Goldstream and Mother's Day Dinner

We were heading down to Victoria on Friday (still playing catch-up, so two weeks ago) and it was a beautiful day out, so we stopped in Goldstream for lunch and a little picnic. Sushi lunch, all of our favourites! Yay!!

I love a kid who eats sushi! She rocks

We had a great time eating lunch and walking around a little bit. Such a gorgeous spot.

Quinny says "Mommy, I take a picture of you by the tree, okay?!" So I handed her my phone and she took this. She is getting much better at aiming and not having her finger in the way haha

I love you guys a million sushi dates.

Campsite booked for the summer when Mom comes out! She is bringing trevor and the kids and I thought it would be fun to do something different that keeps us busy. So Gordon Bay here we come! Site 80

The reason we were coming down is because Tim asked Jon to come help tear down their old carport. It was rotting, falling down, and home to some pesty rats. It needed to come down! Luke was busy all day Saturday, so they decided to get a start on it on Friday later afternoon. It was pretty funny to listen to them up there, being all manly and proud of themselves. Tim made a comment that rattled Jon, one about how it doesn't matter if his legs get broken, just Luke's, because Luke wants to be a firefighter and Jon's job doesn't matter. (for the record, Jon's job does matter! It's not the same as anyone else's in his family, and we live more separate lives than all the rest of them do so they don't always get it, but I am beyond proud of my man and the work he does. He pours his heart and soul into his ministries and works just as equally hard as his brother does, and very much needs his legs in order to do his job!) I am pretty certain that he didn't mean it as it came out, but either way, the boys ran with it. They kept calling Luke "the chosen one' and bugging each other about being on the roof. It was actually pretty funny to listen to. I liked being out there with them, listening to them bug each other and laugh about it. They had a lot of fun together, demolishing this thing!

While they did that, the girls swam in the pool and ran around! Quinny and Madi were at each other all afternoon and were driving me CRAZY. It's nuts how their moods can totally affect the moods of everyone else (or is that just me?!). When they are constantly fighting, it makes me crazy and want to go home. But then they get along, and its heart melting and super fun. Oh toddlers!!! Actually I guess Madi is considered pre school age now, with Q right behind her! Wild!!!

At one point Q says she needs to pee and runs on the grass and pees - oh man, this kid! She then says "Mom! I going to spray my 'gina with the hose, okay!" and grabs the hose and sprays herself. Oh my goodness!!! 

My period arrived that day (sorry, TMI for some of you...) and I was feeling pretty upset. We want a baby so bad, and it just is not happening for us. Almost 2 years of trying... its so emotionally draining. And what would have been our due date is looming so near, and I dread that day. I figured we would be pregnant by the time that date rolled around, which somehow made it better. But we aren't, and it just feels so devastating. And for those of you who are saying "but she has such a blessed life..." OF COURSE I DO!!! I LOVE my family. I am SO incredibly blessed to have a husband who is as kind and sweet as Jon is, and a kid who is as lovely and funny as Quinnlyn, and I adore them. That doesn't mean that my heart doesn't ache for my family. I miss our baby, and I want them back. I want to be spending these weeks complaining about swollen feet and achey muscles, not feeling like I got punched in the gut when I realize my period has arrived. But I know that this is my road, and I need to walk it, and I need to do that with grace and patience. I am being held onto and cared for, and when I focus on the cross rather than my pain, I am able to re-focus myself and know that I am loved and not forgotten. Being able to control my thoughts and not fall into a pit of sadness has been a part of this journey that I am on... learning all about self-control, even in my thoughts. I allowed myself to feel everything I needed to feel for 45 minutes on this evening while I went for a walk/run in Summit Park. I cried, was sad, achey and empty, and then I sat on this bench and prayed and stood up and shook it off and went back to join my family. The sun will keep setting and keep rising, and I need to be present in the life that I have, and enjoy what I have. 

The view I had as I sat on that bench. So serene and beautiful.

The boys got the carport roof down quite quickly and soon it was time to take down the sides. Jon knew how I was feeling without me saying a word, because he feels the same. That's whats so amazing about him - he is a husband that feels these aches just as I do, he is not indifferent or distant. I love him for that. Anyways, he just handed me a sledge hammer and said go at it. So I did. I took down this wall by myself!

Well placed aggression! So satisfying.

Jon and Luke were amazing and got the whole shed torn down that night! The next morning Aimee and Calea came over early, and they helped Jon and Tim load all the smashed wood into a big rented bin. Later in the morning, Jon agreed to come run these stairs with me. They are a new addition to Summit Park, directly outside of the Lampard house! Sweet! My first time doing a HIIT that was all stairs - yikes its hard. I wanted to throw up - I don't think I ate a good enough breakfast to do such an intense workout. Next time I will know better! Jon ran many more laps than I did, but we both felt really good about how many we did!

It is SO nice having a husband to do these things with me! Thank you Jon for being so supportive, energetic, and awesome. 

Cool off in the pool after that workout! (not me, I just had a shower instead... the pool is actually quite warm for the Lampard pool this time of year, but I still couldn't bring myself to jump in haha)

This was sent to me by a friend and it absolutely rang true for me. Such comfort in such divine truth.

Makenna has been in Horse Vaulting all year, and she had a competition that day that we were all able to attend! Q loves her Uncle Luke and he is so good at being her awesome, fun, loving uncle!

She did so good!! It's basically like gymnastic moves on a a very slow moving trotting horse, and the routine lasts about a minute! She was great!! This move here, Q has been imitating ever since and gets her leg right up in the air and says she wants to do gymnastics on a horse and be just like her Kenna haha! 

Very proud of this girl! Strong and brave, she is growing into such a lovely little big kid!! I was so glad that we were able to be there to cheer loud for her!!!

After the competition everyone came over to the Lampards and we spent the late afternoon and evening together, celebrating Mother's Day! Lois bought this bikini last spring for Madi in hawaii, but she has outgrown it, so Q gets to wear it this summer - the beauty of Nannie's house - always extra clothes around when you need them! It is SO cute, with little high waisted short bottoms. Everytime Quinnybear puts it on, I die a little inside from sheer adorableness! She got a little tan that day from being outside in the bikini (yes she had sunscreen on it, I am crazy about sunscreen, with my history of heat stroke!!). She definitely has her dad's skin that loves the sun!

I wrote that these girls drove me crazy the day before....and then today they were amazing. Typical for 2/3 year olds haha! They didn't fight AT ALL, and they were both happy to see the other one, and got along really well! They are cute to watch when they are like this!

While everyone else swam and was busy, I sat in the shade and listened to some music. Such a lovely day!

Little praying cousins, holding hands. Beautiful family. 

I love this picture of them! Madi looks upset, but she was actually laughing and happy with Quinny hugging her haha. And look at the joy on Q's face is just so cute - she loooooves Madi so very much!!

A steal off of Calea's instagram - way too cute not to share. I love how Kenna will hold Q's hand all the time and is just such an amazing big cousin! These three are so very sweet. 

Calea and Aimee and Luke and Jon all pitched in for dinner and they made it for the rest of us, to say Happy Mother's Day to Lois, Care and myself. I wish I had taken more pictures of the rest of the family! But the three little ones are just cutest anyways ;) It was such a great day spent with them. I love being a Lampard. So much love in that home