Weekend Blessings

Our weekends this year have been full, but they've been full of blessings! Whether at a baseball game, a 4-H contest, a family outing, or a church sacrament celebration, these weekends have been filled with precious memories to treasure in our hearts. This photo shoot was from a hike at the state forest one Saturday evening in March.

The rest of these photos were taken by Mary Clare, in preparation for photo contests for 4-H this spring. She did an amazing job!

My Birthday Week

(plus lots and lots of pictures from the past couple weeks)

I had lofty plans for my birthday, including a big playdate with my favorite cake and ice cream and a family dinner out with friends. On Monday I started to sense that some sickness was starting. Several of our good friends had been sick the previous week, and after a ballet drop-off and a crazy grocery trip with the three littlest kids, I came home to make dinner and then hunker down for a rough week.

Katie's fussiness started last week. She's really not happy in the evenings and has a very hard time going to sleep, probably due to teething and now this virus. Thomas started with an earache Monday night. Over-the-counter pain meds didn't help much and after a few hours of crying and writhing, Steven opted to take him to the ER at 1:00am. Tommy wasn't keen on this and threw a royal fit about getting into the car, which resulted in a neighbor's call to police. Steven was surrounded, one cop came to the door, but after a few minutes they realized that all was okay.  Still more drama added to the otherwise rough all-nighter.

Katie wasn't doing well the next day, so I took her to the doctor, and then went back the next day with Thomas after his eardrum ruptured and he spit out most of his medicine. I had an insurance fiasco with the pharmacy, and sat in a lot of traffic. Now Steven Joseph appears to have croup, so I imagine it'll be another full night. There have been continual fevers and ibuprofen-administering, faucet-noses, and tissues all over the house. My clothing has been covered in child-snot all week long.

Tomorrow I was supposed to lead our first 4-H meeting at our homeschool park day. Piano lessons were rescheduled, then canceled. Our new swing set hasn't been touched all week. My days have been spent trying to appease the baby and make sure the sick children are comfortable. I have a stack of bills that haven't been opened. I've been wearing yoga pants and no makeup all week. Even my "big" jeans are feeling tight. So much for the step counting on my FitBit.

But being forced to have a quiet week at home caring for kids is really what my birthday is all about. It's about being given the best birthday gift ever...a wonderful family with a great husband and five beautiful children. What better to do than to spend the week focused on them and not on silly old me?   What better way to thank God for my life than to offer back to him these precious souls he has entrusted to me.

I can still hope for a happy weekend and a new week filled with healthy kids for Valentine's activities though! May his healing presence be with each of my children, and may they always know my love and His love. Thanks be to God for 37 happy years of life!

And here are some photos of happier days, since I'm not sure when I'll blog again...

piano lessons

goddaughter's skating party

fun times in the backyard

around the house

her first Shipley's donut

and at the park for a friend's birthday

{pretty, happy, funny, real} A Nature Walk

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~

Every Thursday, at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Last week we went on an evening stroll down a nearby trail that leads to the bay.  We didn't make it all the way to the bay since the sun was setting, but we enjoyed our evening outing.  So why don't you all come along with us on our little walk?

All photos taken with my new camera lens  

(still working in Auto or Av mode though)

{pretty}

A pretty walk down a nature trail

Baby is on Daddy's back in the Ergo!

 {happy}

 {funny}
Steven has a baby on his back and a very large 3yr old on his shoulders.  Wow!

Katie doesn't look amused.

 

Always funny are our attempts at kid group pics.

{real}

Here's an Instagram shot of the bee swarm Mary Clare found on our way back to the car!  Steven was excited and took the kids back the next evening to see if it was still there (it wasn't).  He can't wait to have a beehive again, but I think we will be waiting until after the move!  Do you remember these videos of him "cutting out" a feral hive?  Crazy!  Here are all our posts about bees for the bee lovers :)

And a real shot of Steven with his big catch from a fishing trip the next day.  Whoa!  He and Mary Clare had it for dinner last night.  

It was quite a full weekend,with hikes, beach outings, fishing trips, swimming, and a trip to a small water park.  This weekend will be a swim meet and preparations for an upcoming week in Houston.  The summer is off to a fun, but busy start!