Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Soaking Up Family Time

The last week has just flown by. I am averaging four to five hours of sleep each night, and I have fallen to sleep sitting up more than once. It's hard to say no to anything right now, because we're trying to soak up every moment with family we get. Of course, we're taking on more than we usually handle, but it has all been so worth it to me.

On Saturday, I made a quick trip out to Lake Jackson for a friend's baby shower, a birthday cake with my parents, and some shopping with my mom. I'm pretty tough on my purses, so my mom decided that it would be a good time to upgrade to something without loose threads. I don't know why a new purse is such an instant pick-me-up, but it totally is.

Saturday night, my brother and his family came back to our house for a long night of talking, laughing, and BBQing. We stayed up until 2 am while the boys watched the pit, and then we were up early the next morning with the kids. By the end of the day on Sunday, we had 13 people come through the house for BBQ. Most of the list was family, and we had the best time catching up with everyone. There weren't enough chairs, but there was plenty of meat between the ribs, brisket, pulled pork, turkey, and sausage. I don't think I'll cook for the rest of this week, and I couldn't be happier.
Chris left his torch with us while he's in Japan. I can't wait for my turn to use it!

One of the things I've enjoyed most about having Chris' family around is that the kids are getting to spend time with their cousins. Cullen and Claire handle each other best when not in close quarters, but they are getting along so much more smoothly than they were just a few weeks ago! 
They put themselves in here. Love it.

On Monday morning, my brother and his family headed back home for a bit of last minute work before their overseas departure. I am sad that they had to leave for any amount of time, but it gives me something extra to look forward to. Monday night, James' mom arrived in town for a two week visit. We're looking forward to keeping her busy with lots of activities.

Last night was Cullen's first swim lesson, and it was a total success. While the other kids were crying about getting splashed, Cullen jumped right in. We let the teacher know that he is fearless around water, so we're trying to get him to learn to kick and paddle. I'm pretty sure I won't trust him around water for the next twenty years or so, but it would still be good to let him play. Tonight, we're getting there early so that Cullen can play in the pool before his lesson. Maybe he'll even wear himself out enough to sleep through the night. I know James and I could both use that one.

xoxo ashley

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