The Shack

A friend at work passed on a book to me called The Shack. I enjoy reading books and thought, yeah, okay, I will give this one a try. It is a book about God and is based on a man who receives a note to meet God under some circumstances that I don't want to give away. The timing for me reading this book couldn't have been better. I read it the same week that Katelynn was going to Vacation Bible School. Everything in our household was relating to God and Jesus that week starting with Katelynn's homework from VBS, to my reading this book, to the music we were listening to. The book was a very good read and I do recommend it to anyone who is possibly looking for some answers to hard questions. Where is God when the bad things happen? Why doesn't he stop the bad things that are happening in the world? What do I do in my life to live according to the way He wants? I do have to say it made me look at how I judge people and will probably continue (or at least try) to ask myself many times, who am I to judge? It also hit a spot for me on love and respect and how these are the main pieces of any relationship and if we work at those two pieces we can have a true relationship. The book has definitely left me with questions and it is still hard to know who and what to believe with so many religions and followers of different types in the world, but it has left a positive impression on me and I am glad that the book was passed my way. I hope that anyone who reads my blog will also take the time to read this book. I would love to hear any comments on other's thoughts.

The Shack

Vacation Bible School

Katelynn is going to Vacation Bible School this week and is loving every minute of it. She has come home singing new songs, dancing around, and telling us about it. I am so grateful for our daycare provider and that she takes her kids and is able to let ours join in. The cost was only $10 to send her. They have a CD of the songs that they learn during bible school for sale for another $10 and Katelynn told me tonight that she just had to have the CD. I had to explain to her that with swimming lessons coming up, horseback riding lessons, and sign-up for dance class in the next couple of weeks that I just couldn't pay for it. I gave her the option of going into her piggy bank and spending $10 of her own money on the CD if she wanted and she actually jumped at the idea. She even seemed to grasp that mommy had other things that she was paying for, for her to do and that this was something she wanted bad enough to spend her money on. She rationalized it and said if she paid for the CD then I would still pay for the other things for her to do. Sweet child! And so, she will be getting her CD. A little side note: She doesn't understand money quite yet - she said that she didn't care about the dollars anyway, just the coins~!

The Guilt of a Mishap

It was time for Dan and I to have a much needed date night and there was a co-worker of mine whose daughter had just turned 16, got her license and was looking for work. I called her mom and asked if she could drive to our town and her mom said she thought that it would be all right so I gave her a call and we were all set to go. Everything went pretty smoothly. Dan and I enjoyed a dinner out and did some window shopping and had a few drinks and headed home. The kids did great with their new babysitter and she said that she would love to come and babysit for us again. Great! We got a phone call a few minutes after she left and she had gotten a little mixed up leaving our sub-division. Dan went and found her and brought her out to the road that would take her where she needed to go. I called her cell about 10-15 minutes later to check on her and be sure that she found the right turn for the highway and left a message on her cell phone. Dan and I were pretty excited to have a high school student who was really good with the kids and would be available and started planning different things that we would like to go do. In the morning on my way to work I noticed that I had a couple of voice mails and listened to them. Well, one of them was my co-worker and she had called at around 10:30pm the night before. Her daughter got mixed around in the dark and ended up getting in a car accident. I immediately called her to find out what happened and be sure that she was alright. Thank goodness she was okay, but she did hit a car that was in a turning lane head and smucked up her car. Let me tell you how bad Dan and I felt - HORRIBLE! I still keep replaying what we could have done differently - better directions, sent her home a different way than she came, numerous things. I still feel bad. Here you have a brand new driver who is now probably a little gun shy of driving, she now has no car to drive, and she has to go to court for the accident. UGH. I talked to her mom today and she is doing okay and has gotten behind the wheel again. She is also upset because she wants to come and do some more babysitting for us and is probably a little embarrassed. I think for a few times (if she can use one of her parents cars) we will have her come and watch the kids on a Saturday or Sunday during the daytime until she is more comfortable with how to get to our house and then her mom said if we could pick her up to watch the kids she could come and get her or meet us halfway. I still feel just horrible, but her mom said that it's not our fault and then at the end of our last conversation said, You are released of all of your Catholic guilt. (I thought that was a little funny).

4th of July Weekend 2010

We had another great 4th of July this year! We invited some friends and neighbors over to BBQ and lit off some fireworks in the rain. The party started around 2pm and we were in bed at 11pm. It made for a long day for everyone, but so much fun. There were tons of kids running in the house and outside. The adults hung out and we played some lawn golf. Dan did a great job making brats for everyone. Katelynn was so exhausted from no nap that day and staying up until 10:30pm that she actually slept in until after 9 am the next morning, too bad I had to get up with Junior!

We of course had our 4th of July shirts on again this year for pictures. As we were getting ready to take our pictures before our guests started arriving we were all rushing outside and Junior was in the front. He must have felt rushed or excited, but he didn't step down quite right and then toppled over and BANG! head plant into the cement. What a bummer, the poor little guy. If you look at his head you can see the red mark. I figure next year we may not host a BBQ because we won't have the following day off, but you never know. I would also like to try to get home next year if possible for the 4th and head to my lake cabin.

Daddy & Kids

Mommy & kids

Kids

Dan & I

Katelynn

Locomotive Train

Here are a few pictures of the Locomotive train that came into town. Katelynn, Junior, and I walked over and took a few pictures, but it was hot and humid out that day. We had just come from Katelynn's horseback riding lesson and had an hour and half before heading to a birthday party. It was a busy day. For those that like trains, I thought I would share.

Horseback Riding Lesson

Me & my little cowgirl!

I found a place in Greeley, Crossway Farms, for Katelynn to start horseback riding lessons that are convenient for my work schedule and I can afford. I don't know who was more excited, me or her! We went and found her some boots at Target (I know, I know - Target?, but I didn't want to spend too much if it didn't stick). Her trainer is actually from Minnesota, how ironic, huh. She did an amazing job. She first taught Katelynn about walking behind the horse safely and all the different brushes and how to care for the horse before you ride. She then brought out an English saddle to saddle the horse and I about tipped over. English? I have only ridden Western and preferred Katelynn to learn the same, but then thought maybe they start with an English saddle so they won't be tempted to hold the saddle horn the entire time. I kept my mouth shut and Junior was keeping me busy chasing him around. Katelynn then was shown how to get on the horse and then she lead her around the arena. Then she put on a lounge rope and had Katelynn doing circles with her arms and then not holding on at all. She was a little nervous doing some of this, but did really good. She is excited to go back this Saturday for lesson # 2.

Katelynn brushing her pony before the ride.

Lounge rope time.

Teach Them Early

Here is Junior helping me with the laundry. He is such a good little helper! He will put toys away when asked (obviously not every time, but here & there) and always wants to help run the vacuum cleaner. He will grab a broom and try to sweep the floors. He is obsessed with the garage and anything that Dan has in there with a motor, especially the leaf blower. He tries to start the blower and the lawn mower by pulling the cords already and the little bugger is strong and can get them pulled out, thank goodness it's not ever fast enough to start them!
Of course will all of his helping ways and wanting to be everywhere fast he has new bumps and bruises every week. He has fallen at least 3 times on the cement outside. I swear our daycare provider probably thinks I throw him on the cement every weekend.