a weekend of deck building and other things

Friday night there was one-card poker.

Here's a picture of John's trusty dog.


And here are these girls, enjoying a sleepover.

Joe worked on his fishing pole.

And the deck got going

There was a bike ride.







Here they are mixing cement.

Joe sailing while the breeze was good.


Here's l.c. working with his own set of tools.

And driving his cars on Sam.

Here's b.g. getting a lift back from somewhere.


See the deck all framed up in the background? Dan's wiping something off the kid's face.

Oh yeah, and the matchbox cars, gotta have those.

And they took a walk to the lake.

It was a good weekend, and the foundation and surface of the deck are complete.

When we're there on weekends like this, and there are four families, each with its own unique rhythm, all mooshed up together, it requires a lot of letting go--letting go of schedules, and habits, and ideas, and expectations, and a lot of being in the moment.

The only thing to really hang onto is a sense of humor.

Over the years, as I've grown old and have observed a lot, it occurred to me some time ago that we are all aware of the times when we're extending patience to other people.

But what we're oblivious to (me totally included!) is those moments when other people are extending patience to US. But you gotta know that they are. If you knew when, obviously you'd cease and desist, but the trick is that we really don't know.

But I'm supremely grateful for you kids, and the fact you ARE patient and big hearted enough so that weekends like this can happen, where dozens of pancakes and dozens of eggs are eaten at breakfast, and entire pans of chip dip and brownies disappear, and where there's screaming and laughing and tattling and crying and hugging and running and video games and mayhem.

I'm also grateful for very, very quiet Sunday nights when I can sit here and smile and go to bed happy--because of you. love you all so, Mom and Dad