Week in the Life - Thursday 4/20

Thursday started on a trip to town for Luke and I.  On a usual week I only go in once but this was a week with a little more.  We live about a half an hour from town.  This is my favorite photo from the day.  Getting some new plants for the yard. These bloom around my birthday so I really like that!

The morning routine.  I never dried my hair until last May when I got it cut short for the first time ever in my life.  I have grown  to love it and find it so simple for this season of my life.  Things on my counter:  My water bottle, my makeup bag that came from Korea (sweet memories), and the base my sister and I made. 

We started at the dentist for me.  Of course screens make these appointments easier.  I decided to run to the grocery store for a few things.  Usually I never really do this but didn't have it in me to do the "big" shopping. A good time to eat from our pantry.  

Rain how sweet you are!  We don't get much of it so when we do we are so grateful.  A date night with Katie.  After her spelling bee we headed to Cracker Barrel. Her choice because she wanted her mash potatoes.  

Photos on my phone:

1.  My sweet Katie. I love how she opened up on this night.  Hard to compete with all her brothers and sisters at home.  

2.  Grocery unloading.  Didn't take too long today. Mostly fruits, vegetables, and milk. If we are all home we drink a gallon a day. 

3.  An early morning run and the first kid I see when I get home is always Andy.  Gets up and right away feeds his dog.

4.  Driving always driving. This photo from the school drop off

5. My little spelling bee. She was so nervous.

6.  The dentist. Enough on that subject.

7.  My bedtime and my steps. A little late how does that always happen and each morning I say it will not happen again:)

Week in the Life Wednesday 4/19

My favorite photo of the day.  Listening to these two laugh as they brushed teeth then headed to bed. She loves to sleep in the bottom bunk in his room. I love to watch how she moves all her stuff for bed including her alarm clock and blankets to have a sleepover with her brother.

Breakfast on this day was hard boiled eggs from Easter and fruit.  Love how the sun is getting up earlier makes it easier for the rest of this group.  We tend to eat in shifts on these weekday mornings.  Some come up a little later than others.

Everyone is in school and my day with Luke starts then.  I am trying to give Luke some little jobs. It is time for him to start on our chore schedule that we have set for kids. He is starting with unloading the dishwasher. The other kids each have one morning that they are responsible to unload the dishwasher before school.

Barre3 for me after cleaning with a little truck running under my legs as Luke played around me.  He is always wanting to help in the kitchen.  We had made up chili for dinner and now were adding our sopapillas.  

My phone photos:
1.  A kiss goodbye as I dropped the kids off to school
2.  Back home it is cleaning day. If I work hard it takes 3 1/2 hours
3.  Andy and Katie after a busy day
4. A book before nap time for Luke
5.  He plays for awhile while I clean then joins me to "help"
6.  The school bus stop getting ready for the busier part of the day
7.  Working on my blog. My favorite place to work is on the ground.
8. The girls are learning to quilt with a dear friend.
9.  Dinner almost is ready.  Chili and sopapillas are the best
10. Bed for me at 10 with reading until 10:30 

Work had to be done tonight so the next job can be started.  

Working out is a routine for Brian and Riley.  They work out four times a week. Think they both really like these moments in time.

Loving this project. It is fun to see my life through my lens and to see how complex it is as well as how the routine and simplicity make up our days.

Week in the Life Tuesday 4/18

Tuesday would start with an early rise at 4:30 and run for me.  It is getting light now and I am loving that! Riley is driving us to school which is great for me.  A stop in my garden to see some new growth!  Luke and I love graham crackers and milk for snack.  I would say we have this snack most days!  

Tuesdays we go to story time at the library. I was thinking back today how many years I have taken kids to the library and think it is about thirteen years now.  My days of this will soon be coming to a close.  

Some photos this time are on my phone some on my DSLR.  From my phone:

Tea: love it!
Audio books:  Katie and Andy are into them right now
Laundry: Never ending
Barre3:  Love how it makes me feel
Lilac Girls: Listening again to some audio books
Work: I do some accounting from home. Always looking for moments to work.  Thinking about new work dreams in the next year as life changes.
Turtle love: He cleans his turtle off once a week. Now that is love!
Yellow:  Color in my flower garden is thrilling
Patio:  The sounds of kids playing like in the summer nights.

Tuesday we have a fair amount of homework. Takes Andy a little to get going.  Patience on my part.  Luke said "Take a photo of me mom"!  Hearing Katie play and envious how easy it is for her. That girl loves the trampoline!

The oldest diligently studying math I would assume.  His brain is very mathematically wired.  Brian getting our dinner grilled and loving how Riley still takes time to play with his youngest brother.

The evening ended with kids to bed between 8 and 8:30 depending on age. I worked again. The night held a lot of hard.  Being a family can be really hard.  It is life and a true part of my week.   Always glad for photos that remind me of the good and the love.

Week in the Life Monday 4/17

Everyone woke up a little tired today after our big Easter weekend.  My day starts with a run and then always one load of laundry.  Today after being gone it equaled three loads of laundry.  

These are the photos from my phone for the day.  There was a 10 year anniversary party for a tap group I was part of.  So much fun dancing again with them and seeing friends. My heart really wants to go back and with any luck I will be able to one day.  Meal prep time today was spaghetti.  Try to get some of it done before the rush of the night.  Always looking for time to get some reading done.

Luke does not like the morning. He starts in his bed which is still beside ours and then comes joins us around 2 or 3 am.  There are plans this summer to move him and Andy together.  

Luke got a race track for Easter and has been consumed by playing cars. I love to hang out clothes. Grew up doing that job and now do that with our clothes. Love the idea of them being out there in the sun to dry. 

My lunch buddy. Peanut Butter and jelly on homemade bread today.  Strawberries as our fruit. Run out of ideas for him and I.  One day my lunch will be a smoothie when the kids are all in school.

I try to do one Barre3 work out in the day. I realized long ago that my knees can't take running without doing another form of exercise. For a long time that was ballet class. There is not ballet class anymore that I can attend so have started this practice of ballet, yoga, and pilates combined.

A snack after school for these kids then it is on to me teaching  ballet for the evening. Three classes on Monday night.  Brian is home with the kids.

This day was busy as most of mine are.  As life has its ups and downs ours does also.  Learning to tread through the teenage years has me feeling like I am sinking. Today had those moments also.

Love the spring of today and how it feels to be outside!  Ready for day two!

Mesa Verde

We spent part of spring break at Mesa Verde.  One of my goals it to take kids on some short trips before some start leaving home.  The park itself had more parts closed than we would have liked but earning our Jr Ranger badges was a highlight.

Oh yes the line up for Mom photo.  They all loved it:)  

This little one was all over the ruins we explored.  He liked the ruins but those puddles of mud were really the best!

In a cave on a hike.  Thinking of all the animals that could live here!

I really love to be outside and explore with the kids.  It does not mean we didn't have our layers of family emotions but makes it all real!

The day went from very cool to a great Colorado spring day.   Thinking of the past and how people lived within the walls in the cliffs.

These two forth graders had just studied Mesa Verde in Colorado history so it made the trip very timely.

Project Life week 4- Quilting

One of my personal goals for 2017 is to learn to quilt at a basic level.  I would start January with some table runners for two special women.  

The first would be for my Mom. She is the person I love to give gifts to the most.  She loves receiving gifts so it works out well. The second was for a woman whose heart is hurting from the loss of a son.  I knew him well in my younger years and her pain hurts me deeply.  A special lunch on this week was the perfect time to give these table runners.

A week with normal in it too such as a fast game of tic tac toe with rocks. A favorite of Mr. Luke's.  

The truth is these are filled with a lot of mistakes.  Lots of learning to do this year.  Life is filled with a lot of learning also and paths to walk on that are hard. My current lesson for the week.

Project Life Week Three-Katie and Snow

On week three of the year we would celebrate Katie. She came home ten years ago this week in January.  She has filled our hearts in so many ways.  She has taught us so much with her personality that takes life as it comes.

The snow we had this week was much needed.  As I currently sit many weeks later our state is so very dry.  Praying we see this moisture again here soon.

Andy was on a traveling basketball team this winter. The goal of the team was to participate in tournaments rather than just games.  Brian and I took turns taking him to these events.  On this particular tournament Andy and I had some great one on one time.  Something that is so rare for a kid who is one of five.  Lots of good talks during the waiting times.

It does feel so good when it snows to get outside and shovel. Barely enough to cover the walk but we will take what we can get!