Saturdays

Saturdays are best spent just hanging out at home.  And that is just what we did today.  I enjoyed an early morning run and the girls enjoyed playing with some neighbors they haven't seen in a while.  We made chalk (and will return to purchasing ready made in the future!), played on the slip n slide and listened to the Beach Boys, Aretha Franklin and this Elvis song ... a current favorite of the girls.  A simple, perfect Saturday.  

 

Thankful for a sweet, full day.  Thankful we're one more day closer to, as Kate says, being a family again.  Miss this man of mine ...

more than I could express in words.  The last 2+ weeks have been a challenge to not see or hear from him.  As he once told me, "You know, I don't constantly think about how much I miss y'all, but sometimes it's just overwhelming."  Yeah, I know exactly what he means.
I know God has a plan, and I know His plans are good and I know that He will provide ... but yes, sometimes it's just overwhelming.  How blessed I am to have such a special person in my life.

New Experiences & The Return of Mousie and Bunny

My three older girls are going to camp this summer.  Hanson Ellis is the only one who has actually ever been, and she's only been once, so this is very exciting for them.  To make it more exciting, they were chosen to go.  The military has special camps for children of deployed parents.  The YMCA camp that Hanson Ellis attended several years ago is going to be the site of one and it just so happened that all three of the older girls fell into the age group there.  So, I took a deep breath, applied and prayed they'd all get accepted.  Well, because I'm writing this, you know they did.  I was apprehensive once they were chosen, worrying that this would somehow be a bad experience for them.  I wondered if they'd return from a week at camp with all sorts of new worries for their Daddy while he is gone and for when he returned.  Some friends of mine assured me that they'd have a positive experience, so with my anxieties relieved, we moved forward with preparations.

The girls filled out their questionnaire this afternoon.  Hanson Ellis and Parker filled out theirs on their own.  I made Patterson fill hers out by me.  Oh my!  Can I tell you how much I soaked up that very brief moment?   It was so precious to witness her reading and carefully thinking about her answers.  So absolutely priceless!  One of those moments in motherhood that sort of melts away all the bad moments:).  Just a seven year old, being a seven year old.  So innocent, yet a moment where she felt of the utmost importance.

"My name is ... Patterson."
"My favorite subject in school is ... english."
"My best friends are people who ... I like most."
"Most of my friends would say that I am ... nice."
"As my counselor, I would like you to know ... me."

I don't know.  Maybe your children attend camp regularly so you're used to these little moments. But for mine camp is a new experience and for me witnessing their anticipation is a super sweet.  It was also fun to see how each of the girls answered the questions differently.  Such a testimony of how different people interpret the same thing differently!

And finally, we have the return of Mousie and Bunny.  Mousie is Olivia's lovey.  But Mousie was lost for a couple of weeks.  Then Bunny (number 2 on her list of important things in life) turned up missing.  She really wasn't too concerned, or so I thought, until one night when she said her bedtime prayer.  "Father God, thank you for my sisters and for my Mousie (then she paused) he's not here, and for my Bunny (another pause) who's lost, ..." it was such a sad and sweet prayer.  I knew she really missed her Mousie and Bunny at that point.  We devoted the next morning to look for them, but were without success.  Tonight, however, Kate found both Mousie and Bunny under my bed!  Yeah!!  Olivia was so thrilled and Kate was very pleased to be the one who found them:).

Looking forward to informing the LTC that all is in good order on the homefront!

Morale Booster

I never would have thought my iphone would be such a morale booster.  But throughout the day, it is so easy to save an image and send it instantly across the country.  Lately I've kept Richard in the know about our day with images like these ...

 

Patterson after dinner working on a project.

Kate being Kate.

Olivia getting braver in the water.

Shoes for Kate ... just before we purchased them (if you notice, they are still connected:) and super cute).

A new haircut for Patterson, fresh out of the salon.

Just one way I can keep Richard "close" to us for now.  

And I'm not the only one ...

Every now and then I'll get something like the image below.  Sigh, my favorite army slogan.  

I love when he shows me that he's thinking of me!

So thankful for technology:).

Egg Sandwiches

It was almost midnight when I crawled into bed last night.  Not unusual, unfortunately, but last night it struck me in a way other than just being late.  I thought about how in minutes it would be Richard's and my anniversary.  As I started to think about that I remembered how hungry I was just before the ceremony and how someone had brought me a couple of egg sandwiches.  You know, I had forgotten all about that little detail!

My wedding was full of details ... from the way I wanted to the soldiers to enter to the bridesmaid's and flower girl's jewelry that I handmade from depression era beads.  The last fifteen years have been full of details as well.  There are the obvious ones of moves, births, etc.  And there are the random ones like the egg sandwiches.  I remember at 19 attending a Christmas dinner with Richard in the 505th Infantry ABN Chow Hall and causing quite a stir as the date of a young LT wearing black jump boots!  I also remember Richard taking Hanson Ellis and I to a night range when she was just one.  Was that legal?? :)  And I'll never forget how lonely it was sitting in the triage at Fort Bragg while in premature labor with Patterson and being surprised when a nurse walked in with a phone asking me if I was CPT Davenport's wife.  How way over in Hawaii you knew something was up, I'll never know, but I'll never forget how much that lifted my spirits and got me through that weekend in the hospital.  

Happy 15th to the best friend I'll ever have.  Thank you for loving me ... truly loving me in the good and in the bad.  

I know you'd lasso the moon for me if I'd ask!  :)

I love you Budrow.

Cousin Time!

Richard's sister Adrienne lives on the East side of Atlanta.  We live on the West.  With just about a 45 minute drive separating us, you'd think we'd link up all the time.  You would think, but you'd be wrong.  Funny how complicated schedules of eight kids can be!  Not to mention her husband travels.  My husband travels. Oh, and she and her husband participate in these little competitions known as Ironman Competitions.  Yeah, they are seriously crazy.  Crazy busy, I meant to say.  Crazy busy:).

Anyway, we were able to plan about three weeks ago a little museum trip for today.  We went to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History and had a perfect time.  A very kid friendly place with lots to see and explore.

Below is our trip ...

Goose brought her blanket ... which I ended up dragging through the museum (photo proof below) and which I was only happy to have after the encounter with the bubbles (see below).

Kate brought her barbie mermaid doll ... and if you look closely in these images, you'll see she held on to it tightly!!

There was a little t.v. inside this log that showed what would naturally be in it if it were out in the wild.  Pretty neat!

Above is a mock swampland with little holes at the bottom that were filled with turtles and snakes that live in the swamp.  Little treasures for the girls to find:).

Ahhhh ... the blanket.  I was walking around and I thought, "What is that I keep feeling on my leg?!"  Yes, the blanket hanging off my camera bag.  Lovely. One of those, "You know you're a Mom if ..." moments! :)

Okay enter Cousin Brett.  He is a HAM!!! So different than his big brother Ben.  I've always had a special place in my heart for Brett.  That place grew a little bigger today:).

Oh, and look ... other people with cameras!!

Bubbles anyone??

The heads cocked over EXACTLY the same KILL me!!!!! How funny is that?!

If you're ever in Atlanta ... stop by Fernbank.  You'll be glad you did.