Princess

It has been a very busy weekend. Todd's sister got married and Amelia was a junior bridesmaid in the wedding. Todd was an usher and the unofficial wedding coordinator! Riley also had 2 birthday parties to go to. Add that together and it makes for a very tiring weekend. I wanted to post some pictures of the wedding and especially Amelia. She looked like a princess! I had so many people tell me how old and mature she looked. I don't think I liked that! She's my little girl! She did a great job in the wedding and had so much fun! We wish all the best to Krista and Steve! Here are just a few pictures!

School?

At this point in August I usually know exactly when I will start school. My classroom is usually ready, and all of my curriculum and lesson planners are organized. This year is a little different. I think I am starting school next Wednesday, but I haven't decided for sure yet. My classroom has a ping pong table in the middle of it, and nothing is organized. I have the curriculum, but Riley's is not on the computer yet. I think I realize that school does not have to start the second week of August and it doesn't have to be done at the beginning of May. If it works out that way, then great. I am not going to let myself stress about it. We will get started and we will get finished. I know that soon my schedule will be busy with ballet, Huntertown soccer, Keystone School soccer, gym class, etc. I am enjoying the last few cool days of summer.

Toledo Zoo

Hey all! We had a really fun day yesterday at the Toledo Zoo. We have not been there in a very long time. We enjoyed seeing the animals that we don't have in Fort Wayne - polar bears, gorillas, elephants. It also helps that we got in for free with our zoo pass. After we went to the zoo, we went to the outlet malls in Fremont. It was a very late night, but it was worth it. Todd has been working so many hours lately, and it was nice to spend the day together doing something fun.

Our weekend

Well, we are just winding down from a fun weekend. My brother-in-law is overseas, and my sister went to a weekend photography workshop, so their three kids came over Thursday and spent the weekend with us. Riley, Amelia, and Landin had so much fun playing with them. They got along great, and they only had a few "disagreements." The great thing about all of them is that they will pair off and play together, and then a little while later, they switch and play with someone else. Friday morning I came downstairs to find Kylie, my 14 year old neice, snuggling with Landin on the couch while Riley and Mikala played together, and Amelia and Brennan played together. A little while later it was Riley and Kylie, Mikala and Amelia, and Brennan and Landin. Then later Riley and Brennan played together, Amelia and Kylie, and Mikala and Landin (scary!). I really enjoyed all of the kids!!! We swam at the pond, watched movies, played outside, and just had a great time. I was actually sad to see them go home with Kim after church!!!

4th of July

Thought I would post some pictures of how we spent our 4th of July this year. We went to a friend's house for a cookout. Riley had a lot of fun playing sand volleyball, Amelia climbed a tree with Mikala, and Landin enjoyed watching Dan shoot off fireworks (from a safe distance, and with his ears plugged part of the time). After that, we went to watch the Fort Wayne fireworks at Northcrest with Lisa, Terran, Bryce, Ethan, Grandma Patsy and Grandpa Tim. We had a great day, but we were exhausted when we finally got home.

Now what???

Baseball/Softball season is over! Now what? We have reached a break between activities. Soccer and school will start in a few weeks and we will be back to being busy. I actually miss the kids having baseball, softball, and soccer games. They enjoy playing sports, and I love watching them! I also enjoy visiting with the other parents at the park, but I really enjoy seeing them excited about having a game.

Timber!!!!!!

Today made me realize that God is so good. He protected us from getting injured and our house from getting too much damage. We had a huge tree fall on the back of our house during the storm. I was looking out the kitchen window when I saw limbs flying at the house and a tree starting to lean. I yelled at the kids to get to the basement. They went down first, and as soon as I closed the door, I heard the tree hit the house. It was very loud and it scared the kids. The power flashed off and on but did stay on. After a little while I went back upstairs and saw the tree. Todd got home shortly after that. As soon as the lightening stopped we went ouside to see the damage. We lost the picnic table and grill, but did not have significant damage to the house. The gutter, some siding, and some shingles were damaged.

Amelia asked why God let this happen, and I explained that God had protected us and our house during the storm. I made sure I told her that God has blessed us with a wonderful family, too. Within a half an hour, Nan & Tom (Todd's mom & dad), Ryan (Todd's cousin), and Tim (my stepdad) came over with chainsaws and muscles to help us. The kids were a big help, too. They took limbs out to the road and stacked up logs. Landin really worked hard. He didn't take a break all day except to eat supper. That kind of work is very good for his sensory problems, and he loved every minute of it.

Days like this make you appreciate certain things. The damage to the house could have been worse, but it wasn't. The kids could have been hurt if the tree would have come through that window, but they weren't. It could have taken us days to clean up the mess, but it didn't. God looked after us today and sent us some wonderful people to help. I am very thankful for that!

Also, please pray for Todd's grandma, Marg. She had surgery to repair a hernia Monday, and she is still in the hospital. They are having trouble getting her off of her oxygen. Please pray that she will heal quickly so she can get back home.