Closing out June 2016

Suns Out Guns Out! 

 Hi Friends! Hope summer hasn't been TOO hot for you all! I cant believe this intense heat. We have been living in our pool Friday-Sunday with a couple weekdays in between. Its so nice to hang out with family, friends, and especially my little monkeys outside. Swimming wipes us all out and mornings are finding us getting up later and later. I don't mind one bit! I have always loved summer and as a child spent my entire summer  break at a lake or pool. Its so fun now to watch my children doing the same. I think we have even made a pool lover of Brian :)

swimming with Aunt Karen

So very tired....this is how I found him in the playroom 

my beautiful fishes! 

 June has been both an extremely busy and an extremely sobering month.  I don't want todays post to leave people in bummed out  mood by any means so I will just speak briefly to the inner sadness I have been battling. I know everyone has heard of the passing of baby Lane Graves. I did not know him or his family, but they were from Elkhorn (where we live) and I have MANY friends who personally knew them or family members. My brother went to high school with the parents, so I suppose I did as well although I do not remember them so they must've been closer to Toms grade than mine. The tragic events that led up to his death and everything following are so traumatic I find myself tearing up anytime I allow thoughts of them to overload my mind. Being a mom of children the same age as theirs has this hitting way too close to home and grieving for a child I never knew and will never know. Watching our community and communities all over the US come together to grieve with the Graves family and raise money to show love and support has also overwhelmed me. I went to a handful of places looking for blue ribbon to tie around our front and back porches last weekend and every place was bare. You could find string, ribbon, etc of all colors and shades EXCEPT for blue. I resorted to buying a blue plastic table cloth that you would get for a bday party of something and cutting into strips which worked just fine. Its amazing to drive down every street and see blue. The Nabity family is one whom I knew very well through high school. I danced with both the oldest child and then a younger daughter as well as hung out with their oldest son. They too lost a child to drowning, and their dad who is well known in our community spoke about it on the radio last week. Its touching and really helped me gain a little peace and hope that this family will eventually come out alright. They will never be the same and will always be heartbroken of course.....but well just listen to this if you have time (its 20+ minutes but so worth it).

http://kfab.iheart.com/media/play/27084281/

I know not everyone has a strong relationship with faith, but regardless you have to admit he helps give some hope to the situation. I haven't been able to stop thinking about his comment regarding the next phase of life...or heaven...or whatever you may believe happens after our physical body is done here on Earth. When he said that if you think that all we have to live for is what is happening on Earth or our lives here and now you are in big trouble. To me that made so much sense. If you think that this is it.....our physical bodies sole purpose is just to walk this earth and then be done....how sad! I mean you cant really believe in souls if you don't think that they go someplace once your heart stops here on Earth. I just don't know how I could go on thinking that that was it for Lane, or loved ones who have passed. I do believe there is a greater purpose for them and that they are in a better place where we will meet again. I don't know why that bit in his interview hit me so hard but it truly made me a stronger Christian right when I listened to him speak of it. Yes live each day to the fullest but also find peace that when that last day is up there is still more for our souls to do and experience. Ok I'm done :) Religion and politics were never something I wanted to spend a lot of time blogging about as they are super sensitive subjects for a lot of people. This concludes the somber part of the blog.

Benny at the Lemonade for Lane fundraiser

I mentioned that June was both somber and extremely busy. Busy is an understatement. We started swim lessons with Ben weekly, we've had lots of events/weekend activities/bday parties/ family stuff, and Brian was traveling for an entire week!!!!! It was a very long Monday-Friday but we all made it through and to be honest I have some really great kids. Its exhausting having to play both mom and dad 24/7 for 5 days but they really do listen well (for a 4 and 2 year old who also happen to be brothers that enjoy getting the other one riled up lol). I loved having them both snuggled in bed with me every night and got a lot of 1x1 time with each of them that I don't always get when their wrestling buddy (aka Dad) is home in the evenings. True to Benny-form he randomly woke up Tuesday morning with a nice black eye! We still have no clue how he got it. At one point i put him on the floor in the sleeping back bc he was kicking Easton and making him mad so its possible he rolled into my bedside table or something? No clue! Only this child......Besides that we made it through the week without any illnesses, injuries, or major meltdowns! I call that a success. Here is a sweet video the boys recording to Brian one night when he was gone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGQjCkVhzCI

touch guy! 

my loves snuggled up in bed with me! 

 You know your a boy mom when something like this happens to you: The whole family (Brians parents included) are in the pool playing and chatting away. Benny comes up to me and rubs his face in mine....I think he's giving me eskimo kisses so my heart swells a bit. He leans back and says "I wipe my boogers on you".......... LMAO! Seriously! The kid keeps us laughing to the point of tears 24/7 and kids in general sure know how to knock adults back down to reality.

We FINALLY got Easton off the diving board this past weekend. Now I know I say it all the time how he is our cautious, scaredy cat child....while Benny is the adventuresome, no fear boy. Welp we finally got them both on the same level when it comes to being in the pool. Ben has been jumping off the side and done the board a few times already but on Saturday both Brian and I got Easton to join the club. Granted this took him standing on the edge of the board crying for about 20 minutes and Brian and I bribing him with a new Wii game (which I had already bought at a garage sale) but he did it.....and surprise surprise he came out of the water laughing and saying how much he loved it...now we cant get the child to do anything except jump off the board :) Here are some clips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwWxNpSQvgw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g8ZvnyQC-c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ9VJMfoadA

Keep enjoying June as its almost over! Love you all and God Bless! Have a safe and wonderful 4th!

sweet sweet face!