tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6717347239238454802024-03-27T01:37:15.829-05:00The Scoop from The CoopAs a 30-something mom of two (who lived as a single girl in a chicken coop when I started this blog), I have many new life experiences, questions, and joys to share. May my stories, thoughts, and musings bring some sort of inspiration, blessing, laughter, or simply a smile to your day.Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.comBlogger232125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-62689464847610048932024-03-19T19:25:00.003-05:002024-03-19T19:25:44.835-05:00Life not-so-lately<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have (obviously) been terribly <b>behind </b>on blog posts - I keep <b>not </b>posting things on Instagram because I plan to make it a blog post instead, but those "posts" have accumulated...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, in the name of <b>efficiency</b>, this is going to be one long post of "short posts" (a la a book of short stories). This blog is very much a tool for posterity's sake, so while I do share it for those who are interested, I definitely <b>don't </b>expect anyone to be super invested or read it in its entirety, by any means.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we put away our Christmas decorations on Epiphany, I reflected on the <b>joy </b>and magic and special-ness of this season with kiddos. We took the week off school the week before Christmas (as well as a couple after) and <b>immersed </b>ourselves in the Christmas story. After talking about all things Christmas in Sunday school, as well, Lydia requested we make a nativity, and Jacob was immediately on board. I assisted with the structure, but the rest was all them. They brought out all their stuffies to play various roles (note the Furby angel (thanks, Sonic)) and proceeded to truly <b>adore </b>their baby Jesus. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What struck me most about this occurrence was how <b>organic </b>it was. I played no part in initiating any of ideas; I simply granted a request to <b>help </b>with the heavy-lifting. This was a role-play I certainly could have tried to <b>orchestrate</b>. A reenactment I could have prescribed and <b>directed</b>. By giving them space to play and imagine (even if that space was created due to me wanting to finish the breakfast dishes), however, they did it all on their own, and it was so <b>precious</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3u08Jz-5qZxAVGQWlj2-irpK5Ca1EiIJxivOgWQ0XiCa0el_PB5X6MMhDB_7wBZmRCFDWf74Xmt_cOwwmS-X3VtrH4pYeUakp-1NHJ423gN7vxzNhhnWZSR8Iip8L1OwJ169l4wY-NdEHdIvZiJOHoV0QjOW2yJm_w0X48lcwQlRjjHGoHfPoNw8xJg/s4032/IMG_7337.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3u08Jz-5qZxAVGQWlj2-irpK5Ca1EiIJxivOgWQ0XiCa0el_PB5X6MMhDB_7wBZmRCFDWf74Xmt_cOwwmS-X3VtrH4pYeUakp-1NHJ423gN7vxzNhhnWZSR8Iip8L1OwJ169l4wY-NdEHdIvZiJOHoV0QjOW2yJm_w0X48lcwQlRjjHGoHfPoNw8xJg/s320/IMG_7337.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nhSrct5EczifrHrkVSXQTRwdDUjVF9AIUA-JvwMOEQIP45wshzv0brpdKIFfRoN9ksn9QBOcBY9fCsIS0G0UClKRlqagqzzbJKXKGyx4k1bNbQTyHgybyQ0F80EEl_qAARJKe08oow3MzbkiP4_EP4qY3InKlmKagjryblsb_wk48hL4_j1yBdZcoQ/s4032/IMG_7342.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nhSrct5EczifrHrkVSXQTRwdDUjVF9AIUA-JvwMOEQIP45wshzv0brpdKIFfRoN9ksn9QBOcBY9fCsIS0G0UClKRlqagqzzbJKXKGyx4k1bNbQTyHgybyQ0F80EEl_qAARJKe08oow3MzbkiP4_EP4qY3InKlmKagjryblsb_wk48hL4_j1yBdZcoQ/s320/IMG_7342.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_b1MANZZrR5mipqKZBrcyuftmrzYOq4dhvDyMAJsqiC_RD_JSe05PlibWjmTm3o-_-DcFQKPWtyTcJXl1TC5RLDdsS3hZH41KdbHI58e9eaHNhJr4ypGzrywYEMPPo4_Zt99eAbpczse1tTKqhyphenhyphenhT0F2naTVHIK8KWfhxexXrt7p3MI8OlbS449tQQ/s4032/IMG_7345.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_b1MANZZrR5mipqKZBrcyuftmrzYOq4dhvDyMAJsqiC_RD_JSe05PlibWjmTm3o-_-DcFQKPWtyTcJXl1TC5RLDdsS3hZH41KdbHI58e9eaHNhJr4ypGzrywYEMPPo4_Zt99eAbpczse1tTKqhyphenhyphenhT0F2naTVHIK8KWfhxexXrt7p3MI8OlbS449tQQ/s320/IMG_7345.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P1C3iHPJT-Cxdw7KuorlupvYmRrLKxM8sTkDw1nMCuWkZ6iEudGwM4eVa4pc1vZoPRAqU_FvrL7dRJRbQPhgifCgTkyR22vBLsSAX8BsdSgoHqHFzp_Jl25XbUl1JmVTQxbMUKIhAJn76QQhexwgPfr2RtI8i2RgZ7LXjVuLo0RPiHng2g9_U0gbIg/s4032/IMG_7346.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7P1C3iHPJT-Cxdw7KuorlupvYmRrLKxM8sTkDw1nMCuWkZ6iEudGwM4eVa4pc1vZoPRAqU_FvrL7dRJRbQPhgifCgTkyR22vBLsSAX8BsdSgoHqHFzp_Jl25XbUl1JmVTQxbMUKIhAJn76QQhexwgPfr2RtI8i2RgZ7LXjVuLo0RPiHng2g9_U0gbIg/s320/IMG_7346.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOnzwUgF5iJCNOVQpAsKBEXxQ3pY00lcChWwF2yWjIVuztD_5-huh2zBKy7FYqHkt4EgM0HoWzpjv_d2M8Y61j1FZquMFnnHeFfGo17nqbIH9L2kHUJzO5INnva4RY723b_4hG6WncEVx3gV9yd3LDEhV9hQCoKtgoo-J4FY1qeh_S9AsF3sSIidrIQ/s4032/IMG_7353.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOnzwUgF5iJCNOVQpAsKBEXxQ3pY00lcChWwF2yWjIVuztD_5-huh2zBKy7FYqHkt4EgM0HoWzpjv_d2M8Y61j1FZquMFnnHeFfGo17nqbIH9L2kHUJzO5INnva4RY723b_4hG6WncEVx3gV9yd3LDEhV9hQCoKtgoo-J4FY1qeh_S9AsF3sSIidrIQ/s320/IMG_7353.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju97av4jt-L7dDQQqx7GrTkf8THqayyjIjxW09MPZRKGJGHf_C-PlmR2bC26ujPzJzTYavwcqW00Hi4clVKqEM3r9z2KbgcmPEPNlnw_clQ5E5UHH1kQEhhYzrxSfUOd26D_Tpz4Obdo1Uek0Whu9IJYENmxti4MZVt6-shVSDLS5QaminZRkttzBvIw/s4032/IMG_7361.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju97av4jt-L7dDQQqx7GrTkf8THqayyjIjxW09MPZRKGJGHf_C-PlmR2bC26ujPzJzTYavwcqW00Hi4clVKqEM3r9z2KbgcmPEPNlnw_clQ5E5UHH1kQEhhYzrxSfUOd26D_Tpz4Obdo1Uek0Whu9IJYENmxti4MZVt6-shVSDLS5QaminZRkttzBvIw/s320/IMG_7361.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_wkec5MZW5DX8lNE8XntDMu-KO0Fep08VwCCFRejZBZfGNMN3KHbldHErkMfnd7WxSHMBIGzzi8RiUYLXo6ChfNt0Ah7Xq8MQg4jua3rr0xHOIu1-0pRJcxkULIF97JO68-hdKNo3rz_VBcg7-8CPLVGTPLOrnNGmZzAO67XDPtYXpMt_Qt52t5gBw/s4032/IMG_8153.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_wkec5MZW5DX8lNE8XntDMu-KO0Fep08VwCCFRejZBZfGNMN3KHbldHErkMfnd7WxSHMBIGzzi8RiUYLXo6ChfNt0Ah7Xq8MQg4jua3rr0xHOIu1-0pRJcxkULIF97JO68-hdKNo3rz_VBcg7-8CPLVGTPLOrnNGmZzAO67XDPtYXpMt_Qt52t5gBw/s320/IMG_8153.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was feeling under the weather one day, so Jacob made and delivered a red-themed Lego creation with special flowers and love notes in the mailbox. Lydia followed suit as best she could. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVv49_FbyKCAjfTUW2nB7yYB7BwZTeFNItH8S7I1ASiUc48bmlXgr3ZftfioSt1cEHFbhVgCz-u_IS1TwU9pnSi6l9y_I2ZuQSeu8o2Ul9WL4o4m5kn_3YzTs6mjcvcXHDHnnlrJReS9Auln8nTrx7Z_037K3oN5faoEw5mpiFwbWsIDidwNsithxKwQ/s2048/4863120F-E629-4710-8195-80B5B4D22F4C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVv49_FbyKCAjfTUW2nB7yYB7BwZTeFNItH8S7I1ASiUc48bmlXgr3ZftfioSt1cEHFbhVgCz-u_IS1TwU9pnSi6l9y_I2ZuQSeu8o2Ul9WL4o4m5kn_3YzTs6mjcvcXHDHnnlrJReS9Auln8nTrx7Z_037K3oN5faoEw5mpiFwbWsIDidwNsithxKwQ/s320/4863120F-E629-4710-8195-80B5B4D22F4C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Work smarter, not harder. Proud of this boy!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fAjYNptE9emT7_8Cma-BLkMGLKb3DsNjsyrgxbOwNHvyDr-EmxN7C-5VdO3sbgPWk75V4bqD8ApKBYJchBL840LGvT_1WrEXInOnvXZCeLNGkeUzWrMRhms3b4wA77N4AvPaS3qPMjRA3aZIh2l4Ci-V7_5o0k8TWKclq1U34pmi2pwmV-TVu2H_Cw/s4032/IMG_8174.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fAjYNptE9emT7_8Cma-BLkMGLKb3DsNjsyrgxbOwNHvyDr-EmxN7C-5VdO3sbgPWk75V4bqD8ApKBYJchBL840LGvT_1WrEXInOnvXZCeLNGkeUzWrMRhms3b4wA77N4AvPaS3qPMjRA3aZIh2l4Ci-V7_5o0k8TWKclq1U34pmi2pwmV-TVu2H_Cw/s320/IMG_8174.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">modeling their "skis"<br />(You gotta do what you gotta do for entertainment in the dead of winter...)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifSwCXjIVeWBXY-l9lq6l34o0XqjsAdN-VnJ4kgPEyWibsOudHFS16nBPvtyH3GWCBjS3fM5ry5ZlqEamRFj2ZrQE59u06ibUaZoaUhNtdmV8SyQvwpSA1ucOTjVpGG67dWTCS7adS-a8ir9ayHHsbJYSxozF_OEs3-KhsmkiR1afmaGlBNX3oDXRnA/s4032/IMG_8195.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifSwCXjIVeWBXY-l9lq6l34o0XqjsAdN-VnJ4kgPEyWibsOudHFS16nBPvtyH3GWCBjS3fM5ry5ZlqEamRFj2ZrQE59u06ibUaZoaUhNtdmV8SyQvwpSA1ucOTjVpGG67dWTCS7adS-a8ir9ayHHsbJYSxozF_OEs3-KhsmkiR1afmaGlBNX3oDXRnA/s320/IMG_8195.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a snow "donut shop" complete with drive-thru window, thanks to Daddy</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmugQqIxG12OY2SQoooG3hzlwzp87eHOOAf1OrThTBEJTl-YbNkzOau0WLAYRA5Qejtl3ue4qldlhENf_W58rXCiTM-ou8Rnyqac7FPsi7hFKAMe1dtt1HPRVsIkGVbFTlN5yvwsCs6_0Y8oxx67svaVQY0OG5-DBvLAtieJ_l8xBbaEzE1awVtx3Kg/s4032/IMG_8431.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmugQqIxG12OY2SQoooG3hzlwzp87eHOOAf1OrThTBEJTl-YbNkzOau0WLAYRA5Qejtl3ue4qldlhENf_W58rXCiTM-ou8Rnyqac7FPsi7hFKAMe1dtt1HPRVsIkGVbFTlN5yvwsCs6_0Y8oxx67svaVQY0OG5-DBvLAtieJ_l8xBbaEzE1awVtx3Kg/s320/IMG_8431.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first (and last, so far) time I've granted the "Can we nap together?" request. They took forever to settle, Jacob was only pretending to sleep, and Lydia only did so for a sleep cycle. Was sure a sweet idea, though. (Lydia has since dropped naps, so we'll see if this ever happens again.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>The kids and I recently made our <b>first </b>trip all together to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. They did a great job practicing museum <b>etiquette </b>and were appropriately <b>interested </b>in several pieces and artifacts. Mostly, however, Jacob wanted to see the huge "flowers" (a.k.a. shuttlecocks) that we always see outside on the lawn when driving by. They asked for joint <b>and </b>individual pictures by each one...enjoy:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-FZ1eoXTdRF6t0Rj85a-ndfBmIgYHT1ARs5hkmyO4QIFLM6SQwRBDQsXdq0qgn1Q20uc2Cpkuo-BJcVxlcmZ_2yH064-4ml-hkneX-nHYvwfvMpfN01_Ikb84rUekh6eI2vsbSpACbZVq5Uoyi0qDCbOuvSBa5t6eTwXUHATmmVyotB6v8Kq8bku8g/s3269/IMG_8446.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3269" data-original-width="2175" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-FZ1eoXTdRF6t0Rj85a-ndfBmIgYHT1ARs5hkmyO4QIFLM6SQwRBDQsXdq0qgn1Q20uc2Cpkuo-BJcVxlcmZ_2yH064-4ml-hkneX-nHYvwfvMpfN01_Ikb84rUekh6eI2vsbSpACbZVq5Uoyi0qDCbOuvSBa5t6eTwXUHATmmVyotB6v8Kq8bku8g/s320/IMG_8446.jpeg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZq8tuDev1jyPSQLU0ss94DhahI64AkmVksnLGUWadWgD2rTVKOxCBCsn7laVISkFUdbRdF9b9qAkSrl1yGlIUGOT1_MpvckU96MTmXQrEtSk-kePrv3Xo7Cajr1BDHLeDOTXwc_ceIDXJ_vXx7mBlAHL8ttDnB5WnPdRFDZnFoLogf-h2OVr2m3faw/s3708/IMG_8448.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3708" data-original-width="2510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkZq8tuDev1jyPSQLU0ss94DhahI64AkmVksnLGUWadWgD2rTVKOxCBCsn7laVISkFUdbRdF9b9qAkSrl1yGlIUGOT1_MpvckU96MTmXQrEtSk-kePrv3Xo7Cajr1BDHLeDOTXwc_ceIDXJ_vXx7mBlAHL8ttDnB5WnPdRFDZnFoLogf-h2OVr2m3faw/s320/IMG_8448.jpeg" width="217" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTV52FlGb9gxGSr9FMA4W1THLAxwMHOWVnQ8NDFfxCMz822Bg9_8bC9V_ypsmLKP4sDOUegCFdqDAqgTFx4WF20ntvGwZYIJq2vjwHl2RcD_g6sGWnxR4Qz0Pj81p2CtB3AqZAsOy4bH2o8PTWtUs1q6bLvQWv1kUzv48CFxE4JkIWcf1ARLcHYH2HA/s3561/IMG_8449.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3561" data-original-width="2508" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTV52FlGb9gxGSr9FMA4W1THLAxwMHOWVnQ8NDFfxCMz822Bg9_8bC9V_ypsmLKP4sDOUegCFdqDAqgTFx4WF20ntvGwZYIJq2vjwHl2RcD_g6sGWnxR4Qz0Pj81p2CtB3AqZAsOy4bH2o8PTWtUs1q6bLvQWv1kUzv48CFxE4JkIWcf1ARLcHYH2HA/s320/IMG_8449.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZTRJVTDTpPEkDGj-h2LCg_1D-DVb7BHrgr5NNC3yYnI4zqW2Gm6SYQezg0IyvTv19ygbUWtShvgWo8Zm5lfqBsd-Y2GPO-kl3ffRTSA4TTFkvLROslz9jMQsFxBTFVK2iO8jy0VKyODx2-XlOXx-NEGn7r9KH8awFa0DUe5X8A5dWlrGZ-tWMgH5Rg/s3962/IMG_8454.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3962" data-original-width="2931" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZTRJVTDTpPEkDGj-h2LCg_1D-DVb7BHrgr5NNC3yYnI4zqW2Gm6SYQezg0IyvTv19ygbUWtShvgWo8Zm5lfqBsd-Y2GPO-kl3ffRTSA4TTFkvLROslz9jMQsFxBTFVK2iO8jy0VKyODx2-XlOXx-NEGn7r9KH8awFa0DUe5X8A5dWlrGZ-tWMgH5Rg/s320/IMG_8454.jpeg" width="237" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfjBZy0XxkK0GckV16yyL5TsOSymSinLWM05LWVIfBwvag4BMHHk7REdlg5pkyIvma7WQjczKGOu8tI0Kg9a6NvR7OqY_sC3E-TsifzPICEwfK_-QMC082c680secA5umPX7ySGK6hAQj7w3kbta_W4HxQR99r_RyIi1fDy46yIrmphWf5Xj2TmiMHQ/s4032/IMG_8455.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfjBZy0XxkK0GckV16yyL5TsOSymSinLWM05LWVIfBwvag4BMHHk7REdlg5pkyIvma7WQjczKGOu8tI0Kg9a6NvR7OqY_sC3E-TsifzPICEwfK_-QMC082c680secA5umPX7ySGK6hAQj7w3kbta_W4HxQR99r_RyIi1fDy46yIrmphWf5Xj2TmiMHQ/s320/IMG_8455.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFu5iNF8pqdXzQDfPe6N-7WQmnBL1FeW93P7GkE1IwdW5GzkvVHmXHZldS5mQIw-nl1OknE0yhFmbS_CyDm4jrLPB_HXPUGBMr4n39CuYhNI08dqFp898jwH4THxzILr-_nqQ1uSp1Y7NQulBTJIYaB31Dr3gn3eSOnUZFjFrCq1vztxMB9_ut6a2Cg/s4032/IMG_8457.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaFu5iNF8pqdXzQDfPe6N-7WQmnBL1FeW93P7GkE1IwdW5GzkvVHmXHZldS5mQIw-nl1OknE0yhFmbS_CyDm4jrLPB_HXPUGBMr4n39CuYhNI08dqFp898jwH4THxzILr-_nqQ1uSp1Y7NQulBTJIYaB31Dr3gn3eSOnUZFjFrCq1vztxMB9_ut6a2Cg/s320/IMG_8457.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjF-lumt9Qflydpy_9JijBL71aZUHHS6Uu5mFmaQEfXPj7NU-J6apCiN0JZaPTv_eVFrtpSlknArIiBA8Mn70VodoNVdqXaCOMpGRLwSDI_bsVWSt5jVg8iVJTn6WXXS1cmKA9mh69T8PzUldddZdtDsqW614GGaC89DFr58APCxroDEWCFmbOp9jLA/s4032/IMG_8458.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjF-lumt9Qflydpy_9JijBL71aZUHHS6Uu5mFmaQEfXPj7NU-J6apCiN0JZaPTv_eVFrtpSlknArIiBA8Mn70VodoNVdqXaCOMpGRLwSDI_bsVWSt5jVg8iVJTn6WXXS1cmKA9mh69T8PzUldddZdtDsqW614GGaC89DFr58APCxroDEWCFmbOp9jLA/s320/IMG_8458.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBKfTuQJxytBSf0wsqe_wAa6c_-MPlSigkiwNQx2cqLtyP4XWJD5ETyUSsTmaJR2YHEIRQDawy2cVjC2kNqtyoErJdBWA1aM6GRFSToE9Yw1zxaAX7z0Auj0txijquxKVNnX5-UCOeH8b_K-dn5-jFeLTDAPp_A6VsH4Cmx8EubbnVvkVovxHwPALeQ/s4032/IMG_8460.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBKfTuQJxytBSf0wsqe_wAa6c_-MPlSigkiwNQx2cqLtyP4XWJD5ETyUSsTmaJR2YHEIRQDawy2cVjC2kNqtyoErJdBWA1aM6GRFSToE9Yw1zxaAX7z0Auj0txijquxKVNnX5-UCOeH8b_K-dn5-jFeLTDAPp_A6VsH4Cmx8EubbnVvkVovxHwPALeQ/s320/IMG_8460.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFwpjSd3LK8Bf9iid1mZeQV6t3gBp4BmxHUUTtqMXjPGtBwv2ZQOBe212w1UNZolr2Sel9whQ-ojzYrXif838OcXd67YqVZE4IL6rTzcRFDUTPfaKb8kSZWEdDABsRsc4IkVfMmcUmUDvCxxutZoC3o0Lz-DICAkCOq1Z_5yMfcgGvYSiCeigpCm9Xg/s3920/IMG_8461.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3920" data-original-width="2929" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFwpjSd3LK8Bf9iid1mZeQV6t3gBp4BmxHUUTtqMXjPGtBwv2ZQOBe212w1UNZolr2Sel9whQ-ojzYrXif838OcXd67YqVZE4IL6rTzcRFDUTPfaKb8kSZWEdDABsRsc4IkVfMmcUmUDvCxxutZoC3o0Lz-DICAkCOq1Z_5yMfcgGvYSiCeigpCm9Xg/s320/IMG_8461.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>I grew up going to this museum on field trips and have <b>vivid </b>memories of the delicious smells and sounds of dining coming from the atrium. (We always took sack lunches to eat on the front steps.) So, I decided to <b>fulfill </b>a childhood dream and explore and partake in the museum restaurant (I packed lunches for the kids, not knowing what would be available for any of us. Was glad I did, as the PB&J kids meal option (which is what I packed for them) was $10.50...😬). I felt so <b>indulgent </b>and irrationally <b>fancy </b>and <b>excited </b>about it - haha. Totally worth it, though - <b>delicious</b>!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TQydWh65rHNEYn5yQ3_pfrWrJ5l6-rXCxBf-LKg1XmNzfvI0YYlP8n1bAgm46xePejAwrbmG8kGG_9ZkIVrcO8dljo_P5_lM0nT0JgkbIlkQuvLgP9YptawAszddau7mq8DI1E7OGbPYuzc0NQvM7ng9chp24I36Da2RswMGCJthuDCKwdYKNam8Gg/s3672/IMG_8443.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3672" data-original-width="2543" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TQydWh65rHNEYn5yQ3_pfrWrJ5l6-rXCxBf-LKg1XmNzfvI0YYlP8n1bAgm46xePejAwrbmG8kGG_9ZkIVrcO8dljo_P5_lM0nT0JgkbIlkQuvLgP9YptawAszddau7mq8DI1E7OGbPYuzc0NQvM7ng9chp24I36Da2RswMGCJthuDCKwdYKNam8Gg/s320/IMG_8443.jpeg" width="222" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Jacob ♥<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ9acjsQxr16iUC6I71KSTPcbh23xiyjx2Xrbf-BDVpBulS5T_VtWu9ubqH6AOliO9RjyuSjDYP74bO2GzSoP9vm0jYylRcIs-Llmg5A8vRgTiMgnPnqXkBXHL7zbGyjDLjz7oE5bLSFrNw9SRK_hdjkXxB5v0-Pl-LAb0-iS1Bx5P5IEy67wEP7Vng/s3088/IMG_8462.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoJ9acjsQxr16iUC6I71KSTPcbh23xiyjx2Xrbf-BDVpBulS5T_VtWu9ubqH6AOliO9RjyuSjDYP74bO2GzSoP9vm0jYylRcIs-Llmg5A8vRgTiMgnPnqXkBXHL7zbGyjDLjz7oE5bLSFrNw9SRK_hdjkXxB5v0-Pl-LAb0-iS1Bx5P5IEy67wEP7Vng/s320/IMG_8462.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steps we didn't eat on... 😉</td></tr></tbody></table><br />That post ended up being <b>less </b>meaty than I originally thought - ha! I guess the <b>quantity </b>of unfinished/unshared thoughts was more daunting than it needed to be. All the same, thanks for reading and maintaining <b>interest </b>in our normal, everyday lives. We have made it through winter and are so <b>glad </b>for all that spring will bring!<div><br /></div><div>Gratefully,</div><div>Kensy<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">weeding the garden and picking volunteer cilantro in January</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">cocoa-dusted truffles</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">our homeschool co-op</div><br /></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-66361495439004418532023-11-14T21:34:00.008-06:002023-11-14T21:54:24.117-06:00From the prairie, to the mountains (and back again)Last month, we traveled to Estes Park, CO to celebrate the marriage of my cousin and her new husband. They had a <b>beautiful </b>private ceremony in RMNP, and we got to help them celebrate at a reception afterward. We were able to stop in Denver on the way to (to visit a cousin from the other side of my family) and from (to visit a friend from college), which made the trip extra-worth-it.<div><br /></div><div>The Airbnb we rented (something we had not really done before) housed us, my parents, my brother and sister-in-law and kids, my aunt and uncle and cousin, and my grandpa! It was such a <b>great </b>location and came fully furnished - everyone had a bed and (mostly) their own room. The kids got to have a big <b>sleepover</b>, and they did really well. There were games and books and movies on location, a huge deck with a fire pit, and a hot tub, which the kids enjoyed in the mornings and adults took advantage of in the evening! We took enough food to feed an army for a week, but also ordered some local pizza for one meal. The space felt luxurious and truly could not have been better.</div><div><br /></div><div>While there was fresh snow in the highlands, the weather where we were was perfect - we really lucked out! During our short time there, we were able to get in a visit to RMNP, go on a couple <b>hikes</b>, and do a bit of <b>shopping </b>in downtown Estes. I have such <b>fond </b>memories of several different family vacations to Estes, and it was fun to relive those a bit with my parents and brother and share it all with our kids, as well! Bryant and I had also traveled there for our first anniversary (his first time), so it was <b>doubly </b>special to revisit some places we had visited on <b>that </b>trip with our kids on <b>this </b>trip. I'll start the photo montage with some then-and-now shots. ;)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQy2mLivWoolfloNeqiDn7eH0jbmeiRyupPSB-3dGVF8nqb6JpLPIy-xRdzhlDc0jUaDxRlXTrIY8gEu9l8NiUOU4Xdkz7EEoJR79NzYzqsi8ppR5kVeRsgjQ1HHHsBKKLfYUYdovJ-UOqJgyugIUjOcMVwSnhSYH_2CEQ4t8xiWnCZkuHSJ-5RrkTQ/s2048/E564272B-8A66-4E9C-9E2A-4450AE653CAF.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQy2mLivWoolfloNeqiDn7eH0jbmeiRyupPSB-3dGVF8nqb6JpLPIy-xRdzhlDc0jUaDxRlXTrIY8gEu9l8NiUOU4Xdkz7EEoJR79NzYzqsi8ppR5kVeRsgjQ1HHHsBKKLfYUYdovJ-UOqJgyugIUjOcMVwSnhSYH_2CEQ4t8xiWnCZkuHSJ-5RrkTQ/w400-h400/E564272B-8A66-4E9C-9E2A-4450AE653CAF.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdS0mQEa3v3BUpagp1m7y6TMMwcvilXGn1Y7l0ae4jEWHdWIeQxAIep0s6ohc_Mnu4MCI-Yn_eWs1pAONP2PKlWwvWFL87cNJFZHm4rXUGMQwUKf84f2o5-aDm8J5EdjGI73wewpR_ZQNBT1ZDzdZonUU6wkzKY6twbM-Jl-b1GMv7B5WncAB76Yc4w/s2142/IMG_5725.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2142" data-original-width="1468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdS0mQEa3v3BUpagp1m7y6TMMwcvilXGn1Y7l0ae4jEWHdWIeQxAIep0s6ohc_Mnu4MCI-Yn_eWs1pAONP2PKlWwvWFL87cNJFZHm4rXUGMQwUKf84f2o5-aDm8J5EdjGI73wewpR_ZQNBT1ZDzdZonUU6wkzKY6twbM-Jl-b1GMv7B5WncAB76Yc4w/s320/IMG_5725.JPEG" width="219" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As mentioned in a recent IG/FB post, we saw a herd of elk (50+) in our backyard the first morning we were there. We'd heard them bugling in the distance, and about a half hour after Lydia asked if they would "come out from hiding," they did. It was truly amazing and definitely provided some early-morning entertainment for those still on CST. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gnilRTZvXXO-9u5SS4nYzObXv7E3NZfo9Dp5Pc5AnnqQljsPcyXCt5nPOMuj-3rehdJutuCvwRz82LYNi-v1NDxS0w8S2pAZYXMQiJGnFJWACRXf6AaDUJAhVwoWCoK0FQFoY1CaQ6kvzhSrgprkn_D_T8W4zv3vOOTh2ofG3uP0BRJRBbVR_3f7Bw/s2048/IMG_5750.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4gnilRTZvXXO-9u5SS4nYzObXv7E3NZfo9Dp5Pc5AnnqQljsPcyXCt5nPOMuj-3rehdJutuCvwRz82LYNi-v1NDxS0w8S2pAZYXMQiJGnFJWACRXf6AaDUJAhVwoWCoK0FQFoY1CaQ6kvzhSrgprkn_D_T8W4zv3vOOTh2ofG3uP0BRJRBbVR_3f7Bw/s320/IMG_5750.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-C7AY3VgxdVWOtMSJ1YumfjoKLPpEpzA1p8Fygb6dfbn42iXjYtE-BUWEwAxT7gEyqJYjGu919bHb8LHb_NJosNX8eZJvmVA50g4pvmnR_mmXFVkbcFIx-Dw-NqDvAMKbinAO1tgqfNdzfZX4spBgNp-jNRA20lzcDWE3lJy_tOWL7ztC5eEID00YQ/s2957/07036C6A-066F-473D-B57E-0C7A75A6160C.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2006" data-original-width="2957" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-C7AY3VgxdVWOtMSJ1YumfjoKLPpEpzA1p8Fygb6dfbn42iXjYtE-BUWEwAxT7gEyqJYjGu919bHb8LHb_NJosNX8eZJvmVA50g4pvmnR_mmXFVkbcFIx-Dw-NqDvAMKbinAO1tgqfNdzfZX4spBgNp-jNRA20lzcDWE3lJy_tOWL7ztC5eEID00YQ/s320/07036C6A-066F-473D-B57E-0C7A75A6160C.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my very favorite hikes. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi490XTvKk-rCXxfPU_xH8qgl6Mb0-IKZ89g3F-wTaGMTNtIqlCiRBEkrYHyl-boRXLXsSLc7LvHJvf86PUkh7DJbLvs9m2m__9dQl8M3eYBPbkgCu0Ng2dqiH4gpazxtr8DGkBvY2bhJCyV04RzZT9KHH_0mXjvc_NTPZOlQ6ZwYoZZ8-1aJhhyphenhyphenfjiyA/s2048/IMG_5778.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi490XTvKk-rCXxfPU_xH8qgl6Mb0-IKZ89g3F-wTaGMTNtIqlCiRBEkrYHyl-boRXLXsSLc7LvHJvf86PUkh7DJbLvs9m2m__9dQl8M3eYBPbkgCu0Ng2dqiH4gpazxtr8DGkBvY2bhJCyV04RzZT9KHH_0mXjvc_NTPZOlQ6ZwYoZZ8-1aJhhyphenhyphenfjiyA/s320/IMG_5778.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7R21vhi7P2_0vhU4Szllfe_yxSma9nPa3MpnsST6Ib97HyKuUIl5KoZwKaOc4poPn3XnqL8rjpo8TL2wLybXyw2XMAwrHOejv00E8Q-KgxfUEB19mp4s5C4dVvTXBalTCqOJM6Y32NAoQ6TyVOwnc8IkBldmAa6U6VPZamxcsNgpk2yjG-AvIpJtdA/s2049/IMG_7279.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1537" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp7R21vhi7P2_0vhU4Szllfe_yxSma9nPa3MpnsST6Ib97HyKuUIl5KoZwKaOc4poPn3XnqL8rjpo8TL2wLybXyw2XMAwrHOejv00E8Q-KgxfUEB19mp4s5C4dVvTXBalTCqOJM6Y32NAoQ6TyVOwnc8IkBldmAa6U6VPZamxcsNgpk2yjG-AvIpJtdA/s320/IMG_7279.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncle Quinton relived <b>his </b>childhood by making all the kids' off-the-trail dreams come true.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWOWraIYCa_5qO0UzqNq_yh4pgdfKDU5zjoAB7vgHu6saxol7s5eU_Q1xgpFGnpYf9EavYL2jkY8lHgphL-LPjU7VULTkSNK6LZeQmrArPbqQ6Xkhd7fsbpNQDsfX7GcT8VWv56lS_A6gq-7miRASMfjD4rundLr2feYWeQmToAe9NNB_Z3nz2ylTLA/s2081/IMG_5911.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2081" data-original-width="1510" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWOWraIYCa_5qO0UzqNq_yh4pgdfKDU5zjoAB7vgHu6saxol7s5eU_Q1xgpFGnpYf9EavYL2jkY8lHgphL-LPjU7VULTkSNK6LZeQmrArPbqQ6Xkhd7fsbpNQDsfX7GcT8VWv56lS_A6gq-7miRASMfjD4rundLr2feYWeQmToAe9NNB_Z3nz2ylTLA/s320/IMG_5911.JPEG" width="232" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6LlkU3NGYBJgVmsUU3k3J22X-ypUjvIbN-xUGg7k9SvdY__8OaU8SpQ7-Lqsr1zEFc8dmrIzAR_wx_YOF_0eApSQWz6vhMHbIDmo1us1EhdNi-LKh79CMvr-iVLHSituTEIR3hOxpwXsJ2XGe-hqO5APt9BDEUBrAyBi_oj3mqLejYbKLXnX7XDfiw/s2048/IMG_5909.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6LlkU3NGYBJgVmsUU3k3J22X-ypUjvIbN-xUGg7k9SvdY__8OaU8SpQ7-Lqsr1zEFc8dmrIzAR_wx_YOF_0eApSQWz6vhMHbIDmo1us1EhdNi-LKh79CMvr-iVLHSituTEIR3hOxpwXsJ2XGe-hqO5APt9BDEUBrAyBi_oj3mqLejYbKLXnX7XDfiw/s320/IMG_5909.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you build it (a mountain stream through a downtown district) they (kids throwing golden aspen leaves in the water) will come.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLqhclhqdQgmeHKUICD57IP9_M81-wc4AQQ25Lo5yz0K2RoKoXQBkDR949bo9ydlahbUJVPSiybY470jh_t2oFhfk0bjvtuXieXie_NqQeviivXF78a0XAhi-PzoKuLXd2usS4xkgm00V2JyGBrHEARYSaHPqjXh8oXiSzkLzrl5k8D_PaWmt-J-Jpg/s2048/IMG_5914.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXLqhclhqdQgmeHKUICD57IP9_M81-wc4AQQ25Lo5yz0K2RoKoXQBkDR949bo9ydlahbUJVPSiybY470jh_t2oFhfk0bjvtuXieXie_NqQeviivXF78a0XAhi-PzoKuLXd2usS4xkgm00V2JyGBrHEARYSaHPqjXh8oXiSzkLzrl5k8D_PaWmt-J-Jpg/s320/IMG_5914.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob found a Junie B. Jones book on one of the bookshelves and polished it off in about an hour.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcedhVl4QNZAUK6JMV2WQW1g4ep6Zfa7V_QunE8FJNTrB9lHqSMH4jJ9DNqj_8PP_z48mHV1-mo23HpFhCMGOI3Tgfu44jKWE3tBcJ_NkjLKCbDqylwlbeapQsO-wsHxt1QREhHa69ne1j00ebU8MFmSFPzRmN6C4e4ftPihCRvHyaJ0zEBDE2nx5BzQ/s2048/IMG_5924.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcedhVl4QNZAUK6JMV2WQW1g4ep6Zfa7V_QunE8FJNTrB9lHqSMH4jJ9DNqj_8PP_z48mHV1-mo23HpFhCMGOI3Tgfu44jKWE3tBcJ_NkjLKCbDqylwlbeapQsO-wsHxt1QREhHa69ne1j00ebU8MFmSFPzRmN6C4e4ftPihCRvHyaJ0zEBDE2nx5BzQ/s320/IMG_5924.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids had spent part of the afternoon prior to the reception practicing (and planning) their dance moves. It was precious to watch them all together - they literally danced the night away.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Speaking of <b>precious</b>...this is my 89-year-old grandpa with all of his great-grandchildren. It was <b>wonderful </b>to have him there and even <b>more </b>wonderful to get to witness this:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy4rwe-bFmWnoZCCZvXKinv2GUcPIcNDLSlhyPSSom3oIsT6FBy9aISXETHtLGE9PDJQMIqIe_7HMKUksBtew' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzBMdVpPMenX3JEwaneNEPbmW4JUq50Km3We9143s_9LLCwWcqtD0Vu9cy5-kdQZiQu8vQzDI1_Ll0uPcaFuw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>This trip felt <b>different </b>than past vacations with kids, and in a <b>good </b>way. It was refreshing to travel <b>without </b>a lot of the baby gear we had in the past and <b>with </b>so many hands on deck to help with kiddos (food, entertainment, etc.). We were blessed with good health, great travelers, and (mostly) willing hikers.<div><br /></div><div>Looking forward to future trips,</div><div>Kensy <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjps1RBsyFcmOBn7lukhyphenhyphenu1c94p585ptzZ8wvtFyDM9AwhWNpyWlcUw-ROFxn-lVLGSe7rlEB3mBpHVKILZhFJVLTQQQ85gNNIPtRU-CidZpRlQ9iksFqI12MqjBUNTGl86Ox2zQH2iTr4zuFP_gAg3QPRhVQXb0bBsrUB1FMYQw05fSFWulDrjI_R7vQ/s2048/IMG_6334.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjps1RBsyFcmOBn7lukhyphenhyphenu1c94p585ptzZ8wvtFyDM9AwhWNpyWlcUw-ROFxn-lVLGSe7rlEB3mBpHVKILZhFJVLTQQQ85gNNIPtRU-CidZpRlQ9iksFqI12MqjBUNTGl86Ox2zQH2iTr4zuFP_gAg3QPRhVQXb0bBsrUB1FMYQw05fSFWulDrjI_R7vQ/s320/IMG_6334.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fall party with our sweet homeschool group</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9e4MAAH25hxpw1LD-t7PgZQougevtVVTqxRYLA9VDxCEcrMnmzcoXrMUKhk_3zf5zoxNnJAkUkzRVrVASORBT4D1NUR9b9kbvYHHinnh0vauJ_WBIXruYUzCrT73T5_RhkC2p908clY5NKaeIsVzKe8zrbQNa3IzjA_ZsCIVGRCj6bJI661-wapfKg/s2048/379BC381-56AB-4092-B14A-7F234CCAA528.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9e4MAAH25hxpw1LD-t7PgZQougevtVVTqxRYLA9VDxCEcrMnmzcoXrMUKhk_3zf5zoxNnJAkUkzRVrVASORBT4D1NUR9b9kbvYHHinnh0vauJ_WBIXruYUzCrT73T5_RhkC2p908clY5NKaeIsVzKe8zrbQNa3IzjA_ZsCIVGRCj6bJI661-wapfKg/s320/379BC381-56AB-4092-B14A-7F234CCAA528.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">having that same group (20+ kids and 8+ adults) over to play in the leaves<br />(This is the before and after, but hardly does it justice - it was magical (the perfect weather didn't hurt). A "during" picture would have shown the gigantic pile of leaves they made at the bottom of the slide, the line of kids waiting to climb the ladder to slide into it, and everyone working together to help fill the ten bags you can see in the bottom picture.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jacob initiating cleaning his room</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(This is probably something I could write a whole other post about. It was something I had wanted to work on together for a long time, but did not really want to force it...and was waiting till we had some solid time during a holiday break, or something. After taking the diaper changing station off his dresser for the first time in his life, however (hooray for Lydia's potty-training really taking off), he asked if we could make some other changes. Initially, I said we would need to wait till we had a full day, but I realized I would be silly not to capitalize on his willingness and enthusiasm, so we skipped school in favor of doing this (literally) all day. He did not complain once and is still telling people about and wanting to show off his clean room - a huge win, all around.)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wShlaFLUd8X5d8MD9rjhuvev2_ybVcdw1wXBGypQmAniH813al5TXbfYEoUaYFqY0bj8USFadQf6ez_TYTLJu7hqxVlplJrL5EAHaf3zVG2p9hkBmGfvZTyZRPf1txsuLbs4W7gEjJm_Y3JSVIrKsbO1v5T_a3Q6YZloDPhG5U-0GgOFUmHkd_RlWQ/s2048/AB5C9016-C26E-42BE-ACB7-A8A69945C851.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wShlaFLUd8X5d8MD9rjhuvev2_ybVcdw1wXBGypQmAniH813al5TXbfYEoUaYFqY0bj8USFadQf6ez_TYTLJu7hqxVlplJrL5EAHaf3zVG2p9hkBmGfvZTyZRPf1txsuLbs4W7gEjJm_Y3JSVIrKsbO1v5T_a3Q6YZloDPhG5U-0GgOFUmHkd_RlWQ/s320/AB5C9016-C26E-42BE-ACB7-A8A69945C851.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the "before" - the seeming-pile of cardboard is a "camper" he's been working on (and collecting pieces for) for a while.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjhXvsIm8Ar4M96Cdtw7ztE2NZ3T4kSRL3E5y-Lzs-jlc-OznR_1CBaKFLv8AqWSlGZb9vCS43KxFccblGLUYpFN9qSb-8T9kWz2ypCYwFgnr6EhGr6pJWRSkDkwWgGPmxsSuvsfwab-cpMMFlouO-T7Bf5ULLxpR77Psz_NezAmDz9b-PRIozZQYNA/s2048/975F133E-300F-4C36-B599-71D099D6FF70.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwjhXvsIm8Ar4M96Cdtw7ztE2NZ3T4kSRL3E5y-Lzs-jlc-OznR_1CBaKFLv8AqWSlGZb9vCS43KxFccblGLUYpFN9qSb-8T9kWz2ypCYwFgnr6EhGr6pJWRSkDkwWgGPmxsSuvsfwab-cpMMFlouO-T7Bf5ULLxpR77Psz_NezAmDz9b-PRIozZQYNA/s320/975F133E-300F-4C36-B599-71D099D6FF70.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is "during" - we cleared out everything but the Lego table, including what was in the drawers under his bed, and he chose what to keep, throw away, and give away. While the predominant decision was "keep" (that pile landed on our bed), he made some good decisions about things to throw away, and we put logical systems in place for when he put everything back.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaDZWp5lVXMgqx3_qppVeYtR2Br6UETQ-4WNtB1L08tV14_rsjuoB8Bi1zKCcAPnVyYOVJ4h0fpUSlwBYYDg7qnipd-I5veYm2-ttQpKbM6Ktba04TdHqRdlT1ReggTJqTprRZARxrdEwO6iXboR37q_JU6X_ocMznE3f1_1rFalkpIt-FzewTbRY8Q/s2048/64275329-CEE0-43B4-8586-57474C1FDF6F.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghaDZWp5lVXMgqx3_qppVeYtR2Br6UETQ-4WNtB1L08tV14_rsjuoB8Bi1zKCcAPnVyYOVJ4h0fpUSlwBYYDg7qnipd-I5veYm2-ttQpKbM6Ktba04TdHqRdlT1ReggTJqTprRZARxrdEwO6iXboR37q_JU6X_ocMznE3f1_1rFalkpIt-FzewTbRY8Q/s320/64275329-CEE0-43B4-8586-57474C1FDF6F.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"After!"<br />The cardboard camper is still there, but before we moved it back in, he had a taste of how much more floor space he could have, so we'll see how long it lasts. The new orientation of Lego City (not only creating access to more of it, but also creating a "cozy corner" with easy access to all his Lego books) blew his mind most. This reorganization has also led to him playing with toys he had likely forgotten about, because they are no longer shoved at the back of a drawer.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br />Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-1965322947463153472023-09-13T21:22:00.000-05:002023-09-13T21:22:29.167-05:006 and 3<p></p><div style="text-align: left;">As we wrapped up Lydia's birthday celebrations last week, I realized I had never shared about Jacob's. <b>Woops</b>! Historically, I have shared about the kids' birthdays here, because one of the <b>purposes </b>of this blog is to <b>curate </b>some core family memories. So, this post is a two-for-one as I share about how we celebrated both our six-year-old and our three-year-old.</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Jacob started planning his birthday party in January. (This may be a <b>slight </b>exaggeration, but we were <b>certainly </b>in party-planning mode for a long time.) While it still has not occurred to him that he <i><b>could </b></i>invite friends (as in peer-friends) to his parties (his short guest list included family and a couple friends who are family), the plans he had for this party were definitely with <b>kid-centric</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />For a long time now, Jacob has planned to be a <b>police officer </b>when he grows up. He will talk at length about the other plans surrounding this, if asked, and one of these plans is to have a <b>motorcycle </b>as one of his work vehicle options. So, the "<b>police motorcycle</b>" theme was <b>not </b>at all a surprise. The birthday boy was involved in <b>most </b>of the plans, but I was still able to pull off a <b>few </b>surprises.</div><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN68GkYyVNspsF7l2AFf4jJbQCqswY-FHCzfuwIzi2tQe8ybTS1xN27BgIdqYtVCMAya4yxHm4KCL9gLIeSZyC-BaehTJxccSd9uIGCNTJVbXAoBuQnNCecYOCbmxEz6d7FfKed3YvOBxSvxg9HiyMpFnympuuFLctLD5Fu20c1ruXKBXM3vEu40WS6Q/s2077/IMG_2487.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2077" data-original-width="1514" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN68GkYyVNspsF7l2AFf4jJbQCqswY-FHCzfuwIzi2tQe8ybTS1xN27BgIdqYtVCMAya4yxHm4KCL9gLIeSZyC-BaehTJxccSd9uIGCNTJVbXAoBuQnNCecYOCbmxEz6d7FfKed3YvOBxSvxg9HiyMpFnympuuFLctLD5Fu20c1ruXKBXM3vEu40WS6Q/s320/IMG_2487.JPEG" width="233" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shirt was one of few surprises.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2OFlETt2PZmzsRl0d7pd0uYN4RHtStbTXqS1YkQEQEg80nE-SnyKqjD_muGm6vbtHKG-GE4HXwmvL-6R5wfb2iUA-zP0_xiBTPyUwoEjCIGLxlRGij6YtVKpzeiJPLPLEBSctyQYmYz6NJWDCn4wtbPzxErJSfdmLc0gIIkH7suErQtY5Ile5Dat6A/s2097/IMG_2493.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2097" data-original-width="1499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2OFlETt2PZmzsRl0d7pd0uYN4RHtStbTXqS1YkQEQEg80nE-SnyKqjD_muGm6vbtHKG-GE4HXwmvL-6R5wfb2iUA-zP0_xiBTPyUwoEjCIGLxlRGij6YtVKpzeiJPLPLEBSctyQYmYz6NJWDCn4wtbPzxErJSfdmLc0gIIkH7suErQtY5Ile5Dat6A/s320/IMG_2493.JPEG" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was thrilled I used glow-in-the dark vinyl!</td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9h8P1_MdwM1qt2cAKEFrbtOGYQJtARTnTkZY_fqfo2ApNAbCyTQCNwQK6GAIquwY8tHAuC0FDKGnN4H39Ml24SvsprsFfIH-TPqmbAU96x26I6O71sg-sH1xIbSVBJnLXpEALjovJH_BkNtaIoRdCJghkeGphpPIciDWRgD1xg4OBOkBB2YxCj7cIA/s2053/IMG_2511.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2053" data-original-width="1530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9h8P1_MdwM1qt2cAKEFrbtOGYQJtARTnTkZY_fqfo2ApNAbCyTQCNwQK6GAIquwY8tHAuC0FDKGnN4H39Ml24SvsprsFfIH-TPqmbAU96x26I6O71sg-sH1xIbSVBJnLXpEALjovJH_BkNtaIoRdCJghkeGphpPIciDWRgD1xg4OBOkBB2YxCj7cIA/s320/IMG_2511.JPEG" width="238" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpaZdWbGan2lbllLwSSQN1FWrokN4IDndci_tqtxV-5RlDS4Gv9Dsb05A5mcj9W8dbI9xEWnle4zs-Ro3X3rmwkTRaEY9a-H1IQpE2MjuBsB5FIjMJS8yyr9lJ8WBXUwfkUPt18XfybK2-XJWVRj2PlgFMh21YgeSxS0b2VgWpj6VeZRMFzQlt9vn3w/s2048/IMG_2484.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpaZdWbGan2lbllLwSSQN1FWrokN4IDndci_tqtxV-5RlDS4Gv9Dsb05A5mcj9W8dbI9xEWnle4zs-Ro3X3rmwkTRaEY9a-H1IQpE2MjuBsB5FIjMJS8yyr9lJ8WBXUwfkUPt18XfybK2-XJWVRj2PlgFMh21YgeSxS0b2VgWpj6VeZRMFzQlt9vn3w/s320/IMG_2484.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">donuts instead of cake, by choice</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusjw8libOGOFG4Ea0xMIYoOY2zyvImAKysYHp9yZ-WG5Jwp23HtOaKvCZ3UbkZpukdYt2AXkKBQr1YDVgBv0FGugJbCRZbQKrQBk7xfiynQIMQwSLUacd7WqwGqs7y435dE0z8n0n0KoDwp7UAFRDNMEpIXs02elqRCSCxVvKEIAOuB87ygA_IJPcIQ/s2048/IMG_2483.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusjw8libOGOFG4Ea0xMIYoOY2zyvImAKysYHp9yZ-WG5Jwp23HtOaKvCZ3UbkZpukdYt2AXkKBQr1YDVgBv0FGugJbCRZbQKrQBk7xfiynQIMQwSLUacd7WqwGqs7y435dE0z8n0n0KoDwp7UAFRDNMEpIXs02elqRCSCxVvKEIAOuB87ygA_IJPcIQ/s320/IMG_2483.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chocolate motorcycles in the favor bags were another surprise.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlTUfr33KQGE7eMtXWNuv62RvoRhEvrujCvCa61FDob90OFatfIFnM7q7kV2fgN_NJvc8czMUJ57tabyGOnrjMYS9SgqJY6oXQatluY0XsVyD9QNK4nKtmiiC6ti63GQ6sf7GLDVZVhxTMnvUNXOLcs6maBGYw50IOK86CS-XQE_AGzHqjWWCeOBL7g/s2048/IMG_2482.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlTUfr33KQGE7eMtXWNuv62RvoRhEvrujCvCa61FDob90OFatfIFnM7q7kV2fgN_NJvc8czMUJ57tabyGOnrjMYS9SgqJY6oXQatluY0XsVyD9QNK4nKtmiiC6ti63GQ6sf7GLDVZVhxTMnvUNXOLcs6maBGYw50IOK86CS-XQE_AGzHqjWWCeOBL7g/s320/IMG_2482.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first activity as guests arrived</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9DHMFuxTYfLQD8sA8J_TkDqCc6QJjGzBo7Ens9Ebnvot7aw11fN2mh5c6TjpgMwEQkA2X9O4E1T83nft5Luwm-VtVPKeorhDJMPRqxPQSaijp9z8v_pnMXf_JUo6RdjILA2Iys-oZBGqpkMvgVfE_vJgKP7mnBODeoEGr_Hq5lI4bpKFGqPzxxO_8g/s2049/IMG_6597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9DHMFuxTYfLQD8sA8J_TkDqCc6QJjGzBo7Ens9Ebnvot7aw11fN2mh5c6TjpgMwEQkA2X9O4E1T83nft5Luwm-VtVPKeorhDJMPRqxPQSaijp9z8v_pnMXf_JUo6RdjILA2Iys-oZBGqpkMvgVfE_vJgKP7mnBODeoEGr_Hq5lI4bpKFGqPzxxO_8g/s320/IMG_6597.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs40-mph-67vKT5I51zgEqzioPTtE8iFDFmxCZuwKItpiq8dmXXARx60Zq6gI898OlCY_-j3l30wigIMFO-JSFU8Bj9DiSvXYazUNKEdqo4OqnUit5LPIk2zQx7_IQ8He0eiun1MoORV4yeErhD2cTXtarW8MM_t96pzCMQRdqWb7jI5ki9xeXxxJG6A/s2049/IMG_6609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs40-mph-67vKT5I51zgEqzioPTtE8iFDFmxCZuwKItpiq8dmXXARx60Zq6gI898OlCY_-j3l30wigIMFO-JSFU8Bj9DiSvXYazUNKEdqo4OqnUit5LPIk2zQx7_IQ8He0eiun1MoORV4yeErhD2cTXtarW8MM_t96pzCMQRdqWb7jI5ki9xeXxxJG6A/s320/IMG_6609.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Light, Green Light</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSml-2hhrASovPV-_ZUSQhK3GhebcxK9QHMOu_rU0CZr_coZp2aE_4KfJSrQ7zPCwhiAxBYrDufIyEvk--tynAdjSwqZ7KBqY4PjKvogIsoiaM3cwUDuqkRd-8zFlNB6sZVQAs7ZEeYI1DOD7La8ud-GWHbgU02bJ-_p5mVgcj0z9xq2hHwGa1Xu2bQ/s2037/IMG_2536.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1543" data-original-width="2037" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJSml-2hhrASovPV-_ZUSQhK3GhebcxK9QHMOu_rU0CZr_coZp2aE_4KfJSrQ7zPCwhiAxBYrDufIyEvk--tynAdjSwqZ7KBqY4PjKvogIsoiaM3cwUDuqkRd-8zFlNB6sZVQAs7ZEeYI1DOD7La8ud-GWHbgU02bJ-_p5mVgcj0z9xq2hHwGa1Xu2bQ/s320/IMG_2536.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Chief" Says <br />(As the official Chief of Police, Jacob had planned to be the only one in charge the whole day, but we talked him into letting everyone take turns. Lydia, obviously, also loves to be the one in command... ☺)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD_GfdCHAKTZAV8YJMeR8v_w2R-q1T7-sIScnE_acsN5sXYVCorlkd7ub0__sicrBdwqKp736OEVL0i3wDvsRG0uX020O5s1MkZz8vrFjdChAeOi2xT7bd7IR45SNMtQtPaVz2k0DcPQyowd--PX8rNtl5gy9s-PGLrPwI-47byiwLmy_2nllQOzk_w/s2072/IMG_2543.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2072" data-original-width="1517" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzD_GfdCHAKTZAV8YJMeR8v_w2R-q1T7-sIScnE_acsN5sXYVCorlkd7ub0__sicrBdwqKp736OEVL0i3wDvsRG0uX020O5s1MkZz8vrFjdChAeOi2xT7bd7IR45SNMtQtPaVz2k0DcPQyowd--PX8rNtl5gy9s-PGLrPwI-47byiwLmy_2nllQOzk_w/s320/IMG_2543.JPEG" width="234" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">writing traffic tickets</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sx-KoFX5Xwv1bdi6GJZlpLilM8VNl1PqDS5ypF_lkTVEbKBKxbTnnHdUxpavgB8cy_WhtLEqh1EMNG5q-ZhPCr_E6dIFs7kF5RRoHkEfkoDBghAiV-GXjm-9jmVlLk_Gb2HX12sRIzsQAgtCUz00ktWn9GEoblN3gLk2AyMw-_MHIRFLtIgJvWpnog/s2049/IMG_6603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2049" data-original-width="1537" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sx-KoFX5Xwv1bdi6GJZlpLilM8VNl1PqDS5ypF_lkTVEbKBKxbTnnHdUxpavgB8cy_WhtLEqh1EMNG5q-ZhPCr_E6dIFs7kF5RRoHkEfkoDBghAiV-GXjm-9jmVlLk_Gb2HX12sRIzsQAgtCUz00ktWn9GEoblN3gLk2AyMw-_MHIRFLtIgJvWpnog/s320/IMG_6603.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">taking a tour of the jail and trying "green bean gruel" for real<br />(We read a book once upon a time in which the criminals in jail were served only green bean gruel, and ever since, this is what we have talked about prisoners eating when we play pretend jail.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGYJDXUVZA599liXSF729V0dPHLiFvwbfIVhwEbKi4YuQGuKVrnHqpI1Ysn82gFtDYUgM_dPPaXLf8-sZ00xlbPsf7sHIsK_Efen7GqgNxr2yzewFtWXFMjihSduJzZIP3Hf9mxZrPjiRcTW-y82ww5lAFtKVd5Bd80rr-H0d9YqD35O1OUsElLgugg/s2049/IMG_6602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1537" data-original-width="2049" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGYJDXUVZA599liXSF729V0dPHLiFvwbfIVhwEbKi4YuQGuKVrnHqpI1Ysn82gFtDYUgM_dPPaXLf8-sZ00xlbPsf7sHIsK_Efen7GqgNxr2yzewFtWXFMjihSduJzZIP3Hf9mxZrPjiRcTW-y82ww5lAFtKVd5Bd80rr-H0d9YqD35O1OUsElLgugg/s320/IMG_6602.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">trying out the hard bed (another component of jail in our pretend play)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1rTgpiqy7JlB6igjIrYI4vdo7iJ2TJvTh99v1-SmbGjOIDW1j9TzWjuueuP5SE-JnoesCF25x2ZZUu2vr2R1TK6cYfGs2z_vbukKldSPy9xz2X0c7dWIjlsgSviAiCqphuZ7xsAFL16vkeyIAgiHwxQVzpxAmaeIG1eNqXADo5paWKIFfu5TksXKcg/s2156/IMG_2558.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2156" data-original-width="1459" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI1rTgpiqy7JlB6igjIrYI4vdo7iJ2TJvTh99v1-SmbGjOIDW1j9TzWjuueuP5SE-JnoesCF25x2ZZUu2vr2R1TK6cYfGs2z_vbukKldSPy9xz2X0c7dWIjlsgSviAiCqphuZ7xsAFL16vkeyIAgiHwxQVzpxAmaeIG1eNqXADo5paWKIFfu5TksXKcg/s320/IMG_2558.JPEG" width="217" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This kids sure thrives as the center of attention - haha.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q6iBa0a4w0mmvT1OA2npD5oROlB0CV-OcXYEox5WQTfngOg5sMeBUXcv7bP6g6P8UbOSry1YDNohf0Zk4YknG2pjGNCHJ8RjFZokIXh8wDRcQpOd5SmnJZ5lJk4yioH_zXiY4zDSm2rydH0VicwPJxrIRXZFvqYiIIGud6YAATbUSqCes3ejPxxwGw/s2108/IMG_2564.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2108" data-original-width="1491" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6q6iBa0a4w0mmvT1OA2npD5oROlB0CV-OcXYEox5WQTfngOg5sMeBUXcv7bP6g6P8UbOSry1YDNohf0Zk4YknG2pjGNCHJ8RjFZokIXh8wDRcQpOd5SmnJZ5lJk4yioH_zXiY4zDSm2rydH0VicwPJxrIRXZFvqYiIIGud6YAATbUSqCes3ejPxxwGw/s320/IMG_2564.JPEG" width="226" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">strawberry was that day's donut flavor of choice</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oSSBaGIwQnx0K6NURfFekJZGg34yK9FrbU9nvexHqQkIxFPtIU9oWg1_yYYMwJ85Ux0AMkxOweos1BPQMTKk5uG7LwAIsHNrHwyg_zmlg1oG_NZYFb59v46kO8bSaylDvPRMp2fVxYtM7fgU6-RasjWyJOdZLS654i84w-QB1KvFvzYPXBHzC01b7A/s2048/IMG_2635.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oSSBaGIwQnx0K6NURfFekJZGg34yK9FrbU9nvexHqQkIxFPtIU9oWg1_yYYMwJ85Ux0AMkxOweos1BPQMTKk5uG7LwAIsHNrHwyg_zmlg1oG_NZYFb59v46kO8bSaylDvPRMp2fVxYtM7fgU6-RasjWyJOdZLS654i84w-QB1KvFvzYPXBHzC01b7A/s320/IMG_2635.JPEG" width="320" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQwEXQgWMENlhBTxerG9SY3YayJy8FQLWj8zqSpUmIs9Ozh7PN6tyJ0BAbnxX-dN6eph66HObEyiSHmrLiIPDTFQiRo_JfjuENTowNC1YoWAb_itYS89sPtLMDg6rgoFD94tT1gqBDJJkohzBOvIYQMbOfuHi5tpWCZ7NtfikDRK4jQFrUg0FUIO2Vw/s2048/IMG_2630.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQwEXQgWMENlhBTxerG9SY3YayJy8FQLWj8zqSpUmIs9Ozh7PN6tyJ0BAbnxX-dN6eph66HObEyiSHmrLiIPDTFQiRo_JfjuENTowNC1YoWAb_itYS89sPtLMDg6rgoFD94tT1gqBDJJkohzBOvIYQMbOfuHi5tpWCZ7NtfikDRK4jQFrUg0FUIO2Vw/s320/IMG_2630.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of his gifts was a police siren to put on his bike.<br />The best part, in his own words: "It's removable, so I can move it to any bike!"</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOobZkzEw35zuOElbtYZqJ3o7XA7cIYea90HzVl8mjyR1d8dDzvgwPvrDp9z6G-AqBZnrVDapfswKCjCdebJWogG9oc5VBvRua6hYv0U2nWCJivrvKKtlgtgdnCZc2hlSHhtmS9mJSHnFGkgJLeSQ_ppa8J41hzA--iseeulfJjHztWytsKKDMYrSHTw/s2048/IMG_2647.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOobZkzEw35zuOElbtYZqJ3o7XA7cIYea90HzVl8mjyR1d8dDzvgwPvrDp9z6G-AqBZnrVDapfswKCjCdebJWogG9oc5VBvRua6hYv0U2nWCJivrvKKtlgtgdnCZc2hlSHhtmS9mJSHnFGkgJLeSQ_ppa8J41hzA--iseeulfJjHztWytsKKDMYrSHTw/s320/IMG_2647.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He tested it out right away and claims to have slowed down at least one speeding vehicle.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7HH207kO3V2F1e3Pe_Iiokrthn9S9FH-yr1Yp4QFx98Rd5I79BWX0PNNGWYPT91S36O7ooabu4IDijJ3jtmZb2H0wCPkNFXdBh9VNCeLFAG1w-KPgVzcS6BTLZCQ0gx3-KirZp5xj4r6JlLUcLgueNRfemQeUv13aiENyedTLpyQNWW9qQ8WZ_M-Ug/s2048/IMG_2874.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7HH207kO3V2F1e3Pe_Iiokrthn9S9FH-yr1Yp4QFx98Rd5I79BWX0PNNGWYPT91S36O7ooabu4IDijJ3jtmZb2H0wCPkNFXdBh9VNCeLFAG1w-KPgVzcS6BTLZCQ0gx3-KirZp5xj4r6JlLUcLgueNRfemQeUv13aiENyedTLpyQNWW9qQ8WZ_M-Ug/s320/IMG_2874.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One reason he was ok to have donuts as cake for his party was that he would also get to have his requested "salted caramel with vanilla and chocolate" cupcakes on his actual birthday.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In stark <b>contrast </b>to her brother, Lydia had <b>one </b>request for her birthday party theme: <b>pink</b>. I think this was a product of the pink funfetti cake mix she got to pick out for her birthday <b>last year</b>, because she more often names "purple" as her favorite color. Anyway, she <b>copied </b>Jacob's guest list and asked after the party, "When is my motorcycle birthday?" so I think it is safe to say she does <b>not quite </b>have the concept down, yet. Regardless, she was <b>thrilled </b>with her simple, sweet pink party.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn2ZG6MAan6vcYDa-CiyngRgSNNsOmXtEpxh9cxWuZDDkRanLqbSGD7wG04LtvoTxj-b3IC9Ec190E7KtEy-Ww7pqr0h1y2_SL68r6lPX77k3uHJh4Cxn4QPsCJyB77BPYjDzVrmD6hQcytEPHjNUggEwJ8gFVAoYCeDHRWqvexub2P2Aj0-zz2Bvlg/s2048/IMG_4564.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBn2ZG6MAan6vcYDa-CiyngRgSNNsOmXtEpxh9cxWuZDDkRanLqbSGD7wG04LtvoTxj-b3IC9Ec190E7KtEy-Ww7pqr0h1y2_SL68r6lPX77k3uHJh4Cxn4QPsCJyB77BPYjDzVrmD6hQcytEPHjNUggEwJ8gFVAoYCeDHRWqvexub2P2Aj0-zz2Bvlg/s320/IMG_4564.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the highlight of birthday preparations</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0vTrEOzwY-M8bky5v4O2PysMX-4_i2zR9fZiCkoXCN2w49Zh6GbWZvzB5y7rIRrtL6es0h7xSE7I32H7UPVwFPz5Ft2Jx5XJFo1xp6scr61ndyCaWqnihl6ptxwXPh3jXh9cOr-UhpAGonybNOqEvhBQ0zZfRoerpatc8uywfbIAqbosiPjIX9VtyQ/s2048/IMG_4579.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0vTrEOzwY-M8bky5v4O2PysMX-4_i2zR9fZiCkoXCN2w49Zh6GbWZvzB5y7rIRrtL6es0h7xSE7I32H7UPVwFPz5Ft2Jx5XJFo1xp6scr61ndyCaWqnihl6ptxwXPh3jXh9cOr-UhpAGonybNOqEvhBQ0zZfRoerpatc8uywfbIAqbosiPjIX9VtyQ/s320/IMG_4579.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3TapDapvJzx4v2KwFLzqZM9twm0GLuxFlYEELoEDGqt0v1r7zzuP_Y6FdWmcUegLazcYXZySTSf93npXlXfU25iRWroPMJpR4j3O131HVp1F_qnCleRBgoI9p-y1SnpIGEIECod7mHXPCacpDbBNS_PCi4DMPgaEGdLEMu3W8-z3AKqEKjAQCgXD7w/s2156/IMG_4590.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2156" data-original-width="1459" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk3TapDapvJzx4v2KwFLzqZM9twm0GLuxFlYEELoEDGqt0v1r7zzuP_Y6FdWmcUegLazcYXZySTSf93npXlXfU25iRWroPMJpR4j3O131HVp1F_qnCleRBgoI9p-y1SnpIGEIECod7mHXPCacpDbBNS_PCi4DMPgaEGdLEMu3W8-z3AKqEKjAQCgXD7w/s320/IMG_4590.JPEG" width="217" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_xUGlMHAiPSuTgB2sH31K3KrJzYfMUn3hdtma69Ynl88kH-8sZQsovMUMfcqn28rxhgR7HpHRHIZWHBqFQU5wzQ9dFNH3iMcx_1iU7kzgOkZHgJexxQi9RsCC4tOXVdJw61yIfgzk-KN2_mCt5pS8xzEZxtdAF6808QrK8rRHbZLXhQ_F9985cJiog/s2048/IMG_4602.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_xUGlMHAiPSuTgB2sH31K3KrJzYfMUn3hdtma69Ynl88kH-8sZQsovMUMfcqn28rxhgR7HpHRHIZWHBqFQU5wzQ9dFNH3iMcx_1iU7kzgOkZHgJexxQi9RsCC4tOXVdJw61yIfgzk-KN2_mCt5pS8xzEZxtdAF6808QrK8rRHbZLXhQ_F9985cJiog/s320/IMG_4602.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was her requested birthday breakfast...before she was reminded we could go get donuts, if she wanted. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88tV120dnpL0acN6X6XKRcc4NE7qaNbRsgG4MxK-2bCtl6A9PEC_Zz22MkJCIWdoRcFPe4NCxDIeUJbwIXVv7_vAroK44sYE4HW_Bn5NqFD6zBTM5zvT9uNl_4KItMMgJt9JDc5HcUf06G0QQ5MhY_pMMlAc1HCXM1tdKGB2No9lEgOGd4F89r2XLkA/s2048/IMG_4612.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88tV120dnpL0acN6X6XKRcc4NE7qaNbRsgG4MxK-2bCtl6A9PEC_Zz22MkJCIWdoRcFPe4NCxDIeUJbwIXVv7_vAroK44sYE4HW_Bn5NqFD6zBTM5zvT9uNl_4KItMMgJt9JDc5HcUf06G0QQ5MhY_pMMlAc1HCXM1tdKGB2No9lEgOGd4F89r2XLkA/s320/IMG_4612.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They do not always have sprinkle or pink donuts, so we tried to minimize her expectations going in, but we were all so delighted her donut dreams came true.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjM_zkrCJOfEtHXpgAsEnFZPcQztMqhZzHsLI3efcRaufo1sMhAC9xNo3sdepna8mGhXsqs1RpXUfkrygQS_2dlm_ULdWtsL_F4K_E2CikqCtZTF-bbBXnz9S-ZL_RWv7ucHWLNWUsl6tvg7qipDcjG8OEJOiW2rMYBXSJKKI8PG8B9Hlhr0Lnn4iag/s2048/IMG_4606.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjM_zkrCJOfEtHXpgAsEnFZPcQztMqhZzHsLI3efcRaufo1sMhAC9xNo3sdepna8mGhXsqs1RpXUfkrygQS_2dlm_ULdWtsL_F4K_E2CikqCtZTF-bbBXnz9S-ZL_RWv7ucHWLNWUsl6tvg7qipDcjG8OEJOiW2rMYBXSJKKI8PG8B9Hlhr0Lnn4iag/s2048/IMG_4606.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjM_zkrCJOfEtHXpgAsEnFZPcQztMqhZzHsLI3efcRaufo1sMhAC9xNo3sdepna8mGhXsqs1RpXUfkrygQS_2dlm_ULdWtsL_F4K_E2CikqCtZTF-bbBXnz9S-ZL_RWv7ucHWLNWUsl6tvg7qipDcjG8OEJOiW2rMYBXSJKKI8PG8B9Hlhr0Lnn4iag/s320/IMG_4606.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the garden is still providing on-theme decor, you take advantage. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzano8w2iisaN2wYBYN_Ju6_IOJTbfLjWt3IvPaTxEj0xAAeIyoUDJNscQBxdrTrGAiOpKjyLz4fHx0rcPRP0cih2Pau_Gpoesm9JQbGNP4yBpdw0-itMl9K-BJFIYyn5T8emQAmAEut1nDcFACDdrnmsk7oSlzSd-JkZw60tD6Jw1P2_Atw7ywSTJA/s2048/IMG_4607.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZzano8w2iisaN2wYBYN_Ju6_IOJTbfLjWt3IvPaTxEj0xAAeIyoUDJNscQBxdrTrGAiOpKjyLz4fHx0rcPRP0cih2Pau_Gpoesm9JQbGNP4yBpdw0-itMl9K-BJFIYyn5T8emQAmAEut1nDcFACDdrnmsk7oSlzSd-JkZw60tD6Jw1P2_Atw7ywSTJA/s320/IMG_4607.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">favor bags<br />The bendy tube toys have been a favorite for road trips, esp.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtN4iqacBlNRtyevs9pD0QDSheUi6To8r0FSSakly8fXwLDkA0yvMNOgDtUBZWsVBe80G_qywEdYoHGb_KAL34q8Gp1yTCkS8wGbOh0CjI-OLYbXmXPo4oV_Ysxj2Pe-BPw25xLs6R3NktZfw33F7pCAA_tVduZDIcj3hIL3XNyOgQQqOULSRhwr9Ppw/s2048/IMG_4622.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtN4iqacBlNRtyevs9pD0QDSheUi6To8r0FSSakly8fXwLDkA0yvMNOgDtUBZWsVBe80G_qywEdYoHGb_KAL34q8Gp1yTCkS8wGbOh0CjI-OLYbXmXPo4oV_Ysxj2Pe-BPw25xLs6R3NktZfw33F7pCAA_tVduZDIcj3hIL3XNyOgQQqOULSRhwr9Ppw/s320/IMG_4622.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchs9QDyj98pDfDvL06swy1O1Q7OI33mf2_dT-LGysVRvfr9xE1e-rJlPw-ZPY-829SsKGpnYg0l7QRt5wwG6DQKggU6bk82rt0r_0Ga46E1ssLhIpBqbCG3HIPB17NA53VjVJmqAoAaW9QDkTOW-H2SFPFaf_TMtFF3neRa6MF1HmGMjcVAbt8zBq7Q/s2048/IMG_4650.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchs9QDyj98pDfDvL06swy1O1Q7OI33mf2_dT-LGysVRvfr9xE1e-rJlPw-ZPY-829SsKGpnYg0l7QRt5wwG6DQKggU6bk82rt0r_0Ga46E1ssLhIpBqbCG3HIPB17NA53VjVJmqAoAaW9QDkTOW-H2SFPFaf_TMtFF3neRa6MF1HmGMjcVAbt8zBq7Q/s320/IMG_4650.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peep Jacob's decoration contribution on the far right. ☺♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVUWHisneVTDKj9C5yjAzG67lSFY-7MzP9CZyDFLDnzIRihHUX8SuFT-jTQbvsUCIz1ln0A2CAxLkPF2zkets6Pa4rVKQ8bRFXvIX6a61H9fqlGhU14V4vdw_lghe2VXTcXv-SS6luS70Jxebo51yDWRuTI1PA_xx2PQ0mtjv_MD24t-D0DP26c8I8Q/s2048/IMG_4659.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVUWHisneVTDKj9C5yjAzG67lSFY-7MzP9CZyDFLDnzIRihHUX8SuFT-jTQbvsUCIz1ln0A2CAxLkPF2zkets6Pa4rVKQ8bRFXvIX6a61H9fqlGhU14V4vdw_lghe2VXTcXv-SS6luS70Jxebo51yDWRuTI1PA_xx2PQ0mtjv_MD24t-D0DP26c8I8Q/s320/IMG_4659.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She requested "animals and flowers" to color. <br />Of course, I found a baby deer for her. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyXeL_NmHYR0Lv4jI0fCpXgHGkBDuBuZZiQUWSRtVy5loLkf3r9hr3GD8GoQmRuurzG6i7gG63sJ-K6fDfaEBauGojcTGWtPIkZ_r-hpwvVLll8yv_6_hHkMJl7rDQ6jAAvt44Oe5f0UninSc5qAe1bLt4coX38ocWw--RRIAohEZ9mueJA9KTQknSg/s2048/IMG_4661.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMyXeL_NmHYR0Lv4jI0fCpXgHGkBDuBuZZiQUWSRtVy5loLkf3r9hr3GD8GoQmRuurzG6i7gG63sJ-K6fDfaEBauGojcTGWtPIkZ_r-hpwvVLll8yv_6_hHkMJl7rDQ6jAAvt44Oe5f0UninSc5qAe1bLt4coX38ocWw--RRIAohEZ9mueJA9KTQknSg/s320/IMG_4661.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully, the kiddie pool we got at the beginning of this season was pink, so it fit in well to house all the bubble gear on theme. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQVQsO4vBcsDqv90Cd7wIKmc6uEEMXPZIu1b3zgh6D5oSNWc8Z_3nL49cvtu3r488iFGymELkapQA6K1MsMFmfZXg_8avcjt0FUitHLOleqWtvFf1ZUEQgDAImznX_Q6rLgPseA0uBe8lAWK19RaZ3L-SShqRAMETtlCnUd1eOJD571wlve7gk8f52A/s2159/IMG_4673.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2159" data-original-width="1456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNQVQsO4vBcsDqv90Cd7wIKmc6uEEMXPZIu1b3zgh6D5oSNWc8Z_3nL49cvtu3r488iFGymELkapQA6K1MsMFmfZXg_8avcjt0FUitHLOleqWtvFf1ZUEQgDAImznX_Q6rLgPseA0uBe8lAWK19RaZ3L-SShqRAMETtlCnUd1eOJD571wlve7gk8f52A/s320/IMG_4673.JPEG" width="216" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuYJWfsrdDtMZ2-amR54AOeX7k7KL7TvUoxTMC-L33NN6j6E0v-SYXhJzSlbFQ0V8O7ZH1FlACfYaimrpf9dAOyhsqy23sWpX4OIxNdrWY4RfpeWz84vo5Hnoc6_ulLlONE5a0eYSMmw5Ka9jVUbLGqmZBLgHheF1I0Rvnor0h7gp8RQUERVSTQNhlg/s4000/IMG_4813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtuYJWfsrdDtMZ2-amR54AOeX7k7KL7TvUoxTMC-L33NN6j6E0v-SYXhJzSlbFQ0V8O7ZH1FlACfYaimrpf9dAOyhsqy23sWpX4OIxNdrWY4RfpeWz84vo5Hnoc6_ulLlONE5a0eYSMmw5Ka9jVUbLGqmZBLgHheF1I0Rvnor0h7gp8RQUERVSTQNhlg/s320/IMG_4813.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bubbles were followed by a round of follow-the-leader (mostly to allow the bubble solution everyone soaked up to dry a bit before coming inside...).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdw_Zmasj_JPdm_Af6Peq1LGn96xCvolAf7esE9ZtTMRvb-uGIeWbBquvndhd8CcyiigVHa6RGf86uRvYEwyTgQMwF54JNt9m6ZbjaMZ_JABwQ0Ae8iTstRIQOhEGMNoOLOHXVntu2mAsDE8QjeWuuGyTrMlI-FffRTHamwGaVo3P9olivNuuc-iIXA/s2048/IMG_4703.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdw_Zmasj_JPdm_Af6Peq1LGn96xCvolAf7esE9ZtTMRvb-uGIeWbBquvndhd8CcyiigVHa6RGf86uRvYEwyTgQMwF54JNt9m6ZbjaMZ_JABwQ0Ae8iTstRIQOhEGMNoOLOHXVntu2mAsDE8QjeWuuGyTrMlI-FffRTHamwGaVo3P9olivNuuc-iIXA/s320/IMG_4703.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girl loves to have her nails painted.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxyfpP7dEBeqSCLI8XKuQdrM_TMwf_UR6WUu5L0R8sf3yidO1-vxpR4v5t8T9k9qY2jJF5swZhZNVACvgaLrATdt1bPKjOGKqYwRFYixydkkwQY_vkBv-VgHDdo4Veb_f3ayl9ghAo1NM2XFMWmSR2Q_U_8TyamCdnEtleAZOOfWSJfO0I28OTVOesw/s2048/IMG_4738.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxyfpP7dEBeqSCLI8XKuQdrM_TMwf_UR6WUu5L0R8sf3yidO1-vxpR4v5t8T9k9qY2jJF5swZhZNVACvgaLrATdt1bPKjOGKqYwRFYixydkkwQY_vkBv-VgHDdo4Veb_f3ayl9ghAo1NM2XFMWmSR2Q_U_8TyamCdnEtleAZOOfWSJfO0I28OTVOesw/s320/IMG_4738.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just can't even with her sweet smile. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fepFso4LssEI7X73goi6tVvXDf5EgptCM7hegEDB1YRl_sSH7IftZNELeKprjYwxQypIxl-_m8nZVAicx85aeVMZkHRlqPMnezfkTrQJLg2uEjG9OuDFdopn7hVRjNx6dcwux4BnO3hY3Ld82ZYgRYnBhFFUzBKxb0apbKnahxPhkGffvFZzfJIsBg/s2048/IMG_4785.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fepFso4LssEI7X73goi6tVvXDf5EgptCM7hegEDB1YRl_sSH7IftZNELeKprjYwxQypIxl-_m8nZVAicx85aeVMZkHRlqPMnezfkTrQJLg2uEjG9OuDFdopn7hVRjNx6dcwux4BnO3hY3Ld82ZYgRYnBhFFUzBKxb0apbKnahxPhkGffvFZzfJIsBg/s320/IMG_4785.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tutu was one of her birthday gifts (that I knew was coming, so let her open first thing, before the festivities commenced).</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouvGC6HZWzDKdEFmA7LNqPHjECEYsZL8d0p6_-GrAPMtpSxrEFeqN1eyATbucBfSNLA7PPQIIYzkPnqWe0-JHJeTJV_sJ-qcXT5dJqL-kvfsZuBG2VAiVxigYGutW259XMbQGhzod7UkI-HFDaLN-wGGNMHhTc_072S_0ENeDsqo6Lc6D8fUoyzng7w/s2142/IMG_4789.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2142" data-original-width="1467" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiouvGC6HZWzDKdEFmA7LNqPHjECEYsZL8d0p6_-GrAPMtpSxrEFeqN1eyATbucBfSNLA7PPQIIYzkPnqWe0-JHJeTJV_sJ-qcXT5dJqL-kvfsZuBG2VAiVxigYGutW259XMbQGhzod7UkI-HFDaLN-wGGNMHhTc_072S_0ENeDsqo6Lc6D8fUoyzng7w/s320/IMG_4789.JPEG" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F8GByvewuDQnTv_d5VBRRsf7xrwxVJk4AcFLbapWpajhdMyg7WSs7nfdeBmHgPB11PDfuPBUfuk-t93wxNsRKX2wMld-X2yFb0ouvJprst0JDrHZFY9qixkSX24GUBwpDf1yceI65TM3ZxXDXXAUpdL3ZAnzenTmjA7j6Na0sWS5ciYwOKr_lsVkzQ/s2098/IMG_4798.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2098" data-original-width="1499" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F8GByvewuDQnTv_d5VBRRsf7xrwxVJk4AcFLbapWpajhdMyg7WSs7nfdeBmHgPB11PDfuPBUfuk-t93wxNsRKX2wMld-X2yFb0ouvJprst0JDrHZFY9qixkSX24GUBwpDf1yceI65TM3ZxXDXXAUpdL3ZAnzenTmjA7j6Na0sWS5ciYwOKr_lsVkzQ/s320/IMG_4798.JPEG" width="229" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BrbSVygIlDwu-nfBBbNM12KUXLjQa09LS3B34GCy9gxENtFpg_KMqAYDjh-flowVJoSaopYRGvfYNjTQXQrgpvHsmm2id2Vu_L_i04jIP4BQoiGuk6mzmcEz4AMgRhsS7Q4SGi9UUD_94BfMIjdN3izYfRz8Ihj9qUgQVpSdYAvN4v7EW0KeptQhMQ/s2048/IMG_4846.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2BrbSVygIlDwu-nfBBbNM12KUXLjQa09LS3B34GCy9gxENtFpg_KMqAYDjh-flowVJoSaopYRGvfYNjTQXQrgpvHsmm2id2Vu_L_i04jIP4BQoiGuk6mzmcEz4AMgRhsS7Q4SGi9UUD_94BfMIjdN3izYfRz8Ihj9qUgQVpSdYAvN4v7EW0KeptQhMQ/s320/IMG_4846.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I asked what she wanted to eat at the party, her only request was "broccoli" - she loves it ("warm" i.e. cooked) so much. So, we had it then, and she got it a second time that day when we went out for a birthday supper.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJfurdpF2qDhmu_jau7z8CIPweO29IV24Ny4yHAwio6_8YPVumd6FAAZ9QTy3eAbpH2vP9OL7bWoXXFz3kbDIRxO9ipcZjer8ltsjPjwdiNrFSsKyUOaQrrlGPlFJgjWfihyNALp6ZreIHkliBrKuETIAIrySaBuojzqh8w-lLMBOeYllKwPJxcjyNQ/s2048/IMG_4854.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJfurdpF2qDhmu_jau7z8CIPweO29IV24Ny4yHAwio6_8YPVumd6FAAZ9QTy3eAbpH2vP9OL7bWoXXFz3kbDIRxO9ipcZjer8ltsjPjwdiNrFSsKyUOaQrrlGPlFJgjWfihyNALp6ZreIHkliBrKuETIAIrySaBuojzqh8w-lLMBOeYllKwPJxcjyNQ/s320/IMG_4854.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After a run-in with her bday candle last year, she was unsure about the "fire" on her party cupcakes, but with the help of Daddy, pushed through (with no tears!). <br />I'm happy to report she confidently blew this one out all by herself!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I admittedly do <b>more </b>than is necessary for these parties, but it is just so fun and enjoyable for me to create a <b>space </b>and <b>experience </b>that celebrates these sweet kiddos with the things they <b>love</b>, with the people they <b>love</b>. (I also admittedly need to work on the "<b>enjoyable</b>" part being a little more <b>outwardly </b>evident in the throes of preparations...haha.) We are glad to celebrate them and so <b>thankful</b> to be their parents!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Celebratorily,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">the early birthday gift of a "Kensy day" - thanks Mom and Dad ♥</div><div style="text-align: center;">fall (Cliché, I know, but as much as we loved summer, I'm ready for the new season/weather).</div><div style="text-align: center;">stamping weekend (This was a couple weeks ago, but I'm still just so grateful for it!)</div><p></p>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-49631247289434796262023-08-29T21:37:00.001-05:002023-08-29T22:08:31.610-05:00Sunshine, seashells, and spiritual growthBryant has traveled for work a handful of times, and as a result, has accrued airline and hotel points...and even a car rental coupon! We are so <b>thankful </b>he gets to redeem these for personal use, and we decided to do so with a trip to the <b>beach</b>. We <b>capitalized </b>on a sale Southwest ran a couple months ago and only later realized part of the reason we found such a great deal on tickets was because our destination, Fort Myers, FL, was still in <b>recovery </b>from Hurricane Ian. <div><br /></div><div>Since our time there was going to be somewhat limited, and we knew things there were not as readily available as <b>normal</b>, we took time at home to plan our trip (activities, meals, etc.), so we would not spend our precious time doing so while we were there. Of course, things change and cause plans to change, but we were still glad to have a framework and somewhat of an understanding as to what to expect (and what to pack). Our research lead us to believe we would fare just fine in our forty-eight hours there (and we did); after all, our <b>primary</b> goal was beach time.<br /><br />I did not grow up going to the ocean and have only done so a handful of times. Even so, there is something about being on the water that is so...wonderful/refreshing/healing, for me. I also just really <b>love </b>to search for and find <b>seashells</b>. Even run-of-the-mill freshwater shells found on the muddy banks of midwestern lakes and rivers thrill me (even if just a little bit). So, you can imagine my <b>surprise </b>and <b>delight </b>when my looking into a Sanibel Island (off the coast of Fort Myers) beach recommendation led me to find out it has <b>world-renowned </b>shelling beaches. I was nearly teary with anticipation a couple days before we left, because the kids have also developed a love of finding seashell treasures, and I was so <b>excited </b>to share this place and experience with them.<br /><br />After reading more about the devastation and rebuilding after the hurricane, I was thinking about what we might <b>experience </b>at our destination. I had thoughts about what God might teach me during time on the beach, and here is the spiritual lesson I was pondering even <b>before </b>setting foot on the sand (and shells):<div>The landscape and flora of the beach are <b>battered </b>and still re-growing. The water is <b>not </b>crystal clear, as I hear it once was. But the <b>foundation </b>of the beach - the sand and endless shells - remains…and there are new treasures to be found with each passing wave. Lamentations reminds us God's mercies are <b>new </b>every morning, and this beach is such a tangible reminder of this <b>truth</b>. There was beauty before the storm, and even amidst the resulting chaos and destruction, there is beauty after. Our foundation in the Lord remains before, during, and after the storms and waves of life, and there are treasures, glimpses of joy, to be found through it all. <b>Cheesy </b>as it might be, I was not going to let this lesson be <b>lost </b>on me.<br /><br />That is the lesson I <b>thought </b>I would learn, and I did...but then, it got <b>personal</b>.<br /><br />Let me <b>preface </b>this next part by letting you know about another reason for this trip:</div><div>I had been wanting to get away and have an <b>adventure </b>for a long time. We travel somewhat often, but it is usually to the same places to see the same people. While this is good and necessary and fun, it is not <b>new</b>. Bryant graciously wanted to send me on a <b>solo</b> beach trip, but in my own reflection on this type of trip and how guilty I knew I would feel about collecting seashells without little helpers, for example, I asked if we could take a family trip and maybe just get some time to myself while we were there. He was happy to oblige, and I am <b>thankful </b>we had (and took) this opportunity. That said, doing anything with children is <b>complicated</b>. Life can be hard, even in paradise. </div><div><br /></div><div>I also need to preface this by telling you how much Jacob relies on his <b>goggles </b>to have an enjoyable experience in water of any sort. He <b>really </b>dislikes having water in his eyes, even when having the most fun. Thankfully, he is not to the point of not going in the water without them, but historically, he has <b>not </b>hesitated to let it affect his demeanor and/or level of enjoyment.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, the <b>first </b>installment of "Kensy Has an Emotional Breakdown on Vacation" was triggered by my own mistake:</div><div>I had worked so hard to gather everything we needed for the beach - both prior to our trip as well as the morning we left the hotel room. (I thought) I had gotten <b>everything </b>we needed packed and ready to grab upon departure. Upon arrival, after some beach exploration, Jacob was ready to swim and asked for his goggles. I unpacked the IKEA bag of the one million things we had brought, then searched the car for the special bag of kids hats, sunglasses, and goggles and realized it had <b>not </b>actually made it to the beach bag. Of course, we had not gone to the eight-minutes-from-our-hotel beach, but rather, one on an island thirty minutes and a bridge toll away, so going back for them was not necessarily an option. Knowing how much <b>not </b>having goggles would affect Jacob's level of enjoyment and being <b>disappointed </b>in myself for not having my stuff together as much as I thought sent me into an emotional (read: tearful) spiral as I walked back from the car to our spot on the beach. I realize (then and now) that he can learn to suck it up and be ok with change; that we can model flexibility for and build resiliency in our kids (and ourselves)...but that was not at the <b>forefront </b>of my mind, at the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>My family was so <b>gracious </b>about it. Jacob, through squinty, salt-water-rubbed eyes, but upon seeing how upset I was, said, "No big deal, Mom - I can just swim without them." Bryant offered for me to take a solo beach stroll and cool off. Though I did not take him up on it immediately, I later did. It was on that stroll I found two very unique and beautiful shells (keeping all the pics together at the end of this post - peep them there) next to some of the rubble from the storm (concrete with seashells in it, mind you). The shells were not even <b>buried </b>- they were <b>sitting </b>on the sand...and had not been picked up by any of the other shellers strolling that morning. I am getting teary just writing about this, because it seemed as though they were placed there <b>just </b>for me. I felt so seen and cared for by the Lord in that moment, and while I am not proud or glad about how I reacted to the situation, I am <b>thankful </b>for the very <b>evident </b>subsequent gift.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was also glad (later) for the opportunity it gave the kids to practice <b>grace</b>. As I alluded to earlier, Jacob does not even tolerate bath water in his eyes well and wears goggles almost the whole time he is in a pool, so salt water in his eyes was <b>definitely </b>cramping his style. He handled it so well though and barely complained or mentioned it (pretty uncharacteristic of him in this stage of life). The grace and empathy he (and Lydia) showed me were encouraging on many levels. We were <b>also </b>able to patronize a woman selling her wares in the parking lot of her no-longer-functional souvenir shop building. We found goggles (pink and blue, even, and 50% off!) there, and also a souvenir magnet I probably would have forgotten to stop for otherwise.<br /><br /><div>It was during my solo stroll that the car FOB (for the push-button-start Charger we'd rented (it was what they had left in the size we needed the night we arrived, and Jacob was so excited about "the Dodge")) <b>accidentally </b>took a dip in the ocean. Thankfully, we did <b>not </b>get stuck on the island. The FOB was finicky, but still worked...until we were leaving dinner that evening. Ever-the-engineer, Bryant took the FOB apart, cleaned it up a bit, and deduced a new battery might help. By the grace of God, we were right next to the local grocery store (one I had hoped to explore a bit sometime while we were there, because I had heard great things: Publix), and they were open for (just!) five more minutes. By the grace of God, <b>again</b>, the new battery worked, and we made it back to our hotel.</div><div><br /></div><div>The new battery also worked when we tested it a few times that night, as well as the next morning when I took the car to pick up breakfast for my solo beach morning (we were up before the hotel breakfast was served). It did <b>not </b>work, however, when I had my breakfast in hand and was ready to head to the beach. I tried not to panic and noticed an O'Reilly's across the street that was, amazingly, open at 7:30 on a Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the man behind the counter did not have any miracle fixes or parts, but had a couple references to the dealership or locksmith. I walked back to the car on the verge of tears, and the <b>second </b>installment of "Kensy Has an Emotional Breakdown on Vacation" commenced. The O'Reilly's employee mentioned something about bypassing the necessity for the FOB if there was power to the gauges, which prompted me to try starting it from accessory mode. By the grace of God (yes, <b>again</b>), this worked. I called Bryant, in a full-on <b>meltdown</b> (lots of emotions at play here), to talk through what to do next. He and the kids had planned to have hotel breakfast in bed (Jacob's request) before hitting up the hotel pool (also Jacob's request). They <b>pivoted</b>, and he very wisely and very graciously formed a plan to for me to drive back to the hotel (and leave the car running), have the kids eat breakfast in the car, drop me off at the beach, and take the rental back to the airport (less than a half hour away) to exchange for another. This plan worked <b>beautifully</b>. It even gave us a (second) chance to visit Publix together to pick up lunch, them a chance for lunch in bed, and me a chance to hit up the thrift store <b>right next to</b> the hotel before heading to another beach for a little more solo time.</div><div><br /></div><div>That morning, as I was trying to decompress and <b>enjoy </b>my little piece of paradise, God gave me another couple of beautiful and unique shells (among others). More tears flowed, but this time, they were tears of <b>gratitude</b>; for the time, the place, the husband, the kids, the ways He was showing up for me/us - <b>all </b>of it. Also during this time, there was a <b>helicopter </b>making passes overhead with a grappling hook at the end of a rope hanging from it. As I was observing this, I asked a local about it, and she pointed me to the crew on the ground loading debris onto the hook (on a Saturday morning, nonetheless). She said they take it to a pile near where she lives, and it disappears from there. </div><div><br /></div><div>I do not know if it was the time and headspace to be <b>reflective</b>, the <b>water</b>, or what, but I could not help but draw a <b>spiritual </b>lesson from this, as well. As a crew was working to extract debris from a previously-lush-but-re-growing mangrove, the Lord was working in my <b>heart </b>to extract the lies and negative feelings that had accumulated. The hurricane hit the area close to a year ago, and they are still removing debris. The hurricanes (and even small showers) of life can leave <b>debris </b>in our hearts, no matter what we do to <b>avoid </b>it. It it the important work of excavation and regrowth in which we need to remain <b>diligent</b>. This work is rarely easy; some debris can be hauled out on foot, while other pieces require a <b>team </b>(and maybe even equipment). Through it all, <b>beauty </b>remains, and there is <b>redemption</b>.</div><br />I would like to think that, at the risk if TMI, it being "that time of the month" for me <b>largely </b>contributed to my emotional responses to the hiccups in the trip. My body was definitely working <b>against </b>my emotional regulation, and while this does not negate my feelings, it (hopefully) explains the level of my reactions. I wish I could know how it might have been <b>different </b>had my hormones been in better check, but at the same time, I am grateful for the lessons learned. As alone as I tend to feel when I am in those emotional states, my family and the Lord went out of their way to support and encourage me. I felt seen and cared for and not alone, and for that, I am so <b>thankful</b>.</div><div><br />I recently heard on the following <b>quote </b>on a podcast: "A change is as good as a rest." This concise statement sure packs a punch and really <b>resonated </b>with me. This vacation was not necessarily restful in the sleeping/relaxing sense, but it was <b>certainly </b>a change, and a welcome one, <b>despite </b>the hiccups. I want to acknowledge the <b>privilege </b>with which I know I write this - we were privileged to be there (time, resources, etc.), and now, I am privileged to be afforded the time to process and document these thoughts and experiences. I am blessed to have such a supportive, loving husband and sweet, resilient, friendly, independent kiddos. The Lord <b>redeemed </b>the minor snags in this trip (even if they did not seem minor, at the time) in big ways. He redeems moments/circumstances/interactions/hearts so often, but for me, at least, they are not always so <b>easy </b>to recognize...or so easy share about through picturesque views and beautiful seashells. ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>Thank you, as <b>always</b>, for allowing me to share, for reading, and for caring. Feel free to send me the <b>bill </b>for the talk therapy. ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>And now, the moment you've all been <b>waiting </b>for - the <b>pictures</b>:<div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCxwPyunjkyq3YSVLcayxiWqCy3ig4uk8Ra9c3nbc8-QKkNB1XJ5cT5aZ1YuNbbo7Fu4vrBx_RUGnGOy2UPy9DH99zzGP9qvepN9lFKpEvxub_v4PIx98_C5ua4rkL2G9Zs_dX06b2fESBEJZ4cg7GoYCp3veg_hveTb5fGPPJ9y3lOqh547tdjcfsA/s2048/IMG_3921.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCxwPyunjkyq3YSVLcayxiWqCy3ig4uk8Ra9c3nbc8-QKkNB1XJ5cT5aZ1YuNbbo7Fu4vrBx_RUGnGOy2UPy9DH99zzGP9qvepN9lFKpEvxub_v4PIx98_C5ua4rkL2G9Zs_dX06b2fESBEJZ4cg7GoYCp3veg_hveTb5fGPPJ9y3lOqh547tdjcfsA/s320/IMG_3921.JPEG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Don't worry - the Nicki Minaj reference was only for my own amusement and benefit. ;)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2EAJIF8d9rBjckY-YsUfqlSu-QrUldODXtMRMwLfrjEsz6FBRLkyTb8frRzw74We1n2WYuG78LjHwx93KKOAnpa3aYAYoJT0zX6wYXrn1D_XDsLs10v_1-9DFhP4WUaPhNFNqFb_n7OloGOotHmesmTN4H0Qp63qoT-9y447bDBAMXwqFDA80ab7YA/s2048/IMG_3922.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy2EAJIF8d9rBjckY-YsUfqlSu-QrUldODXtMRMwLfrjEsz6FBRLkyTb8frRzw74We1n2WYuG78LjHwx93KKOAnpa3aYAYoJT0zX6wYXrn1D_XDsLs10v_1-9DFhP4WUaPhNFNqFb_n7OloGOotHmesmTN4H0Qp63qoT-9y447bDBAMXwqFDA80ab7YA/s320/IMG_3922.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob and I still play Wordle on a somewhat regular basis. <br />We couldn't believe the day's word a couple days before our departure!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaZjORcloZA0W7y30bB5V7mapjACk4u7Atzg3rLonDg-lqM102ofQ9LJ6tqY9f0JoPFhdwxHzFvCUYjLVn5NmqISzuMxLgyPqFRBE-hpHEHD5p0FTtL9SIAObzzcEdmGc2l_NULKDcp0dvkByg0vRfuqc81rRjezKHknfTMRqAOKZWI-z0kn38OSJaQ/s2139/IMG_3936.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvaZjORcloZA0W7y30bB5V7mapjACk4u7Atzg3rLonDg-lqM102ofQ9LJ6tqY9f0JoPFhdwxHzFvCUYjLVn5NmqISzuMxLgyPqFRBE-hpHEHD5p0FTtL9SIAObzzcEdmGc2l_NULKDcp0dvkByg0vRfuqc81rRjezKHknfTMRqAOKZWI-z0kn38OSJaQ/s320/IMG_3936.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So glad to live so close to the airport and incredibly grateful for willing and available neighbors!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqKqcwYs6QW-JyvWtMN_hAK9yJfz6jS4WcaL6jBHburFUxkk2iyKu828aIKMffol2T2RrMxzQevUFRHD9ojVfgUgDUdSKOGvBtqZd8sQs3xVItlM27QMvVGS3oHwHvp2CKgu2M_zqCsJRdKWu5rZPD2TAYunYZyeRomTf9yrBzDHAVOLTkgd-NIfxbQ/s2048/IMG_3945.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikqKqcwYs6QW-JyvWtMN_hAK9yJfz6jS4WcaL6jBHburFUxkk2iyKu828aIKMffol2T2RrMxzQevUFRHD9ojVfgUgDUdSKOGvBtqZd8sQs3xVItlM27QMvVGS3oHwHvp2CKgu2M_zqCsJRdKWu5rZPD2TAYunYZyeRomTf9yrBzDHAVOLTkgd-NIfxbQ/s320/IMG_3945.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were excited to explore the newly remodeled airport and even more excited to find a Lego store there!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOKGCdhM7B8jy9ltzbEWXK2TGhpZQSPvZPhkIzCRPWZ3M1h6gjaXnRfvhDjLzXU7Nz4Gx5nMAh_fH_HtpsQYxpCJJa67kakSwxA_-dUL4RUWqb4rpKiP5gguxIPIKgQ73GO-9QSm49yTFe5Z7v0iX0o2bHRk3BokPQOwhdgbeWlP1QwbluSmBgjSz_Q/s2053/IMG_3955.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOKGCdhM7B8jy9ltzbEWXK2TGhpZQSPvZPhkIzCRPWZ3M1h6gjaXnRfvhDjLzXU7Nz4Gx5nMAh_fH_HtpsQYxpCJJa67kakSwxA_-dUL4RUWqb4rpKiP5gguxIPIKgQ73GO-9QSm49yTFe5Z7v0iX0o2bHRk3BokPQOwhdgbeWlP1QwbluSmBgjSz_Q/s320/IMG_3955.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two with their play-by-play commentary, though...</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYWJEzw3fXXEV3AqtFtaztjQkEvE5A30NLeF17RDEiaCxclEl5kItOuknC9FClxLuiaHUv382x4y8mljtYenITvOlIwvvc4wWiWJTuJdrxOtWuhERNNPr4sLUl_DwVARWYERJCJbc569ZhvQ1xkxE7Xz_7T-KnhaW12bjev7HIYoqZ_Z1veKeUsgbjQ/s2048/IMG_3958.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizYWJEzw3fXXEV3AqtFtaztjQkEvE5A30NLeF17RDEiaCxclEl5kItOuknC9FClxLuiaHUv382x4y8mljtYenITvOlIwvvc4wWiWJTuJdrxOtWuhERNNPr4sLUl_DwVARWYERJCJbc569ZhvQ1xkxE7Xz_7T-KnhaW12bjev7HIYoqZ_Z1veKeUsgbjQ/s320/IMG_3958.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxScPhzVY7tzOYRKA8HMmi43EYTgg5uUXm8A9keSxny_bO8-mKgpkQ98dSVFnZPGf9W0M84aqEoowfGiBj7QP6gEiJYyIR4jJir28chF3EjHrDdssbqD1d41fMVCCrXjs9rzNo9GsDLfORUOnC6zvkvUrslbAOh3Hesg4GuT--8V6arsp9_pSNvlNaew/s2048/IMG_3966.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxScPhzVY7tzOYRKA8HMmi43EYTgg5uUXm8A9keSxny_bO8-mKgpkQ98dSVFnZPGf9W0M84aqEoowfGiBj7QP6gEiJYyIR4jJir28chF3EjHrDdssbqD1d41fMVCCrXjs9rzNo9GsDLfORUOnC6zvkvUrslbAOh3Hesg4GuT--8V6arsp9_pSNvlNaew/s320/IMG_3966.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't know if he saw someone else doing this, or what, but it was completely unprompted.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rS4_z6CftMPZNuw07V0uLvJxVpExmPakbCKMtGutvsX0vNwDe5drEt-NaJflF2n9GaoVaA082m4DUY1PAxyZuWuhMWJjFw3zGIJvmgPD5aRLY1GytEstUkBhjW4Yk032s51RRScXWhlMoKnhippA8moJSdISDJNS-K_aBPgeEDTLta8oFRJ5vmzC4A/s2048/IMG_3992.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-rS4_z6CftMPZNuw07V0uLvJxVpExmPakbCKMtGutvsX0vNwDe5drEt-NaJflF2n9GaoVaA082m4DUY1PAxyZuWuhMWJjFw3zGIJvmgPD5aRLY1GytEstUkBhjW4Yk032s51RRScXWhlMoKnhippA8moJSdISDJNS-K_aBPgeEDTLta8oFRJ5vmzC4A/s320/IMG_3992.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first of three Florida sunsets greeted us as we left the airport!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVZ0ZjuVa8rpzXlqyErWa9PY3VpOEIpTzmlXNDa97NFH7S_DaENWgDmdUhmZxh6wEPOvrTmp0BkJlX3D-IZf_jd3RRvJyFghhAc22aJX5n6ZUeqGfKntj4_Ze428M-R4_X69LgeUaUbpQ9RuyF6yP3tvUVF1FE_ndI1L8KPe3uL03_RXJG2PTHV5bOw/s2048/IMG_3996.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVZ0ZjuVa8rpzXlqyErWa9PY3VpOEIpTzmlXNDa97NFH7S_DaENWgDmdUhmZxh6wEPOvrTmp0BkJlX3D-IZf_jd3RRvJyFghhAc22aJX5n6ZUeqGfKntj4_Ze428M-R4_X69LgeUaUbpQ9RuyF6yP3tvUVF1FE_ndI1L8KPe3uL03_RXJG2PTHV5bOw/s320/IMG_3996.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hotel points were for the Holiday Inn, so that's where we stayed, and we were surprised (and delighted) to find resort-style towel art!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcunWdJ4I4A-AWtK0vp8PUVW_GETwYJBE2-BPmye34JSTivGwnA6Pvb_o61NN35hFVMo-5LECQd_9S9V0r6yfEV2MMxlBy-CyB9QUPIxZHMdMKWAH7UDv2QJ_h4rQsrn9JtzyvtFNe48nlDY5qLIaPJ9bq1SWi2G-_SM4jPYrjaEIYkm0IhQE95oUug/s2053/IMG_3998.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghcunWdJ4I4A-AWtK0vp8PUVW_GETwYJBE2-BPmye34JSTivGwnA6Pvb_o61NN35hFVMo-5LECQd_9S9V0r6yfEV2MMxlBy-CyB9QUPIxZHMdMKWAH7UDv2QJ_h4rQsrn9JtzyvtFNe48nlDY5qLIaPJ9bq1SWi2G-_SM4jPYrjaEIYkm0IhQE95oUug/s320/IMG_3998.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEWzbRP_1RSO2b56qYn-ymsk2BYozTasqc5Xq6YtFish9u5OUCp0lfW8gbvD0_33Up7UNFDOLFpbwdy0f7DRzk1I9dCI1aWbqenwsvqZ6H6ZVl8D6Ba2faxE14iDJBAf9d3lLXw0pS1RqcGCdB3gV5FlqseGUcWPblIGFoTheKwLv9ekuz90ijbT0lA/s2048/IMG_3999.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHEWzbRP_1RSO2b56qYn-ymsk2BYozTasqc5Xq6YtFish9u5OUCp0lfW8gbvD0_33Up7UNFDOLFpbwdy0f7DRzk1I9dCI1aWbqenwsvqZ6H6ZVl8D6Ba2faxE14iDJBAf9d3lLXw0pS1RqcGCdB3gV5FlqseGUcWPblIGFoTheKwLv9ekuz90ijbT0lA/s320/IMG_3999.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one was new and so cute, to me.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjwiI7QAPwyFCiDqbsiFSvAYMMHd1f7d0ml5EVEI-Zj_TfkRGnkBRuYYPdftZTkXWJb7Bs728vjGz6i-Axleeg4f9WkV5KGK6sn-zIiSM1uz6XnXmvV3tWb5LGt2ZNaSnNF9ZgDSwC_4vlscJ5sYamXZnwbMHy8Bqy2FNz7pkRD3BZIqy_8WqYpH9kw/s2048/IMG_4008.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjwiI7QAPwyFCiDqbsiFSvAYMMHd1f7d0ml5EVEI-Zj_TfkRGnkBRuYYPdftZTkXWJb7Bs728vjGz6i-Axleeg4f9WkV5KGK6sn-zIiSM1uz6XnXmvV3tWb5LGt2ZNaSnNF9ZgDSwC_4vlscJ5sYamXZnwbMHy8Bqy2FNz7pkRD3BZIqy_8WqYpH9kw/s320/IMG_4008.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanibel Island Lighthouse Beach</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Si0CcsigdYsHqtnlI_WQkEhojBItfjAGMgDtLwKsLLqM5cY0uKZc7VmwshDoH5KNXW7-apIsTnKGWCVRbpNB_cCb_hFM7Ii3XRt0EOFS0wNGW3GDZ-FqXQVrsftE_6yjAamRiDHWSQ6MmPDXZSgKepF1kbR5ft1YLTN2FpvdQDfyVp0K1zhRsVtFIg/s2048/IMG_4023.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Si0CcsigdYsHqtnlI_WQkEhojBItfjAGMgDtLwKsLLqM5cY0uKZc7VmwshDoH5KNXW7-apIsTnKGWCVRbpNB_cCb_hFM7Ii3XRt0EOFS0wNGW3GDZ-FqXQVrsftE_6yjAamRiDHWSQ6MmPDXZSgKepF1kbR5ft1YLTN2FpvdQDfyVp0K1zhRsVtFIg/s320/IMG_4023.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how the entire beach is - unbelievable, right?! <br />Yes, there was sand, but mostly, there were shells. ♥ </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirHmpBBP7o4panLHqp_jyzuUOPsRi8iWXj_Z3jsOf25W0cJFddyjb0Zp5CUuE070OJWRqzYVJm4SIweRI5MJpg0A0f387y4ZPrP1xS0wqoBvhFyUZtTunVWPKCSDKmkErTHU2v9RgPBThZ_vaCXU4MACdcxA7lT7vq1uBK-RU4e__NW1MuDH-hEGx0w/s2048/IMG_4029.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjirHmpBBP7o4panLHqp_jyzuUOPsRi8iWXj_Z3jsOf25W0cJFddyjb0Zp5CUuE070OJWRqzYVJm4SIweRI5MJpg0A0f387y4ZPrP1xS0wqoBvhFyUZtTunVWPKCSDKmkErTHU2v9RgPBThZ_vaCXU4MACdcxA7lT7vq1uBK-RU4e__NW1MuDH-hEGx0w/s320/IMG_4029.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house part of the lighthouse is gone, but the light itself still stands.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetaOHbUgLbF8a1unSNfiGlv2mtzlLba3TWYL59OQcOzHdeqzBcrFi-aqs_z6QQj7K7_V6i9u-RtBQOlUauRoq8zQzm3tZTT4odwrUCgVmEQWPAnNiDXyhs4yRxtDDd5hE1v9CYuv6rrgZ3tyKMFNhz6nnJtule5KDYov61JvdH4CgIUOlfoTqlY8uQA/s2048/IMG_4032.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjetaOHbUgLbF8a1unSNfiGlv2mtzlLba3TWYL59OQcOzHdeqzBcrFi-aqs_z6QQj7K7_V6i9u-RtBQOlUauRoq8zQzm3tZTT4odwrUCgVmEQWPAnNiDXyhs4yRxtDDd5hE1v9CYuv6rrgZ3tyKMFNhz6nnJtule5KDYov61JvdH4CgIUOlfoTqlY8uQA/s320/IMG_4032.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">perfecting their "Sanibel Stoop"</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBVQhBZFkF7qsOmORp5ahiyE0L6770CetkVjs1l8sdBK_49WCPmMiVooGkrZG1p7XJDbWKxruft-YsVa4yCghQwvgedbF0-NtXnjkwsl0MEc9MOweSSIWfV9UJpl4pIDRRuC5CwVW4qGtotvfF14IS814vQeiZJK4Hyogo8N3F9E0GxzcwEbDbvKQ1Q/s2048/IMG_4039.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBVQhBZFkF7qsOmORp5ahiyE0L6770CetkVjs1l8sdBK_49WCPmMiVooGkrZG1p7XJDbWKxruft-YsVa4yCghQwvgedbF0-NtXnjkwsl0MEc9MOweSSIWfV9UJpl4pIDRRuC5CwVW4qGtotvfF14IS814vQeiZJK4Hyogo8N3F9E0GxzcwEbDbvKQ1Q/s320/IMG_4039.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did not see any sea turtles but still cool to see this nest.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Bb0yoqnuz_J-Ug4qqfP_dN-mqFqc36WbzDdRm7uPuMuuu1jH2Cc3VX4MnG9pPYjiBh_LoKDS7dB7RfGjxxKA6FYPW-gmEzdiifmnXmUsuZZIv_KVmyUxfKbumDAVVXhOT2GxklwsQsNpg_ZSi8ZuFK83imGEXNy0Ya-AwUtWaIIGCsIlsBXz-6HRg/s2048/IMG_4042.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr_Bb0yoqnuz_J-Ug4qqfP_dN-mqFqc36WbzDdRm7uPuMuuu1jH2Cc3VX4MnG9pPYjiBh_LoKDS7dB7RfGjxxKA6FYPW-gmEzdiifmnXmUsuZZIv_KVmyUxfKbumDAVVXhOT2GxklwsQsNpg_ZSi8ZuFK83imGEXNy0Ya-AwUtWaIIGCsIlsBXz-6HRg/s320/IMG_4042.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ryDA0231-ESHGTei9EG6dlQxsoO-z3cYG9y2HYib8hes9eYQTcVFDI0SXTpv4Feb6A4BL1NMSqwlLrVH8O3ADH9E1kNKhez9nyzjioKRV_12RqpILkDUTqXO91DsZJhF5EuD-Mor6X_04SeVSJseEfh-z1lnFttqIMKHvi2mcoqpD8rm7eG5i6t6Pw/s2048/IMG_4067.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ryDA0231-ESHGTei9EG6dlQxsoO-z3cYG9y2HYib8hes9eYQTcVFDI0SXTpv4Feb6A4BL1NMSqwlLrVH8O3ADH9E1kNKhez9nyzjioKRV_12RqpILkDUTqXO91DsZJhF5EuD-Mor6X_04SeVSJseEfh-z1lnFttqIMKHvi2mcoqpD8rm7eG5i6t6Pw/s320/IMG_4067.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rubble in the ocean...and shells in the concrete</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5Np34mXQwj9kp0NGzfjn5zXA_-2kcrWtdXsunkQ5fMccDFjcRc4sYuyBOM--NJFowSVtCD-2fFCpdhtG-OxYTuZB-nzbEISYnhLzW42R3_1v06efpswlzkS3Xky7GKmCIscwtWqEydzFr5nJasR8njPJpR65eS02kzJVERPwHt70vYQWA2tZy9Pttw/s2048/IMG_4081.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ5Np34mXQwj9kp0NGzfjn5zXA_-2kcrWtdXsunkQ5fMccDFjcRc4sYuyBOM--NJFowSVtCD-2fFCpdhtG-OxYTuZB-nzbEISYnhLzW42R3_1v06efpswlzkS3Xky7GKmCIscwtWqEydzFr5nJasR8njPJpR65eS02kzJVERPwHt70vYQWA2tZy9Pttw/s320/IMG_4081.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These were the beautiful and unique shells I found on my solo stroll.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1Ga-zv1tCzol3XzfWX3n-gXsC1mgcL2ol_xI1_5uzg7U3SVoNSLwX5TBI-tXtI3V63-mlVms01iuefJFDZAbjaN1QydcuguHiKtJq3pnzgosvaK3hWLbDAMgAkw_mSTyM_4R0OLaNN6dJkHg7FGqW6i3I83hPWnlBorCdjT_wT4nAeh4m49p7KVufw/s2048/IMG_4127.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl1Ga-zv1tCzol3XzfWX3n-gXsC1mgcL2ol_xI1_5uzg7U3SVoNSLwX5TBI-tXtI3V63-mlVms01iuefJFDZAbjaN1QydcuguHiKtJq3pnzgosvaK3hWLbDAMgAkw_mSTyM_4R0OLaNN6dJkHg7FGqW6i3I83hPWnlBorCdjT_wT4nAeh4m49p7KVufw/s320/IMG_4127.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got some special time together, just the two of us, while B and L went for a (successful!) naptime drive.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJpD6QQoQVe1N7eXVR2WKr5zyJqfvjObS1HEbkZepl8KTi6iWqX2Ni_cajo5EVki4mONCvvIkKyijgLTntEvKS5y0d32YlNsLWsmXCfhk6eUoOPd4XKyWjKiBEszxl7rkRsqJqOcNvuD7_PSn2kvdW9lp5hgUrUS7_VwUHAB1UsmSJllbkZChogEGJw/s2048/IMG_4138.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJpD6QQoQVe1N7eXVR2WKr5zyJqfvjObS1HEbkZepl8KTi6iWqX2Ni_cajo5EVki4mONCvvIkKyijgLTntEvKS5y0d32YlNsLWsmXCfhk6eUoOPd4XKyWjKiBEszxl7rkRsqJqOcNvuD7_PSn2kvdW9lp5hgUrUS7_VwUHAB1UsmSJllbkZChogEGJw/s320/IMG_4138.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3otGjmYmSN-AvqFdxisiDuLGQ4NHivdf2OB5kZF3UH0tEuIPHVHyI2UaWLYsIvvCf_ZdkZZ1h-eOCysJOwOyisZE1CNSd48x8fZPkOhXu0pwuGvP3Tu7mwmMm74JqHnU8NNyyWo7EJ7HoRU5xAI0ftB3I3PrEcFPtKomoV9Y2PAfHcsJQo0ux0B7Odg/s2048/IMG_4148.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3otGjmYmSN-AvqFdxisiDuLGQ4NHivdf2OB5kZF3UH0tEuIPHVHyI2UaWLYsIvvCf_ZdkZZ1h-eOCysJOwOyisZE1CNSd48x8fZPkOhXu0pwuGvP3Tu7mwmMm74JqHnU8NNyyWo7EJ7HoRU5xAI0ftB3I3PrEcFPtKomoV9Y2PAfHcsJQo0ux0B7Odg/s320/IMG_4148.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was so proud to have successfully executed the seashell mold!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0e7M2fEBSH4N1_JaCC67RKZMKgbCj_mviB_QWakJ---ivIIZmNWF5H684SdIj9-cFhOcek4aFj-QBQhpna_b9d8slr8ghFAcaDLd1HAVQ8t1tx_zjNEsVjpPBMIKd565NJiJwliFeaTFe0zhrVUOKb3cCuW9HYU3Ed6iTw1iq1-TqocBJm3oGZ1FMjQ/s2048/IMG_4165.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0e7M2fEBSH4N1_JaCC67RKZMKgbCj_mviB_QWakJ---ivIIZmNWF5H684SdIj9-cFhOcek4aFj-QBQhpna_b9d8slr8ghFAcaDLd1HAVQ8t1tx_zjNEsVjpPBMIKd565NJiJwliFeaTFe0zhrVUOKb3cCuW9HYU3Ed6iTw1iq1-TqocBJm3oGZ1FMjQ/s320/IMG_4165.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That face when the shows you thought were always on hotel TVs aren't actually showing...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR2i2MHUqv8UZGRYQ87Sf7kq2ELtKHjTzzg-7Zss0MN_pE3Wmt7T_n5IqCwAIAUWrHRneOCWskFb-sdGjM4wKc4WYjgq7WdFJUZsE2sog7wrlk82jCHhW-szM71_ZIJLVVtb9oO9IBpkt9lAMxLM-iRy5sKbCpXkkmR3zY5hoEUsecnPYCoFgrAnBww/s2048/IMG_4173.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVR2i2MHUqv8UZGRYQ87Sf7kq2ELtKHjTzzg-7Zss0MN_pE3Wmt7T_n5IqCwAIAUWrHRneOCWskFb-sdGjM4wKc4WYjgq7WdFJUZsE2sog7wrlk82jCHhW-szM71_ZIJLVVtb9oO9IBpkt9lAMxLM-iRy5sKbCpXkkmR3zY5hoEUsecnPYCoFgrAnBww/s320/IMG_4173.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgAXA8ZAOr9J8ls701oT2OGKQfNSIHJn7NPzo8CxYey1h4xfN3p-vZg8nVdR7AXcHosZL5PJd3pnTp2WRR_Pt7hO4stGU3p62uhey3VADn323SLTOH23ymTjVpGt1YcbXfGKSCXbRwwIq8-kEqqHcRrfa-tq-6DPTclC7w8kQC9pn1xRNPZO3JmcavA/s2048/IMG_4187.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgAXA8ZAOr9J8ls701oT2OGKQfNSIHJn7NPzo8CxYey1h4xfN3p-vZg8nVdR7AXcHosZL5PJd3pnTp2WRR_Pt7hO4stGU3p62uhey3VADn323SLTOH23ymTjVpGt1YcbXfGKSCXbRwwIq8-kEqqHcRrfa-tq-6DPTclC7w8kQC9pn1xRNPZO3JmcavA/s320/IMG_4187.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Jacob</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7IYgEvKB4fcwoj0eUTNJpUaIeXe7aJnCJ636_jLfdQ2FW5pxNfKWFae23moDhWHMsDLdXZ1yw9Pc52avUTDzQsOEu66t8WUvxhUh1alDPtBEhK5N7edZi0fgCF3tTeS86u-ldQVGCW0b_OSXZWUvrdwVIHWtoJlTr-gjgNHm8V7WMa8MQipMpjtUbA/s2048/IMG_4223.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7IYgEvKB4fcwoj0eUTNJpUaIeXe7aJnCJ636_jLfdQ2FW5pxNfKWFae23moDhWHMsDLdXZ1yw9Pc52avUTDzQsOEu66t8WUvxhUh1alDPtBEhK5N7edZi0fgCF3tTeS86u-ldQVGCW0b_OSXZWUvrdwVIHWtoJlTr-gjgNHm8V7WMa8MQipMpjtUbA/s320/IMG_4223.JPEG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lC-AkfkGfLn9t1s51nSQh82f0APfnRNQ90GHU_phsJzKQJxLKNoHNT_oGdRiLnFRjyMt3xF-NAJp0I0UOYG1h-PJ-FC0mu_Yj-7GzhqVwr6UbZSU0RlsMTRCO9lFxK28OvwLYvYhU_Vy_PwykPlrgcoWlsg4LEwITMvNelIoE1-n1FKspgFm6UUAyQ/s2048/IMG_4228.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7lC-AkfkGfLn9t1s51nSQh82f0APfnRNQ90GHU_phsJzKQJxLKNoHNT_oGdRiLnFRjyMt3xF-NAJp0I0UOYG1h-PJ-FC0mu_Yj-7GzhqVwr6UbZSU0RlsMTRCO9lFxK28OvwLYvYhU_Vy_PwykPlrgcoWlsg4LEwITMvNelIoE1-n1FKspgFm6UUAyQ/s320/IMG_4228.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmQSVlmVDXZuncqlDJtJO7XUPYnUc629grJVgCunjn5f2-Zurv3kc-24QyY2zKwHWLgn8TYdgLP35pVnKRzrbXjVbJ6pkDZEg0AMwIG81O8zYZ9MPDnOm0k6iRAJphZ77nIw2nCzwFo8K2awDViGbRyTFJzQ3h_Gl6kQ7_v6tr1frs6SfnKXwAq9bew/s2048/IMG_4289.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmQSVlmVDXZuncqlDJtJO7XUPYnUc629grJVgCunjn5f2-Zurv3kc-24QyY2zKwHWLgn8TYdgLP35pVnKRzrbXjVbJ6pkDZEg0AMwIG81O8zYZ9MPDnOm0k6iRAJphZ77nIw2nCzwFo8K2awDViGbRyTFJzQ3h_Gl6kQ7_v6tr1frs6SfnKXwAq9bew/s320/IMG_4289.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were maybe two or three other families within shouting distance; it felt like we had the beach to ourselves.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-x02zELg9Y5pzSglwpJPTV6CooID92gvbAX_fhSxN7-PdGDZzxXZAc-4aNi8KrgiQEDIZJRNdjNBpwPlvH7OukQUrybFBz3k73ZrSwto0B6bq7_T4J-dGfpEqcK3wN3pfAdpG8lf_sG3lv7_TJt0THT4d-17OzSXQeYcw_WShS8wVOlXsGDXFHhqHw/s2048/IMG_4300.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-x02zELg9Y5pzSglwpJPTV6CooID92gvbAX_fhSxN7-PdGDZzxXZAc-4aNi8KrgiQEDIZJRNdjNBpwPlvH7OukQUrybFBz3k73ZrSwto0B6bq7_T4J-dGfpEqcK3wN3pfAdpG8lf_sG3lv7_TJt0THT4d-17OzSXQeYcw_WShS8wVOlXsGDXFHhqHw/s320/IMG_4300.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wrote this one...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5jn_cbn5lmLQV_gFWQLlkSeQCIj0aD5ndtMFQT6mXOuHSitHOZ6LsH04iL392yBXG14aNFe9YenOV4hOf0i-kM804AORQr_ZIJSTh-YxAxQsA16TfpJClZwUj-PPVKUj6AJVGIZmjPrGRZF8QfMGeuDd7b8PfQWk1nOKur1ZJNHSCLYPtE6LiMBL0A/s2056/IMG_4304.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU5jn_cbn5lmLQV_gFWQLlkSeQCIj0aD5ndtMFQT6mXOuHSitHOZ6LsH04iL392yBXG14aNFe9YenOV4hOf0i-kM804AORQr_ZIJSTh-YxAxQsA16TfpJClZwUj-PPVKUj6AJVGIZmjPrGRZF8QfMGeuDd7b8PfQWk1nOKur1ZJNHSCLYPtE6LiMBL0A/s320/IMG_4304.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and Jacob took it upon himself to write his own. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGe5jPBiupDY6PAvGA7TRzUkmoU56xlRq-PgpRCrO1HjGFCgs3-mUr3aujsityvTnBFCPEQoJF-iKrOq_KTUqeZHvK6_aNeTv4EUTEJ5qzIeG7rwo81bZS9U4SNxPxBjfJ6QYQvPPvl43To6JNpg9_lkC8y05aAqQKv2Tz3QAzhoyQEdGbacTQ-j_mA/s2048/IMG_4313.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGe5jPBiupDY6PAvGA7TRzUkmoU56xlRq-PgpRCrO1HjGFCgs3-mUr3aujsityvTnBFCPEQoJF-iKrOq_KTUqeZHvK6_aNeTv4EUTEJ5qzIeG7rwo81bZS9U4SNxPxBjfJ6QYQvPPvl43To6JNpg9_lkC8y05aAqQKv2Tz3QAzhoyQEdGbacTQ-j_mA/s320/IMG_4313.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">outside Publix while Daddy got a replacement battery for the car FOB</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity5A5tdsN3WvEX0JnXfIjywh_xS-mN1cekLqthxKAHmIN1KYFHB_1N2YLaa7TYhbtJLkv9uQlQHSQkyhcCpxmiKdsTlqSOgcdRRQMXuMxKZOitmu_fhZ9AM7c2yxaLE2bP7XVh1NrS_dP9f19I1eHDDkKTUMCEhWGOlGpZReY24JFrfcU01ZbhkWjcw/s2048/IMG_4317.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity5A5tdsN3WvEX0JnXfIjywh_xS-mN1cekLqthxKAHmIN1KYFHB_1N2YLaa7TYhbtJLkv9uQlQHSQkyhcCpxmiKdsTlqSOgcdRRQMXuMxKZOitmu_fhZ9AM7c2yxaLE2bP7XVh1NrS_dP9f19I1eHDDkKTUMCEhWGOlGpZReY24JFrfcU01ZbhkWjcw/s320/IMG_4317.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">solo-beach-morning setup on San Carlos Beach (recommended by a local B sat next to on the plane)<br />♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2omeHuGRYKg4MCylvZU9j9WP--RKV7QqkHsaGKdghfaWM4muHHW-0XImUYxPyrx82LTUHYq6NDbCX01wB_gWghMQDkch6C0GmOvcc_9h_TUiYuBXG3u4hud9vRs_mpf-XR8NsS3hJpP5qsIj5xVKSas2t5SSA-GH4WpmHLBQhd4HOabFODe6oH6kdg/s2048/IMG_4320.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2omeHuGRYKg4MCylvZU9j9WP--RKV7QqkHsaGKdghfaWM4muHHW-0XImUYxPyrx82LTUHYq6NDbCX01wB_gWghMQDkch6C0GmOvcc_9h_TUiYuBXG3u4hud9vRs_mpf-XR8NsS3hJpP5qsIj5xVKSas2t5SSA-GH4WpmHLBQhd4HOabFODe6oH6kdg/s320/IMG_4320.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">post-tears selfie</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPQkTgQbuhurMIZTVzFN7baTQXC67OcnL_sycF-qGb7wZxtAhco-5RVISC2L8TQngNraqXTuJFj0sAxycV0wb7OpARRDTT1HAM03QP_vC713K-JwiV0jf7699m1vx_0Tg63gFSijDSraHAP5Rh2qRdRQ3JWAdzJFqi_hnZXawS8OZ3NBTzm6s7ZOq4g/s2108/IMG_4336.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPQkTgQbuhurMIZTVzFN7baTQXC67OcnL_sycF-qGb7wZxtAhco-5RVISC2L8TQngNraqXTuJFj0sAxycV0wb7OpARRDTT1HAM03QP_vC713K-JwiV0jf7699m1vx_0Tg63gFSijDSraHAP5Rh2qRdRQ3JWAdzJFqi_hnZXawS8OZ3NBTzm6s7ZOq4g/s320/IMG_4336.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my surprise shells from God that morning</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTeX1m-h81Nq5e2AeUFY0k3ycMlpvH6rrGih8iEmKGeAHQxBFUvofzix2nkmMCDVGG9e12szPKmREOx2jgY2RNiTRcI40dmxFC7prWA_eALgyylKBrLfWANn-3F002HF4qqhCGPNrCN5lmFS8LiwJGNWMja4fmMHi6u28XqpDafUyDRsy0iQ68Zwing/s2048/IMG_4328.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTeX1m-h81Nq5e2AeUFY0k3ycMlpvH6rrGih8iEmKGeAHQxBFUvofzix2nkmMCDVGG9e12szPKmREOx2jgY2RNiTRcI40dmxFC7prWA_eALgyylKBrLfWANn-3F002HF4qqhCGPNrCN5lmFS8LiwJGNWMja4fmMHi6u28XqpDafUyDRsy0iQ68Zwing/s320/IMG_4328.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know it's difficult to see, but there's a rope with debris at the end hanging from the helicopter.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mMiiWBFweqYsorY6M8hTvJdPJE_PGieNMDgf7sQLwUNEJVAXvIHqyERBSizqDI4uiuyA6RxzBBU8QyKI6wQzti_KGQBv-QXaGMNVZFd5loFPjudDWO1tqZK9-YmHHRje8ocqeJnX4FsRWD_dBtHGukqElu-2LriE_BQ1TDelERXrbOaIhHFe4797Aw/s2048/IMG_4351.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mMiiWBFweqYsorY6M8hTvJdPJE_PGieNMDgf7sQLwUNEJVAXvIHqyERBSizqDI4uiuyA6RxzBBU8QyKI6wQzti_KGQBv-QXaGMNVZFd5loFPjudDWO1tqZK9-YmHHRje8ocqeJnX4FsRWD_dBtHGukqElu-2LriE_BQ1TDelERXrbOaIhHFe4797Aw/s320/IMG_4351.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They did not contain their excitement about Publix having a car cart.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRQodSvkUSmcU3YOcOj18SQVk9PD6VRDrpdKCRhtNU_77HluMbvvkdvWAp2sEbpxECBVhO5kITeXSUJvOuxjHSrglDnaoAAZ9Xui6ngiqPf3YW6LC6Ma1NKfJ6poKD9mAiJMnF78Ylm6bghkQKLAAWhXWDcUswA35PuFjJ2AMmuOBrK2bS4_c3WyzNQ/s2048/IMG_4352.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyRQodSvkUSmcU3YOcOj18SQVk9PD6VRDrpdKCRhtNU_77HluMbvvkdvWAp2sEbpxECBVhO5kITeXSUJvOuxjHSrglDnaoAAZ9Xui6ngiqPf3YW6LC6Ma1NKfJ6poKD9mAiJMnF78Ylm6bghkQKLAAWhXWDcUswA35PuFjJ2AMmuOBrK2bS4_c3WyzNQ/s320/IMG_4352.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know I had to support this local establishment right next to our hotel...and I even found a few treasures!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMm5PsUqxtP60lqWuIfjUXCqdAsXXtUoeDMe1a39dHzz263PgrbvdeDq3zyasetqjq023EXcx72m92HRd1CgcDkBr6PSrtk8dspfrjA9UnahjuNVTRVlsh3fx-XQOu4htR-RQXLlGOwPusxOV3-NT9B6oQNyxThIWiIX5H8N-_OpDtEcyECPtam6IE5A/s2048/IMG_4357.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMm5PsUqxtP60lqWuIfjUXCqdAsXXtUoeDMe1a39dHzz263PgrbvdeDq3zyasetqjq023EXcx72m92HRd1CgcDkBr6PSrtk8dspfrjA9UnahjuNVTRVlsh3fx-XQOu4htR-RQXLlGOwPusxOV3-NT9B6oQNyxThIWiIX5H8N-_OpDtEcyECPtam6IE5A/s320/IMG_4357.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Myers Beach</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DBnVoeGPds7LZcnPXmczrFEZ7qJ-7HvLhIK2bTl98CNCrrQI_ME5da4EZ3CeuEmuHNhysCH3edgA43ZwCf97di-h9fatsZH8bm0HFx0zW01SbGSXvLizrsZGPA5k13091_Fh40ilFBcwJQLMRD8Mvrjt6bAjnCTiQRaMZIvwpH-RJJEUkRi9U9Yu_Q/s2048/IMG_4362.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DBnVoeGPds7LZcnPXmczrFEZ7qJ-7HvLhIK2bTl98CNCrrQI_ME5da4EZ3CeuEmuHNhysCH3edgA43ZwCf97di-h9fatsZH8bm0HFx0zW01SbGSXvLizrsZGPA5k13091_Fh40ilFBcwJQLMRD8Mvrjt6bAjnCTiQRaMZIvwpH-RJJEUkRi9U9Yu_Q/s320/IMG_4362.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd heard great things about sub sandwiches from Publix - esp. when eaten on the beach - and this did not disappoint!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_mJ5xcrvOxD6bqCZ6FeKQxIFXmRMbzSkxXFnRnq9PItViypF3pB89xFZmQGDyGE3C2FLD4yz7NGGGYjyy10ENeMkkL3wasmOln9QNXpom8MpsCZWEY0AwjE7Tf2RoqngMViebD3RmiPe8baXiNGM0OP0GTsVCij6Ue9hDagWb00cxxowP1YzCXHwfA/s2048/IMG_4368.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_mJ5xcrvOxD6bqCZ6FeKQxIFXmRMbzSkxXFnRnq9PItViypF3pB89xFZmQGDyGE3C2FLD4yz7NGGGYjyy10ENeMkkL3wasmOln9QNXpom8MpsCZWEY0AwjE7Tf2RoqngMViebD3RmiPe8baXiNGM0OP0GTsVCij6Ue9hDagWb00cxxowP1YzCXHwfA/s320/IMG_4368.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of a few misplaced boats we saw</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10pZUmlPMJ-7OOgCDT02mPwX7cNuUbRs34v_C7m85xTq0vx1l31_DbMRnaxkZ5sU42Na9wEZJkPuvKIZwJ7FXoZsilD1ZuZP9nb2SOhQSgy0T0JA1lP0P9UrAtyp-d1WYMWkYDWmaIAvFDTBAIe3vVK2YieW-W3vnT3YDVOBaoDsdij8wkhlLCfJllg/s2048/IMG_4373.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi10pZUmlPMJ-7OOgCDT02mPwX7cNuUbRs34v_C7m85xTq0vx1l31_DbMRnaxkZ5sU42Na9wEZJkPuvKIZwJ7FXoZsilD1ZuZP9nb2SOhQSgy0T0JA1lP0P9UrAtyp-d1WYMWkYDWmaIAvFDTBAIe3vVK2YieW-W3vnT3YDVOBaoDsdij8wkhlLCfJllg/s320/IMG_4373.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This waterfront restaurant had just reopened, and we were glad to get to enjoy some local seafood (and key lime pie) there.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFvc-z5iH_-reWu5xaUQiPZz2r79DlMCTM4M1INDOaVRXY7AZtjjtKHnvm6Z7LaTH1nfPBaA0tTp3UjAbj_WYgxG7HrJrY6g3w_QCvu-tMJamnjFL9Cxc3P0szNNoAaP05lP9y7Org7qnma8PQyLR5Ix-WCX2hdkv54_c1udLFUUfuZUWUtzY-fu3hQ/s2048/IMG_4383.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFvc-z5iH_-reWu5xaUQiPZz2r79DlMCTM4M1INDOaVRXY7AZtjjtKHnvm6Z7LaTH1nfPBaA0tTp3UjAbj_WYgxG7HrJrY6g3w_QCvu-tMJamnjFL9Cxc3P0szNNoAaP05lP9y7Org7qnma8PQyLR5Ix-WCX2hdkv54_c1udLFUUfuZUWUtzY-fu3hQ/s320/IMG_4383.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuCBYVyJ7cMbPrBsVvW_zqK3SMaA1K_4tzllj_jAhVEKai4FN8nTKN-RWG2ITaRhhE9-TBCAFtyX4atgkrLZUexUAglkxyIZKCaNS5ynuRJaNREQ4BzRUJsKrQshvyP12PORzRo7FyBgrA17N7dj0BSionGrbZVmjfO1f2dxYhHdp0ExiISJUMqWKSw/s2048/IMG_4396.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuCBYVyJ7cMbPrBsVvW_zqK3SMaA1K_4tzllj_jAhVEKai4FN8nTKN-RWG2ITaRhhE9-TBCAFtyX4atgkrLZUexUAglkxyIZKCaNS5ynuRJaNREQ4BzRUJsKrQshvyP12PORzRo7FyBgrA17N7dj0BSionGrbZVmjfO1f2dxYhHdp0ExiISJUMqWKSw/s320/IMG_4396.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"build a sandcastle with a moat" goal: accomplished</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0XlKFUVfYfzPNXymOaOv_fGWPpeUh_5GElM3LNpArqbm-ciX5Rp46npr-HlEgYpVZE3Z9_pKiIUqdQtA5vaCHyBE2s7239j33VcDMrEXs_k0BwsWs1_GpeX2hSCtG-bI_LEqp7cFPmenKHDc_6mSJPMTwPRMXF93mi9Vg6xXe1f66LHV92-_AEEOWg/s2048/IMG_4400.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0XlKFUVfYfzPNXymOaOv_fGWPpeUh_5GElM3LNpArqbm-ciX5Rp46npr-HlEgYpVZE3Z9_pKiIUqdQtA5vaCHyBE2s7239j33VcDMrEXs_k0BwsWs1_GpeX2hSCtG-bI_LEqp7cFPmenKHDc_6mSJPMTwPRMXF93mi9Vg6xXe1f66LHV92-_AEEOWg/s320/IMG_4400.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He wanted to write "Jacob's Sandcastle - please do not step on it," but settled for just his name.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nyjg5SAqgCmrCpn2XZUZH3GPz9HzOvnyQv4VmmOCybGBpSSpwxnRfbVWvf1jhgg-4XypgeBjK0YRc7whEYqZA1ljVIR8g-z_LTP3I5BRympr8xbRnpP5cKz00OUN7xtayTBJRTZrKHYLNHG982ha7nHMOZKWEj9joWs2iMS8xIQUN5YwjVswXnk-Sw/s2048/IMG_4413.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nyjg5SAqgCmrCpn2XZUZH3GPz9HzOvnyQv4VmmOCybGBpSSpwxnRfbVWvf1jhgg-4XypgeBjK0YRc7whEYqZA1ljVIR8g-z_LTP3I5BRympr8xbRnpP5cKz00OUN7xtayTBJRTZrKHYLNHG982ha7nHMOZKWEj9joWs2iMS8xIQUN5YwjVswXnk-Sw/s320/IMG_4413.JPEG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePZHyEknID3uBFrx_pRjoTwuA_bri1tm30vXqSEfvdtE98N6d-d2Xj_j39ku7YAearlwcc98DpZLSpNoUh4y3DEKLnQ4QoPA2Rdd7-MwhK8yOYyXOKDPOPXcopg7BDfGFyVzek0_lqTMtdwssXl0YSS24znQXYIBg4rvN-nzbZxUNPDphKv69uR3Kbg/s2048/IMG_4422.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePZHyEknID3uBFrx_pRjoTwuA_bri1tm30vXqSEfvdtE98N6d-d2Xj_j39ku7YAearlwcc98DpZLSpNoUh4y3DEKLnQ4QoPA2Rdd7-MwhK8yOYyXOKDPOPXcopg7BDfGFyVzek0_lqTMtdwssXl0YSS24znQXYIBg4rvN-nzbZxUNPDphKv69uR3Kbg/s320/IMG_4422.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GGejWZ3SQFF8RUrKUYkTGlHdEHKhlxW0ctLwNn3PB-_eJlV280RyD0FTMyhqTBSg7SjGlFsylvkJDiWPISu7jK9S3BXCW42xVIHUBNZdgFxBLG6FUhUE3wayz205aExXCf9EJRw4MFK2aa6kGBk2c2hTo07ZRSFCrn0awZP0m-W7wHw2n_HF3LJ13w/s2048/IMG_4426.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GGejWZ3SQFF8RUrKUYkTGlHdEHKhlxW0ctLwNn3PB-_eJlV280RyD0FTMyhqTBSg7SjGlFsylvkJDiWPISu7jK9S3BXCW42xVIHUBNZdgFxBLG6FUhUE3wayz205aExXCf9EJRw4MFK2aa6kGBk2c2hTo07ZRSFCrn0awZP0m-W7wHw2n_HF3LJ13w/s320/IMG_4426.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5n45YctP6MNdxm37N4oIIgvCJt7biXjyKwPjeZ8MXJP95Wbw4xMFC30r8-rgM8F5deer7qXVaPRABMuiCNiFEpsCZcsvdalQJ1UFsRRj50BRqooZ71ZUoFVWDdhH48D75TtvOKkyAPYdIx7YLJflBtk8aQUlQVUH7IhfH0eXMxoHRdualf5Oy9zhlw/s2048/IMG_4427.JPEG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5n45YctP6MNdxm37N4oIIgvCJt7biXjyKwPjeZ8MXJP95Wbw4xMFC30r8-rgM8F5deer7qXVaPRABMuiCNiFEpsCZcsvdalQJ1UFsRRj50BRqooZ71ZUoFVWDdhH48D75TtvOKkyAPYdIx7YLJflBtk8aQUlQVUH7IhfH0eXMxoHRdualf5Oy9zhlw/s320/IMG_4427.JPEG" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BXvAc_wu_y8paCecLWOKZu9A6tz_OyAil7Ebfn96wQcxnbDhGjlao5Pf6auXOjNdCWUN40qKe9dvZNVcfso8rE1FHUHfJGoKnVLGK618VD4F_aIBCwjkiyGfx0jf6aoUSHfjZcCcjEyYuo5Wq6BozpPYZIPL8-D0w8yokfpJ-aCU1jfKSNuNCSgW4g/s2048/IMG_4434.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9BXvAc_wu_y8paCecLWOKZu9A6tz_OyAil7Ebfn96wQcxnbDhGjlao5Pf6auXOjNdCWUN40qKe9dvZNVcfso8rE1FHUHfJGoKnVLGK618VD4F_aIBCwjkiyGfx0jf6aoUSHfjZcCcjEyYuo5Wq6BozpPYZIPL8-D0w8yokfpJ-aCU1jfKSNuNCSgW4g/s320/IMG_4434.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This trial seating set-up wasn't actually sustainable, but we made it - haha. <br />The kids were really great travelers. Upon landing in back in KC, Lydia said, "I don't want to be here. I want to go flying again."</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzkzPW5ltdj2xUfI86M4AZLFpWukUiN93GAJftvlpChcaoctBzynIyi9vdLEIyjjFMb3MaCLy7NC51tuFdTypfyGRBb3FdfsMKhRyu_k669eWguOPzhbzqQklP_jPe7s3zJZ80EuMFIGxjx4lav4vCXwNCY4E79adv_hDK6BMZvWhMb3vee88r7o6Kg/s2048/IMG_4453.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzkzPW5ltdj2xUfI86M4AZLFpWukUiN93GAJftvlpChcaoctBzynIyi9vdLEIyjjFMb3MaCLy7NC51tuFdTypfyGRBb3FdfsMKhRyu_k669eWguOPzhbzqQklP_jPe7s3zJZ80EuMFIGxjx4lav4vCXwNCY4E79adv_hDK6BMZvWhMb3vee88r7o6Kg/s320/IMG_4453.JPEG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankful for a strong Daddy to carry this load (and a bunch of unbelievably-fine sand Jacob insisted on bringing home) in our carry-on. Rinsing and drying these also meant rediscovering them, which was so fun. Will spend the next week sorting, graphing, crafting, and gifting them. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Other, non-pictured, <b>highlights</b>:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>enjoying an extended lunch visit with Bryant's grandma during our three-hour layover in Nashville (She lives in a suburb and was able to meet us at the airport!)</li><li>a dolphin sighting(!)</li><li>trying alligator (everyone approved)</li><li>a sunset-on-the-beach family photo (Coming to a Christmas card near you, thanks to a really kind and capable family from Germany who graciously said, "Sure!" when we asked them to take a picture for us. We were thankful to have found someone on the nearly-deserted beach to do so!)</li><li>swimming in the hotel pool (which actually felt more like a hot tub)</li></ul></div><div><br />Sun-kissedly,</div><div>Kensy</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">returning from vacation in the middle of the day and being able to unpack, cycle laundry, tend to the garden, and get to bed at a decent time all before the week starts</div><div style="text-align: center;">sending the kids camping with Grandma & Grandpa post-vacation and being able to write a blog post about it all right away, rather than two months later</div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Kouign-Amann pastries</div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-14882977522142229622023-08-09T20:32:00.000-05:002023-08-09T20:32:36.118-05:00Progress in the Pool<div>Full transparency: this is a #latergram of a post - I wrote most of it in one sitting, but wasn't able to finish it till about a week later. I’d also like to preface this with an acknowledgment of the level of <b>privilege</b> with which I write this - privilege of time and resources and proximity and connections. Now, back to our regularly-scheduled programming:</div><div><br /></div>In this season of life, it seems that as soon as I have an inspiring <b>seed</b> of a thought that might <b>blossom</b> into a blog post, it is quickly blown into the wind of a need to be met, question to be answered, or outside thought to be heard. And then it's gone for good. Sometimes, these thoughts resurface in the place where I do some of my best thinking: the shower (<span style="font-size: x-small;">Can you relate?</span>). So here I sit, after everyone else has gone to bed, to record my "shower thoughts" before they get buried by another day's worth of <b>compost</b> comprised of needs and questions and thoughts. <div><br /></div><div>I am <b>blessed</b> to have a front row seat to my children's nearly every move. I get to watch their brains develop, their bodies become increasingly strong and able, and their senses hone. Even then, however, milestones and new skills seem to <b>sneak</b> under my radar. The kids surprise me with new abilities, expanded vocabulary, and unexpected tricks. Whether I miss these because I’m distracted by everything else happening in our day-to-day or I’m just not looking for these developmental markers, I do not know. Perhaps a little of both.</div><div><br /></div><div>One skill area I have found myself <b>keenly</b> attuned to, however, is <b>swimming</b>. For now, this is something that requires my undivided attention to them and also something we have sought help in developing (i.e. swimming lessons), so I suppose it makes sense that I would be <b>extra</b> aware of every glimpse of progress.</div><div><br /></div><div>All these thoughts were put into motion earlier this evening when Jacob and Lydia jumped into the pool, unassisted, at the <b>same</b> time.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzc84t3GCXHajyV_lEreJ2OddONm1D2lARsKZdrb1427IJTJzc_sy8eIg6EE4bU28Ln_gRbMCFrTRN6DI9Jrg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>Jacob did <b>not</b> jump in unassisted and without a floatie till about a year ago. He was hesitant to jump in to the instructor without his puddle jumper during his swimming lessons and required a floatie or someone to catch him when we swam elsewhere. When we went to a friend's pool that had a 3-foot section, however, he was <b>much</b> more comfortable and <b>gained</b> a ton of confidence and skill after just a few swims there. He was still pretty attached to his floatie the rest of the summer, but was ok to jump in without being caught.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lydia, on the other hand, would've liked to jump in "all by myself" and without a floatie the <b>first</b> time we got in the water <b>this</b> season. That said, the video of them together was taken the day she had <b>first</b> successfully jumped in unassisted with her floatie on (though she still would've preferred to not have to wear it...), and it happens to be at the <b>same</b> pool where Jacob jumped in unassisted/no floatie for the first time last year.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy6J1MExbxlKT0hnKAe8YJQf5bV-U7ZqrBhrQyQDRzXUF8Or9eFspPjIuQcczjKtG1xzbcCK0UNm8zf5lYQMg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div>This summer, and esp. at <b>this</b> pool this past week, Jacob has gained even <b>more</b> confidence and skill - in jumping, swimming, surface-diving, floating, and more. He has typically requested to have his floatie on more than not, but when we went this evening, he didn't use it at all!</div><div><br /></div><div>I do <b>not</b> take for granted the fact that we rarely pay to go swimming and are often some of, if not the <b>only</b>, ones at a given pool. It's difficult to say which is <b>more</b> valuable: the opportunity for exposure and practice or the fact that this is an activity we ALL enjoy. Either way, I'm extremely <b>grateful</b> to spend so much of our summer in the water.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am <b>not</b> sharing all this to brag on my kids or the fact that we have amazing, generous, and thoughtful friends with great neighborhood pools. Rather, I share it to <b>exemplify</b> the vast difference in children and a caution about comparison. Observing kiddos like Lydia when Jacob was her age made me feel insecure about my parenting and unsure about what to do to help him more quickly succeed in this area. Knowing what I know now, though, I realize there is only so much you can do, and simple <b>patience</b> is required for the rest. I always said I was thankful Jacob was (is) so cautious, because I worried less about him doing something reckless. Not the case with Lydia...but I'm not having to coax her into the water. 🤷🏻♀️</div><div><br /></div><div>All this to say, we <b>love</b> the water, we <b>love</b> making these summer memories, and we <b>love</b> our Bentgo lunchboxes that make post-pool picnic and/or car lunches super easy. </div><div><br /></div><div>Summer lovingly,</div><div>Kensy</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMqAw5PB6B6sWRhoR1-nGLH6FsM2z3OjPa-46ciz3SsHzpXYeiqNCWy5fuyRIu2YLX1NoPh_1VpUcQxhNB88LrS5Di-kV_gE3IZNHmDeZl2Rp8f9YRFZ7i6t_AhDprdlFX7Iz9kpIp_vDMKobWXRoHZf65ajrS8KqVPlLSPLCTa7Qzng8T8HmY7qB4w/s2048/578280CB-3F7A-47AD-8574-C49BE2B031FC.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwMqAw5PB6B6sWRhoR1-nGLH6FsM2z3OjPa-46ciz3SsHzpXYeiqNCWy5fuyRIu2YLX1NoPh_1VpUcQxhNB88LrS5Di-kV_gE3IZNHmDeZl2Rp8f9YRFZ7i6t_AhDprdlFX7Iz9kpIp_vDMKobWXRoHZf65ajrS8KqVPlLSPLCTa7Qzng8T8HmY7qB4w/s320/578280CB-3F7A-47AD-8574-C49BE2B031FC.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spontaneous welcome home party Jacob planned for our neighbor who had been away for work for several weeks. There was a meal, cake, gifts, games, and decorations.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">Lydia reading Amelia Bedelia: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwtlfvYGWU1ooyJWU7x11OyPOtEWzxiXpWf7kbA9aNfer9YuDFCIauf3S6Z2km7ajmhYBLW5YkyW9OaQ5n1nw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqS5MIENyJxDKbN_sI8m9vtVbuYPuNRPI60wV-SjITveiili8DvKEuSibBRpdOYtv-g35j4XAwHOLk_F80H0TlccjqbN3YlwVANTnviQNJpyAc69gKwsIpkcoC4v0HEUP0__5ayPUg7gWhVGQsPEN2nVr27KgQB6U6bPmaLcMJ_GgcFz6EGr6oBH78Q/s2048/BF7865A9-F1FC-441A-BE36-F2B0F61ADA8B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqS5MIENyJxDKbN_sI8m9vtVbuYPuNRPI60wV-SjITveiili8DvKEuSibBRpdOYtv-g35j4XAwHOLk_F80H0TlccjqbN3YlwVANTnviQNJpyAc69gKwsIpkcoC4v0HEUP0__5ayPUg7gWhVGQsPEN2nVr27KgQB6U6bPmaLcMJ_GgcFz6EGr6oBH78Q/s320/BF7865A9-F1FC-441A-BE36-F2B0F61ADA8B.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side-by-sides like this... 🥰<br />(I realize the irony in sharing this at the end of a post cautioning against comparison…haha.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-64743578282540815842023-05-25T08:32:00.000-05:002023-05-25T08:32:19.141-05:00The first last<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm realizing the title of this post has the potential to give a little "Bible reference" - ha. In actuality, we celebrated our first last day of school! As planful and type-A as I am, I did not have an <b>official </b>last day set on the calendar. So, when plans were cancelled one day last week, I told Jacob we could finish school that day, thinking he would be <b>pumped </b>about it. Surprisingly, however, he was disappointed and downright sad about this news. He said, "But Mom, I don't want to finish kindergarten!" This was news to me, as just a few weeks prior, he was lamenting (on a nearly-daily basis) about "having to do school." The complaining had subsided, recently, and while he had not necessarily shown <b>outward </b>excitement about our daily lessons/work, apparently, he was inwardly <b>enjoying </b>it. He also doesn't love change, though, and transitions are not easy, so I understood where the disappointment was likely rooted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once he actually finished his books, and I told him we would get to do new ones next year, he was extremely <b>proud </b>and <b>excited </b>to have reached the milestone. He was also proud to find out he is reading at a Level N (mid-third grade), successfully finish a random Kindergarten year-end assessment readiness test booklet I randomly found at Dollar Tree, and earn his second <b>free </b>bundtlet through the Nothing Bundt Cakes reading program (did you know?!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmWOvA4LjDwzAGoX5pNt0g4H7xubhQxndva06mvNLavU53mXtn91l81OuKYBuo99417Cbmhj6FsHenFeRuQwmdRkPE56MahM3lyvoNRCOupIaxrYssiqUM7T2N0Jeel-NtM6Gr0FBa25jB7sh5ZEynUnX1rACW-1EN1PjqEsNVRMH6a7w5mSK9bk/s2048/69CD070B-2A27-40CE-8DB9-7A554BC3516E.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmWOvA4LjDwzAGoX5pNt0g4H7xubhQxndva06mvNLavU53mXtn91l81OuKYBuo99417Cbmhj6FsHenFeRuQwmdRkPE56MahM3lyvoNRCOupIaxrYssiqUM7T2N0Jeel-NtM6Gr0FBa25jB7sh5ZEynUnX1rACW-1EN1PjqEsNVRMH6a7w5mSK9bk/s320/69CD070B-2A27-40CE-8DB9-7A554BC3516E.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSJNNLrevVo3Adz2jpXdB7tjkazh1COi5kcGPx0NwR0u3FQjVPshL--yWwA-7AeiRBDxSrDMvE8jp1YbWaMaFtvhmnWN1L41RCFkjZX301Ysg8piflG6fEQE8K5ffye2wnHhUd5uHjr5kvOE2sPLMFyK0vtUpcDl_Epk03rdEuTaylHjXBN25wAc/s2048/IMG_1338.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdSJNNLrevVo3Adz2jpXdB7tjkazh1COi5kcGPx0NwR0u3FQjVPshL--yWwA-7AeiRBDxSrDMvE8jp1YbWaMaFtvhmnWN1L41RCFkjZX301Ysg8piflG6fEQE8K5ffye2wnHhUd5uHjr5kvOE2sPLMFyK0vtUpcDl_Epk03rdEuTaylHjXBN25wAc/s320/IMG_1338.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3F0Y7f9z8PmGRONVpqmdd7nPeuzFDqcKDKAc9B3veSRiSAJ0uzPlIbvwYyH7pWmX_ZpOHIWER_EJbiTZiNuOkFK1FW4VE4Cz2sno940GcFWypEJYJvTvM5JcoxSnPvXPnyROfXtcEXcbLbjIIFU8f05JdrV8vDlM69JrHldvSY4gfUpfKZckcNU/s2048/IMG_1339.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3F0Y7f9z8PmGRONVpqmdd7nPeuzFDqcKDKAc9B3veSRiSAJ0uzPlIbvwYyH7pWmX_ZpOHIWER_EJbiTZiNuOkFK1FW4VE4Cz2sno940GcFWypEJYJvTvM5JcoxSnPvXPnyROfXtcEXcbLbjIIFU8f05JdrV8vDlM69JrHldvSY4gfUpfKZckcNU/s320/IMG_1339.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDIpBot6YUefNy930HKmWupieTtfUZ9_zt20CoOrBREYH5KA-MFQnm9YvSYOOnzxWNHQPQNJireENf4iR46TBQFkdi8w1PFNR5_S_uslbMH-m4N-7jjBRzan-tz1lyTUQr2pW5N3wlhdILoLVMgzaM7cCXwe__-qc1PpaPiBXxFXLa2EaQ6LsNuU/s2048/IMG_1346.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKDIpBot6YUefNy930HKmWupieTtfUZ9_zt20CoOrBREYH5KA-MFQnm9YvSYOOnzxWNHQPQNJireENf4iR46TBQFkdi8w1PFNR5_S_uslbMH-m4N-7jjBRzan-tz1lyTUQr2pW5N3wlhdILoLVMgzaM7cCXwe__-qc1PpaPiBXxFXLa2EaQ6LsNuU/s320/IMG_1346.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJAqtQqDxueZUfGRAv6IXhBuqs0B9FbgqdPu9WSmJXKWzBXH2VAeXjYBqNaKQ5WDuDaC6ppyZpBzrOJ17Jh8adhFSg6oAIWnzVmhLVoirNyvSTVcV54q1pF0IOUJ78hvmRCSxQrkS3jyjd2A9qfLO2OdvDEu7Neh0YSb-2XpvEUMara7-SPBFE4g/s2048/IMG_0693.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCJAqtQqDxueZUfGRAv6IXhBuqs0B9FbgqdPu9WSmJXKWzBXH2VAeXjYBqNaKQ5WDuDaC6ppyZpBzrOJ17Jh8adhFSg6oAIWnzVmhLVoirNyvSTVcV54q1pF0IOUJ78hvmRCSxQrkS3jyjd2A9qfLO2OdvDEu7Neh0YSb-2XpvEUMara7-SPBFE4g/s320/IMG_0693.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">400+ minutes of reading each!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIIoMyvT0mMeK2t6Kd2Jv3LSjFS_Q8BOy_xRTCJ8cAkhk69ffAbTAseuA5XXxAFeGv9Q1iowwcSKelNH39dEFu1BLdvDIIb3ghzdi6Rz-gThLeQ2zc7pTBDCp5D44kYq1BImzCk-mMvg9JeO8jwzc6iRUhPkHvyN9LYxGPL1HiOdoTPJ-c2AiWZM/s2048/IMG_0694.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglIIoMyvT0mMeK2t6Kd2Jv3LSjFS_Q8BOy_xRTCJ8cAkhk69ffAbTAseuA5XXxAFeGv9Q1iowwcSKelNH39dEFu1BLdvDIIb3ghzdi6Rz-gThLeQ2zc7pTBDCp5D44kYq1BImzCk-mMvg9JeO8jwzc6iRUhPkHvyN9LYxGPL1HiOdoTPJ-c2AiWZM/s320/IMG_0694.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another <b>unexpected </b>end-of-school-year reaction: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nearly every school day this past year, I wrote a sentence on the board for Jacob to illustrate. Sometimes, we would do a "progressive" drawing (i.e. "A car drove on the road." one day, and without erasing his illustration of that sentence, the next day's would read, "A bus also drove on the road," etc., etc.). I don't know that I had any expectation for what his <b>favorite </b>school activity was, except that I expected it <b>NOT </b>to be handwriting. I had waited till second semester to start any handwriting instruction, because he has never been one to sit and draw/color, so this type of work is not his strong suit (see picture below - haha). Not only did I want to let his little hand muscles have more time to develop before "working" them, but I also wanted to keep school really <b>positive </b>and not-super-challenging at the onset. But perhaps this work was ultimately his favorite because of this; he breezed through everything else we did, but handwriting was something he really had to focus on and work at. <span style="font-size: x-small;">Or perhaps he wanted to just get this illustration done quickly and handwriting was just the first thing that came to mind...</span> I'm choosing to believe the former. ;)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0REfJPCuzVZMV1x6bkX0rwJkkry_zJQ36lTiillldUrmq4exgFYcifreSiRTHr6lnb-tEZKf2E0Tu5KLTwCa7btrvQaLRYhQZ_vozVDGE8fQtsJdKQ3zfCNgtatKr1ib1E3rFe6z2Y1w2PKFGV27TEIXYuCIUViQIrImNMs-TVAsDduSFgYTQsx8/s2100/IMG_1326.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1575" data-original-width="2100" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0REfJPCuzVZMV1x6bkX0rwJkkry_zJQ36lTiillldUrmq4exgFYcifreSiRTHr6lnb-tEZKf2E0Tu5KLTwCa7btrvQaLRYhQZ_vozVDGE8fQtsJdKQ3zfCNgtatKr1ib1E3rFe6z2Y1w2PKFGV27TEIXYuCIUViQIrImNMs-TVAsDduSFgYTQsx8/s320/IMG_1326.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is so much I could write about the ups and downs and expecteds and unexpecteds of the year, but for now:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What an <b>answer to prayer </b>these reactions were. I was not at all sure what "school" would look like for us this year, and even with materials and a plan, it looked <b>different </b>every day. We had highs and lows, and if I didn't keep myself in check, it sometimes tended to feel pretty "low-heavy." So, to hear him say he didn't want it to be over was such a <b>positive affirmation </b>for me and put it all into perspective; it truly brought a tear to my eye.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjlsfukZUNO5H2WLomBBKujCq1Eyshl3j-LyZ19wAzdFvSojL-wW2WQUYQEiATcTX6UNXX1BnvaNcY4eWnwW9U5Rm-lJyhGGSAKx2Y13QafU3QuaEijnRnk9bJ0-aqsLpgRnziYUIgg8Hw4ARi1iIZ6yVAVOz2-rWTOjL_CTk8F7-6MVuAkC4JI4/s3596/IMG_1152.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3596" data-original-width="2590" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjlsfukZUNO5H2WLomBBKujCq1Eyshl3j-LyZ19wAzdFvSojL-wW2WQUYQEiATcTX6UNXX1BnvaNcY4eWnwW9U5Rm-lJyhGGSAKx2Y13QafU3QuaEijnRnk9bJ0-aqsLpgRnziYUIgg8Hw4ARi1iIZ6yVAVOz2-rWTOjL_CTk8F7-6MVuAkC4JI4/s320/IMG_1152.jpeg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another achievement to share!<br />He was (obviously) so proud of his soccer (participation) medal.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lydia wanted a "last day" picture, too! :) She was such a <b>champ </b>through all the "school stuff" this year. She truly enjoyed being part of it, and the times she would rather not, she was (typically) very good at <b>independent </b>play, which I so appreciated. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have been asked several times about whether or not I will start preschool things for her next year. Technically, she has two more years till she would be "Kindergarten-eligible," so I have not yet decided whether or not we will do <b>two </b>years of preschool. Honestly, she has made it very evident on several occasions that she is soaking up pretty much everything Jacob and I work on together, so two more years of second-hand learning will likely put her <b>past </b>the Kindergarten-readiness mark - haha. We'll see!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ16ll6jIZ_WqCfXtsmQBWN4x92acnUvlMZN13qUaIkrZ46AltRGwiPAw_tfCzdzSf2h6zC1EKSQ-W8B4vt3yTxuTx0NIpqqCq9QALJTOK_cL1J6plVxSmKf8a9GXL0GeZxjgmandLmFSCjuKom3_ure2OSG2_6LXefYu_zH4Gg-fq5xhqWeIUh04/s2048/IMG_1349.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ16ll6jIZ_WqCfXtsmQBWN4x92acnUvlMZN13qUaIkrZ46AltRGwiPAw_tfCzdzSf2h6zC1EKSQ-W8B4vt3yTxuTx0NIpqqCq9QALJTOK_cL1J6plVxSmKf8a9GXL0GeZxjgmandLmFSCjuKom3_ure2OSG2_6LXefYu_zH4Gg-fq5xhqWeIUh04/s320/IMG_1349.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the sunglasses on her collar - just like Daddy. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ef-kRmhzosnOXfQMC1ktum31PUntf7AHMR8n2eT9qBdFPHdKzbE4-LbrXTZt7Ijt-ctIeqaKVGNmf0TMZj_sgjpvhEzEqRdFu5uH-mhBup6zI65B4ww8XhSsT0CkWGQkD8_pXVaOUynu32lKeLB1HWPf_6xe_fVobbR5RVOXUWcgc0W4SYfEgSw/s2048/IMG_1354.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Ef-kRmhzosnOXfQMC1ktum31PUntf7AHMR8n2eT9qBdFPHdKzbE4-LbrXTZt7Ijt-ctIeqaKVGNmf0TMZj_sgjpvhEzEqRdFu5uH-mhBup6zI65B4ww8XhSsT0CkWGQkD8_pXVaOUynu32lKeLB1HWPf_6xe_fVobbR5RVOXUWcgc0W4SYfEgSw/s320/IMG_1354.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some of you may know Lydia had eye surgery a few weeks ago. I didn't <b>purposefully </b>keep this information from anyone, but as the procedure date approached and news of it spread, I realized how few people actually knew it was happening! It was something we decided to move forward with after consulting with a couple doctors about her eyes (she had some slight crossing that was not allowing her eyes to work together as they should), so it was scheduled months in <b>advance </b>and something we came to understand would be fairly <b>routine</b>. And it was!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX11fw0NJ0k2fuferkeHTDwq7LVBbAEWtPCdIZDSZSSTak857gKE1DeadqNjvko2nVtxciv0IScsfWrhGoNqHVgZxASJIKjf5uOaIhndLfx71q_8j1NM3eINVca-Oy5gmRQCShiHNjOz9-_xfOv9CEVSqfftJmeZH8D_1DcHNFkRUkKI5fNgYrp0/s2048/IMG_1063.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX11fw0NJ0k2fuferkeHTDwq7LVBbAEWtPCdIZDSZSSTak857gKE1DeadqNjvko2nVtxciv0IScsfWrhGoNqHVgZxASJIKjf5uOaIhndLfx71q_8j1NM3eINVca-Oy5gmRQCShiHNjOz9-_xfOv9CEVSqfftJmeZH8D_1DcHNFkRUkKI5fNgYrp0/s320/IMG_1063.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comforts from home while waiting to be taken back.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NlDAlIJOeKjt4yGHMC5UBl8a_ipdaJcFbzLvzTmiMlYbRB4Cn4S0gPn6WJ2XlyR8g3DheYPZjz4JILtG0CLsyhlWP_8E570NLH5oEkM8hbq4e0KjCD-QWB6JhU4YksSlh7f5AUTCmSJJryuaiHNLq5lUeuj5DUAsQJRLSQgeroaIjwBCzykQOrY/s2048/IMG_1069.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NlDAlIJOeKjt4yGHMC5UBl8a_ipdaJcFbzLvzTmiMlYbRB4Cn4S0gPn6WJ2XlyR8g3DheYPZjz4JILtG0CLsyhlWP_8E570NLH5oEkM8hbq4e0KjCD-QWB6JhU4YksSlh7f5AUTCmSJJryuaiHNLq5lUeuj5DUAsQJRLSQgeroaIjwBCzykQOrY/s320/IMG_1069.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>Everything went according to plan, and as expected, she was very drowsy after coming off</div><span style="text-align: start;">the anesthesia.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-Fx9aaQAKnQdFIC9kRuHhngYVM2YLlJr4Wed6S4y1eocv3qLFGRMNxR9uzfhBjhQXh1WlDO9UoLLChptA0YVGYDeZWVvDCq-8Hq6BEiZlPiO7QPWxmnk6Nmkc0cuDRkws1-CVwKY3n42qjYPitiMkKI-spIhW9DXwL4y7HlFl_1v6ATViNoJbnE/s2064/IMG_1076.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="1524" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-Fx9aaQAKnQdFIC9kRuHhngYVM2YLlJr4Wed6S4y1eocv3qLFGRMNxR9uzfhBjhQXh1WlDO9UoLLChptA0YVGYDeZWVvDCq-8Hq6BEiZlPiO7QPWxmnk6Nmkc0cuDRkws1-CVwKY3n42qjYPitiMkKI-spIhW9DXwL4y7HlFl_1v6ATViNoJbnE/s320/IMG_1076.JPEG" width="236" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob was so thrilled and relieved when she was "back to her normal self."</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rUgD4UbTP7sYTMz8q-bO1tu7UGPLRmGe9_TAeZpjALvdtsH7vxnie-gqqGrqAkP6zCWKYuV7H9tHS1dsfh8uOmL9P9Pj8DMiwHab4k4aQwLZRRjOuRGYzNxoT4LWaUEldbUA8yX7qwN9kS7BmCRtBbiZOdUwoBDdaq7eDYh_9yQQW-AOeBzM-QY/s2048/IMG_1211.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4rUgD4UbTP7sYTMz8q-bO1tu7UGPLRmGe9_TAeZpjALvdtsH7vxnie-gqqGrqAkP6zCWKYuV7H9tHS1dsfh8uOmL9P9Pj8DMiwHab4k4aQwLZRRjOuRGYzNxoT4LWaUEldbUA8yX7qwN9kS7BmCRtBbiZOdUwoBDdaq7eDYh_9yQQW-AOeBzM-QY/s320/IMG_1211.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her eyes were still expectedly red here, but her one-week-post-op appointment later that day concluded that the surgery had been successful, as far as could be told at that point. Her brain will continue to catch up with her eyes' new abilities, and we'll see if there is any further improvement. </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In other news, we adopted another snail (the lighter-colored one). Unlike its roommate, this one came home with us <b>on purpose </b>after a friend found it on a hike. Shortly after this picture was taken, we were given a different container for them (a pet store hermit crab sort of one) by a sweet lady at a garage sale. It is still probably too small for them, though, so if anyone has a <b>similar </b>sort of <b>habitat </b>you're looking to pass along, let us know!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62fHfvkEqqF8XBk5aF1I8ryqASY4FaG59QOGcPNAj8JoYhsNf8VbK8aAH962QX7YQBPTXW3NyDrv85uPQi6kmTYqiYJ4B3cETt6N7STU9JQeOKrUNR8OdtQZKV5Qoy8fGafVmcRJzMhJTjMizVpW-bhz-48XOvGl7mD14OciEzJKtOVsv8fqxi_0/s2048/IMG_1094.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62fHfvkEqqF8XBk5aF1I8ryqASY4FaG59QOGcPNAj8JoYhsNf8VbK8aAH962QX7YQBPTXW3NyDrv85uPQi6kmTYqiYJ4B3cETt6N7STU9JQeOKrUNR8OdtQZKV5Qoy8fGafVmcRJzMhJTjMizVpW-bhz-48XOvGl7mD14OciEzJKtOVsv8fqxi_0/s320/IMG_1094.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As I mentioned, I could write at even <b>more </b>length about our homeschooling journey, thus far, so if you would like to know more, let's chat in person! Thanks to so many of you who have supported us in <b>myriad </b>ways. Your interest, enthusiasm, tangible help, generosity, wisdom, and prayers mean so much and make such a difference. To answer the last, lingering question: yes, we will be doing it <b>again </b>next year. ☺</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Educationally,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">perfect weather days</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMZwsLQgoEv9fN-sQDqW8Kcm9_Vtnt8DhdszNI1R__Cd-zgprMpz4SqmRNuqwhFQbJyemUFRBiEXAeWxkGg8weFePhS56ReHpfJkRYxGW4uAssbxWRiWedMhw_zKq8uZpVJXTjjU5fSpzXOVklblitJn1uPXR8SdTgw-CgK1uE2IQy9au5YspXAc/s3173/IMG_3877.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3173" data-original-width="2919" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzMZwsLQgoEv9fN-sQDqW8Kcm9_Vtnt8DhdszNI1R__Cd-zgprMpz4SqmRNuqwhFQbJyemUFRBiEXAeWxkGg8weFePhS56ReHpfJkRYxGW4uAssbxWRiWedMhw_zKq8uZpVJXTjjU5fSpzXOVklblitJn1uPXR8SdTgw-CgK1uE2IQy9au5YspXAc/s320/IMG_3877.JPEG" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our church's Mother's Day picture tradition.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL0hjbqvDjVoa2OyiR_zY8WOFR_AtM1vJWVPj1MepW2NkJCVmOjh1iibOkAvsRs7zidd4jtC6wUb9j12I2JBu8MJJY5FezAzxYcEpdhx248qisgInhHV1cvTQmKQwGjGvBcVwzKl8cCWJ2dqMIlbRGw8cH1m39-xYii_aujAL89L687X-PhhnXA0/s3579/IMG_1220.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2656" data-original-width="3579" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOL0hjbqvDjVoa2OyiR_zY8WOFR_AtM1vJWVPj1MepW2NkJCVmOjh1iibOkAvsRs7zidd4jtC6wUb9j12I2JBu8MJJY5FezAzxYcEpdhx248qisgInhHV1cvTQmKQwGjGvBcVwzKl8cCWJ2dqMIlbRGw8cH1m39-xYii_aujAL89L687X-PhhnXA0/s320/IMG_1220.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture and these friends and the fact that we get to spend time with them multiple times a week, both on purpose, and often, coincidentally. <br />I could write a whole post about how blessed we are by this family. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-71031665539814495482023-04-20T20:18:00.000-05:002023-04-20T20:18:24.772-05:00Spring, so far<div style="text-align: left;">A friend recently asked me if I had given up social media for Lent. Haha - <b>woops</b>! No, I had not, but I can understand <b>why </b>she wondered. Once spring arrived, we hit the ground running and didn't look back, I guess! So, here are few <b>updates </b>and some of the <b>pictures </b>I didn't get around to sharing, previously:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Lydia is constantly <b>surprising </b>me not only with her requests to do things by herself, but also by the <b>success </b>she often has in these endeavors. She asks to help me with the dishes, standing on her stool to hand them to me from the sink as I load the dishwasher. Her several-word, <b>descriptive </b>sentences often use the word "like" or "buuuut," with a flip of her hand or bat of her eyes. She has <b>nearly </b>mastered counting to ten, thanks to countless games of hide-and-seek, and points out every "L for Lydia!" she sees. One of her favorite activities is to empty her Lego container and transfer all the pieces <b>back </b>into it with a spoon and/or a plastic mug. She entered the garden this season as if no time had passed since last fall - ready and willing to pull every weed she saw.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBFNd84eCN2TbRDbJ2JU72xH1e9HVcyhTpPPJ6AtS519C-5TBl-auDNX3NFU_7gEA7kiXuFt30N-VCvRkTC2hM3ug7v5-KpUyLcjvnjcEl6VcwZ9OWLId1JeyfMV_Z0giVhl5vjEeIwhU91ttrtlmaaKcs6BnurgOoIk_G9VQqncykDhBYyZreN4/s4032/F27B987F-62EC-4512-9740-DBB1923A0F03.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBFNd84eCN2TbRDbJ2JU72xH1e9HVcyhTpPPJ6AtS519C-5TBl-auDNX3NFU_7gEA7kiXuFt30N-VCvRkTC2hM3ug7v5-KpUyLcjvnjcEl6VcwZ9OWLId1JeyfMV_Z0giVhl5vjEeIwhU91ttrtlmaaKcs6BnurgOoIk_G9VQqncykDhBYyZreN4/s320/F27B987F-62EC-4512-9740-DBB1923A0F03.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's joined her brother (very willingly) on the "fluffy" (a.k.a. steamer) bandwagon. Our "downtown adventure" routine is to get them at a café in an old trolley (that the kids call a "street car") before riding the <i>real </i>street car).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhFHtBgOR4Ho08t98TUYn61oDd8AstCRv78wHFatovXtuTNZaO3xCzSZ1VNI_jcKEivM1_DCKqqx5hsdoRcrtWVtYWUee16uSyVaQhqo9a52yR8rFtprNczeD4iLPqwmTogDkofoZa1Nj2tH3TwRjAuc4QKEqh5frPf6eIXHQZyr3yo0DabvkRfw/s4032/66BA5E57-F74C-4183-A7A6-D53F2E424919.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhFHtBgOR4Ho08t98TUYn61oDd8AstCRv78wHFatovXtuTNZaO3xCzSZ1VNI_jcKEivM1_DCKqqx5hsdoRcrtWVtYWUee16uSyVaQhqo9a52yR8rFtprNczeD4iLPqwmTogDkofoZa1Nj2tH3TwRjAuc4QKEqh5frPf6eIXHQZyr3yo0DabvkRfw/s320/66BA5E57-F74C-4183-A7A6-D53F2E424919.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare Sunday photo shoot was feasible when we all went to church together (rather than me going in a few hours earlier for rehearsal and first service).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrCkXStJwJ_GcLR07XPiCtx8xc7Fsxz9ErKfyVDVznr9qqfp4qyaOQcDSUUG5XGHVoUWOqlprsiWMUmyNxcQAzKNa1NEKTHOS8QVdqplbNVES9T93ojmnftwK0zXJpBg16Mgwiakdw1O0nNe_ZIl7wNBa1HIELapjHEN-y3KXd8fwKSPdRdebqK4/s4032/24F55000-FF59-4676-9BD2-4AC5CA62E48C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrCkXStJwJ_GcLR07XPiCtx8xc7Fsxz9ErKfyVDVznr9qqfp4qyaOQcDSUUG5XGHVoUWOqlprsiWMUmyNxcQAzKNa1NEKTHOS8QVdqplbNVES9T93ojmnftwK0zXJpBg16Mgwiakdw1O0nNe_ZIl7wNBa1HIELapjHEN-y3KXd8fwKSPdRdebqK4/s320/24F55000-FF59-4676-9BD2-4AC5CA62E48C.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her request to make chocolate chip muffins was granted.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkYldm0kOYckiRk16DqoYavAsiGhmP5GbqiqvPVh4BRtu92FpYHnYmBaw2TjitgQiPU6GisJfL3yrixGiSDC8AtDoNYj-iCn7a_SiOUpNGrIzlxgej0RUwc6_A8dXwD9wNflAuDXF87GwQiBu9M8E2t7IhaEXqjGMM-ze_NzXvAtXz2WR5GkITaw/s4032/B51D8975-B474-4870-AE3D-F5D99EE4CF8F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkYldm0kOYckiRk16DqoYavAsiGhmP5GbqiqvPVh4BRtu92FpYHnYmBaw2TjitgQiPU6GisJfL3yrixGiSDC8AtDoNYj-iCn7a_SiOUpNGrIzlxgej0RUwc6_A8dXwD9wNflAuDXF87GwQiBu9M8E2t7IhaEXqjGMM-ze_NzXvAtXz2WR5GkITaw/s320/B51D8975-B474-4870-AE3D-F5D99EE4CF8F.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So proud to be using Great-Grandma Marceil's Foley fork. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQr0Pg_j93iJd9Uh0KpDHBpd5pztQBW8RdpicRlUGpooHpVKDvz2I5sLaYYtkhAkXakZD5qCewVLCQQRDsxrcBb803sRpy6DxBfP5J1HnQN5VI6OtGGl5ZCzFe1NSklgb3QtfoctZQALhox_s4pNHfevdQkkk-8OYvkw3I1Us-1UVQN-BfonvqQd8/s2048/IMG_0610.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQr0Pg_j93iJd9Uh0KpDHBpd5pztQBW8RdpicRlUGpooHpVKDvz2I5sLaYYtkhAkXakZD5qCewVLCQQRDsxrcBb803sRpy6DxBfP5J1HnQN5VI6OtGGl5ZCzFe1NSklgb3QtfoctZQALhox_s4pNHfevdQkkk-8OYvkw3I1Us-1UVQN-BfonvqQd8/s320/IMG_0610.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Tan I do it by myself dis time?"</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9oM3D3Sa32dwAJbQqZmL0LvswFDqyC5-XJ12E81135rikEqpCsNqEMLltL52FmANrkH5wi4AZrLvvDX45lo_vTkqGkk1NSyL98L5vrvf280aKro85QhZkAu1ue6cSYmflRvuiaaa2Rfxqnb-BU0KCeQfEuSb7-kvXwIpplOkDkjwXmqwEtb0ROU/s4032/D047EABD-7954-46FD-9BD6-4C4D1C1743E1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9oM3D3Sa32dwAJbQqZmL0LvswFDqyC5-XJ12E81135rikEqpCsNqEMLltL52FmANrkH5wi4AZrLvvDX45lo_vTkqGkk1NSyL98L5vrvf280aKro85QhZkAu1ue6cSYmflRvuiaaa2Rfxqnb-BU0KCeQfEuSb7-kvXwIpplOkDkjwXmqwEtb0ROU/s320/D047EABD-7954-46FD-9BD6-4C4D1C1743E1.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She didn't have to choose between pink frosting or sprinkles this time - there was one that had both!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Jacob continues to take us on a parenting <b>roller coaster</b> - a recent quote, "This has been the worst day ever, except for the fun parts." If we're sticking with the theme park <b>analogy</b>, however, he provides lots of cotton candy along the way. He is <b>kind </b>and <b>thoughtful</b>, and often sends guests out the door with something of his own (usually a piece of candy from his stash). He is <b>thrilled </b>that Lydia is more and more able to play with him and even has her own ideas, sometimes. There are the usual sibling spats, of course, but over all, he loves her so, so much and is such a cheerleader for her. School is <b>not </b>always his favorite thing, but he's <b>excelling </b>in many subjects and on track in others, even though this technically wasn't even going to be an "official" kindergarten year. When I tested him at the beginning of this semester, he was reading at a Level J (second grade), and he's <b>breezing </b>through his kindergarten math book. While handwriting still isn't his strong suit, he has worked through all upper and lower case letters much <b>more </b>willingly than I anticipated (we just started the handwriting curriculum this semester). He was asking about the garden even before it was time to plant and has been a willing and enthusiastic helper, which is so <b>refreshing </b>and <b>endearing </b>to me.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvicKlJ-6P760OUYGJUn1RQeRxNeHTh4TG3toukTdDTeTTDmLvxXUlE_N7bLG4efR69pZZG_-zlj2tYkvD6TUUVg3sBR7BFaLc9SEV8W5wBK_gaO3yM3HP7Uw71sKCK1HqKxCpl9IlfJZgcx2zj0pEyiRe_jwuKWuNSYpvBqSw4FubM5-zclZz8k/s4032/8598CC5C-89FF-426F-9505-A067BAA19A77.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvicKlJ-6P760OUYGJUn1RQeRxNeHTh4TG3toukTdDTeTTDmLvxXUlE_N7bLG4efR69pZZG_-zlj2tYkvD6TUUVg3sBR7BFaLc9SEV8W5wBK_gaO3yM3HP7Uw71sKCK1HqKxCpl9IlfJZgcx2zj0pEyiRe_jwuKWuNSYpvBqSw4FubM5-zclZz8k/s320/8598CC5C-89FF-426F-9505-A067BAA19A77.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He calls me his "sweetheart," these days. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpOvk8dLMWgmxrojk9cmIdizVpN7RI-V7YgIvgTICVnbKZXcj4MYZKXDcdIY5ZKzOpgY-weQtSBOs7MwzXqVUogvT2dTdlh8yzVW2OKg-rFfgRg3lu5De_-NmNqTQmH_U81844NxmauN7LMiWj5H9mProsNgpIjOsj3DvWoRBfPSChrXdC-OhO5Q/s4032/079039C4-DA8D-466F-95F0-103B1FF35504.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpOvk8dLMWgmxrojk9cmIdizVpN7RI-V7YgIvgTICVnbKZXcj4MYZKXDcdIY5ZKzOpgY-weQtSBOs7MwzXqVUogvT2dTdlh8yzVW2OKg-rFfgRg3lu5De_-NmNqTQmH_U81844NxmauN7LMiWj5H9mProsNgpIjOsj3DvWoRBfPSChrXdC-OhO5Q/s320/079039C4-DA8D-466F-95F0-103B1FF35504.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the first sentence he's written. The prompt was "write any sentence you want."<br />☺</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCiew43XqJEqT6yJnur76__wGfvUUi4x71qUU3J9kmsZwhTlWw3Q9gjmBmlPJZvLSAJo5mnDxKp7LLUOKGDnFTGTOH7Ovzpy0nYP_MxPWAVooNLewT8SQ-QXeWE7ru4JJ1s4LSmr1CNMpfnctjP1U2YOBBEnwApZqlKEJXTzXqBtcS52tOqNUSRY/s4032/3370737A-28F5-4C0A-89DF-7E4E4A290E3C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCiew43XqJEqT6yJnur76__wGfvUUi4x71qUU3J9kmsZwhTlWw3Q9gjmBmlPJZvLSAJo5mnDxKp7LLUOKGDnFTGTOH7Ovzpy0nYP_MxPWAVooNLewT8SQ-QXeWE7ru4JJ1s4LSmr1CNMpfnctjP1U2YOBBEnwApZqlKEJXTzXqBtcS52tOqNUSRY/s320/3370737A-28F5-4C0A-89DF-7E4E4A290E3C.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's putting some hand-me-down cleats and shin guards to good use thanks to a few weeks of "Bitty Soccer" through a local Parks & Rec. It's a non-competitive program for preschoolers, and it's been really fun! At the end of the first week's practice, he came off the field saying, "This is the best day of my life!" (despite the cold, very windy conditions).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCfYa5WOwYr-U1_JTWiyl8LaqYc-OjLf4wCULVyNxKk9ZQ6-p_UD22D2PCkqDzbFtSFHAVSnR60Lf-gHjCa3eRqGBwucAXqvybadXQXPFLY4y2CTKHIXqNdlNAIsJqqPDhSBBwAlRLmc6bRGOin_YzTKeKHMzE9UACCW_QoTHVLU37pRX46a2iP0/s4032/EFC9A717-6C8A-4C77-8440-2006093939A4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCfYa5WOwYr-U1_JTWiyl8LaqYc-OjLf4wCULVyNxKk9ZQ6-p_UD22D2PCkqDzbFtSFHAVSnR60Lf-gHjCa3eRqGBwucAXqvybadXQXPFLY4y2CTKHIXqNdlNAIsJqqPDhSBBwAlRLmc6bRGOin_YzTKeKHMzE9UACCW_QoTHVLU37pRX46a2iP0/s320/EFC9A717-6C8A-4C77-8440-2006093939A4.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div dir="auto">This is how he ended what started as a seed-gathering hike with our weekly homeschool group. All but one of the twelve kiddos ended up in the creek (with permission).<br />I grew up attending a once-a-week gifted class that took fairly regular "field trips" to walk to a nearby creek bed to look for fossils, creatures, etc., but mostly play in the mud and water. I don't know that it was necessarily an approved field trip and the time and certainly wouldn't be today, I'm guessing. <img alt="😅" aria-label="😅" class="an1" data-emoji="😅" loading="lazy" src="https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/e/notoemoji/15.0/1f605/72.png" style="height: 1.2em; vertical-align: middle; width: 1.2em;" /> I don't have many strong childhood memories, but these were definitely core one. So, as much as the mess and potential for all sorts of things to happen makes me cringe (working on this - ha), I'm very thankful for these opportunities and the moms and kiddos who make them possible and extra-special.</div></td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JgsB2bHGpttYxRRxOjsHiLnPT0sk4qxhUZfibJDhhyg0u59kRbwLffrPjx0DOvARZozQ-Puo1JJI2Zm5frHqow1WljdOTYLidUV1MurvXbfXWI3WjkPx64em3W7p_nJLsz9vV0oc4tU_9YWphI5O3d3nsbetfnv5rNW2Mwu_FNLtQLRB8hh_ia4/s2048/IMG_0750.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JgsB2bHGpttYxRRxOjsHiLnPT0sk4qxhUZfibJDhhyg0u59kRbwLffrPjx0DOvARZozQ-Puo1JJI2Zm5frHqow1WljdOTYLidUV1MurvXbfXWI3WjkPx64em3W7p_nJLsz9vV0oc4tU_9YWphI5O3d3nsbetfnv5rNW2Mwu_FNLtQLRB8hh_ia4/s320/IMG_0750.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob finished his first year in the Awana Sparks program and was so thrilled by the awards ceremony. He was just as proud of himself for finishing his book as we were of him for doing so.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MZF51tX3HuM11vQBNGOjieCkKEu-GS9MCs-ueDM8g2UTHjrKoG2OaIkiNj3aSADc_2zqUdXI6VkK7_UY8LwepXs7bcQbdJ8sxrLpYB9C7k0X92qv8mvXrXN9PfjXZVwg2yYF_c1DUgUJ0D107n9JxZEUV0GZUT_jOmDQDA1QZahdtAk_JND3WkE/s2048/IMG_0753.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MZF51tX3HuM11vQBNGOjieCkKEu-GS9MCs-ueDM8g2UTHjrKoG2OaIkiNj3aSADc_2zqUdXI6VkK7_UY8LwepXs7bcQbdJ8sxrLpYB9C7k0X92qv8mvXrXN9PfjXZVwg2yYF_c1DUgUJ0D107n9JxZEUV0GZUT_jOmDQDA1QZahdtAk_JND3WkE/s320/IMG_0753.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He finished memorizing and reciting all his verses well ahead of the curve, which allowed him to move into some extra credit work, earning him even more "bucks" to spend at the Awana store. This was obviously very exciting. ;)<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>I was talking with a friend recently about the sweet/nearly-perfect/endearing/wonderful moments of parenthood (particularly moments between <b>siblings</b>), and that while I think it sounds sort-of <b>lofty </b>and fantastical at times, sometimes the best word I can used to describe these moments is "magical." So, here are some <b>magical </b>moments between siblings:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-uwy3265SRxp6SxNWQqMPynh10nGH5s8mKTXD8Dz5vdGzbOAvSmCauSd_TJn3svNlTgDn73xb06QZdSI8t64pl2PKS2CHfM-MBhENWvsDqxuk1F6Y_bqHuczHGMmUb6O4R6WpYYH6UOcrbNCtMy-oCmoDXoTRl0V3u-DF-H9GKrN46Y9aErOlb4/s4032/4692F513-F1B9-408C-A6DB-AA48F4CB9D76.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-uwy3265SRxp6SxNWQqMPynh10nGH5s8mKTXD8Dz5vdGzbOAvSmCauSd_TJn3svNlTgDn73xb06QZdSI8t64pl2PKS2CHfM-MBhENWvsDqxuk1F6Y_bqHuczHGMmUb6O4R6WpYYH6UOcrbNCtMy-oCmoDXoTRl0V3u-DF-H9GKrN46Y9aErOlb4/s320/4692F513-F1B9-408C-A6DB-AA48F4CB9D76.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L was not as excited as J to be in "the big Chiefs chair."</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70tEutZk8CJ8vaZhybUPAP6Dn-iKxWPMbGwftpsnd7UaSxXnHUFACQZYVAEvxZ107zGMQxnvrPdOAxQ87eew-sKpk4yyrBLOA30gU8Bj4wcyj4d9S-7PCULU_SWqzE9Qk_Un-K344FOMRg0URoO5ltECx6yvzJxAFIfx2QUKL-wpY0dCljR9qeSU/s4032/3865852E-9B9B-44D2-8E81-0787AE941912.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70tEutZk8CJ8vaZhybUPAP6Dn-iKxWPMbGwftpsnd7UaSxXnHUFACQZYVAEvxZ107zGMQxnvrPdOAxQ87eew-sKpk4yyrBLOA30gU8Bj4wcyj4d9S-7PCULU_SWqzE9Qk_Un-K344FOMRg0URoO5ltECx6yvzJxAFIfx2QUKL-wpY0dCljR9qeSU/s320/3865852E-9B9B-44D2-8E81-0787AE941912.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's been waiting so long for her to go down tandem slides with him.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY4cZfmREY31jeDB7Tv21sjQ1TsuOblbGrSWupupRBDm2sprieAL93dCsX5RspBY5gva0ahCGViCwcwOGlVKyBQkJ0KuxlOIknKkOHmm_mcfVmInESZ3JBmHb4CfP_iwF5ytCdjhULShH9SEp0Xl8u9xYngk1rJ_9E8Sd8jWN9OHviQ0FdyshheM/s4032/FE534684-F524-458F-B7AE-1FB8DE2606DA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIY4cZfmREY31jeDB7Tv21sjQ1TsuOblbGrSWupupRBDm2sprieAL93dCsX5RspBY5gva0ahCGViCwcwOGlVKyBQkJ0KuxlOIknKkOHmm_mcfVmInESZ3JBmHb4CfP_iwF5ytCdjhULShH9SEp0Xl8u9xYngk1rJ_9E8Sd8jWN9OHviQ0FdyshheM/s320/FE534684-F524-458F-B7AE-1FB8DE2606DA.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He insisted this was a "swing built for two."</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixym2L5rng3tAnxzZ_iEOSGZsY05r5rsnxkDgXS_U5x-ZSdNVYGee9mIJ_A9JyR-q-c-ip19OstZAXyI9xz_1T8iEMDRCwCLFd4BDbRKvzbTGDeTsr4mvshTZMA9MtdUMQFBww-B2smdp6QAqvz0r-tJhgSFDob9OeM-xtaeTYeGwpYclLIHhSA4s/s4032/25A6A68E-B725-4C3A-AC59-F476248D8A41.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixym2L5rng3tAnxzZ_iEOSGZsY05r5rsnxkDgXS_U5x-ZSdNVYGee9mIJ_A9JyR-q-c-ip19OstZAXyI9xz_1T8iEMDRCwCLFd4BDbRKvzbTGDeTsr4mvshTZMA9MtdUMQFBww-B2smdp6QAqvz0r-tJhgSFDob9OeM-xtaeTYeGwpYclLIHhSA4s/s320/25A6A68E-B725-4C3A-AC59-F476248D8A41.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob sometimes does "movie time rest time" for the rest time he has during Lydia's nap time. On this day, he asked if we could do a "movie time lunch time," so Lydia would get to watch, too. This was an easy "yes" for me, and they were so excited about it! (For those wondering, they/Jacob chose Robin Hood.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1hBpZzmPOi4zOVTyz6g89d362Z77N_zaAGpjvIjFatRlNrdLkhlFFmJ8Ht_YGQtb1qrcUUuB9lJrOTFNEZrK194z6cUTxrNH6iMXbTyMbbpRkNDdSWtzCTkY3beUkJOfDtVLg0oM6v_3iWVCo1k_KkZYX165cBsJenzJCvNwv3mzupOcSIYsZqI/s2048/IMG_0754.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT1hBpZzmPOi4zOVTyz6g89d362Z77N_zaAGpjvIjFatRlNrdLkhlFFmJ8Ht_YGQtb1qrcUUuB9lJrOTFNEZrK194z6cUTxrNH6iMXbTyMbbpRkNDdSWtzCTkY3beUkJOfDtVLg0oM6v_3iWVCo1k_KkZYX165cBsJenzJCvNwv3mzupOcSIYsZqI/s320/IMG_0754.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was so excited to get to "go to Awana," and he was so glad to have her there.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Not pictured: many instances when they are sitting in the big chair together and Jacob is reading to Lydia. (Sometimes Lydia "reads" to him, too!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our weeks <b>often </b>include playdates - some planned in advance and some spontaneous. We're so thankful for friends, young and old! During a recent visit, one of these friends drew an <b>unprompted </b>portrait of herself with Jacob, her sister, and Lydia (including meticulous details from everyone's outfits and accessories), so of course, we <b>recreated </b>it in real life!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWtDO8BEAC1yrR6TGBCMSCESRISgnDeAxmwfxzgpT2qDhAbpLrFGBAU21N3y076P9e6tNIDbDkiwMqyQo4B3ubZDWhBULyemJmndZG_BG4ybQwPbse7JxzdapDEDxBpfvrUuwGuxcU-kYU-RQ89VdSAvyoza-v5d7-FEIUUcqn6Vnyc8xwrANvhU/s2048/45757989-D40E-4199-942E-31002B768690.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWtDO8BEAC1yrR6TGBCMSCESRISgnDeAxmwfxzgpT2qDhAbpLrFGBAU21N3y076P9e6tNIDbDkiwMqyQo4B3ubZDWhBULyemJmndZG_BG4ybQwPbse7JxzdapDEDxBpfvrUuwGuxcU-kYU-RQ89VdSAvyoza-v5d7-FEIUUcqn6Vnyc8xwrANvhU/s320/45757989-D40E-4199-942E-31002B768690.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This parenting journey is so many things, but above all, it is <b>beautiful</b>. Though not every moment is easy and some days are harder than others, I am continually <b>thankful </b>that this is my job. I am also so thankful to have such a wonderful partner in it - he is such a great dad and often knows what this mama needs before she does. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As always, thanks for reading,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1srxJn1aEOwSqZIcc1n0oGs5E1TdixwUVHXYeF8_4U4lnnvt3KQ-wBcJiRngfxQLcolp1wtnC_DjdSrf70ym2krkmnv61xCz2uTrvIOqFhJq5JvT6ef-8EdapIYIBshwjbtLk9bvY9EI7AwC9cH5-M6je6l2WAQ8uYbwODzGZajVWmsqT9Wp-kxU/s4032/9CC365C9-C995-4ABF-82A9-46D050481AB2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1srxJn1aEOwSqZIcc1n0oGs5E1TdixwUVHXYeF8_4U4lnnvt3KQ-wBcJiRngfxQLcolp1wtnC_DjdSrf70ym2krkmnv61xCz2uTrvIOqFhJq5JvT6ef-8EdapIYIBshwjbtLk9bvY9EI7AwC9cH5-M6je6l2WAQ8uYbwODzGZajVWmsqT9Wp-kxU/s320/9CC365C9-C995-4ABF-82A9-46D050481AB2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tiny vase regularly being filled with tiny-hand-picked flowers.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwqnkAf0kewPypXFFfdBdfRR18GOyKyNZeg8PlSSpwdBe1M3tiG0GdQdat1vukIZjBMVdO92MsAWBbOFmU-ypSjNkjnuJOs4TDAqURmSF9o5u6V4enBT1Zs_Z-O2K0ddleYtXNdHusvGEIpDLOiQLFE9V_V8EjRVbI3DKv2LQCY5DEKDwR77gN7Y/s2048/IMG_0688.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRwqnkAf0kewPypXFFfdBdfRR18GOyKyNZeg8PlSSpwdBe1M3tiG0GdQdat1vukIZjBMVdO92MsAWBbOFmU-ypSjNkjnuJOs4TDAqURmSF9o5u6V4enBT1Zs_Z-O2K0ddleYtXNdHusvGEIpDLOiQLFE9V_V8EjRVbI3DKv2LQCY5DEKDwR77gN7Y/s320/IMG_0688.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have a souped-up smoothie for breakfast, most mornings. So, I fully enjoy opportunities to have brunch. (That's an already-half-eaten pineapple Danish - yum!)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQ06IMeR0WVMWMzrV_RlmLjwSaEziX0kr6Knv0oY9ePMTXk1Bgw6Qizjcb0xpOxBARi3w2KlkhmnZ29ehfBo2XN3B7MSYL7Z__d-ERUS76JIEr53SDPuttIz6wzjSsbszn0Za0t8FFZ4VETeNPX8ogkCf8Q4FKL0fSKZj3NmnYTuntsZ6xB9njY0/s1630/IMG-0757.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQ06IMeR0WVMWMzrV_RlmLjwSaEziX0kr6Knv0oY9ePMTXk1Bgw6Qizjcb0xpOxBARi3w2KlkhmnZ29ehfBo2XN3B7MSYL7Z__d-ERUS76JIEr53SDPuttIz6wzjSsbszn0Za0t8FFZ4VETeNPX8ogkCf8Q4FKL0fSKZj3NmnYTuntsZ6xB9njY0/s320/IMG-0757.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting my colors done - for FREE!<br />This is something I'd been curious about, but wasn't planning to ever pay to do for myself. Then, a dear friend alerted me to the House of Colour's need for models for training in KC, and you'd better believe I jumped right on that! I got a spot, asked another dear friend to watch the kids, and was able to take advantage of this awesome deal! (Since it was free, I didn't walk away with pictures or some of the other typical offerings, but luckily, my consultant posted this before and after to her Instagram! For those unfamiliar (as I was a couple days ago), you're assigned one of four seasons on their color wheel, based on your natural skin undertones and what colors best compliment and highlight your features. I'm a winter, which was both surprising and not, and is great news, because it means I'm "allowed" to continue to wear black leggings and silver hoops as staple items! Phew! ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-71114829897404720232023-01-10T22:05:00.000-06:002023-01-10T22:05:09.854-06:00The times of life<div style="text-align: left;">We recently had guests over, and I took the (somewhat rare, these days) opportunity to use some of our <b>actual </b>serving pieces (rather than serving crackers from the box and dip from the container). This particular set was a <b>gift </b>from one of my former (adult) piano students. She made it herself! To this day, it is one of the most unique and thoughtful gifts I have received.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdoRB3tlMrZw0H38e8rZJ95gKFM1ZmVQjqW11yk_Jo9bZ-hX38ts64fgMzd7Exp2Aqjot2nn-LWyvqhAkN2oN2kdxeYuFTc1GEqkRKCCfApRyGwv6G4xi4BkqYJkg-HKTHNhtx1WAXmusZmNAVyE5AS8cXPGoKRcxvOgkpysBdlWctdrqzs-QEAM/s2048/IMG_9026.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXdoRB3tlMrZw0H38e8rZJ95gKFM1ZmVQjqW11yk_Jo9bZ-hX38ts64fgMzd7Exp2Aqjot2nn-LWyvqhAkN2oN2kdxeYuFTc1GEqkRKCCfApRyGwv6G4xi4BkqYJkg-HKTHNhtx1WAXmusZmNAVyE5AS8cXPGoKRcxvOgkpysBdlWctdrqzs-QEAM/s320/IMG_9026.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I was putting these pieces away after our gathering, a <b>flood </b>of emotions washed over me. My mind was taken right back to the time in life when they were given to me. I do not say this lightly; I'm not one to speak in hyperbole, often, but truly - I was feeling so <b>many </b>things at once and could so <b>vividly </b>remember that time in my life, tears of <b>gratitude </b>sprung to my eyes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>A time when I was teaching 50+ lessons a week and received so, so many generous gifts from my students and their families - not only during Christmastime, but also teacher appreciation week, as well as random treats, pictures, and notes throughout the year.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />A time when I could not imagine </i>not <i>remembering all of my students' names, favorite stickers, their go-to Halloween candy, etc.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i><i>A time when my schedule was my own, my space was my own, and my laundry was (only) my own.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i><i>A time when I could stay out and sleep in late, travel on a whim, and carry nothing but phone/keys/wallet, if I so chose.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i><i>When a meal I cooked would do leftovers for a week.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i><i>When the house (coop) stayed clean for days on end.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i><i>When I did not know what was yet to come.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i>Presently, my season of life feels very <b>far away </b>from that (^) time, and yet, it was only ten years ago. Time is so <b>strange</b>. A blink and a lifetime, all at once.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Do I sometimes miss the freedom, spontaneity, and solitude of that season? Yes. Does that mean I do not value, appreciate, and relish in my current season? No. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Am I proud of all I used to do? Yes. Am I proud of what I do, now? Also, yes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Do many friends and acquaintances I have met in this most recent season of life know about my past season(s)? No. I am thankful for those friends and this season, all the same? Absolutely. There is so, so much to be thankful and grateful for during this time in my life.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><i>A time when I have the ability to continue teaching piano lessons, even if it is in small amounts, and the privilege of teaching my children.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>A time when, while I struggle to remember every single student I have taught, I get to keep in touch with a handful of special former students and exchange Christmas cards with their families.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br />A time when not only do I get to develop relationships with my current students (and their families), but so does my family.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>A time when</i> <i>we get to tag along on a business trip with my husband, and my son enthusiastically insists on taking a "movie night kit" gift from one of my </i>current <i>students, facilitating these memories:</i></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yvGey5R217Puc6lrVZWiGcbNCt0KH9uucmv8fGakIBFTSBHsfIwenimsmtK2q_uMbAj5_9jdHhBN0ij5h6ITeMH6RaT1EMaUcQZ0GFh4dOa5-61o84D19bQx1iobHorV7gi-g9HNdcMKB4LEHjo4KY5C4k158k2VbobPWKAh8a8CiMc51Cz5ylE/s2048/IMG_8745.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yvGey5R217Puc6lrVZWiGcbNCt0KH9uucmv8fGakIBFTSBHsfIwenimsmtK2q_uMbAj5_9jdHhBN0ij5h6ITeMH6RaT1EMaUcQZ0GFh4dOa5-61o84D19bQx1iobHorV7gi-g9HNdcMKB4LEHjo4KY5C4k158k2VbobPWKAh8a8CiMc51Cz5ylE/s320/IMG_8745.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We obviously haven't popped a bag of popcorn in their memory...much less in a microwave at their level. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOARiACekH-0D4nc5E_lDhW53G4NrM644yvkJ3wC9vwrsz2DFJ8k4AOHSFPBLr2GhLX33jwveoGkCCyQO3pCfR3NiNEhHNX03LYPdsM1zbHKJ_69Bl6ztOyIpCS821Eg1mo80nojfrDvj9kkp8e4Uy1et_zgoM4ytcqFoUiaabRKH51-kldBhVPN4/s2048/IMG_8746.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOARiACekH-0D4nc5E_lDhW53G4NrM644yvkJ3wC9vwrsz2DFJ8k4AOHSFPBLr2GhLX33jwveoGkCCyQO3pCfR3NiNEhHNX03LYPdsM1zbHKJ_69Bl6ztOyIpCS821Eg1mo80nojfrDvj9kkp8e4Uy1et_zgoM4ytcqFoUiaabRKH51-kldBhVPN4/s320/IMG_8746.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><i><div><i><br /></i></div>A time when while I do not know what is yet to come, I do know it will be different, and I also know it will be just as wonderful as it always has been.</i><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Nostalgically,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kensy<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">dark-chocolate drizzled kettle corn</div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;">mom dates</div><div style="text-align: center;">having the house to myself for 24+ hours</div></div><p><br /></p>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-3835686283146667362022-10-26T20:50:00.002-05:002022-10-26T21:11:14.615-05:00Post About Homeschooling, The First This post has been a long time coming and is a product of finally having time and headspace to process and write. While I <b>often </b>set aside and have been given the time and space to do hobby sorts of things like this, I <b>don’t </b>always have the headspace writing requires. This has come as both a surprise and an annoyance to me, because I <i>just </i>want to finish the posts I have started, but I do not want to force it and I <b>do </b>want to do it well. <div><br /></div><div>All that to say, this is still not necessarily a <b>comprehensive </b>collection of my thoughts and feelings surrounding this decision/subject. I am sure more will come as we continue on this journey. In the meantime, feel free to ask any <b>questions </b>that you do not find answers for here!<div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8yMoxHPBanufqCRioVkpgGRJ165pCJcxW-xMzQXSGxPNp311ONtAe5AaUoqxLRUhjOALSIH8-NbmxbRg8cUDwu6E48gU-TsBxU1WhKlNUPdFw5GQdHDLbTPGZC-iOZ3zIdEwqUypVz082YxHKz_Egftcx_cpgmA46eMDyUlDFmjM8KTa1HodrsM/s2048/IMG_5575.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8yMoxHPBanufqCRioVkpgGRJ165pCJcxW-xMzQXSGxPNp311ONtAe5AaUoqxLRUhjOALSIH8-NbmxbRg8cUDwu6E48gU-TsBxU1WhKlNUPdFw5GQdHDLbTPGZC-iOZ3zIdEwqUypVz082YxHKz_Egftcx_cpgmA46eMDyUlDFmjM8KTa1HodrsM/s320/IMG_5575.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8/22/22</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZvwxM5-KGYU-yF-0OjKiUj13ek0GYpMJNc36l8k0HfavydTI3h9EG12bNJjmRD0W_xT6bklxLcQ1DYyTfS5ts08C_b2AUuBubCqMLPgMO2WcOIFXIQK1mEPt7LnZQc6D3whABg8QRgtzGRf2glWyEPwMTEC5Z6e2j3xlwNlrw_33WIpURUmesxM/s2172/IMG_5527.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZvwxM5-KGYU-yF-0OjKiUj13ek0GYpMJNc36l8k0HfavydTI3h9EG12bNJjmRD0W_xT6bklxLcQ1DYyTfS5ts08C_b2AUuBubCqMLPgMO2WcOIFXIQK1mEPt7LnZQc6D3whABg8QRgtzGRf2glWyEPwMTEC5Z6e2j3xlwNlrw_33WIpURUmesxM/s320/IMG_5527.JPEG" width="213" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_xQ4HFH4X6ImmEHOXvJj5B0j1UETeHKhZOxoHJEuctBSUsCkfs4jIMKYUb4gwEJ2IQhcB8OzZlDMzd1x_Q4bfh3N2uTl51zChvosGAIkiQCuM8B9p61MaVxyscC9kbIXRQlc4wsWLVcb3U3EEkh8b3JyZKroEIJD5q_X4nM-DZrJwcx1pVxX38M/s2172/IMG_5557.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_xQ4HFH4X6ImmEHOXvJj5B0j1UETeHKhZOxoHJEuctBSUsCkfs4jIMKYUb4gwEJ2IQhcB8OzZlDMzd1x_Q4bfh3N2uTl51zChvosGAIkiQCuM8B9p61MaVxyscC9kbIXRQlc4wsWLVcb3U3EEkh8b3JyZKroEIJD5q_X4nM-DZrJwcx1pVxX38M/s320/IMG_5557.JPEG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My student (with a little help from his dad) brought me an apple!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>We had been contemplating homeschooling for many years and just kept <b>waiting </b>to make the final decision till we absolutely had to do so. Since Jacob has a summer birthday, we didn't necessarily <i>have </i>to make the decision this year, but because he <b>basically </b>started to teach himself to read this spring, we pulled the indecision plug and landed on the side of homeschooling. Of course, I <b>immediately </b>began collecting books/games/curriculum/manipulatives from ALL the places - garage sales, consignment sales, curriculum sales, Prime day, etc. I also started pooling personal and virtual <b>resources </b>- connections with and through friends and family, in addition to their recommendations of books, podcasts, websites, etc. <div><br /></div><div>While it was so wonderful to be collecting these things, it only added to the already-existing <b>overwhelm </b>that was the <b>prospect </b>of homeschooling. The physical piles were a picture of the mental chaos (for lack of a better word) I was feeling. It took a full day of <b>finally </b>putting things in their physical places (which could only happen after we <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2022/10/the-switching-of-rooms.html" target="_blank">switched the kids' rooms</a> and moved some things around...which was also reliant on several other moving parts) for me to begin to see the path forward. The time I spent sorting through, organizing, and housing all of the <b>physical </b>items also allowed me to process through if/how we were going to use those things. It gave me time and space to determine what our days might look like, what I wanted to teach, and how I wanted to teach it. I was literally ordering my <b>mind </b>as I was ordering our <b>space</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once I got over that hump, glimpses of <b>excitement </b>and <b>readiness </b>replaced the feelings of chaos and overwhelm. I felt (mostly) prepared for this undertaking, and I felt good about the plans I had in place. This also allowed me to more easily talk and share excitement about it all with Jacob. I had it all set up prior to our California trip, but did not plan to start till afterward. He was chomping at the bit, though, after seeing the "new set-up," as he called it. The new things and the new arrangement excited him, which was truly an <b>answer to</b> <b>prayer</b>, as I was not sure how the transition to school would go coming off such a fun and busy summer.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjzdsQtZIbu8y1Cl30csb1T5IfHY_jRO2eBca0nIINqIjnZ_aM6oyzA5rLnB983EWn18pN4Lk5XOdAYpH7bq6XgU5ODy64RhmGUDwF5h_-zsIAwa2tI_BCRdgH1a3PsIkkq4_1c4rKCnnocgPySgDlJJQOx7VdD7-UUc6tyMHM3tGMaeUtOp1Zhw/s2016/IMG_5614.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQjzdsQtZIbu8y1Cl30csb1T5IfHY_jRO2eBca0nIINqIjnZ_aM6oyzA5rLnB983EWn18pN4Lk5XOdAYpH7bq6XgU5ODy64RhmGUDwF5h_-zsIAwa2tI_BCRdgH1a3PsIkkq4_1c4rKCnnocgPySgDlJJQOx7VdD7-UUc6tyMHM3tGMaeUtOp1Zhw/s320/IMG_5614.JPEG" width="247" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9d-yWEyGlb-z1NtT-Vk85opcXHXZy9hiuBwCpsb7LCTIzesCdehzNEX5uoxwUHpLcIhEkssGj-wr6LXBpEtsaX_nEdGKZbTrocb12jojEHdppIZyoj-yFQXYb29AD42zY6_lxuEaUfu4s5Mxf1TVhEzuDjhHPVz9tLCY47kEX5ZiFizQdZTMlR8/s2048/IMG_5615.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ9d-yWEyGlb-z1NtT-Vk85opcXHXZy9hiuBwCpsb7LCTIzesCdehzNEX5uoxwUHpLcIhEkssGj-wr6LXBpEtsaX_nEdGKZbTrocb12jojEHdppIZyoj-yFQXYb29AD42zY6_lxuEaUfu4s5Mxf1TVhEzuDjhHPVz9tLCY47kEX5ZiFizQdZTMlR8/s320/IMG_5615.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found that cube shelf - exactly what we were going to buy new - on Facebook marketplace for a fraction of the price, cube drawers and all!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2B_3CH-YTADStzVfcBlPW_Dqtrpi8TTVnCo1T0gbfQI2zG-7AvGW0PqZ18YxMwQ0SSPHiLl4fijfFgpLn6tmbrj_8-yA2vfFI7jEeC8b_FEMLBv2dLJBe9B6F1aGIYCxudRkbc7Ccj9lfkwUsPvaY0FBY_gWcERCduY5p07Ur0nfRNFBQ_tFkYU/s2048/IMG_5616.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2B_3CH-YTADStzVfcBlPW_Dqtrpi8TTVnCo1T0gbfQI2zG-7AvGW0PqZ18YxMwQ0SSPHiLl4fijfFgpLn6tmbrj_8-yA2vfFI7jEeC8b_FEMLBv2dLJBe9B6F1aGIYCxudRkbc7Ccj9lfkwUsPvaY0FBY_gWcERCduY5p07Ur0nfRNFBQ_tFkYU/s320/IMG_5616.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpecI3Lq9WtxE4CUfRLpxW7Uz4EW9LzOruz2zeP3TU8NVOjF60wqxXll9dR_hgZfGrU5VkMV2wL0-zVIAukZUJaMbl0X8SQfsEiMhZPhuMZwRypzqJX0MKwoeNweqHCTbbdVwnPkvHfjoHeQluZoc8aoN19kVp6YEpdGh5yd6LDfBe8Oir--Mauxo/s2048/IMG_5619.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpecI3Lq9WtxE4CUfRLpxW7Uz4EW9LzOruz2zeP3TU8NVOjF60wqxXll9dR_hgZfGrU5VkMV2wL0-zVIAukZUJaMbl0X8SQfsEiMhZPhuMZwRypzqJX0MKwoeNweqHCTbbdVwnPkvHfjoHeQluZoc8aoN19kVp6YEpdGh5yd6LDfBe8Oir--Mauxo/s320/IMG_5619.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Jacob's "station" (his word, not mine). He loves it.<br />I change the message on his letter board each week. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAtQi6VmEuShfYWZVq-uRYGHp-hEvHsYdVsD7eJdC4W8dP6Db0V1UC6NloP3ARH2Mb1Bx6ZzzI9rrxUdUpt3S-mKP6Oxy9VMaKUXj7YRWGPgG1xDyZhRVivBLTjXidnhLHy1SzKHtPQQQocFXhGgQPbpY_KjHGoKK9VvBeMS-PkL2apuqBT_1vIk/s2048/IMG_5620.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAtQi6VmEuShfYWZVq-uRYGHp-hEvHsYdVsD7eJdC4W8dP6Db0V1UC6NloP3ARH2Mb1Bx6ZzzI9rrxUdUpt3S-mKP6Oxy9VMaKUXj7YRWGPgG1xDyZhRVivBLTjXidnhLHy1SzKHtPQQQocFXhGgQPbpY_KjHGoKK9VvBeMS-PkL2apuqBT_1vIk/s320/IMG_5620.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1qH1r14KtZghhN54ULacIL7DoymCF6UNTUmyG2G_dH9MUSysMaxDzr9pD_h-cJk6O9FeTgZ4NULj5iyAviJUaKMsxiCTf3R1HV4NO6CUDk7t2qaZt6-4aSANNFcNM-qu_8tAn8rM9CbpQm6t8eOCSnsupBJVIgy2jyvzm0_irXvZnwkL-Sykk2I/s2048/IMG_5622.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1qH1r14KtZghhN54ULacIL7DoymCF6UNTUmyG2G_dH9MUSysMaxDzr9pD_h-cJk6O9FeTgZ4NULj5iyAviJUaKMsxiCTf3R1HV4NO6CUDk7t2qaZt6-4aSANNFcNM-qu_8tAn8rM9CbpQm6t8eOCSnsupBJVIgy2jyvzm0_irXvZnwkL-Sykk2I/s320/IMG_5622.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first week, we did everything everyday. We haven't done that since...haha.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>One of my <b>biggest </b>concerns was how/what Lydia would do while Jacob and I were "doing school." I needn't have worried. She is great at independent play, is often interested in what we're doing, and she has even started to chime in when we are reciting phonogram sounds! There are things we do that she can <b>easily </b>be involved in, and if not, she has several of her <b>own </b>toys and activities available in close proximity. As I mentioned in the room switch post, Jacob is an early-riser, so we often have a good chunk of time to get a couple lessons out of the way <b>before </b>Lydia is awake (but sometimes, we still use this time to play Legos together☺).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisy45tjtOaoRThEUzN2qM24scAKaiTypFdGS3fC5NGDQcqIXqGLezanZRelQD9_EN1iq37-IlcJpB86tpPNqrCYJ3biEJkxNCrqEOWvssYYu-ZGvb6giMwe_hA7mdfqg_kFqAp3Hxg1jQ239LH6BbnJqegR_3cNZwus_qmQ7_B6sCkMwEgeSkQXmA/s2048/IMG_5522.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisy45tjtOaoRThEUzN2qM24scAKaiTypFdGS3fC5NGDQcqIXqGLezanZRelQD9_EN1iq37-IlcJpB86tpPNqrCYJ3biEJkxNCrqEOWvssYYu-ZGvb6giMwe_hA7mdfqg_kFqAp3Hxg1jQ239LH6BbnJqegR_3cNZwus_qmQ7_B6sCkMwEgeSkQXmA/s320/IMG_5522.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvseDkNqqXIBwZC-z3o69IlmvNjynGAxG1xRUCdPh4P-CHW5N-JY872a5cRrYlAfBArrrR2Yk9aQDY1IEMELnBoQcS9-QNmY_xJHaF56d_yx_57dByyKg51hJm-JpWlvnHYK-zbnH4f5SZT21hToUjP9wn1XH654-RiW7rGihbjr8eDTDviwmmps/s2172/IMG_5524.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2172" data-original-width="1448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjvseDkNqqXIBwZC-z3o69IlmvNjynGAxG1xRUCdPh4P-CHW5N-JY872a5cRrYlAfBArrrR2Yk9aQDY1IEMELnBoQcS9-QNmY_xJHaF56d_yx_57dByyKg51hJm-JpWlvnHYK-zbnH4f5SZT21hToUjP9wn1XH654-RiW7rGihbjr8eDTDviwmmps/s320/IMG_5524.JPEG" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a divine stroke of genius to grab this second daily calendar from a garage sale. She happily transfers her magnets from the board to a basket to the floor to the basket and back again several times a week, if not day. I can't imagine trying to keep her from doing this with the magnets/calendar Jacob and I use daily on the same regular basis.</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYGwzGGTtk_EDjAoFJCNB1wyKAMdOWD8RnZnd319pqg3Q1ZtkI3i_4ByZqC_SWONtcjVFfNqKvQJoHbkGQUV4DN9olZLA6bDBQMQ65NzK13DUK-fjry4BaOInle123XLxNQjKBbKO6ZnLWeGUYoA8pXK7CMIoHW0hl5bylCUlR7Z81yOWmSHwJdQ/s2048/IMG_5611.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYGwzGGTtk_EDjAoFJCNB1wyKAMdOWD8RnZnd319pqg3Q1ZtkI3i_4ByZqC_SWONtcjVFfNqKvQJoHbkGQUV4DN9olZLA6bDBQMQ65NzK13DUK-fjry4BaOInle123XLxNQjKBbKO6ZnLWeGUYoA8pXK7CMIoHW0hl5bylCUlR7Z81yOWmSHwJdQ/s320/IMG_5611.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY18aXqqA7gAklaCMms0cKdjylSOrOxcPInR3Yy9tF2EVXFaeTxssX8_rhyJipuJqUN5R1Ixxn-Db5N72e4W-tzyzlyItqKOF0NmteU5L4k1gYNwDHBzgkTc2ccF9TcqT64-Ox6C6CGeBB96c_Bfs3qZoXVKLYdnJb05PIWwW9Fi_Zy_Buoc7f-Uw/s2048/IMG_5643.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY18aXqqA7gAklaCMms0cKdjylSOrOxcPInR3Yy9tF2EVXFaeTxssX8_rhyJipuJqUN5R1Ixxn-Db5N72e4W-tzyzlyItqKOF0NmteU5L4k1gYNwDHBzgkTc2ccF9TcqT64-Ox6C6CGeBB96c_Bfs3qZoXVKLYdnJb05PIWwW9Fi_Zy_Buoc7f-Uw/s320/IMG_5643.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfNdWMOh5s3mdrOtKJEiPfNaQ8RuSzYUCRKVHA7BPmWufHJs7ukBq9HGNy9eZ77Lxb9STubGoST4BbkQHlAsj99v6LnntR3fqlgSWHFFxO6OHV4KyULrTs-OK7gi8pew0qEBJo6V0NdNZl36ohvQFCsPtIO18HoPj9Vqwq6F1fvoYJ18BRnDOs6s/s2048/IMG_5624.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjfNdWMOh5s3mdrOtKJEiPfNaQ8RuSzYUCRKVHA7BPmWufHJs7ukBq9HGNy9eZ77Lxb9STubGoST4BbkQHlAsj99v6LnntR3fqlgSWHFFxO6OHV4KyULrTs-OK7gi8pew0qEBJo6V0NdNZl36ohvQFCsPtIO18HoPj9Vqwq6F1fvoYJ18BRnDOs6s/s320/IMG_5624.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">There have been several really <b>affirming </b>days, moments, and experiences since we embarked on this journey. There have also been several <b>hard </b>days, moments and experiences. I heard both "I love doing school with you!" and "I hate school!" on the first day ("hate" was new to his vocabulary, at the time, so he was trying it on for size). However, the times I find myself second-guessing the decision to homeschool are often followed by moments and experiences I am so <b>grateful </b>to be able to share with my "students."</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />A few examples:<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>the time we interrupted/supplemented our "formal" history lessons with reading the posted history of the park we went to for recess</li></ul></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtW7156RoyiWIXTpHR-SoSHzRdjqeysSlbnfV6d9HGF5ZSoZ3nOxy814gH49SKejlrpIEmUDvoZLksyzfRud61OpzhnwJ07CtxT6hvDr5hCrPrkwiV3LiGzEtcXxB_2ntpH_W_amt6P1FWk9f0XZ1cXv47M431DFp3bFrAYHc_ALzADDTb8Tzleak/s2048/IMG_5572.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtW7156RoyiWIXTpHR-SoSHzRdjqeysSlbnfV6d9HGF5ZSoZ3nOxy814gH49SKejlrpIEmUDvoZLksyzfRud61OpzhnwJ07CtxT6hvDr5hCrPrkwiV3LiGzEtcXxB_2ntpH_W_amt6P1FWk9f0XZ1cXv47M431DFp3bFrAYHc_ALzADDTb8Tzleak/s320/IMG_5572.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>being able to grant this request to sit and enjoy the view at snack time</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> snuggling up to read a chapter from our book each day</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie99iq4NTSpOro297LVQyxzk0DiyFmHygzhiJGSiC9RkLQiLnbwiXZrhmVMH9caHrSBY-6jaxX7n0kcAV8ZGA2D-GYIIUSXKGKrieBEdu5uZpGl4ZSF1Cv_Hs2SKNK4j-HrluXF1WiGMEM6tpw9dUXUnhn9e-shaoF52975Pirk23nk4fXQ_ZxdDc/s2048/IMG_5770.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie99iq4NTSpOro297LVQyxzk0DiyFmHygzhiJGSiC9RkLQiLnbwiXZrhmVMH9caHrSBY-6jaxX7n0kcAV8ZGA2D-GYIIUSXKGKrieBEdu5uZpGl4ZSF1Cv_Hs2SKNK4j-HrluXF1WiGMEM6tpw9dUXUnhn9e-shaoF52975Pirk23nk4fXQ_ZxdDc/s320/IMG_5770.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>raising a well-rounded kiddo who, during our walk downtown, comments on how much he likes this part of the city...with his "fluffy" (steamer) in hand</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><ul><li><span style="text-align: left;">fielding questions about whether or not snails can pick up radio signals with their antennae while observing the one we unintentionally brought home from a hike this summer (turns out, the "cool shell" had a resident...and we have kept it alive for several months, now!)</span></li></ul></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGMJm6AG11ROC2SZwrXDJ3wghmBU5F05hGZ5XpeAF3DcsFkUeSbWPuX4OcizJ4xk_c5uFulyImzjLZk--CnX1xYJlB2Hva68qMInex9qKu6momP-jqxnyIKf-tYepNcgD-ljUiYcrpaeLUa-0SaG1keRscX-oyzvbAiOInmSLDo1do2K2v0YCjDQ/s2048/IMG_5781.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnGMJm6AG11ROC2SZwrXDJ3wghmBU5F05hGZ5XpeAF3DcsFkUeSbWPuX4OcizJ4xk_c5uFulyImzjLZk--CnX1xYJlB2Hva68qMInex9qKu6momP-jqxnyIKf-tYepNcgD-ljUiYcrpaeLUa-0SaG1keRscX-oyzvbAiOInmSLDo1do2K2v0YCjDQ/s320/IMG_5781.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>this field trip to Union Station that provided a history lesson...</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ6WbPDhaKmfZRO-JZZvKznXj7OHU6IB8eyrE9yzOsHDhwHSOL99p6BX3idrVA-WQ1q0u1YE_Q6HuxD8VyQFZ9NVWmsYoFfv-RhnBVpkIdt1osEsYvzOPTMKbCks-gWMdlVfp2OwZ0yN32ePBtQiXTMKvkZZ7gFtIwPCkXJ2a2fmGIU5-Rph_CPY/s2048/IMG_5779.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQ6WbPDhaKmfZRO-JZZvKznXj7OHU6IB8eyrE9yzOsHDhwHSOL99p6BX3idrVA-WQ1q0u1YE_Q6HuxD8VyQFZ9NVWmsYoFfv-RhnBVpkIdt1osEsYvzOPTMKbCks-gWMdlVfp2OwZ0yN32ePBtQiXTMKvkZZ7gFtIwPCkXJ2a2fmGIU5-Rph_CPY/s320/IMG_5779.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...as well as lots of entertainment and delight about trains of all shapes and sizes</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasmoS7SyQgHyvoG749NL8HSVCcfGLv7QJ8g9fGGyLsFu53mjBgivnaagqDwN3VeQKYznx-3fuo1mb0LKvLiyJI3SNNBJCWxXAMTuk_xpRsdGSmxp4WGwbMGGQPGN8oqeUXCL4n8rjzOayzetUi9OLjtFHvyShszUo5RngL7W8HrbReOXJKu_rJJc/s2048/IMG_5743.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasmoS7SyQgHyvoG749NL8HSVCcfGLv7QJ8g9fGGyLsFu53mjBgivnaagqDwN3VeQKYznx-3fuo1mb0LKvLiyJI3SNNBJCWxXAMTuk_xpRsdGSmxp4WGwbMGGQPGN8oqeUXCL4n8rjzOayzetUi9OLjtFHvyShszUo5RngL7W8HrbReOXJKu_rJJc/s320/IMG_5743.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>taking advantage of living so close to so many cool, free(!) experiences/opportunities</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipannR8yo6iIAJlmm2-XzR7aSiUbRtz7JWH4EsifElV3RuX5Pbsr4UW17GP7eKEnqkSPZelf05gcalrgy0x_x-vXsfUNJZfJ137Yz_Pveq12yAvCGGOP3Sbq2oTbsU9j0oQaHSEHQZoLJSAv-d-LpW2rRE_0WKMYfquseU_WCaJO-Cq6GRNaTHbkE/s2048/IMG_5756.JPEG"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipannR8yo6iIAJlmm2-XzR7aSiUbRtz7JWH4EsifElV3RuX5Pbsr4UW17GP7eKEnqkSPZelf05gcalrgy0x_x-vXsfUNJZfJ137Yz_Pveq12yAvCGGOP3Sbq2oTbsU9j0oQaHSEHQZoLJSAv-d-LpW2rRE_0WKMYfquseU_WCaJO-Cq6GRNaTHbkE/s320/IMG_5756.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(When in Rome (or Crown Center)...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div><div>The <b>question </b>I assume is on your mind (only because it is the first many ask when they find out we have chosen homeschool) is "Why?" (Right? 😉)</div><div>Our answer: Our main objective is to provide quality, individualized Christian education for our children.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next question: What about socialization?</div><div>I could refer you to many and various <b>resources </b>in answer to this question, but you could also likely find them on your own. In short, I only worry about it when I allow others' questions and opinions to allow me to worry about it. We <b>do </b>have a small group of homeschool friends with whom we meet for nature studies and playtime on a nearly-weekly basis. I am also <b>prioritizing </b>playdates, library story time, and other trips "out into the world," esp. this kindergarten year when the academic component is <b>less </b>rigorous. If Jacob has had time to develop a relationship and rapport with someone, he is happy to interact with them, share ideas, and is often considerate. He can hold lengthy conversations with adults and is polite and generally friendly when interacting with strangers. I think that's a good start, for now. (In complete <b>transparency</b>, I could have left that answer at the first sentence. The ones that followed are my real-time stream-of-consciousness thoughts as I continue to explain/affirm this decision in my own head. There is probably more to be said, certainly more to be learned, and likely more to be implemented, but I will leave it at that, for now.)</div><div><br /></div><div>Another, perhaps: "Do you enjoy it?"</div><div>Yes, I do. I did not anticipate how much it would <b>increase </b>the level of purpose I feel in my/our days. Aside from the formal curriculum we are using for a handful of subjects, our days and activities don't really look much different than they did before we were "officially" homeschooling. Through this new homeschool <b>lens</b>, however, I am realizing even more that <b>EVERYthing </b>can be educational! We will not have to formally document/report anything for another year or so, but I am trying to be in the practice of at least <b>thinking </b>about the purpose behind everything we do, and in all humility, it makes me proud of myself for having implemented so much <b>education </b>in our days prior to having on my "homeschool goggles." (Is it oxymoronic to say "In all humility, I'm proud."? Ha! I think you know what I mean.) </div><div><br /></div><div>While I don't know that I enjoyed it, per se, I knew I was "<b>all in</b>" when I found myself researching how to pin bugs for a collection. Who knew there was an actual, official way to do it?! I will happily report that while they might not be <b><i>quite </i></b>up to specification, these dried nicely in position, and along with others, have been moved to more formal spots on a larger piece of Styrofoam...next to our collection of leaves (that are also research-based-ly preserved).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHVF99BXCViGdcLfqDE1jdymJaOaoT0v2XrugwhdCI99y4PuVxfvT8mHDFoOe2waLSddHlO_uln09f5KfRHBgZ47MFeafQRR--aqpIK0Hjfiy652HhejtfV5dK0zP71461UesQo_SRYnbCAewrNwItD63oFnD11ul-pBZQd0NEH-zJvM7jYsxNHs/s2048/IMG_5658.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHVF99BXCViGdcLfqDE1jdymJaOaoT0v2XrugwhdCI99y4PuVxfvT8mHDFoOe2waLSddHlO_uln09f5KfRHBgZ47MFeafQRR--aqpIK0Hjfiy652HhejtfV5dK0zP71461UesQo_SRYnbCAewrNwItD63oFnD11ul-pBZQd0NEH-zJvM7jYsxNHs/s320/IMG_5658.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>If you have <b>more </b>questions, I would be happy to talk and/or write more about it all. In the meantime, thanks for continuing to follow my/our life's journey, no matter where it leads! <b>Appreciate </b>you! </div><div><br /></div><div>Educationally,</div><div>Kensy</div></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">recess at the pool!</div><div style="text-align: center;">all of Lydia's new words, lately</div><div style="text-align: center;">Junior Bake Off </div><div style="text-align: center;">(J and I started watching this together (we're doing one episode a week), and it's been so, so fun! I love sharing it with him.)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div></div></div></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-62311357585121332412022-10-26T20:49:00.001-05:002022-10-26T20:55:38.986-05:00(almost) All the birthdays!<p></p>Another thing that contributed to our <b>busy </b><a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2022/10/summer-22.html">summer </a>was planning/throwing/attending several birthday celebrations! We were <b>thankful </b>to be able to celebrate at various times and in various places with so many friends and family. First up, Jacob!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqmgLVUFeBAC5ZIiWxnIkYUPS0qI3HEM6M1cXCDjpc3Z0rjd3AKObAaQPDVFWuyxrioO3yReP_SwCR517K3k5BEeMI8ZMVMYOC2N5fIe37zlG_SBjF967EgQpb5YZTlSWohPEbToOlSyfFTvc1jHMwgL56y2XWDrqIMajhUIC_HPqKQ3trNxsOu8/s4032/IMG_3673.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWqmgLVUFeBAC5ZIiWxnIkYUPS0qI3HEM6M1cXCDjpc3Z0rjd3AKObAaQPDVFWuyxrioO3yReP_SwCR517K3k5BEeMI8ZMVMYOC2N5fIe37zlG_SBjF967EgQpb5YZTlSWohPEbToOlSyfFTvc1jHMwgL56y2XWDrqIMajhUIC_HPqKQ3trNxsOu8/s320/IMG_3673.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Call Hall ice cream for a pre-birthday celebration in Manhattan!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcMxATrmIJmfPtWx7FBrEieI9nJLrF44o-hC8BpXhksepC77HcwlX41GvXKxMw5CqOufF4QE6CDor4j4fT9r9HJcItTMGlce-nWU61jhWWyKIspEXuW2E7CuWZDfrpu1Kv9tUuluiddx3Mby8tUAHRPdrEwWpH9YsIk5tiq1DItJ7yX5S-zbIurY/s4032/IMG_3692.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcMxATrmIJmfPtWx7FBrEieI9nJLrF44o-hC8BpXhksepC77HcwlX41GvXKxMw5CqOufF4QE6CDor4j4fT9r9HJcItTMGlce-nWU61jhWWyKIspEXuW2E7CuWZDfrpu1Kv9tUuluiddx3Mby8tUAHRPdrEwWpH9YsIk5tiq1DItJ7yX5S-zbIurY/s320/IMG_3692.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother can make anything!<br />(These are about the diameter of a penny.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELHwjn5kYY4kfMCwU1NNRFOCTmKMFs25Sd8cSYOeYR9uAgdij-928aAYC11NfNKH8ZHhEvWLPJQKnTFG8PYp5x31-KvvW8gM29QFCBazKom5WwonUXuuV1BQAVVD1lwI_Zrtp28LAH7mrVs5mXGjs7EQvfYk9uBj_xCBvPLf-jpAxdzDZdT_6qIk/s4032/IMG_3902.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELHwjn5kYY4kfMCwU1NNRFOCTmKMFs25Sd8cSYOeYR9uAgdij-928aAYC11NfNKH8ZHhEvWLPJQKnTFG8PYp5x31-KvvW8gM29QFCBazKom5WwonUXuuV1BQAVVD1lwI_Zrtp28LAH7mrVs5mXGjs7EQvfYk9uBj_xCBvPLf-jpAxdzDZdT_6qIk/s320/IMG_3902.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He requested this picture. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ26UIXjXeSErG1aCcaAj9zKtZRdnogHDQBvUkQSXFSWWRqdsvtBFsD3MKc_OPIM5WGl5JfGIXMC5kgoHgWzezprIl74CGAe2rKiv-s3Zi-mLSCVMN_J9p0gC23q8XiPNvFvLq4ls2tRCNhj1RKeZ0-2pUcglPpilCUaDejf6y8iSOoX_JYn6nR0E/s2048/IMG_4071.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ26UIXjXeSErG1aCcaAj9zKtZRdnogHDQBvUkQSXFSWWRqdsvtBFsD3MKc_OPIM5WGl5JfGIXMC5kgoHgWzezprIl74CGAe2rKiv-s3Zi-mLSCVMN_J9p0gC23q8XiPNvFvLq4ls2tRCNhj1RKeZ0-2pUcglPpilCUaDejf6y8iSOoX_JYn6nR0E/s320/IMG_4071.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one is so funny to me. Don't worry - she didn't get to it.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0h-6fyPyYhHlA9MnnXu5HNzS30rgLiOebA6OwbrDas6i52k_GZt4bAObQgPiYpZ3Fe_nMiJXjqMZZVEcwTWZw8N4l7yW1Kf3quAQGr_EqQEow-YDR3KtFIg4jSirxiOTmFGkWlqEDOSGYvgKi09jyvrl7Y5b9j2uR7d8Gb1JZCGFU6CMpCLFj8Y/s4032/IMG_3905.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0h-6fyPyYhHlA9MnnXu5HNzS30rgLiOebA6OwbrDas6i52k_GZt4bAObQgPiYpZ3Fe_nMiJXjqMZZVEcwTWZw8N4l7yW1Kf3quAQGr_EqQEow-YDR3KtFIg4jSirxiOTmFGkWlqEDOSGYvgKi09jyvrl7Y5b9j2uR7d8Gb1JZCGFU6CMpCLFj8Y/s320/IMG_3905.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a fun Lego party hosted by Nanny and Papa Bear Byers!</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCuSUGAMKwM7IpLSySKKChD5zekKJ8_GtlfoaNU7a7Y7GVjI9ey0AbMyKDgHZ0MWHzuo0Vb3Vh8gf_c97CPbS3DMCmofdcbUzw5vzi-XU5eCpMHoFzRP75COq-8C4qPu5YHxRvEx95E3h86n3jHOE89Qg8x9XH_MyhcuoU32mRjODGYAu-HykSxo/s5184/Photo%20Jul%2002,%2011%2046%2047%20PM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCuSUGAMKwM7IpLSySKKChD5zekKJ8_GtlfoaNU7a7Y7GVjI9ey0AbMyKDgHZ0MWHzuo0Vb3Vh8gf_c97CPbS3DMCmofdcbUzw5vzi-XU5eCpMHoFzRP75COq-8C4qPu5YHxRvEx95E3h86n3jHOE89Qg8x9XH_MyhcuoU32mRjODGYAu-HykSxo/s320/Photo%20Jul%2002,%2011%2046%2047%20PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, those are edible Lego bricks. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwb4e6iHD_pdbcjc3sl3fSI-TYVzcLDI4uUA5Bt_i1O4B5YJr_r4k1IC4H61qNoyKOOxOo3gXO-v7H8N9SyCMQ4zufAcSpZ-pvRyXlVooLsqCZ99bpyhvO9VhzBwGyRFL8vq4uJQRsbNbJVBTLXZdRZUcFsSxywlXKD_exfn2l_UYDVNgRx5TvA4/s4032/Photo%20Jul%2003,%2012%2018%2057%20PM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdwb4e6iHD_pdbcjc3sl3fSI-TYVzcLDI4uUA5Bt_i1O4B5YJr_r4k1IC4H61qNoyKOOxOo3gXO-v7H8N9SyCMQ4zufAcSpZ-pvRyXlVooLsqCZ99bpyhvO9VhzBwGyRFL8vq4uJQRsbNbJVBTLXZdRZUcFsSxywlXKD_exfn2l_UYDVNgRx5TvA4/s320/Photo%20Jul%2003,%2012%2018%2057%20PM.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfP4rRm8owSap3PX3LFCbS3dZ0ZbQaNKDtrGCFwGwnsFC5zDbi9WgRRL4enbqRIgvReJDqCp6izhO0g3WS4nyTnZnqaL8jgjxSMVSirWsswmAbEsLF1IXgO8x9oEldMMw9oKJZ7lxA3ZLkPzg6Khy5DsqAEHjcQNGuCyGaDOO0uq1WtgTCFVJ-3I/s5184/Photo%20Jul%2003,%2012%2028%2045%20AM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5184" data-original-width="3456" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkfP4rRm8owSap3PX3LFCbS3dZ0ZbQaNKDtrGCFwGwnsFC5zDbi9WgRRL4enbqRIgvReJDqCp6izhO0g3WS4nyTnZnqaL8jgjxSMVSirWsswmAbEsLF1IXgO8x9oEldMMw9oKJZ7lxA3ZLkPzg6Khy5DsqAEHjcQNGuCyGaDOO0uq1WtgTCFVJ-3I/s320/Photo%20Jul%2003,%2012%2028%2045%20AM.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He couldn't even!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next, Lydia! She has been really into the "Baby Shark" song for several months, so naturally, that became her birthday theme. Jacob was excited to help with her birthday plans this year, and he was so sweet and kind to her all day on her special day.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFEO_qmnqHygseEKay7p1we8_AdWdmjZyTzsaW7SwZpU9ulfVvQKxp8TucX-PYfp1vnXzTGBtmrYKKFbnWFaGZoreQruR8DF4GUHhJOD2QofdBveH3urdq3JEP-Zre9Dn_cI2213XZp671UEHeP1MXkBZdbTdbk-O0fhw1OHgLYgeFdEMlJJkeVU/s2048/IMG_5798.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFEO_qmnqHygseEKay7p1we8_AdWdmjZyTzsaW7SwZpU9ulfVvQKxp8TucX-PYfp1vnXzTGBtmrYKKFbnWFaGZoreQruR8DF4GUHhJOD2QofdBveH3urdq3JEP-Zre9Dn_cI2213XZp671UEHeP1MXkBZdbTdbk-O0fhw1OHgLYgeFdEMlJJkeVU/s320/IMG_5798.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was so excited to help...and he was so excited to help her help!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn-MrlMdefx3ONRrJWo30rSclRwNq3cM_ArzmcQhahUGE1sSVFN0QzaOEAsUABPs9nC6bSzlrF1j8JiKlFRFwC4nAZ4s4XYhE3BxRaDiFotu2zNiuPY8T_Auz_oeKU1lN3mQNyOCwwGR8KQjAzfsHl73kNHYT35FMOBGxAX3OrJJZQg-gv8_Rfcs/s2048/IMG_5803.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgn-MrlMdefx3ONRrJWo30rSclRwNq3cM_ArzmcQhahUGE1sSVFN0QzaOEAsUABPs9nC6bSzlrF1j8JiKlFRFwC4nAZ4s4XYhE3BxRaDiFotu2zNiuPY8T_Auz_oeKU1lN3mQNyOCwwGR8KQjAzfsHl73kNHYT35FMOBGxAX3OrJJZQg-gv8_Rfcs/s320/IMG_5803.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She picked the cake mix all by herself.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iWiFOhn5aRU6NYokwMnHP033ULRNpojoxhNJUZut1BSO8VhdPLhzzIQ-jD6onRBIPFqzh3HmD8yiR1gMZIlBOTtVcDqjGWBTWS5XRr6n4RLHQKdTeRhkmf_wLx1ENrfoRXOKzs6k-46cUgvwe0JRVMmxpVLUNicu6SQ4dfvk5uU2LtRUkeDFlGY/s2048/IMG_5830.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-iWiFOhn5aRU6NYokwMnHP033ULRNpojoxhNJUZut1BSO8VhdPLhzzIQ-jD6onRBIPFqzh3HmD8yiR1gMZIlBOTtVcDqjGWBTWS5XRr6n4RLHQKdTeRhkmf_wLx1ENrfoRXOKzs6k-46cUgvwe0JRVMmxpVLUNicu6SQ4dfvk5uU2LtRUkeDFlGY/s320/IMG_5830.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIYBCvnYcu82OOQ6cWGMIbx-xToZerFUQRODqpmNIDTtBZuPhAwnwa-UvwtTwvkk7Y7vVzpdlcvnhZV1aSTxCBwxp-Rqemy1ts7NnhUTqnj9D3ncuLqKDR-g94UfVICd_uXDN075h4TKAG-FkoihBqa8XDDHRdLux4F-sfP8zhdx4OQEfUuVYQyw/s2048/IMG_5970.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIYBCvnYcu82OOQ6cWGMIbx-xToZerFUQRODqpmNIDTtBZuPhAwnwa-UvwtTwvkk7Y7vVzpdlcvnhZV1aSTxCBwxp-Rqemy1ts7NnhUTqnj9D3ncuLqKDR-g94UfVICd_uXDN075h4TKAG-FkoihBqa8XDDHRdLux4F-sfP8zhdx4OQEfUuVYQyw/s320/IMG_5970.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh561gv02CFDK2oTgdah2wBMOOGmlYUjcaK7fHeQFU0OWd707sqydV7LPhggJDfvVLYrXXQ6P3x06ppjU9t0AQsh4UOd2rWjkAKeNrx5-yV7akeZGV9OPfmfVCb60Tuzz65HLQCCqMBmUeers5NbsohbKTeVuXanwrREGPhT1VFCR2l0sUiieDNdls/s2048/IMG_5972.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh561gv02CFDK2oTgdah2wBMOOGmlYUjcaK7fHeQFU0OWd707sqydV7LPhggJDfvVLYrXXQ6P3x06ppjU9t0AQsh4UOd2rWjkAKeNrx5-yV7akeZGV9OPfmfVCb60Tuzz65HLQCCqMBmUeers5NbsohbKTeVuXanwrREGPhT1VFCR2l0sUiieDNdls/s320/IMG_5972.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She got to open a gift on her actual birthday.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMzCnHtiNMusXCx5EHQGflemdk7eFHz5wLI_ye3WKlFwg0DklWbOOMSB3kI7l0VcckcfwW71zry2gexEJVwfsgIA0FcLEI27d9SvfcuGwUlonsTYwBBr4sUBeIqT8oz-72femuMUJFC0BK9nOhnbL5Qj7U0TFfqnOOpc7wqF-VDpZzINNB9Bn5NQ/s2048/IMG_5980.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfMzCnHtiNMusXCx5EHQGflemdk7eFHz5wLI_ye3WKlFwg0DklWbOOMSB3kI7l0VcckcfwW71zry2gexEJVwfsgIA0FcLEI27d9SvfcuGwUlonsTYwBBr4sUBeIqT8oz-72femuMUJFC0BK9nOhnbL5Qj7U0TFfqnOOpc7wqF-VDpZzINNB9Bn5NQ/s320/IMG_5980.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For those who are unfamiliar, the original song goes, "Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo doo." Our version for the bday girl was, "Birthday shark, two two two two two two."</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_HBy0YsMyOjySFKwu0FTpkDjizo6mDLVeH2zybcen8FoAs0AFao2xDS2NqK5OyleJc9dv-qSBb9s8IVjYJpylknYKtzicgaog7Ewa3CQJCI-zdxLIYxuLubU_43GTz_PRcLuLIxPXu4dy2GJ6nvEB8j-qCboLr0l49Dg63BDulbS2oLFfJN4A6E/s2048/IMG_5982.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_HBy0YsMyOjySFKwu0FTpkDjizo6mDLVeH2zybcen8FoAs0AFao2xDS2NqK5OyleJc9dv-qSBb9s8IVjYJpylknYKtzicgaog7Ewa3CQJCI-zdxLIYxuLubU_43GTz_PRcLuLIxPXu4dy2GJ6nvEB8j-qCboLr0l49Dg63BDulbS2oLFfJN4A6E/s320/IMG_5982.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh484k3VprVojeI4um3VgtEFVW3EI2ROHxb1yTAZL0Gga_2o3mp6blpYQwPLa1Pj_fTDdaeGZUnyf2-yY1xURCJ7qVMcDuUaxpSHQCyE7WptQ2W1y3d1YEiBTekqRDvJoq6LkK5xcnR3XcFlF5RInPbgw6kl49LmxgOi3HA_A_vsDtCAyy3ThP3Pas/s2048/IMG_5984.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh484k3VprVojeI4um3VgtEFVW3EI2ROHxb1yTAZL0Gga_2o3mp6blpYQwPLa1Pj_fTDdaeGZUnyf2-yY1xURCJ7qVMcDuUaxpSHQCyE7WptQ2W1y3d1YEiBTekqRDvJoq6LkK5xcnR3XcFlF5RInPbgw6kl49LmxgOi3HA_A_vsDtCAyy3ThP3Pas/s320/IMG_5984.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jlX2CIyeIpicX6OXYdZRY4UY5HG7_DagRsExhFQ0zGM3Q2O-Uh8WawgrSd8uZwFMsBJsYXHhE52foc4u-bqf0e2IFMG9-NClPA8knvL7JPIbnC758N7Mpka-70PeGkhuhHmE-YcQCC8nYUrwzgZ2-YXZ2j_nZq18BnrcYU_dcF1KEtT7jKWBHCY/s2048/IMG_5987.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5jlX2CIyeIpicX6OXYdZRY4UY5HG7_DagRsExhFQ0zGM3Q2O-Uh8WawgrSd8uZwFMsBJsYXHhE52foc4u-bqf0e2IFMG9-NClPA8knvL7JPIbnC758N7Mpka-70PeGkhuhHmE-YcQCC8nYUrwzgZ2-YXZ2j_nZq18BnrcYU_dcF1KEtT7jKWBHCY/s320/IMG_5987.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfELqu-jAxY6ql3I2vxD-5kVbAoLhDRwOg3H_A4whtTM4xVJzVH77M4vhHOJMokDN_mJuReBWZOzXxF71l3XvtUV0IxMZEv9qCUgxqBsR4OfiuNQ7q_kIVxAY9-DMJ_AhBc90IGghceLRt6wUifKs6ZFTKB0AMBXQOKyvAgLDf7gjsJhXMXPs8Dlk/s2048/IMG_5992.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfELqu-jAxY6ql3I2vxD-5kVbAoLhDRwOg3H_A4whtTM4xVJzVH77M4vhHOJMokDN_mJuReBWZOzXxF71l3XvtUV0IxMZEv9qCUgxqBsR4OfiuNQ7q_kIVxAY9-DMJ_AhBc90IGghceLRt6wUifKs6ZFTKB0AMBXQOKyvAgLDf7gjsJhXMXPs8Dlk/s320/IMG_5992.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I8fqvU_2N488oTMADmLSg5g9f8OSbymeBh-ny1Gyozw77wkitRXnbpnckMc4wsfcRpBSXRWQFUW032djtYpWGj-1YFprZrgrmtZzuSRG8iufGhkHQOmP7AnwT4UEOzk90v7RGI7cWxjMOs3gVDfxI2re14fMXG4Qwkqchl_PiEI_ZR8PXgi6tYg/s2048/IMG_6012.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4I8fqvU_2N488oTMADmLSg5g9f8OSbymeBh-ny1Gyozw77wkitRXnbpnckMc4wsfcRpBSXRWQFUW032djtYpWGj-1YFprZrgrmtZzuSRG8iufGhkHQOmP7AnwT4UEOzk90v7RGI7cWxjMOs3gVDfxI2re14fMXG4Qwkqchl_PiEI_ZR8PXgi6tYg/s320/IMG_6012.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi7Gp4thn9Etl0ioPPWeeEKfEVPYk38aZTJox__-Lb-g7L6B6j7ZAWVPeSv1f-FNpG3q3ERLhASPxKjULBefIK8kUzSsepG_0bZyFf4iiTq_khsUU-WUxQo4rpZPHo42Jn_LY8AI2U3UiHIeiwkvg2cM_Sxw1xkcmgXtizSZUiYNYraGC21jnszA/s2048/IMG_6100.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizi7Gp4thn9Etl0ioPPWeeEKfEVPYk38aZTJox__-Lb-g7L6B6j7ZAWVPeSv1f-FNpG3q3ERLhASPxKjULBefIK8kUzSsepG_0bZyFf4iiTq_khsUU-WUxQo4rpZPHo42Jn_LY8AI2U3UiHIeiwkvg2cM_Sxw1xkcmgXtizSZUiYNYraGC21jnszA/s320/IMG_6100.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Jami made her "baby deers!"</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJlJEcuWv0sFdOsQwTt8b8-FkjS9slti7zpcQSG1sEoGTOAw-eRPXiSkgfQkFzCtN2jwu9u66ieDR5Iws9HVz19_qcxA_12DntVE4TSK5Xrs9ifh1Mbc63vbBU2kVbjmOO-wQhi9HvdCATDYqM6pW4tPeD-Gu3C9HpnleVhI5PGiCd7_k40FOQ04/s4032/IMG_9415.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJlJEcuWv0sFdOsQwTt8b8-FkjS9slti7zpcQSG1sEoGTOAw-eRPXiSkgfQkFzCtN2jwu9u66ieDR5Iws9HVz19_qcxA_12DntVE4TSK5Xrs9ifh1Mbc63vbBU2kVbjmOO-wQhi9HvdCATDYqM6pW4tPeD-Gu3C9HpnleVhI5PGiCd7_k40FOQ04/s320/IMG_9415.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday shirt and hat from Nanny Byers!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1wy9nyCrG-d8_qdbKdDyngHq-266ez4dAldUdRxrPKmDUW7hg59wr3f97JkYXf8g4wmyXGJ-HsfaxEBVEugqxAhN6ofaR5C3TnqvrI58gTia-7I9Pf8RbcRgB7QWTifi3dkvLhJ9NsmWCDedZ4X6W2BHGC9ITQydUv6mR6XBE6pXRc6FTQKi0t4/s4032/IMG_9436.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1wy9nyCrG-d8_qdbKdDyngHq-266ez4dAldUdRxrPKmDUW7hg59wr3f97JkYXf8g4wmyXGJ-HsfaxEBVEugqxAhN6ofaR5C3TnqvrI58gTia-7I9Pf8RbcRgB7QWTifi3dkvLhJ9NsmWCDedZ4X6W2BHGC9ITQydUv6mR6XBE6pXRc6FTQKi0t4/s320/IMG_9436.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake is serious business.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My birthday was special, too! Jacob was very sweet and kind to me all day on <i>my </i>special day, as well.</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSm61DQ_0696wFib7dwA9ePUdfYZrZjNoeniHW_u0Xff59Kv836afE_ewQJg9iVDGKMx6VAKFQ55r7P6_v1LYl8eFK8lkxCWcOGObpMqGSMNYTq8HqeyJwfvT60C5EHOKF7pKvvHa4cOuEWNLeVuFMUvDIauADMj72ycr928CqKHySYNd5HWXDemo/s2048/IMG_6267.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSm61DQ_0696wFib7dwA9ePUdfYZrZjNoeniHW_u0Xff59Kv836afE_ewQJg9iVDGKMx6VAKFQ55r7P6_v1LYl8eFK8lkxCWcOGObpMqGSMNYTq8HqeyJwfvT60C5EHOKF7pKvvHa4cOuEWNLeVuFMUvDIauADMj72ycr928CqKHySYNd5HWXDemo/s320/IMG_6267.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast in bed from my two favorite guys. One made the tiramisu French toast (with homemade mascarpone!), and one had the thought to share the chocolate milk he was saving for himself and make it fancy with chocolate shavings. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW7u0rzMm5FuGk_DVgMVJNxfO9JAghI1kWQ3hk7CyAYFgiHp-uFLOvu5wN8S-iGeS56b5UHi6nF9DvA8XvbGO9L_4l-eLbBIvkBffeCtm_s11rsQZoB1hZi711Ej9GgxJ4Z7LFy4Z5ZHSL1rOlfZEEvAhR0ZpI110I5Bd1UzplwImChku7gkTg8A/s2048/IMG_6269.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW7u0rzMm5FuGk_DVgMVJNxfO9JAghI1kWQ3hk7CyAYFgiHp-uFLOvu5wN8S-iGeS56b5UHi6nF9DvA8XvbGO9L_4l-eLbBIvkBffeCtm_s11rsQZoB1hZi711Ej9GgxJ4Z7LFy4Z5ZHSL1rOlfZEEvAhR0ZpI110I5Bd1UzplwImChku7gkTg8A/s320/IMG_6269.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Was excited to take full advantage of this bday freebie (and share it with my bestie while we played with our kids at the park).<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71E1Z_8-uufl705F6Fk01I3sQLYhCIXKNuizmeDMx7mLDh0zsafYEcKNAe3__Wcr2cVHyhqWx8aTuwaFSLrqZEybcuV7UkyiCNLvswCs1L25ZtCYuS1BML4Gjpc3440Aghm-GM9_RG-slpMxpdl5pp3FZ4joD9uTzNMkwskO-bEH1iZzg5ghZAjw/s2048/IMG_6286.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71E1Z_8-uufl705F6Fk01I3sQLYhCIXKNuizmeDMx7mLDh0zsafYEcKNAe3__Wcr2cVHyhqWx8aTuwaFSLrqZEybcuV7UkyiCNLvswCs1L25ZtCYuS1BML4Gjpc3440Aghm-GM9_RG-slpMxpdl5pp3FZ4joD9uTzNMkwskO-bEH1iZzg5ghZAjw/s320/IMG_6286.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryant made homemade carrot cake with fancy candied carrot curls!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAROB3oI-6-TAdX4EtmZNHzm7rErp71m9WQAOTq5MdqDKtw7Ks-Llxs8OR84lSEsB7A0-GXLBktedAvkLUXNRltDPuDBBiJLUJd4HAI5E9x4JLQJHqvMdPeTiCE1O1-nFj-QBVr6pLpPpH4MQZ6AzrzUJbZUj7A6vRIRz31lptQEZu8iAdQGTPSy0/s2048/IMG_6302.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAROB3oI-6-TAdX4EtmZNHzm7rErp71m9WQAOTq5MdqDKtw7Ks-Llxs8OR84lSEsB7A0-GXLBktedAvkLUXNRltDPuDBBiJLUJd4HAI5E9x4JLQJHqvMdPeTiCE1O1-nFj-QBVr6pLpPpH4MQZ6AzrzUJbZUj7A6vRIRz31lptQEZu8iAdQGTPSy0/s320/IMG_6302.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to my parents for a night out...(and an entire day to myself the next day!).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>These birthdays sure are <b>bittersweet</b>. Even Jacob has been saying he wishes Lydia could "stay two forever." It is so fun to watch them <b>enjoy</b> celebrating each other, though, and enjoy being celebrated, themselves. These are the days. ♥</div><div><br /></div><div>One year older-ly,</div><div>Kensy</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">the gift of time</div><div style="text-align: center;">birthday freebies - some of which the last of which don't expire till the end of the year!</div><div style="text-align: center;">cream cheese frosting</div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-49043969157755140002022-10-26T20:48:00.004-05:002022-10-26T20:55:10.943-05:00The Switching of the Rooms<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">One of our spring/summer projects was moving Jacob and Lydia <b>out </b>of the same room. They had shared a room since Lydia was a few months old, and we had planned on it staying that way for a few more years. <span style="text-align: center;">We knew this switch would come - just didn't expect it to be so soon. </span>The third bedroom upstairs is adjacent to the kitchen and a wonderful space for a playroom...space that I was <b>hesitant </b>to give up.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As she came into her own more and more, we found out Lydia is a bit of a <b>night owl</b>...and/or a social butterfly. She was excited to talk to Jacob every night when they were both supposed to be going to bed, and he - having just dropped his daily nap - was <b>ready </b>to go to sleep. She tends to sleep in in the mornings, and he is an early riser, so it wasn't working on the other end, either.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was amazing to me how much this switch disrupted the <b>whole </b>house, and as a result, my own state of mind. The process was fairly easy and relatively quick, but the transition time was difficult, nonetheless. There were a lot of moving pieces - adding a door, painting, new furniture, separating/purging/moving alllll the toys, etc. - and it weighed on me till <b>everything </b>was in its place...right up to the last wall hanging - haha. So, you can imagine how <b>good </b>it feels to have it done, now!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">An added benefit of this transition is Jacob having his <b>own </b>space. Lydia had reached an age of curiosity and physical ability to really get into things. Jacob has really done pretty well to tolerate her, but trying to keep his things/her safe was definitely making him anxious, as was his lack of space to "escape" to or call his own. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, while I <b>was </b>worried about losing the play room, the switch has really been a <b>blessing</b>. Jacob has his own space to store his <b>special </b>things and to feel free to spend time in when he needs a minute <b>alone</b>. Lydia's room is still connected to the kitchen, and most of the time, she does not mind Jacob joining her to play. She thrives on playing <b>independently </b>sometimes, too, though, and even occasionally closes her doors on her own to play by herself.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5EduiRLYtzN6JUK6oKY6yt7yM-dfbsiivj-U_NzVx6dFnZ5rx4QiDnIi6mzwbqGjSaJiQnP4p6pa6RSEeIbw7l8BhLkY7AG-BAqzJlJ6DrbKaEpSpDJtOL5LMsfXDQV_PM32_10WsjnI7DbgSkr2T6MXga3jJ4q3VDNA_gBVMQOCBDpngvN_QXo/s4032/IMG_3134.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5EduiRLYtzN6JUK6oKY6yt7yM-dfbsiivj-U_NzVx6dFnZ5rx4QiDnIi6mzwbqGjSaJiQnP4p6pa6RSEeIbw7l8BhLkY7AG-BAqzJlJ6DrbKaEpSpDJtOL5LMsfXDQV_PM32_10WsjnI7DbgSkr2T6MXga3jJ4q3VDNA_gBVMQOCBDpngvN_QXo/s320/IMG_3134.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course, I forgot to get a good picture of the "before" of this room - when it was a beige playroom - but at least this shows it before furnishings. We were thankful to have had Aunt Roo's help painting and thinking through the layout of the space!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHluFUq40StTmFk-aihGmAU3Qi0pCu2qB3XL1J1i24QODYuuPq7FQaZfGryOgV5KC939GrW7f_q1Lbu3fgXt88rBP2vmkv8hosS1petp0M-Z_gG4crNxnEf-HMm1Sk_obJ9mFzLZ0Spj0ZN8OXdG0pOM3N4GwWNPMf2iEAciKQSuVgwLIqXG-cx4/s4032/IMG_3561.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrHluFUq40StTmFk-aihGmAU3Qi0pCu2qB3XL1J1i24QODYuuPq7FQaZfGryOgV5KC939GrW7f_q1Lbu3fgXt88rBP2vmkv8hosS1petp0M-Z_gG4crNxnEf-HMm1Sk_obJ9mFzLZ0Spj0ZN8OXdG0pOM3N4GwWNPMf2iEAciKQSuVgwLIqXG-cx4/s320/IMG_3561.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The relocation of her bow collection was a joint brainstorm, and I was (and am) so pleased with it!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rr0n7I4FxJ2ZEH-hokAPZ2L6aoUhGUpCXLWyg88SE2Crxwe09xZcMRk4VTcsfSfBwlSwSXjjeHqsn7NoKLYYoopo5dBKiqlGS_1XE3N9CHdboduHgnPE7UTPWgS83lJ9gt6wylIODUIGEgIRX0p7TW-VHGz5FSqASPqq5Za7Bbbc_64agnSKKWI/s4032/IMG_3920.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_rr0n7I4FxJ2ZEH-hokAPZ2L6aoUhGUpCXLWyg88SE2Crxwe09xZcMRk4VTcsfSfBwlSwSXjjeHqsn7NoKLYYoopo5dBKiqlGS_1XE3N9CHdboduHgnPE7UTPWgS83lJ9gt6wylIODUIGEgIRX0p7TW-VHGz5FSqASPqq5Za7Bbbc_64agnSKKWI/s320/IMG_3920.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The print on the right is an illustration from a book we've had since Jacob was little. I had always loved it and was thrilled to find out the artist sells prints of a lot of the illustrations she has done (this one is from Anne of Green Gables in the BabyLit series)! This was one of very few things I bought for "baby girl"'s section of the nursery before she arrived.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-yFrKSfSbUIHoI45WsIr9lIx8JYhHHNY7v6JUzxjyTWneYKcB94OuUVGXkqAW9Wm7CsoAtQrIhtyfSRVyG1OYsb6dpBXjcdeGQUtC94yzzU9YL4QPC1Wd-Uo_eqr2qvaE4roKI9tiMWi-oRE9bxWiOprHB2PrIAgOxFbHVsf1z6EEtM_sTQ7LLE/s2088/IMG_5039.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2088" data-original-width="1506" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-yFrKSfSbUIHoI45WsIr9lIx8JYhHHNY7v6JUzxjyTWneYKcB94OuUVGXkqAW9Wm7CsoAtQrIhtyfSRVyG1OYsb6dpBXjcdeGQUtC94yzzU9YL4QPC1Wd-Uo_eqr2qvaE4roKI9tiMWi-oRE9bxWiOprHB2PrIAgOxFbHVsf1z6EEtM_sTQ7LLE/s320/IMG_5039.JPEG" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The piece on the left is something I have had since before we were married...I don't even remember where it came from. The other two are garage sale finds that I made our own. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOIOWbdrfp581V-1Mv243EfATbfRz3zpKyWLdvcz91pK5R62ourTEMy4pdEzMMr3kWbovsHkypNb_jHrRRNipchTMYl8EcpWHcuFQEKDWNVjGmX8OgqGLbQq0p6laZCFn1Az7auUaHiGAryGLY3A4vWPjDP97fziZSbMZUYul_8FRkRb98vEVn9A/s2048/IMG_6204.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOIOWbdrfp581V-1Mv243EfATbfRz3zpKyWLdvcz91pK5R62ourTEMy4pdEzMMr3kWbovsHkypNb_jHrRRNipchTMYl8EcpWHcuFQEKDWNVjGmX8OgqGLbQq0p6laZCFn1Az7auUaHiGAryGLY3A4vWPjDP97fziZSbMZUYul_8FRkRb98vEVn9A/s320/IMG_6204.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nanny Byers made the beautiful, functional curtains - they are exactly what I'd envisioned and really make the space!<br />Aunt Roo contributed the super-cozy, perfectly-sized rug!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZdftRgcajb6XhUaXFXu4r59EhBKsVBqzW3i84rju7xAUGMd8TSditcdu-SttlwJ-DZkjpPqPlDekXSoez4TP-Q_Jk2nDkNjXM3EuutQ1zhwRgMOttHbSxQh0mDQhmpe3cxPzDJjiCSQVon0r1pRtgl_SQCxNTKhceB5lJIW3MFEcQt_FKk3Alq8/s2048/IMG_6271.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZdftRgcajb6XhUaXFXu4r59EhBKsVBqzW3i84rju7xAUGMd8TSditcdu-SttlwJ-DZkjpPqPlDekXSoez4TP-Q_Jk2nDkNjXM3EuutQ1zhwRgMOttHbSxQh0mDQhmpe3cxPzDJjiCSQVon0r1pRtgl_SQCxNTKhceB5lJIW3MFEcQt_FKk3Alq8/s320/IMG_6271.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the nursery-turned-Jacob's-room! We still have the changing table/station on his dresser and Lydia's hanging clothes in his closet, but we'll get there. His new bed has drawers underneath for all his things, and he was thrilled about it! He sometimes permits Lydia to play Legos, but he still wants to be able to regulate that while keeping his door open, hence the baby fence.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>This room transition also <b>affected </b>our homeschool area, and subsequently, my state of mind surrounding that journey. Jacob's Lego table occupied the space we planned to use for school. We could not move it into his room till the furniture was moved around. We could not move the furniture around till there was a door on Lydia's new room. And <b>on and on</b> it went. Somehow, I found it very <b>difficult </b>to wrap my mind around how homeschooling itself was going to go without things being in place in the physical space we were planning to utilize. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's an <b>glimpse </b>of what the space looked like "before." Check out the <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2022/10/post-about-homeschooling-first.html">homeschool post</a> to see how it was <b>transformed </b>once the Lego table found its place upstairs in Jacob's room...and to read about how my state of mind (<b>thankfully</b>) came to a place of peace, confidence, and delight.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnM8ckZGC4VVtpQ_p5yImSn4WKzxMQTk-mgfOcWeFa_RM09-fXnBBXpj7sDhcGWjtcjuhwuNtbO6uYx3EfGGh6wf6p56jctZokdSCLYaJAInxAyE5uJkXYOVRQ27mHsOghw3uiR-F4cbjTokRdOxI38MY2zArb5gm_8xx5MY5vhnos6KjTy2O8uI/s4032/IMG_3507.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnM8ckZGC4VVtpQ_p5yImSn4WKzxMQTk-mgfOcWeFa_RM09-fXnBBXpj7sDhcGWjtcjuhwuNtbO6uYx3EfGGh6wf6p56jctZokdSCLYaJAInxAyE5uJkXYOVRQ27mHsOghw3uiR-F4cbjTokRdOxI38MY2zArb5gm_8xx5MY5vhnos6KjTy2O8uI/s320/IMG_3507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>Transformatively,</div><div>Kensy</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Jacob's rest time routine (that affords me some breathing room in the middle of the day)</div><div style="text-align: center;">IKEA storage solutions</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ47pMadYdkOR3TbGzYRqruC-Nzi0nwLpdoTaexkNV9PaowfNdwcFs2MG4COOTQ9VvkWXOtXGliXcSuL_vyyQI_eGKLxi8jmbEn48AHvAUk6bkZ9THAYp0lBGQ_2GEXz6vfLFIRm0KESwnO7ro2vqVqfFoWilg0C8-J8z_Ck87EtUzrmD14KPVvw/s2048/IMG_6510.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQ47pMadYdkOR3TbGzYRqruC-Nzi0nwLpdoTaexkNV9PaowfNdwcFs2MG4COOTQ9VvkWXOtXGliXcSuL_vyyQI_eGKLxi8jmbEn48AHvAUk6bkZ9THAYp0lBGQ_2GEXz6vfLFIRm0KESwnO7ro2vqVqfFoWilg0C8-J8z_Ck87EtUzrmD14KPVvw/s320/IMG_6510.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">these two (and those curtains!)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-40957859117704185902022-10-26T20:48:00.003-05:002022-10-26T20:51:50.382-05:00Summer '22<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">When asked how our summer was, my answer was often "unexpectedly chaotic." Chaotic seems to carry a <b>negative </b>connotation, but I do <b>not </b>mean for it to in this context. We just had a lot of things going on - every day was <b>different</b>, as was every week!</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">These pictures are <b>not </b>in chronological order. I don't quite know how they got <b>out </b>of order, but at this point, it doesn't <b>really </b>matter and is not really worth correcting. Hope you don't mind. 😉</div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrHjz466f3tZ7fxpHhZTQUmDFynvrcYmAuAV3bVbPSCL3EKzM5jz9eccC7fBJMCqCJgZw1J9bYGEU4OLbW46UoERQ-5k2jcUDXq5iJ8JY-_-WM2trFiyK26iEdQLglQ4oiBiYajhs2ansTMk95jkT-9bWRkhGoN7zLskn5SpBwTSY--44MqO0L_Q/s2308/20220712_184708.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2308" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrHjz466f3tZ7fxpHhZTQUmDFynvrcYmAuAV3bVbPSCL3EKzM5jz9eccC7fBJMCqCJgZw1J9bYGEU4OLbW46UoERQ-5k2jcUDXq5iJ8JY-_-WM2trFiyK26iEdQLglQ4oiBiYajhs2ansTMk95jkT-9bWRkhGoN7zLskn5SpBwTSY--44MqO0L_Q/s320/20220712_184708.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob was invited to attend VBS through my piano student's church. The theme was "Food Truck Party," and we've been singing the theme song for months, now.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqMuVjsD6_ThZmcz1G0387flFRUShDh1XvUXEjtOSUAThfC25jjjSf4i6Y4t2VEY9YRlQGwUIjlBNAFmAejVImk8iH49pASakPbf7vqaR9HVsveBvpzGB_LMAPgOTmZ8A5AH0hImpLQlW4ZA31gO-1JlyF1A-DziXyEPttnaAy8jssMBdXAEYAiQ/s4032/IMG_3152.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqMuVjsD6_ThZmcz1G0387flFRUShDh1XvUXEjtOSUAThfC25jjjSf4i6Y4t2VEY9YRlQGwUIjlBNAFmAejVImk8iH49pASakPbf7vqaR9HVsveBvpzGB_LMAPgOTmZ8A5AH0hImpLQlW4ZA31gO-1JlyF1A-DziXyEPttnaAy8jssMBdXAEYAiQ/s320/IMG_3152.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lydia got glasses this summer!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJ5tUOHjSHiP4qXDQuzTM1PFFm3gGLbhEfd7DVMhClI7IAYCOxzX9UHlQCpawT0M7lVF2TN3KT33dK8jEt5PJpzokWlQOTvzwdgP6_V-EnitI0au7nSgJk2CJujqH6DNW9iFkpNg9QPVzkcIBwumBBfn5_TJjHHgKf589DTfRe4rAiDLQGXDOyKg/s4032/IMG_3476.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJ5tUOHjSHiP4qXDQuzTM1PFFm3gGLbhEfd7DVMhClI7IAYCOxzX9UHlQCpawT0M7lVF2TN3KT33dK8jEt5PJpzokWlQOTvzwdgP6_V-EnitI0au7nSgJk2CJujqH6DNW9iFkpNg9QPVzkcIBwumBBfn5_TJjHHgKf589DTfRe4rAiDLQGXDOyKg/s320/IMG_3476.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It has not been easy to document her sweet hand-me-down outfits, because she doesn't typically have patience for pictures, but this one was a win. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WLfen_KWQk9fptoAMY5SiQivPTy2MDPsH8ThE0QmGyNCYGLFsUlLhx8RC7OwfjgMnfwECH3G_93rffU7r5CrisOvyQT_PbXPwW8rXHj04IUw_QMX8CchjboLmqZg0qVXUhvSEWQaK7ivzKY9VEgPCsUFceyB8fSHAz9n7X05xGpqs3CV0lakKtY/s2576/IMG_3629.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1932" data-original-width="2576" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2WLfen_KWQk9fptoAMY5SiQivPTy2MDPsH8ThE0QmGyNCYGLFsUlLhx8RC7OwfjgMnfwECH3G_93rffU7r5CrisOvyQT_PbXPwW8rXHj04IUw_QMX8CchjboLmqZg0qVXUhvSEWQaK7ivzKY9VEgPCsUFceyB8fSHAz9n7X05xGpqs3CV0lakKtY/s320/IMG_3629.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family date!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZUjNTVJw7Tg7ypXf5sqTS-4tFNtfExy-dv2OyFgp2UbDX2dXvPhzFobXCyZRds4UdtBzs-bqwWeXhT_nzZfcBPbFr1haZDT-eMs5vplHKxGlsVvyz9n7PHbqD7G_UOSg3eRmMee-Ilut1CztQ8TCstpkqBAZs2AUxnYX_9Criua0OSmpu6aIUig/s4032/IMG_3637.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnZUjNTVJw7Tg7ypXf5sqTS-4tFNtfExy-dv2OyFgp2UbDX2dXvPhzFobXCyZRds4UdtBzs-bqwWeXhT_nzZfcBPbFr1haZDT-eMs5vplHKxGlsVvyz9n7PHbqD7G_UOSg3eRmMee-Ilut1CztQ8TCstpkqBAZs2AUxnYX_9Criua0OSmpu6aIUig/s320/IMG_3637.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet time spent with CO cousins.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYH5stzoVshinYaAJ8Dzt634LMJZOL1EKbqTWiW964AgMDWblHcQFQllwIgkC5Fl7JPhgjk0U7TqVu19Hjs_PWxEWyEsjiHkg0NmIv2r--aZrQlO7qLq2h9rxyW4WAphlXwRA2PrfOndfDK06Kkqcuk69W_eeFhjKploYX0hT_NpUdo95zNOWrBg0/s3372/IMG_3650.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3372" data-original-width="2742" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYH5stzoVshinYaAJ8Dzt634LMJZOL1EKbqTWiW964AgMDWblHcQFQllwIgkC5Fl7JPhgjk0U7TqVu19Hjs_PWxEWyEsjiHkg0NmIv2r--aZrQlO7qLq2h9rxyW4WAphlXwRA2PrfOndfDK06Kkqcuk69W_eeFhjKploYX0hT_NpUdo95zNOWrBg0/s320/IMG_3650.JPEG" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We attended a family reunion - one I've attended biannually in the same church my entire life (with a handful of years missed here and there).</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BttYQzfmwzzM6q4As5VxL2fTGHYY5QjnF957FMIK55inH8DpYetrYehdICtSBrMi_UZn9arVMex1mFKB6dnQef2NlSRf9XmNttnrHTyPJqfO30A1qHrR-aMyql9dxyGkW_2_hRGuJJLAmp0dyNf_moC9eKvyi27CWIa44hk2_aptp7tRkUXhFwk/s4032/IMG_3758.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3BttYQzfmwzzM6q4As5VxL2fTGHYY5QjnF957FMIK55inH8DpYetrYehdICtSBrMi_UZn9arVMex1mFKB6dnQef2NlSRf9XmNttnrHTyPJqfO30A1qHrR-aMyql9dxyGkW_2_hRGuJJLAmp0dyNf_moC9eKvyi27CWIa44hk2_aptp7tRkUXhFwk/s320/IMG_3758.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A baby deer spotting while I was mowing.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mEfLMNBw0L-Bowg5o0PjDPQj9T0M-dUv-70nO098gthtHXl9h94au1Zbp8hmhKig0qiPSmNCClstgY41JGcoyuhcEd5RGeoFhtDfInzZU7QVyA9e7Zxj3BiWBXuUhByhW-gD9-mEXBvSQdfq-dOf9IthtJyBpDXFo6iRZ3BE-Jx9BNdlLBOnrFU/s4032/IMG_3801.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5mEfLMNBw0L-Bowg5o0PjDPQj9T0M-dUv-70nO098gthtHXl9h94au1Zbp8hmhKig0qiPSmNCClstgY41JGcoyuhcEd5RGeoFhtDfInzZU7QVyA9e7Zxj3BiWBXuUhByhW-gD9-mEXBvSQdfq-dOf9IthtJyBpDXFo6iRZ3BE-Jx9BNdlLBOnrFU/s320/IMG_3801.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids and I have hiked this trail several times, and Jacob was so thrilled to get to show Daddy the teepee (he pronounces is tee-PEE...maybe likening it to tee-VEE...?).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We made a trip to OK for a special birthday celebration and got to do a little sight-seeing while there. The Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve was very interesting - lots of cool things to see!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85R7iXlDQki7etvNrV9CJa1OqbMXlRbcDFR6HhCcs0Id4rfA-IrjYY7w-run07WmBdXvCJ19OATh5NIbOCJukklVVTPGz0GmnGY9A1aqgqTk9IsqVb0EEf3ORal6uuc2lrjEEu59DCpIGdM98A-yaOD7mZfdRaLeasAu-HHVohkgONI2tqSxNBIM/s4032/IMG_3841.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85R7iXlDQki7etvNrV9CJa1OqbMXlRbcDFR6HhCcs0Id4rfA-IrjYY7w-run07WmBdXvCJ19OATh5NIbOCJukklVVTPGz0GmnGY9A1aqgqTk9IsqVb0EEf3ORal6uuc2lrjEEu59DCpIGdM98A-yaOD7mZfdRaLeasAu-HHVohkgONI2tqSxNBIM/s320/IMG_3841.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNoc4grKX9-a2QRBa914XchiQY7JK2uBZNwNZvtmhJ589QLxpzWj0kLqiciG6gx5Wf_xSdazsYOdrMvk1CrIqncIMhMRMoHA4sQsKVb0oqCNkiFwLa68DokO5-5SmwXmAdCKNLFqQh6wYbQxswtXMVj3BSdwPnapbHGYdZOnwLF89k3ninhPJulE/s4032/IMG_3836.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNoc4grKX9-a2QRBa914XchiQY7JK2uBZNwNZvtmhJ589QLxpzWj0kLqiciG6gx5Wf_xSdazsYOdrMvk1CrIqncIMhMRMoHA4sQsKVb0oqCNkiFwLa68DokO5-5SmwXmAdCKNLFqQh6wYbQxswtXMVj3BSdwPnapbHGYdZOnwLF89k3ninhPJulE/s320/IMG_3836.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF4V81WpK-BkDIJnW7NKMABcqgXF-aqN-_FcJGQziNmDFDMq3s0xCNUaE18ZuLd5IYFvOwRuutKHvPVlXNxfOkfx7xWVU9vVG3Kf-mGOHym0kH_PLP1A0gZo9Ief0XO_AuE4WGkEnt9PsfpkPwtQ8KCPndfA7xlC3Fyf8aCdBuN_cvSDt39vVvMI/s4032/IMG_3838.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF4V81WpK-BkDIJnW7NKMABcqgXF-aqN-_FcJGQziNmDFDMq3s0xCNUaE18ZuLd5IYFvOwRuutKHvPVlXNxfOkfx7xWVU9vVG3Kf-mGOHym0kH_PLP1A0gZo9Ief0XO_AuE4WGkEnt9PsfpkPwtQ8KCPndfA7xlC3Fyf8aCdBuN_cvSDt39vVvMI/s320/IMG_3838.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEPq3dpxUBxYQdDn-nzjT4g3mpYtX_l4Cs12XYZEhoT8nWIvwUSFd15r4yiE1tT92HbbL1KMkLAphN2s8yQDHxexW_FDCb-2fIyf-DvJjwX4AucDZ7N1lX7W_1AWXJp7gebXhrSIjmq9dyk0HQOKtLz6GY5OXzCT2Lx4N9SH3f97mxAeBNDDrxLs/s4032/Photo%20Jul%2002,%204%2010%2015%20PM.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEPq3dpxUBxYQdDn-nzjT4g3mpYtX_l4Cs12XYZEhoT8nWIvwUSFd15r4yiE1tT92HbbL1KMkLAphN2s8yQDHxexW_FDCb-2fIyf-DvJjwX4AucDZ7N1lX7W_1AWXJp7gebXhrSIjmq9dyk0HQOKtLz6GY5OXzCT2Lx4N9SH3f97mxAeBNDDrxLs/s320/Photo%20Jul%2002,%204%2010%2015%20PM.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Her first pressed penny!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wro3ftY8A8JxIQQD06N4JEOaSqoTYO9GkFd6iowjnXXo2jftdv-kJ4GZpqOSQGziDhPvi96nyGXE0ESfwqAGLV-m-BDIJu-7xzcLm1ceu1LHDVSALlqesuMYjUEIoxo0x9wD1U992odoVGeazAIMLX51gUZQ2y3LINIIsBfJP4LJOFy2uJbxE_s/s4032/IMG_3843.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Wro3ftY8A8JxIQQD06N4JEOaSqoTYO9GkFd6iowjnXXo2jftdv-kJ4GZpqOSQGziDhPvi96nyGXE0ESfwqAGLV-m-BDIJu-7xzcLm1ceu1LHDVSALlqesuMYjUEIoxo0x9wD1U992odoVGeazAIMLX51gUZQ2y3LINIIsBfJP4LJOFy2uJbxE_s/s320/IMG_3843.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While in OK, we also fully enjoyed the neighborhood splash pad! I so appreciate photographers more talented than myself who capture these sweet moments so <b>beautifully</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFMoeYu9RNUSWaFPxYXlohxQtqAZvoxyQBXEU5gTGsxW7_bshHC7H71fY4Zb8QdTdJ0xWPxsgy9211_HDmDoPt3H4u7y6AYthnVnzRRXV47a2ZZ-RIRS36i3iSRw7TDVUZ4FicEKhd2o_hus9AWuYRfuiiRb8PyKHl-VN8nrX3Az1AXKKGcBX3V4/s960/IMG_4074.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXFMoeYu9RNUSWaFPxYXlohxQtqAZvoxyQBXEU5gTGsxW7_bshHC7H71fY4Zb8QdTdJ0xWPxsgy9211_HDmDoPt3H4u7y6AYthnVnzRRXV47a2ZZ-RIRS36i3iSRw7TDVUZ4FicEKhd2o_hus9AWuYRfuiiRb8PyKHl-VN8nrX3Az1AXKKGcBX3V4/s320/IMG_4074.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0jJpdCz1_l9vluGlJwpufAB7PnGGDNbeHFCrPUj7rOwTR1SWxeS4125OdwAIdJ078ij_BXI7x-FFyzConH4aJgRo8acsar7M_SHjJbvOGenyYD3EAoUf6zR9w-FUKrEPlLRZxb8-E1ueACEIg5PMF3WSl5Jy8NupBGEyW2wS343wew8NAY9B-Cg/s4032/Photo%20Jul%2001,%2010%2041%2005%20AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0jJpdCz1_l9vluGlJwpufAB7PnGGDNbeHFCrPUj7rOwTR1SWxeS4125OdwAIdJ078ij_BXI7x-FFyzConH4aJgRo8acsar7M_SHjJbvOGenyYD3EAoUf6zR9w-FUKrEPlLRZxb8-E1ueACEIg5PMF3WSl5Jy8NupBGEyW2wS343wew8NAY9B-Cg/s320/Photo%20Jul%2001,%2010%2041%2005%20AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocRVoJk8wVn6Or5twnchvoJh99mQac3tVcMquHWwgRlFe2MJQpPxjAu6GuoB7IyrLwJCYTsfRwtp7nj3kLHdpIO81ky1LUZmmOTGBHL2zdrFRYP3GfxbkIrfsrQT5sZeC-coBbAfgzgdNW4mEIThqwQUqhDBK0WeY_D-3shOS_z0GC8NMcf3olek/s4032/Photo%20Jul%2001,%2010%2041%2059%20AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocRVoJk8wVn6Or5twnchvoJh99mQac3tVcMquHWwgRlFe2MJQpPxjAu6GuoB7IyrLwJCYTsfRwtp7nj3kLHdpIO81ky1LUZmmOTGBHL2zdrFRYP3GfxbkIrfsrQT5sZeC-coBbAfgzgdNW4mEIThqwQUqhDBK0WeY_D-3shOS_z0GC8NMcf3olek/s320/Photo%20Jul%2001,%2010%2041%2059%20AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF5rfPi7PoanaJRiDSjldGgLdvXK53irPyMu1lICUZXjQawlCy51rdPgTtrRRbVJI2WaA0EjhOjgvwVwYM1knpKLdJkorpoirV0zG8sZAeNPo5njk7x4E3DBWGb_Gw-leDSfyo6Boq4YFKuy1V1Myq9LrDxlM-2QvOwsmr3tILDz1l8BhkWjgsg4/s5184/Photo%20Jul%2003,%203%2040%2028%20AM.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgF5rfPi7PoanaJRiDSjldGgLdvXK53irPyMu1lICUZXjQawlCy51rdPgTtrRRbVJI2WaA0EjhOjgvwVwYM1knpKLdJkorpoirV0zG8sZAeNPo5njk7x4E3DBWGb_Gw-leDSfyo6Boq4YFKuy1V1Myq9LrDxlM-2QvOwsmr3tILDz1l8BhkWjgsg4/s320/Photo%20Jul%2003,%203%2040%2028%20AM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtQ0eDvIawnoFoF7LEs1JtdjLYEFDripz7EfppvJCACh0IJ7rDS7PfZsrr9Tba-nKAMts9R1NpqlbeJN_4Vz2Lt94pxc43y3TT7YEPOcgDSDawV6vaKyF-OvzQVLSQYqAK2qBTDKOYBZTGMDNJv7h1ZTu5C7oNbhAgoqHk6xFXfp72wqOGH2MkbM/s4032/IMG_7687.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtQ0eDvIawnoFoF7LEs1JtdjLYEFDripz7EfppvJCACh0IJ7rDS7PfZsrr9Tba-nKAMts9R1NpqlbeJN_4Vz2Lt94pxc43y3TT7YEPOcgDSDawV6vaKyF-OvzQVLSQYqAK2qBTDKOYBZTGMDNJv7h1ZTu5C7oNbhAgoqHk6xFXfp72wqOGH2MkbM/s320/IMG_7687.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't a trip to Nanny's without a tea party breakfast.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aA4IrIGccc4BaqinKdDDkzeqi4omD7EtpwNQlGn1wpPegBZeH7_3uriuh3tyw7SYnAWIkQPFHQEogIPGWuOw7TjOhG3YAx0H0X2Zd2DjWxN015eJYeqJV6nVrn4hZYudLxDJQ1P_wVrysff8X708UUIsbVaV8gbI1clWnCI-hBlL9OzAmYSFY8g/s4032/IMG_4041.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aA4IrIGccc4BaqinKdDDkzeqi4omD7EtpwNQlGn1wpPegBZeH7_3uriuh3tyw7SYnAWIkQPFHQEogIPGWuOw7TjOhG3YAx0H0X2Zd2DjWxN015eJYeqJV6nVrn4hZYudLxDJQ1P_wVrysff8X708UUIsbVaV8gbI1clWnCI-hBlL9OzAmYSFY8g/s320/IMG_4041.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy made "fish biscuits" for them to enjoy while watching Octonauts (a show on which they make/eat fish biscuits).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent lots and lots of time at the pool this summer, and were so <b>thankful </b>for friends who <b>generously </b>shared their neighborhood pool passes! Jacob began the season being <b>hesitant </b>to jump in by himself - even with a floatie on. He ended the season <b>proudly </b>jumping in on his own - in shallow water without a floatie AND in the deep end with his floatie - without being asked to do so. Lydia has no hesitancy and <b>delighted </b>in any and all water activities this summer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaGjCFcpk6jNAUSIIMcDQGWAMQutSViKipBCGvihQFZWDR7a1w5Poj9HXCnrLuW1-MsAcRWdIBEMt8eOrevhWQkfvIkbXAvWG0Ur7u6SlzsqMSJe9lzmtAhan-CxNffVwAlEX13-3E2Rag0oGga61_j_Rro_ZGNQ2osmLphTTC9PWHnaA0_KZamk/s4032/IMG_4060.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaGjCFcpk6jNAUSIIMcDQGWAMQutSViKipBCGvihQFZWDR7a1w5Poj9HXCnrLuW1-MsAcRWdIBEMt8eOrevhWQkfvIkbXAvWG0Ur7u6SlzsqMSJe9lzmtAhan-CxNffVwAlEX13-3E2Rag0oGga61_j_Rro_ZGNQ2osmLphTTC9PWHnaA0_KZamk/s320/IMG_4060.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPU86IAxHpy-3x0-H8DQOKs_bB65rB0oyksOVT2iyFEj5WEJNJO91endVbZ1FR7DtHtd61_-c0s7PWU7UiseZRJWv-NTJUllIoGbJl-g_7sidAwFWgUGxoaOLenjRcAICq3td0OBPspbS4vxADa-VllvXRvvFHf6AZ-MLYcSSatLXLkezr_Vck7w/s4032/IMG_4061.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPU86IAxHpy-3x0-H8DQOKs_bB65rB0oyksOVT2iyFEj5WEJNJO91endVbZ1FR7DtHtd61_-c0s7PWU7UiseZRJWv-NTJUllIoGbJl-g_7sidAwFWgUGxoaOLenjRcAICq3td0OBPspbS4vxADa-VllvXRvvFHf6AZ-MLYcSSatLXLkezr_Vck7w/s320/IMG_4061.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkrC_yshRd8INbNzISKDXMnx9MqoQYYOyzr6Z0PDGJVII_z23yTc5nQvAOBfrC_HLgvBJ1ivBmy1YMq7MALlACgS7NG88YOlKgZjmgy8uKT2NJ2zjFXfPvzIPL6f9e-9y7IkT8FiXtk2v6Un9A6_H26b9xRmGWJ1dAk8-ax6Q7TezOjPaNyd-PKs/s4032/IMG_4130.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXkrC_yshRd8INbNzISKDXMnx9MqoQYYOyzr6Z0PDGJVII_z23yTc5nQvAOBfrC_HLgvBJ1ivBmy1YMq7MALlACgS7NG88YOlKgZjmgy8uKT2NJ2zjFXfPvzIPL6f9e-9y7IkT8FiXtk2v6Un9A6_H26b9xRmGWJ1dAk8-ax6Q7TezOjPaNyd-PKs/s320/IMG_4130.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The kids and I took a short trip to visit "the girls" in Omaha. We enjoyed lots of <b>quality </b>time, yummy food (including Runza, of course!), and a trip to the Wildlife Safari Park (a drive-through zoo)! Though long-distance friendship is not always easy, I am <b>thankful </b>to have these friends close enough to easily make the solo drive up during naptime. (Also thankful for Marco Polo!) </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpvrzLtuZExItDIaLIUjkPPdODkHtM8-1QZidP544stMj1YgEk3NtU2snJd-OJCjoNxXgvEghdhTeQepT5sy81FaU4Un0Mww2eXzBvYDODqw4_KP3g2JSh7FBnnbh8oYvJNrjyIC3ZICRtVKnud-viTTY9ujPktQk9sjJYcKPi4xrEQlkmrkNDXY/s4032/IMG_4154.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpvrzLtuZExItDIaLIUjkPPdODkHtM8-1QZidP544stMj1YgEk3NtU2snJd-OJCjoNxXgvEghdhTeQepT5sy81FaU4Un0Mww2eXzBvYDODqw4_KP3g2JSh7FBnnbh8oYvJNrjyIC3ZICRtVKnud-viTTY9ujPktQk9sjJYcKPi4xrEQlkmrkNDXY/s320/IMG_4154.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture still makes my heart swell months later. It's the sweetest thing to see your friends love your kids and your kids love your friends. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uR3B_19EMTqOQiYBXDlvXCmqgYjh-lP9qTm_l9PBQfUuEdAiIUTHhCoFv7AcNAIr4CmbDTip-Y8x2lylsHygaXoe51trRNkF1LpoSqETAC8qGm-xqcSO6o7A4x-4n58YrZZlBk722zZca4yjgeERPvqR9RibAZHUVlzyHIbs42cSSKLtY_gjhs4/s4032/IMG_4210.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uR3B_19EMTqOQiYBXDlvXCmqgYjh-lP9qTm_l9PBQfUuEdAiIUTHhCoFv7AcNAIr4CmbDTip-Y8x2lylsHygaXoe51trRNkF1LpoSqETAC8qGm-xqcSO6o7A4x-4n58YrZZlBk722zZca4yjgeERPvqR9RibAZHUVlzyHIbs42cSSKLtY_gjhs4/s320/IMG_4210.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one, too. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQf1fgViciepyibVGPQc20h3mL0bxJSX_PmK0YJfwFxc28zK-wELxygwED2b7RfPN88vMsjqgWuJmQgpBuaIyJaw5Vii8K9DFDKVHupT_WudETrjuTKaJg4XieJc4GqtV6HrYzpXaJ4eSUwttM9iJqJJKpYwNdwPAVYcNyomG43X0oD59cPFg92Hs/s4032/IMG_4189.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQf1fgViciepyibVGPQc20h3mL0bxJSX_PmK0YJfwFxc28zK-wELxygwED2b7RfPN88vMsjqgWuJmQgpBuaIyJaw5Vii8K9DFDKVHupT_WudETrjuTKaJg4XieJc4GqtV6HrYzpXaJ4eSUwttM9iJqJJKpYwNdwPAVYcNyomG43X0oD59cPFg92Hs/s320/IMG_4189.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoTKYXzqk5cb7OoriPOnlRt20UqcyIO0efZVm4g5FSIM-Vnv5jvljzVdhu9MjgIPuT8jqKBOZPyYpBRnjDo1GqHbh2bxY6LMKAKdPR3YzlN65pyWF11igLzAo8LhDvVXNsVIu-7YxT-CgIqBKKcOJ-ZSA8vW4Z6uYIp1VgABs4XU8fk9u2w34DhQ/s4032/IMG_4227.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoTKYXzqk5cb7OoriPOnlRt20UqcyIO0efZVm4g5FSIM-Vnv5jvljzVdhu9MjgIPuT8jqKBOZPyYpBRnjDo1GqHbh2bxY6LMKAKdPR3YzlN65pyWF11igLzAo8LhDvVXNsVIu-7YxT-CgIqBKKcOJ-ZSA8vW4Z6uYIp1VgABs4XU8fk9u2w34DhQ/s320/IMG_4227.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of baseball to be watched and fetch to be played!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljJgJIPsW80gWPN9j0GsereiZ45BhiZ1YLZwdtrTm_rd1Gs6x6bpkfk_RXT_9dXWf0rWJs2LrstQBgJQr-_kmzMVCIOwSdv2wva2-miSkwyqxmtzNgu5Msf_Y0HcNl7Nq_gw3nf4cnbLHwlSXd8rbFx9P1QBIST4aCIdJta5cwecN-Ae8dqY4JJQ/s4032/IMG_4307.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjljJgJIPsW80gWPN9j0GsereiZ45BhiZ1YLZwdtrTm_rd1Gs6x6bpkfk_RXT_9dXWf0rWJs2LrstQBgJQr-_kmzMVCIOwSdv2wva2-miSkwyqxmtzNgu5Msf_Y0HcNl7Nq_gw3nf4cnbLHwlSXd8rbFx9P1QBIST4aCIdJta5cwecN-Ae8dqY4JJQ/s320/IMG_4307.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The garden was mostly fruitful this year - esp. these potatoes grown from unintentionally sprouted store-bought ones! These three were a lot of help, and the smallest one initiated pulling weeds on more than one occasion. (She also immediately ate about half of every cucumber she picked...which was nearly a daily occurrence.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RW9f12IKXDwURcWcJQvfILP0pjipHGCM4CZyGl8QdR-mvq-Vu4cZ5WnOuRP7uFSlmpXJ-6Hhkm7qbcumigvQTcnGJM9ToW7R8u7zZ9hl5LR5oa1v-0o2ncF2RK7Oajv4sUQqiF87xyIsJaZR5dRpegTgpBrxrQVifGdtCKnLxiSaBJAoiw35J8c/s4032/IMG_4348.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RW9f12IKXDwURcWcJQvfILP0pjipHGCM4CZyGl8QdR-mvq-Vu4cZ5WnOuRP7uFSlmpXJ-6Hhkm7qbcumigvQTcnGJM9ToW7R8u7zZ9hl5LR5oa1v-0o2ncF2RK7Oajv4sUQqiF87xyIsJaZR5dRpegTgpBrxrQVifGdtCKnLxiSaBJAoiw35J8c/s320/IMG_4348.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not all moments are this idyllic, but we sure do soak up the ones that are. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIz2lI8x03b0OTN9-TfIAUr7SW4cMnejsxLIbwDyTEqbJPrS1RvrHDjfmoWY-hxJoRTOQO3LKGEDxFj4fOCAVIAXLM2qEFYV6ho6ihDS5CIoA0r2UyPWUv5fDlKG5G0sIdgcchYMFrnDsRb9Ll2egfezNv3YcGIdNLD8CqwbCTqoIr7-FIzKkh24/s4032/IMG_4436.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoIz2lI8x03b0OTN9-TfIAUr7SW4cMnejsxLIbwDyTEqbJPrS1RvrHDjfmoWY-hxJoRTOQO3LKGEDxFj4fOCAVIAXLM2qEFYV6ho6ihDS5CIoA0r2UyPWUv5fDlKG5G0sIdgcchYMFrnDsRb9Ll2egfezNv3YcGIdNLD8CqwbCTqoIr7-FIzKkh24/s320/IMG_4436.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She refused the baby umbrella in favor of the "big one."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchOe9j19ZRyfHtSKgQWa6j4I2ZkGxVLA5aXQ_AkrxwZENYuVRBiLWPsDXfMEcsstgg72oidu3Ihs1b34wCioNWdF9HfSyqN1N3baWruxvcuJpaazJWZ9yczSqdfLB-7AiXEH_iurLM1027ki5Q3m0n8TJAMUlABJwxQf8EKNjSPqawLe3GERcdo4/s2048/IMG_4457.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchOe9j19ZRyfHtSKgQWa6j4I2ZkGxVLA5aXQ_AkrxwZENYuVRBiLWPsDXfMEcsstgg72oidu3Ihs1b34wCioNWdF9HfSyqN1N3baWruxvcuJpaazJWZ9yczSqdfLB-7AiXEH_iurLM1027ki5Q3m0n8TJAMUlABJwxQf8EKNjSPqawLe3GERcdo4/s320/IMG_4457.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The church parking lot makes for excellent bike-riding(striding) practice!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My whole side of the family took a trip to Omaha for a first family vacation! We spent two days at the zoo and two nights at a hotel (with a pool, of course). The kids did pretty well at the zoo (watching the train go by was a highlight), but mostly loved the pool, breakfast, and <b>adjoining rooms </b>at the hotel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlHIJRUlZxY-D4voS8fjOoX1DezDdu0MJ16QgCUmGd-oHWG5XKkG3z4IR0dh2IrjczrUFgGXum68q7iNAgSRxsQUhx9jD2dPf7gPxytLzaExe_KdAYhN8roOPwWNsgI7T-j2QX0GPxkAXQZWyd0-zJ3UruAuNEzG69sbc0Ztt_Na4k-LXoOOfhAA/s2048/IMG_4105.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtlHIJRUlZxY-D4voS8fjOoX1DezDdu0MJ16QgCUmGd-oHWG5XKkG3z4IR0dh2IrjczrUFgGXum68q7iNAgSRxsQUhx9jD2dPf7gPxytLzaExe_KdAYhN8roOPwWNsgI7T-j2QX0GPxkAXQZWyd0-zJ3UruAuNEzG69sbc0Ztt_Na4k-LXoOOfhAA/s320/IMG_4105.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM749E1n5FgoyPSp4KQ5Xh6QYlN9ArFL6Q4BXiSU3UoSXNJ6XwarIEJPdnhVzx3gRsX_j2WdL3KOghad4jRFTgTHbBQOuD8J9yCTjYgUyscA7Kn2vehgjKS3ypW_aH96uYk7vEwW4ew6McazjY7qaFYoGtOEtZfuA87nc0IRafSYvNPG2l1IcIuP4/s2048/IMG_4553.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM749E1n5FgoyPSp4KQ5Xh6QYlN9ArFL6Q4BXiSU3UoSXNJ6XwarIEJPdnhVzx3gRsX_j2WdL3KOghad4jRFTgTHbBQOuD8J9yCTjYgUyscA7Kn2vehgjKS3ypW_aH96uYk7vEwW4ew6McazjY7qaFYoGtOEtZfuA87nc0IRafSYvNPG2l1IcIuP4/s320/IMG_4553.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-VmSZWsIT-ve5GSM5LUjfcZvXYBPDmVyVzK1OVVZPGJJ6drn1pHjpy_O_e4Q_zJ2oqC6h4ALorKPiXFd92N_8VCqQcLIqsL8ANa6UvZUgKemN8Kk9U5zqDhOnst5CIwA74Ylqm3tw6DArtwn5Rvn7QrxPMx1j2lfd5qF7udMFfCOrL5uWrzy6B0/s2048/IMG_4556.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-VmSZWsIT-ve5GSM5LUjfcZvXYBPDmVyVzK1OVVZPGJJ6drn1pHjpy_O_e4Q_zJ2oqC6h4ALorKPiXFd92N_8VCqQcLIqsL8ANa6UvZUgKemN8Kk9U5zqDhOnst5CIwA74Ylqm3tw6DArtwn5Rvn7QrxPMx1j2lfd5qF7udMFfCOrL5uWrzy6B0/s320/IMG_4556.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obviously the highlight of his trip.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMz1ENDQTq1gU939opYyPEBNhtAvaAqaPDXHscxvmOZoFpw1YtQNXiq5h0-OfwlQvywoYd4sSaEIUjNqxwVPT_kzaVW5BnM2956Dbd_56BFOGNHuiJ-Edlfb4wIzUZMl2xKK8zzX22mPhJp3xIvVJBI0qJbcAuZs_2Lb1DNHnOKsw_jRxGll5ZRo/s2048/IMG_4602.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMz1ENDQTq1gU939opYyPEBNhtAvaAqaPDXHscxvmOZoFpw1YtQNXiq5h0-OfwlQvywoYd4sSaEIUjNqxwVPT_kzaVW5BnM2956Dbd_56BFOGNHuiJ-Edlfb4wIzUZMl2xKK8zzX22mPhJp3xIvVJBI0qJbcAuZs_2Lb1DNHnOKsw_jRxGll5ZRo/s320/IMG_4602.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BUJP6Zx-hFQMORBmmjz9uis27SynBkA6MjSY3hpvATwA60J6LSTFUfhlP9w4RZ96f8TYH1FdjkT9IoRkMP1YEiRg56-Q86fLXsy9Z6ENOSa8Anmot5r7kf9rlF79z7J5wEnqiFGds2I8V3WM6HR3yUL34Q9lBiuFEtyNCEmSAk31oZMzdVgJ6RQ/s2048/IMG_4610.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9BUJP6Zx-hFQMORBmmjz9uis27SynBkA6MjSY3hpvATwA60J6LSTFUfhlP9w4RZ96f8TYH1FdjkT9IoRkMP1YEiRg56-Q86fLXsy9Z6ENOSa8Anmot5r7kf9rlF79z7J5wEnqiFGds2I8V3WM6HR3yUL34Q9lBiuFEtyNCEmSAk31oZMzdVgJ6RQ/s320/IMG_4610.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this was the highlight of hers! Haha - kidding. It was delicious, though!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi2FDl3Q0om3jjEM3xNhMHEIU0fr4ExnV4D8L0Gtm6NTgPBzwW-AU6Dyxl4wK__DQPslf_Ec36YJDr4lZldbVCVdTOtVjOpoTigvrVXhq7lEIP04VwUsB4KIItq9eUSyqbdiE9WQzqITDWvL9oZDG2lB2gHSS4ysHqQymYm9Bhb5Nm5DVH7kA95E/s2048/IMG_4613.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi2FDl3Q0om3jjEM3xNhMHEIU0fr4ExnV4D8L0Gtm6NTgPBzwW-AU6Dyxl4wK__DQPslf_Ec36YJDr4lZldbVCVdTOtVjOpoTigvrVXhq7lEIP04VwUsB4KIItq9eUSyqbdiE9WQzqITDWvL9oZDG2lB2gHSS4ysHqQymYm9Bhb5Nm5DVH7kA95E/s320/IMG_4613.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMTkOs7HXk-vTYcGJjaPGb3CUHeWCMdlTl1Q_Pykn7oFD8oCTkI4eUyat3m9of8oMkyJtyL1nMI201fIkyxkyPjhUVt_ZBJCR70LFXI0bOiGWC0PiYyCKpYvpLQPmSsw1insECqrHOAb35QyJQLoUyfOjzvBthbYFYbgq7CX3qeXhypULU1oQ4Ds/s2048/IMG_4631.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMTkOs7HXk-vTYcGJjaPGb3CUHeWCMdlTl1Q_Pykn7oFD8oCTkI4eUyat3m9of8oMkyJtyL1nMI201fIkyxkyPjhUVt_ZBJCR70LFXI0bOiGWC0PiYyCKpYvpLQPmSsw1insECqrHOAb35QyJQLoUyfOjzvBthbYFYbgq7CX3qeXhypULU1oQ4Ds/s320/IMG_4631.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX2k1Mo8LxInhtU8v_3M1W_5__pQy7QX8e6JNC9NfS9SXZxG1cfqEjIFO_RjhrEmjMGPDmrY5xxIzfmOpfHonsJmCWMhmZsi4sxSg34Hs2ABc29CABxG7ssSQt54FRbeugd6G-xB8mFiUwMnkHJ6Q6VQksgrb-qmid3NjpW2fuipudX1Q8iAE08w/s2048/IMG_4656.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX2k1Mo8LxInhtU8v_3M1W_5__pQy7QX8e6JNC9NfS9SXZxG1cfqEjIFO_RjhrEmjMGPDmrY5xxIzfmOpfHonsJmCWMhmZsi4sxSg34Hs2ABc29CABxG7ssSQt54FRbeugd6G-xB8mFiUwMnkHJ6Q6VQksgrb-qmid3NjpW2fuipudX1Q8iAE08w/s320/IMG_4656.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wasn't much older than them the last time I visited this rainforest.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukXk6Yr3_IjbkceUp-5bi_JUNiJlyp_hKfPuPUu4GE2nEgvOHMnED0u6o7uKfIzJlhg7zcGB3wDYv-KZPwktVHm8HQKpc2yDDX-ZMrzIeaNK1uLSnvE7f9qyFnKMrHaY8qZy-BQqaZoPCnLk7loOPO6U41EP-XcP_KmAqIDn2Igns_m3xYUp5GJM/s2048/IMG_4127.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgukXk6Yr3_IjbkceUp-5bi_JUNiJlyp_hKfPuPUu4GE2nEgvOHMnED0u6o7uKfIzJlhg7zcGB3wDYv-KZPwktVHm8HQKpc2yDDX-ZMrzIeaNK1uLSnvE7f9qyFnKMrHaY8qZy-BQqaZoPCnLk7loOPO6U41EP-XcP_KmAqIDn2Igns_m3xYUp5GJM/s320/IMG_4127.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was a (ridiculous, amazing, insane, overwhelming) candy store across the street from our hotel. Everyone got to pick one piece. 😉</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWt3G2Yz_erUzpALPifgIoqeh1GYBHfqLukJckFuYci6cBUjjH5SF1m42j117Ac-UIuHoIpa-ZakctOpoQcJqqCYWMmGZSswsGt9nQgyM8xFYo4z3OIXEnGroMy7ANCnh98g1u1ma42vC7WgHFGpQdp0fwGcQuEanBZWymp5V0e3F2eZaOsgrvT4/s2048/IMG_4840.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWt3G2Yz_erUzpALPifgIoqeh1GYBHfqLukJckFuYci6cBUjjH5SF1m42j117Ac-UIuHoIpa-ZakctOpoQcJqqCYWMmGZSswsGt9nQgyM8xFYo4z3OIXEnGroMy7ANCnh98g1u1ma42vC7WgHFGpQdp0fwGcQuEanBZWymp5V0e3F2eZaOsgrvT4/s320/IMG_4840.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How is this look innate to glasses wearers? She figured it out all on her own, and declared, "Look at me!"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtT5Qv_fR_LFIgNa34_uiiMsVXo-bhk7J5yCEY4uV66ezQXV8_frqz6vWJ2gRsNGA4QOc7tVJgg1SnAfSfsJ1ZjZG_oVGhZ0Hx8cdMr3XHZmf_9i3uyt9v7z-1Rupx1GEgOSr0gzjW6zznIceSQ-nPSaBoZlAZc5nfbEQjm6za0v4TZJsROCz-6U/s4032/IMG_8467.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAtT5Qv_fR_LFIgNa34_uiiMsVXo-bhk7J5yCEY4uV66ezQXV8_frqz6vWJ2gRsNGA4QOc7tVJgg1SnAfSfsJ1ZjZG_oVGhZ0Hx8cdMr3XHZmf_9i3uyt9v7z-1Rupx1GEgOSr0gzjW6zznIceSQ-nPSaBoZlAZc5nfbEQjm6za0v4TZJsROCz-6U/s320/IMG_8467.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attended one last library Storytime with these sweet friends (whom we met at library story time) before they started kindergarten; a full-circle moment that brought a tear to my eye.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsVVtak5LS76GFkuPR8sts1I2nF2IiPFQeLq3KXGkksmE5Czw3wORHA8kkprL3WaTlHFpJnbQILv6qpuHlHkjEwCcVHQ15UgWXtxRcpl4UJ8Dm0cY29AEncxvWvhpzX6amZSndF4KbPFhqRGGL-rP9vSpbnmYgAa-Odgre3oeL2dDWwe4HUODBGw/s2064/IMG_20220611_101731331.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2064" data-original-width="1548" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsVVtak5LS76GFkuPR8sts1I2nF2IiPFQeLq3KXGkksmE5Czw3wORHA8kkprL3WaTlHFpJnbQILv6qpuHlHkjEwCcVHQ15UgWXtxRcpl4UJ8Dm0cY29AEncxvWvhpzX6amZSndF4KbPFhqRGGL-rP9vSpbnmYgAa-Odgre3oeL2dDWwe4HUODBGw/s320/IMG_20220611_101731331.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our thoughtful neighbors took Bryant and the kids fishing and showed up with a new fishing pole for each kid!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmykUSVvR7_1_RmVp0_TtXvbmIyzQlt5xMK_URAjh75X6-z_cu8KdrbKvM9ERMQtzEWE0qVikAwLj-qvmK60_OY22-zK7cTWgfhDtefdMQHc4Kt0j34wz_cI1DX800-mLMcqoiFOAW8M5K8zprNXa0bGtCT5Z2_BvNoy-U4a5k68MPslLkKwsAWz8/s2217/IMG_20220611_105430140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2217" data-original-width="1663" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmykUSVvR7_1_RmVp0_TtXvbmIyzQlt5xMK_URAjh75X6-z_cu8KdrbKvM9ERMQtzEWE0qVikAwLj-qvmK60_OY22-zK7cTWgfhDtefdMQHc4Kt0j34wz_cI1DX800-mLMcqoiFOAW8M5K8zprNXa0bGtCT5Z2_BvNoy-U4a5k68MPslLkKwsAWz8/s320/IMG_20220611_105430140.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has spent lots of time practicing casting in the yard since this trip.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzK52V5M3DUiGwmVwbuYiRrBjvfy2r2aTklZZAT6c1NK0PvFbUlRtX-pzlgeuN0UsfKQRlSlLFytK4zM6EWmzHr8zX32SRo6UxoCqK7XXY4yP2CDmxWBaSv9gqaULo147Tu2YxMjvZUVPnEPKRlxW2mecarCKhMUhFRE9e8_FZHJz5kjyHCro954/s800/tmp951658552167139.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzK52V5M3DUiGwmVwbuYiRrBjvfy2r2aTklZZAT6c1NK0PvFbUlRtX-pzlgeuN0UsfKQRlSlLFytK4zM6EWmzHr8zX32SRo6UxoCqK7XXY4yP2CDmxWBaSv9gqaULo147Tu2YxMjvZUVPnEPKRlxW2mecarCKhMUhFRE9e8_FZHJz5kjyHCro954/s320/tmp951658552167139.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryant and I got some lake (and tube!) time with his boss and several coworkers. On-the-water is one of my very favorite places to be, so this evening was such a treat.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <div>This summer may have been a crazy <b>whirlwind</b>, but it was all so fun and special. There were <b>several </b>playdates, pool dates, garden work times, and plenty of other activities dispersed between these "bigger ticket" items. (Speaking of big ticket items, check out my <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2022/10/our-california-adventure.html" target="_blank">post </a>about our trip to California!) While we were sad to see the warm weather go, the routine and slower pace of the fall and winter seasons on the horizon were <b>welcome</b>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunkissedly,</div><div>Kensy</div><div><br /><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">mowing the lawn (Yep. An hour+ of uninterrupted time during which I can listen to a podcast and complete a task start to finish - what could be better?!😉)</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Jacob's progress in the pool</div><div style="text-align: center;">meeting new people and making new friends</div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-84755795976568489932022-10-26T20:48:00.001-05:002022-10-26T20:48:23.247-05:00Our California Adventure<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you've been following "the scoop" for a while, you likely know about my former job as a <b>nanny </b>for a KC family, and you probably read <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2016/11/a-new-kind-of-goodbye.html">this post</a> about their move to CA. We have kept in touch ever since, as life allows, and Bryant and I took a trip to see them a few months before Jacob was born. Apart from some Facetime dates, however, the kids had <b>never </b>met each other. A picture of a mountain of hand-me-downs followed by a text saying, "you owe me a trip with empty luggage" changed that. ☺</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had been saving to make the trip to CA "sometime," but had not made concrete plans as to when that might happen. When we started discussing the <b>possibility </b>of it being this summer, we realized/remembered Lydia would fly <b>free </b>till September, and a plan started to <b>solidify</b>. Since CA schools start later than those in MO, we were able to catch the window between peak summer travel season and the boys' first day. It all worked out <b>wonderfully</b>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The kids travelled really well. We weren't quite sure how it would go, but it went better than we expected. That's not to say we didn't have some rough moments, of course, but all things considered, they did great. Prior to our departure, I asked around and perused Pinterest for (screen-free) airplane entertainment ideas, and I was justified in taking everything I did, because there was less kid-sleeping/resting on the plane than we had hoped.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6wsU94-hjItWLtbYthCdtRfybZKXQBVn4cJF6uYPkHJjR-msPpnk8b9YoBhjKwvzTEvrCoqJUtxt00PGgwNZqy-2jGSXkopNwvnmXlfaY00ulAIPPkI4tJTVOjXx-CkE9WR8Pw3qkA0J9hOIuIltqgzeGrWFb3WilLf3gZ9h6mgeSYoT5W2bWKo/s2048/IMG_5100.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-6wsU94-hjItWLtbYthCdtRfybZKXQBVn4cJF6uYPkHJjR-msPpnk8b9YoBhjKwvzTEvrCoqJUtxt00PGgwNZqy-2jGSXkopNwvnmXlfaY00ulAIPPkI4tJTVOjXx-CkE9WR8Pw3qkA0J9hOIuIltqgzeGrWFb3WilLf3gZ9h6mgeSYoT5W2bWKo/s320/IMG_5100.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankful for neighbors willing to be our own personal Uber...esp. at 4 a.m.!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpXqPI99i-8BMfb9mHI1JuW8Z-ewbE9s3rNiXWbEiBso_gfgo7roE9Xl-Dziwz2MTEMshMGF0yBf_S7XEwjgh-Wwuqt-eKAZ51Wjc34mzQBEjjeAQg8IiFJrQod6-1P12IgsKSxeBlki8A278KKZJLAIvnonRRjgTJJSmjKdTlYL8RhP-8PSGKg0/s2048/IMG_5111.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNpXqPI99i-8BMfb9mHI1JuW8Z-ewbE9s3rNiXWbEiBso_gfgo7roE9Xl-Dziwz2MTEMshMGF0yBf_S7XEwjgh-Wwuqt-eKAZ51Wjc34mzQBEjjeAQg8IiFJrQod6-1P12IgsKSxeBlki8A278KKZJLAIvnonRRjgTJJSmjKdTlYL8RhP-8PSGKg0/s320/IMG_5111.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case it is not obvious, this was his first flight. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVJ8FleusiMNCYcfz83iYujut2oSCBurkEI3gz7cMb5GW37W-sE70Tm8q86yV4iy6fQyB6EK9DOepgTcmU7KIy7KtH7D6D0I_WXlQIopk6VaPm-kwlsuPA-klFLWP92MumSJb_3So3BuehMYQaKSpDoC-BGNK7_0d0z4D1l-wUSTUFvb78UXYjlk/s2048/IMG_5127.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVJ8FleusiMNCYcfz83iYujut2oSCBurkEI3gz7cMb5GW37W-sE70Tm8q86yV4iy6fQyB6EK9DOepgTcmU7KIy7KtH7D6D0I_WXlQIopk6VaPm-kwlsuPA-klFLWP92MumSJb_3So3BuehMYQaKSpDoC-BGNK7_0d0z4D1l-wUSTUFvb78UXYjlk/s320/IMG_5127.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though I had <i>hoped </i>this would happen through the whole early-morning flight, it only happened as we began our descent...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl8CB8gWBWmyG50gBj1QHkG79tJ5Cgc3mTSQnBayx8-ut6fCPNe_f3DaZc2__7TJiNc1Rzqr76Mvyx7-drJQP1d9E4iDBIMiyzuOCXciGnwv8s5NnruPBvelFWUGCCLuMwaUIfPLuV7Y3W7GHgJIqWwpN329i_oZXctT3n9h1y8eLB6oiXTr6ST8/s2048/IMG_5137.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl8CB8gWBWmyG50gBj1QHkG79tJ5Cgc3mTSQnBayx8-ut6fCPNe_f3DaZc2__7TJiNc1Rzqr76Mvyx7-drJQP1d9E4iDBIMiyzuOCXciGnwv8s5NnruPBvelFWUGCCLuMwaUIfPLuV7Y3W7GHgJIqWwpN329i_oZXctT3n9h1y8eLB6oiXTr6ST8/s320/IMG_5137.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A trip highlight for him, for sure.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF393x05nZ3viokye_VRCltSNcUhawyQPOPF7iXwP2mgpPKOyItWOIN_UlMnkcxKJhMqOiMZuTBUt9zehyJx-ARW4t2Ts-CiemiF80xO2zxlq2Mn5YYey9GAtAsdKU8XB2Bmr0f3msx20YGAO0-52rdMmJD8-QIBAaSQgCmtxIDwqeSjQsu9uwfV0/s2048/IMG_5144.JPEG"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF393x05nZ3viokye_VRCltSNcUhawyQPOPF7iXwP2mgpPKOyItWOIN_UlMnkcxKJhMqOiMZuTBUt9zehyJx-ARW4t2Ts-CiemiF80xO2zxlq2Mn5YYey9GAtAsdKU8XB2Bmr0f3msx20YGAO0-52rdMmJD8-QIBAaSQgCmtxIDwqeSjQsu9uwfV0/s320/IMG_5144.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghs1mFA7cZC43Tdy25GZ5hRg-yotD59lssheQmxdQKL1pRpr8maFu4o0-r99KBHtuzFIaweODWxUElGtGgL4ZkFJgZomgQ7icKVcyDdDJIJC6tr5l1k3Q-NqOhvtROEAj6ItNbfl7amcSqvR9ujeCDm2fA3RYCusa-Pa2piJEMtyU8Eashy63fbpA/s2048/IMG_5152.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghs1mFA7cZC43Tdy25GZ5hRg-yotD59lssheQmxdQKL1pRpr8maFu4o0-r99KBHtuzFIaweODWxUElGtGgL4ZkFJgZomgQ7icKVcyDdDJIJC6tr5l1k3Q-NqOhvtROEAj6ItNbfl7amcSqvR9ujeCDm2fA3RYCusa-Pa2piJEMtyU8Eashy63fbpA/s320/IMG_5152.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to document his first seashell!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4NrbPPW77Iu-9dZ-ATf_Rj2LOWBov9YIlZeLftFfQaZhHvADuUY51LKx9QrmqBqUIDA57Mo3ShxlyY8yshwUd1vf5dQnKbQdcBnLADEl9-QCwa6Unq491pFIW9sjEaWtEYNWk3d-5-ER7NxBuAXGuHTi992Ee_-6z2iZEZkMPHB2-_jMsHxQGLI/s2048/IMG_5161.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV4NrbPPW77Iu-9dZ-ATf_Rj2LOWBov9YIlZeLftFfQaZhHvADuUY51LKx9QrmqBqUIDA57Mo3ShxlyY8yshwUd1vf5dQnKbQdcBnLADEl9-QCwa6Unq491pFIW9sjEaWtEYNWk3d-5-ER7NxBuAXGuHTi992Ee_-6z2iZEZkMPHB2-_jMsHxQGLI/s320/IMG_5161.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAy03firM0njKWXkNa1hw5VsdBFgE_zrZwFmNRIMWtlxHFy-gyd-o-3W-pKGBP9A8b4qmaUk3a1rdqz0GaRBZs1hPKPxIr9SiUWarpllcSlThhbgNN7IUEfdFP4v_mWdYt657d6yzy-eU4CA7wWNE3IUI8Z_wqxDTBnkSVUVOPmRpzi_-vu5Srd9U/s2048/IMG_5175.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAy03firM0njKWXkNa1hw5VsdBFgE_zrZwFmNRIMWtlxHFy-gyd-o-3W-pKGBP9A8b4qmaUk3a1rdqz0GaRBZs1hPKPxIr9SiUWarpllcSlThhbgNN7IUEfdFP4v_mWdYt657d6yzy-eU4CA7wWNE3IUI8Z_wqxDTBnkSVUVOPmRpzi_-vu5Srd9U/s320/IMG_5175.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexOKDPnQUahanJvkF8rLREKwf7ZL7NO6dHARC9xMSqtBC-rLisF7fjKNwUeaw46moXVXjmvqkVpgW1wyhWSYQVfMq0DEuPyJ6ykSy04F-ZI2bId-4Vz4OvehZ9zB7jyiekcr28Y6nj7SbYZY4CRdYpuYCJJ1LsIkIzxrpT2tMZz-HfiLzgJ5zsKY/s2048/IMG_5196.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexOKDPnQUahanJvkF8rLREKwf7ZL7NO6dHARC9xMSqtBC-rLisF7fjKNwUeaw46moXVXjmvqkVpgW1wyhWSYQVfMq0DEuPyJ6ykSy04F-ZI2bId-4Vz4OvehZ9zB7jyiekcr28Y6nj7SbYZY4CRdYpuYCJJ1LsIkIzxrpT2tMZz-HfiLzgJ5zsKY/s320/IMG_5196.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv0A1To1ruLn6KEbtfJ1t7iA5UhjMbAD6ZBLDka_GOmmtxgzenU84kRMyMPrwBUFhmB2_V76PBvES5xD_RhFh29U9VnHrxzVOfEp5acFx11vofPX2wFN6oaxk4JpxgJQsiN92y3RkU26innIjtNrIP4Of5jaG1eeizCASJI64sP6Vo8ibBXHq3YE/s2048/IMG_5249.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNv0A1To1ruLn6KEbtfJ1t7iA5UhjMbAD6ZBLDka_GOmmtxgzenU84kRMyMPrwBUFhmB2_V76PBvES5xD_RhFh29U9VnHrxzVOfEp5acFx11vofPX2wFN6oaxk4JpxgJQsiN92y3RkU26innIjtNrIP4Of5jaG1eeizCASJI64sP6Vo8ibBXHq3YE/s320/IMG_5249.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vXm0DWP0EAFG2sk32J0nLqM1XljfKMTJs7CPgq8xQCryin8acmHNFDdtfgYHFizquG4VIDwTCBwjO_XUbScAtxjFua4AqS4yybX5mEUho13XmZ53ldVFMLOCAWETsUhZ7PqP4bRDqaukpwWlngupCVL2LxeEYXX-rSBRVEf4e6wu2ZFwKKugEmI/s2048/IMG_5267.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vXm0DWP0EAFG2sk32J0nLqM1XljfKMTJs7CPgq8xQCryin8acmHNFDdtfgYHFizquG4VIDwTCBwjO_XUbScAtxjFua4AqS4yybX5mEUho13XmZ53ldVFMLOCAWETsUhZ7PqP4bRDqaukpwWlngupCVL2LxeEYXX-rSBRVEf4e6wu2ZFwKKugEmI/s320/IMG_5267.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still can't get over how much and how well he took care of her.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPbRkik1mu2nMYmCtVzZW6lCAA4Tk-rBDk3xZBaTRPI8ViXUPN2-PKNag4zeELx4l5XZORUvLVcR5ZM9tyL_rKPadyF_s7aAq3-gttEyY5oa6yvKJhhl_52gAnqnwJEzM7wqR9girGBp24gM1nTxwcC8_DZuJYJvtVYcJwMVYkLVlpjsMtGuY9DY/s2048/IMG_5268.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPbRkik1mu2nMYmCtVzZW6lCAA4Tk-rBDk3xZBaTRPI8ViXUPN2-PKNag4zeELx4l5XZORUvLVcR5ZM9tyL_rKPadyF_s7aAq3-gttEyY5oa6yvKJhhl_52gAnqnwJEzM7wqR9girGBp24gM1nTxwcC8_DZuJYJvtVYcJwMVYkLVlpjsMtGuY9DY/s320/IMG_5268.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAJZEwZoNKshtXRbOp2-yY7OSUmWIfi1FB9K30T0vw-PvD2eOx_JhOMSmQUGddhyUwlFZw5HSHoeeuZ0XK8HNFPt-TQNaPhWJffgKbakKTYhmk1CmIx_6aR2VRv-EKQTcG9H8sSlqNY5pby88lBW2s4uFbzh438jWMzTRQxLhTTQrbaE5SFVpQXc/s2048/IMG_5274.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAJZEwZoNKshtXRbOp2-yY7OSUmWIfi1FB9K30T0vw-PvD2eOx_JhOMSmQUGddhyUwlFZw5HSHoeeuZ0XK8HNFPt-TQNaPhWJffgKbakKTYhmk1CmIx_6aR2VRv-EKQTcG9H8sSlqNY5pby88lBW2s4uFbzh438jWMzTRQxLhTTQrbaE5SFVpQXc/s320/IMG_5274.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJDxGpNQSV5FzyP_ihwfwZZMGyzSAdr712Z02m1khRiRE8rkkTJxUUcR0SLQqhKrLUpBJutK9zwAqXhpF4wHMJet4pEOaGo72zM3fP1YR5P7Dv5PYY4YsjmGin79PjzNJgIwVs9p7YYCAMf-pXAeldkLCgq-d7qvVKBAy0A1S17LYc5IBRE6iaqU/s2048/IMG_5293.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJDxGpNQSV5FzyP_ihwfwZZMGyzSAdr712Z02m1khRiRE8rkkTJxUUcR0SLQqhKrLUpBJutK9zwAqXhpF4wHMJet4pEOaGo72zM3fP1YR5P7Dv5PYY4YsjmGin79PjzNJgIwVs9p7YYCAMf-pXAeldkLCgq-d7qvVKBAy0A1S17LYc5IBRE6iaqU/s320/IMG_5293.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKiRyJcpGITebYo1VzK0Oi0KpwG-iV6hXInYw0-yM5mcSVSjnAetogrBpkivn19wuJeOQTKNY_aOjcskXtz3nxYX2orUHGHtxdXx2_dwE-MWKPupg3Fdin4_9gBnAWSt92r5rsm6lMmvgxNN8Unf7Tg7o06T4t8X0qrk_WDgW1YECv4nQEiI_tW8/s2048/IMG_5320.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKiRyJcpGITebYo1VzK0Oi0KpwG-iV6hXInYw0-yM5mcSVSjnAetogrBpkivn19wuJeOQTKNY_aOjcskXtz3nxYX2orUHGHtxdXx2_dwE-MWKPupg3Fdin4_9gBnAWSt92r5rsm6lMmvgxNN8Unf7Tg7o06T4t8X0qrk_WDgW1YECv4nQEiI_tW8/s320/IMG_5320.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He could've sat here all day...for real.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQkgMR2xFMBbVJ05nrTLdWsTMg7WUBxRhLbArO8Cm4yCbuhJs5dIjP_WRWeWwaQF7P4rOOesmEJB7ss-1P7y-Bn8-R8hQmYHkk7BDJRPhAKp0oNP0Rc3RBoZIiUg5BhuvEnFhuzJXItnxOhYurpNUZKQdZc8Sg5EgPS7q8k6Pq-UTfRPEbrtwNbs/s2048/IMG_5344.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQkgMR2xFMBbVJ05nrTLdWsTMg7WUBxRhLbArO8Cm4yCbuhJs5dIjP_WRWeWwaQF7P4rOOesmEJB7ss-1P7y-Bn8-R8hQmYHkk7BDJRPhAKp0oNP0Rc3RBoZIiUg5BhuvEnFhuzJXItnxOhYurpNUZKQdZc8Sg5EgPS7q8k6Pq-UTfRPEbrtwNbs/s320/IMG_5344.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oceanfront lunch with friends - doesn't get much better!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5SXdhWzFy-YDU7HZNIerGP9ZMKiF1CzzfmpzUmUT2jen0hVUjUTe5kB-SuyXdJ2xwR73j0t_fnPQCh6aUmMc32m-jrwzjOVlja-BQr92mz-srZkrAHWa-eQGr10oYKccOUYfWGk0feTrwTUrkRHgofOYdblY4H3E_nZo55am3WEbwA_hgs4kDbs/s2048/IMG_5342.JPEG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5SXdhWzFy-YDU7HZNIerGP9ZMKiF1CzzfmpzUmUT2jen0hVUjUTe5kB-SuyXdJ2xwR73j0t_fnPQCh6aUmMc32m-jrwzjOVlja-BQr92mz-srZkrAHWa-eQGr10oYKccOUYfWGk0feTrwTUrkRHgofOYdblY4H3E_nZo55am3WEbwA_hgs4kDbs/s320/IMG_5342.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfA82Z4xkjc1sxJxq1a6rm9666zAtKRjXEJQHWutMRK-5OlUakcWpWAuIG-B-z8GvZSAMqBxgTA-5nie2EaPirVDsPyJ4P4ZmSiFc63dl63-fjNQYy2Unx-KyjNAZzHt4YON5A90atKRbrSxszLoK3_o-GJTLjlyDHLNzz2slYdZold_D6rSyoIFo/s2048/IMG_5355.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfA82Z4xkjc1sxJxq1a6rm9666zAtKRjXEJQHWutMRK-5OlUakcWpWAuIG-B-z8GvZSAMqBxgTA-5nie2EaPirVDsPyJ4P4ZmSiFc63dl63-fjNQYy2Unx-KyjNAZzHt4YON5A90atKRbrSxszLoK3_o-GJTLjlyDHLNzz2slYdZold_D6rSyoIFo/s320/IMG_5355.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjags5PltAfgtAaU0IHivMwg0KL8zonWijgIkZEzvhhCV0imU-lKe72-egFHqsO7teEta_ZRFSG42zZCfEdGi_0Jx9eAgb-zPUf1LQD_UtmPUpxEe2kTLgzi6PeByALlZKEmaoIABeHDg8ZaHzqOuopghc5XdJG2SoVXre-tHuszDGJPii52l-tvvg/s2048/IMG_5366.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjags5PltAfgtAaU0IHivMwg0KL8zonWijgIkZEzvhhCV0imU-lKe72-egFHqsO7teEta_ZRFSG42zZCfEdGi_0Jx9eAgb-zPUf1LQD_UtmPUpxEe2kTLgzi6PeByALlZKEmaoIABeHDg8ZaHzqOuopghc5XdJG2SoVXre-tHuszDGJPii52l-tvvg/s320/IMG_5366.JPEG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsZyxe-cxLfrgf0my60rztgesifnkfItqTzLTygDoqBtmXa3TTpwHUj7NTNrU9leMXL7tWPRH8ZAtYdExouFMzKCisk9M8utMJIKNoVTpx4PqMQLO4-AJUnfrxeZJHrAjOMB-eP3uDHv9M51votu2cJTJ0AC4-HnhAZkFjYDl4yaNy1CsjPyoGU8/s2048/IMG_5368.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQsZyxe-cxLfrgf0my60rztgesifnkfItqTzLTygDoqBtmXa3TTpwHUj7NTNrU9leMXL7tWPRH8ZAtYdExouFMzKCisk9M8utMJIKNoVTpx4PqMQLO4-AJUnfrxeZJHrAjOMB-eP3uDHv9M51votu2cJTJ0AC4-HnhAZkFjYDl4yaNy1CsjPyoGU8/s320/IMG_5368.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took full advantage of being able to spend nap/rest time like this.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JlqNxqG7DcG8Ta4Ga4eZJg0FvhJYnjKkd3Cxkx1475SwNcAHDSAwlvnvOX20EXWwVLBtp1rHqMd7CseSbWSEBQIeLdI6mrc7o_zffnUHoCJoGnibHoFPsj9NbmeEWXDroXEQ3Wz1t2jSHOpnmpSTKzFjkaPwMSvP02sbsH07EA2BFdcmacshIsc/s2048/IMG_5376.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JlqNxqG7DcG8Ta4Ga4eZJg0FvhJYnjKkd3Cxkx1475SwNcAHDSAwlvnvOX20EXWwVLBtp1rHqMd7CseSbWSEBQIeLdI6mrc7o_zffnUHoCJoGnibHoFPsj9NbmeEWXDroXEQ3Wz1t2jSHOpnmpSTKzFjkaPwMSvP02sbsH07EA2BFdcmacshIsc/s320/IMG_5376.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We took a break from swimsuits to explore an arboretum.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl41JMjWlMQWTerElf_v-H3gSvPoi4_n3jR8vCkb8QbH42Br8SKQPurw8SlQu8vlFNPR5eItXvKu-5IwK6JUbRkN-vziGABV2-9lhAQJ7TCMiI2Wjz9I14nV0m_yQ5GSUb1vxoVw3o8EPt6zaaJKYh_JCwW4s5naU-Cha3MTqmj84yVHNFerR2Fb4/s2048/IMG_5392.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl41JMjWlMQWTerElf_v-H3gSvPoi4_n3jR8vCkb8QbH42Br8SKQPurw8SlQu8vlFNPR5eItXvKu-5IwK6JUbRkN-vziGABV2-9lhAQJ7TCMiI2Wjz9I14nV0m_yQ5GSUb1vxoVw3o8EPt6zaaJKYh_JCwW4s5naU-Cha3MTqmj84yVHNFerR2Fb4/s320/IMG_5392.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiniest palm tree you ever did see!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee09TWIPXTk6QImjKRW7REd6ysTjlWEK_ylyq8V_f3r2-dbBPM7TOPl_M6Duw6DgbE0P_yj4d1iP-vcyBOg4K8R0BuGfQut__WMiNL2PveY6os0xXpmtLjGgJnCpLRJRDUOadFRMT2X8IAlDIN_LQlvgq3nNLvyq5bno90uLi2naP4IzAjD3hUDI/s2048/IMG_5403.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee09TWIPXTk6QImjKRW7REd6ysTjlWEK_ylyq8V_f3r2-dbBPM7TOPl_M6Duw6DgbE0P_yj4d1iP-vcyBOg4K8R0BuGfQut__WMiNL2PveY6os0xXpmtLjGgJnCpLRJRDUOadFRMT2X8IAlDIN_LQlvgq3nNLvyq5bno90uLi2naP4IzAjD3hUDI/s320/IMG_5403.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJxqttW37ruCZD_5jxmLQ78U62Oqlof8NGfh-xBNNBwm74lOtPqXYn2E2rzhpsXRGJVTn876P4JBu7_UMlu5DEr1Rhzj_z0Bz_hJ3XZ1lLaDMNvBbClt9HRy85VoUnHx-DMmLM6jystzCH3Z3nWiH4qXVw0xIsPFuwZ3qOIiIYDmVNCBMEL2Bc68/s2048/IMG_5412.JPEG"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJxqttW37ruCZD_5jxmLQ78U62Oqlof8NGfh-xBNNBwm74lOtPqXYn2E2rzhpsXRGJVTn876P4JBu7_UMlu5DEr1Rhzj_z0Bz_hJ3XZ1lLaDMNvBbClt9HRy85VoUnHx-DMmLM6jystzCH3Z3nWiH4qXVw0xIsPFuwZ3qOIiIYDmVNCBMEL2Bc68/s320/IMG_5412.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJ2YPDosDrLpyI2PwJWWAofJ_LGO4oPzDgOvlBKzI5csdQ9uqXylUv3VB_8UuckYxZOigSHuNJB0SnDHnhIZnKBgNacd4t2mpc-S1excSvdzm-eofZvtX3TuSRbRDG6lWxLSmYtFkd8PVa5Dhb6yQasLvewsTDplKfNEjrbxPFxAxduPiM1kl17k/s2048/IMG_5375.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhJ2YPDosDrLpyI2PwJWWAofJ_LGO4oPzDgOvlBKzI5csdQ9uqXylUv3VB_8UuckYxZOigSHuNJB0SnDHnhIZnKBgNacd4t2mpc-S1excSvdzm-eofZvtX3TuSRbRDG6lWxLSmYtFkd8PVa5Dhb6yQasLvewsTDplKfNEjrbxPFxAxduPiM1kl17k/s320/IMG_5375.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpDnX6mT2zTuORE1AS7eWOsqsdiYG43r-SdSZiQRtCzD0EP43fOuj_BONePXAB71ydhMatWIGqOzeIwXkvUyKX5aa4cBMSI9g9gzApFw5HYoXCUEZC-rtjNt2-aDjsruej3hl5PDNdYvZs2hbjFkDG-mSzCww3N3HDtKIKRNKrdruf5-fnPsbASA/s2048/IMG_5418.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpDnX6mT2zTuORE1AS7eWOsqsdiYG43r-SdSZiQRtCzD0EP43fOuj_BONePXAB71ydhMatWIGqOzeIwXkvUyKX5aa4cBMSI9g9gzApFw5HYoXCUEZC-rtjNt2-aDjsruej3hl5PDNdYvZs2hbjFkDG-mSzCww3N3HDtKIKRNKrdruf5-fnPsbASA/s320/IMG_5418.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAZk0SjjnhZ06xIog8TwivDcUrYwhGI8DscjPty8QXkBzg3kdSqnLZhNtk2QYIR_EoGwIdoZjzEJO8rIslrjriFDVrue3MH9ZJNW7e-EIYTWeJppfiFFlbMaPzSjVkD2KYLl_H0s2MV-SNXRLvrSMvf00KzjiF7JtpwC_3WU2QemjTM3BOKHKx1s/s2048/IMG_5433.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimAZk0SjjnhZ06xIog8TwivDcUrYwhGI8DscjPty8QXkBzg3kdSqnLZhNtk2QYIR_EoGwIdoZjzEJO8rIslrjriFDVrue3MH9ZJNW7e-EIYTWeJppfiFFlbMaPzSjVkD2KYLl_H0s2MV-SNXRLvrSMvf00KzjiF7JtpwC_3WU2QemjTM3BOKHKx1s/s320/IMG_5433.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4hKYH-ijebaXz-ynl9onJmwXROYZq0ilxYjsehm7lDITrezGn4oiOG7BcbVY0z2-8uhAdpirMcfvn49-BFX-Mm9pckwj8yh9Ya6_4FjJZZS_2BiNaAfi3-rRHpY_Y9O5DWOdW5sin5o_yGHmZfy8vZbO4FdcoTXC2kzlvGD8rtXnZ4Okm32-toU/s2048/IMG_5438.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ4hKYH-ijebaXz-ynl9onJmwXROYZq0ilxYjsehm7lDITrezGn4oiOG7BcbVY0z2-8uhAdpirMcfvn49-BFX-Mm9pckwj8yh9Ya6_4FjJZZS_2BiNaAfi3-rRHpY_Y9O5DWOdW5sin5o_yGHmZfy8vZbO4FdcoTXC2kzlvGD8rtXnZ4Okm32-toU/s320/IMG_5438.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was all her. <br />(I share her love of our hosts' entire backyard setup!)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8gVwXCuI18fNn0UChc4r3YZfnlojgVrBAkeXsiMN6tuXp3m9QhZSduMkCvfy3QCS5GGda-yd1H2m5GbCSs27dBUBuGVOEHC-ZmQeqvLKg6haJtQMtWvAF8e3Q_Y6nw0UzHo5PphuanKeluwfhwP55ynYgDuaVNr2vCOrHl16WCHVF3G4fE3GHv0/s2048/IMG_5460.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8gVwXCuI18fNn0UChc4r3YZfnlojgVrBAkeXsiMN6tuXp3m9QhZSduMkCvfy3QCS5GGda-yd1H2m5GbCSs27dBUBuGVOEHC-ZmQeqvLKg6haJtQMtWvAF8e3Q_Y6nw0UzHo5PphuanKeluwfhwP55ynYgDuaVNr2vCOrHl16WCHVF3G4fE3GHv0/s320/IMG_5460.JPEG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flight home wasn't <i>all </i>as bad as this picture portrays, but there is definitely truth in it...</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This trip was just the <b>best</b>; equal parts relaxing and fun. The fact that we stayed with friends (who are like family) who made traveling with kids much easier by <b>generously </b>accommodating us so well (we only packed clothes and diapers!) made it all the <b>more </b>enjoyable. We <i>did </i>come home with that mountain of hand-me-downs...and even more <b>wonderful </b>memories! 😏</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Gratefully,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">family photo session on the beach</div><div style="text-align: center;">fresh-squeezed OJ and freshly-picked avocados</div><div style="text-align: center;">friends who live 30 mins from the beach, pick you up from the airport, and welcome you to stay in their beautiful home, enjoy their idyllic backyard, cook for you, and entertain your children</div><br />Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-19879971857107177172022-03-08T19:47:00.001-06:002022-03-09T19:25:37.964-06:00Reentry<div style="text-align: left;">I feel I would be <b>remiss </b>if I didn't somehow mark this season of life in light of the pandemic, not only for posterity's sake, but also for my own reflection and mental processing. So, here goes. :)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We have known people who have tested positive for, struggled with, and/or passed from COVID-19, and we've (only just recently) experienced it ourselves. There has been and is so much else going on in the world, as well, and like many of you, I'm sure, my head has been in a constant state of "spin," and it seems as though my heart cannot handle one more tragedy/conflict/moral dilemma. While it seems like there's so much we could process together and talk about, conversations in the recent past have seemed to go generally the same way: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>How are you doing?</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Oh, you know, hanging in there. How about you?</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Yeah. Same - just in survival mode. Anything new going on?</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Not really. You?</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Nope.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It has been so hard to wrap our minds around what in the <b>actual world </b>is going on, so hard to figure out how to <i>be </i>in all of this, so hard to know what to do or think, and as a result, we've stayed on the surface of what <b>could </b>be <b>deepening </b>conversations and relationships. We've seemingly given up some hope and drive and zest. We've <b>settled </b>for this perpetual "new normal," and despite "making the most of it," we're not necessarily thriving. Sure, initially, we were innovative and creative and almost excited about finding new ways to fill our time, but as that time went on, we became increasingly <b>wearied </b>by that time that kept <span style="font-size: x-small;">and kept</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">and kept</span> going on. That's seemed to be the case for <b>me</b>, at least.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Don't hear me saying we haven't all been doing the best we can. And please don't hear me saying (to any of you or to myself) that we should've done more, done better, or done different. I'm just trying to put words to where we're coming <b>from </b>as we look to where we're <b>going</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I recently read an article titled, in part, "<a href="https://www.today.com/parents/can-i-just-say/covid-moms-struggling-rcna14745?fbclid=IwAR0wZ03WXqiPPLiwSQCVq6zajp19BPcpjVlqlw-LLHVpmSiShtdHQQmnMcw" target="_blank">mourning the mom I used to be</a>," and man - so much of it hit home. As I read it, I also realized not only have I been mourning the <b>mom </b>I used to be, but <b>also </b>the wife, friend, aunt, leader, teacher, and person I used to be. The pandemic has robbed us of so much, not the least of which is access to experiences, situations, resources, and people that help us to be the <b>best versions </b>of ourselves. Sure, we figured out to "make do," but it just hasn't been the same. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">See - already, the tone of this post of mine is <b>uncharacteristically </b>pessimistic and dark, right?! This leads me to the fact that the pandemic has also <b>given </b>us a lot. One of these "gifts" is a harsh reality check that, at least for me, has lead to some new perspectives. Being so isolated and unoccupied magnified our home lives and our thought lives. It's given us time to overhaul our spaces, our marriages, our parenting, and the way we spend our time. Near the beginning of this pandemic life, I wondered what we'd look like on the other side of it all. I wondered if we'd maintain the new priorities we'd put into place. Wondered if we'd still be content to stay home all day for days in a row; if we'd leave space for family time amongst other obligations; if we'd keep our closets organized and our clutter minimal (😉). And here we are (I think/hope)! It seems that I won't have to wonder about that time, anymore. It seems we're there. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Or "here?" Whatever makes the most sense. Notice I didn't say this time has given me extra, new, or even renewed brain cells...)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I took both kids to in-person story time at the library last week, and it was a surprisingly <b>surreal </b>experience. Pre-COVID, library story time was a <b>regular </b>part of Jacob and I's routine. We started going as soon as he dropped his morning nap (around 15 months, I think), and we attended a couple times a week. He loved the librarians, learned/practiced social skills, and met some of his (and my) best friends there.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When the pandemic hit, we obviously stopped going to story time...and <b>everywhere </b>else. My little social butterfly who, for many reasons, thrived on our daily outings, was caged, if you will. You may remember how early-COVID days went around here, as <b>documented </b>in <a href="https://youtu.be/VuJa7rP4rHs">this video</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Late last year, thanks to a friend's generous offer to stay with Lydia during her morning nap, I was able to take Jacob back to a couple story times - one was outside and one was very sparsely attended and somewhat disjointed, and both were are not-our-usual library. Because our previous story time experiences were <b>half </b>his lifetime ago, Jacob only remembered these COVID ones, as far as I could tell. So, you can imagine his (and my) <b>delight </b>when we attended last week and there were several families in attendance, he remembered the librarians, and activities included both bubbles <b>and </b>the parachute. Plus, we got to <b>share </b>it all with Lydia for the first time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">That's partially where the surreal-ness came in, for me. I hadn't gotten to be "this mom" with her, yet. I haven't gotten to show her the <b>world</b>...or the world <b>her</b>, for that matter. How <b>relieving </b>it was to see her so comfortable and engaged in this almost-normal, pre-COVID environment. She caught on quickly, was independently involved, and acted like she'd been doing it all her whole life.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXhk2Cj33VC3JHWSwhx0cUFzPvKTQrOqONh1uzq8sJoijlpHV440DfWJkkfuf3WP-GrdTwYtJ2NvquAgqjiq1OraZTrpSv67PDaVCPBZGdNj86-v98YCf4M2JmqMedwOPSgGGfisGh2WIN_vAP3zoTJwSstbtei3mHh9H7yxFKip08ITuIq2NXBpw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXhk2Cj33VC3JHWSwhx0cUFzPvKTQrOqONh1uzq8sJoijlpHV440DfWJkkfuf3WP-GrdTwYtJ2NvquAgqjiq1OraZTrpSv67PDaVCPBZGdNj86-v98YCf4M2JmqMedwOPSgGGfisGh2WIN_vAP3zoTJwSstbtei3mHh9H7yxFKip08ITuIq2NXBpw=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSoZ3FQYRhpyGZtVPKNA3BX546TwZTQb_tlYlMkRDW64xqpQGmd9tLURzWp3mJYesTmZAufrtYDuN1ie06NOJWYhyKOtH3SzJkUdEqxENOpbqCJ5ea5eVFzYcW9UCeQ8saB2clExw9PHSI13ukR8PbjuAXk6eve3U1p5Zh033KlaaZ-Q7BpVgUyy0=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSoZ3FQYRhpyGZtVPKNA3BX546TwZTQb_tlYlMkRDW64xqpQGmd9tLURzWp3mJYesTmZAufrtYDuN1ie06NOJWYhyKOtH3SzJkUdEqxENOpbqCJ5ea5eVFzYcW9UCeQ8saB2clExw9PHSI13ukR8PbjuAXk6eve3U1p5Zh033KlaaZ-Q7BpVgUyy0=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwvkSBd1XYWE8FBte5WMZhWicuXUyG7-GlMYKxdSG1inDt7ZHpMky1U0-F-yUGIS-zT58von1ndkpP3LOUeh73vks68sjMU8M3LBuJrMEDzpc5D5FvWZyD0Q0WPVr2diyVy6zLvKc-x0Vn_coHjuxyiI8ysd0QPhKaWjZ1hjTjcmtbD9rx1kSooRw=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwvkSBd1XYWE8FBte5WMZhWicuXUyG7-GlMYKxdSG1inDt7ZHpMky1U0-F-yUGIS-zT58von1ndkpP3LOUeh73vks68sjMU8M3LBuJrMEDzpc5D5FvWZyD0Q0WPVr2diyVy6zLvKc-x0Vn_coHjuxyiI8ysd0QPhKaWjZ1hjTjcmtbD9rx1kSooRw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOHGM-dAXBNBeiOa5mMzU9vpD1xngVo3wFHPuxG7i4BPszMRCyNxTuSnzLzu2IQdNstn_qyQ8hRPPR3qtC8lNSRLUPgru-M-11aFAIzqtPafx396pP64iZf9yYFMLRaRuRpm2kdegzPZ2BI_IyvsZ6hW-MxjRI2f4uSTLnoVSLt-cwfgiy_vAw3t8=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOHGM-dAXBNBeiOa5mMzU9vpD1xngVo3wFHPuxG7i4BPszMRCyNxTuSnzLzu2IQdNstn_qyQ8hRPPR3qtC8lNSRLUPgru-M-11aFAIzqtPafx396pP64iZf9yYFMLRaRuRpm2kdegzPZ2BI_IyvsZ6hW-MxjRI2f4uSTLnoVSLt-cwfgiy_vAw3t8=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZsUPIi33xUQWZsUdbcYn7IdV0SDpBi3fbfo6kWQDUnC-EUYFh7ZRxw2ADKZDojcE80zDuYXU2sDw26fULavV6xiiTyU7LkRbGav8rpAegL1tg7Vd7BfIB8JLJLMNOwdDCIa0HrkXrXhEYMSxK0a2KhHdtDcaKxCyfKxALzRubfxfKOMM0FGCZ2o4=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZsUPIi33xUQWZsUdbcYn7IdV0SDpBi3fbfo6kWQDUnC-EUYFh7ZRxw2ADKZDojcE80zDuYXU2sDw26fULavV6xiiTyU7LkRbGav8rpAegL1tg7Vd7BfIB8JLJLMNOwdDCIa0HrkXrXhEYMSxK0a2KhHdtDcaKxCyfKxALzRubfxfKOMM0FGCZ2o4=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA10NF7ZyZ0GdfO1y49xo6hBlcTW_Ym5dFP-iBOnWY4rZp7nGtR67AjnaslI1DOUYJOXQotH0fTe8ECT0F_Vu3ap2B8VbHmxjZn0W653kLSUsoVNmcA-MzzB4uAr2YGz7BrcY9lUR053uO1d2ZHyZaBFhD_3iuDYNwYSFiW5XbotLGPNAQ3MzGD30=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA10NF7ZyZ0GdfO1y49xo6hBlcTW_Ym5dFP-iBOnWY4rZp7nGtR67AjnaslI1DOUYJOXQotH0fTe8ECT0F_Vu3ap2B8VbHmxjZn0W653kLSUsoVNmcA-MzzB4uAr2YGz7BrcY9lUR053uO1d2ZHyZaBFhD_3iuDYNwYSFiW5XbotLGPNAQ3MzGD30=s320" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ4lVSHPziiVSXrTCPm1Lw00u1P489BGSz2gtcUj8LuU0wRUjpHWwnnvsEyOcdOE_txgyTYVbXXY5P3w-MSlB5LvEhDjXeNHvtjtzm7QnVmynBUyDDEr6kbNc1ZCzLc9m4GmStogzBvFCWfNRFZjmZAz52L_vDrUFUAsDn2AUpRH26v0L-_ZtS4kg=s3024" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQ4lVSHPziiVSXrTCPm1Lw00u1P489BGSz2gtcUj8LuU0wRUjpHWwnnvsEyOcdOE_txgyTYVbXXY5P3w-MSlB5LvEhDjXeNHvtjtzm7QnVmynBUyDDEr6kbNc1ZCzLc9m4GmStogzBvFCWfNRFZjmZAz52L_vDrUFUAsDn2AUpRH26v0L-_ZtS4kg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She took it upon herself to pick up all the unattended carpet squares after putting away her own.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWrv4FLTmmXTYaUotRgaL0KEIVIGxUZRjIfzzEpmppri3WoEulDHr5gJOGNjlnvqJcUvKTmkTXKDOkxijn2OmkL3DuWjW4prKlPFe9XVmNTxsdWjXGvRE19kwBaTUGSsf9zKT0EkZA_AltMIr9azgFwMDl_5MM_4G4ifQzzQ9kxNbV_u0OTIA8H0M=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWrv4FLTmmXTYaUotRgaL0KEIVIGxUZRjIfzzEpmppri3WoEulDHr5gJOGNjlnvqJcUvKTmkTXKDOkxijn2OmkL3DuWjW4prKlPFe9XVmNTxsdWjXGvRE19kwBaTUGSsf9zKT0EkZA_AltMIr9azgFwMDl_5MM_4G4ifQzzQ9kxNbV_u0OTIA8H0M=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do you see that boy's face?! ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNIpApS0_OqBgWSh3nfgvp2WW7IZLAt-kwnisapazgt9Zap-edkCUe7lengj2qqfTP8h3OUDZrsaZwy8iiZs6NPQJddHN-1iCn2L1KdZwcWC6GKBJ1NukDMj5cMJR2Imnc641IAz8702LuZ5cYd4q1LVMEu0-t_lzVhFwyuTkZOIqQXbXwhZ1HNUI=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNIpApS0_OqBgWSh3nfgvp2WW7IZLAt-kwnisapazgt9Zap-edkCUe7lengj2qqfTP8h3OUDZrsaZwy8iiZs6NPQJddHN-1iCn2L1KdZwcWC6GKBJ1NukDMj5cMJR2Imnc641IAz8702LuZ5cYd4q1LVMEu0-t_lzVhFwyuTkZOIqQXbXwhZ1HNUI=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After story time, we went to a park to play and have a picnic (giving myself a gold star for this foresight and preparedness - haha). It was suuuuch a <b>beautiful </b>day, and the sunshine and warmth were doing wonders for everyone. Some older-than-Jacob boys showed up shortly after we'd finished our lunch. Not only did Jacob require minimal encouragement to approach them, but when he did, he introduced himself ("and this is my sister Lydia," he said of his own accord) and asked if they wanted to play a game of tag. How relieving it was to see <b>him </b>so comfortable and engaged in this almost-normal, pre-COVID environment. He was friendly, played fair, and made sure everyone watched out for his "little sister" (something he hasn't had opportunity to implement much and did all on his own).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYYzwnrhXAzFWBBQj_e7wSFH_ZgvQ1JylbrOS3a7UOjmut6077ONs_gXdmK3c8o0rlVA5NMdhVeBXdLo6lkySNlxOlaWbRoRoaJkp5CA-u80IWgzynGaWUJzvjF4UOz8bhkuoD_XEnEeuvWOQ8dh1AUfy6yp2_tCPoE-OLaFKmM_8nhpSuSuiIxmM=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYYzwnrhXAzFWBBQj_e7wSFH_ZgvQ1JylbrOS3a7UOjmut6077ONs_gXdmK3c8o0rlVA5NMdhVeBXdLo6lkySNlxOlaWbRoRoaJkp5CA-u80IWgzynGaWUJzvjF4UOz8bhkuoD_XEnEeuvWOQ8dh1AUfy6yp2_tCPoE-OLaFKmM_8nhpSuSuiIxmM=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Days like these (story time + park + picnic in the sunshine) assure me that all is not lost. Kids really are <b>resilient</b>, and it's never too late to "get back out there" - for them or for yourself. I'm still the person I was pre-pandemic, and I can still be the mom I was, too. How relieving it was to see <b>me </b>so comfortable and engaged in this almost-normal, pre-COVID environment. I made small talk, arrived on time and prepared (after being so out of practice), and truly enjoyed a large portion of the day with my sweet kiddos (don't take this the wrong way - of course I'm very grateful to be able to stay home with them, but if you can't relate, just trust me when I say it's not always enjoyable). While it's ok to <b>mourn </b>the mom I hadn't been able to be, I can also be <b>grateful </b>to have gained so many new tools and experiences during our quarantine life the last couple of years (still crazy to put that time stamp on it all, right?!).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">All that to say, the world is such a volatile place, these days. Perhaps it always was, and we're just hyper-sensitive to it, since we haven't had much else to occupy our time and minds? Who knows. Regardless, it <b>almost </b>makes me want to just <b>keep </b>staying at home. Keep living in our <b>bubble </b>of Pinterest activities, backyard playtime, and limited interaction with the outside world. But only <b><i>almost</i></b>. There is still <b>beauty </b>to be found and <b>joy </b>to be felt. There are still <b>connections </b>to be made and <b>relationships </b>to be had. There are still <b>adventures </b>to embark on and <b>places to explore</b>. We will <b>not </b>live in fear. Plus, I can't keep these two <b>all </b>to myself - their <b>light </b>is too bright and their <b>joy </b>too immense. ♥</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The <b>Lord </b>has sustained us through this past season, and He <b>will </b>sustain us through the next...and the next...and the next. I am so thankful for the hope, peace, wisdom, and provision He provides. I am in constant awe of His grace and His kindness. When the world is so dark and humanity seems hopeless, I cling to the fact that His <b>love </b>and <b>forgiveness </b>are for <b>everyone</b>, and I pray <b>everyone </b>has the opportunity to accept and profess that truth. I am ready to keep helping make that happen. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I am ready to <b>regain </b>some of what we've lost. I am ready to move <b>forward </b>with new perspectives, new tools, and new expectations. I'm ready to remember and <b>appreciate </b>who we were - who I was - and excited to <b>discover </b>who we'll become - who I'll become. Are you?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Readily,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">all the new words Lydia is trying out</div><div style="text-align: center;">meeting new people</div><div style="text-align: center;">the PAT (Parents As Teachers) program</div><div style="text-align: center;">(This may be another blog post for some day, but for now, I highly recommend this program for new parents/parents of young children. We just (finally) started and I regret not doing so sooner, if nothing else than for the affirmation and encouragement I've already received from an expert in the field of young children/parenting. How valuable to a stay-at-home mom, especially! Really thankful for this resource.)</div><p><br /></p>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-45032186118895214502022-01-04T21:19:00.000-06:002022-01-04T21:19:20.355-06:00Life, lately<div style="text-align: left;">Happy 2022!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />This is <b>not </b>a New Year's resolution post (if you've been around for a bit, you know I don't really make resolutions). It's also <b>not </b>a "recap of holiday celebrations" post (though I'd love to share all that!). It's more of a "here are some things we've been doing, lately, that I haven't gotten around to posting about on social media" post. 😬 The holiday season just made for busier days - you can probably relate - and I just didn't get around to sharing everything I'd hoped. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Also - and this probably sounds a little trivial and silly - the app I like to use for making photo collages (Layout by Instagram) isn't working since updating to IOS 15, and I haven't found(taken) the time to find/learn a new app. Is this happening to anyone else? Again, I know this seems so silly, but it really put a <b>kink </b>in the efficiency of my posting preferences. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />So, here are a bunch of <b>random </b>posts all in one "photo dump" of a blog post. Enjoy. 😊</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_mtc61_cRuI1NHjA3978MSUMKzSvE5fUYn2ZY5A_rrnbMdN0sLWkFVd7RiTh-giUTZfV9IAvS6I701zIjK1VoG-ltNB6fjGCfE00-srJ2B1-LnjskuKF_M15XDozTgoSOK7EmERQeMyBcizPapPO5SCjKRfzHANfnVg9vB4VnkJfNzQauZrKu7o8=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj_mtc61_cRuI1NHjA3978MSUMKzSvE5fUYn2ZY5A_rrnbMdN0sLWkFVd7RiTh-giUTZfV9IAvS6I701zIjK1VoG-ltNB6fjGCfE00-srJ2B1-LnjskuKF_M15XDozTgoSOK7EmERQeMyBcizPapPO5SCjKRfzHANfnVg9vB4VnkJfNzQauZrKu7o8=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This handmade jumper and saddle shoes were hand-me-downs from dear friends (who babysat me from infancy, then I babysat their girls, then they babysat Jacob), and I wanted to get Lydia in them while they fit, even though it was well before Valentine's Day. These were taken when she was just starting to free-stand on her own, and she looked so grown up to me!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidaiKr1fsOOx-jdrLkbYHFmSobnWYIaLlOCTbumGRa6BdvthlAOBrtFMGXmpemmwq9oEMAS69CEADtCL6RhCQ7YZmZzlWoPK-jW9EBMSQtU4EU8iO_wwoNTfkj4nj1OZY2tFuQJyvCyM_3OcWdgyuusf71iQJWeyP1zRT9mbTgw-8HWntb7hgQbQE=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidaiKr1fsOOx-jdrLkbYHFmSobnWYIaLlOCTbumGRa6BdvthlAOBrtFMGXmpemmwq9oEMAS69CEADtCL6RhCQ7YZmZzlWoPK-jW9EBMSQtU4EU8iO_wwoNTfkj4nj1OZY2tFuQJyvCyM_3OcWdgyuusf71iQJWeyP1zRT9mbTgw-8HWntb7hgQbQE=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These scenes from a Lego Nativity book we got from the library made me laugh out loud.<br />Have you ever seen a pregnant Lego person?!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks to an Instagram influencer I follow, I <b>forewent </b>baking Christmas goodies with a preschooler this year and made stovetop potpourri jars, instead. (Don't worry - we bake together often and <i>did </i>make a few small-batch treats this season.) Jacob was a <b>true </b>helper, and it was really <b>fun </b>for both of us (I'd forgotten how much I love an assembly line and seeing the finished product).</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA1F520lCk6hc4zE2QcQaXRvc_yGa_yK5bN3WfeLQ4SdDeJz0vcyPpOJ7BanUnN9tu29fUOprWPiCS52wMseLRIgjEFy0VhNjpeGTTziDp15RTCu6kKdcEPRdj0DJorK_bNdRAYOVEfbwYkqrLG0agdmjOhKy6eeGgY8W7Ht1GE1HicRDJSpMz28A=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhA1F520lCk6hc4zE2QcQaXRvc_yGa_yK5bN3WfeLQ4SdDeJz0vcyPpOJ7BanUnN9tu29fUOprWPiCS52wMseLRIgjEFy0VhNjpeGTTziDp15RTCu6kKdcEPRdj0DJorK_bNdRAYOVEfbwYkqrLG0agdmjOhKy6eeGgY8W7Ht1GE1HicRDJSpMz28A=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Amazon for the bulk spice offerings, HyVee for a significant cranberry coupon, and Home Depot for the free scrap tree cuttings!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHjgqHbBXMLyZTMjwBudF_K3X7pQ1Spahg6fB4Y7LAPib3kQKD4HVzTA09RNTrGWp-In_9yUYL8xHlA_slEW7OtiZv5deDA3Cx0ET3jHEAcZ9UCuuRTk2JtKoBiugk4EnKjs77kHdDmEq9v7K05Yz-xemHK9NfTYfQ9ybHyeB68bodmtREoezUhls=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHjgqHbBXMLyZTMjwBudF_K3X7pQ1Spahg6fB4Y7LAPib3kQKD4HVzTA09RNTrGWp-In_9yUYL8xHlA_slEW7OtiZv5deDA3Cx0ET3jHEAcZ9UCuuRTk2JtKoBiugk4EnKjs77kHdDmEq9v7K05Yz-xemHK9NfTYfQ9ybHyeB68bodmtREoezUhls=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVNIxXms30riBOc8oSY_skcXZIhH9aDXvTtvapJVFL-Uv3olUAszSUZMa0gSOXHIZcv6aaKvB4nMxBDrLEspyhJBfpZCstw88OR55DA-o07ypUsfKydpfPxOsxptAzUt6pxzU8n-vjRo4gYg-zCQ2D8X6DoM1ocZXnu01qOZqIR8BR6VbLKFDflA8=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVNIxXms30riBOc8oSY_skcXZIhH9aDXvTtvapJVFL-Uv3olUAszSUZMa0gSOXHIZcv6aaKvB4nMxBDrLEspyhJBfpZCstw88OR55DA-o07ypUsfKydpfPxOsxptAzUt6pxzU8n-vjRo4gYg-zCQ2D8X6DoM1ocZXnu01qOZqIR8BR6VbLKFDflA8=s320" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiO19h07IwI6e3RtiEiVft3P5O1y_vs4J2GUTk4VVNzNv9gfGIElpJlq6Gp5LWOquNskssVRWiO-UZtDxc1D61mnWATt1fsvFTnjR_6qgUP9huJzhOPSJwMLVaho8RXV7eHLb6N2SjnNqxQ8IxvAYkADmCggH1lPv4FIp73XOeoGDM8eBRgFHrBwh4=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiO19h07IwI6e3RtiEiVft3P5O1y_vs4J2GUTk4VVNzNv9gfGIElpJlq6Gp5LWOquNskssVRWiO-UZtDxc1D61mnWATt1fsvFTnjR_6qgUP9huJzhOPSJwMLVaho8RXV7eHLb6N2SjnNqxQ8IxvAYkADmCggH1lPv4FIp73XOeoGDM8eBRgFHrBwh4=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had plans for most of the ~24 we made, but we had a few extras, and it was so nice to just be able to easily grab a homemade gift from the fridge when an opportunity presented itself.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjb8pbGKKBQjasbpuTvCBoGdc9KBATp1zQg1LltIHoi_L0IIzNhbubb-vjON5EtOH1WnoKrr_ifswHTuXxkSoA_wFWc9xjbXaBq7ieHz-LfpaHTlx5muHfwfytQKpqTF0BKhfaj9M7QhcbyBndCwY1y13ixFIDYLEFEXEjw8ss4WPA3bJAvz8mKIrA=s2048" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjb8pbGKKBQjasbpuTvCBoGdc9KBATp1zQg1LltIHoi_L0IIzNhbubb-vjON5EtOH1WnoKrr_ifswHTuXxkSoA_wFWc9xjbXaBq7ieHz-LfpaHTlx5muHfwfytQKpqTF0BKhfaj9M7QhcbyBndCwY1y13ixFIDYLEFEXEjw8ss4WPA3bJAvz8mKIrA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNMcfY2xc8P1ipN0IfmAReD_NAywHdm3-YRC-XGso2duND7LAgJCJORRMOKQQyBRE6TVfvzmyNHHf70-ZQU-E0YKQUUvKt9a72CPx4pYf4LMRQanubghI8EbuaMaxGNe-mJCQuHGVFtkEk6nW8nL1nQuhQ8k_ymZN3huz2qrDTTNaY4evDDnw1JdM=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNMcfY2xc8P1ipN0IfmAReD_NAywHdm3-YRC-XGso2duND7LAgJCJORRMOKQQyBRE6TVfvzmyNHHf70-ZQU-E0YKQUUvKt9a72CPx4pYf4LMRQanubghI8EbuaMaxGNe-mJCQuHGVFtkEk6nW8nL1nQuhQ8k_ymZN3huz2qrDTTNaY4evDDnw1JdM=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In all humility, I thought they were just so pretty...and with very little effort to make them so!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another Christmas project was thanks to Scraps KC (the arts & crafts thrift store I love). I'd gone to browse and ran across a kit for clothespin reindeer. It seemed as though someone had put it together for a crafting event and donated what was left of the supplies. Growing up, I had (and still have) a Rudolph clothespin necklace, and because Jacob was <b>particularly </b>interested in the character of Rudolph this year, I knew he'd be excited about this nostalgic project. We were <b>happy </b>to give these (ultra-cheap) supplies a second life!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1GYpPMXJ9eDNmuWWXl4ucihpPIh6xAn9-5nj0tNVTIaVvx0hbs2DczJisP3kF0wl5RGOSkXrRp9B_EIkyS_JScLLkmLQmd6WaMTFlzQTLQKZvbbLSL4JiZG9UJxN_z0K_HYgktydyK17Zl9kIuNiI81gx7A8mo83frtdsn97coO_JvO7dzEBSY2c=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1GYpPMXJ9eDNmuWWXl4ucihpPIh6xAn9-5nj0tNVTIaVvx0hbs2DczJisP3kF0wl5RGOSkXrRp9B_EIkyS_JScLLkmLQmd6WaMTFlzQTLQKZvbbLSL4JiZG9UJxN_z0K_HYgktydyK17Zl9kIuNiI81gx7A8mo83frtdsn97coO_JvO7dzEBSY2c=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My original. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQYfDaVggNuGUsd4bOAZUKghs65ebqHNMNuvLm_QH8tVZO_IpWFkItd9WAPq4NoS6kjTG7he1OUghBjTTt7uu8K_TZlceFFeNUSHPJg-X_y4vRnN-PGFbFGKuzURLPscJFGNZmdJ3yxQKjP0rjKvEOMN27aaduyrh8gcCpal-vqOq0kuQ470Kjmlo=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQYfDaVggNuGUsd4bOAZUKghs65ebqHNMNuvLm_QH8tVZO_IpWFkItd9WAPq4NoS6kjTG7he1OUghBjTTt7uu8K_TZlceFFeNUSHPJg-X_y4vRnN-PGFbFGKuzURLPscJFGNZmdJ3yxQKjP0rjKvEOMN27aaduyrh8gcCpal-vqOq0kuQ470Kjmlo=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxDqTu3tl8OjVHTg50zXmLVSX1VmbIUJ0QNJe_as07E5BgheS2e68kmZ_hONood1V651Rm9MUKZBU3VLseKfSvSFmw9-ict0gks7kf3yWwDQIqDKjvscFpMN02E_5YhjUrH_n6oITSaENh5goCH5_TOvqTavNep8fjksHRasmbzvBZs1oi7qUx9QM=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxDqTu3tl8OjVHTg50zXmLVSX1VmbIUJ0QNJe_as07E5BgheS2e68kmZ_hONood1V651Rm9MUKZBU3VLseKfSvSFmw9-ict0gks7kf3yWwDQIqDKjvscFpMN02E_5YhjUrH_n6oITSaENh5goCH5_TOvqTavNep8fjksHRasmbzvBZs1oi7qUx9QM=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuKkCFFt1V8nRUGW9z24ypuwJook6ggz0KTFmkxQgedjEQ2FKhOeM9R3l7W6q8rtEdI72GAuaWgOvv3T1Lh0zlIT3i4U6i4hjTpevJZN25hj2Pg0QZ4ed9PQPnERzCyqr49iOl1hLNSTJItxOHs9Y7wL44oq_zeS3Rl9mk98dG2RLclxx292dkFDk=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuKkCFFt1V8nRUGW9z24ypuwJook6ggz0KTFmkxQgedjEQ2FKhOeM9R3l7W6q8rtEdI72GAuaWgOvv3T1Lh0zlIT3i4U6i4hjTpevJZN25hj2Pg0QZ4ed9PQPnERzCyqr49iOl1hLNSTJItxOHs9Y7wL44oq_zeS3Rl9mk98dG2RLclxx292dkFDk=s320" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKinF8FBxQ1CWxG0jyUSMno1Y3ZjemrhctQeyUiPCPG6cWhvcdGQfB-abtm_jMtDohi3Sm78AlfLsmRSAHPa0bzt0ufs9pqTi5CD8b-bARRRXKxPnGVQpj4Yr_XriukozOyViBQG6oUieUo2yt-ga2s7Wc9YcLI9sn3pwy2K1M8jAamdh_DSbiMsY=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKinF8FBxQ1CWxG0jyUSMno1Y3ZjemrhctQeyUiPCPG6cWhvcdGQfB-abtm_jMtDohi3Sm78AlfLsmRSAHPa0bzt0ufs9pqTi5CD8b-bARRRXKxPnGVQpj4Yr_XriukozOyViBQG6oUieUo2yt-ga2s7Wc9YcLI9sn3pwy2K1M8jAamdh_DSbiMsY=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The herd at the top are the ones he made for himself, and the others were gifts.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't consider myself a "<b>crunchy</b>" mom, by any means, but I've been reminded repeatedly of the importance of kids getting <b>ample </b>outside time and opportunities for encounters with nature. In my first round of motherhood, I was fairly concerned about Jacob putting things in his mouth, getting dirty, etc., but this time around is <b>different </b>(for several reasons, I'm sure). While Lydia may put some things in her mouth, she is pretty good about taking them out upon request (or even not by request - she'll just hand me something <b>slobbery </b>I hadn't even seen go in), so she spends plenty of time roaming freely. One thing that kept her particularly occupied this fall was picking the little spores off oak leaves. Super random, I know. I don't even remember how it started, but she would <b>happily </b>work her way through several leaves for many minutes before losing interest. Thanks to winter's mild beginnings, we were spending lots of time outside through the end of December.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmJdGPgJpheGeVW83Pt5_1pF5g21Jx37ois6GNB3zoWZTOc35kwnTWl6muAkMoe6Q1cqrrroytg2PEDt3mxi6SqNnO1eVFsuDqMkA1Zkr9ldodL0401lrJ8UakSF2p258lDVeR7t0tiEoy1zNaZPDHoHMLDH5uwUNQhWYgnAvwgdpaRmabrJxEV-Y=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmJdGPgJpheGeVW83Pt5_1pF5g21Jx37ois6GNB3zoWZTOc35kwnTWl6muAkMoe6Q1cqrrroytg2PEDt3mxi6SqNnO1eVFsuDqMkA1Zkr9ldodL0401lrJ8UakSF2p258lDVeR7t0tiEoy1zNaZPDHoHMLDH5uwUNQhWYgnAvwgdpaRmabrJxEV-Y=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was definitely a win for fine motor skill practice!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4PitdwD04dy4pgJ1FiVJ_Ms0liTjv4m56TofWujhp7YAhPVaDEvs6I3IhdZfH7vGLsZOnrnY72q4W30Ez-gzQIg0PsxNnQaz2xMC0c_ykY8_fSeAL6SiUUDtwmPcrzFaK5EGNQYuT2f2xRdPO60zn2n085VanyUAN4CxWrXRCjtqguAt7jVR3b-o=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4PitdwD04dy4pgJ1FiVJ_Ms0liTjv4m56TofWujhp7YAhPVaDEvs6I3IhdZfH7vGLsZOnrnY72q4W30Ez-gzQIg0PsxNnQaz2xMC0c_ykY8_fSeAL6SiUUDtwmPcrzFaK5EGNQYuT2f2xRdPO60zn2n085VanyUAN4CxWrXRCjtqguAt7jVR3b-o=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only took a few corrections for her to remember they weren't edible.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I think I've mentioned<b> Favorite Things parties</b> here, before...if not, forgive my memory. The ones I've attended in the past have been fairly small gatherings and are just so fun! So, when there was a strong desire and several requests for a women's event at church, a Favorite Things party quickly came to mind. Since we hadn't gathered as a <b>large </b>group in quite some time, it was my hope for everyone to get to talk to as many people as possible, so we did a Favorite Things party <b>speed-dating</b> style! Everyone brought one of their favorite things (around $10), and over the course of the evening, each lady had a couple minutes to talk one-on-one with everyone in attendance. If nothing else, they could talk about the favorite things they had brought along! As with most things, there were a few <b>unforeseen </b>kinks, so it didn't go <b>quite </b>as smoothly as it had in my head (in my late-night run-throughs of the event (ha)), but everyone still had a lovely time and got to connect with friends, old and new. I had some wonderful help with this event - a couple talented, capable, and generous ladies took care of the amazing decorations and delicious food! Their work was Pinterest-worthy:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixDxAhdGtKMQWkYL0efz8fAHRBAtXDfvce8jsdz-8OPRz1WewtUBElgDRy18SledFHJIA-sahVRDXyAhRmEUdbkButTSLuIll-6cEi-3Z3oVVZmwlQFXCdM3VWA_erx8tcHVw6-rTaqlf8PbYKwCQQ2MigrDjw2qEkfdHDM13JixFq_wlzWKnuI98=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixDxAhdGtKMQWkYL0efz8fAHRBAtXDfvce8jsdz-8OPRz1WewtUBElgDRy18SledFHJIA-sahVRDXyAhRmEUdbkButTSLuIll-6cEi-3Z3oVVZmwlQFXCdM3VWA_erx8tcHVw6-rTaqlf8PbYKwCQQ2MigrDjw2qEkfdHDM13JixFq_wlzWKnuI98=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisExlJ4QXOyNkf8YxzOAcuJOsghcHuIaFTykqHm23LNMwkFiKdSiMlXifg4W9gp6AQIfILfWIOCPlfVW9Wjx9Zv-MAYjooHelMFHMdJgX8HV1Is9ItYCsbXQhW-omJu2jWRxTxBh3nNweAbW0G6E5P8eOBWghCBdk-BR5pXmEgtdcVe-1GlAJMUbg=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisExlJ4QXOyNkf8YxzOAcuJOsghcHuIaFTykqHm23LNMwkFiKdSiMlXifg4W9gp6AQIfILfWIOCPlfVW9Wjx9Zv-MAYjooHelMFHMdJgX8HV1Is9ItYCsbXQhW-omJu2jWRxTxBh3nNweAbW0G6E5P8eOBWghCBdk-BR5pXmEgtdcVe-1GlAJMUbg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDjj75fgdtGlQ0Wcw1xERgzAw9wZj6dJgq8Fj4Y2VNlmwsjpaUBEphs6I7Sa5DoeOrpLBJjUaxLo4oATedPpdpXgfutcNz4t8jK4hHzg1wkBtFHmbx1iSHz65zsQmvO2nyP_avhCXWVE3tLPscyl9ZhbzX-vUVZab38JLdz3w52LzoBCT6WesX0Qo=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDjj75fgdtGlQ0Wcw1xERgzAw9wZj6dJgq8Fj4Y2VNlmwsjpaUBEphs6I7Sa5DoeOrpLBJjUaxLo4oATedPpdpXgfutcNz4t8jK4hHzg1wkBtFHmbx1iSHz65zsQmvO2nyP_avhCXWVE3tLPscyl9ZhbzX-vUVZab38JLdz3w52LzoBCT6WesX0Qo=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihiE3UpCbIrMrtf-BAxrrKZxRyJPpEc_BqfQ1P8yG6dESFBLYy6_2gmWKHDb0ZcYZGVpJu9m__4hdNpoGruuNLDUD9e_DUjnIk-eRBydON6Sm7uMNbdOPm8_ynzg3ueK54zaTvQKjhsXcSc6wHWSKtrX9A-_b4AFiSBFZY1uspt5TZY6Ue8xPSdek=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihiE3UpCbIrMrtf-BAxrrKZxRyJPpEc_BqfQ1P8yG6dESFBLYy6_2gmWKHDb0ZcYZGVpJu9m__4hdNpoGruuNLDUD9e_DUjnIk-eRBydON6Sm7uMNbdOPm8_ynzg3ueK54zaTvQKjhsXcSc6wHWSKtrX9A-_b4AFiSBFZY1uspt5TZY6Ue8xPSdek=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMNmWXv554uebi8NYSDA40VTF9tMq6Ok6gyaga4gj54981XMKmh8u16sDQ7groy7OUy-f5nphthY9wvSB3gMU7GR7WVsISNtSpk7keD6WX-XS-P49M4HLYaGv8dq9pWOYuIjdy5gCjuLr4rZQCEjkWHoxNx0gya32OjQLFckYRH0zIOgf_P_FgIWA=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMNmWXv554uebi8NYSDA40VTF9tMq6Ok6gyaga4gj54981XMKmh8u16sDQ7groy7OUy-f5nphthY9wvSB3gMU7GR7WVsISNtSpk7keD6WX-XS-P49M4HLYaGv8dq9pWOYuIjdy5gCjuLr4rZQCEjkWHoxNx0gya32OjQLFckYRH0zIOgf_P_FgIWA=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8Pynu1V1ou39a6-Fz8fMkEf6wrUpbgxHkvpPJloTlPdzRG0k14pGWUqvWJSPhJtgx_HQw53WeRiLnqFREb2QqBmZCCE74xl8mdXSTgyJQzKpum2x5hNrp0RLzb5rGOcc7ZYdtX00-KNwqhKMd6ut5TbwLxFaaJIxXzM8NLaLI-XUpSjpIFwTe5Rk=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8Pynu1V1ou39a6-Fz8fMkEf6wrUpbgxHkvpPJloTlPdzRG0k14pGWUqvWJSPhJtgx_HQw53WeRiLnqFREb2QqBmZCCE74xl8mdXSTgyJQzKpum2x5hNrp0RLzb5rGOcc7ZYdtX00-KNwqhKMd6ut5TbwLxFaaJIxXzM8NLaLI-XUpSjpIFwTe5Rk=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdJqFNBIP99nMEFBTEdErQWhdQS0AwhRTQhA1FHz5sq9yTUWgD4ztqx6NXz_q4S_2ZFWyIDaEdQ6_7tCHceVQORpHBPB2pMcpGM-4w9uuUAuN1r_CRd4n6N-6yH1-mrjTyTX2pwOWobsqXvlcd5lfRvTp0An2GxxzHn3YwjUa5QpEXZZ4L2dOvlpc=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdJqFNBIP99nMEFBTEdErQWhdQS0AwhRTQhA1FHz5sq9yTUWgD4ztqx6NXz_q4S_2ZFWyIDaEdQ6_7tCHceVQORpHBPB2pMcpGM-4w9uuUAuN1r_CRd4n6N-6yH1-mrjTyTX2pwOWobsqXvlcd5lfRvTp0An2GxxzHn3YwjUa5QpEXZZ4L2dOvlpc=s320" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh09y-6J6zvFcbmJgzbzoXKtiL3wb7pipP6DdJuSzzzeBXgQwx335IRFiPjtDBq8w3LqBpzz4LGFZ2W8lHfjiapFG6w57wLENL-JWKzF2xoXEELAIRI7iSymIbvKKEuIBtTe944WceQLc1lbHF5SgZLnmVuJmJK6fzwyAiQXQKXfDddz3CogyYNN5g=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh09y-6J6zvFcbmJgzbzoXKtiL3wb7pipP6DdJuSzzzeBXgQwx335IRFiPjtDBq8w3LqBpzz4LGFZ2W8lHfjiapFG6w57wLENL-JWKzF2xoXEELAIRI7iSymIbvKKEuIBtTe944WceQLc1lbHF5SgZLnmVuJmJK6fzwyAiQXQKXfDddz3CogyYNN5g=s320" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj30GbWZyx2aR8TyojcyIGWBRkgojDXWVG58v8K4MP4h3rVjn6ZL214wnWTOptTpoUeHbYOkK06Iie3P3TTVY7yN9LZULl9I7nHLV0UAUy4ZVuZxjULhbd7jRWRLF26Vbs0dtPFP7zkiDI7MDx3xHLSMcP3Z9ZBROY8MRafFq0-RVEyGbS0fQsW0U=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjj30GbWZyx2aR8TyojcyIGWBRkgojDXWVG58v8K4MP4h3rVjn6ZL214wnWTOptTpoUeHbYOkK06Iie3P3TTVY7yN9LZULl9I7nHLV0UAUy4ZVuZxjULhbd7jRWRLF26Vbs0dtPFP7zkiDI7MDx3xHLSMcP3Z9ZBROY8MRafFq0-RVEyGbS0fQsW0U=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite thing about these parties is seeing what everyone else brings...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhln0ITLEdGm7IyYXRykmrWCbjxAKFq_FVzI5hJVYc3HG1_znh84rbuQ92sm8JM2vmmiCOUK4O1ooM9nBqFzKZ1czI1mHS-ck-sfuSNAu4TcME9DuZHymNSh_funiQ-H31yhXTBa3-LwukZZ3AnD3PTgQnbGL4IRbnZ069iu09ggEsAlGyvjCI7WTY=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhln0ITLEdGm7IyYXRykmrWCbjxAKFq_FVzI5hJVYc3HG1_znh84rbuQ92sm8JM2vmmiCOUK4O1ooM9nBqFzKZ1czI1mHS-ck-sfuSNAu4TcME9DuZHymNSh_funiQ-H31yhXTBa3-LwukZZ3AnD3PTgQnbGL4IRbnZ069iu09ggEsAlGyvjCI7WTY=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...so, I documented the items the ladies brought. </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEies0V4TpyuJfYeD_hT5AoWexx50wJj3VttWqdUjNKoMyuyC-yEcyDjnY8pvkl6UaqJ2LeN1bLckm-aTyg1Y8kG1s0KssEI-pv1ApwFRjlVux2TvpInXrVA2bMoVwAWjD7wkrszOApwRjsLVQtwWiKacTfybAfJ4bvY9rjwOvFDDeAnbp1li10D-_Q=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEies0V4TpyuJfYeD_hT5AoWexx50wJj3VttWqdUjNKoMyuyC-yEcyDjnY8pvkl6UaqJ2LeN1bLckm-aTyg1Y8kG1s0KssEI-pv1ApwFRjlVux2TvpInXrVA2bMoVwAWjD7wkrszOApwRjsLVQtwWiKacTfybAfJ4bvY9rjwOvFDDeAnbp1li10D-_Q=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of few out-and-about dates with these two. <br />They did so well after being out of (or having no) practice being in public.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Speaking of dates...Bryant and I took advantage of our school-aged sitters being on break and went out on a <b>mid-week date</b> after Christmas! Of course, we hadn't considered how many <b>other </b>people might have the same idea, so we tried three restaurants before finding one that could seat us without a reservation...haha. Regardless, it provided quality time for uninterrupted conversation and dining, and it was so <b>refreshing</b>!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXy0bI6hleIhRvPQmp8G_o36XeznNCt_idj2vKtq9TD7kskEcKi7mgra7_RhxDrJ9RCI6NAwY285fY7VizKBfsC9nG3IPfzry9-QB_yflfpwf5i_JgLUIaKNiCtkwp8CYUfrejYjBh-MG5nJuwl2Snov2JnHqmft0oYfOafMJ2Q9NAQbeEARHL5_g=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXy0bI6hleIhRvPQmp8G_o36XeznNCt_idj2vKtq9TD7kskEcKi7mgra7_RhxDrJ9RCI6NAwY285fY7VizKBfsC9nG3IPfzry9-QB_yflfpwf5i_JgLUIaKNiCtkwp8CYUfrejYjBh-MG5nJuwl2Snov2JnHqmft0oYfOafMJ2Q9NAQbeEARHL5_g=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My picture of our actual dinner didn't turn out (seriously - this latest phone update has been terrible), but I did get this one of dessert. "The Chocolate Bag" was filled with white chocolate mouse, whipped cream, and berries.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW8TxQITSTrnRhUUCb5lWcqD_Ezf118r0nWotTotS6QT6jXxHZPKmfxdg7XQ_2A1qNJe4-Vp9ElOHW_R-908mJLmCKXnt7cb8MvIS6vc93pI5aFnahYuXrdf0wKt37Q5VHhacYjrIH3qnnjtKGbmsvTkIGUTwYXvEvvV544Wo6xmSGzWmqXn8w7Pk=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW8TxQITSTrnRhUUCb5lWcqD_Ezf118r0nWotTotS6QT6jXxHZPKmfxdg7XQ_2A1qNJe4-Vp9ElOHW_R-908mJLmCKXnt7cb8MvIS6vc93pI5aFnahYuXrdf0wKt37Q5VHhacYjrIH3qnnjtKGbmsvTkIGUTwYXvEvvV544Wo6xmSGzWmqXn8w7Pk=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Plaza lights were still up, so we enjoyed a (brief) after-dinner stroll!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE6OVavdi9lh2GXeSq2WhbIYibjVoONoEUcPO0NQ3nu2ZFMFDGMVcpvzUwOwQzSbnN78mfGo3kMOq0WrzWKiBo0haUiZZxhaCxJkQSoVCJi-s9Rkrg06c9eDKBl-Q_J9T8IAk3s7SXDjtOubj_vi-hVAa6rtD7W74ACnia9K4DCIgGZgxO6pzi7vw=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE6OVavdi9lh2GXeSq2WhbIYibjVoONoEUcPO0NQ3nu2ZFMFDGMVcpvzUwOwQzSbnN78mfGo3kMOq0WrzWKiBo0haUiZZxhaCxJkQSoVCJi-s9Rkrg06c9eDKBl-Q_J9T8IAk3s7SXDjtOubj_vi-hVAa6rtD7W74ACnia9K4DCIgGZgxO6pzi7vw=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dates these days aren't complete without a trip to the store. This evening's quest was a clearance storage bin for Jacob's growing Lego collection. Not only did we find one on clearance, but it was 95% off! Post-Christmas clearance shopping is one of my very favorite activities, so I can speak from much experience when I say this level of discount is unheard of! (My heartrate accelerated even typing about it here - I still can't believe it!) A deal like this is exponentially better when it was something you actually needed AND actually stopped for at that exact time, in my opinion.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihsTh556dogoIF4ARqlIIBZt49VjAqUue8_qm8WNXNAIE7oLEznKk4TmkmX1YhRMOWnqawOTgK0iIynI-IDGim0g2cCDB1lXBRqbzFGCKclCt5t2p_kVyXG8HNOuoeb5wA9ACUZHyKS8fBoPQahMeKdtt9HS8ihfQR48bW8k2sM1D2BkXq73DhIPk=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihsTh556dogoIF4ARqlIIBZt49VjAqUue8_qm8WNXNAIE7oLEznKk4TmkmX1YhRMOWnqawOTgK0iIynI-IDGim0g2cCDB1lXBRqbzFGCKclCt5t2p_kVyXG8HNOuoeb5wA9ACUZHyKS8fBoPQahMeKdtt9HS8ihfQR48bW8k2sM1D2BkXq73DhIPk=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The neighbors had a tree removed, and they were so thoughtful to let us know it would be happening. Provided at solid hour+ of entertainment; Jacob said, "It's like I'm watching television!" (Pretty sure we have my dad to thank for this vernacular: "television." Cracks me up!)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGZiAvl7K2VWZte2f86wtsZZGqOjuyQdIEvQH98SJFOoWqckgQRnFFQXCxrqOK3FwOfhjisFK9F01EBhMvfSrTtEx_I1NtqLvmlR7NQ4zLKdGLtLVVx1zcDe1kfKXLAjJz0-MLiHbruZvC11bU6e7PFcLjkHoZ8vTB9UfieA9dlZE9uOz0IrV7Bno=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGZiAvl7K2VWZte2f86wtsZZGqOjuyQdIEvQH98SJFOoWqckgQRnFFQXCxrqOK3FwOfhjisFK9F01EBhMvfSrTtEx_I1NtqLvmlR7NQ4zLKdGLtLVVx1zcDe1kfKXLAjJz0-MLiHbruZvC11bU6e7PFcLjkHoZ8vTB9UfieA9dlZE9uOz0IrV7Bno=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryant made this stool for Jacob a few years ago, and it came in clutch during lunch prep the other day!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAkgyWmNfDrBNL1AjYyZfootYm5dGA5ZwLFBjHC9e7C33oW9cFG3O-jHBs3hihjFQKFi8WlsklNMnOh8G4eUwQPhIcJrktPxAXCxJDU78bbVhD5YCsUX0mMu9uIRIJjn4d9z3RcCp-bvWtnYsTznmoh81TevHLPmvJu-viQ2YWSh-SLvmQAcNVrVY=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAkgyWmNfDrBNL1AjYyZfootYm5dGA5ZwLFBjHC9e7C33oW9cFG3O-jHBs3hihjFQKFi8WlsklNMnOh8G4eUwQPhIcJrktPxAXCxJDU78bbVhD5YCsUX0mMu9uIRIJjn4d9z3RcCp-bvWtnYsTznmoh81TevHLPmvJu-viQ2YWSh-SLvmQAcNVrVY=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She did such a great job actually helping (and I didn't mind at all if she snuck a bite or two here and there.) She was so proud of herself, and so was I!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Thanks for reading and caring and showing interest! You know these blog posts are fewer and further between, these days, so wanted to make the most of this one - haha. I know the subject matter of past posts may be a little more spiritual/deep/interesting/universal, but in this season of life, these daily happenings are the bulk of what I have to offer (mostly because they represent the bulk of what occupies my brain power, time, and resources, at the moment - haha).<div><br /></div><div>While I don't make resolutions, I'd love to hear about <b>yours</b>! Perhaps you don't call them "resolutions," though. Goals? Things you'd like to implement/improve? Growth you'd like to see? This year more than others, I'm feeling the <b>need </b>for a reset/regroup, now that the holiday season is behind us. Maybe you feel the same way. Either way, wishing you all the <b>best </b>in your endeavors in this new year. Praying you find the direction, wisdom, resources, and will power to make the changes you set out to make.</div><div><br /></div><div>Convictedly,</div><div>Kensy<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the Kindred Conversations podcast (an episode was recently recommended, and I've really enjoyed catching up on previous episodes, as well - very relevant for my own season in life)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">my electric blanket</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikIHuoVx2ku3bq4ileLiFHq3YNgLKqS9yB9d9AJEE-8SMzb4RA8GoDLT7ISqwIGwmV-chnW__wNpo_r60sjXehxBjC3FxgTW8yP-PF8e9E6BXLi_8q63hcVj2gO4qzQJzAWKTSaFdcB-46iDtggiQfkX4-HEI_XHjJhy5-28ZHuDe_4LkGj6sxjv0=s2576" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2576" data-original-width="1932" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikIHuoVx2ku3bq4ileLiFHq3YNgLKqS9yB9d9AJEE-8SMzb4RA8GoDLT7ISqwIGwmV-chnW__wNpo_r60sjXehxBjC3FxgTW8yP-PF8e9E6BXLi_8q63hcVj2gO4qzQJzAWKTSaFdcB-46iDtggiQfkX4-HEI_XHjJhy5-28ZHuDe_4LkGj6sxjv0=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two. <br />Jacob asked for a selfie with Lydia...then asked for a "video-ie," but Lydia was ready to move on to the next thing.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-47940916879671369552021-09-25T19:44:00.000-05:002021-09-25T19:44:45.713-05:0034 & 4<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I started to write a Facebook post <b>thanking </b>many of you for the birthday wishes and realized if I said all I wanted, it would be much longer than is socially acceptable for that platform. ☺ So, here's a blog post that now will <b>probably </b>have too many words for <i>its </i>kind...haha. All for the sake of posterity and to give you, dear readers, a light read.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I really did have a <b>nice </b>birthday. I felt celebrated and special and loved. That said, it wasn't without its <b>hard</b> moments. Despite being excited about my birthday and all the festivities, Jacob had an unusually rough day. I heard there was a full moon, so maybe that was it? Could also have been the higher-than-normal levels of sugar in his system...or the transition we're making to "rest/quiet time," rather than nap time. Perhaps he was feeling Bryant's long work days (including the weekend), as he was heading up a big installation project at work and wasn't getting home till after supper or close to bedtime all weekend/week. Regardless of the reason, Jacob had high highs and <b>low </b>lows on my birthday, which made it difficult for me to answer "Was your birthday fun?!" or "Did you get some time to yourself?" questions or respond honestly to "Hope your birthday was so wonderful!"-type comments.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the name of <b>transparency </b>and <b>honesty</b>, here were some of the highlights of the day, along with the moments that are <b>not </b>typically featured in the highlight reel:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-jy2_oCv0SdXq-so07irwU-rzX7ZNBHuKEEWTb1qPHBLTbuITr3G957cIi6tXET73UBDA8PbaIpbSx0xxSX7G82zmT-uJjKUcPu7r7GpDDPhzEl7Hq9ckBtY1JSeQsL9LF4flQxLqws/s2048/D1926259-D1E2-43DD-B4F8-88B3E062489D.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-jy2_oCv0SdXq-so07irwU-rzX7ZNBHuKEEWTb1qPHBLTbuITr3G957cIi6tXET73UBDA8PbaIpbSx0xxSX7G82zmT-uJjKUcPu7r7GpDDPhzEl7Hq9ckBtY1JSeQsL9LF4flQxLqws/s320/D1926259-D1E2-43DD-B4F8-88B3E062489D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob woke up asking where I wanted to go to lunch for my birthday, because Bryant had coached him (and given him money) to take me out. Here he is paying for our meal. ♥<br />(While we were getting shoes on to leave for lunch, Jacob was upset about something else and said he wasn't excited to take me to lunch, anymore, and didn't like me or my birthday. After the difficult morning we'd already had, this made me cry. So, everyone had shed tears before 11 a.m. that day. I know this may be typical for others in this season of life, which is fine and understandable, but it's not necessarily our norm, and the fact that it was happening on a special/out-of-the-ordinary day just made it all extra sad and disappointing. He immediately started trying to make me feel better, and of course, got over whatever he'd been upset about and regained his excitement (even if it was partially due to the fact that he'd be getting to order his favorite things, as well).)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfs0I2c7y_D53x40npjIzGtNhf84NDJE_R4ISPV8lyeQElG4F4yL0v_PgYuWj10jrH9AnPcOaZcQH_kZyQgonQab_epTzYzXX5s0k4E6e-M6s9zr46d0gaDm6C-UcxdqnKKiUCd9ircw/s2048/FF0D50BA-0162-4708-9CB8-B339C75A4CEE.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfs0I2c7y_D53x40npjIzGtNhf84NDJE_R4ISPV8lyeQElG4F4yL0v_PgYuWj10jrH9AnPcOaZcQH_kZyQgonQab_epTzYzXX5s0k4E6e-M6s9zr46d0gaDm6C-UcxdqnKKiUCd9ircw/s320/FF0D50BA-0162-4708-9CB8-B339C75A4CEE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've had very few lunch dates, due to COVID, so Lydia was also thrilled to be out and eating somewhere new.<br />(We started out eating outside, but the store next door was having concrete work done, so it was too loud and dusty to stay.)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNs9_x3aNbzoLrlteHloOpynJuTXxXh31U3DtaNboc00cfHJ0gVLWwDheawawTGreFtC46QZOQFJdY2jPfq2ojnP_jqWwVj3gHAQzp6_Z6_nrGeOC2Rpgv2yt3b776jomGnL2wkfPFVY/s2048/D678E261-11D7-41C9-AA5C-628877D4F851.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsNs9_x3aNbzoLrlteHloOpynJuTXxXh31U3DtaNboc00cfHJ0gVLWwDheawawTGreFtC46QZOQFJdY2jPfq2ojnP_jqWwVj3gHAQzp6_Z6_nrGeOC2Rpgv2yt3b776jomGnL2wkfPFVY/s320/D678E261-11D7-41C9-AA5C-628877D4F851.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A super-thoughtful friend made this surprise delivery that included activities for Jacob to keep him out of my hair for a bit! These were my first Crumbl cookies, and they were oh-so-yummy.<br />(Jacob asked (and whined about non-yes answers) incessantly about these cookies the rest of the week till they were gone.) </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByRPwVvRlmMLPMGURyaiIDU2HoPO6BoQwEJ7ZUFK3sJlR-8-dy2GJh-Otv0sDeeO_CzAop_ZYM4Fxln46ic9DlheFL7YX5HFXACwNVgdp9qlpW9EtHs0X847NaZaBSRSvvUrtHON1jnU/s2048/9A549865-D6AB-4AA2-A5B5-D5AF54F38D4E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByRPwVvRlmMLPMGURyaiIDU2HoPO6BoQwEJ7ZUFK3sJlR-8-dy2GJh-Otv0sDeeO_CzAop_ZYM4Fxln46ic9DlheFL7YX5HFXACwNVgdp9qlpW9EtHs0X847NaZaBSRSvvUrtHON1jnU/s320/9A549865-D6AB-4AA2-A5B5-D5AF54F38D4E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made homemade pizza with the last of our garden-fresh tomatoes and basil! Bryant had made and frozen pizza dough a couple weeks prior and was planning to make this for my bday supper, but didn't make it home in time to do so. Jacob was planning on helping make (and eat) pizza, so we did it, anyway.<br />(Turns out, Jacob only wanted to help so he could eat the pizza dough off his fingers, so he only made it through the not-pictured pepperoni pizza before losing interest and incessantly asking when it would be done (and if we could have more cookies for dessert). Also, Lydia was hangry and whining/crying at my feet the entire time I was putting this one together.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsJ1BGxY3IUSmyHOYuLzGGdq3LLKez8DB3minu8capWiqBtfkwdG4phBExvi_IywAGDJyVTkPglKSawGRagU2wp1LYlPIfZYY2oZfg-Sz8GOwJBzHutkdrZivvVJLITViErULGbWP2FI/s2048/714C7274-4113-483D-9B80-A85276A9D0D3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsJ1BGxY3IUSmyHOYuLzGGdq3LLKez8DB3minu8capWiqBtfkwdG4phBExvi_IywAGDJyVTkPglKSawGRagU2wp1LYlPIfZYY2oZfg-Sz8GOwJBzHutkdrZivvVJLITViErULGbWP2FI/s320/714C7274-4113-483D-9B80-A85276A9D0D3.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even after working nearly 12 hours, Bryant still made a point to bring me birthday flowers.<br />(This one's a highlight through and through. ☺)</td></tr></tbody></table> <div>Not pictured: the special movie time Jacob and I had together after a shortened rest time for him. I rarely join him for "screen time," because I'm often using it as a tool to accomplish a task of my own on my own. While he was thrilled he was getting to watch a movie (something we do sparingly) and that I was watching with him (even more rare), he still initially pushed back about me being the one to choose the movie. *<b>eye roll</b>*</div><div><br /></div><div>Also not pictured were the countless celebratory messages, as well as other <b>thoughtful </b>cards and <b>generous </b>gifts. Thanks to many of you for making me feel so special and loved in these ways! I <b>truly </b>appreciate it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another highlight: <b>today</b>! I don't have a lot of photo evidence, but today was my make-up-birthday-day-to-myself. My day included redeeming a few bday freebies, bargain shopping, a walk by the river, a pedicure, as well as a few other errands. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTDGpDEuGZ9Sn32MBLzr-4xV9VX9laLLCuDauwmhv1U_NeQqchG6U8Wz599bX1Up56EdbnITX7qqm08oRtsZKgWgnKO_RkPjWk6FxYUquAi1vTkziOQ-48g0KwyZNJ9-emeUL-e5zYDM/s2048/DE1954C8-30E2-4F30-88A1-5F39A8FC76C0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1432" data-original-width="2048" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVTDGpDEuGZ9Sn32MBLzr-4xV9VX9laLLCuDauwmhv1U_NeQqchG6U8Wz599bX1Up56EdbnITX7qqm08oRtsZKgWgnKO_RkPjWk6FxYUquAi1vTkziOQ-48g0KwyZNJ9-emeUL-e5zYDM/s320/DE1954C8-30E2-4F30-88A1-5F39A8FC76C0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're not a member of the SPIN Pizza birthday club, sign up right now. This was free, and I enjoyed every bite!<br />Birthday freebies not pictured: alllll the free coffee drinks, CFA cookie, Panera pastry, Andy's custard cone, Target discount, Chipotle side...I could go on and on. Not all of these were redeemed today, mind you, and there are more to come! Thank goodness they don't all have to be used the day of - you know how I hate to miss out on a deal. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">I ate this meal outside, by myself, enjoying the beautiful weather and sunshine, and reading...an actual book...for <b>pleasure</b>! This (reading for pleasure) is something I haven't done in many years; pre-kids, certainly, and maybe even prior to that. While it's something I enjoy, it's not something I always feel able to do guilt-free. As a result, when asked what my favorite book is, I'm often at a loss and revert to one of the only books I remember reading as a kid: <i>Mandy </i>by Julie Andrews. (Yes, THE Julie Andrews...I didn't remember she was the author - or maybe I never really knew or appreciated that fact.) My memory often fails me, and I'm not one to re-read books, so I just don't remember <b>specific </b>favorites well. This one, however, has always stuck out, so I recently checked it out from the library and have been re-reading it (gasp!). It's a sweet story, and it has been a pleasure to read it again. I'm hopeful re-flexing this muscle will create room for a <b>restored reading rhythm</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm currently writing this from the backseat of the car (windows down) in the parking lot of a shopping center, so I can enjoy the beautiful weather while using the WiFi. Super <b>glamorous</b>, I know. Since I'm just now weaning Lydia, today is the longest I've been away from both kiddos in over a year, and it has been so <b>refreshing</b>. </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvz2OWr063h_hd3cIDDjKqHShd-XrNM45EfYzKUqXTo26pvow0REAoxIzHfI6IyZV6Yo5MBNwhwMRhhqEAQLZur9qn4IlXF9KzsdnAmO2pfyJtFQ2Gg5JfUQJPC-LgMXtE7iKi3mZ9tU/s2048/C706544A-BD53-4C22-BB87-CA182EEDAB6F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1662" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvz2OWr063h_hd3cIDDjKqHShd-XrNM45EfYzKUqXTo26pvow0REAoxIzHfI6IyZV6Yo5MBNwhwMRhhqEAQLZur9qn4IlXF9KzsdnAmO2pfyJtFQ2Gg5JfUQJPC-LgMXtE7iKi3mZ9tU/s320/C706544A-BD53-4C22-BB87-CA182EEDAB6F.jpeg" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edit to add: Belated birthday cake was waiting for me when I got home!<br />The picture doesn't do this one justice. I love a strawberry cake, and I love earthquake cake, so my sweet hubby found one that is BOTH of these! Yum.</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Since I'm <b>free </b>as a bird, right now, I'd also like to take time to document Jacob's 4th birthday...which was in July. Woops. A man of <b>simple </b>tastes, he chose a "donut" theme. We had a couple small family gatherings as well as a couple celebratory playdates with friends, and it was all so fun! While we try hard <b>not </b>to spoil him and strive to raise children who do not feel entitled, it is also such a joy to see him excited. So, our gifts to him were things we were really excited to give him, and we were anxious to see his reactions.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhKzhKYCZPiaoy2dkCMJlk0e02dZ2kmMFyHiJ8WJahedNphf38z79GDMwi7QZx4_2u1n2C0LthG_XZILOifNJEXR4Nwzmj4KQAHBFJmkxyrsH0obcz1-wCWjvuWG8cZtRigFKwPFzu4U/s2048/1AD3D29E-B81A-42DE-B0BE-E59222C6EF8C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhKzhKYCZPiaoy2dkCMJlk0e02dZ2kmMFyHiJ8WJahedNphf38z79GDMwi7QZx4_2u1n2C0LthG_XZILOifNJEXR4Nwzmj4KQAHBFJmkxyrsH0obcz1-wCWjvuWG8cZtRigFKwPFzu4U/s320/1AD3D29E-B81A-42DE-B0BE-E59222C6EF8C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first surprise was renting the Menards van for a ride around the neighborhood and picnic in the back. He went from shock to confusion to delight as he saw the van pulling into our driveway, realized Daddy was driving it, and was told it was there for him to explore.<br />He was gifted a toy Menards van a couple years ago, because it's one of his favorite places to go, and he immediately ran to get it to compare to the real thing.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNiCtItQEZzf0AoRh7puzVE5Dzcq8ggRBDKHWPhWhTlpsqUzoFisB_Ydp18DbMA1yDIswu8iva9bTjp7XGb_RYd4nMy44DkfmkMykNhAoqifijJ9_39WCNEmt00jLbErz3kPPJcCQPU4/s2048/4C46628E-7742-49A3-B337-A934D2288B03.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNiCtItQEZzf0AoRh7puzVE5Dzcq8ggRBDKHWPhWhTlpsqUzoFisB_Ydp18DbMA1yDIswu8iva9bTjp7XGb_RYd4nMy44DkfmkMykNhAoqifijJ9_39WCNEmt00jLbErz3kPPJcCQPU4/s320/4C46628E-7742-49A3-B337-A934D2288B03.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was right at home!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_neJ7WU_XTIVw0q0w8hnX9hTPw3XpbCgR2L_acszOSjjtSw7LgWpmyyRPGdGM_CLNk80fW4MJEbI64H5qfBKyixPXb8glvEFahKaMQZBkcUo7BkQowv3Q6lCAK7B_bexzmsnIPIo5MOQ/s2048/72CD1007-ED22-4ADD-A198-AB92A492CCFE.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_neJ7WU_XTIVw0q0w8hnX9hTPw3XpbCgR2L_acszOSjjtSw7LgWpmyyRPGdGM_CLNk80fW4MJEbI64H5qfBKyixPXb8glvEFahKaMQZBkcUo7BkQowv3Q6lCAK7B_bexzmsnIPIo5MOQ/s320/72CD1007-ED22-4ADD-A198-AB92A492CCFE.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't worry - we'll wait a few years before we let him take it out of the driveway. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDc6w9zbSG2ENWFvJa90-vb9xKxLw1F1a4Jy1njst_KK7hbK0oz7UTxhcBPRFL9OiovO3FOozYR_jzXR8rITLC_G3IyF1n774Oz2uuMI8eOLjWC9HNEScMTBlTthyphenhyphenXcEUCajHS6Zz75o/s2048/05B64FEF-EB54-45A0-BE6A-3E3136095D8F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLDc6w9zbSG2ENWFvJa90-vb9xKxLw1F1a4Jy1njst_KK7hbK0oz7UTxhcBPRFL9OiovO3FOozYR_jzXR8rITLC_G3IyF1n774Oz2uuMI8eOLjWC9HNEScMTBlTthyphenhyphenXcEUCajHS6Zz75o/s320/05B64FEF-EB54-45A0-BE6A-3E3136095D8F.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-birthday picnic of choice: Wendy's. He almost didn't finish his meal in time for us to take the van back, because he had so many questions and comments about it.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMuph7iJ1RnlQWK2JIAiJFr7o3EmU_lYGdUjV1yqkiLNyS1dskX7t3L5Q-l-0RjhNKDXnUslAiov32Klea4uVZXOaaxjL3JWDP7s9zq3D2ZngtwH787G2T-mqdrBlNplwZ77NsW8hapk/s2048/1BEE7FF8-DD80-401A-BBAC-B45E2C35C0D9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbMuph7iJ1RnlQWK2JIAiJFr7o3EmU_lYGdUjV1yqkiLNyS1dskX7t3L5Q-l-0RjhNKDXnUslAiov32Klea4uVZXOaaxjL3JWDP7s9zq3D2ZngtwH787G2T-mqdrBlNplwZ77NsW8hapk/s320/1BEE7FF8-DD80-401A-BBAC-B45E2C35C0D9.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He kicked off his birthday with an extra (free) donut hole from his favorite shop while picking up donuts for his party.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD7sRtvGmVLz6w6SdD35Q4zmc1F77KuQNzBYKxiIdiWvx40OdXUZtbu5UmqsZLyvrObIMxk4XPDrUO3jauQ9JnIi6LBsuILoHP5gR75aEbpdwWVXDSKBz0MBaanYDCTKR6dp0KTrqEFs/s2048/6A400D1C-2267-4620-8C3A-5ED305CD3D2A.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvD7sRtvGmVLz6w6SdD35Q4zmc1F77KuQNzBYKxiIdiWvx40OdXUZtbu5UmqsZLyvrObIMxk4XPDrUO3jauQ9JnIi6LBsuILoHP5gR75aEbpdwWVXDSKBz0MBaanYDCTKR6dp0KTrqEFs/s320/6A400D1C-2267-4620-8C3A-5ED305CD3D2A.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then, he got to open his gifts from us (so he and Daddy could play while I got ready for the party...haha).</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi32wo_Wii1b5qtVdbx2di2MMJSgZx2Ok7zubA-Wu-AVVszXy2Sjh_iGJZ2xp2sNVLPW3RfOo5-MKqL4leWtAV97Uy3cp9KYXuRmQ0zXQNPPwYsvAw9N0GkwcI99Zbmo5kpLrnTTFk2_0/s2048/2FE6B5C8-30CD-4489-B076-8733291CB059.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi32wo_Wii1b5qtVdbx2di2MMJSgZx2Ok7zubA-Wu-AVVszXy2Sjh_iGJZ2xp2sNVLPW3RfOo5-MKqL4leWtAV97Uy3cp9KYXuRmQ0zXQNPPwYsvAw9N0GkwcI99Zbmo5kpLrnTTFk2_0/s320/2FE6B5C8-30CD-4489-B076-8733291CB059.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He started asking for Legos shortly after Bryant found a great would-be Lego table at a garage sale and I'd stocked up on a few sets when they were on sale. So, Jacob's wish was granted before he wished it. (This was also the first time he's ever asked for a specific gift for a birthday/holiday.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv48jkGaFjnhSJOBBblJPYzgdMi0CRpgrzKp3v8EympUbQWWFN1NGrdCaNo-NTzAaEszkEpFd8FMZxqUnI6aR-qbWShpfMqyWnmptrQT1XubCGaW3YqyVVCuGj6_Orz_RGEklIjuCLZg4/s2048/8D70AF57-8747-45B6-AD3D-41233A9842F0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv48jkGaFjnhSJOBBblJPYzgdMi0CRpgrzKp3v8EympUbQWWFN1NGrdCaNo-NTzAaEszkEpFd8FMZxqUnI6aR-qbWShpfMqyWnmptrQT1XubCGaW3YqyVVCuGj6_Orz_RGEklIjuCLZg4/s320/8D70AF57-8747-45B6-AD3D-41233A9842F0.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ebCD0gt5GQd-goEpNF4uqkflRo_pqlsmzAtmF1vAyErwtpdoafQV5DoZio1TtXAanl3H7QWECov9u4OSZCeCtqaPXWSbR5biY4a4tItZQIHhIldVRj29URJhsp0rmP_eQOZ7qSRjsz0/s2048/CF0E78B1-61E4-47C7-81F7-031FCAB5272E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ebCD0gt5GQd-goEpNF4uqkflRo_pqlsmzAtmF1vAyErwtpdoafQV5DoZio1TtXAanl3H7QWECov9u4OSZCeCtqaPXWSbR5biY4a4tItZQIHhIldVRj29URJhsp0rmP_eQOZ7qSRjsz0/s320/CF0E78B1-61E4-47C7-81F7-031FCAB5272E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I found this set NEW at a thrift store...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VJQN8IfwptyEgIpeARL4BRexiAX0gPyfijxqyF09osWrbhp3yFUxjCfsv4r3fR587rRhVDuCpRHLV1axFUh9Zg7lj-I1cMTsUuz0vB-pLCemOdsIaiR-GLKOLDRFTdH_TOqDGwYwYto/s2048/D6565820-16AD-46EC-AAEA-22B7A1B501DA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VJQN8IfwptyEgIpeARL4BRexiAX0gPyfijxqyF09osWrbhp3yFUxjCfsv4r3fR587rRhVDuCpRHLV1axFUh9Zg7lj-I1cMTsUuz0vB-pLCemOdsIaiR-GLKOLDRFTdH_TOqDGwYwYto/s320/D6565820-16AD-46EC-AAEA-22B7A1B501DA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and the green base plates NEW at a garage sale!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hWSKXpjjHlbucrsZyatFGHff0-oh_yiILsR5iYNZ6o3Be_1om7xAhiWWOo52uzM0Y9Qf2dABBx2clDPYrVrRSsfQ4UjeM0llkEeL0MRAp_LViaOPALZhahA3QuIJRVc0m-z2STseYas/s2048/D88C1953-61E7-476C-968C-F96CEAD42946.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8hWSKXpjjHlbucrsZyatFGHff0-oh_yiILsR5iYNZ6o3Be_1om7xAhiWWOo52uzM0Y9Qf2dABBx2clDPYrVrRSsfQ4UjeM0llkEeL0MRAp_LViaOPALZhahA3QuIJRVc0m-z2STseYas/s320/D88C1953-61E7-476C-968C-F96CEAD42946.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission accomplished. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5GoHEVAMxzAj7TR8KrGcezmdHBLIafKiXHdmn97Me3qpB6jxjiajhAL8WLx26PF0E7npg_P1gQ0VTSjBCd9kADqk6xAPUABmcpV8Sf7b6lzYcVM2vsgzjPwtemSFNm5H53xCUEOdD00/s2048/13D7BCFD-CA83-4BE9-8F8C-C1DD3BFD0501.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5GoHEVAMxzAj7TR8KrGcezmdHBLIafKiXHdmn97Me3qpB6jxjiajhAL8WLx26PF0E7npg_P1gQ0VTSjBCd9kADqk6xAPUABmcpV8Sf7b6lzYcVM2vsgzjPwtemSFNm5H53xCUEOdD00/s320/13D7BCFD-CA83-4BE9-8F8C-C1DD3BFD0501.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This gift has served every intended purpose. Not only was he so excited to receive it, but he's played with Legos nearly every day since. While his preference is to play with others, it's also one of the few things he will do independently for an extended period of time. It's so fun to watch his imagination and skills grow in such a tangible way.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31fG3simH3S9BFYfRWJhvewEpsNdg6Kqh2bnUsqcvOaZLrz6NnMBzC7SnkyKt-CogFDbS_s-X_qMiuIRQK7krijCSSSv0FmFJdY8UewTl3p7lb9MiSJRW4KVeVrfBhCdJ_H_7X_nmf4k/s2048/161A3CEC-688D-42EC-9A5D-3BF93D374CC5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31fG3simH3S9BFYfRWJhvewEpsNdg6Kqh2bnUsqcvOaZLrz6NnMBzC7SnkyKt-CogFDbS_s-X_qMiuIRQK7krijCSSSv0FmFJdY8UewTl3p7lb9MiSJRW4KVeVrfBhCdJ_H_7X_nmf4k/s320/161A3CEC-688D-42EC-9A5D-3BF93D374CC5.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His birthday surprises continued with Lydia's first ponytail. He was genuinely surprised and thrilled by it and wanted everyone to see!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wpk5lWAIVpz-U_ofXiNGhPRKwLfUduNLFIfsz16fyXQK4whf6fDh9oCxPR8Nq7-bg6uhbeivLDUYK_COnu4XcgdFSWVpwZh4dwHUoDXb_yYP4gOhRkKys31yBJ2iiZ_3Kq-MFlUpvCc/s2048/47259867-684E-4C72-BA09-C9DB6C2381CE.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wpk5lWAIVpz-U_ofXiNGhPRKwLfUduNLFIfsz16fyXQK4whf6fDh9oCxPR8Nq7-bg6uhbeivLDUYK_COnu4XcgdFSWVpwZh4dwHUoDXb_yYP4gOhRkKys31yBJ2iiZ_3Kq-MFlUpvCc/s320/47259867-684E-4C72-BA09-C9DB6C2381CE.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He surprised my by asking to help decorate for his party, and after I talked him down from thinking everything needed to look exactly like last year's party (I think he thought parties were always the same), I truly appreciated and enjoyed the help.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL6vdwOMmOgPIMKy8_zMG7op6innrjsgirC4AP5n5KCzpC3_Caa8ht0Sup0pjgjYtQc7n5zEKZIMUiN2zWHJrdTwA6eCvhhUO85dwAqzMlYGmczzP5yF2n3ROT1h9nBwp93lM_S7rFuI/s2048/EC95A3AC-9FAB-46B0-A9E5-BA3129392DEA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL6vdwOMmOgPIMKy8_zMG7op6innrjsgirC4AP5n5KCzpC3_Caa8ht0Sup0pjgjYtQc7n5zEKZIMUiN2zWHJrdTwA6eCvhhUO85dwAqzMlYGmczzP5yF2n3ROT1h9nBwp93lM_S7rFuI/s320/EC95A3AC-9FAB-46B0-A9E5-BA3129392DEA.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kicked off the party with the kiddos decorating their own rice krispie treat "donuts."</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpYBBGmouL9kRzGPyOGQ66Bz1pAdKTuF07BRJ2iIN_eSbPje8OsWm4gXtZYHpHCfwEvvUAcZx-PCE7s1Bz8ndurnv5Umpmvd1ZfO2rCjTeVMUzVRx0vY7qbOArLNnvCdE68zyGdYOzPo/s2048/D5DC765A-EE20-4F22-BC39-05C7456BE6C4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpYBBGmouL9kRzGPyOGQ66Bz1pAdKTuF07BRJ2iIN_eSbPje8OsWm4gXtZYHpHCfwEvvUAcZx-PCE7s1Bz8ndurnv5Umpmvd1ZfO2rCjTeVMUzVRx0vY7qbOArLNnvCdE68zyGdYOzPo/s320/D5DC765A-EE20-4F22-BC39-05C7456BE6C4.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-moApEbo2JCUAfem8H00tjjjMVUoxVfJjYsKUcW3-GtK8Ewq6s8iRluLYSDieb7WvtP5NqMHhmrbHWJI4i0qWvFiJgle3htk0nyxChUPcC-K01DSlv024hMVb0Dp8ymw1YkP0kRaovtY/s2048/EB4AD35D-7D05-47CE-AF7E-163CDC01DCBA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-moApEbo2JCUAfem8H00tjjjMVUoxVfJjYsKUcW3-GtK8Ewq6s8iRluLYSDieb7WvtP5NqMHhmrbHWJI4i0qWvFiJgle3htk0nyxChUPcC-K01DSlv024hMVb0Dp8ymw1YkP0kRaovtY/s320/EB4AD35D-7D05-47CE-AF7E-163CDC01DCBA.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUF9GH9WL7rvEy428y1tfHM7s9b4SdpC140tVK8-yS9DxTvHpuaHPEuhnRgojGoTsoX12NbWPSF1gU0qD3oIE2ybRI-rmpW0GDDzPH-0_P8iixh45mPg-AePe4HlHjC2N-1wY5MwBkTgY/s2048/4F1C24DD-AA23-4269-9EB4-2E5E76693EAF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUF9GH9WL7rvEy428y1tfHM7s9b4SdpC140tVK8-yS9DxTvHpuaHPEuhnRgojGoTsoX12NbWPSF1gU0qD3oIE2ybRI-rmpW0GDDzPH-0_P8iixh45mPg-AePe4HlHjC2N-1wY5MwBkTgY/s320/4F1C24DD-AA23-4269-9EB4-2E5E76693EAF.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob refers to Cheerios as "donut seeds" all the time, so these party favors were a must.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypkGo6rlSnG2LaS_yf8-ZVnzX6M8c87oraHl4BbZnHTDAyyY8IR1U-9ftNn-7BVSmUr-F6r3uqq18_-DbZHHz-JaHJ5whc6jSDPwjYZkkRZxBUL05wZ1eQ5MHQXcdPeEDv9lA9c8ZaHw/s2048/17801F1F-5E01-4A6B-90F0-3D50456C265E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypkGo6rlSnG2LaS_yf8-ZVnzX6M8c87oraHl4BbZnHTDAyyY8IR1U-9ftNn-7BVSmUr-F6r3uqq18_-DbZHHz-JaHJ5whc6jSDPwjYZkkRZxBUL05wZ1eQ5MHQXcdPeEDv9lA9c8ZaHw/s320/17801F1F-5E01-4A6B-90F0-3D50456C265E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to a 2-lb. bag of sprinkles from Amazon, we had a sprinkle relay race!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6_5miFcf7aI1uvN6gcZPqaMR7gHNcuVaNsrraR5NARs-KbuGEjDXDjubOgurowFmxzKLkiexrhi7TG2UdA7pyb6sfQY162PNpjlJuHnF9K6IMifCtU_oY67K_MwGHiAh-EvruskhcdU/s2048/A26B3330-9177-42CE-93BE-4A543FF212C0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6_5miFcf7aI1uvN6gcZPqaMR7gHNcuVaNsrraR5NARs-KbuGEjDXDjubOgurowFmxzKLkiexrhi7TG2UdA7pyb6sfQY162PNpjlJuHnF9K6IMifCtU_oY67K_MwGHiAh-EvruskhcdU/s320/A26B3330-9177-42CE-93BE-4A543FF212C0.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSnZu25r6Mm9cDGbc2qp39XpOYQ2U1C-gLNa0dRgp7PEmQ9XrUFJa-AZHZyfEczxofanwc2QMa0lhcOvN7nHX57VNbdFml3n6FcZQI2AUmo4noMt0mM4s8kcZmQ7eZGmBT5Vqf8714F8/s2048/7D690D24-E27E-432F-996A-01902E1DD93B.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1107" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSnZu25r6Mm9cDGbc2qp39XpOYQ2U1C-gLNa0dRgp7PEmQ9XrUFJa-AZHZyfEczxofanwc2QMa0lhcOvN7nHX57VNbdFml3n6FcZQI2AUmo4noMt0mM4s8kcZmQ7eZGmBT5Vqf8714F8/s320/7D690D24-E27E-432F-996A-01902E1DD93B.jpeg" width="173" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is it really a donut party if you don't play this eat-a-donut-without-your-hands game (for which I don't have a name...do you?)?</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2yF4DNeNPSSNS6f6r-DVZ5mQAekbwnKyn-myB1ON53UdB-tXhjxU4VIymEvx8ERBLyfiL5eNTNEbIA6i684-fxFpV0ok5872wqaL3gYhwzmbfuCr_1Og67BMKTMr4EgzNS8A48MWgcs/s2048/3679A85E-019F-4EBB-A141-6D3C171CFCA3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2yF4DNeNPSSNS6f6r-DVZ5mQAekbwnKyn-myB1ON53UdB-tXhjxU4VIymEvx8ERBLyfiL5eNTNEbIA6i684-fxFpV0ok5872wqaL3gYhwzmbfuCr_1Og67BMKTMr4EgzNS8A48MWgcs/s320/3679A85E-019F-4EBB-A141-6D3C171CFCA3.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took the easy way out and let his choice of donut serve as his cake, and he was totally good with it.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_BjeOkhp7H7JOZrNzWlBocH1CngyisCO7SWSo5xjnv95KUPTQfjykKOXJWJ9O8y0hwhiZlP07Nu2WI_gN3Odq3_RrOxIlO5I-D2KXlKawCkuNn0Tw3zvDMcWe5w7WkX4TWuygxLuFrI/s2048/3B1D4C7D-A528-4191-A61C-84B05F681011.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1467" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_BjeOkhp7H7JOZrNzWlBocH1CngyisCO7SWSo5xjnv95KUPTQfjykKOXJWJ9O8y0hwhiZlP07Nu2WI_gN3Odq3_RrOxIlO5I-D2KXlKawCkuNn0Tw3zvDMcWe5w7WkX4TWuygxLuFrI/s320/3B1D4C7D-A528-4191-A61C-84B05F681011.jpeg" width="229" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was going through a phase of conducting his bedtime song every night, so it occurred to him to apply his skills to this larger "choir" and went so far as to coach them saying, "This means stop."</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh664MaxcKEY3qIoDrSxA1tuNy7zGpCeLTlssamsBlQinD42aVveeBaH9axrBv-WNh_iWLayn3wGV0mAA0FeG0zerUo03JyKZrxW_5LZHYFtkjH9NGm1a2yrtYjCGZ5uTlC-14EC3v3COs/s2048/8CC16B37-EF6A-434F-8E84-282652EBFEF5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh664MaxcKEY3qIoDrSxA1tuNy7zGpCeLTlssamsBlQinD42aVveeBaH9axrBv-WNh_iWLayn3wGV0mAA0FeG0zerUo03JyKZrxW_5LZHYFtkjH9NGm1a2yrtYjCGZ5uTlC-14EC3v3COs/s320/8CC16B37-EF6A-434F-8E84-282652EBFEF5.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UUhZh2tlSwoKIj3yDBEuwXg_KrVIZQPMnHS8LQgE2zFnVPTFOllDQ0dSGjJgRXy0tcF5ZrSFYD9NoCQnuiasYysa0fuHqgs92aYbgSx3ZGr-Ss-5cPsaBj5JxRh9ORfRs1HoIQ8xw-E/s2048/2D1CC548-83EE-4DCC-ABB5-E73C6F68B2CD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UUhZh2tlSwoKIj3yDBEuwXg_KrVIZQPMnHS8LQgE2zFnVPTFOllDQ0dSGjJgRXy0tcF5ZrSFYD9NoCQnuiasYysa0fuHqgs92aYbgSx3ZGr-Ss-5cPsaBj5JxRh9ORfRs1HoIQ8xw-E/s320/2D1CC548-83EE-4DCC-ABB5-E73C6F68B2CD.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Bless </b>those of you who made it this far. I know it was a <b>lot </b>of details, but I also know if you're still reading, you're <b>absolutely </b>here for it all. Thanks for taking an interest in the happenings of our little corner of the world!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A year older-ly,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">fall - I try not to be too cliché or trendy about this, but I really do love it...so much</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMbnPTvMpj1djOw_fZK2pwhjO-BYaWCNB-mN0w5cNCNQB_FaJl4oRSKsYIRfOa9oLaT-jc3jRnYDSohiuhz5GHbHhCkZjREHyHS0MTeOJdzSeJDHnK8uaReffPIP8qaW87gq4qyQ1CBI/s2048/CAB2F969-D2F4-4763-A8C3-7962E21B5D05.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMbnPTvMpj1djOw_fZK2pwhjO-BYaWCNB-mN0w5cNCNQB_FaJl4oRSKsYIRfOa9oLaT-jc3jRnYDSohiuhz5GHbHhCkZjREHyHS0MTeOJdzSeJDHnK8uaReffPIP8qaW87gq4qyQ1CBI/s320/CAB2F969-D2F4-4763-A8C3-7962E21B5D05.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this girl...in this outfit (one of few I've bought for her myself...at a consignment sale, of course)...posing like this (something she'd never done before, and hasn't done since)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoIRoMOxNex709w4KIzOkh1f8qs5QinDK3L1QlEcety5ekawpsEBVAXZ6QO35adKnGiXyklemYBTkBt8oDK83OwaVMF8GOKYpFdoCqp-WjANM5BBG4vbYpSa3XgIzPJdvbN0QUeCuv8k/s2048/5F9D8589-1D56-4980-81EF-F791606A60F9.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoIRoMOxNex709w4KIzOkh1f8qs5QinDK3L1QlEcety5ekawpsEBVAXZ6QO35adKnGiXyklemYBTkBt8oDK83OwaVMF8GOKYpFdoCqp-WjANM5BBG4vbYpSa3XgIzPJdvbN0QUeCuv8k/s320/5F9D8589-1D56-4980-81EF-F791606A60F9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">discovering this little shopping cart at not-our-usual-HyVee and watching this kiddo be a confident expert shopper</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-84260820441196889382021-09-14T21:11:00.005-05:002021-11-15T14:20:44.272-06:00Our ONEderful Little Ladybug<p>Thank you all for your <b>sweet </b>feedback surrounding my previous post about our gardening adventures! Between that and birthday celebrations, the summer really flew by. I'm realizing only just now that I never posted about Jacob's birthday festivities - <b>woops</b>! Will try to do so soon. Speaking of his birthday - I looked back at his <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2018/08/our-very-hungry-caterpillar.html" target="_blank">first bday post</a> when deciding what to title this one, and apparently, we have a "bug" theme going...haha.</p><p>There are so many things I could write a blog post about, right now. Everything in the world just feels <b>heavy</b>; I can feel it all in the pit of my stomach as I write this. We have experienced things on both personal and global levels that leave us feeling helpless, discouraged, anxious...the list goes on. It probably doesn't help that we just visited the Auschwitz exhibit at Union Station (I would highly recommend taking the opportunity to experience this, if you're able). I have not been able to collect my swarming thoughts enough to talk about it all, much less write about it, at this point. So, instead, I'd like to share something that has brought us joy in the recent past: Lydia's first birthday!</p><p>Our sweet baby girl has been such a <b>light </b>in our lives, as well as the lives of those around us - including you, perhaps! While I am (mostly) saddened by the end of the newborn and baby phases, it is <b>thrilling </b>to watch her personality continue to blossom. She is learning and trying and showing us new things every day, and it's just so <b>fun</b>! It's especially <b>sweet </b>to be able to watch it all unfold through Jacob's eyes, as well, and bear witness to their ever-strengthening relationship.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you likely (safely) assumed if you saw my Facebook post about the celebration, the "ladybug" theme was Pinterest-inspired, and it was executed with the help of Dollar Tree and my Cricut. I have found I truly <b>enjoy </b>putting together a theme party - not only for the "awe"/"aww" it evokes in guests, but also for the creative processes that go into creating the various elements. Admittedly, when it comes to crunch time, I <b>can </b>become slightly high-strung and one little thing going awry may send me over the edge. When I can remember to relax and enjoy the process and the event, however, it truly is a <b>joy</b>. (It helps, of course, when kiddos nap and/or go to bed on time, so I have ample windows of opportunity to do all this. Shoutout and <b>huge thanks </b>to my ever-helpful and patient husband who creates space for this, regardless of how the kids' sleeping schedules pan out.) I have tried to <b>pinpoint </b>who exactly I "do it all" for, and I've had a hard time doing so, because I think I can honestly answer, "Everyone involved." I thought about the very real possibility of the celebration having only been our little immediate family, and even then, I would have done most all of what I did. Not only for Lydia's sake, but also for Jacob's, for my own, and for the sake of sharing it virtually with those who couldn't be there. While that wasn't completely the case, I'm still happy to share with you! ☺</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfTJ24form91nU7XxBxryjf60FnoN_nOGqZCygWQaobYnD7cO7EIx5cBChcs3c4wFn2glC_ukehSOjL2-E0MJAxgCQ3S78KQkhnEZa7k4wOoL-rOTcYQKd1SK566OClvL0aWyTmqzOPM/s2048/F7B3FA8F-3859-4FDF-860D-3109A48370D2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRfTJ24form91nU7XxBxryjf60FnoN_nOGqZCygWQaobYnD7cO7EIx5cBChcs3c4wFn2glC_ukehSOjL2-E0MJAxgCQ3S78KQkhnEZa7k4wOoL-rOTcYQKd1SK566OClvL0aWyTmqzOPM/s320/F7B3FA8F-3859-4FDF-860D-3109A48370D2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It all came together even better than I'd imagined.<br />(Of course, I already had that polka-dot wrapping paper and red bows in my collection.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWo9MpLU8rT6Y9rkWQGP2fqxNsVLMoQ9dlvSGf0SIzPNHxzDwjIUMZWVDxAf7echZtBC0Nxcljm_J_2DDPNMuLMxCYZLuMKiH_CoVKx8gZkF-wO6yCx0uAaH-6iqtJdPFM2LdGKWb4a8w/s2048/7BE1B7D5-6E8C-44AA-B40B-ACC0842576D2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1460" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWo9MpLU8rT6Y9rkWQGP2fqxNsVLMoQ9dlvSGf0SIzPNHxzDwjIUMZWVDxAf7echZtBC0Nxcljm_J_2DDPNMuLMxCYZLuMKiH_CoVKx8gZkF-wO6yCx0uAaH-6iqtJdPFM2LdGKWb4a8w/s320/7BE1B7D5-6E8C-44AA-B40B-ACC0842576D2.jpeg" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥<br />Yes, I painted her toes for the occasion. You're not surprised.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CiRpk5cHGpUXtb7_m8kIEsI9AP-fDXgBSQZjnoAqLKxw5qS4_bPIgxNt1JLBxEQ-3mNCn_BnwxaAvhTtKsuhyphenhyphenTDTiK_Ps27F0i_txSqOCTQps0RajjhhHoMbpRnmkRJqpP4hxbnGulg/s2048/9E29C590-6E33-49F3-9DC1-5145C32C624F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CiRpk5cHGpUXtb7_m8kIEsI9AP-fDXgBSQZjnoAqLKxw5qS4_bPIgxNt1JLBxEQ-3mNCn_BnwxaAvhTtKsuhyphenhyphenTDTiK_Ps27F0i_txSqOCTQps0RajjhhHoMbpRnmkRJqpP4hxbnGulg/s320/9E29C590-6E33-49F3-9DC1-5145C32C624F.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a variation on a couple ideas I'd seen, and one guest immediately recognized them for what they were supposed to represent. Perhaps, given the context, you do, as well. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeshAZGZjvAzp_3C_6vGGT8uskR-zOpoyizQs3awkWTx_1VZnbF7XjGxBAQMWi93pfiLxte21IVhcf7Tn1t4F-uZUcr_BDT6JnG8gDFsqTSI8HitYkMcDtBwEZsKZPiI5pvVJwPuZs98g/s2048/1AB383EC-7319-4E30-BE37-7A06EA6B2A0A.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeshAZGZjvAzp_3C_6vGGT8uskR-zOpoyizQs3awkWTx_1VZnbF7XjGxBAQMWi93pfiLxte21IVhcf7Tn1t4F-uZUcr_BDT6JnG8gDFsqTSI8HitYkMcDtBwEZsKZPiI5pvVJwPuZs98g/s320/1AB383EC-7319-4E30-BE37-7A06EA6B2A0A.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect way to use up some of our countless cherry tomatoes!<br />(Headless ladybugs for those guests who "don't do" olives.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2lH7IfFYfZoE_u6oNHxWtUeAZGdvJv3kFFruNKPc4JErGD9xmhH9YookXpEXwd8QKzd6tk7mob4HXusxeWwonSGsyziCkvoGhR7H_DOdNbT1piFYUPQRi-kzDIA-pVH8c7EpTAvKb08/s2048/01CEF28B-8729-4461-92DF-B4A354BFD1CC.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr2lH7IfFYfZoE_u6oNHxWtUeAZGdvJv3kFFruNKPc4JErGD9xmhH9YookXpEXwd8QKzd6tk7mob4HXusxeWwonSGsyziCkvoGhR7H_DOdNbT1piFYUPQRi-kzDIA-pVH8c7EpTAvKb08/s320/01CEF28B-8729-4461-92DF-B4A354BFD1CC.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cake and cupcakes were an end-of-the-night project, and I'm just "ok" with how they turned out.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhFmSS3HKiRoblVnR6Juc_Xerzftv3oWLCzL-N6r6ofY096G9EsheLsiZzCYhE2sF9ekfbzqqf9Lu5vUDkqTLq3a6KCgndrr5gbNFH_BWDAWZbdftk3Gy_c1m5shVUPXY-gDX6PgiI5A/s2048/8422EE6F-2B4E-4A16-8977-1A632AE9A280.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbhFmSS3HKiRoblVnR6Juc_Xerzftv3oWLCzL-N6r6ofY096G9EsheLsiZzCYhE2sF9ekfbzqqf9Lu5vUDkqTLq3a6KCgndrr5gbNFH_BWDAWZbdftk3Gy_c1m5shVUPXY-gDX6PgiI5A/s320/8422EE6F-2B4E-4A16-8977-1A632AE9A280.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was way more frosting on her smash cake (which Jacob called a "smoosh" cake all week - haha) than I originally intended, but at that point, I thought, "It is what it is," and just went with it.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0Z_d4ATxa__FJ7slm3M7BEq7crRdfA5x1HUETmL7B9b2dxxDkhHtJKQ8KbIAiqWpRrG5WW1wf4gwzheLGI07mLTya3d4ua3yWGgQTRkW5naf5NxtjP1HA4Rhyphenhypheno0rtCVIDQEjlvTVc9A/s2048/B149AF38-385E-4E37-BA78-B50E52B38240.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0Z_d4ATxa__FJ7slm3M7BEq7crRdfA5x1HUETmL7B9b2dxxDkhHtJKQ8KbIAiqWpRrG5WW1wf4gwzheLGI07mLTya3d4ua3yWGgQTRkW5naf5NxtjP1HA4Rhyphenhypheno0rtCVIDQEjlvTVc9A/s320/B149AF38-385E-4E37-BA78-B50E52B38240.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is as close as I got to getting a full table-scape picture - haha.<br />(I'm not sure how to feel admitting that I didn't purchase any of the paper/plasticware for this party, but rather, shopped my stash of clearance purchases...many of which were made years ago. I'm not the only one who collects these things for "such a time as this," right?)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh383iYxjdvkeRH1D0bSH6py9BmH5qAjZs-iXZ3UUjUTVrK00xMZ_GcOylqr1R4pDieX_v-UYYDZ1e1VNx1BWSkJQX17FeNz0ZtHcYh7W5qA-zBuJtVfhfzT8rDnnSRBo6IZqzCUH2B7rY/s2048/5418F8FF-F5D5-46D7-A3E6-B19D63B48A38.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh383iYxjdvkeRH1D0bSH6py9BmH5qAjZs-iXZ3UUjUTVrK00xMZ_GcOylqr1R4pDieX_v-UYYDZ1e1VNx1BWSkJQX17FeNz0ZtHcYh7W5qA-zBuJtVfhfzT8rDnnSRBo6IZqzCUH2B7rY/s320/5418F8FF-F5D5-46D7-A3E6-B19D63B48A38.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjez6FCcUMnz2M9e_6w-gpvMGn7QcQPQOwJAJMcAZMQbpbLc9Rg_AGgfy3sJMRmlSRPVRpp-pLJ0qq-_ikg0aMPysix0ZdSnHYP5z-WCIJaYgqlUMSKPGlDpGC7rMpsopQkgggpL6S_ok/s2048/B58D9FC8-BD25-4530-A5F6-CDA11008882A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjez6FCcUMnz2M9e_6w-gpvMGn7QcQPQOwJAJMcAZMQbpbLc9Rg_AGgfy3sJMRmlSRPVRpp-pLJ0qq-_ikg0aMPysix0ZdSnHYP5z-WCIJaYgqlUMSKPGlDpGC7rMpsopQkgggpL6S_ok/s320/B58D9FC8-BD25-4530-A5F6-CDA11008882A.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioewA0JR8wnx_btAPJArFOISTDY4-mxQODEEEGmgZuDoKsO90Tg5yApvZfxzhYNK5uPSJQmQnCDrauvKIxE9MIfyOZJp-fU3Qi9NAs7Y8bNjDE3DWz23MG7gT6jQqHQVLd16rPilMMrmw/s4032/B2A573FD-7279-465A-AE71-48C04106F462.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioewA0JR8wnx_btAPJArFOISTDY4-mxQODEEEGmgZuDoKsO90Tg5yApvZfxzhYNK5uPSJQmQnCDrauvKIxE9MIfyOZJp-fU3Qi9NAs7Y8bNjDE3DWz23MG7gT6jQqHQVLd16rPilMMrmw/s320/B2A573FD-7279-465A-AE71-48C04106F462.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried to get a picture of her with the cake...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIJ-Y9n95IxvwcZjl5XkZnrrUg-AEePYxyrBylm7CxXpbU9SAtk1imKo2K3oHMxVpvM2bbJcP-WuBAdeXTqKXiZ3koEVcRhWNJ9SNkxA70tUcTmaWEWQXeqoHwm0Df3HBF5ZgJnU0ZzE/s2048/C802CB28-AC4C-480D-9236-618A9BA70631.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIJ-Y9n95IxvwcZjl5XkZnrrUg-AEePYxyrBylm7CxXpbU9SAtk1imKo2K3oHMxVpvM2bbJcP-WuBAdeXTqKXiZ3koEVcRhWNJ9SNkxA70tUcTmaWEWQXeqoHwm0Df3HBF5ZgJnU0ZzE/s320/C802CB28-AC4C-480D-9236-618A9BA70631.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and even though she likely had no idea what it actually was, she was very upset when we took it away to put in a candle.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRFl1E_yNNtv3Q607rhAS36JT73ILp49tUmJ3OvXRB4wq00K6QHmoCEGxgOe9yBgGc1ezPeAaTq13hSJsyDcXIdHWog9mF7hsVUvzWuaGloVwpd4k0nNu7xkj1qMuGX9HCzrFinE8r1U/s2048/C4EB8098-8B92-42FA-BA6F-D49BE6D312C4.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYRFl1E_yNNtv3Q607rhAS36JT73ILp49tUmJ3OvXRB4wq00K6QHmoCEGxgOe9yBgGc1ezPeAaTq13hSJsyDcXIdHWog9mF7hsVUvzWuaGloVwpd4k0nNu7xkj1qMuGX9HCzrFinE8r1U/s320/C4EB8098-8B92-42FA-BA6F-D49BE6D312C4.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was fine once we started singing and even more fine when she got to dig in.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPnL5k2wwMCLSOO8JHrBA0fjuEGHN2NDpSB2DzpRDjerWg68lIWvTdF50hxjfF5JGQ9UQA1FTXKY0SoA0zdpXhenfw35Gq3_Nksbg1f_C1IjIdSQpT1CnjFU4Fcs3qkax2y9y3hFuCjc/s2048/61637D8A-BDEA-4687-BF98-AFC03621DC40.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPnL5k2wwMCLSOO8JHrBA0fjuEGHN2NDpSB2DzpRDjerWg68lIWvTdF50hxjfF5JGQ9UQA1FTXKY0SoA0zdpXhenfw35Gq3_Nksbg1f_C1IjIdSQpT1CnjFU4Fcs3qkax2y9y3hFuCjc/s320/61637D8A-BDEA-4687-BF98-AFC03621DC40.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It didn't even occur to me to think about the color contrast drawing her to the black dots, but it did. She tried one of those first, and reached for every one after that...completely bypassing the red frosting - haha.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbBccI54_G5xiWRMHld7TLWrtaskOA2Ltcxxi7hHIbxiMw_-YjAy6r4eavZxpAp_jbaiYAQLcpD4S8bHmmPzwqKePN5IT5pNWz6kRQ3Qh5CFV08T-Odrb3r9nIcUPgqfWkQcVCMFZOsg/s2048/FC24398A-9FFA-47DE-9B74-8C016818129A.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbBccI54_G5xiWRMHld7TLWrtaskOA2Ltcxxi7hHIbxiMw_-YjAy6r4eavZxpAp_jbaiYAQLcpD4S8bHmmPzwqKePN5IT5pNWz6kRQ3Qh5CFV08T-Odrb3r9nIcUPgqfWkQcVCMFZOsg/s320/FC24398A-9FFA-47DE-9B74-8C016818129A.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was so tickled by how our guests embraced the theme!<br />(Those are ladybug crayons!)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPqg0H_qNjYUd7whXez0OHhyL5VKUkXW67KMRUGu62tMrbc75ChTkvaj6tUKR-M1SLuskw2RJnHr9yIOjgL1Cc34l8KaLRrQWxdd7kN07YBspcxhmZ2xsHQlSyv7DKf5c1fnA6dwgOCw/s2048/IMG_7487.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPqg0H_qNjYUd7whXez0OHhyL5VKUkXW67KMRUGu62tMrbc75ChTkvaj6tUKR-M1SLuskw2RJnHr9yIOjgL1Cc34l8KaLRrQWxdd7kN07YBspcxhmZ2xsHQlSyv7DKf5c1fnA6dwgOCw/s320/IMG_7487.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand-drawn/colored wrapping paper! ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9zgJ2RHFq_bE3hePDplahWNFAZV0UwxlWeExLd75Zx5rAYDT0c_iq0li_xTm9DbzoyDUI4CRrJKou0EBkQu4WJeu_FohrC6gbar6KPJJ7Zz2vpfP2Ejkm3Agzz92134Qcf38DbOCJxs/s2048/5934582A-B859-4922-8999-B75E5C648243.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv9zgJ2RHFq_bE3hePDplahWNFAZV0UwxlWeExLd75Zx5rAYDT0c_iq0li_xTm9DbzoyDUI4CRrJKou0EBkQu4WJeu_FohrC6gbar6KPJJ7Zz2vpfP2Ejkm3Agzz92134Qcf38DbOCJxs/s320/5934582A-B859-4922-8999-B75E5C648243.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I came across these bookmarks in my Amazon search for party favors. Pretty sure I had one as a kid...</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjvRnntA3vTah5eYcI3cnizf0Np1IsIDcLBSPYXMtpqexKomkJ16S7r5yxuR6vwD6vYoPUPnVqMvmi5Y0K7dbjA1TjzxRVEuFgCQx4_xhmE0honJM_Ncbns-J_E3b3Ck-UZ6O62YDA3I/s2048/D8A91326-0424-4697-9AC9-030DC2EE2CD7.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjvRnntA3vTah5eYcI3cnizf0Np1IsIDcLBSPYXMtpqexKomkJ16S7r5yxuR6vwD6vYoPUPnVqMvmi5Y0K7dbjA1TjzxRVEuFgCQx4_xhmE0honJM_Ncbns-J_E3b3Ck-UZ6O62YDA3I/s320/D8A91326-0424-4697-9AC9-030DC2EE2CD7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We saved back one present for her to open on her actual birthday.<br />Needless to say, the gifts were gifts that kept on giving, as Jacob was even more excited than the birthday girl about all the new toys...and this mama was appreciative of the independent playtime it took to explore them all! ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>COVID necessitated multiple small celebrations of our birthday girl (still more to come!), and we are totally ok with prolonging the festivities! One particular additional celebration included an adorable shirt and card made by Nanny Byers and a beautiful (and delicious!) strawberry cake from <a href="http://www.thelaughingplacebakery.com/" target="_blank">The Laughing Place Bakery</a>. (KC locals, be sure to check them out - soooo many yummy things! They sure make it easy to support local!)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Jz8rVt2wB8t87vpBDhPKMRGIfB8FCJUxEvezKjHbA2fDAj372tx3Ny1tnqKhyphenhyphenree-YprV94C5ZO6vUIIVEk7lGf-To9lQcMgN2IptAahTreLVVxVtfZXXMtyD9-kNmt74ZbLD0ziSjg/s2048/9708BEC0-AA9A-4096-9390-1906C4E1DC36.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Jz8rVt2wB8t87vpBDhPKMRGIfB8FCJUxEvezKjHbA2fDAj372tx3Ny1tnqKhyphenhyphenree-YprV94C5ZO6vUIIVEk7lGf-To9lQcMgN2IptAahTreLVVxVtfZXXMtyD9-kNmt74ZbLD0ziSjg/s320/9708BEC0-AA9A-4096-9390-1906C4E1DC36.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">☺</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8jRZUQ-6hZb5TSqeTbQ6QjxhUoT71vXEVc5IiWQzNLnzR2uTQeSUtHWyLztTzb6Wgn9QpvcQ7sDIjIETuQ4VjVp4lBalnarcdoFnJhyKDD-qPGS68eYBOg6CgMTvwRG0is3Y19p5aMk/s2048/IMG_5775.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8jRZUQ-6hZb5TSqeTbQ6QjxhUoT71vXEVc5IiWQzNLnzR2uTQeSUtHWyLztTzb6Wgn9QpvcQ7sDIjIETuQ4VjVp4lBalnarcdoFnJhyKDD-qPGS68eYBOg6CgMTvwRG0is3Y19p5aMk/s320/IMG_5775.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdtLpBpWsc86xeoszwYYzEomUhRAP_inwWKG4urVcf7dIIqZDNwAF73c0FLv_TfhdJsUkrYSnt3Fyhq9ONdBWXplxpndIoRVnC89ynTxO5IWzj1Z8ri-dAAUY8_3OAcq6uIb-bYRc-BM/s2048/2D251651-F2B3-48C3-973D-B573E16AB83E.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdtLpBpWsc86xeoszwYYzEomUhRAP_inwWKG4urVcf7dIIqZDNwAF73c0FLv_TfhdJsUkrYSnt3Fyhq9ONdBWXplxpndIoRVnC89ynTxO5IWzj1Z8ri-dAAUY8_3OAcq6uIb-bYRc-BM/s320/2D251651-F2B3-48C3-973D-B573E16AB83E.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMkScjndAGSx9H6GIFKWuaaCsVcNluBpimnOJVuRKXymoZAay4fq2brVjkL-aL1HRdiaLZ0W5jAPNuLeSoaotrWIMVfTnzKeYJkkOPZq7u_0wqMVSRqdMcGegL3xa6BI4kr8AtN5pLkM/s2048/IMG_5698.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMkScjndAGSx9H6GIFKWuaaCsVcNluBpimnOJVuRKXymoZAay4fq2brVjkL-aL1HRdiaLZ0W5jAPNuLeSoaotrWIMVfTnzKeYJkkOPZq7u_0wqMVSRqdMcGegL3xa6BI4kr8AtN5pLkM/s320/IMG_5698.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does this make you drool, or what?! It was really yummy (and gluten free!).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks, as always, for making it this far! I hope this has provided a welcome <b>respite </b>from the less-happy content in your feed, in your mind, and in your heart. We work hard to recognize and embrace the joy around us...and thankfully, there are many times we <b>don't </b>have to look too far for it.<br /><br />I pray we can all find ways to be a little <b>more </b>like Jesus each day; to spread more love and joy; to eliminate division; to see and consider and have compassion on one another. May the Lord have mercy on our broken world - past, present, and future - and may we allow Him to use <b>us </b>to mend it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As joyfully as possible,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ted Lasso</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">stamping weekend</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjovPsZUIxoEQ9ubJvkjI-WcV3AltpDvo8YdYYD1N_MsGgBLFwY1S8BNyylrjYHPLeyooCI5pnb5OC_92MVSv7Unj5B5foWro0njhEvh-IUI51zom_4yP4nDu9aIimLyhiXXhVD3Nxzc/s2048/D5205017-0AFB-44FE-8677-C56E06F6EEA0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNjovPsZUIxoEQ9ubJvkjI-WcV3AltpDvo8YdYYD1N_MsGgBLFwY1S8BNyylrjYHPLeyooCI5pnb5OC_92MVSv7Unj5B5foWro0njhEvh-IUI51zom_4yP4nDu9aIimLyhiXXhVD3Nxzc/s320/D5205017-0AFB-44FE-8677-C56E06F6EEA0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This snack Jacob left for me to enjoy while I taught piano lessons the other day.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NBtlSqZbDlxJQWNj_zgP5x2YNSqG_ZJWiDjoabj8Opb0d-ttb7GNE9XijdxzraN0huKDbOy481yC5y7dn7qkAe1-ToFlkN4T77_E8Ffnuxxx09-nA1rBgTEpcKlrZw0pJD_7OjFwwUk/s2048/CCDCD732-4617-4F0D-A9F5-C67DABD39187.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7NBtlSqZbDlxJQWNj_zgP5x2YNSqG_ZJWiDjoabj8Opb0d-ttb7GNE9XijdxzraN0huKDbOy481yC5y7dn7qkAe1-ToFlkN4T77_E8Ffnuxxx09-nA1rBgTEpcKlrZw0pJD_7OjFwwUk/s320/CCDCD732-4617-4F0D-A9F5-C67DABD39187.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was excited to put up this birthday banner as birthday month kicked off!<br />The monthly-pictures-with-corresponding-headbands (in rainbow order, of course) was my own original idea. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-64772957067553723502021-08-04T21:25:00.001-05:002021-08-04T21:25:30.471-05:00The hobby I never thought I’d have<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have made mention of our <b>garden </b>in several posts, and it's been the <b>main topic</b> of a few, as well (<a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2018/06/extreme-makeover-byers-outside-of-home.html" target="_blank">this one</a>, and <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2019/06/weeds.html" target="_blank">this one</a>, and <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2020/01/how-does-your-garden-grow.html" target="_blank">this one</a>). I don't know that I have ever listed "gardening" amongst my hobbies, though. When I came to the revelation recently, I tried to figure out why I did not necessarily recognize it as a hobby. It does not necessarily feel like something I do in my <b>leisure </b>time, because it's just part of our daily rhythm. And for <b>pleasure</b>...? The time, sweat, sometimes blood, bug bites, physical exertion - those do not seem pleasurable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was raised by gardeners, and growing up, I was expected to help with the tending, harvesting, and processing (washing/cutting/freezing/canning) of a large variety of produce. While my memories of all this are not the <b>fondest </b><span style="font-size: x-small;">(by no fault of my parents - it was just not always my first choice of summer activities, but in retrospect and as a parent myself, now, I understand and recognize how beneficial it was)</span>, I <b>do </b>have fond memories of enjoying the fruits of our labor. There's simply nothing like garden cucumbers, fresh green beans, homegrown corn on the cob, peas straight out of the pod, garden-fresh asparagus, and cherry tomatoes still warm from the sun, to name a few. I was raised on this type of produce, so it is just in my blood to desire this for my own family, I suppose, <b>despite </b>knowing how much effort goes into acquiring it. I'm so <b>thankful</b> to have married a man who is on board with this and was even excited to research, build, and maintain such a wonderful garden plot for us.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchudSAebndU97Avook68vZuNC-CldU-q6SlXKk4LDrUnHo0tdrLf-pKcOEbcXcylKoRLHKvrbRX4TY2-qy9NYzXIvSV2GKPQBdohZh8w7TyOPvlAxWO_Dhtlzhu-3pY4boaaPv0SqG28/s2048/4585521A-7089-4C62-B16A-3FAA4E268932.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="2048" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchudSAebndU97Avook68vZuNC-CldU-q6SlXKk4LDrUnHo0tdrLf-pKcOEbcXcylKoRLHKvrbRX4TY2-qy9NYzXIvSV2GKPQBdohZh8w7TyOPvlAxWO_Dhtlzhu-3pY4boaaPv0SqG28/s320/4585521A-7089-4C62-B16A-3FAA4E268932.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to capture it all in one picture, but I'm always amazed at what grows from seemingly nothing.<br />(You can see "before" pictures in the links above - it looked the same this year before things started growing.)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>I think gardening is fairly <b>universally </b>considered to be hard work. That said, I think it can be as much or as little work as you make it. If you're ok with weeds between rows, bugs and other pests, and plants that might not be at their happiest, then the simple act of harvesting is fairly straightforward, and the time commitment is only dependent on the size of your garden plot. If you're like me, however, and want to pull every weed you see, keep the pests at bay (but <b>without </b>chemicals, due to your tiny helpers and the oldest one's enjoyment of eating his harvest straight from the plant), and make sure the plants are well-pruned and watered, it can become a <b>significant </b>amount of work and time commitment.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROnHPPpozU_53pyJW8awUA5GWX78glfKivc9G21V2tgVEE4neSBzmzdwGJd4qnkE9nfeO5Ebc7FPoMas4M8BVuAyHerNyOCtdxwR9VhXfDFIvuEQ6b4Ewme0jySMvNf8gMI3FSGDRhNY/s2048/IMG-3995.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROnHPPpozU_53pyJW8awUA5GWX78glfKivc9G21V2tgVEE4neSBzmzdwGJd4qnkE9nfeO5Ebc7FPoMas4M8BVuAyHerNyOCtdxwR9VhXfDFIvuEQ6b4Ewme0jySMvNf8gMI3FSGDRhNY/s320/IMG-3995.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chemical-free case in point: he loves to lick/chew the end of rhubarb stalks.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>For example, we spent a solid hour last weekend hunting for, picking, and burning squash bug eggs (and bugs, themselves, when we could). We have had issues with these pests every year, and so far this year, we had been able to keep them at bay long enough to get a good harvest from our plants before the bugs destroyed them. That Saturday morning, however, I found cluster after cluster of their eggs, and though the plants were nearly done producing anyway, my OCD (and anger with these annoying, relentless creatures) kicked in, and I enlisted help to hunt, find, and kill as many as possible. I had just had a conversation with my mom (and garden mentor) about the fact that I had seen these bugs as eggs and adults, but nothing in between, and ironically, we saw <b>everything </b>in between that morning; from squishing an adult bug only to have eggs squish out, to actively hatching ones, to teenagers, to adults mating - it was simultaneously <b>fascinating</b>,<b> </b><b>infuriating</b>, and <b>disgusting</b>. I felt like a <b>crazy </b>person (and still do as I type it all out to share with the world) in my near-rampage to rid our beautiful plants of these parasites.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSW0tOEJ_4tqfLk8c34YgyfqwXNJjrHwb9Gtd2zyqHhawVdk9TbGVrF8E9AKIGY67Exq-NmKzc15yepabHwCvsz4JqkUyapYLQL5DFdafIRJqrAblDQwKLelGJqeukvQgEPAGEacUk00/s2048/B24F1518-1689-4E77-917A-4063484937EA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSW0tOEJ_4tqfLk8c34YgyfqwXNJjrHwb9Gtd2zyqHhawVdk9TbGVrF8E9AKIGY67Exq-NmKzc15yepabHwCvsz4JqkUyapYLQL5DFdafIRJqrAblDQwKLelGJqeukvQgEPAGEacUk00/s320/B24F1518-1689-4E77-917A-4063484937EA.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only photo evidence I took time to collect, but do you see those little tiny hatchlings?! So gross. (This is also the morning Jacob learned the word "gross." Ha.)</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We have also warded off tiny slugs this year, as well as white flies. The moles have been very active, too, and we're still figuring out how to best get rid of them. Again, I am thankful for a husband who is such a <b>capable </b>and <b>willing </b>partner in all this, as well as fellow gardeners who are always ready with suggestions and helpful hints.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN8JmiR1fBu0nmxma_VgroAv_eNJE3fNi_8S1VYcjztyNx3alNIBQwLbfrCoemwVrK_yNvaiAx_nnr1Js_dPq6P8jIxvm461EXuVyGfZYX6i9CLrkhx_TIhqpLWy4Z8adSBviOT11EPQ/s2048/IMG-3999.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXN8JmiR1fBu0nmxma_VgroAv_eNJE3fNi_8S1VYcjztyNx3alNIBQwLbfrCoemwVrK_yNvaiAx_nnr1Js_dPq6P8jIxvm461EXuVyGfZYX6i9CLrkhx_TIhqpLWy4Z8adSBviOT11EPQ/s320/IMG-3999.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The newest addition to the garden is our owl, Kawzaz (you can probably guess who named him).<br />He has seemed to be fairly effective in his job of scaring squirrels and birds away, and Jacob loves him (he asked for this picture to be taken).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you follow me on social media and/or see our family on a regular basis, you know we have had an <b>abundance </b>of cucumbers and other produce this year...and have probably been offered some. ☺ While I'm not up to tackling traditional canning, just yet, I <b>did </b>make some refrigerator pickles we enjoyed! We also put out a cooler of produce in the middle of our neighborhood and had a few takers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8i-tjNRpQfUP_5dr4SmLfWcNoTTIlZD5Mvh8JOH1NPglalT5Az4ZX0M8-Ix5Z03WZ6MhdB7h4kHlJSD1N6-eOX_d_VuRRV_64V2IOiVKi84cS7c2NwEg0wpGWGKl05P91mYM6SuKueY/s2048/0BAAFFE0-1141-424C-BC8B-18E071386F80.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8i-tjNRpQfUP_5dr4SmLfWcNoTTIlZD5Mvh8JOH1NPglalT5Az4ZX0M8-Ix5Z03WZ6MhdB7h4kHlJSD1N6-eOX_d_VuRRV_64V2IOiVKi84cS7c2NwEg0wpGWGKl05P91mYM6SuKueY/s320/0BAAFFE0-1141-424C-BC8B-18E071386F80.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SDO4uiJqeXDDdBCrk-3J651RTX0CFIr6d7Janawha-L-A-k9cqqhRDdt3-e3o_JGqT0Ppsh-wZ_e0Ub8ISeNbWNOHHBf1NPuNSyHAWJXRwLK8OV267R6F9ziLkEoxK4SfrHRnOLmYR0/s2048/BDCEA244-D67C-4AC0-ADDA-8894856692C8.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SDO4uiJqeXDDdBCrk-3J651RTX0CFIr6d7Janawha-L-A-k9cqqhRDdt3-e3o_JGqT0Ppsh-wZ_e0Ub8ISeNbWNOHHBf1NPuNSyHAWJXRwLK8OV267R6F9ziLkEoxK4SfrHRnOLmYR0/s320/BDCEA244-D67C-4AC0-ADDA-8894856692C8.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I could've captured Jacob's explanation of this when he was telling a friend about the produce sign; he didn't miss a step when recounting how and why we made it, what it was for, or how others made use of it.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHLlLsZhthhbi7WzZGMJvIKvK1_LyPA_sXb4oblvqdKSI63ZWklPByVISTPYn5VWMSQA-yx4npVYJfR1iQE8ctasmB58zx-CppcAIW6eZprTX_Gpo_ld5KxOGNd0hB4bUDkX5KGgZaWY/s2048/IMG_2822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHLlLsZhthhbi7WzZGMJvIKvK1_LyPA_sXb4oblvqdKSI63ZWklPByVISTPYn5VWMSQA-yx4npVYJfR1iQE8ctasmB58zx-CppcAIW6eZprTX_Gpo_ld5KxOGNd0hB4bUDkX5KGgZaWY/s320/IMG_2822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not everything produced a bumper crop...the spinach got nipped by that late freeze, and this was our entire harvest. <br />This picture still makes me laugh out loud.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnBoll1hXFPLyqWyO6bTS69R6aHfgwgE26xIf88NIJa6wE7EsvRdMqe4_TTcPuMfnVtecDiW2k8LoaQpNXaX_q71ALPiWNjwRStbAQ6cv2W6xTQKJFeAnodlKx_A_yiYiW0UywZMR4z8/s2048/IMG_4258.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnBoll1hXFPLyqWyO6bTS69R6aHfgwgE26xIf88NIJa6wE7EsvRdMqe4_TTcPuMfnVtecDiW2k8LoaQpNXaX_q71ALPiWNjwRStbAQ6cv2W6xTQKJFeAnodlKx_A_yiYiW0UywZMR4z8/s320/IMG_4258.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were a few weeks, however, that this was our harvest nearly every-other day!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKL7ltD6YtSRU_EynZzdLVZ4Zbb5KC9PN3HyP78RXQGhMaYm5_rAesKbai9xdm7eMhF4VNC37L-1CvHqGu2k7gzVN_A9uXRZyABttLpLolZWAIwh-BECJaYOfuRsdcQZYchORQigqmGk/s2048/605F51C3-8DE4-4FC7-BB0C-8CBB6770711F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKL7ltD6YtSRU_EynZzdLVZ4Zbb5KC9PN3HyP78RXQGhMaYm5_rAesKbai9xdm7eMhF4VNC37L-1CvHqGu2k7gzVN_A9uXRZyABttLpLolZWAIwh-BECJaYOfuRsdcQZYchORQigqmGk/s320/605F51C3-8DE4-4FC7-BB0C-8CBB6770711F.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The happiest basil leaves you ever did see (that's <b>my </b>hand!).</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't remember how much I've mentioned our neighbors here, but we have some really amazing ones. One of the couples has an awesome garden, and they challenged Jacob to a tomato-growing <b>contest</b>! They gave him the plant (Beefsteak variety), helped him plant it, and regularly ask him how it's doing. It was such a <b>sweet gesture </b>and gave him even <b>more </b>motivation to help me tend to the garden this year. Of course, I made sure to document it:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGkmobpeTF3-V3m7Zl0OhT0irDXYE8NMYGzSqogcqXQ_N8Za_7nNiixCsbciROfzG5RnpKMc1iD56X7TuNYxTaBxgMR5vsWUagubW25A2YYXgCO065bS5c8MGjiZE9nN3sARZpjJ-KUg/s4032/D31667A1-6000-4E79-9400-9970A42EF65C.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGkmobpeTF3-V3m7Zl0OhT0irDXYE8NMYGzSqogcqXQ_N8Za_7nNiixCsbciROfzG5RnpKMc1iD56X7TuNYxTaBxgMR5vsWUagubW25A2YYXgCO065bS5c8MGjiZE9nN3sARZpjJ-KUg/s320/D31667A1-6000-4E79-9400-9970A42EF65C.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC5SJYulzngqP1bhBzLGsKSThi69GtsT1X6IBsxEYzIu-xnUDVAY9dj74k3jnSQdZ-OKqpsb0M_5fKhMbQTT8DI1VOZIbCrYg6TFy8Or6bzug-VNRxymB9MXFpXIS32dmmeC59VNM0VM/s4032/22697756-A05C-47E7-97B3-C8A35CF08CD7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkC5SJYulzngqP1bhBzLGsKSThi69GtsT1X6IBsxEYzIu-xnUDVAY9dj74k3jnSQdZ-OKqpsb0M_5fKhMbQTT8DI1VOZIbCrYg6TFy8Or6bzug-VNRxymB9MXFpXIS32dmmeC59VNM0VM/s320/22697756-A05C-47E7-97B3-C8A35CF08CD7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGE0kDVmxBmHLeWrEI8p4-nPgKBUaQCRLlc_tWvKjwVxZ4x0gbg7LGG2jfPsUNklHt_CKTVTz1EhfYBvfxRBkmCNlEAatfb4xr3UmEwLRd_Bq2HH2eeL1OLDiFq5nU9RSH_m6ndPSC3A8/s2048/IMG_1847.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGE0kDVmxBmHLeWrEI8p4-nPgKBUaQCRLlc_tWvKjwVxZ4x0gbg7LGG2jfPsUNklHt_CKTVTz1EhfYBvfxRBkmCNlEAatfb4xr3UmEwLRd_Bq2HH2eeL1OLDiFq5nU9RSH_m6ndPSC3A8/s320/IMG_1847.JPEG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2DHwAsou1HVoaZuWUxG5HWpn7-FdANoN24SgmDc5JO3pBbYJHfGd4yToAKNX5E8ARqZMPVOgUPlyQaPx0XVUBLOY6zOHtw-6c1x1nFZJY5GYz8Rwjw_GqOwUNgQu6Osi_6zpP_dMWOo/s2048/B02D2628-574B-46BA-9BC7-159537C2A857.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2DHwAsou1HVoaZuWUxG5HWpn7-FdANoN24SgmDc5JO3pBbYJHfGd4yToAKNX5E8ARqZMPVOgUPlyQaPx0XVUBLOY6zOHtw-6c1x1nFZJY5GYz8Rwjw_GqOwUNgQu6Osi_6zpP_dMWOo/s320/B02D2628-574B-46BA-9BC7-159537C2A857.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSKhWMDEAy_mJiRGt8u-bcTc9fJiCHwvf2psNTnVl_3C-xa4lipxWBjUMzJYtC0eY0kGRdzP-0_5MqMU3eLZ2t2Uzxr1dESInXXdAaPprf_sQbHy6mz9Xg1TKAn5GdMc79Le8JO3bip8/s2048/3CAB6498-13A8-4465-985F-59A6B80DB1B2.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisSKhWMDEAy_mJiRGt8u-bcTc9fJiCHwvf2psNTnVl_3C-xa4lipxWBjUMzJYtC0eY0kGRdzP-0_5MqMU3eLZ2t2Uzxr1dESInXXdAaPprf_sQbHy6mz9Xg1TKAn5GdMc79Le8JO3bip8/s320/3CAB6498-13A8-4465-985F-59A6B80DB1B2.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many pictures with boots! Who knew these consignment sale treasures would be such a valuable investment. We almost always go to the garden during Lydia's morning nap, so the grass is still very wet with dew. Doesn't hurt that these are also the easiest and quickest for him to put on himself. :)</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JzAhEChajbJIe9k1_VJe4zPX5R4n5dtYtoTqausgEytscPXhPhrax-1TtwPJGvVo08jpO6OGOhjTh2J4kyEshWt1BURtowXt6cbNSQBSudb-vCtsf4DPEW-nF4jkJvA6glZ_tuMYlIw/s2048/IMG-3998.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5JzAhEChajbJIe9k1_VJe4zPX5R4n5dtYtoTqausgEytscPXhPhrax-1TtwPJGvVo08jpO6OGOhjTh2J4kyEshWt1BURtowXt6cbNSQBSudb-vCtsf4DPEW-nF4jkJvA6glZ_tuMYlIw/s320/IMG-3998.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5KasRPbObmfm2mnhwd5W3mxH2l53O0xftreu9AjxMMsGGT5kndIJtd-pLoOJx9SiY3hzZK6C17teg6VzOHSCgYUCZwAMPZObROElENzOVE71KrDuGFGPsX45qqgin_KOPx1a5pI9pTM/s2048/4B01E60A-651F-4F6E-9673-7208FFAB28E0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5KasRPbObmfm2mnhwd5W3mxH2l53O0xftreu9AjxMMsGGT5kndIJtd-pLoOJx9SiY3hzZK6C17teg6VzOHSCgYUCZwAMPZObROElENzOVE71KrDuGFGPsX45qqgin_KOPx1a5pI9pTM/s320/4B01E60A-651F-4F6E-9673-7208FFAB28E0.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's fun (and crazy and sad) to see how much HE has grown, as well, in these few short months.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HY0FeEbFh0jWRQnD2iMq8nVnh5Xy-NnYqg-pBkH-Z4X4wuoJwOxecHy5xQovH4JiNYk7QdWdaQ1oygo_2Gm9vLp4mdlRMAH77WR8-hZjqQkN-lHBtL7SGr-IPzEcyDPUoeFu7WxKzxw/s2048/D9A8C949-5D07-450B-A101-DEF2326D66B6.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HY0FeEbFh0jWRQnD2iMq8nVnh5Xy-NnYqg-pBkH-Z4X4wuoJwOxecHy5xQovH4JiNYk7QdWdaQ1oygo_2Gm9vLp4mdlRMAH77WR8-hZjqQkN-lHBtL7SGr-IPzEcyDPUoeFu7WxKzxw/s320/D9A8C949-5D07-450B-A101-DEF2326D66B6.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"It's almost ripe!"</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNL98Btg7D1Nl8B2NTzpPDHtvURc5m4HvfAhVAR728uejk-jxHMY21WnXnhIq_unYcENYAEjEQvunwe3yu1N61wETVUqGaszAOFiSfMQhIL5ZPDj-kj7Bo37roI6zev_iXOZ6eKgdDJY/s2048/61ED9A38-B4CF-4406-A99E-959D71CE061E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNL98Btg7D1Nl8B2NTzpPDHtvURc5m4HvfAhVAR728uejk-jxHMY21WnXnhIq_unYcENYAEjEQvunwe3yu1N61wETVUqGaszAOFiSfMQhIL5ZPDj-kj7Bo37roI6zev_iXOZ6eKgdDJY/s320/61ED9A38-B4CF-4406-A99E-959D71CE061E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob asked if he could take some "up close pictures" of his plant.<br />This is one of sevvvveral. ;)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdehQavRXR806MKNsp4cJlg9MpPrKUj_rJ-RTsmWCs_tBS5fRRGxVN1LmSvLMJu6zyRZKyeH0aBDrPO8Pr6XyP47rL_HfOXWb0KWHxAVz43tywbRuE9jEylLrVi5fKAqXIqgJPSbW9yQ/s2048/IMG_4540.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDdehQavRXR806MKNsp4cJlg9MpPrKUj_rJ-RTsmWCs_tBS5fRRGxVN1LmSvLMJu6zyRZKyeH0aBDrPO8Pr6XyP47rL_HfOXWb0KWHxAVz43tywbRuE9jEylLrVi5fKAqXIqgJPSbW9yQ/s320/IMG_4540.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This 13.4 oz.-er put him in first place, so far!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The produce we have harvested, enjoyed, and shared is not the only <b>benefit </b>we have experienced as a result of the hard work put into our garden. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It has taught Jacob the long-term value of putting forth time and effort to accomplish a goal. I try very hard <b>not </b>to force or guilt anyone, especially Jacob, into helping. Some days he'd rather not pull weeds, but others, it's something he is genuinely excited to do. He has come to learn the <b>more </b>he helps out, the <b>sooner </b>we can move on to other activities.</li><li>There have been numerous <b>nature </b>encounters, and therefore, lessons. On a few occasions, they have directly correlated with the preschool curriculum we have been working through!</li><li>We have been able to invite others to help and be part of the process, and they have truly <b>enjoyed </b>it.</li><li>Our garden is a common and <b>easy </b>topic of conversation, especially when there are not many "neutral" things to make small talk about, lately.</li><li>Obviously, but <b>significantly</b>, we get ample fresh air and vitamin D while working in the garden, and the calories burned don't hurt, either.</li></ul><b>Most importantly</b>, however, the time we spend together in the garden is...something I can't put into words. Lovely, maybe? Therapeutic, perhaps? It is almost always free of conflict, whining and other behavioral issues, and distractions. My personality type values productivity, so the fact that we are spending such focused, productive quality time together doing something we both enjoy is so good for my soul. Truly. Simply put, it's good for all of us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I know this post is lengthy and the thoughts are vast, but perhaps <b>now </b>you can see how I came to the realization (even if everyone else <b>already </b>had) that gardening is one of my hobbies. It is constant, un-glamorous, and demanding work, but the benefits<b> far outweigh </b>the costs. When I am able to focus on those <b>benefits</b>, it really is something I enjoy. Something that I do for <b>pleasure</b>. A <b>hobby</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Dirty fingernailedly,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">chocolate chip cookies</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRncXmZj3DFUNuHSpb_vYN00VcoGSh3Anu2jOx9c8sBCfOC8L3N_xAukZF9wP-oEvqn3kTZKfkPl1gxzAVG133oI6bXAtRRD-8IhQe0r5fI8WyILmX_p-v8XWvIjoIh_0dpmG99nGxkk8/s2048/54012E3E-F83D-403D-9132-33FD2ADC8D08.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRncXmZj3DFUNuHSpb_vYN00VcoGSh3Anu2jOx9c8sBCfOC8L3N_xAukZF9wP-oEvqn3kTZKfkPl1gxzAVG133oI6bXAtRRD-8IhQe0r5fI8WyILmX_p-v8XWvIjoIh_0dpmG99nGxkk8/s320/54012E3E-F83D-403D-9132-33FD2ADC8D08.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I can't even handle her excitement about her first time in Grandma and Grandpa's sandbox.<br />(Yes, she ate several handfuls, and yes, we all survived.)</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvSR1ClPPlX6PdO2avtvb2BlwzNw3CW6Y3oLwIlW9ELy3YD6CLe5CIC-21-Eh_fbVMHYxpuA5rsgR-PxpjyPB7zBqvInRg0FqAqpJbGydrgb1Kf9km6kzkKZ0iM07r-Rpr2_jNZ-arp0/s2048/352A0C79-14F1-48B5-BD93-554FC32DCD1C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNvSR1ClPPlX6PdO2avtvb2BlwzNw3CW6Y3oLwIlW9ELy3YD6CLe5CIC-21-Eh_fbVMHYxpuA5rsgR-PxpjyPB7zBqvInRg0FqAqpJbGydrgb1Kf9km6kzkKZ0iM07r-Rpr2_jNZ-arp0/s320/352A0C79-14F1-48B5-BD93-554FC32DCD1C.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob is including her in play more and more, and it is just so precious to me.<br />So is her smile...and her tiny sprout of a ponytail. </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjno1zG_priSIxdfd5Nj336_7kgmOL3l5yQzZW0I78An_BP842UURSpzNlbMnujaR5AvrRXDb2MrBerMRdEdG7_Thz_zByMYFJmV-K3HcfU8Qu9tr9ENVtdpLY2PeO2o_v3M_e4eC6Ea4o/s2048/111B2363-3019-461A-865F-DE79E5DD0517.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjno1zG_priSIxdfd5Nj336_7kgmOL3l5yQzZW0I78An_BP842UURSpzNlbMnujaR5AvrRXDb2MrBerMRdEdG7_Thz_zByMYFJmV-K3HcfU8Qu9tr9ENVtdpLY2PeO2o_v3M_e4eC6Ea4o/s320/111B2363-3019-461A-865F-DE79E5DD0517.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaking of precious:<br />We went on our first proper date in who knows how long the other day. So, of course, we asked our sitter to take a picture. Jacob assumed he was to be included in this, and stepped right into the shot with the best unsolicited smile we've seen from him (while being photographed) in months.<br />We did end up getting a shot of just us (which we also haven't done in who knows how long), but there are lots of reasons to love this one, too. :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br />Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-86051369249009372162021-07-23T22:45:00.002-05:002021-07-24T07:58:35.598-05:00whoopsie-daisy (you wouldn't believe the rabbit hole I fell down when researching the correct spelling of this...)Goodness! (Apparently, I say that a lot, because Jacob has adopted it into his fairly-extensive vocabulary.) How is it that suppertime around here can drag on for what seems to be hours as we wait for the eldest child to do more chewing and less talking, yet I can't tell you where the four months since I last posted have gone?! What I <b>can </b>tell you, however, is that we've been thoroughly enjoying the weather - outside playdates, making great progress in the garden, and splashing in whatever body of water we can get our feet in. We now have a four-yr.-old (what?!) and a nearly one-yr.-old (again - what?!). Though some parts of life seem to be back to the <b>old </b>normal, we have certainly adapted to and become fairly content with a <b>new </b>normal.<div><br />An additional (and <b>significant</b>) piece of news is Bryant nearly lost a finger while protecting his family from a ferocious wild bear.<br /><br />;)<br /><br />That's what he refers to as the "fun" story, as opposed to the "real" version. The <b>truth </b>is he actually lost a fight with a table saw that hadn't quite stopped turning while he was cleaning up after a project. It was an <b>accident </b>in all senses of the word. While it certainly could've been worse, it was still an emergency situation that ended up requiring reparative surgery and rehab therapy.<br /><br />The injury occurred on Bryant's <b>right index finger</b>, and the surgery also affected his wrist. During his recovery, he was instructed not to drive or lift, and at the beginning of it, he was not supposed to get that upper arm wet. Needless to say, that put a wrench in our normal routine.<br /><br />If you have ever cared for someone after surgery, you know how much there is to manage. (I had not.) If you know me at all, you know I'm pretty terrible at asking for help, so was prepared to figure it all out myself. (I couldn't have.) Thankfully, our village stepped in <b>immediately</b>...for real - I didn't even take him to the ER when it happened right at the supper/bath/bedtime crunch. They went on to help in countless ways; to name a few:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>weedeating</li><li>rides to appointments (including the initial ER trip)</li><li>watching kiddos</li><li>providing meals</li><li>sending thoughtful notes, etc.</li><li>coming over to help with baths and bedtime</li><li>offering to mow the lawn</li><li>lots of prayer and moral support</li></ul>This help was not provided by just one person or one circle of friends. Our neighbors, family members, church friends, and many others stepped in to help in our time of need, and we are so <b>thankful</b>. </div><div><br />We are also <b>incredibly </b>thankful that Bryant was permitted to work from home while he was in the cast and not able to drive. His job requires him to be on location for about 90% of the work he does, so we were definitely not expecting him to be able to work during this time. His employer was very <b>accommodating</b>, though, and as a bonus, we got a couple extra hours with Bryant during the days, since he didn't have to commute, at all, and I was also able to sneak out for the occasional short errand during naptime. Typing and moving a mouse with one non-dominant hand was no walk in the park, but he never complained.<br /><br />Bryant's wounds have <b>healed</b>, he has <b>regained </b>nearly all the strength and range of motion he lost, and he is <b>optimistic </b>about his recovery. It's amazing to us that all this happened in April - a little over three months ago. It feels like forever ago, yet at the same time, only yesterday</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll spare you the gory documentation, but for posterity's sake, here are a couple pictures of our <b>patient</b> at various stages in the recovery process:<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqfhc6FTTHJV8GzomB30_7QFT6yJvZHa6itzI50vMmqKYjiDkxiKkgSuFeXgqKiDCUxonxIouAgpQhao2eu3D71dKg6gaPb3u2k1eQtdYB6y8eI-lznSgxqXo8V3cB5fAOf4Nion4Bkvk/s320/IMG_1556.JPEG" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zjtJN462igP87xzEy-WA44sb3yvZFZHVb9sKiUHBWnZEsBasu8dQisuAnZeFRczORLU0KOvJ9i1NyUqIyeZAcazvMiSHDTNMsw40cMMpjK9wGeemLofbCIfPku85FrqwrIH0D6dcutc/s320/IMG_1850.JPG" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I appreciated Bryant's <b>intentionality </b>and <b>thoughtfulness </b>during this time, as well as his willingness to be creative in finding ways to make things as normal as possible for the kids and I. I know it was not easy to navigate caring for a wiggly baby and playing with an active toddler with one non-dominant hand, but he figured it out. He also managed to make this <b>delicious </b>Mother's Day dinner (albeit with a little help): <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOeG9ksB499MBZ-gdqv-5p2hslOwfmJkDLyCNilvKpOMbhUHaYYv8imlqSpijfMHVIvNJevnzqtUZodkZw4bzkXoAT9J6AepeP3bjnu1u0lc_W0Hk_nahEel3_y9Z6Dmk5foHlK0Mi6Mg/s320/IMG_1803.jpeg" /></a></div><br />God's protection, provision, and peace were so <b>evident </b>to us in this situation. It is not lost on us that the outcome of this accident could have been much more severe, people could have looked past our tricky circumstances, Bryant could have taken a pay cut for several weeks, there could have been complications with the surgery and/or recovery - the list goes on and on. This is yet another of life's seemingly-major obstacles that is so alarming and consuming in the moment, yet in hindsight, becomes a small bump in the road. No matter the size, we are glad to have this "bump" <b>behind </b>us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Gratefully,</div><div>Kensy</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">hospitality - both giving and receiving</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyDaoHQBqNmIR0m6X4Bj1Ink5zqCRPgZSFwv_Q2JYUVLKTHIX4lO-fywzDVLwk4Ytpd3M9jeKST3jDmFNnYnopBlhT5hjXdFazCcDdDGXriNXA8-F95VBU0m4nfGdUFpAgGTnPXxr8p8/s320/0DD54EA5-01F0-4CB3-9251-247E3BB57CC4.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two. Jacob has been so excited, lately, to get to sit next to Lydia in shopping carts, and without a thought, immediately puts his arm around her. ♥<br />Remember that time I was worried about how I'd feel about having two kiddos and about how Jacob would feel about a sibling? Many of you told me how wonderful it would be, and while I believed you then, I <b>understand </b>you, now. It's just priceless.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQQ33xffzfn2g6_mt5Hv_FtpLMn9KNvYvcnU_q1Pqz8h4Axab6lOv4iJsIB64XwUv1xF31MT-Uo6TLJGc0Qa-biQvVbXIV7Og2pYmz7N_PbSLAfQDMDQu4D4YVOkXxngRq_qw9WCtIi0/s1107/IMG_4185.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1107" data-original-width="729" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQQ33xffzfn2g6_mt5Hv_FtpLMn9KNvYvcnU_q1Pqz8h4Axab6lOv4iJsIB64XwUv1xF31MT-Uo6TLJGc0Qa-biQvVbXIV7Og2pYmz7N_PbSLAfQDMDQu4D4YVOkXxngRq_qw9WCtIi0/s320/IMG_4185.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our matching swimsuits!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-84169658030925753942021-03-13T09:14:00.000-06:002021-03-13T09:14:42.607-06:00Nothing and everything<div style="text-align: left;">Did anyone besides me think I'd actually get a post out on the <b>precise </b>"COVID-versary?" A few days late isn't bad, though...especially given the year its been. Right? ;) I didn't really intend to write a "one year later" post, but then, it all kind of hit me, and as you know, this is how I best process. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I can't remember whether or not I've written much about the IF:Gathering in the past (and I can't afford the time to search the archives), so I'll give an elevator pitch here:</div><div style="text-align: left;">The IF:Gathering is a women's conference held in TX and live-streamed (even pre-2021) to viewers worldwide. The theme each year centers around "IF" (What IF God is real? What IF He keeps His promises? How do we respond?). This year, the theme was "Even:IF - Even IF the worst happens, we don't lose hope." Women are invited to host IF:Locals in their churches, homes, schools, etc., and for the last few years, I have led a team to host an IF:Local at our church. We typically gather Friday evening and most of Saturday to tune in to the live worship and speakers, share meals and snacks, participate in great conversation, and make a craft or two. IF:2020 was one of the <b>last </b>big "things" in my/our life before the stay-at-home orders went into place. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">So, as I sat down to watch IF:2021 - alone, in our basement, while corresponding with ladies from our church on the live chat feature - I got teary. Yes, we have missed several "normal" gatherings, events, occasions, etc. in the past year, but we found ways to work around them, compromise, and make the best of the worst. Yes, this virtual IF:Gathering was the best possible work-around for all involved, and the IF team made it all so easy for us to tune in and stay as connected as possible - I wasn't sad because I had to miss out on the content, or anything.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpPwrfk0OkETx-Pbr-19PFuDMrFCwrCBmBdXyBUs1KyNuq2ugazVMPC-YcoMoFwxBTW5j63nEp9Ma8wMOK1xIQRmWIBqZC-NBRSYB7lZlBhHVOkNhaZ7y9aZMSLVW1jhH2yLaAcwRn20/s2048/86A7AD56-4336-4B85-867C-71B64F83E945.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpPwrfk0OkETx-Pbr-19PFuDMrFCwrCBmBdXyBUs1KyNuq2ugazVMPC-YcoMoFwxBTW5j63nEp9Ma8wMOK1xIQRmWIBqZC-NBRSYB7lZlBhHVOkNhaZ7y9aZMSLVW1jhH2yLaAcwRn20/s320/86A7AD56-4336-4B85-867C-71B64F83E945.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby's first IF:Gathering<br />(just briefly during her before-bed feeding...so, I guess I wasn't alone the whole time - haha)</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">What made me most sad was the connection, conversation, quiet stillness, corporate worship, and honestly, yummy snacks we were all missing out on. I was sad thinking about so many viewing it together, yet alone in our separate places, and knowing how much better it <b>could </b>be...how much better it always was. I was sad knowing how much we're all <b>craving </b>normalcy and hugs and face-to-face, non-masked conversation. I did what I could to make the ladies from our church who tuned in feel special and connected, but felt helpless to provide what I know at least I wanted: an extended period of time to ourselves, out of our homes, being filled spiritually, emotionally, physically, and relationally - not worrying about who's cooking or what's happening next or what else we should be doing. As this was all hitting me harder than I expected, I was trying to figure out why. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After a year of quarantine, it feels like <b>nothing </b>has changed. We are still keeping to ourselves as much as possible. We are still only making necessary shopping trips (for the most part). We have only seen a handful of people face-to-face/"in real life" over the course of an entire year. We go through the drive-thrus, pick out library books online, and have play dates and story time via FaceTime. We are still hesitant to make concrete plans outside of our "bubble," not knowing what's coming next. This has all started to feel normal, and I wish it didn't.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At the same time, however, as I think about our family and what's been going on in our little corner of the world for a year, now, <b>everything </b>has changed! We are a family of four - we have TWO kids! Our baby boy is nearing the end of toddlerhood. Our new baby girl is over half a year old, now! Whereas a year ago we hardly went two days in a row without getting out of the house, we've become accustomed to spending days on end at home...sometimes even without setting foot outside (thanks a lot, subzero temps). Now, it's even sometimes our <b>preference </b>to stay home (granted, it's much easier to do so (see above note about the TWO kids)). </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">While I still wish it <b>didn't </b>feel quite so normal to not have plans, to not see other people, to be home all the time, and to wear a mask, the year of "extreme togetherness" has been a <b>gift </b>in so many ways. The lack of events, celebrations, and gatherings have allowed me to feel more content to just "be" in our new season of life. It didn't feel like we were missing out on much, if anything, when we were in the newborn stage and even now, as we continue to live that "sleep, eat, play, repeat (and poop, if we're lucky)" life. We've developed new rhythms, made lifestyle changes, and spent more time together than ever before, and I it has been so beneficial. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">God's timing, His peace, and His control are <b>more evident </b>to me as a result of this season than any other time in my life, I think. He <b>continues </b>to provide in so many ways - both tangible and intangible; He <b>always </b>has. Perhaps, I am just more attuned to it all. Perhaps my head and heart are more clear, and therefore, able to take time and space to recognize these things, rather than being distracted by so much else. Perhaps this is what I needed to learn and what I most need to take away from "all this COVID stuff" - to be <b>more </b>attentive to how God is working in my life, how He's showing up for me and those around me, and how I need to respond.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In spite of the hope vaccinations bring and the glimpses of normalcy the warmer weather may promise, the world is still <b>so </b>broken, unstable, and confusing. God, on the other hand, is <b>not</b>. He has not changed. He is and was and forever will be hope, certainty, and peace. He is our rock and our protector. If only we will remember this and lean on Him...and encourage others to do so, as well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">May His peace, which surpasses <b>all </b>understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Lovingly and prayerfully,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">sprouts and buds and all things spring</div><div style="text-align: center;">nap scheduled aligning (!!!!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoB6lDPuBxlUNVwK78TJFg6BCXlj6LOE_OgDWc0-lmQ-LOjIzXUBuS15Z7IPiE4eTjrAyLZtDnpwZPmrCiAnw5h3vg-xdaRWhc7UzCvr3sH1Dq4NqdC5sx9MJUiuUuqYuA3lGpxQ8sfKk/s2048/BED52D63-2E8E-4AEB-8725-3E1A7A72E50E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoB6lDPuBxlUNVwK78TJFg6BCXlj6LOE_OgDWc0-lmQ-LOjIzXUBuS15Z7IPiE4eTjrAyLZtDnpwZPmrCiAnw5h3vg-xdaRWhc7UzCvr3sH1Dq4NqdC5sx9MJUiuUuqYuA3lGpxQ8sfKk/s320/BED52D63-2E8E-4AEB-8725-3E1A7A72E50E.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl...and this outfit from our "hand-me-downs collection."</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-75934412040787565962021-01-17T19:11:00.001-06:002021-01-17T19:11:58.604-06:00#2, so far <div>I don’t know if I’ve ever told you this: someday, I hope to have these blog posts <b>printed </b>and bound. Not published, mind you - just put into book form for posterity’s sake. I’ve kept a couple journals in my lifetime and also have some pretty priceless documentation of childhood family vacations (read: time stamps of <b>every </b>rest stop, full menu rundowns of every meal, and <b>riveting </b>reviews of destinations like “Neat!” and “Cool!”), but otherwise, this is the closest I’ve come to documenting life happenings and associated emotions. So, that’s why I often say I’m writing something for posterity’s sake. I share it all publicly, because family and friends are so spread out, and while I’d love to catch up with <b>each </b>of you over coffee, or even quick phone conversation, that’s just not feasible (even pre-COVID). Since I know you care, though, I utilize “the scoop” to keep you in the loop. (Jacob’s really into rhyming words, these days. You can <b>maybe </b>tell we hang out a lot...)</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok - onto the real reason for posting today. Actually - a <b>few </b>reasons. First, wanted to document the first photo Jacob has taken:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-P4YL-O5Mxvsn7CW-zSuwa1f4KCanlNm-sW-4Rb8Ls2ryw7BPybKWSvuaatYGrFuT83LDxnMj3HXY7uheD9upyge2Gc51JGd5CA3pxwB6btTx3MS73XmUfHhIhPmjcjfvFfAXl6wekE/s2048/B160E090-3D34-4CB7-850B-FD42AC0AE279.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-P4YL-O5Mxvsn7CW-zSuwa1f4KCanlNm-sW-4Rb8Ls2ryw7BPybKWSvuaatYGrFuT83LDxnMj3HXY7uheD9upyge2Gc51JGd5CA3pxwB6btTx3MS73XmUfHhIhPmjcjfvFfAXl6wekE/s320/B160E090-3D34-4CB7-850B-FD42AC0AE279.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not this one. This is just the one that "started it all..."<br />Lydia was out of pajamas before anyone else this morning, because she lost some of her first breakfast on hers. So, wanted to document this cute outfit from Aunt Roo before any second breakfast ended up on it.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7OhZolCpIJ_zXnzfKz2ObtWKOGvf7xG8k33cgog3qMpmHYjoato3qLFcmWczOIR1SVXwO7rUNq3Fgooc9MaXTr2seCZd75GwVhW_r-VXOX2oHQwnZNWvGKejGVPktp2s3vXV2JNs2Ds/s2048/4659EFF0-6F89-4344-AF9A-9D96C53AD420.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7OhZolCpIJ_zXnzfKz2ObtWKOGvf7xG8k33cgog3qMpmHYjoato3qLFcmWczOIR1SVXwO7rUNq3Fgooc9MaXTr2seCZd75GwVhW_r-VXOX2oHQwnZNWvGKejGVPktp2s3vXV2JNs2Ds/s320/4659EFF0-6F89-4344-AF9A-9D96C53AD420.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then, Jacob asked to be in a photo (I'll almost <b>always </b>oblige him here, because I know (assume) the day will come that it will be a struggle to get him to pose for a picture, much less smile.)<br />Look at them looking at each other! ♥<br />The sweet kid even asked if he "did his good smile," because when he went through the "silly smile" phase, we often asked for a "good smile," and turns out, he didn't really know how to consciously make that happen.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2qtOd5S-AiCZwsKH99xFWqpCeF4PfyRKGaa6Pg5_4QVZnpBHmFuC7rFZEAeaqB9hPHn3oGszhNEwJggkxLwkgQ1j61IYF72NZdPl3xcu85Gt08cgmeTDrOZxGrwOlFKepg-XgPzOJkA/s2048/9880A523-E9BC-4974-B0C5-670FE1FF645F.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2qtOd5S-AiCZwsKH99xFWqpCeF4PfyRKGaa6Pg5_4QVZnpBHmFuC7rFZEAeaqB9hPHn3oGszhNEwJggkxLwkgQ1j61IYF72NZdPl3xcu85Gt08cgmeTDrOZxGrwOlFKepg-XgPzOJkA/s320/9880A523-E9BC-4974-B0C5-670FE1FF645F.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THEN, he said, "Now I should take one of you two!" <br />The idea/offer really surprised me - he's never asked or been asked to take a picture. I almost declined, because I wasn't "photo ready" with my morning face and second-day braids (post-partum hair loss is in full swing, so I'm doing anything I can to contain all the rogue strands), but I quickly decided to just oblige HIM and see what happened.<br />The above is a sampling of the 50+ shots he got, some of which I truly love (mostly because Lydia - I mean, come on) and others of which I didn't plan to share publicly, but then, why not?</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Secondly, many of you probably saw a recent post I made on Instagram about how real life has been, lately. I’ll share it here for reference:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdikZB2dREEFXKmyPrFNX-TKljzHe1qr-czt2Pgyeqhez4GOZpxTyc6gjwSluBG7efU-w2eHg8XeccyJ7X1l9x-wPk1tl95KQ3NYEqmVCxm1vIXFgr0Gh84Pq9LPBMPzj4kzfasit6hU/s320/1C12CBFE-86BF-4151-9F33-F03D0589DBF3.jpeg" /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div><i>Lydia and I haven’t slept in more than 2-3 hour stretches for several weeks. </i></div><div><i>Jacob has been struggling with following directions and not talking back, lately, and sugar from special treats (like once-annual snow ice cream) do him no favors in this department. </i></div><i>Meal-planning is still a pipe dream, because time is precious and I prioritize other things (like playing in the snow), even though lack of planning and prep aren’t helping me reach my pre-pregnancy body goals (no need for this to become a body image thing - I could probably write a whole post on that - I have a lot of grace for myself, right now; it’s just a matter of fact that my clothes don’t fit like I wish they did).<br />The “survival mode”-ness of this season often makes me feel like I’m failing as a wife and friend. <br />All that said, hard things like those mentioned are more easily forgiven/forgotten in light of sweet moments like those captured in these snowy day pictures (as well as so many others I post on the regular). <br />So thankful for God’s grace and the way He provides rest when possible and baby smiles when it’s fleeting, extra doses of patience and unsolicited hugs, and a true teammate of a husband as we navigate this whole parenting thing. <br />I know everyone has their own version of a “things are not always as they seem” sort of post, and I don’t know that I’ve really written one. So, please just know that while we do have some pretty sweet moments with our really cute kids, there are several hard moments to go along with each. It’s just really dark and difficult to take pictures at 2, 3, and 4 a.m. and shots of a tantruming toddler are usually blurry. 😏<br />#lovethem #snowday #thatprobablyshouldvebeenablogpost 😬</i></div><div><br /></div><div>I received so many kind and <b>encouraging </b>comments, notes, and even surprise mail after posting that. Thanks to those of you who took time to share your two cents! I thought I’d update you on how things are going, now:</div><div><br /></div><div>Sleep is on the upswing! Prior to her 4-month appt., I was feeding Lydia on demand - supplementing with formula after daytime feedings and just nursing at nighttime. So, even though her night was from about 7 p.m.-7 a.m., she was crying out <b>several </b>times, and in an effort to make sure she was receiving the nourishment she needed (and keep her quiet so as not to wake Jacob in the next room), I just fed her each time. (This was after figuring out she wanted her arms out of the swaddle...and always trying the pacifier first, only for her to reject it.) Of course, my body often wouldn't allow me to go right back to sleep after being up, and on more than one occasion, Jacob called out for something in the middle of the night <b>between</b> Lydia's feedings. My silver lining in all this was being able to crawl <b>back </b>under my cozy electric blanket several times a night - haha.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was anxious to see how Lydia's growth was progressing and talk to the doctor about her thoughts on nighttime, and I was so <b>glad </b>to know she's right on track growth-wise and we can skip nighttime feedings (all except for one, if we want). We're about a week out from that appt. and starting our new habits, but it's already such a relief. Though she still wakes up most of the times she was previously, I'm only feeding her once in the middle of the night, and she has been able to put herself back to sleep after only a few minutes of sleepy crying the other times. <b>Phew</b>. Here's hoping she'll continue dropping some(all!) of those waking-up times ASAP.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YB8L9qXpk93K2pLWtxbA7Lzqry7y59kNk9t4QrdSuSZCNK1r8urwY8JbVK0oNbWeobVwpoa3vAW0g2CmThWsJ9_fPbtjA-11gu6uVsncKeWoNuHs0eQlSkFJAziMIAHEPQfDNsPflUs/s2048/36EF1DBA-5DFD-49BF-8A3F-D0076393C5F3.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YB8L9qXpk93K2pLWtxbA7Lzqry7y59kNk9t4QrdSuSZCNK1r8urwY8JbVK0oNbWeobVwpoa3vAW0g2CmThWsJ9_fPbtjA-11gu6uVsncKeWoNuHs0eQlSkFJAziMIAHEPQfDNsPflUs/s320/36EF1DBA-5DFD-49BF-8A3F-D0076393C5F3.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how she often sleeps. I know the lighting isn’t great, but I wasn’t going to risk waking her for a pic. Just wanted to try to document her little hands behind her head. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Jacob is doing better, behavior-wise, <b>most </b>days. I truly think this is due to us cutting down on his sugar intake. He wasn't having a lot, in the first place, but we've just been careful to not give him much, at all, in a day's time. The few times we've given him a treat or had an out-of-the-ordinary day have made it very evident that he has a harder time controlling himself when he's had <b>more </b>sugar than normal. It's crazy. And kinda sad, because I'd love to share more treats with him, but it's been good to find other things to reward him with...which, in turn, helps create better habits for ourselves...</div><div><br /></div><div>...speaking of which - we have a <b>plan </b>in place for that! More on that later (hopefully).</div><div><br /></div><div>Also - we’re just over a year since finding out we were expecting baby #2, so thought I’d reflect a bit on how the having two kids thing is going. I actually don't know that I can <b>concisely </b>put it all into words, so I'll just leave a short bullet-point list, for now:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It's gone <b>better </b>than I expected, which may actually be thanks to COVID. There's <b>not </b>a lot pulling us in other directions/outside of our home, so we've been able to create and maintain rhythms that make the <b>most </b>sense for us, right now. While I'm sad to not be able to "share" Lydia more, I'm glad for the valid excuse to lay low and keep her routine in tact most every day.</li><li>I <b>love </b>watching Jacob be a big brother. As Lydia has started to be more and more interactive, he's been more and more interactive <b>with </b>her. He's a wonderful and willing helper (a lot of the time without even being asked...esp. when it comes to fetching clean diapers), he's including her in his play (again - without being asked), and he cheers her on with every new development. It's just <b>precious</b>.</li><li>I forgot how much I <b>love </b>babies. I mean, yeah - I knew and know I love babies, but I kinda forgot <b>why</b>. The cooing, the smiling, the squishiness - it's just all so sweet.</li><li>Surprise - I really can love two kiddos equally and at the same time. ♥</li></ul><div>As always, thanks to you all for <b>sharing </b>our journey - from near or afar - and <b>caring </b>about our family. Looking forward to the day we can visit/see you in person, but in the meantime, thanks for keeping in touch. Take care!</div><div><br /></div><div>Motherly-ly,</div></div><div>Kensy</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Anita's Famous Rolls</div><div style="text-align: center;">Marco Polo (the app)</div><div style="text-align: center;">gift cards<br />the new Brown Sugar Chai Latte from Scooter's (I've only had it blended, so far, but anxious to try it hot!)</div><div><br /></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-44099468663198388932020-12-31T21:30:00.000-06:002020-12-31T21:30:21.282-06:00If 2020 were an amaryllis...<p>If you've followed me for a while, you know I don't do New Year's resolutions. This has been a year of fairly <b>constant </b>reflection, though, so I thought I'd share a few of those reflections as they relate to the amaryllis we've been growing for the past month, or so.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRcqqj4nkEuRP_Dwk7wKJCfBZ1cZRdtt_xBe65H45slZGEVg9z7HeLNdqV3oMPV2BSEjTk2x1VMDBAqk82pqw7SFOoAEujXRx9OLLZDT7CjMfTU8hKcuVSQ6-_eYgnTbHP5ZgE79zZhU/s2048/4CBE2371-88A1-491E-A033-84CEABF347DD.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXRcqqj4nkEuRP_Dwk7wKJCfBZ1cZRdtt_xBe65H45slZGEVg9z7HeLNdqV3oMPV2BSEjTk2x1VMDBAqk82pqw7SFOoAEujXRx9OLLZDT7CjMfTU8hKcuVSQ6-_eYgnTbHP5ZgE79zZhU/w320-h320/4CBE2371-88A1-491E-A033-84CEABF347DD.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The sweet, thoughtful leader of my Nourish group (women's small group through church) gifted each of us an amaryllis bulb shortly before Thanksgiving this year. The intent was to keep each other posted on our plant's progress, while giving us an <b>extra </b>reason to stay connected during the holiday season - and it totally worked! What fun we've had seeing who's was tallest, which bloomed first, who's tipped over, etc. This has also been such a great activity/project for Jacob and I. He is excited each day to check it's progress, water as needed, and exclaim over the blooms once they opened. I, myself, have so enjoyed having fresh flowers in the house, and surprisingly, it's become the subject of <b>several </b>reflections as this year comes to an end:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">-It started as a normal bulb, but produced blooms in wintertime. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I've never "forced" a bulb, but I followed the instructions and applied my green thumb as best I could. As one of Jacob's books says, plants need, "sun, soil, and water," so we made sure this one got plenty of each. The result was <b>vibrant </b>red blooms inside our home when there was snow on the ground outside. We do not usually get to experience this kind of growth, life, and beauty in the dead, brown winter months. Similarly, 2020 <i>started </i>as a "normal" year, but has since brought so many new and <b>unusual </b>circumstances. The result, as I see it, has been lots of extra reflection, personal growth, care for each other, quality time, etc.; all beautiful things that we may not have experienced (or rather, <b>recognized</b>) in a "normal" year - just like we may not appreciate each individual daffodil bloom in the springtime like we do an amaryllis bloom in the winter. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />-While we were able to see the progress and growth each day, it seemed to take a long time for us to finally enjoy the fruits of our labor in its blooms. </div><div style="text-align: left;">As with parenting, the days are long, but the years are short. At the beginning of our "stay home" order, I had a hard time fathoming being home 24/7 with a toddler and not having our usual out-of-the-house activities to occupy<b> so much </b>of our time. Looking back, though, it really has made time go surprisingly fast (even before we added a newborn to the mix). We have made so many memories and been blessed by an abundance of time together over the course of the year. Though there were <b>certainly </b>hard days when I didn’t feel so positive about the extended time together, I realize how <b>special </b>and important it has been, on the whole.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">-An amaryllis bulb is not the most attractive thing, nor is the soil in which it's planted. The blooms, on the other hand, are stunningly gorgeous.</div><div style="text-align: left;">As I've alluded to previously, and at the expense of making my husband roll his eyes at my <b>cheesiness</b>, I think surprising amounts and levels of beauty have grown out of the ugly, dirty parts of this year. I've already shared about ours (see my <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2020/10/our-2020-so-far.html" target="_blank">last post</a>), but would sure <b>love </b>to hear about some of the beauty <i><b>you </b></i>have experienced in 2020. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">-The blooms will not look the same each time the bulb is planted. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I've been told it's possible to store an amaryllis bulb and replant it year after year. I'm hoping to try this. If we’re successful, we’ll have more beautiful blooms next year, and while they may be <b>equally </b>beautiful, they will likely <b>not </b>look exactly like the ones this year. I recently heard a podcast host share the observation that Jesus did not look the same after He was resurrected - His friends didn't recognize Him. Similarly, our lives post-pandemic (or post-2020) will not look the same as before. For one thing, there will likely be tangible, logistical, practical changes mandated by others and/or by our own preferences. But also, if you're like me, you've probably gained some new perspective, experienced some personal growth, and/or been given opportunities to truly grow your faith. As a result, our lives have the potential to be equally beautiful as we move beyond this year (and Lord-willing, this pandemic), but they will most certainly be <b>different</b>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wishing you <b>all the best</b> as you navigate 2021 and beyond, dear friends! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Resolutely (haha),</div><div style="text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">teaching Jacob about Epiphany and watching him be excited to continue singing Christmas songs “till the wise men get here” (it’s yet to be seen whether or not he understands they’re not actually coming to our house...)</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PEY8wAgHW7Gy2WwdwbhSCzyNt7NwIM2MN8wPoruDFO7VQLbspu34YW-Ys9h8d4cIGdMSr1f51qOoB5BPM1rDkAFrN6hISreXuy42O1VzmJ0QD7aBJXjvZhGChNiIBRYDYQf_qjb7Gjs/s2048/8E8EFBD2-4E53-40CD-B938-8B64693A2F6E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-PEY8wAgHW7Gy2WwdwbhSCzyNt7NwIM2MN8wPoruDFO7VQLbspu34YW-Ys9h8d4cIGdMSr1f51qOoB5BPM1rDkAFrN6hISreXuy42O1VzmJ0QD7aBJXjvZhGChNiIBRYDYQf_qjb7Gjs/s320/8E8EFBD2-4E53-40CD-B938-8B64693A2F6E.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the best picture, but I love how he loves her. </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">the fact that I started and completed this post in a 12-hr. window - it’s a New Year’s Eve miracle! </div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-67193774448136273612020-10-18T14:08:00.003-05:002020-10-18T14:08:46.154-05:00Our 2020 (so far)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2020 has been a <b>lot </b>of things for a lot of people. There's been so much going on globally, nationally, locally...and the majority of what we hear about has been steeped in <b>negativity</b>. My lack of comment on the world’s happenings is <b>not </b>out of ignorance or lack of compassion - I am just as saddened/frustrated/confused/scared as the next person. Those feelings, however, are ones I'd rather not sit in, and I'm not one to stir the pot. Instead, I'd like to share a couple (major) <b>silver linings </b>that have shown around the clouds of 2020 in our little corner of the world in an effort to spread some <b>positivity </b>and <b>light</b>.</div><div><br /></div>First of all, and probably most <b>obviously</b>, we became a family of four! Lydia Kaylynn was born September 9th - the day before her due date. (If you're interested in her <b>birth story</b>, I've documented it <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2020/10/our-birth-story-2.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) Her first name is one we've liked for a long time, and her middle name is both her grandmothers' middle names <b>combined</b>. What a <b>precious </b>gift she is!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg5I4EP5C_rH8hTUvtThfgCpUi5Tc0NpLbzpg0JXk6AzTvCaMkbX7KPLaa0UcVpoR2okiNzK2rArZ9RvuRO-rdowM3OVd7pc9luBx4XVgdFUEZqyNlqfrpJSFhRGpsbQZnSOBa1FThV0/s2048/DSC00086+4.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFg5I4EP5C_rH8hTUvtThfgCpUi5Tc0NpLbzpg0JXk6AzTvCaMkbX7KPLaa0UcVpoR2okiNzK2rArZ9RvuRO-rdowM3OVd7pc9luBx4XVgdFUEZqyNlqfrpJSFhRGpsbQZnSOBa1FThV0/s320/DSC00086+4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-WREvVhxzQrGH4-IXO6I8bLw89qJ6rjzW_wSO3tPckDee06ved8e9AEMU5r4CVZ3v23b5LTJH5OTVEHjQcuho1KLAd3nNPCgkjK4dkJ3kHQ8cKYEUAzte-BFAOnkZSiRLlt2lM9GZVg/s2048/DSC00322.jpeg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-WREvVhxzQrGH4-IXO6I8bLw89qJ6rjzW_wSO3tPckDee06ved8e9AEMU5r4CVZ3v23b5LTJH5OTVEHjQcuho1KLAd3nNPCgkjK4dkJ3kHQ8cKYEUAzte-BFAOnkZSiRLlt2lM9GZVg/s320/DSC00322.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGh-Pvl00lqw-ZNpE-CR1aFy3gJgux0GZf4G-F8vNxhKetmp_zfakFpfolkZxFqN7xCXdhZ0z97iMBovmKaP-ufNZ68PS3cFXVlNGANJiYvlLpAl5jdaW9LxVvSPTKHGKGtxhF5JSz1eU/s2048/DSC00189.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGh-Pvl00lqw-ZNpE-CR1aFy3gJgux0GZf4G-F8vNxhKetmp_zfakFpfolkZxFqN7xCXdhZ0z97iMBovmKaP-ufNZ68PS3cFXVlNGANJiYvlLpAl5jdaW9LxVvSPTKHGKGtxhF5JSz1eU/s320/DSC00189.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div>(A <b>generous </b>and <b>thoughtful </b>group of friends gifted us a newborn/family photo session with a talented friend from church (@ladder_and_lens - if you're in the KC area, be sure to check her out - she'll be doing holiday mini-sessions soon!).) </div><br /><div>Many of you have asked how Jacob is adjusting, and I know even more of you are probably wondering. He was very <b>excited </b>for us to come back from the hospital and barely took time to greet his dad and I before taking a peek at "baby sister." It took less than 24 hours, however, for him to say things like, "I don't love it when she cries" and "When is she going to leave?" He has come around, though, and we've all settled in more and more with each passing day. He truly loves to help - fetch things, help with bath, feed her, etc., so that's been fun. Any feelings of jealousy/neglect/annoyance/etc. have manifested themselves in some behavior issues, so that <b>hasn't </b>been fun. He's been such an easy kiddo thus far, so these probably <b>seem </b>worse than they are, simply because he's been so good up until now. He's also three, though, so these things are <b>probably </b>to be <b>expected </b>- new baby or not. I've shed some tears over it all - both in frustration and exhaustion, but also a bit in mourning our "only child" and wondering if/when he'll go back to the way he was. But then I realize that's expecting the <b>impossible </b>of him - life is different for all of us in a <b>forever </b>sort of way. I've needed to tap into some <b>extra </b>grace for both him and myself as we navigate the new. The year has been full of transition and change, and I think we are <b>all </b>craving some routine and normalcy - certainly in this house, at least. Whether or not reestablishing some sort of routine will <b>help </b>with the adjustment period is yet to be seen, but either way, we'll figure it out. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8OdeYeB_MRVVvl4-qV17PGNUiJ62mi8nALJlSQJ0ycQ9azjddxnRpC8bOvOOaoFNlGj7jzS-hmVQ2VQTk0d6Lq_j4mn-baGJiWjMiTZwdDAalWe0yeVx0sxNdb77XDzSgPmP2N1PRSU/s3008/DSC00152.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3008" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi8OdeYeB_MRVVvl4-qV17PGNUiJ62mi8nALJlSQJ0ycQ9azjddxnRpC8bOvOOaoFNlGj7jzS-hmVQ2VQTk0d6Lq_j4mn-baGJiWjMiTZwdDAalWe0yeVx0sxNdb77XDzSgPmP2N1PRSU/s320/DSC00152.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect capture of the face we get when asking him to smile, these days. <br />Of <b>course </b>he would choose the month he gains a sibling and we'd like to take allll the cute pictures to decide to try his hand at fake-smiling.</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Hpjv-x5NhTvvw5FlXHAbHA5whVSSSrCXeZI7keUAyxDyx87RfD-14hBqHtqmdG3AoXQ5Rlc4KTl_XnfmebuQMv8JSjtq1vXnHMuzrOaLtJ6k_Xe9552U-Eb_R9YyjmrGSTiGK36vkuY/s2048/DSC00260.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Hpjv-x5NhTvvw5FlXHAbHA5whVSSSrCXeZI7keUAyxDyx87RfD-14hBqHtqmdG3AoXQ5Rlc4KTl_XnfmebuQMv8JSjtq1vXnHMuzrOaLtJ6k_Xe9552U-Eb_R9YyjmrGSTiGK36vkuY/s320/DSC00260.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moments like this make it all worth it, though.<br />(This was unpromted...he really does love her.)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Lydia has been such a <b>good </b>baby! The first week or so was a bit rocky, as expected - hormones, all the changes, lack of sleep, etc. - but once we got our "newborn legs" under us, a bit, we started settling in more and more. The most <b>challenging </b>thing, so far, as with our last baby, has been figuring out feeding. She nurses like a champ, but for whatever reason, doesn't get enough milk from me, so we're supplementing some formula. This is what we did with Jacob, as well - it just didn't take us as long to figure out what to do with Lydia. It was still a hard thing for me, though, and I don't know if I can fully explain why except to say I was simply <b>disappointed</b>. Disappointed it wasn't different this time (as I sort of expected being our second child). Disappointed in my body and/or myself for not being able to figure out how to make it work better. And once I realized and accepted it's out of my control, disappointed that it <b>didn't </b>work better. I'm in a much better place now, though, and it's all going just fine. A sweet perk of supplementing has been Jacob being able to help feed Lydia. Early on, I think he was disappointed that I was the only one able to feed her, because due to books we'd read and things he'd observed, he assumed all babies ate from bottles and he'd be able to help. So, when he first saw the bottle out, he said, "That will be easier!" meaning that would be easier for <b>him </b>to use to feed her. He immediately asked to help, and of course, we obliged. This was something I'd forgotten he would want to help with, so hadn't expected him to be so anxious to be included. His <b>enthusiasm </b>and <b>joy </b>made all the other emotions/turmoil I'd been experiencing <b>totally </b>worth it.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ9lCAx0m9ICZKSb8mAiDuj5BiMtqDiq7KgH0JIQe-LBQlmajzWboEvQR3ncjB19Y3eY_Ggu-l7jylbE3ZAmMC0bAu9l7aGIEaFn9J-NLyOq9Jb59UVfOp0PN80g-9OHrJdEBSy8Qr20/s2048/996B1063-CFE6-454D-B27C-AB535D58FEB1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJ9lCAx0m9ICZKSb8mAiDuj5BiMtqDiq7KgH0JIQe-LBQlmajzWboEvQR3ncjB19Y3eY_Ggu-l7jylbE3ZAmMC0bAu9l7aGIEaFn9J-NLyOq9Jb59UVfOp0PN80g-9OHrJdEBSy8Qr20/s320/996B1063-CFE6-454D-B27C-AB535D58FEB1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Secondly:</div><div style="text-align: left;">As many of you know, and others may have picked up on, Bryant (along with almost 50% of the company he worked for) was <b>laid off</b> due to COVID at the beginning of August (after being furloughed in July and asked to burn most of his vacation days in June). This was something we had sort of anticipated at the beginning of "all this" in March, but as spring turned into summer, we thought there was less of a chance of it happening, so it came as quite a <b>surprise</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You may be thinking, as we were, "What about insurance? Aren't you expecting a baby?" This was definitely one of the things we were <b>most </b>concerned about. Because he worked one day at the beginning of August, our insurance plan through his employer would be good through the end of August - right before we were expected to deliver a baby in early September. Bryant did an <b>amazing </b>job researching potential options for us, and as a result, he discovered that I, as a pregnant woman, qualified for Medicaid (so did Jacob). That meant my appointments and Lydia's birth would be <b>completely </b>covered! Here's the more amazing part, though: had he collected one more paycheck, we would've been over the income threshold and <b>not </b>qualified. Thanks, God.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A little over a year ago, our church small group went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University (FPU). Bryant and I have always kept a budget, but this program helped us tighten it up and be <b>more conscious </b>of our financial planning. Because of this, we really were able to experience <b>peace </b>during this time of unemployment. I realize this isn't the case for everyone when they lose a job, and I absolutely do <b>not </b>take it for granted. I share this, however, because it is yet another piece of evidence that God had it <b>all </b>under control all along. Also, I'd <b>encourage </b>anyone and everyone to participate in FPU (or something similar) in whatever capacity you're able - it really pays off (pun not originally intended).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I mentioned, Bryant's previous employer required employees to use up <b>all </b>but a couple days of their vacation in the month of June, due to COVID. So, had he still been working in September, he would've only had a <b>few </b>days off at the beginning of our transition to a family of four. Instead, he's been home for weeks - both before and after the birth. What a <b>true blessing</b> it's been to have him here. Not only has he been home as we navigate the newborn phase with a toddler, but he was also home at the end of my pregnancy (when I was struggling to get down and up off the floor to play with Jacob, couldn't really lift things, was going to the bathroom every five minutes, etc.). I'm certain the help he provided, and therefore, the extra rest I was able to get, contributed <b>positively </b>to my general mental health and <b>largely </b>to my quick recovery after delivery. <br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Since we <b>couldn't </b>really travel during this time, we spent our time at home, which meant <b>lots </b>of quality family time (as well as mother/son and father/son time). I can't tell you how many lists we made, finished, and re-made, because we had plenty of time and headspace to complete lingering projects before we had a new baby. Because we were able to get <b>so much</b> done beforehand, we've really been able to focus on family time and rest when we can since she's been here. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I've been <b>waiting </b>to share all this till we were "out of the woods" and on the other side of it all. Not because I <b>doubted</b> it would happen - just because I wanted to be able to wrap it all up in one neat and tidy blog post, if possible - haha. I'm happy to say that after submitting almost 60 job applications, several interviews (via phone, Zoom, and in person), and a few offers, Bryant is starting a <b>new job </b>tomorrow! It's a normal M-F 8-hour day shift, which is not always the case in his line of work and is really <b>wonderful </b>for our family. The position itself is a great career move for him and something he's <b>excited </b>about.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />While we are so, so <b>thankful </b>for this job, it will surely be yet <b>another </b>adjustment for everyone. Jacob and I (and now, Lydia, whether she realizes it or not) have become <b>very </b>accustomed to having Daddy home on a daily basis. We've developed some rhythms over the past few months that have been so enjoyable but will be hard to break. Please do <b>not </b>hear any of this as a complaint on my part - again, we're so <b>glad </b>for this employment opportunity. We'll just be <b>sad </b>to see this sweet, dreamy season end.</div><p>You see all these <b>silver linings</b>, right? Bryant was <b>unemployed </b>for months, and while at the onset it was scary and stressful, looking back, it was truly a blessing in disguise. How else would he have had over a month off after the birth of our new baby? How else would we have been able to accomplish everything we did so quickly and stress-free? When else would he have gotten to spend so much one-on-one time with Jacob (doing lots of things, but mostly playing on the awesome swing set he built...and when would he have had time to do that, too?!)?</p><div style="text-align: left;">I realize not all of you believe in God, so perhaps you just perceive me as simply being <b>optimistic </b>about all this. Even the strongest pessimist, though, would surely have a hard time ignoring the silver linings in our 2020. Perhaps you <b>are </b>a believer, but find yourself in the middle of a similar (or worse) circumstance and doubting God's plan. For us, what seemed like the <b>worst </b>timing may have actually been the <b>best</b>, and I truly believe it was <b>not </b>an accident. I'm confident the Lord orchestrated every detail in our specific circumstance, as He does <b>all </b>circumstances. I see this as clear evidence of His faithfulness and provision, and I pray this evidence will point you toward Him and serve as a reminder of His <b>goodness</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Thank you<b> so much</b> to those of you who have supported, encouraged, and prayed for us during this time. Thank you, also, for all the gifts and meals many of you have provided as we welcomed Lydia to our family. These things would’ve been <b>greatly</b> <b>appreciated</b>, no matter when we might have had a baby, but they blessed us even <b>more</b> during this time when our budget was tighter than normal. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we have an <b>amazing</b> village who loves us so well - in all circumstances, but especially through tough ones. To say we have a lot to be thankful for is an <b>understatement</b>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Amazedly,<br />Kensy</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">fall weather (mostly the perfect-70's-windows-open days, but the cozier ones, too)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPLbEiw_7-vyQLg0yjddGijTLIZdIKmv3ekAFe9EwgwUoSAGrsYomVyS9fqwquUsGA2s6So712k82kLceHh3zjfCkFl8FVNVmGQ4maAb0dgIPsjptrhyMfPxBPJQ0Z33z-D8Rt1KX09A/s2048/IMG_6870.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnPLbEiw_7-vyQLg0yjddGijTLIZdIKmv3ekAFe9EwgwUoSAGrsYomVyS9fqwquUsGA2s6So712k82kLceHh3zjfCkFl8FVNVmGQ4maAb0dgIPsjptrhyMfPxBPJQ0Z33z-D8Rt1KX09A/s320/IMG_6870.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This meal - made and plated by my super-dad husband who made the tomato soup from our garden-fresh tomatoes (and basil) while wearing a baby.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e80elx-3slH1eKEK7o80IOQZnHZ1MNshaJU4gvJyaIqcOCwKCxdcpvETj_aeYbAqBbufVWjSVzXAdbhOIA0dTPoQ-jmRjuZkavM5m5jUtoycp9SUUxlCbVvw_PXCanRLQ8RGE4IH1CE/s2048/D3C70205-9AF3-48D2-B096-78309EEF9E43.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5e80elx-3slH1eKEK7o80IOQZnHZ1MNshaJU4gvJyaIqcOCwKCxdcpvETj_aeYbAqBbufVWjSVzXAdbhOIA0dTPoQ-jmRjuZkavM5m5jUtoycp9SUUxlCbVvw_PXCanRLQ8RGE4IH1CE/s320/D3C70205-9AF3-48D2-B096-78309EEF9E43.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being able to complete this project: processing all our garden-fresh butternut squash!<br />(It's amazing what one can accomplish with just a newborn around after becoming accustomed to a newborn AND a toddler. Was thankful for some quality time with this sweet baby girl, as well as some time to get a few things done.)</td></tr></tbody></table>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-69415308869172896042020-10-18T13:58:00.001-05:002020-10-18T13:58:23.181-05:00Our Birth Story #2<p>I realize a lot of you probably don't care about all these details, but I also know enough of you <b>do </b>that it would be easiest to share them this way, rather than on an individual basis. As I've said, too, this is a way for me to <b>preserve </b>our family's memories, so even if no one reads this particular post, it's at least been documented for posterity's sake. So, all that said, here is <b>Lydia's birth story</b>:</p><div style="text-align: left;">At my ~39 week appt., I was dilated 3 cm and 50% effaced, which was <b>no progress </b>since my last week's appt. Baby and I were both fine, and I still felt good, but we were reaching the end and time for her to be on the outside. So, for several reasons, I decided to be induced, and based on everyone's schedules and a few logistics, we ended up scheduling the induction for the <b>very next morning</b>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />(This isn't necessarily actual-birth-related, but I want to remember the mixed feelings I had about scheduling this birth. First of all, I felt like a little bit of a failure after having done <b>everything </b>in the book to make things happen naturally, only to find out my body hadn't made any progress. Secondly, I love surprises, so I think part of my disappointment stemmed from the fact that we knew, generally, when she would arrive. I was also feeling a little guilty that we'd had several (<b>generously helpful</b>) people on "standby" which meant putting their lives on hold, a bit, and we didn't end up needing to call on them. That said, I was glad to have the time to truly plan and get things squared away (though we'd been doing that for weeks) before leaving for the hospital. It was also valuable to be able to prepare Jacob and for my parents to have plenty of lead time to come stay with him. Knowing it was our last night as a family of three made me a little <b>emotional</b>, but it was a <b>relief </b>to know she'd be here and we'd be able to move onto the next season.)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We arrived at the hospital, as instructed, at 6:00 a.m. - right when the shift was changing. After checking in and being shown to our room, the nurses got me all charted, situated, and hooked up to start the lowest possible dosage of Pitocin around 7:20 a.m. Shortly thereafter, we asked if I could take a <b>COVID-19 test</b>, so I could take my mask off, and the nurses said, "Of course!" The (rapid) test was a self-administered 15-second swab of each nostril - "far enough up to the point that you feel like you're going to sneeze." I swabbed and sneezed and sat back to wait for things to start moving. My doctor arrived, as planned, to break my water at 8:30 a.m.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />As the day progressed, and my body didn't, the Pitocin dosage was increased. Lunchtime came and went, and the contractions became stronger and <b>stronger</b>. At some point, I threw up all the clear liquid "food" I'd had throughout the morning - something that had happened when I was in labor the previous time. We tried several different labor positions/techniques, so when the nurse told me around 2:00 p.m. that I was only dilated to 6 cm at the rate of 1 cm per hour, I was disappointed and so conflicted. I was on Pitocin for my <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2017/07/our-birth-story.html" target="_blank">last delivery</a>, so I knew what I was in for as far as pain goes, and at that point, I didn't know whether or not I could <b>mentally </b>or <b>physically </b>make it another four hours. With that in mind, I made the decision to get an epidural (something I <b>didn't </b>do the <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2017/07/our-birth-story.html" target="_blank">last time</a>). The hour it took for the orders to be made, anesthesiologist to arrive, explanations to be given, and epidural to finally be administered was excruciating - physically and mentally. For whatever reason, the contractions really ramped up in <b>severity </b>during that time, and it felt like the relief was <b>never </b>going to come.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It did, though, and I felt like a different person (and it showed, according to my husband). Shortly thereafter, my blood pressure dropped, which meant the baby's heartrate did, too. The nurses were having a hard time keeping track of her with the <b>external </b>monitor, so they made a plan to put in an <b>internal </b>one at the same time they put in a catheter (standard procedure after an epidural). As the nurse prepared me for this, however, she discovered I was 10 cm dilated and 100% effaced. They were all <b>shocked</b>, because just an hour earlier I was at 6 cm and maybe 75%. So, they scratched the monitor/catheter plan, called the doctor, and prepared for delivery. Once the doctor got there, I pushed <b>three </b>times and was done! Bryant <b>barely </b>had time to get gloves on to help with the delivery.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />And then she was here! We waited in our room for quite a while (the nurses were busy that night) before being transferred to a room (with a "view" in the form of mountain view window clings of sorts to block the actual view of rooftops/HVAC systems). We spent the night and most of the next day, and after <b>passing </b>all the usual check-ups and tests, we were discharged the <b>next </b>evening! We absolutely could have stayed at the hospital longer, but there was really no reason to, as far as we were concerned. My recovery was and has been easy and quick (for which I am very <b>thankful</b>), and Lydia has been doing <b>all </b>the right newborn things.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevk-EQ_rk8Z8vFyaXlcp0j965fCZSyLBvjZUrwpnw4E_c0arBEGrz2HZh0_wqx1kL5aXxY47R57CicxF__OWUquy3SABayEP9qFF-2cJMG05axCqOquQ-FWKLsj3COGrFRUWPthXp3S4/s2048/4B0C0D9A-B06C-4493-8263-5932834B438E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevk-EQ_rk8Z8vFyaXlcp0j965fCZSyLBvjZUrwpnw4E_c0arBEGrz2HZh0_wqx1kL5aXxY47R57CicxF__OWUquy3SABayEP9qFF-2cJMG05axCqOquQ-FWKLsj3COGrFRUWPthXp3S4/s320/4B0C0D9A-B06C-4493-8263-5932834B438E.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hospital billboard on our way there - it says, "Ready for you."<br />Thought it was funny/appropriate/ironic. ☺</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CmNVK4mHwXTbHzZYm_R_s3Z1WG4RyOMO4-omT6zTqzJF4BoJHj0-lJy6fh3YB4hTwi2p30sDBFDdBirLKdfY4YVoPBy9QIUQO1q-dNa0RHuxmbpF66xu4s-wUCe1OO3k0HmjNHpUtdU/s2048/4C13FA43-F910-4DE4-A082-6222A7FFF57E.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3CmNVK4mHwXTbHzZYm_R_s3Z1WG4RyOMO4-omT6zTqzJF4BoJHj0-lJy6fh3YB4hTwi2p30sDBFDdBirLKdfY4YVoPBy9QIUQO1q-dNa0RHuxmbpF66xu4s-wUCe1OO3k0HmjNHpUtdU/s320/4C13FA43-F910-4DE4-A082-6222A7FFF57E.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here we go!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBJ7rKHMQ5jfQADkocB9WxbjRVMQLaA5acv7P678LUneD035Vre4qhrYDTAk2-kSu0AquxV0Li5DUFZrgbHNJ3CCkdmxnudZdx2Rco0a3VyoESVFMTd0E-qL-puZ6ELRKUEuqtxfsTUg/s2048/92BC58C1-CBC3-4458-B5F8-57899E1901EA.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBJ7rKHMQ5jfQADkocB9WxbjRVMQLaA5acv7P678LUneD035Vre4qhrYDTAk2-kSu0AquxV0Li5DUFZrgbHNJ3CCkdmxnudZdx2Rco0a3VyoESVFMTd0E-qL-puZ6ELRKUEuqtxfsTUg/s320/92BC58C1-CBC3-4458-B5F8-57899E1901EA.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He got to catch another baby!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_aiQVXnBvI-a2ocgB0fX3XmTIrW2xmpcxbXh6Pbbt8rwF-_E3HPqBKSEsbsg4iA417m3dFkqdJiICmqSmN79ob3eK8bbEpJXANtERdS6ldBu8xhQgpoAfQe81ogL26WmXOtMITsF77w/s2048/D3211E1E-5366-4A80-8838-BAE59F11C2AF.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_aiQVXnBvI-a2ocgB0fX3XmTIrW2xmpcxbXh6Pbbt8rwF-_E3HPqBKSEsbsg4iA417m3dFkqdJiICmqSmN79ob3eK8bbEpJXANtERdS6ldBu8xhQgpoAfQe81ogL26WmXOtMITsF77w/s320/D3211E1E-5366-4A80-8838-BAE59F11C2AF.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">♥<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eqoMHbkFxv5FH8-JgUh4elWn3AplW03jhe-VEPII41dgg-K3gRgE6WLA3Ir8DdVkYyLaABQOaOf9qXVL5R7toY-pcKB8pTI4sOcNTgjb9JBqs8tW-k_0E9GtAMLtqaztBY9CNAylMdo/s2048/40D9875D-A36D-4B29-A92D-CAFADB0A1DA1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eqoMHbkFxv5FH8-JgUh4elWn3AplW03jhe-VEPII41dgg-K3gRgE6WLA3Ir8DdVkYyLaABQOaOf9qXVL5R7toY-pcKB8pTI4sOcNTgjb9JBqs8tW-k_0E9GtAMLtqaztBY9CNAylMdo/s320/40D9875D-A36D-4B29-A92D-CAFADB0A1DA1.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd totally forgotten they made hospital hats with bows!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIXmQlif9XtNlnNYN8q29tQcckOAk0XVoL3CHRpQ9nRjaYzxWIuYiIyp2MYUfla8tZteQ8ETd0In_vE9Vw70wXF-_8VA_iSGSbYq0OUdD6V-M2xa_wJNGQqvERvLbVtQNcsXLE_1CEw0/s2048/2417B668-7CC2-46FA-B148-37630170225C.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpIXmQlif9XtNlnNYN8q29tQcckOAk0XVoL3CHRpQ9nRjaYzxWIuYiIyp2MYUfla8tZteQ8ETd0In_vE9Vw70wXF-_8VA_iSGSbYq0OUdD6V-M2xa_wJNGQqvERvLbVtQNcsXLE_1CEw0/s320/2417B668-7CC2-46FA-B148-37630170225C.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Jami made all our matchy-matchy-red-and-white-polka-dot dreams come true!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks for reading! <b>Thank you</b>, also, for those of you who supported, prayed, and encouraged us through the journey. Happy to talk through any of this in <b>more </b>detail (yes, there are <b>actually </b>more details - haha) with anyone who'd like to do so. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sleeping as much as I can,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kensy</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ethiopian food</div><div style="text-align: center;">dark chocolate</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RX-6Zx6x_vHjppCHB3VBK205XSdhbz0UbheXjZtKECJRYtIWE5hRr0lm1DPHgvcfAKtN1ygdeaLl2lWraVqj0tcICvNl4Hiozz_HransDeu6t7dWR3lOIKtb_kpUlkVa2s78IoSjuis/s2048/2F6DFC1D-7B4E-453F-AE5C-309D77A22F36.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RX-6Zx6x_vHjppCHB3VBK205XSdhbz0UbheXjZtKECJRYtIWE5hRr0lm1DPHgvcfAKtN1ygdeaLl2lWraVqj0tcICvNl4Hiozz_HransDeu6t7dWR3lOIKtb_kpUlkVa2s78IoSjuis/s320/2F6DFC1D-7B4E-453F-AE5C-309D77A22F36.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lydia's bow collection.<br />I'm not even going to try to justify it...but if you know me well, you know this is what dreams are made of. ♥</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p><br /></p></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-671734723923845480.post-47717086096475871802020-08-24T21:22:00.001-05:002020-08-24T21:22:39.546-05:00Ready or not<div style="text-align: left;">I'm going to try my best <b>not </b>to compare my children - this is something I've thought a lot about, and though I know I won't perfectly accomplish this goal (esp. in my head), it's something I'm going to strive for, still. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />That said, it's been interesting to me to <b>generally </b>compare pregnancies, so that's what this is about. At this time during my pregnancy with Jacob, he was <b>already </b>born! (If you don't remember his birth story, you can read about it <a href="https://k-scoopfromthecoop.blogspot.com/2017/07/our-birth-story.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) So, baby sister has already waited longer to come out than her big brother, and I expect the rest of her birth story to be very <b>different</b>, as well. We'll see!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMThrhTRZma5yMIb5S1LLRpgWTUasdN2tYtlAYcKFmAQ3el_TSR72TEQIEPEpyVfINZ1LJK3rNCrJ_4C0AoHBRo7FK_XEbDq_8pFP0dx2ijzWeWJHMI2SNfSNA2pb5udk8zHlw9uWrKk/s2048/2A81ABDC-6401-4D00-B8E1-9D87B0F933D4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMThrhTRZma5yMIb5S1LLRpgWTUasdN2tYtlAYcKFmAQ3el_TSR72TEQIEPEpyVfINZ1LJK3rNCrJ_4C0AoHBRo7FK_XEbDq_8pFP0dx2ijzWeWJHMI2SNfSNA2pb5udk8zHlw9uWrKk/w410-h410/2A81ABDC-6401-4D00-B8E1-9D87B0F933D4.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then and now.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Don't tell her, but thanks to COVID-19 (and my husband, parents, friends, etc.) I've crossed <b>everything </b>off the pre-baby to-do list I made many months ago! Of course, that means I immediately made new lists and continue to take advantage of the extra time I've been given (hence this blog post), but it sure does feel <b>good </b>to feel so settled/prepared.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfM34w52qwRreXXqa3mkexa2JRtRuAZZospqn5ZDajVt93bz01F7TdviKPDC81IqrA0nJdWZslULoz84JvCbuLkMGc8NivNs4Zn_RUILNaW7ZABOw-a7l3WbKETUazojQK9ge1otBoLPo/s2048/IMG_5810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfM34w52qwRreXXqa3mkexa2JRtRuAZZospqn5ZDajVt93bz01F7TdviKPDC81IqrA0nJdWZslULoz84JvCbuLkMGc8NivNs4Zn_RUILNaW7ZABOw-a7l3WbKETUazojQK9ge1otBoLPo/w410-h410/IMG_5810.JPG" width="410" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We even crossed off one of our initial quarantine goals: making homemade Girl Scout cookies! <br />They photographed ok, but certainly didn't turn out as expected - haha. <br />Still very tasty, though, which is really all that matters!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>People often ask if we're "ready," and though I don't know that I'll ever fully be ready (much like I've felt with marriage, first-time-parenthood, etc.), I <b>do</b> feel increasingly excited and anxious for her to arrive. Though we've been through it before, the newborn phase seems daunting. I know how <b>fast </b>it goes, but I also know how <b>long </b>it feels and how all-consuming it is, so I think that's why I don't know that I can say I'm "ready" for it. Having <b>so much </b>squared away around the house, though, makes this easier - it helps to know just how much time and mental space I'll be able to devote to her (and Jacob) during the transition. The house is cleaned, lawn mowed, garden watered, freezer stocked a bit, fall decorations up, laundry done (though this is never reallllly done), car seat installed, etc., etc.! Plus, those new to-do lists are short and fairly non-essential.</p><p>The world still seems so <b>crazy </b>and out of control. The unknowns (COVID-related do's and don't's, politics, job stuff, any potential travel/gathering plans) seem to outweigh the "knowns." Those "known" things (God's love/grace/control, the imminent arrival of a sweet baby girl, the pure joy of a toddler), however, sure make the unknown ones <b>less scary</b> and <b>more bearable</b>. So, for now, we're just <b>truly </b>enjoying some quality time together - our last few days as a family of three.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojQTh9B_v16i_j17_SM99x3IEhy9n66utSfbDLGLdGhuo9J8Zeizc2q6pWs5Gk541kSC44NxUHj89vI_V6zs7ftcNIj2kGBdM9HE5PreTJFWnj5mmbhLnEnecky62VQUswYDMZKZO9vw/s2048/IMG_5823.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojQTh9B_v16i_j17_SM99x3IEhy9n66utSfbDLGLdGhuo9J8Zeizc2q6pWs5Gk541kSC44NxUHj89vI_V6zs7ftcNIj2kGBdM9HE5PreTJFWnj5mmbhLnEnecky62VQUswYDMZKZO9vw/w307-h410/IMG_5823.JPEG" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpgPfXuwSXhXB8Pv27E1z7roescMU4K6ZxuB7qTYTvJZcR7Riwh91T6OA5-EP9_1gC68Ti5cX3WGVeRxNFiGnf91du0Zx7zK3OpQarAIoYEmZU4MDtDz9Ah-JE6f2J9dEJEMTNgSGdGc/s2048/IMG_5847.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgpgPfXuwSXhXB8Pv27E1z7roescMU4K6ZxuB7qTYTvJZcR7Riwh91T6OA5-EP9_1gC68Ti5cX3WGVeRxNFiGnf91du0Zx7zK3OpQarAIoYEmZU4MDtDz9Ah-JE6f2J9dEJEMTNgSGdGc/w307-h410/IMG_5847.JPEG" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58wAUxaP_wsv3qce2Eq8ALbdtBsqWP4DzryoJeunuDUDTdZKY63MvesnFlDHp3Xe9OVERCwJL3afAJyzlNKKM5TmlnBdS0JkRN6xBXsEj550RR7tthNdhj2hHdRnF1WnumjQiiW0wMGM/s2048/IMG_5850.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58wAUxaP_wsv3qce2Eq8ALbdtBsqWP4DzryoJeunuDUDTdZKY63MvesnFlDHp3Xe9OVERCwJL3afAJyzlNKKM5TmlnBdS0JkRN6xBXsEj550RR7tthNdhj2hHdRnF1WnumjQiiW0wMGM/w307-h410/IMG_5850.JPEG" width="307" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuPambfICerZnykIWZeb0LIlrmPT5rh62asXajBsWVK99Sh01oQLyYZxCqqVJhZFwejTGM0l5kIQK63sQ8q-0puic0aXixHvOvop9Ve3-rXxN8Z6EoRuotX_M8yYu5a1w_DYed7L4lXU/s2048/IMG_5868.JPEG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1516" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuPambfICerZnykIWZeb0LIlrmPT5rh62asXajBsWVK99Sh01oQLyYZxCqqVJhZFwejTGM0l5kIQK63sQ8q-0puic0aXixHvOvop9Ve3-rXxN8Z6EoRuotX_M8yYu5a1w_DYed7L4lXU/w303-h410/IMG_5868.JPEG" width="303" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">We'll be as close to "ready" as we can be <b>whenever </b>this little girl wants to join us on the outside. In the meantime, we're making memories, making the most of our time, and making sure to be <b>thankful </b>for the many blessings and silver linings this life continues to offer.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Readily,<br />Kensy</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Favorites of the day:</div><div style="text-align: center;">how excited J was to put up fall decorations</div><div style="text-align: center;">perfect pool days</div><div style="text-align: center;">good customer service</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Kensyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12848883386696943914noreply@blogger.com0