Out and About

For as long as we've lived here, Knight's Ferry has been a favorite spot to visit.  Dad, and all you other blog readers, have seen countless pictures taken there.  Since he'd never seen it in person, this was the outing Grandpa requested.  His back is feeling a little better and everyone is totally healthy again so we were excited to get OUT and share a hike in our family's special place.  Dad obviously found it even prettier in person.  (Understanding Dad's perspective and seeing Knight's Ferry through just the lens of my camera had me try experimenting with the color saturation of our pictures to give a more accurate display of the vibrant colors of the rocks, water and wildflowers.)

A big highlight today was finding and catching tadpoles in the pond.  

 Grandpa and his girls play "One of these things is not like the other" with their baseball caps!

The wildflowers were either just starting or ending their bloom.  Either way, the dots of purple and orange always make Knight's Ferry an even more enjoyable place to hike around.

Our lovely morning at Knight's Ferry was topped off when we met a wonderful couple from our church for lunch.  Ron and Florene bonded with Mom and Dad on one of their first trips to CA about 10 years ago.  Our parents and these church friends have made a point to stay in touch and get together each subsequent trip.  It was a good day! 

Peek at the Program

At three and a half minutes, this video is probably mostly for Grandma.  But, it shows one of the two songs Ella and her 2nd grade classmates sang in their program celebrating America this week. (She's on the end of the bottom riser wearing a long pink skirt and black sweater.)

A Visit Like No Other

Proverbs 27:1 says, "Don't boast about tomorrow, for you don't know what a day might bring."  I know this verse because I studied it in Bible Study last week.  I also know this verse because I lived it this week.  As a  big-time planner, let me just say that this is not my favorite verse in the Bible.  My last post on Monday boasted about a full list of things we planned to do with Grandpa.  

The night I wrote it, a major stomach bug hit Delia and Grandpa's back, which he hurt the morning he left and aggravated on a long plane ride, was causing him a great deal of pain and immobility.  Delia spent all the way from Monday night to Thursday laying in a sea of towels with the puke bucket.  What a total bummer that she missed every special school thing she was so excited to share with Grandpa!  Seriously disappointing.  Tears were shed over it (mine).

But, Ella remained healthy and Grandpa was tough enough to make it to the Open House at school, the K-3 Musical and Grandparents' Day.  All the students did a wonderful job in making their classrooms fun places to visit and their songs impressive ones to listen to.  It was still very special for Ella to share these things with Grandpa (in the picture above, she's interviewing him on Grandparents' Day).  Though the week didn't look the way we thought it would, we're still so thankful he came!

And what do you know?  Right about the time Grandparents' Day was finishing up on Thursday, Delia had perked up and was feeling and acting like her normal self.  She and Dave were able to venture out of the house and meet us for a special lunch (though she just had saltines and orange slices).  She could finally show Grandpa the pile of projects that her teacher sent me home with.

So, besides lots of resting, what else happened this week?  Grandpa is truly getting to experience our normal every day life!  Today the big event was taking the girls to the church parking lot to ride their two-wheel bikes.  Grandpa also made it to senior game time at church with Dave.  He shopped for the A's and Giants baseball hats he wanted to add to his collection.  We watched Lincoln.  Grandpa is gracious when he says all the relaxation and time to read in the sunshine this week has melted every bit of stress right out of him.

I'm now scared to boast, so I'll just say THE LORD WILLING, we hope our weekend is a little more eventful with an outing tomorrow and an Easter Sunday shared with good friends.

Operation Surprise: Success!

This week before Spring Break is jam-packed with special events at the girls' school.  They have an Open House, a K-3 Musical and Grandparents' Day.  And with the holiday this coming weekend, Dave will be leading 2 of the 3 services.  This added up to a bunch of good reasons for Grandpa to book a ticket and come share these special activities with us! (Grandma wanted to come, but couldn't get away from work.  We'll miss her!)  What is special about this trip is that we managed to keep it a complete secret from the girls.  Dave picked up his dad from the airport this afternoon, then Delia and I met them at school where Delia found her Grandpa Surprise in the parking lot.  Ella was surprised when she walked out of her classroom to find Grandpa waiting for her.  It's been hard not to let the surprise slip out (Delia said to me right after meeting Grandpa: "OH, so this is why you made us sweep and mop everything and clean up!"), but we succeeded in shocking and delighting these kids!

With so much already on the schedule related to school and church this week, I think we'll just take it easy.  But, we know the best quality time can happen right at home, as we've already seen in sharing dinner, stories, Just Dance, and a Blackhawks game this evening!

Park, Pizza, Sleepover

With our husbands sharing many of the same passions and serving in pretty much all the same ministries at church, Jetta and I find ourselves home alone with the kids for all of Dave's and Phil's shared travel.  At the beginning of the month, we hung out while our guys bumped along the mountain roads of Guatemala.  This weekend our men are up in the mountains again-- but this time much closer to home and for the purpose of entertaining and teaching 30 high-schoolers.  I love Jetta and her family already, but our bond continues to grow the more time our husbands spend together!  This weekend we filled our husband-less hours together with a Saturday at the park, followed by dinner and dessert at the local pizza joint, followed by an all-girl sleepover at our house.  

     

Right now I have 5 girls crammed into the bunk bed, flashlight-reading and giggling.  I'm hoping that the hours of intense park play and Just Dance have worn them out pretty good.

The fun has been so great, Daddy has hardly been missed. :)

Still Making Me Laugh

I've loved using the blog as my own personal journal of the girls' milestones and memorable moments.  Every now and then I can get lost for an hour or more reading old posts and fondly recalling the funny stories and sweet images of Ella and Delia as babies and toddlers.  

We certainly continue to laugh as they grow older, but more from their intentional jokes and less from the confused way they view the world.  However, every now and then they'll still bust out a line that I know I'll want to remember.  Here are two recent ones:

Regarding the taxes a generous accountant from our church just did for us:

Mom: After dinner, I have to run over to our friend's office and quick sign some papers. Daddy already signed them and now it's my turn.

Ella: What papers do you have to sign?  (Excitedly) Are we adopting a new baby?!

Delia has spent her whole life watching me complete and listening to me tell her what I'm learning in my daily Bible Study lessons.  I guess it makes sense that ANY work or reading I EVER do is just labeled as "Bible Study" to her. 

Including this...

"Want to read your Bible Study outside with me?"  "Can I move your Bible Study book so I can color?"

 And this...

"You like that Bible Study, Mom?"  "What's this new Bible Study about?"

(Though, to be fair, these Mark of the Lion books are like Bible Study in the moving way they teach scriptural truths through exciting plot and multi-layered characters!)

Caption Contest?

What is happening in the following picture?  Did Grandma, Great Grandma, Auntie Duck (Great Grandma's sister) and Auntie Kris just stumble on a naughty internet site? Are they watching that home shopping guy fall off the ladder on You Tube again?  I thought this was the perfect type of picture to open up to guesses...

But, then I decided I'd just tell you, since this new favorite picture shows a highlight of our weekend.  We discovered Skype!  It's rare that we get to connect with Great Grandma and Auntie Duck, so we really treasured the opportunity to talk with them.  And since we were Skyping on a tablet, we were even able to show them around our house and 77 degree backyard a little bit!  Our nephew Calvin performed a magic trick for us, our nephew Cole popped in to show off his Pizza My Heart shirt, and Cutie and Lily even made a brief appearance.  Technology is pretty cool, huh?

And She's Off!

Yesterday the girls had a day off school, but I did not.  I brought them, the bikes, my text book and a blanket over to the church parking lot hoping to entertain my kids in this gorgeous weather while also being productive.  What I did not bring was my camera.  I did not bring it because I had no idea that after about an hour of riding around on her creaky tricycle, Delia would up and decide she was ready to try Ella's two wheel bike.  And I did not expect that after holding the bike steady for her to climb on, she would then just take off like it was no big thing!

It's actually not that much of a surprise that Delia would pick up two-wheeled bike riding just like that.  She knows how to balance because she rides on the back of the tandem bike with me.  She's always been a combination of strong-willed and fearless.  Also, the two wheel bike is PINK and GIRLY and clearly faster and more exciting than the trike!

So after lunch today, I had to take her back to the church parking lot, with my camera this time, so I could at least capture the traditional day-after-she-learned-to-ride-the-big-girl-bike shots and videos!  I thought we had another year, but apparently we're in the market for a second two wheel bike right now.  Do you know anyone looking to get rid of one?

When I Think of March...

When I think of March, I think of...

beach towels

suntan lotion

sunglasses

bathing suits

lounging in the warm sun with a good book

my kids asking me to set up the little pool.

Obviously.  

Don't you think of these things when you think of March? :)

Bienvenida a Casa, Daddy!

A while ago our church started supporting the ministry of man named Moises in Guatemala.  We've prayed for him and sent him money.  This year we finally had the opportunity to send a small team down to Guatemala to experience first-hand the work he does and learn about ways our church can better partner with his ministry, which includes a vibrant church, a seminary of about 140 men and this awesome farming program designed to teach the Mayan people, secluded high in the mountains, how to survive and be self-sustaining with organic farming and irrigating techniques.  Dave and two other young dads comprised this team.  These men were gone for a week and just safely returned to their wives and 13 children (!) last night.  We praise God that though there were many opportunities to get sick, everyone stayed safe and healthy and God filled each man with joy and vision from this glimpse into a world and culture so different than our own.

Dave told me stories for hours last night and has a whole camera full of pictures to share.  I'd love to see him put a few on the blog, but don't hold your breath. :)  Until then, here is the sign Ella led us in making to welcome Dave home and here are the girls with their arms full of the hand-made presents Dave brought home from Guatemala.

    

Our Annual Blossom Pictures

The skies are blue, the sun is shining, the thermostat is hitting 70, the almond orchards are in bloom and it's our favorite time of year!  Until Spring hits you, you're welcome to enjoy it vicariously through this annual post!

For Anna :)