A Picture Update

I'm having issues getting the pictures from my phone onto my computer.  While this definitely seems like a first world problem, it is also a grief problem.  Because I would have called my dad and told him what was going on and he would have figured it out.  It sucks. Big time.  Not necessarily the technology part, the not being able to call my dad part.  But the not being able to call my dad part is making the technology part that much more frustrating.  What a process this is...

So I'm blogging from my phone and that is annoying.

I will also be taking a blogging hiatus for a week or so, except hopefully I'll be able to figure out a birthday post for Ms. Maya on Thursday, assuming my technology doesn't fail me.

Here are some pictures from the week:

Starting off Monday the right way:

Having a play date with Vera and Baby Hattie:

Flying a kite:

Playing at the park with Boom:

Walking out of swimming lessons:

Giving cookies and water to the construction workers at G-am and Pa's house with neighbors George and Isaac:

Cuddling Baby Sylvia:

Playing with Auntie Mari:

Have a good week. I'll be back at it sometime. :)

Weekend Wrap-Up

We had a fun weekend with our friends Angie, Jason, Reese and Drake.  Our house was full!  And we were busy!  We spent time at home while the kids played, they ventured out to do other touristy things during Maya's nap time, and together we showed them some of our favorite places and things to do.

We took them downtown to our usual spots.

We played and paddle boated at Centennial Lakes (and saw some sunrays).

We played and climbed at Edinborough.

We got some pictures of all four of them...or tried to.

They left this morning to make the 6 hour trek home.  The girls spent some time with G-ma and Pa, while Chris and I went to church and out to brunch with family and friends.  We ended the evening back for dinner at G-ma and Pa's.

We ate corn on the cob tonight, which was one of my dad's favorites in the summer time. As you can see, Maya got right in there and enjoyed it as well.

I can't believe it is the middle of July already.  We have another busy week ahead.

A Picture Update

I'm It was another fast week. Callie got to meet "Ariel" after seeing a preview of a local production of "The Little Mermaid" at MOA.

The girls played outside in this unusually cool (but nice) July.

We are now halfway done with our swimming lesson session.

The girls like to eat breakfast and watch Mickey in (our) bed.

I went out for a delicious dinner with my mom and sisters, and then we saw "The Music Man."

Our friend from college, Angie, and her husband Jason and two boys Reese (6) and Drake (3) arrived from Iowa yesterday and are staying with us for the weekend!

More college friends came over last night so we had six kids under the age of six running around. Plus a baby.

Today we are going to take them downtown to see some of the sights. Stay tuned for more crazy kid pictures on Sunday.

And lastly, I did a couple of my runs on the treadmill this week, so I only have one sunray picture.

But it is a good one. Have a good weekend.

Change and Brave, Revisited

On February 4th, I posted about the words I had chosen for myself for 2015: CHANGE and BRAVE.

I chose those two words to be my mantra for the year because at that time I was unhappy professionally, and wanted to do something about it.  I thought that as the new year started it would be the perfect time to be brave and make that kind of big life change.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine what kind of change and brave 2015 had in store for me.  For my family.  It actually makes me want to find glass versions of the two words and throw them against the wall.

My dad died on April 30th.  And since then, our lives have been forever changed, and we have had to be so freaking brave that I would be proud of us if I weren't so mad that we had to be so brave in the first place.

I have been struggling with what to write for another grief post.  I have tried to have my previous grief posts (up until now) have a positive spin...at least as positive as humanly possible when faced with the unthinkable.

I talked about the loss the day after it happened.

I shared our uncertainty in the first days.

I was thankful for all the good.

I showed a picture of this coke bottle.

I gave an update after a month and all we had been through.

I wrote about how grief has affected different people.

I shared my morning routine.

I explained how I am always looking for light and want others to look for light too.

Pretty positive, right? You are probably gathering from the beginning of my post that I maybe have entered the anger phase.  I am.  Especially because I had such high hopes for this year and what it would be like.

Change and Brave.

Change and Brave.

Change and Brave.

Yeah.  I'm pretty pissed about it.  And I just don't get it.

It's a lot of what I think about when I go for my runs.  I think about everything that has changed.  And I think about how brave we all have been because of what we continue to do every day.  Like getting out of bed.  Sometimes that feels like the bravest thing I do all day.

But I just did something more brave and searched my email inbox for my dad's emails.  And what I came across was a brief email exchange I had with him when I knew I was going to quit my job back in February.  I emailed him the draft of the resignation letter I wrote to get some feedback.  I was so nervous and anxious and worried and totally freaked out.

He emailed back and said "This looks OK.  Breathe deeply today!!"

That's what he was.  The ultimate calmer-downer.  For all of us.

So there's my answer, and what I think is his way to remind me (and my mom!) what we can do.

Through the anger and the sadness and the change and the bravery, one thing we can do is BREATHE DEEPLY.

Weekend Wrap-Up

I'm gonna be honest here and say THANK GOODNESS this weekend is over.  Between crabby Maya and a tough first holiday without my Dad, I'm ready to just move on to next week. I really hope the teething situation improves, because the grief part sure isn't. 

But anyway, we did still manage to have some fun.

Saturday- 4th of July

In the morning we went to a parade with Boom.  As you can see in the top left picture, the girls were fairly cranky at first, but once the parade started, they enjoyed themselves.  Afterwards we went to lunch.

We spent the afternoon/evening out with Chris' friend Adam and some of his friends.  We went on a pontoon ride (Maya was not a fan of the life jacket) and hung out by their lake.  The girls played with Adam's daughter, Maeve, who is a little younger than Maya.  Callie spent much of the evening hanging out with the other people she didn't know instead of us.  She is getting more and more outgoing...she is getting so big I don't even recognize her sometimes!

We had the girls home and in bed by 8:00 and didn't see fireworks.  I saw some from our house on Friday night, and it was difficult. The last time I saw fireworks was New Years Eve in Aruba with my dad. 

Sunday

We went to church in the morning and then spent the afternoon downtown.  We spent time with Boom and Auntie Yoda.  Boom even got out her flute for the first time in 10 weeks.  It was really nice to hear her play again.  She was very brave...

We stopped by to see Elliott, and pictures really don't do her and the girls justice.  It is way cuter to actually see them interact, so I took a couple of videos.


IMG 8310 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

IMG 8312 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

Chris went golfing tonight, so the girls and I went on a HOT wagon ride.  With some sunrays to end the evening.

Red, White and Cute (x2)...Part 6

Happy Independence Day!

We have had four 4ths with just one baby.

And now two 4ths with two babies.  Last year our babies were super happy about me making them sit on the couch and take the obligatory July 4th picture.

If this didn't say "Happy Birthday USA," I don't know what would have.

So I was a little apprehensive about making an even more opinionated 5- and almost-2-year old sit for yet another obligatory picture...but the good thing is that bribery works now.  Mostly.  Here you go.

"Smile!  Mommy will give you a fruit snack!"

This is another tough "first" holiday for us, but we are doing what we can to do the fun things to honor and remember my dad.  We know he'd want us to.

Happy 4th.

A Picture Update

Holy Moly I'm exhausted.  My parenting tank is at 0% (thank goodness it is after bedtime).  Well, my being a functional human in general tank is pretty much used up, now that I think about it.

My back was better this week, but we traded that for Maya's awful teething: so crabby, no appetite, terrible napping.

I'd love a week with nothing else going on besides trying to survive...ha!

So here are the pictures.  We had a busy week, despite everything else.

Hanging out at Boom's house:

Swimming lessons, in which I forgot towels.  That was one of many all-star mommy moments of the week.

Hanging out with Elliott (and Auntie  Yoda, Uncle Craig, Auntie Mari and Boom, but Elliott was the only one who got photographed).

Trying out the park at Callie's future elementary school...

We got to meet Baby Sylvia!  Jenna, Andy, Charlie and Mabel welcomed new little Sylvia Jane on Monday morning!  We got to see her yesterday, when she was just 3 days old.

Maya was more interested in their cat Cloud...

My sunray pics from the week.

I have gotten some other sun pics sent to me this week...keep them coming!
I'll put together some sort of post once I get some more.

And finally, the girls.  The ones who simultaneously keep me going and suck me dry... :)

Have a safe holiday weekend.