If we are being honest than I will have to admit that our weekend away at the Westport Inn rivaled our honeymoon for how sick Bob and I were. The big difference is that on our honeymoon Bob spent the entire week taking care of me - this weekend we were both down for the count. We had a few nice meals out but for the most part we took advantage of the cable TV, the comfy beds and the steamy shower! So was the weekend a loss? Not even close. This weekend away did many things for Bob and I - it gave us a chance to talk, play cards, cuddle uninterrupted and to miss our kids incredibly. It gave us a chance to see texts and pictures coming in from all of the people caring for our children and realize how blessed we are that our kids are so incredibly loved! And it gave us, yet another, funny story about how we tend to plan things out perfectly only so that God can get a great big chuckle at our expense.
Let's start with a picture of Bob and I relaxing at the Brewery on Saturday. We had a two hour lunch marred only slightly by our hacking coughs and the presence of about 100 children with their parents. We thoroughly enjoyed watching parents scramble after their children, eat cold food and then make a quick exit when the screams got too loud. All while we recieved sweet little updates about our little angels 50 miles away!
These pictures are not in order but I love every single one and what they represent so bear with me. They are all cell phone pictures sent to Bob and I while we were away - we treasured every single moment of watching the kids and how they were cherished and loved while we were gone.
This is Ellie Bean asleep on KK Friday night. I loved knowing that even as she was sleeping she was feeling loved while she was away from us!
Tubby Time at KK's on Sunday before she came home. Ellie could have stayed with KK forever - they are soul mates - Ellie's whole body gets excited when she is around KK.
We are all for Child labor - why do you think we had five kids? Just kidding - Ellie was having fun with Kk cleaning, playing and visiting Auntie Kake.
Annie and Katie at Grammy's house. Grammy and Papa thought it was funny to keep us guessing on which kids were at which house all weekend - every time they sent a picture it seemes like there were different kids there.
Waiting for waffles at Grammy's house. The big kids set up camp at Grammy and Papa's and didn't leave all weekend! They had a blast and made memories with my parents that will last forever. It is a little scary to hear about all the "Kasey & Patrick" stories they were hearing - that might come back to bite us in the butt!
Saturday night pasta dinner at Karla and Pat's house. Don't think I haven't heard about 10 times how Auntie Karla makes the BEST pasta and meatballs and she is so nice about only making you eat what you want!
This picture is a little out of order but I find it a bit funny. When we got home on Sunday we took Lizzie to the urgent care clinic. Meg was vigilant about watching over Lizzie as she dealt with a cough, fever and wheezing so when she said she thought we should take her to the doctor we did - immediately. Turns out Meg was right - Lizzie had a bad ear infection and pneumonia - when we got to the office she needed a few breathing treatments right away just to get her Oxygen rate up a little. We ended up leaving the doctor with 4 prescriptions for Lizzie and two each for Bob and I.
These were some of our favorite pictures - Abby and Molly at Grammy's Spa! Can you think of anything better than spending the weekend having your grandmother just shower you in love and pamper your diva side? MY mom is always amazing with the kids but Abby and Molly are at an age when they just glow with the attention my Mom heaps on them. They were very excited to try out the foam rollers that Auntie Beth and I reported sleeping in when we were young to obtain full bodied hair! I don't think it worked well so Grammy is determined to go even farther back in history next time and try "rags" like she and Auntie Kake used to wear!
Our pretty girls having a bite to eat at Grammy's Spa.
Apparently the spa ran out of cucumbers so they tried carrots to bring down the eye selling of their clientele. Could he girls look any more uncomfortable? So funny!
This is the only picture we recieved from Meg - probably because any other pictures would have given away the fact that Lizzie was miserable and suffering all weekend and would have brought her parents crashing through the door! I loved that our twins reunited with Meg's twins for lunch on Saturday. NO matter how sick Lizzie was she could not wait to get to Auntie Meg's for her sleepover. She adores Brendan and Lila and threw it in everyone's face that she was getting to sleep there while we were away! She ended up on the couch watching TV for most of the weekend but, once again, I marvel at how lucky we are. If Lizzie had to be with anyone in the world than how incredible that she was with the person who thinks she is the picture of perfection and adores every breath she takes. When I worry that we should not have left Lizzie I just think of her being held, hugged, kissed and loved by her favorite person in the entire world - Auntie Meg and I know that God had a plan.
Dinner at Grammy and Papa's house on Friday - just and hour before we had dropped thes particular children off at two different houses so we were confused as to how they ended up with Grammy and Papa but they looked happy and my Dad got great joy from confusing us!
This is storytime at Grammy and Papa's house. Everytime they come home the kids tell us another story about my childhood - the good, the bad and the ugly. I love this for so many reasons - first - it gives my kids persepctive on Patrick and I as siblings and how we got to where we are today (not the easiest of roads!), second it shows the kids how Uncle Ed came to be a part of our family and the special way that families are formed, third it allows the kids to see my parents and siblings as our own little family unit - just like our kids are with Bob and I, and lastly it reminds the kids constantly that families are forever - no matter what happens and who enters! My Mom is truly the picture of what I dreamed of for my children as a grandmother. She is so natural with the kids - letting them each be individuals and appreciating the things that make them unique while always reminding them how important it is to stand together as a family.
And then there is my Dad - waking up at the crack of dawn, loading the kids in the car and showing them the world! They have all been on the Portland Bridge (or Papa's Bridge as we call it) before 8 o'clock in the morning to see the sun, the snow and to walk across the bridge. They have all frozen their butts off at Constitution Plaza in the dead of winter or been on an impromptu trip to the Beach house whether there was rain, sleet or snow! In this picture - Papa was waking the kids up a bit by opening all the windows and letting the 13 degree wind blow thru! My Dad switches the seating each time the kids get in the car, usually gets something ridiculously sweet for breakfast and always finds an adventure or two to keep everyone out of the house and having fun together for a couple of hours. These trips certainly rival the SAturday morning airport trips of my youth - I remember excitedly telling a friend at school what we did with my Dad on Saturdays and she promptly asked "So you sit and watch the planes take off or come in?" Yes - when there were planes - the rest of the time we explored and had my Dad's undivided attention. My Dad is a perfect compliment to my Mom as a grandfather - where my Mom spends time cooking, baking, playing endless games, doing endless puzzles and curling hair - my Dad finds adventures, plays basketball in the driveway for hours, walks the neighborhood meeting friends for the kids to play with and teaching the kids fun things like riding bikes and jumping on pogo sticks. We are so lucky to have my parents as the grandparents for our children - so lucky!
The bags packed and ready by the door on Friday - it was more work than it appeared!
Saturday night at Grammy and Papa's house - one more story before bed!
Ellie Bean snacking at KK's house - she could not have been happier to be with Kk, sharing nothing with a sibling, getting yelled at for nothing by a sibling and just generally having the run of the house. Ellie has been the one most affected by our having been gone with LOTS of extra kisses, hugs and I love you's since we got home. She has started just checking in to make sure we are there when we are out of sight for a few minutes!
And Lastly - our poor, sweet, Buggy at the doctor getting breathing treatments to stop her wheezing, The doctor thought she was so mature that instead of sending us home with a big bulky nebuelizer he is letting Lizzie use regular inhalers. She does great with them and they seem to stop her wheezing very quickly! For right now Lizzie is down for the count for a few more days until we can bring her back and check her lungs out. She loved having her Daddy home with her today and is quite the demanding little patient - thank God she is cute!
Our weeknd away ended up being not exactly what we had anticipated but wonderful none the less. Bob and I kept reminding each other to treasure the moments away even though we were missing our munchkins and that is exactly what we did! We were thrilled to get home to all of our children and hold them in our arms and remind them of how loved they are - only to be told that they were told and shown that a million times over the weekend! Do I need to say it again? We are so Blessed!
GNM - ILY!
