Weekending in Style

It's bath season. 

Sometimes I need to blog about doctors appointments and pregnancy details, and other times we gotta stick to what we know around here which is keepin' it real and blogging about the good 'ol fashioned day to day stuff that, by God's grace, gives us joy and keeps us moving forward.

Which brings us to bath season.

We know it's bath season because we're outside playing hard each and every day, and we just can't get away with putting Newbie in his jammies until he's had a bath.  Ice cream in the hair, dirt on the toes, grass on the knees- there's just no getting around it.  It's bath season, baby.

And it's March. [insert applause]

We're in love with this weather.

...and we're in love with the littles we're getting to enjoy it with!

We spent the weekend squeezing in as much spring fun as we could and telling Jubilee all about it in between the windows-down car ride from one fun something to another.

Picnic at the Park
 Friday night we hit the park for a Subway picnic.  Newbie spotted a melted pile of rainbow ice cream under the picnic table and shouted, "WOW!  Wat's a wotta coyers!" (that's a lot of colors).  He is becoming more observant and articulate everyday, and we are just soaking in our little man's new discoveries.  He loved talking to the geese and watching the steelhead try and jump up the dam.  We stood and watched the fishermen and the steelhead for a long time.  I squealed each time we saw one of those big fish leap up out of the water and try to fight the current of the dam rushing so forcefully against it.  You just can't help but root for them and their determination to do the impossible. When it was time to go Newbie asked for "mo fishies?  mo water?"  Boy was as big a fan of the fish frenzy as his momma.

Backyard BBQ
Saturday morning GiGi (formerly G-Mama...aka, my mom) took us shopping for a while, then we met back up at her house for dinner.  Newbie loves Grandad's "beep" and got to take a special ride down the driveway before we enjoyed a platter of mini-hamburgers hot off the grill.  I still can't believe its sit-out-on-the-deck-and-eat-dinner weather so soon this year!

(That is one seriously stoked little boy right there!)

(Jubilee, GiGi bought you this shirt today.  We saw it and knew you had to have it!  We are living life to the full and loving it, sweet girl, and it is you who have taught us the depth of what it means to make each day count!  Momma's necklace has an "E" for Eden and a "J" for Jubilee...we think of you both each day and pray pray pray for you. Your brother loves that necklace and knows that it is for you and your big sister.  He loves you so much, Jubilee!  Do you know that you are teaching Big Brother to live and love life too?  You are!  He is having a ball drinking up each day we have with you and he is learning with you while we read from the Bible each morning. You are so loved and enjoyed, precious Baby!  We are so, so grateful for these days we get to live and love life with you!)

Fishing on the Riverbank
Sunday we enjoyed an awesome worship service.  Our church has started a new four-week series on the book of Ruth, and I was a bucket of tears by the time we left. Interesting, God's timing, isn't it? A whole series on suffering right smack dab in the middle of the biggest trial I've ever experienced. I'm finding in this season I can really relate to Naomi and Ruth, and the sermon really hit home- in a fabulous, encouraging, cry your eyes out because God is so good kind of way. =) 

After church we went to the gardens for a picnic...there aren't pictures because if I posted pictures from each trip we went to the gardens, that's all this blog would be. =)  After an afternoon nap, we loaded up the wagon and spent the late afternoon fishing on the river.  Scratch that- the Hubs fished while Newbie and I tossed a bobber tied to a stick into the water.  Little Man loved it and thought he was the cat's pajamas for getting to fish like Daddy.  I love raising a boy. 

(Jubilee, you went fishing on Sunday!  Your brother shared the bobber for this picture because he loves you a bushel and a peck.  I told you and Big Brother about how your Grandad taught me to fish and about how he would take me out to the lake early in the morning with a chair just my size and we'd fish just me and him.  We got to eat donuts.  And one time I caught a turtle! Then I told you both about how your Aunt Corndog and I used to "fish" while we were camping, but that we'd fish on land with our Snoopy fishing poles and a bobber tied to the end of the pole, just like the pole Big Brother was using.  We would cast our lines into the tree branches and Grandad or GiGi would have to go get it down for us. Your daddy loves to fish, and he had fun showing you and Big Brother the ropes on that sunny afternoon.  I was so happy you got to enjoy sitting on that riverbank with us drinking in the day's last bit of warm sun.  Jubilee, remember the water we watched flow down the river?  Do you want to know something wonderful? Jesus is the water of life!  He loves us all so, so much, and if we love Him and follow Him, He fills us up with love and life like a river or a spring inside our hearts.  We can share that love and life with others because the water of life Jesus gives us never runs out.  And if we love Him and follow Him, sweet Jubilee, we get to live with Him in Heaven when our lives here are over.  ...which means when its over, it really isn't over at all!  Your sweet big sister Eden is already with Jesus, and she knows all about the water of life and what a gift it is to be with Jesus in Heaven.  We are drinking deeply of that water, sweet one, and I know you feel it- His love and His life.  Its what makes you smile, isn't it?  What joy you must know, Jubilee!  And oh, how we love love love you, Baby!)

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,  but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

Dinner with Friends
As if that wasn't enough fun for one day, our friends came over with steaks for dinner Sunday evening. I know.  Fun overload.  The men grilled up a feast while the children frolicked and the mommas chatted.  It. was. fabulous. 

(Check out all those little chickens picnicking so nicely...nothin' keeps them still like a good batch of mac and cheese, baby. And that girl in the gray t-shirt?  She's kind of a hero.  I have a lot of heroes.  But she is definitely one of them.)

(Ice cream cones for dessert?  Yes, please!)

(Can you spy the little lady giving Newbie a little push on the slide?  Homeboy is obsessed with her...he's always asking to go to her house or if she can come over to play.  I think he likes that she's in nursery with him on Sundays- its a familiar face he's always excited to see. Adorable.)

(The Hubs got the honor of helping Newbie with his suuuper soggy ice cream cone.  It was not his favorite game.  But he's a keeper, folks.  Any man who is willing to pick grass out of the world's most drool-drenched ice cream cone is a keeper.)

Goldfishin'
 We have been slamming some serious water and some serious afternoon snacks with this nice weather.  Playing outside in the hot (March!) sun really takes it out of you.  We were hooked on Goldfish for a while, but totally over did it around the 14 month mark last year and had to back off.  After a good hiatus, we're back in action and hooked again...only this time on the whole grain variety because when you've been off the good stuff for long enough, you forget what the good stuff tasted like and suddenly the healthy stuff tastes tolerable.  If only I could kick my Oreo habit long enough to remember what celery tastes like. =)

 I'm off to spend the rest of the evening with my man.  I've been sitting in the hallway just outside Newbie's bedroom door blogging on my laptop because he's been into this "Mommy sit at da door?" bedtime thing lately, and I'm a complete pushover.  Tonight he completely won me over when he dropped his binky...I asked him if his binky went overboard and he answered, "yeah.  isss in da books ober der" (yeah, its in the books over there).  It had fallen in the basket of books on the floor next to his crib.  Oh my goodness, when he spit that FULL TILT sentence out, I was a complete goner.  Yes, yes my teensy tiny little baby who can't possibly be turning 2 in three weeks, yes I WILL sit outside your bedroom door so you can see me when you peek up from your pillow as you fall asleep.  I know.  Complete pushover.  Whatevs.  Sometimes living and loving life means doing things you want to do even though you said you'd never do them.  Like coddle your almost 2 year old and ruin bedtime routines forever.  =)

Hoping you all have a full and blessed week.  Thank you again for all of the encouragement and prayers for our little family.  Your support and love makes this journey a little easier to bear.  Hugs to you!

Brittany