South Padre

Vaca.  Ahhhh vaca.  I can't stop closing my eyes today, wishing myself back to the beach.  Tim's brother and his family live across the border from South Padre Island in Mexico. Adam works for the foreign service and their family moves every 2-3 years to a different corner of the globe.  They head to China to adopt their 6th little person this summer, so Tim's mom decided to organize a family reunion before they make the trip.  We got three condo units at a fabulous resort on South Padre Island, beach side, and spent the week hanging out, swimming, swimming some more, eating community meals, visiting a turtle farm, swimming, building sand castles, jumping enormous waves and swimming.  Did I mention the swimming?  It was a perfect set up for our group of 13.  Dreamy really.  I'll let the photos speak for themselves.  It's not often we're all together, which is a sad reality of all of us separated by a slew of miles.

When we flew in, Adam picked us up and took them to their Mexico homestead.  It's a beautiful house in a rough area, but basketball knock out in the alley made it feel like home.

All 11 of us us piled into their mugo van and headed for Texas the following day.  Cozy quarters, but who cares when all your cousins are in the same space!

We all checked into our condos and unpacked for the week before heading down for the good stuff.  Water and sun.  And a little orange juice in a mini wine glass of course.

The waves were crashing monsters the entire week, which made the kids happy ocean campers. Dude could not get enough, nor could his father. Mom and Marc's pool was the favorite.  It was bathwater warm, included swim up bar and food service (hello!) and was typically empty for our brood to occupy. And that we did.  Marc's muscles got the work out of the year given the 7 children who required constant pool tosses.

Every night we would trade off who cooked for the group.  We chose rocket popsicles, fresh from my memories of the ice cream truck in Worth, Illinois.  Wouldn't dream of purchasing something edible from an ice cream truck today, but the memories are fond all the same.

 These 2 are a pair and a half.  Great minds think alike and act alike too.  Enough said. 

The local turtle rescue was an awesome outing one morning.  It was free, which made it that much more enjoyable.  Most of the turtle inhabitants were missing a fin, so naturally Dude tore off the fin of his ceramic keepsake turtle to be more true to form.

And back to the pool...Dude worked hard at getting over the infinity pool wall...

 ...and he finally had sweet success.

 These two were darling with each other.  Carin and I ate up the opportunity to watch them interact with each other.  So similar in so many ways.  

Tim and Dude left half way through the week as planned, which we ended up regretting.  It felt so empty without them there.  Fortunately, my friend Amy and her little Liam drove in from San Antonio and spent the last 3 days with us!  These two were quite the match.

 500 pieces later, fini.  Amy and I made this a vacation goal.  

 Aren't they lovely?  They sure do know how to spoil their family.  It was a blessing that we were able to spend so much QT with them.

Tim's Uncle Mark was randomly in the area-ish for a work conference and flew in to hang with our group for a couple days.  After losing his beautiful wife, Rhonda, to cancer a few months ago, we were all so grateful for the opportunity to look him in the eye balls and squeeze him tight.

That's all she wrote.  South Padre definitely treated us well and we hope to go back again next year to do it all over again.  With the addition of Tim and Dude full time this go round.  Thanks Mom and Marc for making it all possible and for spoiling us the way only you can!

A Mother's Day Blessing

Mother's Day is such a blessing and ball of yarn over here.  And in countless other homes.  For so many reasons - too many to even begin to list.  Hallmark's intentions are certainly "nice" in celebrating the miracle of being a mom, but it's just not so simple or lovely in most cases.  At church yesterday, our pastor team read a blessing for Mother's Day at the beginning of the service and everywhere you looked, tears were welling.  Alligator tears.  Never before have we left a Sunday service on Mom's Day feeling so understood and in community with others who recognize the bittersweet taste the day leaves in our mouths and in our hearts.  As the years go by, I find myself texting and calling more and more loved ones who need extra attention on Mother's Day.  The list continues to expand as life paths continue to wind.

"To those who gave birth this year to their first child - we celebrate with you.
To those who lost a child this year - we mourn with you.
To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food stains - we appreciate you.
To those who offered their child a life they could not provide through adoption, we honor you and raise you up.
To those who experienced loss this year through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away - we mourn with you.
To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and disappointment - we walk with you.  Forgive us when we say foolish things.  We don't mean to make this harder than it is.
To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms - we need you.
To those who have warm and close relationships with your children - we celebrate with you.
To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children - we sit with you.
To those who lost their mothers this year - we grieve with you.
To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother- we acknowledge your experience.
To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of motherhood - we are better for having you in our midst.
To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year - we grieve and rejoice with you.
And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising -we anticipate with you.
This Mother's Day, we walk with you.  Mothering if not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst.  We remember you."

Amen?  Happy Mother's Day to all those who call themselves Mom, all those who long to call themselves Mom, and those who I call Mom.  

A Quick and Memorable Michigan Trip

Last week was a doozie around here.  My heart physically needed to be in Michigan for my grandpa's funeral, but Tim was in San Diego for work the entire week.  It wasn't something he could miss, so we called on members of our "Home Team" to take up the ranks here at home.  That they did. I highly suggest forming a "home team" if you don't have one!  THANK YOU Anne, Dara, and Linsy for dropping your plans, altering your agendas and not hesitating to make the week doable and less stressful than it should have been.  We didn't have a worry in the world that our littles and pup would be loved and safe.    

At 92, my Grandpa exemplified the best of the best.  He ran the race and definitely crossed the finish line with gusto.  God and His angels greeted John Batts with a standing ovation - I have no doubt.  My grandpa loved the Lord and loved nothing more than serving others and setting a Christ-like example for his six kids and countless grand and great grand kids.  And most importantly, he adored my sweet Grandma.  71 years of marriage isn't a cake walk, but they sure made it look that way.  I was able to go to Michigan last week to be with my family in honoring and celebrating Grandpa's life.  Given his military background, we were offered the privilege of holding his burial ceremony at Fort Custer National Cemetery.  I hadn't seen anything like it before.  So special.    

 It was a balmy Michigan 42 degrees, but the service was short and dry and my Grandma held up beautifully. 

 My mom is third in line of the six Batts children.  Aren't they all so cute?  My grandpa insisted on continuing the child bearing process until he got his boy.  Uncle John was #6.  

The following day was the memorial service at the home where Grandma will continue to live.  It was so well done and such an awesome remembrance of my grandpa.  Uncle John spoke and encouraged all of us to follow in Grandpa's hard to follow footsteps through life.  A challenge for sure.  My cousin's girls sang a ridiculously sweet song and my Uncle Paul ended the service with a message.

We were able to spend time with my dad's family as well as the Batts side.  Can you tell these two are sisters?

 My grandma pulls off the silver hair beautifully.  These other two?  Questionable. 

 Sweet Grandma will hold your hands tight and look you in the eye every time you talk to her.  It's funny how losing a grandparent (my first loss) makes you appreciate all those little things and take note of things you've always taken for granted.

 I have so many rad girl cousins I never see.  We decided to change that and do a girls trip to Napa.  Yes please.

In between the gatherings my sister in law, Kira, and I were able to visit the Market downtown Grand Rapids with our sister-in-law, Becky.  She is a master chef and teaches kids cooking classes there in an impressive space.  Check her out in all her cuteness!

Back in Chicago, my mom and I drove past our old house.  A developer bought the house my Grandpa Kwas build, my dad grew up in, and I grew up in and tore it down about 10 years ago.  He has yet to build on the second half of the property, but our driveway, Magnolia tree and old shed remain.

That day, I had 4 hours to spend with friends we haven't seen in over a year.  Why haven't we seen them?  Well, they kinda had triplets 9 months ago and in addition to their 6 year old twin boys, they've had their hands full. I've been itching to see these babies and this was my chance.  Rachel was able to drive to pick me up at my parent's house ALONE, which was a treat and a half.  We went out for lunch at Egg Harbor, a past favorite for Tim's family, and then we closed out our visit by sitting on her living room floor and playing with babies.  And feeding bottles and changing diapers and cleaning up spit up.  The story of their life.  I'm so proud and in awe of how well they're doing a family unit.

It was a whirlwind trip and I was so so glad I was able to share in the week with my family.  No kids sure does make for quality conversations and restful sleep.  But I was definitely glad to be back home with my rowdy brood.