Owe you a little catch up...

I was looking at what I posted over the past couple months. It's been...hit and miss...to say the very least.  I had such a good rhythm going for awhile.  And I started thinking...why? What happened? I don't understand. It's not like it's been a busy couple months or anything. But then I started thinking about our calendar...and boy did I realize...how WRONG I was about the being busy part. Very wrong. And I think that's exactly how we got to where we are today! Here's a run down. Not b/c I want anyone to feel sorry for me...or anything. Just simply because...it's the truth. And it helps explain why I've crawled under the covers and/or sat in front of the TV instead of turning on my laptop and working on documenting the craziness. When you're in the trenches good and/or bad...it's just exactly that...and stopping to document said time doesn't always come make it to the top of your to-do list!

It all started in April. The first weekend of the month was Easter. Not a terribly busy weekend...but busy with studying and some easter egg dying and hunting. It was followed with our weekend to Columbia for Jer's PE. The last weekend in April we had a Linley family trip to the Lake of the Ozarks...and apparently I fell of the band wagon of blogging there.  Following that Owen wrapped up his last week of school, we had a parent teacher conference and then Jeremy came down with our first case of the plague.  Jackie and Paul's baby shower was the 3rd weekend in May. We spent Memorial Day with our second case of the plague. We spent our whole weekend with a fever and virus ridden Owen.  Jeremy signed up for to help paint a house for bucket brigade and spent two Saturday mornings doing that.  And we just spent our first full glorious June summer weekend on antibiotics and ibuprofen holed up in the house like it was 2 degrees outside...because Cooper and I came down with the same plague.  Rack up cases 3 and 4 of said plague.  I swear the sunshine mocked me with abandon as I pretended to feel better...did I mention that my strep throat was so bad I ended up on steroids to bring down the swelling?  I'm still currently finishing them up.  O.M.G. does it hurt like nothing else!

That being said...it appears we are on the mend! (knock on some wood...anybody have a slab of oak I could borrow??)  And that means this Momma is ready to embrace the summer with a new found focus. It's all about keeping the calendar a little clearer.  Embracing the little things. Hunting lightning bugs. Swimming, relaxing and BBQing.  Playing with sidewalk chalk, bubbles and just growing as a family of 4. We're also hoping to stay healthy and have so much fun we're ready to kick summer to the curb and welcome fall!

I'm starting by getting this blog caught up...so when I look back in the future...I won't think nothing happen in spring of 2012 b/c I didn't get around to blogging about it! We've got lots of pictures and stories!  So stay tuned for lots of good stuff.

In the meantime...enjoy a snapshot of the little things.

Playtime before bed with Owen.  More and more we are beginning to have precious conversations that I cannot seem to capture in writing...even if I try.  But I will anyway!  Tonight...we made shapes with play dough...and used these fun tools to turn them into snakes.  Our snakes chased each other around his play table and he laughed with abandon at me and my silly impressions. We also put together 2 puzzles. One of which he needed zero help from me to complete! He names the wheels and several other parts. He also clapped proudly for himself as each piece went into place and as he finished and the train whistle blew, he looked like he'd conquered the world!  He's growing up so fast! And I'm so proud of how far he's come...and am enjoying every single second of the small conversations that happen...even in the last 25 minutes before bed.  Thank you God for Owen.  And for talking with him tonight about circles and stars and squares. For rrrolling his play dough and him mocking me saying rrroolll! For making sssss sounds like snakes and hiding them behind his play dough toys.  For talking about the cars on his Cars 2 puzzle.  He said Mater just like Holly Shiftwell does in the movie and I couldn't stop laughing at him!!  And when we were done we cleaned up without complaint and he took my hand and led me on to the next thing we were going to do. "Come on, Momma!"  Music to my ears, bubba. You lead the way!