ten

if you're a mom whose husband travels a lot for work, or especially a military mom/wife...
you're a better woman than I am.

remember the ten days of dad/husbandless-ness we had earlier this month? that many bedtimes--all by myself--makes me tired just thinking about it. so packed up and headed to my in-laws.

and with three aunts, one grandma, and a grandpa? it turned out to be a good situation for all involved.

during the week I also got spend a day visiting some of my favorite people in the world (which I have no photo documentation of) and lay by the pool watch it rain. (had I known all it would take to get a little rain around these parts was to plan to lay out, I could have put that into my summer long ago...).

we also loved a morning at the beach with new friends (even the deer were feeling the drought),

watched a couple great sunsets,

sewed pillows in Jessie's Pillow Sweatshop,

played 'minute to win it' games,

found a couple days of sunshine to enjoy the pool,

 "This is the most I've been in the pool in 10 years!" -grandpa

paid some bills,

had relaxing mornings,

and hung out with aunties,

ten days was a long time...but spending it this way really wasn't all that rough.

that time we biked in the rain

it was our main man's birthday last week. but since he has been at a pastor's conference/sabbatical for ten days over his birthday (I know. ten.), we decided to have a little celebration before hand. and probably some when he gets home, too (tomorrow. we're on the home stretch).

to celebrate we did something he liked:
biked for a long time.
we headed over to msu's campus and then grabbed dinner at potbellys and five guys.

there has been a drought around these parts. like no rain for months. so wouldn't you know it started to rain during our dinner? (and on the two days I planned to get me some some sun at the pool--more on that later...). and that little rain was bringing with it a thunderstorm.

so we packed up the party real quick-like and got our bike on.
ominous sky, lightning in the distance, red on the radar.
fastest 8 miles ever.
and then sky opened up on us with about .5 to go. soaked. just ask jonah, he'll tell you allllll about it.

and you know what? I'm pretty sure it made ben love it even more. in fact, I know it did.
a little extra adrenaline and danger? right up his alley.
reminds me of when he turned 30 and we biked all 20+ miles of the cape ann coastline while it poured. he still talks about that birthday.

so happy birthday to the best dad, husband, pastor, friend, bikerman these parts know. we can't wait to have you home.

in action

some live footage of the boys. taken over the past few months--despite the fact that it looks like a couple days (apparently I dress my boys in the same clothes every day. or at least filming days...)

Jun 28, 2012-Medium from Rachel Cuthbert on Vimeo.

::horizontal jumping jacks
::tongue click and a koala being drilled
::selective hearing
::jumpin'
::everyone loves a belly laugh
::the beginnings of the back scoot
::pushups? pilates? burpees?
::vacuuming is intense business
::poor decision to encourage the push?
::wow. dada. tongue click
::we don't waste food on our faces around here

fourth week

(most) of my family showed up in mid-michigan for (most of) last week. the Bostonians bookended the midweek rendezvous with weddings over thisaway and the Iowans and Hoosier (does it grate on your soul to be referred to as a hoosier, dan?) popped on over for some fun in the...oppressive heat. we still beached, golfed, pooled, crafted, and grilled-- are were very thankful for the a/c that did its darndest to keep up with the record setting triple digits.

 have I ever mentioned on here how awesome it is to have married the brother of one of my college friends and also have one of my college friends marry my brother?! because it is. 

I'll just call this one "blue team"

8 months

literally in the past couple days the moving obsession has begun. you've gone from sitting and playing to rolling, scooting (mostly backwards), and rocking on all fours. diaper changing could be confused for a wrestling match. and if you're upright at all? jumping. always jumping.

you're still pretty easy, but have developed a little bit of "feisty" here in your old age. I'm pretty sure you're just frustrated by your lack of mobility and have really developed some opinions about what you want (most notably: computer, remote, phones). and you're a bit of an attention hog. 

eight teeth. boom. just like that. sent me hustling to the baby books to see what else I've been missing. oh, I was suppose to be feeding you meats? oops. you seem fine. here, have some puffs. and given the last few nights, I think there may be even more teeth in the works?! braces before we know it...

 words? not really...but you do say "wow" a lot. and can repeat it if someone says it to you. your brother used to say that too...hmmm... guess it's in the everyday vernacular around here. and you click your tongue, and do the whole "dadadada" thing. 

you're pretty tough, too. or you just like your brother so much that all the pinching, poking, and jumping on you (seriously, his full body weight) just don't seem to bother you.

eight months. phew. where has time even gone?