24 & a check-up

Last weekend had a visit from Nana & Pappy and a trip up to Covington, where my grandparents lived. There's still tons to do with the remnants of their household, but my dad and his siblings are taking big bites out of the work. Work, which happened to include Dylan's and my taking of the dining set: table + 2 leaves, 6 chairs, and a buffet + hutch. Into our half-double shotgun. It's with bigger, longer-termed things in mind (like a bigger family, heirloom, and opening the whole house) but it's all got to live somewhere in the meantime. So, we etched out some nooks, rearranged some things, and welcomed the extra storage space if not quite the extra crowded-ness. Cozy's the word now ... if it weren't already before. Paul and Ada enjoyed their day in the country, and we had lovely weather. 

They (mostly Paul) were a bit confused, however, as to why we were taking Pappy's parents' things and why they didn't need them anymore. He's very perceptive, asks on-point questions, and really takes in the answer. Especially when it comes to life & death. 

To stray for a moment from chronology of the week: Dan Bivens died on Tuesday, March 1st. That's Ryan, my new brother-in-law's dad. It wasn't a surprise, though the exact time is never known, of course, rather he had been sick with melanoma for some time now. Ginny and Ryan got a call from Ryan's brother in Omaha a couple of days earlier telling them to fly up, so my biggest prayer was answered: that they'd make it there in time! We had added "Mr. Dan" to our Our Lady of Lourdes prayer list for the sick for a while now, and so tonight we broke the news to Paul. He looked really surprised at first, didn't say anything, totally straight-faced, and then turned his head and jokingly said, Noooo, you're kidding. Anyway, after a couple of little explanations of this and that, we said we can add him to a different prayer now, if he'd still like to pray for him; so we said the Our Father for Mr. Dan tonight. I'll be expecting more questions soon...

So, moving through our week this week has been contentedly ordinary, with Little School Group on Monday, Mrs. Ashley's again (finally, after coincidental doctor appointments and bad weather necessitating the car for Dylan on Tuesdays!), and a June Bug check-up. The check-up was Wednesday, and yesterday was a bit eventful even if the rest of the week has seen play, play, bike rides, cooking, and more play. The appointment was quite early, which I thought was great, but being in OB, I guess Dr. Nobles had something he had to tend to, as he didn't see me until 10am, yuck. Keeping the kiddos in line in a very small space is pretty tiresome. Plus, I'd promised them a long playground visit to a "big playground" (since we were in the car anyway and could go somewhere novel) because I thought I'd beout before 10. We rallied together for a picnic and playground trip shortly after 11, and they had a ball. We were all rejuvenated from the long wait by the time we got home ... and were locked out. In the rush of our leaving home before Dylan, different doors were locked and the wrong keys were divvied out. Anyway, after lots of text-yells, which I think were pretty harsh in the end, Dylan was lent his boss's car to run home, let us in, and then get back to work. Craziness. 

Papa forgot something, so stories before work!

Today has been spent packing up. For what, you say? Well, the kids are going to Houston for their very first "week at Nana & Pappy's" without parents. We're all driving over for the weekend, and on Dylan's way back to NOLA, he's dropping me off at the airport to spend the week between St. Paul, Austin, and Rochester, MN. Heidi Becker, "Baby Doo's" mama and good friend, has accepted my offer to come help out with all of the normal things that can't be tended to while her husband's at work and she's in the hospital. So, without my own children to tend to, I have high hopes of cooking, cleaning, laundering, and playing with big sister, Molly. We have one suitcase ready with the kids' things and one ready with mine; I was, admittedly, a bit excited packing scarves and mittens. Pregnant in snowy/icy/wintry mix - now that's familiar!

My photographer told me to make a face and then instructed a second model to join and do the same.

Just for kicks because lookit this!