Roller Coaster Weekend

What a busy weekend! After we went to see Dylan play basketball Friday night, the weekend didn't slow down one bit.

Saturday morning I went with Lauren and Carsyn to have Carsyn's six-month pictures taken. What a doll she was!! The outfits Lauren had were so cute, Carsyn was in a great mood, and Heather (the photographer) is amazing. I'm so glad there are no videos of me while I was singing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song to get Carsyn smiling!  Well, anyway, it worked. We originally had the pics scheduled for Sunday afternoon, but weather reports said we might get a winter storm, so we went early.

The next few hours went like this: quick trip home~ run in and get a pan Lauren needed~ go to her house and help her get a ham in the oven, hold Carsyn while she packed up the last of the Christmas gifts and unloaded the photo clothes~ run back to the house to wrap Kaylee's birthday presents~ drive to Andalusia and pick up the cake~ go to Kaylee's party~hunt monsters with Dylan and Daniel~play ball with Kaylee~ make foamies with a BUNCH of kids~ sweep up foamie paper (looked like snow)~ get snacks to all kids~watch Kaylee open presents~ listen to screaming meltdowns from all over~ left with Robbie~ drove by cemetery~ had an emotional meltdown~ bought groceries~got pizza~came home~ sewed two onesies, a diaper bag, a bib, a burp~went to bed~got up~wrapped presents~went to church~went to shower for Leigh~came home and got plates and napkins~cleaned up after shower~came home~ate chili~cleaned up~went to bed.

I kept Saturday and Sunday together because, well--they ran together!

It's hard to believe Kaylee is three years old. Just two years ago Robert helped her open all her presents at her party at the church. Those events are so hard for me, but my goal is to behave in a way Robert would be proud of. Kandace has remarried, and that is hard for some to understand. But she is young, and the children need a strong family. No matter how hard it is for me to deal with, I never want to be a question in their lives. I don't want them to have to wonder why I'm not there or don't support them. Kandace is a good mother, and Dustin is becoming the daddy figure for the kids, especially Daniel and Kaylee. They were just so young when Robert died. He will always be their daddy, but Dustin deserves my prayers and support as Kandace's husband and the father figure for the kids. I realized that when I heard the song "He Didn't Have to Be" the other day. Being open to this change may be hard for me, but it's the right thing to do.

Next on the calendar of events in this household: Grace's 6th birthday!!!! Yeah!! It'll be fun--cake and games and bouncy houses. I LOVE their birthday parties!!

Finally--big things are going on in our house! I am preparing the boys a room of their own -- cleaned out the sewing room (You really cannot appreciate the magnitude of that statement since I did not take before and after pictures)--and we are getting new flooring!! Go us!! I'm so excited!! Also, I'm putting this in writing so that it is concrete and has to be acted on: WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING TO PARK THE CARS UNDER AND GET INSIDE WITHOUT GETTING WET WHEN IT RAINS. So there--I've asked for this for over twenty years and I'm not giving up. IT IS HAPPENING THIS YEAR. Seriously. No kidding. I hope.