Favorite Five: May

Have you noticed how this little blog has become largely pictures and brief family reports? I have.

My original intent and primary interest in starting a blog was to get myself writing. I love to write.

But alas...three kids has tired me out so much mentally, physically and emotionally that I am finding it quite impossible to write anything these days. Instead, my daily goals are more focused on little things like KEEPING MY HEAD ABOVE WATER.

I AM happy to report that I feel my energy and the writing bug coming back slowly, ever so slowly, and I am confident I will be able to think clearly enough to write again soon. (Please, Lord please.)

In the meantime, I am glad to have this blog to chronicle the events of our little family.

And I love how my "favorite five" pictures each month are turning into our family scrapbook.

Here is May.

Summer is definitely on its way.

We have been spending a lot more time at the beach lately as the ocean water warms up.

And this summer we have a hammock to add to our backyard fun (my Mother's Day gift!).

Last summer I was big and uncomfortable and counting the weeks/days until Hannah joined our family.

This summer I am ready to have fun with my three little treasures.

June 21st is the last day of school and the first day of summer...bring it on!

Again, thank you Mark for taking most of these pictures.

Pure joy

The beach.
It's free. It's nature. It's always there (well, except for high tide).
It's not clean, but hey, neither are children.
There is no place I enjoy watching my kids play more.

On this beach outing my girls found a deep hole...and jumped right in...over and over and over.
Pure joy.

Thanks to our special friend Mark for snapping these fun pictures

I want to be more like my children...
I want to find joy in the ordinary and always be on the lookout for a chance to have fun.
I want to stop thinking and worrying and JUST JUMP.

Here is a laugh and a cry for you.

Laughing and crying...both are so important in this life. Here is a little of each for you.

First, the cry. This is a recent article from the LA Times about my alma mater, Westmont College. My tiny Christian Liberal Arts school (1200 students) is amazing in so many ways. This article isn't really about basketball, it is about the kind of community that Westmont promotes and is...a community that takes care of each other and loves each other well.

This story could be a movie. Grab a kleenex and read this story and learn something from it. Learn how to love, how to be vulnerable, how to support those who are grieving. Learn how to mix joy and sorrow together, because, after all, that is what this life is made up of, joy and sorrow, and also embracing each other and our God, which ever and whenever one of those experiences comes our way.

Outplaying grief

Westmont College's women's basketball team rallied around their coach after her husband's sudden death. Their final gift: a title.

March 31, 2013|BILL PLASCHKE

Click here for the article:  Outplaying Grief

And here is a laugh. I can't even count how many times we have watched this. For some reason I still laugh really hard every time. If you have children at all you will relate to this, you don't have to have four. You will love it.

"Four Kids" Jim Gaffigan

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day.

Celebrate your mom.

Celebrate you.

Celebrate motherhood in all its forms.

Writing a post for Mother's Day has been one of my favorite times to reflect. 

It is also a time where I realize how few pictures I have of myself with the kids. 

I need to "get in the picture" more this coming year, like this great post encourages moms to do.

I didn't have the brain-power to write anything new this year, so here are a few old posts.

Mother's Day 2012 : What no one ever told me

Mother's Day 2011 : An Ode to Mothers on Mother's Day

And here was my attempt to describe what I do everyday as a Mom:  SAHM...that's me!

Thank you to my sweet girls who made me a Mama and make me so happy (and slightly crazy) every day.

And now I am going to take a nap...because that is what I wanted for Mother's Day.

The annual Spring visit

When you live in Chicago you are generally OVER IT by the Spring. Over the gray skies, over the barren trees, over the cold temperatures that don't seem to go away as fast as you would like. For three years in a row now my parents take their Spring fever, get the heck out of Dodge, and get on a plane to San Diego, because, well, it's always nice here...oh yeah, and their grand-daughters live here too.

Every March or April my Dad finds a medical conference (he pretends to be interested in) and they come to visit for a nice long stay. This year we got them for 10 days and we had SUCH a great time.

Here are a few highlights...

The first night they arrived it felt like summer here so we went to one of our MOST favorite dining establishments and enjoyed the little "restaurant" with the BIG BIG view.

And then we watched the girls frolic in the sunset surf.

We heard the Flower Fields were in full bloom over the weekend,

 so we joined the masses in enjoying the beauty. WOW!

Sam and Abby got to drive in Papa and Mormor's rental convertible.

When you are from Chicago you rent a convertible...because you really miss the sun.

Here is a picture of Hannah, just because SHE IS SO STINKING CUTE.

We did little things around the house like watch Mormor make a pie,

and help Papa do some work in the backyard (in a tiger costume, naturally).

It was so fun to have my parents here for this girl's 6th BIRTHDAY.

We all pitched in to make fun little treats for her class (rice krispie treats on a stick).

And then after school we took the birthday girl out for ice skating and Indian food.
I think I will always remember that she requested ice skating and Indian food for her 6th birthday.
Love this girl!

Aside from the great time just being together and including Papa and Mormor in our crazy life, we enjoyed visiting special spots around town and swimming in the hotel pools.

Chris and my Dad took on a big project and made Chris' vision of a Secret Garden come to life.

It is almost done and it is AWESOME! The girls are going to have a great time in there.

Before.

After.
Next step is artificial grass in the Secret Garden.

Signs read: "Secret Garden" "Girls Only" "Fairies Welcome"
But boys are welcome too...really...until they are teenagers.

We all love this Spring visit tradition. 

My not-so-secret plan is to keep encouraging my parents to stretch their visits longer and longer so that eventually they are coming out every Spring for a month or so. 

And with a little face like this to come see, how could they resist?

See you in July Mom and Dad...can't wait to get back to the Midwest!