Spring has Sprung

Spring activities keep us racing around town to softball practice and swimming lessons. 

But, it also has the boys building bridges across our family room on rainy spring days.

There have been some hot days this spring and Caleb agreed to do yard work.

I try to keep extracurricular activities to ONE per child per season. So far in life it's been divided as
-Evie's activities and
-the boys.

 To my delight, Evie is playing park district softball. I talked her into it because I played softball growing up and have the best memories. 
Honestly I'm not sure how "in to it" she is. She's only played one game so far. 
One of the games was rained out and one of them she contracted pink eye the day before. 😝

Ready for action

When I signed her up in the winter, I was naive as to the expenses with all the needed equipment! All the girls need their own helmet (complete with face guard), junior mitt, bat, pants and cleats! 

 Growing up, I remember picking up any old dusty helmet and bat off the dugout floor. 
Sanitation is considered a little more these days, which, I honestly don't mind! 😀

It's pretty entertaining watching them play and I've had to adopt a relaxed attitude. 
There are girls hitting balls and forgetting to run. 
There are girls who watch the ball roll by them on a base hit. 
There are girls who'd rather pick dandelions in the outfield. 

They cap the game at 1 hour, which is a good thing. This is just the beginning of little league sports competition for our family!
During softball practice, the boys are eager to practice hitting balls on the sideline. Levi has a natural ability and swings that bat, making the ball sail. 
James is a natural lefty. I've tried to correct him on his positioning but he just explains that "it feels better this way." 
Little Caleb can hardly hold the bat up. He is all smiles though as he swings a few moments after the ball sails past him. 

We will see if they all end of playing baseball. 
 I know one thing for sure, they must be all on the same team! I feel like having one child on a team takes up a lot of time and energy. 
And, they will all share a helmet. 

So while Evie's Spring activity is softball, the boys are forced to take swimming lessons.

 It's going pretty much how I envisioned it.
 Caleb jumps in, nearly drowning, believing he can already swim;

 James really really doesn't want to get his face wet or be cold. He cries a bit, but afterwords declares "it's not so bad";

James rather be loungin' in the sun with a piece of banana  bread

 Levi is just one paranoid mess.
 Crying, kicking, protesting, this kids absolutely detests the water and putting any part of his body into it. 

Our kind swim instructor is very patient with him and just puts him on his back and guides him to float down the pool as he screams into his ear drum. 
I believe swimming is a necessary skill; so, regardless of their dislike and protesting, in the water they go. 

John calmly guides Caleb down the pool 

April just flew by. On April 9, John and I celebrated 13 years of marriage! 13 years! That happened so fast...but there was a lot of life in between. 

Young and free

I feel like at 6 years, when we had Evie, the years started speeding up. 
As we go through the ups and downs of life, I am more convinced than ever that good marriages just don't happen. It's both people constantly choosing to honor, respect and love the other. John shows me everyday that he still cherishes me and our family, taking the vows he made 13 years ago seriously. 

From then....

To now.

The other day, after a busy morning the kids needed a little down time (and so did I). We have a big sectional couch in our family room. I laid down at the end of it, head on a pillow. James came over and had a "very good idea" to put another pillow on my lap and lay down. Then Evie decided that a pillow on James' lap would make a comfortable resting place. 
Levi followed suit and then John and Caleb. From end to end on our large sectional the six of us laid in perfect order together. 
It was one of those moments to just soak up. Feelings of gratefulness and contentment flooded every ounce of my being and I thought, "it doesn't get any better than this." 
Little did I know when I said "Yes" to John when he asked me to be his family, that "two would become ONE"...and then Six.