Some of It Gets EasiER

Several years back I exhaustedly vented some parenting frustration on Facebook by posting a status that read "If I can just hold on until they're both in school, I'll get a few hours off"...or something to that effect.  I don't remember the exact circumstances that drove me to look for sympathy on the internets, but I imagine it was desperate.  It probably involved a lot of nursing my then-infant son, attempting to reason with my then-dramatic toddler about going potty, a traveling husband, and very little sleep. 

The comments some people posted left me in tears.  Yes, seriously.  Several older mom friends (I'm talking women that had grown children) jumped on and wrote things like "Oh!  We're supposed to get a day off?! I had no idea!" and  "Yeah, I'm still waiting.  Good luck with that!" and similarly snide comments.  I don't know why it cut me so deep (see previous statement about nursing and exhaustion), but it did.  I was drowning in raising littles and instead of throwing me a lifeline, several women that I trusted to help or at the very least empathize decided to point and laugh.  I quickly deleted the post in an effort to prevent others from jumping on the bandwagon. 

It was my fault, really.  I had turned to the world wide web to seek validation and encouragement instead of praying, talking to my husband, or picking up the phone to call a close friend - all things that most certainly would've had a better outcome.  I'd gotten burned, but it wasn't completely without purpose.  It seared a reminder in my brain to always encourage mothers coming behind me.  (And not that kind of "encouragement" that is often offered by whispering "OH.  Enjoy every minute.  It goes so fast."  Really? EVERY moment? 'Cause I got pooped on this morning.  Should I have savored that?!)

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I've always hated that and the "just wait"-type comments.  You know the ones:  "Oh you think it's hard now?!  Just wait until he/she can walk/does sports/drive or turns age 1/6/16."  Those are not helpful and they make you sound like a jerk, so stop it.  

Here's a little secret I'm learning:  This parenting thing?  It never gets easy.  It never lets up.  It never stops.  BUT, parts of it do get a little easiER.  The physical demands lessen and the sleep returns and, one day, you will have five whole minutes to complete a thought or a sentence.  I'm not going to pretend like bon-bons (what are those, anyway?!) and soaps are right around the corner, because keeping up with two kids' school schedules on top of volunteering at both places is no joke (careful there, Heather, you're teetering on the edge of "just wait"...)  BUT every once in a while I can drink an entire cup of coffee before it gets cold.  Of course now I'm navigating the choppy waters of first grade friendships and answering hard faith questions, but at least I can do it with hot coffee in my system.  

So hang in there, young Mama.  I know you're tired and covered in spit-up and can't remember the last time you had a minute to yourself.  I know that it feels like if you have to wipe one more hiney or nose or pile of pbj crumbs off the counter you're going to lose your ever-lovin' mind, but there is coming a day when you will have more time for yourself.  A place where you can see daylight breaking over the top of the trench you've been in for so many years.  Until then, hang on for dear life and call a sitter every once in awhile.  Sooner than you think you'll be able to send your kids out in the backyard for fifteen whole minutes by themselves.  (Just remember:  Sibling fights build relational skills.  Let 'em duke it out.)

And to the older moms that commented on my post that day, if you have grown children and have not managed to take some breaks and time off by now, that is totally and completely on you.  No wonder you're cranky.  Chill out and go get a pedicure and a cup of coffee...and buy one for that young mama in the minivan behind you while you're at it.  

Life Lessons from the Timber Trek

It's been almost three weeks since the Timber Trek and I think I've finally wrapped my head around it being over.  After nearly a year of planning and preparation, it took a while not to wake up every morning and think "What needs to be done for the race today?  Who needs to be emailed/called/coerced/blackmailed into something?"  I've finished up all of the post-race to-dos:  mailing ghost runner t-shirts, selling extra shirts, delivering leftover goodie bag items to the sponsors, putting my pile of papers and notes in some semblance of order...okay, well I haven't done that yet.  But I'm almost finished. 

When I first began mulling over what to write in this post, I imagined it would be a full recap of the entire event from start to finish.  Instead, I realized that while I do want to capture some specific memories of that incredible day, it is more important to me to articulate the lessons I gleaned from the whole experience.  

So first, here are some details that I want to remember:

• The weather was supposed to be rainy and awful.  I had watched the forecast like a hawk all week, but never really freaked out about it.  I prayed and knew that beyond that, there was nothing that could be done.  When I stepped out of the shower around 4:15am the morning of, I heard it pouring outside.  I frustratingly vented to God as I pulled up the weather app on my phone.  It read 5am: 30%, 6am: 30%, 7am: 30%, 8am: 0%.  No joke.  The very start time of the race had a ZERO percent chance.  It was if God was telling me, "I have told you a thousand times that I've got this.  Trust me."  And He did have it.  It sprinkled a bit during set-up and break-down, but not a single drop fell during the races.  Amazing.

• The incredible sense of calm as Sarah (my Fundracers point person) and I drove around the neighborhood in the dark in a golf cart marking the course before dawn.  As we drove, we prayed for the event as we'd done so many times before.  I was excited but calm and in proper "event mode", which can't be attributed to anything but the Holy Spirit's peace.  

• The overall spirit and sense of community was almost palpable.  Watching neighbors introduce themselves to others and strike up conversations and then later cheer one another on was just the neatest!  Beyond raising money and awareness for Street Grace, this was about building community in our neighborhood.  It's cheesy, but I was literally watching my dreams come true.  

• Getting to run the Fun Run with David, Luke, Audrey, and David's parents and having my family cheer on the kids.  Audrey and Luke had been hearing about this for so long and had sacrificed time with me while I worked on it.  They even put in time serving by putting up and taking down signs, making posters, stuffing bags, etc.  Watching it come to fruition through their eyes was just as cool as seeing it myself.  

• Everything ran smoothly, even when it didn't.  There were a few hiccups, but we all rolled with it and everyone kept their cool.  I've done enough events to know this is not something to take for granted.    

• After the race, I received an email from one of the board members who had never been  supportive of the event.  In the note, he congratulated me and complimented how smoothly it went and how clean the areas were post-race.  From him, these were hard-earned nuggets of gold. 

• My friends and family are just amazing.  They are truly the BEST.  Over and over again I was reminded of this.  Sweet friends stayed late with me on Friday night while I was waiting for t-shirts to arrive so we could finish stuffing bags.  Some drove for hours to be a part of it.  Some gave hundreds of dollars.  Some got up at 5am or earlier to come out, point people in the right direction, and cheer because they knew that simple act could help make all the difference to participants.  Professional t-shirt design and photography were possible because of generous friends.  So many prayed.  So many listened and encouraged.  So many believed in this and showed up, ready and willing.  Simply put:  I could not have done this without David and our small group, friends, and family and I will NEVER forget that support.  

And in case you missed me shouting it from the rooftop, here are some stats from the race:

• Over 100 people came out to participate in the 5k and Fun Run

• $2,500 was raised for Street Grace

• 30+ volunteers came out to stuff bags, set-up, check-in registrants, cheer and guide participants, provide music and sound, hand out water and bananas, break-down, and clean up

• 20 businesses sponsored the race

And finally, the Top 5 Life Lessons I learned from putting on a 5k:

1)  A courteous and prompt "no" is almost as nice as a "yes."  I learned this from asking 50+ businesses for sponsorships.  If they couldn't/wouldn't do it, the next best thing was respecting me enough to tell me quickly so I could move on and not waste my time with 2-3 follow-ups.  In fact, I found myself nearly hugging several business owners after they'd just flat out said no.  I now try to take that respect into consideration when I know I have to turn others down!

2)  Don't assume.  (You know what they say about that.)  People you thought would be a sure thing may not be and those you almost didn't approach could come through in a huge way.  You'll never know if you don't ask.

3)  God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.  Cliche?  Yes. But OH so true.  And if you are operating under your calling, WHEN (not if) adversity crops up, it's a lot easier to deal with.  Not easy, mind you, but easiER.

4)  Keeping calm really does make all the difference.  In event planning, as in life, things are going to go wrong.  Something will happen, whether big or small.  You can do everything in your power to plan, prep for, and attempt to prevent this, but when it does occur, your attitude about it is everything.  As a leader - be it in the home or elsewhere - that attitude is contagious.  If I had freaked that the music was late or complained about a screw-up, the entire tone of the event could have been very different.  You don't have to be flippant, but you do need to stay positive and in calm control of the situation if you want the outcome to be the best it can be.  (If only I could remember this when my three year old loses his ever lovin' mind over a missing acorn.)  

5)  Celebrate the heck out of a victory.  I mean really milk the thing for all it's worth.  One of the very best lessons I learned from my grandmother was to "work hard, play hard."  I built in several big and small celebrations months in advance so I could look forward to them and to ease the post-event funk.  The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to stop, celebrate, and reflect on the awesomeness of a big accomplishment before just plowing ahead to the next goal.  Taking that down time gives you pause to appropriately thank God and others as well as giving you a chance to refuel yourself. 

So that's it.  That's the gist of the day plus what I learned from the whole experience.

I don't know if there will be a second one next year (hint: probably).  Even if this was a one-time deal, however, I am so glad I said yes to God's calling.  It was not easy and was often met with hurdles and push-back from our HOA board.  Even when they finally came around, I had sponsors let me down and registrations were so slow that I wondered if anyone would show up.  And yet, people came through and numbers rolled in last minute just as everyone told me they would.  

God was faithful time and time again and showed up in a bigger way than I could have ever imagined.  And just in case I didn't express it enough, there is no way I could've done this without my family, friends, small group, and neighbors.  I keep trying to put it into words, but I know I'm falling short.  The bottom line is that I am grateful and forever changed by the experience!

My awesome small group presented this to me the week after the race.  Aren't they just the sweetest?!  It was so thoughtful and meant a great deal.  
There may have been some choking up...it was all David, though.  

September 2015 Recap

September was the month of the Timber Trek.  Unfortunately, seeing as the world STILL hasn't decided to revolve around my family and our schedule, it was also the month of Audrey's major school fundraiser, Luke starting preschool, and more than a few meetings and appointments.  Let's just dive in, shall we?

Let's start with the fundraiser, which is NO JOKE in these parts.  Since I'm on the PTA Board, they asked us to play a pretty heavy role.  I counted money (by the way, the piggy bank contributions are super cute...until you're the one counting 183 pennies by hand), made signs, communicated with class parents, and helped set up, cheer on, and tear down the grand finale "Bull Run" ceremony.  It sounds like a lot, but it really only added up to about 5-6 hours of volunteering.  Basically I did as little as I could without getting kicked off the board.  (No, they wouldn't have really done that.  I don't think...)  I had to say no a lot because of everything I was doing with the Timber Trek.  And yet, no one died and the show went on.  Not only that, but the school raised $14,000 OVER their goal of $40k.  Powerful lesson learned:  Prioritize, do what you can, and don't feel guilty.

The first Saturday of the month, we sent the kids over to David's parents and had a fun date.  I had run 10 miles that morning so when we were planning and David suggested hiking or kayaking, I wasn't too enthusiastic about those ideas.  He, on the other hand, was pretty bored with my vote of lying around and ordering some pizza from a place we used to frequent that doesn't offer GF options.  We compromised and decided to drop the kids off and head up to Dahlonega.  We ate some delicious  BBQ on the square and then went tubing on the Chestatee River.  Tubing was a first for both of us and it was pretty fun!  You get to see the beautiful scenery that you do when kayaking, but without all the work.  We went down the river, got out and took a short walk back to the start, and did it again.  The water was chilly, but not as chilly as the Hooch (or as filled with E. Coli).  Afterward, we drove home, ordered pizza, and finished out the West Wing TV series we started in January.  Perfect compromise.

On Labor Day we drove out to my dad and stepmom's house and joined my brother, SIL, and nephews there.  We spent the morning hanging out and watching the cousins run around the backyard before eating lunch and heading home.  The next morning, Luke started PRESCHOOL!  How is that possible?!  I remember Audrey seeming so old when she started, but he seems so young!  That's the power of time-passed perspective, I guess.  The school allows the parents to go with them on the first morning and hang out for the first hour, so David and I walked him in together.  When it came time for us to leave, Luke was completely fine.  I was the one insisting we read just one more book.  David guided me out before I made a fool of myself and I held it together until the parking lot.  

Thursday, however, was much worse.  They let parents walk them in and drop them off on the second day and then carpool starts the second week (this is really a flawed plan on many levels, but they didn't ask me.)  Though he had a great first day, he did not want to go and had been crying off and on all morning.  I walked him in and he clung to me, tears silently streaming down his cheeks.  Just outside of his room he begged me to hold him and lo and behold, the tears started flowing from me.  Great.  I broke one of the covenant rules of motherhood:  You do not cry when leaving.  Especially if they are crying!  I walked in the class and the lead teacher (whom AJ had and I adore) took one look at us and scooped him up.  Another mom that I didn't know pulled me into a hug.  Sweet, but not helping me stop the tears, honey.  She set Luke down and he pulled my ear to him and whispered bravely through choked-back sobs, "Can you sit with me for just one minute, Mommy?"  I tried to keep him from seeing my face as we played alphabet alligators for a second.  He got into it within two minutes and was totally fine, so I made a quick break for it.  I called a couple of girlfriends and blubbered to them before distracting myself with a lovely dentist appointment.  When I got out, I checked my email and found a note from his amazing teacher assuring me that he was just fine.  God bless her.  From that day on, he did totally fine and has loved school, thank the Lord.  

What else this month?  

• Our small group started back.  With the exception of one new couple, it's the same group we've met with for the previous two semesters.  It's become such a great little community and it's so nice to have a room full of people that truly get your stage of life because they're in it too!

• Audrey started attending the "Good News Club" after school on Mondays (a Christian-based club sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship.  The children's pastor I used to be on staff with now runs the Georgia chapter.  He's good people.)  

• She had a check-up (yeah, that would be her six year that should've been in June) and got a good report.

• I had a dentist appointment and a dermatologist check-up and got a good report at both.  That rounds out my catch-up-on-doc-appointments flurry and I am officially clear of that until February, thank goodness.  

• I met Lara Lynn for a loooooong overdue dinner and it was so good to catch up I cannot even tell you.  We have already scheduled a dinner for early November and are really, really, really going to try to do bi-monthly dinners together, which works out great so maybe I can do the same with Lauren on the in-between months.  

• Both kids had school pictures.  Nothing like pressure to pick a perfect outfit and have a good hair day. 

• Audrey took her first standardized test.  She wasn't nervous at all, which is good since she'll have approx. 1 million more before graduating.  

• David went to D.C. for one night.  

• I had a room mom meeting for both Luke's class and Audrey's class.  Neither was overwhelming.  I'm sure I'll feel differently come the second week of December, but for now it feels manageable. 

• I got to chaperone my first elementary school field trip (AJ's to Fernbank) and I didn't lose a single kid!

• The kids had two birthday parties they attended for friends and had a blast!  Audrey's was especially cool because it was one of her closest little classmates and they went to Whole Foods kitchen and had a cooking party.  The best part?  This friend is gluten-free too so everything was safe for her.  So cool.  :)

I think that's pretty much the gist of the month.  

Oh yeah, except for that tiny thing called the Timber Trek.  Nearly a year in the making (I met with the board last October to propose the event and get their approval), we finally saw it to fruition this month.  It's been two weeks and I still don't think it's set in that it happened.  I will write a detailed post about it, but in short, it was a success.  Over 100 people came out in the drizzly early morning hours to participate and $2,500 was raised from race proceeds, direct donations, and post-race t-shirt sales.  AMAZING.  

More to come soon, I hope.  Happy Fall, Y'all!

Thankful Thursday

I am still in complete shock that the Timber Trek happened last weekend and it'll take me quite some time to process it, but let me just tell you that it was a big success and a post IS in the works.  Until then, here is a long overdue Thankful Thursday post:

1.  Some chill time.  I feel like I have been on a treadmill that's set a smidge too high for at least the past 13-14 months.  I worked part time for nearly a year, which took up almost all of my down time, and then I went straight from that into hardcore Timber Trek work.  I am catching my breath for the first time in quite a while and it feel glorious.  

2.  That today is October 1st.  I have always loved October.  School routines are settled in, temperatures cool off, beautiful colors surround us, and, towards the end of the month, adorable kids in customs get guilt-free candy and the excitement and anticipation of the holidays is on the horizon (without the stress and busyness that they also bring).  It's just a fantastic month and I'm thrilled it's here.

3.  A date with my husband on a weekday!  David called me today and asked if I wanted to meet for lunch.  It took me a minute before I realized that Yes! Yes I COULD!  I didn't have any pressing work to get done and I didn't have to pick up Luke until about 12:45pm.  So we had a date in the middle of the day on a Thursday!  So spontaneous and unusual that it almost felt scandalous!

4.  Elementary school field trips.  I got to chaperone Audrey's first one (to Fernbank) yesterday and had so much fun.  Okay, I counted heads a lot and worried so much over sending the boys into a men's room alone that I probably made the teachers leery of my lingering.  But, aside from that, it was really cool to get to be a part of it with her and she loved it!

5.  My sweet friend Emily's PET scan results came back and her breast cancer has not spread!!!  Thank you, Jesus!

Let's hope I make it by here more often...but if not, know that it's because I'm working on something that's been neglected since July 2014.  

August 2015 Recap

That's right folks.  I'm posting a recap of last month before the end of the next.  Try to collect yourselves.  

I could sum up the month rather quickly by simply stating "school started" and most of you would be able to read between the lines and understand all that that statement entails.  But then again, no one has ever accused me of being concise, so here's a little more detail:

David and I went out on the 1st for a nice dinner and a movie to celebrate our 11th anniversary, which was the day before.  That's right - A MOVIE.  We don't do movies very often.  This would explain why we stood in front of the kiosks like two eighty year olds dumbfounded (and a little miffed) by the fact that we had to choose an assigned seat.  What in the world?!  Well.  It turns out that movie theaters have gotten quite fancy in the last 18 months since we last graced them with our patronage.  They now have these massive reclining chairs - more like love seats, actually - and there are singles and doubles, which requires assigned seating.  Such luxury!  We saw "Mr. Holmes" and, though a little slow, it was a good movie.  We wanted something clean and non...idiotic, and it served us well.  

I vowed that whatever race sponsors weren't procured or whatever consignment pricing wasn't complete by July 31st just wasn't going to get done because I really wanted to focus on Audrey's last week of summer.  I mostly stuck by that and we had a great few days soaking her up.  We even sent Luke to David's parents one afternoon so we could have a Daddy-Daughter-Date Night with just her.  She and I went to the mall and picked out a new dress for her first day of school and then met David for dinner at her new favorite restaurant, Tom Chee's.  We went home and scooped giant bowls of ice cream to eat while watching "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?", which she loved.  After that was over, we let her crawl into bed with us, but she only made it until about 9:30 before she realized there was much more space, and therefore comfort, in her own bed.   The next morning we took her to her Open House at school and then David went on to work while she and I picked out new shoes for her and then met Luke and her grandparents for lunch.  

The next few days before school started were pretty lazy.  I had consignment sale drop-off that Friday morning (no, their timing could not have been worse and yes, I did make my opinion about it known.)  That weekend we went swimming and David took them to our neighborhood lake to try fishing for the first time.  We let them have ice cream for lunch and took them out to dinner at Suwanee Town Center to eat and hear some live music.  Basically we grasped frantically at the final days of her summer and did a pretty good job of sucking every last drop out of it that we could.  After I tucked her into bed on Sunday (certain to have sprinkled the "Jitter Glitter" her teacher gave her under the pillow), I walked back into our room, laid my head down on David's chest, and cried.  I was not ready for another school year.  It wasn't just the ache of missing her, though that was certainly the majority of it.  It was also the onslaught of volunteering and responsibilities and busyness that I knew was coming that I just wasn't ready for.  But, no one had asked me.  So I faked a big smile and a cheerful heart and woke her up the next morning ready to send her to first grade.  I held it together the whole way to school, only nearly losing it when Lady Antebellum's "Compass" came on.  We prayed and I dropped her off at carpool with a big hug and kiss.  And then I cried the whole way home.  

I had the consignment sellers' presale that very night (see previous comment about my being furious with the timing.)  I dithered about going at all, but 80-90% of both kids' wardrobes come from this one sale at a fraction of the cost of retail, so it was going to cost us a pretty penny and a ton of time to shop elsewhere if I skipped it.  Thankfully I had good luck and that lessened the pain.

The rest of the week went by quickly with a meeting for the race and more work on it, an eye doctor appointment for Luke (his vision is great, praise the Lord!), errands, and cleaning that I'd been putting off.  We kept our afternoons and evenings clear so Audrey could come home and crash, which she did.  She had good reports from the first few days.  Her only exasperation stemmed from a little boy in her class who has a hard time listening and obeying.  (Well, hello LIFE.  Get used to annoying people, kid.)  Everything else seemed to be going well for her, which was a huge relief for me.  

The next week was even busier:  An HOA meeting about the race that I'd been super nervous about but that went off without a hitch, Curriculum Night at Audrey's school (I'm Room Mom again - wahoo!  And Audrey's teacher seems incredible - double wahoo!), an eye appointment for me, a meal to a sweet friend battling cancer, and All Pro Dad for Audrey and David (a breakfast meeting with a speaker for kids and their dads).  We concluded the hectic week with a relaxing boat ride and dinner picnic with David's parents on Friday night.  The kids jumped in and swam around, happy as clams.  

The final week of the month I had a physical (are you detecting a "catch-up-on-doctor-appointments" theme?), a Room Mom meeting, Spirit Night, and a massive brake job on the van.  (Word to the wise:  When the mechanic tells you that your brake pads are at a "2" on a 1 to 10, do not wait another six months.  Even if they're the rear brakes and even if you never heard squeaking.  Rotors had to be replaced.  It was U-G-L-Y.)  David left on Friday morning for his annual guys' golf weekend.  I took the kids to Alabama that Saturday to see his family and celebrate his mom's birthday.  We had a great time visiting and eating and playing with the kids.  It didn't phase me a single bit that David wasn't there and I realized yet again how awesome it is to have such incredible in-laws.  He returned safely that Sunday night and we swapped stories from the weekend before putting the kids to bed and crashing.  

So that was August.  In summary:  School started.  Buckle up...September is comin'. 

P.S.  I don't have many quotes from the kids this month, but I'll leave you with this one from Luke that's sure to become one of my all-time favorites:

Me:  "Thanks for being so patient during all of our errands, Buddy.  You're doing a great job."

Luke:  "If I stop being patient, do we get to go home?"

July 2015 Recap

"House keeping" note more for my sake than yours:  The thing I have to constantly remind myself about this blog is that whatever I put on here, no matter how infrequently, serves to a) organize and process my thoughts about our life and b) capture and preserve those memories forever.  Even if that means there are long breaks and even if it means only a handful of people ever read it anymore because of the sporadic timing, it's worth it.  This is my little corner of the internet to write about our little corner of the world and I will never regret the time I spend here.  I hope you don't either!

Now that I've given myself that little pep talk, here is July's recap in a kind of bulleted list:

July was full on summer mode in our house.  It was kind of humorous in its stereotypical summer-ness.  Here are a few of the things we got to do in July:

• See a fireworks show on the 4th...our first 4th of July fireworks show with the kids!  We saw a show at Disney, but this was the first time for this occasion.  They loved it and did fantastic even at the late hour.  Quick story from the event:  We met up with some friends from our small group and as the show started, Audrey, Luke, and their little seven year old friend Michelle sat in chairs in front of us.  Luke was close to me but a few minutes in he looks back and asks "Mommy? Can I go sit beside Michelle?"  Well, sure kid.  Just put a knife in my heart.  He left being near me to go cozy up next to Michelle and when they all laid down on the blanket for a minute, I swear I saw him snuggle closer to her.  Eventually he came back to his Mama and sat on my lap at the end, but man, did that sting.  It was like he recognized this was a magical evening and wanted to share it with a beautiful girl...that was not his mother.  It was a glimpse into the future that I did not care to see!  Still, it was a great night and I love doing fun stuff like that with them now that they're old enough to handle it without us paying for it in crankiness for the next two days.

• We went to David's Great Aunt Joy's annual family reunion the next day and enjoyed catching up with everyone that we don't get to see nearly often enough.  The weather forecast was bleak so we didn't pack their bathing suits, but it ended up being a beautiful sunny day.  They didn't complain, though, because there were plenty of friendly faces to hang out with and be entertained by (or, more accurately, to entertain!)

• The kids had a dentist appointment (Luke's first) and did fine, though Audrey did have a cavity.  While that probably would've sent me on a guilt trip a year ago, hello perspective of Celiac Disease and amblyopia and toe-walking.  Cavity?  Fine, let's just fill it and up our brushing game.  By the way, the doc did it without any numbing because he said that shot/needles are often what make people terrified of the dentist and, because of the cavity's location and size, he wanted to try it first without anything.  I was sitting beside her and fully prepared to interject and demand drugs for her, but she never even winced.  The fully grown, burly man in the next little room was audibly impressed when he heard about the six year old girl getting a cavity filled without any meds.    

• On the third weekend of the month, we went up to visit our friends the Taylors at their home in South Carolina.  It was so very, very good to spend 24 consecutive hours with them.  The kids played together so well, the guys got in a round of golf, and Kara and I had hours of conversation.  We didn't get to go on the boat ride we had planned because the weather didn't cooperate, but we had a terrific view of the storm from a covered porch and then went out for pizza in our bathing suits, which was probably way more memorable.  :)

• We went to our second Gwinnett Braves game and this year we sat in the stands (as opposed to the open field they have behind the outfield.)  The kids really enjoyed it...even after their Dippin' Dots were finished!  They cheered and tomahawk chopped with the best of them.  We left around the 8th inning and rode home with the windows down and Kirk Franklin blaring while they threw their hands in the air like they just didn't care.  Yeah, it was as awesome as it sounds.  

• Audrey spent the night at my mom's house and loved it.  We spent the morning at my mom's neighborhood pool and ate a picnic lunch.  Afterward,  Luke and I drove home for Mommy-Daddy-Son date night and left Audrey for an evening of crafts, reading, and treats...her favorite things in the whole world.  We met my mom and AJ for lunch the next day to pick her up. 

• We had lunch with David at his work and the kids loved being introduced to his coworkers and seeing him in action.  

• I drove the kids out to my dad and stepmom's one morning to spend some time with them.  We played croquet, ate lunch, and then the kids took turns sitting in my lap while we cruised around the neighborhood in Grandpa's convertible.  They had a blast!

• David and I got to take an INCREDIBLE cruise to the Bahamas, in case you missed that story.

• I had my last day of work at Sideways 8, in case you missed that too. 

• David and I celebrated 11 years of marriage on the 31st.  (By the way, for some reason, 11 sounds like a lot longer than 10.)  We got to celebrate with the cruise a couple of weeks before, so on the day of, we celebrated as a family by taking the kids down to the Georgia Aquarium and out for lunch at Yeah! Burger.  Visiting the aquarium was the one "big thing" besides the beach that AJ had requested to put on our bucket list for the summer and I don't think she was disappointed.   

What else?  Audrey had gymnastics class once a week and enjoyed it, we swam a lot at our neighborhood pool, we had a couple of play dates, and we went to one or two local Food Truck/Block Party/Concert type events in our community.  We also bought a Slip n' Slide for the backyard that David and I may or may not have squirted Dawn dish soap on it and tested it out ourselves.  Just for safety's sake, ya know.  

So yes, fireworks, swimming, vacation, baseball, slip n' slide...I told you it was full of quintessential summer stuff!  

There was also a lot of hard work going on as well, though.  I covered a ton of ground trying to drum up sponsorships for the race and worked my tail off on other event details.  The HOA Board surprised me by setting a meeting for August, so my timeline got cut in half and I had to bust it to make sure stuff was pulled together in time.  On top of that, the consignment sale I sell in was earlier than usual this year, so July meant prepping and tagging for that.  I kept telling David that it was definitely God's perfect guidance that I quit work when I did because there was no way I could've pulled it off otherwise!  Keep praying for the race, please, as there are a lot of things that still need to come together!

I'll leave you with some cute quips and quotes from the kids to close:

• Luke sometimes likes to enthusiastically yell "ON IT!" when he's asked to do something.  

• AJ asked me the other day if I remembered the store that had the spiral staircase and the beds upstairs.  After racking my brain I realized she was talking about a furniture store we visited...in March of 2013.  What a memory!

• We've been doing our "Virtue/Verse of the Month" and June's was perseverance.  After church, we dropped David off at home so he could cut the grass while I took the kids to the grocery store.  After David explained what all he was going to be working on (cutting, weeding, trimming, blowing, etc.) Luke said, "Wow Daddy!  I hope you have your perseverance with you!"

• I can't remember if I posted this before or not, but it bears repeating:  One day Audrey innocently referred to the space behind her knee as a "leg pit" and I couldn't stop laughing!  Why isn't it called that?  It's perfect!

• We've been trying to focus on a few chivalrous habits with Luke lately...things like holding the door, letting girls go first, and putting the seat down. Once I asked him to go get something and he said "No thanks. I'm going to be a gentleman and let you do that for me." We may have some work left to do.

• To redeem Luke, I'll close with this one:  Luke and Audrey love wrestling and rough-housing with David.  David had Audrey pinned one time (unharmed, of course) and she was yelling for Luke to help her.  Luke raced over, threw himself on David, and yelled "Take me! Take me!  Run away, Audrey! Go! Go!"  Yeah, I totally teared up over their wrestling match.  

Happy Back-to-School season and come check here again soon for how the kiddos are handling the new school year!

Cruise to the Bahamas 2015

This past weekend David and I took a cruise to the Bahamas.  (Yeah, it's still very surreal for me too and I've already gone and come back.)  

In short, it was an amazing trip.  I was trying to pinpoint exactly what it was about it that made it so great.  I mean, obviously the destinations were gorgeous.  The service was excellent.  The food was good.  The shows were funny.  And it goes without saying that the company was superb.  But I think more than any of those things was the simple fact of managed expectations.  We hadn't planned for a year and spent tons of money as we've done for other vacations in the past.  It was "last minute" (to me) and we were on credit card and airline miles, so we didn't feel like we had a ton invested.  We just went into it hoping for a nice weekend and a little relaxation.  

Done and DONE.

The long version: 

David's parents arrived around 7am on Friday for the first grandparent shift.  We gave them last minute information (including that our washing machine had broken the night before.  YUP.) and made sure the "Grandparent Manual" was out and ready to be referenced...or thrown out the window, whichever they wanted.  

We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and had Chick-fil-A for breakfast.  We called the kids to tell them good morning and then I sat down and caught up on some video and picture file stuff on my laptop while we waited for our plane to start boarding.  As we sat there, David got a call from work asking him to go to San Diego later in the week.  If you've followed this vacation storyline closely, you'll recognize that the timing of this call was hilarious.  We had been waiting since early Spring for him to get a call to go to CA so we could turn that into a little getaway trip for ourselves.  He had nothing on the books and it didn't appear that anything was coming, either, so we decided to go ahead and make other trip plans.  Then AS WE'RE WAITING FOR THE FLIGHT he gets a call to go to CA in a few days.  Of course we didn't regret booking the cruise and it was a way better trip, but we still laughed about that pretty hard.

Anyway, we got on the plane and had a nice uneventful flight to Miami.  At the airport there, we grabbed our bags and jumped in a taxi headed for the cruise ship terminal.  It was a decent wait to get through the check-in process on that end, but we boarded the ship around 3pm and were greeted by an excited group of the crew singing, clapping, and welcoming us "home."  We checked out our room (tiny, but clean) and then walked around to explore the ship.  We hadn't eaten lunch, so we snagged a snack at the buffet and then went back to unpack.  We found a quiet spot on one of the upper decks to rest, read, and watch the sun go down.  We ate dinner at the buffet and then got some dessert at the crepe station (delicious!) on the way to see the 9:30 variety show.  It was great and the hospitality/management nerd in me adored the bit where they hilariously introduced the senior management staff.  The comedian gave a little preview of the act he'd be putting on the following night and then they had the on-ship performing dance company do a number or two.  We yawned our way out the door and were in bed with lights out at 11pm.  Yeah, we closed it down.

The next morning we woke up to the feeling of the ship vibrating into place at the Nassau Port.  I reached for my phone in the pitch black room to check the time, certain that it was going to say 5am or some other too-depressingly-early-for-vacation hour.  I was giddy when it said 6:50.  I'd slept nearly 8 straight hours with only a momentary stirring or two.  I do not usually sleep well on vacation, so this was a gift straight from heaven above.  We showered and then ate breakfast at an onboard restaurant that was serving omelets and waffles.  We went back to slather on sunscreen and pack our backpack then disembarked into Nassau around 9am. 

Not being our first time traveling, we kept our heads down, avoided eye contact, and high tailed it through the swarms of people attempting to talk to us or sell us stuff.  We ducked into a couple of little shops to look for a Christmas ornament, but came up empty handed.  I had no desire to go to the market place but beyond it was a much calmer section of local merchants set up in nice tents.  We found a table displaying ornaments and other little straw goodies.  The pretty lady behind the table greeted us with a big grin and proudly showed off her "signature piece"...a straw flip-flop ornament with a Bahamian penny.  Sold.  We finished our walk to Junkanoo Beach, rented some chairs and an umbrella, and alternated between reading, talking, and getting up for a short dip in the gorgeous water right in front of us.  The sun stayed behind the clouds most of the day, which was great for keeping the temperatures low and avoiding getting fried.  All in all, it was as miserable as you're imagining.

Around 2pm, the beach was getting a little busy (there were four cruise ships in port) and the crowd was getting a little drunk.  We gathered our stuff and walked the 3/4 mile or so back to the ship, pausing to take a few pictures.  We took a different route on the return and strolled through a nice clean shopping district.  Side note:  It just amazes me that one would take a trip all the way to the Bahamas and then spend the day indoors shopping at chain stores and drinking a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but to each his own I suppose.

We got back on board, showered, and took a nap.  We were simply exhausted from all that laying around we'd done.  When we woke up, we found a quiet spot to call and check on the kids who frankly hadn't seemed to notice we were gone with all the fun they'd been having!  After we hung up, we laid claim to some deck chairs in a quiet spot and continued our earlier tasks of reading and resting and talking.  When we couldn't stand it anymore, we changed for dinner and went to one of the big dining room restaurants to eat.

The food wasn't phenomenal, but the thing about a cruise ship is you have approximately half a dozen other included choices and you're likely to eat again in about five minutes, so you don't have to stress over a mediocre meal.  A nice maitre d' came over to introduce himself and ask how things were going.  Seeing as how we were the youngest couple in a near-empty restaurant at the early bird hour, I imagine we drew some attention to ourselves.  We chatted a few minutes and after we explained our affinity for peace and quiet, he gave us a tip about where to go when we got to Great Stirrup Cay Island the next day.  We thanked him and finished our meal, laughing about our geriatric tendencies.  

We changed clothes right after dinner and - you guessed it - found a quiet spot with a good view to sit back and relax while we waited for the comedian's 9:30 show to begin.  Making our way through the freezing ship, we stopped for dessert and then by the gift shop to look at sweatshirts.  I ultimately decided that $32 in my pocket would keep me warmer than a $32 sweatshirt on my back and we found seats in the ship's theater.  The hilarious cruise director got the crowd fired up and laughing and then introduced the comedian.  He was clean and pretty funny, with the best bit being about his Type-A ex-girlfriend whom he would often find himself in the middle of the argument with because she'd had the first half of the fight already figured out and done for him.  I couldn't relate at all and from the sound of David's side-splitting laughter beside me, neither could he.  :)  We left with big smiles and were asleep by 11pm.

The next morning we woke up after another great night of rest.  We got ready and ate breakfast at the buffet.  French toast with caramelized banana sauce, bacon, potatoes, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, etc.  (I have no idea how I gained four pounds in three days.)  Because we couldn't pull into a port and instead had to do tender/shuttle boats to the cruise line's private island, the process took a little longer than the day before.  After sitting on the top deck of a nauseously rocking boat in the baking sun for twenty minutes, we were getting cranky, but all was forgiven when we stepped off onto Great Stirrup Cay.  It was simply stunning.  I mean, straight out of a traveler's magazine article of the top ten destinations in the world.  The crowd went right and we veered left, heading in the direction of the secluded lagoon the maitre d' had told us about the night before.  After about a ten minute walk, we stumbled on it.  Heaven on earth.

We had it completely to ourselves for the first thirty minutes or so and even after that, there were only a few visitors trickling in.  We swam and watched fish, walked along the rock wall/sand bar and marveled at the view until we sounded like broken records.  ("Isn't this gorgeous?! It's so gorgeous!  I mean this is GORGEOUS.")  We chased the palm tree shade for a long while and then trekked back to the excursion hut to look into snorkeling prices.  Turns out the cheapest option was $30 per person plus tax and we were determined to keep this "free" (airline and cc miles) vacation as close to free as possible, so we skipped it.  We grabbed a bite to eat at the beach buffet they'd set up and then went for a swim in one of the ocean inlets on the way back to our lagoon spot.  They'd just started a round of family olympic games there, so we opted to find another space to set up in.  We walked down to the ocean again and floated, swam, and chilled for a long while before the threat of sunburn sent us back to the shade.  The day was full of sunshine, which was perfect weather, but that meant no cloud cover to protect us (read: David.)  We dried off and laid under the shady palm trees reading and napping for another couple of hours before lining up and boarding the tender boat back to the ship.  I was so sad to see the island grow smaller as we pulled away.  It had been such an amazing day spent in an astoundingly beautiful place.  

We called the kids and checked in, this time hearing a little more longing in their voices.  Luke was especially cranky, as we'd called right in the middle of grandparent shift change when he'd just woken up.  I tried to lighten him up but ultimately had to just get off the phone and let Nana work her magic.  I heard later that he came around in no time.  We got cleaned up, dressed in casual clothes, and found our new quiet spot to chill and watch the ocean pass as we read and chatted.  Around 6:30 (we were becoming regular night owls), we changed and went to dinner in the other main dining room.  The food was much better and afterward we tried to find a place to sit back and listen to some music.  We ended up swinging by the casino and spending a whopping $5 on video poker before relaxing at the back of the ship watching the sunset beside our wake.  It was serene to say the least. 

We strolled around a little more before taking in the 9:30 finale variety show.  It was good, but wasn't knocking our socks off, so we snuck out a little early to find something that would.  Turns out that even after eleven years of marriage, we can still rock the boat.  ;)

After remembering to set an alarm (how nice it had been not to have to for two days!), we fell into a deep sleep.  The next morning was a blur of showering, packing, breakfast, disembarking, and heading through customs.  We tried to be extra kind to each other because we both knew the other was so very, very sad it was ending.  After an exhilarating taxi ride, we got to the airport with plenty of time to spare.  It dawned on both of us after we had already checked our bags that we should've asked about getting on an earlier flight. No matter...sitting around leisurely in an airport wasn't the worst thing in the world since we only had ourselves to entertain.  In fact, we ended up using most of the time to do the dreaded washing machine research that needed to be done.  

(Back story:  I've loathed our front loader since we got it a decade ago.  When it died on us right before we left, I dared anyone to attempt to fix it lest they face my wrath.  My dad ignored me and tried anyway, but with no success.  David agreed I'd paid my dues and we bought one sight unseen over the phone.  It had amazing reviews, including the stamp of approval of Kara and her mother-in-law, which was enough for me.  And, frankly, we'd spent weeks stressing and researching the last time we bought one and that turned out horribly, so we decided to go about it differently this time.)  

Anyway, we researched washers, ordered one from Lowe's, and set up delivery.  After grabbing a bite to eat, we boarded the plane bound for Atlanta.  One and a half uneventful hours later, we landed and walked outside to the sticky hot slap-in-the-face that is summertime in the ATL.  

We got to the house and were greeted with a welcome home "party" that the kids and my mom had put together complete with a couple of signs, blown-up balloons, and cupcakes.  The kids hugged us for a very, very long time and then began the story telling between all of us about what an amazing weekend it had been.  My mom got on the road and we served up leftovers and kept swapping tales until it was time for bed.

I'm not going to lie, Tuesday morning found us in a serious funk.  Coming off of such a great trip coupled with the news that David was going out of town (just a short trip, but still) was tough.  The kids had been spoiled all weekend as had we, so there was definitely a detox period for all of us.  By Wednesday night, however, we'd managed to adjust our attitudes and expectations back to normal.  Mostly.  

The whole thing was just fantastic and I'm so very grateful that we got to go.  The memories we made will last for many years to come (hopefully the slight vertigo feeling of the ship rocking will not...)