Happy 4th of July!

We are spending this hot (going to be 97) summer holiday with my mom.  The kids are going to be stocked up on fun activities courtesy of grandma.  Slip-n-slide and nerf guns.  What is more fun that that?

We have lots of good treats and drinks.  We don't have to get ready to go anywhere (hello Fourth of July Pj Party) and there will be lots of relaxation!

The highlight of our evening will be our Sparkler Grand Finale!  Pictures to follow...

photo by my mom

Enjoy your day!!!

Strawberry picking in pictures

Reminder

It is no secret when you talk to me that my kids make me crazy.  My mom reminds me that everyone's kids make them crazy.  They are kids.  That is what they know how to do.

We took a little trip to the cemetery to water my dad's flowers.  Brendan and Lila were great helpers.  They took turns watering and visiting with Grandpa Paul.  Brendan eventually started watering the graves around my dad and Lila went in search of pine cones.

A short while later an SUV pulled up behind my car and a nicely dressed woman got out.  She walked up to a grave near us and began tidying it up.  She commented on Brendan being a great helper with a smile then went back to watering her flowers.  She was there about 10 minutes and we both commented on how dry the plants were despite all the rain we just had over the weekend.  Then she quietly washed the granite with her water, stood up, admired it, and slowly walked back to her car.

I knew immediately who she was as soon as she arrived.  The mother of the 14 year old year that passed away 4 years ago.  We often walked past her marker and gazed down at her face on the stone.  So so young to be gone.

Brendan asked who the woman was and I told him it was a young girl's mommy taking care of her flowers just like we were taking care of Grandpa Paul's.  Now she was in heaven like grandpa to which he responded,

"Awesome!  I want to go to heaven!"

Oh the simple mind of a 6 year old.  Understanding yet not understanding.

It was in this moment that I got my reminder from God loud and clear.  Yes the children may make you crazy, frazzled, upset, and frustrated.  Yes you may not enjoy how they are acting.  Yes you may not even like them.

They are here.  I can hold, hug, kiss, talk, play, and enjoy them.  They are here.  Enjoy them.

Life happens

So my mom so sweetly reminded me that I have not updated since mid-June.  I told her that it has been busy:)  She hears all my stories firsthand so I am not sure what the problem is;)

June was a big ol' whirlwind.  Brendan finished kindergarten!  We spent a week at our local Vacation Bible School and then we went on an Up North excursion with our neighborhood friends.  5 adults, 7 kids, one house, 3.5 days.  We had a blast and we are still friends.  We stayed up late talking and got up early with the kids.  We played at the beach, went on nature walks, went to the park, watched movies, and yelled at the kids.  It was good to get away and unwind.

Brendan started t-ball the day we came home from Up North. He's having fun (of course) and at his last game he had 28 RBIs.  He also happened to bat 8th in the rotation (last batter runs the bases and only 8 kids) and there are no outs.  So grand slam every at bat.

I had two 31 parties the last week of June.  That made for some late nights.  It will help fund our August family trip though!

We went to fireworks last night with friends.  Lila made some new friends with the most unexpected people.  I'm glad that the weirdness of a past situation seems to be gone and people are able to move on. 

July is here and that means my birthday and Jason's right around the corner.  The first half of July is not so busy and I will gladly welcome some lazy mornings.

Prayer request

For Father's Day this year my husband requested a special breakfast in lieu of a gift.  So I woke up early this morning while they were all sleeping and went to Meijer.  I have my list of items to buy to make this special breakfast and I should have been there only a few minutes to get these items.

God has a funny way of having you meet people when you least expect it. 

This woman was looking at the sausage links next to me.  Then we got to talking.  This is not unusual for me.  I'm always having conversations with people I meet at the grocery store.  Most likely it is casual and last 30 seconds.  This morning though was different.  This woman needed someone to talk to and I needed to hear it.  I won't share her personal struggles because they are not mine to share.  I will ask if you read this to send a prayer for Denise, her kids, and her father.  God is Good and he will listen.

Summer!

It has happened.  Summer vacation began at approx. 11:48am (Friday morning) when a certain blonde-haired boy got off the bus.

The first item on his summer list...

Have a picnic lunch and watch his favorite bird movie.

Poor Lila.  She just wants to watch Dora or Caillou and Brendan tries to lure her in by watching the show with Owls and birdies.  She's smarter than that Brendan. 

The rest of our afternoon was spent with Monica and baby Connor.  He cracks me up.  Pull a camera out and he'll instantly smile for you.  He should be a baby model.

We also made a trip to the cemetery to water my dad's flowers.  This is quickly turning into the kids favorite activity.  They just don't water my dad's, they water all the flowers around my dad.  We also made an exciting discovering while putting a hose away.

We watched a killdeer doing his "injury-feigning" display.  He/She lying on the ground with a wing out and flopping about.  This is used as a distraction method because you are near their nest or young.  It turns out about 2 feet in front of us in someone's flowers was their nest with four eggs.  This will be a great lesson for Brendan and birds:)

On the agenda for the first full day of summer vacation is Brendan's first t-ball practice and hanging out with my mom.

That time I stood in the rain...

So after a meeting the other evening I had to run into Kroger to get some milk, produce, bread, etc... since we are out.  It is lightly raining and everyone is rushing into the store.  The busy shopping hours after most are done with work.

 I'm walking toward the door and a bird catches my eye.  Usually the house sparrows are flying around but this bird is different and there are about 4.  It's a cedar waxwing.  I reach for my camera since I have not seen one of these birds in a long time and realize I switched bags before my meeting and only have my camera on my phone.  This does not equate to a very good picture.

 Now I'm standing in the rain, talking to myself, and looking at these birds.  Anyone walking by probably thought I was so crazy woman once step away from feeding the pigeons.  So what do I do?

Quickly finish my shopping, call Jason to have Brendan put his shoes on, drive the 5 minutes home (which turns out longer since I got both lights), run the groceries in, get Brendan, and drive back to Kroger.  The four birds turned into about 20 while I was gone.

  They were everywhere. 

 Feasting on berries in the trees.

Brendan was in bird heaven.

Only one lady stopped to ask what we were looking at in the trees.  We pointed them out and she thought they were neat because we were so close to them.  She then backed out and asked me where the closest liquor store was located.

Because it makes sense to ask the mom standing out in the rain, looking into a tree with her small child, in front of Kroger at 8pm, where the closest liquor store is...

Thank you #57 for keeping it interesting.