Cool Spray on a Hot Day

Wow, today was HOT!!! And the humidity made it seem even hotter. Grant and Katie love to cool off on hot days like today by playing on the slip-n-slide that Dave made with a long piece of plastic from Home Depot. :-)

Happy Independence Day!

He Can't Wait!

Grant is so excited for football to start! We finally agreed that he could play tackle this fall, after holding off last year because of the crazy schedule. We had heard that there were long practices four nights a week and games on weekends and we just weren't ready to commit to that kind of schedule for a young child's sport. But, this year we said yes. We realize how good sports are for Grant. He is a very high-energy kid and needs the outlet sports give him. Also, he is learning to respond to an authority figure, follow directions and be a team player. This is good because his natural tendency is to try to take the lead and do things his way. :-)

Kid Life

One thing I especially remember about my childhood is that I always seemed to have skinned up knees. My mom was always putting something that stung and made me yell on some skinned up part of me--usually my knees. So, the memories came flooding back when Katie wiped out on her bike a few days ago. Grant pulled her bike off of her and walked her into the house, where I washed her scrapes and put antiseptic and then a bandaid on each one. She braved it all and then ran back outside to play. :-)

Soccer Days

Grant and Kate are both on soccer teams and we are at the soccer field four nights a week. They love it and they are getting exercise and learning how to be team players. As for me, as I shuttle them to and from their games and practices in my minivan, I am truly living the soccer mom life. :-) (It's not so bad...especially since the soccer season ends in a couple of weeks! ;-) )

A Fun Visit

Twenty-two years ago I joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ to work with their high school ministry, Student Venture. My first assignment with Student Venture was in San Diego, California, where I met a high school sophomore named Michelle, who was in a Bible Study that I led. Michelle was in that study all through high school and we had lots of deep conversations and great experiences, like a mission trip to Mexico City, together. Michelle graduated and headed off to college and I was transferred to Boulder, Colorado. It was in Boulder that I met and married Dave.

Several years later, Michelle married Greg, a wonderful guy who just happens to be from Boulder! Together they have three adorable kiddos and they have been serving overseas as missionaries for the past seven years. Last week they were in town for a conference and we had the pleasure of having them stay with us. The kids all played together, the men talked and Michelle and I talked and talked. We stayed up until 2:30am two nights and until 4:00am the last night, and we STILL could have talked for hours more! I don't know how she managed to make it through her conference on so little sleep, and I definitely learned that I cannot stay up all night and still function the next day! But, it was so fun to catch up. :-)

Bowling

Yesterday the kids and I met some friends at the local bowling alley for free bowling! Yep, it was totally free. They have a summer program that allows kids to bowl a free game of bowling every day, all summer long! Isn't that amazing? We will certainly be bowling more this summer! :-)

Milestone Birthday

Dave had the big 4-0 birthday on Thursday! Woo-hoo! I'm glad he's finally in the 40's! :-)
(I am a few years older than Dave...shhh!)

Anyway, we had a small family celebration at home and then we all went to see the new Narnia movie: Prince Caspian. It was a low-key birthday celebration, but it was fun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAVE! Thanks for finally turning 40! Ha~ha! :-)

Time is Flying

Since I have been too busy to blog much, I thought this meme from Donna's blog would be a quick, easy and fun post today. If you do the meme, too, please leave your answers here so I can see them!:-)
Two-Word Meme
1. Where is your cell phone? On table
2. Where is your significant other? At work
3. Your hair? Straight, flat
4. Your mother? Animal lover
5. Your father? Social, laughing
6. Your favorite thing? Family times
7. Your dream last night? Crying, Chapmans
8. Your favorite drink? Coffee
9. Your dream/goal? Glorify God
11. Your hobby? Reading, dreaming
12. Your fear? Dishonor God
13. Where you want to be in 6 years? Paris vacation
14. Where were you last night? Soccer game
15. What you're not? In control
16. Muffins? Not really
17. One of your wish list items? Digital SLR Camera
18. Where you grew up? Des Moines
20. What are you wearing? Jeans, t-shirt
21. Your TV? Not often
22. Your pets? None now
23. Your computer? Dell laptop
24. Your life? Blessed, surprises
25. Your mood? Happy, expectant
26. Missing someone? Loved ones
27. Your car? Villager minivan
28. Something you're not wearing? Smaller sizes :-(
29. Favorite store? Pottery Barn
30. Your summer? Kid’s activities
31. Like someone? Most everyone
32. Your favorite color? Currently cranberry
33. When is the last time you laughed? This morning
34. Last time you cried? Wednesday, homegoing

Catching up...

Things are winding down for the summer. AWANA ended last week. Katie finished Sparkies and earned the Sparky plaque. She was a memorizing machine and also finished a workbook after completing her regular book. Go Katie! :-) Grant finished his book, too! Go, Grant! Next year both kids will be in TNT.

American Girl Party

Last Saturday, Kate went to an American Girl birthday party for her friend, Ellie. She was so excited and could hardly wait until it was time to go! All the girls brought their dolls and had fun playing with them. Ellie's mom even set up a little party table for the dolls, with real mini cupcakes! The girls thought that was pretty cool. Kate especially liked the craft time when each girl got to decorate a t-shirt for her doll. She had a great time at the party. :-)

Busy

We've been busy and I haven't gotten around to posting much, but here are a couple of shots of the kids before they went to "Crazy Hair Night" at AWANA the other night. We shaved Grant's hair in a zig-zag fashion because we were planning on shaving it off the next day anyway. He won a candy bar for having such crazy hair that night! :-) (He won't let me post a picture of the back, for some reason, but it had a zig-zag path straight down the back.)

Happy Birthday, Grant!

Here is Grant with one of the things he most wanted for his birthday ~ electronic Star Wars Battleship game!

Wow, Grant is 10! How did that happen?? The adorable little baby who made me a mommy is now a young man of ten. Dave and I are so thankful for Grant. We are so glad that God let us be his parents.

Grant is passionate about life and approaches each experience with gusto. We are never at a loss for what he is thinking or feeling because he talks constantly. :-) His feelings are full-tilt, whether he is happy, sad or angry. He is never just middle-of-the-road about anything. Grant is full of enthusiasm, he is compassionate and he is really good with little children. Somehow he is able to hold back a little and be gentle with them. He is smart, capable and funny. Dave and I marvel at the possibilities ahead for him as he learns to focus all that energy in productive ways. :-)

Happy birthday, Grant! You certainly make our lives exciting and we are so glad you are our son!

A boy and his bear...

Grant decided that he wanted to go to the mall with me a few days before his birthday, just like his sister had before her birthday. His Build-A-Bear needed a new sound box, so we had to bring it with us, too. Grant wanted to walk around with the bear in his backpack the way that his virtual self does on the Build-A-Bearville website.
We had a great time together. It was so good to just spend time with my son and to enjoy his company. Grant is so smart, articulate and confident. He shared a lot of things with me that had been on his mind and I was impressed with his perspective on many things. He is making wise decisions. Grant is a bundle of energy, always running to the next thing that catches his attention, and he is quite a good dancer, too. :-) (He is not shy about dancing wherever and whenever the mood strikes him!)

I know this time is precious and fleeting. How much longer will he want to walk around the mall with his mom, and bring along his teddy bear? I see glimpses of the young man he is becoming and it makes me proud. It won't be long. I hope our conversations will continue as he grows. I sure do love him!

Adoption Is Greater Than The Universe

Adoption is close to my heart. My brother is adopted and I grew up knowing that an adopted child is as much a child of their parents as is a child born to them. I guess I always knew that I would adopt someday. God put that in my heart before I had even become His child through adoption.

When I was about ten, I read a book about a family that adopted a little girl from Vietnam and the desire to adopt that was already in my heart grew and the idea that my child would look completely different than me took shape. All through my teen years and early adulthood that picture of the family I would have someday remained constant. Adoption was a part of the discussions my husband and I had when we were dating.

Now that I have my precious son and daughter, I look back and see that adoption is a theme that was woven into my life. God was preparing me to be the mother of my beautiful children, but He was also working in my heart as I was to be ~ incredibly ~ adopted by Him.

Happy Easter!

Have a blessed celebration of the most remarkable event of history!
He rose that we might find life in Him.
Alleluia!
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!

Fifty Nifty United States

This is a fun way to learn all the names of the states! :-)

History Lesson

The kids and I were reviewing a recent history lesson about the beginning of the American Revolution.

Me: Who rode through the streets shouting, "The British are coming! The British are coming!"

Katie: Don Quixote?

What?! Where did that come from?! :-)

A while ago we had read this book and both of the kids really got a kick out of it. Needless to say, our history lesson dissolved into laughter!

Have you seen this?

It is rather silly, but kind of fun, too. Go ahead...try it with your name!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Kim!

1. In her entire life, Kim will produce only a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey.
2. Kim can remain conscious for fifteen to twenty seconds after being decapitated.
3. Kim was originally green, and actually contained cocaine!
4. Kim cannot jump!
5. The Church of Scientology was founded in 1953, at Washington D.C., by Kim.
6. Kim is the oldest playable musical instrument in the world!
7. Kim can not regurgitate!
8. It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same Kim.
9. The Kim-fighting market in the Philippines is huge - several thousand Kim-fights take place there every day.
10. Britain's Millennium Dome is more than double the size of Kim.

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

Grandma

Today we joined with family and friends for my Grandma's funeral. She was 91 years old. I believe she did have faith in Jesus and is now in His presence. She was a wonderful woman and the best Grandma you could hope for. I am so thankful for her.

When I was a little girl I remember spending the night with my Grandma and having so much fun as she helped me bake little muffins, put curlers in my hair for a pretend "permanent" and gave me hot cocoa with marshmallows in it at bedtime. On my birthday I always got a card from her, signed with her beautiful handwriting, always with a little birthday money inside. As I grew up, when I visited my grandparents we would always have a cup of coffee in the afternoon around four o'clock. Often "coffee time" and watching "Jeopardy" on television coincided. :-) There are many happy memories of time spent with my Grandma. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to know her and spend time with her as I was growing up and as an adult. What a blessing grandparents are!!

It was good to see my dad and other relatives who came for the funeral, as we are all spread out across the country and don't get to see each other very often.

We will travel home tomorrow.