What we've been doing...

Recently, I made a secret goal (which is no longer secret) to continue to update my blog once a month. Apparently, that was a lofty goal. I think that I sometimes underestimate how busy life can be working part-time and taking care of a toddler and pre-schooler. Even though I convince myself that some days the demands from Jonah (my pre-schooler) are getting less, there is no convincing myself that the demands from Judah (my toddler) are lessening. If anything, the demands from Judah are at their peak. Escaping during the day to make a blog entry is often impossible and by the time their bedtime approaches, I often have next-to-nothing left.

So now, though less reflective, I am making a new goal to make entries at least once a month but with less expectations on myself. Sometimes, I may even let the pictures speak for themselves. We'll see how this goes.

JULY 4th WEEKEND

David and I recently have been talking about how spoiled we feel. We are so grateful for the unique opportunities that we sometimes have. On this particular weekend, David and I and the boys got to spend the weekend at a lake cottage in Northern Indiana with some of our closest friends. Jonah and Judah loved the water (and the sparklers) while I had a blast experiencing a jet ski for the first time. We ended the weekend back in Muncie watching the fireworks display over the river. I LOVED the amount of family time we had that weekend and truly didn't want it to end.

On July 11th, David competed in his 2nd (of 3) triathalons this summer. The event had so much energy and the boys and I had a lot of fun cheering for David. It was additionally special because we also were able to encourage David's brother and sister-in-law. Might I say that all three of them did a wonderful job!

Following the triathalon, David, the boys, and I headed to Ohio where we celebrated family at the Shindeldecker family reunion. There were almost 50 of us present. We also devoted some of the day to welcoming my new great-niece (Sophie Marie) and recognizing my grandfather's 90th birthday.

The Sprinkler Park

Can you imagine the disappointment of 15 children when upon arriving at the sprinkler park, that the electricity is out and therefore the sprinklers were not working for the day!? Fortunately, the adjacent park had fun playground equipment and lots of mud to keep them occupied! Even more fortunate was the fact that a very nice man came and turned the power on so that we were able to use the sprinklers for the hour before we headed home. If I would have had soap, I would have gladly taken the opportunity to shower the boys. Man did they need it!

Picnics are one of my favorite things. Fortunate for me, my boys seem to like them too. I must admit that not having to clean my kitchen following the meal is a definite benefit. This picnic took place at the county fairgrounds prior to walking around and looking at the animals. Unfortunately, many of the animals were not open to the public. I guess that doesn't really matter since when we got home, Jonah told David that we got to see giraffes, dolphins, and monkeys...none of which were at our fair!

I LOVE family time. Next week, David and I will celebrate 12 years of marriage. For our anniversary, we always return to Ivanhoe's near Taylor U where we had our first date. Afterwards, we tromps around campus typically reminiscing about old times. This year, we decided to bring the boys with us. They were so much fun. Being with them, adds an additional dimension to that which I am thankful. They of course loved running through campus and eating ice cream at Ivanhoe's even more!