Weekend Recap

First, I have to say that last week was one of the most emotionally and mentally taxing weeks I’ve had in quite some time.  While much of it was related to Amendment One, there was a lot going on behind the scenes too.  Like, my grandfather has been in the hospital for over 6 weeks now and still not doing well.  My parents took off last minute to be with him last week.  I’ve also been walking through divorce with a family member who had a significant court date last Thursday.  I’ve never been so passionate about Christ-filled individuals and marriages as I was walking through both Amendment One and this divorce.

Somehow, though, my brain figured out how to take a rest over the weekend and I had some nice moments.  Friday night I let both the kids have someone sleep over.  It felt good to clear my brain by popping popcorn and baking brownies.

Saturday Emma had her first horseback riding lesson thanks to a LivingSocial deal.  At first she was terrified.  As soon as she got on the horse and the instructor was explaining how they were going to go for a walk around the arena, she looked at me and mouthed “I DO NOT WANT TO DO THIS.”  I told her we didn’t have to come back and she’d do fine.  That was one of those mother-lines.  Because have I ever told you how much I hate riding horses?  There was that one family vacation in the mountains and the whole family went and I stayed by myself.  And that one time at youth camp where I begged the camp counselor to let me stay back while the group went on their ride.  They made me get on the horse before I decided and that right there sealed the deal.  I sat for the next hour kicking dirt around the barn.  I do not ride horses.  They scare me to death.  I’ll pet one and cry more than anyone else when one gets hurt in a movie but I’m scared to death to ride one.  I think it’s a control thing.  I’ve never been taught how to control such a big animal and I’m just sure it will either buck me off or go running to who knows where. 

After Emma’s lesson Saturday she got off the horse and I gave her the biggest hug ever and told her how proud I was of her and how much braver than her mommy she is.  She said, “You know how I said I didn’t want to do this?  I changed my mind and I really love it.”  And after watching just one lesson and learning that those reigns really do mean something to the horse I honestly think I’d like to do a lesson with Emma.  So there’s that.  I’m still so proud of her for doing it even knowing how much her mother wouldn’t do the same in her shoes.  Here she is doing a steering challenge at the end of the lesson, weaving in between cones.

 

Sunday was Mother’s Day and with Scott working, the girls still did a great job of sharing all their school-made presents. Emma gave me a book of poems and had wrapped a piggy bank she had gotten from the principal and had written "It pays to be a mom" on the side. She cracks me up. Lexi gave me a card and a necklace made out of playdoh. I wore it all day.

I cooked lunch for my mom and family. I even brought out the china and made name tags. If you’d like to do the same, I put together a free printable for you with the butterflies I used. Just print it on colored card stock and cut out. Thank you, Pinterest, for the idea.

I begged the girls for a picture after dinner. It was one of those, "SIT HERE AND BE STILL AND SMILE!!" I didn’t think we’d captured any worth sharing but this doesn’t say “OH MY GOSH, WE’RE DYING” too bad.

 

We ate dinner with Scott’s family and then topped off the evening and weekend with mini milkshakes from Sonic. I highly recommend the chocolate and hot fudge mix.

Oh, and some little unnamed hands dropped my phone in the driveway AGAIN last night and shattered my screen. We’re off to the Apple store tonight in hopes they’ll fix it without making me buy a new one and for those concerned, yes, I ordered a LifeProof case this time.

 

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and have a great week!