Nine

Pottery or leather.

Those are the suggested gifts for a ninth anniversary.

I won't be getting Nathaniel either of those things (though with no regard to any list, I did take the kids have have them paint pottery coasters for him for Father's Day), but I am very happy to announce that we are celebrating our ninth anniversary today.

Nine years of marriage.

Nearly 14 years together.

Three beautiful daughters.

One dream come true.

I love you, Nathaniel!

Awesome farewell

Sara and Jake were surprised shocked tonight by a farewell extravaganza organized by a couple of the mothers of kids in their classes. It was a night pool party, and it was truly the best way I can imagine to see the kids off. Both the 6th and 8th grade classes were invited, and there were over 40 kids in attendance. Nathaniel and I managed a decent cover story to get the kids to the pool, so when we arrived, the giant "surprise" shout caught them way off guard. Good times!

Sara and Jake leave tomorrow for their summer visit with their paternal grandparents. From there they'll move in with their mom. As of tomorrow, our household will be home to only children ages six and under (we'll take Elizabeth down to Kansas in a couple weeks to join the rest of her family). No more teens or tweens. It doesn't seem even a little bit real yet. I'll let you know when/if it ever does.

Blessedly out of the ordinary

Last night in my living room:

Our friend and fellow ND alumnus, Fr. Stephen, stayed with us on his way through town. He's moving back to campus where he'll be the rector of Old College. Yesterday evening, he fulfilled his daily mass requirement by saying mass in our living room. We waited till the little kids were all in bed so we could more fully enjoy it. It was very moving to be right here, in my home, witnessing the consecration of the bread and wine, and receiving the body and blood of Christ. Wow.

It was also a little funny to have Fr. Stephen, whom I've known for years, saying mass in that intimate setting. There were a couple times I had to bite my tongue because I couldn't quit smiling in goofy way at how cool it was.

Thanks to Father and his friend, Ken, for including us on your roadtrip. It was a pleasure, and an honor, to host you. And I'm sure it's an experience unlike any Sara and Jake will have the opportunity to experience again soon. We were happy they could be included.

The evening also included much visiting and eating and merry-making apart from mass. But that's all more commonplace so requires less record.

Here you can have a flash back to the trip Nathaniel and I took to witness Fr. Stephen's ordination.

Preparation

Keep us in your prayers over the next couple weeks in a special way! I'm in the process of packing and preparing for the kids' move to live with Marci. Sara and Jake are only with us for about two more weeks, and part of that time is a family vacation down to Kansas. In truth we only have a handful of days more with this family unit. Elizabeth is here about a week longer before she leaves us.

It's a funny sense of transition in the house right now. Excitement and nervousness all mixed together.

Sara had a sleepover last week and she and Jake both had some friends over this weekend. Today Elizabeth is having a party at the spray park with a huge group of her friends and their siblings. It should be quite a scene.

I'll be an even less frequent poster than usual over the next few weeks, I'm sure. But I'll be back to when I'm able with an update!

Sensory overload

Is there a sight in nature as lovely as strawberries? That glimpse of shiny red from beneath the green leaves, with delicate white blossoms showing good things yet to come.

Nathaniel and I, along with his sister, Liz, and her boyfriend, took the kids to a berry farm today for late season picking. I love strawberries, but I'd forgotten how much fun it can be to hunt for them in a garden larger than the 4x8 foot box we had in Colorado. To lift the leaves of the plant and find a little branch with three or four beautifully ripe, juicy berries hanging from it. The girls ate till their fingers and faces were red while they helped fill our crates, then retired to the shade of the mulberry trees that offered a continuation of their snacking that added purple streaks to their face painting. The only downside was that the most convenient time for us to go was at about 2:00 this afternoon. The hottest time of day on what I think was the hottest day so far this summer, not to mention smack in the middle of naptime. There was whining, to be sure, but the girls fared well, all things considered.

I think the coolest thing about the field trip, other than the aforementioned beauty of the plants, was the smell! As soon as I opened the car door the smell of ripe berries flooded my senses. Amazing! Now the smell is permeating my house as I debate what to do with the three flats of strawberries on my counter, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. These are so different from the juice-less imitations in most grocery stores. I can't walk through the kitchen without grabbing one to sample. Mmmmm.

*****

Please don't think that my commenting first on berry picking meant that Father's Day went unobserved (though I owe my own father a call. Oops! Hi, Dad!). The day began with Nathaniel getting his turn to sleep in while I let the girls help me prepare breakfast in bed for him. An omelet, cherry scones, a yogurt parfait and coffee and juice provided enough tasks for everyone to help out in some way and the girls were very proud of the meal they assembled. Unfortunately the gift we made needed to be picked up today, but the berry picking took longer than expected and the store was closed before we were able to get there. That surprise will have to wait a day to be shared.

After breakfast, mass and the farm expedition, we had dinner at my in-laws' to celebrate Father's Day and Nathaniel's brother, Sam's, birthday. He turned 21 today, so as I type, all the siblings in town who are of-age are celebrating with Sam. I love that Nathaniel's family is close knit enough that they celebrate their big drinking birthdays together. Too cool.

*****

I thanked God multiple times today for the amazing husband he gave me to be the father of my children and the "foster father", as it were, to my nieces and nephew, as well as for my own awesome dad. God bless all father's on this day and every day!

The grass is always greener

After a week and a couple days of complaining about the cold weather for swim lessons, today we made a 180 degree turn and the girls were frustrated by the heat. Okay, in truth they were fine with it throughout swim lessons, but the trip to the park afterward for a picnic and some time with friends was another story. It was seriously sticky hot and the proximity to naptime combined with a high energy morning of swimming left the girls in tears. Thankfully the positive result was a solid naptime with five sleeping girls (myself included). Lovely.

After nap we ventured back into the heat for our first trip of the summer (I see my money spent on the pool pass wasting away every day) to the local spray ground. It was Meg's first time in the water at the pool, and she loved every minute of it that didn't involve a kid kicking water into her face.

This is the only picture I took of Meg alone. I think it shows clearly her disinterest in everything going on around her. All she cares about is the water within her reach and her toy.


Note: In addition to the cuteness of the baby's first trip to the pool, the first shot gives a nice view of Elizabeth's new giant gap in her smile. The dentist assisted her front fused teeth/tooth in its long, arduous falling out process.

Him: Wow! This tooth will fall out any time now!
Me: That's what you said last summer.

She was very brave in the chair, and very happy to finally be rid of that tooth!

Good sports

Their lips were still tinged with blue an hour later after hot cocoa and lunch, but they swam and were troopers during their lessons.