In A Weekend

We...

had a ninja in our house.

relocated many rocks.

dodged an attack from a vicious Red Wing Black Bird. ;)

knit a hat.

got some exercise.

took a nap.

went for a walk with our family.

Papa

There are plenty of times in life and in the life of this blog, that I feel that words fail me. They don't adequately describe the emotion I want to convey. They leave me frustrated and feeling inarticulate. This is one of those times.

I can't believe that I'm writing another blog post about the loss of a parent so soon after Tim's mom's passing in March. It seems unfair, surreal, and simply not possible, but unfortunately it is. Tim's father suffered a stroke at the end of April and was in the hospital being monitored, keeping him comfortable, and at first reports, we thought helping him recover. Things quickly declined though and we were faced with the news that recovery was not longer an option and it was simply a matter of time. He passed on two weeks after entering the hospital.

Bob was a terrific grandfather, the essential Papa to our kiddos. He was the Papa who got down on the floor and played with the kids and asked them questions about what they liked, not the standard issue grown up questions like, "How's school?" He always seemed to be laughing with us and our kids when we visited, just able to relax and enjoy his family. He seemed to relish the fun of being a grandparent and the joy that comes with it.

Needless to say, we will miss him terribly. We already do. It's Spring here and gearing up towards Summer which is when we saw the most of Papa, while visiting at his camp. This summer, we're still certain to go to camp but he won't be there and it won't be quite the same. Instead of avoiding it or treating it differently I hope that we'll revisit it with the same love and excitement that he had for it. At the very least, I'm certain that we'll feel more connected to him simply from visiting his favorite place and the site of so many of our best memories with him.

Mothers Day

I've got it made in the shade, and it's handy to have a day to remind me of it, just in case I didn't have three amazing reminders surrounding me everyday. It's always hilarious to me when I look around and see where my life has led me. I mean that in a wonderful way, but in a very honest moment too, I freely admit this is not what I had anticipated my life looking like at this age, if ever. I had often said, at 14, 18 and 20 that I never planned on having kids. I was determined to be on my own indefinitely and then I met Tim and then Ben was the beginning of our family and Nate and Syda came to join us and now...here I am. Here WE are!

These kids are a brilliant, constant reminder that the best things in life are not planned. They are miraculous surprises that have thrust me into the most thrilling experiences of life. I am grateful for them everyday and full of immeasurable gratitude that I am blessed with the honor, fun, excitement, terror, joy and privilege of being their mother.

Estuary Exploration

The boys discover the boardwalk.

Admiring the decor.

Our summer home and boat. (It's a hallowed out canoe)

Who doesn't love a boardwalk?

Nate always loses his shoe in these rocks.

We went for another exploration of the Great Bay Estuary this weekend. It's become one of our new favorite places to visit. There are a few paths, one involving a boardwalk, and the wigwam pictured above and some boats to play on. Of course, there is also a small beach area with rocks waiting to be skipped. It's a Pratt family tradition in the making. Ben is determined to skip rocks like his Dad one of these days.