Random

The last week of May I took my mom to Virginia for chemotherapy. It ended up being a very important week for me. I got the opportunity to express some things that helped me gain some much-needed peace and closure. I was amazed by and grateful for the support I got to make this happen. My sister-in-law and brother took Colin and Maddie, and friends took Ethan after school every day. Ethan ended up having the time of his life. He got taken out to the Lego Store, to Cold Stone, and spent time at a local restaurant, spoiled by the different moms that were taking care of him. I had to skip out on my last helping parent day in Colin's class and couldn't find a sub, but the teachers were so gracious about it. Jason sent me the picture below after he and Ethan went out to a late dinner. Supposedly this dessert was massive when Ethan started, and Jason claims he didn't help much.

The kids love grocery shopping and (somewhat surprisingly) are angels in the grocery store about 98% of the time.

Colin LOVES bubble baths.

We are tackling the yard. It can be hard to get stuff done with so much "help."

Field Trip with Ethan

The entire first grade goes on an all day field trip to the zoo, which is over 90 minutes away. It's not my favorite zoo, but we spent the day with Ethan's best friend Matthew and with Stella, the girl we carpool with. The kids get along great and I really like the moms, so we all had a great time.

Date Night

My parents alternated taking us on individual "dates" when we were kids. It's a tradition we're continuing in our family and I love how much Ethan loves it. I took him to dinner and to see Rango earlier this year. He ran upstairs to "get ready" and came downstairs in a polo (which he NEVER wears) and khakis and with his hair combed. We had so much fun, but I didn't think to take any pictures. He and Jason went this month. They rode their bikes from Shelley Lake to Crabtree Valley Mall. They played at the Lego Store and then ate at The Cheesecake Factory. Ethan's already looking forward to the next one.

Field Trip with Colin

It's always a hassle to arrange childcare, but I love going on field trips when I can. The one on one time is great and it's cute to see the kids with their peers.

Strawberries

Perfect weather + delicious berries = super fun FHE

Lemonade

Mother's Day

Jason was in Honduras scuba diving with his friend Ryan for Mother's Day weekend. I spent the afternoon at my mom and dad's with my family. I had a really strong feeling while I was there that it was going to be my last Mother's Day with my mom, so I grabbed my parents' camera and my sister-in-law and snapped a few photos. We found out a few days later (after Jason read her latest scan) that the cancer had metastasized like crazy in her peritoneal cavity. She left for the hospital Thursday morning and wasn't home again for over a week. I love you so much, Mom.

Baby birds

Some super intelligent bird built a nest inside Mark and LaDonna's gas grill. Luckily they noticed before lighting it up and decided to let their kids enjoy the birds. Except the one their dog got to. Oops. My kids loved holding the baby birds and the mom didn't seem to mind. Jason was not there, as usual, so Uncle Mark took Maddie on the zip line and bounced her on the trampoline. The kids love Mark and LaDonna's house and the attention they get from their aunt and uncle.