thank you, dave for taking a day off work to beautify the grounds of our home.
the pruning you did makes room for new growth.
the flowers you planted bring new life.
the fresh mulch you spread makes it all look cleaned up (or something like that!).
i love that dave helps me take such good care of 391 ... it's a good nest.
the light was right in my backyard tonight.
i don't have much to say cuz it's been quite a week.
i'm processing stuff that i've been going through.
so here's my mug on the first day i've felt human in a while.
i even put makeup on today.
i'm returning to the land of the living people!
one of my favorite friends texted me "slowing down stinks, unless you're on vacation!"
i couldn't agree more after i had to slow down.
it was good for me though.
okay, i gotta get some rest ... i told you i didn't have a lot to say, and now i'm rambling!!
one more pic of my freshly bathed jane-brain who came to model for me when i yanked her out of bed.
i've been kind of down and out lately.
just not operating at one hundo percent.
sometimes i just need to try to do usual stuff to snap out of it.
other times doing usual stuff just makes me land in bed or on the couch for the better portion of the days.
this learning to listen to my body isn't always easy.
i'm glad i'm on that path anyway.
okay enough of my mumbo jumbo ... onto some of the usual stuff i've done while i haven't felt well!
here's a quick little snap session i did with my buddie jack who is four today.
he really just wanted to play toys in my back yard.
the balloons and camera were in the way of all the mowing he told me he had to do.
i've known this guy his whole life, and he has an awesome family.
he's a lucky duck!
and i am too because these people are in my life.
love you, kel, adam, maggie, and jack!!
we are busy.
crazy busy, really.
so is everyone else though.
i don't like to just march along in the way of the world very often.
i like the beat of our drum better.
sometimes the way of the world gets to me though ... i mean,
lacrosse, dance, golf league, soccer, baseball, oh my!
we also work, go to school and do our homework, try really hard to eat dinner as a family (even if it's picnic style at the soccer field like it was tonight), play with friends, take a lot of pictures, go to the store to keep this house full of food, try to clean and straighten up and keep the laundry moving.
it's feeling like, too much right now.
i take on a full load, then i back off, then i balance and lose my balance.
it keeps life exciting!!
one of the reasons i started this blog is so that i will remember "how i did it!"
i'm not sure how i do it, really ... i put one foot in front of the other.
somedays are much better than others.
i'm very thankful the slate gets wiped clean with sleep every night!
well, our busy-ness does slow down a little bit sometimes.
like when i got the chance to have four extra kiddos for a sleepover.
we got to hang close to home, and everybody had a friend.
our home was bursting with energy and lots of loud fun!!
sydney even spent five minutes modeling for me.
syd, you are so cute, fun, and helpful! i'm grateful i get to watch you grow into a beautiful young woman. i love you.
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.
we talk about my dad a lot.
this week we saw a porsche with red brake drums and we walked past the apple store on the new ipad release day.
both of those remind me of him.
we tell stories and we laugh.
the kids love to hear about him.
johnny even recently asked if papa will wait in heaven for him.
we all miss him!
when janie saw helium balloons at a party we went to, she knew she wanted to take one.
she had a plan.
she knew just what she wanted to do with it.
she came right home and grabbed the sharpies.
she drew a sweet face and wrote, "hi papa! i miss you. <3 janie"
ever since she released it, she's been wondering how long it will take to get to him.
i think he got it!
the weather is so nice, i haven't been hangin' around my computer much.
i got the chance to read a little of my book and my mind was wandering a little while i was reading.
i started writing all over the back cover and could have written a post right then.
it was just so pleasant sitting in the shade on a bench by myself reading that i was fine with not having my computer near me at that time.
now i'm pretty tired.
it was a very full day.
my mind is pretty mushy by now.
but i can't wait to build legos and play outside a whole bunch on spring break 2012!
johnny's starts today ... i get to hang with him for the next week and a half.
i'm gonna soak it up!
i can't believe how many people go out of their way to wish me happy birthday.
it's really nice.
i felt the love all day yesterday, well even a few days before.
and i'll get to feel it for a few more days, really because my favorite tradition is coming up on the ides of march.
you people got me donuts and sang to me, sent cards and texts, commented on my instagram feed, called me, sent greetings through facebook, and some of you even met me for ice cream even though we already left (oops! isn't that just how we roll, wendy?).
no matter what dave writes in a card or what the card says, it brings tears to my eyes.
yesterday was no different.
it's a good life we have together.
he's amazing to me in so many ways.
all of this to say, thanks, my friends.
getting older isn't so bad.
for some reason twenty12 feels just right to me.
the awesome, the scary, the joy, the ordinary, the fear, the goals, the unplanned ... all of it.
even this gray, rainy day that i've been laid up with a junky cold.
it's not so bad since it followed a beautiful yesterday.
