After the start to a busy weekend my parents offered to keep the kids overnight to provide Tim and me the opportunity for date night….something long overdue! Kids waited patiently all morning to go to grandpa Steve and grandma Vicky’s…as did I! Thank you mom and dad!!!

 
Saturday night Tim and I were then able to go out to dinner.  We went to a local restaurant called The Waterstreet Grill and it was excellent! Not just the food and the service but we were able to eat a meal while it was still hot and actually visit without any kids interrupting…but now what?! It’s barely 8pm and we have no kids! We had gone to the local museum earlier, cruised around town for a little bit and then decided just to go back home and watch a movie. Not exciting to some and probably sounds boring to others but we absolutely loved it. No kids to battle at bedtime and no screaming kids to wake us up…it was the perfect date night! We were able to enjoy each other and relax in our home…but, I will admit I missed the kids…a lot! 

While it’s nice to have our alone time, our lives just don’t seem quite right without chaos! And when I was sitting in the quiet room…and it was actually quiet, it dawned on me that so many of us that are fighting personal battles with health right now, while we talk about the craziness of being with our kids…it’s that craziness that keeps us fighting so hard! It’s that craziness that makes the battle worth the effort. Even this kind of craziness when your two year old decides to paint his own finger and toenails…

 After getting the kids back this morning, we couldn’t resist spending the day outside due to the beautiful weather, and having a picnic is one of Leah’s favorite things to do…I love seeing the simple pleasures through a child’s eyes!

  
  

But it wasn’t until after lunch that the fun really began. While Skyler and her friend were exploring the other day, they had come across FIVE, yes five baby coons. Could this be what’s destroying our garden?! They caught one and were able to set him free back along our property line. Last night we caught a second baby raccoon so had planned to do the same thing later in the day. 

As I’m cleaning up from lunch, Tim tells me to come back outside and there by the cage with the baby coon is another one trying to get to him.   

       
The kids kind of observed them for awhile and then it was time to put him in the cage with the other one. We drove back again to the edge of our property and released them. This was difficult for Leah although she managed to tell them through a cracked little voice “go find the rest of your family now.” I have to admit…I think the kids could have talked me in to keeping them for a pet…until they hissed at Tim! Haha 

   
We have now caught three and only two to go. Thank goodness and maybe our garden will survive this year after all! Until about 15 minutes later Tim sends me a picture of what he had discovered across the field and heading right back to our place so, in other words…meet Elsa and Anna! I laugh everytime I think about seeing those little coons tootling back towards our house 😳

Thankfully Leah was picked up by Grandma Lalk for vacation bible school tonight so Tim had a chance to take “Elsa” and “Anna” a couple miles down the road to try one more time to get rid of them. I’m surprised he has put this much effort into releasing them but it’s amazing how much kids can change your heart 😉

So that’s our fun filled weekend, nothing much yet I’m exhausted! Tomorrow is my eye appointment, the only appointment I have for the month of June so I am looking forward to getting it over and done with. However, this is one appointment that I will be accompanying myself to because Tim says I get too crabby at these…and he’s right! I’m better off going myself! This disease makes me so mad sometimes by how much it can affect. I have had damage done to my eyes due to the lack of oxygen to my upper body caused by my FM. This has resulted in two surgeries on my left eye and one surgery on my right eye.

Tomorrow is a follow-up to make sure my eyes are still doing okay so please pray all will be fine and no more surgeries will be needed! I think the worst part about these appointments is that I’ve already had the surgery so I know what’s coming if intervention would be needed…I know what to expect…and it’s not pleasant!

After tomorrow I have the month to enjoy the swimming lessons and the drivers ed stories and the gymnastics classes all without having to worry about doctor appointments getting in the way…and maybe tomorrow…even Elsa and Anna will be back 😉