Crazy May

I knew going into May it would be a crazy month. Brandon was gone half the time and when he was home, our days and nights were jam packed. I took a picture of my kitchen one day because no matter how hard I tried, I could not keep on top of the mess. It was too hectic.


Aside from dentist appointments, throwing a baby shower, finishing up some really big book projects, church assignments, and several doctor appointments, here are a few of the photo documented events.

The kids finished up swim lessons and I made a mental note…do not do that again - four weeks, twice a week, three kids in lessons at the same time, hauling a baby around in a stroller while pregnant. The showers and dressing afterwards were the worst part of it all. I may have felt differently if the kids learned a lot, but the program was a chaotic mess. Loud, unorganized, blah, blah, blah. Glad we are done. Private lessons are the way to go when it comes to our big-little family.





If anything, I personally felt a sense of accomplishment. I survived. Survived the stares and comments from everyone else, the stress, and the responsibility of it all.

On to my absent husband….every year Brandon goes on a fishing trip with his Dad, brother, Uncles, and cousins. This “tradition” has been going on since our dating years. I’ve whined, cried, complained, birthed babies, and yet he still goes. I have a different mentality for church and work, but when it’s play, I tend to be selfish with his time. I never imagined before we got married that we would take separate vacations. But that’s how I keep my sanity. If he’s going to be gone, I better plan something for me. Problem is, my kids are in stages that I don’t trust or feel guilt-free leaving my kids home with their dad, parents, in-laws, or baby sitters for all that long. (Shocking, I know.) My trips are getting shorter and fewer between!

But, this year I finally relented – my attitude that is. Really, what else do I do? (Vent on my blog.) ☺ I don’t mind so much that he goes as much as I mind how long he is gone. 10 days with four LITTLE children and a wife who is 6 months pregnant. So how did I do it? Changed my perspective. I have a couple of friends who have lost their husbands in the last year and they each have children - one with two and another with four. I’m grateful that an absent husband is not my permanent condition. What a tough trial. Additionally, my sweet mother-in-law came for a weekend to help with the kids. She rationalizes it’s her husband who is dragging mine off for play but believe you-me, there’s not much dragging involved.


He was Tarpin fishing off the Florida Keys. And now that I have had an attitude adjustment, I've started asking how old the boys have to be before they can join him. We will have four you know. And SOME day...Audrey and I will be shopping, dining out, going to the spa and living the high life while they are off fishing.


Brandon claims this was the best trip yet. The fishing was hot. The fish were GIANT (picture proof). And the company was top notch. I haven’t asked, because I really don’t need to, but I’m sure it’s already on the calendar for next year.

At least this year he tried to make up for it the following week when we were too busy to go out for our anniversary. He surprised me with diamond earrings and a thoughtful bouquet of roses. 11 roses for each year we have been married. (5 orange ones for each child and 6 red.)


On our first year anniversary, we had just used ALL our money to close on our first house in Northern California. We flew my brothers out to help us do some renovating before we moved in. So, on our anniversary, we celebrated with my brothers by having pizza and rootbeer and told each other what we would have wanted if we could have afforded it. I was getting diamond earrings. He was getting an exotic white parrot that he wanted. ☺ Funny how I can remember the “pretend” presents better than the actual ones we've given over the years. Ten years later I finally got my gift. He’s still waiting for his. :(

The day after he returned from his trip, Brandon had eye surgery again.


In 2008 he had a growth removed from the white of his eye that ended up being similar to skin cancer. I guess when he was little he would come home from snow skiing with the white’s of his eyes burned red. And then all the years of fishing without proper eye protection finally caught up with him. At least that’s what the doctors are suggesting. Anyway, he has wanted to get vision correction surgery and had to make it 12 months without any growths. Didn’t happen. The bad news is he has growths in both eyes on new spots. The good news is he has survived one more surgery and the lab results did not show any cancer cells.


Because of the good results, the doctors are willing to wait a bit on the other eye and see what develops. In the meantime, I’m hounding him to try all the natural stuff to see if he can improve the condition without surgery.

So with the month of May comes the pressure of end-of-the year school projects, celebrations, and deadlines. I am amazed at how many “graduations” one child can go through before they even reach High School. This year was Corbin’s Kindergarten graduation. He did a good job reciting his part and singing the songs. Brandon and I were even impressed with the other kids ability to sit through the ceremony. (All that practice in church.)


This is Corbin with his teacher Mrs. Hecht.


And with a huge sigh of relief and sadness, Audrey and Corbin reached their last day of Caprock Academy.


We have endured, I mean, enjoyed the education but are looking forward to starting a new school in the fall. The charter school has been a good option for Audrey and Corbin the last couple years, and now we feel the best decision for the family will be to attend the public school. Audrey and Corbin are both excited and nervous about riding the bus, but I’m excited not to have to wake sleeping babies to carpool. And rather than four days a week, the kids will be in school five. They will leave an hour later and get home an hour later, have less homework, and perhaps finally have time for extra-curricular activities. (I don’t know that I will, but maybe they will. ☺) I will miss the uniforms, the character and values the school emphasizes, and the high standard of education. Farewell Caprock and good riddance!!! Get ready Wingate, here we come.