Friday Funny

Me: How do you think our book ends?

Kate: Did it win any awards?  If it won an award, someone dies.

*     *     *     *     *

I don't think she's ever going to forgive me for Bridge to Terabithia...

Half

With the help of a date calculator, I found that at this point in my life, I have known my husband half of the days I have breathed.  Every day after this is more--we will have spent most of my days together.  Admittedly it took a few more days to become 'us.'  But 6,885 days ago, I met the man to share my dreams, father my children, and love me.

Here's to another 6,885 days!

 Engaged (1998)

 Wedding (1999)

 My graduation from college (2001)

 friend's wedding (2002)

 Baby Katie (2005)

 Little Gabby (2008)

 Welcome home Nate (2009)

(Feb. 2010)

(July 2010)

4th of July (2011)

 Baby Ellie (2013)

Vacation (2015)

(2016)

Kristy

Just Keep Swimming

Life has a way of bouncing right back to busyness.  We're back to Justin working regular hours every day, and a calendar that is increasingly covered in blue ink.

Today the big ones had their first swimming lesson of the summer.  We opted to join the pool this summer.  We didn't schedule a vacation this year, and thought we'd do this instead.  It allows them to have regular access to the pool so they can practice their skills.  They were all allowed in the deep end for lessons because they could all float long enough to pass a test, so that's better than where two of them left off last year!

I took Elle to play in the water for a bit while the bigs were in lessons.  She's not so sure about putting her face in the water or even kicking her feet behind her.  For now, we're just working on getting her to think being in the water is okay.  She has a death grip on me right now, but at least she's in the water, which is an improvement over even bath time a couple of months ago.  She did think it was funny that a little boy grabbed my arm and asked for a ride to the steps.

We'll see how much they all gain this year!

Friday Funny

Nate: singing at the table

Ellie: No singing at table!

family:

Ellie: It's not good, sing at table.

family:

Ellie: I hear'ed you!

family;

MAY

One of the mottos of Western Kentucky University, where Justin and I met is 'Life, More Life.'  It has always seemed an odd phrase to me, and one without a lot of meaning, but that's sort of how I felt about our month of May.

The first of May we were returning from a major camp out with many American Heritage Girl troops.  I handled the finances for this big get together, and spent several weeks going over every penny in and out.  In the midst of that we finished up our school year,

  Nate finishing kindergarten.

 

We held a small end of term celebration with friends, food, and a couple of displays of what we learned. Here is some of our astronomy and geography work.

Our AHG troop was wrapping up our year, which also required a bit extra from us.  There was the crossing over ceremony to plan, organize, and hold.

Gabby moved up from Tenderheart to Explorer that night.  Her Daddy got to take her old vest before she crossed the bridge to get her new one from the waiting girls on the other side.

Here she's showing off that very full vest before we cut it up!

Both gals received Presidential Service Awards.

We filled in summer planning sheets for the older three kids, books to read, things they wished to accomplish, and set to work on those.

We attended birthday parties and last tutorial day.

 

We took hikes in the woods and Justin replaced some faucets and worked on some projects

 Then we took a trip to Ohio to visit Justin's parents.  His mother is ill, so our pictures are not with them.

 We visited a fun play ground that had both seesaws and this teeter totter.

To give us as long as possible with his parents we stopped in Cincinnati for the night on the way back.

We visited the aquarium in Newport, getting to see (and for Nate and Kate pet sharks), see the alligator come up for air, see a presentation on penguins, and much more.

 I believe this tank had sea horses.

 Thankfully Ellie was able to rescue Gabby from these horrible jaws!

 The jelly fish really are beautiful behind that glass where they can't sting you.

 Kate, at one of our favorite spots in the city, Eden Park.  She was only one when we moved from there.

Proof that I do exist!

 Justin showing the kids about the old reservoir.

The fam with what Ellie called 'the big toy,' where we stopped to meet a friend from the area.

This week, by contrast, has had not one blessed requirement beyond what running the house normally requires.  We have been to the pool 4 times, running a load of towels through every afternoon, just to repack it again for the next trip.  It has been a lovely relaxing change of pace.

We've a few things on the calendar for later in the month, but I think this is just what we needed after all the busyness, too bad poor Justin was at work this week, though, I think he sometimes finds work a little less overwhelming than life here.

If you made it to the end, maybe you're as tired as I was, I hope you can get a pool day in too!

Lazy Groceries

One of the big box stores with a grocery started a program here where they will shop for you.  You load up your virtual cart, pick a time, and you drive up to get your groceries brought to your car.  It has been available for a few months, but in the epitome of summer time laziness, the kids and I decided to try it this week.  Instead of spending our morning at the store, we went to the pool.

It was quite easy, and the ladies who came out were the two friendlies employees I've met in my five years shopping at this particular store.  While it will certainly keep one from impulse buying, it also means that those things you don't generally put on your list, just pick up as a matter of rote, might be forgotten...like bread for the children's sandwiches...  I did find that our salad in a bag was a bit wilty and went out of date sooner than I wished.  I also wished there was a place to specify what I wanted my produce to be like.  I did expect that might be an issue, so I wasn't really surprised there.

There was one unexpected hitch.  As we pulled away with the three oldest so happy not to have to walk those aisles this week, the little one began to wail, "Wanna go IN da grocery!"