Today we celebrate 8 years of marriage. It’s actually really hard for me to believe it’s been that long and really we’ve only still just begun. My parents just celebrated their 35th last year and Justin’s parents are celebrating their anniversary today also… 42 years! I’ve been feeling a little nostalgic this last week… maybe it was my chat session with Erika about my career at the Florida DMV but I keep thinking about our early years of marriage. They were so different than these years. We are so very tied up with little ones and little did we know or understand the freedom that we once had.  Sometimes  we wish for a quiet evening and sometimes we laugh our heads off at our children and wonder what on earth we did before they were around. There’s no doubt our lives are richer and deeper because of children but also busier and a little more chaotic.

We spent the first couple years of our married lives at 1110 Pine Street, it was a smaller 2 bedroom house without a dishwasher and only 4 cabinets but we loved it and our neighborhood and our neighbors! Justin was in grad school at FSU and I worked long hours at the Florida DMV and have many stories to share for another time. Life seemed simpler then but life seems richer now and I wouldn’t change anything along the way. I love my husband, being married to him isn’t always easy and I know he’d say that about me too. I’m almost convinced that being married in general is hard. But I am thankful that he is who the Lord had for me and for our children. He’s a wonderful husband and a wonderful father!! And I love him with all my heart.

This our dog, Eufaby, she’s been with us since the very beginning…

And we both hope she’s with us for many more, even if she does sneak food from the table, open the “Simple Human” trash can with her paw and pull everything out.

In other news, Spring is peeking through the dreary days of winter and we’ve been outside a lot… getting dirty.

I want share this little man’s recent antics…

He cries at night… a lot.

He cries at night until we get him out of his bed.

I try to let him cry it out until I think I might lose my mind.

Then we console him and bring him to our room and lay him down between us.

Then he giggles uncontrollably for about 5 minutes.

While we shake our heads and try to decide if he’s thinking, “I love my mom and dad so much I can’t contain myself” or if it’s more of, “They’re such suckers they fell for me again!”.

Either way his uncontrollable giggles absolutely crack us up, even at 2:45 am BUT I do hope that it is short lived.

And last but not least. I hate television. My children don’t hate television but really don’t watch that much {which is relative, I’m sure} but when they do this is how I find them… zoned and oblivious to the world around them.

I’m thinking of having a completely “unplugged” summer. Anybody want to join me? I’m not willing to give up DVDs and movies but daily cartoons {even educational ones}… yes. Because minutes can quickly turn to hours and they never want to turn it off. Anyway, I’m thinking about it and have almost convinced myself that we will be almost completely TV-free this summer.

I love her with every ounce of my being. You wouldn’t have known that on Sunday afternoon when I acted like nothing more than a wretch towards her. She wronged her sister. But she also wronged me, or so I felt. She colored on the front of Paige’s dress {a dress that I had spent countless hours making, a dress that was to be Paige’s Easter dress} with a very permanent dry erase marker because she was mad at Paige for doing something, still what, I am not sure. Instead of reacting the way that I should have, I reacted the way that I shouldn’t have. I acted like a child myself, telling her that she would allow Paige to wear her flawless dress on Easter, that she would wear her school clothes and proceeded to gather and throw away every dry erase marker in the house. Ugh, I’m almost brought to tears just thinking about the words, the sharpness of my tongue, and the condition of my heart as I reprimanded her. With my tongue, I took her down and then proceeded to rub her face in the dirt. And this is a child that I would give my life for. If only I had paused, calmed down, and taken a small breather.

We were quick to address her sin… but what was harder than that was addressing mine. Apologizing to my children is incredibly difficult…. but I do it, and I do it more often than I wish I had to. It pains me because it means that I have to recognize my sin and my sin is gross, selfish, and mean. It pains me because it humbles me to confess and repent my sin to my children {& the Lord}, my imperfections, my failures. As their mother, it pains me to ask for their forgiveness. In my flesh, I “reason” that they are the children, they are the ones who need to be instructed, apologizing, learning the ways of the Lord, aren’t I supposed to already know how to “act”? Yet, in my heart, I know what the Lord wants of me and that is to confess  and seek their forgiveness. And every time, the response is the same, “Yes, Momma, of course, I forgive you…. and I’m so sorry too!” With each instance of my coming before them asking for their forgiveness, I am hopeful for it to be the last time, unfortunately… I know that since my oldest is only five we’ve likely only broken the surface of being forgiven by each other.

A few weeks ago in our Monday night study we were talking about brokenness and the song Take My Life {brokenness is what I long for, brokenness is what I need, brokenness is what you want from me}. And how some people find distaste in asking for brokenness; that the Lord surely doesn’t want us to be broken. But the reality of such a concept is that out of the brokenness of our hearts {whether it be over the grievance of our sin or the current situation we face} springs mercy, love, compassion, holiness, righteousness, and faithfulness. While I’m never delighted for the opportunity to apologize to my children, I am thankful, that out of it, I am able to show them that I need a savior just like they do. Just as brokenness brings holiness, I pray the confession of my sins brings sweet communion with my children.

From The Valley of Vision {a collection of Puritan prayers} on The Family {pg 113– if you, or in my case, your husband has it on your bookshelf}…

O God, I cannot endure to see the destruction of my kindred.
Let those that are united to me in tender ties be precious in thy sight and devoted to thy glory.
Sanctify and prosper my domestic devotion, instruction, discipline, example, that my house may be a nursery for heaven,
my church the garden of the Lord,
enriched with trees of righteousness of thy planting for thy glory;
Let not those of my family who are amiable, moral, attractive, fall short of heaven at last;
Grant that the promising appearances of a tender conscience, soft heart, the alarms and delights of they Word,
be not finally blotted out,
but bring forth judgment unto victory in all whom I love.

Just a few reflections and thoughts for today… comments closed.

Another post to follow…

I hope this post finds eachof you well. I’m so excited to share this month’s sponsors with you. They all have absolutely LOVELY things {some with great discounts too!} so be sure to click over to their sites. I asked each of them to share a little bit about their businesses….

::Blessed Be The Name Children’s Clothing::

 
In Ashley’s own words…
I am the owner and designer of Blessed Be the Name (a children’s clothing offered through trunk shows) & Favorite Laundry (offered to vendors in the Atlanta Apparel wholesale market). Since the last sponsor post, Favorite Laundry has a new retail store in Birmingham in a town & development neighborhood called the Town of Mt Laurel. Both lines are full of whimsical simplicity and wonderfully soft cotton, a great way to celebrate childhood and dress your children for your greatest memories….If you’re in the Birmingham area please come by and see us! Store address: 100 Croft Street Birmingham, AL 205.533.7861  Also, Ashley’s blogs here.

::The Rusted Chain::

In Beki’s own words…
Casual. Simple. Meaningful. That’s what The Rusted Chain jewelry is. They’re pieces you can wear with a flirty sundress, boots and jeans, or your favorite blazer. We have necklaces, earrings, and even a bracelet or two thrown in the mix. Because Darby has the most fabulous readers in all of blogland, please enjoy a 15% discount on any purchase through the end of March with code window15. You can find TheRustedChain blog and newsletter sign up here.
*Lime Twist earrings pictured above can be found HERE

::Stella Bella::

In Rachel’s own words…
Stella Bella Boutique is a jewelry shop that offers pieces that are dainty, bold, and everything in between. All pieces are vintage inspired and custom made. Stella Bella Boutique also does custom orders for individuals and wedding parties – all you need to do is ask!
Special Offer: Every order $50.00 and over will receive a free pair of robbins egg blue rosebud studs shown in the picture!

::Smitten & Co::

In Tara’s own words…
When you purchase tees from Smitten & Company, not only will your children be sporting original designs, but they will be made with the highest quality materials on the softest, thickest shirts around. Boys and girls love them just as much as Moms do! I have also added dresses for girls up to a size 6 that go perfectly with leggings and tights. And if you’re already thinking about Spring, I have ruffled bloomer sets for baby girls that were very popular among Moms last summer!

::jaC jewelry::

In Janna’s own words…
I create unique one-of-a-kind and limited edition works of art. Whether you like delicate earrings or chunky statement necklaces, you are bound to find something you will love! Specials include: For the entire month of March, get free shipping in the US and 10% off orders of $50 or more worldwide! Simply mention this blog in the notes to seller when placing the order, pay with PayPal, and I will refund the discount right back to you. The sale does not apply to custom orders and items in Clearance and Cancer Awareness/Charity sections. And I {Darby} had the pleasure of picking out this beautiful necklace for Janna to include in the post. It can be found here.

::Harris Properties Beach Rentals::

  
In Melise’s own words…
Harris Properties is a family owned and operated business renting vacation homes on the beautiful sand of Gulf Shores and Fort Morgan Alabama. We offer an amazing Fly Through Our Window discount! Email or Call and ask for Melise! :0) Your toes will be wiggling in the soft Southern sand in no time! www.ourgulfshoresvacation.com 877-4GO-GULF

::pixelimpress::

In Pam’s own words…
I love paper, patterns and colors, modern and traditional, and fonts. I love trying to find the unexpected yet beautiful way of mixing all of those to create a look that’s unique. I’m environmentally conscious and use recycled materials as much as possible. And I strive to always give excellent customer service. New square calling card patterns are in stock! You can browse them here.

::EngLady::

  
In Kat’s own words…
Hello! My name is Katherine or Kat, as most friends refer to me. I create classic jewelry with a touch of vintage charm. Most of my pieces are versatile, easily transitioning from casual weekend wear to special occasions. I work primarily with semi-precious stones and freshwater pearls paired with sterling silver, fine silver, or higher quality gold vermeil and gold filled. I adore watery blues and greens, which is often reflected in my work; but I also love working with other colors. If you have a special request for a design or stone combination or need multiples for your bridal party, simply ask!

::Spencer Morgan Designs::

  
In Rebecca’s own words…
Spencer Morgan Designs is a unique handmade jewelry company that specializes in creating modern pieces from vintage jewelry. I also love custom designing jewelry for people to complete an outfit, re-invent a family heirloom or create special pieces for a bridal party. The majority of the pieces are one-of-a-kind so you won’t have to run into someone with the same necklace. For a 10% discount on online orders enter promo code “FLY.”

::Kendall Boggs Fine Art::

In Kendall’s own words…
I paint large format paintings with molding paste and acrylic. Sometimes I use a heavy varnish and many times I throw coffee grinds on the canvas! I am inspired by memories so unless I am painting a painting for someone specifically, I usually don’t know what the outcome will be until I am finished. I am doing my first Solo Show in Jackson Mississippi at The South Warehouse, Friday, March 12th. 5 – 8. It’s a huge honor to have this opportunity! Just thought you might like to mention that it is open to the public.

::Noteworthy::

In Christy’s own words…
These days, with the constant flow of emails and text messages, isn’t it so nice to receive a personalized handwritten note from a thoughtful friend or family member? Personalized notes add that extra charming touch! We are your online source for creating custom invitations and announcements for any special event! Is someone in your life getting married, expecting a child, or planning a party ? Visit our online store to create a memorable invitation for your special occasion. Special Discounts: The Twice as Nice Sale!!!!!!! Order 25 or more notes or folded notes and we will double your order – FREE! (No code needed) Also ALL birth announcements are currently 20% off!

::Lisa Leonard::

In Lisa’s own words…
Our exclusive, hand-drawn vintage frames {pictured above with Lisa and her twin sister} are a little funky and a lot of fun! Wear a single charm or layer the charms ($22 for each add’l charm) for a casual, up-to-date look. lightweight sterling charms are strung from sterling chain and sweetened with a cream, freshwater pearl. Customize each frame with the initial of your choice. starting at $38!

Thanks, ladies! As always, I’m honored and delighted to share my blog with you!!

• How hard I’ve laughed in the last 48 hours. 
• How fast my heart has raced.
• And… I had no idea I could sweat that much without exercising. 

I mean seriously… I’m telling you it has been a hilarious 48 hrs. I’ve been doing this far too long to have a glitch like this, I may need a few lessons on how to operate a blog!  Especially if I’m going to copy and paste private gmail chats under the “new posts” section!!

I will preface this email by saying my “Sorry!!” post made it sound like I had posted something very offensive and this is not necessarily true, unless you are very prudish {which I tend to lean towards}. The issue was more that it got posted {and wasn’t supposed to be} more than what it actually said, because I’m with y’all it was HILARIOUS!

Now I feel like 1/2 of you know what I’m talking about and the rest are still out of the loop. And unfortunately permission has yet to be granted by my sister to repost it, but I’m working on her. I will just briefly tell you it was a HILARIOUS {stinkin’ hilarious} post that involved a chat log between my sister and myself regarding a little situation she faced with her computer repairman and me with a “spelling error” email to my old boss at the DMV. We briefly discussed me posting it {which is why it was created as a post} and then we talked and both decided it wasn’t really appropriate {at all}… so, I deleted it. Or so I thought. Instead I posted it. And had no clue. And then my friend Jenn emails me and is like, “Oh my gosh that post was so hilarious… where did it go?” And I was like, “Oh BEEP BEEP BEEP, how did she see it?” Thankfully it had been roughly edited and “Craig” is not her computer guy’s name. So, the only two people humiliated by such a post… are me and her!

Then I knew I had to call her and tell her it posted because she was going to see it in her Reader. {side note: I’m on a new server {thanks, Chris} which is great in so many ways, one of which is that when I post it IMMEDIATELY feeds to reader— in this case, that was not good}. So before I called Erika to share with her that I’m a total moron, I asked Chris for a miracle to see if he could get it OUT of READER… no.such.luck. Once it feeds Reader it’s there. Rats. So, I got brave, sweated through my shirt, hung my head over my computer and called her. 

RING…. RING.

She answered, “Green bean central!” (My first clue that she hadn’t seen it yet.)

Me, “Um, sister.”

Her, “Yes!”

Me, “I need to tell you something?!”

Her,”What?”

Me, “Ummm, our chat log…. accidentally posted. Did you do it?”

Her, “Ha ha… funny, I know you’re kidding!”

Me, “No, I swear! Something happened, did you log on to my admin page?”

Her, “No. I know your kidding and it’s so not funny!”

Me, “Erika, listen, I’m so not kidding, I totally posted it and have no idea how it happened”

Erika, “Delete it before it feeds!”

Me, “It fed already!” I’m sure between the two of us there were a few cuss words.

And then she said, “Darby. I. Am. A. Professional. {I am laughing my rear off right now remembering this convo.} This stuff cannot be posted on the internet!”

Me, “Erika, do you think I want what I said posted on the internet?!”

Her, “Ahhhh I can’t believe you did this….”

Me, “I know, I’m such a moron. But you have to admit it’s the funniest thing ever?!”

Her, “Yeah, it’s hilarious. No doubt it’s hilarious. But. I. Am. A. Professional.”

I know she’s a professionl and the best thing is, she’s the funniest professional I’ve ever met in my entire life and if any client of hers read that and didn’t think it was funny they may not deserve to be a client of hers.

She used to design houses from cardboard boxes. She’s come too far for me to go and mess things up for her.

I can find several morals here:

1. Subscribe using Google Reader… click HERE if you’re interested.
2. Never talk to me online.
3. Never talk to Erika online.
4. Never type an email really fast to your boss that has the word disk in it… the c is way too close to s on the keyboard.
5. Never take off your bra and put it in your 2nd desk drawer.
6. Never send your computer guy to your 2nd drawer for a cat5 cable.
7. Never say never.

And by the way, thank you to those of you who shared some hilarious computer mishaps with me in the last post… I laughed so hard at some of them. If you have one you want to share to make me feel better please feel free to do so in the comment section… you can even do so anonymously by saying your name is anonymous!

Oh and one more thing, I used to be a professional too! I’ve been blogging for many years now and somehow have evaded the fact that I once had a longstanding career at working at the Florida DMV {pre-children}. I have so many hilarious stories to share about it… but first, I will direct you here for proof. “I’ve never seen a record this long! Wow, here comes page 4!” And the slightly scary, slightly miraculous thing is that I remember all of this.

There may be more chat logs in our future. Be warned. And I will keep in mind that this blog could potentially be read by young innocent children.

Ok, that last post was NOT supposed to be posted! It was supposed to be saved and laughed over between me and my sister and now I’m very embarrassed and I am sorry that it fed reader! Just goes to show that I am computer illiterate and very embarrassed. I’ll be back with some better blog material soon…

And thought I’d show you the short steps to do so, in case you want grassy eggs by Easter. You should have plenty of time now if you start cracking.

First save your eggs. I cracked all of these by gently tapping around the upper middle portion of the egg with a knife so that my cracks could be clean.

Then I filled each egg with potting soil. I watered my soil before putting it in the eggs. Sometimes potting soil doesn’t like to {or takes a while to} absorb water… so I prewatered it.

And filled each egg a little over half way.

The grass seed came from Wallyworld and I believe it was $3 {or you know how Mr. Walton is, maybe $2.97}.

It’s mostly a blend of rye grasses, but if you can’t find it… here are the ingredients so you can find something similar.

Then I added a spoonful of grass to each egg.

And then lightly watered the seeds {no need to cover the seeds with soil}.

And put them in a sunny window sill, the dirtier the window, the better! And water about every other day.

And then I waited… 2 weeks… and BAM, grass!

Now, along the way you will have to do some mowing, because the grass can get a little out of control. Thank you to my fearless photography assistant who took this picture so I could hold the egg and cut at the same time.

I think they’re fun in the carton or would be fun around the table in these precious chicken feet egg cups!

They hit their “prime” at 2 to 2.5 weeks. So if you want them to be beautiful at Easter, I would plant them between March 19th and March 22nd {no later than the 22nd} and you can plant them even a little earlier than this because my grass still looks okay and I planted mine February 11th… but at the 3 week mark it starts to look more scraggly and less lovely {my eggs will certainly have to be re-planted}. I also think it would be fun to plant it in a square low container and place dyed Easter eggs on it! The possibilities are endless… and you’ll have plenty of grass! This would be a great project to do with your kids… somehow I managed to pull it off solo.

Saturday was downright COLD. Sunday was downright WARM. That’s how the weather is where we live… and a cold Saturday will really make you appreciate a warm Sunday.

Saturday Justin’s high school baseball team {which happened to be the 1993 state champs} played his high school’s current baseball team… and the “old” men {all 5 of them} smoked the high schoolers! It was fun to watch, despite the chilly weather, and the kids loved cheering for daddy!

I didn’t see Justin play in high school, but if I were a betting woman, I’d bet that he’s just as good now {or better} than he was 16 years ago.

His parents were there too and oh my goodness do my children love their grandparents and the feelings are quite mutual. This picture {below} tickles me because it is the perfect representation of how they all feel about each other. Do you see Paige’s feet completely off the ground?

 The kids loved watching, especially little Rover, even though he had a hard time finding daddy on the field. {For the safety patrol readers– his face was only through the fence when there were no pitches being thrown or hit!}

He didn’t, however, have a hard time finding the girl’s Sour Skittles, nor did he have a hard time shoving them in his mouth as fast as he could.

 Here are the men and their coaches {for any Raider grads who might be wondering who showed up}! I don’t know why the fact that they are holding up #1’s cracks me up but it sure does. I guess that’s what state champs do, even if it has been 16 years!

 Sunday was a lot of fun too… just in a much warmer way. And I’m going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Except this… I love to watch my children imitate and try to please their father.

Be back soon… with some grass!

I’m not here to talk about my teeth but my sister, first, then my kids. Because I love both my sister and my kids to the core of their beings from the core of mine. I’m not sure if you’ve ever had the pleasure of opening a major magazine and seeing your sister’s face plastered across several of it’s pages but for me it was thrilling and most definitely blog-worthy. I’m thinking about having the articles matted and framed to hang around my home…. that’s how proud I am!

I feel certain she doesn’t like me to brag on her but what kind of sister would I be if I didn’t mention this? Coastal Living magazine has featured 3 of her fabulous kitchens in their March issue {which I think is in bookstores now and coming to newstands soon!}. I’m thrilled because I think she’s the most talented & deserving person currently exisiting on our planet, she’s stinkin’ hilarious, and she shared a womb with me for the first 9 months of our lives and a room with me for the first 20-something years of our lives

I talk to her at least once a day, usually 5, and we are also online chatters. Our online conversations are always very serious and in most of our chats we try to solve the world’s problems. Like this one from last week that I pirated from gmail …

Erika: do you watch 30Rock on NBC on Thurs
Erika: it is so funny
me: no
Erika: they talk about YouFace
me: i don’t watch anything
Erika: when you have a free minute go watch it online you can watch online
me: except celebrity rehab
Erika: it is so funny
me: on VH1
Erika: i love celebrity rehab
me: and it makes me cry and not sleep at night
Erika: and intervention
me: because those people are so lost
Erika: it is so awful but so good i know. it’s sad
me: especially dennis rodman ugh
Erika: maybe you could invite him over sometime to make a heated rice bag or something
me: and then there’s this new girl who’s a brat
Erika: or some mice kisses now THAT would make for some good blog material
me: theres no doubt i could win him over with a mouse kiss or dishmat
Erika: Darby & Dennis Rodman

Ok, so pick up the March issue of Coastal Living… it’s slammed full of beautiful inspiration {and my sister too}!

Ok, before I move on… I need to clarify something from the last post.

If it were we would not have shared a room with another couple. Don’t get me wrong, their house is fabulous in every way, just a little bit smaller way.

We are still running an infirmary here at the house. The kids are all feeling better but to be safe we’re taking the entire week off from preschool and other routine things. Which has unfortunately resulted in cabin fever and slight agitation from all members of the family. As of yesterday, the kids had climbed the walls for 4 days straight.

John Martin found my purse and my gum… and was convinced he was hiding it in his mouth so well that I’d never know he had it.

Don’t worry, much to his dismay, I quickly fished the gum from his jaws.

Yesterday, to relieve us of our cabin fever, we met Justin for a quick field trip to the great outdoors.

It was just what the doctor mother ordered. The fresh air and sunshine wore them out! We came home and had a few desperately needed haircuts last night…

And for the first time in many, many, many nights…. everyone slept ALL NIGHT {including me}! Thank you, Lord!

Have a good weekend… Rover sends a slobbery gum kiss your way.

ps- If you’ve inquired about advertising for March and not heard from me please email me again I had a few email issues earlier this month ads@flythroughourwindow.com !

I tend to get this mental block if I don’t blog about something within a few days, so, without enough coffee or sleep I’m going to attempt to recap our wonderful weekend away!

Justin’s parents have a fabulous house tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains of  western North Carolina. The house and scenery are both beautiful and we decided this time we’d bring along some friends for fun and fellowship, and we are so glad we did! Seeing as how I was somewhat in charge of the invite list I decided to shake things up and invite some people we know really well and some I’ve only met once! And of course, to make matters slightly stressful, I did a BIG no-no and invited ex’s! Nothing like stressing your friends out before they even come.  They were all pretty good champs about the circumstances and we decided if Tommy was there and things were awkward he could either magnify the awkwardness or be a total distraction from it! Boy, we were right and I’m not even sure which of those he did. But the weekend was great and the only thing you could cut with a knife was the smoke {that was supposed to be going up the chimney}.

There are just a few things I’d like to subtly mention about Tommy, he loves the Lord, is a champ for spending the weekend with married couples,  is hilarious, and one more thing…

Much to our surprise we arrived to about 10 to 12 inches of snow.

And 10 to 12 inches of snow meant we had to SLED. In case you didn’t know, I’m a total WEENIE! Even when it comes to something as harmless as SNOW SLEDDING. Especially on day one, you would have thought I was on the luge… my brakes were down every run. Poor LA got all the snow spray straight in her face.

We’d get to the bottom and she’d ask, “Darby, did you keep your feet down?” I would immediately reply,”No way, I’d never do that!”

I’d dare to estimate that 85% of our runs ended like this…

You may recognize her from the February issue of Southern Living, the one Sister was featured in for doing her dad’s house! They left their 9 month-old baby at home and she wouldn’t take a bottle all weekend– I think I would have left immediately, not LA she’s a champion and her brave mother syringe-fed the stinker all weekend so LA & Andy could stay!

More friends arrived Friday night and we enjoyed spending the evening in, eating and laughing really, really hard, mostly about what we were eating.

Somehow the laughing never did stop, even at 8 am Saturday morning after staying up until 3:30 am. I’m sure the coffee and homemade bread helped get us moving!

I can’t help but notice that Tommy is still wearing his high school “French Club” t-shirt the next day too. And I’m certain Andy is reassuring LA in the corner that Briley will be well nourished taking breastmilk from a syringe even if she is 9 months old. Or they might just need to get a room… but I couldn’t say that because they shared one with us, which meant the laughing continued until the wee hours of morning— pretty much right before the sun came up.

We headed out early Saturday morning to take to the slopes. As you can see here sledding is a dangerous sport, not only for those on the sled but the innocent bystanders as well.

In my defense, we weren’t exactly sledding on bunny slopes. In my opinion, these are the black diamonds of sledding hills.

Attention single bloggging women: Tommy would love to capture you on your digital camera.

And I can’t help but notice how overly sympathetic the men were.

And if you’ve never sledded down a giant hill…

And landed on your face…  

you may not know just how bad it really hurts. Take my word for it… sledding {in your 30s or close to it} is not for the faint at heart.

I couldn’t help but notice in the beginning the girls were a little more conservative in their sledding styles.

While the men tried to kill themselves.

We {girls} also attempted something a little more daring and after a few rougher runs we called it a day. I don’t have a pictures of our more daring runs, but Abby {who recapped HERE} captured this one and this one {which you can’t even see me in because I was on the bottom and too terrified to even show my face!}. After those runs we complained of busted lips, sore necks, heads, shoulders, and coccyxes and retreated to the cabin at {3 o’clock p.m.} for jammies, hot rice bags, wine, chocolate, Advil, and Balderdash.

 With a little help from the men we were able to get out Satruday night for dinner at The Orchard, a fabulous little cozy restaurant in town with wonderful food!

If I can remember correctly, Jeremiah {above} was asking Abby if she brought her glasses with the one broken lens because he wanted to wear them on their drive home.

Thankfully she remembered to bring them.

We had an absolute blast and I think it will take me at least a few weeks to recover, first from staying up until 3:30 in the morning two nights in a row listening to the guys play, laughing, singing, and maybe a hint inpromptu dancing which was thankfully not captured on camera…

and second from doing this about 100x in 2 days…

I can’t even gather my thoughts about how wonderful our weekend was. I was shocked that we were all able to pull it off. As a group we left 14 small children at home with grandparents to take care of them {and syringe feed them}. It was so good to just be together in a beautiful place {thank you, in-laws}, laugh together, sing praise songs together, and just spend time together! Maybe one day we’ll include our kids… or maybe not because that’d mean we’d have to share our sleds with them!

It was fun friends, let’s do it again!!

The good news is our weekend filled us to the brim…

and I can’t wait to share more about that.

But, the bad news is we came home to a few sickies…

We have one confirmed case of the “f” word {flu} and potentially two unconfirmed… which means our late nights this past weekend have not been made up for since arriving home. In fact, it’s been quite the opposite. As soon as I regain consciousness I’ll be back!

ps- Our chenille duvet in this post came from Linen Source. It’s a king duvet in white… and we love it. {Thanks, Sister & Miki!}