Lately we've been spending a lot of time with doing family activities. In all honestly, life has been a bit crazy. Jobs have fallen through. Unexpected bills have come up (like our house flooding). Nathan and I feel like we have been put through the ringer.
So spending quality time with our girls seems to be the only way to combat the blues. I mentioned our impromptu visit to Springfield, MO the weekend before last. My mother is simply the best, and spending an entire weekend just with her was chicken soup for my soul. I took her to the Aviary Crepe restaurant on Walnut Street, and we talked, drank coffee, and enjoyed not only being mother and daughter, but friends. I hope to have this type of relationship with my own girls someday.
We try to go to the Farmer's Market every Saturday. We browse vegetable and fruit stands, smell flowers, and soak up the morning. Violet and I have a tradition of getting a cinnamon roll and blueberry muffin, sipping coffee and juice, and listening to the local musicians play music. You know that episode of Gilmore Girls where musicians flock to Stars Hollow in hopes of being discovered like the local town troubadour? The farmer's market on a summer morning feels like this.
And I adore it. The market is the highlight of my week.
This past weekend we took the girls to the Firefly Festival at the local Botanical Garden. The weather was perfectly breezy, and Violet (who is a hard sell, let me tell ya) enjoyed all of the outdoor activities. She made a noise maker (which Lucy loved to shake, too) learned to hula hoop, and got sprinkled with fairy dust. 2 hours of uninterrupted family time was priceless.
We made the tough decision to find a new home for our dog, Schroeder. We have talked about it for a year, but we never really had any takers. I know it seems heartless, but we finally put an ad on Craigslist to see if there was a special family who could love our dog. And fortunately a loving couple responded to the ad. The came and met him yesterday, brought their other dog to play with him, and happily adopted Schroeder.
I've had Schroeder since he was a puppy. My sister has his sister pup. But as our family grew it became clear that Schroeder does not do well with kids. We had gotten to a point where Schroeder was either always outside, or in another room by himself. A few close calls with nipping at the kids was the ultimate reason for finding him a new home. Nathan and I are sad, but the people who took Schroeder were thrilled to have him!
Our lives are full. We have our health. Our girls. Our home. A car that runs. Food on the table. And I am thankful. Today I have been watching my girls love on and play with each other. Violet is the only person who can make Lucy laugh out loud. Lucy adores her big sissy. Wallace is inside and great with the girls.
Today is a good day.
