The Robinsons Visit and the Subsequent Return to the Salt Mine

The Robinsons came to visit! It was awesome to get to spend some time with the 5 (yes there are FIVE of them now) of them and the Pittmans. I'm pretty sure Brook, Laura and I haven't been together since my wedding, 6 and a half years ago... how time flies! Back then, there was only Eli, and he was a baby, now between the 3 of us we have 7 kids. It was great to be together for sure; fun to reminisce and catch up.  Here are some pictures from our visit:

I've made it through almost two weeks at the office already. Hard to believe, right?  I love seeing my friends here... but I miss my kids like crazy! It's difficult seeing them for just a few hours a day and then praying the weekend would come sooner. I'm sure we'll all adjust eventually.  McKenna still is missing our Week O' Fun (see my last post) she asks me every morning, "what are we going to do today mommy?" with some expectancy in her voice. Sadly, I can't say we'll be going to the zoo or a museum any time soon.

I've been telling myself there's a greater purpose to what I do at work besides my job just taking time from my family.  I get to help patients and other people here, and I get to show people the gift that I have in God. What a privilege that is!  I can show other people all day long that there's something different about me, that I have a peace that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus. I can show people that being a Christian doesn't mean that I can't be fun to be around, or that they can't be themselves around me. I can choose to be an example, I can choose to be there for them, I can choose to listen and respond accordingly.  I am really blessed to be here.  I hope the people I work with feel blessed because of me... because that's my ultimate goal. I want them to know that I love them and that God loves them too. "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." -John 13:35


Keep praying for me people. I sure need it. I feel a lot of guilt about not staying home with my kids, and I know that's not from God. I feel a pressure from other people to conform to some idyllic image of what a mom should be, and I know that's not from God either. Please pray that I would be discerning, that I would make an impact where I am, and that I would follow God's lead... wherever that may be.  

McKenna, Cooper and Mommy's Week O' Fun

Since this is my last week of freedom (I go back to the office on Monday), and Bev had family in town; we did all sorts of fun things, just the three of us (John was at work, poor thing).  On Monday, we went to get McKenna a hair cut:

Before:

During: 

 After: 

Then we went to the toy store to buy a birthday present and went to pizza for lunch at Orchard.  That was day one. 

Day two.  We went with our friends the Englishes to the Downtown Aquarium.  We had never been there before, and we saw all sorts of interesting fish, sharks and manta rays. Good times were had by all the little tykes and there was lunch and a beer at the end for the adults :-).  Here are some pictures from our experience: 

Cooper mesmerized by the sparkly blue water:

 "Mom, look there's a shark"

Do you see the size of the fish behind McKenna?

 McKenna & Maddie

 Chillin' on the rope bridge:

 Looking at some giant Colorado Brook Trout:

 Caden, Someone else's kid, McKenna, & Someone else's kid:

 McKenna & Maddie at the Manta Ray touch tank. I don't think either of them touched anything besides water:

And so ended day two. 

Day three. We hung around the house and then Aunt Mary came up to play.  By play I mean I bought her lunch and made her go to the grocery store with us.  Probably wasn't that fun for her, but I certainly appreciated the help!  Then we had dinner at Efrain's and I had a softball game.  We mercied the other team 15-5. I love that :-). 

Day four. Butterfly Pavilion.  McKenna is a little afraid of bugs and butterflies, but I was out of ideas for fun things to do, so off we went to the Butterfly Pavilion.  She actually wasn't extremely freaked out until a butterfly landed on my shoulder.  We stayed for 45 minutes, but still managed to take an inordinate number of pictures: 

 I was a little hungry for lunch, and this unsuspecting guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time... notice his right wing there:

 I had to threaten McKenna with leaving to get her to turn and face me for this photo (oh to be 3 and know everything):

 "Whoa"

 Hi Mom:

Day Five.  I'm blogging about my experience this week and feeling sorry for myself that I have to go back to the office on Monday.  I don't remember being this emotional/depressed this early with McKenna, but alas, I am a wreck already... and it's only Friday.  Come Monday it could get interesting. I hope the office has lots of kleenex. 

It's nearing the end...

...of my maternity leave. How depressing! I told myself going into this summer that I would view my time off with Cooper and McKenna as a summer vacation, and I really have. Unfortunately, like those vacations we had from school when we we're younger, this one has flown by. Cooper is already three months old, and I am 41 pounds lighter (not that great of an accomplishment when you consider I lost 30 pounds in the first week). I'm really going to miss being home with my kids, it's been a major blessing spending time with them. The hardest part about leaving maternity leave is getting back into the routine of work, right now I'm focused 23/7 on Cooper and his needs, and 1/7 on my race that's coming up on Saturday :-), focusing on other things sounds less attractive at this point. I'm sure I'll manage, I did when I had to go back after McKenna, but it will be painful and hard just the same. I will truly miss the time we've spent together as a family and even more the time Cooper and I've spent just mother and son, it's been really special. T minus 13 days until I head back to the ol' salt mine. If you think of it, please be praying for me... I could certainly use it!