Trying to Make it Last!!!

On Saturday, all day long I found myself wishing the day would stretch longer and longer. It had been a busy week, a fun week, one full of memories, and yet I was filled with dread most of the week - knowing what was ahead of me. Saturday morning we tried to just spend together as a family - only really taking calls from the realtor (!!), and trying to make the most of our last day together before David had to leave. We spent a good portion of the morning cleaning out David's car and then his packing began. Right in the middle of packing, we got a call to show the house (talk about timing!), but it worked out because we had an egg hunt to attend!

We headed to a local church's egg hunt that they were sponsoring and had a great time just playing together. I knew my emotions were on the downward hill though, as I found myself easily stressing out about silly things. I guess it was the beginning of the end! The kids had a great time hunting, playing on the inflatables and fire truck, and just being outside on a beautiful day. We had fun watching them, and David must have been feeling sentimental too because he took a million pictures!

Before dinner, I left the kids with David to run up to the grocery store and get some french bread for dinner. I found myself crying on the way to the grocery store - thinking about how it was the last time I could just "run out" like that or go to the store alone for the next few months. There were several "overwhelming" kinds of moments like that - where I'd start to look at the whole chunk of time and just be totally overwhelmed and emotional about it.

We ended the day at Coldstone celebrating Callie's birthday with her free ice cream. A big hit with everyone of course. David took his time putting all the kids to bed for me. The boys enjoyed a story from Daddy (I can read books all day long, but nobody tells a better story...especially a superhero or Star Wars story than daddy does!) and got to fall asleep in our bed (their biggest treat) before being moved to their room later. It was a sweet day, but definitely hard.

The boys participated in an "egg drop" game. Talk about seeing the personalities of my boys. Josiah was EXTREMELY careful with his egg - did not want to take ANY risk of it dropping. Can you see how he has his hands cupped around the spoon? That's my boy!!!

And then there's Jacob. Running full speed ahead. If the egg falls, it falls! That's David's kid!!! It was a riot!

Callie, holding both of the boys' buckets (why she wasn't holding her own I don't know) and watching with admiration!

Then they had the egg toss game. Callie started off doing it the right way - standing behind the line to toss the egg in the basket. Then it was as if she thought to herself "This is crazy! Why am I standing all the way back here? I should just walk over to the basket and put it in!"

Here she was trying the "right" way!

Jacob & Josiah are both game players - they love all these fun little games!

Then the pogo stick came out, so everyone had to try it out (well, everyone except me! I don't think those springs would have held me up!)

Of course even Callie had to try it out. And boy was she stressing some people out around her!

Josiah hunting for eggs...

Jacob hunting for eggs...

Callie hunting for eggs... Callie loved being up high in the front seat of the fire truck...again, making lots of people very nervous way up high!

Full buckets and happy brothers!

A little face painting to complete the afternoon...light sabre battle of course!

Yes, those are Jacob's feet going down the slide...Sigh...

This was outside the ice cream store. There's a little restaurant next door called "the Angry Chef", and I guess David had Callie do her impersonation!

Again, I was having a "moment". I sent David and the kids outside to play and run around while I ordered and paid for the ice cream because of the line. Last time I can "divide and conquer" like that for a while.

Oops - I'm out of order...this is on the fire truck, obviously...

Bedtime story from David...We may have to do some of these on speakerphone!!!