Oh, You Know, Stuff...

What have we been up to? Oh, you know, stuff.

Like swimming (just a bit, not very much honestly. it's crazy with these three.)


Of course, we have to kick the water (or practice our best Karate Kid moves).
We've done some shopping with a little one that looks more and more like his daddy.
We've done a VBS.
We've painted and made messes and masterpieces.
And, we've gone bowling.


To see more little glimpses into our daily life, be sure to check out my Project 365 occasionally.

Long Days...

Our days are long in this season.

The sun sets around 8:30 in the evening and rises at around 6:15 in the morning. The heat and humidity are a relentless oppressive force. The lack of rain has all the greenery in a shade of brown or yellow and gasping for life. The fire ants have waged war on our yard. Our electric bill is downright scary even with our thermostat rarely dipping below 80 degrees in the house (yet the a/c runs nearly continuously).

Three little boys, ages 5, 3, and 1, are together all the time. Our school-year routine has been broken, and the freedom of the days has us in a time-warped loop where we don't realize what day of the week it is except that we know Daddy's not home, so it must be a week day and not the weekend. Ryan has been working (seemingly) non-stop since April, with the exception for a few precious hours on the weekends. He's understandably worn thin, and his stress level is a big concern for this wife. The boys are fighting more than normal and whining far too much. Exhaustion and proximity are snowballing even in these hot lazy days, and I daydream hourly of a beach getaway or a cabin in the mountains... away.

And Yet.

Yet there is much to enjoy in this season.

Popsicles dribbling down chins, slip-n-slides that water a rectangular patch of grass in the backyard, longer stretches of time where at least two boys play well together, a great recipe for iced coffee that has been a lifeline, a blog that has provided great encouragement and spiritual challenges right when I needed them, a long visit from a precious friend and her three kids.

Lego creations strewn about the house, only one child in diapers, help from friends and family, backyard barbecues and get togethers with friends (who have pools!), time spent with my cousin, the reliability of the show "Wipeout" to gain the boys' attention so that I can clean up something - the kitchen, the Legos - anything, fresh pineapple and strawberries ice-cold from the fridge, the promise of this 3-day weekend for us to spend with Ryan.

It is far too easy for me to whine and complain (hmm, like my boys?) about how things are going this summer - how I feel like I'm caught in a monotonous loop of hours that keeps repeating itself with small variations, how I feel isolated much of the time, how I feel depleted - yet I am reminded of ways I am cared for and my needs are met. We might not be jetting off to a fun family vacation anytime soon, or spending each day at the pool since 1 adult on 3 active littles isn't quite a safe ratio, or out and doing this-or-that due to finances, yet this is a season we are in. Sure, it's a hot summer and one that feels VERY long for many reasons, but it's also a season in life with three young boys who will all too soon grow up. Lord willing, there WILL be a season of travel, of exploring, of summers spent poolside.

For now, I have been challenged to grab my glass of iced coffee and watch another episode of "Bubble Guppies" with my three offspring - and let my mind wander in all the ways I've been blessed. It's in turning my thoughts to goodness and His provision that I will endure and even cherish this long season.