whirlwind weekend

This has been an incredible weekend! It was so refreshing and very much needed!

Last weekend Jayden came up to his grandma and said, "Gramma you wanna spend the night with me?" In the sweetest voice you've ever heard! Of course she said yes! So we planned that Jayden and Gabri would have a sleepover Thursday night since grandma and Jordan had Friday off work.

After we dropped them off Jordan, Me and Levi all went to dinner with my mom, brother, his girlfriend and my aunt Renate to celebrate my brother's last day of mechanical school. We then went shopping at TJ MAXX and had a quiet night at home. Dinner and shopping without two toddlers was very enjoyable since we weren't having to chase anyone around the store/restaurant.

Friday we just hung out all day and cleaned, which was great to do nothing and purge the things we no longer need.

Saturday my mom, aunt Renate and cousin Hailey picked me and Levi up. We went to my brother and his girlfriend's baby shower for my unborn nephew. It was a nice girls day out.

Then for the whopper, SUNDAY! We went to church and the service was incredible! A group just went to the Open Heaven Conference at Bethel in Redding, CA. They shared their experiences and it was very powerful stuff. During church I got a text from one of our very best friends saying that him and his wife were in town from California. We went to my in-laws for lunch and got to visit with them for awhile. After we finished eating a fantastic meal (because my mother-in-law is an incredible cook), we headed to my nephew's 7th birthday party. We ate snacks, cookies, brownies and then went swimming (indoors). I love my family and it's so fun to be able to hang out all together. My kids love swimming! All my parent's kids and grandkids were there, my aunt and uncle and two of my cousins.

After the birthday party we went to my Grandpa Bill's baseball field and watched our friend's brother and his wife play baseball and sat and visited with their family for an hour.  It's so great to have friends that live out of state but when they come back it's like they haven't even been gone. It's been about 5 months since we last saw them and besides Brendan's long hair, nothing has changed. Our friendship with them is just as close.

If there is one thing I'm constantly learning and being thankful for, it's my family. I'm really learning the meaning of the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child". I was really arrogant when I first became a mom and thought I could do it all on my own. The more children I have the more I realize I need help and I WANT help. I'm so thankful our families all live so close and we're able to spend time with each other on a regular basis.

I'm blessed.