Kemper Family Chronicles

Day 7...Venturing to Trier, Germany

2010-03-18T21:25:00.033-05:00

Yesterday, we travelled a little further away from our friends' home & went to Trier, Germany. To be honest, I didn't know much about Trier before we went to this city & knew probably the same amount when we left (due to the fact that I STILL can't read or speak German)! It is a beautiful city, and I've learned more by looking on the internet. However, since I've been there, I at least have certain landmarks that I recognize & can relate to. So, first things first (if anyone else is as geographically-challenged as I am), where are we? From my understanding, Trier is only 6 miles from the Luxembourg border & sits on the Moselle River...although I don't remember seeing a river!

So, now that we've been to Trier & I've looked on the internet, I've found out that Trier is the oldest city in Germany, was founded in 16 B.C. by Emperor Augustus, & became the favored residences of several Roman emperors. The city still has some ancient Roman ruins in the middle of the city...sometimes right next to a "modern" building or a new one under-construction. That's something that I found kind of ironic, seeing a "vintage" building right next to some "modern" ones. But then, this little observation made me think about what this country has been through over the centuries, in particularly this past century. I wonder what this country looked like prior to the 2 World Wars? What would this country look like if it wasn't at the center of World War II? Kind of makes me sad to realize the devastation & destruction this country has been through. And I'm also just now realizing that we have not seen any mention of war related history (or at least maybe we just can't read it). So, far though, looking back through the internet, I haven't read much mention of war either. Hmmm!

Back to our adventure which, again, begins with a parking hunt! (Makes me wonder how difficult this adventure is during Germany's "busy" season!) We ended up kind of circling around to get our bearings, even with our friends' GPS! Greg finally found a parking garage, but it ended up being a good hike away from anything interesting. We weren't sure of where we were going, but we saw a beautiful church on the horizon & just started walking to it.

The church turned out to be the Trier Cathedral (Trier Dom).

History lesson time! "The present cathedral in Trier stands on the site of a former palace of Emperor Constantine the Great (the 1st Christian Roman Emperor) and still contains part of the Roman original structures. Its art and architecture covers a time span of more than 1,650 years. It is the oldest church in Germany. The Cathedral of Trier houses great works of art and a holy relic that draws many pilgrims: the Holy Robe, the garment said to be worn by Jesus when he was crucified. Directly adjacent stands the earliest Gothic church in Germany, the Church of Our Lady, built in the 13th century." We didn't get to go in the Church of Our Lady (Liebfrauenkirche) because it was closed for some restoration & renovations. However, from the internet pictures, it looks like a beautiful church with some great architecture! The Trier Cathedral is quite impressive, and I can't imagine that the architecture of Liebfrauenkirche is more beautiful than the Trier Cathedral, but that's all the websites mention is the other church! Personally, I think that the Trier Cathedral is one of the more beautiful churches that we saw.

Next, we had to shamefully ask in English where to go for a tour "train" of the city...since we couldn't find it on our own! (I really wish that I had tried to learn some German words before going there!) Our friends recommended taking this train for the kids & to figure out if there was any place that we wanted to see. Good thing the tour was in both German & English...we at least understood what we were seeing!

View of the former Roman Bath Houses...from our tour train!

After our city tour, we went into the Porta Nigra, the last standing Roman "gate" to the city.

When I first saw this structure, I really thought that maybe there had once been a fire. However, it's called the Porta NIGRA (Black Gate) because the stone has weathered & turned black over time. Of course, can't go any further without a history lesson! "The oldest defensive structure in Germany, the Porta Nigra was erected in about 180 AD when the Roman city was surrounded by walls. Trier was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading centre beginning in the second century. It became one of the imperial capitals under the Tetrarchy at the end of the 3rd century, and became known as the "second Rome."

The Porta Nigra is the only one of four Roman gates that still stands in Trier; the others were gradually pillaged for their stone and iron. The Porta Nigra survived because it was used as the humble residence of a hermit monk named Simeon for seven years (1028-35). After his death he was buried in the gate and the structure was transformed into the two-story Church of St. Simeon (lay church on the bottom, monastery church on top). Napoleon destroyed the church in 1803, but the 12th-century Romanesque apse survived and the entire structure has been restored to its medieval appearance.

1,700 years after its construction, the Porta Nigra is still impressive at 118 feet long, 70.5 feet wide and 90 feet high. The entire structure is made without mortar - the sandstone blocks are connected only by iron rods. The stone blocks weigh as much as six metric tons each.

Two gateways lead into a small inner courtyard, where unfortunate intruders would be trapped and covered in tar. Above are two tiers of defense galleries with large open windows. It is flanked by two towers, a four-story western tower and the three-story unfinished eastern tower. Inside, an empty apse at the east end and carvings of church fathers like Irenaeus, Ambrose and Jerome recall the Porta Nigra's use as a church."

Sorry! That was long winded, but I found it so intriguing that I couldn't trim it down! I really thought the part about intruders being trapped & tarred & can imagine the very spot where this took place. But I had nothing to fear because we had our own Roman guards to protect us:

After the Porta Nigra, we ventured to a local bakery (bäckerei) for a local snack. These bäckereis are everywhere in Germany & bread & pastries seem to be a staple in the German diet & at every meal! It was fun to try something that we weren't sure what it was, but we couldn't figure out how to ask either. We knew that apfel is apple, so Colin & I each got something with apfel in it, but not the same thing! Sheridan had to get a baguette, but it was soft, fresh & very tasty. I can't remember what Greg had.

Then, we had to walk around & try to find a church we heard about on our tour, Kirche St. Gangolf. Apparently, the only way to access this church is to take a private alleyway, which is why I think Greg wanted to see it! If you didn't know it was back there, you would probably keep walking past it! We walked up just as the noon mass was letting out, but there were still people praying & such.This church isn't as old as the other churches we've visited, but it was still beautiful inside.

Here's the slideshow of our visit to Trier.

By the time we had visited the Kirche St. Gangolf, we were SPENT! While I wanted to go see the Roman Bath houses (Kaiserthermen) since I saw the ones in Bath, England, I didn't want to drag our children or myself across town. When we drove by the bath houses on our tour, there wasn't much of an interior structure to see & the springs to the bath houses are all dried up.

So, it was time to move on to the next stop in our adventure...Luxembourg!

Sarah's Lenten Fast, update #7

2010-03-16T23:54:00.005-05:00

I'm in my friends house in Germany, waiting on some of our laundry to finish. The house is quiet because everyone is in bed! I'm struggling to staying awake until the laundry finishes because we need to take with us to Luxembourg a couple of items in there. All I can think about is getting on Facebook to stay awake. It's only about 5:30-6:00 p.m. in Texas, and I'm missing some of my friends. It would be so easy to see what they are doing by signing on FB!

Oh, why did I choose this year as my first year to participate in Lent?!?!

Wait! I know why...the Lord knew what I needed this year. I was crazy busy with work & preparing for this trip. If I had the distractions of FB during this time, I don't think that I would've accomplished or finished what I needed to do.

It's amazing to see how He works. I've been amazed so far during this trip to see all of what He has created. I imagine seeing the Lord sitting in a chair with a paintbrush. To see His beautiful landscapes is an amazing blessing. Or imagine the Lord sitting at a toolshop work bench with a screwdriver in His hand. Another blessing to see how He has pieced everything together!

The Lord knew what I need & what I don't need. He tugged at my heart & directed me, and I'm glad that I listened. I'm just wondering if there are other things the Lord has tried to direct me toward & did I listen? Or will I listen again & follow His tugging? I would like to think & hope that I would. However, this leading has not been easy or enjoyable to follow. But, we were never promised an easy life now...just a great, eternal life later!

Day 6...Technik Museum Speyer

2010-03-16T21:54:00.034-05:00

It is Day 6 in our adventure, and we decided to try to do something fun just for the kids...there's only so much "history" their little minds can take (plus we were hoping to get a reprieve from the incessant requests to go back to their friends' house, even if their friends weren't home)! Greg found online this great, fun, kid-friendly museum in Speyer, Germany. Here's where Speyer is located:

This museum is filled with airplanes, trains, numerous cars, tractors, fire engines, helicopters, boats...basically a collection of anything mechanical & shows how technology has changed over time! It even has a huge carousel, model trains, old fashioned jukeboxes & mechanical pipe organs! Sheridan heard the organs playing & started dancing around...then, of course, Colin had to join her!

And of course, since there were model trains, Colin had to see them in action!

This museum had SEVERAL different airplanes in it, from different eras! I've edited the slide show at the bottom of this posting so that you don't have to look at multiple pics of planes! However, we have SEVERAL pictures of airplanes & I have no idea what I'm looking at!

This seemed to be a really great museum for this history-buff, however, about 95% of all the signs that explained what we were looking at or what it was used for or any type of history were all in GERMAN!!! We saw a few things in English, but that was few & far between. In fact, I remember seeing some contraption & still have no idea what it is & what was it's purpose!

Any clues as to what this is? or what it was used for?

We also saw what we think was a "primitive" tractor & hay bailer...but it's just a guess since we couldn't read the signs! I managed to get a video of it in motion, but it was loud & looked interesting & dangerous with pitch forks attached to the back of it!

I think the highlight of the day was the 747 that we got to climb in & see different things up close. Well, climbing in the 747, the Antonov 22, & other aircraft were the highlights of Greg's day. For the kids, they enjoyed the most the "alternative" exit from the 747...a spiral, tube slide!

At first the kids didn't want to go down the slide, so Greg went down first by himself. The kids & I took the "old-fashioned" exit & went down about 91 stairs!
Like I said, there were 91 steps to get up to the entrance of the 747, so therefore, 91 steps to get to the slide too! Wouldn't you know it?!?! Colin had absolutely NO PROBLEM climbing these stairs & proceeded to continue to do so about 6-7 more times, with the last 4-5 times carrying the mat that he had to sit on to slide down! Remember the video from yesterday & the screaming "My legs are tired!" Lesson learned...

Sheridan took a little longer to warm up to the idea of going down the slide...she's my timid & cautious one! However, either Greg talked her into it or she saw Colin do it, she went down at first with Greg, then me, then probably could've kept going & going & going! She too loved the ride!

Here's a video of our sliding fun!

After lunch, we let the kids slide a couple more times, but then moved on to the Space Shuttle Buran. It's the Russia's version of our shuttle, but I think someone said that it only had test flights & never actually went up! What a waste of time & money!

Here's a slideshow of all our pics:

Pretty much after this we're beat & still have to drive back to our friends' house! However, if the kids had their way, we'd STILL be at the slide! And I just remembered, I don't think that we heard all day "when are we going back to Aaron & Isabelle's?!?!" It was a nice relief from that type of questioning!

Tomorrow's adventure takes us on an overnight stay in Luxembourg! Our adventure will be continued!

Heidelberg, Germany...Day 5

2010-03-15T22:46:00.037-05:00

We spent Day 5 in Heidelberg, Germany to go see a castle up close! I'm "geographically challenged" and have no idea where in Germany I am. So, I thought that I would include a map for your enjoyment!Since our friends' kids were still in school during the day, we decided to make some daytrips to explore Germany & hope to make it back to their house by the time the kids return from school...maximize all 4 kids playtime while we can! We drove a little over an hour from our friends home to Heidelberg. I tried to enjoy the ride & scenery as much as possible, but I was still jetlagged & snoozed in the car!

So, before we begin, I will confess that I love history & the stories behind stuff. So, of course, I had to include a history of the Schloss Heidelberg, the Heidelberg Castle: "Nestled in the hill 300 feet above the city of Heidelberg stands the breath-taking Heidelberg Schloss (castle). The castle is a combination of several buildings surrounding an inner courtyard, put together with a haphazard look. Each building highlights a different period of German architecture. The castle has a history almost as old as the city itself. The first parts of the castle were constructed around 1300, but it wasn’t before Prince Elector Ruprecht III (1398 – 1410) that the castle was used as a regal residence. Until it was destroyed by lightning in 1764 leaving it permanently uninhabitable, the castle was the residence for most of the Prince Electors. In 1800, Count Charles de Graimberg began the difficult task of conserving the castle ruins. Up until this time, the citizens of Heidelberg had used the castle stones to build new houses."

When we arrived at Heidelberg Castle, our next adventure began...finding a place to park! The castle is located on a gorgeous hillside...STEEP hillside! So, we drove up past the castle to look for parking, & kept going & going & going, up & up & up! We saw the end of Heidelberg city limit sign, but still kept going. It's Winter time & this tourist attraction is not crowded, so why can't we find a parking place?!?! Can't imagine how difficult it would be during the "busy" season! So, we finally decided to turn around & go back & ended up driving past the castle again, but going downhill! We finally found a parking garage, WAY downhill from the castle...but we still have working legs & decided to just "hoof" it!

Since we were WAY downhill, we knew we had an uphill climb...but then we saw some stairs & decided to take those instead. Little did we know, we would hoof it up about 300 stairs! So, we go up the stairs & probably get about 1/3 of the way & now I'm regretting NOT getting into shape BEFORE our trip! My hips were burning, my feet were hurting, my calves were shaking, & my lungs were trying to work as hard as possible to take in as much oxygen as possible...I AM OUT OF SHAPE!!!

We finally arrived at the castle, huffing & puffing, but got to see a great view of the city below & the kids got to see the remnants of a real castle! The castle still had a portcullis that the kids got to touch & feel & stand next to. We tried to move it, but it was secured open. It didn't seem that heavy but you know it is. In the portcullis, there is a smaller doorway. So, it was fun for them to imagine what it was like to stand guard at the gate, hear a knock, & ask "Who goes there?"

We continued to walk through the interior courtyard & went down into the cellars of the castle. In the cellars, we found a BIG wine barrel. We had heard that this castle housed the Heidelberg Tun, or the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel”. And we thought that we had found it, but were unimpressed by what we saw.After we saw this wine barrel, we kept on walking & found more downward ramps & steep stairs! Oh, we were wrong...the above was NOT the Heidelberg Tun...but this one is:
History Lesson time again: "The Heidelberg Tun, or the “World’s Largest Wine Barrel”, was built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor to house the wine paid as taxes by the wine growers of the Palatine. It stands seven meters high, is eight and a half meters wide, holds 220,000 liters (58,124 gallons) of wine, and has a dance floor built on top of it. The court jester who guarded the cask during the reign of Prince Elector Carl Philip, a Tyrolean dwarf nick-named Perkeo, was supposedly known for his ability to drink large quantities of wine. Legend has it that he died when he mistakenly drank a glass of water."

The rest of the time, we just looked around what we had access to...it's still "winter" time in Germany. There are lots of things that are closed during the "slow" season. So, unfortunately, we couldn't go inside the more "important" parts of the castle. But the kids found the most important part of the castle, as you will see in this video:

After we finished at the castle we walked back DOWN the same stairs that we shamefully climbed to get to the castle. Thought that you'd like this video:

After we finished our treck down the stairs, we decided to visit the Heiliggeistkirche, The Church of the Holy Ghost. Of course, here's a history too: "One of the few buildings in Heidelberg to survive the many wars during the past centuries, the Church of the Holy Ghost stands reverently in the Marktplatz. And even though the foundation was laid in 1398, it took until 1544 to finish the tower. The church has been home to Catholics and Protestants alike throughout the centuries. In 1706 a divider separating the two denominations was put in when both wanted to have services there, and it remained until the 1930’s. The church also has remains of the tombs and epitaphs of the Palatinate electors as well as a collection of manuscripts." Of course, we have a video for you too, an interior shot of the church!

After visiting the church, we decided to stop for lunch. We weren't sure what was good or where to go. This was our first German dining experience without our friends to help translate. We ended up in a quiet cafe & just stuck with what we knew...PIZZA! I know, I know...risk-takers we are NOT! We did manage to order water for everyone with NO GAS (apparently sparkling water is a staple in Europe, but not a favorite of the Kempers!) and a ham & pepperoni pizza. Or at least, we thought that we ordered pepperoni. We quickly learned that pepperoni in the U.S. are NOT the same as pepperoni in Germany. I'm not sure what German pepperoni's are technically called, but they are essentially small, slightly mild peppers. They remind me of the banana peppers we get on the side when we order pizza from our favorite place, but I don't think the banana peppers have any spice.

Oh, well! We laughed about this as a fun "German" experience & memory! Even the waitress got a kick out of our "ignorance." She asked if there was something wrong with the pepperoni since we picked them off the pizza and still didn't understand what we meant by pepperoni when we tried to describe it to her!

In the 1st video, I showed you a bridge. After lunch, we walked to the Old Bridge. Here's the history of it: "Prince Elector Carl Theodor built the Old Bridge in 1786. Although the fifth bridge built over the Neckar in this location, it was the first stone bridge to be constructed. The twin towers on the city side of the river were once part of the city wall, and contain dungeons used for housing criminals. In the center of the towers, hanging above the portcullis, is a plaque giving acknowledgment to Austrian troops who helped defend the bridge against a French attack in 1799."

Throughout Heidelberg, the streets are made with cobblestones. For whatever reason, the cobblestones are a favorite to Sheridan. She always noticed if we were walking or driving on them! She always pointed out the cobblestones everytime she saw them.

And with that, we have another fun adventure in the books.

Luzern, Switzerland...Day 4

2010-03-14T20:30:00.018-05:00

We spent Day 4 of our adventure touring around Luzern (Lucerne), Switzerland. Apparently, if you're a Swiss or if you're German-speaking, the city is spelled Luzern. However, all English speaking or non-Swiss will spell it Lucerne. Even the city logo has both spellings in it:

We started out the day with a driving "tour" of the city. Actually, this was an inadvertent tour because we were trying to find the Gletschergarten (Glacier Gardens). Luzern has many winding as well as one-way streets. We even found some streets that went up & down very steep hills! We finally decided to just get out & ask...it was a good thing too! Apparently, this is a very hidden location & only accessible by foot...but for the kids very well worth it!

The first thing to "welcome" us to the Gletshergarten was the "Dying Lion Monument." This monument was carved out of natural rock in memory of the heroic deaths of the Swiss mercenaries at the Tuileries in 1792. WHAT?!?! 1792! This amazes me! All of the detail & the curves of the lion's mane...carved in the early 1800s...no machinery! WOW! All of the kids were really excited to see this too!

After looking at some interesting glacier remnants, we went into the Spiegellabyrinth (Hall of Mirrors). It was so much fun for all kids & all four parents! I think the funniest parts were seeing 6 or 8 Colins or Sheridans, watching the kids walk squarely into a mirror thinking it was an open hallway, & watching everyone walk with their hands out in front of them as if we were blind or in a very dark room!

Here is more mirror fun:

Then, of course, we're in Switzerland. What's one thing you HAVE to eat for lunch or dinner??? Perhaps some great, delicious Swiss delicacy?!?! Well, we don't know what that would be because for the kids, we went to McDonald's!!! I know...FANCY!!! Honestly, it was an easy choice so that we didn't have to fight our kids to eat something! And we saw one when we "toured" the city earlier in the day.

We continued walking around this picturesque city...seeing Chapel Bridge & the Water Tower over Lake Lucerne, to seeing a portion of the former city wall that was used to fortify the city in the former days! We, also, stopped in at the Jesuitenkirche (the Jesuit Church). This church was right off the water & is beautiful on the outside & inside!

After the church visit, we were all tired & still needed to drive back to Germany. So, it was time to go...oh, but wait! We can NOT come to Switzerland without tasting & getting some Swiss CHOCOLAT!!! Oh YUMMY!

Strangely enough though, we actual had a hard time finding a place that sold it. More than likely, this "shortage" was probably due to the fact that we were shopping on a Sunday (everything seems to shut down after 4 pm on Saturday until Monday morning). We stepped into the Bachmann's Confiseur shop & I, all of a sudden, felt this great sense of euphoria! I died & went to Chocolat Heaven!!!! I had to look at everything & it was so hard to control myself & not buy 1, 2, or more of EVERYTHING! But I also wanted to find some chocolat that I couldn't find in the States....didn't know that the Lindt Chocolate Company is actually Swiss chocolat! However, I can buy this in the states...so I actually had to search for another company because Lindt chocolats were everywhere in this store! I finally found a company that I didn't recognize...Camille Bloch...but then I still had to make a choice! Darn! I couldn't just buy it all! I finally decided on a "Torino Noir"...Swiss Dark Chocolat with Truffle filling! Mmmmmm! The kids had to be restrained from their desired indulgences, but they finally settled for some lapins en chocolat (chocolate bunnies)! Simple, but still mmmmmm! delicious! Unfortunately, hindsight...wish I took a picture of all the chocolat everywhere in this store!

Our pics of Day 4!

And so ends Day 4! The adventure continues tomorrow!

Our Snow Fun Adventure...Day 3

2010-03-13T20:22:00.013-06:00

Our adventure continues on Day 3...what did we have planned for today? Snow tubing & tobogganing in the Swiss Alps, of course!

We travelled about 30 minutes or so from Lucerne, Switzerland to Engelberg, Switzerland...another BEAUTIFUL drive. We saw not just snow capped mountains, but Colin saw what he thought was frozen waterfalls. Whether this was just frozen run-off or actual frozen waterfalls, we don't know & that small detail really isn't important...the site was still spectacular! It was a great, beautiful, sunny day! Since our kids had never been skiing before, we opted to not put them in ski school. However, it would've been really cool to say that we've been skiing in the Swiss Alps. Maybe next time! And there is more to do in the Swiss Alps than just ski!

First, we started the day with a fun gondola ride up the Mt. Titlis resort! The kids had a great ride, and we enjoyed a breathtaking view! Of course, both the girls & the boys were practically attached at the hips! So, the girls all rode together, and all the boys rode together! All of the kids had such a fun time & probably could've stayed on the gondolas all day long!

Girls Gondola Ride

Boys Gondola Ride

So, our next stop was the "Snow Toys Park." Here, the resort has snow tubes, as well as 2 other contraptions, to ride if you aren't skiing. Greg rode both of the contraptions, but I don't know what they are called or even know where to begin to describe them! All in all, it was a fun adventure. Warning: this video may not be for the light of stomach viewers, but we thought you'd like a taste of our adventure!

After lunch, we rode the gondola about half way down the mountain. At this point, we found our way to the Tobogganing equipment. Well, actually, I call it sledding, but Greg says the official name is Tobogganing. Sheridan rode with me, and Colin rode with Greg. Sheridan & I crashed once, and Colin & Greg crashed twice. Although, when we were done, Sheridan would've rather have rode with Greg. She kept telling me to go faster & not slow down! If I had listened to her, I have no doubt that we would've crashed more!

This was an incredibly fun day! Here are the pics too:

We saw another opportunity for adventure in the Swiss Alps...something I'm sure Greg would've literally jumped to do. Check it out!

Just to recap our day...a little interview of the kids:

And so, there is Day 3! Our adventure continues tomorrow with a tour of the city of Lucerne...a must for the day...Swiss CHOCOLAT!!!

Reuniting Friends...Day 2

2010-03-12T21:03:00.005-06:00

Our European adventure continues...

We arrived in Germany today, March 12th about 7:20 am. WHEW! That was a LONG flight! But the kids did well & the only issue was Colin trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in when he was SO TIRED!

I anticipated & dreaded going through the passport & customs part of this trip. But actually, it was really easy! I guess Germany isn't as concerned about their visitors?!?! They didn't ask us any questions, we didn't have to fill out any forms, & we didn't have any customs checks with our bags! Crazy, but I was relieved!

The next part of our adventure starts with getting our rental car & trying to navigate the German Autobahn!!! Note to self & others: when trying to navigate, it's probably best to orient yourself with the direction your facing! I guess we were too excited to get going, we just took off, not sure where we were or what direction we were going! HA! We got so confused & turned around, and it's NOT easy to exit & do a quick U-turn! We ended up on another section of the Autobahn, had to exit that & find another road to turn around on & make our way back. Then, once we found the correct Autobahn highway number, we discovered that we were heading in the wrong direction! WHEW! There went 25-30 minutes, but we got a quick tour of some parts of Germany that we probably wouldn't see...or will probably ever see again! HA!

We finally made it to our friends house (of course after getting lost in their small village because the street signs are kind of hard to read). And the kids anxiously waited for their friends return home from school...oh, but it was a very sweet reunion!

Our adventure continued right after this reunion! We loaded the cars & both families drove to Switzerland (via Germany & Eastern France). Here are some pics of the view on our way:

So, here's the next mini-adventure we had on our way to Switzerland! I made the mistake of letting Colin drink some apple juice & orange juice on the plane...a rare treat for him! Well, the juices were "catching up" with Colin & we found ourselves making an emergency pit stop on the side of the road in France. He got to do to France what many Americans wish they could do, he got to literally dump (for a kinder way to put it) on France!! It was great but not expected, so we weren't prepared! Gas stations & rest stops were very few & far between, so this was the best we could do!

We arrived in Switzerland just in time for dinner. We were all tired, so we ate dinner, got settled & went to bed!

And so, there is Day 2!

Our European Adventure Begins...Day 1

2010-03-11T22:44:00.009-06:00

Well, first, I must say that we were nervous about the beginning of this adventure. On Friday, March 5th, 6 days before our trip begins, Colin came home from school with either a stomach bug or possibly food poisoning. We immediately started getting concerned about who would be next & how this would effect our trip. We kept Sheridan away from Colin for about 24 hours, which surprisingly turned out to be a difficult task (I guess that's a good sign!). Then, anytime, I had to touch Colin or anything he touched, I immediately went to the hand sanitizer to wash my hands! Thankfully, I will report that we were all fine & the rest of us stayed well!

So, our adventure began at 5:30 a.m. today. Greg decided to wake the kids up early in the hopes that they would be tired enough to sleep well on the plane & also maybe adjust better to the time difference. Not shocking at all, it wasn't hard to get them out of bed...they both were SUPER EXCITED that the day had finally come for us to go to Germany! Even though Greg set Sheridan's alarm for the earlier time, she practically jumped out of bed with excitement.

We still took the kids to school for a few hours today while we finished packing. For Sheridan, this allowed her to finish taking some tests & finish up some schoolwork. So, thankfully, she won't return to school with any make-up work to do!

The Parking Shuttle Ride to the Airport

So, we picked up the kids at school at 11:45 am, picked up lunch on the way, headed to an airport parking spot, loaded & road the parking shuttle, and arrived at the airport to check in about 12:30 pm. Not too bad! Now, getting through security is another story! Thanks to American Airlines baggage policies & fees (even for foreign travel), we were only allowed to check 4 bags without being charged any additional fees. So, we took through security for carry-on: 4 "personal items" (a.k.a. 3 STUFFED backpacks & 1 oversized shoulder bag), 2 rolling carry-on suitcases, 4 coats, & 2 booster seats, plus we had to take off our shoes for them to be scanned too! Since we brought our laptop & Colin's nebulizer & some liquid medications with us, we had to take those items out of our bags & had to have them either scanned or inspected. So, it probably took us about 20 minutes to get through security, but I have to keep telling myself, "They are keeping us safe, they are keeping us safe, they are trying to keep us safe!"

Our plane was already at the gate..."waiting" for us!

So, we finally get to our gate around 1:00 pm, for our 2:00 boarding & 2:35 pm departure. The kids want to get on the plane NOW! So, what else to do when you are too excited & can't sit still??? Why not dance around! Here are some pics of our travel buddies:

Listening to the airplane engines

Well, that's about all for Day 1. Really, the most exciting event of the day was getting through security & getting on the plane! Day 1 was spent just travelling to Germany! Our flight was about 9 1/2 hours long. Greg was kind of right about the kids sleeping on the plane. Sheridan fell asleep within the first 15 minutes of the flight, but Colin did not. We gave both kids some benadryl later in the flight, which helped them both to sleep for part of the trip.

Our adventure is to be continued....

One House Project Down

2010-03-10T17:02:00.008-06:00

Just had to take a minute to brag on my husband & be thankful for his hard work! When we bought this house, we knew that we had to do some exterior improvements...or else face foundation problems down the road!

We had a structural engineer come to our new house during our "option" period, and he strongly recommended that we have the french drain line removed & replaced with a better yard drainage system. The bids came in at about $2700-$3000 for materials & labor. WHOA!

So, thanks to Greg's willingness to do some manual labor & no fear of hard work, Greg decided to tackle this project himself!

Materials ran us a little more than $500, so Greg's work saved us anywhere from $2,200 to $2,500! WOO HOO!!!

Greg had some help too from my stepdad, Mark, and he had to work around the weather & Greg's work schedule. So, Greg finished up by covering up the last of the new drain pipes about a week ago, and we can cross off one house project off our list!!!

Colin is playing SPORTS!

2010-03-09T23:59:00.001-06:00

A little bit of a catch up post!

Colin started playing sports last year. He started with soccer in the spring & played baseball this fall. The only problem with his activities, compared to Sheridan's activities, is that they are outdoor! For both the spring & fall sports last year, we had A LOT of rainouts & what seems to be endless rescheduling! In the end though, Colin is very patient & understanding about the rain & hides his disappointment very well!

Colin's soccer season was played in the Spring through Upward Sports, and his team was called the Lions. We've really enjoyed the Upward program that Sheridan has participated with her cheerleading. The program is very laid back & emphasizes encouraging & including all children, no matter their skill level. The program prays before every game & has a devotional at the end of every practice. They also encourage the players to memorize scripture.

I guess at this age, it's probably more accurate to really call this sport Bunch Ball instead of soccer. However, Colin played hard and didn't feel discouraged, even though he was one of the smallest boys out there. He didn't score a goal this season, but came very, very close to it and kept trying! There were a few times that he would get run into by other players, and he would just shake it off, play the tough guy, and keep on going! I was very surprised by his "toughness" especially when other "bigger" boys would come off the field crying!

Colin's baseball season was organized through the local youth baseball league. His team was called the Scrappers! His original schedule had his last game scheduled for October 15th. However, due to A LOT of rain and many, many, many rescheduled games, his season was extended into the 1st weekend in November! Again, he was very patient with the weather and very attentive to the game.

Colin played every position, including catcher, and was even awarded the game ball for his efforts in that game. In his last game, Colin played 1st base & managed to get 3 or 4 players out at 1st! It was really exciting to watch. We really enjoyed this team too. His coach was very laid back and very encouraging to all the boys! Some of this team actually played tee-ball together last Spring. We were hoping that Colin would be able to continue with the same coach this next season, but he's been placed on the Braves team. So far, his coach seems a little more "hard core" than his previous coach. However, all the coaches seem to be focusing on the boys learning more technique & skill. So, this will hopefully be a good experience for him.

He has really enjoyed playing both sports. However, both sports coincide this Spring, so Colin has chosen to play baseball instead! So far, 3 practices have been either rained out or fields too muddy to practice! The season starts in a couple of weeks, so we'll have to wait & see what the weather will bring! Thankfully, there is an INDOOR Upward Soccer league that we'll let BOTH kids participate in this summer!

Sheridan joins The Power Team

2010-03-07T20:10:00.002-06:00

After every Upward Season is over, there is an Awards Night & a time for the players, cheerleaders & coaches to have some fun. The Power Team came this year to Awards Night, and Sheridan got to join them...well, she joined them at least for this one night's performance! She's my performer, so I know it was a treat for her to be on stage!

Always the cheerleader!

Is this real? (warning...parts are shaky because I was laughing so hard!)

So, seriously, how many kids would know if it's real or not?!?!

Time to fly, Sheridan! Don't let go!

She was ecstatic about her "performance" & insisted on getting Nitro's autograph afterwards. It really was an exciting & fun show!

Go, Go, G-O, Go Sheridan Go

2010-03-07T17:24:00.000-06:00

Sheridan just wrapped up her latest season of Upward Cheerleading where she cheered for basketball. She had a great time, learned a lot of cheers, & even a dance too! She is even turning her basketball cheers into cheers for Colin's upcoming baseball team.

I was the assistant coach this year for her squad, and her head coach taught her squad & another squad a dance. Here it is:

At the end of every game, each cheerleader is given a star to put on their megaphone, Best Effort, Best Cheers, Best Spirit, Best Leadership, and Most Christ-likeness. Sheridan said the prayer at the beginning of the game for both basketball teams & the cheerleaders, so she earned a Christ-likeness star!

This was Sheridan's 3rd season to cheer, so we now have 3 cheerleader uniforms, 3 sets of pom poms, & 3 megaphones! However, next season, Sheridan says she wants to try basketball...we'll see!

Are spelling bees in Colin's future?

2010-03-07T16:37:00.007-06:00

Colin has learned so much in his pre-k class this year. He has learned all of his sounds for the letters & is working on his writing....he can write the letters but just working on the "neatness" factor.

So, what amazes me is that he is becoming a great speller! Sheridan learned to read by recognition, so sounding out unrecognized words was rather challenging to her. However, Colin is learning to read by sounding out the letters. So, he keeps asking how to spell something, sounds out the word, then VOILA! He has spelled it!

Here are some words: hot, gas, pass, duck, pack, mud. There are more, but I can't think of the words.

Just so proud of my 5 year old!

Sarah's Lenten Fast - Update #6

2010-03-01T09:29:00.003-06:00

Isn't it amazing how we get tempted, even by something we think & know is good, when we've said "God, I'm doing this for you!"

I'm a fan of an organization called Legacy Moms (www.legacymoms.org), and they have challenged Moms to 31 days of prayer in March on behalf of our kids to bring about change & Godly character. Well, here's the kicker...they are sending out daily prayers & scripture through their FACEBOOK page! Uh-oh & bummers for me!!!

OK, Lord, I gave up Facebook for you. You've placed this on my heart, and I've seen the positive benefits of this fast. But, seriously! I really want to participate in this time of committed & focused prayer! So, what do I do?!?! This is a huge temptation because I can see the positive benefits of this time of prayer!

"Don't give up & don't give in" is all I can think of in my head! Oh, the temptation is great to just sign on for this one thing! When Lent is over, this challenge is long over! So, why not log on?!?! But then what happens if I sign on...I know that I'll get distracted by all the other things that are on there! So, NO! I'm not going to log on!

However, I have a friend who is willing to support me & make the extra steps to cut & paste the daily prayers & devotions & email them to me...thanks Jenn!!! WOO HOO! Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with friends that not just support us through prayer but also take the extra steps to help us stay committed to you!

I have a daily scripture flip "calendar" that I have on my desk at work. Here's today's scripture that I think is very fitting:

"My choice is you, God, first and only.
And now I find I'm YOUR choice!...
You made me your heir!" Psalm 16:5-6

The Olympics & Our National Anthem

2010-02-28T19:18:00.000-06:00

As I've already admitted, I am an Olympics junky! Love watching just about every single sport, and think that I even understand Curling a little better after this year!

Like many other Americans, I really LOVE it when a U.S. Olympian wins GOLD & love to hear our National Anthem. I will sometimes even stand, place my hand over my heart, sing & be extremely proud of this Olympian, their hard work, & sometimes find myself crying with the Olympian for their accomplishments! Am I the only one that does this???

What interests me, though, is the different responses to the playing of the National Anthem, The Star Spangled Banner! Some athletes stand with their hand over their heart. Some will sing the words along with the music. Some just stand there & soak it all in. So, my question is, if you were a gold medal winning Olympian, what would you do when they play The Star Spangled Banner?

By the way, I'm realizing that my children do not know the words to Our National Anthem. So, if this is the case for anyone else, I thought that I'd share them with you!

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

And congratulations to Canada & their amazing 14 Gold medals. Thanks to them I now know most of the words to their anthem too. Before, all I knew was "Oh! Canada!"

Our Olympians

2010-02-28T18:30:00.001-06:00

I love the Olympics and am quite a t.v. junky when it comes time for them to come around, summer & winter! Our DVR is FULL of Olympic t.v. coverage that I still need to watch! And no, I probably won't delete them until I've watched it...even though the Olympics will be over after tonight!

As it turns out, we have 2 in our home that have a different kind of interest in the Olympics. Just thought that you'd like to see who our Olympians are & how they will participate in the Olympics in multiple, unrelated events! NBC is showing Olympic highlights...so here's the Kemper Network's Olympic highlights!

Our Ski Jumper

Our Figure Skaters

Anyone want to play hockey?!?!

The Next Apollo Anton Ohno???

I thought I lived in Texas!!!

2010-02-26T20:07:00.000-06:00

Or at least that's a phrase I've heard a lot in the last 6 months! In October, we had what seemed like non-stop rain & gloomy days. Many people thought we suddenly lived in Seattle!

Now, we have had 5 snowfalls so far this winter, which is unheard of in Texas. The most recent snowfall was on Tuesday, although that one was very minimal & more like a dusting! Also, Dallas had it's first "White Christmas" in over 80 years. Unfortunately, we missed that one because we were in Houston...bummer!

Just a couple weeks ago, we had the biggest, longest snowfall in one day that I can remember. I think the snow started falling about 2 a.m. on February 11th, didn't stop until well after midnight on February 12th, & the "official" recorded amount was 12.5 inches. I think I heard that it was a new record for the DFW area too! The kids were out of school for President's Day on the 15th, so the snow days now gave us a 5 day weekend! The only down part was that their Jesus Loves Me parties had to be postponed, but it was worth it to them so that they could play in the snow!

Different Kind of Dates

2010-02-26T18:12:00.000-06:00

For our Valentine's Date night this year, Greg made plans for us & tried to make it special...he bought tickets to the BALLET for us! This is big for Greg because he's not a fan of the ballet...no words or singing! While I'm not a huge fan of the ballet, I do LOVE the music & the beautiful display of artistry...& a great reason to get DRESSED UP!!!

I was actually really excited about our date & even went shopping for a new outfit! I bought a dress & even shopped for new accessories (a belt, necklace & earrings!). I think that I surprised Greg with the dress!

We decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. This is a rare treat to go to CF, and we haven't been there in a long while! But this is where the "comedy of errors" seemed to have started!

We were very naive in thinking that we could go to this restaurant on a Saturday evening of Valentine's weekend & not have a wait! We arrived about 5:30ish...parking lot was PACKED (clue #1)...walked into the restaurant to see people standing EVERYWHERE (clue #2), and walk to the hostess stand to find a wait time of 1 HOUR! OUCH! We were shocked...thought that we were doing well by getting there so early! Obviously, not early enough! We've gone to dinner before ON Valentine's Day at an early time, i.e. 5:30, & have had no problem getting in & seated right away! However, I guess it's different at the Cheesecake Factory.

So, plan B, ummmm, what plan B? We didn't have a plan B because we really didn't think this to be a problem! I felt like one of those "all dressed up & no place to go" type of scenarios! We decided to drive towards Ft. Worth & see if anything looked appealing! The problem was that we were dressed up...a little too dressed up for places like Chili's, On The Border, etc. So, NOTHING looked appealing or acceptable for a Valentine's Date Night Dinner!

So, on to plan C...eat a light snack at McDonald's, then go to Cheesecake Factory for a VERY late dinner! Stop at McDonald's #1...accepting only CASH...their debit/credit card machines were down! We're LAUGHING NOW...are you kidding me?!?! Why is it so hard to find FOOD?!?! We finally find a different McDonald's for a not so healthy "snack" to tie us over until we can finally eat the dinner that we looked forward to.

The ballet was just OK! We saw Romeo & Juliet...I don't recommend it! There are so many classic lines from the Shakespearean play that you obviously don't get to hear. Then, there are a lot of characters in the play & it's hard to decipher who is who when they don't call each other by name! Also, because of the economy, the ballet organization made a decision to make some financial cuts...they cut the orchestra & went to recorded music! Remember, I mentioned that I LOVE the music. Well, the music just isn't the same when you're listening to a CD. Oh, well, it was a different kind of date for us!

We finally made it to Cheesecake Factory at 11:30 p.m. I must say this is the LATEST that I've ever had dinner! But the dinner did NOT disappoint! It was very YUMMY, and even though I was full, I ordered a White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake to go & to enjoy on the actual Valentine's Day!

So, we have a memorable & funny date night in the books! But at least we were both laughing about it!

Then, this date night was 2 weeks ago & it was fun, but I decided to go for a different date approach! How about a BREAKFAST date instead!!! There's a breakfast place that I've wanted to try. So, yesterday, Greg & I dropped off the kids at school, then headed out for a breakfast date! The place was good, but the face to face, uninterrupted time is what I enjoyed the most! So, now, Greg wants to do Breakfast Dates more often, but maybe try different places! If anyone has any places they like, we'd appreciate the recommendations...there's only so many sit down restaurants that serve breakfast!

So, while fun & rare places are great for date nights...I think that what I enjoy & look forward to the most about dates are time alone with Greg & face-to-face, uninterrupted conversations! Hmmm, wonder how we can still pull off the breakfast dates when the kids are out of school?!?! I'm suddenly all for year round school...anyone else with me?!?! HA! ;-)

Sarah's Lenten Fast, Update #5

2010-02-23T09:56:00.001-06:00

I'm kind of having a rough day today....feeling really tired & emotional, was too tired to read my book & dig in my Bible this morning, burdened about how to deal with a couple issues with Sheridan, grieving for a friend as she deals with the loss of her brother, LOTS & LOTS of work that all needs to be done NOW, & then compound all of this with some cramping that just started & all the icky stuff that goes along with that. Today is also Tuesday...the one afternoon/evening of my week that is the absolute craziest that takes a lot of energy to get through!

So, this is something that I "love" about Facebook...normally, I'd just update my status with a quick message "Having a yucky day & could really use LOTS of prayers!"...then, voila! I know that I have friends out there that would be praying! Instead, I'm journaling through my blog, not sure anyone actually reads this, & feeling kind of lonely...just me & God! But wait, shouldn't that be enough??? Why do I "need" to post on FB & "need" my friends to intervene on my behalf?!?!

OK, God, it's just you & me...Just like I wrote in my previous entry "pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something." I give YOU the rest of my day...fill me with Your energy, Your peace, Your wisdom, Your comfort, Your grace, Your mercy & Your unconditional love!

Psalm 51:1-2, 7 "1 Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record. 2 Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry; 7 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life."

Sarah's Lenten Fast, Update #4

2010-02-21T21:55:00.001-06:00

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 says, "11 Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. 12 If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely."

I love the part that says "He'll fill your good ideas & acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something." There are times when I have a HUGE to-do list for my family & my mind is moving non-stop on all the things I'd love to do, but then reality sets in! The items on the to-do list take longer than expected, or something else comes up that needs my attention, or "life" happens & I'm too tired to move, or I've lost my motivation, or, or, or, or...I know I could go on & on!

So, I think that I need to hold on to these verses. There have already been occasions during this fast that I've not felt like doing anything. I have felt lost & disconnected & even discouraged, and all I've wanted to do is just sit & not do a thing. However, one of my goals & prayers during this time is for me to remove a major distraction & become more focused to take better care of what God has blessed me with...my family & my home. So, I usually start out by trying to work for about 20-30 minutes before I take a "break", and I am amazed at how much I can get done in that amount of time! Then, I feel energized & want to keep going! Before I know it, an hour or so has passed, and I have to force myself to stop so I can work on other chores for my family...what a concept...trying to balance & stay balanced!

So, it's amazing how much I've accomplished in the last 5 days while still taking care of my work duties & my normal household responsibilities...just by removing a major distraction & staying committed to what the Lord has given me! I've even had days of NO NAP so that I can accomplish my daily goal...that's definitely the Lord filling me with His own energy!!! Now, if I can just remember all this when Lent is over!!!

Debate regarding Lenten Fasts

2010-02-21T14:23:00.004-06:00

OK...if anyone is actually reading this, I'd really love some input!

I've been told that during Lent, we are "allowed" to "indulge" on Sundays in whatever we've given up for Lent. So, I've debated about this for a couple of reasons:

When Jesus spent his 40 days in the wilderness to fast & pray, he didn't "indulge" in the things that He fasted from...or at least I don't remember reading that He took a "break" once every 7 days! So, why should I allow myself an "indulgence" when he didn't?
If I do allow myself to "indulge" every Sunday, will it make it that much harder to get through the rest of the week without that "sacrifice"?

So, at first, I decided that I would try to NOT log onto Facebook at all...not even on Sundays. However, since I've been blogging a little since the start of Lent, I decided to log onto Facebook to just share my blog postings!

Greg saw that I was on FB & his shocked & surprised reaction (or more like outburst) stirred some very GUILTY feelings...kind of like I was committing the worst possible sin of ALL TIME! And to be totally honest, I do feel like I've given in to something that I've committed to not do...regardless of the legalization & technicalities of what's allowed & what's not!

Then, let's compound those feelings by Colin calling me on it to, "Ummm, Mom, I thought you said that you weren't going to get on Facebook during....um, um, um, Lent?!?!" So, regardless of what's legal & what's not, it's hard to explain those "gray" areas to a 5 year old!

So, just curious, if anyone's out there, what are your thoughts? If instead of sacrificing something for Lent you've committed to doing something, then do you take a break from that commitment on Sundays? I'd love to hear back!

And, now I'm also back to fighting the temptation to get back on Facebook again!

Goals during Lent

2010-02-20T16:35:00.007-06:00

As part of my Lenten Fast, I wanted to commit to spending at least 30 minutes to an hour each day to work on my house (a small amount of my daily time that I'm usually on Facebook)! Since we moved in August, I still have several areas in my house that need to be "settled" & organized. So here are some before pics of what I'm working on...the moment of truth & time to be honest (maybe this will help keep me accountable):

Our Dining Room...a semi-before pic since I've been working on it since Lent started. Believe me, it was much worse!

Since our Home Team will be coming over in a little over a week, I really need to make our dining room house priority #1 since we'll need to use this room!
Poor Sheridan's room! She's been waiting patiently for me to "decorate" & organize her room! Thankfully, one of my sisters is coming over to help with this MAJOR project!

This is another semi-before pic! This floor space was completely covered with Barbies & old clothes about an hour ago! Sheridan has declared that she's done with her Barbies (sniff, sniff), so I packed them up today & put them in the attic (in case she changes her mind)!
This is an area in my garage that needs to be cleaned out! It's currently housing vacuum bags of the kids' old clothes. I need to purge some & pack away other's that I'm not ready to get rid of!While painting is not on my Lenten project list, it would be nice if I hung up some of Colin's wall decor! It would help "tone down" his walls until we have time to paint them!

Actually, this is an area that has been cleaned & organized multiple times! I guess I need to figure out a better system for the boy!

OK...there you have it! I just remembered another area of my house that I need to work on...but let's face it, I only have 40 days for Lent! I wanted to set "realistic" goals & not set myself up to fail! Also, hopefully, the discipline I'm learning from not being on FB will carry over even after Lent!

Monkey Boy Strikes Again

2010-02-20T16:21:00.004-06:00

I don't know if all boys like to climb like mine...but if something looks like it can be scaled, my Monkey Boy will find a way to scale it! On a rare sunny day this winter, he figured out how to climb our 6 foot fence (which we're hoping to replace with a nice, non-painted 8 ft fence to match our next door neighbor's adjacent fence).

Up he goes...

All SMILES! He's so proud that he's a BIG BOY!

When I told him that he was going to give me a heart attack, his response was, "Well, then, go inside!" All Daddy had to say was, "At least he still has his helmet on!" All I can think...life on the edge with a boy!!!

Sarah's Facebook Fast, Update #3

2010-02-18T18:00:00.000-06:00

"I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep." Psalm 121: 1-3 (MSG)

I'm BORED! I want & need a mindless break & would normally log onto FB but can't! I will stay committed though! I should work on something in my house (like I committed to do), but I'm tired & can't fall asleep for a nap! So, I'm feeling a little discouraged, which reminds me of something that I read earlier today.

I'm currently reading a book called "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World." The subtitle says "Finding Intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life." In the chapter I'm in, the author (Joanna Weaver) talks about the 3 Deadly D's that Satan uses in his attack of destruction: Distraction, Discouragement & Doubt. So, with that in mind, I do feel distracted & discouraged & need to get up, pray for strength from my Guardian God & do something productive!

I'm clinging to the verses above, but also to this verse: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deutoronomy 31:8

Fasting for a "God-life" - Sarah's FB Fast Update #2

2010-02-17T13:20:00.004-06:00

I read this verse earlier today & wanted to share it, if anyone actually read this:
"Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you....That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything." Mark 11-22, 23a,24 (MSG)

I was so tempted today to log on to FB...even just for a few moments! I kind of felt LOST & lonely today & very disconnected from the rest of the world. But then, I realized that I've become a little lost & disconnected from God. If I spent as much time with God as I do on FB, I would feel so completely "connected" to Him! So, my prayer today was for God to fill my heart, making me whole & in sync with Him!

I realize that the temptation of FB is pretty trivial to some! But just like the verse says, "Pray for absolutely EVERYTHING!" So I will keep pressing on & praying to remain focused on Him.

Sarah's Facebook Fast, update #1

2010-02-17T00:01:00.002-06:00

OK...I just logged off Facebook for the next 40 days! Oh My Goodness! My stomach just DROPPED out & I'm already having withdrawals! What have I just done?!?!

Then, I think...this is absolutely crazy! I am totally addicted to Facebook! WOW! This will truly be challenging to me to not log on, but a good reminder of why I'm doing this & for WHO I am doing this for!

And to clarify, because my mother asked, yes, if you need to contact me, you can email or CALL! I'm going to avoid the temptation to log back on to Facebook to make this clarification!

For some reason, this verse speaks to me "So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."
1 Thessalonians 5:6

Lent & Something NEW for Sarah

2010-02-16T23:49:00.004-06:00

I posted this "note" on Facebook, but thought that I'd share it on our blog. I should've posted here first, then "shared" it on FB...hindsight!

For years, I have always heard about a thing called Lent & honestly, have always just scoffed at the idea. Even though for many of my elementary & middle school years I was taken to Catholic & Episcopal churches, I never understood the reason & meaning behind Lent & not even sure I was ever even told it either. I also never heard the reason behind the idea of “giving up” something for 40 days prior to Easter. So, to me, Lent & the “giving something up” seemed as just another meaningless & mindless tradition that everyone just did "because." So, until very recently (as in 2 days ago), I have never given Lent a second thought & have definitely never sacrificed anything for the Lenten season.

So, first things first, What is Lent? Taken from http://www.ibclent.com/

Lent is a forty-day period observed in preparation for celebrating the Resurrection of Christ in the Easter season. The Lenten tradition, which began in various forms in the early centuries of Church history, is characterized by repentance and preparation. There are three specific themes associated with Lenten spirituality: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (the generous giving of physical goods to those in need around us).

Note that the 40 days do not count the Sundays during the Lenten Season. This is because every Sunday is considered a “little Resurrection Day” and thus many choose to take a break from their Lenten fast on these days.

During the Lenten season we are encouraged to “give something up” for the season to serve as a reminder of what we have in Christ, and his sufficiency in our lives.

So, why the sudden interest in Lent for me? Well, this year, I've actually decided to give something up for the Lenten season. I've felt a spiritual "nudging" to try & remove some distractions in my life. The Lord has blessed me with so much that I need to take better care of it. He's also given me some responsibilities that I need to focus on & do better to tend to those. I've decided that I need to give something up for HIM who gave up so much for me! I need to turn my focus on Him & remember why I'm doing this!

I know you're wondering what it is that I'm sacrificing! I've decided to sacrifice something that seems to have become a daily, multiple times/hours per day part of my life! I'm giving up FACEBOOK!!! For some of you, this isn't much of a sacrifice! However, most of you know, I am on Facebook A LOT...I know too much! I don't start or end my day without getting on FB. I just like to be "in the know" with my friends, and FB is an easy way to do that! I, also, like the
mindless escape that FB gives my brain from lots of other things! However, I'm realizing that FB takes A LOT of my time...time I could be using in prayer, or for my work, or to work on my home...lots of other, more important things to do! And lets be honest, I'm letting FB interfere with my work right now just by trying to write this note!

So, Lent starts tomorrow & ends with Easter. Apparently, I'm traditionally "allowed" a break from my sacrifice on Sundays. However, I'm going to try my best to not log on! This will be very difficult for me because we are also going on our trip to Germany during Lent! I had intended to give updates via FB during our trip, but I'm going to have to forego that idea!

Since my focus will be on praying more, I liked the idea of my friend, Kristi, to keep a prayer journal. Another focus was to use the "additional time" to work on my home since I'm still unpacking & purging. So, I'm hoping to dedicate at least 30 minutes a day (outside of my normal chores) to work on my home!

So, let the countdown & prayer begin! I may see you on Sundays! We'll see! For a while, I've tried to get our family blog caught up & kept caught up. So, if you're curious as to what I'm doing, I may try to make some blog entries & a journal of my Lenten experience! Again, we'll wait to see what the Lord is leading me to & has in store for me!

Heater in October...

2009-10-26T23:21:00.002-05:00

...really?!?! The weather in Texas this fall has been very unusual, to say the least. We've had so much rain that I've lost count of the # of days or the # of inches! I'm kind of wondering if we're close to hitting the record for rainfall?!?!

So, today's weather, of course, was rainy & chilly. I think the high was in the low to mid-50s, but also a little windy! However, my biggest surprise was that the thermostat in our home reads 70 degrees, usually, very comfortable to the Kemper Clan. Ironically though, I found myself cold & soon cuddling on the couch with Colin (I'll take that anytime though). Colin's arms & hands felt cold, and he admitted that he was cold and asked to cuddle under the blanket with me, never mind the fact that he had a short sleeve shirt on & refused to put a long sleeve one on!

For a moment, I thought about turning on our heater. But WAIT! It's only October! To me, this is way too early to turn on the heater! In fact, I'm pretty sure that we usually don't turn on the heater until close to Thanksgiving or into early December. Also, the house temperature was 70 degrees! During the winter, we set our thermostat at 68 degrees. So, the house isn't even cold enough for the heater to come on! Are you kidding me, Sarah? (Is what I told myself!) So, I quickly stopped wimping out, put on my fleece jacket, put a portable space heater by our kitchen table for dinner time, and REFUSED to turn on the house heater! I think that I'm the only crazy person here, and am pretty sure that Greg will turn on the heater as soon as he gets home in the morning!

One of my friends commented on Facebook that it's cheaper to heat the home versus the cooling costs and couldn't understand what the big deal is about turning on the heater. I do LOVE the milder temperatures in Texas while they last, and October is supposed to have milder temperatures! I love how the milder temps don't require the use of either a heater or air conditioning! However, I must admit (not surprising to many of you) that I'm a cheapskate, penny pincher, tight wad, etc, etc! I was raised to work hard for every penny and was taught almost 4 years ago to make every penny work hard for me! So, I like to make good use of every penny that God has blessed us with...and also, yes, I am cheap and would love to make good use of the milder temps to help me out with my cause! So, I still refuse to turn on the heater!

Well, sort of! I won't make my children suffer! So, yes, I turned on the heater upstairs where their rooms are...but I still have my fleece jacket on and will just add an extra blanket to my bed instead and pray that the milder temps and no rain conditions will quickly return to Texas!!!

Bubble Sack Races

2009-10-21T20:38:00.004-05:00

I was doing a little more unpacking & unwrapping of some of our pictures today. I wrap all of our pictures in bubble wrap before packing them in boxes...haven't broken a frame or glass yet!

I had just taken 2 big pictures out of the bubble wrap, but left 3 of the 4 sides still taped together for the sake of convenience. The kids got a hold of the bubble wrap (as usual) and climbed into the bubble wrap as if they were potato sacks.Then, they proceed to hop around in them just like they would in a potato sack race! It was so funny & entertaining to see. It's been raining here ALL DAY, and so it's great to see them get creative & have some indoor fun!

Our American Girl Basketball Player

2009-10-21T15:18:00.005-05:00

Back in June, Sheridan went to an Upward basketball camp, and we let her "practice" her dribbling in the foyer of our house. At the same time, she was reading the American Girl "Julie" series, and Julie plays basketball in the books. Well, Sheridan decided to pretend to be Julie, the basketball player. So, here are some fun photos of our American Girl.

Speaking of basketball camp, Sheridan decided that she wanted to give basketball a try. So, we decided that a 1 week camp would be a better environment to try out this sport versus a 3 month season.

She seemed to really enjoy it, but not enough that she actually wants to play it this season. Sheridan is very passive in nature, so she doesn't go after the ball and will wait for someone to give it to her (not exactly a great way to play the sport). She also seemed to take on more of a supportive role & go back to her cheer instincts!

I'm just glad that she enjoyed it & maybe will one day make this former basketball player very PROUD!!!

Family Room Camping

2009-10-20T22:28:00.003-05:00

Back in May, Greg & Sheridan were about to go tent camping again, and we finally bought our own tent! However, Greg wanted to make sure that 1) all the pieces were there and 2) that he knew how to put it together! It was supposed to rain the weekend of the camp out, and he wanted to "waterproof" it too!

So, he decided to put the tent up, and our family room was the largest room in the house to put the tent up in.

Since the tent was up, we decided to let the kids sleep in it & "camp" in it! It was a great "treat" for them!

We wish that we had an idea of how to make "indoor" smores for a "true" camping experience. If you have ideas, then let me know!

Future Camera Man???

2009-10-20T20:53:00.003-05:00

I'm cleaning out our digital camera, in an effort to post some "catch up" postings from the past 8 months. I've come across SEVERAL (at least 10) short little digital videos that Colin shot when he got a hold of our camera! These were taken back on May 22nd (you knew I am WAY behind!).

This one is particularly cute & funny!

Here's another one that makes me smile & laugh!!

And now that I've watched them all, I'm beginning to wonder if he thought he was taking "still" pictures instead of the videos. Kind of glad that he took the videos...just a little glimpse into his almost 5 year old mind!

All about You, Jesus...and all about getting DIZZY!!!

2009-10-20T00:17:00.002-05:00

Sheridan was on the stage at chapel this past week, leading their praise time. This is a cute song, but WOW...makes me dizzy!!

The funny part about this song is that the kids usually LOVE songs that get them moving & dancing. Not sure if you can hear it eventually or not, but I think they too are getting dizzy & tired of going round & round & round!

"Homemade" Lamp Project

2009-10-19T22:52:00.004-05:00

Everyone in our family needed new bedside lamps for our rooms. I found a lamp with a shade for Colin's room for $6.50 total. Then, found new lamps for both Greg & my bedsides for $10 each. So, the hunt was on for a cute lamp for Sheridan. I found one that I really liked for $35 +tax, but didn't want to pay that much for it. So, I decided to try to make something for her.

I'm notorious for getting a "homemade" project in my head but never following through. I was determined to not let this happen!

I found a plain white lamp shade and a plain off-white lamp stand for a total of $6. So, I thought that I could paint the stand & add some beaded ribbon to the shade, and in total, spend a lot less than $35 +tax.

What do you think?

This is my first attempt to do anything like this! And I'm pretty pumped that I started & finished the project in about 24 hours from getting the idea to completion!

Sheridan loves it, I like it, but I LOVE that this project cost me just over $16 with tax (the beaded ribbon & the paint cost the most!), and SAVED me well over $20! Woo Hoo!!!!

So, now I'm wondering...what's next?!?!

It's been a while...OK...a LONG WHILE

2009-10-19T21:43:00.005-05:00

I know that it's been a while since we've posted ANYTHING on our blog...since February! However, I've actually missed it & there are many things that have happened in the past 8 months! Although, I'm pretty sure that all the "readers" of this blog are family that are on Facebook as well & probably don't need to read the blog to keep up with the Kempers!

So, I guess that I'm going to start posting again just so that I can keep track of events & look back on them later...probably for scrapbooking purposes!!!

For a quick recap, right after our last post, we started to prep the house to put it on the market. So we spent almost 2 months of purging, cleaning, reorganizing, & touching up/repairing stuff. The house went on the market in April, and we finally closed on the sale the beginning of August! We only had 2 weeks "notice" to get packed, find a new house, and move out. So, it was a complete ball of stress & I'm very, very relieved that it's over!

We're slowly getting settled in the new house & making wish lists & projects lists. We'll post pics as soon as we take them! For now, I'll post pics of our vacant "old" house!

And so, now that I've posted something, I guess that I'll follow through & post more...soon!

Happy Valentine's Day 2009

2009-02-14T18:55:00.003-06:00

We wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope that your Valentine's Day is better than ours! Originally, Greg's parents were supposed to come visit this weekend and let Greg & I go on a Valentine's date. However, the flu hit our home at the beginning of this week. So, we told Greg's parents to not come. Greg was still sick this morning, Colin has an off & on fever, Sheridan is finally well after missing 4 days of school, and I seem to have missed this round of sickness (knock on wood!).

Instead, we made the best of our situation. I made the kids heart shaped peanut butter sandwiches for lunch. Greg is well enough to make a nice dinner for the two of us, and we'll probably watch a movie tonight.

The talk of sickness brings something to mind: why is Valentine's Day in February? Isn't February usually the peak month for the flu & cold season? After this week, I vote to move it to September!

In any case, hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day! We love you all!

North Texas Weathermen

2009-02-10T23:48:00.004-06:00

OK...I just need to vent a little. I'm kind of sick of North Texas Weathermen and their end of the world type of attitudes! All I heard today were forecasts for Horrible, SEVERE thunderstorms with STRONG chances of tornadoes. They made it sound like this would be the storm of all storms, which completely FREAKED Colin out when he heard these forecasts!

Sorry...in my area, it rained, thundered a little and was mildly windy for about 20 minutes, then died down to NOTHING! I guess the thunder wasn't loud enough to bother my son because the boy stayed in bed! Two nights ago, the winds were so much worse. In fact, those winds were so much stronger & harder on our house that Colin thought it was thunder and came scrambling out of his room. He said that he came out and called for me, but I couldn't hear him over the wind. He, also, said that he realized it wasn't thunder, so he went back to bed. And where were the forecasts for that?!?! Keep in mind too, I grew up scared of thunder (and still am). I was more scared of the wind 2 nights ago than tonight's "thunderstorm."

Then, let's take last month's ice storm. Forecasts for freezing rain and treacherous icy road possibilities were so bad that school was closed on a day where NO ICE was to be seen. Now granted, later that night, freezing rain came, roads were iced everywhere the next day & school was canceled again; so, they were finally right there.

I guess my point is that they sensationalize everything to the point that I don't know if and when to believe them. Thankfully, I am married to my own severe weather "junky" who keeps me informed with more reliable forecasts! Thanks Honey!

Colin the big helper

2009-01-16T16:03:00.002-06:00

Colin has been really wanting to help around the house lately. It has been precious to see. Vacuuming, cooking, washing/rinsing dishes...I have a feeling we don't have a typical four-year old boy. Isn't the older child normally the role model? See the pictures in the slide show below. Enjoy!

Happy New Year 2009

2009-01-01T01:12:00.002-06:00

We wanted to wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR for 2009. We hope that your 2008 ended wonderfully and that you will enjoy many blessings in the new year.

I'm just curious if anyone still makes New Year's Resolutions? It seems that most of the resolutions I hear of are something like, "I'm starting this," or "I'm not going to do that." My resolutions seem to be more progressive. For example, for 2009, I'd like to work on getting my home cleaned up, organized, and to keep it that way. I've had enough with the chaos, but I know that this is something that I can't just snap my fingers and make happen. I need to figure out a system, and I need to get my family to help me with the system too.

My other resolution is to figure out a good workout schedule and to get back into a routine. I'd prefer to find something that doesn't involve me getting up every morning at 5:30 BUT one that my son will allow me to keep. I haven't been inside the gym since prior to school starting in the fall. I had planned to go 2-3 times a week, but Colin refuses to go to the gym's childcare by himself. This obstacle has left me with the only option of going back to getting up at 5:30, which obviously hasn't happened. Again, going to take some time and commitment to figure this one out!

So, now that 2009 has started, it is time to start problem solving and some creative thinking. Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, I will be able to report some progress!

Pirate Colin, Our Growing Boy

2008-12-31T03:34:00.004-06:00

Colin is getting so big and growing so fast! A couple of weeks ago, I had to take him to his pediatrician for a follow-up check on his asthma and for a height & weight check. His asthma is doing really great, and the dr. thinks that we can start weaning him off of one of his medications. However, this is a busy time of year for me at work, so we will be SLOWLY weaning him off, just to make sure that he doesn't get sick or have a flare up, which causes me to have to stay & work from home. His height & weight are doing pretty well too. In the last 6 months, Colin grew about 2 inches and gain about 1.5 pounds. He's now a lengthy 40 inches tall and weighs a strapping 32 pounds. He's still only about the tenth percentile compared to other 4 year old boys, but we were excited about the 2 inch growth!

So, after the dr. visit, we had a beautiful December afternoon with the weather and about 45 minutes to kill before we picked up his sister from school. Colin was very cooperative with the dr, so I decided to take him to a nearby park. I call him my "Monkey Boy" because he LOVES to climb on just about anything. In fact, he's growing so much that he didn't want me to "spot" him on anything that he climbed on. He was insistent that he could do it himself and didn't need any help from me. Meanwhile, as I'm watching my monkey boy climb high on some of the equipment, my heart was RACING! I did tell him that I really didn't want to take him back to the dr. if he fell. His grown up response was, "Don't worry Mommy! I won't fall because I'm being careful!"

In between his climbing adventures, we played on the playground that is shaped like a sailboat. Colin loves to pretend to be a pirate. In fact, he said that he was the captain and was talking the ENTIRE time like a pirate. Imagine Colin talking with a deep, scruffy voice...well as deep & scruffy as a 4 year old can get. It was so cute and so funny. Unfortunately, the only camera I had on me was my phone. So, I could only take pictures and couldn't video our pirate adventures. It was fun to pretend with him! I was either walking the plank, being rescued by Colin from the surrounding sharks, or being "tossed around" & trying to not get "sea sick" from his WILD steering of the ship! We were laughing so hard and having such a great time that Colin didn't want to leave! He told me that either Daddy or Mrs. Douglas (our neighbor we carpool with) could pick up Sheridan! But alas, I did finally get him off the playground with the hopes of returning on another great weather afternoon!

Update from Greg

2008-12-30T16:20:00.003-06:00

Hi all,

It's been awhile since I posted anything on here so I thought I'd dive in again.

Well, the "family project" of the play kitchen was only a family project for about 15 minutes with Colin until our resident Fixer decided he wanted to watch Bob the Builder fix stuff instead of him actually doing it. Sheridan and Sarah were out so I got the majority of it. Sheridan came back towards the end of the 3 hr task and was more than happy to help screw in some bolts to help finish it out.

I'm long overdue on a report of Sheridan's and my camping trip with the YMCA Adventure Guides. We went to Camp Simpson in south central Oklahoma in October (I think). Sheridan had a great time. We hadn't gotten a tent yet so I borrowed a two-man tent from our neighbors. Talk about feeling like the low man on the tent totem pole! We were surrounded by tent mansions! I grew up using a four-man tent, but these tents were three-bedroom tents...utilized by two people most of the time.

Anyway, Sheridan enjoyed making new friends. We carpooled up with somebody that neither of us knew, but had a good time getting to know them. Sheridan had her first experience with smores and loved them. Although she could only have one, she enjoyed helping her friends make them. Let's see....what else....Sheridan has no interest in shooting, really enjoyed the canoeing, liked throwing water on me for the new member initiation at the bonfire, enjoyed staying up late, and playing in the forest. We had a water balloon catapult contest with other "circles" (groups). Sheridan didn't want to get wet so I stuck her in the back of our group while I got out front to try to catch the incoming water balloon volleys. At the end she emerged with wet jeans from her shins on down after a balloon hit the ground in front of her. :) I just got done registering for the winter campout the 2nd weekend in February at Possom Kingdom Lake. We're looking forward to horseback riding, a boat ride, and maybe some snow!

Merry Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T23:01:00.008-06:00

We wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and I had to get a post in on Christmas Day!

We actually started on Christmas Eve with the traditional gift of coordinating pajamas! The kids will sleep in these and open gifts in these in the morning....after our traditional Christmas morning picture in front of the tree!

We had a fun Christmas day that actually began kind of late! Sheridan slept until 7:45 this morning, and Greg and Colin both slept until 8:30. For our kids, this is actually pretty late, and Sheridan was doing great at waiting PATIENTLY for everyone to get up. Then, both kids managed to restrain themselves when it came to opening gifts. They each took turns opening them! We decided this year to buy them a "combo" gift for both of them. They really needed to replace their play kitchen because the oven door and sink faucet have both broken off. This is a favorite item in our playroom that is still utilized by both kids. So the big gift is the kitchen that Greg has decided we'll assemble together as a family. The kids finished opening gifts by opening Santa's last. It was funny to see them YELLING up the fireplace & chimney, "THANK YOU SANTA!" Too cute!

We spent most of the remainder of the day at my mom's house. First, we went for a BIG breakfast and a little relaxation! Then, came home to make our food, cut out Christmas cookies, decorate Birthday cupcakes for Jesus, and shower. Later, we returned to Mom's for dinner and gift exchanges.

Both of the kids received stick horses from their Uncle Jimmy, Auntie Mel & Cousin Elliott. It's definitely a favorite, and Colin took an opportunity to play with both while on Greg's lap. It was pretty funny to watch them.

We hope that you all enjoyed your Christmas Day and were able to spend it with either family or friends. We enjoyed remembering that today is Jesus' Birthday, and that alone is a wonderful reason to celebrate! Merry Christmas!

Santa Visit 2008

2008-12-25T22:56:00.003-06:00

We couldn't let a Christmas go by without a visit to see Santa Claus!

This year, a friend told me about the "Santa Wonderland" at the Bass Pro Shops. It's free! They have coloring stations, shooting game stations, trains to watch, stuff around the store to look at, PLUS a FREE 4x6 picture with Santa. Of course, we couldn't pass that up, and the kids seem to enjoy all the other stuff too!

Greg is 35!!!

2008-12-04T23:39:00.004-06:00

Happy, Happy Birthday to Greg! He turned 35 today, and I had to do a post on his birthday!

Greg got to spend the day at home and enjoy some alone time and silence, or knowing him, he probably had the radio blaring! After Sheridan got home from school and we had some excitement involving a neighbor, we went as a family to The Keg in Las Colinas for a great steak dinner. Then, we came home, sang "Happy Birthday" to him, ate cake and surprised him with a new clock radio that he can dock his ipod on. We, then, were surprised to find out that it doesn't have AM radio on it, which Greg listens to a lot and even though the store sign said it did. So, after the kids were in bed, Greg spent the rest of the evening online shopping, comparing & reading reviews of other ipod docking radios and bought the one he really wants and that we can afford! Sounds like a great day to me!

Happy 35th Birthday Honey! We love you, Greg!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

2008-11-29T13:24:00.006-06:00

Before we get too far away from the fall, I thought that I'd post this year's Pumpkin Patch pictures. Every fall, we visit this GREAT pumpkin patch for some FREE family fun and an opportunity for some great pictures!

I'm going to steal a word from a friend and admit that I am a "Mammarazzi" when it comes to taking pictures at the Pumpkin Patch. I love posing my kids and taking these cute pictures! This year, they weren't so thrilled to have to sit & pose for me...oh well!

Every year, we take a picture of the kids in front of this chart and see how much they've grown. I thought that you'd enjoy seeing how much they've grown & changed over the years!

"Making" Money

2008-11-23T10:54:00.004-06:00

Part of my job at the church is to count money, even coins, and get it ready for depositing to our bank. Some of our ministries do different types of collections to help raise money for special projects. For example, Children's Ministry collects quarters for the Water is Basic project (go to waterisbasic.org to learn more). The Women's Ministry collects "Small Change for Big Change," and they collect all types of change and together help various women make Big Changes in their lives around the world.

Colin loves to come in my office and help me "make money," as he likes to call it. Basically, he helps me by placing the coins in our coin sorter/counter so that I can roll the coins and know the amount that we have. I think that he thinks we are "making money" because the coins go in the top all together, then are "produced" out the bottom into the appropriate containers. He gets excited about helping me and tells me that he's working too! He really is a cute, sweet boy!

Back to the Baby Days!

2008-11-23T10:37:00.003-06:00

Earlier in the month, I had my monthly Comfort Zone (nursery) duty at our church. This happened to be a day when Greg worked the night before, and therefore, was at home sleeping. So I had the kids at the church by myself.

While I was finishing the clean up, the kids managed to entertain themselves in an interesting manner. It was really cute, and I had to capture it with my phone camera!

As you can see, they enjoyed pretending to be babies again and were even crawling over each other...just as our crawling babies do in the nursery!

Sheridan Leads Bible Pledge at Chapel

2008-11-23T07:15:00.004-06:00

This week, Sheridan's "job" in her class was to lead her class everyday in the pledge to the Bible. So, in chapel, her class leads the entire school every week in the pledges to the American flag, the Christian flag, and the Bible. So, I thought that you'd like to see her in action.

Sorry the pictures are so dark. I had to take them from the back of the room!

Here's video of it, probably dark too!

When I go to chapel, Colin goes with me & wanted his picture taken too!

Should Sheridan get a boy hair cut?!?!

2008-11-21T08:59:00.004-06:00

We are beginning to toy with the idea of cutting Sheridan's hair SHORT...more boyish style!!!

Why, you ask?!?! Sheridan has beautiful, long, girlish hair!!! Well, Sheridan came home yesterday with a note in her folder stating that someone in her class was found with head lice. So, as a precaution, we decided to do a head check...YUP! She too has it! UGH, GROSS!!!

So, last night, after calling a friend that recently dealt with this, I ran to Target and bought the full household treatment package...shampoo, treatment gel, and spray for non-washable items. Sheridan & I spent 4 hours of our life last night treating her hair...Sheridan's hair is thicker than I originally thought! Poor girl didn't get to bed until after 11pm, and she was complaining of her bottom hurting from sitting in one spot for so long!
So, this morning, we needed to check her hair...found 5 more and counting!!! Those little DEVILS!!! So we are about to spend the next 4 hours of our life treating her hair again!!! URGH!!!

I am now finding out too (for those of you with girls), that lice actually prefer CLEAN hair over "dirty/treated" hair. Glad that I keep Sheridan's hair so clean, but will have to think twice the next time that I think she needs her hair washed!!! Once this is all over & past us, I will be "treating" her hair everyday with hairspray before she steps foot outside our home! Definitely do not want to do this again!!!!
So, Greg would really like to shave her BALD right now!!! Someone stop him from getting his clippers!!!!

Pioneer School and Log Cabin Village

2008-11-18T21:40:00.004-06:00

Last Thursday, Sheridan and the entire 2nd grade of LCA went to Log Cabin Village for a field trip. First, we had to find "proper" Pioneer attire for her to wear. Then, we had to pack her an "authentic" pioneer lunch, maybe with some pretending! How'd we do?!?!

There were actually some outfits that looked authentic, but most of the parents of girls went online and ordered costumes for their girls to wear. We decided to go the economical route and put something together. The skirt and shawl came from Sheridan's Mimi. I found the shirt and a pair of black ankle boots at Once Upon a Child (resale shop) for her. The basket is mine, but she had an authentic tin cup that she drank out of. The cup belonged to Mimi's Great-Grandfather, and he used it next to his well!

For her lunch, we had to pack food items that we would have found in the 1800's, so nothing processed or plastic (for food packaging or drink containers). So we "pretended" that we made our own bread and slaughtered our own turkey for our turkey sandwiches. Didn't you know that we also raise our own chickens so that we can have boiled eggs?!?! We also ate beef jerky and cornbread muffins. By the way, Sheridan's dad has become a great blacksmith and was able to make us mini-muffin tins so that our cornbread muffins wouldn't be too big!!! Finally, we raise our own cows so that we can get fresh milk and make our own cheese too! See...pretending can be fun!!!

The kids spent the morning in a Pioneer schoolhouse and got to experience what school would be like. I think that Sheridan likes her 21st century school much, much better! During school time, the moms met at the nearby vintage Panera Bread Bakery & Cafe for our own "Pioneer" snacks and mom time! We met the kids for our Pioneer lunch and picnicked on the grass. Then, we spent the afternoon taking a tour of the Log Cabin Village to see how Pioneers worked and lived.

It was a fun day, and I hope to take our family together, maybe next Spring or Fall, when Colin's a little older. There's one house that the kids can actually go into and touch the furnishings, etc. They will dress up again and act out a "day in the life of a pioneer child," i.e. churning butter, washing clothes, ironing clothes, pumping water, collecting eggs, etc. However, this house can only handle "small" groups of kids, so they didn't let our big tour experience this part.

This field trip was actually nostalgic for me. I remember going to Log Cabin Village when I was in the 2nd grade too! However, we did get to do more of the hands on things. In one picture, you will see an older woman (the oldest employee in the city of Fort Worth) talking to the kids behind a plexi-glass window. When I went, we didn't have the windows separating us, and we got to touch and experience lots. We even got to try candle dipping! How times have changed!

I think the best part of the day was just spending time with Sheridan and experiencing/learning with her! By the way, she likes our house much better and doesn't want a log cabin...didn't like the idea of sleeping on the wood floor with her 6-7 other siblings in the same room!!!

Noah's Ark?!?!

2008-11-15T21:08:00.003-06:00

Recently, on a Sunday, we found ourselves staying home from church, both a combo of oversleeping and keeping Colin home during an asthma flair up!

Greg decided to act out a devotional time about Noah's Ark. The kids seemed to enjoy it!

We were able to talk about how Noah obeyed God, even when his friends made fun of him. We talked about being patient while on the boat and being thankful to God for saving us and giving us everything we need. We, also, talked about the importance of not fighting with each other because it would just make everyone miserable and to work together! It really was fun!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-15T19:21:00.007-06:00

We had a fun halloween night this year. Sheridan dressed up as a cowgirl, and Colin was a race car driver! Both outfits were practically FREE, and the kids were very excited about their costumes. Funny thing about Colin's Race Car Driver costume, everyone kept asking Colin which race car driver was his favorite and who he was rooting for. We have absolutely NO CLUE! Colin just liked the outfit! We didn't even know that there was a big race this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway!!!

As it turns out, both Sheridan and her best friend, Isabelle, were both dressed as cowgirls! They were so cute together!

We let the kids go trick or treating for about an hour. Colin did so much better than last year. He walked up to the doors with or without Sheridan and would say "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" to each homeowner. Greg & I were able to stand back and watch our son become grown up and independent before our eyes! Last year, we had to walk to the doors with him, and he wouldn't say a word to the homeowners. This year, he would walk up on his own and sometimes insist on "going alone" (as much as we would let him). But, Colin did tire out after about 30 minutes, then wanted to be carried the remainder of the time. Sheridan was having a great time going door to door. So Greg carried Colin on his shoulders the remainder of the time, and Sheridan proceeded to fill her bucket, then fill Colin's too!

We finished the night by coming back to our house, turning our lights on, and passing out candy to more kids! It's a toss up on which the kids liked better, going door to door or passing the candy out!

This is the 2nd year that we've let the kids go trick or treating. Since Sheridan can't eat the candy, we take it to their pediatric dentist who will "buy" the candy from them. She pays them $1 for every pound of candy. So, this year, Sheridan wanted to take the candy to the dentist the very next day, but her offices were closed. The kids waited patiently and sold their candy on Tuesday. Sheridan was paid $4, and Colin was paid $2 (I redistributed some of Colin's candy to Sheridan's bucket since she was the one that did most of the work). Colin did ask why Sheridan got more money and understood my explanation that Sheridan did more trick or treating than he did.

Here are pictures of one of their favorite treats from the night that we let them keep!

I must say that I was very proud of my kids for how they handled their candy money. They each divided the money up between their Spend, Save, and Give envelopes. I was going to let them put it all in their Spend envelopes, but they insisted on dividing it up, just like they do with their chore money! They are learning early how to handle their money! Hopefully, they'll remember when their older!

Canton Shopping

2008-11-15T17:22:00.005-06:00

OK...since it's been almost four weeks since we posted anything, I thought that I'd do a quick catch up posting!

About 6 weeks ago or so, I spent a day shopping in Canton with some friends and had a wonderful time! A BIG Thank You to my husband who stepped up and played me for a day!! (He took Sheridan to school, did our grocery shopping, and did my afternoon of carpool duty!!) I was finally able to find some pieces to decorate our house...yes, it's been almost 5 1/2 years to do this! I went to Canton on a Friday, and Greg & I spent the following morning hanging it ALL up!

So I thought that I'd share my wonderful finds!

Dining Room Decor, best VALUE decor!!! Mirror...FREE and repainted (was given to me over a year ago at a FREE Garage Sale). Metal artwork was marked down to $17 each from $50!!! Still looking for something RED to add color to the wall.

I'm not crazy about the cross, sign, picture arrangement in our bedroom. For now, it will do. I'm not exactly sure how I want it to look.

Apparently, First Monday Trade Days is open on New Year's Day!!! Since I'm not interested in watching a bunch of college football (especially since my team will probably not be playing), my sister and I are planning a shopping trip on this day. Anyone else want to join us??? Let's see what other bargains and inspirations we can find!!!!

Casanova Colin

2008-10-19T13:48:00.002-05:00

Once again, Mommy's heart is breaking!!! I was paid a visit by our Kids Klub director at IBC on Tuesday and was told that Colin and his very good friend, Emma, have been kissing and hugging on each other!!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Now, I've heard Colin talk at home about how he and Emma are going to GET MARRIED one day! I can totally hear Sheridan's influence when he says this. But then, come to find out that he and Emma actually talk about it and act it out...WHOA!!!!!

So, Greg and I had to have a talk with him. You could tell that he knew that he had done something wrong, but at the same time, he doesn't completely understand why it's wrong. I mean, Mommy & Colin kiss all the time. Sheridan & Colin kiss each other good night (a very sweet insistence on both their parts). Colin also kisses his aunts, grandmothers, and cousins! So, you could see the look on his face of "why not Emma!" I did explain that Emma is not family and that they were too young to be doing this. I think that he actually understood it!

So, for now, I have another child that is growing way too fast....and of course, a husband who is proud of his son for going after the girls! I just hope that this isn't a true taste of what life will be like with Colin as a teenager!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!

Success to a 4 Year Old

2008-10-16T22:52:00.003-05:00

What is SUCCESS to a 4 year old???

Being able to drive to a nearby hospital to see the much ANTICIPATED helicopter that he has been patiently waiting for!

We finally saw the helicopter, and Colin was very excited and satisfied! Yes, we were late to school on Monday, but he didn't care! He got his helicopter fix! The hospital has it fenced off for safety and security, so we can't get too close. But Colin is satisfied with just seeing it. Again, so easily entertained!

So Easily Entertained!

2008-10-16T22:38:00.002-05:00

My kids really make me laugh and bring big smiles to my face!

Yesterday, our family ran some errands together. While Greg was trying on his new suit, Colin and Sheridan managed to entertain themselves! They were so cute that I couldn't resist pulling out my camera phone and taking some pictures to share.

Of course, Sheridan had to pose for us!!

Again, goofing off...they take pictures just fine, no problem! But tell them to stand still, look at the camera & smile...that's another adventure!

Kids & Pictures

2008-10-16T22:12:00.004-05:00

Why is it that kids are so hard to photograph?!?!

The kids received a package in the mail today from their Mimi & Papa V. They opened it to find a Pirate t-shirt for Colin and an Aggie Cheerleader outfit for Sheridan. Both wanted to put them on immediately!

So I thought that I'd take a "quick" picture of them to email to Mimi & Papa and to say thank you! Do you know how many pictures I had to take?!?! Too many! And I didn't even get what I think is a good one! I finally gave up and decided to send what I had.

These are what's left after deleting a few!

Sheridan NOT smiling

Still not smiling

Colin looking off!

Seriously...my kids DON'T have bug eyes AND I asked Sheridan to get the hair out of her face!
But she smiles great for this one!

Yes...I would NEVER make it as a professional children's photographer!!!!

The 1st Six Weeks of the 2nd Grade

2008-10-12T13:06:00.004-05:00

Sheridan recently finished the 1st six weeks of this school year. Every year after the 1st six weeks, LCA holds parent/teacher conferences to discuss the student's progress and answer questions, etc. We could have a conference with her teacher anytime we wanted, but this is a day dedicated for these conferences and the elementary students don't have school!

We were shown Sheridan's report card and once again, enjoyed hearing that she made the "A" Honor Roll! This, actually, was no surprise to us because ALL of the papers she brings home have A's on them! I did also like seeing on Thursday that every paper she brought home that had a grade on it was a 100!!!

Sheridan is doing EXTREMELY well in her schoolwork. It almost makes me wonder if the work is too easy and if she's bored??? I did ask her teacher, and she says that she does have to challenge Sheridan and a few other students in other ways to make sure that they can apply what they've learned and not just do it on paper....Good to hear!

We are very proud of Sheridan and her accomplishments! She definitely keeps us on our toes!

A Colin & Mommy Weekend!

2008-10-11T21:03:00.011-05:00

Sheridan and Daddy are off on a Daddy/Daughter camping trip with some of our friends. We'll blog about that later...hopefully, Greg is getting some good pictures! However, since I sent the camera with Greg for Sheridan's 1st camping trip, I had to take pictures with the camera on my phone. But hey, at least I got pictures!

So, Colin and I had the weekend all to ourselves, this is a first for us! First, we spent Friday evening with the ladies and some of the kids from our home group. Afterwards, we ran to Target for a quick errand. Colin really is ALL BOY! While looking at some clothes for him, he decides to climb on the garment rack to hang or swing off of them! I told him that he's my "Monkey Boy," to which he just laughs and starts climbing MORE! I tell him to be careful (typical mom) and he always responds, "I won't get hurt because I won't fall!" Gotta love boys!

Then, today was the busy/fun day for us. After a leisure "special" breakfast, Colin and I headed to Michael's to make craft pumpkins. I let Colin do whatever he wanted on HIS pumpkin. It actually turned out pretty cute!

Then, a friend told me about an open house at the Central Fire Station in Flower Mound. So, Colin and I drove to Flower Mound in the hopes of seeing some firetrucks up close and more importantly, a HELICOPTER. Of course, we got there past the scheduled helicopter time! However, we found out that the CareFlight helicopter was called to an emergency and was hoping to come later. Colin & I saw a ladder firetruck with the ladder fully extended, a HAZ-MAT simulated treatment "area," a mock rescue extraction from a car (they cut up the car to peel back the doors and top), an ambulance, and a safety house that simulated what to do in a house fire. There was also the chance for kids to use a fire hose to put out a fire, but Colin didn't want to stand in the long line to do this. I was curious why, and he said "No, thanks, if I hold the hose, I might get wet." Of course, no arguments from me, you should have seen the LINE!!!

By the time we left the fire station, the helicopter still hadn't shown up, so I told Colin that we would come to the nearby hospital (close to our house) to see the CareFlight helicopter that's usually there and was there earlier this morning. By the time we returned from Flower Mound, the helicopter was gone. We went back to Michael's to finish our pumpkins (we ran out of time trying to make it to Flower Mound for the scheduled helicopter time). After Michael's, we went back to the hospital before heading to my nephew's football game. Unfortunately, still no helicopter. While at Elliott's football game, we saw the helicopter fly over and head back to the hospital. So I told Colin that we would stop by the hospital before we went home. Of course, STILL no helicopter! I guess that it was a VERY busy day for CareFlight!

Still my Monkey Boy, Colin was climbing all over these bleachers at Elliott's game and wouldn't even sit still for this picture!

We spent a quiet evening at home. Since it was just us, I gave Colin the FREE choice of having whatever he wanted for dinner. At first, he wanted pizza. But last night and all day today, he wanted only mac 'n cheese, even asked for it for breakfast and lunch! I love having such a simple family! So Colin enjoyed mac 'n cheese for dinner, had a bath, and fell quickly asleep in bed!

Tomorrow, we get to go to church, and hopefully, Daddy & Sheridan will be home shortly after we return. Even though Colin and I had a wonderful time together, our family isn't complete without Daddy and Sheridan, and we miss them both!!!

LCA Chapel

2008-10-09T20:42:00.008-05:00

One of the great things about Sheridan's school is their chapel time. Every Wednesday, from 9:00-9:30, the preschoolers through 4th grades gather in the Children's Theater at Sheridan's school for their chapel time. It is usually led by Ms. DeeDee, and the kids say the pledges to the American Flag, Christian Flag and the Bible; sing praise & worship songs; and hear a great lesson.

This week, the 2nd grade at LCA led the chapel time and gave the lesson! There are 3 2nd grade classes, and each child read a line from a script about Moses and how God used him to free the Israelites from Pharaoh (they've been studying about Moses & Joshua so far this year).

This first video is of the kids singing a girls vs. boys song. They usually can get pretty loud! However, Ms. DeeDee changed things up a bit, and I think it confused them. This is the quietest that I've heard the kids with this song. It's kind of dark in the room, so hopefully, you'll be able to see Sheridan!

This next video is part of the Moses "re-enactment" by the 2nd graders. I took Sheridan's picture with the same camera, so I didn't get video of her reading her part :-(

Sheridan was very excited about being on the stage, and very excited that we were going to be at chapel to see her and her grade (I was supposed to be at MOPS and Greg was supposed to be in bed). Sheridan & I really like this school. I love that Sheridan still wants me to be around and involved, and I love that this school encourages and allows parental involvement. I'm not looking forward to the day when Sheridan doesn't want us around, so I'm hanging on to every opportunity we have to be there for Sheridan!

New addition to the Kemper family

2008-10-02T16:28:00.002-05:00

We are proud to pass on the news that Steve and Amy have a new addition to their family: Elaina Mae, their 3rd girl! She was born today, October 2, 2008 and is 6 pounds 10 ounces, 20 1/4" long. Congratulations, Steve and Amy!

Kids Kamp Chefs

2008-09-06T10:54:00.002-05:00

A little catch up time...

Sheridan & Colin spent part of their summer in Kids Kamp, the childcare that was provided for IBC staff kids. They were still in the building with me, but had specially planned activities and were very loved & cared for! Both of them looked forward to their time on Tuesdays & Thursdays of each week!

The summer theme for Kids Kamp was cooking in the kitchen. Throughout the summer, the kids learned how to prepare, make & cook a variety of foods under supervision, of course! During August, their class focused on foods from other nations around the world. It was fun to hear about, then, come home to look on our world map to find where that country is!

The last day of Kids Kamp, our little chefs hosted a Taste the Nations food demonstration for all the parents. They "took" our order from a menu, then brought our food and served us just like a REAL waitstaff would! It actually was REALLY good, and they were sent home with recipe books of the food they made so we can make it together at home!

Greg & I forgot our regular camera at home, but thank goodness, our new phones have cameras on them. So, the pictures are a little grainy and dark, but at least we have them!!

Sheridan Learns to Tie Her Shoes

2008-09-06T10:41:00.003-05:00

Sheridan has really small feet for her age (she gets it from her daddy!). So, she is still mostly in "toddler" style shoes that use mostly velcro. Since school has started, most of the shoes that she's wearing actually have laces and need to be tied! I'm pretty sure that most 2nd graders already know how to tie their shoes! So, Sheridan's playing catch up and is finally learning to tie her shoes! She is also learning that this takes patience to learn and master! She's done a pretty good job of not getting too frustrated and did a great job with her shoes this morning!

She's so proud of herself!

Heart "Attack" for Mommy!

2008-09-01T10:31:00.004-05:00

I love our daughter, and she is growing so fast...sometimes too fast!

Sheridan announced to me yesterday that she has a BOYFRIEND who is in her class at school! She was so excited and told me his name and that she REALLY, REALLY LIKES him! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This boy was also in her class in Kindergarten, and she told me back then that he was her "boyfriend." I clarified back then that he was a friend that was a boy, and she agreed. This time is different! She has this little sparkle in her eye and a HUGE smile when she talks about him. Could this be her 1st crush?!?! I'm sure the 1st of many! Unfortunately, this is an instance of like mother, like daughter. I had my 1st "boyfriend" in Kindergarten through 1st Grade. We sometimes would see each other at church and sit next to each other. WOW! I feel bad now for my dad!!!

As my stomach is turning into knots and my heart is aching, all I can think is "NOOO!!! NOT YET!!!" Where's my baby?!?! I'm not going to deal with this well when it comes time for "going together" and "first dates," but thankfully that is WWWAAAYYY down the road! At least, it better be!

Back to School!

2008-08-28T20:24:00.007-05:00

Sheridan started her first day of 2nd grade today! I can't believe that she's already in the 2nd Grade! I keep thinking, NOOOOO!!!! NOT YET! Where's my baby?!?! She just seems to be growing so fast! I tease her and tell her that I'm going to keep her in 1st grade, and she just laughs and says "NOPE! I'm in 2nd grade now!"

I think that she was a little nervous about her class and teacher. She had trouble falling asleep last night, then woke up early this morning. She also told Greg that she didn't sleep well, and later told me on the way into the school that she was tired! So, when we walked into the school, she was extremely quiet and withdrawn, not her usual talkative, energetic self! I'm hoping that tomorrow will go better and that she'll get a great night's sleep tonight!

The teacher that she has this year, she actually had in Kindergarten for music. Last year, Mrs. Wilder made the move from music and taught a 2nd grade class. So Sheridan gets to have Mrs. Wilder for her 2nd grade teacher. Many of the girls from Sheridan's class last year have either moved on to other schools, moved away, or are in another class. There are 2 girls in her class now that were in her class last year and one that was in her class in Kindergarten. I'm sure she will be fine once she gets comfortable and comes out of her shell!

As you will see in the pictures, Sheridan was very excited to have her own Hannah Montana messenger bag as well as lunch bag. I didn't let her play with or use them until today. She was very excited to get her hands on them....finally!

By the way, I thought that I'd show you how much she's changed since Kindergarten (as you can tell, she picks the same outfit to wear on the 1st day!). The pictures go in order from Kindergarten, 1st Grade & 2nd Grade. You can see her inching her way up in height in front of our fireplace!

One Last Summer Playday!

2008-08-27T21:55:00.002-05:00

Well, Sheridan starts the 2nd grade tomorrow. How EXCITING!

We met her teacher this morning, then went to Main Event in Lewisville for one last playday before school starts! The kids really enjoyed playing putt-putt glow in the dark golf. We also played games and rode virtual rides. Sheridan & Colin really liked riding the "roller coaster" ride and the horse race game. They got to try to be horse jockeys! We all had fun, and Colin was pretty tired by the time we left.

Time for school tomorrow!!!

Highland Village Balloon Festival

2008-08-27T09:50:00.004-05:00

We went to the Highland Village Balloon Festival a couple of weeks ago. We went in the early morning because we thought there was going to be a launch. As it turns out, it was a balloon drop competition. The goal for the "drivers" was to get as close as possible to a large red X and drop a bean bag for their score. There were probably only two that managed to get close enough because of the winds.

In the evening, we went back for what was supposed to be a launch. However, because of high winds, the balloons couldn't take off. So to please all the crowds of people, they just inflated the balloons so everyone could see, take pics, and get up close! The kids really enjoyed it!

Hannah Montana & Jonas Brothers Mania

2008-08-25T10:02:00.003-05:00

Hannah Montana & Jonas Brothers mania has officially hit our home!!!

We started letting Sheridan watch Hannah Montana after her birthday, and she has gone CRAZY for this show & character! She likes the Jonas Brothers too, but she's more interested in Hannah!

When the Hannah Montana 3-D concert was on t.v. last month, Sheridan decided to put her Hannah wig on and do her own little performance. She doesn't know all the words yet, but it's pretty cute! Colin also joins in on the fun, and he was told to pretend to be the Jonas Brothers, all 3 of them...big job for 1 little guy!!! Here's a video of our little Hannah and mini Jonas trio (sorry it's dark, this was very impromptu!)

We think that the princess phase is slowly fading away for "older" fascinations now (sniff, sniff)!

Sheridan & Colin's Houston Adventure

2008-08-04T12:49:00.004-05:00

Sheridan and Colin are in Houston this week, spending time with their grandparents, aunt & uncle, and cousins. I know they will have a great time...provided the TROPICAL STORM or HURRICANE miss them!

Yes, that's right! We left our kids in Houston just in time for a storm to be heading their way. So they get to experience lots of wind & rain! For me, if I were down there with them, we would've left already! Tropical storms & Sarah do not mix!!!

So this Mommy has nervous knots in my stomach; and the time over today and the next day will be a test for me to not worry and to TRUST God to watch over my babies!

I heard a Third Day song this morning ("Come On Back To Me") that really helped me that I wanted to share the chorus words:

Never mind your worries
Never mind your fears
They can only take you far from me
When you feel there's nowhere
Left for you to turn
Well, I got all you want
And everything you need
Come on back to me

Isn't it GREAT that we can run to the Lord with ALL our cares and concerns. He's got all I WANT and all I NEED!

As of 10:00 this morning, the storm had weakened a little and is currently Southeast of them in the Gulf. So I'm asking God to continue to weaken the storm before it makes landfall (my want) and to be with & comfort my children during the storm (my need that I know He has covered!). And I know that He's already with me to comfort and care for me! He's with you too if you will trust and ask Him!

Stylist Sheridan, part 2

2008-07-29T23:32:00.002-05:00

Here are pics of Sheridan's haircut, after the self-given one and during and after the professional one.

As you can see from the first pics, she wasn't very happy about what she did and knew that I was upset. Sheridan became more distraught when she found out that she was going to have to pay for the fix from money she'd been saving to buy something Hannah Montana!

I took her to a salon school because they are cheaper than Walmart but do a better job, plus Sheridan wouldn't lose all her money. They tried to keep as much of her length in back as possible and managed to blend one side pretty well. However, Sheridan's right side was cut a lot shorter than her left. So, we'll have to grow it out some more and go back in a month or two to cut & blend some more. Whew! I was afraid that we'd have to cut very short in order to fix this!

I do hope that she has learned her lesson. While we were at the salon school, she saw lots of ladies with WEIRD hair colors and was a pretty freaked out! She says that she doesn't want to go back there. So, she's been warned of what will happen if she does this again! Currently, she's convinced that cutting her own hair isn't worth it! Let's hope she remembers this!

Cheer Camp

2008-07-24T23:56:00.007-05:00

This week was Sheridan's turn for day camp. Sheridan picked Cheer Camp for her special time and went 4 mornings this week. She has really become interested in cheerleading, and it's so much fun for this former cheerleader to watch!

Thursday was the last day of the camp, and the cheerleaders had a short show-off time. Here's some video for you to enjoy. I decided a little late to take some digital video, so the beginning of both segments is a little cut off.

This short video is Sheridan doing a straddle jump. Look how she points her toes! Great job Sheridan!

Of course, I had to include the photos I took. These wouldn't be true pictures of Sheridan unless she poses for us! Of course, Sheridan decided to do some traditional cheer poses!

Stylist Sheridan

2008-07-20T01:36:00.004-05:00

Mommy and Daddy went on a date Friday night.
Sheridan and her scissors rendezvoused in the bathroom light.
The unsuspecting couple enjoyed our time on our date.
Papa Mark said 'Wait!', but it was too late.
Now Sheridan's bangs and scissors share the same banished plight.

Cowboy Camp, day 2

2008-07-17T19:30:00.004-05:00

Colin went to the last half of Cowboy Camp today. He was so excited about going and knew that he would get to "ride" the pony. He told me last night, "It's a little pony" and imagine him holding up his two tiny fingers to make an inch size! He's so cute!!!

The picture below was taken by the WinKids staff & printed on regular paper. I scanned it in, so the quality isn't great. But at least we can see how "little" the pony really is!

Colin did better today being dropped off. After I put his nametag on, he started to get teary-eyed but managed to walk in on his own. Then, while I'm waiting to sign him in, he sneaks back out for "last hugs." I was about to cry for him because he looked so sad. While he wasn't screaming this time and walked back in on his own, I felt worse today then I did on Tuesday. I watched from a distance as he stood by the foam pit and was crying silent tears and not moving. One of the staff members walked over to him, picked him up, talked to him, and tried to comfort him. He was still crying when anyone tried to talk to him, but managed to stop crying if they left him alone. We asked him if he had fun, and we get an emphatic "YEAH!" However, he asked me if he had to go back to Cowboy Camp. When I tell him that Cowboy Camp is over, he is VERY EXCITED!!!

WOW! I didn't want to torture my child or make him feel abandoned! I felt terrible for him! One of my friends pointed out that I should feel great that Colin loves us so much and doesn't want to be separated from us. However, I just wanted to give him a chance to have some fun on his own and something special that he doesn't normally get to do! Maybe next year will be different when he's a little older....hopefully! Until then, we'll just accept that Colin likes familiar places & faces and loves to be with his family!

WE LOVE YOU TOO COLIN!

Sarah Joins a Gym

2008-07-16T11:07:00.003-05:00

Well...I've finally purchased a gym membership. I found a deal that I was willing to pay for through Costco to 24 Hour Fitness. I'm just hoping that I will actually use it since in the past I haven't used them. I also now need to wait for them to ship the paperwork before I can actually use it.

Since before our vacation in June, I haven't worked out much at home. This morning I made myself workout, and I'm very out of shape. In the past 6 weeks, I've only worked out a handful of times. So hopefully through accountability through Greg and friends, I'll get my monies worth by actually going!

All I know is that I'm tired of getting up at 5 or 6 AM to workout at home before my kids get up, and I also want a change in workout routine and hopefully some time with a personal trainer, if it's affordable. I am also excited about being able to workout somewhere when I go out of town! I'm not excited about having to drive to Lewisville to use it though. Oh well, every opportunity always seems like a give and take situation!

Cowboy Camp

2008-07-15T17:49:00.003-05:00

Colin had his 1st day camp experience today. I can't believe that he's 4 now and getting so big! He went to the 1st half of a Cowboy Camp at WinKids. I was very hesitant about sending him because he doesn't deal well with new places, faces, and experiences. However, I was talked into it, and Colin said he wanted to go! So he picked this camp. Of course, as soon as I check him in, he starts crying BIG TEARS and loud cries....I did say that he's 4 now right?!?! (Sheridan says to put here that he SCREAMED!)

I told him that he would have a GREAT time, but he didn't care! However, I didn't care if he was crying, he was staying and he was GOING TO HAVE FUN too! (I had paid for the class, and it wasn't refundable.) So I felt bad leaving him screaming there, but they said they would call if he didn't calm down.

Greg is the one who picked him up, and the staff said that he calmed down a few minutes after we left. Then, Colin said that he had fun too! He liked jumping in the foam pit, and he brushed a pony! He says that he is going to go back on Thursday, and he will get to ride the pony too. Hopefully the drop off will go much smoother and without the drama!

So why the tears??? I don't get why both my kids did very well as babies being dropped off at church and Kids Day Out. However, when Colin turned 3 and Sheridan turned 4, both of them suddenly had separation anxiety! And it hasn't stopped! Maybe one of these days I'll have kids again that will look forward to new things. What am I saying though....don't we all get stuck in our comfort zones and have a few fears of trying new things. So, with that said, let's hope Thursday goes well for Colin and that maybe we all can find something new to try!

Colin's 4th Birthday

2008-07-13T22:42:00.002-05:00

We celebrated Colin's 4th Birthday at Pump It Up in Coppell. The theme of the invitations, cake and some decorations was Diego! Everyone had a great time jumping and sliding around, even the adults had a blast! Check out our pics!

On Colin's actual birthday, we went out to dinner and had cupcakes for dessert! I still can't believe that he's already 4. Where did all the time go???

Happy, Happy 4th Birthday Colin! We love you!

Our Little Clowns

2008-07-10T07:48:00.003-05:00

Well, it's been a while since we posted anything, and we will try to post pictures from Colin's party soon! Until then, here's some pics from our little clowns!

I think the theme for Tuesday's Kids Kamp was clowns. They made these hats as well as a sugary snack made like a clown! They had fun with the hats and were proud of the little clowns they made too!

Washington / Canada Vacation

2008-06-19T00:09:00.002-05:00

Well we've been back from vacation for almost a week now and the clamoring for pictures has reached a fevered pitch. The media trucks are blocking traffic on the street and the drone of helicopters ahead makes it impossible to get a good night's sleep. So here go's....
Wait. How about some funny moments from the trip first?

Our ferry from Port Angeles, Washington to Victoria, British Columbia was really rolling in the swells of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The kids were walking around in the ferry and would suddenly get launched toward an immobile pole or chair as the boat rocked from one direction to the other. They got a kick out of not being able to walk in a straight line. Meanwhile, Sarah was struggling to keep her lunch from seeing the light of day.
Our ferry from Sidney, Britsh Columbia to Anacortes, Washington made a stop in Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. The four of us were at the front of the ferry on the outside passenger deck watching the captain manuever into the dock. Immediately upon the captain blowing the horn Colin flew back to cover in the ferry. Colin provided a really good laugh for some 20 people!
All the natives were complaining of the cold temperatures in June. We were grateful for them!

And without further adieu, our slideshow of pictures. Click on "view all images":

Washington update #2

2008-06-11T08:39:00.002-05:00

I thought that I'd update y'all again and let you know how we are doing!

On Saturday, we visited with Greg's Uncle Darrell, Aunt Margaret & his cousins and families. We had a great relaxing time, and enjoyed catching up since we last saw them in Jan. 2004 (I was pregnant with Colin!). The kids enjoyed playing hide & seek with Natasha & Valerie. Then, later, they played in the hallway with Debbie. It was great to see Colin come out of his shell, and he's been warming up quickly to all the strangers to him.

On Sunday, we packed up and headed down to Tacoma. We stopped at Sarah's Uncle Robert & Auntie Chong's house for lunch. We were able to visit with them and Sarah's Auntie Josie & Auntie May as well. The food was plentiful, and the kids were spoiled with gifts and money to buy gifts back in Texas! After this, we headed down to Olympia and visited with Sarah's Grandpa Bill. It was so nice to see him and keep him company for a couple of days. I wish that we could see him more often! The kids enjoyed running around on his land and even got to play with 3 girls that live next door. These 3 girls are very sweet and check on Grandpa daily!

On Monday, we went back to Tacoma to visit with Sarah's Uncle Efren (since he had to work on Sunday). He took us out to lunch and visited longer at his house after. Then, that evening, we went to Sarah's cousin Renee's house. We were able to visit with Renee, Auntie Linda, Uncle Len & Auntie Shirley, Grandma Carlos, Danielle & Isabelle (4 in July), Kelly & Malia (5), Evelyn (3), & Vincent Jr (18 mos). The kids really enjoyed playing with the other children and running around a big house! Unfortunately, we forgot the camera, so we didn't get any picks of the kids together or how much the kids in WA have grown and changed! :-(

We headed north yesterday and are now in Port Angeles, WA. We visited with Sarah's Uncle Bud, Aunt Cynthia, cousins Hannah & Rachel, and Rachel's baby Anna. Anna is almost 5 months old, and so cute! We do have pics and will download when we get home!

Today, we will be heading up to Victoria, British Columbia, CANADA! Sheridan keeps asking when we get to go to Canada, or "Are we in Canada yet?!?!" So today, we finally get to say Today & YES! We'll be up in Canada today (Weds) & tomorrow, and we will ferry back to the U.S. on Friday. We spend Friday evening with Greg's Uncle Darrell & Aunt Margaret before we fly out Saturday morning.

It's been a great trip and we are having a great time! Can't wait to see some of you soon!

Our Washington Trip so far...

2008-06-07T15:35:00.004-05:00

We've been here in Washington for 3 days and have yet to see the sun for more than 2 minutes at a time! Talk about not wanting to get out of bed....except for our children! They've been going to bed late (in Washington time) because of visits with family, but they are still getting up as if they were in Texas time! For 2 mornings, they woke up at 5:30-5:45 a.m. Yesterday, I made both of them take a nap because we were experiencing the "joyous" feelings of lack of sleep. So for Sheridan, after 4 years of not having to nap, she slept for 2 hours! Colin also slept for 2 hours, and both children were MUCH HAPPIER :-) Last night, we put an extra covering over the window to hopefully keep the room darker in the morning and keep our little ones in bed longer! They managed to sleep an hour later and woke up at 6:45 instead. I definitely felt better after getting that extra hour of sleep, but I do wish that they would sleep a little longer.

Overall, we are having a great time on our trip. Sheridan and Colin got to meet Sarah's Uncle Ben & Aunt Caron and 3 of their kids, Katelyn, Travis, & Josh. Katelyn took them outside to play after dinner, and they had a blast! Sheridan keeps asking when we get to go see them again!

Today, we are visiting with Greg's cousins and their families. So more family to meet and more reasons to try to make this trip more often! Tomorrow, we are visiting with Sarah's Uncle Robert and Auntie Chong, and later with her Grandpa Bill. The rest of our time next week, we'll be traveling around Puget Sound to visit other family before making our way up to Victoria, Canada. This will be Colin's first trip out of the country! Hopefully, he'll remember it!

We'll try to download pics as soon as we return home on Saturday!

Whale watching!

2008-06-05T23:56:00.006-05:00

We went whale (no, not just whale, KILLER whale) watching today off of Anacortes, WA. The boat went 65 miles round trip up to just south of the Canadian border to find the "J" pod, which consists of 25 orcas. It took awhile to get out there, but once the captain found the pod it was amazing! One of the whales they have named Granny and she's 97 years old! Here's some pictures of her:

Copyright sidebar: These pictures were taken today by a professional photographer who was employed by the tour operator. He had an extremely nice camera and mongo lens that we both want!!!

Two other boats joined the fray:

These are just the pictures we had quick access to. We'll post our personal pictures later, including the ones showing the kids freezing their behinds off (temp was in the low 50's with light rain off and on). Bye for now!

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T15:46:00.002-05:00

A tribute and thanks to all who have served in our military so that others in this great country could pursue their hopes and dreams. Your sacrifices do not go unrecognized!

Sheridan 7th Birthday Party!

2008-05-22T22:13:00.020-05:00

I thought that Sheridan also needed to be added to this family blog. So, here's some pictures from her 7th Birthday Party at Win Kids!

Sheridan loves horses. So we went with that theme in decor, paper goods, cake & goodie bags! She loved it!

Her party was basically a gymnastics party. The kids got to play on the balance beams, flip over the bars, jump on the trampolines, and jump/flip/run into the foam pit.

This place also has a 3 person swing that the kids got to ride on. Sheridan loved it. At first, she told them to go low and slow, which they did. Then, the staff member started going a little higher and a little faster with each push! Sheridan had a BLAST!

Colin joined in on the fun too! At first, he wanted to be serious and not smile....but he couldn't help himself. It was too much fun!

Had to share this great picture of my guys! Aren't they HANDSOME!

Happy Birthday Sheridan!!! We love you!!!

Colin graduates!

2008-05-22T19:34:00.002-05:00

....from this year's Kids Day Out that is. Here's a class picture from today. Colin's the one to the left of the vampire boy.

2008-05-21T21:37:00.000-05:00

American Airlines dropped a bomb today by announcing that all checked bags will now be charged - $15 for the first and $25 for the second. Each way. Luckily the bomb just missed us. The $15 fee will begin on June 15th. We get back from our vacation to the Pacific NW on June 14th. As it is, we're still trying to figure out how to get the car seats up to Seattle while avoiding the $25 charge.

2008-05-19T14:24:00.002-05:00

Today was splash day for Colin at Kids Day Out. This is where the staff breaks out the kiddie pools and the kids run from pool to pool through the grass making for pristine brown water with some grass leaves added for good measure. Colin's hydrophobia kicked in according to Mommy when he refused to get in the water. However, Mommy made him get in anyway...and of course, he cried!!! Oh well, it's now time for his shower, which he loves (go figure)!

New Blogging Venture

2008-05-19T11:09:00.000-05:00

Well, this is it. Today, our family steps into the present, the here and now, into the, the, the midst of the informed! We hope that this blog will enable us to stay better connected with close and distant family and friends. We can't guarantee how often it will be updated, but hope to make it a frequent event as I am getting to enjoy this kind of stuff. We'll see you soon!

-Greg