Family Camp!

Remember I said that this summer we've been doing fundraisers and Family Camp?  Well, since I've already shared enough about fundraisers, I thought I'd post some pictures of Family Camp, too.  They are more interesting than fundraising pictures!   

 Duncan, the donkey, up close and personal :)

 

 Sarah's favorite thing--swimming!

 

 Got that ball in the hole!

 

 Critter catching...

 

 Target shooting

 

 Great shots!

 

So happy because she got to go on the high ropes course!

 

 Daddy helping when she got stuck

 

 She did so great!

 

 

 And the best part--the zip line!

 

 Sailing our cardboard ship!

 

 Fishing

 

 Of course, our nurse, Sarah, would find the crutches!

 

 Getting ready to go fishing on the back lake with Dad

 

 We had a blast!

Dre-e-e-e-eam...Dream, Dream, Dream!

The other day my hubby took the kids up to spend half the day with his parents.  I decided to stay home and try to get stuff done, and uninterrupted, to boot.  Before they left, my hubby said to me,

"Make sure you do something you enjoy while we're gone.  Don't spend the whole time cleaning."


Oooohhh...did you catch that?  A direct order to do something I enjoyed while I had some time.  A "no-guilt," free pass to do something fun and luxurious!!!  Well, I don't know about the luxurious part.  But still... 

Problem was, I really, really needed to do a lot of work around the house.  Drat.  And, I had plans for the evening, so I really didn't have all that much time to take advantage of this awesome offer.

But what if I did?.......

What if I had a whole, entire DAY to do whatever I wanted?  WHATEVER I wanted??  A day to spend on myself.  What would I do?  What would you do?

Feel free to dream with me for a moment.

First, of course, I would sleep in.  If I did not need to get up and start school or go anywhere pressing, I would most definitely sleep in.  And when I woke up, I would stay in bed for a while, just enjoying my warm, comfy covers. I would spend an extra long time enjoying my time with God that day.  Nothing sweeter! 

If it was warm outside, (and since I am dreaming, I am ordering a warm day) I would go for a nice, long walk, just enjoying the sunshine and birds singing.  Back at home, I would sit outside with my breakfast.  My children could only join me if they promised not to say MOM a hundred times.  I would watch them playing and enjoy their sweet laughter.  (What?  It happens like that occasionally!)

Next, I would get ready and head out the door, all by myself.  I'd start by meeting a friend for a yummy iced coffee somewhere.  Then, I would go to some garage sales or thrift stores, or shop some clearance racks.   Nothing makes me happier than finding  the best deal!  (And that is what I did with my little bit of time the other day.  I got some fantastic deals.  So much stuff for the store price of just one of the items I  bought.  The joy!)

I would go to the library, or maybe a book store.  I could spend as much time as I wanted!  Mmmmm....the smell of books.  The feel of the pages.  None of those new-fangled Kindle-type devices for me. 

Then....I would go to a museum!  I would go by myself.  Alone is best so that I could take as much time as I wanted reading EVERYTHING with no one to hurry me along.  I have never been able to do that before!

By now, it might be growing late in the day.  I would call my hubby and invite him to go out to eat with me.  Some romantic music playing in the car, my choice of restaurant.....something Italian.  Maybe a little place downtown I've never been to.  Perhaps after dinner we could take a stroll together enjoying the twilight time.  We could end the evening with a movie...  In my dream I am imagining there is something great playing that is rated G and is not a cartoon.  It's a DREAM, remember? 

Finally, at home, the kids are already snuggled in their beds, the kitchen has been cleaned, the dishwasher is sweetly humming.  I check on my sleeping angels, retrieve one of the books I picked up today, get my soft blanket and a warm cup of tea, and curl up on my couch, reading to my heart's content.  It's probably historical fiction, by the way.  Or maybe a biography.  My favorites.  Oh, and how could I forget?  I bought some chocolate that day too.  I will not worry about indulging in some decadent, creamy goodness while I lose myself in those pages.  And isn't it very late by now?  Of course!  Just the way I like it. 

Ah...yes.

What do you think?   I'll let you know if it actually ever happens.  ; )

Easter Day!

Yes, this post is a bit late...

but we had such a joyful Easter!  My heart was so full all day long.  I listened to "Amazing Love" by Graham Kendrick so many times.  I just couldn't get enough of that song.  Had a wonderful time worshiping at church. 

And we had fun celebrating with the kids.

 The shoes Sarah picked for the day...(Nope, sorry, I didn't let her wear them.)

I hope you had a very blessed Easter, too.  And if you would like to know more about how to have a relationship with Jesus, please visit this site. 

Have a great weekend!  I'm so glad it's Friday!!!

Can anything be more FUN?!

Our family enjoys the show Wipe-Out from time to time.  The other night, our family watched and guffawed along with an episode, and then played the Wii version that Daddy rented for the night.  It was a hoot, I tell ya.  But the best part of the night was when someone handed Sarah an extra remote that wasn't even working.  But she sure did think it was!  She believed with all her little heart that those  people up there jumping around and falling in the water on the screen were being controlled by her, (and for some reason, Sarah doesn't normally play the Wii.  Not sure why, because she clearly wants to!)  And that was enough to make that little girl one of the happiest people on the face of the planet that day. : ) 

 Getting started--Josh picked out a granny character.  : )

 Sarah realizing she has been handed a remote!

 It was a riot!

 "I fell in the water!"

 Best day ever.  Or at least the best day in the last few days. : )

 Can you believe it?  I am playing the Wii!

 This is almost as good as going to the clinic! (She didn't actually say that, but I'm sure she must have been thinking it.) ;)

"Mommy, take a picture of the remote!"



Sarah's birthday--Part 2....GUM!

I don't know exactly what it is, but our children love gum.  Maybe all children are the same, I don't know, but our kids....From the time they know what gum is, they want it, and they want it badly. 

It was the same with Sarah.  Sweet little thing, almost two years old when she came home--as soon as she started noticing her big brothers chomping away, she knew that that substance had to be good, and she definitely wanted some. 

And so it began. 

"Mommy, can I have gum?"

"You can when you are four!"

And pretty much every time the boys had some, she would always ask....  "Can I have some?"  Smart cookie...she knows that parents have been known to crack from time to time.  But in this case the answer was always without fail....."When you are FOUR, sweet, darling girl." 

And that's our little tradition in our home.  The kids just have to wait for the sticky goodness of gum until they are four.  And it makes it so much fun as the happy day is approaching.  They just can't wait to be four!  And Sarah, who gets excited over things like getting to help stir the scrambled eggs...well, you can just imagine the excitement she was feeling over this monumental occasion rapidly coming upon her.

So, on her birthday, at her party, she had her first taste, and you can see her reaction from the pictures in the last post.  But, the really fun part of the tradition, is that we take the kids to the store, and let them pick out their own pack of gum.  ANY one they want.  I know, the excitement is almost too much to take, but that is exactly what we do.  I remember only too well the kind that Josh picked when he was four.  Skittles gum.  I don't remember ever seeing it again since then, so I'm not sure that little gem of a product made the final cut in the gum brand battles, but I certainly do remember it clearly.  Gum that looks and tastes like Skittles.  Tiny, little pieces.  I'm not sure how he didn't get the concept of disposing of it in the trash can, but he kept spitting it out in the basement.  Behind the TV especially.  Good times.

So, it was Sarah's big day, (Well, the day after her birthday, because in classic Holly fashion, I just couldn't get everything together on the exact day it was supposed to happen) and off we went to R*te Aid. 

 Looking for the gum section with Josh, one of the best big brothers in the world...

 So many choices!

 Do you want the orange one?

 No, the yellow one!!!

GUM!!  (She takes after her grandma, by the way, with that pick.) 

Even got her own little bag. : ) 

And there you have it!  Sarah's trip to get her birthday gum!   Aren't you glad you stopped by my little blog today? 

Happy birthday, Sarah!

Oh, yes she is!! Our little girl is FOUR YEARS OLD!!!

Sarah Ting (aka Spider, Clinic, or Red Light, depending on the day) is.... spunky... joyful....make that--EXUBERANT...  And just plain FUN!  Not to mention cute as a button, funny, smart, and becoming more polite, thoughtful and encouraging by the day.  Some of her favorite phrases are, "Don't worry, you can do it!" when someone is frustrated;  and, "It's okay, Mom,"  when something is upsetting me.  And if you do something silly like accidentally spill your milk, she will definitely let you know that it is okay!

I can barely type this post without my heart bursting with happiness and gratefulness that she is our daughter, and she is here with us still.  Thank You, Jesus, for healing our Sarah and allowing us the amazing privilege of parenting this special girl who lights up the room with her smile wherever she is.  Tonight I said jokingly to my hubby, "If there were more Sarahs out there, could we have another one?"  And he said, "No, because that would just be too selfish of us!"

So, for your enjoyment, here are some pictures of our little party the other day.  She had a lot of fun. Well, of course she did!  : )

 Hello Kitty!

 Cake created by my own talented hubby.  Our own cake boss!

 Excited birthday girl!

 Enjoying listening to her most adoring fans singing to her : )

 Make a wish, sweet treasure! : )

Great job!

 She got lots of presents, but I think her favorite thing was her Hello Kitty band-aids!

 Double happiness!!!

 The whole crew sitting at her awesome new table and chairs!

 Beautiful sisters

 The moment Sarah has been waiting for for a long time...Her first piece of gum!  This special treat is reserved in our house for when you turn FOUR!

 Thinking about it...

 It's hard gum...

 She likes it!

 Having fun with the birthday gifts!

Everybody have some!  It is a birthday party after all!  : )

Happy birthday, Sarah.  You help make our lives so much fun!!