I absolutely must believe in an eternal reward.

Why?

Because I am a mom, that’s why.

And if you are a mom, like me, you too know one thing is certain,

YOU. CANNOT. WIN.

(need I say more? Look at her face – that expression is registering complete and total victory)

I have been trying to make some positive changes in the *eating department* around here. Along the lines of less hydrogenated, more fresh.

Tonight I made what I deem to be a rock star mom dinner.

An awesome recipe for bean soup from none other than Jennifer Aniston’s personal chefs. I know that sounds so lame, don’t worry I am not going to go on about how cool pink berry is or nothing, I feel like a trendy wanna-be nerd even mentioning the source, but people, this soup is good!

caprese salad with local mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes purchased at our farmer’s market (now I really sound like I am trying to be cool – so what if I admitted that I am trying? You know, a little.  Just checking, is anyone falling for it?)

sauteed green beans and snow peas – can you imagine how much we would have paid for this meal in NYC? My guess is plenty.

Millie’s reaction?

All she wanted was

This lovely dinner ended in a flood of tears and sadness.

Dang-jiggity.

I want to give up.

But something deep inside me says,

“keepgoingsisterkeepgoing.”

(thank you little voice  – I will keep listening to you)

Sometimes there are moments when I think to myself,  “Dang! this is where it’s at”.

Just the other day I experienced such a moment. My girls were enjoying graham crackers & milk and early morning cartoons.

It took me back.

Back to the days when I was enjoying such wonders with my many sibs.

Remember our “den” on 265 Bronxville Road, with the black sofa that mom and I had an ongoing argument about? I KNEW it was navy blue, but she told me I was wrong, wrong, wrong and that it was BLACK.

It was black.

Never mind the color, what I want to know is how did we manage to get so much c*** in the cracks and crevices of that sofa?

I shudder to think on it.

(right behind those blue doors was *the den*, if you look carefully you can see the silhouette of the black sofa)

(Me in *the den* pre-black sofa – wow, that other sofa was pretty sweet too, with the bamboo legs and nifty floral slip cover! I’d forgotten that puppy.  Now, back to me – check out my snappers, what was up with my teeth!?)

Oh, the den. What happy memories.

Remember when dad brought home our very first VCR?! That was the coolest day EVER. I have a vague recollection of him purchasing a Flintstones video so that we could put said VCR into immediate action. Dad, you’re the best!

Forget about all the shows we watched in those four walls. Remember all the shows WE performed on in that room?! For company – mom and dad invited their friends watch us dance to CATS! (Dang, you guys were bold!)

(not anywhere near our den, but you get the idea – we were a sight to behold! Now close your eyes and try to imagine us dancing around the den to Andrew Lloyd Webber or Mannheim Steamroller…a little scary and a little wonderful!)

Oh, 1980’s how I love you! You were such a good decade to me and mine.

My youth was such a happy time.

My life was simple then and I am pleased to report I am doing my utmost to give a similar childhood to my children.

Simple can be stunning.

I hear it is the new black.

Makes me think of that line from Othello:

“I am as true as truth’s simplicity, And simpler than the infancy of truth.”

A simple life is where it is at.

Long may it be so

We made it.

Home again.

Feels good.

There is just nothing like your very own bed, is there?

But I miss the Bench crew (who live right down the street and who I will see tomorrow – I know! it is a bit much, but I can’t help it, I feel what I feel) and I also miss the ice maker on the fridge at the NC house.

I love crushed ice.

Oh, how I love it.

Guess what happened on our last day in NC…

THE SUN CAME OUT

from behind those pesky clouds and we high tailed it to

La Plage

La Playa

La Spiaggia

In whatever language you speak, you name it, we were there.

and it was glorious.

Our drive to NC was mildly traumatizing due to its length. So we decided for the trip home to take off on Friday night, go half way, and finish off the journey on Saturday morning. Break it up, so to speak.

Hence our evening stint in the city of Fredericksburg, in the county of Spotsylvania , in the fine state of Virginia.

Millie was thrilled that we were going to a hotel and I quote, “Oh, yes! I love staying at hotels.” I asked her why and she replied,  “ROOM SERVICE!” (Is she my child or what?!)

Uhhhh, where we stayed didn’t provide room service.

But we did have soft fluffy beds,

Oreo cookies

and check out this awesome shower curtain – for reals, if I had to pick my all time favorite hotel shower curtain, THIS ONE would be the winner.

I liked these curtains too. Can’t imagine why?

(That green will get me EVERY time!)

Today’s highlights include:

Rain (intermittent)

Wind (constant)

Fish tacos (to die for)

Finished Tea for the Traditionally Built (I could just kiss you Mr. Mcall Smith!)

Chocolate & peanut butter ice cream (heavenly)

Bike Ride for four* (very short lived)

Wii (tennis, bowling, mario cart)

Craig’s perfect tortilla de patata* (close your eyes and your in Spain, perfect)

Kids playing together (mostly nicely)

Really cute babies*

Phones that play baseball games (what the?!)

All things containing a ” * ” have photographic evidence to back them up…

Bike Ride for Four

Clara’s feelings for the chariot did not change overnight

So, Jan had the brilliant idea of Bjorning her to his chest.

It was smooth sailing until…

MAN DOWN!

Clara dropped her little friend. She held that doll for our entire bike ride, only dropping it once. It is crazy how much she loves that thing.

Stephen and Gitte – does this little person remind you of anyone? Check out her “animal friends”.

Craig’s masterpiece (2 1/2 hours in the making – with help from “others”- mainly his lovely wife Amanda who bought potatoes, sliced potatoes and advised him to season the patata with fresh garlic and onion)

The result was tremendous!

Currently everyone is asleep and I am tempted to go and grab myself yet another slice!

Cute babies (very, very cute babies)

One of these cute babies is the reason why I always post so late at night…

I started writing this post at 2:00 in the afternoon, it is now 11:30.

What am I doing?!

I gotta go to bed!

Last night was brutal. I was up more times than I can count with Clara.

At 4:30 I was suffering a sleepless rage.

I was so tired I was a little crazy.

I really wanted to scream.

But I didn’t.

Clara did though, plenty.

I just shut the door and walked out of the room.

She screamed for a solid hour as I sat outside trying not to hear her.

At 6:30 I told Jan that I was going to go on a bike ride.

I charged out the door and jumped on my crappy rented bike. Still wearing my pjs with my iPhone in my pocket.

As I petaled along, wind practically BLOWING me over, my head started to clear. I looked over my shoulder and could see the sun was rising. The thought that came to my mind was, “take the gift”. Is that weird? It was the feeling that I had. So I parked my bike

and walked onto the beach.

I walked along the ocean for a little while. Then sat down in the sand and opened my scriptures to John chapter 6.

I love the book of John so much. As I read about the Savior feeding the multitude I was struck by a few things –  Jesus always had a bunch of people NEEDING something from him. I kind of understand that feeling. That must have been so tiring. I have a multitude of two and I have to flee from them on a semi-regular basis. How did he do it?

I just felt so much love for him.

The other thing that struck me as I sat by the ocean was the Lord’s massive abundance – after he fed 5,000 plus people from a few loaves of bread a fish there were still 12 baskets of leftovers. Last night I listened to Jan explain to Millie what coveting is and why God doesn’t want us to do it. As I sat by his ocean and thought about ALL he has given us and ALL that he has I get a little more why it is so STUPID to covet. There is enough and to spare – and to spare.

I was so glad that I got out of the little dark room where I felt trapped and tired – came out to the ocean and drank in the Lord’s abundant goodness – as manifest in his glorious creations.

My spirit really needed this.

My spirit need this so that I could go back to my little multitude and do this –

all over North Carolina

Today we went to the aquarium, a beautiful garden and a sleepy little southern town.

And Kitty Hawk.

It wiped us right out.

We woke up to

wait for it

W I N D !

Fine.

It is windy.

BRING IT!

We’ve got kites, suckaz!

Oh, my poor baby! – three times she shoved sand in her mouth. Like a little moth to the flame. She couldn’t stop.

I just look at this picture and it makes me want to cry. Clara! you little silly.

We rented bikes and rode to this brick lighthouse.

It was so awesome. We put Millie and Clara in a bike chariot and Clara cried the entire time.

She cheered up when we gave her a Popsicle stick.

Millie enjoyed her stick too.

Truth be told, it has been wet, windy and down right chilly.

Here is what we have done to make the best of weather that is not really on our side.

On Monday, it was raining so we hit the arcade.

The rain let up just long enough for us to race in the go carts.

And trade babies…

It was a blustery day!

When it wasn’t raining it was blustering.

So what do you do on a very blustery day?

Embrace the wind – love it, lean into it, live for it!

(but don’t let it blow your beloved sheep away)

We finished the day by putting the kids in their matching pjs.

Aw! Shucks…

You’ve gotta get your kicks in however you can, no?

Dad and Clara began the day the way every day should begin –

Oh, just look at her sweet fluffy baby hair lit by the rising sun…be still my little mommy heart.

Tropical storm “Danny” is going to be with us on and off this week- but today, the SUN WAS SHINING! First we went to the pool and then the dads and bigger kids charged out to the beach!!

You’ll notice the moms and babies are not pictured because we were back at the house napping. You heard me right, the moms and the babies were napping &/or lounging. Quite blissfully, I might add.

This day was a beautiful gift. As I have been looking through these photos this feeling came over me – if I were to put it into words the words would be these – “I ADORE THESE PEOPLE!”

Holy cow, how I adore them!!

We made it.

For the first four hours it was actually fun. Not always easy, but fun.

I was thinking to myself the thing about a vacation is this – you take away all your daily cares (the laundry, cleaning, errands, your calling etc and so forth) and what remains is your kids and your husband. And you can just BE with them without feeling the pull of your daily responsibilities. And THAT is a beautiful feeling.

Until you hit the 6th hour of your drive.

with at least 3 more hours of driving ahead of you.

And then you want to ask your husband to pull the car over, let you out because walking the rest of the way sounds like it would be a better idea.

Clara had well and truly had it by the sixth hour.

So instead of asking Jan to pull over and let me walk the rest of the way the Quality Inn welcomed us to their really great parking lot

where we ran around and frolicked for a good while.

This short break and our iPhones saw us through until…

we could smell the water

AND

touch it!