We spent the afternoon hanging out in the woods near our house…the boys and Petra ran around and I got to relax for a few minutes here and there and read my book. It was a great way to celebrate the last day of school and kick off the summer.
Category: Petra
First Family Camping Trip…
We took our first family camping trip this week during spring break!!! A dear friend of Tom’s from the fire department let us borrow his land for the weekend. We had so much fun exploring the woods and the creek and the field, gathering rocks and wood for a campfire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows for s’mores, and camping out in a little tin-roof cabin.
Click on the “Family Camping Trip 2016” page to the right for more pictures…
Sledding…
We’ve had a marathon of snow and snow days here…lots of hanging out and sledding.
Box Turtle…
The boys, Petra, and I went for a long walk on Saturday morning before the rain came (they wanted to wear their swimsuits just in case), and we were all so excited to happen upon a box turtle on the trail!
Camp Beans…
Petra LOVED spending Thanksgiving at Camp Beans with her very favorite, Jeanne, and new friend, Riley!!!
Gingy the Gingerbread Man…
Jonas was SO excited to bring Gingy the Gingerbread Man home for a sleepover tonight. He came running off the bus with him and loved introducing him to all of us (especially to Maw who came for a sweet visit and graciously brought us dinner). Here are a few pictures from Gingy’s time with us…
Running…
After my post-pregnancy body failed me last summer when I tried to get back to running with a Couch to 5K, I sat in the floor and cried. Then, I got really mad and decided to do something about it. I talked with a physical therapist who encouraged me to work on strengthening all of the muscles that three pregnancies had weakened. So, I started a three day a week training program at home and have been working on it ever since then. I’m so excited to say that here I am…a year later…training for the same Couch to 5K…and so far so good! It’s funny how my perspective on exercise has changed as I’ve gotten older…I’m motivated by desperation instead of obligation. And with every step I take…I’m pleasantly surprised and grateful instead of expecting to be able to do it and taking it for granted.
On my first twenty minute run in YEARS, Petra joined up with me when I passed by our house at the halfway mark, without her collar and her leash. I was worried that she wouldn’t stay with me, but she did…the whole way. In the quiet and stillness that comes in running alone, I talked with God about how I felt it was symbolic and what He wanted me to see. Then, a revelation came…that Petra stayed with me because she has a relationship with me…like we have with God and He has with us…like Tom and I have with each other and with our children. It made me think about that relationship…do I have it, do I cultivate it, do I trust in it, etc. It was a sweet reminder to that part of myself that likes to be in control…just to rest and trust. Yay for God who reveals Himself to us through His creation!
Petra’s Birthday…
When Xander and I were washing up the strawberries we picked to get them ready to make Maw’s delicious strawberry cake recipe this weekend, he reminded me of Petra’s birthday. So, we decided to make the cake in honor of her and throw her a little birthday party. The boys made her cards and party hats for all of their stuffed animal doggy friends that they invited to the party. It was pretty sweet. Here’s a picture of four year old Petra and all of my guys.
