Summer is the joyous time of year when I can once again even consider spending time doing something "just for fun" such as updating our family blog. It's been months since either of us last wrote so we probably have lots to catch up on. Still, this evening I find myself reflecting on what a beautiful summer day we had today and wishing that life could always move at this pace.
Our day actually started with the sad realization that Zach is still sick with some type of stomach bug. It's been 3 days now that he's been ill and we were hoping today he would feel better. Mike took the three oldest kids off to church and Zach and I settled in for a mommy & me morning. After 2 retched diapers (poor kid) Zach finally felt well enough to curl up in my arms and fall asleep. There is nothing as sweet as holding your child in your arms while he slumbers with his little head on your chest. I could stare at his beautiful face forever when he sleeps like this. It is so peaceful, so intimate, and leaves you with such a feeling of being needed and loved. This is MY child and I am HIS mom. There is no one I would rather be and no where else I would rather be.
Upon returning home from church Annika announced that she really wanted to go to Grandma Eriks' house and eat baked potatoes and play LIFE. Our plan was to grill a nice family lunch and eat together but she was so set on seeing her grandparents that we relented and let her give them a call. They happily agreed to have her for lunch and said she could hang out there for a while. She felt like a million dollars being allowed her own special time with Grandma and Grandpa. Annika is the type of child who enjoys time to herself and needs some peace and quiet. That's often hard to find here. She thoroughly enjoyed having a whole afternoon to do what she wanted in the peace and quiet of Grandma and Grandpa's house. She came home refreshed and thrilled to see her siblings and play with them once again. A far cry from how she has felt about them for the past several days!
Feeling a bit left out, Abby begged to be allowed to call Aunt Lizzy to see if she could hang out at her house. She figured if Annika could hang out at Grandma and Grandpa's then maybe she could hang out at Uncle Mark and Aunt Lizzy's. She called on her own and politely made her case. Her sweet aunt and uncle graciously agreed to let her come hang out for the afternoon. Now she felt like a million dollars too! While she was there they ate lunch, went for 2 bike rides, went to the park, and played games. Uncle Mark even taught her how to play Risk (I don't even know how to play that game!) If she'd had her way she would have never come home! Here was a middle child finally getting some one-on-one attention and she ate it up! What a blessing this afternoon was to her! She also came home in a great mood and ready to play contentedly with her siblings!
In the meantime, Zach took a short nap at home while Mike snoozed and I made some thank you cards and wrote little notes to some friends. Jake got his half hour of computer time and we all felt refreshed by our half our of personal time spent doing something we had each chosen to do. Once Zach woke up we drove to Grandma and Grandpa Dekker's house. Jake had been begging to go "hang out" at their house since his sisters each had a place to hang out. While we did not intend to "hang out" there we did use their place as a home base for a lovely one hour walk along Plaster Creek which is near their home. Mike had been on this walk before with the kids and knew it was a beautiful setting right here in town. We had a lovely time! Jake fell asleep just a couple blocks from the end of our walk. We let him sleep for 15 minutes or so and then drove the whole family home.
Once we got home Mike set up the kiddy pool where the boys happily played in the frigid water (kids don't feel cold!). I put my tired and sore feet in (I should have worn better shoes on our walk!), Mike brought out ice cream treats and drinks, and we sat and enjoyed the perfect summer Sunday afternoon. Once the girls returned home they threw on their suits and joined our outdoor "party". Pretty soon, Mike started the grill and we had a delicious meal of grilled chicken, grilled veggies, and red potatoes. We were in such a great mood we even went ahead and let everyone have dessert! Talk about making the kids happy! :)
We ended our evening with the three oldest kids running around the front yard throwing water at each other while Zach puttered around throwing balls and hitting them with a plastic golf club. By 8:30 we managed to have the three youngest in bed and now Mike and Annika are playing with trains in the basement.
A day like today makes me realize that there are way too many moments in my life that I have a tendency to rush right past. Having a sick baby who forced us to slow down our pace and kids who reminded us that they benefit from some "down" time away from one another helped us all function better as a family. I am thankful for a beautiful summer day, a family I love, the blessings of home/family/resources that enabled me to enjoy the day in the manner I did today. I am cognizant of the fact that I am abundantly blessed and I see today as a challenge to myself to slow down enough to continue recognizing that fact and to make sure that I thank my Maker each and every day for the never ending abundance in my life.
12 years ago
