K's heaven-versary celebration

We have decided that July is not a good month.  I hate to wish summer away, but I'm ready for July to be over.  For K's birthday every year we will celebrate with those who loved her by eating Olive Garden.  For July 28th every year, we will celebrate--just the 3 of us.

This year we went to a park in a little town south of us.  It's actually the town the kids were born in.  Kinda appropriate.  It's a really nice park.  We only visited 2 of the attractions there.  We rode the zip line--it wasn't very long or very high but fun anyways.  C got to ride twice, once with each of us.  Then we went swimming.  It's a nice pool, a nice size.  It has a lot of nice features for small children.  There is a nice long curvy slice, a diving board (C went off 100 time--his words), and 2 slides that look they came from a swing set in a back yard.  What kid didn't dream of putting their slide beside a pool and sliding in?  Perfect!  But let me tell you--IT WAS COLD!  We have had unseasonably cold weather this summer.  As in, waking up and it is 54 degrees out!  We have barely made it into the 90s a handful of times.  It's wonderful, but NOT swimming weather!  C had a great time; Daddy and I sat out for a good bit of the time.  But it was a nice way to spend some time together.  When we came home, we grilled out and played some more corn hole.  

Another tradition we started this year was taking flowers to church to have up front for the service.  Preacher was all kinds of excited about that.  He wants to promote that idea and have many more people do the same.  (there was quite a long drawn out process to get the flowers, but they worked).

The day before "our" day, a church to the north of us had "a day"  There were 2 buses full of kids returning home from camp.  About 2 miles from their church, one of the buses crashed, killing 3 people.  Two of them were husband and wife, who was expecting.  They were the youth pastor of the church, the son of the senior pastor, and parents of an 18 month old.  The other was a 51 year old lady, mother of 5-one who is a special needs son.  My heart was so heavy all Sunday morning.  I'm sure they are asking "Why?"  Just like we did 2 years ago.  But as we have learned, the proper answer is "I don't know."  But anyone can take comfort in "our" verse: Job 37:5 Great things doeth He which we cannot comprehend.  Until the day we see Jesus and our loved ones, we can cling to these promises.

Camp for C

C got home from camp Friday.  I have to say, I was a little impressed this year.  He actually took 3 showers and changed his clothes more than once.  Woohoo!

Wednesday night we went to visit him.  It was nice to see him but made me miss him all that much more!  We also got to hear Ben Schettler preach.  My sissy and I used to babysit him and his brothers when he was little.  Small world.  He is all grown up now.  And very enjoyable to listen to.

C had a good week but was ready to be home.  I was ready for him to be home too.

And while C was gone, Daddy and I partied!  We went out to eat (or out for dessert) every night.  C had better never move out or I'll never cook again!

2 years?!?!?!

I cannot believe we made it two years!  I never thought we'd get here.  In the months immediately following, 2 years seemed impossible.  But with God's help and many, many friend--here we are.  Has it gotten easier?  Yes and no.  It's not a constant overwhelming grief.  And, it's not a constant overwhelming grief.

I am so ready to see my Kalei girl again.  I miss her like crazy.  

A K girl celebration

For K's birthday celebration we

........had Dunkin for breakfast.

........took her new flowers.

...........released 7 balloons (wow! she would have been 7!)

.........spent some time with her.

I'm not sure how he sits like that.  He sat there and read while Daddy and I just sat and talked.

............went "put-put" (or putt-putt or mini-golf)

Blowing his ball in.  Daddy was the only one honest in his scoring.
And he still won!

............had our Indiana family over for Olive Garden: soup, salad, and breadsticks--extra tomatoes and extra croutons.  We walked out of OG with 6 bags and a gallon of lemonade.  I still have a salad left over; not sure how good it is........     Sadly, I did not get any pictures of the bags, the food, or the people.  Just know there are a lot of people that loved her--here and other places as well.

It was a good day.

Played a little corn hole too.  It was beautiful weather!

Conner Prairie

Since I haven't come up with a cute-sie little name for my posts, they will just be named according to what will be in the post.  You are welcome.

Conner Prairie is a "living history museum" where some of the staff dress, act, and speak as if in the time period they portray. Conner Prairie is known as an "Interactive History Park." Families of today engage, explore and discover what it was like to live and play in Indiana’s past. 

Friends were able to get the kiddos in free so I just had to pay.  It's a really neat place.  There is a village, an Indian camp, and a Civil War experience.  Plus many other things that we just didn't have time to see.

There were goats, baby sheep, and a cow just wandering around.

Trying to walk on stilts.

They pumped water  to water the doctor's garden.  He paid them a 1/2 cent each.

I tell you: she can sleep anywhere!

Training to be union soldiers.

Not sure KEB knows what to do with a gun.

Patriotic Challenge

Sounds glamorous, right?

This is what we looked like when we were done.

Check out the details and more pictures here.  It might not have been the best organized, but it was tons of fun!  I'd definitely do it again!

This has absolutely nothing to do with the mud run except that it happened on the same day.  And C wanted me to take a before and after picture of it just like the before and after above.  It was our dinner. A very yummy steak dinner with pesto.  The "arranged" food was C's doing.  Crazy kid.

Since we've been home.......

Daddy and I were able to attend a meeting for a mission board of sorts out of our church.  Daddy recorded the sessions; I was his assistant.  It was amazing to hear their passion.

http://www.worldviewonline.net/main.html

The boys attended a Reds baseball game over in Cincinnati with our youth pastor and his son.  Reds won 4-2!

The day after this game, so the first Sunday we were back, VBS started.  This year's theme was Kingdom Chronicles.

I also started my "job" that week too.

Wait.  I'm not quite sure who/what that is.

Father's Day was in there somewhere.  So was C's baseball pool party.  Oh and I got a filling 'fixed.'  C also went to day camp at Uncle J and Aunt T's church (I have no pictures of that!)  Daddy and I were able to go to brunch one of those days that he was at day camp.  One week we had E's step-sister H.  She and C were in M and T's (Green Socks) wedding.  I assembled another Dei Gratia (I love that ministry!)

We also went to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game with a large group from church.

It was July 1.  We were wearing sweatshirts.  Crazy Indiana weather.

July 4 we went to some friends house and were able to do some shooting.  While we were in PA, GiGi gave Daddy 2 guns that were my grandpa's.  Daddy was able to test them out and give them a good cleaning.

And there I will leave you.  I will TRY to update every week.  I'm going to pick a day and a cute name.  Any suggestions?

Happy birthday, K girl!

Today she would have been 7!  So hard to believe!  I wonder what she would have been like.  We are headed to DD for breakfast--it's what she always picked.  Although--funny thing-- I don't think she really, truly liked DD.  But we will eat one for her anyway.  I bet her donuts today are the best!  Tonight we will have most of our "Indiana family" over for dinner--catered Olive Garden.  With extra croutons and extra tomatoes.

We miss you Kalei girl and can't wait to celebrate with you again!