A Picture Update: Summer Week 3

Ahhhhh! How are we already 3 weeks into summer? I need to stop freaking about how fast it is going and just enjoy it as it comes. Easier said than done.

This was a big week! Callie and Maya spent Monday they Thursday up at the north shore with Auntie Cat, G-ma and Pa at a cute little cabin. They did lots of fun things by the water, on hikes, and at the cabin. Here are the pictures that G-ma sent!

Thanks SO much to Auntie Cat for planning the trip and fro her, G-ma and Pa for taking such good care of our girls and helping them to have a lovely and wonderful week!

While they were gone, I got a lot of one-on-one time with his crazy lunatic:

She was pretty much glued to me 24/7 and it was cute but a little annnoying. HA. 

I also had a lunch and a coffee date with a couple different friends.

Chris’ and my big adventure this week week was golfing (or in my case walking) at Hazeltine with Uncle Jim and Aunt Coco on Wednesday afternoon. It was a lovely day and a lot of fun to spend the afternoon on the golf course.

After the round, Uncle Larry and Aunt Mary met us for dinner.

After one run, two walks, and walking 18 holes, I racked up the steps.

The girls got back late afternoon on Thursday and I was so happy to have them back home!! They were happy to see us too. 


Have a great weekend!

Timehop Tuesday

Happy Tuesday! Here are my Timehops:

Silly girls in sunglasses!

Callie and her golfing sets go back a ways:

Sports camps: tennis and golf!

Maya at the library:

Weekend Wrap-Up: The Ottumwa Edition!

Hello! This weekend we traveled 5 hours south to Ottumwa, IA to celebrate the life of Grammy. It was so wonderful being with so many family members in a place that was so special to Grammy. She was always proud of being from southern Iowa!

We headed out around 12:30 on Friday and the girls were ready for a long car ride.

We made it to Ottumwa about 5:30. On Friday night we walked to a Mexican restaurant for dinner (though the girls got lifts from John and Jen)!

We had breakfast at the hotel on Saturday morning with Lucy!

We all met at the cemetery at 10am for a memorial service. Grammy’s urn was made by Jenny’s mom, Marti. Uncle Joe did the service. We sang hymns. The weather was lovely. It was a wonderful and personal way to say goodbye.

John was the lucky one who got to put the urn down in the hole. It was a really deep hole. We gathered around and even giggled a little bit because of how deep it was. But we were glad that it was a member of the family that got to put her in her final resting place.

Then we went to Hotel Ottumwa for a time of sharing, music family pictures, and lunch.

It was a wonderful morning remembering Grammy. In preparation for what we wanted to say about Grammy during the time of remembrance, my sisters and I looked at journals and emails from her from long ago.  I shared a few examples of her emails (from the spring of 2001 when I was ending my first year of college and she was getting ready to move to Loveland) that showed what a goofy and caring Grammy was. Here are a few examples:

*I will pass on a lovely saying= No truly advanced civilization would include panty hose. arf  Love, Grammy

*On my morning walk I received a daisy from a friend so I have a flower on my desk. I like it and I love you.  Grammy

*A typist i am not and don't pretend to be but i need to capitalize the I. Come on Carolyn get with the program.  Thanks for checking in. Love, Grammy

*The feng shui lady is coming Monday at six thirty and i think J and J are coming back for that.  I have an hour and a half appt. so I should learn something. Stay tuned. (spoiler alert, I found out a few emails later she was NOT impressed by the feng shui lady)

*To-night i am going to kick myself out of the house in order to go to the dance at the Sr. center. Much Love and confidence in you Grammy

(I must have been stressed out at the end of my semester, because her messages started getting more encouraging and supportive)

*Be good to yourself. Quote of the day=When down in the mouth remember Jonah-he came out all right. Peace!!  Love, Grammy

*SO looking forward to your visit to colorado, i know it seems like a long way away. we both have several rivers to cross, maybe even mountains before that and we will make it. Carry on sweetheart.  Love, Grammy

*This too shall pass as the good ole summer time rolls in yet we must live in the present. Boy do I ever have to listen to myself on that one.  Love, Grammy

On our way back to the hotel I bribed the girls to take a picture in front of this pretty brick wall.  There were some outtakes but I got a money shot too!

That afternoon the girls finally got to go swimming back at our hotel.

A little later, my mom and sisters and I drove around Ottumwa to all the spots Mom remembered going to whenever they visited Ottumwa.  We stopped at the drug store for an old fashioned limeade!

Yesterday evening we ended up going to a park, eating takeout at a brewery (where they liked us so much we got to name their new beer- Johnson Wheat!) and then going for ice cream.

This morning we got up and had breakfast (and did a little more swimming) before heading home.

I’m so grateful to have had this weekend to spend time with our Ekeberg/Johnson family and friends. They are a special group of people, from all over the country, who made the trip to honor and remember the life of Carolyn Ekeberg, my Grammy. 

I created a picture slideshow for the memorial that you can maybe/hopefully find by clicking here! (I have had a heckuva time trying to figure out how to share this, so I'm not sure if that link will actually work. You might have to type in your name, not sure).

But you can see some fun videos (Lucy almost walking!  Singing!) from the weekend by clicking here!

Another busy summer week starts!

59-Months-Old!

We are one month out from having a 5 year old!!! This set of pictures just about describes Maya to a tee.

Serious, goofy, sweet, sassy, and sometimes so tired because she doesn’t want to sleep. 

This girl is something else! And we love her!

A Picture Update: Summer Week 2

Happy Friday!

On Monday Maya spent the morning with Lucy and Boom, and then Cal and I joined them after golf camp.

It was super rainy on Monday and Tuesday. We had to get out and run quickly with Luna in between storms. And then had to get creative inside to keep her tired.

On Tuesday afternoon, while Maya was at summer preschool, Cal and I made puppy chow!

On Wednesday Maya and I went on a bike ride/run to the park and the library.

Callie set up a juice stand on Wednesday afternoon. Good thing we have sweet neighbors!

Maya had fun in the pool.

Yesterday we played outside and Maya helped me cook dinner.

Today we got to go watch Cal on her last day of golf camp! At the end they had all the parents line up for a high five line so the kids could run through that to get their certificate. So fun!

Have a great weekend.

Joy on the Driving Range

I was listening to a podcast today and they were discussing Brenè Brown’s books about vulnerability and gratitude. At one point the host asked her guest when he last felt joy. They had already spent some time talking about how often we don’t allow ourselves to sit in the joy because we are always so worried about what could happen next. I believe Brenè calls that “foreboding joy.” 

I’m definitely guilty of foreboding joy 90% of the time, so I took this podcast as an opportunity to think about when I last felt just unfiltered happiness and it was Monday night. On the driving range.

Golf, you ask? You’re talking about golf and joy in the same breath, you ask?

I know. Crazy, right?

But on Monday night the four of us went to the driving range. Chris had gotten Callie her own bag of golf clubs so Maya got Callie’s hand-me-down clubs. We walked through the course up to the driving range so the girls could practice.

Maya was wearing a dress and her cowgirl boots. I couldn’t stop giggling. Then they each set up at the driving range and started hitting balls.

Callie is in golf camp this week and does a pretty amazing job making contact with the balls and hitting them far. Maya needed a little help, so Chris gave her some pointers.

Maya, in her tornado of energy and enjoying cleanliness, discovered the only way to clean on the golf course and ended up washing her two clubs after every other shot.

Then we tried putting, where Chris gifted Callie the set of golf balls I gave him for Christmas. (Rude).

I think one reason why this quick evening activity brought me so much joy is because some of my best memories of summer growing up involve evenings on the golf course with my dad.

Let me be clear, I do not golf. But often I would go with him and walk a few holes of the course after dinner. Or, if I got my way, I would drive the cart while he golfed. One time he had to stop me from doing 360s in the golf cart. I think he was was amused but a little horrified of my lack of golf course etiquette.

Anyway. There are tough things happening in our country and our world right now. I’m grateful for my life and I take it for granted way too often. 

I’m happy to have been given a reminder to look for the joy...to sit in it and allow it to feel good...and to be grateful for it.

Gratitude.

Enjoy a few videos from our night on the range.