the summer of 2015

I wish I could just skip this post altogether, but I can't.  I'll apologize in advance for the lengthiness.  But it needs to be recorded, and I'll start with the heavy.

April/May/June

The story of this summer has been a sad one.

Most of you know that we buried one of our best friends.  He was a childhood friend of Josh's.  He and Josh were hunting buddies.  He and Josh have hunting stories galore.  He married my cousin.  He was in our wedding.  We went to church together for the last 15 years.  Our kids have grown up together.  

He went into the hospital in early April and was diagnosed with cancer shortly thereafter.  He came home in hospice care in June and died a few weeks later.  

Throughout the ordeal, Josh and I looked at each other time and time again and said, "Is this really happening?  Is Rob really dying?"  It was surreal to write his obituary and to attend his viewing and funeral.  

What was beautiful to see through the depths of great sorrow was the way our church family stood with Rob and Jen throughout Rob's battle.  And not only them, they stood with us as well.  Josh and I spent countless hours with Rob and Jen during those months.  Friends and family were watching our kids and cooking meals for us so that we could spend as much time with Rob and Jen as possible.  It is something that would have never crossed my mind in the past.  It will be at the top of my list in the future to love and bless those in supporting roles.  It was humbling and a blessing to say the least.  

What a joy it was to know Rob and call him our friend.  He will be forever missed.

July

July brought some nicer weather and some much appreciated rest at the lake.  It also gave Josh some time to work on our house.  He has worked steadily since July and has accomplished much.

He passed a couple of necessary inspections and has a date in October marked on the calendar where things need to be "livable" per our government.  He doesn't want to pay to renew our permits, so he's working as hard as he can to get things to the "livable" point.  I, for one, am thankful for the deadline.  He works well with a goal in mind. :)

July also brought some sad news.  Our dog, Tucker (he'll be 12 in November), has a tumor in his mouth.  While we know that he won't live much longer, it doesn't seem to be bothering him.  He drools much more than before, and Josh has to doctor his food so that it is softer.  He continues to be playful and has been enjoying all of the extra, extra walks with the girls.  We even had a photo shoot with him yesterday which consisted of him lying on his back time and time again as I tried to take pictures of him with the girls.  He just wanted to play, and the girls were getting a big kick out of it. 

On a positive note, volleyball started in July!  This has been the highlight of the summer for the girls.  Claire tried out for the volleyball team in May, and she found out on her birthday that she made it.  Poor Meredith really wanted to try out, but she'll need to wait until next year. :)  She is on the 4-6 grade training team, and that is whetting her appetite for now.  

August

With the unexpected schedule through April, May, and June, I wasn't quite as ready for school in August as I would have liked to have been.  The last couple of years, I have ordered all of our curriculum right after the end of school.  I would put away the old, organize the new, and be ready to plan in August.  Not this year.  We started a week ago today, and I still didn't feel as prepared as I would have liked.

Claire and Meredith actually both started some of their subjects without me during the two weeks before I was ready to begin.  You know it's bad when the students are more ready to start than the teacher.  They kind of kicked my rear end into gear. :)  I feel like I keep them accountable most of the time, but maybe the tables are beginning to turn.  

Volleyball games started this month which have forced me to be o.r.g.a.n.i.z.e.d. and prepped for meals.  I saw a fabulous idea on facebook to help with lunch prep, and we've been using that for the days when we have volleyball games.  It has worked nicely, and I've decided to serve our big meal for lunch on early volleyball game days instead of dinner.  So far, so good.  We'll see what September brings.  

August has also brought an unexpected desire for me to eat healthier, exercise regularly, go to bed earlier, and get up earlier.  I'm not sure I'm succeeding on all accounts, but I've definitely made some positive changes.  Unfortunately, I love cookies a little too much.  I know we've discussed this before.  Thankfully, my good friend, Deanna, makes these awesome healthy cookies.  She assures me that I can eat a lot of them, and I take comfort in that.  I don't argue.  I just eat the cookies and trust her words.  Pass me another healthy cookie, friend...  

We also FINALLY got internet back in our house.  Our phone and internet have been out all summer.  I kid you not...all.summer.long...since like May.  It's been a little weird and kind of nice, and I've become an expert at doing everything (but blogging) on my phone.  Blessing and a curse, I tell you.  We still don't have our phone in working order.  Maybe someday.  

September

September is going to be a busy volleyball month.  (Can you tell I'm totally turning into a volleyball mom?  Sorry that you're going to have to hear about it for the next 15 years if all of my girls decide to play.)  

Our co-op also starts in September, and I agreed to be in charge this year.  Sometimes I question my sanity, but I just had to take the reins.  My friend, Cari, was formerly in charge, and her husband had cancer a few years ago.  And she was donating a kidney this summer.  And she has six kids.  I told myself, "Your husband does not have cancer, you're not donating a kidney, you don't have a baby, you're not pregnant, and your youngest child is four.  What is your excuse?!!"  I had none.  I knew I could handle it.  And Deanna promised to help.  Thankfully, she's been a super-awesome assistant, and she's done almost all of the grunt work.  She makes me look good!

I hope September is treating all of you well.  I'm sorry if I don't tell you enough that I'm thankful to have you as my friends.  And if you were all here, I'd give you a hug...so instead, a virtual hug, right here.  Maybe I'll get caught up on reading blogs, but let's be honest and realistic...I probably won't.  I'll just pick up bits and pieces where I can.  If anything major has happened, just tell me.  Happy September to you, my friends!

on mothers day without photos

As I scrolled through my facebook feed, I saw photo after photo of my friends with their kiddos celebrating Mothers Day.  They were truly beautiful.  I, on the other hand, posted no photos of my children today.  I didn't have any.

I'll admit that I had good intentions to take my camera along with me today to snap a shot or two of my girls with their grandmas and maybe even one with me.  I mean, I had to speak in front of church this morning for a few minutes.  This means that I definitely wore make up, had my hair just right, and even wore a nice spring-y shirt.  In theory, it would have made for a nice photo.

But I dropped the ball.  My good intentions were put on the back burner as I remembered my print-out for church, the strawberry shortcake for dessert at my in-laws, and my church bag.  We were on time to church, and I didn't forget any of the essentials.  Phew!  That's really a major accomplishment in and of itself.

So, to all of you moms out there that didn't post photos of your kiddos today...consider this your pass.  You're a mom.  I know you had a million other things that consumed your mind today.  Whatever the case may be, it's okay.  You're good.  I didn't do it either.

And tomorrow, let's all band together and buy t-shirts that read: World's Okayest Mom

Who's with me?

Happy Mother's Day to the most okayest moms I know.  I love you all to pieces.

lake pics

We spent a week at the lake a couple of weeks ago.  We had absolutely gorgeous weather and made lots of memories.   

Monday was spent painting fingernails with the new nail art kit that Grandma had bought with Amelia on the way up to the lake the day before.  Now, let me tell you that I'm not a fan of little girls painting their own nails.  I completely understand that they need to practice to improve, but it makes this Mama a bit crazy to have them all wanting to do it all at the same time...at your parents' lake cottage.  

This may have caused me a bit of stress.  I told Josh that I was not having fun on this particular morning, and (after everyone's nails had sufficiently dried) he ordered everyone to put on swimsuits and jump in the lake.  This improved my sanity greatly.  And on a side note, I'm going to beg my mom to go with the hula-hoops next time. :)

We ended the day with ice cream from the local ice cream shop and a pontoon ride (or "contoon" as Olivia calls it...she also calls her swimsuit her swimsoup...and popsicles hotsicles)  

Tuesday was another swim day along with an all-family wave runner ride.  Claire, Josh, and Amelia ended up in the water at one point.  After Amelia finished crying, she thought she might want to fall in again.  The girls and Josh also went tubing.  

Grandma and Grandpa came back on Wednesday, but we were gone most of the day enjoying some time with friends.  

Thursday was spent playing and preparing for more friends and family.  Josh's parents came for a visit and a pontoon ride on Thursday.  

Amelia and Eden can finally sit next to each other without fighting at mealtime. :)  Eden is currently OBSESSED with Meredith.  Anytime Jill asks Eden what she would like to eat, drink, do, etc., she responds, "Well, what is Meredith having/doing/etc.?"  Every. single. time.

The breakfast crew...where are Grandpa's smiles?!

 Amelia caught a nice catfish:

Claire hooked a soft-shell turtle:

Meredith and Carter are inseparable when they're together:

This Meredith/Carter relationship amazes me each and every time we're together.  Our families get together 2-3 times per year, and they play together (almost non-stop) for several hours straight.  I have a picture of them together from 2009 (when they were 4), and I distinctly remember them not leaving each other's side that day either.  They eat together, swim together, play together, talk to each other, and wait to do anything while the other one is in the bathroom.  It's awfully sweet.

Lake days have always been some of my favorite days and continue to be.  Looking forward to spending more time up there before school starts.    

summer in pictures

Two boys with their new toy.  There are benefits to having your friends as neighbors.  (And I just love how Josh and Brian are dressed alike...so sweet.)

summer in pictures

We caught up with our former neighbor, Kay, for some conversation and a round of Sorry!  What a sweet, sweet lady.  

summer in pictures

We loved cuddling with little Nick this summer.  So precious.  

summer in pictures

Our girls and the neighbor girls chalked the sidewalk at the lake.  It was so cute...the photo doesn't even do it justice.  

camping themed birthday party

Birthday parties.  I'm not typically a big fan.  This year, though, Claire is turning 10.  Ten seems like a pretty big deal, so I decided to actually do something special for Claire for her 10th birthday.  

I asked on facebook several months ago for some ideas for a 10th birthday party.  My friend, Heather, linked me to Dramatic Fanatic.  For $35, I purchased a mystery party that can be used for 8-16 girls.  Claire chose the Summer Camp Mystery, and we invited 16 girls to our house.

So we had a party. :)  And it wasn't nearly as crazy as you might think!

Of course, Pinterest came to my rescue.  I found a fabulous invitation online {although I can't find the link to it at the moment}, and I used the image from it to make the invites.  It was a free download, and I was able to plug in our info.  It had a large fingerprint as well as the silhouette of a detective lady with a magnifying glass.  

I fed the envelopes through the printer as well and put the image on the back of the envelopes with a tagline that said, "Help us catch the criminal, unless of course, it's you..."

So fun.  

So, 16 girls arrived at our house at 6:15 tonight.  And, as far as I could tell, the entire party was a hit.  The best part was that a couple of Claire's friends are a bit older {and fabulous actresses}, and they ran the majority of the party for me.  Most of the moms stayed and chatted it up outside on the deck, so I pretty much owe these girls for letting us have a mom's night out! :)  

Like I said, the theme of the party was a Summer Camp Mystery, so we decorated with camping food/decor.  It was super easy and fairly inexpensive!  

Here are some pics:

 

 

The Menu:

-caterpillars: grapes on kabob sticks with little eyes attached with frosting {I didn't have those attached when I took the pictures}

-bananas: cut into chunks and served in an aluminum pie plate

-cupcakes and individual ice cream cups {the only way to go for a party!!}

-fruit cups: strawberries, frozen blueberries, mandarin oranges

-mud pies: gluten free chocolate cookies {made by my good friend, Amanda}

-s'mores on a stick: large marshmallows on popsicle sticks, dipped in chocolate and rolled in crushed graham crackers

-wild animals: animal crackers served in an aluminum pie plate

-firewood: cream wafer rolls cut into chunks and stacked like firewood

-dirt pudding: served in cups

-water bottles: covered with fun duct tape and camp critters hot-glued to the side

I purchased almost all of my supplies at the Dollar Tree.  There I purchased the tablecloth, plates, napkins, popsicle sticks, critters for the water, brown bags, and pie plates.  Seriously, I only spent $10 for the supplies for this party!!  I really wanted the pie plates for the girls for their serving dishes, but they were 2 for $1.  I just couldn't justify paying $8 for 16 plates when I could buy 28 checkered ones for $2.

I used regular cans from this week's dinner for spoon holders.  I cut a napkin and wrapped it around the cans to make them a bit cuter.  

I used marshmallows to hold all of the food labels as well as to add a few more pieces of decor.  I found all of the printable camping pictures from the camping preschool unit from 2 Teaching Mommies.     Those ladies have a ton of themes...I knew I could find what I was looking for! 

My mother-in-law brought over a lantern as well as some big old binoculars and their holder.  Like I said, super simple decor in this house!!  I'm all about the simple.  

For favors, we put together some s'more packs for the girls to take home.  They included enough supplies to make two s'mores.  I found these fun s'more printables from The TomKat Studio.  

I fed some brown paper bags through my printer to put a message on the favor bags.  I didn't know if the bags would go through, but they did!  Total score.  Claire was impressed. 

We had a great time, and overall, this was a really easy party to put together.  It was my first kid birthday party ever, and I'm thankful to have a two year break before the next one.  I don't think I could do this 4 times a year!  I'm pretty sure that we'll probably go the same route for child #2.  Looking forward to it!

celebrating amelia

We have a Peep and the Big Wide World theme going this year for birthday cakes.  I don't think that this cake looks a lot like the Peep that we see on the cartoon, but this was image that Amelia chose for her cake:

I think she turned out pretty well...although I think she looks a wee bit angrier in my cake than in the image.  But, thankfully, Amelia didn't care. :)

Our favorite neighbors, the H family, joined us for cake and ice cream.  

 .

It took her about 6 tries to get her candles blown out.  She blew at least 3 times before extinguishing even one candle.  As far as I know, the germs that ended up on the cake didn't result in illness. :)  On a side note, I love Olivia's face in the next photo!!

{10 years}

So, last Friday, Josh and I celebrated 10 fabulous years of marriage.  I could not be more thankful to have such a loyal and loving husband.  I know I say it over and over, but we have been blessed beyond measure in this life.  

One of these days, I'm thinking I'll have to do an in-depth post about all of the things I've learned and the ways I've grown up since I was that girl in the wedding dress. :)  Can't wait to see how much we'll grow in the next 10!!

So, for our 10 year anniversary, we took an absolutely beautiful vacation to the Riviera Maya in Mexico.  We spent 6 days and 5 nights at an all-inclusive resort with some of our best friends, Dave and Deanna.  It.was.fabulous.  

We sat on the beach, read a ton, and swam by day.  And we played Settlers of Catan by night.  {Side note:  I did not win at Catan, but I did score 9 points during one game, and that in itself felt like a huge victory.}  Although the food wasn't overly impressive at our resort, we did much better with our food choices by the end of the week!  We learned that Mexicans know how to do chicken, potatoes, and guacamole. :)

Other than Deanna puking while she was para-sailing and me leaving my kindle on the beach during a rainstorm, we had a perfectly relaxing and memorable trip.  I would like to say a special thank you to the people in room 1220 who promptly returned my kindle unscathed.  {I was internally freaking out because I have no password protections on any of my Amazon, facebook, and email accounts on my kindle...yikes!!}

The weather was perfect, our traveling buddies were excellent, and our flights/customs were uneventful.  Loved it.  Loved it.  Loved it.     

december.fun

Let's just all face the fact that I'm a terrible December blogger.  Last year was exactly the same.  Oh well.  Take me as I am. :)

We have had a fabulous month so far.  We've made a lot of fun memories, and I'm looking forward to the many more that this week will bring.  I can't believe that Christmas is this Sunday!!  Wow.  Here are some highlights from the month...

My Aunt Barb always showers our girls with Christmas gifts, and this year Eden, Jill, and my mom joined us for a Christmas brunch at our house.  Mom jumped in a pic with the girls, and I thought this one turned out really cute {except for Amelia's completely dazed look}. 

One of Josh's college roomies was in town a couple of weeks ago to visit, and we were able to spend a couple of days with them.  We took our three oldest girls to a gingerbread house decorating class.  It was worth every single penny of the $11 each that we spent.  They had tons and tons of different kinds of candy to decorate the houses.  Everything was prepped, ready to go, and we left the mess there!  Loved it.

This picture below was nothing but pure fun.  Claire and Meredith decided to play a jump rope game, and Olivia crawled over to be part of it, too.  The girls handed her one end of the jump rope, and she couldn't have been more thrilled to be playing along.

She shook that rope as hard as she could.  Each time it came out of her hand, she would crawl right to it, grab it, and shake it again as hard as possible.  They all played together for at least 15 minutes.  It was the most adorable thing that I've seen in a while.

Here are a few other highlights:

-cookie baking

-my new Kindle Fire arrived {and the crowd goes wild!}

-Olivia is a crawling machine

-we went ice skating today

-made lots of memories with friends already

Have I mentioned that I love December?  It is seriously one of my favorite times of the year for making memories.  What are some fun memories that you've made this month?

heavy.hearted

I don’t write a lot of heavy stuff on this blog. Quite honestly, I don’t feel like we’ve had a lot of “heavy” in our lives. We’re fairly easy-going people, and I try not to be too dramatic {although I have 4 daughters…they’re bound to bring us a bit of drama from time to time}.

In all seriousness, though, Josh and I have coasted along quite well. That being said, our family members and friends have experienced a whole lot of heaviness in the last nine days. I can honestly say that I don’t recall this amount of personal heartache in such a short amount of time…ever.

Last Monday, our friend Eric was admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Friday, it was re-diagnosed as Acute Lymphatic Leukemia {which is a much bigger hill to climb}.  He's not even 40 and has 6 young children.

Last Tuesday, my friend Shel delivered a precious baby girl with Anencephaly. Sweet Delia Jean breathed on her own for a little over an hour, and then made her way safely into the arms of Jesus.

On Thursday, my sister Jill was told that her unborn baby had no heartbeat. 

Needless to say, I’ve prayed a lot in the last week. I am willing to go so far as to say that I don’t think I’ve ever prayed more diligently during any other 8 day stretch.  

I don’t find it surprising that these events change the people that are intimately involved. How could they not?  Words like cancer, anencephaly, and miscarriage are not taken lightly.

What continually amazes me is how much I am changed by observing these events from the other side of the fence.  I find myself squeezing my girls just a little bit tighter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve held Olivia this week and truly given thanks for the fact that I have a perfectly healthy baby in my arms. Even when she’s crying, I’m not irritated. She’s here…right here…ready to be held, fed, loved, and enjoyed.

I was looking at a picture from my wedding day yesterday, and I was thinking about all of the things that I didn’t know 9 years ago.  That girl in the picture had such little experience with true love, deep relationships, true joy, and true sorrow. Don’t get me wrong…she had seen them; she was simply inexperienced on the whole.

Jackie {age 32} is being refined on a daily basis just a little at a time {praise the Lord, indeed}. I’m certainly no fan of the tears, sorrow, and heartache that accompany difficult seasons of our lives. However, I’m thankful for the way that it causes me to mature, prioritize, and grow into the woman that the Lord wishes for me to become.

Loss and sorrow are inevitable and unavoidable.  On the bright side, for those of us in Christ, so is joy...inevitable and unavoidable.  Thank you, Lord, for this.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

And this is where I find my comfort and my prayer.

no.fun

It's been a rough couple of days in our household.  I woke up yesterday morning with a stomach ache, and I just didn't feel well at all.  I felt like I was going to throw up.  And I did...several times throughout the day. 

I couldn't keep anything down yesterday.  Basically, I learned that pregnancy and dehydration do not mix well.  Thankfully, Josh came home around noon to give me some relief.  On a side note, the girls were so helpful in the morning.  Claire got Amelia breakfast and dressed her for the day.  Meredith made me some toast and brought me some water to drink.  They were so sweet! :)

So yesterday afternoon around 2:00, I started having regular contractions which I was pretty sure wasn't a good sign.  So, I called my doctor's office.  I was so exhausted from vomiting all day that I didn't even want to go into their office.  They convinced me to come in...and they assured me that I would get a shot that would make me stop throwing up.  I was definitely willing to go for that!

My good friend, Kristi, came over, picked me up, and took me to the hospital.  I was having some pretty hard contractions that were fairly close together at this point.  My doctor sent me right up to OB and had me hooked up to an IV and monitors.

By this time, my contractions were full-blown and about 2 minutes apart.  My nurse shot me up with something right away to slow down my contractions.  I was severely dehydrated which was causing the labor.

We thought I might be able to go home after 4-6 hours, but I was so severely dehydrated and my contractions had been so close together that my doc wanted them to continue to hydrate me and keep an eye on me overnight to make sure that the contractions didn't return. 

I got to come back home early this afternoon, and I'm supposed to drink water like I'm a fish....ummm, will do. 

Lots of thank yous are owed to my mom (grocery shopping for us, running me around, doing our laundry), Brian and Kristi (running me around, super-yummy dinner brought over tonight), and Josh (holding the fort down at home, staying home from work, cleaning the crazy kitchen, taking good care of me!).  I love you all.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

I'm feeling much better tonight, and hopefully I'll be back running at full speed by the end of the week!

halloween.night

So, we had a really fun halloween night! We got together with some family and friends, had dinner, and went trick-or-treating.

If you click on the collage, you can see the pictures much bigger! I'll explain a few of the pics...

Group shot: Escapee Amelia had to be wrangled in by the big lion behind her.

Amelia screaming: She was holding a Twix on the way to our trick-or-treat destination, and somehow she got it open!! I took it away from her, and that was her response....for several minutes. What can I say? I would have acted the same way if someone took a Twix away from me.

Little H: He was the cutest little frog that I've EVER seen. Amelia is going to marry him for sure! She'll just have to kiss him to turn him into a little prince. :)

Black cat: While we were out TOTing, a black cat actually crossed our path! I am one of the least superstitious people you will ever meet, so I thought it was really funny. The best part was this...the thing only had about a 2 inch tail. You can't see it very well, but it was pretty stumpy.

And our manly hubbies had to have an arm wrestling competition. Let it be known that Josh won. You're such a stud, babe!

 

camp.revisited

Josh and I met at summer camp when we were in high school in 1994.

I worked at camp during the summer of 1999 and started dating Josh in November of 1999. We both worked at camp in 2000. These were two of my favorite summers of my life! We made lifelong friends while we were there.

Last weekend, we attended an alumni summer staff reunion, and we had so much fun! It was fun to take Claire and Meredith as well.

The girls loved playing at the beach and swimming. We also played volleyball, basketball, tug 'o war, and capture the flag (of course). The alumni staff beat the current staff even though some of us were twice their age. :)

It was so much fun catching up with old friends! We can't wait to do it again in the future!

 

running.stuff

First of all, let me clarify why Julie and Rachel were getting such a kick out of my 5K-by-the-time-I-was-40 goal, so that I don't make them sound like bad friends!



Rachel and Julie are both runners. Julie is a huge runner...marathons and everything! Rachel is also a runner...1/2 marathons and such. I am a fairly athletic person (not that I'm good at much), but I do love participating.

To make a long story short, they were pretty sure that I could run a 5K by the end of the summer...not by 10 years from now like I was planning!

Anyway, so back to running stories! I have some running stories that I'll be sharing over the next week or so regarding my training. I wanted to share them while I was training, but I was trying to make my 5K a surprise for Julie and Rae....and Rachel is an avid reader and Julie is a frequent reader/occasional commenter.

i.am.a.runner

I am a runner. I didn't used to be a runner.

After watching the Boston Marathon, I was inspired. If they can run 26 miles, I can surely run 3.1 miles.

I had told Julie and Rachel that I had a goal to run a 5K by the time I was 40. They laughed at me...so did Josh! Hey, I'm busy people!!!

So, being the up-for-the-challenge girl that I am, I started a running program:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

It's the "Couch to 5K" running plan. It's for people just like me that want to run, but are overwhelmed by the idea. I've never liked running.

So, I started about 8 weeks ago, and I ran in my first 5K last Saturday!!! It was so exciting.

I decided that I would be thrilled just to run the entire time, and I would be extremely pleased with a time of 31:00.

At mile #1, a guy was calling out times....9:27. "I think I'm running too fast!" However, I felt good, so I just decided that I would keep my pace and slow down later if I thought I needed to.

I passed 23 people (2 of them being guys) which I thought was incredible...I had a goal of 5! As I was approaching the finish line, I heard them calling out times over the PA system....29:32...29:35...

"Oh my goodness!" I thought, "I can make it in under 30:00 if I kick it up!!"

So, I put on my speedy legs and sprinted to the finish....29:49.

And there at the finish line was my supportive husband and adorable daughters cheering me on. I almost cried....surprise, surprise.

It was fantastic. I placed 100 out of 190.

I'd like to thank Julie and Rachel for chuckling at my goal and making me want to achieve my goal much sooner! I'd like to thank Josh for supporting me through my training, pushing me out the door, and bringing everyone to the finish line...it meant a lot to have all of you there. Thank you to the girl in the pink tank top...you were the first person that I passed. Lady in the purple shorts....I will pass you next year.

birthday.bash

FINALLY....Claire's birthday party:

Claire asked for a lake cake that had her and Fletcher (Grandma and Grandpa Popsicle's new dog) on it. Hmmmmm. So, Aunt Jill and Uncle Andrew had a picture of Fletcher on their phone and they emailed it to us.

Josh printed a picture of Claire and a picture of Fletcher, stuck them together, and put them in the boat. Great job, Honey! A few goldfish crackers, a little blue frosting, some crushed graham crackers, and well....we had a cake.

Sticking with the boat theme...Claire received a life jacket for her birthday:

Amelia wouldn't sit still for a picture to save her life (what's new?)...

The birthday crew (minus the babies):

A little of this...

Cuddling with the cats...

I don't think everyone was enjoying the cuddling:

But Josh and I were:

Daddy with the birthday girl:

 

boston.wednesday

Let's just say that this day was one that needed patience.

Before you read this post...if you have 4 minutes...watch this clip. I was trying to keep it all in perspective as my day was unfolding.

1. We woke up at 5:40 a.m. to leave for the airport by 6:00 a.m. for Julie's 8:00 flight.

2. Right before we left, I had to hit that bathroom. Rachel graciously loaded my bag. She, thoughtfully left my purse out so that I could have it with me in the car.

3. I, absentmindedly, didn't ask for my purse when I got in the car. I guess I thought it was in the trunk.

4. We drove to the airport...1 hour away.

5. About 5 minutes before we arrived at the airport, Rachel said, "Where's your purse?" I said, "I thought you put it in the trunk." She said, "&*#%!!! I'm sure I set it on the garage floor thinking that you'd walk right by it."

6. Good news....my flight isn't until 10:15. Bad news....now we have to drive 1 hour back to Rae's house and another hour back to the airport. Stink.

7. Rachel feels really bad....I feel really bad. Double stink.

8. Drive back to Rae's...drive back to the airport.

9. Check in and learn that my flight is delayed until 11:30.

10. Hear my name called..."Ma'am, yes, we don't think you are going to make your connecting flight at 12:30, so we've bumped you back to the 1:50 flight." Stink.

11. Board the plane. Head to the runway. Stop. Announcement: "We've been delayed yet again. Please sit tight. We'll be on our way in about 35 minutes." Stink.

12. Make it on the next flight. Didn't have much time to eat...so I didn't. And should have.

13. Starving Jackie. I do get a teeny-tiny bag of pretzels and a sprite on the plane. I think there were 6 pretzels in the bag...maybe 7.

14. There was a lady sitting one row back with 2 small children (obviously travelling alone). I say, "If you need help with anything while we're on this flight, let me know. I have 3 small children, and I've travelled with them before. It can be crazy sometimes!"

15. She is so sweet, and we start talking. Her little girl (Jassie...not sure if that's how she spells it) is 6, and her little boy (Jason) is 5 months. So adorable.

16. She is on her way from Germany (where her husband plays professional basketball) to come back to the US for a few months while he's off. Wow.

17. So, I ask if her daughter is in kindergarten in Germany. She says, "We home school." Us too!!!

18. Then, I say to the little girl..."Your name is Jassie? My name is Jackie, and it kind of sounds like Jassie!" Mom says, "Your name is Jackie? My name is Jackie!" Now this is just getting crazy!!

19. I make a new best friend....and I get to hold baby Jason while Jackie and Jassie were in the bathroom. He was soooooo adorable. He even giggled once.

20. We finally land. I'm starving.

21. I go to the McDonald's in the airport to eat because I think that I'm about to pass out from lack of food.

22. I order a value meal and eat the whole thing...something I never do.

23. I go to get my luggage which I assumed came in on the earlier flight.

24. The man says, "I've been paging you." Uh-oh.

25. Local time 5:15....he says, "Your luggage got put on the wrong flight, and it won't be here until 6:30." I still have 2 hours to drive home from the airport.

26. I feel tears welling up in my eyes because I've been travelling for about 12 hours straight at this point. I am so tired. Deep breath....composure....no tears.

27. The man says that once the luggage arrives, they'll get it to my house by the following day.

28. Ok, I can live without my luggage for a night. I drive 2 1/2 hours home.

29. The following morning, a man comes to my house with my bag.

30. My coat is falling out of the bag....this doesn't look good.

31. My zipper is destroyed and the back of my bag is torn open.

32. I called the airline right away, and they're still working on it. I guess. That was last Thursday. I got a call yesterday afternoon, and they said they are still trying to figure out what to do.

33. Is it that difficult? I really just want a new bag.

So, on the bright side....Rachel and I got a little extra chat-time in, I made a new best friend on my second flight, and I think I might get a new piece of luggage. Not bad for one day.

boston.tuesday

Rachel and Shawn have a ton of turkeys around their house...Josh would have been in hunter's heaven. They woke me up on Tuesday morning, so I had to go out and take some pictures. I even did my best turkey call at the big tom and he gobbled at me twice.

He was stalking the two hens below all morning, but they really didn't care. He tried to impress them as much as possible, though, by poofing out as big as he could.

Once we got around, we had crepes!!! Yes, Sarah, I'll post the recipe :), we headed to a coffee shop called Armeno. I bought some coffee for Josh which he loves! They roast it right there in the place. We were able to walk through and see the roasters.

Then, I saw this, and I almost didn't purchase the coffee....

Puke.

Then, we headed into Boston to go on a Duck Tour....so much fun. We got to see all kinds of great historical buildings and sites. There is so much stinkin' history in Boston. I told Josh that we HAVE to go back when the girls are older.

We saw the site where the Boston Tea Party took place as well as several other sites involving the Revolutionary War. While our Duck was in the water, we saw the island that was shown in the book Make Way for Ducklings which I've read to my kids several times. Picture below...I had to take it for the girls even though the weather was kind of dreary that day.

All of the kids on the Duck got to take a turn driving the Duck while it was in the water. Then, I got to drive the Duck as well!!! How cool is that?

Then, we took the subway to Regina's Pizza....

and had lunch with Leo....

It was great.

Then, we went to Mike's Pastries....if you ever go to Boston, you MUST go to Mike's Pastries. Seriously, this is what we bought: gelatto, strawberry cheesecake, an eclair, raspberry almond something or other, and cookies.

Thankfully, we didn't eat it all at once, but we did eat it all that day. I took one of the cookies home to the girls. It was about the size of my face.

I had to take a picture of the Black and White cookie for Josh. Seinfeld anyone?

"The key to eating a black and white cookie, Elaine, is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate. And yet, still, somehow racial harmony eludes us. If people would only look to the cookie. All our problems would be solved."
- Jerry, in "The Dinner Party"

We ended the evening with a little Biggest Loser. Fun, fun day.