So we braved the A-Z farms’ lamb birthing day to witness in actuality, no births!  Here’s some of our moments…

This date reaffirmed the complete emersion that can be the concert experience.  i.e. there’s music you like, you go to a venue, hear them and blessedly share that excitement with thousands of others channeling the exact same sentiment!

We had no theatrics getting there.  We left our delightful children in completely capable hands and set off for Milwaukee slipping into the theatre just as they were letting the throng through the doors.  So fantastic!! as that brought us great seats and access to the pit! We danced, we sang, we shared sweets with our neighbors  I tried talking jaythan into following them to chi-town for their next concert but he dutifully reminded me of the 2 little bumpkins waiting for us at home, so we came back…this time.

Jaythan tells me before the show that Wilco is our generation’s Rolling Stones; that we’ll look back on this concert and be proud we were able to see them!  I keep all this in mind as I begin my fight.

Getting a night out together is such a crazy show.  Everything has to click “just-so” to get out the door.  Tonight, I feel confident in our execution and prep!  we have the kids set, the babysitters’ checked in, both Jaythan and I are dressed and pretty  Ima’s throwing a fit on the floor and Noah’s running around celebrating naked time.  All seems to be pretty normal I reach for the tickets, grab the envelope and watch dumbstruck as one ticket slides out, slowly falling – and by sheer karmic wind current – is sucked effortlessly between the tiny space outlining the matchup of our kitchen counter and the cement wall.  I idolized that wall when we moved in. I thought “what a cool way to do this space.” I look at it now and wonder if we can hack into it.  I have to get that ticket!  I turn around betting on some sound assurance from Jaythan,  instead I watch as he patiently takes off his jacket, lays it neatly on the back of the chair and picks Ima up in resignation.  I want to cry.

There was a time awhile back when i painfully went through some soul searching.  I had a friend point out that it always seems we have SOMETHING happening.  Some freakish, out of the ordinary “You’re not going to believe this!” thing.  I emphatically denied said accusation as I had just always assumed everyones’ life, while different, followed its’ own crazy road.  I still believe in that, but I’ve also come to realize that our choices, our happenstance, our fate and karma all come together and seem to totally freak out on road Jennifer.  I don’t feel its’ bad luck, quite the opposite as it always seems to right itself into something great.  That being said, this thing, this happened in another life – situation making me stronger – have to look at it in a different way -sometimes sucks, sometimes karma’s a bitch

So, the ticket.  I call the wilco venue and explain our plight.  I beg for assistance and hope for empathy.  I do not receive it. We go anyway.  We arrive at the Overture center and descend on the will-call window.  I again explain the crazy, freakish, unbelievable luck that is now our ticket.  We soon have an audience.  I use this to my advantage and raise my voice for help.  It works

The concert rocked.  Wilco was intoxicating.  We came home different people having been able to break from mom and dad back into Jaythan and Jennifer.   Always makes the fight totally worth it!

I played my first concert with the MADISON ORCHESTRA this past weekend.  It was a nerve-racking, exhilarating, and ultimately humblingly proud experience as, for the first time, I looked out into the crowd and saw my son, completely awestruck and seemingly mesmerized with the stage! It was such an amazing moment for me as I could see everything register to him; the music (fyi – Mendelssohn: Hebrides, Glazunov: “From the Middle Ages” Symphonic Suite, and Stravinsky: Berceuse and Finale from Firebird 1919) my cello, Blake our conductor,  all swam across his face!!  I also saw my husband, looking back at me with such pride and strength – it was staggering the love I felt from him.

Jaythan, you are my partner in crime, my best friend, my lobster. I would never be the person I am without you.  You who picked up the slack so I could practice, who nudged me on when I was too tired to go, who shouted from the rafters that I made the MCO, and who never missed a beat.  You are my quan!

I’m surprised it’s still hard to get through today… That’s not true, it’s not fair to say its hard, it should be, it helps keep things in perspective. All of a sudden the mishaps and drama that made up my life, don’t really add up to much – because we’re all still here!  We’re still together.  We’re a team and it’s that, that makes the difference.

Mom, I love you. I know you’ve lost, I know you hurt, but you’re still here for so many reasons!  You’re here to save lives, to leave flowers, to say your prayers.  You’re here to remind and remember, to create, to prepare, to defend no matter what comes. You’re here to love and shelter, to play, and to laugh, to teach and to lead.

YOU ARE HERE! I am so thankful for that. for you.

Jaythan and I try to come together every day and share a high and low moment.  It’s one of my favorite things we do as we can connect about something that happened to each of us separately, that we then share with each other.   Our high / low moments can range from midnight margaritas to naked time with kids gone terribly terribly wrong This past Tuesday evicted so many emotions from us that breaking it down into 1 high, 1 memorable moment, proved nearly impossible.

In our younger, less encumbered days (no offense Noah – Imagen we would have made the trip without a backward glance! but our ability to pick up and take off has become a much larger production.  The regret we felt not being present for the inauguration was overshadowed by our sense of conviction that the changes taking place in the country are truly awe inspiring!  It was an amazing day; one I feel will always choke me up looking back on it.

My high for the day was the image of Barrack and Michele getting out of their limo and deciding, instead of watching the crowd from the car, to walk with the parade down the street.  They emanated a selflessness and embodied an understanding in that moment that really spoke to me.

Jaythan’s high was knowing that when Noah and Imagen grow up and vote, racial differences will be a thing of the past. Being able to say,”the color of someone’s skin makes no difference what they can achieve…” and the knowledge that he and I had a hand in making that statement come true! is in itself empowering.

I hope each of you had a moment where you stopped and acknowledged that “change-is-a-coming!!” and we can make a difference!

I can’t believe it’s been a week already! Baby Ima is settling into the Elam family like a pro, already dominating everyone’s attention with drama such that this world hasn’t seen since baby jennifer reigned:) while each day i feel that we get a little closer to ironing out our new routine, our little peanut has taught us a very important lesson already, she’s absolutely nothing like her big brother! Her olive skin tone, grey eyes, hate for her car seat and lack of interest in food has been a complete conundrum from the lessons we took away on the first round of this journey. check out the rest of our pics from this week

hello all!! We are home from the hospital today having just welcomed Imagen Vada Elam into the world!! She was born at 1:57pm on the 9th day of November weighing in at 8lbs 3oz and measuring 19 in long. The all-natur-al delivery, lasting a whopping 13 minutes caught both jaythan and I by such surprise we were lucky to get settled in our birthing suite before bringing her into the world! We cannot wait for each one of you to meet her and bless her in your own special way.
i’ll post pics as soon as we get them uploaded

We took advantage of the warm-ish weather and drove up to this little train station in the Dells so that Noah (who is in LOVE with choo choo trains) could ride in an actual locomotor.
suffice it to say, Noah was a little shell shocked by the actual choo choo of the train, it was loud with real steam and blasting whistles and it just about scared the crap out of him. Check out some of our other picks from the trip!

We’ve been to a barrage of birthday parties in the past couple of months, including my own, ringing in the big #2 with all of our special friends (although I am slightly above that… ringing in the big 2-8!!) I was lucky enough to wake up and open presents with my adoring husband and then travel to Friendship, WI where I was pleasantly surprised by my girls as they plied me with cake and gifts:)
Noah is the baby of the group and so his b-day this Sunday will close our birthday season… This is just one of our more cherished memories. I actually lost the invite to this party and so, being the level headed and completely sane pregnant woman I am, I made Jaythan drive around Madison until we found it. He did! How can I not love that man!