oh brothers!

Last 11 days of 2011

2012-01-01T15:16:00.000-08:00

Down and Derby WFR 2011

2011-11-14T22:03:00.000-08:00

"Jacques" (from Lady and the Tramp)

"Uncle Judd's Bus" (From tailgating with the Huffmans in NC)

"Lightning The Queen" (From having movie paraphernalia but never actually having seen the movie... thus a mispronunciation that's too cute to correct :)

And the 1st place winner in the kids division is...

Me!!!

2011-10-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

The Maiden Voyage!!

2011-10-29T23:06:00.000-07:00

2011-10-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

A great Canyon video, too:
http://youtu.be/uGH5q_QLwbY

a great creekside video:

2011-10-08T11:07:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwkuj8OCNr0&feature=player_embedded

The Sawaya's Pics

2011-09-10T22:15:00.000-07:00

2011-09-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

I had to add this one for B... If you're out there Kyle... it made his day :)

2011-08-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Well- I think we are very near the end... only a few smolders here and there that I know of... BLM is still patrolling. The backburn went well... the view from our house is quite changed... I remember after the last fire (2 years ago)- driving around thinking how dead everything looked (one might think that anyway on an average day in the desert, but this was a different kind of desolation...black and charred.) I felt like a part of the landscape was forever scarred. However it wasn't until you guys were here, Huffmans(that next spring), that I remember driving to the fire tower feeling like something was strangely different... like I'd never been there before (though I had quite a bit). Then it hit me... the green flowing grass everywhere... beautiful!!! And even Judd- you spotted your favorite flowers... quite rare for this place. (rare in a good way also that a tough soccer/4 wheeler guy would have a favorite flower :) But as we walked to the sports center yesterday- seeing the acres and acres of black right up to the very edge of main camp- I felt saddened again but remembered that life comes from death. Because of the clearing of the old... in the spring there will be abundant new life. See an analogy coming? :).... the old is gone, the new has come... If anyone is in Christ.. he is a new creation. He went from death to life so we could as well. We can't clean up our act (our hillsides) to make em fresh and new for Him...we can't earn our way to Him... We just need to come to Him and believe He's done it for us. And He'll show us Spring! He'll give us life! Thanks so much for praying with us during the last week. If He's not done with this place yet then surely He'll keep using it for His glory. If you will, would you mind continuing to pray with us for this place... mainly the middle and highschoolers who'll get to hear about this new life. That they'll hear the message here... a seed might be planted.... their YL leaders back home would help water the seed... they'd start to see how all the underbrush is keeping them from life in Christ... and they'd take Him up on His gift to clear it away for them on the Cross and take Him up on the gift of new life, forever, with their Maker!
But as for me... I think I'm getting a little burnt out on all these fire blog posts (hehe). So I'll give you a few more things to check out if you want and I'll probably soon go back to the grandparent pleaser posts for you Mimi! ( baby's first steps instead of baby's first wildfire!)

and a neighbor's video of the back burn:http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=2330977483979&set=vb.1536004776&type=1&theater

I think my camera's still out in the stroller... I'll add one more pic of the black hills a little later... love you all!! All things worked together for good!

Sara Brown found this map of our part of the Hancock Fire. The tiny green arrow sandwiched between the two fire fronts is us.

2011-08-29T21:22:00.000-07:00

cute kids/ raging fire:

This is actually a good thing... they started a backburn (burned from the road up to meet the fire so they could control it... fire can't burn what's already burned). For those of you who've been here... most of these pictures are taken from "the intersection"... just down from our house. Believe it or not this means we are about at the end! Tomorrow I'll hopefully post pics of the charred hillside which by spring will be beautifully green! Thank you all for praying, keep at it if you will... and remind me to tell you about B's firestorm incident from last night.

This one's in our yard. Looks crazy but we are safe.. thank you all so much for calling to check in and praying!

2011-08-28T20:36:00.001-07:00

This is the part the kids love:

This is what we don't love(though it makes a cool pic)... but it doesn't look like this anymore, we had light rain earlier- I still see a few flames but it doesn't look as bad. We'll see what happens... I'll post again if B comes back anytime soon.

photos by Kyle Kuiper ( he's amazing... there's sure to be more of these to come... and he's out there fighting the fire too!)

@ the Dairy Barn

2011-08-28T15:21:00.000-07:00

So... South Bottom's burned (shack saved though) and fire's reached the Dairy Barn area... B came home for a little while and actually even took a dip in the pool (that's a fireman's bath for you). BLM is here now with several crews on ground and in air. B was called back during his "bath" to back burn around the old cafeteria (Rajneesh) to try to save that building and keep the fire from heading on up the road. Road is closed from the Mark II condos on out, but here are some pics of the dairy barn area Tandy Martin took. Afternoon is when it seems to be at it's worst... night is when it looks the scariest... mornings seem calmer... then it starts all over again in the heat of the afternoon. Let's hope the cycle is interrupted soon by rain. From what I understand there's still no panic. The guys are smiling... sweating but smiling. They're tough! We could all use a little fresh air and rest... but thankfully God's in control!

2011-08-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

B got home late and went out early again... We woke up the kids late last night so he could share some quick stories with them and hug them. Please pray with us today. It might rain... but they're calling for more lightning too! It's called a "red flag warning" on the weather reports. You can see in the video how it's cresting the hill... and that means it's headed for main camp. It's hard to describe how widespread it is... like fingers reaching over the hill for miles. B still seems so cool and even headed about it. He said there's really no reason to worry. Those guys just keep going... their efforts, their strength from the Lord, and of course His promises give us no reason to worry. The guys out there trust and persevere so we can too! Oh- and we had helicopters from the BLM here dumping buckets from the river.... their efforts are divided among multiple fires in the area though... but I think they were very helpful. On a high note- B and Henry Inglesby did save a building by the river, not to mention Ozzie the Osprey's habitat. On a gross note... he found a half eaten by a cougar deer on fire. He'll have lots of stories to tell when this is over!
This was taken by Sara B in our yard last night:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2325791554334

here we go again...

2011-08-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Kyle Kuiper's pic from last night...

Sara Brown's pic from our yard...

It started last night @ dinner during a lightning storm... several fires throughout the property... Brandon left to help... Lu spotted fire on the hill across the street while playing outside (wierd night)... B came back @ 12 thinking it was under control... left again @2 am to put out a new fire near Creekside... came back @4:30 am, slept till 6.... went back out to fight em till 11 am... slept some more then was going to head into work thinking the danger was gone.... ended up being called back out... fire nearing A-frames behind the ropes course (behind staff village... aka our house)... he's been gone since but just dropped by a few minutes ago (10:00 pm) to get mexican chicken salad... and back out to keep at it till who knows when. He said he has more perspective this go round.. even though it came, and may still be eerily close, he feels the buildings are not in danger with the attention we would be able to give them... nevertheless they are working very hard. Fire isn't a friend out here for sure. I'll keep you updated but it's not looking like there will be a need to evacuate as of now.It still all feels a little scary. Please pray with us! Pray for all those guys energy and stength, wisdom and protection. Thanks!

this is just after Lu spotted it on the hill... before Sara or Kyle's pic (a little hard to see, but there's a cute boy in this one :)

favorites... does this add up to 100? :)

2011-08-24T23:10:00.000-07:00

Brave Aunt Barbie!

#32

2011-06-16T19:48:00.000-07:00

#31

2011-06-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

#30 bedtime

2011-06-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

#29

2011-06-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

#28 Kirdy's Birthday

2011-06-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

#27

2011-06-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

#26(ish)

2011-06-09T21:27:00.001-07:00

Creekside, September 2009:

We went to our camp staff Creekside opening party today... you know it was fun if Mommy didn't even think about taking pictures... but she remembered these from less than two years ago. What a change! God doesn't need this place to tell about Jesus... but just like the joy Mommy and Daddy had watching us waterslide today... He's got to have such joy giving good gifts... Please pray with us that campers this summer will not only enjoy the gift of this place, but that through the message... the ropes courses, the cars, the zipline, the program, the leaders.... the Holy Spirit will flutter in those hearts like the butterflies in our tummies on the slides earlier--- and show them the best gift- Jesus!

p.s.- we miss you already Terrys!

2011-06-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

Didn't have any Bonnie T., Uncle C, so we went with Huey-

2011-05-29T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today's the day! They're in the air! Can't wait to really hug you Caroline!

Oh how I bet you've grown since last we met...Will you still let me hold you, Ford?

hehe :)

2011-05-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

It appears Mommy became a woman today in the world of my drawings:

2011-05-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much Mr. Curtis, Mr. Jay and Crew... your labor will be appreciated for years to come... a huge blessing to assignment moms and kiddos... and staff too!

2011-05-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

Mommy just told her Caroline and Ford are coming in 4 days!!!...

every once in a while...

Did I say 100 consecutive days? :)

2011-05-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Mommy felt bad getting behind on the 100 days thing so she dug up a bonus video:

2011-05-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

When something exciting happens, you get a few extra pictures... and Grandpa, Uncle Brady, and Aunt Austin being here is definitely exciting! Here's us today (Thank you so much Mr. Pratt!)

we love adventures...

Mommy loves Daddy...(Grandpa loves Lindy)

Lindy loves Grandpa...

Lindy loves Aunt Austin...

Henry loves Uncle Brady...

Lucy loves Aunt Austin...

I didn't love adventure as much as I thought...

2011-05-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Brown, one clucked at us today... your babies are growing up so fast!

I'm growing up too... my favorite pastime is toting Lindy around wherever I go-

Bests

2011-05-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Best shots of Creekside by far, taken by Kyle Kuiper... (you very likely may continue to see these "best shot" links... that just happens when talented people live in cool places)
http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.631092279004.2125579.15302440

Best shot of the day by far -though it's actually from yesterday since we went to town today. (you very likely may continue to never see pictures of us on a grocery run day... that just doesn't happen when slightly crazy mamas shop in far away places)

Search and Rescue

2011-05-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

We got new flashlights @ Costco the other day so of course we had to go on an adventure w/ Daddy...

click below

2011-05-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

Best shot of Creekside by far:

Creekside Dedication pool area @ night, by Curtis Martin.

2011-05-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week... we're happy to have daddy home again!

2011-05-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

The planes are landing (we snuck over to check them out) and the celebration has begun! Grand opening of Creekside @ WFR! Big celebration today! And it hasn't even started to rain yet. Praise God for a place that is sure to make any middle school kid's mouth drop open and wonder why someone would do this for them. And the answer will joyfully echo through the canyons... because of Jesus!!!!

2011-05-13T21:16:00.001-07:00

Antelope's own "Tin Cup"

baby-sitter

messy goggle boy

2011-05-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

2011-05-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

couldn't find the camera when Lindy donned her first bathing suit today so here's a few more of Creekside from the other day... the dinning hall:

"He's not a tame lion, but he is good." (C.S. Lewis)

Happy Birthday to You

2011-05-10T08:07:00.000-07:00

...Daddy, Aunt Amy, and Crazy Uncle Charles!

bonus video

2011-05-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

Mommy asked me to read her the cookie recipe earlier as she gathered ingredients. I actually had to read it twice b/c she got suspicious of the authenticity of one of the instructions. Hey- I'm one smart cookie myself, I know how to get what I want... just be cute and sly at the same time... See if you can catch the instruction I added.

#7 and #9

2011-05-07T20:37:00.000-07:00

Here's a top secret pic from the other day when our internet was down... we weren't allowed to take a real picture but here's one I drew... we actually got to go inside a US Army Chinook Helicopter that landed @ our airport!

And here's today's pic:

#8

2011-05-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Grandpa, Uncle Brady, Aunt Austin, Aunt Amy, Crazy Uncle Charles, Caroline, Ford, Aunt Barbie, Uncle Bradley, Braeden, Ben, Brielynn, and Barrett... we're getting things ready for you!!!! ( and a couple thousand other guests too!)

#6

2011-05-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

best find from the neighborhood schlock swap yesterday:

#5: Daddy and his boys

2011-05-02T20:14:00.001-07:00

Daddy's projects always seem to get bigger as they go along- the boys don't seem to mind though-

Day 4: bike ride to Creekside

2011-05-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

Only 13 days left before the opening celebration!

Day 3

2011-04-30T20:23:00.001-07:00

Miss you already Mimi and Papa! We love you soooo much!

Though he's the one without glasses, we're still not convinced he can actually see anything when he smiles :)

(I know... I probably should have said at least one a day)

Day 2-

2011-04-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

We were looking forward to breakfast burritos @ the Fire Tower...

but Papa had a good eye and we looked just ahead to see these- a herd of elk and a few antelope too!

So we had to share the story of Uncle Judd's good eye for spotting rattlesnakes on a previous fire tower trip... Henry commented... "I think that when I get married my name will be Judd." We had to explain how the whole name change thing works again... but compliments to you Uncle Judd!

(guess it'll end up being 100+ snapshots!)

the making of a new habit

2011-04-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

100 days- 1 snapshot of each, starting today (wishful thinking, maybe.... but we'll try!)

2011-04-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

Lincoln had a 24 hour sleeping "bug". It was weird.
But don't worry, the scout has awoken from winter hibernation... Lindy's still cute :) Hope to finish the fire pit before Mimi, Papa, Grandpa, Uncle Brady, and Aunt Austin come... get your marshmallows ready! Debbie's sitting up now, not Lindy yet though. New computers @ the office again... hours of fun with boxes @ home! The Krispy Kreme Challenge... sequel to the Moravian Sugar Cake Challenge, La Carretta basket-o-chips Challenge, etc. (this is what we do when we're missing our favorite restaurants or even a grocery store...) Missing eyelash or not, Mary is a faithful friend to all. And I am oh so delighted that all of my babies seem to be hitting it off with Lindy! I've waited for this all of my life!! Sometimes we have to find a way to pass the time while Daddy's working on his turn @ the "Guess-what-I'm-drawing-Game". He's pretty intense.

Homeschool :)

2011-03-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

The funny thing about being five years old now is that things we've always done suddenly have new names ... for instance- a typical run into town for the dentist, groceries, and eye doctor gets a trip to the fish hatchery tagged on and is now called a "field trip"...

Daddy becomes the "shop teacher" when we work on a new bunk or Suzie's doll crib @ the wood shop

The dining room table is now for learning as well... I'm learning about writing, Henry's learning about math, Lincoln's learning about finishing last night's dinner... and Lindy's hopefully not learning to roll over :)

Lindy's cute.

2011-02-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

It's amazing! Lindy's gained 20 lbs in 9 weeks!

hehe... just kidding, this is our friend Auryn... sweet Auryn... we love her, she doesn't love Jimmy.

2011-02-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

2011-01-30T15:51:00.000-08:00

hope we take more pictures in the days to come... poor Lindy's getting jipped compared to the feature length films mommy made of me as a baby! life has been busy these last few weeks... but oh so sweet!!

Fall, so far

2010-10-28T00:07:00.000-07:00

Desert PE

2010-10-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Mimi!!!!

2010-10-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

Family! (finally!)

2010-09-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

Another digital slideshow by Smilebox

2010-06-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

Summer's off to a great start...
Mr. Brady gave us a refresher course on relaxin',

Christian lets us borrow his sweet ride sometimes,

Mommy was tired for a few weeks... more movies on the beanbag for us!!

but we all got really excited when it came time for the Huffman's arrival!!

we even were campers with them!!!

my Uncle Judd... he's muddy

they really should just change their name to the Toughman's...

Someone should also move that big rock out of the way so the sun can shine through @ Cannon Beach... we still had fun, but I think they're only hanging onto the rock b/c of some goonies or something-

and now for the sun and daily 100 degrees,

and when Mommy gets too hot and tired again... we go back to watching movies...

Two last things...

we got a new Honda (our old haybarn finally gave out on us!)

and we got a new Ford:

Ford Stuart Terry!!! Yay Aunt Amy, Crazy Uncle Charles and Caroline!!

added caption

2010-05-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

Aunt Amy was a little creeped out by that last photo under Mimi and more... so I guess it wasn't the best one to get lazy on and leave off a caption- it's not every day you get invited to an 80's murder mystery, but when she got the invitation it sure made mommy's day, no week!(Thanks Miss Diane!) They were assigned the roles Nork from Pork... and Pauly Abdool. We went back in time for a week with youtube research and prop closet visits. It was a good week... this is what they were supposed to look like...

and this is as good as it got:

we had fun too!

Oh, and I'm hoping for another girl b/c we have a lot of left over hairspray, but for those of you who haven't heard... we're about to add another to my life with two little brothers! Check back here for pictures of her/him sometime around Christmas, Lord willing! Woohoo!!!

Mimi!!!! and some more

2010-05-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

2010-04-08T21:54:00.000-07:00

it started with a cold... then a cough... then I got better... then the boys did not...the boys ears hurt... they cried... my ears hurt because they cried... i cried Henry perked up watching Daddy and Mr. Dillman be the funny guys again, though- Linko dropped his morning nap... here he is looking for it on the floor while Mommy makes lunch- Mr. and Mrs. Furman were here!!! And they brought a little Furman too! Yep... Jesus is still risen! I checked the tomb again this year... With the closest restaurants an hour away, sandwiches at the firetower make a fun alternative-

2010-03-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

As usual we start off fairly strong (palm branches would have been our downfall had we saved them for the end)

2010-03-05T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is my Daddy!

2010-03-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Wild Canyon Games from Wild Canyon Games on Vimeo.

now I'm really a looker!

2010-03-03T18:41:00.000-08:00

Overall I'm pretty excited about them... I just worried the night I found out I needed them that my friends wouldn't recognize me. What do you think? Please pray with us that the transition goes well... they're only half strength, can't get my full prescription for another 6 mos. to let my eyes adjust.

hot off the camera

2010-02-28T20:17:00.001-08:00

Trips to town are long...
We try to enjoy the scenery

Field trips are fun...

Wherever we go or whatever we're doing... I'm drawing and writing notes... My stick figures have t-shirts nowadays.

Sorry Boone folks... it seems we skipped winter here this year!

Henry held a lamb... I held a lamb...

Lincoln's proud of his teeth, I guess... this is his prefered choice of smiles lately ... we can't get enough of it!

pretty typical moment in our home...

sandbox hasn't had a break this winter...

Ahhhhh, friends... God truly heard my mommy's requests!

Mommy turned old... seems to happen about once a year

It was with us for about a week before Mommy tired of fishing styrofoam from Linko's mouth- then we watched some youtube videos on demolition and went at it. It was a good house.

Ode to Mrs. Inglesby

2010-02-26T16:05:00.000-08:00

Though we were looking shaggy there for just a little while...
Thanks to Mrs. Inglesby we've all reclaimed our style:

Soccer Milestone

2010-02-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

Remember a few months back when Mommy tried to coach us in soccer... turns out, since he was up so high in the back pack, Lincoln must have been watching Mrs. Kuhn's group- b/c somehow he got it! So- not only has Linko surpassed me and Henry this week by walking right around a year old... he's rubbing it in with his fancy footwork...

And in other news tonight- for those who don't already know- we do, in fact, have the best Daddy ever!!! We started building this earlier but bedtime came a callin'. Little do I know, but he's still working and we'll have the big reveal in the morning... check back!

Linko's One!

2010-01-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Has it really been a year? Sometimes I just look at this face and think to myself "I should only be so thankful to be blessed with two sweet brothers God's given me to have as best friends!" Then I realize that voice in my head is really Mommy's voice ...reprimanding me for a sibling interaction gone wrong. But I really do love them. Linko's like my big, real live baby doll... only he almost weighs as much as I do. Promise this was the first time we fed him cake.

Since he's only one, we got to impose upon him our own idea of fun for his B-day dinner celebration... roasting hot dogs on the fire.

And we're all about baby sign language... Henry and I are thinking of switching over completely, ourselves, if it'll get us cake everyday!

But truly, we can't say enough how completely and utterly blessed we feel to be a part of this amazing little boy's life! Every time he cracks a smile... he melts our hearts! Thank you Jesus for a chance to love on and be loved by this little boy! We pray that he knows and trusts You sooo early in his life! And remains in You all of his days.Thanks for a wonderful year!

October

2009-10-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

October info:

1. Preschool music (aka "preschool noise") has been meeting at our house and its soooo much fun (thanks Mrs. Wagner!)... Mommy's going to start practicing not falling off the stage with Henry soon- as we prepare for the Christmas program.

2. It's fall!!! Though it in no way compares to Boone... our three trees worth of leaves have been quite fun.

3. Mommy did "The Screamer"... thanks Miss Micah and Miss Amanda for encouraging her. I gave Mommy the longest biggest hug when she came down. I think that's my way of saying "Good job Mommy but don't ever scare me like that again!!"

4. I won third prize out of all the little people in the pinewood car derby @ the Harvest Party! My tie-died minivan blew Daddy and Henry's Scout away... but theirs was pretty cool looking... if they'd painted it pink they'd have surely won 'Best in Show'--- who paints a Scout baby blue anyway?

5. Me, Henry, and Mommy won first prize in the pie contest. Thanks Aunt Barbie... we won't disclose your secret recipe to everyone, but for those wondering... all you really need to win a pie contest is ridiculous amounts of butter and sugar, and a few blueberries too.

6. Mommy is forever indebted to Mrs. Brown! (Yay for prop closets, prairie dresses and friends!)

7. Lincoln is amazing... he's had a few brief moments of standing on his own... he cruises around the furniture... dangles from the kitchen table by his hands, and climbs all the way up the stairs when Mommy and Daddy turn around for 2 seconds. He also spits up on the sofa, spits up on the table, and spits up on the stairs... but always with a smile! We like him alot. I kiss him alot. He doesn't mind yet.

8. We had community soccer each Wed. this month... Mommy ended up coaching the wee ones a little... we're all still a little confused about the game after that. I think it involves kicking a ball.

9. Daddy's doing Program for 'Work and Worship' this weekend (that means he's the funny guy). We'll try to get a few pics up. He's really amazing at it and really just loves to be serving in ways beyond his day job.

My quote of the month:

(upon discovering a fallen branch of the juniper tree in front of our house... knowing full well that blueberries grow on bushes, not trees, after picking thousands of them at our old house)

"What in my mind?! A blueberry tree!!" ( I think I meant 'what in the world?' but the intensity and excitement with which I said it made it seem perfectly correct.

Henry's quote of the month:

(upon finishing the story of Zacchaeus with Daddy- after Daddy explained that Zacchaeus had a changed heart and gave back all the money he stole, tenfold)

"I don't like money... I just like food."

That Henry...We like him alot. I kiss him alot. He definetely minds.

a beautiful day in the "neigh"borhood

2009-10-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Thompson!

celebrations and vacations

2009-09-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

First there was Nora's Princess party...

This was the beginning of my interest in playing dress up... I'm a late bloomer, I know... but now I'm hooked. Then we were off to Portland... first stop, Multnomah Falls- On to my favorite part... the hotel! We kind of stood out like the Beverly Hillbillys. Thanks to smart shopping on Priceline, Daddy booked us a trendy "boutique" type motel. That's Lincoln over in the corner in his own private suite.... a sheet covered pack'n play... being lulled to sleep by Phil Huxtable. The first night I was so excited about the ice machine that I filled the shiny bucket and snacked on ice through at least 3 Cosby Shows until I was shivering. Mommy and Daddy are so thankful I'm easy to entertain. Then for the zoo!! Our reaction was different than Mommy had initially hoped for... ever since the cow incident, it seems we're now a little nervous about large animals... but we did loosen up by the end of the day.

The next morning we woke up and headed for the coast!

It was the first time Mommy and Daddy had ever seen sun @ Cannon Beach! It was beautiful!

I found lots of pieces of sand dollars... not like the full ones Mommy and Aunt Amy used to find... though they did discover years later that all those perfectly round, bleached white sand dollars had been placed strategically on the sand moments earlier by their Uncle B who was casually walking a few feet ahead! Still makes a great memory, though! And mine will too!

Lincoln started out happy and sitting pretty in Mommy's dream confinement contraption.

Henry likes to wrestle.

I like to hug.

Lincoln, it turns out, does not like confinement.So we set him free to eat all the sand he wanted... it was a vacation after all!
Then back to reality after a full 3 days of action! And back to dressup. Here's me as "80's Prom Princess" and my handsome "Knight in Shining Underwear". We truly are everything Mommy's ever hoped for and more.

And Daddy went on another adventure to see Uncle Brady and Aunt Austin. One night, before he left,we were playing one of my favorite games ... "The Guess What I'm Drawing Game" (some call it pictionary-but not me, I just call it like it is). I surprised Mommy and Daddy with this picture of our family in an airplane b/c I'm so excited about flying to see them one day too. Mommy and Daddy are a little slow though, so I had to write out a hint for them... " T-e-c-s-s-i-s" (Some spell it Texas but not me, I just spell it like it is). I can't wait to see you Uncle Brady and Aunt Austin... thanks so much for taking care of our Daddy... We love you soooo much!

And after 30 minutes (past our bedtime nonetheless) of Mommy baiting us into luring you to come visit us through flattery and her amazing use of cinematography- here we are making one last plea... or two or three...

I'm 4!

2009-09-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

I 'm 4!! I woke up that morning and immediately asked for new clothes b/c I was certain I no longer fit in my 3 year old clothes after growing into a 4 year old overnight. (well, woke up would imply I actually went to sleep but Mommy and Daddy are pretty sure I watched the clock all night.) I got to pick my food for the day... french toast breakfast... pizza and a movie lunch... spaghetti dinner. I opened presents (thank you to everyone!!) I played... I napped... I partied (karaoke style)... I stayed up late to see the rock crushers at the quarry... and I roasted marshmallows over a campfire! It was a good day. I did cry at my party but I think Mommy's just realizing why the song was ever written in the first place. Too much sugar + overwhelming attention and overstimulation = "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to."

And in other news:

Daddy actually caught Henry's poop in his hand. It was a close one, you shouldn't ask too many questions or try to picture it... but otherwise potty training is going pretty well. The real test, however, will be at the zoo in a couple of days!

And let us not forget my sweet Susie... she turned three!... It was on my very first birthday that she entered our lives and stole our hearts -- and just look at how clean she is :) ...

breaking the silence

2009-09-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our computer had bad cookies... didn't sound too bad to me, but Daddy had to wipe it clean and start over (they must have been peanut butter b/c Daddy would have never gotten rid of chocolate chip) - anyway, we're back and here's a look at our last month or so.

I finally let Mommy and Daddy in on the whole cow-fear thing just after the camera was off... it's an honest mistake to think that the cows would squirt their udders at us- they did, after all... appear to be forming a blockade.

Also... Henry's become quite the talker, (when I let him get in a few words, at least). In an effort to give him a chance at those few words, I'm now taking your questions for a one-on-one video interview with the talker himself. Please think of a question you'd like to hear his thoughts on, and submit it in the comment section below... don't hold back!

Brady and the Triple

2009-08-17T14:27:00.000-07:00

A gift to Margarita and our intern family- the moment you've been waiting for for 6 years...

Back at it!

2009-08-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much everyone for praying!!! Our 16,000 acre fire has seen it's last juniper and tumbleweed! Well- a few tree's are still smoldering... Mr. Brown explained today that the base of the trees turn into an oven pretty much and continue to slowly burn from the inside out for a while... but as long as they're surrounded by "black" (already burnt stuff) we should be okay. The men are still patrolling though. But while they patrol... camp is back in action! Praise the Lord! Mommy's working on a montage right now so you can see some shots of camp in action (working in this case means strongly thinking about it). In the meantime... we've had our Daddy back and we love it. Daddies... kid's love 'em. Here's a song I wrote in his honor:

"A Daddy held his Baby When He was at the Hospital" by Lucy

A daddy was at the Hospital

Daddy held a baby

And I went to the grocery store

In my car seat

With a big treat

What was it? Candy

But I was not old enough to eat candy

But Daddy had no ?

So he rided with our Mimi

But did you remember, he had no truck

So he had to ride with Mimi.

Also... Henry's almost officially a big boy (potty training will seal the deal). Here's his bed as of a few nights ago. (Thanks Gray!!) We only had enough paint for the bottom part for his first few nights but finished it and put it together in all it's glory last night. Only then did mommy realize that they had just constructed the only thing that may actually be more confining to sleep in than a crib (no complaining though!) Here's a clip of us waking him up the next morning... well... he wasn't really sleeping- more like basking in the glory of his freedom. And the latter is a shot of the completed project.

And last, but not least... WHC Interns '03.... both Mr. Brady and Miss Micah are here right now! Watch out for some great pics. Margarita, Mommy's setting up a special photo shoot for you... so be sure to check back. Oh - and here's a picture of me blogging, for those of you who've been wondering!

It Rained!!!

2009-08-07T22:12:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord!!!

Mr. Brown!

2009-08-05T20:57:00.000-07:00

I thought he was just making hamburgers the other night but it turns out he was fighting fires... and now this... He's a tv star! Here's my famous neighbor and some good footage of the fire:

http://www.ktvz.com/global/story.asp?s=10856020

Here's Mrs. Brown's update on the fire for now:

"Fire is quite large, and has jumped one of our fire lines, but camp is still not in immediate danger. There are other fire lines yet. BLM and Forestry are now out helping us. It's not worse-case-scenario yet, but it's not going totally according to plan either. Wind, humidity, and weather are not working in their favor at the moment."

good news!

2009-08-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

B came home @ 1:30 last night... said things have died down soooo much!!! Most of our men are home...BLM taking care of the rest last night! This is huge!!! Thank you GOD! I'm driving into Antelope this morning so I'll try to get some pictures of our changed landscape. Thanks again for praying... keep on going if you will, (He hears you!!)... especially for those arriving today, that this won't be a distraction or a hinderance, that they'll get to hear about Jesus and a greater fire will be lit in their hearts!

Found this...
http://www.ktvz.com/global/story.asp?s=10848689
The last minute of the video report shows a flyover of the fire on our property.

photos by Abby Brown, my shotgun photographer on the 30 min. drive home today...

Antelope VBS perseveres- please pray for all our hearts as we are weary, good thing He's promised that when we're weak He's strong!!

Hail, Fire, and Brimstone

2009-08-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

That's what someone just announced (jokingly) over the radio. In the last hour, the prospect of rain was exciting- until we found out that the National Weather Service issued a warning for golf ball sized hail this afternoon! And said for those in the area to take cover- not an easy thing to do when you're fighting a wildfire! Rain is welcome, lightning and hail are not! It turns out the BLM is coming back, though, with new equipment and crews- whew. Sometime today I'll try to catch you up on what's going on out here but it'll likely be after little ones are in bed (Yes, Lucy let me borrow her blog to update you all!) In short... there is a fire, a pretty big one, on our property and our fire team has been doing an amazing job to keep it under control. Long before their own energy gave out, the Lord's been holding them up with his righteous right hand (me and Abby Brown have been talking alot about that amazing hand lately on the way to VBS)- we are safe, buildings are safe at this time, and that's the important news for now. Please pray with us over the entire situation... especially for those exhausted men out there. Check back tonight for more info.

More Info:
B came home last night and actually slept. He had to go into the office this morning to prepare for summer staffers and work crew arriving today. That's the good news... camp is still on for this week as of now. There's alot of smoke,and the guys are still out there now (B included... he headed out straight from office) but we'll welcome week 7 of campers tomorrow... close to 700 middleschoolers! So, that should indicate that they've got the fire under control (that's my hope at least). I don't know how they predict these things, but the "pro" firefighters that came in estimated it to continue burning for another 4 days... but it seems the intensity has died down for now. B tells me that the thing about fires out here is that they're low to the ground- until they hit a juniper, at least. We don't have a lot of trees but the dry brush all around in combination with early evening winds just make the flames spread like crazy. The fire started two days ago and was noticed by a volunteer on her way out of camp. By 11ish we were heading to the pool to meet B for lunch but he ended up rushing off on what we all thought was an adventure at the time. (it's wildfire season...real life practice for the fire squad which consists of a good portion of the men who work at the Ranch) Whenever there's a fire call here the guys get this little twinkle in their eye. They act all serious and in "go mode" but I can just hear B inside his head squealing like a school girl. He loves this kind of thing... and he's good at it. He hadn't come home, though, that night and I kept hearing bits and pieces of what was going on, but the real shocker was after I'd put the kids to bed (well, Lucy kept waking up asking if our neighbor, Mr. Brown, was cooking hamburgers- thanks to the smoke). I got a phone call from Shirley at the main office saying to go ahead and pack a bag and be prepared to grab the kids as soon as I got the next call, the flames were quickly approaching main camp, and our homes. If the flames jumped across the main road it would be bad. I think I'd always kind of wondered about those folks you see on the news who's homes get devastated by wildfires... and I remember having thought before that if I were in their shoes... and I knew something like that was on it's way, I'd start packing like mad and cram everything I could into my car or a big truck. But when I got the call, I just started turning around in circles... looking around to see if I could narrow down what to take- and the funny thing was that I realized none of it seemed to matter at that moment, it was just stuff. I had to stop and say "ok Lord... I hadn't imagined this being a part of my life story but I wonder what you have for us from here." There was a weird peace but a longing for B to be here. When I get nervous, I clean. I held myself back though considering the circumstances and prayed instead. Thank you to those of you who were praying with me and who still are. I was scared... but not. Just a really new feeling (you'd think there wouldn't be many new ones @ 30). "Do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10. B got home around 1:30 am- they had to start taking sleep shifts. By this time they had stopped the flames from crossing the road (for the first time at least) and danger did not seem as imminent. We slept a little. Each day since has been so strange... we keep living life as normal b/c that's all we can do... B keeps heading back out exhausted but yet renewed (enough), everyone around here is praying unceasingly and praying together when we can (glad the flu's a thing of the past!) On that note though... we have been closed for two weeks b/c of the flu (swine)... we thought we would be able to reopen this past week but b/c of just a few later developing cases of the flu among staff... and no real predetermined standards within the state health department, they recquired us to remained closed. We were all kind of wondering what was going on here... thinking maybe one day far down the road we see the good in it all, what the Lord would do with all this... but isn't it interesting that no campers were here for the start of the fire. (They have never in the history of the camp cancelled an entire week of summer camping!) B/c we were closed that takes 8 or 9 hundred extra people out of the equation... the fire was spotted quickly...all staffers were able to respond quickly and focus all their attention on fighting it. I could go on and on about what a difference that had to have made. With campers here, the story I'm sharing tonight would have likely been alot different. I wish I could say we're in the clear- but the wind keeps me from saying that. As long as there's still a spark those guys will be hard at work. Please pray for what that will look like with campers coming tomorrow... That wise decisions will be made, that the flames would die, that everyone would have rest, that Christ would reveal himself here in ways we couldn't imagine. Satan would love to see this place gone, I have a feeling. God knows the bigger picture. He is with us, He is powerful. And that's where I have to land on all this tonight. Oh- please pray for sweet children also, who are missing their Daddy.... whiny and emotional right now... but sweet nonetheless. I'm a little whiny too, but I guess that's what late night blogging will do to you. I don't know how Lucy does it :)

My Father(s) the Hero

2009-08-04T06:43:00.001-07:00

When we can just see his face up close (ashy and dirty as it may be)- all fear fades away. It doesn't matter what fire is burning out there... we have our DADDY! ( reminds me of another Father!)

The fire's still going... buildings appear safe for now (depending on the wind).... Daddy's home for now... men still out there fighting and tired. BLM here now and till it's completely out (a very good thing!) Please keep praying!

Update... I think the Bureau of Land Management just left b/c their property is in the clear... seems that the storm has caused quite a few fires in the area and the workers are spread thin... please keep praying for all our men out here. This means they'll have to double up their efforts... and they're already only getting a few hours of sleep every 24 hours, if even that. Mommy will give you a full rundown of the whole fire event as soon as she can.

Keep on

2009-07-29T15:38:00.000-07:00

Though summer camping's at a slight stand still... we'll still keep on going around here (just in our own small quarantined spaces).. so we're asking you to please keep on praying for this place and what the Lord has in store for the rest of our summer. The flu seemed to tear through the camp last week... we're so thankful to have had an incredible medical team here (We love Miss Micah)... but the hard stuffs not over yet... we have to recieve the go signal from the state health department...and need for all staff to be well here in order to do that. Several are recovering now so please pray for them... and that it will stop there. Every week that's cancelled means financial strain not only on the camp but many YL areas...and each cancelled week ends up effecting thousands of people involved in the big picture... but most importantly, close to 700 highschoolers will miss out on experiencing the "best week of their life" and hearing the gospel in such a clear and tangible way. But we know God's even bigger than that-- we know He can and does open the eyes and hearts of so many to their need for Jesus and abundant life with Him without setting foot in a camp like this- so we just pray that His will be done... that folks will get to hear about Jesus no matter where they are... and that those who are sick will be healed... bodies and hearts. Daddy's job and world have been turned upside down for a few days too... He's amazing...hanging in there, but could use some rest and energy himself. Me, Henry, Lincoln, and Mommy have just been staying put... everyone here has been asked to put a pause on social activity for now to stop the spread of the flu (we wave at our neighbors from a distance, sadly)... but we can and have been going to the pool everyday (chlorine saves the day for antsy little people) And Mommy's had time to throw together a quick musical montage for your entertainment. She really needs no excuse for montages, though. Just before our visit from the Flu (which thankfully our family hasn't made personal acquaintances with yet)... Daddy was completing a project for Mommy. I think they've both once or twice wished they'd agreed on my pink idea... but it'll do for now...

The flu

2009-07-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

It's here... please pray for all those affected... which means everyone... for campers sent home, for those leaving today, for camp staff and kids... especially the littlest ones. We're closing down this next week which is a pretty huge deal. We'll keep you updated... in the meantime please pray with us!

it's not supposed to be this way!!

2009-07-22T07:02:00.000-07:00

Mommy says she should have at least had a couple of months of contented sitting up and playing by himself before this happened!!! But oh well... me and Henry got so excited today b/c it means he can be a part of the action now. Later on in the day we realized he only knows one game and we have to do most of the work.... it's called Keep-Away!

also the bonus feature of the day is this:

the way before (6 yrs ago):

mommy being swept off her feet by a vehicle= $600
mommy being swept off her feet by Daddy= priceless!

the before (upon reuniting 6 months ago):

and the after...

check back very soon, we bought the paint! (Daddy almost let me pick but since there are more boys than girls around here lately he passed on pink)

home from home

2009-07-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

we're back home from home! 3,000 miles between the two, but they're both our favorite places!

Back in NC, we showed our old playground to our new brother at Grandpa's picnic...

we sweated with our cousins in WS and Boone (humidity's overated... but cousin's definetely aren't)

we squeezed Caroline!

we did this alot...

mommy and daddy burned alot of calories this way...

mommy and daddy earned alot of calories this way...

we relaxed...

We did weird things...

Barrett and Lincoln got acquainted....

we got wet... aunt brooke ate a snake...

we opted for donuts instead...

we loved every minute of our time with our family and friends!

Here we go!!!

2009-06-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight's the night...we take off @ 12:30 am and will be in NC by 10 ish tomorrow! We'll be in Boone until Sunday... then Daddy heads to Rockbridge and the rest of us to Winston. We are so excited to see everyone! If we haven't gotten to talk to you yet and you'll be in one of those two places- please call Daddy's cell phone so we can cross paths at some point. Can't wait to see everyone!!!! Yaayy for cousins!!! Yaay for grandparents!!! Yaaay for friends!!!
In the meantime... the action will continue in our absence around here! We'll be praying for a group of girls this week in the cabin "Buckskin Charley"- they're from Salem OR. Their leaders are Krista, Emilie, and Lyndsay- and the girls are Jade, Michelle, Hailey, Katie, Zoya, Hollie, Galene, Alex, Ali, Amber, Erica, Chelsea, Mckenna, and Maria. Their leaders will be walking by their sides this week... experiencing new physical challenges, laughing hysterically, being goofier than any highschooler would ever be in her hometown, and listening to the gospel of Christ presented to them in small (yet big) pieces each day. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will open their eyes to the gift of God... eternal life in Christ Jesus and that they'll know so deeply that it's by grace we are saved... freed... made brand new!
Whenever we fly on a plane or even talk about it, I ask mommy if we'll be going to heaven... it is somewhere way up there, right? She always says "not today"... but then stops in her path and thinks for a second and says something like... "well, I guess we might be going today but we never really know when He's going to come get us! We better be ready!" My question is always a great reminder for her. Today I told her "Yeah... Jesus is just up there now moving some furniture around." She looked a little confused... but then she remembered one of my favorite Steve Greene songs... giggled... and asked if that was what I was talking about... so I sang it for her... it's straight from Jesus' lips... he promised that... "In my Father's house are many mansions... so I go to prepare a place for you!" So if you don't know Jesus already, please know that he loves you so much that he's moving furniture around for you up there even as you read this... and you can't get there on a plane or a trian or a boat or even with your own two feet... for just as we hope our highschool friends will see this week... it's a free gift (one we can't ever earn and don't even deserve) that we're saved through telling Jesus we need him... accepting His gift, believing in Him... who died for our sins but came back to life so we can have a new life too! He's the only way! We' ll keep telling you more about this amazing gift throughout the summer as we get to share stories and pictures.
We love you all and can't wait to see quite a few of you we've been missing way out here!!!

We love him to the moon....

2009-06-21T16:33:00.000-07:00

and back!

prom, pizza & the persistent widow

2009-06-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

So we went to our first prom... the first annual WFR Prom. I didn't win prom queen... but I was the 'Bell' of the ball. Here's us getting ready to go... I wish we had some pics of the actual event but the camera accidently went home with Daddy and Lincoln when he started crying five minutes after we got there. Babies and loud music apparently don't mix, who knew? Though, we're still not certain we should call Lincoln a baby... toddler may be the more appropriate term... just look at him next to Henry!

This next movie is rated G... that stands for Grandparents... meaning it may only interest those who hold that title. However, the amount of times that it will be viewed by at least one titleholder I know of ( i love you Mimi) will make it truly worthwhile to post. Here's tonights dinner... kids definetely love it:)

And finally.... the campers are coming!!! Week One of the summer camping season! This is why we are here... to see campers come to know Jesus and get to enjoy and live forever with Him! Daddy's been sooo busy (but when he should be running low on energy, it seems he just gets more and more pumped!) The rest of us won't have as much direct contact with campers but we will be praying and supporting Daddy with whatever he needs. Will you pray with us? Mrs. Wagner recently reminded us that the fruit of our labor may not be known till eternity... but we do know that the faithful prayers of a righteous man (or woman) avail much. (James 5:16) Also, we know our labor is not in vain (I Cor 15:58). Will you labor with us this summer in prayer... we can be like that persistent widow woman, now she's got it figured out... I should know- if I ask Mommy at least 20 times for another cookie she usually caves (and she's no softy either). ( http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2018:1-8;&version=31; ) As a family, we'll be specifically praying for one cabin of campers and their leaders each week throughout the summer. We'll keep you posted on these cabins and all the happenings around here. Things are getting exciting! Can't wait to share more!

In Training

2009-06-05T15:39:00.000-07:00

Well... it happened.... things have gotten a little rocky around here.... Rocky Balboa, that is. Mommy and Daddy have never been so excited to put us to bed ever since someone left a freebie box with the entire collection of 'Rocky' VHS's at Daddy's office. They've been "knockin'" them out one by one every night this week. They seem a little more motivated to exercise and they keep humming the same tune over and over. So, since there isn't much else to report, here are a few brief clips of our week. (please be sure to read the final credits)

Quotable Lu 2

2009-05-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Daddy walks in the door for lunch today...

Daddy: "Hey Lucy, can I have a big hug?!"
Lucy (pushing a shopping cart and toting no less than five bags full of various items):
" I can't right now... I'm full of hands."
Daddy: You mean your hands are full?" :)
Lucy: Oh, yes.

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Our friend Sloppy Joe

Mommy likes to freeze big batches of food in advance b/c cooking and cleaning up aren't her favorite things to do every evening. Sometimes she makes a months worth of a recipe before we ever even try it (some day she'll learn). A while back she decided she loved Sloppy Joes. Into the freezer goes a months worth.

1st Sloppy Joe Dinner :
Me and Henry work on finishing our first plate at each meal until dinner the next night, with a few brief moments of gagging (it apparently isn't our favorite)

a week passes...

2nd Sloppy Joe Dinner, renamed "Irish Joes":
It's St. Patricks day... Mommy defrosts a batch, but this time makes green rolls to go with it. Me and Henry gobble it up and go for seconds!

a week or so passes....

3rd Sloppy Joe Dinner:
(Daddy's out of town)
Mommy: "Tonight we're having Irish Joes again"
Me and Henry: "Yaaayyy!
Mommy: "I don't have any green buns tonight though so we'll just use plain buns, ok?"
Me and Henry: "ok, Yaayy Irish Joes!! (Then we gobble it up and go for seconds)

another week or so later...

4th Sloppy Joe Dinner:
Daddy makes dinner and announces: "Let's eat... it's Sloppy Joes for dinner tonight!" (Oh no, he let the S word slip!)

an hour passes at the table (or what it felt like at least)

Daddy: What's wrong, I thought you all loved Sloppy Joes?
Lucy: No Daddy, We love IRISH Joes.

5th Sloppy Joe dinner...
We'll see how it goes tonight- Daddy's learned his lesson, though, so we should be able to finish off the Freezer Joes as long as He specifies their nationality first!

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Our friends came to see us this weekend!! Mr. Chris came all the way from NC to play with us for a few days... and Mr. Brandon and Mrs. Alaina came from Seattle to work on the bike trails but we got to play with them some too! Despite Mrs. Alaina being slightly lactose intolerant, we've shared a few great ice cream moments over the years:

Flashback to Nov. 2006:

Present day, May 2009:

Henry in his "cowboy" shirt... anything plaid is "cowboy" to him these days... and that's all he ever wants to wear.

a tough decision

2009-05-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

The pool's been open the last few days and Mommy's trying to get us there as much as possible so she can start strategizing a plan for this summer. Her theory is that it's got to get easier the more we go, right? Didn't seem hard to me though. I love gliding through the cool water with every muscle in every limb clenched around Mommy's body. Henry, however, took his usual laid back approach and enjoyed bobbing and kicking with his floaties the whole time. Mommy's end goal is for me to learn how to swim... for Henry not to bob too far into the deep end by himself, and for Lincoln to learn to love his little red sun tent that Mrs. Sherrell loaned us for the summer... which has already proven to fit at least 5 toddlers in it- unfortunately all on top of him. Kids love tents. Today mommy tried walking to the pool, thinking the stroller would lull Lincoln into a deep sleep so she could focus on me and Henry in the water... that didn't work as well as she planned. But there was a little lulling on the way home. Here's Henry in the backpack struggling to make a tough decision... lolipop or sleep... both soooo appealing after after a good hour of bobbing.

... and here's some bonus footage of Henry chasing a small red dot at the Pratt's.... don't know if Henry or Rufus enjoyed it more. Kids love lasers.

interpretive dancing

2009-05-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Kelly and Mrs. Becky... Mommy told me that you two would appreciate the fact that she's raising up a new generation of interpretive dancers... more videos to come.

sweet caroline!

2009-05-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Finally!!! I got to hug my sweet cousin Caroline again!

Isn't she beautiful!!!

Just look at me... I was so excited I could shout for joy!!!

I got to "sister" her all week long! ("sister" is actually a verb our friends, the Browns, taught us, meaning to smother with love and affection and attention whether desired by the opposite party or not)

I even let her play with Debbie.

She liked my brothers too. I think she wanted to eat Lincoln.

He is kinda meaty, 19 lbs @3 1/2 mos old! Sometimes I think he's so

cute I could just eat him up, too. Then he spits up on me and the moment passes.

Caroline loves it when I squeeze her. Henry doesn't know how good he's got it.

As we gave Mimi, Aunt Amy, Uncle Charles, and Caroline a tour of the new summer staff lodge... Daddy pointed out all the animals on the walls. He had to remind me and Henry that the mountain lion, bobcat, and elk were all once alive but not anymore.. now they're just stuffed for decoration. That made me a little relieved. So when we stopped to take pictures with our bronze friends on camp (see picture below)... I pointed them out to everyone. I had to remind Aunt Amy that the kids were once alive, but not any more... now they're just stuffed for decoration. It made me more than a little relieved when she cleared up this misconception for me!

Papa was our playroom playmate for the last two weeks!

And Mimi, as always, has a way with her grandbabies...

We flew kites...

petted horses...
played on the playground... and Mimi even got to meet alot of my friends at Lily's house for craft time...
but alot of the time we just hung around in our pajamas... we were sick...
everyone kept talking about some kind of flying pig disease...
i think thats what we had :)
...but even though we had to use our mouths to breathe most of the time we used them to smile alot and talk too. Here's Crazy Uncle Charles. He smiles alot. Unless you call him Chuck.
we love our Papa and Mimi!!!

wrong baby, mommy.... you'd think with all the baby
wearing devices around here they wouldn't misplace their babies!

there you go... that's more like it.
there was also alot of dancing going on.. especially in the kitchen- I'll try to round up a few videos to share... my Aunt Amy- she's got the moves... she was a Spartanite after all!

quotable lu

2009-04-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Lucy: "I don't like it. It doesn't taste very good."
Mommy: "Well, you still need to eat it, and it's not okay to say you don't like it at the dinner table... I'll let you get by with saying ' It's not my favorite.' "
Lucy: "ok Mommy"

a week goes by...

Mommy (before dinner): I'm trying a new recipe and the recipe says "Kids love it!!!"
Lucy (after dinner): I do like it!

another week goes by...

Mommy (before dinner): I'm trying a new recipe.
Lucy (after dinner) : Mommy, did your recipe say "It's not kids' favorite?"

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things that made Mommy smile this week:

Daddy and Susie got haircuts... you think the plastic bag straight jackect is excessive?... maybe... but you've never seen Mommy give a haircut

Taking Henry to an ice cream party means everyone plays dodge the sticky toddler.

sunshine:

porch kayaking just before bedtime

oops!

2009-04-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

Today:

They got wet yesterday too... but on purpose that time:

Sorry no pics of the Screamer (swing)... Mommy and I didn't quite book it fast enough pushing the boys' stroller to get there in time... but Daddy and Gray did it twice... ask Daddy to show you the face Gray made!

Grandpa and Gray.. day 2!

2009-04-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

This morning was sooo much fun (for me and Henry at least!) b/c Gray played with us all morning . Even though he's a whopping 12 years old (as of 2 days ago)... he was so gracious to play on our level for a few hours and Mommy thought that was really cool! We played cars, walkie talkies, firemen, built towers, and went to the playground (at least until it started to snow), ate pizza for lunch, and watched a movie. Now that me, Lincoln and Henry are taking a nap... I think Gray and Grandpa are getting to the fun stuff. They headed down to the sports center for basketball, foosball and pool... and when Daddy gets off work I think they'll hit the climbing wall. But here's what our morning looked like:

Here's some footage from this afternoon @ the skatepark...who needs a skateboard anyway?

and finally, it's official..Lincoln loves Grandpa:

these are for you, Aunt Brooke, Uncle Judd and Emmie!

2009-04-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for letting Gray come play with me!!! Emmie, you've got to come next- I miss you! I know it must feel a little crazy with him being so far from home, so I'll keep an eye on him for you and keep you updated on what he's been up to! We've had so much fun already doing flips on the beanbag... and Henry's loving having someone to play trucks with! We took a walk this morning and the guys were going to do the zip line and the screamer (biggest swing ever!) this aftenoon while I nap... I mean blog...but they headed to town to buy a gun for skeet shooting tomorrow instead (don't know which is safer but, again, I promise I'll keep an eye on him!) We love you all!

Gray met some new friends already...

and biked through only a light sprinkle....

Grandpa enjoyed a different set of wheels...

And on the way back we stopped at the skate park to take a swim in the foam pit....

I'll try to post more pics during my nap tomorrow! Love you!

p.s. Gray just told me he tried to explain his bed set up to you so we took a pic... you won't find this one in your average bean bag toss...

And here's a little of the male bonding from earlier too...

He Has Risen!!!

2009-04-12T10:51:00.001-07:00

He has risen indeed!!!! I know... b/c I actually saw the tomb this morning in my backyard! I went with the other "women" to take spices to the tomb and we found the stone rolled away!!! Jesus wasn't there... only a folded cloth lay inside. Mr. Wilke told us all that a folded napkin in Bible days meant that the master would surely be back to the table, he wasn't finished yet... And so it is with Jesus! It made me remember a line from one of my program songs- "He promised he'll be back again, I'm glad to think I'll see Him then!"

Some kids have a backyard play house... I have a backyard Jesus' Tomb!

Jana and Julianna were the angels who told me, Abby, and Bailey the good news!

our sunrise service

that's our house in the bottom right hand corner and the yellow spot on the left is my playground

then a well balanced breakfast of buttered toast and chocolate lolipops...

don't worry... we'll have a better dinner b/c guess who's coming.... GRANDPA AND GRAY!!!!!

Daddy liked my sash

Lincoln slept in for the service but he joined us for breakfast,

and did I mention who'll be joining us for dinner....

GRANDPA AND GRAY!!!!!!! Yaaaayyyy!!!

Check back for pictures of our fun week with them!

cruisin'

2009-04-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

It's officially spring here today (even still tonight!) and we're ready for the wind in our hair!

Easter Program: Take One

2009-04-02T22:31:00.000-07:00

Daddy's in NC. Mommy's done reasonably well with the 3 of us by herself, but for some reason she doesn't want to leave the house much. Didn't help that it snowed yesterday and sleeted today. But tonight was the Easter music program at Worship, so we headed out the door to load up in the 4 Runner (open topped at this point b/c Daddy's always talkin' about the wind in his hair- but Daddy, I have to say I wasn't looking forward to sleet in my hair). We were saved, though, by Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, who let us pile in the truck with them. And we got lolipops- (if you give the Thompsons a hug you get a lolipop... good thing i love hugs and lolipops!). Then onto the next challenge... giving up the lolipops before going on stage. Here's our first try at the program. We get to do it all again Monday, too... might try to find a helmet for Henry first, though!

Please understand that nothing...not even staying on stage, was required to participate... with that in mind, I think we met all the requirements exceedingly well.

the glasses didn't seem to help his depth perception

don't worry... he recovered quickly (and luckily pride doesn't seem to be an issue at 19 months)