Nate says...

...It's 7:30 a.m. Nate is happy and chipper this morning. He keeps talking about how cute Eli is.

Then, a few minutes ago Eli came in: "Nathan said my cute is starting to get annoying."

Yard Work: Irrigation

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Break: 20 Games

Our little school did take a spring break this year. Mostly, I wanted the break and I loved every.bit.of.it.

On Monday I spent the day cleaning floors. We spent the weekend wrecking my yard with a tiller....and the result was an incredibly dusty floor. After that I spent time organizing, planning for the rest of the year and resting. Oh, and....

Playing Games. Board games, card games, you name it. I gave the boys the challenge (on Wednesday, I think) "how many games can we play over Spring Break 2011?" Implications, of course, that maybe this will be a future family tradition.

It was too fun. I rested from doing much reading to the boys and just lay on the floor and played.

Our Favorite Games:

*Let me begin by saying that I'm much more apt to play a game I enjoy. For instance, I do not play Life, Candyland (unless it's for school), Chutes & Ladders, or Creationary. But the boys like to play these games together.

Memory (of course) I must tell you that this game became much more fun once we learned to turn over 4 cards at a time rather than 2. The game goes more quickly, much more quickly.

Blink This is a card game, simple, quick and sweet & everyone likes it!

Monopoly Jr. Picture lemonade stands rather than real estate, $5 bills rather than $100 bills, kid math. The kids like it more than I do. ;)

Sequence I have always loved this game but love it even better with our new version of States & Capitols Sequence version.

Golf card game played with a Skip Bo deck

Lucky Boy card game

Headbands I actually enjoy playing this game designed for younger kids for awhile. We always laugh a lot

Max This game is a cooperative game, I highly recommend it for families with younger kids that enjoy cooperating and hate to loose. :)

10 Days in Africa is a lovely strategy game. This one has been great for firming up our geography

Our new favorite, I picked it up on my sister weekend, is Roads, Rivers & Rails. What a delightful game. There are different variations you can play, the first time we played the game lasted nearly 1.5 hours and it was so fun. A little strategy, planning and scheming. There is a winner in this game but it's very much a team game. I love it!

I know there are more, and I'm sure that I'd like to link up each one of these games so you can find them or their rules quickly. But I'm not going to take the time, however I'd be happy to answer questions!

Oh....and if you were wondering, we played 20 games for Spring Break 2011

...all Graces counted in my book

484. 5 year old string bean body

490. inspiration for projects

491. game time giggles

495. photos and flood of memories

499. reconciliation

508. grocery carts

509. swim towels

510. new reader wins basket full of books & so soft bunny

349. contented dog sigh

359. hope of a weekend

362. God made even cactus

370. apologies, forgiveness

377. a good job for my sweet husband

283. stuffed animals on kitchen table
all, all of the graces. Let me never miss one.

Without my hairbrush

Without my hairbrush I step out of the house on a quiet Saturday morning, suitcase in hand. A breeze of adventure whispers around in the air & I silently count my opening tulips as yet another gift.

Then I'm in my car, driving South to meet my sweet & true sister in a new town somewhere in the middle. We meet in the teeny old downtown and check into our ancient but charming hotel. The chatting, the pouring, the meeting begins.

We wander to a coffee shop and talk, share, laugh. When the sun is fading and breezes pick up we walk, eyes poking into the windows giggling and "ooo-ing" at this and that. Sister makes the hilarious observation; the mannequin with no clothes and missing an arm stands proudly under the sign store "Enough". Or was it "Plenty?" Memory fails but we laughed and laughed and isn't this what I love in a sister?

We wander back to the hotel with nothing to do but dine and talk more. Filling in all the spaces with the moments missed in each others' year....this is our second annual sister weekend and I cannot wait until the third.


We eat wonderful food and sip on the most lovely cherry-plum wine. Eventually we head back to our room and snicker at blown fuses and waiting in the dark for the desk clerk to finish the Ghost Tour in the hall. We talk, and talk, pour words in to our room and hearts.

Sunday was more of this; more talking, much walking. We showered and chatted more. I forgot my hairbrush but borrowed my sister's, I made it just fine. A little shopping and treasure. A hunt for the perfect lunch, and then we part, both back to our lives of plenty; homes, husbands, boys a-plenty. I'm grateful to be home and so grateful for the time I had.

It amazed me when I walked upstairs to find not one but three walls gone from the master-bedroom side of the house. The space is open and I can see only light and my husband's giant smile at his accomplished weekend. I love the new space.

I'm grateful to be home, grateful to see this morning my tulips opening to me. I was even more grateful to read said sister's post and borrow her hope for a turning point. This has been a heavy-hearted season for me but today I walked out and harvested tulips and daffodils, inviting beauty into home and heart.

I treasure every little bit of our home, this day, this moment in time God intended me for. I'm so grateful for sweet relationship in my sister.

In Spite of Myself...

Sometimes I just think....

please don't grow up,

please don't grow up,

please don't grow up,

please don't grow up,

Ok, I love you. Just grow slowly.