in case you were wondering...

The corn is like a jungle, but the carrots are still tiny!

The sunflower house is huge! The first picture has both the girls hiding in the sunflower house. I noticed later that I was cool enough to get my shadow in the shot...

I had to stand on my tippy toes to get the photos of one of the few flowers that started to open up.

I can't wait to see it in full bloom!

Ok, so the girls and I saw this and we all agreed...

Uncle Stevie can wear a kilt - he's from Scotland. All the rest of you...well...get over it. Skirts are for girls!


http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=3439814

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/index.php?cl=3439814

I knew the month of July would be a busy and strange one. First Maggie went to Massachusetts, then Gracy went on her mission trip. Ben spent a week with his grandparents, and then the girls left to go to North Carolina.

I thought I was going to get all this stuff done without the kids in various stages. I've come to realize two things..

#1 The less kids, the more work - Especially if the one gone is the oldest. The younger kids follow the lead of the older kids. When left by themselves, the younger kids almost seem lost. They can't think of games to play, books to read, and even make a decision about going to the pool is tough. They also require just as much socialization. Only now instead of the talking being split between me and the other kids, it's all me.

#2 Any plans made to accomplish major tasks while children are gone will not get done - Its like there's an alarm that goes off somewhere. Sarah's made plans to FINALLY do xyz task, the kids are gone....disaster must strike somewhere else to distract her from accomplishing this and all other tasks on the list...It's crazy, but during a time when I should have been able to accomplish extra, I seem to have accomplished less!

My apologies...I've failed to keep up on my blog...The past couple weeks are still swirling around in my head. I've added a couple posts below with the dates they really should've been posted as the title.

The girls have been in North Carolina for a week all ready, and I miss them terribly. I know they are being loved and having a great time though.

As usual, Gracy ended up getting sick, and needed to make a trip to the doctor when she got down there. Middle ear infection. That girl gets sick every time she goes there! She's been getting better though and almost has no cough left. -Maggie's working on the sympathy cough though! I almost forgot about that one since schools been out she hasn't really needed to use it...

So far they have gone to an aquarium, a zoo, a serpentarium (yes...snakes and lizards), a civil war battlefield, a car ferry, the beach, several pools, fishing, mini-golfing and horseback riding. I'm not positive that activity list is complete...they've been keeping so busy I get tired just listening about the adventures! Tomorrow they are heading to Myrtle Beach. Gracy's favorite tourist trap there is the Ripley's Aquarium.

As I understand it, in effort to save time making their beds, they've taken to sleeping on top of the covers, using only their small baby blankets they insisted on packing to cover up with. I'm glad to hear their creativity is still intact.

This morning I put my 2 baby girls on a plane by themselves. Ok, they're not babies...they are 10 & almost 9...to me they are babies - especially to be left in the hands of strangers.

I am fighting with myself to stop thinking about the potential problems they could have during the next few hours.

I've talked to a bunch of people who have flown as "unaccompanied minors" and they all assured me their experiences were pleasant. The girls and I went over "stranger danger", being "buddies" at all times, and recognizing airline staff by their uniforms.

I did my best to not wear my fear. I kept an up-beat attitude. Talked about how cool it would be to fly just the two of them. How they could be extra responsible and read their books while in flight. They packed healthy snacks in their carry-on. I tried to focus on the "fun" part of it. I didn't express my concerns to ANYONE so they wouldn't over hear me and get worried themselves.

Yet somehow my very insightful 10 year old knew I was worried. She just called me from the plane. She just wanted to let me know that they made their connecting flight, and they are just fine. She'll call again when they land.

Part of me is SO proud of her. She's a mature 10; responsible, full of awareness and control. Part of me is so sad for her. Have I somehow robbed her of a normal childhood? Has all my worrying and constant reminding about strangers & safety caused my little girl to act older than she should?

There is a clueless bliss...my girls never really had that. From the time they could understand, I've made my girls aware that "bad guys" don't always look like bad guys. They can be girls, friendly, and wear a suit.

I see other people's kids...they walk up to strangers (adults) and introduce themselves, ask how their day is going, etc. The parents say, "He's so friendly" and smile. I freak out inside. WHY WOULD YOU TEACH YOUR KID IT'S GOOD TO TALK TO STRANGERS?

Those kids wouldn't have called from the plane at 10 years old.

Again, I'm thrilled she called. I don't have to worry they are wandering an airport waiting for the next flight (which is what happened the last time I flew into that airport). I know that they are safe. No one has tried to grab my babies. They are still together and happy. I just wish I could have hid my fear from them a little bit better.

Gracy came back from her mission trip with a new excitement. She made a ton of new friends, gained confidence, prayed with a couple little girls to ask Jesus into their hearts, and has almost completely lost her voice. :)

My tiny blog entry doesn't really tell the whole story. I'm planning to have her write a summary to post after she gets back from her trip to North Carolina, so stay tuned!

My sister Saddie and I had the chance to get together for a fun picnic with our little ones...well, Lennon is a little one...Maggie just thinks she is.





It was good to see Maggie finally getting over the fact that she's not the "baby" when he's around. I think she secretly enjoyed being the big kid that was wanted and then pulled around. She got to push the water button on the sprayers for her younger cousin. (That's him squinting under the water sprayers)











He paid her back by pushing her on the swing.







Then they raced back and forth across the bridge, giggling all the way.

I just got back from visiting my Grandparents. Grandma's recently been diagnosed with dementia. It's funny how I stayed together while I was there, yet haven't stopped crying since I got home.

It's so hard to watch her.

She's the same, yet not.

Nothing will ever be the same with her.

Her disposition has changed.

She can't concentrate.

She argues about meds and food as though she were a young child.

I selfishly want my Grandma back. I want her to give me a big strong hug. I want her to remember that I'm her granddaughter, not her cousin, daughter-in-law, or friend. I want her strong sharp mind back. I want her to be healthy. I want her to make Thanksgiving dinner and use the dishes she gave me. I want her to remember Gracy's name - afterall, she was named after her. I want her to be able to stay awake. I want her to love going to the farmer's market and enjoy looking around and talking to the vendors. I want her to remember when I tell her I'm going home. I want her to remember where she put my phone number. I want her to write things down and be able to read them. I want her to doodle while she's on the phone and fake whistle while she's in the kitchen. I want her to rub my lower back and tell me that's where all the nerve endings are. I want her to sing "a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck" in my ear right before bed. I want to sit outside with her and talk about her flowers and tomato plants. I want her to remember to water her houseplants. I want her to realize she wore that shirt yesterday. I want her to stand in the driveway and wave to me as I drive off until I can't see her anymore. I want her to "give me such a one". I want to go with her to the store for "paper-paper thin" ham & rolls. I want her eyes to dance & her voice to giggle. Oh God, I want my Grandma back.

Gracy FINALLY called this morning. She claims she forgot to call yesterday when she said she'd call because someone mentioned the word "trampoline" and she took off. It's nice to know she's not suffering from separation anxiety...

She said they've had long hard days of learning plays and setting things up. They are doing three plays in three days. When I asked what she's been up to she replied, "Practice, practice, practice". She's having fun and didn't want to spend too much time talking on the phone, so not many details are available. :)

Maggie was sleeping during the call, so I'm afraid to tell her...She's been dying to see her sister since yesterday. One more day Maggie, one more day...

Have you ever started something new with a vision in your head of how it's going to go - what it's going to look like in the process, what it'll feel like, the part that will be challenging, the part you'll be proud of, and what it will look like when it's finished? Do things ever work out like the vision in your head? Not so much for me. It's like God is laughing at me...It's like He's saying, "Good imagination, but we're still going to do things my way."

Take this blog for example. I remember sitting down to begin. I had actually taken time off of work to plan & organize things for the summer. I needed to feel like I was prepared for almost anything and have a backup plan in case something new came up.

I envisioned myself typing of grand science experiments, trips to the library to see the "Oh Froggy" speaker & work on projects for the county fair. I expected to be reporting on the exploration of area parks detailing the number of slides vs trees. I expected to attend the day of races & ice cream social at the park. I imagined the bordom box on the living room floor being pulled from almost daily resulting in a few groans, but mostly an expression of glee & excitement. I pictured posting all the antics in our backyard - picnics, tree climbing, forts, racetracks & even a few fights...This would be an exciting, fun, event-filled summer that I would blog about, scrapbook, and hold in the memories of my family.

But God is teaching me to enjoy the simplicity of life. Everything does not have to be what I would consider exciting. This is apparently something that is obvious to my children.

They prefer the pool with extra swimming room and only 3 diving boards to the one with 3 waterslides, a diving board, various sprayers, a sand area equiped with toys, tables & water, & volleyball courts. Their favorite park is not the one with many toys to explore & play on with the cushy ground in case they fall. It's the one that has one picnic table, a bunch of trees, and a river flowing near it - no playground equipment. (One of the neighbor kids asked my daughter why she even called that a park, what could possibly be fun about nothing but one picnic table to which she responded, "It's just the best park EVER!")

Simplicity isn't easy for an overachiever. Pray for me :)

Gracy and a group of fifth and sixth graders took off for their mission trip early this morning. Please pray for her and the team for safety, for the ability to learn all they need to over the next 3 days, for them to all get along, for their witness to be an effective one over the following 3 days, for them to touch lives and change them forever, that their lives are each touched and changed forever.

Maggie surprised us by coming home a little early. She had a long day in the car, but finally made it back home in time to see her sister Gracy before she had to leave. That means quite a late night of sisterly giggles going on. Poor Gracy will have a tough time getting up to go leave for her mission trip tomorrow! She's leaving at 5:45!

I often have converstaions with Christian friends about getting to the point where we are out of touch with the "world". It's easy to do. We start going to church & make new friends, we're learning a new way of life, we are new creatures, our old self has died. Why would we want to look back? Why would we want to spend time in a world where we no longer fit in?

Oh yeah...because Jesus asked us to reach the lost - those that don't yet know Him as their savior, their way. And it's pretty hard to do that from a pew (or a cushy blue chair - whatever, you get the idea). The only way to reach the lost is to get out there in the world with them. Spend time with them, know what they are like, form relationships with them.

If you don't know where to go to get started with this, let me suggest Fisk Park's Resch Center Pool. While we were there for 2 short hours today:

--> Ben slipped & fell. While he was filing his acident report another little boy came in asking the pool staff to call the police. A group of boys took off with his things. The pool staff did call eventually, but not before suggesting to the boy he run after them.

--> I overheard one boy (about 12) instructing his friend on a technic he uses to grab girls butts in the pool while pretending he's swimming. "Just make it like it's an accident." He demonstrated (without a target) the act to his friend and laughed about some reactions he's gotten so far today. And yes, I turned them in...

--> There was the nice lesbian couple with a baby in the wading section

--> I spoted one little girl (about 5 or 6) with suspicious bruises

--> While one couple was yelling at each other loudly enough to draw attention, another couple close by was really needing a room somewhere.

This was only our second trip to this particular pool, the first trip not much different than this one...I think it's safe to say I will not be frequenting with my kids. But it was definitely a place to be in the world......

We started out celebrating the 4th of July by -what else - swimming at the pool.

After supper Gracy & I went shopping for various types of explosives. We had Grandma Christine come over & we blew some stuff up! Gracy's top three picks are: Rising Flag, Blooming Flowers, and Blue Ice. Our lighter bit the dust right as we were finishing up. We only got to do one pack of sparklers. I guess the rest will be around for celebrating when Maggie gets home!

Speaking of Maggie...she's having fun & meeting lots of relatives. She got to see quite a big fireworks show last night right after a 2 hour parade in Plymouth, Mass-great place to be on the birthday of America! It was raining pretty hard today, so they weren't sure if they were going to get to see anymore fireworks around the town. Luckily, Uncle Mikey had quite a few to set off in the back yard.

Today we celebrated World Missions Day. Gracy earned her US Missions badge for Missionettes. Her project was to create her very own tract. She personalized hers and made it for a friend of hers in the neighborhood. After she finished her project she was a bit disappointed once she realized she was going to have to turn it in before she could give it to her friend.

After supper we met up with PD & went to family camp to hear Rocky speak. -That's Rocky of Sherry & Rocky Grams- the missionaries we went to help out in Argentina back in February. He prayed for Gracy and instructed her to look up and research the meaning of her name - to look up all the verses in the Bible about grace - to really study the word "grace". He told her she would someday teach others about grace.

Sundays are floaty day at the city pools. Who knew how much of a workout it is to try to swim with a pool noodle! My arms and legs are killing me! Gracy & I had hours of fun making up games and trying out new tricks with the noodles. I found myself forgetting that I'm a grown up and probably looked pretty stupid flopping around in the water like a kid - but I suppose that's ok now and then.

We came home and had breakfast for supper (waffles with strawberries) & Gracy watched Grease for the third night in a row - can anyone help me get those songs out of my head?!