Week 22 Around Here {2019}

Watching... Game of Thrones with Josh.  We are still in season one, so I have to be very careful of any spoilers out there... but I am so happy to have a show to watch with him.

Reading... Beauty (a retelling of Beauty and the Beast) for my neighborhood book club, and listening to The Nest on audio.  Beauty is just alright for me. It's not my favorite read, and The Nest is fun to listen to,  but also not a favorite.  Hoping some of the next reads will be more exciting.

Doing... tons of yardwork Saturday, moving sunflowers from the garden to the side yard.  Wyatt's first grade class grew a sunflower for him at one point during the end of first grade (last year) when he was home sick with super bad asthma and we brought it home, planted it, watered it, and it grew to more than six feet tall by the end of summer.  Well, we never cut it down and the flower was the size of a dinner plate.  All those seeds eventually fell out, planting themselves in the fertile garden below, and voila! we had TONS of tiny sunflowers growing there this spring.  We wanted to grow more than just sunflowers, though, so most of the self-grown sunflowers had to go.
Wyatt's Grandma Carol came and got some to plant on her land, and we decided to move a bunch to our side yard, thinking they would look so cool along the fence when they bloom.  It was a huge project, but I am so happy with the result and just can't WAIT for them to start flowering.

Hosting... Josh's sister and her boyfriend for a few hours Saturday night and having the best time playing Cards Against Humanity. Oh, the laughter.  My sides ached, and I cried from laughter. We needed that good time.  It was just the best.

Taking... Wyatt to his follow up sleep study to see if his obstructive or central sleep apnea have improved since his last sleep study in the fall.  He was so brave this time compared to last time.  There were no tears, no complaining, and he fell asleep so quick. I am hopeful that his obstructive sleep apnea is better now that his tonsils & adenoids have been removed.  *fingers crossed*
We will have results next week.

Spending... Monday at the lake with my parents and sister.  My parents are here to visit for a few days and see the twins play baseball, and my sister tagged along for the day to play in the water with her crew.  The kids had a fantastic time, and I enjoyed visiting with my mom and sister (as I always do).  Our boys (she has two and I have the three) are such a crazy bunch, I love that they have each other.

Eating... rhubarb pie which my mom brought with her when she came to visit. Oh man, it was so delicious (I tried to take a picture, but once it's cut, it just doesn't photograph well. Honestly, it looks a little like snot pie. Hahah!) I even had Josh and Samuel pick up some vanilla ice cream to go with it, and it was so, so good!

Spoiled... by my mom with new pajamas for Mother's Day (the shirt says, "I am enough" Gah! Love!), as well as some bookmarks (with magnets, so the kids will stop losing my page! #momprobs) and a BUNCH of clothes she got for me from Old Navy just because.  It was the sweetest, most unexpected gift, a giant bag of adorable tops and new socks, and the cutest shorts she and my sister thought would be flattering on me. So, so sweet.

Grateful... for the new bikes my parents bought the boys for the birthdays.  They are HARD on their outside toys (scooters, bikes, etc.) and I am so grateful for grandparents who encourage all that activity.  Lord knows I need them worn out at the end of each day. Hah!

Buying... kayaks after enjoying my parents kayaks so much.  We live less than five minutes from the lake, and kayaking is an amazing workout that doesn't feel like a workout.  The boys also loved it, so we decided to get them kayaks for their birthdays as well (which are all in June- the twins on June 6th, and Wyatt on June 15th).  I think it's going to be a family activity that we really enjoy.

Being... so impressed with my nephew Alvin.  He is seriously the most thoughtful person I know.  He showed up at the twins' game (he's staying with Grandma & Papa here for 2 weeks) with birthday cards for the twins (including cash money for them! Lucky cousins!) and a box of Annie's Bunnies for Carly to snack on during the game.  She was a FAN!  He spent the whole game cheering for the twins, and playing with Wyatt, which was just the sweetest.  He is a very patient person, and I was grateful he was there to entertain Wyatt.

Loving... the new adirondack chairs Josh bought me for the backyard.  (I'll have to snap pictures next week.) He got a red one and an aqua one, and they are SO cute!!!  I am really looking forward to many afternoons spent sitting in those chairs reading my books while the kids play out!

Putting... in our backyard garden, finally (!) and feeling so excited about it!  After school Wednesday we threw all the kids in the van and ran over to Lowe's to get what we needed.  We got tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, watermelon, pumpkin, carrots, strawberries & peas.  Wyatt also wanted raspberries & corn, but grandma is growing corn, and raspberries get too out of control, so we told him no. He's very happy with the garden, now that all is said and done (we do a lot of it just for him- he so enjoys it) and I'm so glad.  I also think Carly will be really into it this year.
We've never had success with the watermelon, but they are so darn cute, we keep trying every year. Here's hoping!!

Driving... Carly to Grandma's on Thursday morning for her day with Grandma & Papa, and then driving myself down to the lake for a little morning kayak session. It was seriously the most lovely thing ever.  I listened to a Brene Brown podcast from Supersoul Sunday about The Anatomy of Trust (so good!) and rowed myself all over the lake.  It was so serene and beautiful. I can't even tell you.
The water, the sky, the peace & quiet. I think I'm really going to love this.
And the best thing? The kayak fits in my van (a Honda Odyssey) if I put the back seats down and let the nose rise up over the center console between the front seats. So I can completely load and unload it myself. The coolest!!

Walking... the kids to school and back each day this week, and LOVING the roses that grow in front of one of the duplexes we pass.  The garden is so well tended, I could stand in front of their house forever, taking it all in.  They have roses in seriously every color, plus peonies, lilacs, hyacinth, snap dragons, lilies and even more flowers I don't know the names of.  I feel like they are a gift to me every time I walk past.

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{I needed to hear this one}