This past weekend the kids and I made our way to Schroon Lake for a wedding I was in for a childhood friend. Literally I have pictures of us as babies together! Even though Gabe couldn't make it I had plenty of help from my family and in laws and the trip there and back could NOT have gone better! I sure did miss him though.

Growing up it was always Randi, Karrie, Kristen, and me. I'm pretty certain we had the best childhood imaginable... riding ponies and horses, tubing down the river, snow skiing, baby dolls (Kristen ), biking to the candy store and all our crazy adventures and endeavors. It was special to be together after all these years!

Some pics from the rehearsal....

 

The cake my mom made. One more layer without ribbon went on top with the beads draped down. This was the idea before they lost the bottom layer on the way to the wedding OOPS! It still looked awesome!

And apparently I stopped taking pictures at this point. Guess things got busy!

As someone pointed out from my last post and rightfully so, this 'race' is not just a potato sack race in our back yard that Gabe and I are extensively training for! I see I kinda left it up for your imagination. Wouldn't that be funny though??!! You can tell  funny different scenarios/clips  played out in my head!!

Yes, in case you were wondering Gabe comes home every night from work and I meet him in the drive way and we practice our 'wheel barrel'!!! Oh if only....

I don't know much about it. I know I am doing the running part while my partner does the biking. Gabe as well is doing the running and his partner is biking.

For more information if anyone is interested... because well, we think it looks fun!

http://www.mpcourier.com/article/20100523/ADV02/305239884/-1/dco02

A wedding this weekend of which I am in and can't wait for!

A high school graduation and family reunion (Ockrin-style!) the following of which I can't wait for!

A race both Gabe and I are participating in mid June with friends of which the competitive streak in me can't wait for!

A 5 year anniversary and a little trip at the end of the month to Montreal I can't wait for!

And now....what's even more important because it's so easy to look ahead and miss what's going on right in front of me and I choose not to...

Busy days inside when it rains.

Lazy relaxing ones outside when the sun is shining.

Sunscreen kisses. Tanned little armies. Questions up the wha-zoo I do my best to answer.

Curiosity about Heaven, Hell, Sin, Jesus and the Cross and seeing the work of the Holy Spirit in my 3 year old son. Knowing the day is soon approaching when he will get it, and the fact he's only 3 really puts into perspective this "faith like a child". Wow, this is what it's all about folks!

In between our busy schedules to finish up house trim and projects in a timely manner, Gabe do a grad class, train (separately unfortunately since we can't leave the kids alone!) being able to catch up with Gabe if even for a milkshake on the couch and just... laughing!

A babe who loves to be loved. In bed. With me. In the early mornings and sometimes nights. Of which I don't for a second mind showering with affections. It's just going way too fast this time.

A husband who comes home everyday ready to help out and serve and just makes life fun for all us (mom and kids who seem to just be ready for that much needed lift of new fresh energy come 5 o'clock).

Seeing some real fruit from efforts of faithfulness and consistency in training and disciplining and feeling encouraged!!! God really is faithful to meet us when we ask and make up the difference where we think and desperately KNOW we are lacking.

Awareness and daily choice that a living God reigns in this home. How I'm thankful for that covering and how I'm thankful for this safe haven for my children and husband.

And pictures soon to come of an ADORABLE someone in a pink tutu made especially for her by a very good friend of mine.

Healthy babes, rather cute.  A healthy husband, rather cute as well!

These are the things that make my life abounding in fullness. I know not why, other than God has chosen to do so for no other reason other than He can.

And just as He can give He can also take away. So today I choose thankfulness for what I have because it is much and it is...good!

This past weekend we had a little one night trip (that turned into two spur of the moment!!) to Burlington with some friends. The kids were PUMPED. I have never seen Asher so excited about something he didn't know anything about. I take that back. Once he caught wind there was an 'inside' pool where we were staying that was the end of it!

8 AM the kids were ALL packed up (they wouldn't leave me alone otherwise) and HAD to wear their bags while running around yelling KAYSTATION!!! which sometimes was translated to PLAYSTATION!!! but never what I kept telling them... "VA...cation. Guys it's VA... v v v."

Mini... very mini vacation mind you! If you can even call it that.

5 o'clock rolled around and our hard working men came home to whisk wives and babes away for a night out on the town! At this point I was the one running around yelling KAYSTATION!!!

We had a great time with friends of whom we ended up staying an extra unplanned day/night just to keep the good times rollin'. Did we have to all share one room to do it?? Yah! Are we all nuts? Probably... 4 adults, 5 kids 3 and under, one room, 2 double beds!! In our defense there was a Marathon going on and all other rooms were booked.

*side note: I, Renee Ockrin, won Monopoly TWO nights in a row.

We had a wonderful time just our little family too. Fun little special times together... I certainly don't take them for granted. Even the car trip, though short in comparison to more major vacation destinations is and always will be viewed in our family as part of any special destination/vacation! No bad attitudes allowed from anybody! Vacation starts in the car.

* side-side note: Me talking to myself in pep talk form while packing on Friday thinking of the trip with our very strong willed daughter.... "Vacation starts in the car, vacation starts in the car, vacation starts in the car. I set the tone, I set the tone, I set the tone!!!"

She is pure angel... like this!

Ben and Jerry's

Kids thrive on routine! I see this most with Asher since he talks quite a bit and is older than the other two. It's really rather cute to hear him as he gets ready for bed...."We're going to do devotions, then I'm going to go to bed, then I'm going to wake up, AND THEN I get to eat Minni Wheats, and then I will get dressed, and then I will play with toys and THEN I will go outside and play, and then I will eat lunch!!" Talk about organizational skills huh?! Or just major CONTROL FREAK

That really pretty much is our day in a nutshell though. And I LOVE IT. I love that I have absolutely (most days) no where to go, no where to be. I purposely try to switch things up here at home for Asher. It's because of him I see just how much I thrive on routine and do the same things at the same times etc without even meaning to. That's not so bad but, well, a little spontaneity as to WHERE we will eat lunch or what will be consumed for breakfast (oatmeal or toast instead of the favored Minnie Wheats!) has it's benefits to be thankful for EVERYTHING and flexible with the rest. For as much as he thinks all his days should be like that his outgoing personality definitely excells on new things and places once any doubt or fear can be eliminated and questions answered. Can I really blame him though?? I like to know what's going on most times too!

Do I sometimes wish my days looked different or seemed more exciting? I think I used to back when it was maybe harder to see what was being done and happening right here at home....in my home. Now that Asher is 3 and I'm experiencing first hand how fast this is going, I see that nothing is more important then this, "this" being the time I have with my children now. Nothing. Not worth it for selfish reasons, not for more $$ to do extravagent things or buy new things or bottom line.... not worth having my time given and invested elsewhere.

I'm seeing that what brings more stability to him and his little being (over routine in general) is just having me home. Our days our ultimately mine to decide how we are going to spend them. And I'm really loving this fleeting season of a natural flow and rhythm to our days with no 'pressing' things to do or get done (besides basic care of my children and laundry!!)  I see how that will change once school starts for Asher. Homeschooling to be exact!! And I adore the fact that some of that won't change with homeschooling either! Benefits of homeschooling I hear. And not just for me but for these precious little souls. I see it already and "real" school hasn't even started yet.

I'm assuming the day(s)/time will come when they will need to be chauffeured to and fro more and more, but until then I can't help but relish in the moment and have my heart ache with joy when I look up from gardening or sitting in my chair outside reading while the kids play right in their own backyard, woods, and swingset to hear Asher say, "Are you gonna stay with us Mom?" And I get to say... "Momma's not going anywhere, I'm staying right here with you."

I can almost see right into there little hearts and see the happiness they feel as it shows ALL over their little dirty faces.

And it's priceless.

Gabe and I will often look at each other and say, "It's sure fun playing house with you!!" Except then we realize that we're not really just playing here anymore. It's fun that it's fun and I hope we can say that to each other until the day we die, but in all reality we're doing what our parents did when we were little and we ARE getting older.

Some things I've been noticing recently that have definitely put me in the next bracket of getting older and give me a good chuckle when I'm ready and willing to embrace it are as follows.

-I now set the coffee maker to go off at 7 am SHARP. I actually have time set aside at night before bed as part of my bedtime routine to do this!!!! I remember watching my mom do this as little girl and even young adult and thinking that must be what 'older' people do.

-For the first time EVER I now (if and when I do put make-up on) wear foundation/concealer under my eyes!!!! There's just been a real need as of late and I don't think it's going anywhere!

-I take calcium with Vitamin D 2x's daily so that I don't get (help my chances at least) osteoporosis when I am older. Thanks Mom for the tip!

-I exercise not to look a certain way (otherwise I never would)....but to "get my heart rate up"!!!!!!!! Yeah that's just embarrassing.

-I don't shudder when someone calls me "Mrs. Ockrin". I have even caught myself on the phone referring to myself as such. Mostly thanks to the Criscitellos and people around here for breaking that one in for me because you gave myself and your children no other choice.

-While recently shopping for some news clothes with Gabe (he likes to do this with me) he kept giving me things to try on or that I would see and reply with...."This is just a little too mom-ish" He brought to my attention that I actually indeed was one (a mom!) and that some of that was OKAY!!! Yeah the fact that a little bit of THAT is okay and I can even feel proud of that (in a good way)....whoah!!!, yup....growing up!