The Times Of Our Lives

Doing what I do every year on this date and that's write something for daughter2 in honor of her birthday. She told me once it's one of her favorite things about her birthday and that thought has stayed with me. 

A ten year old memory popped up on hubs facebook page this morning, a picture of him with the birthday girl taken in an apple orchard not far from our NJ home. 

It was probably taken the year before and he was sharing it on her birthday because it's a sweet photo.  The day was bathed in almost autumn light and had the cozy feeling that eases in as summer turns to fall.  

That was then. 

This is now. 

Ten years is a long time.

Also the blink of an eye. 

That's how raising children goes. One minute they're sleeping in the bed upstairs and the next they're swaddling a child of their own. 

Birthdays remind us to savor the gift of another day. To look back and see all the ways we've grown and changed, but also to love where we are right now. To acknowledge we don't control the future, but it's in good good Hands. 

Happy birthday my darling girl. The year ahead will bring you joy and dirty diapers. Moments of wonder and weariness and wow. Beauty and barf and boogers and a love so big some days you think your heart might burst. 

That's motherhood. The good-the bad-the hard-the bliss. All of it. 

I pray this year you are overwhelmed by the goodness of God in the extraordinary ordinary moments of your life.  xo Momma

"Time is free, but it's priceless." Harvey Mackay

The Labor Day Weekend

Our Labor Day weekend was light on labor and big on fun, family, good food, and foul weather. We didn't let that foul weather dampen our spirits though, and it was the most fun-full Labor Day weekend we've had in a long time. 

Daughter1 and her two boys drove over on Friday from their Tennessee home. Her hubs was on call this weekend so he couldn't come with, and it was a long drive for her.  We all do what we must to have family time, and she's a trooper. 

Also, seven months pregnant so go her! 

They arrived about 6 PM and the grandboys hopped out of the car and asked to go swimming. Why not? We put on our bathing suits and cowabunga-d off the dock. 

Not the pregnant lady. She sat in a lounge chair and watched and everyone was happy. 

Daughter2 and her hubs and baby boy drove over from their Tennessee home on Saturday morning. It rained buckets but they arrived without incident. We oohed and ahhhed over baby boy and then hubs, my son-in-law and the mancub crossed 'swimming in the rain' off their bucket list. 

Oh and their chiahuahua learned he is in fact a water dog, much to everyone's surprise. 

The sky was so gray all weekend long and we had a tremendous amount of rain all weekend long, but no  thunder or lightning so we made the best of it. Swimming in the rain is how you make the best of it. 

Saturday night daughter1's in-laws, who live nearby,  joined us for dinner. As it happened our brother-in-law was traveling north from Florida and was also able to join us for dinner and stay the night. He hadn't met the newest little guy yet and doesn't get to see his nieces often, so this was a treat. 

Hubs grilled wings and brats and the in-laws brought everybody's favorite sweet potato cake for dessert. Since hubs celebrated a birthday on Thursday the boys added candles and helped him make a wish. 

On Sunday daughter2's in-laws drove over from their home to spend the night and celebrate daughter2's birthday. And see the grandbaby of course, but that goes without saying. Hubs and I really enjoy both sets of in-laws which is such a blessing.

Hubs and my son-in-law (along with their talented sous chef) grilled a ginormous brisket for our Sunday dinner-

They actually put it on the Green Egg the night before and spent at least another 24 hours discussing the finer points of grilling-ha! 

It was de-lish! I made a chocolate cake for the birthday girl and there were more candles and wishes and gifts. It was noisy and sweet and oh so special. 

Daughter1 and her crew left Monday morning for their ridunkulously long drive home. Goodbyes are always hard for sisters turned aunts.

Plus her six hour drive turned into more than nine hours and we just hope she'll come back lol. 

Daughter2's in-laws left a little bit later in the morning, and there was a miniscule break in the weather so we let baby boy have his first dip in the lake. It took longer to get him in the swim suit, hat, and life jacket than he lasted in the water, but it was super cute so that's something. 

We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the porch (there will be a nap in my week somewhere!), made a shepherds pie with some of our leftover brisket, and then watched college football because it's that time again. 

We love a full house and having family and extended family here is a true labor of love. Hope your weekend was full of the people you love too. 

Meetin' And Greetin'

We have a big family. I guess you'd call it big? I have three siblings and hubs has three siblings and all our siblings are married and some have children too, and then there's also my mama and hubs mama, so I guess that qualifies as big. 

And we're all spread out geographically too so it takes several months for the newbies joining our family to meet the oldies already here. It's probably best that these introductions happen in stages because we're all baby hogs and nobody wants to hand over baby boy once they've got him on their lap. 

I get it. 

First things first. Gotta meet the aunt whose been his mama's best friend since the day she was born. 

Next up were the cousins. 

I mean THE COUSINS!! 

These little men were sooooo excited to meet their very first cousin. 

What's a cousin? Does he talk? Why not? When will he talk? Can he throw the ball? Why can't he throw the ball?

Baby boy is well loved by these first new friends who are also family...

Also he's tough-ha! 

Little man was also introduced to my mama when she was in town this month. They share a name which made their meeting extra special. My girls like to share the baby's gender before baby arrives, but they always hold off revealing the name until baby is actually here. I like this. 

Hearing his name was a sweet surprise and made my mama a little teary. His middle name is her maiden name, and it all made me a little teary too. 

My oldest sister and her hubs drove out to the lake to pick up my mom so they were also able to meet their newest great nephew while he is still pretty new. 

My oldest sister loves babies and you have to check her car when she leaves to make sure she's not taking yours home with her lol. 

Then last weekend hubs brother and sister-in-law took his mama for a meet and greet. How awesome is it to be so loved by not only your grandparents but by your great grandparents too? 

I will tell you. 

It's completely awesome. 

Okay little man, that's ten down, thirteen more to go. On your momma's side I mean. Your Daddy's got more than a few folks waiting in the queue too.

Welcome to your great big loud big fun big loving family...

 I suspect you'll fit in just fine. 

Boy Oh Joy

I've decided we have two speeds here. On and off. Go and Stop. Busy and Still. 90 mph and 15 mph and there is no in between. While there are days I feel a teensy bit guilty about a lazy nap on the porch or a Saturday binge watch on the telly I mostly don't. Those slow down days are rare and necessary and add balance to a life that is full full full. 

Hubs and I spent three and a half days with daughter2 and her little man last week, returning home Wednesday afternoon. I volunteer on Thursdays which meant Friday was for catching up on laundry and groceries and online cards with my mom. On Saturday we waved the white flag and hung out on the couch. 

Not the whole day of course, but man we were tired. 

Baby boy (who does not have a blog name yet) is as precious as precious can be. Babies change so much so fast, and we are grateful to finally have one close enough geographically to see somewhat regularly. He had been to church the day we arrived, wearing this outfit his Daddy had worn some 35 years prior. I love it! 

My son-in-law was traveling for work early in the week so it was a great time to visit and be those extra hands all new moms can use.  I had (still have him lol) a husband who traveled a lot for work and I can remember how long the days felt when it was just me and my baby and hours to fill. 

So nice for a new mom to be able to have a leisurely shower, wash and dry and straighten her hair, and get dressed uninterrupted. 

We had a really nice lunch out on Monday and little guy was a trooper (aka- slept through the whole thing). Winning! And then his Momma had a dental appointment Tuesday morning and hubs and I were able to stay with the baby while she took care of her teeth. 

I'm telling you, thirty+ years later that baby hip sway comes right back to you. 

We had plans to run out to a local shop we love on Tuesday afternoon so the baby was fed, we got the diaper bag loaded, the baby strapped into the car seat, the car seat snapped into the car, and lastly the stroller collapsed and into the trunk and whew! Off we went.  

Only about half a mile though, and then we pulled over because there was a noise that sounded suspiciously like a nail in the tire which was indeed a nail in the tire. Bother. Their neighborhood is new and there are several homes still under construction so I'm sure there's more where this came from. 

Back home we went to unload the stroller and the car seat and the baby from the car seat and then I followed hubs to the tire place because they said they'd work it in sometime in the next two hours and they did. They didn't charge a cent for the patch either so shoutout to businesses who do small kindnesses as part of their everyday operation. 

I was so glad we were there to help with all that because it would have been a lot to do with a one month old in tow. 

Even one who smiles like this and makes your heart melt and who grows sweeter by the day. 

1000 Pictures Are Worth A Few Words

We are in regroup mode here today after a week away spoiling our newborn grandson, then a week at home with our two older grandsons. 

We're tired. 

But it's a good kind of tired and we have nowhere to go right now so we're taking our time getting the house back in order. Beds stripped, sheets washed, beds remade, toys and stepstools and little boy dishes put away til next time, bathrooms cleaned, naps taken. 

Naps are important. If the beds don't get remade right away no big deal, but if I miss my nap it might be a problem. 

Having the grands here was grand. As always. It was a bit spur of the moment as Daughter1's in-laws were in her neck of the woods the weekend prior and she decided to ride back to the lake with them, and then her hubs will collect them this weekend. 

We're good with last minute though and never say no to time with the most fun little men on the planet. Even if they do wake up talking and go to bed talking and ask a million jillion questions all the day long and want to swim 24/7 and insist Nana jump off the dock seventeen trillion times and I think you see why we're tired. 

The forecast was for rain every day but it never really materialized so we got to swim every day. We do running jumps holding hands, cannonballs and wazknackers (Pawpaw taught the mancub that-sorry no picture)...we float and kayak-

and we swim under the 'bridge

Pawpaw (the human fish or aqualung as we like to call him) does tricks while my girl and I float on our water saddles and solve all the problems of the world. So good. 

Besides the lake we also spent some time at the pool-

Made homemade peach ice cream-

Colored pictures, worked puzzles, read books, raced Hot Wheel cars, transformed the transformers, facetimed the new baby cousin who by the way, can't wait to join the party-

Really. 

We fed the birds and some fish too-

We taught the words to some hand clapping games I used to play when I was a kid...Miss Mary Mack anyone?...

There was a boat ride-

And we sharpened our reflexes with lit sparklers lol-

We had the absolute best time roasting marshmallows around the firepit-

In other words, we had a blast! 

I think they had fun too.