Terri-and-her-talk

The New Graduate

2011-04-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

After 4 years in college, Katelyn has graduated with a major in social work and minor in Biblical studies. She is beginning to send out resumes in search of a new job but is happy to be able to breath again with all the school work and papers completed. We're so proud of her accomplishment. Congratulations Katelyn!

Sorry this picture ended up sideways, but it won't flip for me!

She's Home

2010-12-09T08:58:00.001-08:00

AFter 4 months, Katelyn has returned home. It was an exciting day. She had a plane delay of 2 hours but we were so thankful to have her back. She had a lot of interesting things to tell us about her whole time there. What a wonderful Christmas!

Here they are!

Showing us the henna she has on her hands

The family is complete!

Santa Paws is Watching - Better be Good!

2010-12-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

1 Cat

Plus

1 Christmas Tree

Equals

TROUBLE

Happy Birthday Shaelyn!

2010-11-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe - my youngest child is turning 8 today! Seven years ago we happily welcomed you into our family.
We have a lot of plans for the day. First of all, it is Egyptian Day for her at school today. They have been
studying about Egypt. Today they all get to dress in Egyptian costumes and eat Egyptian snacks. They also will be making mummies with each other out of toilet paper. She was very excited that this fell on her birthday. Then I will be bringing her lunch from McDonalds. We will be decorating her birthday cake when she comes home. She chose a gumball machine birthday cake. There will be a lot of gumballs. For supper, we are going to Chuckie Cheese and will be opening presents. It's a lot to fit into 1 day but we're going to try.
Happy Birthday Shaelyn - We love you and hope you have a great birthday!

Here she is in her Egyptian costume and with her class.

Standing by the mummy with her friend Grace

It's that Time of Year

2010-08-31T06:16:00.000-07:00

Today is the day - Shaelyn goes back to school and starts 3rd grade! Summer
went so quickly. As we prayed together this morning, we talked about all the
things that were going to happen during the summer - my surgery, Chelsea going
to Guatemala, Katelyn leaving for India, vacations, etc... Now they have all happened
and here we are - August 31 - beginning of a new school year.
She's ready - new haircut, new clothes and new lunch box. She's excited
about the teacher she got for this year - she's the same teacher Chelsea
had and loved her. Thursdays will be a fun day every week. Her room has a loft
in it and that will be the day that she can use it for reading time. The other
reason I love Thursdays is because it's her microwave day. Her teacher has a
microwave in her room and there are designated days for the kids to use it.
This makes it so much easier to pack lunches - soup, spaghettio's, ravioli,
pizza - ahh, the luxury of a microwave. I think this should be a great year
for her with lots of fun times. Ready or not, here we come!

She's Off to See the World

2010-08-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Katelyn left this morning to begin her 4 month internship in India. While it was a sad time for me (and a few others), it is also exciting. I can only imagine the things she will see and do. The Taj Mahal, Indian weddings, riding camels and elephants, working with autistic children in the center.....She sure is doing a lot more than I ever did at this age. She gets to do this with her best friend and roommate from college - Kath. I'm so glad they have each other. Geeta is their supervisor while they are there. She has been so helpful and supportive for all of us. We are praying for safety while traveling and while they are there. We also pray that they will be a Christian witness to those they will be working with. I know it's time to let my child spread her wings and fly (although I wish I had clipped them a bit shorter so she couldn't fly quite so far. :)

Here are the sisters one last time together.

Katelyn and Kath - best friends and traveling buddies.

This is Dr. Roels and his wife. He is the former president of Kuyper College. He has been extremely helpful getting the girls prepared. He came to the airport to pray with us all and help send them off.

Katelyn, Kath and Alex. She was another one of their roommates. She is sad to see her friends go. We are planning on adopting her into our family for these next 4 months to make up for losing a daughter!

Look who got a new haircut!

2010-08-03T15:47:00.000-07:00

I decided that it was time Shaelyn got a new hairstyle.Neither she or her Dad wanted this to happen but....I'm the one who has to take care of it and brush it if I want it to look good. So... off to the stylist. It still has some length but I think it will be more manageable. She decided to try to grow her bangs out so I bought some clips to pull the bangs back with. I think she looks older - she's ready for 3rd grade now!

China Camp

2010-06-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Every June, Shaelyn attends Heritage Camp (aka - China camp) for a week. This is for kids who are adopted to learn about their heritage. The main groups are China, Korea, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Every day there is a different food for lunch from those countries. They go to music class, language class and spend time in the classroom learning about their heritage. This year, Shaelyn got to paint a parasol, make a cootie catcher from origami paper and learn cats cradle and Chinese jump rope. It is so much fun for her to meet all these other girls who were adopted, just like her. Each year, many of them return to camp and their friendships continue to grow. Some families come from 3 hours away! Typically, I can pick Shaelyn out in a program but not here - the school is packed with so many Chinese girls, I can't always find her. How nice for her to actually be in the majority for once. I would recommend this camp for anyone with internationally adopted kids. She loves it!

Here is Shaelyn with a friend she sees every year at camp.

These are two of Shaelyn's friends. Our families all went to China together.
Here they are in their Chinese clothes, getting ready for the parade of nations.

Learning how to say animal names in Chinese

These girls are practicing the "Lion Dance"

These are the girls in her class, posing with the parasols they painted.

Chelsea's Graduation

2010-06-06T17:28:00.001-07:00

I know you're all shocked to see anything here. I decided it was time to post a few pictures. Chelsea graduated May 26. Here's some pictures of the special night! Hopefully, I'll have some pictures of her open house in the near future.

Here is Chelsea and her best friend, Kristin before the ceremony.

Walking down the aisle to "Pomp and Circumstance"

Proud family!

It's finally happened!

2009-11-07T18:33:00.000-08:00

Shaelyn has been waiting for this important event in her life - she lost her first tooth! It's been loose for a while. Today I went to wiggle it and then told her I wanted to feel it. It "just happened" to about fall out in my hands. She was quite excited and said it didn't really hurt at all. So after a trip to Grandpa, she's a bit richer. Who knows how much tooth fairies leave now days. I guess we'll find out later!

College Bound

2009-10-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

Chelsea received her acceptance letter to the college of her choice. She was a bit worried but extremely happy that she got accepted. She will be studying the vet tech program. It is a 2 year program. Every time we go to the vet, we ask the girls working there where they went to college. They always seem to answer the same - Chelsea's choice! Her first year consists of probably 2 days a week. The 2nd year will be full of trips to the zoo and a lot of lab work. The other amazing feature is that if she keeps her GPA at a 3.5 or higher - tuition is cut in half!! Congrats Chelsea - I know you will love it there!

Katelyn's College Apartment

2009-09-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

We moved Katelyn's things into her apartment on Saturday. She's excited to be in an apartment with 4 other girls. She is in a room with 2 others and down their hall is the other bedroom. She came back home Saturday to celebrate my birthday and go to a family picnic today but headed back out tonight- with classes starting tomorrow. Take a look at some of the pictures I got.

Working on her desk area

The Kitchen

Her bed - ready to finish getting put together

Katelyn and Amanda - one of her roommates

Here is her apartment building. They share with 3 other rooms

1st day of School Conversation

2009-09-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn was talking to me last night about her first day of school. Here's how some of it went;
Shaelyn - Mom, I have a boy in my class who said a naughty word
Me - What was the word?
Shaelyn - It started with an "S"
Me - Really, what was it?
Shaelyn - It begins with "SH"
(I'm starting to wonder how this word fit into the conversation at this point)
Me - can you tell me?
Shaelyn - I don't want to say it but it also means "be quiet"
Me - Oh, he said "shut up"?
Shaelyn - Yes, I don't think I should really be around him anymore

Oh, if my child can only stay so innocent as she grows!

Ready or Not - School has started

2009-09-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

Well, how frustrating is this.... Chelsea started school yesterday and Shaelyn started today. I took some nice pictures but for some reason, am having major problems uploading them to the computer. We are kind of bummed that we have to start before Labor Day again, but by next week, should be happy about it. Shaelyn had visit day yesterday where she met her teacher and found her classroom. Chelsea is happy that she is a senior this year. She's expecting to have a good year! Hopefully, my pictures will turn up someday and I'll have them to show to you.

Shaelyn - the composer

2009-08-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Chelsea has told Shaelyn to sing a song if she can't sleep. So she decided to write a song to sing. It's about
her cat. I'm thinking she has a real future in song writing. :)

Preeshish (precious) you are the most cat. I always wanted a cat. It was perfect. I love it. Quet (quiet) nice, but not
cuddly. I still liked it. I called it Lillie Mika Mulder! Mikki does. You'll never know how much it cost to see
your sins, you'll never. You don't need to pay. Yip, yip, yippaddie. Like a gift if lillie's friend.

I guess that she realizes that her cat has a few flaws but she loves her in spite of them. It will be fun to look
back in a few years and show her some of her thoughts!

"Gotcha" Day

2009-08-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

It seems unbelievable but 6 years ago we adopted Shaelyn! Today is her "Gotcha Day" We've never really celebrated it but I decided that we really need to acknowledge this special day. I took the day off work and she spent the day with friends doing special "China" things and we went to a special Chinese restaurant with the family for supper.
Shaelyn, we are so happy that you are the little girl that God chose to join our family. Hope you had a fun and special Gotcha Day!

Holding the paper lanterns that they all made

Going down the slide at Playworld with her friends

New chopsticks and a jade bracelet!

An abundance of Zucchini

2009-08-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Do you have an extra abundance of zucchini that you don't know what to do with? I've made the zucchini cupcakes,
bread and frozen it. I came across a recipe for zucchini crisp that tastes like apple crisp. I made some up today
and surprisingly, it does have an apple crisp taste. Here's the recipe if you want to give it a try.

8 cups cubed peeled zucchini
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
TOPPING:
1-1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup flour
2/3 cup cold butter or margarine

In a bowl, combine the zucchini, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg: mix well. Pour into a greased 13x9" pan.
For topping, combine brown sugar, oatmeal and flour in a bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the zucchini mixture. Bake at 375 for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and the zucchini is tender.
I did cut this recipe in 1/2 and put in a 9x9 pan just to make sure the family would like it!

Do You have an Extra Hand for a Stroller Ride?

2009-07-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here is the newest trick from Shaelyn's cat Lili Meka. She has decided that she likes to go for stroller rides in the doll stroller. So she has figured out out to let us know. I know....she is a spoiled kitty but she sure knows how to make us laugh.

Back from Camping Pictures

2009-07-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, how we love the Christian Reformed Conference Grounds for camping! It's right on the shore of Lake Michigan in Grand Haven. There are so many activities for the kids to do throughout the week. This year we went for 2 weeks straight and it really went well. I think we'll try for 2 weeks again next year. Even though the first week was somewhat cold, it didn't rain during the day so we did other things than swim. We got a lot of game playing in! Hope you get an idea of our vacation through these pictures.

Halle came for a night and enjoyed swimming with the girls.

Camp fires are great for cooking....

except when fights occur for the best cooking spot!

Have you ever tried cooking pepperoni over the fire? Yummy!

That pesky sand was trying to eat up Shaelyn!

Camping doughnuts with frosting and sprinkles! So good!

There is always a parade for the holiday. Shaelyn got to decorated her bike and ride in the parade.

The sand dunes are beautiful.

Gotta love a sunset by the lake.

Nothing new

2009-06-26T20:59:00.001-07:00

Nothing much is new but I am leaving to go camping for 2 weeks. I'll be back with some pictures to post......

Heritage Camp - China

2009-06-19T14:06:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn got to go to Heritage Camp this week. It is a camp for internationally adopted kids and they put them into their birth country by age. The four sections are China, Eastern Europe, South American and Korean. It was so much fun again and it's nice that they get to meet other adopted kids from their country. Here are some of the cool crafts she got to make - a paper lantern, a map on China and fabric painted Chinese words on a shirt. What a great experience for her again.

Shaelyn and Ellie - Ellie was in our adoptive group and her Mom
got to teach this year

Shaelyn and Rachel - a new friend she made this year

Shaelyn's class

Singing "Many Cultures, One World" during the program today

This is part of the Lion Dance the 6th graders learned

Ahh, sweet summertime!

2009-06-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Schools Out for the Summer!

2009-06-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Here they are - ready for another summer. Chelsea was done with school yesterday and
Shaelyn finished today. Am I ready for another senior in my house or a 2nd grader?
I don't know but don't really have a choice, do I! Look out summer - here they come!

1st grade program

2009-05-30T13:56:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn had a special 1st grade program yesterday. Parents got to come and have lunch with them. Here is Shaelyn showing me some of the stories she wrote throughout the year.

Here is Shaelyn and her teacher. She was chosen to read her paper on God is.. They write one faith paper every year then it is given to them at 8th grade graduation.
Here is what she wrote.
God is everlasting. God is one out of three. God is the Holy Spirit. God is watching over me. God sended Jesus to die for our sins to be forgiven. God made our world! God made patterns. God is whom all things belong. God is great. God is mighty. God is powerful. God is taking care of me.

We were seated at a table with all of her best friends.
Shaelyn is right next to Meghan, across from her in orange is Kennedy
and Jacquelin is across from Meghan. Mrs. Folkema arranged for friends to
be by each other.

Playing outside after lunch with her friends.
She had a great 1st grade year and made some wonderful new friends.

Look who can see!

2009-05-06T17:12:00.000-07:00

Look who got new glasses today and is actually able to see now. Shaelyn's teacher told me that she was having trouble seeing the board so we went to see the eye dr. on Friday. They must have done an express order because they were in yesterday.
Her vision was 20/200! Pretty pitiful. I really was hoping for her sake that our family's genes didn't rub off on her but apparently environment is all it takes around here to need glasses. So here she is and able to see much better.

Shaelyn's Best Cousin!

2009-05-04T16:24:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn wrote this little book about her favorite cousin - guess who; Halle.
Here's the cover - My cousin, Halle

Here is what is written on this page.
My cousin is the best all because she gave me LPS (littlest pet shop) all just
because she never played with them!

She wrote this book the week after spending the whole spring break with Halle.
These girls just love each other so much and never seem to fight or get sick
of each other. They have such a special relationship.

Prom - 09

2009-04-20T09:55:00.001-07:00

Chelsea had prom on Friday night. For those of you who live around here, you can remember that we had perfect weather! We had a friend from church do her hair. We had some issues with her dress because she is so short. I had to try to hem it up - I am not a sewer but I managed to get it to work somewhat. Her group of friends met at a park for pictures, then went out to supper at Main Street. The prom itself is held at the museum downtown. She got some great pictures on the carousel and in the museum itself but I didn't have those to show you. She made it back home a bit after 12:00 after having a great time.

Gatlinburg pictures

2009-04-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

I found a way to get some vacation pictures up. These are kind of in backwards order-
starting with the last day working to the first.

Horse back riding from Wednesday

Snow on the mountain - isn't it beautiful?

Jellyfish from the aquarium

We found some gorgeous waterfalls

I'm Back

2009-04-10T11:40:00.001-07:00

We returned home from Gatlinburg last night. We had so much fun - in spite of a bit
of snow! We had an interesting lunch where we did some volunteer work :) Ask me about that later. Sunday, we spent the day hiking and driving around the mountains. It was just beautiful. I even got a bit of a sunburn. On Monday, we went into town to the Ripleys aquarium. The kids loved that place. They had so many different sharks, stingrays and fish to look at and touch. It started raining as we walked around town so we headed back to our cabin. It took us 10 minutes off the main road to get to our driveway. Tuesday was the snowy day; so us girls just hung around the cabin, went into the hot tub while the guys went to a muscle man car museum. Wednesday was spent horseback riding in the mountains and shopping in town. It was a gorgeous day again. Thursday came much too quickly and we had to head home. Unfortunately, I have gotten a new camera and can't get the pictures downloaded into my computer yet so I have nothing to show you. Hopefully, I will be able to put the cd in and it will read it later.

Shaelyn's Animal Story

2009-04-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn came home with some of her school papers today. She had to write a story. I thought it was pretty cute. Here it is in her words and spelling.

Once there was a cute brown hungrey small monkey. He lived in a pet store. A robirt
came with a key an unlock the cages. Than the animales came rushing out eveywere. Than the robirt got all the animales but the monkey was to fast. Then the robirt ran out the door. But the police was out the doors. Then the robirt had to go to jail.
The police putted the animales back in the cages.

P.S. We're leaving for vacation to Gatlinburg, TN tomorrow with Cheri and her family. I hope to have some great pictures when we return!

What am I Seeing?

2009-03-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

I looked outside after church this morning and I am not sure what I saw. I thought it was rain but after closer evaluation, I noticed that it was thicker and white. Surely that cannot be snow! Really, I know that this is Michigan but we've had temps here lately that are in the 50's. Can't this wait until next week when I'm in a state with warmer temps?

Lunch Time

2009-03-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am still alive. I will try to get around to news more often.
Today, I got taken out for lunch by Katelyn. This was my Christmas gift from
her. She gave me a certificate that she would take me to Ming Ten for a buffet
when it worked. Well, she is home this week for spring break and we decided to
go today. Ming Ten is a Chinese and Japanese buffet close to her dorms. It's
on the 2nd level of the building so you can look out the windows and get a better
view. They had so much delicious food. Crab rangoons, spring rolls, egg rolls,
egg drop soup, chicken of all kinds, shrimp, about 12 kinds of sushi, fruit, eggs...
I could go on and on. It was so good. If you're ever looking for a good Asian
restaurant, try this place. Thanks Katelyn. It was fun!

Chocolate Give-Away!

2009-02-09T09:27:00.000-08:00

Check out this great give away over at Sarah's. If you like chocolate - you'll love this one.

It's Another Party Over Here!

2009-01-24T13:48:00.000-08:00

Yup - today is another birthday in the family. Katelyn turns 20 today! Unbelievable!!
She has picked Death by Chocolate for her birthday cake (dessert). Tomorrow I will be making a birthday meal for her - steak, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and blueberry muffins. How is it that I can have a child no longer in her teens while I stay so young?!!!
Happy Birthday Katelyn - We love you!

Ice at Holland Beach

2009-01-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

I mentioned to Katelyn last night that I would like to go to Holland to look at the ice. "Funny, you said that" - she had been thinking the same thing. So after talking to Cheri today, we went this afternoon. I'm so glad I talked with her because we all put on many layers. I was surprised at how many people were actually there. We all walked quite a ways out on the pier but when I saw part of the water moving, I decided that was far enough. The girls were able to walk on some of the patches of ice. It truly was very beautiful. Nothing like you see in the summer. This is one of the many reasons that I love living in Michigan - our 4 seasons are each spectacular in their own way. Enjoy some of the pictures I got. Hope they take your breath away as much as they did for me. (Maybe it was the cold air that took my breath!)

Do you Smell Cake?

2009-01-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

Well, you might not smell cake, but there's a cheesecake baking at my house.
It's Chelsea's pick because today is her birthday. She's 17!! She chose
to have chocolate chip cheesecake instead of a regular cake. We're actually
celebrating tomorrow when Katelyn can be here but she's choosing supper. This
may seem strange but she picked french toast for the meal. Oh well, it's her
choice because it's her day.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSEA! Hope you have a great day. We love you!

Can You Guess...?

2009-01-13T09:19:00.000-08:00

There's a show called "Ask This Old House" They come up with nifty gadgets that the hosts have to figure out what it's used for. Well here's my version. Can any of you guess what this nifty little gadget is that I just acquired ?

It's a flute stand. My extremely talented brother-in-law, Bob made it for me. Mari told me that I had to come over because Bob had something for me. I was just thrilled. When I play at church and go to sit down or actually sit up for the entire service, I either have to hold onto my flute the whole time or lay it on the chair. To have a place for it to stand is so convenient. I got to use it on Sunday. It worked so great! Thanks Bob - I love it!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T17:41:00.000-08:00

We've had a great Christmas Day. We started out at church with a wonderful service of music and worship. My Dad, Ann and my brother spent the day here. After enjoying a ham and many other fixings, we spent the day playing games and just spending time together. I hope you all had great Christmas also - celebrating with family but also remembering the reason we celebrate - the birth of our Savior!

Just Look at it Now!

2008-12-22T09:47:00.001-08:00

Do you remember the picture I posted on Friday of our picnic table? Well, just look at it now - can you believe all that snow?

Warning!!

2008-12-21T06:02:00.001-08:00

Stay off the roads people!!! It's 9:00 here and I just returned home. Chelsea had to work at the nursing home this morning so I took her. It was horrible. I couldn't see a thing. There was maybe a lane plowed on Chicago Drive and it's starting to drift badly. At least churches were smart and cancelled services. Now I have to head back this afternoon to pick her up. I don't think there will be any improvement; in fact it will probably be worse. Just take my advice and stay home!

The Need for 4 Wheel Drive

2008-12-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't live in a northern state like ours, I hope these pictures explain why we sometimes need gas guzzling, large, 4 wheel drive vehicles!
This is just the snow from around 3:00 this morning. I'm not really looking forward to going to work today but.... guess I'll just put it in 4 wheel drive and go slow.

Oh FYI - it is a snow day!

Prayers for the Byker Family

2008-12-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

I have a prayer request for you all. A man Dave used to work with was diagnosed with a brain tumor last September - 2007. Throughout these last five weeks, he has had many problems. He went home last Friday with hospice care. Today, it was updated that he could be passing away anytime. He is only 42 years old, with a wife and 3 children - ages 14, 12 and 9. I know this family could use a lot of prayers right now. Thanks.

It's Christmas Candy Time!

2008-12-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

Saturday was our annual Christmas candy making day. We always plan this about the 2nd week of December. Everyone is assigned different candies. It takes a bit of time to do it but we always have fun. (and get some great rewards out of it!)

Katelyn was in charge of truffles, peanut butter balls and white chocolate mix.

Chelsea had to work in the morning so when she came home, she did tiger butter and puppy chow.

Shaelyn made peanut butter balls, pretzel sticks and pretzels with m&m's.

Here's everything we did. No - we're not hurting for snack foods!

It's Snow Much Fun Out There!

2008-12-06T13:00:00.001-08:00

Yup - it's that time in Michigan again! SNOW!!! and lots of it. I know some of you aren't thrilled but really, don't you need snow for Christmas? I think it's so beautiful and the kids are enjoying playing in it (and hoping for a snow day)

Look at my little Angels!

Call Me Crazy but...

2008-12-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

Meet Lilli!

I know we have 3 cats already but Katelyn wanted to get this one for Shaelyn for her birthday. She is 1/2 Persian - very fuzzy and flat faced. The other cats seem to be adjusting well and Milli is more than ready to be a friend. (If only Lilli knew that) Now everyone has their own pet!

It's the Day After Thanksgiving so.....

2008-11-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

We put up our Christmas Tree!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2008-11-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Wow - Can you believe the snow that fell this morning? I thought it was going to start this afternoon. I had to head out this morning and it was slippery. I saw a few cars needing a tow truck. I brought lunch to Chelsea so that I had a reason to tell her to drive SLOWLY!

It does look pretty though, doesn't it!

Shaelyn's Having a Birthday!

2008-11-18T16:09:00.000-08:00

Shaelyn turned 6 years old today! She chose to have broccoli cheese soup for supper.
It was yummy!! After supper, she got some presents to open. Katelyn was at the dorms so we don't have a picture of her with Shaelyn.
Hope you had a fun birthday, Linnie Li! We love you!!!

She wanted a soccer ball cake - and yes, there are 6 candles on it!

Soup Time!

2008-11-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

Would you like to try a quick and delicious chicken noodle soup?
I made this last week in the crock pot. Everyone loved it!
It's perfect for the weather I'm seeing out there today.

5 cups hot water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
46 oz. can chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken
1 tsp. salt
4 cups noodles, uncooked
1/3 cup thinly sliced celery, lightly cooked in microwave
1/3 cup chopped carrots

1. Dissolve bouillon in water. Pour into crock pot.
2. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well.
3. Cover. Cook on low 4-6 hours.

It's not even Christmas Yet!

2008-11-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

First, she got this 4 weeks ago......

Today she got this!

It's November 4!

2008-11-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

I voted this morning. Have you?

Trick or Treat

2008-11-03T09:04:00.000-08:00

Friday night, we headed out for trick or treating. It really was beautiful weather. I love it that the time change is a bit later so it's still light out. Here's Shaelyn getting ready to go. She was an excited cheerleader.

Somehow, these two cowgirls found her and decided to join in.

It didn't take long and here's the treats she got. She's got some cheese kurls in her lunch for tomorrow!

A Bit of Time and Work

2008-10-29T15:55:00.001-07:00

Do you remember that last year, we painted our bedroom? Well, slowly we've been working to save up money for a floor. We found this wood floor on clearance. It has been sitting in our bedroom, waiting to be installed. A few weeks ago, Dave had some time, so he invited Mark over for a floor makeover. In less than 5 hours, they had it completed. Now I just have to get a rug to lay down.

Here is my room with the old teal green carpet. (Ignore those spots on the picture)

Here are the guys working hard!

Here is the floor all completed. Doesn't it look nice? I don't know why there are spots in my picture because the floor doesn't have them!

I'm Still Alive

2008-10-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

I'm back from a wet weekend of camping! In spite of the rain, we still had fun as a family. We got to the campground on Thursday with beautiful weather. Thursday night, we got to carve our pumpkins. I saved the seeds to cook for when we got home. During the night, it started to rain and continued, until supper time. The kids got to go trick or treating around the campground sites without any rain! After trick or treating, we went back into the auditorium for apple bobbing, cookie and cupcake decorating and making caramel apples. Yummy!! Saturday, it rained on and off. There still was a polar dip in Lake Michigan for anybody daring (or stupid) enough to jump in. Today was a beautiful day. When we came out of the church service, the sun was brightly shining and we saw blue skies!
It was a good day to pack up in. Even with the rain, we made the best out of it. Now we have to clean the trailer out good to put into storage this week.

10 Things I Love

2008-10-07T09:31:00.000-07:00

This was on Cheri's blog awhile back. You are supposed to list 10 things that you love with the letter designated to you. I told her not to give me a hard one so
Cheri assigned me letter "P". I didn't think "P" would be difficult but it took me a bit to come up with them. I wasn't quite as creative as Mari by putting a mosaic of my things together. I'm just writing the list. If any of you haven't done it and want to, let me know and I'll give you a letter.

1. Pets
2. Pink Lemonade
3. Princesses ( my daughters)
4. Patriotic Heroes
5. Parties
6. Pea Soup
7. Playing Games
8. Paper for Scrapbooks
9. Pictures
10. Presents

Hungry?

2008-10-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

Look what I made today! Topsy Turvy Cupcakes - chocolate cupcakes
with cream cheese filling! Can't wait for them to cool down a bit to take a bite.

Have You Ever?

2008-09-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

My sister, Cheri had this on her blog last week. I'm finally getting around to
doing it too. All the ones that are highlighted are things that I have done.
How many have you done?

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - verbal not physical
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe.
113. Buried a child- (kind of)
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in a historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Ran a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class-
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away- for 2 minutes
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

My House is Becoming a Zoo

2008-09-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

There's a giraffe lose in my house - or so Shaelyn says. Using her creative juices, this is the giraffe she created out of my chair, blanket and broom. She was debating making it a giraffe or camel but decided with the neck size, it must be a giraffe. Unfortunately for the poor giraffe, I only allowed him to stay for one day. I hope he found his way home!

It Was a Circus - Literally!

2008-09-19T05:28:00.000-07:00

I went to the circus yesterday with the girls. What a lot of fun.

Here's a few of the pictures I got.

We got in at 6:00 and could go down into the arena to watch special things. There were jugglers and clowns and an elephant doing a painting. Shaelyn's favorite acts were the elephants, the horses and the puppies. She has never been to the circus before and I think she was a bit overwhelmed at first but eventually caught on to all the excitement. Bello the clown was quite impressive. He didn't just do the typical clown act but also climbed the sway pole and walked on the wheel of death. What an exciting night!

Did You Experience the Hurricane?

2008-09-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

On Sunday afternoon when it was pouring rain, Dave was outside digging trenches for move the water in a different direction. Shaelyn went outside to "help" him, carrying her umbrella. She was busy telling him - I can't believe I'm in a hurricane, I've never been in a hurricane before. I guess things always seem to be a lot bigger when you're smaller!

I Hope These are Worth It!

2008-09-15T10:53:00.000-07:00

Do you see these shoes? I hope they are worth all their trouble. Shaelyn needed new shoes that she could run good in to play soccer at recess time. Saturday we went out to get some. It took me 4 (!!) different stores to get these. I mean really, how hard should it be to find a pair of decent velcro shoes? I started at Target - they had nothing. So I went to Payless, right next door. They had these and another pair but not in her size. They told me to try by the mall. So, if you remember, it was pouring rain all Saturday - out in the rain we go again. The stores were all crowded because people wanted to get out. I ran into the next Payless - they didn't have the size either. So reluctantly, I head to the mall. It was like the busyness at Christmas. I had to park way in the back - slush through all the puddles again and head into the Payless there. Yes, jackpot - they had these in her size. So she's wearing them today. Imagine how they will look after playing soccer on the wet fields today - Oh, they better be worth it!

Alright - Enough Already!

2008-09-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Here we go again - water is flooding our backyard.
I say - "enough already" - I'm sick of this rain!

Patriot's Day

2008-09-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today is Patriots Day - remembering the terrorist act on Sept. 11. I hope we all stop and take a moment to reflect on these vicious attacks on our country. Stop and say a prayer for the families who lost a loved one.

Who Rules in Your House?

2008-09-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

I thought this was my pillow. Somehow, it has been taken over by Millie.
Why is it that adults pay the bills but kids and pets seem to rule the house.
Do you rule in your own house?

She gets my Vote!

2008-09-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if you watched the convention last night or not but I really wanted to hear Sarah Palin speak.

I was so impressed. I must say that I was not very excited about this election before John McCain chose her. I think he made a great choice in picking her. She seems to be much more connected to those in the middle class. The debates coming up will prove to be interesting!

And did you hear that the teleprompter continued to roll during much of the clapping and she had to do a lot of the speech by memory. That makes the speech even more impressive!

Happy Labor Day!

2008-09-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we went to our annual Labor Day picnic with all of my Dad's side of the family. Everyone takes a dish to pass. It was quite warm out today. We didn't stay too long because we're finding that we have a lot to get accomplished at home yet. But it's still fun to get together and talk to all the relatives. Here's a few pictures of the event.

My job also went well last Thursday. I'm still in training as there are a few different things to learn about each child and closing up. I will be going in every day this week. Chelsea and Shaelyn did well together too so that made it a lot easier too.

And a New Chapter Begins....

2008-08-28T08:48:00.001-07:00

A new chapter is beginning in my life - I will be starting a new job today! I am going to be working in a daycare about 10 minutes away from my house. I will be taking care of babies, up to the age of 14 months. I knew I would be looking for some sort of job because Kelly - who's kids I watched last year, decided to not go back to teaching this year. I have a friend who works at this daycare and told me about this job opening. I will be working every day from 3-6 with the possibility of more hours. For the most part, I think it will work out. My one concern is that I won't be home when the girls come home from school. If Dave is working more hours,this leaves Chelsea to watch Shaelyn - and they don't always get along that well. Shaelyn has a tendency to "bug" Chelsea.

We've had a lot of change in our household this year. Chelsea got a new job at the nursing home this summer. Katelyn quit her job and got 2 new jobs on campus and now I am also starting something new. I'll be letting you know how it all goes.

Works for Me Wednesday

2008-08-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Actually, this is a trick that Chelsea wanted to share. Do you know how dirty your flip flops get when wearing them? Using an old toothbrush and some dish soap - scrub them. It's amazing what a difference it makes. Here is a picture of one of her shoes before and after she scrubbed it. Amazing, huh?

1st Grade - Here I Come!

2008-08-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn started 1st Grade today! We went to school yesterday for visit day. She got to meet her teacher and find her room. She is at a new school this year so I also took her around to see the gym, art room, etc.. Her room is right next to the door to the playground - great for quick exits to the toys! She was excited to go - she wanted to sleep in her clothes but I guess I talked her out of that. She thought that it was also pretty cool that she gets to ride the bus with Chelsea (not so sure how Chelsea feels on that one) So here I am, all alone today. (sorry, Cheri!) It seems extremely quiet but I know that soon they will be home and the noise level will increase!

She's got her own desk and locker this year!
Last week I was talking to her about school and saying how she would be going every day this year. Later in the week she asked if she would be going to school on Saturdays. I guess I should have clarified that more for her.

And another one's gone (to school that is)

2008-08-25T10:33:00.000-07:00

Chelsea started school today. She is in her junior year. I think that is one of the more difficult years - class wise. She's got a lot of tougher classes including AP History. She does have friends in most classes so that helps. She said that it went fine today. It was a shorter day today with class getting done at 12:20. They do have off on Friday so that will be a nice, longer holiday weekend.

And She's Off Again!

2008-08-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

Today was the day that Katelyn moved back into the dorms. She was excited to moved in again and see her friends. Classes start for her on Monday. She also got 2 new jobs on campus - working the front desk and in the business office. She will be busy this year!

Packing took a little time again - check out the vehicles!

Vehicle #1

Vehicle #2

Here's Katelyn and her roommate - Kath. They were suitemates last year and
decided to room together this year.

The room was starting to take shape -at least the beds were made!
I hope they make some great progress tonight and are able to walk
through the room without tripping. AT least they've got food!

Summer Foods

2008-08-20T16:05:00.001-07:00

I've been busy lately with much food from the garden. Two weeks ago, I
canned some dill pickles. I found an easy mix from the store so I'm hoping
that these turn out good.

Today, I worked on salsa. I got about 22 pints of salsa. It smelled so
good in my house. Last week, I froze a 1/2 bushel of peaches. I know I'm
going to have to get more of them though. We love frozen peaches.
I would like to can some tomatoes yet but we'll see how much time I have
to get more accomplished.

A Busy, Fun-filled Week

2008-08-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

It's fair week again!! This is always a fun but busy week. Last night, we went to look around a bit and here's some of what we saw. Do you see the little white animal in the bottom? It's a chicken. Today, we went for the afternoon. Shaelyn did reading club and earned 5 free rides. Tonight we will go to the off road derby with Cheri and her family. I'm hoping for a great time tonight too.

The Yearly Chicken BBQ

2008-08-18T13:56:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to our annual chicken bbq. Every year my dad takes us there. We grew up going to this. Because it was the 50th year, there were some added attractions including animals and an antique car show. The food is always great and 3 years ago they added a corn maze and wagon ride. What fun we all had!

Dinner!!! Chicken on the grill, potato salad, applesauce, coleslaw, potato chips, a roll and ice cream. It doesn't get much better than that!

We let the little girls lead through the maze. They kept saying, "They're still following. We must be going the right way!"

How do YOU spell "Love"?

Faces of Determination

Obviously bouncing is a ton of fun!

Aren't these Angora bunnies the most precious little things?

Why must baby chicks grow up? They are so cute when there are little!

The Completed Look

2008-08-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

I promised you a picture of Shaelyn's finished tie-dye shirt. Here it is. This one is called the spiral. Can you see the spiral effect on the top and bottom? I think that overall, it turned out pretty cute for pajama's!

Camping Pictures

2008-08-12T10:57:00.000-07:00

I know - I know; it's been forever since I posted. We got back from camping last Saturday. My Dad informed me that my garden was overflowing with food so I have been chopping and cutting peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and pickles yesterday and today.
I thought I would at least post some pictures of our great week, in spite of a few rain showers. Overall, we had a really good time!

Back from the beach

1-2-3 JUMP!

Shaelyn helping tie-dye her shirt. I'll show a completed picture soon!

The waves were really big on Thursday

Shaelyn enjoying the BIG waves

I'm Hoping for None of This...

2008-08-01T08:25:00.000-07:00

I took this picture earlier this week. Suddenly it started to rain and the drops were so big that they formed bubbles on the pool. But mostly I'm hoping for no rain because I am leaving tomorrow to go camping for a week with the 'sistas'! We'll try to keep the laughter level to a minimum for the sake of our neighbors. I'm sure we'll all have some stories to tell when we return!

Fruits of My Labor

2008-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

Here's what I've been doing today - canning applesauce. On Friday,my dad brought over a bunch of apples from his tree and said that they make great applesauce. I really wasn't feeling like doing canning this week but what could I say - free apples; the dutch in me says to use them. So this morning, Shaelyn and I were busy; coring, cutting and cooking apples. We put them through the grinder and spooned them into the jars. I'm hoping they all seal, otherwise, guess what we're eating with our canned meat tonight!

Dance for Him!

2008-07-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn went to dance class this week. It was called Dance for Him. They were taught to use their talents for God. I thought this was a great opportunity for her to try out dance. Here is one song that they performed at the recital on Friday.

What Could You Make with Paper Strips?

2008-07-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn has been busy crafting. For some reason, she is cutting strips of paper
and making things with them. Here are a few of her designs.

A Balloon or a Sucker

A Shoe

Headphones!

A Hairbow

What Could You Do?

How do You Help Dad Wash the Car?

2008-07-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Here's how Shaelyn helps! Stirring up the bubbles in the pail.

Wordless Wednesday

2008-07-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn and Halle watching fireworks on the 4th of July.

How do You Cool Off?

2008-07-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

I had an early ball game tonight - 6:00. It was still pretty hot out there. Thank goodness for a wind, every now and then. When we got home, we decided that this was the best way to cool off and get clean. Shaelyn and Dave got in a little volleyball action, as well. I'm pretty sure that Shaelyn beat him!

Friday Funny

2008-07-11T07:23:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I told you that I had a funny story about the making of my mosaic. We were talking about the mosaic at suppertime. I was asking the family different questions about what was on the mosaic. What is your favorite color, what is your favorite vacation, etc.... Then I asked Katelyn to say 1 word to describe herself and her answer was.....
dumb blonde!
Chelsea just burst out laughing. This proved our point! We asked for 1 word not 2. Katelyn tried to say it was a hyphenated word but we all knew better. She sure can make us laugh!

Water - but this time it was for fun!

2008-07-10T10:59:00.001-07:00

Shaelyn spent the night over at Halle's so this morning we met at the splash pad for some cooling off fun. We would have spent more time but 2 buses pulled up full of kids from a nearby school.(Why are some schools in session now, I ask!)
So that was pretty much the end of it but here's some of the fun they had!
At the end of the pictures I have posted the answers to my mosaic pictures
in case some of you are wondering what words I typed in. Make sure you check back tomorrow. I have a friday funny concerning this mosaic!

1 - terri
2 - chinese food
3 - unity christian
4 - green
5 - steven curtis chapman - I don't really have a crush on anyone but I admire him
6 - water
7 - australia
8 - death by chocolate
9 - mom
10- family
11-wonderful - this is kind of an inside joke for those who know me!
12-flickr terri - I didn't really know what to do so I just typed this in

My Mosaic

2008-07-09T09:36:00.000-07:00

Mari and Jennifer had this meme on their blogs. After much hard work and a little bit of help from Chels; here's what I came up with.

The rules:

* type your answers to each of the questions below into Flickr Search
* using only the first page, pick an image
* copy and paste the URL's for the images into fd's Mosaic Maker

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What High school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you
12. Your flickr name

Have fun with this!

Sorry!

2008-07-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Mari just informed me that there were problems with my comments section and email. I think that I've corrected this problem. Sorry - I never knew before that there were issues!

Water in our Lives

2008-07-08T10:53:00.001-07:00

Can anyone tell me what is up with water and my basement lately? Yesterday, Katelyn woke me up to tell me that there was a pipe or something leaking from our drop ceiling in the basement. Sure enough, I moved the warped and soaking wet ceiling tile to find a leak in the pipe. It was just spraying nicely all over. See the washcloth wrapped around the pipe?

So here's the pail and mop that we've been using faithfully. Anytime now, our plumber friend is supposed to be over to replace the pipe. At least we don't have any carpet there now to get wet!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all our military people who are serving to keep this great country safe. We're thinking of you all today as we celebrate our country's birthday! Hope you all have a safe and fun holiday today!

It's Raining, It's Pouring....

2008-07-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

What is up with the weather lately? We had another huge storm come through my area again yesterday. Dave ended up running out in the rain, getting ready to block our slider door again but this time the water didn't get as high. So many areas are without power - but we kept ours! These are some of the pictures I got during round 1 of the storm, around 3:15. The 2nd round came at 4:30 as I was coming home from the store. There was so much water on the road that my van almost stalled out! I tried so hard to get a picture of the lightening but it never came when I was ready. There is something so powerful to see in a storm.

A bit of rain, a bit of sun; No matter what, we still had fun!

2008-06-29T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm back and trying to catch up with everyone. Here's a small sampling of some of the fun we had, in spite of the rain. We managed to have a few good days where we could enjoy the beach and pool. No matter what, we always seem to have a good time camping.

Big discussions at the playground

Face painting at the carnival

Loving the beach

Family sand sculptures

And We're Off!

2008-06-20T12:35:00.000-07:00

I just returned from getting Shaelyn at Heritage camp today. They had a great program for everyone to see. I got a few pictures that I'll try to post later. Tomorrow we leave for a week of camping. I will not have access to my computer, so don't look for any posts from me next week. I'll try to catch up the week after next. Hope you all are enjoying your summer. I am - but it's busy!

Heritage Camp

2008-06-18T16:03:00.001-07:00

We've been busy this week. Shaelyn is going to Heritage Camp this week. Monday night she stayed over at a friend who we went to China with. She got to go to Bible School with her at night. Tuesday was the start of camp. There are kids from China, Guatemala, Eastern Europe, and Korea. I think there is something like 400 kids attending. She has painted a rock with Chinese words and is learning the lion dance. Camp starts at 9 every day and goes till 2:00. I found a neighbor who also goes so we're doing some car pooling. (It takes about 25 minutes one way)Tomorrow night, she will be staying over at Ellie's again. Friday, there is a special program to go to.
It's been incredibly busy but I thought I'd at least update you on what's going on!

Ready for bed?

Heading to Bible School

Recess time at Camp

Enjoying a eastern european lunch - beef stroganoff, pierogi's , vegetables

Cinderella Camp

2008-06-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here is my little Cinderella after she went to camp last Thursday. The Gymnastics place has all kinds of different camps throughout the summer. Every Thursday is Princess Camp. Thursday's princess was Cinderella who is Shaelyn's favorite. Camp is from 11:00 - 3:00. They are given lunch, make a craft, learn a princess dance and get to play on the equipment. The crown she is wearing is what she got to make. She had such a good time. She wants to go to more. Later on is Diva camp where they got to have nails done and hair styled and do makeup. Can't get much more girly than that but go figure - she also wants to do Gladiator camp where there is obstacle courses. There are competitions against boys! We'll see. This week from Tuesday through Friday is Heritage camp. This is for adopted kids from different countries. She will get to learn about different aspects of China and meet about 150 other kids from China. I'll be letting you know how that goes!

First Year of Tee-Ball

2008-06-13T00:00:00.000-07:00

Shaelyn played teeball for the first time this year. Dave was her coach. She really enjoyed it. One night, she had cheerleading and teeball so she decided to go to teeball because (in her words) the cheerleading team didn't need her! I guess the teeball team did. She loved making new friends and or course - snack was the best!

Shaelyn doing what she does best - hanging out with friends.
She is with Katiana - a friend she made at teeball.

Warm up exercises are crucial to winning the game!

Can you do this? You won't see me warming up for my games like this!

Dad helping adjust the tee

Made it on the base!

Good game, everyone!

Festival Time

2008-06-11T11:36:00.001-07:00

Saturday we headed downtown with some friends to check out Festival. For those of you not around here, every June we have Festival of the Arts. There is something like 30-40 food booths with everything from Chinese, Mexican, Greek, Ice Creams - you name it - it there. Then there are different areas with singing, dancing; all kinds of different art forms that you can watch. For the kids, there is painting, balloons and different crafts; all for FREE!!! Shaelyn had a great time doing the crafts. She also got her face painted and a balloon dog. It was warm but actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Anybody that lives near here, should really check this out if you haven't been there before. It was a fun time!

Here we were, sitting under the shade enjoying a bit
of Chinese food. It was delicious!

This gives you an idea of what it looked like downtown.

Weird girls - the heat must be getting to them!

There was a big area for kids to paint. They would
get a sheet of paper and go to work. Shaelyn always got
distracted and was busy talking to the kids next to her!

Working on making her hat at the Mad Hatter.
Look at all the cool
stuff they had to use!

Here she is with her finished hat.

We fought the water and - WE LOST!

2008-06-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Most of you know about the bad weather that went through Saturday. We were watching "JAWS" (go figure) around 9:00 and I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Water was pouring in through our sliding door. Dave and Katelyn went outside to try to put a barricade in front of the door while Chelsea and I searched for the hose for the wet vac. Meanwhile, water is continuing to pour in. There was about 3 inches of water on our cement slab that continued to come through. They finally managed to stop it from the outside while Chelsea and I vacuumed up the water on the tile floor. The water had seeped right into the carpet and into Katelyn's room. It is a horrible feeling to walk across your carpet and feel and hear squishy sounds! I used our vacuum carpet cleaner to try to suction the water out of the carpet but it really was not much good. There's just too much there. We were up till 1:30 cleaning. Dave was the only one to make it to church in the morning. The really awful part is that insurance will not cover water damage. That really stinks because we never claim anything. I wonder how much we've put into insurance and never gotten a dime out of them!
We got 5 inches of rain just on Saturday night. We got some more on Sunday afternoon. They are predicting storms for this afternoon and into tonight. Then we get a few days of relief with more predicted from later in the week. Our ground really needs time to absorb all this moisture. Pray that we get some relief!
Here's some pictures so you get an idea of what happened.

YUCK! This is the tile in the area in front of the slider door. Thank goodness
that we have that there! This is what I vacuumed up with the shop vac.
To the right a bit further than you can see, is where we have the carpet start,which got soaked.

This is coming into Katelyn's room. You can see our footprints
that are soaked with the water in the carpet.

This is our barricade. The water was coming down the hill to the
right. These are our bricks and wooden pieces set up.

Close up of the torn up grass. The cement pieces are
where the creek usually is.

Some of the trees falling into the water.

Here is the creek rising again on Sunday afternoon
You can see the patch of green grass that got ripped
away Saturday night. Usually, the creek is about 1/2
the size of the bridge.

Here is how our bridge is looking.
The creek must have risen right over top
and carried the railroad ties about a 1/2 mile
down the creek to the neighbors house.

Last day of School

2008-06-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

The girls both finished school last Wednesday. I am a "bit" behind posting.
It was kind of a sad day for me. Shaelyn has finished her first official school year and is moving to 1st grade next year. She will be attending a different school (she is transferring to a Christian school which is what we always planned on doing) She had a great year and a wonderful teacher.
Chelsea has finished her sophomore year and is preparing for the junior year. I think that is one of the tougher ones so it could be more of a challenge next year.
Farewell school year 2007-2008. You were a great year!

I Love You This Much!

2008-06-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: I have received a complaint from someone who shall remain anonymous. Someone was not feeling love so I'm going to also have to include:
Ginger from Just a Thought!
I hope she knows I love her!!

I received this award from my sister, Mari. Since all of my blogging family members have received this, I'll give to it a few bloggy friends. These are people who's blogs I read every day and love to hear about.

Jennifer from Nickernoodles Nonsense
Sheri - from Super Sammy!
Cheryl from Cherdecor
Bonnie from Simple Beauty

So I'm sending love across the US and even across a few oceans. Hope you'll catch my hug!

Outdoor Discovery Center

2008-06-02T14:59:00.001-07:00

Shaelyn had a field trip last Friday - to the Outdoor Discovery Center. Do you remember that it rained on Friday? Well, it turned out okay. We were inside a building for the most of it while the kids were taught about wetlands and pond animals. You can see that there were a lot of stuffed animals to look at. Some of the animals they got to touch were a snake, frog, toad, painted turtle and snapping turtle. After the weather cleared up a bit, we went outside and got to eat our lunches under a picnic area.
We had a lot of fun together.

See all the animals.

Touching a toad.

They got to scoop up pond water and use a magnifying glass to check it out a little better.

Here are some of the elk in the woods.

We got to stop at her teachers house and pet her dog. What's more exciting than
going to your teachers house?

The weather had cleared up so we ended at Timbertown to play.