A Hot Summers Night

The hottest week of the summer and we've been a bit house bound due to Adrianna's injury.  So while Adrianna was able to venture out for a few hours this evening to attend a friends birthday party I took Eli and a neighbour friend down to the river to cool off.

They seemed to have lots of fun tubing down a small section of the river, moving rocks from one location to another and then lastly spinning wildly (almost to the point of throwing up - oh to be a 10 year old boy) on some apparatus on the playground.

Yes, always the same spot but really I'm in love with this spot. So breathtakingly beautiful, fairly peaceful (even with the playground and spray park just behind us) and the sounds of the water purely calming (something I desperately needed).

Pictures taken with my iPod

CRAAAAABBBBBBY!

Thanks to hormones (yes, just what you want to read about) I have been one CRABBY girl this past week!!!  No amount of B vitamins, sunshine or family has been able to help me out.  I would have been better off locked up in a dungeon and forgotten about........ I hate these moments.  They don't happen near as often as they use to but it's so OVERWHELMING and FRUSTRATING.  You'd think I could control it but I can't or at least I haven't figured out how.
 

Probably what I've looked like ALL week!

As the crabbiness slowly lifts I realize just how much of a JERK I've been.  My poor in-laws visited for a couple days and I'm sure they were really second guessing why their sweet, sweet son married me.  On top of it all trying to help out others and not getting the solutions I want NOW makes for unpleasant thoughts, conversations and actions........ note to self LOCK YOURSELF AWAY.....

Can any amount of I'M SORRY help - even if I can't guarantee it won't happen again????? 

Service

I love to serve.  It makes me feel great.  I feel useful.  However, for some reason at this moment serving others seems to be coming a little easier than service within my home.  It might have something to do with this......

Ring a ding ding!!

Adrianna bought this beautiful crystal bell a few weeks back at an antique store.  She fell in love with it instantly.  She's certainly gotten her monies worth out of it the last couple of days!  Eli loves it - he jumps up to serve in what ever capacity is needed as soon as he hears it.  Eli teaches me much. 

REALLY she hasn't rung it too often and yes I've been trying to make her as comfortable as possible, I've just noticed how sometimes in our lives we seem to be quicker to serve others then those right in front of us.  So busy trying to make others lives easier when we could be doing the same within arms reach. 

My heart goes out to her as she gingerly tries to navigate herself throughout the house.  I wish it could be me.  I wish I could take all the pain and misery away but I can't. Soon it'll heal and soon we'll forget these uncomfortable days but hopefully we won't forget the little lessons of life we learn with them. 

My sweet girl resting

 What melts my heart is when you see children serving children.  No parents involved.  Just pure kindness, thoughtfulness and a desire to serve.  THAT is a beautiful moment.

Thank you Kathryn & Ethan!!

Round 2

First Time Experiences:

getting hurt at a family function
pants didn't get cut open!

laughing gas

an IV

having the doctor pop it back into place

 

 

Waiting for the doctor

Second Time Experiences:

a dislocated knee

an ambulance ride

x-rays

crutches

Waiting for x-ray results

What I Like

I like my hair sideways. 

I don’t care if I look like a dork.

 It matters what I like not others.

-Eli

Tenderness

I wish we could live like Zion, you know when there is no rich or poor everyone is the same.  Whenever I see poor people my heart breaks into hundreds of pieces and makes me sad and I wish I could help them.

-Eli (10 1/2)

Mamma Mia!

Yesterday we headed into Vancouver in the afternoon to do a little of this and a little of that before the show.  Here is just a little of what was captured on my iPod.

 While shopping we found these yummy angry birds carmel apple treats!  We didn't eat them but did have a yummy treat!!

You've got to LOVE the creativity of Robson Street!

Dinner before the show!

What we've been waiting for ALL day..........

Still impatiently waiting........

This is the second Broadway show I've been to with my children and I have to say I get choked up every time (I'm beginning to think I'm a cry baby).  Its their pure joy, the emotions they feel and express as they watch, the laughter and wonderment they experience.  I love that I can give that to them and share those moments with them!!

Sledding in the Summer is Possible!

Adrianna with the young women (church group) went ice blocking.  Confused?  She was given a solid block of ice.  What then?  She covered the block with a towel (a little protection for the butt) then sat on the ice block and slid down the hill.  Basically sledding in the summer time!  Crazy?  Maybe but LOTS of fun!! 

Ready.....Set..........

GO!!!!!

Again.....

WAHOO!!!!
Oops, towel failure!!

Increasing bravery...

PLUS the view was gorgeous!

Just Read!

I just noticed the following on Adrianna's

door this morning (click on to enlarge and

read)........ As I'm typing this I realized I hadn't looked on Eli's door...... Just did...... He has one too......

 

Every time I read it

I start laughing.......

If You Haven't Tried You Should

I just learned how to use FaceTime on my iPod.  Another fun way to connect with family and friends!  Have you tried?  Check it out if you haven't its kind of fun!

WildPlay 2011

Possibly the kids new annual event?  WILDPLAY!  In particular the Monkido Aerial Adventure Course!

What is that you ask?  Climbing, swinging and zipping through the forest on an aerial adventure.  It's a self-managed system where the kids move at their own pace (while securely harnessed) through a series of surprising and progressively challenging games suspended between six to sixty feet up in the trees (so far my kids have only done Monkido Kids so they haven't experienced the sixty feet thrill - Adrianna wants to next time).  They conquer fun and challenging obstacles such as tightropes, missing plank bridges, swinging logs, soar on ziplines, and climb on cargo nets, ladders and more. 

WildPlay in Maple Ridge opened last year and offered 1/2 price for the first couple weeks on the Monkido Kids (it wasn't completed yet).  This past fall I was able to purchase 1/2 price on Groupon and we finally used them today!  The kids were able to do the completed Monkido Kids course a couple times while Les and I were their supervisors (at ground level). 

Eli finally all untangled!

Ahh......

I have the most caring, gentle and thoughtful son!  My son put tears in my eyes and melted my heart tonight.

He came to the young women's activity tonight so that he could play at the park while we had our bbq.  Near the end of it he quietly came up to me and informed me that there was a homeless man in the park and wanted to know whether he could give him a piece of cake.  Yes, was the reply.  Just as quietly as asking he took a piece of cake to the gentleman.  Eli came back happy along with information like his name is Mark and he has three children but he still wanted to do more for him.  I noticed that Mark was digging for bottles out of the garbage and I knew we had a whole pile of empty juice boxes. I suggested to Eli that he ask Mark if he'd like them.  Next thing I see is Eli holding the bag open while Mark added our empty containers to his.

I'm supposed to be the teacher but I often feel like I'm the pupil.

Easiest Thing to Make

Dinner tonight Adrianna decided we should make Jello and Les suggested she should be the one to make it. 

The conversation continued.....

Adrianna - I don't know how to make jello

Les - It's the easiest thing to make

**a moment of silence**

Adrianna - Are you sure?  I think it's toast.

I love dinner time conversations!!

Sense of Humour

While sitting around a picnic table Eli informed his Aunt Nikki that he's the only one in the family with a sense of humour. 

Me:  We all have a sense of humour!
Eli:  Well you and dad don't use yours very often.

Note to self - lighten up?!?!!!

Musician in the Making?

I read the following quote the other day, "If you really want to do something you will find a way, if you don't you will find an excuse".  This hit me like a ton of bricks.  It seems like more often then not that's how things in  my life turn out but many times I don't feel that its because I don't want to but because I lack self-confidence -  in particular to try something new. 

Somewhere along the way over the years I seem to have forgotten a bit of who I am, what I desire and what I'm capable of and recently have been reminded that I can!  Being a mom and wife is very rewarding but if I lack self-confidence to try something new which then becomes the hindrance to accomplish something new/difficult how can I lead by example or try my best and more importantly how can I instill confidence into my children? 

So where exactly am I going with this?  If you know us well enough you know there are plenty of musical instruments in our home played by everyone but me (even though I do have my old clarinet sitting up in the closet from my school years).  The opportunity to play in an adult beginning concert band became known to us and Les instantly knew he would sign up with his new electric double bass and has persisted in husband pressuring me ever since (on a side note my sister Tricia has signed up too playing for the first time the french horn). 

For the longest time I couldn't give him an answer as to why I wouldn't until I finally realized I could give him an answer - lack of self-confidence.  So, finally deciding that this gives me the opportunity to play an instrument that I've always wanted to and prove to myself that I can do it - I WANT to do it.  This is where my previous post Oboe For the First Time comes in.  THAT is the instrument I've chosen to play.  Of course I just had to pick one of the more difficult instruments which has worried me even more but after meeting with Peter Hurd down in Bellingham and playing on some outstanding oboes with him and getting instruction I finally feel like I really can do it.  Probably his words, "you won't have a problem with the oboe" definitely helped.  It's funny how other peoples encouragement can go a long way - we should always be encouraging each other. 

Not my oboe but in case you weren't sure what one looked like!

All Put Together

The living room all put together!  

We have added a couple more pictures to that bare spot on the wall

but the picture frames weren't quite ready when I took these pictures. 

 The fireplace surround Les made for the electric fireplace. 

Looks so much better from the original!

The quilt that inspired the wall color. 

What do you think?  I personally LOVE it!

Summer Fun!

School is out and we've had nothing but sunshine, sunshine and more sunshine!  This morning I was the best mother ever and made up a bunch of water balloons for the kids.  Then it was off to the store so the kids could buy their own slip and slide  - told you I'm the best!!!

Made by the best mom!!

That just looks painful but they love it!

Our backyard looks a little like a mud pit now but again - best mom!!!!