sweet relief

It was a scorcher the other day, so in an effort to beat the heat, we headed to a nearby water park and cooled off.

Peach brought a friend along....so precious how they share so much with so few words.  Just being close is enough.

Tulip spent the day in the shade...can't wait for her to be able to join in the fun.  However, the snuggles in the cool tent were absolutely divine.

How could I ever forget her squeals and laughter?  Splashing around in the water made Peach absolutely giddy.....

Snack break..Peach tells me that snacks make her tummy happy.  :)  She packed suckers, crackers, cookies and gummi bears for her and her friend.  I'm so proud of that generous heart.  We've been praying for that quality in her and I see the Lord providing.  After her buddy left for a nap, she even found some other kids at the park to share with....it was a proud moment for me.

Now, if I could just get her to share her toys...keep filling her, Lord.

We left the park absolutely exhausted, but full of joy.  She's napping next to me as I type this and I'm looking at those sweet blonde curls.  This being a mom thing can sure be tough....but I'm promising myself not to wish one minute of it away.

How do I love summer?

I haven't always appreciated living in the midwest.  It took a summer abroad in Costa Rica to realize how beautiful my home is.  When I arrived in Costa Rica, my host family gushed over pictures of the midwest.  I thought they were crazy.  

How could people who live in a tropical rainforest envy the flat, boringness of Minnesota?  

But upon returning home, I realized for the first time that this place is beautiful...I just never noticed it because it was so familiar.  

One of the things I realized is so amazing about this place that I call home is the wonderful blessing of seasons.  Each one holds something precious.  Today, I'm thinking about how wonderful this season of my life is.  

How do I love summer?  Let me count the ways....

bonfires

s'mores

strawberries fresh from the garden

juicy sweet corn

getting spoiled by grandma and grandpa

flip flops

(on the wrong foot, of course, but I love that she tries)

grass tickling your toes

my girls celebrating Independence Day...

This season is a blessing and next season will bring its joy into our lives.  I'm so glad we get them all.  I can't lie...I complain just like everyone else:  too many mosquitoes in the summer, winter is too long, fall is too short, spring is so muddy...

But, if we lived in a place without these seasons, would we enjoy these perfect days of summer as much?

"To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven."  Ecclesiastes 3:1

success!

We did it!  I say "we" because it was definitely a group effort.  Hubby and I spent most of the past 4 days in the bathroom with Peach, but since they were rainy and rather cool, we didn't mind...too much.  Yes, there were frustrating moments and it was much more work than we anticipated, but Peach's sweet voice proclaiming, "I'm a big girl!" has been worth it.  Take a peek at our journey...

It all started with Peach on the pot in front of a movie...it was the only way we could get her to stay on for more than 10 seconds!

She read more than a few books on the potty while trying to learn how to go...

We had a few accidents....

...but the potty was never far.  When we had to go somewhere in the car, Hubby had the awesome idea to keep the potty in the trunk.  It was hilarious to see people drive by and do a double-take!

But one day, something clicked and Peach just figured it out...after five successful attempts she earned a special treat with mommy - cookies and chocolate milk at the bakery.  Look how proud she is....melts my heart!

We did the potty dance like it was our job!

Five more successful tries landed her a date at the ice cream shop with Hubby.

And she was even brave enough to survive her first port-a-potty experience!  Hubby gets super-dad points for taking her in there!

When I packed up her cloth diapers and put them away, I told Hubby that there was a small (very small) part of me that was sad....not because I want to keep changing diapers, but because this really does signal the end of her babyhood.  It is sad to find out that she doesn't need us so much any more.  But wonderful to watch her blossom and grow into the confident child that we hoped she'd be.  So it is with a bittersweet heart that I say "goodbye" to baby peach and "hello" to a whole new world with my big girl. 

Looking forward to more milestones and moments to be proud.  

tea party

One of the best parts of having girls is that I get to re-live my littleness with them.  One day, with ankles crossed just like a proper lady, Peach asked if we could have a "tea pawdee".  I smiled, thinking of dollies lined up in my childhood bedroom....we hauled out all of her "friends" and let the party begin....

The best part was the conversation.  It went something like this:

Peach:  Momma, you wan' coffee?

Me:  Yes, with cream, please.

Peach:  An' a pinsh o' soogar. (And a pinch of sugar.)

Me:  Oh, yes, you know just how I like it.

Peach:  Bear hungwy?  I give you two choices....you wan' waffles or fwench toas'?  Fwench toas'?  I give you waffles.  You wan' fwench toas'?  Okay.  Not too much syrup!

Me:  Laughing as I hear my words coming out of Peach's mouth.

Peach:  Momma....I yove (love) tea pawdees.

Me:  Me, too!

Peach:  Momma, I yove books an da bath tub an chocwat an...you!

Me:  Sigh.....and I love you, Peach....

Peach:  But, Momma...I don' yove domadoes (tomatoes).  I don' yike 'em.  Ish!

Me:  I know.....I know....

These are the moments that make the gigantic job of being a mom so very worth it.

When the tea party was over, I prayed for two things...

First, that I would never forget the sound of Peach's little voice that afternoon.

Second, that there would be many more conversations over tea...that someday we'd have tea as friends.  Not now....today I'm the Momma and she's the Peach.  But I prayed that the Lord would give me wisdom to raise these sweet babies so that someday they will be women that I admire and call my friends.  Not an easy task, but one that I am oh so proud of.

summer lovin'

I love summer....the fact that Hubby and I are teachers makes these months extra sweet.

Each summer of our teaching careers, we've worked to make some extra money to carry us through the school year.  This year, for the first time, we're taking time to just be....and it feels good.

 I'll admit that I was nervous about this at first.  I'm the practical one, always finding something to worry about.

What if something goes wrong with one of our cars?

What if our water heater dies?

What if feeding/diapering/clothing 2 kids turns out to cost way more than we imagined?

What if it ends up costing our kids five million dollars a year to go to college?  The meager savings we've started won't matter much.

That summer money sure could come in handy....

Thank goodness Hubby balances me out and reminds me that "life is too short" and "no matter how much we plan, life will always find ways to surprise us".  This not working thing was his idea and only 2 weeks into summer I'm so grateful for it.

We've already turned our deck into a summer playland...

 ...read more library books than I can count....

...taken a few strolls....

...produced some stunning artwork...

...and started the adventure of potty training.  (Having Hubby around definitely helps!)

And although life can be rough (who knows what bumps in the road we'll encounter), we're soaking up this time together.  No amount of dollars in the check book would be worth missing this.  And as Peach says whenever something bad happens,"Don't worry...I get you a band-aid."