when saturday is a blank slate....

One of the worst things about adulting is the lack of free weekends. This afternoon I am watching Anya for a bit, but the rest of the day...no plans. Paul and I, and little Camille, rattling around here like peas in a pod...but then this: I looked out my window this morning, and there in the driveway is Samuel's old Oldsmobile!!!! I thought he was coming TOMORROW, ha. He has been training in New Jersey all week with the Army Reserves, and has training/work this week up here at the base, starting tomorrow...he was going to bring baby Grant but that fell through, he must have come here straight from Jersey. He is sleeping on the couch, he drove through the night.

So now today is taking shape. Sam is here.

Most of our kids (Emily, Abigail, Benjamin, Mariel, Margaret, Kathryn, Evelyn, Suzanne, Sonja, Jonathan, and Charlotte Claire), are at the youth conference/soccer weekend.

Yesterday, we went to the beach, Mali and I and her little Lydia, and Camille. It was cloudy and cool, but pleasant and relaxing. Mali said it was like being in Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events.



As you can see, there WAS sunshine on the beach, Lydia. And Camille, who spent most of the day sitting in her chair reading, "The Hunger Games". Benjamin and Ashley joined us with Anya and Elise, and we had a nice couple of hours. Lake Ontario is amazing, even on a cloudy day.

Not wanting to wake Sam who is sleeping on the couch, I am sitting in my room, relaxing on my big comfy bed. Paul is tip-toeing out the door with his bow, hunting season is coming, and he needs to practice.

Hunting season, autumn, chilly windy pumpkin days, coziness, turning on the fireplace and lighting the candles, but oh dear, I am not ready to say goodbye to swimming and barefeet. School starts next week with Miss Suzanne Eleanor as a senior, and Miss Sonja Kathleen as a junior. Homeschoolers this year are Jonathan, 9th grade, Char 7th grade, and Miss Cam in 6th. Kathryn and Evelyn are still both home, Kathryn just started working at the pizza place in town, and Evelyn is probably starting job soon, working out the details. Her trip to Switzerland isn't working out, due to unforseen circumstances. Kap and Ev are planning to go to college next year.

All the little details that make up the days, this is life. This is life. I try to pinch myself, slow down to take it all in, these days on earth. Hurrying and worrying and being unsatisfied is so wasteful.

I am seriously thinking of becoming a minimalist. I am not a hoarder, not in the sense of keeping garbagio and old junk, but I do like good stuff. I'm getting better, but. I don't like to get rid of things because when I do, it's a guarantee that someone will need it. But, I reason, that's not my prob, they can go buy it if they need it, right? And just because a shirt fits me, doesn't mean I need to keep it. Especially if it doesn't fit me, and I am hoping it will sometime. I still have our baby swing that I bought when Jonathan was a baby. We haven't gotten it out since Davian was small and I was watching him. He's six now. It's time. I don't like clutter.

Toys though, I love toys. We have dollhouses, and we have Little Tikes Waffleblocks, and Duplos, and dolls and shopping carts and strollers. We got rid of our little kitchen, and most of the toys, but we need the little pianos and jingly things, baby stuff, for visiting grand kids. I try not to add to our collection, and keep things weeded out, but I do love toys.

Anyway, today is a blank slate, and now Sam is here. Maybe I'll make him some chocolate chip cookies.