A Good Weekend

This was one of those weekends that just leaves me feeling completely and utterly grateful and satisfied.

#1 - All the girls were able to go spend the night at grandma and grandpa Melzer's house.  Fun and excitement is an understatement:  school carnival with games and face painting, prizes like goo and invisible ink.  Cousin time.  Playing with aunt Lilly, special treats....

#2 - I got to finally be part of a birth.  I know I've given birth, but I've always wanted to witness a birth and because my girls were all taken care of at the Melzer's, I got to go be my friend Jen's labor coach.  It was a dream come true (for me, not for her, she was in a LOT of pain.)  I was thankful for the Lamaze class I had taken, cause Jen went from a 4 dilation to a 10 dilation in minutes with a failed epidural.  It was an incredible scene of pain and energy, worry and joy.  I was shaking like a leaf and crying too.  Birth is a scary amazing thing.  Moms go through so much, babies endure so much....life is incredible.  It was an honor to be there.  Makes me appreciate my mom so much more.

#3 - Ryan got to go on a snow camp out with the scouts.  First, Ryan loves cold.  Second, Ryan loves solitude of sleeping in a quiet tent with only the wind and the snow as his companions.  Third, it's nice when Ryan gets to spend some boy time.  Sure, our girls go camping and can do 'boy' stuff....but they are still little girls.

#4 - Saturday nap.  I know there are a million things I could do, but sometimes it nice to say, "You know what?  I choose to slow down today."  Half the stress in my life (well, maybe most) if you boil it down, is self created.  Besides, all the girls were napping out of exhaustion from their slumber party. 

#5 - Healthy children - enough said.

#6 - Early morning baby blessing for my newest nephew Spencer.  My brother and his wife had a little boy after 4 girls.  Spencer has some health scares but is doing amazing.  The blessing was beautiful and seeing my family (cousins and all) was fantastic.  

#7 - Surprise visit from my oldest sister Kristen.  We showed up at church for the baby blessing and there was Kristen.  Lucy and Elsa had fun (maybe a little too much fun) sitting with Kristen and her kids at church.  And because we are all about capitalizing on family time when we get the chance, we decided to stay at my parent's house and visit with my sister and her family instead of heading back to our own ward.  The girls didn't mind one bit.  In fact, I think they might go through withdrawals this next week not being around cousins all day.       

#8 - Meeting Brooke P Olson, Karyn newest baby girl, born just after the stroke of midnight Friday morning. She is cute just like her older sister Mallory P Olson. (Karyn didn't give middle names to her girls, so I granted each girl my own middle initial.)  I'm excited to have time to actually sit and chat with Karyn this next week about her delivery.

#9 - Family.  I know I already mentioned them, but I am amazed at my family, how perfect they are for me.  I just really enjoyed chatting and visiting today in the home I grew up in and it often leaves me overwhelmed with gratitude that my girls are growing up with so many cousins, aunts and uncles, 2 sets of awesome and loving grandparents, even a great loving grandma (who spoils my girlies with powdered sugar donuts.)  Yes, my dad can be odd, my siblings and I don't always agree (as I've mentioned before)...but...I've been thinking about finances lately, and I know that no amount of money could compensate for having a perfectly imperfect family that I can call mine.

#10 - The knowledge that if the world goes to pot (tell me I'm not the only one that uses that saying) I could survive with my family in the wilderness.  I could teach my children, I've learned some homeopathic medical practices, I can fish and between Ryan and I, we could hunt.  Maybe it's all the political crud, but, it is quite calming to know that I could care for my family if we were truly forced to go back to the basics of the pioneer days.  (And to practice, Ryan and I are planning the first ever Melzer 6 backpacking trip for this summer :)  Leta and Annie are going to love it.)

#11 - Again with family - but I am SO thankful that I am a mixture of my mom's thoughtfulness and my dad's fiestyness.  (Sometimes I question if I got too much fiest though, during those crazy mom moments.)  Sometimes I'm amazed at my parent's marriage because their personalities are so different and then I look at what I've learned and inherited from both of them and I'm filled with gratitude for that diversity. (And I'm thankful they save the best for last :)