BACK AT HOME

John and I got back late last night.  Since our arrival, we have been faced with a wide array of first world questions like,

"Who will turn down my bed every night?"
"How will I ever go back to eating less than 3 desserts a day?"
"Can I survive without cute towel animals wearing my sunglasses arriving in my room each evening?"
"Where will I get hot, free pizza at 2 a.m.?"
"When will I stop feeling like I have been on a boat or swimming in the waves?"
"Why are my tan lines so strange?"

I know that you are probably feeling really bad for us now.  As you should.

It was really wonderful to come home to the girls and get lots of hugs and love this morning.  We showed off pictures of our trip and enjoyed breakfast with John's parents who took excellent care of the girls this week.



I came home to a couple of really fun treats.  The girls had left mail in our Valentine's Day mailboxes, and I loved seeing what they colored for us.



I also participated in a blog swap for Valentine's Day.  We were supposed to send off a few of our favorite things to our partner.  I was paired with the very sweet Kaity of {Bee}autiful Blessings.  I think she and I could sit and talk about travel for hours, among other things.  Her blog is such a fun space, and I had a fun package from her when I got home.

It included a book that looks incredibly heart-warming and chocolate.  You can never go wrong with chocolate!

Thanks, Kaity!

This afternoon has brought doses of reality both good and bad.  We listened to the girls sing Jingle Bells and Happy Birthday to one another during "nap" time.  Then, as I was going in to encourage Bella in her picking up, I began straightening some art on her wall.  I was also drinking a smoothie at the same time.  These things can not be done simultaneously, and this is the result.

Did I mention it was a blueberry smoothie?  Good thing this is in the room where the carpet is already badly stained.  The worse part about this is that there was no one coming behind me cleaning up everything, as I have been accustomed to in the past week.  I guess I will survive somehow.

I will post a bit about the trip soon!

BON VOYAGE

We are getting ready to set sail. I am writing to record a few things. Yesterday felt like I had to try to turn my mind off. It is used to spinning a million different ways and also being accosted by requests. When we travel with CFA, it requires very little mental energy. Herding would be an appropriate term.

You show up. There are people holding CFA signs directing you where to go. There are treats and drinks waiting just for you. It is only adults, so there is no toddler wrangling that so epitomizes my daily life.

Last night, I felt like I was trying to detox. And it is harder than it used to be to relax. But, we are managing. We had a delightful dinner out with friends last night.





This morning we woke up early and had this exchange.

Carol: "We are ruined. We can never sleep in again."
John: "Yes, we are actually rotting corpses of our former selves. Except today, there are no little flesh eaters to nibble our toes and try to get us out of bed."

After that bit of drama, we got down to breakfast with more friends. That's the fun thing about Seminar- it is a giant family reunion. We also walked on the beach for a while.



Then, it was time to board the boat. Since we were fortunate enough to have all of our documents this year, we got to get right on.


The girls are having a wonderful time with Grandma and Grandpa.


Looking forward to time away- it always makes me appreciate my normal life more.

THIS WEEK: WHAT'S UP

This week swirled around us, engulfing us in activity, joy and some stress.  Here's what it entailed, bullet point style.  (which is like Gangnam style, but less dancey)

- Chickens.  I visited the house of someone who lives in the country and met their pet chickens.  I love living in Arkansas.

- No naps at our house, which means this girl was tired.  Tired enough to fall asleep in the car with her sunglasses on.

- Big welcomes home.  Having two sweet girls run to the garage when you they hear the door open is such a treat.  I will be so sorry when this phase is over.

- Babysitter.  The girls spent a fair amount of time with one of our sweet babysitters this week.  These are some of the pictures she got of them one night.

Who are those children smiling at the camera?  Turns out, they really like the flash.  And they like Grace - she's pretty great.

- Stress test.  John has had a cold, which morphed into a sinus infection, which prompted him to go to the doctor, which reminded him to ask the doctor about random chest pain while running, which led the doctor to order a stress test for him.  6:20 on Wednesday morning found John like this.

Nothing showed up, thankfully, and after consulting with a heart specialist, they told him to just pay attention to see if it becomes worse or more frequent.  Nothing like a good stress test in the middle of the week to make you all feel good about life.

- I got my hairs did.  And then I sat under this crazy contraption.  The stylist explained what a great deal they had gotten on it, and I did not wonder why.

- Grandparents arrived!  The girls were so excited they agreed to pose for a picture.  Seems they like to do this for people who aren't me.



- Polo on a pony balloon.  This balloon is still living on our ceiling, 3 weeks after the fact.  John brought it down to give it a good work out, but in the end, let it back up to the ceiling, where it will remain for all of time.  At least, it seems that way right now.



- Last lunch with the ladies for a while.  Glad to get some good cuddle time in.



- Walks on one of the river bridges with Grandma and Grandpa.  So much fun - though chillier than we imagined.  February can be such a tease.

- Packing and trying to figure out what needs to be done before we leave.  The list was so long, and so much is not complete.  But, we and everyone around us, will just have to make do, because we are ready to get on out of here.  I have that feeling that I am missing something big, and I am praying that God will make that clear before we walk out the door.  I'm sure we will all survive somehow.

Looking forward to what will hopefully be a refreshing week away.  I'm so thankful for a great company that takes care of us, good friends that I am looking forward to spending time with and time with the hubster.

MAKING VALENTINES FROM THE LADIES

I love Valentine's Day.  I love the hearts.  I like using pink and red and white in a beautiful mash-up that only works really well this time of year.  I love spreading the love.  I contemplated years ago just sending out Valentine's Day cards from our family, instead of Christmas cards.  That was before I experienced the wonder of Christmas cards being sent to me, and I realized I could not forego spreading that magic during the big holiday season.

All that said, I like to make Valentine's from the girls.  (Click here for V-Day cards from 2012 and here for V-Day cards from 2011)  I should involve them more, but this year, there wasn't the time.  So I made the cards.  Actually, I did involve them by taking their pictures while they were wearing their beloved princess dresses.  This is how that played out.

Me:  Lily, do you want to dress up like a princess and take pictures for Valentines after nap?
Lily:  Yes!  Can I be Cinderella and Bella be Tangled?
Me:  Sure!  Does that sound like fun?
Lily:  Yes, of course it does.  (This is when I realized that she mimics things that I say.)

So, the time comes for the pictures.  And, I realize that we have other things we need to be doing that afternoon and have a babysitter coming.  However, Lily will not be derailed, so on the dresses go.  I throw a white sheet that had been sitting in the laundry room unfolded for over a week onto dining room chairs for a backdrop, and there seems to be enough afternoon sunlight to do the deed without a flash.

The true test is when it is actually time to take pictures.  Will little girls cooperate?

One little girl sits down, squealing with delight, but not exactly posing for a picture, and the other little girl rushes to her side.



They rejoice in Bella's snack and the fact that they are wearing princess dresses.



Lily runs off to do who knows what, and I try to get Bella to laugh and smile.  She has other ideas.



Plus, she's thirsty.  Also known as "hungry and tired, "she tells me.



Then, it was time to scream about something.  Anything will do the trick.



Big sister is back, random toys in tow.  Now is as good a time as any to lick that red block, though Bella does seem to think it an odd choice.



Fake soup makes an excellent afternoon treat.  "So Good," she tells me.  Big sister has vanished again, in a rush to do something important.



But then, I get the Bella money shot.  She is laughing about something super witty I said, and I caught the moment.  After adding a little text and retouching some of the marks on her forehead, her Valentine was ready to go!



I convince Lily to come back for her close-up by saying she should bring Francie with her.  Since she always finds this appealing, it worked.  If this was on Instagram, I would follow it up with a "poor kitty" hash tag.



Francie is trying to wriggle out of Lily's firm grasp, and I can't say I blame her.  She is a really nice cat.



In laughing over Francie's inevitable escape, I catch the Lily money shot.  Just. like. that.  Getting pictures of them is always so easy.  (insert sarcasm font)



But, I do love the way they turned out, and I know I probably won't always have to work for it like this.  Then again, maybe I will.

Happy Valentine's Day from the Princesses Spenst.