Daddy day!

Happy Fathers day! Here is the father of my children. Isn't he the coolest?! Especially because it was taken when we ran the Ragnar together. Did I mention we ran a Ragnar together? Probably not, I am so behind. So in honor of fathers day, I am going to catch up bit with some pictures...hopefully with some dads.

 

 

Back in May, the early part Jimmy and I participated in a 200 mile team relay down along the Cape. I ran close to 21 miles and Jimmy somewhere around 11 miles. We were in a van with some friends and my brother Poul. It was fun and not super stressful. We used our van and my brother who is the most competent driver out there drove a good deal of the time, especially when the traffic was a little overwhelming.  So here are some pictures from that adventure.

At the end of the race of the race in Provincetown we climbed the large tower. Inside the stairwell where several of the names of town in MA. Poul and Jimmy joined me as we hiked to the top.

Here is the finish from way up high!

And on to other aspects of our lives.  We did a spring share at our local farm for the April and May months. Basically we got to go to the farm and pick from their greenhouses that were filled with all sorts of greens. We always take time to play with the tractors outside and say hello to the chickens, goats and pigs. Now we are starting the main share, with all manner of veggies. And our garden is actually doing something productive. Hooray summer abundance!

Lucy is also taking her bike for rides outside rather than just in the basement. She is one of the most cautious bike riders I have ever seen. But I am grateful she doesn't just zoom away and shows some patience in this sport.

Recently Jimmy took Lucy on a Daddy-Daughter camping trip. It was an activity the branch doesn't sponsor, but definitely puts on the calendar. A good group went and Lucy had a great time playing with all the older girls. I will have to get some more pictures from Jimmy, but here is prep hair and some cooking they did while there.

Just last week we went strawberry picking at a local farm. The strawberries were not huge, but we got a few pounds. Lucy had to go potty right as we got out to the field so we made quick work of the picking, and then ran back towards the restrooms. The farm also has a great sandbox and playground. We took advantage of that as well!

Lastly, life around here the over the weekend has been pretty low key. We did go to a graduation party for two of Jimmy's cousins yesterday. But that was after what happened below. Sam decided at around 9:30 am that it was naptime again. He wrapped himself in a blanket on the couch, turned sideways and feel asleep. We were all talking and playing around him, but he was out for 2+ hours. Needless to say he didn't nap in the afternoon, but in general he still had a pretty good day.

 

I have a lot more pictures and updates on my other device, so sometime soon I will have to do another update. But at least I have some of May on here.

 

Someday I will become an effective blogger again -- but until then Happy Fathers Day!!!

Birthdays

Did you know that Lucy turned 4?! It is a little surreal to me, but it happened. And Lucy talked about it for months -- maybe even since she turned 3, and I still feel like it crept up on me. Well, it has come and gone and we are closing in on Sam's birthday, so I think it is about time that I document the weekend of Lucy's birthday. It was pretty epic.

Here is Lucy on her birthday. She dresses herself which makes almost all of her outfits quite memorable.

Jimmy and Sam were out camping the night before Lucy's birthday so we had a little girl's night. We had just recovered from a week of the stomach bug, so Friday evening we basically painted finger nails had English muffin pizzas and hung out. But on Saturday, her birthday I took her for a hike. She had to be motivated the whole way, but we got to the top and it was a beautiful.

On Saturday we had her cousins over for dinner. It was A LOT of fun! Ada, Alice, Clara and Peter are quite lively people. Well, Peter is a little baby, but he is awesome even if he isn't running around yet. Aunt Heather made Lucy a cape and she now matches all her girl cousins. It was fantastic! Then we had spaghetti and meatballs per Lucy's request and then strawberry cake. The frosting did not turn out as well as last years, but because it was all butter it was still quite tasty. See video of Lucy blowing out candles below.

Lucy got this cute dress from our wonderfully nice neighbor Nancy.

Sunday we went to church and then we headed up to Nelson for a party. My cousin Caitlyn was back from her mission and her brother Ryan had been married recently, so they had a shindig and we went. We got to see lots of family and friends.

Then on Monday Lucy had a little friend birthday party. We did a scavenger hunt and then painted small pots and the kids took home some starter plants. Then some of our friends stayed for a picnic at the park. I think the day was a success.

 

 

 

So that was Lucy's birthday in a very quick summary. We love our little Lucy. Except she isn't too little any more. She is now 34 pounds and 38 inches tall. She is a ball of energy and some one who loves to give really great hugs. Happy birthday Lucy!

April showers....

I think the term April showers should be defined as "being showered with lots of things to do, which causes you to feel a little overwhelmed and mostly exhausted -- but at least you feel very accomplished." That is how April has been for me.

What things are you asking? Well, mostly grading. This whole snow day thing really messed up with my groove of grading. I am pretty sure when the kids sleep (nap times and bedtimes) I grade -- which means I am grading 2-3 hours a day. While I am grading Jimmy studies for his SHRM test. His class is over but he is still outlining material and taking online quizzes.

This stuff doesn't leave too much time for extracurricular activities, so Jimmy and I end up staying up late just so we can unwind. Which in the end is not always the smartest idea because then we wake up early with our kids (who don't sleep much past 6 am). We have started leaving some snacks in their room so when they wake up they are not screaming at the top of their lungs "breakfast!!!"

But let's talk about what's most important -- we are playing OUTSIDE! Yes, I said outside and I mean it. I am in a much better emotional state because I can take the children outside. I have found I am not terribly capable of keeping the kids entertained inside, especially since they started getting bored of their toys. But outside brings so many more possibilities and it seems to tire them out quite a bit more. We have been to numerous parks, and walked the trails around our house much more than once. It is wonderful!

Besides the outside and grading thing, I have been stressing a bit about preschool for Lucy. Again, due to this endless winter, I have realized that Lucy probably needs to be attending a place that has a few more possibilities of entertainment and growth. Also, I am sure she will appreciate being around kids her own age that won't destroy her creations when she turns her back.

So I have looked at a few places in Millis and in Medway. We will see where it leads. Turns out you need to sign up for the public school preschool way back in November of last year. I was barely used to Lucy doing her 1 day preschool and did not have that sort of mind set then. But the ones we are exploring seem nice, and I am sure will make her happy.

Sam is a boy and Sam is stubborn. I feel like I say those things to myself all day long. I love the kid, but man oh man I do not enjoy taking him out of the bathroom every five minutes or watching him balance of very unstable boxes. He is also very loyal -- and then very resistant. So if he likes you, he LOVES you. Otherwise he tolerates you...kind of... It is a little bit difficult to explain, but if you have ever seen him around Grandpa Coop (his most favorite person in the world -- even over me!) you will know what I mean. I really think he takes grumpy old man to a whole new level. This stubbornness will serve him well someday, but for heaven's sake, it is difficult for me. Thank goodness he is the most adorable grumpy old man out there! Here is an example of his old man self -- I saw many older gentlemen walking like this in Spain. It brings me back!

Easter was very early this month. So we colored on some eggs, several of which I kids broke while coloring. We watched General Conference at home on Saturday. Then enjoyed a meal with our Spanish group friends, and then watched the 2nd half in the primary room.

Earlier on Saturday right across from our house we did a small egg hunt at the park. The town provided the chocolate eggs and we provided the kids. Lucy was a pro and filled her bucket quite efficiently. Sam picked up a few and put them in some other kids baskets. I am not sure he got the point--or did he?!

Lucy posed with the Easter bunny, which prompted the rec director to take an official picture for their brochure. I think Lucy experience with Disney characters served her well. She looked adorable!

The next day we went to Grandma and Grandpa Coop's for the morning and watched conference. Then we went to our friends' for dinner. Lucy is a motherly friend of their little girl. It is fun to watch them interact. It was a lovely, busy weekend.

The following weekend we went up to visit my parents to start a major project. We are helping them clean and organize the house. We made barely a dent -- but we have the whole year to really finish this project! The kids played with one of my cousins and we went right to work. I found old trophies, old notebooks, and my American doll Kirsten. Lucy likes that she can call the doll my name.

When the kids returned to my parent's house we had to figure out a way for Sam to nap. Because he is so set in his sleeping ways, he will not really fall asleep outside of his room, unless he is being held or in the car. So we plopped down on the couch and watched a fairy movie while Jimmy held him. He conked out without much of a problem.

After being at my parent's we went down to Billerica and then Bedford where we celebrated little baby Peter's baby blessing. Lucy and Sam love their cousins. So we spent part of the afternoon playing at their house. Another busy yet lovely weekend.

And since then we have been doing more of this...hanging around

 

Hiking the trails...

Dancing only as Lucy can dance (I signed her up for a Dance and Tumble class fyi...)

Acting all silly at the bridge (here is my hair by the way -- I am still quite happy with the short length)

In other news, we are beginning to prepare for a garden. This is round 2 of the garden. Last year we tried out all the beds with little if no preparation. We got some potted tomatoes to work and a few scrawny carrots. This year we have put in a little raised bed and already dug out and cultivated the plots much better. Yesterday we cleaned things up a bit more and got a bunch of composted manure. Our seedlings are sprouting inside so that is a plus. My biggest concern is the large ground hog and bunnies that roam our property. We will see!

So life is moving, life is busy and I am sure it will get even more busy in the coming months. In two weeks Jimmy and I are running the Cape Cod Ragnar. It should be fun, but exhausting. And recently I was called at the Young Women's camp director for our branch. Never a dull moment my friends!