Catching Up Ramblings...

Since I've last blogged, we've had Mother's Day, Our 10th Anniversary, and Memorial Day. All were absolutely wonderful.

For Mother's Day, we went out to lunch, and the boys gave me flowers, new cushions for the front porch swing, and a set of kitchen knives. The older 3 also each gave me a cookie mix, bracelet, and handmade cards they made at church. Then, during N's nap, Cr took the oldest 4 out to the park and to a store, so I had a quiet house for a few hours. It was a very relaxing day that reminded me how blessed I am to have my boys.

Next came our 10th Anniversary. Cr made all the arrangements; all I knew was we had a babysitter for 5 hours. The first place he took me was the highlight of the evening. We went on a short hike to the area where he proposed to me 10 years ago (we had a 3 month engagement) where he presented me the most beautiful diamond ring, and a card with a handwritten message that made tear up. Once we returned to the car, he handed me 10 long-stemmed red roses. This was followed by dinner at a nice restaurant--one with cloth tablecloths and without crayons. When we finished eating he took me on a tour of the facilities where he works (I know that may sound odd to some of you, but security at both places is such that I've been waiting to get an up close tour of his old job for 6 years). Then we came home to a house that was still standing, 5 happy boys, and a babysitter who said she would babysit again.

For Memorial Day, we took a picnic lunch to the mountains. We did a bit of exploring and played some catch and tag. After we came home, Cr played football with the boys and we grilled out and ate on the back patio. We went for a short walk, and then Cr played some video games with the boys. After all, according to Z, "Holidays are made to spend time with each other", backed up with L's "He's right, you know". It was a peaceful day that we all enjoyed--even J, who started the day out disappointed because we don't give presents for Memorial Day.

And in Judo News:

Z tested for his 2nd stripe yesterday and passed. He wasn't as nervous as he was last time he tested, but this time included a written test that he was worried about. But he did really well on both of them.

I tested for my Orange Belt and passed. I ended up doing my demonstration on Thursday night because the senior class was so small. I had to demonstrate 13 throws, 2 combination throws, 2 chokes, 1 arm bar, 2 counters, 4 hold downs, 4 turnovers, 5 escapes, as well the 6 falling techniques. I took my written test yesterday and barely passed that part (hey, remembering Japanese is hard!).

Finally, we're enjoying our slimmed down schedule for summer school. It's heavy enough to keep the boys out of trouble, but light enough that I feel like I'm getting a bit of a break. If only it would warm up (just a little!).