Details…Inspiration…Details...Inspiration

I felt the need to put one of my recent posts (Grace) on Facebook. I hoped it would encourage and touch my friends who had lost a friend way too early. Wow. What encouragement I received from my friends, family and even folks with whom I had lost touch. God is so good. I was able to reconnect with some special friends that life had led me away from until now. Friends who encourage, love and support each other. Isn't that what its all about? I was able to ride on the wings of that encouragement for the better part of a week.

However, I found that every time I tried to compose another post I became intimidated. I have never had so many people read my thoughts. I guess I feel the need to come clean and let these possible new readers know what this blog is really about most of the time. I call this my Mom and my Mother-In-Law's blog. When we moved to California, I promised that I would keep those two updated on our daily lives so they wouldn't miss out on one detail of little George's third year. And I have- in painful detail. I learned that I love to write as long as there is no time line or grade given or any expectation really. Yes, I do write the occasional inspired post but most of the time its just about how many times my son picks his nose in any given day so feel free to unsubscribe at any time. But…..But….. I would hate for you to miss those occasional inspired posts because they are not from me, they are inspired by our wonderful, loving, gracious God. Everything that rings true to you in any post of mine is surely from Him, and not from me. There might even be an inspired paragraph within a whole story about a museum trip, tantrum or playdate. Just like life- always be ready for that little bit of inspiration that hides in all the day to day events that we seem to trudge through. With that said, I do have some inspiration for you after I fill in the grandmamas on whats been going on with us. Wait for it! It will come!

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Weekly Update:

When I last wrote, our household had experienced an afternoon and evening full of sickness. It must have been food poisoning because big George never got it and we were better Tuesday. I will spare you the details of Monday- you've all been there- in a few words it was: laundry, wipe surfaces, drink fluids, force fluids on three year old, laundry again, fluids, dishes, naps. Funny story, little George usually naps at 2:00pm. Today I put him down early (12:30) because he seemed like he needed it from all the "activity" the previous day. I came back in my room and realized that he must have pushed the daylight savings time button on my alarm clock because my cell said it was 11:30am! It made for a great nap- he slept until 4pm when I went in to wake him up. To be sick is the worst! I was able to finish laundry, change the sheets and get the house back in order (when all I wanted to do was get under my covers... no rest for the weary). Tuesday was a pretty normal day but Wednesday I decided it was high time for a Disney trip. Usually Disney is easy and sure to make us feel better. Today it took 2 1/2 hours to get in the gates. Traffic was horrible on the way there and our usual thirty minute trip took an hour and a half. The other hour was spent in a gridlock as we waited to park because Disney happened to have lent out their parking lot to the convention center. After we were in the gates though, we had a wonderful time. We rode the teacups twice- I told you…painful detail.

Autopia- George was like "Ma- put away the phone, I'm tryin' to drive here"

Cotton Candy for being such a good boy

George in the Dog Pound

Thursday George went to school and then played in the yard all afternoon. I had no energy to fight him on the nap issue so he played until the farmers market opened and we went there for the evening and met friends.

this is my failed attempt to get Cole, Lena and George to smile for the camera.

The above features Cole

this one features George and Cole

Cole

Lena and George were having a contest to see who could get dirtier

Friday was Valentine's Day and I would have been a horrible mom had I not set up a date with his girlfriend here in California. Zoe and George have been best buddies since the moment they met. Their little relationship has just blossomed and it helps that their moms get along great too. We took them to the park for a picnic and then to the soda shop for an ice-cream treat.

We returned home too late to fight for a nap so we delivered the rest of our valentines to our neighbors.

Proverbs 29:5

"Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet"

I read this after we delivered them, I wasn't trying to spread a net...

The youth pastor at our church was kind enough to offer childcare (for FREE) from 4pm-8pm on Friday night for Valentine's day, so I took George to play with a few friends while I got ready for our date….I should mention we had no "date" in mind at this point. I really had no idea if George would even make it home in time to take advantage of this free babysitting opportunity. I put full faith that he would and when he called to say, "Lets dress up and go out" I was dressed and ready to go in five minutes flat. Woohooo! We went to the Langham Hotel Bar and shared lobster sliders and sweet potato pomme frittes. So last-minute... so perfect! Saturday we were supposed to have a family beach day but George got called in. Off with the bathing suit…..Sunday after church we decided to make our beach trip happen... on with the bathing suit! Huntington Beach, here we come! A little cool but still able to sit on the beach. Fish tacos at an outdoor restaurant finished our day on the right note and then put our worn out boy to sleep on the way home. Ahhhhhh. Silence. Can you hear it? Monday George was supposed to work but the case was cancelled so he was home by 9:00 am. Can you see the theme of our life: plan for George to work- he comes home; plan a beach trip- he has to work. Why do I even try to plan anything?? We decided to go to the zoo and then a hike but plans were foiled again when all of LA decided on that same zoo trip. The Autry Museum was right there and on our "to-do" list as well so we looked at cowboys and ind….Native Americans for a while. We panned for gold and thought we might find enough to pay for dinner but I must have lost the three flecks in transit from the museum to the car. Then we hiked to a waterfall in Eaton Canyon/Angeles National Forest in hopes of a quiet afternoon and some family time. When are we ever going to learn that there is nothing quiet about LA. At all.

us, and our LA family

If you look closely, there are repellers making their way down the waterfall. That was fun to see.

Another day without a nap and our boy was exhausted again. I am not sure why because we carried him 3/4 of the hike. Tuesday was a long day and so was Wednesday. No naps + no daddy around till after bedtime = tired mama with achy back.

And for good measure, here are a few photos from the past few weeks that I couldn't leave out: