Happy Memorial Day!

I wish a Happy Memorial Day to everyone out there...especially to the veterans and soldiers currently serving in the armed forces, and also the police officers and firefighters. I think we are very blessed to live in this country, and our family is very grateful for the men and women who allow us to live freely.

Ready for the weekend!

The long weekend has officially arrived in our house! We are so looking forward to lots of fun plans this weekend! Today though, is just general relaxing and some household chores. JR has scouts, and when I pick him up there will be a movie and pizza this evening. My husband is at an impromptu retirement party this evening for one of the principals at his school. I will be sorting and folding laundry, and maybe even getting some dusting in if I'm really lucky. I've already planted in the flower bed today and picked the cat up from his overnight vet trip (he's fine). Tomorrow JR is playing in a baseball scrimmage organized by a friend's dad, and then our evening includes a farewell cookout for some very dear friends who are moving out of state. While I know that we will see them in a few short weeks as part of our summer vacation, I'm going to miss them so much. Sunday will be brunch with my mother's family, and then we are headed up to the lake again to spend the day with Dad. Monday morning will bring the local parade, and then another cook out with very dear friends. I'm so excited about having so much fun. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Winding down?

The school year is beginning to wind down around here. HT and my husband have five days left, JC and JR each have six. Although winding down is not exactly how anything feels...I'm incredibly wound up and wondering where the heck each day is going! The kids have several activities at school that are "presentations" and involve parental participation, and of course there are also graduations and other family commitments to attend, not to mention our baseball schedule. I'm thinking my husband and I better get a better texting plan because that seems to be the only way for us to communicate these days. Otherwise we are like two ships passing in the night. The good news is that it's been wonderful to see the progress the kids have made throughout the school year, and I think we are going to have a wonderful summer!

Bragging moment

I have to brag for a moment about my oldest...tonight was a moment that made me cry. My oldest child is a wonderfully sweet, sensitive boy (almost young man). He's a hard worker and tries hard to please people. He's a very creative child - an athlete he is not. But we are a big sports family. I've tried to explain to him that it's okay to do his own thing, and one by one, the sports have been eliminated from his activities. But baseball is the one he sticks with, and I've been so grateful for my wonderful husband coaching him this year after the absolutely miserable experience he had last year. Tonight, he had an AWESOME catch in the outfield. I think he was just as surprised as anyone that he caught the ball, and he practically danced all the way back to the dugout (it was even inning ending)! It brought tears to my eyes and our dear friend Jen said she had goose bumps all over it. She put it best, "Every child deserves to have a moment like that." I can't stop smiling as I think about it!

Mom, the taxi driver

Today was one of those days where very little got done at home. We were mostly on the road. All three kids had dental appointments, and they actually required two separate trips to the dentist, which is 30 minutes away. Because of JC's unbelievably poor dental hygiene, not only did I get to spend two hours driving to and from dental appointments, I got to spend 135 minutes of my day sitting in the waiting room. Why do we go to a dentist that is 30 minutes away? Personal referral, that's why. I truly believe the best way to find any new doctor is to ask around. We've been absolutely thrilled with this man and he's worth the drive...just not all in the same day!

A sign of things to come

Today my youngest is on an all day field trip. I have almost the entire school day to myself...and I'm not sure I like it. For the last 4-1/2 years, I've had at least part of the day by myself with my little guy. I enjoy my quiet time, but I'm sure going to miss his happy little face when he goes to first grade next year. He's ready though, and I'm proud that my kids are growing up to be such great kids!

It all works out

For weeks, we had been planning to get up Saturday and head to the lake to spend the weekend with my dad. Then on Wednesday, we learned that there were going to be make up ball games Saturday morning. We could still go, but it was going to move everything back a few hours. Everything works out though...just as it's supposed to. We received so much rain last week, especially overnight Friday, that even though it was a beautiful Saturday, there could be no games. We were back to our original plan! We arrived shortly after lunch, and just had an absolutely wonderful day there. My dad had found a garage sale where they were selling (among other things) bikes and scooters for very low prices. He already had a bike at the house for us to put together for JR and came home with two more very nice used bikes and a scooter...hours and hours of entertainment. I think the best moment was when HT saw the bike for him...the way his face lit up made my dad's whole weekend. Dad had also bought the kids a wagon to play with and they loved pulling each other around in that when they weren't riding bikes. Dad took JR fishing, and they loved having those moments together. We had a little cook out in the evening, and then Dad headed home so that we could have the place to ourselves. We'd have loved for him to stay, but he kept telling us there were things at home to be doing. I got very emotional after he left. It just seems to hard to imagine that one day he isn't going to be around for us to share these things with him. I know that's technically true of everyone and no one really knows what the next day brings, but knowing that time is limited with Dad makes it so, so special, and I'm so very grateful for the wonderful memories we make with him during our times up there!