vacation is spelled B-E-A-C-H

B is for Being gone from the Dogs

Those dogs of ours, Chum and Marlee, have become increasingly burdonsome with each child we have added to the family. Before children, they were our children. That time was so long ago I can hardly write the words without smirking. I took Marlee to the vet the other day and some of the paperwork spoke of me as Marlee's mother. I laughed right there, out loud, in the vet's office. No, I certainly don't feel that way about them anymore. They eat the girls' food, they shred diapers, they track in mud and grass, smells abound, they are grumpy, they bolt when the door opens and bark during nap time (and all other times) and all around remind me that while I used to consider myself a dog person, I now consider myself a child person, and for me, there is no merging of the two ;) So being gone from them for a week was vacation all in itself.

E is for Eating some really great food

We did a combo of eating out and in while we were gone on our beach excursion, and what it all had in common was deliciousness. I think the beach universally makes people hungry, or at least I hope I am not alone in feeling the need for double portions after a beautiful day on the beach. We had steak, sea food, and pasta, and boy was it good!

A is for Airing out by the Seashore

One of my favorite parts of the beach day after day is simply sitting next to the ocean, letting the breeze wash over me again and again. I felt like my house on one of those first days of spring when it is finally warm enough to open up a window and let the fresh air pour into the rooms, stuffy after a long winter. I am now thoroughly aired and all the better for it!

C is for Catching the Waves

I am an ocean girl. Not a pool girl. Meaning that while I'm at the beach, I don't want to be sitting up by the pool. I want to be in the ocean! Marianna and Nathan share a similar passion, and all of us agreed that one of the best things about vacation is catching the waves. We don't surf, but we do a whole lot of wave jumping and wave floating and wave crashing.

H is for Having fun with the fam

No matter what we were doing, the beach was the perfect backdrop for having fun with each other. It was the first laid back vacation we have taken in a long, long time, and it was amazing!

Sunshine is She

Dear Adrienne,

May 10th is a very special reminder to me that God knows more than I do. It reminds me that His understanding is complete, where as mine is not even formed. It is the most beautiful reminder that His plan is more amazing than anything I could ever conjecture. I will tell you why May 10th is such a good reminder. Three years ago today on May 10th, I can't tell you what I was doing. In fact, I have no memory of the day whatsoever. That's why it makes me smile up at Heaven when I think how May 10th, 2008 was a day that was changing my life forever, and I didn't even know it.

You know why May 10th is so special. It is your birthday. You are three years old today, marking three amazing years that God has allowed your sunshine to light up our lives. I hope you believe me when I say this: nothing could have prepared me for how amazing you are. Your dad and I love you more than we can get our heads around, and even though we are partial, I think it is fair to say that everyone who meets you loves you too.

You really are like the sunshine. You draw people with your charm, your quirkiness, and your love. You entertain me every single day with all your funny ways and expressions. You love to sing at the top of your lungs, and you love to stand up in front of the fire place mantle and do "shows" where you barely sing above a whisper for dramatic effect. You eat like a bird, but can pack away more chocolate and candy than an elephant at a circus. You are a morning person, and I like that. You have an independent streak that is something fierce and you are as cuddly as the lovie you sleep with every night. You are a hall monitor when it comes to regulating the behavior of others. You are a lover of Tangled, the bath, shoes, the trampoline, and your brother and sister.

You are special. That sums it all up. I love you more than all these words can describe, and I will always be so grateful for that May 10th 3 years ago, unaware as I was, that you came into this world and into our home three weeks later. I will never stop thanking God for the gift of Adrienne.

the culprit

What has been keeping me from blogging? I guess the better question might be, what hasn't? But, just for fun, I'll go ahead and name the top 5.

5. My Nook. I got it at the end of December, and I am an ADDICT. I have read more in the past four weeks than the entire time I was pregnant. And unfortunately, I probably had more time for it then. I was hesitant about leaving the physical paper and ink behind, but it took roughly five minutes before I was sold. Having any book I want at the touch of my fingers has proved a little too tempting. I'm now seeking balance =).

4. SICKNESS! I don't know what has been going on around here, but we have paid more co-pays to the doctor in January than we did all last year. Graham has had RSV, we both go pink eye, and I came down most recently with a freakish fever virus. Nothing has been serious, praise God, but it has slowed us down, no doubt about it!

3. Tiger Basketball. 2 games a week. Every week =)

2. Not nearly as much as I hope to admit in the coming weeks, but exercise is very slowly working it's way back into my reality. It is nice to feel normal again, a big part of which includes the ability to move at more than a recreational pace! I have decided to join a gym with my sister so that we can take aerobic classes in the mornings, and then, once the weather gets a little better, back to the pavement I will go.

1. 2 girls and a boy (really 2 boys. Nathan wouldn't want to be left out ;) ). This has been the biggest and most welcome culprit. I love the extra time that is dedicated every day to our newest addition, and I love that somehow, there is still time for everyone else too! Maybe we're not a slick oiled machine. Maybe we'll never be, but it works. We are learning how to play, rest, run errands, and live life as a family of 5, and so far, we've found that it's hard and wonderful. I'm pretty sure that's not going to change.

a long overdue (no pun intended) update!

Shame on me for not writing sooner! Graham is here, he is 11 days old, and he is absolutely perfect in every way! I have no excuses on the update, other than I have been soaking up my little boy and the rest of my family, loving every second of it. God has been so good to us over the past two weeks. After two prior hospital experiences that were filled with grieving, first over the loss of my grandfather and second with Poppy, a hospital stay with no shadow of grief to hang over it was amazing. Nathan and I could hardly absorb how different the circumstances were this time, but we drank it in and enjoyed it for the blessing it was.

The c-section was flawless, and 10 minutes into the surgery, the most beautiful, squalling baby boy was born, weighing 6 lbs 11 oz. Our time with him since then has been just as flawless. My recovery has been the easiest so far, and that is saying a lot because I am blessed with unbelievably easy recoveries. Today I feel like I never had a baby, which to me is totally miraculous considering I was undergoing major surgery 11 days ago! And Graham could not be any sweeter or more captivating. I am in love. Of course it was the exact same before with my first three, but once again I have been bowed over by the force with which a new baby captures my heart. I don't think it is possible to get enough of his face or his smell or the softness of his baby skin. There is nothing like it.

Since we've been home, Graham has spent the great majority of his time sleeping and cuddling. He wakes up once during the night to eat, and then he is back out like a light. Certainly no complaints from his mama there! His daddy couldn't be any prouder if he wanted to, and his sisters are pretty smitten themselves. Both girls have transitioned beautifully, a few hiccups notwithstanding, and are loving the newest addition to our family. I'll share a few pictures with you from the past two weeks, and then I'll try and be better about not falling off the face of the earth over the next few weeks =)

Countdown to Graham: 2 Days and on the mend

When I woke up this morning, the first two things that popped into my head were as follows: 1) this is the day my doctor was going to deliver me up until about two weeks ago, 2) I really wish he hadn't changed his mind!

Sleep is something that is beginning to evade me, and my back feels more like it is 80 than 28. I just got off the phone with Nathan, and he suggested maybe I should sleep on the floor tonight to see if that worked better. Since this was spoken out of genuine concern and with hopes it might really work, all I could do was laugh. I think the only solution is delivering this baby, but it's sweet of him to try and brainstorm.

On the bright side, things are looking up with all of our health ailments. Adrienne is cured, no one else is showing symptoms of the stomach bug, and Nathan has an antibiotic for his pink eye that has cleared it right up. Both girls did wake up with tell tale signs of pink eye themselves, but an antibiotic for them is waiting on us at Walgreens, so again, I'm hoping this will all be behind us by Friday.

Friday. Oh my goodness. I have no idea what to expect. I have had babies two times before, but with the dramatically different circumstances, it makes me feel like this is all new. I am thrilled, very excited, a little bit nervous, and overwhelmed with gratitude. I can't wait to meet our first son. I can't wait for Marianna and Adrienne to have the experience of a little brother. I can't wait to have the privilege once again to raise a child. It is an amazing thing. Thank you God for the opportunity, and help me not to waste it!

Countdown to Graham: 3 Days and some hiccups

Since I wrote yesterday morning, Adrienne has come down with the stomach virus and Nathan woke up with pink eye. Neither of those things bodes well for a three day countdown, but I'm trying not to get worked up about it. It is out of our control of course, but certainly not out of God's. Nathan and I both are doing lots of praying that neither the pink eye or the stomach virus spreads to anyone else so that hopefully by Friday, everyone will be in the clear!

These new developments have changed today's plans into a stay at home day, but maybe the forced grounding will be good for us. Here's to recovery Tuesday!

Countdown to Graham: 4 Days

We are going in to the hospital for a planned c-section this Friday at 7:30, so after a few weeks of wondering when, we are finally in the last days of the countdown! As I was thinking about the four days we have until his birthday, I realized I wanted to spend them intentionally. Not to say that I want to plan every second of every day, or even that I need to have many plans at all. But I do want to spend them, not just looking forward to Friday, but celebrating the last days I have with Marianna and Adrienne as my two girls, before we transition to two girls and a boy.

I know that baby time always throws a little tumult into any family dynamics, so I want to do everything I can this week to focus on how special each girl is to this family. It may be impossible to completely eliminate insecurities on their part, but as much as I can I want to show them how the baby in no way eclipses their role in this family, but instead, it enhances it. I'm not sure exactly what we'll do, but whatever it is, I hope it all works toward that goal.

In the meantime, there are some practical details to attend to. I would love for Christmas presents to be wrapped and under the tree, a final grocery trip to be made, work stuff needs to be completed, Marianna has practice almost every night for the Christmas program this weekend, and we would love to squeeze in a play date too. It will be busy, and normal, and completely unlike my past experiences leading up to a baby.

Gearing up for Graham without any known crisis on the horizon is uncharted waters for us. I am so grateful for that, but I also feel strangely less prepared. More on that tomorrow. For now, happy Monday! Enjoy the cold weather and the Christmas feel all around!