Celebrating began Saturday night with some of my favorite ladies at one of my favorite restaurants. I LOVE it when I can try something new, and yet sometimes I chicken out (what if it's not good then I've wasted my $?). However that night I was adventurous and it was heavenly. Really, it was called the Heavenly Roll (sushi roll).
On Sunday we grabbed some Sonic with the kids and they put a candle in my milkshake. The kids also made and hung up a Happy Birthday sign (need to take a pic before we take it down) all on their own. That night Dennis' mom generously took the kids home with her to stay overnight so Den and I could go out to dinner with some friends. This is my sweet friend Val. Her oldest son Wes is one of Jesse's best pals.
On Monday I got the gift I asked for. A whole day on my own to do whatever I wanted could squeeze into a day and afford that didn't involve a six hour round trip (also know as the beach). I slept in, had some breakfast and then.....
Went and had my first pedi in 2 yrs
Starbucks with my birthday gift card
Found a place to go for a hike (this was the beginning. It eventually went downhill very steeply, and that meant I had to come back up...I nearly died....out of shape!)
Saw a spring
Loved the wooded path
Kept going
Made it to the tracks
Made it to the river
Hoped to settle here for some time with my Bible and journal but...
People had left their snack there as a hint they were climbing up the waterfall
Saw a tunnel
Went into the tunnel
I see I have 2 14's....I'm not fixing....so 14 on the right: Hiking is for people from all walks of life (as I was taking this the buggy owners showed up and if you live around here you know that taking a pic of the amish makes you look like an ignorant tourist. oops.)
From the top...I hike all the way down to the river and back up! I do enjoy this and I can't remember the last time I did.
Since I couldn't find the perfect reflective spot on the hike I went to Panera for an ice tea, a free cookie and some free wifi with my kindle fire. Was able to reflect over the year, thank the Lord for all that he has done, recognize the hard things, look forward to the future. This was probably the most refreshing part of my day. I started the day really missing den and the kids. Probably because I knew I was going to have a fun only day and I wanted to share it with them! It took a while, but I eventually was able to embrace this time and savor the moments of peace. My goal was to relax and be able to listen to Jesus and He was faithful meet those needs.
Thank you all for your birthday greetings and for the part you play in my life!
This has been Callie's fave spot. (She been around w/ her kittens [tiger & brighty] since her brother Diddle passed away. These are farm cats that hunt and occasionally get scraps. Not official pets) I came home to find that J had taken several pics of her in the pot (w/ Den's permission) while I was at the store.
He isn't as upset as he looks. She LOVES him so much.
Went to the fair last weekend. Food, business booths and tractors. Though something important did happen there. The kids had their first funnel cake.
Now that the older 2 are back in school this guy and I are a team again. He's very 2 and the training of his little heart can be quite challenging. But for the most part we are having fun. Notice the middle. He LOVES his "piwoe 'nd binket".
Soccer. Still on the fence about this. 3 days a week for 7 & 8 yr. old's, Sunday games....gimme a break.
But she seems to be having fun. I hope just enough to want to go and do well, but not enough to return. She told me that next year she will do basketball. what?
The kids had no school on Friday. We used their coupons to go bowling that they earned from the library summer reading program. This is before bowling. Someone would rather just get to it than have his picture taken.
But that someone won the game. (He did use the ramp)
I could not get over his bowling shoes!
That evening we used the tickets they earned and went to Dutch Wonderland. J and Dennis had gone a couple years ago, but it was a first for the rest of us. Truly a fun family outing. Though I don't know if V will ever trust me again after putting him on some of those rides. Also, my daughter is so brave, she went on the "big" roller coaster with me :)
Saturday afternoon was a birthday party for my nephews who turned 10 & 12. Such a beautiful day. Here is an attempt at all of them w/ their Great Grandparents Krantz.
We are well into August and I find myself frantically trying to squeeze in all that I can before school starts. It's not all going to happen. I'm trying to accept it. BUT we did do one of, if not THE MOST important thing we could do this summer.
the. beach.
Summer can end now without me spiralling into depression.
We've also had our fair share of the pool.
B took a dip.
He wasn't digging it.
There has been lots of playing outside with the neighbors, forts, and mixing a variety of concoctions. Yes, I did see him taste it.
Someone is gaining strength. He has also found his fingers when he sleeps, here he is having a happy dream.
Yup...gave in to the summer buzz. Said I'd never, but we did it. His hair grows so fast, it's so thick and it's been so hot. He loves it.
Yesterday we played in the rain. We had planned to go creek stomping and swimming w/ Den's mom and a couple cousins and we kept those plans despite the rain.
Notice V has no pants. They kept falling off so we ditched. He don't need no stinkin' pants.
They kept running back...
...and forth.
Then a quick plunge in the pool.
Praying that there would be no thunder and lightning. (there wasn't)
Some of us were plumb tuckered out.
Last Sunday I made great great aunt hank's (Henrietta) camp pancake for the kids. I had been describing it to E, my lover of questions, and decided that it would be easier to show her. YUM. (I know these pics are blurry...my hands shake like a drunken sailor when I try to take pics w/ no flash)
Today during J's cello lesson I took the others plus cousin Ethan to a park to feed geese & ducks. Those buggers are aggressive! The one white goose was hissing at us. So ungrateful, in my opinion. We quickly finished off our few pieces of bread and got out of there.
I feel like it's been a while and maybe it hasn't been terribly long but I have a random assortment of photos and videos that have been building up and this is a very long sentence. Anywho.....here's the last month or so.
V has taken to trying on all types of shoes.
And some leisurely reading. (he was laying on his belly kicking his feet in the air, but of course got up right as I snapped the pic)
Den got his mount of last year's deer.
It's no secret that we don't do Halloween, but E's class had a book character day and she chose to be Angelina Ballerina. I made the ears and tail, but we had everything else on hand.
I hear a lot about this batman she's sitting next to.
Making a puppet. She took such a long time to color it w/ detail. This is not from me.
Some friends from church offered us tickets to see Voices of Christmas at Living Waters, the smaller theater of Sight and Sound. We took my SIL and niece, it was a fun show. E was feeling stubborn and didn't want to go, was determined not to like it. I caught her singing a long w/ Joy to the World and at the end she confessed, "mommy mommy, i liked all of it." This was said very quickly, almost hoping that I wouldn't hear.
Videos.... #1 - V loves it when his daddy lifts him up to "pet" the deer. He gets this quiver of a laugh that cracks me up.
#2 - I have no idea what brought this on. He just started dancing and getting a kick out of himself. You can see j running around in the back, trying to get in on the action.
#3- SO, let me apologize for my daughter's yucky noises. When she first started doing this to make V laugh, she was NOT making gas sounds. But still, she had him going and I had to share that part of it!
#4- Please ignore the girl wearing the big melisa suit, and do pay attention to my son in the black shirt. This was at our church fall gathering and I talked him into being my partner and he tried to be reluctant about it. I think the serious hoe-down moves that Den captured speaks to J's true nature.
