Vacation Pics

Hooray for vacations

We just got back from vacation in Pagosa Springs, Colorado which is 50 minutes east of Durango. It was really nice to get away, to be able to look out our window and see greenery (unlike the rock-scape I normally look at), and hang out in a blissful 80 degrees. Here are a few of my thoughts about vacation...


Vacations without children:
1. You get to sleep in and relax
2. You get to do activities any time of the day
3. You get to go to dinner and talk to your spouse
4. You get to take naps whenever you want
5. You pack your trunk to only half it's capacity

Vacations with children:
1. What does sleeping-in mean again? I forgot.
2. We do activities that last 3 hours or less
3. I feel like Mary Poppins with all the toys I can fit into my purse
4. Keeping Kalyn off the floor where who knows what's been before
5. We actually packed our trunk with the the swing, pack-n-play, kid backpack, 2 suitcases, toys, food, bumbo ... you get the picture

And still, with all the changes, I really enjoyed vacation. I will say though, it's just not the same as it used to be. Thus is my new reality.

Momma and Me

When I'm at work, I love being at work. But, when I'm at home, I LOVE being home. I get to see all the little funny things Kalyn does. I think being an "older" mom and having so many friends and family walk this path before me has really been to my advantage, I've gleaned a lot from them. I don't worry so much about little things, but what I do concern myself with is raising this little girl of ours. It finally set in the other day that THIS is my job. The dishes, and laundry, and meal making, and all the other things moms have to multi-task come with the territory, but the real job is this little life God's given to me to raise. If dinner is late because I spent a little more time playing with Kalyn ... then we eat late ... but Kalyn goes to bed knowing she is loved and has two parents who spend time with her. I never hear kids complain that their mom didn't do the dishes, but I hear plenty say they don't feel loved. There is so much freedom in gaining a bigger perspective and then living under it. So in the meantime ...

we get to read books, and play on the floor ...


and take baths ...


and go swimming with Grammy, and play with cousins Kyle and Jeremy ...


... and know that this little life is loved!