Birthday Week Stay-cation

Birthday stay-cation week has come and gone.  The girls and I are missing Derek (and my family, and Brad, Julia, Brynne, and Hadley) as we go it alone once again.    It was a wonderful week full of so many blessings and even some hard eucharisteo. But I’m grateful and I’ll let the gifts speak for themselves.

2210-  of the ways that God showed He loved us this week.

  • Brad managing to pull of his surprise for Julia and getting her down here to visit with us without her ever having caught on! 8+ months of planning a success for him!
  • 4 toddler girl twins roaming in my living room
  • Hadley’s excitement about the boat in the pool
  • Aeralind swimming all the way across the pool all on her own!
  • Brynne and Bronwyn struggling through their own pool disappointment but coming out smiling
  • Extra long naps
  • Guys going shopping while girls stayed home and chatted
  • Wandering slow and face to fact through grace and marriage and family
  • Laughing again about the Maggots
  • My girls sharing grapes with Julia’s girls
  • Pizza outside while the rain held up
  • Walking, running, and squealing through the park
  • Bronwyn running back to keep checking on Brynne and Brad and smiling
  • Hadley running back and forth between me and her momma, grinning as I tickled her
  • Failed attempts to get all four girls to sit on a swing and look at a camera
  • Aeralind lying on bench swings and asking to “wock”
  • Being present while while two tired toddlers sing Skinamarinky dinky dink “eye lub you!” to me and Derek
  • Night time hugs
  • Worn out babies and parents
  • Long nights
  • Husband warm and curled around me in pain
  • Clean and empty tummy and bowels
  • The body’s ability to cleanse itself
  • Julia, Brad, and girls having a morning to themselves while I recovered
  • Cool air and warm sunshine
  • Beautiful wooden rocking horse give to us by our moving neighbor
  • Bronwyn yelling “neigh!” and Aeralind repeating “wock” as they ride their new horse
  • Quiet morning of shopping alone
  • Little Aeralind climbing down the stairs at 9pm so apologetic that she was unable to climb back into her crib to sleep
  • Girls pulling newly stained stool out from under our bed to snuggle with us under the sheets
  • Taking pictures of Julia’s family at the park
  • The perfect little birthday party: small and including all of the girls favorit things (spaghetti, the pool, owls, cupcakes, sugar)
  • Pefectly half-frozen slushie textured soda.  I never drink soda and it was so good!
  • Watching Bronwyn sip Ruthie’s soda slushie.  Her cold face was hysterical!
  • Aeralind scared of blowing out her candle.
  • Bronwyn gleefully blowing out both candles.
  • Toddler running laps around chairs squealing, panting, and falling.
  • Aeralind climbing out of her crib, standing quietly in the hallway until daddy saw her.  Her whispering “Daddy, ca ca.” (poop).  So sweet.
  • Little girls cleaning windows and walls and tables with rags.
  • New birthday morning tradition: Birthday Tea!

  • Girls enjoying sips of watered down and milked up with a dash of sugar tea
  • Birthday omletes
  • Half a cupcake with breakfast
  • Aeralind climbing in our bed shortly after she woke up- annoying, but oh so sweet.
  • Derek being home for over a week
  • Getting a morning showering instead of a naptime shower multiple times this week.
  • Million of daddy changed diapers: what sweet sacrifice!
  • Perfect birthday morning at the park
  • Girls transfixed and delighted by being surrounded by ducks, geese, and pigeons as they tossed bread.

  • A hysterical impromptu romp in the fountains
  • Probably some of the last running around semi-naked moments caught on camera

  • Super surprise visit from Jen and Abel.
  • Seeing Aeralind be bashful
  • Watching Bronwyn love on Jen
  • Momma made sleep sacks
  • Missing Derk now that he’s at work– he’s beyond helpful and so amazing!
  • Hearing wisdom preached.

holy experience