Thursday, September 09, 2010

There's No Place Like Home

As Brad neared the end of his 6 week paternity leave, we found ourselves in a bit of a funk. You see, although it was great to have him here to help out as we transitioned to three, I think he found it a bit boring to be at home all day long. Plus, I was itching to get back to my old self and my old routine, but it was a little too soon to make it happen. Brody didn't start school for another two weeks, yet all his camps and sports had reached their end. We found ourselves waking up every day asking, "What are we going to do today?" Brad threw out the idea that maybe we should just pack up and drive to Texas, and after a little consideration, I fully agreed that a trip was just what we needed!

We headed out on Sunday, August 29th, our Explorer packed to the max and all three little ones lined up in a row in the backseat. The drive takes two days, and they tend to be loooong days spent in the car. Thankfully, we've got the DVD player along with a multitude of sticker books, kid music CD's, and various other forms of entertainment to help us pass the long hours. It actually wasn't too bad, but I was so happy to see the Welcome to Texas sign and know that an end was in sight to all that driving!

It was a whirlwind week and went way too fast. We spent the first portion of our time in Dallas, where we stayed with Aunt Kelli and Uncle Jeff. Then we headed down to Taylor to spend some time with my Dad and his family. Labor Day weekend was spent at Lake LBJ, soaking in the sun and enjoying some fun time out on the boat and jet ski. Both Brody and Leyton took their first jet ski rides, and I missed capturing it on film. Bad Mommy! We were also able to catch up with quite a few friends we haven't seen in ages, and it was so great to see them again and meet their kiddos! I know we are all happy that we found the time to get together. The best part of the week was, of course, introducing our little Callan to some of the grandparents, aunts and uncle that he hadn't met yet. I didn't take nearly enough pictures!


Brody hanging out with his new little buddy Preston. Love those shades!

Fun at the Splash Pad in Colleyville

Brody gets hugs and kisses from little Lucas. What a cutie he is!


Charlotte, Abby, Callan, and Rachel eatin' some yummy Salt Lick BBQ!

Brody and Charlotte...they look like they are up to something!


GDaddy hanging out with his three grandbabies

Opa meets Callan for the first time.

This kid better be glad he's cute cause he was being totally naughty when this picture was taken!

Overall, it was a fun and much-needed trip and just a chance to get away from the daily grind. As soon as we returned, Brad headed back to work and I began the task of figuring out what a day with three kids would be like all on my own. I'm proud to say that I've managed the past two days pretty well, I think! We've survived preschool Open House, dental appointments for B and L, and I even braved Super Target today for a marathon shopping trip as we had no food in the house! The kids were awesome the entire time!

I am thankful that Brad was able to take off for a full six weeks to be with us and help us acclimate to our newest little arrival. The time went way too fast, and it was such a gift for the boys and me to have Daddy around to play with and hang out with all day. There are not many jobs out there that offer Dads a chance to spend such quality time with the family, and yet again I am reminded of the many blessings in our lives. Thanks, B, for leaving work on the back burner and putting family first! We all love you very much and couldn't do it without you!

2 comments:

Aimee said...

oh boo! i'm so sad we missed you. we would have totally driven to dallas to see you! next time!

Geri said...

I'm impressed with your ambition with 3 little ones, i hope i have that with 2!! :)