Chasing Waterfalls

Just when I feel like I've finally figured out summer break, it's almost over!  Things to remember for next summer starting in JUNE

• Insist on a mid day reading time/siesta. It does a lot of good to make the kids take a little break from their friendsies and CHILL OUT for awhile. 
• While at it, let everyone know with a handy sign on the door that reads something like this "Quiet Time in session" (or for the non readers a frowny face) to keep the every ten minute doorbell interruptions at bay. There is something about the dinging and  knocking that makes everyone leap up from their otherwise restful activities and run to the door as if there's going to be a pot of free candy on the doorstep.  
• Explore Nature. This is the cheapest, easiest, way to gobble up lazy summer days and turn them into learning adventures that will be sure to have them pooped out tired for bed.

Today we tried just that! Here we are...in Hawaii... or at least the spray from the waterfall made it feel that way. 

We invited some neighbors to join us. See what we found along the trail? Yes, a cozy rustic cabin. I think it has potential. 

We also found a geo-cache treasure box! The kids opened it to find a toy car  which the younger two vowed to "share." We'll see how that goes. In it's place we left a note, a pencil, and.... a packet of daily vitamins?? (it was all we had?!)

 We passed signs that said "Bear Country" and what to do in case of lightning. (lay on the ground.) But we weren't scared. All we saw were a couple of squirrels and even more exciting a snake!   Little Bud declared "Yay! We're in the mountains. I can pee." and that he did right then and there all easy like cuz he's a boy.

Actually getting down to the waterfall pool was pretty treacherous but we did it and it made us feel like superheroes.

 The water shouldn't be this COLD in Hawaii???

At this point the kids were too tired to care, but there was a very cool little old mining historic site with old tools and outhouses and stuff. We'll have to come back another day with a picnic for more adventuring....

Tippy Canoes

Canoeing on Pioneer Day? Why not?! We drove to this quaint and rustic mountain park for some family adventure. No one fell in, although, the kids couldn't resist swimming after.

The hot attraction this summer has been the nearby canal. I drop them off at a certain point up-river.  They float down this lazy flow which is occasionally  interrupted by bridges (duck and cover) and a couple of "white water" rapids. When they get to our neighborhood they pull out and walk home, dripping and satisfied, and finish with a hot shower.

 Another Pioneer Day adventure-- Brandon played in and won the local singles tennis tournament!

Make Freedom Ring--Family Reunion

What do you get when you have a theme, 3-days packed full of fun, and 70 of your favorite people?
You guessed it. This year's reunion was better than ever. Highlights included: Sports day, Crossing streams through a beautiful canyon, Swimming, outdoor movie, BBQ's, and singing patriotic songs to the strumming of guitars.

I love watching people shine and this year I saw a lot of people sharing the best of themselves. Aunt Megz not only showing her line dance skills but being able to teach the rest of us lead-foots. Uncle L teaching us about freedom , Aunt T exercising her stage presence and helping us to memorize a scripture, My own BD, leading the adults in a discussion about managing time and priorities. Aunt M entertaining the kids with her new balloon twisting skills. Uncle DB taking us through his world travels to make us realize how blessed we are to live in a free country. Uncles J and DH interjecting throughout it all with comic relief.
Cousins being inclusive.

Everyone was quick to pitch in and help with dishes, dinners, or crying babies. The reunion was centered around the theme "My Country Tis of Thee." We all left feeling a little prouder to be an American and even happier to be part of our great big family.

This is what a stubbed-toe gets you

Getting Spoiled this Summer

July has been HOT and eventful. Here's the rundown

 Brandon and Adrie took part in a local patriotic musical. In this scene they are "thumbing their noses" at the British tax. Glenn Beck would be so proud.

 Children's parade down main street.

 Some blessed cloud-cover and the anticipation of treats at the Fourth of July Parade

Heavy Medal

 Brynn was IN the parade with her gymnastics team--showing off and doing dangerous tricks to make everyone want to sign up their kids for that kind of fun. Brynn is wearing her medals she earned from the Summer Games in June. She got a silver in all-around and a gold on vault.

 Suburbia does have its' benefits of constant playmates but if I ever want to see my kids I have to carve out some time. This week we went to for pampering and prettying at the local beauty college.   I got a facial while the girls had their hair and nails done.  Fabulous.

In other events, we got our "new to us" minivan.   While we were waiting for it to get fixed the dealership loaned us a ....why the heck not....2012 Honda CrossTour MSRP $37,000.   Confession: I've never been a car person, but I became one after this experience.  It was so dang fun to drive--super smooth handling--it was like I and the car became one in those 2 weeks--and we looked awesome!  Every time I'd get in the car I'd discover some new fun thing like--XM radio! back up camera! sunroof! navigation system!   Darn it, I miss you guys!  I was suddenly volunteering to drive everyone everywhere. Need me to take your kid to swim lessons? No prob!  It was a sad day when I had to turn in the keys to get my real car. How could a  bare bones minivan not feel a little frumpy by comparison? Those dealerships are the devil aren't they?!  Ah well, it's like Hawaii-- I can't live there but I enjoyed my CAR-cation while it lasted:)!

Happy summering....

Metro Mania

Here it is...our annual tag along on Brandon's conference so we can have an almost free family vacation--single mom style since he is "working" all day.
I love going back to my roots and playing tourist in the city.

DAY 1: THE WATERPARK--our friends joined us for this one as well as everyone else in the valley because it was 100 degrees! And of course because everyone was there we found some cousins! Surprise!

 DAY 2: SHOPPING AND A MOVIE--with all the kids?? What was I thinking???!!  Our yard sale revenue from our old clothes went to buy new clothes.  Cannon and I rode the escalators UP and DOWN while the girls tried on their fill of clothes from all our favorite department stores.    My proof of motherhood (besides my kids and stretchmarks) is that all my clothes come from Costco.

DAY 3: Everyone in the valley followed us to THE ZOO only they got there before me and took all the parking spots.

 Our littlest gorilla was all tuckered out by the end of it.

 Happy cousins joined us for this event.

Kate practiced photography skills on at least 100 different species. Here's one of them.

 DAY 4: THE GIANT TRAMPOLINE PLACE

 More fun cousins--in line for the bungee jump!

 I'm glad I could show the girls that I still got moves.

 EVERYDAY: SWIMMING AT THE HOTEL POOL--all you really need for a vacation. We bounced around from the cool pool to the hot tub and back again.

One evening we got a little stir-crazy in our downtown hotel room and decided to go outside and mingle with the homeless.  We made up some obstacle courses in the parking lot. It wasn't long before someone with slurred speech  staggered over but with a little different approach than expected. He showed us a wad of cash and pled with Brandon (who mind you had just his head soaked all week with addiction therapy techniques) if he would in his great mercy go in the liquor store and buy some booze because he himself wasn't allowed in there (for some reason?) .  When Brandon wouldn't do it he turned to me but since I couldn't pass for a day over 21...:) he returned dejectedly to the bushes from whence he came.  With that the fun was over and we went back to the safety of our hotel where dad taught us all about the effects of alcoholism which I'm pretty sure was more effective than their whole year of D.A.R.E in school.

 DAY 5: EXPLORING THE NEW MALL WITH A RIVER RUNNING THROUGH IT--Obviously the shopping memories from earlier in the week had faded. This one was easier though because it was shorter! At noon it was time to pick up Dad and head home.

 I sure enjoy these city trips. I love having access to all the stores and restaurants and fun things to do and returning at the end of a day to a clean hotel room and an episode of "So You Think You Can Dance"

But after a whole week of fun it was time for this city mouse to go back to her country house where the kids can run free.  The rest of the valley didn't follow us this time.

Yard Schmale

I'll admit it. I hate yard sales. I don't know why--the piles of junk, the driving of hard bargains. I guess I have never experienced the "high" that comes from finding that special something and paying almost nothing for it. So why on earth did we have one this weekend? I blame Dave Ramsey. His financial wizardry is casting a spell on me that makes me do crazy things--like emptying my house out onto my driveway.

It turned out not to be as dreadful as I thought it would be.  In fact it was rather rewarding. I wanted to hug those good souls who hauled off my junk by the armfuls.  The girls sold some feather earrings that they made. Adrie set up shop selling stuffed animals. I don't know if it was her cute face or the 25 cent pricetag but she sold more of her inventory than the rest of us. We made about $100 bucks off our junk and took whatever was left to goodwill. We also got some funny stories from the experience.

One guy who looked like he was ready for the apocalypse, or maybe he just rolled out from living under a bridge, asked if I had any ammunition for sale, specifically rifles or pistols.   Just TRY imagining me or my social worker husband dealing with weapons without laughing.  It was hard but I was able to tell him sorry while maintaining composure. Is that even legal?!!

Another guy, asked how much for the half-filled box of carpet tack we had out there.  I told him he could just take it. "That's not fair?!" he said with surprise so I told him  fine "$3."  He never ended up taking it or buying it.

A young boy came up to ask if he could borrow my phone. He appeared to be on the verge of tears. Apparently, his parents had taken off and left him there. He was soon reclaimed after the phonecall.


Do you have any trains?  Nope
How about gardening supplies?
Just kids stuff?! groan

My Spanish came in reeeeal handy.

But here's the killer.  We had this wooden coffee table that had sidetables that folded out. We bought it at a garage sale for $10 when we were first married and it served us well until we couldn't find a use for it in our new house.  It suffered at our hands a few dings and some water damage.    It sold rather quickly. The couple paid me but said they would have to come back shortly to pick it up and then they made sure it was tucked to the side with a sold sign on it.      In the time they were gone I had a few other people want to buy it. One lady, at seeing that it was already sold, was sick with regret.  She explained that she was an antique dealer and that item was a beautiful find.  " How much did you sell it for?" she cringed with the anticipation of bad news.
 It was worse than bad.
 "$5."
I thought she'd committ sepiku right then and there.   SHE would have sold it for $250 and would have gotten at least $195 at her posh boutique.  Sheesh Leweesh. I guess after trying to be a financial smarty pants I let Dave Ramsay down afterall.

Well, the funds we did make will go toward our city trip later this month.
Next on the dockett and for the nicer junk still lurking in the closets? eBAY!!!!

Highs and Lows

There is a scene in the movie "Notting Hill?" I believe, where the family is at the dinner table and they go around and each say the best and the worst thing of the day or the "high and low."  We've been consistently inconsistent doing that at our house but when we do it's always interesting...
Here are the highs and lows of our week

HIGH: We went to visit our awesome cousins and experience Dinosaurland. Upon seeing the giant Pteranodon sculpture from the parking lot, Cannon exclaimed, "I WANT TO LIVE HERE FOREVER!!!"  He almost got his wish when our car broke down....but we'll save that for the low...

Cannon's alter ego

This is what you do in heaven all day, according to the 4-yr. old

Add caption

 HIGH: Escaping a verrrry windy day and spending it indoors swimming at the rec. center.

They can't get enough of dinosaurs in these here parts

LOW: Our van died! It started making this awful clanking sound so we thought we better get it checked out. The mechanic told us we weren't to drive it a minute more. Diagnosis: Major engine problem   It gets lower--the Repair: $5500.  That's just enough to make you think about getting a new car. 

The nice part of this is that the mechanic (and neighbor of cousins) had a van he wasn't using and brought us the keys so we could borrow it to get home and use until we got a new one?!  How is that for generosity and kindness?!! 

 Other HIGHS:
We visited the house where my Dad was born and raised. Well, almost--he was actually born across the street in his cousin's house that no longer exists. But this is the home he was raised in.  The girls climbed all the trees on the property--with permission from my mom's "adopted" sister who lives there now.

 She showed us the bricks where my Dad carved his name and the year 1947

 The girls had their end-of-school hoopla and merry-making

 Kate's patriotic program: She bet me a dollar that I would get emotional and cry.  I must have had a stone cold heart that day because not even the slideshow of the wounded soldiers and weeping widows got to me but the soldier who just returned and surprised his daughter at the assembly almost did.   Kate also participated in the 5th grade Spelling Bee because she figured that would be more exciting than just watching it. She didn't study darn it so she was pleased to end up around 13th place.

 Brynn had State gymnastics competition.  She played "Arkansas Traveler" on her fiddle for the 3rd grade talent show.

I helped out with Adrie's 1st grade Field Day as well as tag-along Cannon. I got to be the "parachute mom" which was the most exciting event there in my opinion. We had tons-o-fun but after doing it 6 times in a row with each class I had no voice left...or energy.

I guess the only low would be that all these school events were packed in the same 3 days!
Welcome summer!  What is your high low?