Cheeks

I did actually really miss the boys during our weekend away.

I promise.

And do you know what I missed the most about Joshua?

Those cheeks.



Don't you just want to reach into your computer and squeeze them?




They are perfect to kiss and squeeze and love on.

I love those cheeks.

Even when they're grumpy.


And even like this.

A Weekend Without the Boys: Day 2

After a very eventful (but not at all stressful) Day 1, we were ready for a relaxing Day 2. So we rented a boat.



No, not a sailboat. There was a race going on that day - just cool to look at.

We rented a nice roomy deck boat. Here is our captain for the day, J...



And his lovely wife, C...



J (yes, there were three men with the first initial "J" this weekend) and his wife M...


Lovely couple #3 - D & J...

And the oldies :) It's true - we were the oldest couple this weekend. And we're okay with that.

What a stud. Love you honey.

The weather was gorgeous so most of us just jumped right in. It was cold. But it felt good.

Do you like our life jacket diapers?

I don't care how they looked, they were handy.

C was the first to hit the waves. And I mean really hit the waves. It was VERY choppy out but she rocked those skis.

J manning the ropes.

Stephen also went out on the skis - still pretty darn choppy. Not ideal for skiing. But he was awesome - especially since it had been three or four years!

Doesn't this look like an ad for the boat company?

And doesn't he look relaxed? It was a good time.

After six hours on the boat, lots of sunburns and a yummy grilled supper, we headed back down by the water for dessert.

And a couples photo shoot, apparently (ok, my idea, I admit it).

Aren't we all so cute - and red?!

It was a wonderful getaway with wonderful friends. We are truly blessed with an abundance of great friends, many of whom feel like family.

And these are among the dearest to us.

Thanks for a great weekend, friends. We love you. Seriously.

A Weekend Without the Boys: Day 1

This past weekend we left the boys with grandparents and headed out for a weekend at the lake with some friends from church. Believe me, we were all ready for a break!

And this is where we got to stay...

No, those are not pictures from a magazine. That is actually the place we stayed. Gorgeous, isn't it?! And I didn't even take pictures of the second floor!

And by the way, it was free! A relative of one of the couples let us stay there for the weekend - amazing!

We got in late Friday night, made a midnight Wal-Mart run (always fun) and then prepared for Day 1.

And that was a full day.

What I didn't get pictures of was starting our day with three hours of tennis. THREE HOURS. I was in heaven. I love tennis so much and have missed playing. It's time to start playing on a regular basis. Any takers?!

Next we headed down to the dock to check out the water. It was beautiful.

The guys found lots of big fish swimming around the dock. They were fascinated.

And as if three hours of tennis wasn't enough physical activity for the day, we all golfed nine holes next. And put sunscreen on this time. A little late for most of us.

The guys...

and the girls...

Just for the record, D (in the yellow) had the low round for the day. Out of ALL six of us :) She rocks.

This was my third time EVER golfing. I took seven strokes off my score. I was happy.

And we had fun.

And it was good we had the van for all those clubs.

Jerry's Pizza for supper...yummy...yes, that's my half without the cheese.

Bless that pizza, J!

There is a lot going on down by the lake in the summer so we went to check it out after supper.

There is the amusement park.

I went there once many years ago. See that roller coaster in the foreground? That is the reason I do not ride roller coasters. I think it may be the oldest, shakiest loudest roller coaster around. Just sitting near it and listening to it go by brought horrible memories rushing back to mind. Ugh.

But then a very pleasant surprise...

And that was just a fraction of the finale. It was an amazing show - one of the best I have ever seen in person. And we just stumbled upon it.

And we finished the night with this.

I was a very happy camper.

And that was just day one!

Getting Real: A Little Ramble

I'm going to be honest.

I have felt like a crummy mother lately.

Crummy mother, wife, friend, person...frustrated, defeated, worn out...

There could be many reasons for this but there is one that trumps them all.

Where is God in my life?

Sure, I go to church, pray with my kids at meals and bedtime, listen to Christian music and so on.

But when was the last time I prioritized Him over TV? or the computer? or sleep? or thanked Him for all the good in our lives? or told Him how much I love Him just because?

And that is when things start to fall apart.

And I have to say "Duh!' to myself.

That's right, "Duh!"

I NEED Him. More than almost anytime before. And I am neglecting Him the most now.

Does that even make sense? What am I doing?

Seriously.

I linked to Meg's post about this very thing not too long ago and it is sinking in even more this week.

Yes, I am a wife and mother, but I am a child of God first and I need to put Him first before anything else has a chance of falling into place. I need to SURRENDER. I can't do it all. And when I try to on my own, I end up feeling like this.

Crummy.

But when I put Him first, I can be confident that what my kids are seeing and learning is the real deal. Even when things get rough.

And I have to be the real deal because, as Missy over at It's Almost Naptime says, I am their bible study. Isn't that amazing?! You have to read Missy's post - it had me in tears. Convicting and inspiring at the same time.

I want to be a good bible study for them. Make that great.

Thanks for letting me get real with you for a little bit. Feels a little bit like therapy, I would think.

Now I am going to get real with my faith.

Blog Hop Tuesday: Favorite Kid Pictures

Sorry I've been M.I.A. for a few days. There was a good reason. I promise. I'll tell you about it later. A few other things in the mean time...

#1 - Please be praying for Stellan (go here if you don't know about him) as today is a very crucial day for his little heart.

#2 - Today is Blog Hop Tuesday!

Now, the topic was Favorite Kid Pictures and I think that is just mean. I could fill up several blog posts of all my favorite kid pictures! But I did just pick two - the first two that came to mind. And they are pretty special :) I love these boys!

Frugal Friday

I think this is so fun! Sharing cheap...I mean, inexpensive...ways to do cute things in your home!

This Frugal Friday is hosted by The Shabby Nest so check out all of the fun ideas there!

And here's my frugal idea for whatever it's worth...

I love door hangers. I think they are fun, especially in a house with kids. I painted this one at MOPS earlier this year...


But what I really wanted was a sign supporting our local football team.

Do you know how much those cost in a store?

Between $30 and $40!!! I want a sign, but not for that!

Well, lucky for me, I have a father-in-law who is good with cutting out things like this and we made a deal. He would cut out two signs (one for them too) and I would paint them - and total it would cost us WAY less than $30!

So here is my unpainted sign...

Isn't that a nice N?!

I will post as soon as it is painted! Before football season starts for sure!

A Home in Progress

I just have to tell you about this great new blog started by a friend of mine.

It's called A Home in Progress and it is a collaborative blog all about the ways we make our house a home - decorating, DIY projects, cooking, etc. Here's her description:

This blog is for those of us with homes in progress! We are not professional interior designers or even experienced decorators with unlimited budgets. We are learning as we go. Learning things like repurpose, repaint, reuse, reupholster... This is where we can share our latest home design projects - those that worked AND those that didn't.

And today the guest post is from...me! (My first guest post - kind of exciting!)

It's a recipe from my Cooking for the Boys section, but you should go check out the other stuff she has posted there! So fun! I am already inspired!

And if you have a great project you have done, submit your ideas! It's all about sharing!

And stay tuned for my Frugal Friday post...

Thoughts on Proverbs 31

I've been thinking about the Proverbs 31 woman a lot lately. I have a lot swirling around in mind concerning my role as a woman of God, but you will have to wait for a post on this until I have a little more time to put my thoughts together. Busy times!

Until then, you should check out Meg's post about this very topic. Exactly what I needed to read this week. I hope it encourages you as well.

Blessings to each of you! The weekend is almost here!

Wordless Wednesday

Pool Time!

Stephen's parents were here last weekend so we went swimming with them. It was perfect weather to be in the pool - hot and sunny! Joshua enjoyed being pulled around in a floatie and Jeremiah wanted to swim "all by myself!" Don't think he's quite ready for that, but we can tell he is a water lover just like Daddy and Grandpa Mo!