Picture of the Week - 5/26/2016

Tomorrow is the last day of school!  Wow!  

I've been listening to a book on CD by Gretchen Rubin.  (This is my non-fiction week for audio books...)  She's got a quote that so perfectly sums up the stage of life we are in right now.  "The days are long, but the years are short."  Perfect description of how I feel. 

How is it possible that we are done with another year of school?  Next year I will have 8th, 7th, 1st and Pre-K kids.  Wow. 

How is it possible that Bob and I just celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary.  I still feel barely older than the kids my CHILDREN are friends with.  Wow.

This week we found out who Spence will be playing football with this year and kicked off the season.  It will be August and game time before we know it.  And then it will be over in a blink of an eye.  Aside...  friends and family who might be interested in watching Spencer play, THIS is the season to make it happen.  He's already been told that it's likely he will be playing both ways.  The team is small and fast this year and Spence, along with a few others, will be playing ironman football because they need the size/strength.  As one of the coaches said, "It'll be just like 3rd grade again!"  So come watch him.  His games are on Tuesday nights from August - September.  You are all invited!

There seems to be a trend on Facebook this year to take "last day of school" pictures.  I hate the obligation to take FIRST day pictures...  adding another thing that feels like a chore just doesn't work for me.  HOWEVER, I did see a cool idea the other day that I am *totally* doing.  I'm going to get a giant (like men's large) t-shirt made with "Class of 2028" and another with "Class of 2030".  Then every year, starting in Kindergarten, so I'm already late for Zane, I will take a picture of the little boys in their shirts.  Then I will have a lovely collection to share at their graduation parties.  Which will be here WELL before I am ready.  Wow.

The days are long, but the years are short.

These aren't last day of school pictures - because my big boys are so angry with me for making them go tomorrow there is NO WAY I'd get a good picture...  But here are some recent pictures of all by favorite boys.  The littles taking a bath together.  They are such good buddies.  Quinn hanging out (mostly because I made him let me take a picture).  And Spencer all dressed up for the Middle School Honors Night.  (I totally learned how to tie a bowtie this week!  Learn something new every week...)  I really couldn't be more proud of this little tribe. 

This weekend we have some fun Memorial Day stuff planned and will spend at least some time prepping for a VACATION the week after next.  I am sooo ready for some beach time.  Can't wait!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!

Picture of the Week - 5/19/2016

Goodness!  What a crazy week!

We just got home from Spencer's spring football game.  Well, I suppose it would be more accurate to say that we just got home from dinner after Spencer's spring football game. 

The game was supposed to be tomorrow, but Mother Nature decided to see how flexible we all are and it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow.  The coach made a decision a few days ago to reschedule for today.  I think it was the right call, but caused a fair amount of coordination and communication and juggling of plans for the booster club.  This meant that most of the day Wednesday I spent on email working through various random things that needed to get done.  We have a great booster club and I'm very blessed to be working with a number of people who are super helpful!  But still...  as the president, I had a fair number of balls in the air that needed to be handled. 

The game was a success.  The weather was awesome.  The team looks good.  It was a super fun night! 

Spencer is going to have a great year this year.  I'm so excited for football season!

This weekend we have a lacrosse tournament.  3 games on Saturday.  At least 2 on Sunday.  Thankfully the park holding the tournament is pretty close to our house.  That will make it nice to trade on and off or let the little guys have a break.  I may need a break too as I'm fighting off a sinus infection now.  I guess I had myself pretty run down and feel like I've spent the entire month of May trying to get over some kind of ailment.  Blah!

Here's a picture of a few of the football boys after dinner tonight.  Good times...  Go Vipers!

Picture of the Week - 5/12/2016

The universe sent me a sign last week.  It was one of those signs that you can't ignore.  With the benefit of hindsight and some perspective, I think my boys may have been in cahoots with the universe to order up this sign. 

The universe sent me a sign to slow down.  A reminder of how dangerous stress can be and how important it is to take care of myself.  (Maybe this is a reminder some of you could use as well.)

I got shingles.  Even typing that seems odd to me.  I thought shingles was something old(er) people got.  I thought, despite those commercials warning that "it's already in you", it wasn't something I needed to worry about for many years.  I was wrong.  The universe wins - again.

I started suspecting something was wrong around Tuesday last week - while I was in Scotland.  It was hard to say if I just didn't feel well because of jet lag, lack of sleep, different eating habits, homesickness, different water, different soap, etc etc etc.  Traveling introduces MANY variables.  By Wednesday I had a very painful patch in my hair, bumps on my forehead and an extraordinarily itchy/annoying eyelid.  I started complaining/discussing with one of my travel companions, who also happens to be a nurse.  She said "boy, sounds like shingles".  And I was like "No way!" 

And then I read the symptoms online.  And I knew.  If nothing else, it was a classic case - and actually pretty mild in hindsight!

Speaking of sight...  when I got home from the flight on Friday, I went to Urgent care to confirm the diagnosis and get medicine, etc.  I was actually mostly miserable on Friday - and very thankful my mom came to sit with me when the urgent care folks sent me to the ER because of the involvement of my eye. Apparently shingles on the face/eye isn't something they mess around with as it can permanently mess up your vision.  I am fine - and I'm getting better every day.  Although I will say that shingles kinda sucks - so if you are of the age to get the vaccine and you haven't - go get it!

I cancelled all my travel plans for this week.  I was supposed to go to Dallas and New York this week.  I sent a message out to my boss and my teams and told them I was working from home all week.  The universe won.  And boy am I thankful for the reminder.  It's been a lovely week - a lazy week. The medicine I'm on makes me sleepy and groggy.  I've done some work, done some laundry, and rested a whole bunch.  Thank you universe.  I needed this week!

One of the nicest parts of the week is that because of the combination of not going to the office and some of our spring sports ending, I've had TIME (blessed, blessed time) to hang out with my boys.  I think they needed it as much as I did.  Because they have been VERY VERY present - as in cuddly and huggy and chatty - with me all week.  I've had the little guys in my lap morning and night every day.  I've had Spencer and Quinn sit and chat with me about all sorts of random things.  I've gotten to eat lunch with Bob every day without any distractions.  I've reconnected with all my boys this week in very real ways.  Thank you universe, we all needed this!

So if you don't have the universe talking to you, listen to me.  Take care of yourself.  Don't stay stressed and tired for too long.  The body/mind can only take so much. 

And hug the people you love because they probably miss you more than you think!

In other news...  football practice started for Spencer this year.  I'm so excited for this season.  It's going to be so much fun for Spencer (and me) this year!  Here's a picture from practice yesterday.  They will practice every day this week and next week, with the Black/White game next Friday night.  The team will be announced by the following Tuesday.  Exciting times for sure! 

I also had to share this picture Bob took of Beckett while I was away.  We can't get over how much he looks like Quinn in this picture.  Everyone always talks about how much Zane and Beck look alike, but I've always disagreed.  The little guys have the same hair color, but that's pretty much it.  I think Beck looks like Spencer sometimes and Quinn sometimes.  He's going to be built more like Spencer - but with shorter legs I think.  This particular picture, with his hair all spikey, makes it pretty obvious that THESE two are brothers. 

Have a great week everyone!  We've got some more lacrosse this weekend, but things are winding down nicely.  Can you believe that after today the boys only have 11 more days of school this year?  Crazy!

Picture of the Week - 5/5/2016

Greetings from Scotland!

I'm on my final full day over in the UK (for this trip) and feel like I'm going to survive.  It's a long week...

While I've been over here, Bob's been busy managing a work crew who has replaced all the windows in our house.  We had some that had gotten moisture in between the panes of glass and really just looked bad.  Most of the windows we chose as replacements look just like the old ones (minus the fog).  I do kind of hate expensive projects that no one will notice...  But on the back of the house we choose replacements that don't have the white panes on them.  They are just plain glass.  Bob says they are pretty awesome!  I can't wait to see them.  

Here are some pictures (before and after) of the window we changed the most.  We had a bank of 3 double-hung windows in the living room which we replaced with a big picture window and side sliders.  That one, particularly when the leaves are on the trees in the backyard, is really going to change the whole look of that room.  Yay!

I think today, instead of a nice frosty margarita, I'll likely be raising a pint this evening to toast Cindo de Mayo and the end to another successful business trip.  I can't wait to get back home to all my boys!  I miss them so much!!

This weekend we have football (already?) equipment handouts and a lacrosse tournament.  2 games Friday and at least 2 more on Saturday.  Then Sunday will be a day-of-chores before another week of travel for me next week.  Busy busy busy!

I thought I'd also share some pictures of the castle from my walk over to the office this morning.  Typical Scotland weather this week, cloudy and off/on (mostly on) rain.  We actually walked through a hail storm on Monday...  crazy weather!