Friday, August 31, 2012

Outdoor Movie Theatre

It's been on the summer MUST DO list for several years now.....I mean come on who wouldn't want to watch a movie outside surrounded by mountains.....laying in the bed of a truck with pillows & blankets & family/friends?!! This summer we finally made it happen {it's really not that hard to make it happen,  you just need to have a good memory to remember you have an outdoor theatre within driving distance!}......we even got lucky with some beautiful cool{er} weather which made for an even more enjoyable evening! 
 
The grounds were beautiful & VERY CLEAN.....good enough for running through the grass....
 & doing some flips!
 Time allowed for some pickin' on only the finest of guitars......
 & even some cousin wrestling!
  As soon as the sun set we all snuggled in for the movie: Madagascar 3!
 OH NO YOU DI' INT think we'd miss out on popcorn?!! What's a movie without it?!
 Such a fun night.....to be outdoors.....with the moon glowing in the distance.....laughing....it's what memories are made of!
 We'll see you next summer Wilderness Outdoor Theatre!

Monday, August 20, 2012

MUD RUN 2012

We had SO much fun last year doing the Mud Run that when our friends asked us to join their team it was a NO brainer!! Mud, Friends, Fun, Race, Good Cause....YES PLEASE {benefits Habitat For Humanity}! Joel quickly came up with a team name of: MUDAGASCAR & my mind instantly starting turning with costume ideas! Painted shirts, painted knee socks, tails made from yarn......oh the fun! Some people get out there & take this race serious but this is one race in which there is WAY too much muddy fun to be had to take any part of it serious! Sliding down a tarp into a muddy pool pit, army crawling through muddy water, hopping through tires, rope swinging into a mud pit.....just to name a few obstacles with running {or walking} in between! The only part we took serious was costume making & not sure which was more fun.....the race or the night of painting?!! Madagascar 3 is centered around a Circus theme so we decided to incorporate that into our costumes....rainbow wigs & polka dot socks!

I proudly introduce you to: Gloria the Hippo {Teri-my running buddy & great friend}, Melman the Giraffe {me}, Marty the Zebra {twin sister}, King Julian the Lemar {Teri's husband, Joel & our friend}, Alex the Lion {my hubby}
 It was a morning filled with LAUGHING....seriously! You'd laugh at us too!!
AFRO CIRCUS AFRO CIRCUS POLKA DOT POLKA DOT POLKA DOT!!
 Tails!
 
 Pretty cool parents.....NO?
 Animals on the loose......caught by the law!
 Post Race.....this year was FAR more muddy which equaled WAY. MORE. FUN.!!!!!
 Boy you know you look good!
On our way back to the church parking lot someone noticed this.....quite fitting!! 
Seriously can't wait for next year!! Costumes, Mud, & ALL!! Thanks Henderson's for the invite!!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Camp Heritage

I went to camp as a child in Michigan & still have warm fuzzy memories of that long but short week away from home without my mom & with many strangers that became friends! I wanted my girls to experience that same feeling! Kayden decided this was her summer to give it a go!! There is a camp associated with our church that is about 1 hour away......but I decided to complicate things & drive her to Missouri which is only a 12 hour drive!! I have only good reasons for this: I have a friend that I went to nursing school with & we've kept in touch over the years......she was the camp nurse that week & her daughter is Kayden's age & they would be in the same cabin & Rachel would look out for my baby that week......it just seemed to put my mind at ease!! 2nd good reason for driving 12 hours to take my child to camp: we visit our friends in Missouri every summer for a long weekend.....so why not make it a week?! Plus I would then be VERY close to my child in the case she would need her mom!! Convincing daddy that this was a PERFECT scenario was a bit challenging but with lots of PLEASE DADDY PLLLLEEAAASE he caved! 

Our drive there was uneventful.....long since it was just the girls & I but I can't complain! We arrived a bit later than planned & so a majority of the kids were already checked in & swimming!
There was a bit of a mix up on the cabin she was suppose to be in which left me feeling very anxious & VERY TEARY!! 
In the end my WONDERFUL friend, Nurse Rachel came to the rescue & was able to get Kayden back into the cabin we were expecting her to be in! PHEW!
We made our way down to the water front area where she was to take a water test........I couldn't tell if she was excited or nervous......she forged ahead & turned Chatty Kathy on the girl who walked her down the hill!
......if you know me you know I am a Nervous Nelly with my kids & water & I also know this has rubbed off on them somewhat! She was very anxious about having to take a test but I just encouraged her & that Chatty Kathy-ness did not stop! 
.......she talked
& talked........
AND TALKED.......
.....till she passed that test with FLYING colors!! {insert me laughing!}
We hurried back up to her cabin to get her settled, make her bed, hang a few pictures & Bible verse before having to say good-bye!
By this point she seemed VERY ready for us to hit the road!!
She ran up ahead with the rest of her cabin friends & counselor while Emery & I made our way to the car......we were both feeling a bit sad but knew our week ahead was going to nothing short of a BLAST!!
Rachel was BEYOND awesome during my 1st EVER week away from my child & she assured us that no news was good news! She sent text's here & there to let me know that Kayd was having a blast!! As we were driving to camp for pick up I was telling my friend that I was sure she would NOT want to come home & was going to throw the biggest fit! I couldn't have been more wrong.....once she spotted me she wrapped her arms & legs around me & squeezed the life out of me! If we had been in the car I'm certain she would have cried....she missed us terribly. She had fun but at that point never wanted to go to camp again......only because she missed us so much!! We did find out from Rachel that she broke down at dinner right after we left & again another night at bedtime.....this is my strong girl that WILL NOT cry unless she just can't hold it in any longer!! My heart broke.....but I was thankful that this news was kept a secret until pick up time!!
Nurse Rachel
Her sweet counselor!
 Rachel's daughter & her little buddy Ila
 Oh the squeezing of every child that ensued upon pick-up.....
 So excited to have my girls back together!!
 Saying good-bye to Camp Heritage.......
 & besties! Bittersweet I tell you.....excited to be going home {& daddy was chomping at the bit to have us back....he did not have the best week without his girls!} yet extremely hard to say good-bye! I love these girls.....if you don't know them you should.....my cup was FULL by the end of that week!
 Camp Heritage Campers
 Camp Fig Campers {we KNOW we had WAY MORE FUN! ;) }
 It was equally hard for me to see these 2 have to say good-bye....2 peas in a pod in multiple ways! They are sisters at heart & love each other MUCH!
 THANK YOU RACHEL LASSEL & ALL THE STAFF AT CAMP HERITAGE for keeping my baby safe, leaving her with stories of Jesus, allowing her to have a blast of a week....but not too much so that she was excited to come back home!!! 
 & to my Fig/Crouch girls.....thanks for the week of even more bonding time & fun than I had ever expected! Love & miss you!!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

1st Day of School 2012....

We've had a great summer. Plain & simple it's been fun. We had some extra time with friends & family.....bonds grew even tighter. We relaxed. We played. We got kissed by the sun on multiple days. We made some REALLY GREAT memories this summer. So last night we tried hard to fall back into our "school rhythm". We got our back to school "to do's" completed. We went to bed early for the 1st time ALL SUMMER. We clipped nails. We scrubbed extra good during bath time. We laid out our clothes. We had a good meal around the table, just the 4 of us. We packed school supplies in new backpacks. We set out brand new shoes. We tucked summer reading book reports in our backpacks. We planned our "1st day back to school lunch". We shuffled through the "must do's" that the night before school brings. But there was unspoken sadness lingering in the house all evening.....because hands down, no questions, we had a GREAT SUMMER! 

But the alarm let out it's cry at 6am & we slowly stumbled out of bed still with a bit of sadness lingering but mostly excitement that the 1st day back to school brings {well at least for them}!
I love to watch their personalities continue to unfold, this one scoured magazines till she spotted the perfect owl backpack. She new without much thought she wanted to wear a navy skirt but didn't care what color of top. She new that she wanted a side pony tail with Shirley Temple curls, just like her Aumie fixes it. 
 This one set out in search of a black backpack but settled on blue {her 2nd favorite color}. She knew that she wanted to wear a plaid skirt & red shirt & her tie. She knew that she wanted this flower headband in her hair & consented to watering down some of her bed head followed by a little blow dryer action {all of which she hates!} 
  Oh these 2......I love them. Even on those tough "I could pull all my hair out days".....yes we've had plenty of those this summer! They may never be best of friends but they sure do look out for each other when no one else does!
 
 Emery is starting 1st grade.....we had Mrs Smith with Kayden & just LOVE her!!
Desk 
  Daddy
 Mommy
 Good-Bye's went well for her, she hugged a lot but seemed fine with us leaving & for that I am thankful....
 Kayden is starting 3rd grade.....we do not know this teacher but we've heard only WONDERFUL things about her & are very excited to get to know her this year!
Strangely enough she seemed a bit more indifferent today.....I couldn't really read her which made it a bit more tough for this momma to leave the room!
 Desk
 Daddy......oh do these 2 get ever so irritated with my picture taking! ONE DAY! ONE DAY I TELL YOU YOU'LL BE THANKFUL!!
 Mommy
 Her sweet teacher
Looking forward to a fun year.....knowing 1st grade will bring more learning than playing & hearing that 3rd grade is a whole new ball game!! Cross country/Dancing/Violin for Kayden. Gymnastics/Violin for Emery. It's going to be another busy year.....but I will choose not to dwell on the busy rather be grateful for an awesome school with awesome opportunities/staff & 2 VERY HEALTHY girls who I adore & live for!!