Cozy Toes!

I know that Jeff's least favorite blogs are those that include pictures of my toes...I wonder if he feels the same about socks?  Since the temperatures were in the 40's and I refuse to turn the heat on, the time has come to cover the little piggies until Spring.  So goodbye pedicures and flip flops, hello cozy socks and slippers!

Lazy Day

Let me tell you what we did today.  We slept in (all three of us!).  We had two cups of coffee.  We watched movies.  We had an afternoon coffee.  We had a real, home cooked dinner.  We caught up on television shows we were weeks behind on.  And in between, we did nothing. 

Can I just tell you how nice that was?  A day of rain washed out my sessions and Jeff's plans of working outside.  Will didn't have to mow the lawn...nor did he have to work! 

So it was a big day of nothing.  Except relaxation....and coffee!

That one moment.

There's a moment when you look at your children and realize they are no longer "kids" anymore.  I remember the day with Hunter, clear as a bell.  It was the evening that he was completing his Ohio State essay (during the application process) and he came to the top of the stairs and he looked all grown up.  In the 15 minutes he'd been in his room working, he had grown into an adult.

The same thing happened today.  Will came bounding down the stairs with Superman comfy pants on and head of wet hair.  He was laughing and shaking off the last water from his shower.  About 15 minutes later, he came in from his room and he was all grown up.  His hair was dry and styled, his tie was tied and his looked like an adult - even with the Superman belt buckle.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not all mopey.  It's actually one of the cooler things that I get to experience as a mom.  I'm just thankful I was here to see it!

Happy Homecoming, Will!

It's Homecoming!

Ahhhh, another Homecoming!  Although it's my least favorite band event of the year, I wouldn't miss Long Train for all of the money in the world!  The alumni band, the fireworks and Will's smiling face.  The only thing missing from the evening was my favorite alumni!

Throwback Thursday!

It's amazing the things that can change in 10 years (especially haircuts!).  I love these pictures.  They're the heart and soul of our family.  They detail the moments that made us a family.  Puppy love.  Lint fires.  Deer antlers.  S'mores and pie pans over the fire.  The dollar game.

I'm pretty positive that if we took the boys back to the same cabin, we'd be doing the same thing.  Shaking bags of ice cream, playing euchre and hunting for dollar bills behind picture frames.  Hunter would be laying on the front porch looking for the puppy and Will would be trying to swim in the hot tub.  There would be horseshoes and badminton in the yard, a radio playing a little loudly and four voices singing at the top of their lungs.  And I guarantee the songs would have something to do with pirates, unicorns or alligator swamps.

Not a summer goes by that I don't miss those moments.  But I've learned to cherish the new ones...the five minute phone calls, the snap chats and text messages.  They mean just as much.  And one day, we'll go back...with their kids and it'll all start again.

Life is Hard.

Tonight, I don't have a picture...but I have a message.  I'm sure I've said this to the boys a million times, but in case I haven't, this is for them.

Life is hard.  People are crazy.  Nothing is fair.

I know some of you are giggling (probably the above referenced boys) but every word of that is true.  Sometimes, it takes you forty years to figure it out.  I'm saving you the time.

Life is hard.  It's a lot of fun, but it's hard.  Working full time, raising a family, paying the bills, juggling it all....it's hard.  But it's so worth it.  So in those moments that it seems too hard, remember this.  We've all been there, we've all made it through.  It doesn't always get easier, but you learn to roll with it a little better.

People are crazy.  That's an important one.  Sometimes you will think it's you that's crazy.  Sometimes the crazy one will try to convince you that it's you that's crazy.  Just know....you can't cure stupid.  You can't cure crazy.  You can spend a lifetime trying to make sense of it, but at the end of the day, sometimes crazy is just crazy.  And if you realize it...run!

Nothing is fair.  If I had a nickel for all the times the boys told me something wasn't fair, I'd be blogging from my million dollar yacht somewhere in the South Pacific with an umbrella drink in hand.  I'm here to tell you that life isn't fair.  It's isn't even almost fair.  Sometimes, the losers win.  Not everyone is nice.  It's a fact of life.  And the way I see it, you have two choices.  You can wallow in the "unfairness" of it all or you can pick yourself up, brush yourself off and keep trudging along.  It won't be easy (See Life is Hard above).

With all of that said, spectacular moments and loved ones make all of the above worth it.  The first words of your first born and the warm hug of your youngest child.  The simple "I love you" from a friend.  So suck up the rest knowing it's worth it.  You don't know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

I love you all!

Everything must change.

Looks like "orange barrel" season may last a little longer than normal at Ohio State this year.  These are the picture Hunter sent me today...

It looks like things will be a little less "green" on campus for the next few years.  Well, at least on north campus.  Hunter's made it his mission to stay for an extra year so he can enjoy the final results!

Anyway, if you're interested in seeing more about the project (it's very cool!), here is the link:

http://whatsgrowingon.osu.edu/