The Hackworths

We’ve been keeping busy with my sister here visiting. Nothing too outlandish or anything, but dragging three kids around even with help still wears me out. So far we’ve gone to see Cars, made a trip to Target, both of my local yarn stores and of course, Old Navy.

The biggest accomplishment, however, came in the form of good old fashioned hard labor. After over a year of living here I figured it was about time to do something with the flower beds at the front of the house. Shortly after we moved in we removed the shrubs, the plastic border and the bale of hay. Yeah, I don’t know what that was for exactly. Then went the gravel earlier this spring.

Finally, I decided on a few things to start out with. I plan on adding plenty more, but for now this is major improvement.

And I simply cannot let this day pass without saying Happy Father’s Day to the best daddy I know. Even though he’s half a world away, he still finds a way to let each of the kids know he still loves them to pieces. We miss having him home every day, but not being able to spoil him on Father’s Day is especially hard. We’ll just have to have our very own when he comes home in a few months.

Hey, you know what? It’s Monday but it doesn’t feel like Monday. It feels like Saturday! Or Sunday! Or the Friday before a holiday weekend! I’m so glad school is finally out. Now I’ve got an official First Grader.

My sister will be arriving tomorrow afternoon and Wednesday we have a date with Cars. The girls are dying to see it and, honestly, I’m really looking forward to it, too. We’ve also got big plans for the beach (which might require me to actually purchase a bathing suit this year, ugh) and parks and more movies. Bring on the fun!

We ventured out in public this weekend because Ryan was in desperate need of a haircut and Kate needed a trim. Other than that, we just hung around all weekend and did the lazy thing. I let the girls stay up late last night and watch a “chick flick” in the hopes that they’d sleep in this morning. Ha! That didn’t work. So I started my coffee IV at 6:30 this morning and I think I might finally be ready to do some house cleaning. Maybe.

I haven’t picked up my camera in over two weeks. Finally, this morning I snapped off a few frames and it felt great. I didn’t realize how much I missed the weight of it in my hands. And chasing Ryan and Kate around for the “perfect shot”. I’m making a promise to myself that I won’t ever let that much time pass between photos. I mean, look how much he’s grown.

Last month flew by and Justin will be home in no time at all. I expect this month and next will go just as quickly since Lauren finishes school on Friday and my sister will be here in one week. We’ve got birthdays and family reunions and trips to the beach to keep us occupied. Not to mention piles and piles of chick flicks to watch all night long.

And just a little freak out right here to wrap things up…. My baby is almost officially a FIRST GRADER!

So, that whole absence thing… sorry about that.  I haven’t felt much like blogging and really haven’t even been online as much as usual.  My camera hasn’t left it’s bag in two weeks either.  Please don’t punish me.

Super duper update time.  Better go grab a snack.  Good?  Here we go.  Lauren is coming up on the end of the school year (hurry up Friday!) and will soon be a first grader.  The Kindergarden performance is this Wednesday and she has an actual speaking part.  I’m so proud.

Katelyn is her usual self.  Getting in trouble and trying to get out of it in a manner that reminds me so much of her daddy that it’s creepy.  She managed to con my friend’s step daughter in to cleaning her entire room.  Girl has some skills, y’all.  Even the bed was made.

Ryan is getting bigger and talking more every day.  He’s wearing the 3T clothes (and he’s only 22 months) and will probably start needing the occasional 4T if his head keeps getting bigger.  The talking is becoming understandable to strangers and he’s even stringing short sentences together.  His new favorite thing is to throw his hands in the air and yell, “Awe-tum!” (awesome) and he’s started saying please except it sounds more like puh-wease.

I went to the commissary today all by myself.  The urge to not go home was great, but since I had the food I figured it would be a bad idea to run off to Cancun for the rest of the week.  Then we took off to watch The Wild with Vicci and her son at the air station.  You can’t beat going to see a movie for a mere buck.

I’ll try to check in here a little more frequently.  I hate to leave everyone hanging, but I just really felt like I had nothing to say other than I’m miserable and it feels like Justin is never ever coming home and no one wants to hear that 7 days a week.