip was, they'd say the "poop" exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Perspective!

In October, in the midst of chaos (Beedle--CYT, scouts; Gracie--ballet; Gus--football, scouts; Mom--prego; Dad--band) we managed to take a much needed family vacation. We joined the Mader and Bayard families for a week in Pensacola Beach.

We stayed in a condo right on the beach and were treated to a week of wonderful weather and abundant joy. Jellyfish couldn't even keep the kids out of the water. In fact, hunting them became a past time for them. Our families received much-needed rest as our batteries became recharged. We were very fortunate to be invited and we look forward to the next family jaunt.

Also, I've been staying busy with my hobby--playing music. My little band Get Back has been playing several performances in the area. It's been a tremendous amount of fun and has given the kids an opportunity to see a different side of their dad--the performer.

Now for the surprise.....We're expecting baby Chopin #5! What a gift! We are due in late March of 2012 and Mom is doing just fine. We just found out a couple of weeks ago the baby is going to be a boy. Gracie, although disappointed at first, came to realize that God was protecting her well with so many brothers. The others are glad to keep the scales tipped in favor of male in the Chopin household. We don't have a name picked out yet, but we do have some contenders. We'll let you know when we've got it picked out. In the meantime, please keep the baby and Mommy in your prayers.

Of course, a lot more has gone on. Little miracles every day. Tough times. Happy times. But these are some highlights just to prove we're alive. We hope to do a better job posting from here on out. But if we don't, it won't be because we don't love you. We may just be too busy living!