Sweet Things

This week I saw my dad. I don't see him very much, sad as that is. When I do though, it's great. Always. I can't explain it, really. The way my soul calms the very instant I look in his eyes. The way my body relaxes as he hugs me, his mustache whiskers brushing my cheek. The scent of  his familiar cologne that in a nanosecond has me feeling like I'm six all over again. I'm with my dad and I feel myself relax, my guard comes down, I can breathe in the slowness of pace and just be me. The best gift of all, I think, is when we can truly be ourselves and our parents allow us to do that more easily than any other. So many times I ask myself where I would be without this amazing man in my life. Where I would've ended up. He is incredible. If you know my dad, you are blessed. He is one of a kind, of this I'm certain.  He's the one who witnessed my first breaths of life, those tender first cries. The one who walked the floor with me as an infant, the one who I feel praying me through the hard days along with the good and every season in between. The one who watched my first steps, who celebrates the joys, holds me in the hard times and every season in between, whether physically or on his knees in prayer.  My dad, I couldn't love him anymore if I tried. Yes, I saw my daddy and it was good.

Other happenings this week included a lot of ordinary. As I sat with Isaac watching a basketball game (hello, more dad memories!), he exuberantly exclaimed "Sweet!" as a strong player dunked a shot.  I thought to myself,  "when did he get so big?!" I wasn't even aware he knew that term for anything other than a tasty treat :) He wakes by alarm clock and is responsible for making his bed, getting dressed, brushing his hair and teeth and doing his breathing treatment which includes several steps, all on his own before I walk in the door from the gym. He's getting big. It breaks my heart and makes me proud all at the same time. It makes me think that the first person to come up with the idea of a time machine was most certainly a mama trying not to allow childhood to escape her kiddos too quickly.

We've been outdoors a lot, tossing footballs, swinging bats. I have boys and that's just what boys do. It's so much fun watching them get stronger. Thinking back over the years when they would get so frustrated trying to get the ball and bat to connect, well, that doesn't happen as often anymore. They get bigger, they get better, they grow. Constantly. 

Speaking of growing, Gabe's fifth birthday is less than a month away. Five, wow. That's all I've got for now, wow!  Seems like it was just yesterday he was a little guy rolling around on his play mat in the living room...

It was a good week. Spring seems to be here for good. The grass is green, the trees and flowers are blooming, neighbors are mowing. A foretaste of summer. I can't wait. Late bedtimes, dirty feet, the scent of sunscreen on my babies. What are you looking forward to?

XOXO,
Angie

Weekend

This weekend started out as it usually does, me headed to the gym for a couple of hours and then back to my favorite place, home. 

Over the past four-ish years home has been several different places. I've come to the conclusion though that it's not the space that's welcoming, it's the people inside. I really love those people inside. My people.

Joe made pancakes for the kids. It's become their special Saturday morning ritual. So sweet. And I love the aroma that hits me when I walk in the door. Usually I'm able to sneak a few bites from a syrupy plate with a sticky fork but not this time. The kitchen's been cleaned. The only thing lingering is the sweet maple scent.

Other highlights of the weekend included the boys' very first baseball practice ever and they LOVED it. I can't wait to see where this road leads...

When did they get so big? Baseball, really? Shouldn't they still be eating puzzle pieces??

Sunday was relaxed. A take-your-time kind of breakfast with the paper and hot coffee. Selah still has strep throat so we didn't go to church,  we just, sort of, last minute decided rest was best for all of us. We rarely ever skip church. Late, yes. Skip, not so much.

The day unfolded quite nicely. Kids playing in the tub. Mama getting all the laundry done and put the heck away. Sometimes it sits folded in baskets forever. Not this day. As I sat watching HGTV and folded leggings and pink things it hit me once again that I have a girl.  I never knew how much I wanted one until I had one. I thought I was simply cut out to be a mama of boys. My sweet, loving, easygoing  boys. Over the years they've reminded me of just how much fun trains and hot wheels, worms and wrestling can be. It's been such a blessing to see the differences, the similarities.  I just witnessed Isaac ever so gently placing a bandage on Selah's skinned knee. "It's okay, I know what I'm doing." Love him and how he and his brother came running when they heard Selah cry after she fell down...

We biked to one of our favorites for lunch and noted that they now offer Kids Eat Free Mondays. I'm quite certain we will be taking them up on that! We stopped for ice cream on the way home. Such a beautiful day to be out,  it has me ready for summer break. We've been busy talking about all the things we want to do this year. I can't wait. More adventures, more memory making.

Then BOTH boys came down with a fever. Bummer. The kids played in the yard with bare feet and short sleeves after the sun went down, thanks to the help of Tylenol. We tossed the football, raced across the patio and bandaged the first skinned knees of spring.

Gotta go, I've been invited to sit side by side sick kiddos and color, it won't be for much longer that they choose Mama for such things.

Happy Monday out there.

XOXO,
Angie

Hello There

So, it's been awhile. Our computer wasn't working. Joe bought some sort of magic computer cord and now we are back. It feels good to be back, to be getting my thoughts out again.


A lot has happened since the last time I sat at this computer and wrote about our little life here on Burke Ct. We celebrated Joe's thirty-eighth birthday, had an impromptu Super Bowl party, welcomed friends to our new space, met sweet neighbors, had fun doing a little decorating and all the typical day to day life stuff.  We study Bible verses and spelling words, practice our vocabulary and math facts. We laugh at little sister when she says new words and phrases like "No way, Jose". We shake our heads, smile and wonder where she picked it up...

As always, time keeps truckin' on by. I find myself at the end of yet another full week thinking "I can't believe it's Friday already!"  And with signing the boys up for baseball, I don't see things slowing down one bit. But it's all good. ALL good :)

My girl has totally and completely wrecked my heart, slayed it into a million pieces. So different from her brothers. Her most recent? Saying "I love you too".  I gently place her in her honey hued crib, brush my finger across her cheek and say "Night, night, I love you" and she sweetly responds, "I love you too".  My boys still don't do that! They have their own charm and fascination though. Kids, a God given gift, that's for sure.

She's all about the babies right now. It's adorable the way she totes them wherever she goes. None have names, just "baby". She loves changing their diaper, feeding them, putting them "nigh, nigh" and ever so gently holding one to her cheek and patting its back if it's sad or hurt.

It's a good thing she's cute because girlfriend can throw one heck of a temper tantrum. Just ask my two gym buddies we went out to lunch with last week. After telling her she needed to eat a few bites of chicken before having more chips she proceeded to fling her plate across the room...and then her brother's. It was awesome. Okay, not really. My boys never did that either...

It's hard to believe she's the same age the boys were when we welcomed a new baby into our family. Joe and I have been talking about that lately, having a fourth. I go back and forth. It's nice to have everyone sleeping through the night, to have little people who can pick up after themselves even if it isn't done perfectly. But then there's the other stuff like nursing, feeling a baby move for the first time inside of me. I'm just not ready to close that door. I'm grateful for a husband who at least entertains the idea of another even if he is perfectly fine with our family as it is. I'm grateful for a God who has a plan, who knows the deepest desires of my heart and who knows what's best for me, for us. I like that, even though I'm not a spring chicken, I still have a little time to think it over, to pray about it.

Random thought breaking in here: You know the Disney commercial that plays One Republic's "Good Life" song? I love that song even if it does have some swear words...I just ignore that part... It plays every morning when I'm at the gym and it's all I can do to not break out into some sort of awkward dance number on the elliptical. Can you imagine? That would be pretty hysterical! Anyway, I try not to let the fellow gym goers see me singing along...

But that song reminds me that this really is the good life. It really, really is. Even if we never make that trip to Disney with the kids or give them all the things, opportunities, memories we wish we could, we've got all we ever need and so much more. These three souls that share our DNA, that have us striving to be our very best, that grip our hearts with nothing more than simply making eye contact. That and a heavenly father who shows us so much grace and love, faithfulness and hope, opportunities to start new and fresh every single morning....it's the good life and it's happening right here, right now. I'm off to go soak it up!

Feeling very blessed this Friday morning. Happy almost weekend :)

XOXO,
Angie