Easter Weekend

Easter weekend was full and lots of fun.  In the morning I ran and the Georges went to breakfast.  I love their little tradition.  Whenever they can, they go out to breakfast.  Then, we had a birthday party to attend.  I took little George and he had a blast at an indoor playground with all his friends from school.  I have always wanted to go to this particular indoor playground, but have been waiting for a "bad weather day" to go indoors to play.  I have never found a good opportunity.  I bet you non- Californians are getting real tired of me bragging about the weather here.  Theres only like two months left of it so it'll be fine, you'll forgive me :)

After the birthday party we returned home and I tried to get George to nap while I prepared for big George's birthday party.  Nope, not gonna do it.  So I wore out the floor between the kitchen and his room over the next three hours as I put together potatoes, veggies, cheese and crackers, key lime pie and blackberry cobbler.  Not to mention tidy-ing up the house for company.  I don't think that part of me could be beat out of me with a stick.  I have become a lot more "chill" about things as I have adopted a new "California" set of rules for myself, but I can't NOT clean up before having guests over.  We had the best time.  There were about 15 or so friends who came over and blessed us with gifts (mostly in the form of beer) for George.  I thought I had been clear about no gifts, but alas, our lovely friends blessed us.  There was a beautiful Easter Lily, a Cheesecake factory gift card, 2 bottles of Georges favorite beer  from two separate folks, cigars, and more beer.  Everyone brought a dish to share as well.  We listened to music and grilled and just had a nice, casual time as we celebrated George.  My cobbler and pie were heavily complimented which always makes me happier than anything.  I love to please peoples taste buds with sugar and butter.  Its what I do!  I think George felt special to have so many there to celebrate him.  That makes me happier than any compliment anyone could give me, truly it does.  

Sunday was great, the Easter bunny came and brought wonderful goodies to Georgie.  He woke up and saw the spread and said, "What is this?" with every word a little louder and higher pitched than the last.  I had not prepped him much on the "Easter Bunny".  Church was beautiful and lots of our friends joined us.  They had an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids after the service and George was HILARIOUS.  Apparently I did not prep my three year old about any of the secular traditions of Easter.  He knew that Jesus died on the cross and rose again though.  My job is done.  So the hilarious part was after the adult who led the hunt said, "Ready, Set, GO" George ran about three feet and then looked at me and then just began to run around in circles.  Zoe, Evey, Madeline, were off like little bunnies but George had no clue what to do.  Then good ol Dad jumped in to save the day (I was laughing too hard).  Big George taught him how to run and find eggs and put them in his basket (*correction Tac's basket because we did not think to bring his Easter basket to the hunt).  Once he got the hang of it, he loved it!  We went home, had a little rest and then went for a family walk and enjoyed each others' presence.  It was warm and breezy and lots of families were in their front yards.  When we returned, we saw Thumper, (hop hop) immediately….OH wait, let me back up….

Before our walk, Karen (or landlady) asked me to please close the gate because her bunny escaped and she was afraid Thumper (Hop Hop) was lost forever.  I was sad for her and relayed the message to George and George.  Little George was very concerned and called out for Thumper our whole walk.  George and I laughed that the bunny was having the best day of its little bunny life, free from the cage.  

OK so we get home and I immediately saw him amongst the thorns of the rosebush.  The three of us surrounded him and tried several times to catch the bunny.  It was so hilarious y'all.  That little thing was fast.  We all looked like fools except for little George who giggled the whole time and just looked cute.  So I guess that makes me and big George the foolish looking ones.  After about ten tries, I got my fingers around that tiny little body with legs just a thrashin' and heart a beatin' a mile a minute.  I looked up and exclaimed "I got em I got em! Open the cage" 

So, there's the story of how I saved the Easter Bunny on Easter the spring of 2014.  Saved him from the best day of his little bunny life…

 George and Kaden at the birthday party, "Look, we're sweating"

An Earthly House and An Eternal Home

So the "Good Week" didn't end on Friday.  It continued into the weekend! Saturday morning I went to breakfast with Maynell and Stephanie to celebrate Maynell's birthday.  We split everything and it was truly one of the best meals I've had in a while!  We shared an omelette with lots of green veggies in it, Creme Brûlée French Toast and candied bacon! What a breakfast.  Then I came home and had a relaxing afternoon with the boys who rested.  I made another almond cake with lemon curd and raspberry buttercream for Lauren's birthday and then went out to dinner with Maynell so that she would not have to eat alone on her birthday (it's all about support of your friends, right?).  We dined at Houston's and had the best talk and best food too!  Two meals with this amazing lady in the same day without any interruptions.  Our sweet kiddos normally dominate the conversation.  I honestly worried that we would not have enough to talk about; boy, was I dead wrong!  We chatted and gabbed the whole time.  Saying goodbye to our year in California just got harder.

Sunday George had to get some work done so I took little George to the first service, the traditional one, at our church.  It was one of the most beautiful services I have been to.  We sang all my favorite songs- All Glory, Laud and Honor; Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates; Were you there? with a solo performance of Via Dolorosa that gave me goosebumps. We love our new found contemporary worship, but man it's nice to get back to the good 'ol hymns from your childhood that define church in your heart and mind.  

Sunday afternoon we FaceTimed with our realtor and looked at a house.  We loved it and offered on it immediately.  I should add that although this blog has not outlined our house search it is only because every spare second of my free time has been poured into said house search.  We've offered on two others that did not work out so this time, we were ready.  It has been an incredibly stressful time filled with just about as much excitement as we can bear.  Monday we waited.  Tuesday we waited.  Tuesday was George's birthday. Tuesday afternoon came and went.  Around 3:35 pm when we were about to give up on any news from the east coast (as it was 6:35 in Raleigh) we got a call from our realtor.  There were multiple offers but the sellers had decided to go with our "highest and best".  There was much celebration….on George's end….I on the other hand...how should I say this?...  I completely freaked out.  Completely.  After a few hours and a conversation with my husband, I was on board as well but it sure took a lot of thought and a long session with my therapist (aka, my sister).  There are many explanations for my freak out.  This is just such a big decision and such a milestone for us.  With this house, comes the end of an era and "real life" begins.  Come August, no more training- its real now y'all.   We may very well be in this house for all of George's (and any other children the Lord may bless us with) childhood and young adulthood.  No- its not perfect but it sure is close.  At this point we are both pleased as punch, tickled pink (when you see the bathroom, you'll understand this word choice) and thrilled with it!  We now just hope and pray that all the other inspections and appraisals go well.  Once the deal is more set in stone I will post a picture but as it stands now, I do not want to get too far ahead of myself.  

So I mentioned Tuesday was George's birthday.  He worked all day and into the night so there's not much to tell.  I did make him a key lime pie (his choice of birthday cakes) and had all his cards out on the table for him to read when he came home.  We plan to have a cookout this weekend with some friends from the neighborhood to celebrate.  

Wednesday felt weird.  Now that we are under contract, there were no realtors to talk to, no phone calls to wait for, no bankers to whom I needed to ask stupid questions.  I couldn't help but feel like I should do more than just sit on the patio but had no energy what-so-ever to do anything but that.  I put so much emotion, energy and work into this house search.  It makes sense that Wednesday was a little strange.  

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Today is Thursday, Maundy Thursday.  What an important day.  

"Lord, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet…not my will but yours be done"  

I love and cherish this statement by Jesus to God the Father.  I am so grateful for these words uttered by my Lord so close to his suffering and death.  It shows his human nature arguably better than any other scripture in the Bible.  He did not want to do this thing.  At least, he was conflicted about it.  He knew it was right but he was also human like us- built from atoms and nerve endings, he housed pain receptors in his physical body and deep concern in his heart.  Surely he was concerned about what it would physically be like to endure torture;  undoubtedly he was concerned over the emotional effect it would have on his mother, his friends, his brothers; absolutely there was concern in his heart about Peter's struggle that night with Satan, over Judas' decisions and fate.  In this statement Jesus confirms that he does not want this if there is any other way. But he did it.  He did it perfectly, without sin or flaw, without complaint, without a fight.  Jesus did it.  He had me in mind when he did.  How grateful I am.

This week I (hopefully) gained an earthly house and I also celebrate the Eternal Home that Jesus provided for me by so willingly laying down his life that I may live with him forevermore.  So glad the Holy Spirit gave me this little nugget on which to meditate as I head into Easter weekend.  Could not help but share it with you all.  I will not get another post off before Sunday so Happy Happy Happy Easter everyone! 

The Bad, the Good, the Holy

I have had one of my best weeks here in California preceded by one of my worst.  Isn't that always how it is?  I am not sure if the previous week was bad because I am homesick and we had so much fun with the Edwards' or if I was terrified about the reality of our return to North Carolina (its a logistical nightmare, in case you didn't know).  

Whatever the reason, the bad week culminated in a trip to a local health food store where I …well, where Georgie….well, where I…..OK- it was my mostly my fault.... busted a six pack of Coors light all over the floor.  Six brown glass bottles smashed into a hundred pieces on the floor of a tiny, hippy, lemon-grass-smelling, fresh-pressed-juice-pressing, tofu and temphe-carrying health food store.  OK, here is the story.  I thought I would save money and time and the earth by my "on foot" grocery trip.  I went to a normal grocery to get buns and beer for our family cookout that night.  George said to get Coors light because, lets face it, money is tight right now and as much as we love the good stuff, Coors light is a better deal. Then I went in Grassroots (the health food store) in search of a nut-milk bag (I've been making my own Almond milk).  I did find it but also found about three helpful and friendly store clerks who all told me the same thing about the "long time family business and all the wonderful benefits of Grassroots and that I had come on a good day because everything in the store is 20 % off…and…and…and…".  All I could think about was my time bomb son who had been in the stroller for over an hour now.  As I finally politely turned away from the friendly clerk to find the checkout, George pushed up forcefully on the roof of the stroller where I had stored the fabled six pack and exclaimed, "that is heavy and its hurting my HEAD!" crash…. I wanted to cry, crawl in a hole, disappear.  So embarrassing! So thats when it all went downhill.  I was just in a funk for a few days after that.  It was not just the spilled beer I was upset about, that was just the straw that broke the camel's back.  George had to work both weekend mornings but when he realized I was about to loose it (because of my fit over the bathroom floor that is endlessly flooded) he took George to the beach for the entirety of Sunday afternoon.  One would think I would have used this time to run errands or get things accomplished but I simply sat in the yard and let the sun bake all the frustrations out of me.  There were tears but sometimes that is all we need, a good cry.  When George heard about my afternoon, he was sad and said he had wanted me to have fun.  I told him that I thoroughly enjoyed my cry and it was exactly what I needed.  I sat, cried, talked to my sister, went for a walk, took in the beauty of the day.  If you think California does not have seasons you would be correct but if you think spring does not stand OUT here, you are wrong.  Every day here is sunny and 70- 75 degrees but spring is BETTER.  Can you even fathom better than sunny and 75?  In spring, every flower imaginable blooms and reminds me of what the Garden of Eden must have looked like, in spring the sunlight hits the palm fronds at the tip top of their crazy tall trunks so perfectly as the light breeze rustles them about.  In spring here, the orange blossoms bloom and every breath taken in is intoxicating and every breath out seems like a waste.  The air is clear and the sky is bright and enormous.  Sunday was the peak of spring to me.  When the sun began to set I headed off to my softball game.  I played a sport that I love with people that I don't have to explain anything to.  Teammates are sometimes better than best friends.  If you are quiet on the field it is perceived as concentration. There is plenty to talk about in the dugout other than what happens to be on your mind; "the pitcher is throwing a bunch of crap out there", "hey- hows the sun from the batters box?" "don't hit it to the right fielder, he's got an arm and will throw you out at first", " can I borrow your bat?".   To play ball and not talk was….well…perfect and just what I needed.  I also needed to drive fast on the way home and play the music loud with the windows down on the freeway and to feel, well, free.  Dad- if you are reading, I did not speed, it just felt fast and free because of the windows.  When I returned home, I sang a song to Georgie and said good bye to big George.   He headed into work to finish all he had failed to do today because he had given me an afternoon off.  I had two girlfriends come over and we talked about our struggles with young kids and husbands who work extremely hard at their jobs.  Husbands who do everything for their kids and who provide their wives with everything their hearts could desire.  It is so good not to be in this season of life alone.  Tonight I was reminded that there are many others who fight the good fight alongside me.  Sunday night I had vivid dreams of home.  I could honestly feel the heat and humidity of a southern summer night.  Monday I awoke and made a decision to have a good day.  I realized that every little thing that happened Sunday worked together to make me feel better.  What an amazing God to work out every single detail of my afternoon to work together for my good.  It makes you feel loved, I tell you what.  Here are a few pictures of the "good week" that followed the "bad week". 

This was the George's Sunday afternoon activity that allowed me to have a recharge.

Tuesday I made a cake for Maynells birthday

Almond cake with lemon curd (from our lemon tree) filling and raspberry buttercream frosting!

After school Tuesday we met friends at the park and this cuddle was captured digitally because cuddles like this are few and far between.

Wednesday was HOT so we filled up the pool and had popcorn made by Monica in the whirlypop. Get it Lena! Don't let those boys hog it all!  Aunt Patti, notice your quilt in the background.  It gets so much use out here!

This is the whole crew: George, Lena, Cole, Zoe

Slip n Slide Thursday

Friday:  Tac and George at the pirate ship playground I just discovered this week.  

Couldn't leave this out; George took this picture of Lauren and I. Who said mom's cant have fun at the park too?

I saved the best for last.  We have a new nephew!!!  Friday, George's sister had her second baby and he is so sweet and healthy.  We are so thankful!!!  Welcome to the world, little guy! George is going to teach you SO much about being a little boy in this family!

So there you have it, the bad week, the good week and now it is Holy Week. This is my favorite week of the whole year.  Praise God that he sent his son to this world to die this week so that we may live this week, this day, this year.   Jesus came and died and was risen from the dead to sustain us through the bad weeks, and so that we may sing his praises in the good weeks.  Praise be to God this Easter season.  Praise BE to God!

The Edwards' Visit

I had the pleasure of the company of my inlaws the last week of March.  We had a fabulous time and if I wrote about each detail, I would need yet another recovery week, so here are some highlights in picture form.  We had the most fabulous time but the only problem is that now everyone who has visited must come back because my in-laws got the best trip.  Finally, after nine months, George and I know where to go and how to get there and feel relatively comfortable on the freeways.  So everyone else, go ahead and make your travel plans.  Keep in mind we leave here in July!

George and "the fish"  at Red-O.  This was our one date night and I picked this restaurant in West Hollywood to try.  It did not disappoint, the service and food were excellent.  I must tell you that they had a 100$ Margarita on the menu called "The Benjamin".  "The Benjamin" was  filled with super fancy tequila and rimmed with gold instead of salt and served on a silver platter.  Obvi- we did not get that particular Marg.  That night on our way home, as we sat at a stoplight  George started to pump the breaks. I was like, "What are you doing? Stop that" and he was like, "What am I doing? What are YOU doing"…confused? We were too.  I got a text two minutes later from my friend down the street. It read, "Are you ok?"  Whoa. That was an earthquake. It was a longer one and registered 5.1 on the RS.  Crazy Right?

I loved how this shot turned out.  Taken from the backseat and behind the glass with my trusty iPhone. This is so hollywood (and you can even see the sign in the background).

This was after we hiked up to the observatory to view the Hollywood sign.  Its small, but it is there behind us.  The first three days they were here, George had to work, so I set out to entertain and I think they really liked this day.  We did a LOT of walking.  George did not want his picture taken. Try to ignore him in this particular photo.

The same day as the Hollywood sign hike, we visited Huntington Gardens.  Amazing and huge, I had never been here.  We had lunch at a cafe on the grounds and then walked all through the gardens.  Truly beautiful!

This was the first full day they were here. I just had to take them to one of my favorite coffee spots, Intelligentsia.  We filled up on espresso and practiced being "hip" until Georgie started to down the sugar packets one after another.  He got a little crazy and our "hip" facade vanished. I think it vanished when Dr. E and I both got bug-eyed over a 12 dollar cup of Joe but maybe they didn't see that….

Just a gorgeous palm tree on my walk yesterday. Had to throw that in.

Here we are on our last night, the most special night of all.  We got a babysitter for the little guy and then went to Perch, a rooftop bar that looks out onto downtown LA.  After one drink (and seeing my sister in law's doppelganger) we headed to dinner at Cafe Pinot where we shared a bottle of wine and had the best food wed tasted all week.  It was so good to sit around the table and talk like adults.  Most of all, after a whole week together we still were able to completely and utterly enjoy each other's company.  I cried when they left and that is worth mentioning…simply because how many people are blessed enough to love their in-laws and enjoy them as much as I do? Thats a real blessing, ya'll…..

and I am pretty sure I saw Tom Cruise at our lunch on Rodeo Drive.  What do you think?  Actually, I did see him, I don't want anyone's negative comments.  I saw him, OK? 

Picture update!

What we've been up to in picture form, because I am so behind!

Zoe's cat had 5 kittens, they are so adorable.  This one looks like my old cat "Kitty" (or "Fluffy" if you are reading this and your name is Lauren B). 

George's first roller coaster at Disney, "Goofy's Flight School"

The sequence is pretty funny.

Here we are stoked to be on a roller coaster because his cowboy boots gave him an extra 2 inches. woohoo!

We're still excited!

We're not so sure

We are absolutely not sure

George and the kittens

Zoe, George and the kittens

We got a letter from cousin Elizabeth today!!

George helped me babysit Tac

Zoe and George cuddled up on the couch watching "Epic" on our cold day of the year.  Note I said "our cold day" not "the coldest day"…Its been the only one.  Monica and I met at the park and decided the 61 degrees and cool breeze was simply unbearable so she invited us over to build a fire and make popcorn and watch a movie. I ask you, What the heck am I going to do next winter when it dips below 50??????????????????????????????