A Day in the Life...

Two beautiful, funny, lovable, kind, and wonderful gals turned nine years old yesterday.  We had to celebrate all weekend, of course! Actually, we've been celebrating for a few weeks! We celebrated all of their birthdays a few weeks ago at Oma and Opa's; they all blew out the candles and we all partook of the yummy cake.  With people raging over the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems noteworthy to say we all ate the cake covered in their germs and we're all okay... They went on their "grandma birthday date" this last week and, as always, had a great time!   Micah's favorite part of the birthday date might have been the Pringles she picked out... The girls wanted two birthday celebrations so Dakota picked going to the pool and out to Winger's on Friday.  The outdoor pool now only takes reservations, and there's a cap of 100 people at a time for two hour blocks.  It's kind of a pain- like we tied to invite cousins last minute but there...

A few weekends ago we bought a camping trailer.  It's in great shape for 23 years old and we love it!  We took it out last weekend for the first time.  We got a late start because we had family in town and a baptism we went to on Saturday (I'm not sure why I didn't take any pictures...) so... needless to say... after a four hour trek we ended up at our local boat harbor.  I was frustrated for lots of reasons but everything worked out just fine and we had so much fun!  There was a beach, a shallow harbor, lots of sunshine (and bugs), and just the five of us.  Red discovered he actually likes water.  Up to now he's been afraid even of the sprinklers.  No fires allowed, so we roasted marshmallows in the camper and made s'mores, enjoyed walks on the docks, and played lots of games.  I wake up to EVERYTHING ( everything) so I got zero sleep; but still, I wouldn't have traded it.  The spring on the trailer axle broke on the way, and luckily we...

I was listening to a podcast (Don't Miss This- it's amazing and everyone should listen) and this week's mentioned a phrase I really like- to love outside the lines.  It made me think of this lady I am working with.  She's incredibly difficult, loves to yell, loves to blame, loves to call names (me and everyone around her).  I was assigned her case at work in March.  I don't do case management except for really tough families that nobody else will work with.  I don't think I'm anything special at work, but these cases have a way of finding me.  This lady really is something else; I think our first meeting, in the first breath, she said she knew I was an (expletive) piece of  s*** who couldn't be trusted.  I've heard it and other things  lots of times.  I've been yelled at and blamed for lots of stuff, mostly stuff I don't even understand.  I've complained in our staff meetings every week, venting and rolling my eyes and asking why I'...

When you find a new park and can't get enough.  That's Tim on the top of the climbing structure, and it wasn't long before Copper was right up there with him.  We also enjoyed slides, rock walls, cool swings, bridges, ziplines, and tons more.  Parks now are way cooler than they used to be! When Kota can't make it through family prayer, and neither can the dog. When you have a hard name... When your cute niece has a really hard day but it brightens up by getting hired at her first job!  I'm so excited for Taryn; she's wanted to work at Home Goods forever and they hired her on the spot.  I'm so happy for her! When it's your third week back to the gym and you almost die.  I did 3.7 on the treadmill, which isn't fast but it's hard at an 8% incline; plus 1100 meters on the rower and 50 squats on the weight floor.  Twenty nine minutes with my heart rate between 150-170... it was just awful and wonderful at the same time.  Happ...

This beautiful girls is 11 years old! Click  here  to watch her break through her door just after 6 a.m.  I didn't want to miss it, so when I got home at 6:00 a.m. I just sat there in the living room waiting for her to wake up.  Thankfully I wasn't 15 minutes later or I'd have missed it!  She was so excited; it was pretty cute. We waited until 7 to wake up the rest of the family, then enjoyed donuts for breakfast. She's been asking for a snow-cone machine for her birthday, and new clothes.  So after donuts she made herself a snow-cone and thoroughly enjoyed it. She has big plans on opening up a snow-cone shack this summer and making big $$$.  I'm not stopping her! She also wanted to go clothes shopping as a whole family, much to Kota's dismay.  It's the first time in months we've been out as a family and it was pretty fun! She picked Red Robin for lunch and the crazies joined in on the picture taking. That night...

 I have a lot on my mind this week and I'm not sure where to start or what to say.  I guess that's for my rambling journal, hahaha.  I'd hate for someone to make sense of that one.  Needless to say, I feel overwhelmed with emotion this week. I signed up for a nine week course on discovering gifts I've been blessed with by God.  This week it's joy.  That is a real blessing, and it comes at a good time. So instead of rambling, I'll focus on the things that bring me joy.  One- my family, including our animals. The chicks and bunnies have officially been outside for almost two weeks.  The first 24 hours with the bunnies outside of the window well were stressful.  I think I called them every name in the book.  I did not know that bunnies could fit through 3x2 inch wire panels.  Thankfully our neighbor found one in her backyard and we figured out how they were escaping.  Now our little animal area is covered in layers and ...

As if the craziness of COVID over the last several months wasn't enough, this week has been an absolute devastating show of the very opposite of humanity. Criminal acts, racism, rioting, looting, violence, etc.  What a sad week.  We are born different, we are unique, but we are all human.  Change doesn't happen through violence or fear.  Change happens in our hearts, spread through our homes, and shown in our communities through helping in hard times, voicing and advocating, loving our God and our neighbors, and respecting each other above all.  I am sad, angry, frustrated, nervous about my kids' future; I am also compassionate, loving, and hopeful.  I am disappointed in how others in the world bring violence and spread violence; it no longer speaks to equality among populations, it's not about caring about black people or any minority; it's about the damage that can be done- physically, emotionally, economically- and about greed. Today I had a short ...