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)!
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!
i love listening to some good music!
ipod dj is fun to do with the kids.
when they pick classics by van morrison, the beatles, or tom petty i get really excited.
i dance around the kitchen to nicky minaj and snoop dog for them too!
there are lyrics that just speak to my soul.
there are beats that slow me down and some that make me run faster too.
tunes connect me to people and places and times in my life.
i totally remember listening to a toto album at a specific campground while i was in college. i remember the spring weather, the beer can chicken we made over the fire, the people i was with, the canoe trip we had just taken that day.
i also remember when i was a young kid, asking my parents to wait till the song was over before turning off the car.
my kids do that sometimes now :)
lately i've been rockin' out to zac brown band and jimmy buffet.
this photo shoot really made me "wishin i was kneep deep in the water somewhere"
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meet our neighbors and friends, the eirichs.
colton is johnny's best little buddie.
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'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!!
seeing jeff's joy getting a stamp as we left costco.
learning from these babies i'm raising.
losing electricity ... a blessing in disguise.
watching janie dance (as a family)!
catching up with angi (her daughter, greer is pictured below with janie).
breaking bread together around the dinner table.
lots of laughter and color and smiles and yummy food and silly faces.
yep, in honor of my niece, andrea.
she's gettin' hitched in a couple months!
i'm glad i got to be part of it.
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.
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.
