Sam's Special Day

Never wanted to blog out of guilt.  Only the joy of putting down fabulous (and not so) memories down for the remembering in the future.  But I will admit to you I have a tough time getting Sam's school trip up when I still haven't gone through Leah's pictures from last week.  Hopefully dealing with this one right away will also give me the push I need to deal with Leah's as well!

A very special day with our dear oldest son and what a wonderful day it was for it.  Cloudy but warm enough and not a drop of rain!  Hooray!!  After getting spoiled at the local Safeway with all kinds of yummies while touring the behind the scenes operations, we headed to the public library for story time and picking out books. 

Next stop?  The park for a very welcome lunch stop.  As you can see Sam was devestated to have to run around and play soccer goalie for a while!

 Something I wished I had remembered to do with Leah.  I got a picture of me boy and I.  I have very few pictures of me with the kids and so I'm so thankful for these!  After all, someday in a bout of frustration I'll probably yell something like, "you're so ungrateful!! I spent whole days with just you going on your fieldtrips."  (it will probably be in the middle of trying to get them to do something for me - like clean up a messy room or something - what?  you mean you're never irrational like that?!)

My favorite of the day.  My favorite place - nature/heron reserve, my favorite student, my favorite picture.

 If you happen to go to the heron reserve I hope you get Cynthia (red shirt) to show you around.  I have had her as a guide for both Leah and Sam now and I enjoy her just as much or more than the kids.  The wetlands themselves leave me in awe.  Thousands of frogs, birds, salmon, bugs, snakes etc.  So much fascinating and incredible beauty pointing to our Almighty, amazing Creator! 

Psalm 19:1 - 3

The Perfect Revelation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
² Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
³ There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.

Well, the staff have also set up a bit of a scavenger hunt in order to prove to us all what lousy detectives we are, how pathetic our observation skills are, how much we are in need of a visit to the local optometrist etc.!!  Seriously, one section of forest has at least 35 items hidden just off the path for you to hunt up.  I found ONE on my own.  Yes, I write that first sentence on my own behalf!  We were to walk through like herons.  Wings bent in arches and held behind our backs (presumably to remind those of us who might touch before thinking otherwise that these items are to stay where they are) and then to finish off the look we needed to lift our feet up high and carefully place them forward one step at a time all the while looking high and low.  Sam's teacher were great examples to follow...

 until Mrs. S. whipped around with a "BOO"!

sorry Mrs. S. that was too cute not to share!!

On Doing Jumps

Friday night Steve made two boys' day and took Sam and Caleb and the twins to the bike/skate park nearby.  The two boys had lots of fun.... for the first 10 minutes.  After that things went a little awry.  (How do YOU pronouce that super cool word - a-RYE or AW-ree?)  Too bad I'm too lazy to figure out how to do a quick poll.

Back to the boy with the fat lip.  Apparently he wasn't quite ready and he went face over handles without a second's chance to get his hands out and up.  Fat lips are always hard for me to get proper perspective on camera but rest assured, this lip is fat-and then some!  It also has some of those little blood spots that come with a decent bruising?  You know, the ones that make you add an extra ouch when you see them?  Well, this picture is Saturday morning.  The lip was fat, he talked a little funny but let it also be known that he hopped out of bed relatively early and came to show me.  "It's fat," he pointed out, "but I still want to go back.  I just know what jump not to do next time."

 By yesterday morning the swelling was gone down enough that I could actually see the internal damage.  This doesn't look so bad but the two front teeth got a good knock loose, the gums above the front four are purple and swollen up to the top and the sore above his teeth actually kind of looks like raw hamburger.  Nice, I know.

Now, I wasn't there went it happened so I have to be a bit careful in my storytelling but there are a few things I would like to point out.  Providential.... there's Steve with a screaming, jumping Sam and a man comes running over... "I'm a dentist, can I help?" !!!  (Sam didn't let him near his mouth and later on when I asked him why not he said, "I didn't want to get blood on him - there was SO much blood!"  I told my family it was probably a good thing I wasn't there.  I would have pinned him down, tied him up if I had to - you don't kick a free dentist visit in the teeth!  Anyway, this gentleman's opinion was that considering it was Sam's baby teeth they would probably be alright.  Another thing, it was close enough to a resturant that Steve could boot over and get some napkins and ice to do their work.

Later on when I tried to describe the event to Krista, you know, a rejected dentist, a kind waitress, 3 wide eyed kids, an overwhelmed dad and a hysterical Sam.... well, is it any wonder that we laughed like crazy women when we thought about Steve stuffing the twins, Sam and Sam's bike all into the double stroller and booking it for home? 

ps.  I'm now collecting bottles to return for recycle just to replace the rolls of paper towel Sam went through after he got home!  ;)

Recently we were kindly and wonderfully gifted with a second set of bunk beds.  We were & are so very thankful for them.  When Nana came to stay last week, it wasn't much of a problem to give her Leah's room and put Leah upstairs on the top bunk.  Very handy.

Not so handy?  Cody is scared of his "new bed".  Conversation from the other night keeping in mind they still sleep one on each end finding their own space for feet somewhere in the middle.

Cody should be going to sleep but instead he is lamenting his scary bed.  And then...

"Cara, can I come snuggle on your bed?" 
"No, Cody, my bed is WAY more scary than yours."  (or in other words, stay out of my space!  He would still much rather sleep snuggled by her but she's not so willing.)

Woo hoo!

Today on a trip home from the farm, Leah, Sam and I happened upon a huge garage sale in a gym.  We scored a couple of pairs of roller blades for $6.50 total.  :)  You better believe that at 4:30 when everyone was now feeling completely crowded and cabin feverish and Steve suggested going for a walk/roller blade trial, that he had some very eager beavers!  Very eager, soaking wet beavers.  Having been spoiled in the sun department for a couple of days it felt wet enough to swim rather than blade along but this boy had a hoot.  He can hardly wait until he's good enough to take his hockey stick to his cousin Jacob's!!!!

Dear parents of my kids' classmates:

I promise to only believe about half of what I hear at the supper table.  Please, give me the courtesy of returning the favor.  I can only imagine what your kids say they hear about us!

Mama with the interesting supper conversation!

Spending time at the pool for lessons is this guys idea of a really good time!

Incredible! They're gone.

The beginning of the day!

The trees above our shop.  He cut them off and sailed them over into the neighbor's yard!

Logs too.  Everything went straight into a chipper.

Time to give the chainsaw a drink... and he told us to hop in the cage for some pictures. 

Cara and Cody came around later...after a little spring shower to make things interesting!

SO high up there.  His boom is out at 62'.

There goes the last one.  There were two guys on the other end of the line making sure it landed in the neighbor's back yard.  It was neat to watch.  The men were very nice, great to the kids and sure did a nice, safe job of it!

Our new view!

We triple-ly missed you today, Dad!!!!

We miss you Dad!

This morning Krista came over to help me work outside a while.  Tonight when Steve came home he made a comment about too bad you weren't able to come and enjoy all the neatness!  Krista brought her weed eater and made everything look so netious! (spelling?)

But most of the work shown in these pictures is actually the result of a work done over a couple of weeks.  Taking out some rododendrons and cedars made a huge difference...

Don't you think?!

That bit of tulip color comes from you, Laura! :)

Of course, a couple of weeks in the spring makes all the difference for a bit of cheerful color!

More pictures to come tomorrow.

Erin, hopefully next time I phone home and ask you to take a message there's at least one sharp pencil in the pot! :)

 These funny boys had a great time wearing daddy's boots!  I'm not sure what's with the tongues but it could have something to do with the extreme amount of effort required to move an inch!

What comes out of the kitchen

When Cara and Cody have to unload the dishwasher!

A great big tower...

...and fingerprinted cups!

An afternoon's contemplation:

As a mother of sick children, making spaghetti for supper is either sheer bravery or sheer foolishness.

I haven't contemplated long enough to decide which!  :)

Hope you're all having a wonderful, healthy day!