One More Time

Happy to head out one more time this weekend in order to spend sometimes with friends at their boat… I needed to be in Muskegon anyways, so this was a great way for us to pack some more gorgeous summer days while they last! My kids are fish! But have an I said that before?! 

Another Day at the 3rd Coast

Another trip out to the third coast and a chance to see more family this week. What a blessing we have had this week to see so many people and get some quality time with each one of them! We are delighted!

Pushing Every Boundary

My kids are pushing every boundary. But let that not be a negative thing all the time!

There is something to be said about sitting at the park, watching your son test the limits of how far he can go and still see you. Or watching your daughter scale the highest trapeze. In either event, stretching their freedom as a sign of their development. And for the most part, that's a good thing!

Long gone are the days of me having to hold hands on the playground equipment. I can actually hold a conversation with somebody. They are growing up. And I like that about them. 

Parenting Win

Sometimes I get a parenting win! I do limit the amount of technology time they have, and they have a checklist of things to accomplish before they can ask for screen time. One of them is creative play. 

So when I hear from the bathroom "let's get the stuffies, they can be the judges!" - instead of feeling dejected that my house will be a disaster, my heart leaps at their creativity and joy.

They are currently creating a ninja course… Knock yourself out kids!

So Proud

I am so incredibly proud of this young lady! I have been pushing her and pushing her for two years to get her drivers license. Yesterday, she did it! And today, she bought a new-to-her car! It just so happens that my brother was in the market to sell his and just like that, she’s on the road!

This girl is going to go places, and I’m proud to watch her do it. I feel a little bit like a fairy princess sprinkling fairy dust everywhere today, it was even worth the two hour wait at the Secretary of State!

Her First Pedi

Today, little miss got to play with the big girls. She was invited along with the cousins and aunts to get her first pedicure. 

Two ladybugs and two daisies later, her piddies and her fingers glowed. So did she. 

She Got Married

My super sweet college roommate got married this weekend. She's almost 45 years old, and has waited so long for this moment. It was a truly beautiful experience. 

Congratulations my friend- a long road to such a happy union!

Deck 5

A year ago, I asked him to build me a pergola. And so he did.

So, on the anniversary of one carpentry project, I asked him to do another. Build a deck off my parents master bedroom.

And so he did! 

Love him!!

Playing Catch

"Daddy, play catch with me?" 

She has a heart cut straight from the cloth of her father. And of course he went. And she was amazing! Remember that antiperspirant commercial/video about throwing like a girl? Heck yes, my daughter throws like a girl, she has one! And she's rocking awesome!

Week One of Camp

Last year, I budgeted every last minute I could out of summer. I took them to camp, Georgia, camp again. We went on adventures, we went on road trips. We easily logged several thousand miles.

But I blinked, and the summer was over. And there wasn't really much time to get bored. 

So this year I decided not to plan. And I'm laughing, because I get marked all the time about how much I plan. But this year, we're going to get bored. Except this week. This week was something we had to do! We had to try out Girl Scout camp and Camp Invention.

And all my desire to be as laid-back as possible, I almost missed out on both opportunities! Fortunately, things worked out in our favor and we wrapped up a terrific week where KK learned all about the amazing world of fitness and exercise and Bubs found out about collaborative problem-solving for waste water and recycling.

So glad sometimes things work out!

Starting to Cave

I might be starting to cave-in a little bit. I was introduced to these sweet little seven week old Bernese Mountain dogs, and I might just have to say my heart expanded a few sizes. They still shed, they still use my lawn as their bathroom and they require an insane amount of maintenance… But I might be going a little softer to the idea of having a dog. Just don't tell my children!

The Moment He Became a Dad

He insisted we stop on the way home from church to pick up a pregnancy test. And he insisted I take the test, not at the suggested first hour of the morning, but as soon as we got home.

So to appease him, I did. I set it on the counter to wait the requisite 60 seconds before you look. I started the microwave timer to ensure that I would not cheat. The buzzer went off.

I walked over to the test, this 6-inch strip of white plastic that has the ability to change your life forever as you know it sat there glaring at me. 

And I remember saying “hmm, that’s interesting.”

I handed him the test. He took one look at it and burst into tears. 37 years of waiting and he was going to be a dad.

My mother told me recently that I hit the lottery…

And while I agree with her, I also know that there were many frogs before I found my prince. Luck did play a part in it, but hard work, and never giving up on what God would have in store for me, allowed me to get to this point.

Bar none, my biggest achievement in life will be these two little human beings that this man and I brought into the world. He is a dad because of me, and I am a mom because of him. And I am eternally grateful.

Happy Father’s Day, my love. You are positively amazeballs. 

Firelight

My dear, sweet husband built me a fire pit recently. And I have to admit, we've used it more in the last two weeks and we burned any fire in the last two years!

So after a lovely dinner with some old friends last night, we jotted down the back stairs and put a little squeeze on the last few flickers of daylight and had a backyard fire with the kiddos.

Nights like this make childhood wonderful. Adulthood, too.