"Swim", said the mother. "We swim", said the three..

We went swimming in Rob and Lynda's neighborhood pool. I didn't even pack a swimsuit for this trip (which totally justifies why I needed to purchase a few at the LimeRicki Store later in the week, right? ;) ...right?), so I spent most of the time wading around in the 1 ft depth area with the baby guy.

An opportunity to brag about Grandma Lynda:
How many grandmothers do you know that will still get into a bathing suit and splash around in the pool or sprinklers with their grandchildren---especially without making any self deprecating comments like most women feel inclined to do when donning swimwear? I LOVE this about my mother in law. She loves to just play with her grandkids. We affectionately call her "the cut and paste grandma" because she always has crafts and projects and playdough for the kids to get messy with. She is not afraid of paint. She doesn't freak out when a kid pukes on the carpet, draws on the wall, clogs the toilet, poops in her tub, attempts to kill her fish (ahem Corbin), breaks a bowl (ahem Corbin again) or does any of the gross and naughty things that children often do. She lets kids be kids, she nurtures them, entertains them, and she plays right along with them.
Anyway, it ended up being no problem that I was without a suit and we were short a few dads at the pool, because Grandma Lynda got right in and played in the water with the little ones. We love her.


This was the start of Corbin's obsession with Preston's Cars toys. He spotted Lightening MacQueen on his bucket and the concept of 'sharing' instantly became chimerical. (How cute is Sophia's pink tutu swimming suit?)

Corbin prefered looting everyone's pool bags over swimming. I'd like to say he's a genius for knowing when to strike and waiting until everyone was in the pool before making the rounds, but as you can see in the picture, he favored the "diet chips" over pretzels, chocolate, and cheetos, sooo.

"did someone say cheetos?"

There's my girl.

Park Cty Alpine Slides

We spent one afternoon in beautiful Park City, Utah. The scenery is breathtaking, there. When our kids are older, we will definitely take them on the roller coaster and zipline there. I am usually kind of a ninny when it comes to activities like that, but I love love love roller coasters, and zip lines are something I've always wanted to try.





Corbin and I walked (well he ran, climbed, threw rocks, and banged things against other things, and I chased after him) around and attempted the carousel while Aaron's family and the older cousins went on the Alpine Slides.


I was worried that the girls would freak out on the chairlift and refuse to come back down on the slides, but they did great! Reese fell in love with Auntie Ashley this trip and showed no anxiety at all riding with her and even said she wished it had gone faster!


After the slides and dinner with the whole family at one of the restaurants, Reese and Quincy rode the carousel.

They were thrilled to find chickens on the carousel and climbed aboard "scout and eleanor".

The kids had a lot of fun. I can't believe I lived in utah for 2 years and had never done the Alpine slides. Everyone had a lot of fun. Can't wait to go back!

A Trip to Utah and the Fourth of July

24 hrs after surgery, we hit the road to Utah for a reunion with all of Aaron's family. It was probably the best thing I could have done to recover. Aaron packed bags, Aaron loaded the car, Aaron packed the snacks, toys for the kids, everything. Being in the car for 20 hours sucked as expected, but at the same time, it was great, because it forced me to sit, and do absolutely nothing for 2 more days.

I usually shy away from taking pain meds when they are prescribed, because they make me really loopy and loopy doesn't bode well when I have small children to take care of. But since I didn't have to do anything for 2 days but occasionally pass toys to Corbin and snacks to the girls while Aaron did the driving and took care of everything else, I happily drifted in and out of a drug induced sleepytime land. Being allergic to Vicodin/Loritab means they give you all of the "new" drugs. I could probably make a fortune selling the remaining 90% of the Nucenta. That stuff is wacky. There were several times during the 48-72 hrs I was taking it that I woke up on the floor or sofa or someplace and didn't remember how I got there and I've head a headache behind my eyebrows since June 30th. But while on it, I felt painless and invincable like I could do 100 cartwheels or something, so I guess it did it's job!


Anyway, Aaron wins the prize for husband of the year for assuming the care for our kids while we were in Utah. I wouldn't have taken the trip if I'd had any doubt at all that he would do all the kid lifting, diaper changing, stair climbing, luggage hauling, and Corbin chasing so I could get well. By the end of the week, I felt pretty good, and I know it is because we listened to my dr. and made sure I took it easy and followed the "pelvic rest" limitations. My inlaws were really understanding, too, and helped stand in for me when I couldn't do something and Aaron wasn't available. They chased Corbin (who was totally crazy and destructive the week we were in Utah.) everywhere and took the kids swimming, on walks, and down the Alpine slides and never made me ask for help (which is not my favorite thing to do).


The week in Utah was wonderful. We spent the Fourth of July celebrating in fashion of the traditional American family get together: 1) the family picture (I can't believe they got one with almost everyone looking at the camera! Well done, guys!): Back: Aaron's brothers John and Jared, Aaron, Janae's husband, Steve. Next row, the wives Julia, Ashley, Me, Aaron's sisters Janae (holding baby Sophia) and Jana (holding baby Jackson. Her husband, Scott is in PA school and will be photoshopped in). Then Lynda (holding Corbin) and Rob and the rest of the grandchildren below: Audran, Ethan, Abigail, Mattisse, Hannah, Quincy, Ella, Reese, Madeline, and Preston.


My children are so lucky to have so many cousins to play with.

2) A parade

3) splashing in sprinklers in Grandma Lynda's backyard and jumping in Auntie Janae's bounce house.

4) racing, croquet, wiffle ball, a BBQ un Uncle John's backyard.

5) fireworks!

I got both of the girls to help hold a sparkler this year, but no photos to prove it! I will have to raid Janae and Jana's pictures to see if they got any. This was the first year that my kids have actually enjoyed fireworks. It was a great day.

Daybreak

Aaron and Grandpa Rob took Reese and Quincy canoeing around the little community lake near Rob and Lynda's house in Daybreak. Their neighborhood is super cute, immaculate and manicured in a sort of Pleasantville meets the Truman Show sort of way...except everything is already in color. It's the perfect community for them to retire in and a really fun place for little grandkids to visit.

Corbin and I walked around on the shore at the dock and then walked up to Soda Row (the little shopping strip down the street).These two would have been happy to stay at the train table in the children's boutique all day. Seriously, I don't think either of them would have noticed if Janae and I had just left them there in the store! I meant to take the girls back there to play with the kitchen and the calico critters (remember those?!) table. I left with an itch for a new diaper bag. I've been using the same one since Quincy was born (thanks, Melinda, I love it!), and it is looking pretty dilapidated. And now, after our other trip, it is full of sand. But I LOVE the pattern and haven't found a bag anywhere to match it's superior functionality. It's a shame lands end discontinued it, because it is the best bag ever! I tried a couple times to get a different bag, but nothing compares, they are too flimsy and loose, too roomy, don't have a shoulder strap, or they are missing the pocket in the back that is the perfect size for my scriptures, dayplanner, kindle, diaper changing pad, or a little receiving blanket. Or they don't have those deep pockets hidden under the straps that hold a bottle, sippy cup, water bottle, sunglasses, dr pepper, etc. Or the elastic pockets inside the large compartment, or the vinyley lining so I can clean it out because kids are gross, or the front zipper pocket for my wallet, phone, keys, etc, which is great because then my stuff is separate from kid stuff and more accessible. And it is the perfect size and it is sturdy enough to stand up on it's own.

But who can resist the cute patterns on those petunia pickle bottom bags? I felt so ordinary and un-hip in Utah with my 5 yr old plain black canvas bag with the holes in it. And, I'm willing to bet those cute fancy bags are are not full of sand. I might have to just take my bag to a professional and (Ahem, Hillary-want a sewing project?) have it recreated with some cute new fabric.

Wow. I just wrote a huge paragraph about my diaper bag. It's time for a replacement.

Back to the vacation, the girls loved canoeing and Corbin and I both found items to drool over in the shops on soda row. Later in the week, Aaron and the girls trekked back up there for gelato. Yum. Can you imagine having a cupcakery and a gelato shop within walking distance of your house? Heaven.

All Aboard

The freight train that was the past two weeks bulleted by.


Time passed as a 14 day line of box cars whizzing by, each day a moving rectangle overfull of cargo and heavy with emotions. I'd love to blog about it all with dates and detailed captions...


A first glimpse of reality on the horizon: the task of recounting each day of vacation grew to impossible as days became weeks and my mental recollection of the individual boxes blurred into a long singular line. A train carrying a mass of time that continues to snake farther and farther away from me. I am the passenger left standing in a fog on the exhausted platform with frizzy windblown hair and suitcases to unpack.



Luckily, I have a fresh batch of inside jokes to share with Aaron, Reese's remarkable gift for remembering details, and a camera full of pictures to help me catch up with the train. And rushing around the house to unpack, do laundry, harvest the garden, and return to our normal lives is not going to get me any closer the ghost of vacations passed, so why do them right away? How fortunate that I am in no hurry to redeem our transfer tickets and get on the route back to reality. That train will come soon enough. Unfortunately, Aaron will have to board it tomorrow morning.


As for the rest of us,

the suitcases will remain in a heap in the corner that I've labeled, "denial", and they will stay there until I am ready to face the real world and responsibility. I plan on just enjoying the long summer days with my kids, reading books, watching for eggs, and really just relaxing and enjoying that I have all of my favorite little people home with me. Simple pleasures. Stress free. I plan serving the frozen meals I have stockpiled in the freezer for dinner. And we'll be eating them off of-yup! paper plates! ---At least until we run out of silverware and I have to face the dishes. Or until we run out of paper plates, whichever happens first. I also plan on just hitting the pool instead of bathing the children (hey, it's chlorinated, right? Better than soap, I say.) then, from the pool, we will be coming home and schlubbing around in our swimwear because it's going to be a freaking 105* this week and that is just too dang hot for real clothing, so swimwear sounds like a better option than nudity.



Now, important business to discuss:

Where can I get a hammock and a pina colada in Northwest Arkansas?

What?!
Whaddya mean, "nowhere"!???



Forget reality. Let's jump the next train to Ca.

While the Cat's Away...

posted by Kasey

....the mice will PLAY!

The giver of Dr Pepper

The giver of butter

Reese ASKED for a bunny ear photo

Corbin's movie perch

PS-a note from Meg: The kids had no idea I was pregnant, and are totally unaware of the real reason they are at a sleepover this weekend. We'd appreciate if everyone respected our request for privacy and not talk to the children about our situation, and/or wait until they are out of earshot before talking to me about it. They just don't need to know or worry about it. Thanks!

I get the last cupcake.

since this is a private blog, a little update for those who might be wondering...

We lost the baby. I'm having surgery in 7 hours, not looking forward to it at all. The recovery from the last D&C for a miscarriage took weeks, was horrible, awful, what nightmares are made of.

I'm handling the situation fine, considering I just spent nearly a trimester being sick and tired with no reward ;), and grieving appropriately. I am strong. I am ready to do it all over again. I am 100% optimistic about my family growing again. I feel love and support. I feel grateful. My friends and family are angels. I feel hope as a dear friend of mine is bringing a beautiful baby into the world tomorrow, so even though I have the sadness of a loss, there is great joy to be felt and there will still be a sweet little baby to celebrate and make tomorrow a wonderful day.

Anyway, it's been a long week and we really are just ready to move on. God has blessed me with an iron will and I know I have all the strength and support I need to get through the next week.