Joyfully Weary

This is the second year in a row that we ventured out to Cody's Farm to do a bit of strawberry picking. Last year, just the kiddos and I went, but this year they really wanted Dada to be able to join in on the fun. We got lucky and the weather was a perfect seventy degrees. Strawberry picking can be hot work. Last year, when the weather wasn't so nice, there was a bit of complaining. I'm not sure if Jeremy is lucky or if he's just a lucky charm, but things always seem to go smoother when he's around.   Little Lady probably got the most into strawberry picking. She enjoyed finding unique shaped strawberries. We are also currently reading the book, Strawberry Girl ,  and I think she had fun pretending to be the main character, Birdie. I had lots of fun taking her picture - something about the hat and pigtails reminded me of Anne Shirley .  BabyZ was a hoot the whole morning. He's always turned his ...

Over Memorial Day weekend Jeremy's aunts were kind enough to host a mini family reunion at their home on Lake Egypt.  All three of Jeremy's sisters were able to come. Which was a blessing; it had been a couple years since we'd all been together.  I feel fortunate to have in-laws who also value family, and who cover my kiddos with affection and love. As a result, my kiddos eat up any chance they get to spend with them. Times like these are one of the highlights of their year. There was lots of laughter, and we left feeling relaxed and refreshed. One of Jeremy's sisters has kids close to our kids' age and it's so sweet to see them together. There is something special and magical about cousin love. Our daughters are less than a year apart and it looks like they aren't ever going to get any sisters; so it's nice they can kind of fill that role for each other.  The house has everything you could possibly need for having a good time at a lake....