Fitting it all in...

Well we're 3 weeks into play practice and 10 weeks into marathon training and it's definitely taking some creative juggling to fit it all in.  Luckily some good things have fallen into place to make it possible. Like our awesome neighbor who has offered to come over on Friday nights and watch the kids for free while we have play practice. She's this sweet college girl who I'm sure could use the babysitting money, but she won't charge us since we're doing a church activity. I honestly almost cried when she told us that. Such a blessing : )

So this is kind of how the weekends go:

Friday afternoons I swap with a friend or get a babysitter so I can do my long run. Last week it was 17 miles so we're talking close to 3 hours of running. I usually get home around 4 and then I have a couple hours to stretch, shower, recover, make dinner, and get ready for play practice. Play practice is from 7-9:30, so we get home close to 10pm, then Taber sets out all his stuff for his long run and we go to bed.

Saturday mornings Taber wakes up around 4:20am to get his long run in. Last week he knocked out 17 miles all before 8am!! He is the man! While he's running I work on getting everything together to entertain and feed the kids for 4 hours during rehearsal. We bring the pack and play, baby monitor, blankets, booster seat, baby food, bottles, extra clothes and diapers for Cam, and toys, DVD players, coloring books, snacks and lunches for the girls. 

Sometimes we even bring their bikes so they can cruise around in the gym. 

The girls do great during rehearsal. They just play with their stuff and the other kids whose parents are in the play. Cam is a different story. He requires a lot more work, especially because he needs naps and diaper changes and someone to spoon feed him his meals.  Taber and I usually take turns juggling him since we've only been working on music, but once we start blocking I think some of the young women in the play are going to be on Cam duty since we'll be needed on stage.
(I really just wish I could fly the Grandmas out for a few months! I'm sure they'd love being on Cam duty!)

After play practice it takes us forever to round up all our stuff (we seriously bring half our household) Then we get home around 2 and we are so wasted from long runs and rehearsals and late nights and early mornings that we barely have enough energy to drag everything in the house and crash.

Not a lot of housework happens over the weekends. 

(Sorry Mom, I swear it all gets cleaned up by Monday!)

After play practice nothing sounds better than a nap, but the kids are such good sports about all this that we really try to do something fun in the afternoon.

Last weekend it snowed, so after rehearsal Taber took the girls outside to play in it. 

He was going to take them to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D too, but when it was time to come in and get ready for the movie they were having too much fun and chose to stay home and keep playing instead. 

I know all this makes from some crazy weekends but I really love what we are doing. The spirit has been so strong in some of the rehearsals that more than once I've had to wipe away tears. The music and the script are amazing and working on them has helped me to focus more on the Savior in my daily life.  I play the CD with the music all the time and the girls are even starting to sing the songs.  It's the best having our home filled with such beautiful music. I love it, and I'm so glad we're making the effort to fit it all in : )

Father's Day Weekend

For Father's day we wanted Taber to be the king of the weekend, so we did the things "King Taber" loves best. Mainly BBQ, Grilling, playing with his kiddos, running and food.

We kicked it off with a trip to the the Rockin' Rib Fest on Friday night where we sampled the finest BBQ'd ribs in all of New Hampshire. If you know my husband and his obsession for BBQ sauce you would understand that Rib Fest to Taber is like Disneyland for kids. He was truly in his happiest place on earth : )

I didn't mind the ribs either, Taber has really started to wear off on me : )

Cam's 2 little chompers aren't quite ready for ribs but I'm sure he'll be drenching his meat in BBQ sauce like his Dad as soon as he's able.

The girls loved the Ribfest and wore themselves out on all the bounce houses.

Then we indulged in some homemade birthday cake ice cream with buttercream frosting swirls. Best ice cream ever.

Happy Daddy and his 3 little Rigglets.

We couldn't go home without a bag of kettle corn the size of a child.  Definitely another successful year at the Rockin' Rib Fest.

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Saturday started with a 10 mile long run for the Tabster and a 6 miler for me. 

Then he spent the morning swimming with the kiddos and jumping on the tramp.

The kids thought it was quite the treat to play outside with Daddy

Cam was out there too (Don't want him to look back at these books when he's older and wonder where he was during all the fun ; )

Unfortunately mommy was not out there enjoying the fun. I guess I caught Teya's raging fever from last week and it kept me sidelined for the rest of the weekend.

I had big plans to pamper king Taber on Father's day but he was the one pampering me in my sickened pathetic state. 

And that is why he has totally earned cool Dad (and husband) status.

I did drag myself out of bed to make him German pancakes but then I crawled back in while he took the kids to church and I took a 3 hour nap.

After my nap I was feeling much better and I helped him get some good man food together to grill up for dinner.

Steak tips, corn on the cob, red potatoes and asparagus all fired up on the grill.

Despite my inconvenient illness it was a great weekend and I feel very lucky and grateful that my kids have such an awesome Daddy and for my wonderful Father and Father-in-law too!