11 posts tagged “summer”

Camp Wilderness Ridge

Jun 13, 2009
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Brendan was tired when we got there Friday night

Brendan returned home after spending 5 days at Camp Wilderness Ridge. Surprisingly, my city boy had the time of his life. It is a Christian based camp for boys, and they get to do things that city boys don't normally get to do. They went canoeing, fishing, learned archery, shot pellet guns, slept in open cabins, ate outside, and went without a/c for 5 whole days! They had devotionals after breakfast and then had a Bible study with his cabin mates. Their verse for the week was Mark 12:30, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."

Brendan earned an award for learning 10 Bible verses during his stay at camp. He is telling me he actually learned 11, but he only had time to say 10. Each cabin had a junior counselor and a senior counselor. Brendan really liked his junior counselor, Joel.

He says his favorite thing at camp was archery. There was a deer decoy and he hit the kill zone on it twice! He has really good hand/eye coordination.

As of right now, Brendan says he wants to go back next year. It looks like a really great place for boys to hang out and be boys, and learn a little more about God. If, in a year, he still wants to go back, I'll be happy to let him go back. I'm glad he had the opportunity to spend a few days with male leaders who love God and are interested in sharing that with younger boys. And I'm grateful for those wonderful leaders.

Jason and Brendan were in the same cabin

The Three Amigos - Camp Wilderness Ridge

Baseball Season is Officially Over

Jun 29, 2008
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The month of June at our house was consumed by baseball. Brendan made the All-Star team and Cole was the head coach, so we lived and breathed baseball. This morning our season ended with a loss to a team that we had beaten before, and should have beaten again. You won't believe this story.

LCP has 3 All-Star teams for 9 -10 year old American league. I don't agree with the way we form our All-Star teams, but that's a different blogpost. Team 1 is the best with teams 2 and 3 following. We were Team 2. We never had to play Team 1, but we played and beat Team 3 easily. Playing other LCP teams is kind of tricky...we're all from the same league, and we know most of the players and their parents, so it's kind of hard to root against them. This morning our game was at 9:00, and if we had won, we would have played in the championship at 11:00. So on with the story...

What happened this morning was the stupidest thing I have ever seen occur on a baseball field. The other team batted first...except they didn't actually bat. They were told by their coaches to stand and take pitches and walk around the bases. This strategy shouldn't have worked, but we had the worst umpire in history, and he wouldn't call a pitch a strike unless it hit the catcher's mitt perfectly. As Brendan said, "his strike zone was 1 square inch." Brendan was not exaggerating. We went through 4 pitchers in 3 innings. Three of our pitchers broke down in tears (mind you these are 9 and 10 year old boys who have pitched for a few seasons already...they are good pitchers) because they were throwing great pitches, and it didn't matter because that umpire wouldn't call strikes.

In addition to the mess that was happening on the field, the opposing team's parents' behavior was atrocious. I always hear how badly parents behave at kids' sporting events, but we've never really observed it for ourselves. I've witnessed very loud parents who were cheering for their team, and even though it gets annoying after a while, that's what parents do and as long as the cheering is positive, I have no problem with it. But these parents were completely without tact or class. They cheered and made comments when Cole pulled Brendan from pitcher, they were saying things about our guys when they were batting like, "This kid can't hit," or "he's not gonna swing." And they had 3 parents who were standing behind the catcher who were yelling on every close pitch to try and startle our batters and make them swing. This is bad enough, but it gets better.

Any of you who know us, and know Cole, know that he is one of the calmest, most laid back people you could ever meet. He gets mad and/or frustrated just like we all do, but you'd never know it. After the game was over, he said something to the umpire about how he had the smallest strike zone he had ever seen, and the umpire got in his face and yelled something at him. I missed the beginning of this altercation, and even when I saw what was happening, I couldn't hear what they were saying to each other. Cole said the guy cussed at him and he really thought he was going to take a swing at him. Great example for the kids, huh?

Now you are probably thinking that I am a sore loser at this point, and, the truth is, I *am* a sore loser...if it's me playing the game. If it's one of my kids all I care about is that they play their hardest and they display good sportsmanship. And as disappointing as it is to lose the game before the championship, it would have been a lot easier to take if the other team had just played. And if the parents had behaved like adults should. But that isn't what happened and our guys walked away from that game feeling about as low as they could possibly feel. It was sad.

Brendan played some great baseball for his All-Star team. He pitched, he hit, he was an excellent third baseman, and he was a team player. I'm very proud of him. I took some pictures of him this morning before the game got so bad. I love the faces he makes while he's pitching...he concentrates so hard and you can see that he's focusing everything he has on that next pitch.

Sounds of Summer

Jun 28, 2008
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Sometimes when I hear a song I can remember a certain moment in my life when that song was the soundtrack. I can remember who I was with, what I was doing, where I was, and sometimes how I felt at the time. I just added Skid Row's, "I Remember You" to my iPod, and it is one such song. I can remember being at the beach with my friends Amy and Russell (Russell would later become more than a friend and we would end up dating for 2 1/2 years). We were sitting on the beach, listening to Skid Row on cassette (yes, cassette) and it was LOUD. We had driven to the beach in Russell's truck and he had one of those mind numbingly loud stereo systems that so many people had in high school. I remember just hanging out, talking to the two of them, and we saw a couple of sticks lying nearby, and I started writing things in the sand. I don't remember what I was writing, but I vividly remember hearing the part of the song that says, "love letters in the sand...I remember you." And there I was...writing in the sand.

That song always reminds me of summer. And it reminds me of that time with Amy and Russell.

On Outrigger Island, We Live God's Unshakeable Truth

Jun 21, 2008
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I survived another year of VBS. Just barely. We had a little boy in our class who is ADD, but was off his meds for the summer. Thank God Theresa had the patience to deal with him because I just didn't. I think part of his problem was ADD, and part of his problem was simply that he has no boundaries. It was crazy. But as a result, I've decided that I need to do some reading up on ADD. It's not something that I know a whole lot about. Same with autism...I need to do some reading on that, too. So if anyone reading this post can recommend some good resources on either of those conditions, please leave a comment and tell me.

Anyway...back to Outrigger Island. My kids had a blast at VBS, which I'm always grateful for. Brendan was in a class (that I handpicked) with all of his baseball friends, Collin had Sam in his class, and Kaelin *finally* had a friend in her class. She has bonded with a bunch of girls at school, but for some reason she has never really gotten close to any of the kids her age at church. Her friend, Cara, from school came to VBS this year and Kaelin was ecstatic when we found out she was in our class. Cara is a great kid, and I'm very happy that Kaelin has become such good friends with her.

Collin came home with a bag full of crafts from the week, and he insisted that I take a picture of him with each item. So, beginning with the fish tank that he made, here's Collin.

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And these are the glasses that he showed me and said, "I can see God with these glasses."

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And here is a very cute foam picture that he made.

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And here is Collin holding a picture of his VBS class.

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The rest of the pictures are Brendan and Kaelin and their friends. Everybody had a wonderful time, and hopefully they learned a thing or 2 about the love of God while they were on Outrigger Island.

Aloha!!

Jun 17, 2008
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OutriggerLogoColor

That's not a word you hear very much in Texas. Outrigger Island is our VBS theme this year and it has been a BLAST!! My kids have enjoyed VBS more this year than they ever have. I'm teaching Kaelin's class for the second year, and I'm having a fantastic time, too. The theme is fun, my co-teacher is great, and it's nice to spend time with Kaelin. Yesterday, our class was very well-behaved, today they were a little less well-behaved, and I'm sure tomorrow will be an even more interesting day. We have a few boys that keep us on our toes, but you always have those kids. I don't know what's different about this year, but everything seems to be moving along without a hitch, and everyone involved seems to be enjoying themselves. No tears or temper tantrums yet, so I guess I'm doing something right!!

Anyone who has been reading my blog for at least a year will remember that I read the whole Harry Potter series last summer and loved it. This summer I'm going to read The Chronicles of Narnia. I've read The Magician's Nephew, and it took me a couple of chapters to get into it, but once I did I enjoyed it. I am up to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I'm already excited to begin reading it and I thought it was cool that Magician's Nephew told me why the wardrobe is magic. I'm looking forward to this next adventure.

One Word: Ha-Ha

Jun 10, 2008
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That is directed at my husband, Cole, for doubting that I would get up and go for a walk first thing in the mornings this summer. This morning, I was up at 7:00, and out the door by 7:15. This is huge for me as I LOVE to sleep. But I am also out of shape, so it is time to get moving.

The background on this declaration is a conversation I had with Cole a couple of weeks ago. And the background on that conversation is that I joined Weight Watchers in late March, but with school, baseball, and everything else in my life, I couldn't find the time to exercise. So I decided that during the summer I would get myself out of bed in the morning, be out the door by 7:00, walk for an hour, and come home and watch The Golden Girls for an hour before getting the rest of the day started. This morning I did it!! I am proud of myself and I reminded Cole upon returning from my walk that he had said I wouldn't do it. So, Ha-Ha. : )

As for Weight Watchers, it is a great program, but I haven't been serious enough with it to see the results that I should be seeing by now. I should have lost between 15 and 20 pounds at this point, but I have yet to lose 10. I'm close, and I'm taking it very seriously now, so I should start seeing those results. If you're considering joining WW, I would encourage you to do it. It works if you stick to it.

My other plan for the summer is to keep my house clean, and I am on my last cup of coffee, so it is almost time to get up and clean some bathrooms. Then we're going to the pool. This is going to be a great summer!!

Children's Choir Camp = Tons of Fun

Aug 13, 2007
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Last week, Brendan and Kaelin spent their mornings at our church's Children's Choir Camp. They had a race theme...Darryl Waltrip even made appearances via DVD. Brendan came home on Monday talking about Stomp. He explained that Stomp is a percussion part during one of the songs. They didn't play drums and such...they played what Brendan called "trash." Brendan played a "drum set" that was made of a metal hubcap and some other things that I couldn't quite identify. One of his friends played a plastic trash can like a bongo, and another of his friends played a big plastic water jug. It was awesome!! I filmed them during the song, and the video is the next thing you will see.

So onto Kaelin. Those of you that know Kaelin and know how quiet she tends to be would not have recognized the child. She sang, she did the movements, she stood front and center like she was the star. It was amazing! You can find video of her in the "Videos" section.

Both kids loved it and I loved that they got to experience music in a way that they had never experienced before. I especially loved that Brendan got to play an "instrument" of some sort. I feel certain that they will be attending Choir Camp again next year.

Many of their friends were also at choir camp, and you can find some of those pictures after this post. Last night's program showed us once again how incredibly blessed we are to be a part of our church. We have loved it for 10 years now and it continues to grow and it gets better and better.

In The Good Ole Summertime.

Jul 8, 2007
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I just got some good news and I am happy! The news isn't actually about me...it's about something good happening to somebody else (and yes, the news does affect me in a roundabout way) and that makes me happy. : )

But I am really here to talk about my children. You see, they are growing up - very fast. My youngest is 4, and even though I absolutely *loved* having babies when they were babies, I am so glad that my youngest is now 4, and I have no more babies. Make sense? I don't miss the baby car seats that are so heavy, or having to drag around half of the baby's possessions in a diaper bag, and I certainly don't miss getting up 2-3 times a night. It is so nice to be able to tell them all to get dressed and put on their shoes, and jump in the van and go somewhere. Or tell them to put on their pajamas, brush their teeth, and get in bed, and they can do all of those things without me.

In addition to all of this independence, they all have very quickly developing social lives. They are constantly getting phone calls, spending the night with friends, or having friends over - or going to friends' houses. When I think of my childhood, what I remember most is my friends (don't tell my mom I said that). I loved my parents and we had a very stable home, but most of my memories are of my friends. Back then (yes, it's been a while since I was a kid) we could ride our bikes all over the place and our parents didn't worry about us. We were outside all the time - with no sunscreen - and it was always a drag to have to go home at the end of the day. But first thing the next morning somebody would call and we were at it all over again. I can't let my kids ride their bikes out of the neighborhood, but the way it all works it still generally the same. They are all about their friends...and that also makes me happy. It's the way it should be. I want them to have lots of friends and have all of those warm fuzzy memories of summers filled with friends and fun just like I have.

Last Friday Kaelin had a friend over and I took them to the pool. They had so much fun together! They jumped in the pool at the same time, holding hands, squealing the whole way down, they shared a beach towel and ate animal crackers while lying on it side by side, and they swam to Mermaidia (if you don't know, Google it). Brendan and Collin were there, too, and Brendan always sees somebody he knows from school at the neighborhood pool. Sure enough his friend, Garrett was there. I have no pictures of Keith Urban, but I have pictures of our fun day at the pool!

Later that day, my friend, Valerie, and her family came over for a visit. I met Valerie the summer before we went to kindergarten and we have been friends ever since. There were times during the high school years where we sort of drifted apart, but when all was said and done, the friendship was still there. Valerie's daughter is 7 months older than Kaelin. They play really well together when they see each other. The funny thing is...they aren't much older than we were when we met, and Katie is the spitting image of Valerie and of course Kaelin is my Mini-Me, so it's kind of fun to see them together. I will have to dig up a picture of Valerie and me and post it with a picture of our girls side by side. Anyway, we went to eat dinner and then came back to my house and ended up in the backyard playing kickball with the kids. Sadly, it was a lot of fun! I will leave you with some pictures of the kickball game and other entertainment from my backyard. Stay tuned...tomorrow you will hear about the muffin thief!!

Weeklong Vacation

Jun 27, 2007
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This week I have been a slug. I took the kids to my parents' house on Sunday afternoon for their summer visit. We're going back on Friday to pick them up. I have done absolutely nothing this week...except today I finally did 3 loads of laundry. Cole and I have enjoyed our time alone. Last night we went bowling with some friends (I'll add some pictures soon) at Main Event and then played Glow Golf. We had a lot of fun despite the fact that I had the lowest score on bowling and the highest score in golf. Not exactly what you want, but those are 2 things that I have never been good at, so it really wasn't a big deal.

I'm still recovering from my softball injuries that I got on Sunday. The skin is starting to grow back on my left ankle, and the bruise that covers about half of my right shin is getting darker. The various other bruises and scratches are healing nicely. I can walk now without too much pain, but it still hurts a little. Maybe I need to try to not be so competetive. Or maybe not.

I'm Shaking My Head

May 17, 2007
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I can't believe Melinda's gone. Jordin has been one of my favorites since the beginning, but Melinda is the better, more consistent singer. The finale should have come down to those 2...Blake has no business being in it. He's just not that good. I know Melinda will be just fine, but it bugs me that she didn't make it to the final 2. She deserved to win.

Anyway, as of 1:00 this afternoon, I am on summer vacation! Yay! Collin and I are on our way to the church so I can finish my cleaning hours. I'm looking forward to getting that done!

Oh, and my friend, Sean, that I posted about in the "Roses" post has been keeping me updated on his illness. The cancer is in his lymph nodes, so he is headed for chemo and radiation. He will find out within the next couple of weeks if it has spread to his organs. He has an amazing attitude about the whole thing. Please pray for him.