BOO!

Happy Halloween!

(And no, this isn't our pumpkin. I just thought it was cute. I found the picture here. But I will put up a picture of ours soon. They are pretty cute, too.)

150 Things

The object of this list is to highlight the things that you have done.

Feel free to borrow this and complete it on your blog.

Got this from Laney.


01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing--but only on a traversing wall
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke-horribly I might add
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge--no, but I drove over it
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Humorous writing

Emily wrote this for her Literature class. A word of explanation: They had studied Benjamin Franklin, who often wrote under pseudonyms. Their assignment was to create a pseudonym of their own and write a letter to the editor.


Character Description

Fiona Fretter: Fiona worries about everything (as you can probably tell). Every little thing bothers her and in her book, everything matters, no matter how minute. She is also accusatory toward the people that she believes are behind the problem.



To my kind Editor,

I have several matters of deep and precise concern to present to you. Some of the important issues of this community are being ignored and overlooked. Our mayor and city council members do not take these problems seriously and their lack of attentiveness contributes to the serious nature of these matters. So, I am forced to take action and present these devastating and otherwise depressing concerns to you.

For instance, someone with a sharp pencil could turn around and poke your eye out. Then we would have a bunch of blind people running around and bumping into each other! Another concern is that road construction workers could get run over with a bulldozer because they didn’t look both ways. I feel that flattened construction workers would not look very appealing to visitors to our fair city.

Leaves are a big, messy problem, as well. People could hide in big piles of leaves and jump out and mug you. Hair brushes can be used as weapons. Someone could knock you over the head with one and kidnap you.

All of these potential hazards need to be addressed. Therefore, the police force needs to be drastically increased. We need more officers on the force for traffic and to deter criminal activity.

Signed,
Fiona Fretter

Haiku by Anna, written for her poetry class. These were topics that she chose on her own. My favorite is Redwoods.


Sharks

Lurking to find food
Sharks swimming fast and rapid
Its teeth piercing sharp





Redwoods

Trees that reach the sky
Branches reaching for heaven
Beautiful tall trees






Wind

Moving through the trees
The wind blowing in my face
Goes every way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Emily is taking a class in Early American Literature. Her assignment last week was to write an infomercial for a product that would have been available during the time period they were studying (1700's). Here is what she wrote.

Do you dread getting into bed? Do your sheets feel like ice? Here is the solution! Introducing the newest way to go to sleep warm and toasty!

You’ve seen bed warmers before, but never like this. This extraordinary piece of work is hand-crafted of the finest copper. With its intricate designs, it also makes an exquisite decoration when not in use. Now equipped with a new, longer wooden handle, in your choice of oak or cherry.

Just simply take your hot coals from the evening meal and put them in the bed warmer. Place the bed warmer between the sheets for five to ten minutes. After the time is up, remove the bed warmer and dump the coals in the fireplace. Then, jump into your now-warm sheets.

This amazing device is usually 5 shillings. Now, we will sell it to you for just three shillings. If you order today, we’ll throw in a free brass candle snuffer. Get yours today, exclusively at a general store near you!

Take Your SIL to Blog Day...

OK, I have created a new category: Take your sister-in-law to blog day. I'm probably the only one who will ever do this, and this may be a one-time thing, but I think she is a talented artist and I want to show some of her work.












There is lots more where that came from. She has some work in a local gallery and tonight was the opening night. We went to the show and we were very impressed. Other people seemed to like her work as well. She has some neat stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoy viewing a few of her pieces.

Take Your Kid to Blog Day...

These poems are supposed to be in diamante (diamond) form, but I couldn't get it to turn out that way. So you will have to use your imagination. Anna wrote these for a poetry workshop class she is taking at our homeschool co-op.


Winter
nippy,crisp
freezing, numbing, piercing
frosty toes, parched throats
blinding, boiling, scorching
hot, sunny
Summer




Merle
brave, courageous
unflinching, daring, enterprising
adventurous, bold, timid, bashful
trembling, quivering, fearing,
afraid, scared
Addy

(This poem is about two characters from the book The Two Princess of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine.)

10 Things I Learned from my Parents

Denise tagged me for another meme, so here goes.

10 Things My Parents Taught Me

1. My mom taught me how to balance a checkbook.
2. My dad taught me how to ride a horse.
3. My mom gave me her recipe for fudge and taught me how to make it.
4. My dad taught me how to check the oil in a car.
5. My mom taught me that everyone is equal in the eyes of Jesus.
6. My dad taught me the value of working hard.
7. My mom taught me to stick with something when things get tough.
8. My parents taught me to be more of a "saver" than a "spender."
9. My parents taught me to learn from my mistakes.
10. My parents taught me how to be a parent.

Sick kids

Blah! Both of the girls are sick this weekend. I think that is a first--to have both of them sick at the same time. They both seem to have some kind of stomach flu. Not very fun, especially for them. I just hope that I don't get it, too. I have to teach at co-op tomorrow and our Girl Scout meeting is tomorrow night. No time for me to be sick!

Take Your Kid to Blog Day...

This week, in lieu of something my kids have done, I am including a recent picture taken of them on our vacation. This a picture of them in a redwood grove. They are inside a tree that was burned by forest fires, but is still living.

Take Your Kid to Blog Day...

Up today is Emily's response to a question in her science book. Here is the question:

Galileo faced a very difficult decision in his life. He was convinced by science that the heliocentric system was correct. Nevertheless, his church said that it was wrong and threatened to throw him out of the church if he didn't recant his belief in the heliocentric system. Galileo, in obedience to his church, agreed to publicly recant his belief, even though he knew it was right. Did Galileo make the right choice, or should he have stayed true to his science and been thrown out of the church?

Emily's response, which she worked on for quite a while: "I do not think there is a right or wrong answer to this question. Different people have different ideas or beliefs. In my opinion, what Galileo did was right. He could have kept arguing and fighting the Roman Catholic Church, even though it would get him nowhere and he would be kicked out. Instead, he stopped protesting but he still collected data because he knew he was right, despite the negativity around him. His belief in God was so important to him, he stopped promoting the heliocentric system, even though he knew he was correct. It's really hard for me to give up on an idea, especially if I strongly believe I'm right. Imagine how it was for Galileo. He was scorned and mocked for having a different viewpoint than others. Yet his love for God and the church proved more important than anything, so he publicly recanted his belief in the heliocentric system! Galileo is a role model for me because of his determination and strength in difficult situations."


In addition, I will let them answer the questions from Jennifer's meme. Anna first:

Something I do well is art and math.

Something I'd like to improve on is cheerleading and learning about God.

My favorite food is mac and cheese, pizza and grapes.

Three words that best describe me are annoying, kind to others, and happy.

My happiest moment is when I went to Disney World.

The most important thing in my life now is my family and Jesus.

Were any of the answers surprising? I was surprised that she mentioned cheerleading. She took a cheerleading class at the Y a few years ago, but hasn't really done anything since. I'm not sure why she described herself as annoying. I don't think she is any more annoying than any other kid, although her sister might sometimes disagree. The rest of the answers don't really surprise me.

Now Emily:

Something I do well is English and acting.

Something I'd like to improve on is my attitude.

My favorite food is pizza, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and cucumbers.

Three words that best describe me are caring, outgoing, industrious.

My happiest moment is when I went to Alcatraz.

The most important thing in my life now is God, family and church.

I was a bit surprised that Emily said she needs to improve her attitude. Not that it isn't true at times (she is 12, after all), just that she admitted it! LOL I was also a bit surprised at her happiest moment. I figured she would have said when she was baptized last year, but I guess her mind was on a different track--probably because she heard her sister's answer.

So, that's it for our Take Your Kid to Blog Day. You can go over to Blest with sons to read what other kids are doing and saying.

Updated to add: When Emily read my response to her answers, she said, "Oh, I wish I had said that. That really is my happiest moment. I was just thinking about all the trips we've taken." So, consider her answer changed.

Amy is giving away a book!

Amy over at Amy's Humble Musings is giving away Lies Homeschool Moms Believe by Todd Wilson. Sounds like a great little book to encourage you or the homeschooler in your life. Head on over to her site to enter for a chance to win!

Changes, changes

Hi. Glad you stopped by. As you can see, I have redecorated. That is thanks to Blogger Beta. I hope that switching over doesn't cause any problems for anyone who wants to post comments. 'Cause if it does, I have no idea how to fix it!

California vacation--the finale

Day 6

After several fun-filled days with aunts, uncles, cousins, cousin-in-laws, step-cousins, cousins-once removed, second cousins...well you get the idea. We had a fun reunion, but on Thursday it was time to move on. We headed north to Eureka to visit my aunt who, because of her health, was unable to attend the reunion. My cousin (her son) had invited us to stay with him and his wife. We drove up Highway 101 and saw some beautiful sights. We absolutely fell in love with the magnificent Coastal Redwoods. You really have to experience these fabulous trees to appreciate just how awesome they are. Here are a few pictures.

The trees are just so unbelievably huge! The second picture was taken with Brian, the girls, my niece and 2 nephews (and a couple of other kids) on the trunk of a fallen redwood. That is the end with the roots. We also stopped at a grove called Founder's Grove, where there were some amazing trees, including the fallen Dyerville Giant. Here is a picture of the Founder's Tree. I believe it is about 12 feet in diameter. There were 10 of us holding hands fingertip to fingertip to encircle the tree! It is almost 350 feet tall. We also got to see the famous "Drive-through Tree." Here is a picture of our family standing in front of it. I took a picture of Brian driving our rental car through it, but it is kind of dark. We finally tore ourselves away from the trees and arrived at my cousin's house. We had a nice dinner with them and visited for awhile before we headed to bed.

Day 7

After a delicious breakfast of pancakes, we headed out to look around Eureka. It is an old logging town and has some interesting sights. The Carson Mansion is a beautiful example of the many Victorian houses in Eureka. We also visited the site of old Fort Humboldt, where there is also an outdoor exhibit of historical logging equipment. Very interesting. After lunch, we went to visit my aunt and had a very nice visit. The afternoon found us on the road headed to a place called Fern Canyon. We took Highway 101 further north, where my cousin had us turn off onto a very rough and winding dirt road. Along the way we saw some Roosevelt elk right next to the road! We ended up near the beach and then took off on a hike into this gorgeous little canyon. There was brook tinkling through it and five-fingered ferns covering the walls. It was breath-taking! My media card reader is not working right now, so I can't download the pictures that I took, but you can go here or here to see someone else's pictures. It's almost like being in another world. Anyway, after our hike, we stopped at Gold Bluffs Beach so the kids could wade in the water one more time. I still can't figure out why they kept wanting to get in that cold water. I guess it's because they live so far from any ocean. Fortunately, they just got their feet and ankles wet this time.

Day 8

We got up on our last day and headed back toward San Francisco. We decided to take Highway 1 along the coast. The first portion of this highway was actually through more mountain and forest so it was extremely twisting and winding. We had to stop at one point because Brian wasn't feeling very well. We ended up near some blackberry bushes, so everyone got out and picked some delicious wild blackberries. YUM! We drove along the coast for quite a ways and it was breath-taking! We didn't take it all the way to San Francisco because we were running out of time to get our rental car back. We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge again--no fog this time-and made it back to SF in time to turn in our car. Then we took the BART back across the bay to our hotel, where we spent the night and left early the next morning.

Well, that's it. We crammed a lot into 8 days, but of course, still didn't get to do everything we would have liked. But, I guess that just leaves things for us to do if we ever find ourselves out that way again.

Take Your Kid to Blog Day...

Written by 9-year-old Anna: an acrostic poem

S unny days come to life
U nder the big, blue sky
M eadowlarks flying in the wind
M ischievous squirrels playing in the trees
E verlasting beautiful breeze
R apid winds finally die down

We interrupt this vacation update...

...to bring you a meme.

Wow! Denise tagged me for a meme--my first time ever--so here goes:

1. Three things that scare me:
Driving in traffic in big cities
Snakes
That my kids will not choose to serve God

2. Three people who make me laugh:
Jay Leno
My friend, Maureen
My kids

3. Three things I hate most:
Snakes
Inconsideracy (is that a word?)
When people try to play mental games

4. Three things I don't understand:
Most things about computers
Most things about electronics in general
Why there is so much hatred in the world

5. Three things I am doing right now:
This meme
Drinking a glass of water
Petting my cat

6. Three things I want to do before I die:
Go to Japan
See my children get married and have children
Have unlimited resources for travel, philanthropy, and spoiling my future grandkids

7. Three things I can do:
Drive a car
Load the dishwasher
Tie my shoes
(Hey, nobody said these had to be major accomplishments!)

8. Three ways to describe my personality:
Friendly
Self-deprecating
Nurturing

9. Three things I can't do:
Fly an airplane
Make "hospital corners"
Resist chocolate

10. Three things I think you should listen to:
Anything by Josh Groban
Our church song leader when he leads "Days of Elijah"
Your mother--'cuz Moms always know best :)

11. Three things you should never listen to:
Ditto what Denise said about Paris Hilton
Music with trashy lyrics
Anyone who is putting you down

12. Three things I'd like to learn:
How to download music onto an MP3 player
How to sew
How to be a better parent

13. Three favorite foods:
Chocolate cake
Chocolate chip cookies
Basically, anything with chocolate

14. Three beverages I drink regularly:
Water
Water
Water
(and an occasional iced tea or Coke)

15. Three shows I watched as a kid:
Bewitched
The Brady Bunch
The Partridge Family

16. Three people I'm tagging to do this meme:
Well, since I think Denise is my only reader...
But if anyone reads this and wants to do it, leave a comment so I can go read your blog.

Vacation: Part Deux

Day 3

So, on Monday, we got up and got our things together. We decided to try to find something for breakfast, but there really was not anything near our hotel. We walked several blocks and finally just ended up at the same pastry shop that Brian had been to the day before. But we did get an up-close view of the National Shrine that I mentioned in the last post. It sure is a pretty building--I wish we could have gone inside. Then, we hiked over to the National Rental Car place in Union Square, where we had reservations to pick up a car. There was a huge line that was moving very slowly. There were only 2 agents there. I think we waited in line for over an hour, which made us very frustrated. We finally got our car and hurried to our hotel to get our luggage and check out. We made it in time and then called my brother, as we were going to meet up with them and travel together. They had picked up their car already, but wanted to go to Haight-Ashbury (he has college-age sons). So, we headed over to Lombard Street and took a drive down the "Crookedest Street in America." After that, we headed out toward the Golden Gate Bridge, where we would meet up with my brother. We stopped and took some cool pictures of the bridge shrouded in fog (the only day we had fog!) While waiting for them, we stopped at East Beach in Chrissy Field. The girls kicked off their shoes and waded in the ice cold water. We finally met up with the rest of the family and headed north. It was so cool to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge! Of course, with the fog we couldn't really see anything other than the bridge, but it was cool, nonetheless.

We drove through some vineyard areas on our way up to Clear Lake. We noticed it get noticeably warmer (HOT!) soon after we crossed the bridge. After driving on some very curvy roads and stopping at a Petrified Forest, we finally arrived at Clear Lake. We stayed at Konicti Harbor Resort.

Days 4 & 5
Our main purpose for the trip to California was for a family reunion. We got see and meet some cousins and reconnect with aunts and uncles. We had such a fun time sharing pictures and stories and getting to know one another. I won't go into much more detail here. But I will say that it was a wonderful experience and I'm looking forward to the next time we have a chance to get together.

Next up: The final chapter

San Francisco

As promised, here is an overview of our vacation to California.


Day 1

We arrived on a Friday night in Oakland. After making our way to the train station, we took the BART across the bay to downtown San Francisco. It was kind of a novel experience for Brian and the girls, as they had not really spent much time in a large city, nor used public transportation much. Their only other experience was several years ago in Chicago and we had Brian's sister there to help us. Anyway, we made it and only had to walk a few blocks to our hotel. We stayed at the Hilton in the Financial District, with a great deal that we got on Hotwire. It was actually at the edge of Chinatown, so it was convenient to that, but not very convenient to many restaurants. Anyway, we just went to bed so that we could get an early start the next day, which wasn't too difficult since we were still operating on Central time. We walked to the Union Square area and had breakfast at Sear's Fine Food, which is evidently a well-known place. It was good, but a bit pricey. Then we walked on down to Market Street and caught the cable car to take us to Fisherman's Wharf. That was a lot of fun. The cable cars are pretty much a tourist attraction--not many San Franciscans ride them regularly because they cost much more than other public transportation (buses and streetcars only cost $1.50, whereas the cable car is $5 per person!). But, it was a must-do experience. Brian even stood on the step and held onto the handrail.

Once at Fisherman's Wharf, we made our way to Pier 41, where we got our tickets for the ferry to Alcatraz. A note about that--if you want to do this, you must purchase your tickets in advance. I had done this, so it was no problem. The ferry is only about 15 minutes out to "The Rock"--go early if you have motion issues, as it is not as rough at that time.


We really enjoyed our tour, which was self-guided around most of the island, with an audio tour of the cell block. It was fascinating, and one of the highlights of our time in San Francisco. We spent several hours there. Once back from that, it was mid-afternoon and we were in need of lunch. We walked a ways to a place called Fog City Diner, which was recommended by my cousin. It was good food, but expensive. It also had no air conditioning, which is normally not an issue in SF, but we happened to be there during an extremely unusual heat wave. After lunch we headed back to Pier 39. We wandered around and the girls rode the double-decker carousel. Then we met up with my brother and his family, who had arrived that day from Texas. After an evening snack of sourdough bread (YUM!), we decided to head back to our hotel.

Day 2

We got up early again on Sunday morning. I thought it would be neat to go to church somewhere, but couldn't really figure out where to go. We could see a church from our hotel window, but didn't know exactly how to get there or what time services were. I found out later that it is actually the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi. It isn't really a church anymore, although apparently they do have mass everyday. So, after a breakfast of donuts, procured by Brian at a local pastry shop, we headed over to Chinatown. We wandered in and out of the little tourist souvenir shops. We picked up a few little trinkets while waiting to meet up with my brother. We also took some pictures by the Chinatown gate. After we finished our shopping, we decided to go over to Japan Center. My sister-in-law is Japanese, so we thought that might be interesting. We ended up having lunch there at a Japanese restaurant and it was really good. Then we decided to go back down to the Fisheman's Wharf area. The guys wanted to see Fort Mason and the girls wanted to play in the water--even though the water was quite chilly and they didn't have their swimsuits! We finished up the day by eating at In-N-Out Burgers and then headed back to our hotels.

Coming soon: More vacation news and pictures!

Vacation Update....

...coming soon! With pictures! But here is a pictorial hint about where we went. Any guesses?

(Denise--you can't play, 'cuz you already know!)

Job Title of the Day: Chauffeur

Well, the summer fun has begun! We've embarked on one of our busiest summers yet. It seems like no matter how hard I try, we still end up with tons of stuff on our schedule. Both of my girls are going to multiple Girl Scout camps (the direct result of selling all those cookies!) Emily is gone right now, attending a camp where she gets to swim, pedal boat and canoe. She went to a similar one about two weeks ago, but this camp is longer and has more activities. Next week, Anna and I are going to day camp with her Brownie friends. It should be a fun week of swimming, canoeing, hiking, crafts...and we get to spend one night in a tent! Later in the summer, Emily will go to a living history museum and re-enact the lifestyle of an 1870's girl, and Anna will go to camp that is centered around flight--kites, airplanes, etc. They also have church camp in July and Emily will get to go on her first youth-group trip in August. Woo-hoo!

Like I said: busy, busy. But, they are having so much fun and learning a lot, too. Emily, especially is having to learn some things. Besides all of her camps, she has a little lawn-mowing business going this summer and she really has learn to budget her time well so that she can keep up with that between all of her activities. She is also volunteering for our library's Summer Reading Program.

Sometimes Anna feels a little left out. It's not that she isn't busy, too. She has 3 Girl Scout camps, plus church camp. She just sees Emily going, going, going and thinks she should get to go that much, too. I keep telling her that her time will come. I guess that is just normal for the younger sister. For now, I think she is plenty busy!

So much to blog...

...so little time to blog it.

I really have not fallen off the face of the earth. It's just that I have all these things going on and it seems like I just don't have the time to sit down and put it into words. I would love to tell you about the cool stuff the girls have been doing and about our trip to Kansas City so the girls could participate in LTC (Leadership Training for Christ). I would also like to tell you about our lovely Easter, about Brian's mom's health problems and about my recent birthday. But, I just don't have the time. Maybe later....