Even though things don’t always work out like we plan, often times the end result provides a good learning experience, another opportunity, or some better result. As we were reminded in Sunday School yesterday, “When life gives you a lemon, make lemonade.”
For the last few weeks, our family has been planning a 5-day getaway to the cabin in Pine to kick off the kids’ spring break and provide an opportunity for some much needed fun and relaxation. We had already cancelled our plans to go to Mexico with our good friends, so the kids (and us) were really looking forward to this trip. We were set to leave last Friday. All the laundry was done, the bags were packed, the food shopped for and packed up, the house cleaned and readied to leave. Since my grandpa’s cabin isn’t winterized and this was to be the first trip of the 2010 season, my parents and Grandpa Reid & Kris left a few hours ahead of us to get the water turned on and the cabin warmed up. I had to wait for the kiddos to get out of school and for Ryan to get off of work anyway, so we planned to head up in the afternoon.
At 3:00 pm, my mom called to say that the water was on and everything looked good. Hooray! So excited. Let’s load the car! Unfortunately, about 20 minutes later, we got another call saying that the water pump had kicked off, so hold tight. After about 2 hours of working on the darn thing, pulling the pump out, taking it apart, restarting it 2 or 3 more times and having it kick off each time, they finally declared it a no-go. The motor was shot. At 5:30, my mom’s very sad voice on the other end of the phone confirmed our fear. The trip was off.
A few tears were shed by the little ones and we started brainstorming what we could do instead to create a fun-filled spring break. Given that it was now almost 6:00, we figured it was too late for any other road trip, so the kids voted for a night out to eat at their favorite restaurant, Red Robin. It was tasty as always and the company couldn’t have been any better. We have such terrific kids! In hopes of keeping their spirits up, I surprisingly consented to their plea for a sleepover (yes, I am still anti-sleepover) with our best neighbor friend, Riley. She came over as soon as we got home and joined us for a slumber party in the family room and a family movie theatre: Night at the Museum 2 and ice cream sundaes. Sweet.
Saturday was filled with lots and lots of softball and baseball. All the girls had practice, plus we spent another hour at the park doing BP and working on pitching with Barrett & Riley. We all got a little sunburned from our hours in the bright 70 degree weather, but we loved it. Our pasty white winter faces look a little better with some color! It was Sonic slushes to the rescue after practice, then an hour or so playing catch, rollerblading, and enjoying the afternoon at Gene Autry Park later that afternoon for our neighbor’s birthday. Follow all that up with new cleats at Sports Authority, dinner out at Rubio’s, and finally home for baths for all of our stinky peeps. Ryan and I played Take 2, the kids watched Aliens in the Attic, and then they all crashed hard.
For the last few weeks, our family has been planning a 5-day getaway to the cabin in Pine to kick off the kids’ spring break and provide an opportunity for some much needed fun and relaxation. We had already cancelled our plans to go to Mexico with our good friends, so the kids (and us) were really looking forward to this trip. We were set to leave last Friday. All the laundry was done, the bags were packed, the food shopped for and packed up, the house cleaned and readied to leave. Since my grandpa’s cabin isn’t winterized and this was to be the first trip of the 2010 season, my parents and Grandpa Reid & Kris left a few hours ahead of us to get the water turned on and the cabin warmed up. I had to wait for the kiddos to get out of school and for Ryan to get off of work anyway, so we planned to head up in the afternoon.
At 3:00 pm, my mom called to say that the water was on and everything looked good. Hooray! So excited. Let’s load the car! Unfortunately, about 20 minutes later, we got another call saying that the water pump had kicked off, so hold tight. After about 2 hours of working on the darn thing, pulling the pump out, taking it apart, restarting it 2 or 3 more times and having it kick off each time, they finally declared it a no-go. The motor was shot. At 5:30, my mom’s very sad voice on the other end of the phone confirmed our fear. The trip was off.
A few tears were shed by the little ones and we started brainstorming what we could do instead to create a fun-filled spring break. Given that it was now almost 6:00, we figured it was too late for any other road trip, so the kids voted for a night out to eat at their favorite restaurant, Red Robin. It was tasty as always and the company couldn’t have been any better. We have such terrific kids! In hopes of keeping their spirits up, I surprisingly consented to their plea for a sleepover (yes, I am still anti-sleepover) with our best neighbor friend, Riley. She came over as soon as we got home and joined us for a slumber party in the family room and a family movie theatre: Night at the Museum 2 and ice cream sundaes. Sweet.
Saturday was filled with lots and lots of softball and baseball. All the girls had practice, plus we spent another hour at the park doing BP and working on pitching with Barrett & Riley. We all got a little sunburned from our hours in the bright 70 degree weather, but we loved it. Our pasty white winter faces look a little better with some color! It was Sonic slushes to the rescue after practice, then an hour or so playing catch, rollerblading, and enjoying the afternoon at Gene Autry Park later that afternoon for our neighbor’s birthday. Follow all that up with new cleats at Sports Authority, dinner out at Rubio’s, and finally home for baths for all of our stinky peeps. Ryan and I played Take 2, the kids watched Aliens in the Attic, and then they all crashed hard.
Lots of tired smiles when we tucked them in.
I even got to watch The Notebook with Ryan Saturday night in bed, which has been on my “things I want to do” list for quite a while. I loved it!
It was such a great day. A lemonade-out-of-lemons kind of day.
And even though we would have had such a terrific time at the cabin I’m sure, perhaps our plans getting derailed was really just meant to be. Our Saturday was fantastic. The kids were so happy. So was I. We went to our own ward on Sunday, had terrific meetings, enjoyed a great Italian food dinner at our house with my folks, went on a family bike ride, made chocolate chip cookies, got visited by Grandma Cheri & Grandpa Bob, played Sorry & Clue with the kids, and ended the weekend with six smiling Browns.
And the bonus? We got a call from Jayme last night at 9:00 asking if Rowan wanted to go to the beach with them this morning. How sweet is that? Since we hadn’t even unpacked our cabin bags, I just did a few quick outfit swap-outs and threw in a couple of swimsuits, and we were set. She got picked up at 8:30 this morning and is headed for Carlsbad with all her cousins! How fun is that? Six years old going on vaca without her mama. Oh my! Thankfully, she’s a gem for Jayme. (The rest of us are doing the movies and the zoo while she's gone.)
And the bonus bonus? We still get to go to the mountains! Even though Grandpa Reid’s cabin water pump won’t be fixed this week, my awesome SIL, Jessie, invited us to come up to their cabin in Strawberry with them on Thursday morning. We’re all so stoked. The moms and kiddos will get a couple of extra days up north while Ryan & Morgan finish out their work week, but they'll join us on Friday night.
And even though we would have had such a terrific time at the cabin I’m sure, perhaps our plans getting derailed was really just meant to be. Our Saturday was fantastic. The kids were so happy. So was I. We went to our own ward on Sunday, had terrific meetings, enjoyed a great Italian food dinner at our house with my folks, went on a family bike ride, made chocolate chip cookies, got visited by Grandma Cheri & Grandpa Bob, played Sorry & Clue with the kids, and ended the weekend with six smiling Browns.
And the bonus? We got a call from Jayme last night at 9:00 asking if Rowan wanted to go to the beach with them this morning. How sweet is that? Since we hadn’t even unpacked our cabin bags, I just did a few quick outfit swap-outs and threw in a couple of swimsuits, and we were set. She got picked up at 8:30 this morning and is headed for Carlsbad with all her cousins! How fun is that? Six years old going on vaca without her mama. Oh my! Thankfully, she’s a gem for Jayme. (The rest of us are doing the movies and the zoo while she's gone.)
And the bonus bonus? We still get to go to the mountains! Even though Grandpa Reid’s cabin water pump won’t be fixed this week, my awesome SIL, Jessie, invited us to come up to their cabin in Strawberry with them on Thursday morning. We’re all so stoked. The moms and kiddos will get a couple of extra days up north while Ryan & Morgan finish out their work week, but they'll join us on Friday night.
Yes, it’s gonna be a lemonade out of lemons kind of week. I can already tell.
(P.S. I’m the glass half full girl. Don’t ask Ryan about his lemons just yet. They might need a little sugar coating right about now. Work is insane. The short sales are anything but short. The tenants are needy. The owners are strapped. The economy stinks. His right hand man for the past 7 years is no longer. The timing couldn’t be worse. He’s working twice as hard for half as much. Same story so many are facing these days. He’s getting his can kicked. Or his lemons juiced. You pick the metaphor. Thankfully, we are still so so so blessed beyond measure and we both know that “this too shall pass.”)
"LIFE!!!" ISN'T IT WONDERFUL!?!!
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