A great night...

Kristen here - It's Thursday 8/13. Oh wait, that's right, I already posted something this morning! Well, I just had to tell everyone about my most wonderful evening.

Today was kind of an unplanned lazy kind of day. I did school with the kids until 1:30 this afternoon. It went very well which tends to set the mood for the day. Usually the mood is bad, but today was different. It was quite a treat. After school the kids played with the Miakoda kids. They were doing crafts instead of watching movies...bonus number two! I took that time to get some laundry done. I brought a book and got in some reading and napping time while the laundry was going. I must have been quite a sight napping next to the washers in a chair with my head against the wall and my mouth hanging open. There might have even been some drool involved. You see the marina showers and laundry are located right next to the Hooters restaurant along a sidewalk. They have a large glass front so everyone can see inside.

Eventually Jennie from Miakoda came in to do her laundry. Then we decided to take the kids to Starbucks. I needed something to stop the sleepies from catching up to me! On the way back from Starbucks we grabbed our laundry and went looking for our husbands. They were discussing business outside an empty restaurant. The empty space was currently being used by the city to host singers on certain nights. Tonight's singer had no audience, so we all went inside to listen. He turned out to be excellent.

I was getting shaky and needed food desperately. By that time it was 7PM. Jennie and I were going to do a potluck, but by this time the kids were cranky and I just couldn't wait. The restaurant offered 4 simple items which looked good and cheap. We fed the kids hot dogs and I got some pulled pork. All this time we were listening to the singer. He was playing Journey, Chicago, Cat Stevens, James Taylor, and even some original songs. It felt so relaxing, I didn't want to leave. The kids did some crafts for a bit in the restaurant and then eventually they went back to he boat to watch a movie. They entertained themselves the whole night, which definitely added to the relaxation factor.

It almost felt like I was back on a beach in the Bahamas with a cool breeze and a band playing in the background. Hanging out with good friends and good food and just having a good time. I stayed until he stopped playing.

We came back to the boat and put the kids to bed. It's 10:00 and they are still up giggling and talking. They are in a good mood too. I guess it's contagious. I don't even have the heart to tell them to be quiet and go to sleep. It's too much fun listening to them laugh and enjoy each others company.

It's nights like this that make me realize how blessed we are. Blessed to have such great children, blessed to be able to spend time together, blessed to have this boat as our home, and blessed to have the opportunity to realize what is important in life. I have come to the realization that there are just too many distractions. Things that we want, things that we think we need to do, things that seem important. It's hard to give these things up. It's hard to pass a store window and know that you don't have room on your boat for those cute little nick nacks. This morning I sat on some stairs next to the road and watched people on their way to work. I sometimes miss the security of that routine. Knowing that each day holds few surprises and will be the same as the last. I used to love routine. But as I listen to my children giggle with joy, stimulated by the excitement of new experiences, I know that this is the way to be. Routine is easy. Routine is secure. But routine does not challenge and bring a family closer. I hope that our lives will never be routine again.