spring break 2014

i didn't mean to take a break from this space. but i did. and it meant i was PRESENT, which has been nice. and i think i'll do more often.

but i do miss sharing my heart here. i will get back to it.

but not today. today is just the fun that our spring break has been...so we don't forget. i do so love having these kinds of posts to look back on.

this past week was spring break. i know. it's hard to tell, they've been home for MONTHS with all the snow ;-)

we were here for spring break. no beach or disney world. just home.

when they got home from school last friday, i had this calendar hung up...i wrote some pretty boring stuff in fancy ways so that it seemed FUN and EXCITING! that still works for my kids...when will it stop working? i hope not ever!

 the first weekend of spring break the weather was INCREDIBLE. like perfection. on saturday, we were outside ALL day. no rest time. no naps. just outside. it was amazing and wonderful and i was so so happy.

(and we all had pink cheeks :-) i LOVE that!!)

one of the things we did was enlarge our "garden." it is just this little area in our backyard...

we made it a little bigger. probably twice the size. 

until anything gets planted there, these boys have free reign to dig and play. {sawyer had tball practice that day. are his pants not THE CUTEST?!?}

sunday was...sunday. church. rest. and our next burger.

monday was chore day. the kids each have daily, weekly and monthly chores. they usually get to do their weekly and monthly chores whenever they choose, as long as they get done. because i knew what the rest of the week was going to be like, i told them ALL weekly chores had to be done on monday. so we worked hard all together. and the WHOLE house was cleaned!

bailey and levi took a little dancing break...

we rode our bikes to a smoothie place for an afternoon snack (with some free coupons) once we were done. and then rebekah made dinner! (she had to for a school assignment.)

that night (still monday!) we went to our church's Easter program. it was incredible. AND a friend joined us that we hadn't seen for TOO long. it was a GREAT day all around!

tuesday was also busy. lincoln has to take a test at the end of his homeschooling year...to prove i'm teaching him ;-) our school system offered it this day for free to all homeschoolers. so we dropped him off...i was more nervous than he was for SURE.

then we went to the gym. rebekah and i ran 2 miles on treadmills next to each other. then we got the other kids from the kids klub and we all went and swam at the indoor pool! THEN we went to get frozen yogurt for a morning snack - how fun is that?!? {i admit, it was super nice to do a "food outing" without the kid that can't ENJOY a food outing and makes it dramatic. we just enjoyed and had fun!}

we went and picked lincoln up and then drove to baltimore, md to meet a friend from college! she lives in wisconsin but was there visiting her grandma. i hadn't seen her in 15 years...but we've kept in touch and i couldn't believe i was going to get to see her!

we had hoped to meet at a park and let our kids run while we caught up. BUT...it was POURING rain. so we met at a mall. i got there a little early and we scoped it out...

it was a FANCY mall. all kinds of fun stuff. a photobooth :) it was fun fitting us ALL in there!

and then they arrived!! i'd been dying to see these 2 boys together! they are a lot alike...and her daughter and my bailey were SO fun to watch together!

this woman is amazing. so strong. so intelligent. so giving. i could have spent DAYS with her...but was thankful for a few hours!

all our kids! we migrated around the mall...and didn't spend a dollar! (besides my photobooth pictures!)

it was a LONG day. we had left the house at 8 am...and got home at 7 pm!

the next day was pretty low-key (for us.) *slept in* then made captain america pancakes!

spent the day packing and grocery shopping for going CAMPING the next day! grocery shopping for 15 people with 6 kids *helping* is fun ;-)

that afternoon we went on a LONG bike ride...

thursday morning, pat and ALL the kids left to go camping with some other dads and kids. this was bailey's "i'm going camping" outfit. she is too much...

i have had the last 2 days to myself. in my house. (they get home soon...)

i did some chores (mowed the grass. cleaned out my closet. prepped food for easter.)

i also got some boring stuff done - cleaned out my email inbox. researched homeschool curriculum for next year.

and some fun projects done!

and enjoyed time with friends each night.

but the SWEETEST hours were spent here. i will share more later...but on the morning of the day that Jesus DIED for us, He met me and showed me...once again...how very much He loves me. io us.t was like i was dying of thirst and i couldn't drink the water fast enough. He was speaking so clearly and so specifically to my heart. oh, He is so gentle and kind t

we have a fun, amazing weekend ahead. i could use a couple more days to get everything done i wish i could get to, but i would just keep finding more to do. the list never ends.

i can't wait to get my arms on pat. and it will be nice to see my kids, too ;-)

spring break 2014. not bad. not bad at all!