Cabin weekend and calling it quits

I've been thinking about calling it quits with the blog.  It's hard to believe I've been blogging for 5 1/2 years.  I started the blog just a few days after our miscarriage. It was an online journal, for me to process, chronicle and see a transformation unfold.  Later on, it was a way of documenting my growing family.  I was so, so thankful to have this blog when I started creating my family photobooks and especially when I went back in time and created books for 2009 and 2010 earlier this year.  After awhile, it became more of a little ministry for me.  Mostly, to me.  Now I think it has more or less run it's course.  As a full-time mom, full-time worker outside of the house, I have a long list of priorities. And I'm feeling in my heart that this one isn't serving it's purpose anymore and should fall off the list.  Personally, I crave deep, deep relationships.  Some people prefer to have a small group of friends with deep and lasting ties.  Some prefer a larger group of friends.   I have a large circle from various parts of my life- childhood, work, mother and baby class, family, college, high school.  But, I crave pierce-into-the-heart relationships all the same.  With these same.  And I don't think the blog is a means to that end.  I'd rather share my heart and hear yours- your joys, your struggles, your faith journey, your fears and your victories.  And I think this blog has become more and more "surface" level and that's not what I want and how I operate, at my core.

So, without further adieu, this is perhaps my last blog posting of pictures.  We had another incredible weekend at the cabin (following right after an amazing 4th of July at Aunt Sue and Aunt Julie's house). And the best part?  The kids actually SLEPT.  Like, ALL NIGHT.  And were so exhausted by the time they went to bed that they didn't put up any fuss and fell right asleep.  This is drastically different than the past three years at the cabin and I am so, so thankful.

    


I love this series of photos.  Max was plopping into the pool and thought it was the most hilarious EVER.  I really wish he would be joyful and show some facial expressions once in awhile, ya know?








This is shortly before my Mom and I capsized the jet ski in the middle of the lake, before it really even started.  At least I redeemed myself with my two year old the next day.




The guy on the left is Cannon Falls' most eligible bachelor.  Isn't he good looking? He's extremely hard working, very kind, absolutely wonderful with children, and loves to laugh.  His story is truly one of redemption.  If you know someone that could be a good fit, let me know. :)  

Friday night we did a fish fry and made home-made french fries.




Max was a rockstar with the potty thing at the cabin.  In the three days we were there, he only had one accident, and this was just one week after he started training.  I can't take any credit for it- it's all him!  He was ready.










Josh, Chris, Brad and Brody fishing.




Yesterday was a crummy weather day and this morning was glorious.  We soaked up every minute before we headed home at noon.






Max and I had a fun ride on the jet ski.  He's my timid guy so I was a bit surprised he was insistent on going!

The weekend: The Ups and Downs (alternatively titled: I smashed Josh's new car and it was summer)

I am exhausted.   We had quite the weekend.  It was the (very) rare summer weekend where we had NOTHING planned all weekend, save for a little shindig Friday evening at Rachel's house (for me).  We went way out of our comfort zone and tried for....spontaneity.   And we ended up doing a lot of (last-minute-planned) stuff and having a super weekend.  Except for the downs.

UP:
We started officially potty-training last Thursday.  I know for my children, we need to wait until they are emotionally and physically ready to potty train.  Max made that decision last Thursday and has been a rockstar since.  He has only had a couple accidents this weekend.  Super proud.  And surprisingly sad at the thought of being rid of diapers.




DOWN:
I've been in physical therapy and seeing an Orthopedic Surgeon for my left wrist for a couple months now.  It's been actually very discouraging for me.  I can't use my wrist in simple ways and I'm especially bummed about not being able to do yoga, because of the pain.  So Friday morning, Max poops in his underwear.  I carefully remove the undies from his legs but the poop makes it onto the floor instead of the toilet (graphic, sorry, that's what happens when you're in the throes of potty training).  I clean up the floor, grab the sheets off my bed to put them in the laundry and head down the stairs.  I take one step onto a blasted book sitting on a stair and fall down the rest of the staircase, injuring my left hand (the one for which I'm in PT).  My entire arm, from my wrist to past my bicep, was tingly/numb.  Why did it have to be the left wrist?! 




UP:
We had plans to go to the splash park on Friday but it was too cold (overcast and very windy).  Instead, the Ketchers came to our house and we had fun playing outside and eating lunch.

Oh, we also walked over to my brother's house that morning to visit him and Bailey.  Perfect way to start the day.





DOWN:
We put the kids to bed at 7:30PM on Friday and then I was heading over to my friend Rachel's house for a little facial party (it sounds wonderful and it was).  On my way out, I picked up the last remnants of our evening fun in the front yard- the scooter, lawn chairs, water cups- and I most certainly noticed Josh's brand new car (which had only been in our possession for 7 days) in the driveway.  Got into my car in the garage and went into autopilot.  Started backing up and then heard the most-awful sound of vehicle hitting vehicle.  I had driven into the brand new car, damaging both of them.  I held it together (and had fun) at Rachel's and then broke down sobbing when I got home.  I could not believe I dented and scratched a beautiful vehicle with less than 200 miles on it.  It made for a restless night of sleep and a grumpy Saturday morning.

UP:
The kids and I met the Rings at a nearby park later Saturday morning.  The weather was incredible, the kids had fun together, and I enjoyed Josh and Rachel's company.



UP:
Last minute, we decided to get together with the Fords that afternoon, evening.  We met up late afternoon at the splash park and then went to our house and grilled dinner.  At the splash park, Max made sure to water all of the plants, bless his heart.


The boys took a bath and Claire took a shower and then Laurie and I took them on a past-your-bedtime, pajama-clad walk around the neighborhood.


DOWN:
Max got kicked out of Sunday school during church this morning.  He made it 45 out of the 70 minute service before we got the text "you should pick up Max".  Little dude's gotta get the joke that this church thing is sticking around.

UP:
Pastor Bill preached on Acts 27 this morning.  It's about a major storm and then a shipwreck as Paul was sailing for Rome.  On the third day of the storm, they threw the ship's tackle overboard.  One of the thoughts Pastor Bill left us with was this:  What do I need to throw overboard?  What mind-set do I need to launch over the side of my life-boat?  I immediately thought about the damage I had done to Josh's car and how it still was making me sick to my stomach.  Then it hit me.  In a strange way, it was actually sort of freeing to have damage on a pristine, brand-new vehicle.  In a way, it felt like God's way of saying-- this is all just stuff!  It's JUST a car!  Don't be so attached to the things of the world.  Don't be so concerned with your earthly possessions.  And for the first time since Friday evening, I felt a weight lifted.  And I prayed that I would be ever focused on eternal matters and not earthly-- this is the mindset I wanted to throw overboard.


UP:
We went to the Mall briefly after church.  Max went peepee on the PUBLIC potty TWICE while we were there!  It took Claire months after potty training before she would go in a public restroom.  He even held it for 15 minutes after telling me he had to go, while I checked out at Yankee and found a bathroom.  And at that point it was 11:00AM and he hadn't gone since the evening before!  He got a special treat (below) for being so great with the potty thing.



UP (and some DOWN):

While our men went golfing, Ami and I took the kids to the splash park (yes, the same one, it's fabulous).  The good thing is that Max insists on going on the potty now.  The bad thing is that he insists on going on the potty even when it's the nasty one at the splash park and I thus spend more time in said nasty bathroom than actually splashing.  Between him and Claire, I think I made the trek across the park to the bathroom at least 6 times.  I would never have convinced him one additional time to do a "woodsy potty"...nope, not me!  Nevertheless, we had a fun time and enjoyed a picnic dinner with the dads once they joined us after golf.  We left there at 6:30PM and went straight to baths and straight to bed.


I'm thankful I get to do life with this Mama.

Father's Day and Summer Evening, in pictures

I don't have much time to type right now. The kids are sleeping and I have a list of things to do before they wake up and we head to Great Aunt Sue's lake house for the afternoon.  But I just edited some pictures so thought I'd do picture-full/(almost)word-less post.















Early yesterday evening we took the kids to Punch pizza for their first time.  Josh just loves that place and we've never gone as family.  The kids were well-behaved and we had an enjoyable meal.  We got home and played on our swingset for a long time.  Put the kids to bed and then Josh and I watched The Impossible.  Pretty much a perfect, ordinary night.

Splash Park and SingleMomHood

My close friend Laurie recently resigned from a very successful career as a District Manager for an apparel store to stay home with her two young boys.  I am super happy for her and happy for me because it means we can periodically hang out on my Fridays off!  Yesterday she met us at our favorite splash park.  The weather was perfect and one of the first sunny/warm days this summer.







Baby Cameron.








Max was in his happy place.





We took a break to enjoy a picnic lunch.  Seriously, these are the days that I dream of the entire year.  Sun, happy and well-behaved kids, good friends-- pretty much perfect.



Josh arrived home safely today from India.  I was a single-mom for the past 9 days (5 of which I was with the kids the entire morning, noon and night.  Going to work the other four days felt like a break!) and just as I suspected, I have renewed respect for single parents.  All in all, the kids behaved wonderfully.  There was that one Sunday that I thought I was going to either lose my mind or my soul. But the other eight days were great.  Yes, I did have to take a few tylenol almost every night after bath and bedtime, but that's probably a coincidence, right?   Honestly, it actually felt refreshing to have no focus other than the children.  We did lots of fun things- went to the cabin, played at the park, picked up froyo and ate it on our driveway, walked to Uncle Chris and Aunt Becky's house and played outside, went to the splash park, grilled dinner at Aunt Bethanie and Uncle Barry's (with Auntie Heather too), spent a lot of time playing outside our house and walking the neighborhood, and got haircuts all around.  These children are so precious to me!

Yesterday I was preparing dinner and Max walked up to me in the kitchen.  He brought me a cup of coffee from his kitchen (his favorite thing to do), looked up at me with his big eyes and said in the sweetest little voice, "Mommy, I'm going to EAT you.  And BITE your head....and FROW it in the WEFRIGERATOR!!"

Needless to say, I slept with one eye open last night.