Slowing Down

So what did you wear to church this weekend? Ty is loving the current super hero theme!

We had dental appointments scheduled for three of us Tuesday morning. The dentist had to cancel at the last minute for an unexpected death in the family. I couldn't reschedule because I honestly don't know when to make the commitment. Two of my girls need haircuts and I can't figure out where to put that in our schedule either. We are once again in a season of "too busy". I don't like it and want to be more intentional about how our family spends time.

Today we took the kids for a walk on the bike trail at a local park. I found myself unable to keep up with my family which is quite unlike me. I tend to be a fast walker and have to deliberately slow my steps for a leisurely stroll. By the end of the trail I could hardly put one foot in front of the other. My legs felt like lead, my entire body hurt and I was exhausted. For the first time in two years, I was hit with a flare. I cannot begin to explain how sad this made me. Greg drove us home and I napped a bit this afternoon. We spent the rest of the day lounging around the house enjoying one another. One way or another, I will get rest but this was not what I had in mind.

But I have had time to recover and thank God for the minor intensity of this particular flare. My body is telling me it's time to reign in my diet, reduce stress and exercise more regularly. So I sat by the fire tonight with a hot cup of tea contemplating the blessings in my life to help lift me out of the fog I found myself in all day. Today's most notable were clear blue skies, crisp fall air, cozy sweaters, the crunch of fallen leaves under foot, the scent of those same fallen leaves, sunlight filtering through golden tree tops and the giggles of my children as they explored nature. Today was a blessing. They all are.

Fall Days (with masks)

Apple cider, pumpkin picking, hot tea, veggie soup, pumpkin pie, cozy sweaters and a hayride. Today was a perfect fall day in my world. It was so good.

I had fall themed plans for their art project today but was informed by the younger crowd they had their own ideas. Alrighty then. Paint away young people, paint away.

In other news, Ty swears his bed is uncomfortable. He spent all of last night asleep in this box. I text Greg a photo at work and he replied, "Fantastic. Our son aspires to be a hobo."

Happy Fall Ya'll

Sometimes my children share my vision. Most often, they do not. I have learned to roll with it. It's his wedding and graduation I will be sabotaging with these photos anyway.

Vacation!

My parents and I headed into a hurricane, ready to endure whatever Mother Nature doled out. It started off as cool sweatshirt weather but quickly turned over into more typical days of sunny skies and warm sand. It was perfect. We had the beach mostly to ourselves and shared the indoor pool with friendly elderly residents who enjoyed children. Makenna relaxed and the kids played. Mom and Dad took shifts giving me a break now and then too. Did I mention it was perfect?

We brought home more sea shells and rocks than I will ever know what to do with but each one was a treasure as it was located.

Makenna buried Kate with flair.

This was the first time Ty saw the ocean. Kate was a toddler the last time she saw one and didn't remember it.

I wish I had the camera ready when Ty first encountered the ocean. His dance looked like something a chimpanzee would do in nervous excitement. It was hilarious. He never did venture far into the water but loved running up and down the shore, chasing birds and finding treasures.

"Grandpa, remember when I was little and believed everything you told me?" Poor Grandpa, the gig is up when the youngest grandchild realizes your stories are a bit exaggerated.

Dolphins!

Early mornings and evenings were quite relaxed on the shore.

Sunsets were stunning.

Makenna used my dad's old 35 mm camera and loved it. We now need to locate someone to develop a roll of film for us.

Someone was smack talking during Racko

Game time is exhausting

The "Shark Store" where we found warm hoodies to survive the first two days of our week

Ty read a book to Grandpa. This was the first time he'd ever initiated reading on his own.

We went crabbing one night. There was a lot of squealing and five crabs captured. The kids loved it.

I woke most mornings to watch the sun rise. It was peaceful and beautiful each time. I suppose it would be too much to ask for every morning to start with tea on a balcony with this view....

Kate loved everything about vacation. She spent hours jumping waves with Grandma's supportive arm holding onto her as the tide remained strong after the storms surged. She wanted to be on the beach at all times.