Merry is the month of May, part 1

I have a love/hate relationship with the month of May. I love it because it means summer is upon us and free time is right around the corner. I hate it because it is always so busy wrapping up activities, school functions, Mother's Day, birthday parties. It can truly be exhausting. Usually all of the activity plus exhaustion = family time that is not always the most relaxing. It's a lot of "hurry up, not now, maybe tomorrow or next week, because I said so, hurry up, get in the car, we're leaving right now, hurry up, leave your brother/sister alone, let's go, hurry up..." you get the idea. Thankfully, the end is in sight and we are looking forward to our last day of school tomorrow and a 3 day holiday weekend spent at home with no agenda.

Since blogging has taken a back seat to all of this activity, I am going to be posting a few catch-up posts. We actually did some fun things, so it's worth going back and documenting some family moments we had along the way. First up was a trip to the park with Nathan and then a neighborhood block party that was full of kid-friendly fun: bounce arounds, cotton candy, clowns, carriage rides and popsicles. The weather was beautiful and it was a great way to kick off summer!

I love this next picture so much. He looks like such a little boy and he is so proud that he can run now. A rabbit had caught his eye and as much as I tried to get him to approach quietly, he couldn't contain his excitement!


After spending so much time outside, poor Nathan got hit with some pretty intense allergy symptoms. His face and eyes were so swollen and although he is enjoying his first push-up experience, he can't help but look pitiful. Someone really should have told his parents the last place he needed to be hanging out was a fresh cut grassy field.


This girl, with no allergies, was having a grand time being in her social circle element.


A joy for jumping is discovered....

but there's always time for a quick kiss to dad.


Mackenzie in summer fun mode,


and finally a horse drawn carriage ride with neighbor friends.


More on May to come!

Gunpowder and Lead

WhooHoo!! Do I have a super fun date night scheduled and on the books! Marty and I love to go to concerts together. We've seen Kenny Chesney (3 times), Keith Urban (2 times), Lady Antebellum, Celine Dion, Gary Allen, Carrie Underwood, John Mayer, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw....Are you noticing the country theme? Yes, we like country music, but that is usually the biggest concerts that come relatively close to our small town. However, this month, Miranda Lambert is actually coming to our town and playing her own show. We saw her last May and she was awesome and put on a super fun set. I was lucky enough to score 2nd row seats to this show in a few weeks. We have a lot of things going on around here dealing with our extended families and all of the end of the school year activities, so we are both looking forward to a night out with some great friends and my sister.

One of my favorite songs by Miranda is her current hit, "The House that Built Me." Having to move away from 3 of my childhood homes, I can relate so much. Love, love this girl!

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Glee style

I am a huge Glee fan. I can't help it. I love the sappy high school story lines, the cheesy 80s and 90s music, and the break out singing musical style moments.
Even my husband is starting to enjoy the show although he would never admit it outloud. But he has referred to himself as Mr. Schuster on more than one occasion! Check out this little gem from this week's episode. It's definitely going to be on rotation on my ipod this week!

Movin' Out

Sometimes, as a mom of 3 young children, it seems like most of my days are spent moving stuff. Restocking the pantry, throwing out trash, picking up toys, transferring laundry from bedrooms to laundry room to washer to dryer to closets and dressers. And usually the next day, it all has to be done again. Not the most exciting part of my "job." The worst though, is the semi-annual clothes clean out. There are 2 nephews that supply me with tons of clothes for Nathan that must be sorted and there are tubs of Mackenzie's old clothes that must be pulled out and perused for Avery. Then there are Mackenzie's clothes that must be determined: still fits, outgrown (save for Avery), donate. It's all very exhausting and is usually a 2-3 day event.

Luckily I had a little helper to provide a few moments of distraction. On a side note, if this kid's socks continue to be so dirty, I may decide to switch him to black socks every day. I am so glad this chore is o.v.e.r. and these totes are moving out!