Six

My handsome, funny, sweet, caring and lovable boy is six years old today! Here are some of my favorite baby pictures of him and some recent ones too. Love my Zaney boy!!

Camping

We all went camping overnight. It was the first camping trip my kids have ever been on and it was so fun! They loved sleeping in the tent, exploring the riverbank, riding their bikes through the camp grounds and eating at the picnic table. It was so fun to introduce them to camping!! I'm thankful for these opportunities!

Catch up. Again. And again.

Five days since my last post?! I would say that's crazy but I believe it. Busy busy busy lately. Still. We literally won't get a break from being busy until the end of August. Right before school and work start up again. I shouldn't complain though. I'm very thankful that I have a job that gives me the time off with my kids. :) And we have had a very fun summer so far. Lots of fun activities and friends and places to go.
This coming week, my son will turn 6. My sweet Zaney boy will be 6 in a week!! I can't believe it. I'm so thankful to have him in my life and to get to experience life with Zane. I'm so lucky!
I'm also super thankful for getting to introduce my kids to first experiences and new things. We have been attending the Friday activities at our library and we have loved them all. Puppet shows, reptiles, music and book sales! I love hearing their favorite parts of the outing and seeing their faces light up as they talk about it during the following days.
Something else I have been especially thankful for is my renewed love for sewing. I reopened my etsy shop and have been making all sortable of cute items to sell. And sell they have! I love my friends and family for supporting me and encouraging me to do what I love again!
During these busy days as weeks, I am thankful for my super comfy bed. I crash hard every night, just like my kids. These fun filled summer days are wearing us out! It's wonderful!
On that note, I think I'm gonna crash.

Summer

Apparently summer vacation messes with my blogging.
We are staying busy, having fun and looking forward to more fun activities in the coming weeks.
A few things I'm thankful for- central air, walks with my son, library visits and activities, beautiful sunsets, motivation, snuggles with my daughter first thing every morning, sewing, and my car. A random assortment.
Hope you are all enjoying your summer also!

My heart

This is what I am most thankful for. Everyday.

Hot

It's been at least 100 degrees or hotter the past few days...I'm super thankful for air conditioning! My poor kids haven't been able to play outside much due to the hot weather. We are all early risers in our house so it works out nicely for them to play outside when they first get up, before the heat sets in.
We all had our share of the heat when we attended Community Days and watched the parade, walked trough the courthouse square and visited with friends. I'm, once again, thankful for community. Such a fun day even though it was hot and tiring. Who doesn't love a good parade?!
I'm also thankful for our local library for providing such a good selection of DVDs to borrow. Watching movies is the best way to spend a day cooped up in the AC. :)

My son

Today I'm thankful for my son and the time I get to spend with him. I love our one on one time and so does he. It's been nice having Claire in school through the summer because I get two mornings a week with my little man. I just can't believe he will be 6 in a few weeks. It doesn't seem possible that he is so big now. I'm not going to cry...so here is a picture of us from yesterday to keep me from crying. :)

4th of July

I am a week behind in this blog...but I'm ok with it. Today was such a good day. I'm thankful for this country and the freedom we have. I'm thankful for my kids and my family and the fun we shared today. I hope you all had a wonderful day surrounded by people you love!

Random

So, today was a little of this and a little of that. It was kind of a random day. I was gone all morning by myself (!!) and I got a lot done. I'm feeling pretty good about myself tonight- I got the kids' "big" Christmas gifts put on layaway as well as some stuff for school in the fall. I like being ahead of the game in both those areas. I will continue to pick up stuff for school as I find it, over the summer. And the same goes for Christmas. I have my gift list written out and now I'm in the shopping and making part of the whole deal. I love giving gifts so I'm super excited!
While I was out I also got an oil change. I need to be better about that. I got spoiled when I was married because not only did I have a man around to make sure it got done, but he also did it all at our house. So many things to remember when it's just you! I think I can handle it. Maybe.
This afternoon I took the kids up to the public pool and we met up with friends. It was a fun outing! It was pretty hot out there and I'm glad we only stayed an hour and a half or so. We may need to go to the morning open swim next time. I had on SPF 70 and still got a little brown. Even Claire got a tan. That's what we get for going swimming outside. :)
Tonight, I'm thankful for this kind of day...days where I get a lot accomplished but still manage to have fun and spend time with the kids. We all enjoyed the day. They went to bed a bit ago and were out right away just about. I love it!

Fish lips

Zane said we needed to take a picture with fish lips. Here it is. I think Zane looks more duck face than fish face but, either way, he is entirely too cute. Love this picture and had to share it.

Life

Life is busy. Still. But really really good. I like good and I like busy.
As weird as I think it is that Claire is still in school til the end of July, I'm really thankful for it. She loves going to school and is enjoying that she gets to go and Zane is "stuck" with me. I'm thankful she has time away from Zane and me, time that is special for her and a class she loves going to. Zane and I spent an hour and a half there today with her and that was fun. She is so cute in her own element.
We had friends over yesterday and we enjoyed time with them. The weather was beautiful so we took a walk through the orchards and then down to the river beach. I'm so thankful for simple but entertaining and fun ways to spend time. I'm thankful that my kids love going for walks and exploring.
The last half of our week is full of school, library visit, garage sales, and meeting friends at the pool. Im thankful to have such a well rounded group of friends and acquaintances to spend time with. It's so fun to know so many people with kids similar ages now. I guess our summer won't be lazy and I think I'm ok with it. I'm still hoping for a zoo visit soon, though.

Summer nights

Tonight I'm thankful for a super great weekend. There was good food, good church, late bed times, mommy time out for a whole day, movies, books, etc. This was the first time I have felt like we are really on summer vacation. Yay!
I pushed the kids' bed time back an hour tonight. It felt good! Normally I keep them on a consistent schedule but I couldn't resist tonight. The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining. The kids were outside playing all afternoon and evening- no whining or complaining or tired meltdowns. It was wonderful!

Community

About five months ago, after much prayer and thought, I made the decision to start attending a church in town and start putting down roots in our community. Today I had the best realization- we truly are part of this community! It's wonderful!
The kids and I went to the library to watch a puppet show. It was packed in that gathering room and I noticed as I looked around that I knew almost all the people in the room. It was a great visual realization for me. It was like God was saying, "you listened to my guidance and here is the fruit of that." It was just amazing. I love how the kids and I have fallen into our own place in the town and how we know so many people from church, work, school or mutual activities. It's so nice to feel like we belong somewhere.
So tonight I am very thankful for my community and the people in it. I'm just so blessed to live here.

Blur

Supposedly it's summer vacation. I'm still so busy that I haven't had time to enjoy the vacation part of this whole deal. Maybe next week.
Tonight I am thankful for friends to text with when I crave "company". It's nice to have people to talk to, even of it is just about what you're eating after a stressful day. LOL
I'm also thankful for some great weather this week. We have all gotten the chance to be outside more and it's been so nice. The kids are loving all the outdoor time and space they have now. It's also wearing them out and they are sleeping in later each day...bonus!
Sleep. I'm thankful for a good nights sleep...on my new ginormous and extremely comfortable bed!! I haven't woken up with any body aches or pain all week since I got this new bed. It's awesome! No pain makes me a happy person which makes me a happy mom and that makes my kids happy. :) It's a wonderful chain to be part of.

Family

Today I'm thankful for spending time as a family. My parents, the kids and myself all went to see Madagascar 3 in 3D today. It was so much fun!! I love when we all go and do fun stuff together. The kids loved the outing and the movie. We all loved the movie, actually. It's hilarious and worth going to the theater to see. :)

Dad

Today (and every day) I am thankful for my dad. I can't think of a better dad to have while growing up and also now. I also can't think of a better Papa for my kids to have. We all love him so much and all that he does for us.

Saturday

Tonight I am thankful for Saturdays! Today was a day of cleaning, organizing, de-cluttering, etc. We had such a productive day and I'm so thankful we got so much done! Feels so good!

Summer Vacation!!

We are officially on summer vacation! Well, except Claire...she has class two days a week until the end of July. It's so weird. But, Zane and I can enjoy our time off now! Today was such a fun, happy, exciting, sad and tiring day! The day was filled with lots of hugs from kids on the playground and tears as I said goodbye to Zane's wonderful teacher. It was also filled with excitement and wonder about what next year will hold for Zane. He can hardly wait for first grade to start! I had to show him on his calendar how long it's going to be. Good thing we have plenty to keep us busy this summer!! I'm thankful that Zane loves school and does very well there. He is such a smart boy. I'm thankful that I have a job that allows me to see him everyday and also to get to know the teachers. :)
My favorite part of today happened just a few minutes ago when I was tucking the kids in bed and saying our prayers. Zane said, "Mom, the whole time I was in kindergarten I was like a caterpillar. Now that I'm done with kindergarten and going to first grade, I'm like a butterfly." So true, Zane. I cannot imagine a sweeter way to end the day than that.
Please enjoy the picture of my big first grade boy. :)

People

I am feeling all kinds of emotions tonight, the last night my son is a kindergartner. How did we get to this day so fast?! I know I will be crying a lot tomorrow. Not just over my son moving up to first grade, but also because it means we will say goodbye to his teacher who we both love. I am sure that his teacher next year will be great, I think all the teachers at our school are pretty great, but I know this years teacher will hold a special place in both our hearts.
I am also sad to see so many fourth graders move to the middle school. I never imagined I would get so attached to these kids after only 4.5 months. (I'm already dreading saying goodbye next year after working with the next group of fourth graders for a full year) I am sad that I won't see these kids everyday but it's fun to see them excited for the next chapter in their lives.
So, tonight I'm thankful for my favorite kindergarten teacher and all that she did for her class this year. I can only tell you the impact she has had on Zane and its just wonderful. She is such a warm and loving person.
I'm also thankful tonight for my co-workers. I know I have been thankful for them before but they need to be mentioned again. I could not ask for a better group of women to work with everyday. How awesome is it to go to work and love the people there and have fun with them? I am just so blessed by each one of them for so many reasons. I can't wait to spend another year with them!

Yogurt

What am I thankful for today? I am thankful for yogurt. I love it and so do my kids so it's a winner all around. I'm thankful I had plenty on hand the past day or two when my sick daughter didn't want anything and tried mine and liked it. Normally they like slurping go-gurt, but now I think I have them hooked on vanilla yogurt. There are worse things for a child to like. I went and stocked up on more after work today. :) Good times here.

Thoughts

Remember a couple weeks ago when I wrote about how I am happy being single? Yeah, now I know for sure I am. I had the opportunity to meet a nice guy this past weekend and I enjoyed myself on the "date". But I left feeling unsettled about the whole ordeal. And it wasn't due to him or anything he said or did. I realized later that night what it was. I prayed and prayed about the entire situation and God answered me. In the quiet corners of my heart and mind, in the same subtle voice He always uses. He confirmed what I already thought- There is more growing for me to do before I can be with someone else. Way back in January 2011, God spoke into my life via a friend who delivered this message to me: lean on God as you would a husband and let Him guide you. Hosea 2:19-20 says " I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord." Now, this is not meant in literal terms, but on a much bigger level. The collective church is the bride, but for me, these verses have been such a lifeline. I have learned how to lean on Him and listen for His voice in my heart and when I am making decisions. It's not always easy to hear but He is faithful to answer my prayers in one way or another. All that being said, I am so thankful to serve a faithful and loving God who is always by my side and guiding me.
I am not going to go into detail, but this last two weeks have been somewhat strange for me. But in a good way. I try my best to live a life that is Christ-centered and to let His love shine through me. I am not claiming I am a perfect person because I have plenty of mistakes and lose my way from time to time, like we all do. But I was told on two separate occasions that my faith is admirable or inspiring. I was kinda blown away by those statements. My dad told me back in February when I made the decision to get rooted in our community and started attending a local church that I was going to be a light to this community and I would be a witness. I didn't think much of it other than my dad being super encouraging, the way he always is. But when I talked with him about the past few weeks he simply said "It's good to know the impact you have on lives, from time to time. It can be an encouragement". So, with that in mind, I am thankful tonight for unknowingly acting as a witness to those around me. How awesome to know that I can have a positive impact on other's lives. I am just so humbled and blessed by that.
Because today is my mom's birthday I am going to add that I am super thankful she is my mom, that I get to see her all the time and that we have such a good relationship. I wish all moms and daughters could be this way. Today was not the most fun birthday she ever had, I'm sure. Claire is sick, so we are all trying to get through this whiny, crying, sick girl phase together and on top of that all, my mom started feeling yucky today too. But she managed to get through the day, grocery shopping and all, and was able to enjoy a nice dinner and some ice cream cake before going to bed. I hope it was a fluke with the sick feeling!
And on a final note of thanks....I am thankful this is the last week of school!! Last few days of work for me, til September and last few days of Zane being a Kindergartner! Wow, time flies. I can't believe he will be in first grade next year. My baby is not a baby anymore! Claire still has school, two mornings a week, until the end of July. Early Head Start is weird. But it will give her some time to do things with her little buddies in class and it will give Zane and I time to spend together that we don't get a lot of.

As I was about to post this, I switched over to Facebook to check something out and this popped on my newsfeed. Thank you Joyce Meyer for always having such great tidbits to think on and enjoy!

"God will make all the pieces of your life work together for His purpose, even when you don’t see tomorrow’s provision."

Prayer

Tonight, I'm thankful for prayer. I'm thankful I always have a way to talk with God and that I always get answers in some form or another. He is so faithful.
I'm also thankful for peace. Peace in my life about who I am in Him, who I am as a mom and who I am as a daughter, sister, and friend. I have prayed and prayed on these matters for so long. And the answers came in such a subtle way. I just knew and was ok with it. Wow. How can you top that?!

Ladies

Tonight I'm thankful for the ladies in my life. There are a lot. I'm blessed to know so many wonderful, caring, hilarious and loving women. I love my friends and family!

Rainy

Today I'm thankful for my favorite weather...rainy and cool! It's been in the low 60's all day and rainy. I love this weather. Rain is my favorite, always has been. Tomorrow should be the same and I am looking forward to every drop!!

Mom Time

I'm thankful for getting to spend time with my mom. Yesterday we got the chance to leave my kiddos with my dad and go see a movie and have dinner out together. It was a fun evening and I enjoyed one on one time with my mom. We get another day out together this coming weekend. I'm taking her out to our local museum and to lunch as a birthday gift to her. :) I'm really looking forward to that!

Time

Tonight I'm thankful for friendships that don't change with time and distance. I love my friends!!

Behind

When I get behind, I really do it right! 5 days since my last post?! Yikes! Time for some catching up!
The days have been so great and so full of fun, I don't know where to start. So I guess I will say I'm thankful for the time the kids and I have spent just being together, playing together and hanging out. We have done a little of everything this week- shopped, went to dinner, watched movies, planted some flowers, played outside, read some good books, and laughed a lot. The weather has been beautiful and we have all been taking advantage of it.
The weather- I'm thankful for it. The days of the kids playing from morning to night are here and it rocks! They have so much fun and get so worn out! I have had some great sleepers this week! Yay!!
I'm also thankful for some heart changes I have had the past couple of weeks. I'm moving in a new direction in disciplining my kids and also in just general kid to mom relationship stuff. God has definitely answered my prayers yet again and has guided me to the new choices I'm making. It's wonderful to see positive changes in both myself and the kids and I'm only getting started. I am looking forward to learning new things that will help me be the best mom I can be.
This week has been full of activities and I am looking back wondering how I managed to do everything and then some. So thankful for the energy I had this week! Being a mom, single or not, is a crazy whirlwind sometimes. I love it, though! That being said, I'm so looking forward to summer break. Less driving, less rushing, and less scheduling!
On a final note of thanks...so thankful we have only 10 school days left!! Yay!!! It's so close and we are all feeling it- at home and at work. Boy, those kids get all riled up and crazy towards the end of the year! It's still good though. :) 10 more days....

Days like today

Today was so great. I wish we had more days like this. (summer is coming!) We went to church, had a picnic at the park, visited with friends, came home and enjoyed a laid back afternoon before we sat down to a delicious dinner and dessert. My kids went to bed with full tummies and happy hearts. I am so so so thankful for days like these. They make the rough and tumble days easier to get through when I can look ahead to brighter ones.

Weekends

Today I'm thankful for three day weekends!! I had a productive but fun and relaxing day today. I'm looking forward to church tomorrow and whatever else this holiday weekend brings us. The weather is supposedly going to be great through next week so I am sure the kids will be outside all day, everyday. We went for a walk today and that was great. They sure enjoy our walks! Today we not only jumped over the cracks in the road, but we counted them too. :) It's always a mini adventure when we three set out together.
I realized something this week. I'm actually thankful to be single and to be enjoying the single life. I feel like there is more growing, changing, experiencing, and learning I am supposed to do before I start dating or meet someone. I like that idea. God has a plan for me and for my kids and I don't know what it is or His timing and I am totally ok with that! That being said, who knows- I may meet Mr. Right tomorrow and go from there. Only God knows what's in store for me. :)
Have I mentioned that I love my job? Who knew that two hours of my day would make me so happy and have such an impact in my life? I have really enjoyed these kids and am sad that some of them will be moving to middle school. And I'm thrilled that some of my parenting skills have rubbed off with kids at school and some of my school skills have rubbed off at home. It's great!! It also helps that I have great co-workers who are a blast to work with. We have a good time and I'm blessed by them each day.
As I was typing up some forms as part of some volunteer work I'm doing, I realized that if we hadn't moved here, went through a divorce and changed our lifestyle, I would not be volunteering at the Pregnancy Resource Center, I wouldn't be invoked in Awana, I probably wouldn't even be very active in the kids' schools. My life in TN was very self centered and I didn't step outside of my comfort zone often. But here I am a different person. I changed when I gave my heart and life back to God. Best decision ever. I feel so fulfilled in everything I do and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Stories

Tonight I am thankful for bedtime stories with my kids. Just about every evening they each pick out a book and we get all cuddled on the couch with me in the middle. Then we read books. Claire usually lays down and listens while Zane sits as close to me as he can and he plays with my hair as I read. It's a relaxing time for all three of us and I love that that is how the kids end their day. I think I have two little bookworms here. :)

Spring colds

Today I realized I have a little bit of a spring cold. I'm thankful for this information because it means my allergies have died down significantly. The past few weeks have been so brutal, allergy wise. I basically wanted to scratch out my eyeballs all day. Ugh! I will take a mild cold any day.
Our weekend was fun and relaxing yet productive. I got a lot of cleaning done and the kids got to play outside all day, both days! I'm thankful that they are comfortable enough, now, to go outside and play by themselves. Last year they wouldn't go outside without one of us with them. It's been so nice to just let them go and play!
Last night I watched most of an Adele concert online "with" my BFF Randi. She lives in San Mateo, CA and we haven't seen each other since her wedding, last July. I miss her so much but most of our almost 13 year friendship has been spent long distance. Which sucks but it's the norm. I love her like my own sister and I'm SO thankful to have a friend who has seen me through good times, bad times, weird times and crazy times. We may be almost complete opposites but we couldn't be a better pair. :)

Bedtime

Tonight I am thankful for bedtime....for my kids. Not because it was a bad day or a long day. Not because I needed a break from them or they were misbehaving. Today was an awesome day and I enjoyed every minute of it with them. :)
I'm thankful that I have time in the evening to just spend alone. I have always enjoyed my alone time, even growing up. When I was married I enjoyed it less often but it was good because I had someone to spend time with. I am sure I will have that again, someday. But for now, I really love my evenings alone or, on rare occasions, in the company of my parents.
After the kids went to bed tonight I did some catch up in my read-the-Bible -in-a-year reading plan. I neglected it too long and am playing catch up now. But, the way I see it is, at least I started it up again. :)
I also watched a movie, which I don't do often. Most nights I would prefer to read than to watch tv or a movie. But I felt like some action tonight, so I put The Dark Knight in. I love that movie. Well, I love (almost) all the Batman movies. He is my fav. Especially played by Christian Bale. :)

Ice Cream

Today I took Zane out of school a little early and surprised him with an ice cream date! He and I haven't had any one on one time in awhile and it was so nice. We enjoyed chocolate dipped cones and fries at DQ. I taught him how good fries taste if you dip them in your soft serve. He loved it!
I'm so thankful for time spent with just my little man. I treasure our conversations and fun we have together. <3

A/C

We had a crazy few days of HOT temperatures. The kids got into their little pool, we had the sprinklers going, we had BBQ's, and we used our air conditioning. I'm so thankful we have the A/C, it's a nice reprieve from the heat and sun. I'm not complaining about the sun...I just want spring weather before jumping right into summer!
So, our hot days have ended and now we are enjoying temps in the mid 70's and it's lovely. I'm thankful for a nice steady breeze and having the windows and doors opened up tonight. There is something peaceful about relaxing with a breeze blowing and the sun setting.
I would like to share a picture- my Grandma turned 91 today. We took her flowers and a cake and had a mini party for her in her home with her fellow residents. 91. Wow!

100

It was 100 degrees at our house today. It's not even summer yet! The kids enjoyed playing in/by their little pool this afternoon. We even bought and enjoyed some Popsicles! So, today I am thankful for air conditioning!! :D
Oh, and I'm thankful for sunscreen and hats. Both of which I rocked at work today while out on the playground.

Mom

Today is Mother's Day and it has been a lovely day so far. Not only do I feel extremely blessed to be a mom to my kids but I am so blessed to have my mother be such a key part in my life. She and I have always been close and I treasure her friendship. I hope that one day my own children can look at me and see the same love, respect, support and care that my mom has always shown me. <3

Go-Go-Go

This past week was go-go-go for me. It was such a fun week though! I volunteered in Zane's class, got recognized at his school assembly for my volunteering, did Claire's field day at her school with her, went to lunch with my friend (without kids!), read a good book, shopped, and enjoyed some quality time with my kiddos outside and in. Whew!
I'm thankful that even though I'm busy a lot of the time, I have been able to spend time with the kids. No distractions, just time spent together or one on one. That has been on my heart for a couple weeks now and I prayed for ways to change what I do. I realized I was getting so caught up with email, texts, facebook and such, and it was taking away from time and full attention being spent with my kids. I don't want them to feel that there is something on my phone or computer that is more important to them. I want them to know and always remember how much I love them, how much I enjoy their company and how important they are to me. I'm happy that some of the changes I have made in the past week have produced positive outcomes and also really made up my mind about various things I was being indecisive about. I'm so thankful for perspective and the ability to put priorities back in their rightful places.
I mentioned that I had lunch with my friend, sans kids. That was actually today and it was so great! We went to a cute little place in town- a very grown up place- and ate very grown up food. The food was good but the conversation was the best. (I'm not gonna lie though...the tiramisu was pretty good.) I am continually thankful for God's guidance to grow into this community which, in turn, enabled me to meet people and make new friends. Jen, my friend I went to lunch with, is a blessing and I am thankful for her friendship. I value the connection we have through our faith, the fact that we are both moms trying to navigate life with stubborn girls (and one boy), and also our almost identical likes and dislikes in books, music and movies. God is so faithful to answer prayers. I prayed for a friend here who I could connect with and that is exactly what I got!
This last bit might sound odd but it's how I feel. I am completely and so entirely thankful that I got divorced and moved back to WA. I cannot list all the reasons right now but it is incredible to think of all the things I have in my life now that would have never existed had I stayed married in TN. I get subtle and not so subtle reminders from time to time of how great my life is when speaking with my ex-husband, or reminiscing about my life in TN and also looking forward and "day dreaming" about what God has in store for me and my kids. Life is truly better when you let Him lead you and trust His timing.

Community

Tonight I'm thankful for my community. I love where we live and I love everything this town has to offer. I love how my kids and I are finally connecting with people and making friends, putting down roots, and being involved. It's given me such a feeling of accomplishment to be "networking" and creating friendships and working relationships. It's just wonderful to feel like we are part of something again, not just sitting on the outside, looking in.

My place

Today I'm thankful for finally feeling like my life is falling into place. I feel like I'm on the right track in every area and am continuously working towards various goals I have. It's such a good feeling to know that my prayers have been heard and answered. That I'm on this path because I took the time to really seek God and listen when He answers me.

"Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." (Romans 12:12 NLT)

Today

I'm just thankful for today. All of it. Work, kids, friends, parents and playing outside. Today was a truly wonderful day!!

Another Day

I had one of those days you feel like a failure as a parent. The kids wouldn't listen, I did a lot of disciplining, and we could all have been in happier moods. I'm thankful that tomorrow is a new day and we can make it a better one.
I know my kids love me and they know I love them. Days like today are just hard.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow and our week ahead. I think I need to start spending one on one time with the kids again. Special times for just us. Those times are special to me and I know they each love having my full, undivided attention. Time to start planning some mom/son and mom/daughter dates. :)
Changing topics now...my parents went away this weekend, to Lincoln City, OR. They are celebrating 35 users of marriage tomorrow. They enjoyed walking on the beach, shopping, good food and ocean views. I'm so happy they got to spend time with each other without all the everyday stuff in the way. They got home today and the kids were jumping up and down on the front porch as they pulled in the driveway. They clearly missed their Nana and Papa. My parents brought back all kinds of gifts for the kids and a cozy new hoodie for me. The hit of the trip was the pirate gear the kids got. :)