GFR: Beach Day

This was a great day too. It was Elsie's first trip to the ocean and she loved it. I had both kids dressed in their Hawaii outfits and the cousins who surf on this beach regularly pointed out that my kids looked quite touristy. That made me laugh. I suppose the john deere hat didn't help any either.

We played hard. And perhaps the hardest working was Sara, who made five Sand Cars for Riley, Ruby, Ivar, Elsie and Toby.

These Sand Cars were awesome. And my kids sat in them forever. Ivar hardly left his once it was finished. And Elsie sat in hers, playing with the sand for almost a half an hour. Unheard of!

GFR: Disneyland

Disneyland is magic. Even at 32. I felt it. I felt it the second we got off our bus and were greeted with the Indiana Jones theme song. And then as we entered the park the music switched to the music from Up. And I was so happy.

I had really low expectations for a day at Disney with a one and two year old. It seemed like it might be a disaster waiting to happen. But it was pure joy. The kids did great, we paced ourselves well and checked in with each other regularly, "how are you doing? do we need to stop for a snack?"

A favorite moment is from that top picture. We walked up the little hill into Toon Town and Rory said, "look at how high that back drop goes." And for just a moment he really thought that blue sky was a part of the set. But no, that blue sky was just the perfect California day we were living in.

We took our time, unlike that guy running next to me. He must have forgotten his family at the entrance or something.

Before we left I read all sorts of blogs with advice on "how to do Disney with a toddler." One of them even added, "and heaven help you if you have a baby too." But it was perfect. Fantasyland has a lot of kiddy rides and Ivar was loving it. Elsie too. There is just so much to look at.

Plus, I can't really do fast rides ever since my episode of Vertigo. Even jumping on a trampoline made me horribly ill a few weeks ago, so Space Mountain wasn't even an option. Casey Junior is more my speed.

We met up with the whole family for It's a Small World, the definite highlight of our day. And then we went on Peter Pan with everyone.

Rory and I left for lunch and slowly our children began to fade away. They took turns napping, so that rides weren't an option. So we walked all over the park, people watching.

At 3:30 we could see our day was coming to an end. Both kids had hit their wall. Not bad for having been in the park by 8:15. So we went back to the hotel for naps. Below is Ivar sound asleep in a gift shop.

And thanks to Mimi and Papa, once the kids were down for the night, Rory and I got to go back to the park until midnight. We went on Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted House and Jungle Tours. Oh, and the Tiki Room. And got to see the fireworks and fantasmic. That Walt had a good idea when he was dreaming up Disneyland.

GFR: Paddle Boards and Peaches

This was my favorite day of the reunion. Tom and Sandy graciously opened up their stunning home to us and rented paddle boards, kayaks and a boat for a day of play. The day was really laid back and perfect for good conversation with lots of family.

One of the greatest joys of a family reunion is watching others delight in your own kids. I got to see this again and again, as different people offered to watch them so that Rory and I could play a bit. It meant so much to me!

At one point, just as we were arriving, there were eight of us out on the deck eating peaches. These peaches were perfect, and super juicy. Conversations were had asking each other if this was the best peach of your life. And as we began to catch up, we each slurped our drippy peach...trying to act casual about it. We'd say things like, "so you're moving soon..." while trying to hide our slurpy sounds, quickly getting the napkin to our chins. It was a funny moment that felt similar to ordering ribs on a first date. A little awkward, but totally worth it.

(I know that's a random story. But it's a funny memory I wanted to write down...)

See what I mean about other family delighting in my kids?!!

And here are some of the ladies. It's such a great group of people. I just feel so grateful and blessed to have married into such an exceptional family.

Groves Family Reunion 2013

I remember the day in May when I was emailed the itinerary for the Groves Family Reunion. We were getting a foot of snow and I read the plans for each day with hope and excitement, believing that winter might actually end. The plans included time with Grandma and a family dinner, a day of water play at Tom and Sandy's, a day at Disneyland and a day at Huntington Beach. It meant the weather would be warm. It meant that summer had to be on its way.

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know that I love family togetherness which makes a family reunion my favorite kind of gathering. Our last Groves Family Reunion was in 2009, so it was time to get together! (Remember these little movies Rory and Jack made?)

Since the last reunion, Ivar and Elsie have joined our family making this the first time they meet many of their extended family, including their great grandma Bernice. It was precious time together.

...one day Elsie will recognize this.

a magical vacation

It's a Small World from Becca Groves on Vimeo.

We just got back from the Groves Family Reunion out in California. It was fantastic. I love family reunions more than anything. For me, you just can't beat family togetherness. The entire Groves family is quality and it made for some awesome days together. So get ready. There will be many a picture posted here of our time together.

But I had to share this little video very first. Elsie was asleep in Rory's arms when we boarded our little boat into It's a Small World. We were worried she might wake up terrified. Instead she woke up absolutely delighted by the happy world around her. Sara and Troy were right behind us in our boat and got to watch the joy of Elsie experiencing the magic of disney for her very first time. 

We're home now and exhausted. And so sad that the reunion is over. Ivar wailed tonight as we walked in our kitchen, "I need the elevators! I want to go to the elevators!" This was his way of saying he was so sad that fun adventure in California, the swimming and playing with cousins, riding on airplanes, trains and flying elephants is over. I feel it too. It's always so hard to come off of a vacation like that.

uncle don's barn

Uncle Don gave Ivar a very precious gift. After we were together at The Landing, he asked if Ivar needed any more farm toys. And then he showed us his barn. Uncle Don made this barn for his boys, based off of the barn my mom had on her farm growing up. That barn is gone now, but this one is getting more love and attention than ever.

On Friday morning, the day after we got the barn, Ivar called me into his room, unsteady on his feet in his crib and told me, "I need to play with my barn!" He went downstairs by himself (never happens) and played for 45 minutes while the rest of us slept.

I told Rory it was the closest we have come to a Christmas Morning with him. His first he was an infant, second we had the flu and this last year he cried the whole morning. He was out of sorts and it made for a memorable, but not picture perfect Christmas morning. But Friday morning held the same joy and anticipation we were expecting on December 25th.

And as you can see, the barn was intended for Ivar, but Elsie is just as interested. She takes all the hay bales and horses and puts on the upper level. And then she puts them all in the lower level. And again and again. Lots of "sibling sharing" teachable moments around here lately...

barley and alfalfa

The only thing more exciting than a tractor in our field?

Two tractors in our field.

Rory and I haven't been on this little hobby farm for even a year. And we are learning so much. We talk about this a lot late at night. There is a lot of trial and error and questions and research and phone calls and patience required for this sort of life shift. But we're learning and we're grateful to be here.

The biggest challenge for us so far has been our field.

We knew we didn't want to rent our four acres out again this year. Mostly because we're not sure what we want to do with it. But if we want to turn it into orchard, or if we want to ever graze animals out there then we wanted to start a few years of not using pesticides and planting something that can help replenish the nitrogen back into the soil.

So we researched tractors, but they are expensive. And we weren't confident enough in what we should buy in order to put that sort of money down. It's just too early to buy something.

Then we asked around to see if anyone in the area could be hired to plant our field. But this was a crazy-terrible year for all planting. Lots of fields in our area still aren't planted. There was snow in May and rain all throughout May and June. Any contacts that might have possibly been able to help us out on a normal year were trying their hardest to get their own fields planted on the rare sunny day when the fields might be dry enough.

It wasn't looking good for our field. I kept telling Rory that we could go out there and scatter seed Bible-style with bags over our shoulders, tossing it gently down the rows.

Finally one of the phone calls Rory had made returned our call. Two brothers from the area had all the equipment. We were overjoyed. This was a few weeks ago, and since then it rained every time they were scheduled to come out. But on July 3rd they came.

This might be the latest planting ever. It might mean our barley and alfalfa might not germinate. But we had to try. You can tell the field is dry, but it is supposed to rain this weekend. That would help.

But no matter how this first year turns out we 1)have our field planted! and 2)our country boys got to drive a tractor.

And Rory has found a tractor he really loves. He might have to get rid of his green cap though.

the landing

When trying to decide how to spend our 4th of July, we realized two things: 1) Ivar doesn't like parades (loud sirens) and 2) Our kids go to bed at 7. And again, they don't like loud noises.

So my mom made a plan to go to The Landing, the same place we went and learned how to make maple syrup. Today they were Haying, had a parade that we got to be in and most of the houses were open for visits. We brought a picnic and met Mark and baby Isaac, Uncle Don and Mom and Dad for an awesome day.

...That picture in the lower left is a favorite. Uncle Don and Ivar switched hats and Ivar thought it was so silly.

verna and velma's big adventure

Velma and Verna went back to hang out with their own mama cat a little longer. Here's what I imagine they told her when they had their sweet reunion:

Mom. You're not going to believe the week we just had. It was so crazy. These people put us in a big plastic tub and thought we wouldn't get out. Ha! They put us in the garage and we waited until they went to bed and then ran around doing our business on their things. So then they put a wire lid on the box with a board on top. But mom, obviously we're stronger than that. We waited until nighttime again and busted back out.

One time they left us in their garage and went to run errands. And when they came back we were so hot. That garage is like a sauna when the garage door is closed. So they brought us into their bathroom. It was awesome in there. We loved it. And we made it our own by marking every bit of territory. You would have been so proud of us Mom.

One day we went out on the blanket it the yard with the family. We did this a lot and loved jumping around. But then these huge birds started circling the yard. They wanted to eat us!

Well, apparently the mom and dad didn't know what to do with us. You know, they didn't really love that we were doing our business all over the bathroom. And we're supposed to be outdoor cats, but they don't have a barn or anyplace we can actually survive outside. So they called and talked it over and then tonight they brought us back! To you! And our brothers and sisters! And when we're a little older and can live outside and birds won't swoop down for us, we're going to go back. But for now, lets just snuggle and purr for a while.

***

There's a new post over on The Soul Sisterhood. Today we're talking about our Loves and Loathes.

wake up call

One of Ivar's cousins taught him how to smile like this. To use his fingers to push his cheeks way up. It was funny for a good week or two, but now its sort of overpowering each picture I take of the boy.

But I'm going to take it as a good reminder that we get to choose our mood and attitude. I probably could use two fingers shoving my cheeks up once in a while to help change my expression too.

Last night Rory and I prayed before we went to bed. It's been a long, long time since we have done this and it feels like we found our footing again in one heartfelt prayer time.

While praying, I started asking God to help me with my mood in the morning. I asked that I would wake up with a spirit of joy instead of exhaustion. My days sometimes feel like I'm just trying to get to the next nap or bedtime.

So I asked God for a new attitude come Monday morning.

We went to bed. And at 6:15 am I heard the roosters. As of this morning, they had finally cleared the last of the phlegm from their throats and were celebrating their perfect cock-a-doodle-doos. I woke to this sound and it made me laugh.  Sort of a what-on-earth-are-we-doing-on-a-farm-with-roosters kind of laugh. I lay there while Rory rolled over and decided that this was my wake up call. God woke me up amused and with a grin on my face and I took it to mean my day should begin. So I got up. And the very first thing I did was read Psalm 51. It's my favorite.

Then I went out and fed the chickens telling them to pipe down. I warmed some milk for the kittens and gave them a snuggle. I started a load of laundry, unloaded and loaded the dishwasher. I made myself a cup of coffee, read a few blogs and then I made muffins.

It was the best morning of the summer. Because I woke up for it.

When Ivar came downstairs he was so excited to see me and I told him I had made him muffins for breakfast. He was in the living room when I said this and his response was, "pretend ones?!!" Which gives you a little clue as to how often I make actual, edible muffins.

The thing that blew my mind this morning is that I prayed for this just last night. And I am sure that part of it was my own participation in the attitude shift. But I've been trying with my own might for an attitude shift for a long, long time now. This was so clearly not by my own strength. This was God's Spirit coming along side of me, helping me feel ready for the day ahead. And it made me feel very loved.

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." Psalm 51:12

And it was a lovely day.

strawberry pickin' and bloglovin'

Last night babysitter had a conflict, so we decided to take the family strawberry picking. We strategically strapped both of the kids in strollers while feeding them berries to keep them happy.

All those strawberries I am holding were only five bucks, but I think we may have ruined about twenty dollars worth of kids clothes. On the plus side, both kids now have designated "berry picking outfits."

***
So here's something to work on this weekend: If you read multiple blogs via Google Reader, it's closing up shop on Monday. Today I finally looked into other blog readers and I have a thing for Bloglovin.

It took me four minutes to set up, (it will transfer all of your google reader blogs over for you...easy peasy!) and I really love the layout (sort of like pinterest).

So if you follow this blog, be sure to head over to Bloglovin and add joyfullybecca.com to your list of blogs. Or don't add me if you don't want to. I actually took some time to pair down my list of blogs that I read, added a few new ones and it sort of felt like a little room makeover. Some new voices and ideas for the summer which feels fresh and good. (But I would miss you if you gave me the boot.)

And if you don't use a reader, I think you would love it (...mom). It's a WAY easier way to check multiple blogs and will update for you when a new post has gone up. It's like having a magazine that updates every minute with new articles and recipes to read.

Happy weekend everybody!

honeybees

We have bees. We actually have had them for a while, but I just keep forgetting to put the pictures up here on the blog. They hang out behind the pole barn, and in the weeks we have had them we haven't seen one single bee up by the house. They seem to really love their new home and are making honey like crazies.

We don't really tend to the bees at all. Our friend Adam is the keeper and comes out every week or two to do his thing, and at this point, I'm still unsure what that is. I think he collects the honey? All I know is that we then get some of the honey, and that is awesome.

What I am realizing in this venture is how little I know about bees and honey. I don't quite get how those bees, after enjoying the flowers and clover outside, go into that box and make honey inside.

So stick with me. I'm going to get us some answers this summer, and let you know what I learn...

peonies

Some loveliness for your Wednesday. These beauties border our road.

This morning I woke up and fed the kittens warm milk, fresh water and cat food. Then I changed the chickens water and got their new bag of feed from the jeep and opened their coop for the day. Then I came in the house and fed my own children breakfast. And it hit me: we now have morning chores.

We had a perfect summer day today. We went to Rory's parent's house with lots of other moms and kids and spent the day splashing in the water. Ivar and I got to ride on the pontoon and I got to spend some time sitting in a lawn chair talking to other moms while Rory had the kids inside with his mom. It was wonderful. Then we drove to Annika's and had burgers for supper followed by Mara's soccer game. She scored the only goal for her team, The Bananas. It was a glorious evening, a beautiful day and I am so glad for summertime.

And, in other news, my fourth post over at the Soul Sisterhood went up today. This week we're talking about self-editing your life story; taking responsibility for the decisions you make and the consequences that come from those decisions.