Another Saturday adventure

Today's adventure included the challenge of finding two adjacent empty parking spaces in the parking lot at the zoo.  Not such a challenge, you say?  Arrr (pirate speak), that's where you're wrong, matey!  The sign said "LOT FULL".  And it was...but for the two empty adjacent parking spaces in the second row from the entrance.  Chris has this amazing ability to be right about crazy things like this.  (He's also incredibly accurate at predicting weather, knowing who will win a football game, and other things of the like.)  So, you can imagine, that the zoo was quite crowded.  Uncle Tim and Aunt Re-Rebekah were quite the troopers since they spent the better part of the afternoon with us.  They even got to ride the train (red, to McKenna's delight!) and see a real live armadillo.  It wouldn't be much of a zoo if it were dead.  I guess that would me more like a museum.  Maybe next weekend we'll do a museum...

Uhhh...speechless!

OK, so maybe I'm not totally speechless!  I'm just somewhere between shock and awe!  Remember that great family I mentioned?  They've struck again!  Carrie and Jordan and Laura got Chris and I a mega-combined-multi-year-birthday-Christmas-anniversary gift.  They got us a cute little mac (I'm using it on my bed right now!) that they juiced up with all the things that we'll appreciate most.  I don't know how long they must have spent putting ALL of our family photos from the last 3+ years (and removing any lingering red eye)!  How great is that?  I'm so excited for so many reasons--the least of which is that my Sundays will now have an extra block of free time when I don't spend so much time perusing the Best Buy and Circuit City circulars!  So, to Carrie, Laura, and Jordan...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!  Gifts don't make you great, but what a great gift!  And Jordan, thanks for the run-through!  Stand by the phone for more questions! 

Not Alone

When days are long (time seems to be creeping by today), hearts are heavy, and strength doesn't seem to meet demands, it's encouraging to know that I'm not in this alone. I have so many resources! First, the God who created this world LOVES ME--has redeemed me--calls me by name--desires relationship with me! Second, I have a family that is out of this world! Chris and I just celebrated our 7th anniversary last weekend (ummm, steaks!), my three beautiful kiddos are just as energizing as they are draining, and my parents, sisters, and rest of the family are top notch, too! Third, the folks that I call friends are in contention for being nominated "best. friends. ever." I am so thankful for all of these. . .

Elmo, Swings, and Raindrops

What a day we had today! EVERYONE SLEPT UNTIL AFTER 9:00AM! This hasn't happened since the pre-pregnancy days! We were well rested, then, when we took off on the day's adventure downtown to a PBS sponsored kids event. We saw Elmo and Grover, the girls played with much joy in a bouncey house (while the little buddy made it quite clear that he did not like observing the fun from his seat in the stroller), and went down the 15-20 foot "Tide Slide". Chris and I got a real kick out of seeing the girls tumble down the "suds" side of the slide! This whole event was particularly fun for me because I just ENJOYED it--I left the cameras in the van and stored the whole thing on my sometimes faulty memory card of my mind! We met my dad at church to unlock a door for his delivery and the girls got in some extra fun time on the church playground. McKenna is absolutely fearless. She once again had to be rescued from the top of the spider web before being coaxed to the swings for some safer fun! After "helping" Pops, we loaded up and finally made it back home. After dinner we did something that we should really do more often. Rain had settled into the area, and we let all three kiddos play outside in the rain. We played tag, Ring Around the Rosey, and splashed in puddles. There just isn't anything as fun as being in a warm summer rain with precious little ones! They were worn out...but it was so worth it!

Reminders to self...

...It's easy and refreshing to catch up with old friends.
...Love isn't easy, but it's more than worth the effort.
...Watching a child play with a ball or catch bubbles is relaxing.
...Finding a new route to an old destination is more fun than taking the interstate.
...Seeing my children run to daddy makes joy swell within me.

Here Goes Nothing

This is just what I need. Another "something" to occupy my time, the limited time between the house falls silent and I finally slide between the sheets. I can see that my journals and scrapbooking will fall further behind. I'll read even less than I currently want to. But I might just be a little more organized, if just in my mind. So...here goes nothing!