These Are The Days

Somehow it's the middle of July. I can't quite get my head around that but the calendar doesn't lie. It's been a month since I blogged anything other than the Hodgepodge, and declaring today the day I'm gonna try. I'm tempted to photo dump and call it a day, but words are more my jam so here goes.

We've been busy. I wonder how many times I've written that here? Hmmm....

A fun sort of busy though, filled with comings and goings and grand babies, new houses and cousins and fireworks. 

Floating and popsicles and sunshine and stories. 

Meals shared and messes made and whew! we.are.tired, but in the best sort of way you can be.

Daughter1 and her family moved from south to mid-west (ish) right around the 4th of July. My son-in-law has completed his Army commitment and is embarking on a one-year orthopedic fellowship in a new city. This new city is slightly further away than their previous city, but! an easier drive and in our same time zone so we'll take it. 

My son-in-law brought their two oldest to his parents house a few days prior to their move so the boys could have a little summer fun, and they could pack and load without the boys underfoot. Then, once the moving van pulled away, they would all come to our house and spend the week of July 4th at the lake. They'd meet the truck sometime after. 

Moving y'all. It's a bear. The movers decided to deliver their furniture to the new place on July 3rd, which meant my son-in-law had to go on ahead and start the unpack. Daughter1 stayed here with baby girl and both boys, then daughter2 and her hubs and sweet baby J joined us and it was a big loud happy holiday party. Minus one son-in-law who I'm sure was having a lot of fun too-ha! 

Daughter2 and her family headed home the Thursday after the 4th, and Daughter1 and baby girl drove on to the new house to finish unpacking and rearranging (if ya know ya know lol). Hubs and I had the boys here a few more days and we kept them moving. They kept us moving? Whatever. 

All I know is I have jumped off my dock no less than 700 times at the request of the mancub and that is a lot of jumping. A LOT. 

We had the most fun one day taking the boys to a little beach on one of the lake islands. We packed a picnic lunch, fished (the mancub reeled in 8!!) and did more jumping and swimming and floating and of course both boys had a turn taking the wheel. 

Loading and unloading and remembering to bring all the gear -snacks-sunscreen-snacks-hats and more required for a day on the lake ain't no joke. Sometimes you need a nap after-

There were s'mores one night, and yes it was 90 degrees but one does what one must. 

They were delish, and conveniently there's a lake to jump in right after. 

I was thinking recently about parenting versus grandparenting, and how when you're a parent the years can feel so long. 

As a grandparent you know that isn't true. You're more in tune with the passage of time, your own health, and growing older. Oh sure we love our grandparents all of our lives, but the days of exploring the world one rock-fish-firefly at a time are fleeting and precious. 

So I yell cowabunga as I jump off the dock for the nineteenth time, a little boy's hand held tightly to mine. I play Sorry and Crazy Eights and Uno ten times in a row. I finish a book then 'read it again Nana' because they love it and I love them and these are the days.