Give Me Five

If you're looking for this week's Hodgepodge questions you'll find them one post down. 

Linking this post today with Joanne's Talking About it Tuesday. 

Penning another letter to my grandson who celebrates a birthday today. His birthday hits five days after his baby sister's, two days before Halloween, and a week before what will no doubt be a tumultuous election day. I never want him to feel lost in the shuffle. 

Dear Max, 

Officially five today! That might be Nana's favorite age. I was thinking about your blog name and how it suits you, but also how your real name does too. Sweet William. Nana added the sweet, but it's the phrase that always comes to mind when I think of you. 

Which is every single day. 

There's a flower I love called Sweet William and did you know flowers have meaning? Out of curiosity I looked this one up, and guess what? It also suits. 

The flower known as Sweet William has multiple meanings including gallantry and masculinity. You, my newly minted five year old, are all boy. You love to wrestle, play 'futbol', baseball, ride your bike, drive the boat fast, pretend you're a knight, a Jedi, a ninja, a superhero. You love to climb and run and throw and jump. 

You have the biggest vocabulary and the best accent of any five year old I know. 

You want to do whatever big brother is doing, but these days you're finding your own way too. You have opinions lol. You're exceptionally bright, articulate, curious, and funny. And since you've recently moved into your fifth house in as many years I guess I should add resilient to your list of strengths too. 

You wear your emotions on your sleeve and your mama has helped you learn to ask yourself if something is a big problem or a little problem before you react. I find myself doing the same and it helps. 

We're never too old to learn little man. 

Pawpaw and I had so much fun visiting you in your Cambridge home last month. We loved hearing your thoughts on all the new things you've experienced...mushy peas, double decker buses, an International school, Saturday mornings on the pitch and more. 

Your birthday lands just a few days before the US election, and let's just say it hasn't been pretty. While it's hard not to wonder what our nation will look like when you're a young man I want to tell you something  Nana knows for certain.

This world may be full of conflict and confusion, but God in His infinite wisdom created you for such a time as this. You are a part of God's divine plan and He made you all the wonderful things you are-strong, smart, curious, and resilient-traits that will serve you well as you grow from boy to man.  

I pray you always seek His will for your life and know how fully and completely you are loved by Him. 

By your Nana too. Deep and wide my sweet William. 

xo~Nana~xo

"Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Summertime And The Livin' Is Easy And Also Loud

We've had a full house all week and we still have a mostly full house this week, but I want to put some of the happenings here on my blog while they're fresh. It's not short so buckle up. 

Before I dive in I do want to let you know I've finally added a 'follow by email' option to my sidebar. If you'd like to be notified of new posts here via email, just add your address in the box there and hit subscribe. 

I'm joining Holly and Sarah for their regular Hello Monday link party to talk about the week that was. 

There has been lots of merrymaking with both daughters and their littles here at the lake this past week. It has been loud messy fun and we're all exhausted and ready for bed at an early hour, but we are truly loving all the minutes spent together. I have washed at least 100 towels and cooked 1000 meals. Nine people in and out of the lake and the pool means a lot of towels and all that swimming means we need fuel. These boys can eat and I'm not even kidding. 

I made myself a calendar of menus before everyone arrived and that's been so helpful. I did have to run to the store once but mostly I shopped ahead and hubs has been doing a lot of grilling. My girls appreciate home cooking, plus dining out with five small children might be too much, even for us. 

Going all the way back to Tuesday for this recap...we declared Tuesday a boat day. Sounds simple, right? Y'all. The amount of gear we needed to pack, take down to the dock, get on the boat, as well as five children swim-suited and sunscreen-ed, buckled into life jackets, hats and sunglasses on, water bottles in tow, not to mention our own selves, plus noodles and water saddles and fishing poles, beach towels and lunch in a cooler, well it does make one wonder for a minute if it's worth it?

Totally worth it. 

There are lots of islands in our lake and many have sandy beaches so we headed to one of those. Once hubs set the anchor the process of getting everyone and everything off the boat and onto the island begins. Hubs totes most of the gear while one daughter puts the swim diapers on the babies and the other daughter gets off the boat and then I pass the kids to her and she escorts them to the island. 

Is it worth it? 

100%!  A morning in the sand and sea with little ones is not a walk in the park, but we don't care because it is way more fun than not. 

We got home in time for naps for some, although probably not for the ones who needed it most-ha! Hi hubs!, and the older boys watched a movie while the three littlest slept. 

Hubs had to attend an event Tuesday evening so I made spaghetti and meatballs and we got everyone in bed on the early side. Daughter2's hubs arrived from working nearby so we hung out on the deck until Pawpaw aka 'the hubs' got home. He had just sat down to finally relax with his favorite bourbon when I ever so gently reminded him he was grilling a pork butt for Wednesday's dinner. 

Which means he has to prep it on Tuesday night. 

As in right now.

And also get up at 4 AM to get it on the Green Egg. Hi hubs! 

Wednesday morning he and my son-in-law were up before the sun, so when I came outside with my coffee at 6:45 am the smell was already so good. We swam in the lake that morning, and then late afternoon my older sister drove the hour and a half out from her house to mine with my mama. 

My mama is in town for a few days while my younger sister and her family (who she lives with) are traveling. It was wonderful for her to be here the week the girls were both in town. 

Wrangling everyone for this picture might have been trickier than boat day, but I wanted a pic of my mom with all of her great-grandchildren, and with my girls too. 

My sister was a big hit with the boys especially and they had so much fun with her. I didn't take a single picture of her while she was here because there was a lot going on (possibly a giant understatement! lol). Hubs made maybe his best BBQ ever and I added coleslaw, baked beans and roasted veggies to the meal, with a peach and blueberry cobbler for dessert. So good!

Thursday morning we went back up to the neighborhod pool and everyone had such a nice time playing in the water. We came home for lunch and naps (so grateful these little ones sleep the way they do!), then had an early taco dinner before loading everyone up in two cars to get ice cream in town. Making the fun happen with littles of various ages is something of a production but we all dig in and make it happen. 

And we don't take a lot of photos but we're definitely living it. 

This spot does the Nitrogen ice cream which is exciting to watch, and they loved every single bite. When we got back to the house Daughter1 and I took the big boys to the lake to swim again, and Daughter2 and the younger three hung out on the deck with Pawpaw. 

Divide and conquer is not a bad motto for managing kids of varying ages and stages. 

Friday morning daughter2 and her sweeties headed back to their home in Tennessee.  After they got on the road we went for an easy boat ride with daughter1 and her kids. 

Still a few things to carry but we just brought towels and snacks and opted for lunch at home. 

We hung out in a cove and jumped off the swim platform and had a grand time before the clouds rolled in and we made a bee line back to the dock.  Hubs made popcorn in our big popcorn machine and the boys watched a movie with him while little miss napped. Daughter1 and I sat on the porch with our iced coffee and solved all the problems of the world. 

Maybe not all, but a few. 

It was leftovers for dinner Friday night because this cook needed a break. And my next door neighbor brought over a blueberry pie for dessert which was so sweet and so thoughtful and we all really enjoyed that. 

Which brings us to Saturday. I needed to do a grocery run so hubs took the two older boys (the mancub and Max as they're known on the blog) to a fish hatchery not too far from here. He encountered a detour so it ended up being further than anticipated, but he made it and they had a ball. 

They were allowed to feed the fish which was exciting and it was a great way to spend a drizzly morning. 

Hubs treated them to lunch on the way home and they came in laughing and happy and full of fish stories. 

I had ordered some legos for the boys and they arrived midday Saturday, which kept them busy the rest of fthe afternoon. They were anxiously waiting for their Daddy to arrive as he wrapped up his Fellowship in Cincinnati on Friday and will hang out here for a few days before they all head to England for their six month stay (you can read more about that on Daughter1's blog linked here-Sincerely Shannon). 

Whew. Who's tired? 

But in the very, very, best way. 

Roads Traveled

The last time I blogged something more than the Wednesday Hodgepodge was more than two weeks ago. As per usual we've done a lot of coming and going since then so let's catch up. This might be two posts or I might just jam it all in to one, so you'll want to grab your coffee. 

Rolling it back two Fridays ago which is when we made the trek to daughter1's house to spend a few days with her crew. Yes, three children constitutes a crew. The drive there should take six and a half hours but we have never made it in six and a half hours. This time it was nine. Ugh. 

Fifteen miles from their exit a tractor trailer caught fire and the authorities shut down the interstate. We sat for over an hour with our gas tank on the verge of empty before we were able to exit. We got gas then wound our way around what turned out to be some of the most beautiful Tennessee countryside we would have otherwise missed.  

Even life's little aggravations and irritations can have a silver lining. 

We wish we'd known about this route on previous trips because it was just that pretty, and this was likely our last visit to their current home. The movers come soon and then it's onward to another new home, new adventure, and lots of Graters ice cream and Skyline chili if that helps you figure out their new 'where'.  

The mileage from here to there will be about the same, and we're always grateful when we can visit by car. 

One bright spot en route to visit Daughter1 was a happy quick meet up with daughter2 and sweet baby J in a shopping center parking lot. Because of road construction on our usual route (always!!), the GPS directed us another way to Tennessee, which meant we'd be passing very near daughter2's exit. She happened to be on her way home from a friend's so we made it happen. 

His smiley face makes a long road trip feel less long. 

Hubs and I had a grand time with the grands doing all sorts of fun things. They have a huge pond in their neighborhood with a walking path all the way around and we are going to miss that for sure. It's been a wonderful spot to safely learn to ride a bicycle without training wheels, power a scooter, and identify ducks of every shape, size, and variety. 

Little miss has grown and changed so much since we saw her back in March and she gives the best smiles, rolls herself literally all over the house, and looks so much like her momma it makes my heart sing. 

You can relax. This will definitely be two posts. 

Saturday night daughter1 had gotten us all tickets to the local rodeo. You can walk to the venue from their house and it was set to begin at 7:30 PM. We arrived at 6:30 only to find the event had been waaaay oversold. There were almost no seats to be had, with long lines of people still pouring in after us. 

Daughter1 was wearing the baby and I had Max by the hand when a very nice lady offered to scooch over, move her kids to the floor in front of her, and let us have a couple of seats. The dads took the mancub and climbed to the top of the bleachers to squeeze in there. People were standing around the ring because there really wasn't anywhere else to stand so we honestly couldn't see a thing from our location. 

It was at this point daughter1 and I looked at each other and said, 'let's go home'. We gave Max to the dads and the boys were able to enjoy the show. I was going to write a review on the host's website but I guess now I can just direct them to this post lol. 

Did you come here to read about traffic jams and events that don't live up to their billing? Let's talk happier things...the great outdoors-

We went to a nearby playground that also has some walking trails throughout, meandered through the woods, along a stream, and then had quite a moment when the mancub alerted us all to a SNAKE!! right beside our feet. Fortunately for all we had the snake whisperer (aka the hubs) with us and all was well.

We walked another day along a trail that's been set up along an old community golf course. It's now a storybook trail and the boys had fun riding their bikes from 'page to page'.  I read online this was an Eagle Scout project so kudos to the creator. 

The setting was lovely with farmland all around, and we talked about how nice it would be to own land that had at one time been a golf course. A little bit manicured, a little bit wild, plenty of room for a house and garden, and a cottage for your parents to live in their old age someday too-ha! 

We have so enjoyed visiting all the places my daughter1 and her family have lived. I think about the staggering beauty of Washington state, the faraway Land of Morning Calm, and the wide open farmland of the Tennessee military town they've most recently called home. 

Moving stirs up all kinds of emotion and I feel the feels with her because I've been there myself. 

The sad goodbyes and the hopeful hellos. 

Pointing your eyes and your family in a forward direction.

Quietly tucking precious friends in your pocket and opening your heart to new people, new places, new experiences.  

To my girl and movers everywhere...

Unpack the boxes, hang the pictures, plant the flowers. Call the new place home. For a year or two or ten or forever. 

"You can have more than one home. You can carry your roots with you and decide 
where they grow." Henning Mankell 

Two Cute For Words

Almost.  

It seems I always have words.

This little man celebrates a birthday today and if you ask him how old he's turning he shouts TWO! I read a quote which I think is attributed to Jerry Seinfeld, that said having a two year old is like having a blender without a top. Sounds about right because baby boy is busy. 

Also chatty, adorable, hilarious, smart, and precious. 

Dear Max,

Nana likes to write to you and your brother on your birthdays. I like to look back at the year that was and at who you are now and marvel at all the ways you've grown and changed and burrowed yourself deeper into my heart. 

In so many ways it feels like time has moved at a snail's pace these past two years (thanks to lockdowns, pandemics, political divides, and the like) but you my darling boy, have somehow grown from squishy newborn to full fledged toddler in what feels like the blink of an eye. 

Wasn't I just boarding a plane for South Korea to await your arrival? 

We are so grateful you're back in our time zone and are now just a car ride away. A longish car ride to be sure, but still no flights to book, no airports to navigate, no oceans to cross. We always have a choice in how we see things and life is sweeter if you look for the silver linings.

Also, you're not technically in our time zone, but close enough. 

My absolute favorite thing about you is everything, but if I were making a list at the very top would be the way you speak in complete sentences, ask questions that show thought and logic and a firm grasp of syntax,  and then of course there is the way you tell a joke....'no chicken nuggets'...

Readers here won't understand that last bit but we do and I feel confident in telling you now that we'll be grinning ear to ear, repeating it just the way you say it at age two, forever and ever amen.

You might be the little brother but you can hold your own with your favorite big. You are rough and tumble, love to run and jump, throw balls of every size and sport, play with your trains, helicopters, cars and blocks, and in general do whatever your big brother is doing.

You are also super snuggly, love books read to you after you've backed up into the nearest lap, love your stuffed dog Noah and your Mickey Mouse, holding hands with Daddy and your head on momma's shoulder, and really just everything about your momma because she is somethin' special. 

You and your brother remind me so much of your momma and her sister when they were two and four. 

You are so much like your Aunt M was at this same age which means you keep us laughing, but also on our toes!, and always always our hearts full to overflowing.  

Happy birthday baby Wheel. I love you more than even all my many words can say. 

Keep spreading your sunshine wherever you grow. 

xo

Nana

"Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 

1 Corinthians 16:14-14

Let The Wild Rumpus Begin

Or maybe I should say continue because 2020 man. It's been a doozy. But here comes Pollyanna with the silver lining...

This little guy is officially ONE. 

I asked my daughter to send me a photo for my blog because that's what you do when you're 7000+ miles away. When I saw this I immediately thought of the little boy in the beloved children's book Where The Wild Things Are. 

And just like that baby brother has a blog name. Max. 

Max is not his real life name, but with the crown and the grin and the twinkle in his eye Max it is. 

Dear Max-

One year ago today Pawpaw and I were in the Land of Morning Calm. South Korea. Your birthplace. We arrived two days prior and were so thankful God chose today to be your birthday and not two days earlier or a week sooner, because we made it. Today is the perfect day for a birthday. One year ago your parents made the hour plus trek to the hospital where you were born knowing we were at home with your big brother. 

God's timing is everything little one and that is as true for me as it is your precious one-year old self. 

We are so grateful for those first weeks with you in our arms because what we didn't know then was a virus would sweep across the continents and we'd spend much of the first year of your life dousing ourselves with hand sanitizer, wearing masks, and not going anywhere, including South Korea. 

Nothing that happens in this world is a surprise to the One who made it. When life feels off kilter, uncertain, a little scary even, rest in His unfailing love. 

Your mama has been wonderful to keep us connected in the way we connect in 2020-Facetime. She normally calls when you're waking up and it's yesterday here and it's all a bit upside down but we hear her ringtone and we brace for cuteness. 

You never disappoint. 

You've gone from super snuggly newborn to squishy faced grinning baby to a running, laughing, let me get into my brother's favorite toys while he's not looking, little boy in a quick twelve months. 

You smile and clap and put your head on mama's shoulder and you make even the dreariest of days shine with the white hot sunlight of a summer afternoon. 

We love you baby 'Wheel'. You've brought love and joy into a year filled with conflict and confusion and you fill a space in our family that was waiting just for you.  

Know when you look at the stars I see them too. That God's grand design is so original, so spectacular in it's creation that you are with me even when you're far away. That my love for you is deeper than the ocean between us and not a single day goes by I don't give thanks for this day. 

The one that gave us you. 

xo Nana xo

"Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 

1 Corinthians 16:13-14