Bahamas

On the second day of our cruise - back in February - we took an excursion through the island of Nassau which is part of the Bahamas.  We took a bus tour of the island’s capitol and stopped at a zoo.  I don’t really know what to say about the Bahamas…at least the part we saw.  For some reason, I’ve always thought of the Bahamas as a developed picturesque beach heaven, & I’m sure there are many parts that are - given the fact that the Bahamas is made up of nearly 700 islands, but wow - there’s actually quite a bit of poverty in Nassau.  It’s not seen as much in the tourist areas where we spent most of our time, but it was still a little shocking to see glimpses of poverty in the caribbean - I didn’t expect that.

We saw a black swan at the zoo which was amazing.  I’ve never seen one before, and I found myself contemplating the impact of the highly improbable.

(There’s a book out called The Black Swan: the impact of the highly improbable.  It’s possible that only an economist’s wife would know that.)

My face is cracking me up! ^^^^^

My niece was having way too much fun posing like a flamingo.^^^^^

We didn’t spend a lot of time on the island, but I was grateful for the chance we had to see a new country & once again, see the world with new eyes.  I’m okay with not visiting the Bahamas anytime soon, but I will say, the people have a distinct personality - are generally happy, full of faith, & good humored - something I’ll remember for sure.  ;) 

Mother's Day 2014

Mother’s Day is always a day when I feel extra appreciated, but the idea of having a relaxing Mother’s Day has never really worked for us. :) Sundays are intended to be restful (this I know), but it seems like they can be some of the hardest days for me.  This year on Mother’s Day, I really missed my own mama and the idea of being with her on a lazy Sunday afternoon enjoying family dinner.  It also happened to fall on my dad’s birthday this year which didn’t make it any easier.  When everyone in the house fell asleep for an afternoon nap after a quick Sunday dinner of leftovers and whatever else I could muster up, I took a drive to a nearby park and had a good cry.  Despite my faults, I have three beautiful babes who need and want me anyway.  Their demands can be overwhelming, and sometimes my heart aches for them (and me!) to have extra loving grandma hands close by...but those times when we’re tired of each other, yet we only have each other, simply make us stronger.  

I came home from the park a better me.  Jared spoiled me, and the kids showered me with homemade love.  Being a mother isn’t always a yummy piece of cake, but it’s worth it in every way for so many reasons that continue to surprise me and fill me up with overwhelming gratitude.  

Welcome Summer!

Summer is off to a great start, and now that it’s pretty much here, I don’t know how I lived without it!  I took C & G to the aquatic pad at the Grange Park yesterday to soak up the sunshine, and we really had a great time.  It felt weird not having A there (school can finish any day now - one more week left - man alive), but I enjoyed spending time with just these two together.  G refused to wear his swim trunks, but at least I had plenty of swim diapers for him to sport around in.  Aside from applying sunscreen every 30 minutes or so, they seemed to be more into the play system than anything else - funny kids. 

Today all three kiddos & I went to a swim party at a friend’s family pool, and it was a "best day ever!" type of day.  Even though it’s almost been a full year since we moved back to the Tri-Cities, it’s taken time to adjust.  Although I didn’t expect it, it’s been a time of major growth and reflection moving forward into a new reality.  It hasn’t always been easy, and I still find myself struggling to know where I fit in, but when my heart turns toward serving others, everything falls into place again.  Today I recognized more fully the amazing women & friends surrounding me….and as I drove home through a peaceful farming community, down the mountain, & through the canyon to our drive (all while the littles lulled to sleep with the late afternoon sun on their faces in the backseat), I got that tingling confirmation that we ARE where we need to be right now...and that’s good enough for me.