OK, this is a great story! Get the kids occupied with something, get a cup of something to drink, sit down for a while and read...
This is the story of Laura and Jordan. Laura is the youngest daughter of good friends if ours. The father of the bride, Scott, is a Worship Leader and the mother of the bride, Liann, is a Children's Ministry Leader. Laura has been our awesome babysitter for the past five years. We all love her very much!
Jordan is in the military and was away in Yakima for training for a couple of weeks. He told Laura he was returning last Saturday, but he actually came back two days earlier and surprised her with a proposal. He wanted her family with them for the proporsal, so they planned a "family dinner" at a place that has a private dining area. Jordan was on bended knee with a couple dozen red roses when she walked in.
SHE SAID YES!
Jordan is being deployed to the Middle East for a year on August 20th. This precious couple decided they wanted to be married before he left. So, a wedding was planned for one week later on August 14th!
I served as the Coordinator. Here are pictures I took from yesterday's events.
We had rehearsal at 11AM. Here are Laura and Jordan at that time...
The guestbook table...
Jordan wrestling with the boys. No one can wrestle with them like Jordan can. We will all really miss him.
The flower girls, 'A' and 'M'...
My girlfriend, Lacey, worked as a florist before staying home with her four babies. She did the flowers. They are even more beautiful that these pictures, (if that's even possible).
We asked guests to gift money or gift cards instead of registry gifts, since Jordan is leaving so soon. This is the basket for the cards...
Flower girl, 'M", and ringbearer, 'R' before the wedding... ('M's granfather had just passed away unexpectedly and she is wearing a memorial "tattoo")
Ringbearer 'A'...so dapper! He made sure to let everyone know that he was the best looking person in a tuxedo...
The flower girl baskets...
Flower girl 'A', showing the table where guests signed a picture frame with prayers and well wishes.
It was super hot yesterday and the church does not have air conditioning (we are in Washington, after all...), so 'A' is taking a break and the boys are fanning her.
L: Liann, MOTB R: Colleen, MOTG
Laura and Liann
Laura (being silly) and sisters, Amy and Sarai...
Cooling off with a fan...
Bridesmaids, Lindsay and Jessica...
The punch bowl and water fountain...
The cake..
The food...
The guys waiting before their cue. (Laura insisted that Jordan not see her until she was walking down the aisle, so they were all sequestered to their own rooms.)
The ceremony begins... this is a picture during the prelude. DH is playing guitar, next to FOTB, Scott, also playing guitar. There were about 200 guests.
The parents, grandparents, and family, lined up for the 'Seating of the Family"
While the family was being seated, a slide show played of Laura and Jordan...
The boys waiting for their moment...
There were three worship songs. All us girls were dancing and singing to "Oh, Happy Day" in the lobby, before the processional. (The guys were in a different room (the Family Room). During the processional, the groomsmen and bridesmaids walked in from different rooms and met at the aisle, to walk down together).
After the processional of the bride, the father of the groom gave words of wisdom. He told Laura and Jordan to always remember four things...(Honor, Esteem, Have Fun, and I don't recall the other one.) It was beautiful. Here is a picture of the boys, with the FOTG sharing.
Scripture readers Kara, Kelly, Leah, and Karen...
The boys needed to "take a break" during the ceremony...
Pastor John getting the blessing from the parents...
Unity Candle Ceremony. FOTB Scott and sister Sarai sang 'Center"
'R' had it. He came and laid down next to me before the ceremony was over. He is using the ring pillow as his pillow.
Presentation of the couple!
Cutting the cake...
The spread...
"Too cute for their own good" couple, Derrick and Jessie. He caught the garter and she caught the bouquet and both were VERY happy. So, I am guessing another wedding is not too far off...
'R', striking a "James Bond" move...
The bouquet toss.
Another "too cute" couple, Lindsay and Derrick!
DH and usher, Andrew...
'T' and 'R' looking up at the stars, (excuse me, constellations...)
Bubbles before the limo...
Our church hosted a Vacation Bible School-Family Style. It was 3 nights and families attended, not just the kids. The format was large group songs, the lesson in the form of a play, structured activities in smaller groups, then large group wrap up.
DAY ONE
Angela and Debi, our awesome leaders!
1st Activity:
We learned about combining influences. We took a bottle of Pepsi and a couple of Mentos. By themselves they don't do much, but look what happens when you combine the two. The lesson was how powerful the combination of intentional parenting and the church influences a child's life.
2nd Activity:
the boys had to throw a dry sponge and see how far it went. Then, they threw a sponge that was full of water. They were able to throw MUCH farther with the wet sponges. The lesson showed how much farther you can go being full of Jesus.
3rd Activity:
We made our own rocket; to be used on the last night.
'R's reaction to finding out he was going to get cotton candy on the last night... DAY TWO
Our friend, Jeff, playing "Grandpa Henry"
Activity 1:
We made smaller rockets. These are really cool! You take a 35mm plastic film canister and wrap paper around it, lid side down. Add the rocket top and flaps. Place a little bit of water in the canister, add one Alka Seltzer tablet, close the lid quickly, and place on the ground. The rocket pops up! After a while, the older kids decided it was more fun to remove the "Rocket" part and just play with the canisters. You could hear the kids shouting, "fire in the hole" and we'd all wait to see the canisters shoot into the air.
(Remember the cutie in this picture? This is 'M'. I babysat her a couple years ago during the school year when she was in half day kindergarten.)
DAY THREE
DH was a part of the Worship Team this night. He is Hawaiian shirt guy in the back...
Miss April stepping in for a sick Debi. WTG, girl!!
(?) on left and Michael P. on right...
The church created a carnival on the last night. There were blow up, bouncy toys...
A terrific blacklight room where the kids drew all over papered walls with highlighters.
DH and our friend, Alex, in the blacklight room...
DH and our friend (and pastor), John...(I think they are happy because they are talking "Maui talk")
We launched our big rockets...
We also participated in a service project, filling backpacks full of school supplies, to be donated to a local community/social services organization.
Our Tuesday Time this week was with Suzy and her kids. We had the added bonus of Kathy and gang as well!
Suzy and I decided to do a service project at church and weed the front garden. It was fantastic weather and the kids enjoyed seeing how long of a root they could pull up.
AJ and his bounty...
Sweet 'T'.
Taking a break in the shade...
Five full buckets of weeds! A job well done!
Creating compost out back...
Teamwork!
A well deserved picnic at the park after...
'AJ2' and 'G' teeter tottering...
Look who I got to see!! My friend Kim and her girls were visiting from Minnesota. I had not been able to get together with her, so it was great to be able to visit at the park. Baby 'T' is adorable!
Coincidentally, some other friends were at the park as well. Mandi brought a bubble machine and the kids went crazy!
For our "Tuesday Time" (on Wednesday), we took the kids to Kelsey Creek Park. They are doing some major creek rehabilitation and the kids enjoyed looking at the heave construction equipment.
Kelsey Creek Park had a petting farm, with horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, etc.
The kids with a goat...
I was blessed to get to spend a weekend in Portland with two of my long time friends, Lola and Kim. Kim flew in from Indiana and drove down with me. (We have known each other since 1989!)
Lola made a delicious lunch for us upon arrival. After that, we drove to this area called "Trendy 3rd" (cross street is 23rd) for boutique shopping.
After that, we saw the movie Mamma Mia! A better "chick flick" there could not have been!
Saturday, we went for a morning aerobic walk along the river. Then, we did the Saturday Market. We all walked away with some unique items.
We had lunch at this amazing deli called Elephant's. This place is a feast for all the senses.
Walking off lunch occurred at the International Rose Test Garden. It was such a beautiful day and many of the roses were in full bloom.
White roses for my KD sisters :)
I saw this patch of dahlias near the Japanese Garden. This is for my friend Heidi...
After the garden, we shopped in a neighborhhod called 'Hawthorne', then had dinner downtown at a restaurant called Mother's. Fine comfort dining.
We went home, made shakes for dessert, and watched 'An Ideal Husband"
Sunday, we took Kim to the airport to fly back standby. Lola and I picked up breakfast in case she could not get a flight. She couldn't and we picked her back up. We went to Lake Oswego and shopped some more. We had an early dinner at St. Honore Bakery. I ate this awesome panini. The panini was called "Brie Bartlett". It had brie, pears, carmelized onion, and prosciutto. It was so good! I told my friends that if I were to ever go into a witness protection program and had to change my name, they could track me down, because that is what I would change my name to...
Brie Bartlett
It was time to drop of Lola and Kim drove back to Seattle with me. She wanted to try to fly out of Seattle for the red eye options. (Did not work. She left Seattle Monday at 7am.) Such a fun time packed full of memories and goodness. Looking forward to next time, ladies!
(I have begun a new category called Sunday Service. It is the notes I took from that week's Sunday Service. I learn so much attending a service, but I often lose the lesson "from the altar to the door". This will help me apply what I have learned and may you be encouraged and blessed by it as well. Our pastor often uses the NIV version during the service. I have also added The Message for additional understanding and application.)
July 20, 2008 Pastor John
Questions to ask yourself: "What has been the hardest trial I have ever had?"
"What is the storm I am going through right now?"
Hebrews 12:1-3 (NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3 (THE MESSAGE VERSION) Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
Last week's message: "There's no community like the faith community." It's imperfect. It's historical. It's cosmic. It's global. It's hopeful. It's diverse. It's honest.
The Value of Hard Honesty
KEY TRUTH: Hindrances and sin: When I move towards more honest, I live with more hope.
1. A hindrance is anything in the way; anything that slows us down. Distractions. Good things can be hindrances if we place a high priority on them. (One hindrance is an overscheduled life.)
2. A sin is something we do that is outside God's will. This includes attitudes and actions. It means "missing the mark", "falling short", "crossing the line".
1 John 1:8 (NIV VERSION) If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:8 (THE MESSAGE VERSION)
If we claim that we're free of sin, we're only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—make a clean breast of them—he won't let us down; he'll be true to himself. He'll forgive our sins and purge us of all wrongdoing. If we claim that we've never sinned, we out-and-out contradict God—make a liar out of him. A claim like that only shows off our ignorance of God.
What happens if I ignore my hindrances and sins?
My faith will drift; I will lose the vitality in my faith.
My stamina will suffer.
Throw off the RAGS of your hindrances and sins!
R = Rage and Resentment........Replace with LOVE A= Anxiety...Who is your God? Who do you trust? G= Greed...Coveting that grips you and sucks the life out of you......replace with Generosity S= Superiority...Pride. "I don't need God"....Replace with Humility
Colossians 3:12-15 (NIV VERSION) Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:12-15 (The MESSAGE VERSION) So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness.
How can I throw these RAGS off?
We have to do it courageously
We have to be specific
We have to be militant
We have to be dramatic
Question to ask yourself:
"What is the one thing more than anything else that God wants you to throw off today?"
Our church leaders pray for honesty and hope that can bring preseverence, joy, and hope. It's always better to go through storms together.
My friend, Kathy, and I decided to take an early morning hike (5:30am) to Rattlesnake Ledge, a 4 mile round trip hike.
As I was driving to the trail, a small herd of elk crossed my path. I slowed down and three decided to stay near the road and eat. Then, one left and two trotted along side me until I got to the trail! It was incredible!!
Just as Kathy and I began the hike, the cutest little brown rabbit hopped in front of us. The jumped and did some sort of flip turn midair. It was adorable.
I had tried this hike with the boys before, but had never made it to the top. I could always see people at the top and wanted to be up there. I was determined to make it up there and we kept a pretty steady but fast pace. Kathy, an avid gardener, was cracking me up because she said it was taking everything in her power to not pull up the weeds on the side of the trail!
We made it to the top in an hour. The view was amazing and we had it all to ourselves!
I had the worst heel pain later in the afternoon and hobbled around. I need to get some better footwear. But, I hope to get a few more of these early morning hikes in before the days get shorter.
My friend, Sundy, has been doing an amazing job updating her house. She had some finish work with painting and I offered to watch 'T' and 'E' for part of the day.
Here we are walking to our neighborhood lake. (Nicknamed 'Leech Lake')
The trail connecting the river to the lake...
'E'. What a cutie!
Yay! We made it!
KK ran into some friends, so she ditched us for greener pastures :)
The boys...
There is a walking trail behind my aunt and uncle's house, tucked up in some woods. DH, 'R', and I went for a hike back there.
Can you see the deer?
One of my favorite fellas :)
Two of my favorite fellas...
Gorgeous...
A Chelan lizard. gecko? salamander? newt? I'll stick with lizard for now...
Back at the house, good times in, and on, the lake!
'A', my brother Devin, and niece KK...
Uncle Devin taught 'A' and 'R' how to snorkel...
Boat ride with Uncl Art!
Boys town with DH, Uncle Art, Cousin Charles (who is going to be a Daddy!), and Brother Devin...
I love this picture of my niece, KK. She cleans up so nice, but that tomboy streak is never far away!
'A' fishing...
Every year for the 4th of July, we have a theme party. The theme is a state. This year, we did 'Hawaii', in memory of my grandmother who passed away in January. She loved going to Hawaii and went often.
This is a gorgeous Hawaiian bouquet that my aunt had shipped over from a small shop outside of Hana, Maui. We discovered this place when we had a "girl's weekend" in January.
Julie, Liz and I walked with kids to our neighborhood river. Everyone enjoyed wading in the water, playing in the sand, climbing trees, and sharing the snacks we provided...
Julie and Liz. Both are expecting #3 pretty soon!
'J' is a fantastic climber!
Miss 'V'...TOO CUTE!!
Me and my posse...
Picking salmonberries and red huckleberries on the way home...
I wish I was faster with my reflexes. It could have gotten a close up of the doe and two fawns! This was taken at the intersection of 202 and the road leading to Snoqualmie Ridge...
Grandma Margaret and Grandpa Randy live on a lovely property in Sagle, near Sandpoint, ID. We had to cut our trip a little short, but we will go back soon. We all love it there.
'A' soaking up the morning sun on the deck...
Grandma and Granpa purchased
seven chicks. They are now "teenagers". The boys enjoyed watching them in their coop and following them when they were roaming the yard.
Grandpa and the boys...
There are a ton of crickets and grasshoppers. Here is one on a daisy.
Harvesting strawberries in Grandpa's garden. A major highlight for the boys is deciding what to eat for dinner in the garden that night. They pick the veggies/fruits and take them directly to Grandma to prepare. They are very proud of their lettuce picking.
Feverfew...
The boys love to go on the utility trailer and use it as a "stage" for performances...
Grandma gave us a deck of 'yoga for kids' cards. We spent every morning doing different poses. Here are the boys doing what I think is called the "partner bridge"...
We got a few lessons in. There is nothing better than taking "class" outdoors!
Grandma reading to the boys. It was a story about a man who was a printer for the newspaper. He was deaf, which was common for people working the noisy printers back then. We had directions in the back of the book to make the newspaper four square hats the printers would wear to keep the ink off their heads. In attempting to make these hats, we have come to realize that newspaper pages are smaller then they used to be; who knew?!
We went to an alpaca farm From the Heart Ranch, and got to go into the pens where some of the alpacas were hanging out. There is a gazebo of sots on the property and we had our picnic lunch there.
After visiting the ranch, we went to see where Grandpa Randy works. He is a craftsman for a custom timer frame company. They use wood pegs instead of nails. It truly is a beautiful skill.
The boys liked spending time with the shop cat who is always covered in a fine layer of sawdust. (good fiber...)
Grandpa in front of the shop...
After the visit to the shop, we drove to Bonner's Ferry. I had never been to this sweet town. We spoke with one of the sheriff's, ate some ice cream, and looked around in some of the shops. There seems to be a good size Mennonite population there. I saw quite a few women in head coverings.
Memory Verse
"Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved--you and your household." Acts 16:31
I have come to the point now when I see a verse, I will look it up in the NIV Life Application Bible. The additional information provided enrichens my understanding of the scriptures. I spent many years trying to understand a piece of scripture, but not getting it because I did not go farther and look into the context and supporting scripture around the verse.
This weeks verse comes from when Paul and Silas were in jail. They were singing hymns and praying to God. There was an earthquake and the prison doors flew open. The jailer woke up and was about to kill himself because he thought his prisoners had escaped, but Paul yelled that everyone was there.
The jailer witnessed what had happened and realized that what Paul and Sila were saying was true and asked how he could be saved.
Paul and Silas' response is stated in Acts 16:31. A very simple expression.
When we recognize Jesus as Lord and trust in him our entire life, we are assured we are saved.
Acts 16:34 shows how the jailer was filled with joy in believing in God. We all can have that kind of joy.
History/Geography Children's Encyclopedia: Overview of early man through the renaissance.
Read Aloud -Continue reading 'The Boxcar Children'
-Poems from 'The Llama who had no Pajama'
-Mother Good Rhymes: THIS HAS GOT TO GO; I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!!
Language Arts The boys read from "I Can Read It". They have read the "stories": "Nat is Bad" and "Can Pat Tap Nat?"
-I gave the boys letters to make three letter words. I gave them a word and they had to make the wird with the leters written on index cards.
Science We learned about the sun and the moon. How the earth spins on ots axis and the sun stays in place. It takes 24 hourse for the earth to make one rotation. When we face the sun, it's day, when we are away from the sun, it's night. the moon rotates around the earth. It takes one month to rotate. The moon has not light of its own. It reflects light form the sun.
Extra Fun Stuff We vistited grandma Margaret and grandpa Randy in Sandpoint. I hope to get pictures up soon.
Friday Halibut and Veggie Medley
Fruit Salad with Mango Dressing
Bread
Saturday Spanish Tofu with Rice
Fresh Fruit
Sunday Dinner with Dado Fabio and Dada Esperanza (All recipes are from Susan Branch's cookbook, 'Summer')
Lemon Linguini with Chicken, Basil, and Cherry Tomatoes
White Bean Salad
Roasted Vegetable Platter
Green Apple and Blueberry Tart
Monday Oven Roasted Veggies and Pasta
Fresh fruit
Tuesday Dilled Chicken and Rice
Broccoli
Wednesday Green Chile, Black Bean and Corn Stew
Green Salad
Tortillas
Ama came up for a visit bearing gifts, a Badminton Set and Croquet Kit!! We immediately broke out the croquet, gave a lesson on not using the mallets like an axe, and proceeded to knock some balls around.
It brought me back to when I was a kid. It also brought back memories of the times I would trip myself up in the wickets!
My cousin, Terry, and his wife Ann, came up for a visit and brought their two children. We spent the day together visiting and catching up. Here are pictures of the newest addition to our family.
We had a small, nuclear family only, memorial service for my grandmother over July 4th weekend. When we returned home, we discovered this beautiful rose in full bloom on our only rose plant. Why is this special? This is the only bloom this plant has had, and looks like, will have this year. This plant was my grandmother's. We took it went she was placed in a nursing home.
Bible We are reading about the life of Abraham and Sarah.
History/Geography We read about William Tyndale in England. Mr. Tyndale is responsible for getting the Bible (only printed in Latin) to be translated into English so the common man can read it. This was considered treason and he was burned at the stake for it.
Read Aloud -Continue reading 'The Boxcar Children'
-Poems from 'The Llama who had no Pajama'
-Mother Good Rhymes
-My niece, KK, is spending the summer days with us. I have enrolled her in a Summer Reading competition at the local library. She needs to read 20 minutes a day to get 1000 minutes completed by the end of summer. To help with the reading, she is reading "Little House in the Big Woods" to us.
Language Arts The boys read from "I Can Read It". They have read the "stories": "A Cat on a Hat" and "A Flat Hat & Rat"
-I took words from these lessons and introduced the concepts of 'definition' to them. They orally defined words that I gave them.
-I had the kids write words in rice...
-I read fill in the blank questions, and the boys had to provide, and write, the answer.
'R's Bat...
While the boys work on 'Explode the Code' worksheets, I pulled up a grade 4 spelling list for my niece and had her write the words and re-write the ones she got wrong.
Science We did this great experiment and I tried to get it on video, but the experiment never cooperated when I wanted it to. We took a long neck bottle and placed it in the freezer. After it was thoroughly cold, we placed the bottle in a large pot and placed a quarter on the lip of the bottle. We poured warm water around the bottle. The quarter would slightly "jump"! This is because the air inside the bottle warmed up and expanded causing the quarter to dislodge.
Extra Fun Stuff The boys are having an awesome time playing with their cousin, riding bikes, playing with friends, all the fun outings we take, and mini vacations. We also continue to go through the sign language DVDs and really enjoy that.
Our homeschool co-op changed the structure of our group time. We have take our group time back into the home, and are pairing up families, and rotate each week. This week, my family went to Linda's (Linny) house. See what we did!
We have decided to homeschool through summer. We have begun Sonlight's Core C this week. We are taking it slow and spreading one day out over 2-3 days for now. My niece, K, (and occasionally, P) is spending most of the week days with me over the summer. Here are some highlights of what we are learning right now:
Bible Reading about Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah
Scripture Memorization I bought all four kids a journal to record scripture to memorize. The journal is also for writing down thoughts, prayers, worries, really anything. Our first scripture to memorize is: Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
I find such comfort in this scripture. We are not perfect and we don't have to pretend we are. We all sin, we all do things that fall short of God's perfect glory. In knowing that, and owning that, it is easier to be able to establish a relationship with God; to be able to go to Him and ask forgiveness, something He promises to grant.
History/Geography We are reading about Martin Luther, the man who stood up to the established church in the 1500's, and brought to light all the practices and law that was inconsistent with the Bible.
If you ask the boys about Martin Luther, they will probably say he was a guy who tripped on a tree root and sliced his leg open with his unsheathed sword. And, oh yeah, he almost was struck by lightning once, too.
We have marked on our map where Martin Luther lived (in Germany).
Read Aloud We are reading 'The Boxcar Children". What a delightful story. I typically have my niece read it to the boys. Today, she was not here, so I read a chapter. There was such a cliffhanger at the end of th chapter, 'A' begged me to read another chapter. I admit, I wanted to find out how it turned out as well...
We are also reading from a poetry book and a Mother Goose book. (yes, I am giving mother Goose another chance...)
P.E. My niece, P, is helping me create a summer P.E. program. She actually created an Excel document to record the lesson plan, and improvements. I am pretty impressed.
Language Arts We are using a book called, "I Can Read It!". It's a little stretch for 'R', and a little too easy for 'A', but it's working OK for us. I was not getting anywhere with 'R' on the Bob Books and this is working much better for him. Here is an activity where the boys pick a word and then have to make that word out of letter flashcards. I had the boys "teach" each other today: This program also has them write quite a bit, even though it is not a handwriting program (something I will be adding later...)
Science We are having so much fun with Science! We have learned a ton in just the few days we have done it. Let's hope some of it sticks!
Here are the boys showing off their worksheets about the water cycle, and the colors of the rainbow:
We also tried to create a rainbow with a glass of water, but was not successful. I ended up buying a prism later in the week.
There is a Science DVD that explains some of the experiments we will be doing over the year. They boys love it and insist on watching all of the experiments over and over. It messes up our Scientific Method of creating our own hypothesis, but...whatever...
Here's an experiment we did today. We have created a scientific journal for recording our hypothesis, eperiment, and conclusion. The boys narrate to me the process and I record it, then the boys draw a picture on the journal of what we did.
In this experiment, we are learning about how air expands when it is warm. We took a ping pong ball and dented it...
Placed it in a glass of very warm water and covered it with a plate, thus submerging the ball...
In about 15 second, we removed the ball and discovered that ball had returned to its original form...
The warm water heated up the air inside the ping pong ball. The air expanded and pushed the dent out!
Nutrition DH asked if he could teach the kids every Friday on nutrition. Today, he taught about the food pyramid. Here are the boys coloring in their pyramid. Then, they played the My Pyramid Blast Off Game. (An interactive computer game where kids can reach Planet Power by fueling their rocket with food and physical activity. “Fuel” tanks for each food group help students keep track of how their choices fit into MyPyramid.)
Sign Language One of my best buddies (living in Alaska), just loaned me four of the 'Signing Times' DVDs. We are currently watching and learning signs from "Nice to Meet You." The boys love this and want to watch this everyday. Thanks Dakari! I love you!!
Our good friends came by for a vist a few nights ago. Rob plays bass with DH in their band. Here are Rob, my sweet buddy, Lacey, and their precious packages. (3 girls and 1 boy).
I just adore him. Of course, I adore 'A', too, but I want to take this time to share just a few of the many reasons why I not only love my son, 'R', but I LIKE him as well.
'R' loves all things of beauty, especially in nature. He is the first one to mention someone's beautiful garden, or lovely house. He will point out flowers and trees; items I often never give a second glance. He is constantly bringing in buttercups, dandelions, forget me nots, and colored leaves from our yard. He even found a five leaf clover on his own!
He will endlessly watch an insect or spider, and adopts potato bugs as pets. Here is a picture of a dead moth he found on the window sill. He kept it with him for a good part of the day, gently caressing it, and stating how beautiful it was.
My favorite bouquet...please note the colored leaf as well. I get ALOT of those.
He is still in what I call the "puppy" years. You know, the awkward, clumbsy phase where they end up with so many scrapes you lose track of how and where they got them. He also has a habit of wiping his nose upward with his hand, creating a smudge on the tip of his nose. It's the classic 'R' look.
He STILL has an obsession for cars and will constantly call out car brands when he see them. He does it with such a passion and enthusiasm, you'd think he 'd won a car for himself. He also will repeat the car until you acknowledge that he saw it. (HERBIE! (VW Bug), JEEP! HONDA! CHEVY! CONVERTIBLE! MUSTANG!...)
Whenever 'A' is injured, 'R' is the first one over to give him a hug.
'R' and 'A' both love to play with Legos and draw. They entertain each other by creating fire stations and police stations in Legos, and create (, OK, I will say it), violent drawings of princes, knights, and kings killing the "bad guy" or "bad dragon". They enjoy drawing stabbings with swords and when I try to encourage them to draw something less traumatic, they assure me it's just pretend, or that it is just a little "poke" and "the bad guy did not get hurt, but went to jail."
He is such a joy to be around and I feel so blessed to be his mom!
A few years ago, some friends of mine began an after school party for moms and kids on the last day of public school. I am grateful to be included with the fine friends of mine. Here are some shots of this years party. The weather was amazing and the kids has a blast getting each other soaked! (Yep. This is my baby niece, K...She needs to stop growing up so fast!)
(I forgot to post this. I have it written in a binder.)
This week, I am going through a cookbook, titled "Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow Cooker". I have come up with some delightful recipes that I will be using again.
Sunday: Veggie Stir Fry
Monday: Enchilada Inspired Polenta Pie (from cookbook above)
Tuesday: Pesto Potato Soup with Pine Nuts (from cookbook above)
Wednesday: Family ate out and a movie- Teriyaki
Thursday: Sloppy Lentils (A play on Sloppy Joes) (from cookbook above)
My MIL and FIL (affectionately known as Dado and Dada) threw a joint birthday party for me and my SIL (AKA Ant-ee Sara). Esperanza (Dada) created and incredible dinner. Ice cream cake for dessert; who could ask for more?!
DH belongs to a Worship band. The other families with us on this trip contained the drummer and the female singer.
The drummer and his family were at a deli and in speaking with the owner of the deli they learned that not only did he own the deli, he also owned a seafood market and ran a ministry teen center. On Wednesday nights, they had an "open mic" night for worship musicians. DH, Steve, and Lisa got to play with other people living in Ocean Shores.
Playing ping pong and foosball in the teen center...
The center had about six video stations with different games on each...
So, do you remember the enticing post I made about holding tight for some great pictures to come from our trip? Well, here they are...
After eating dinner with all of our friends the first night at a restaurant, while driving to the condo, we decided to stop at the grocery store and pick up some items for breakfast the next day.
Turning the car around, we noticed the fire station had their ladder truck out. We decided to stop and let the boys take a look at the truck ('R' wants to be a fireman).
While we were walking around the truck a fireman came up and began talking to us. He offered to let the boys sit in the truck...
We enjoyed talking to him and he asked if we wanted to go into the station house and look around. We met four other firemen. (Here's where it gets good...) The Lieutenant asked if we wanted to go for a ride in the fire truck!! We got to ride around Ocean Shores and while on the road back to the station house, they ran the sirens and lights!
Everyone got to talk to each other through the headsets...
THEN, when we returned the Lieutenant asked if we wanted to watch them do a drill1 So, two firemen were timed in getting in full gear, extending the ladder on the ladder truck as far as it goes, rotating the ladder and the basket all the way around, then lowering the ladder to ground level.
Here is the Lieutenant explaining what is going to happen...
The drill...
One of the firemen walked across the ladder...
THEN, took a picture of the boys in the basket!
Next stop, the ambulance...
The Lieutenant took us back inside to see the blueprints for their new fire station...
Group shot. What a great night! (The picture is of their Captain, who die last year in a surf rescue...)
We spent Mother's Day week on Ocean Shores, with two families who are friends of ours. The weather ranged from sunny and almost warm to blustery and rainy. We were able to fly kites, swim in an indoor pool, play cards, and enjoy each other's company.
The boys taking the road less traveled with Christine...
DH and 'R' flying the Ladybug...
'R' fell in the ocean, but had a good time doing it!
The younger boys enjoyed watching T.C. skateboard in the parking lot...
They also enjoyed watching M.C. play video games on the computer...
Lisa, flying her kite. She was really good!! (I am not...)
Playing cars in the sand dunes. This is 'R's all time favorite thing to do...
How cute is this picture?! JH is getting ready for the pool!
We are wrapping up swim class for the year. This is where the boys are now skillwise. They are just learning the overhead crawl, and working on swimming without using their arms; just legs.
'R' is CRAZY for cars. And Legos. He could happily play with these two toys all day, every day. The first thing he typically says in the morning is, "Daddy, do you want to play cars?"
One morning, he led us into the living room to show us what he did. He created a set of Lego cars and they were racing on the windowsill (Speed Racer is big in our house right now...)
(Compliments of 
This program also has them write quite a bit, even though it is not a handwriting program (something I will be adding later...)
(Yep. This is my baby niece, K...She needs to stop growing up so fast!)
('A' was a time to kill :))
('R' was 'a time to build')
