I came home from picking up Shecklet #4 from preschool and someone had hung a red bag on the front door handle. (Going off a hunch, I did figure out who left me the thoughtful gift. She’s a sneaky one!) Inside the bag was a little box containing the Divine Mercy image. I have been repeating the phrase, “Jesus, I trust in You,” these past two weeks when my nerves or mind are spinning out of control. Now I also have the visual of Jesus’ mercy on my kitchen window sill. I am grateful for the way I have been able to see God’s comfort and consoling during this time of waiting and pray it continues.
I looked out the front window this morning and saw a strange truck & trailer parked on the opposite side of the street from our driveway. I strained my eyes to see who was driving and got confused when a man stepped out. He pulled out a baby gift bag and instantly it came to me…my Uncle Ron!
I couldn’t believe my eyes. He was driving home from doing a kitchen installation (he’s a woodworker) and stopped to surprise us on his way by. He spent 5 hours at our house – holding Ingrid, talking to the boys. It was great! I don’t often get a chance to talk one-on-one with him in such a relaxed setting. Our conversations generally take place at holiday gatherings, so we don’t get to really catch up. I was so thankful for his visit today – he made my week!
I wanted to get one last “foursome” family photo before the baby comes. We set up the tripod in the middle of the street and snapped away. (One of the benefits to living on a quiet, rarely traveled street.) I can’t believe we’ll be adding another baby to the mix in a few short weeks.
I accomplished something today that has been on my “to do” list for many months. It’s not earth-shattering, but is slightly remarkable since it’s not a task I tend to make a priority. Here’s a little tidbit that most people probably don’t know about me: I’m not particularly good at keeping up with the pile of ironing that collects in our laundry room. Jake would tell you that I’m usually so far behind, he just takes the shirts he wants to wear from the ones hanging on the line instead of waiting for me to iron them and bring them to his closet. I guess I just prefer other household chores (or naps – if I can get both boys to take one at the same time.) That and ironing isn’t really something I can do with Shecklet #2 running around, so I have to do it when he’s napping or after the kids are in bed. Anyway, the story of the day is that I am currently caught up on all of my ironing. This might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but if you knew how much was hanging in the basement (and for how long) you’d be excited for me. 😉 Now if I could just get a handle on my laundry. My boys create more dirty clothes than Jake and I combined. It’s amazing!
Speaking of laundry, as I was hanging clothes to dry this afternoon, my little architect was creating this:
It’s so fun to see what he can build when he’s playing by himself. He has really been using his imagination a lot lately too. Our house is constantly a construction zone – trains, buildings, forts. You name it, the Sheck boys can build it!
I gave myself more than 5 minutes on this one because of all I attempted to cover.
Friday night we had a Rody rodeo at the house. Jake gave Rody a little extra bounce and the boys loved it!
Our 7th anniversary was yesterday (10/18.) It’s hard to believe how fast the years have passed. I recently realized how close Jake and I are to having been together for 10 years – we started dating in 2000 when we were at the U. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be spending this crazy, fantastic life of marriage & kids with than my husband. For all of the ups and downs that life brings our way, he has been (and continues to be) a source of calm, strength, and consistency for me.
Saturday morning we were planning on bringing the boys to Jake’s parents’ house for the day so we could go on our anniversary date – a day early. Jason, (Jake’s brother) called and offered us his Ford Mustang for the day, so we altered our plans a bit and exchanged cars and transferred kids at his house instead. I didn’t know where we were going until we left our house. All I knew was the attire for our date. It was great to be surprised!
Short side story. My mom and I had the most successful 10 minute shopping trip on Friday night. I didn’t have anything fall-ish to wear on Saturday, so my mom agreed to meet me to do a little shopping. On my way to Maple Grove, she called and suggested we try Nordstrom Rack. When we arrived, it was 10 minutes until they closed. We hustled in, found a couple of dresses to try on, found one, scooted over to the shoes, and successfully found a great pair of red heels. Love them! Not too bad for a “let’s just see what they have” stop.
Back to Saturday. Once we picked up the Mustang, we headed east on 94 and traveled various small highways up through Wisconsin to St. Croix Falls. We had lunch at a fantastic restaurant called Grecco’s on the St. Croix. The place is quaint and has an intimate feel. We sat near the fireplace, which was great because if you know me, I’m always a bit cold. We ordered an appetizer and each chose the herb crusted walleye for our main dish. To our surprise, the host came over a short time later with a different appetizer, Ahi Tuna, “compliments of the chef.” I had never eaten pan seared tuna until Saturday. It was delicious! In fact, every part of our dining experience was amazing. We plan on returning and would highly recommend Grecco’s – it’s worth the drive to St. Croix Falls!
We drove back to Jake’s parents’ place through Minnesota. It was such a beautiful day and the leaves still had some color. We stopped in Afton and got an ice cream cone (my 2nd dessert of the day) and then finally arrived back in Hastings. We spent the rest of the afternoon watching football (poor Gophers :(), letting the boys and dogs run off energy (and ride) outside, and finally having dinner with Grandma, Grandpa, the boys, Larissa, Jason & his girlfriend B. It was a nice way to end the fun day Jake and I shared together.
Our actual anniversary was pretty laid back, which was ok with us. We went to mass in the morning, came home and had donuts – Nolan’s favorite 🙂 and then watched the Vikings game. Jake also worked on a few things around the outside of the house since the weather was so beautiful! Later in the evening, my mom came over and watched the boys so we could go to a movie. Neither of us would recommend seeing Where the Wild Things Are. Unfortunately, it was a depressing movie with no real plot. I’m glad I know the book is good because had I not read it before, I don’t think I’d even pick it up. It seems we’re 0 for 2 lately with picking movies to watch at the theater. We seem to do better with our picks from RedBox. Plus, in my opinion, it’s way more comfortable to watch a movie at home. I’m guessing we won’t be hitting the theater again for a while – unless someone can recommend a really good flick for us to see.
Today was business as usual. Nolan went to school and Lincoln and I headed to the gym. I feel so much better when I get a workout in in the morning. After school, we came home for lunch and then everyone took a much needed nap. We spent the afternoon outside – took a walk, played with chalk, and took “cheesy” pictures with the bale of hay we received from the local volleyball boosters we supported.
Today was the second day in a row that we were able to get outside. Let’s hear it for the sun! After Shecklet #2 got up from his nap, I loaded the boys into the wagon and headed for the park. I would have taken a few pictures of the two monkeys on the playground equipment had I remembered that the technology I needed was right in my pocket. It wasn’t until I noticed two teenage girls using their camera phones that I realized I actually had a camera with me as well.
Swinging was a tolerable activity this afternoon, (some days it is definitely not!) so we ended our trip with a lesson in how to move our legs out and in to “pump” the swing. Then Shecklet #1 wanted to help push Shecklet #2. Shecklet #2 was a good sport even though he looks a little annoyed in the picture.
This morning did not start off well. I woke up at 4:30 with a migraine, which proceeded to last about 12 hours. Yuck 🙁
Jake worked from home today and took care of the boys so I could rest. (I sure have a wonderful husband!) At one point during the morning, Jake brought me something for my migraine along with my water bottle, leaving the boys downstairs. When he went back down to the living room he saw this:
The boys were saying a prayer for their mommy to get better. Talk about making my heart melt! Jake said Shecklet #1 was leading Shecklet #2 in a combination prayer of the Our Father and Angel of God (which Shecklet #1 has recently been singing with his classmates at preschool.) Their prayers must have been heard; I’m feeling much better this evening. The plan for the week is that we have no plans. Our calendar has been cleared and the goal is to rest up and hopefully recover by week’s end.
Here’s something I never thought I’d be writing about myself.
After consulting with the nurse line at my clinic this afternoon, I went to urgent care for a suspicious set of bumps on my hand and a sore throat that has been annoying me for several days. I left the doctor’s office with a prescription and a chicken pox diagnosis. Can you believe that?!?
I’m not really sure where I contracted them from. There is one possibility, but if it’s true that the virus doesn’t make itself known until 14 days after exposure, then my potential encounter last week was quite likely not the cause of the outbreak. Then again, I really shouldn’t even be a candidate for even getting them – I already had them when I was a kid. Apparently I’m one of the few lucky ones who gets to experience them twice. I’m hopeful that the breakout won’t be too bad, but regardless, I’m now home-bound until things clear up.
Thankfully, the kids and Jake are currently in the clear, and not subject to the same quarantine that I am. I’m praying things stay that way. I’ll gladly endure the sore throat and house arrest if that means they stay healthy!
Shecklet #2 must have known the Twins are closing in on the end of the season and hoping for a trip to the playoffs. This afternoon, he donned the Twinkies hat in support of their efforts, taking after big brother Shecklet #1, who started the hat trend by sporting the Rocky Mountain National Park hat from Grandma Patti & Grandpa Dave. Speaking of Grandma, she called to talk to Shecklet #1 today. They chatted about what he did in school this morning. Very cute!
I also just had to post this pic of Shecklet #1. His eyes are this crazy gold/green color and the shirt he wore today really brought them to life.
