Fabulous Fourth

For the past couple of years we have gone to a golf club to see our fireworks. The first year it was good. The great things about it were: free parking, free to get in, lots of space so you aren't crammed together like a bunch of sardines, and a pretty decent fireworks show. The negative: bad parking situation, long walk lugging all your stuff and your kids, and last year the show was really inferior and it was really cold outside. (Yes, I know they can't help the temperature it just added to the discomfort factor.)

So, after having a less than great time last year Mike and I considered just skipping the whole fireworks thing this year. We decided on our walk yesterday morning that we would spend the day working on the yard, let the kids play with friends, then take them to a matinee movie. Maybe that would curb their desire to see fireworks. Besides, the night before our neighbor had a full fireworks show and they got to watch that. But when we presented our plan, they loved all of it except the missing fireworks.

We told them we would think about it. We revised the plan and included stopping for a picnic dinner at Walmart and parking in a parking lot somewhere near the fireworks and hanging out in the back of the van. They agreed to that.


So, we saw the movie got the picnic stuff and headed in the direction of the golf course. To our surprise, there was a new parking lot opened right next to the course and it was just about empty!! So we parked, jumped out, and plopped our stuff out on one of the little golf hills.


The weather was perfect about 75 degrees, the kids were in a great mood, and the fireworks were AWESOME!! Last year they had some kind of technical difficulty I think but this year they made up for it in a big way. It was definitely hands down the best fireworks show I have ever seen. Granted, I have never been to the big city and seen their fireworks I am sure they are spectacular, but for a free show in a suburb town it was great.

So, for an hour my family got to lay on a giant quilt together and OOOHHHH and AAAHHHH at giant lights in the sky. It was a great time.

Kristen

You Got To Check This Out!

This is hilarious. Scott Hodge the lead Pastor at Orchard has the promo video for the Barbecue and Baptism, that is coming up in August, on his blog. If you have a chance to check it out it is pretty funny.

One of the many things that they do really well at the Orchard is producing original videos.

They blow me away with their creativity.

I love that Mike and I can be a part of what is going on here at the Orchard!!

Kristen

Walking is Great!

So, Mike and I decided that we should start trying to get out and exercise a little in the mornings...There is a fitness center in the clubhouse that we can use but we just can't seem to do it. But while it is nice out we are going to start with walks outside. Maybe these walks will turn into jogging and when it gets cooler we may go ahead and use the fitness center. Who knows!!!

We decided to start yesterday.

Now, I am not a morning person, I don't love to get up early and see the sun rise but when I wake up I am up and ready to go. Mike, like me, is not a morning person either, but he is definitely not up and ready to go right after he wakes up.

But somehow we got up and made it on our first two walks. We walked about a mile each time at a fairly fast pace. I am proud of us and hope we can keep it up!!

The best part about it is that I get to do it with my very best friend!! It is great that I get to spend this time with him and even though I don't love the sweating and achy muscles, yes, I know I am out of shape, I love getting to spend time with him first thing in the morning. He is so fun, we always have a great time whether we are hanging out with friends, going out on a date, or going for a walk!!!

Kristen

The Return of Faith

I took a little blogging break for the weekend. Lots of stuff to talk about but I won't dump it all in one post. The most exciting thing is my girl came home!!!

Mike brought Faith home Friday evening around 6pm. Man did we all miss her. She had a great time. I am glad she went. She is going to be posting stories and pics, here in the next couple of days.

She really is a great kid. She always has been really mature but since she came home from camp she seems even MORE independent. That is a good thing. But she did assure me that she missed me a lot while she was gone. I don't know how true that is but it feels good to believe it so I am going to.

Now that Faith made it back alive Kylee hasn't stopped talking about going to camp next year. I hope that will be an option for her.

Wow, if both girls are gone and the boys are, oh I don't know let's say, visiting Nana and Papa in AZ, than Mike and I would be alone...Huh.....

Is it wrong to go on a cruise while your children are at camp?

Kristen

Joshi and the Two Bikes

This is Joshi and his bike. He loves to ride it. Unfortunately, it has two problems and they are called training wheels. He wants to be like the big kids. Also, we have found, from experience, that these training wheels that come on the bikes have a life expectancy. And once they go they really go.

I remember when Seth's came off. He was riding down the street and one wheel just flew off and kept going. Not a good thing for someone who is learning to ride. Unfortunately, Seth's bike was a little big for him to ride while just learning without training wheels, so luckily we still had Faith's first bike. We call it the teaser. Faith learned to ride on it, Kylee, well, she just jumped on it and rode it one day I don't think anyone had to teach her, Seth learned to ride on it, and now that we can see Joshi's training wheels getting wiggly he too will learn on the teaser.

Yes, it is pink and purple, but isn't pink the new black? Or something like that. Thank goodness he can't read yet because we would probably have a hard time getting him to learn on a bike called the "slumber party princess".

He is doing great on it though and I anticipate the training wheels coming off and him back on his real bike within the week. He rode for three houses with out me holding on to him!!!

Well, got to go and help Joshi!!!

Kristen

The Constant Encourager

So, Seth was playing first base yesterday during his baseball game and Mike and I were noticing something. Every time the other team's player would get onto first base Seth would run up to him and tell him that he did a great job. Some of the boys looked at him strangely but most of them smiled and high fived him.

Also, when his team was up to bat if one of his team mates would strike out he would jump up to greet him when he was coming back to the dug out to high five him and tell him he did a great job.

We were really proud of him for his encouraging words and love for other's. I hope that he never looses it. I pray that he can carry that love for others and compassion for always and use it to teach other's about God's love. That's what being a Christ follower is all about. People should recognize us as different but not because we are blaming and condemning but because we are loving and kind. Shouldn't people look at you and wonder why you are going out of your way to encourage them?

Could people around you say that about you?

Kristen

Faith's Gone to Camp

Wow, this is really harder than I thought it would be. I just figured it would be like when the girls went to AZ for two weeks last year.

But it really is nothing like that at all. I let her spend the night at her friend Madison's house Sunday because her mom was going to take the girls to the bus at 7 in the morning on Monday morning. So I have not heard from her or seen her since Sunday after church. This is really hard.

I asked Mike yesterday if he thought she missed me and he said no. I think that is a bit harsh. But he is probably right.

We all wrote her letters yesterday so that she will get five today maybe or tomorrow. I think she will like that.

I think the hardest part of this is I am forced to accept the fact that she is really growing up. And she will probably be different when she gets back. I am sure that this will change her in some way. Most likely for the better.

And even though I know all of that, I am really missing my little girl right now.

Kristen

Quite the Tooth Week

It finally happened!!! Seth has been waiting for his first loose tooth for a very long time. And today he pulled it out!!

I have some tooth issues. I have never enjoyed the pulling of teeth and to this point have not pulled any of the children's teeth. It makes me want to hurl.

He has been begging his daddy to pull it for several days now but he kept telling him it wasn't ready.

Chicken, he didn't want to pull it either.

So today after lunch he decided it was coming out. I was reading my book and trying not to listen to the tooth goings on. But then I hear Kylee tell him it is really loose and he should go up stairs and pull it out. The next thing I hear is him running down the stairs squealing with excitement. I am thinking, "thank goodness it is over" when I look over at him and the tooth is still hanging there by a thread and blood is pouring from it.

Man, I can hardly even read what I just wrote....

Okay so then Kylee looks at him and says, "oh, that tooth really needs to come out now!"

UH, YEAH!

I am kind of freaking out at this point because like I said before i really don't pull teeth out, and it's been kind of a traumatic tooth week for me as well if you might remember.

Well he just grabbed that tooth and yanked it right out!

And then we were all happy. I am still feeling a bit green but I think I will be okay.

Kristen

Webkinz

Have you heard of these? I had not until Faith and Kylee each got one for their birthdays. They are called Webkinz and they are not just any stuffed animal.

For those of you who have never heard of these let me tell you about them. You purchase the cute little animal and then with the animal comes a code, with this code you can go on http://www.webkinz.com/ and register your pet. Once your pet is registered you can go to this land and and play games so that you can earn money to buy your pets things like rooms for their house, toys, food, medicine, barbecues, swimming pools, just about anything you can imagine. You can have more than one pet and you can also invite friend's pets over to play at your pet's house. Really very clever, I wish I had come up with it. Apparently the stores that carry them can't keep them stocked.

The girls love them and are having so much fun with them. So if you have a school aged child that has a special occasion coming up you may want to look into this fun trend.

Kristen

Summer School Schedule

Well, we are two days into our summer school schedule and so far so good. It is funny because the girls have, on their own, set their alarm for 7 so they can get up get dressed, eat breakfast and start on their school early. I am ashamed to say that I was still asleep yesterday when they started their school work!!! I have it designed so that they shouldn't be spending more than about 2 hours a day on everything. They went a little over yesterday. I may have to shave down the work load if that continues. But after this week they will have two more weeks off for camp and the 4th of July weekend so not too tough of a schedule.

They really wanted to go to the pool yesterday so as a reward for finishing their work and doing it so well on their own we packed up and went. BBBRRRRR!!!!! Oh my goodness. It was so cold outside with the wind blowing, I hid under a towel, while the kids swam. They said the water was warm I wasn't about to try it.

But, we did have some fun park time with friends later on in the afternoon. Thankfully it was a little warmer by than.

Kristen