My Rock

I feel like I've been on blogcation!  Our summer days fill up and go by so quickly!  I feel guilty because I continue to quickly read through my friends' blogs, yet can't find the time to work on my own.  It's my loss.  I am the one that loves to go back through our days and see what a blessed life we live.  So I vow to do better in documenting our lives.  There are just so many distractions...

Besides that, this week I've been very sad.  Yesterday was our Anniversary, 14 years.  (Actually, 21 years since we've been dating!)  But that's not why I'm sad.  I am sad because a dear friend lost her husband at 38 years old.  The picture-perfect family, a beautiful wife, 4 gorgeous children, ages 5-9.  That is not right, it is so unfair.  My thoughts have been consumed by my friend's new life without the love of her life, and how she is going to cope.  (Her sister has a gift for words, you can read her blog about her loss, http://chirpandbuzzandroar.blogspot.com/, and her own blog is on the right called, The Great World City.  So I am sad that sometimes I miss my husband when he travels, but now, that seems so selfish.  Rob was out of town yesterday, on our anniversary, and it was our friends' husbands' funeral.  I stood in line by myself for three hours just to hug her and share hugs speechlessly.  She was blessed with an amazing husband, just not long enough.  So, on our anniversary, I toast my darling husband and my partner in life, and I thank God for everyday we have together.

21 years ago, I went bowling with a group of friends, and he was there.  Afterwards, he stopped by with a group of guys at my best friends' house.  We hung out for awhile, and I thought, I REALLY like this guy!  We've never looked back.  We've had our less easy times, and some pretty big sorrows, but we've worked hard to keep the lines of communication open, and have done our darndest to keep our bond, on many levels, healthy and strong.   A marriage needs tending, regular doses of laughter, gazing stupidly at each other, and the unwavering insistence on being the best friends we can be.  We fit, and I couldn't be happier.  Happy anniversary, my love!

So we had a good time, it was nice.  Caught up with some great friends after 20 years.  Wish I would've pulled out the camera just a bit earlier.  What was I thinking?  My camera is usually attached to my hip at every occasion- sometimes even at home, even when I'm making luch- just so I don't miss anything.  Well, here, for my 20th - that I had no set expectations for, feeling very overweight and not-so-proud of my physical state, I did feel the need to still go to see my friends from some of the best years of my life.  It's hard committing going to your 20th!  All everyone sees is your appearance, because they don't know the life you've lived for the last twenty years.  So, as happy/content/fulfilled as I was on the inside, to show up at your 20th a little droopy in places and a lot in others, it's pretty hard to suck it up and head on over to face everyone head on!  After catching up with so many familiar faces, I loved sharing about my life and our roller coaster of events that have brought Rob and I even closer.  Would I change one thing about my 20th?  For sure my weight and maybe a really good wrinkle cream to work some miracles.  But would I change the friends that we still talk to from my graduating class ("The Gang"), and the memories we've made since 1990 and WAY before.... not for a minute!   

Mexico Memories

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All in a day....

My sweet cousin, Steph, at Young Life fund raiser car wash cleaning up our van-- thanks Young Life!

Erika, taking pics of the clouds- making a book of cloud stories

Nighttime- went to tuck my emmy in, had to run down and grab my camera, can't miss these moments!  (she is listening and following along to a CD Audio book from the library)

Thought Bear was in bed, and she was surprising me cleaning the playroom- she cleaned the kitchen the other night while I was working out--- she's growing up too fast!!!!

Loving the prints in the girls' bathroom- found them at the Pink Hippo in Lebanon.  Needed to "update" the girls bathroom a bit, so maybe they won't hang out in mine so much; just a little more grown up in there.  Now I can't get them out!!!! 

All in a day in the life of a camera...

Downtown

Well, us girls hit the town- downtown Lebanon, that is!  We had a few days where it was the perfect 75 degree weather, and when I asked the girls what they wanted to do on such a gorgeous day, (I was preparing for a trip to the zoo) they squealed, "Lebanon shops!"  So off we went!  Allowance in hand, agenda in mind, and giddy with excitement as to what shop to hit first.  Our favorite is the Enchanted Village, but I tried to explain to the girls that we need to spread the money around a bit- just to keep it fair.  We visited two new stores that we adored and found some great "giant pears" for the kitchen.  We stopped at Whit's for ice cream, then went to Oh Suzanna (which my mom tells me is closing- it was hard enough for Fella Bella to close their doors, but Oh Suzanna is also an icon in Lebanon.  I hate to see it all happening before my eyes. 

Anyways, the girls were determined to find a "good buy" and find a Vera Bradley "something!"  They get it honestly.  Not that I'm proud of that- I was 35 when I bought my first Vera bag- can't believe my girls save their nickel and dimes to buy a handbag as well.  Ellie looked at me with the utmost reasoning in her voice, "But mom!  I am six and I have yet to carry a Vera bag of my own!"  (yikes!) 

Each bag perfectly decribes their personality, and they definitely had fun picking them out.  Erika decided on a navy blue and pink lunchbag that was a "steal", Em wanted a wristlet in the same print as her Nana, and Ellie, welll Ellie just picked this hideous purple print- oh my! 

 It's the memories that count, right?!

4th of July Fun!

After having my 20th year reunion this weekend, it is so comforting to know we have a core group of friends we still get together with from high school in my graduating class.  We have gone on vacations together before we started having kids, helped each other move before we could afford to pay movers, taken pregnancy tests together, and watched our kids grow up together.  Each time we get together, the luckier we feel.  This past year, we were at the Wright's, and had three families missing and we were still nonstop/outnumbered by children! 

Summer Days

                                         Our favorite summer snack, yum!