Summer lovin

10 Things I love about the summer

I know you always hear me talking about how we love to be outside and we love the summer, but here are a few of the reasons why

Sun kissed noses

sleeping sweaty babies

visiting fun places

friends holding hands

family visits

evenings outside 

 

the bright morning sun

yummy fruit

getting wet

  

and capturing moments

What do you love about the summer (or don't love)?

What really happens

We try to do craft time or a learning time at home on occasion.  This week we are working on daddy's father day gift (shhhhhh..... don't tell him).  So this task was pretty simple, just some coloring for starters.

La la la, everyone is coloring and happy, mom takes a few photos.

And this is what happens with Norah after about 3 minutes of coloring.

She looses all attention and goes off and does something else.

Actually, this is what happens every time we try to sit down and color, craft, teach, watch tv, basically anything thing that requires some type of attention span.

And to be completely honest it DRIVES ME CRAZY!!!

At first, (like over a year ago) when Norah was a wee little 2 year old, I knew that I wasn't going to hold her attention very long simply because she was 2.  I kept telling myself "with more time her attention will grow, just don't stress out, don't loose patience, she has to eventually stop wiggling, and start participating, Right?"

It's not happening folks.

Norah is just Norah, in her own world many days.

And this is what Maya continues to do as Norah is moving about.

Daddy would be proud Maya is trying to spell the word, "bacon"

It is hard for me to be in both worlds at the same time

and this is the world of Norah (2 seconds of scribble color)

Should I be worried?

Maya and her boyfriend(s)

This all started several months ago, when leaving church one night Maya said daddy's favorite words, " I have a boyfriend!"

Oh Great!  How did this happen already!  And then the conversation in the car ride home went a little something like this

Mom: "Maya what is your boyfriends name?"

Maya: "Ambry"

Mom: "Ambry?, do you mean Andy?"

Maya: " No mom, AMMBREE"

Norah chimes in: "Woody?" (as in Woody from toy story)

Silence in the car......... followed by hysterical laughter.  Oh Norah, what shall we do with you?

Continuing on, Maya speaks of Ambry often, telling us how she hopes he will be at church, that is a "Big Boy,"and that she really likes him.  And I am really not even sure if he really exists.

Fast Forward on to Papa and Yami's wedding. The reception starts and Maya finds this boy,

Boomer is what they call him.  Basically Maya wants nothing to do with us the entire night and hangs out with Boomer, THE WHOLE TIME!  For like 5 hours and I am sure forever if Maya had it her way.  I tried to get her to come join us a few times, and she would say things like, "I need to find my boyfriend, or, I want to do that with my boyfriend." And really, I think Boomer loved it just as much as Maya.

 Did I mention Boomer is much older than Maya, as if you can't tell from the photos.  He even told us, "Man, you guys are in trouble."

Well yes, Boomer I am in trouble, because of I have 2 more of those cute little girlies and a Daddy with no gun yet.  Better start our prayers now.

The next day Maya tells me this:" momma, I have like 5 boyfriends, Boomer, Ambry and I can't remember the other ones names."

Really?

 

Look at this

I was watching old video and looking at photos and scrolled on this one of Brett and Norah (when Norah was just a tiny baby) How precious is it to have this photo!



 Oh the memories, once a niece, now a daughter

A time to celebrate life

I wish everyone could fully understand what a special day Saturday was for our family.  If you have read before our family situation is complex, in many ways.  On Saturday Dan, Brett's dad, got married to Yami.

Our family has experienced a lot of pain, a lot of brokeness, so to have a day to celebrate and rejoice in a wonderful union was such a gift!

Both Dan and Yami were widowed.  Now they have each other to spend life with. 

What is so unique about the situation is that there is really no blood relationship between us and Dan & Yami, but they are fully our family in every sense.

One person even looked at us and said, "what an awkward situation for you family this is, without Fran around."  I actually have never thought of it as awkward, not once.  Here Dan was getting married, with 2 of his step children and their families, and from an outsiders few that might be awkward, or weird, or even hard to understand, but somehow,  for us it all makes sense.  

They are just our family, and Yami has embraced us like her own.  Yami has become a grandma to 9 grand kids in an instant and loves it!  Yami has even known Sarah since she was born, and truly has a special place in her heart.

Oh and Brett has another step brother now, which just adds to the confusion

Welcome to the Family Elliot!

Maya, Norah and Sarah got to be flower girls along with their cousins, Chloe and Ella.  To everyone watching they all seemed like sisters.

sisters/cousins/sisters

And I wasn't about to tell Yami's whole family about how Norah entered our family, they were already confused about who was sisters vs. cousins....Norah is our daughter and that is how they all saw her.

When the girls started to walk down the aisle my eyes welled up with tears (along with my sister-law Shanna).  There was just a simple sweetness to the whole situation.  Everything about that moment was sad, happy, and beautiful all at once.

and this is what the girls did during the ceremony

my favorite

 

The flower girls (oldest to youngest)

Ella: Age 6

Maya: Age 4

Chloe: Age 3

Norah: Age 3

Sarah: Age 8 months

 The wedding Party

The same man (on the far left) who did Fran's funeral married Dan & Yami

Yami's Favorite Youngest Granddaughter

My baby

The girls had to make sure the golf course was maintained

The reception was such a blast, and nothing like I expected. Yami's family loves to dance and we love that too. Plus they made up a kids table with all sorts of stuff for the kids to do, bubbles, crayons, pinwheels, scissors, markers, lollipops, play dough, bouncy flashing balls and candy!

Add caption

yeah, pretty sure Norah didn't have much for dinner besides that

my husband is so handsome!

the lovely brother and sis in law

We Danced all night, until the wedding was over!

the aftermath at our table

We miss Fran like Crazy, but are so happy Yami is a party of this unique family!

Sometimes there is redemption in the midst of our brokenness.