Trying to keep up

With the change in weather, the busy-ness of life seems to have picked up and I find myself simply trying to KEEP UP!! 

I started my week with a normal trip to Spokane for Karen's speech therapy.  I picked up my Mom who was in town for the week from my sister's and we headed home.  I had a jewelry party scheduled that night and LOTS to do finish getting ready.  I don't wear much jewelry but wanted to do something fun and have people over.  So the kids played outside while my Mom and I baked and got ready... if you like peanut butter, you have to try this peanut butter cake!  I made it as written except I added a 1/4cup of cocoa to the cake and to the icing!    The party didn't turn out quite as I hoped, but it was still a fun time.

Tuesday I thought was going to be a relaxing day with my Mom.  We drove to a little coffee shop after I took Karen to preschool and sat and visited.  I got a call from Carl after about an hour - he was trying to figure out where I was.  We had a HUGE thunderstorm come through Monday night, so he could not be in the fields because it was too wet.  He wanted to go to Spokane to pick out materials for our basement (we are in the process of finishing it - and needing to pick out doors, trim, etc.) ... so while my Mom babysat, we headed up to Spokane to do those errands.

Wednesday brought more busy-ness... Karen went in to preschool for a couple of hours and then I picked her up to head to Spokane for her second speech therapy appointment for the week.  My Mom, the kids, and I ran some errands after we were done and then headed over to my sister's house.  We spent the rest of the afternoon there visiting and letting the kids play.  I was able to get out for about an hour to head to the Centennial Trail for my sprint workout that was supposed to have happened Tuesday.  Then I fed the kids dinner, changed them into pj's and drove home - they all fell asleep and went right into their beds.

Thursday was Jessica's birthday.  I met my sister for Mass at noon and then we grabbed a quick bit of lunch with the kids before we headed to the airport to pick up my Dad.  We met up with the rest of the family to buy some silk flowers and then to the cemetery to decorate Jess's grave for her birthday.  It was late afternoon by the time we got back to my sister's house.  The kids played outside while we made dinner... spaghetti... which ironically is the last meal I had with my niece - bittersweet memories throughout the day.  Again, the kids rode home in their pj's and were asleep when I got home!

I was expecting a more laid back Friday, but as with every other day this week... it was not in the cards!  I made a quick trip to Colfax to drop off some orders from the jewelry party in time for the closing and then home.  We decided to head up to Spokane as a family (Carl was still rained out) to run some more house errands and then spend time with the family (Carl had not really had a chance to visit with my folks since they were in town).  So, when I got back it was racing around packing an overnight bag for myself and the the three kids.  Errands all afternoon and then finally some down time at my sister's for dinner.

Saturday was another errand day... it's a good thing that my kids don't mind being in the car or in home improvement stores.  They actually find home stores REALLY entertaining!  Mid afternoon it was time to start getting ready for church.  My nephew Nicholas received his First Holy Communion and Confirmation yesterday at 5:30 Mass.  I am SOOO glad that our normal church time is not in the evenings... the kids were not nearly as well behaved as normal, but we made it through.  Dinner and cake followed in the parish hall, and then it was putting kids back in their pj's to drive home!

... I'm really looking forward to Sunday to wind down!  But then again, the yard needs mowing, the laundry is piled back up, and there is drywall dust all over my living room...