unexpected blessings

oops - sorry little fish

i've had 4 or 5 posts swirling around in my head lately, but i need to share this past weekend first. we had a tough week last week - things didn't turn out as expected on multiple levels. topics for another post on expectations!

late in the week, k-daddy reminded me that we were supposed to camp with friends on saturday night. i stomped my internal foot and whined my internal whine and rolled my terrible eyes and gnashed my terrible teeth, but put a pleasantly surprised look on my face and said 'oh, i'd forgotten. glad you reminded me.' saturday rolled around and after swimming lessons, k-daddy fed the boys lunch and launched for the lake. he'd been out on friday to set everything up. mama stayed home to pack food, get a few groceries and meet the boys at the campsite.

when i arrived at camp, everything was so quiet. everyone but k-daddy was asleep, the lake lapped gently at our feet, the afternoon sun cast soothing shadows on the campsite and i was instantly able to exhale for the first time all week. ahhhh. i'm going to give you a moment to close your eyes and imagine sunshine dappling thru the trees, birds singing, water lapping gently, and the quiet quiet quite of the world except the sounds of ahhhh - leaves rustling in the breeze, something scuttling thru the underbrush. we were even inspired to whisper. we put the cold stuff in the cooler and left the rest to hustle about after everyone awoke. we sat at the water's edge and reverently watched a bird sitting on a post do nothing - for nearly 1/2 an hour. we didn't plan or lament or discuss schedules or budgets or parenting tips and tricks. we mostly just watched that bird and held hands.

the entire weekend was very healing for our family. it involved casual feasts spread across a battered picnic table, piles of potato chips, soccer, football, wading, catching fish with bare hands, building immunity with unwashed hands on peanut butter sandwiches, bugs, leaves, fedders, rocks, shells, bare feet, skinny bare chests, water guns and lots of giggles and kisses.

there would have even been cake, without reserve but alas, the cake didn't survive the wildlife. the first would-be cake thief arrived around 3AM. i heard the telltale shuffling and scuffling and heard the cake carrier as it tumbled off the table and onto the ground. shining my flashlight out of the tent, i saw the bold masked bandit hovering around the picnic table, running off only when a water bottle was launched his direction. the next morning, the cake was over taken by large black ants, who would have carried it off in one piece if not for the pesky cake carrier. so, cake may not be the best camping treat. oreos seemed to heal the hurt of losing the cake!

i almost forgot the best part of the trip, there wasn't enough room on the boat for everyone on sunday, so the 3 dads took the 5 life-jacketed kids out for a spin while mama martyred herself to a chair in the sun at the campsite. i'd nearly forgotten how lovely it is to simply sit and soak up the sun - positively addictive. i couldn't believe my luck as i propped my feet on a kid camp chair, slid down low in my seat and closed my eyes. talk about exhaling! i rejuvenated enough to exercise my mama 6th sense to get up and start lunch that was ready just as a boat full of hungry boys pulled back up to the bank.

 when have you truly exhaled lately?