March Week 1

March.   
Beautiful, humbling, exhausting and heartbreaking. 
It's only the 7th. 

The boys, a neighborhood friend and I drove to the Naval Academy on Monday night to pay our respects to the Forney Family.    The boys were in epic form,during the rainy, windy trek to Annapolis, singing Glen Campbell and hurling insults such as "Stew Beef" and "Butt Crack Residue". 
They also probably pushed our passenger,  poor Lexi, to consider a lifetime of celibacy. 
Thankfully, as soon as we passed the entrance onto post at the Academy, the boys got themselves together.  They did great.  They gave Miss Erika a hug.  As Sam told me, "Mom, sometimes you just gotta show up."  That kid is wise. 
The Academy Chapel was overwhelming.  When walking in, it feels as though you can't quite shake off the ghosts of those that have worshiped and mourned there before. 
Strangely enough, that was comforting. 
We were overwhelmed to be civilians in a world that doesn't belong to us and grateful to be able to share in grief. 
We stayed in Walkersville on Tuesday instead of going to the funeral.  Our number of children already places us well above critical mass - so we increased our numbers (chaos is chaos - there's no chaos-er) so parents could attend David's funeral. 

True to Karen form, we ran out of milk.  And bread.  And fresh veggies.  And apples.   And butter.
Fine.  We ran out of everything that I can't order to be mailed on Walmart.com. 
If grocery shopping with five kids doesn't get me time off in purgatory, ain't nothing will. 

Putting Monday and Tuesday in the course of a regular week and it would have been enough.  But there were dentist appointments, dance, optometrists to see, glasses to pick out,  schedules to  figure out, summer events to sign up for, finals to study for, 1st Communion prep to complete, papers to finish, presentations to video, volunteering and Lent activities.  Everything just happened at once. 
I'm a little more than regular-whelmed...but not quite overwhelmed.  Hopefully we can  keep it that way. 
It is more than mind blowing to realize it was a year ago when we drove Route 66 to Flagstaff, AZ to explore. 
Feels like a lifetime. 
Also Caroline was shorter than me then. 

at Sunset Crater in the rain but able to see various stages of ecosystem development

The Grand Canyon.  

Sedona

Petrified Forest

A couple months ago, Ben had to write a letter to someone he admired for school.  He decided to write to Lin-Manuel Miranda.  Just for fun, Ben put in a picture of himself dressed as Hamilton. 
Guess what came back on Thursday?

I thought Ben would fall over. 
HOW.  Freaking.  Awesome.  Is.  This?!?!?!?

In case you wondered what it's like to live here...
This is it.  Every.  Single.  Day.