Where in the World....

Blogger has updated it's format and now is making me a bit cross.  Still, I know my folks will enjoy some pictures, so I will see what I can do.....

So, guess where we are?  I know, I just came back from a trip and now I am on another one.  It just worked out that way and it is fine.  But look!

Yep, we made a weekend trip to Florida just for funsies.  And it is even better since some of the cousins came out to hang with us! 

The weather was not too bad this morning, and we hit the beach early. 

The kids were SO excited to go to the beach. I am incredibly grateful for the wonderful doctors who gave Delaney a cast she could get wet.  Because she got it quite wet!

 

The sand was really the main attraction, I have to admit.  Much fun was had playing in it and digging in it, and tossing it.

I was surprised how many of the kids got in to swim.  It was 8:30 am and a bit chilly and overcast. It made for a fantastically private beach, which was awesome!

The swimming was short lived though and the kids wrapped in towels and moved on to more sand playing.  Refer back to the first picture to see what they enjoyed the most!

And then, to warm up, we went to the hot tub at the hotel.  Well, we swam in the pools and then hopped into the hot tub!    By 10am we'd played on the beach and played in the pool and were ready for lunch and naps!  What a fun morning!

Seasons of Life

Today I have been busy. I have gotten 3 children off to school, then stuffed 2 into the stroller and gone for a run (3.3 miles, yeah!). I hauled 2 poorly behaved girls to go grocery shopping and made 2 freezer meals. I drove 5 children to the chiropractor and made waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for dinner. Then decided I needed to make cookies as well. I also have run too many loads of laundry to count, although I have not folded it yet. I did pack 2 suitcases in preparation for our weekend trip.

As I was driving today I realized how different my life is from what it was. And I like it. I mean, there were parts of life I liked 8 years ago, but taken as a whole, I like it better now.

This is my joy and my work. I love these kids. I love interacting with them and seeing their little minds work. I love the stuff they come up with and I love watching them grow. It is wonderful!

This was life 9 years ago. I know, I pork out nicely when I have a bun in the oven. I think the first child is the toughest. As you have more, it gets a lot easier in a lot of ways. Yes, harder in other ways, but with the first, you don't have a clue what you are doing!

When I visited Miranda, I was surprised at how long it took to do everything. I mean, I remember it, but I had forgotten it too. It takes so long to get the baby ready. It takes so long to coordinate it with the toddler. It takes forever to coerce/bribe/drag the toddler anywhere, and it tends to be a lot of work when you get there. It seems like there are really only 2 hours you can work with each day. If you coordinate just right, you might get a little time in the morning, between feedings, before lunch and nap time. After that, its naps, dinner and bed. No free time for mommy. No time alone. No time, but still there are endless hours.

On the other hand, I had forgotten how nice the slower pace is. No frantic racing around. No places you really have to be. Just lots of time to hang around the house on your own schedule. It was actually relaxing to not have to be places and to not have to get up to an alarm. I do kind of miss that. I miss having our own rhythm to do what worked for us, and to do things when we got to them.

I loved visiting my sister. I loved being the aunt and I loved holding my little nephew. I also loved knowing that I was done with that phase of my life. I have never really cared to hold other people's children, because I always had my own and they ALWAYS wanted to be held. But now.... bring them on! I loved holding a baby that was not mine! I liked knowing that I was not the one who had to nurse him or get up in the middle of the night with him. Yes, I am glad that season of life is over for me. It was rough and exhausting. I saw my sister so tired and knew how it felt, but there wasn't a whole lot I can do there. I know she'll spend the next 6 months in a daze of sleep deprivation, wondering where her mind went. I never found my mind, but I did finally get to sleep again. I think the Lord must bless new moms to help us survive that perpetual state of exhaustion. I know He blessed me!

Now, my children are older. They are growing up. They are interactive and I get to enjoy their marvelous creative minds working through things. Yes, it brings on new challenges. It also brings new and wonderful experiences and I can't wait to see what comes next!

Hanging Out

We have been hanging out at Auntie Miranda's house. I have been diligently trying to find ways to be useful, but it seems to be a wash. I can do dishes and make dinner, but when Rylee is teasing Camden and making him scream, and causing tantrums, it seems that the help may not really be worth it! Delaney and Rylee really are having a good time, but I am not entirely sure Camden is happy to have is cousins visiting. I don't know if he will miss us when we are gone.

Ethan is the cutest doggone little thing ever. His little beetle brows are awesome, and his teeny-tiny Gumby baby body is so adorable.

Here is the super-cute bundle of sweetness. I get to hold him and burp him, yes I do! And I like it!

We have been getting out and about during the mornings. We have visited 2 different parks, much to the delight of my girls. Camden was also thrilled to get out, and it was marvelous to go somewhere that incited less quarreling and swappy hands.

Yes, it was cute to see these two sharing.

I love this picture. Camden is scrambling up the wall here and Delaney is valiantly trying to do it one-armed. She made it, but with some assistance.

Camden showed his mad climbing skilz on this item and impressed his cousins.

Rylee had to try it as well, but did not make it as high.

And to keep a timeline, I should mention we did this park Monday morning. Monday afternoon, Delaney got to go and get a real cast. She was so happy they were able to give her a RED cast! I was really happy that it is a short cast.

She's showing me her awesome cast here.

And I have no idea why blogger put the following pictures the way it did. Rather than go back and reload them, I'm just going to deal with it. The girls love their little cousin Ethan. They love to hold him and to be helpers. Aren't they cute?!



































Oh, I like to hold the cutie-pie as well!

Grrrr....

It has taken me 2 days to find time to download pictures and to be able to sit down and blog. However...... Blogger is not letting me put pictures up! And there is nothing exciting happening here, so all I had to offer was pictures.

I am sorry. I had some super-cute pictures and I wanted to show you Delaney's red cast, but nope. No pictures tonight. Check back later, when we are no longer experiencing technical difficulties.

If bad things come in Threes.....

The first bad thing was the van. The silly transmission-failing van. But that is all better. We've moved onto the second bad thing.

Oh, things started off great. Rylee enjoyed licking a "rainbow" pancake for breakfast.

Rylee, Delaney and I had a fabulous drive to Little Rock, and then onto Oklahoma. We are visiting Miranda. I was suppose to be here to be a helper to her with her brand new baby.

Unfortunately, 4 hours after we arrived, we were here, in the ER waiting room. Isn't that the saddest little face?!

Poor kid, she was so sad and pathetic. And she's s tough cookie, so you know it was bad. We made it to the back of the ER pretty quick.

They took x-rays on a portable machine, so it was already right there in the ER. That made things quick and easy.

She got a dose of Lortab and a spiffy splint. Awesome! She has a "radial distal fracture". It is right at the end of the bone, clean through.

Here we are, all done! 2 hours after leaving for the hospital, we were on our way home. Delaney has red lips because they gave her a popsicle for being so good. Terrific nurses, great doctor, a really good experience. Delaney was a trooper and did so well. The staff loved her so-not-funny jokes and her cheery (when not crying) smile.

And here is the culprit. Delaney was standing on the top of the slide when she toppled sideways off of it and landed on her hand. I saw her face when it happened and I knew it was bad.

We have to see the orthopedic doc and get a permanent cast soon. Delaney is hoping for a red cast!