it's a good day for all of us today!
our little people are surrounded by their grand people.
lots of love is here!
it is fun for all of us to have their support, presence, love.
we aren't usually the ones with our grand people on the sidelines.
thanks a whole bunch for coming (and cooperating when i forced a photo shoot on you)!
this dude is a ball of energy.
he plays on two teams right now, he gets his school work done (with almost every graded paper i see has a near perfect score), he's a good friend, he loves his family, and he wants to help me too!
he makes me proud because he works so hard and gives everything he's got!
he makes me proud because he was tired this morning yet he knew how important it was to go to mass, and he went without complaining at 7:30!
he makes me proud because he's thankful his sibs support him by watching his sports teams!
he makes me proud because he scored two goals for his lacrosse team this week!
he makes me proud because he asks to come assist me on photo shoots, and he does a good job at it!
i'm coming undone over here, and he just keeps going and going and going.
i would love an energy donation from him.
i'll keep going and going and going because i'm thankful for joey and all the j kids!
these are the people that make today so happy.
i couldn't stop smiling when i read these sweet cards from my three big kids!
there perspective is real.
yes, i like a lot of food.
yes, my job is to be a mom.
yes, i must jump rope more than i thought i did.
yes, i help them when they need help.
yes, i'm good at cleaning even though i didn't think so.
yes, one of my favorite hobbies is getting exercise.
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sometimes i don't know the impact i make on this world so it's good to have today to be reminded.
i am the momma i am because i have a great moms who teach me lessons all the time.
i also have amazing friends who role model love only a momma can give to her children to help me on some of the best days and some of the hardest days too!
joey and his bestie, aidan were subbing in for each other most of this game.
somehow every time they interacted, i never had my camera ready.
i loved their interactions, i could see their hearts and their friendship in ordinary moments.
that stuff melts my heart!
joey is in the red shorts, and aidan is in the pink and blue wild shorts.
i love what i captured of them slamming into each other to celebrate another win!
it's hard for me to photograph my own kids sports cuz i'm watching and talking to dave and kind of paying attention to the other three j kids playing around me!
i'm glad i took my big camera to this game though.
soccer seasons are dwindling for the middles, and i don't know if i've even taken the big camera.
nor do i know if i'll have a chance with all the other activities we're running kids to and fro!
sigh.
two parents, four kids, lots of activities.
we are pulled in a lot of directions, and we have to divide and conquer a lot.
i don't like it.
it's so much better when we get to be together.
today we got to be together watching joey playing lax.
beautiful, glorious sunday ... lazy morning at home, church, lax game.
it was awesome!!
and we'll return to normal life going our many different directions tomorrow.
boo! i miss my people when we separate.
separation that makes me ache.
it's life though.
here we go, ready or not, we're jumping into another week!!
i finally took a peek at some of the pics in my photo stream.
now that i don't even have to plug my iphone into my computer i miss reviewing what i snapped.
here are some of the moments i snapped of me this month!
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ice cream after a photo shoot.
dave rescued me when i got stuck pushing my littles in the double stoller walking home from the park in the pooring rain!
coffee with cream and dump trucks. yum!
bunny ears.
seven-thirty mass easter tradition.
as close to the beach as we're gonna get this spring.
chaos in the car. road trips rock!
my assistant snapping pics of me snapping :)
snapping and driving (probably on my way home from lax or soccer or dance).
i promise i don't do this often but sometimes i just can't resist the colors in the sky!
peace out, people.
happy eleventh anniversary to us! cold, rainy, broken down silver mini van (the only car that fits our whole family).
marriage has it's ups and downs ... i'm so happy dave is right next to me on this exciting ride!
it's a good life we have, it's a good life we work hard to achieve.
even after a rough few days, i still see the beauty that surrounds me!
i don't know what exactly it is ... i think it's the fast pace of this life.
i guess it takes a lot of planning to be here and there and gone for four hours plus at a time each afternoon this week.
i used to be a better planner. used to is the key phrase!
i'm a little out of whack.
good thing i have my people to keep me on my toes.
good thing i have spring weather and sunshine too!!
that's all i'm saying today cuz i need to catch some zzzzzzs asap.
chicago, i have missed you so much.
i didn't even realize it till i came back to see you!
i just figured out that i haven't been there since i ran the half marathon there in september 2003 with dad.
i think we're gonna be heading that way more often soon though since someone very special to us might call that big city home.
okay so lots of you who come here to read follow me on instagram too (and if you don't follow me there but want to i'm "dsjbowers").
it was different than the beach vaca we usually take in the spring.
these kids were troopers and enjoyed the change of scenery too!
one day we walked at least three miles for one of our outings.
we hit some touristy stuff instead of boutiques this time.
we swam more than we explored.
it's different with four kids in tow.
it was fun!
man, oh man, is it nice to leave our four walls.
i think we're fixin to do this more often even if it is just to stay in our tent one weekend a month throughout the nicer seasons.
we got to have four extras for twenty four hours.
mealtimes (prep and clean up) are the busiest part for me.
owen might have ended up in our fireplace after breakfast ... uhhh, maybe.
even with that, it's tons of fun!!
it's loud and bustling with energy.
they get markers out, they play video games, they play outside, they paint nails and do hair, they laugh (a lot), they cry some too, they play together and break off into small groups too, they even smile for my camera.
it's really neat to watch it all.
i'm so thankful my best friend has four kids too, and this trading stuff we started a year ago is pretty awesome!
she told me how quiet her house was today.
i'll exchange a day of a little more noise for a day of a lot more quiet.
it's a good deal ... thanks, wendy and eddie.
from my people and me.
here's to sunshine and springtime!
