Weekend in Review

It was a busy week, as they all seem to be, and as those weeks spill into months and those months into years and I say things like I did at FHE last night, "Jonah will get the Gift of the Holy Ghost in 1 year and 14 days",  I sigh with a sadness in my heart that my days with the boys are passing too quickly.

Before I get into the details of the weekend and because I'm feeling reflective, I need to record this image in my mind of waking up the boys. Most mornings when I go in to kiss them awake the are sacked out, unresponsive to the first kiss, and need a little more prodding to wake up. But then there are the mornings when they have already started to come to and when I pull back the covers and kiss them on the cheek, they smile with their eyes closed and it nearly melts my heart. I never want to forget those morning closed-eyed smiles or the time that I have with them as their mother.

Now for the happenings:  it was the first marching band experience we've had in the Harris home and Caleb walked those streets decked out in his uniform with pride. He was  a little bugged that he only got to play the cymbals (apparently 8th graders got first dibs on the other drums) and warned me that they sounded pretty bad, but I was still impressed. There was a lot of juggling to get him where he needed to be, Gavin and Jonah to their soccer game with Jared coaching, and Liam and I to stake out a spot at the Dogwood Parade.  Jared and the little boys (they hate it when I call them that :) )made it within seconds of Caleb marching by!

Before the parade ended, there was more juggling to get Liam to his game and Caleb picked up at he busses to get back to his soccer game. Caleb won his game, Liam tied, Gavin and Jonah who play together came off with a win as well.

Here is Caleb taking a shot on goal, that Jared said was a beautiful curve that missed by and inch.

Once we all got back home there was some serious free time for everyone and here are the individual choices:

Jared: get out the lawn mower from last Mother's Day and see what prep it might need before mowing.
Caleb and Liam: tennis and basketball in the driveway.
Jonah: learn to ride his bike more confidently.
Gavin: help Jonah learn to ride his bike more confidently.
Jodi: 3rd ride on my new Felt bike from Christmas...it's amazing!

So being that I was gone when Jonah decided to take on the task of learning to ride his bike without falling over a bunch of times, here is the report I got last night from FHE when both Gavin and Jonah were talking about the best part of their week.

Apparently Jonah started trying to get around the house which included riding on bumpy grass and sloping sections of the lawn, and the driveway. Gavin would run along side Jonah and give him suggestions like speed up for this hill, get closer to the house, turn, pedal harder, etc.. Jonah said that Gavin ran with him for more than 8 laps!! Then the video camera came out and Jonah told Gavin that he didn't want him to say anything to him while he ran along side him, so instead, Gavin made up hand signals to use! Genius! The best part of FHE was getting a review of all the different hand signals used as well as knowing that for both of these boys the best part of their entire week was this experience of being together helping and being helped.

Gavin explaining the hand signals and Jonah.

Sunday came and we had to split up again with Jared speaking in Staunton, Virginia and the rest of us getting to church early for a meeting for Caleb and choir practice. We met Jared back home in the afternoon and after a quick bowl of cereal to tide people over until dinner, the boys were back outside soaking up the day, then back inside for coloring or crocheting, or just doing nothing but being together. We need this kind of day every week...we need a Sabbath.

Jonah riding on a newly mowed lawn from the day before! All that lawn mower needed was to get out of the box and filled with oil and gas. I love the Spring green color that is quickly filling up our world.

Gavin wanting me to start his next crochet project.....a covering for his night stand. He loves that hat we bought for his birthday when we were in Utah last summer and with his Snowbird hoodie I think he looks like a rock star :)