Swimming Without Floaties!

Cawood *just today* figured it out!

The Other Half of the Weekend

I know I told you this was a crazy busy weekend, but my last post left off on Saturday night.  Sunday, we traveled to Shelbyville for a family reunion with Joyce's family.  The kids swam, the adults talked, it was nice, although maybe a little too fast/rushed.  I didn't think of it when we took this picture, but I probably shouldn't have been the one to hold Giggles.  Black dog + black shirt = hard to see dog.

If you remember years ago I attempted to put Faith in diving, before the twins came.  Indy has an absolutely spectacular diving program, but it just wasn't something I was able to do with three *little* kids, so we pulled her out. 

Amy Cozad, the niece of my former boss Janet, was one of the Indianapolis divers and she competed in the Olympic trials this weekend.  Even though I had absolutely nothing to do with Amy and her diving this weekend, it still added to the busy of the weekend because I was all-consumed with watching her earn a spot on the Olympic team.  The bummer of the deal was she took third, and I believe the top two won spots on the team.  I told DJ last night I think I'd rather take tenth than third: it has to be much more painful to lose the spot on that team by one place than many. 

Zombie Race!

This was one of the crazy-busiest weekends of my entire life, in so many different ways.  I've had lots of busy weekends, but usually when a weekend is busy it's busy for one reason, or two reasons.  This weekend had lots of very different things happening. 

Saturday morning was the zombie race the Sparks girls and I signed up for.  The idea of the race is it's a 5K (roughly 3 miles) through wooded terrain with an obstacle course and zombies chasing you.  It's kind of like flag football, if the zombies get all three flags, you are "dead."  You are allowed to finish the race, but you don't "win." 

Here's a pre-race photo of me and Caroline.  We've been friends since we were four years old, but haven't seen each other since my wedding day.  Yay!  This was fun!

After the race, our team posed for a shot.  Cullen, Kelli, me, Cameron, Jessy, Carrie, and Chris.  You'll notice that Cameron and I were the only two who "lived," and Caroline wasn't such a good sport about that. . . .she's in super buff shape and she didn't make it.  OK, so here's the confession: Cameron and I both shoved one flag up our shirts so the zombies couldn't see it.  Yuppers, we totally cheated and Caroline was not very happy about it.  Guess what?  I shoved one flag up my shirt, and finished with two flags, so it didn't really matter.  I "survived." 

This was the last obstacle: an electric fence over a muddy puddle.  They told us as we approached that it was "live," but I didn't really believe them.  Who would be stupid enough to put a live electric fence over a mud puddle for a race?  Yeah. . . it really was live.  I ducked low to go under the fence, and I did not feel a thing, but I blacked out for a few seconds and found myself laying in that bug mud puddle with people behind me yelling to "GO GO GO!!!"   

Wow.  OK.  Regardless, I kept on and thought I had imagined that because really, who would put a live current over a mud puddle?  I can't imagine anyone being that stupid. 

Turns out, no.  It was on the Indianapolis news that night that many people had been rushed to the ER for electrocution from the fence.

Check out the sun after the race.  Have you ever seen such a thing?  This sun hung over Indiana for hours on Saturday afternoon.   

**********

The bummer part of the day:  After the race Mom called and said Dad's baby sister had passed away that day.  I have lots of favorite aunts for lots of different reasons, but Aunt Carol was my favorite "fun" aunt.  She was one of those people who always had a huge, bright personality.  We loved her.  I hadn't talked with her in about 2 months, but last time I called, she sounded so bright and happy that I had absolutely believed she had been cured of her cancer, as she wanted us to believe.  I guess we figured out otherwise. 

Best Butt Ever

Faith DVR'd a video for me, and I should be offended but there's too much comedy in this for me to do anything but laugh. The Brazilian Butt Lift infomercial: so I can have the best butt ever.

Quiet Time

VBS and Drive One 4UR School

Danville does Vacation Bible School *EARLY* in the summer!  I remember two years ago when we moved here in early June,  the first time I went to Church they were talking about VBS.  I was hesitant to put Faith in that year, because we didn't know the community, but I did anyway because logically I understood it was three Churches within the community.  Come on!  Obviously, if you can't trust the combined efforts of three community Christian church's in a small town, you can't trust anyone. 

Regardless, this was Faith's third VBS in Danville, and she LOVES it!  Seriously loves it.  The first two years were at the Methodist Church, but this year it was at Mary Queen of Peace, which is our Church, so that's kind of fun. 

VBS runs Sunday through Thursday.  Weeks and weeks ago, long before the VBS dates were mentioned at Mass, I arranged for Faith's softball team to have their end-of-season party at our house (pool) tonight.  Because of that, Faith can't go to VBS tonight (and wow is she ticked off about that!)

I arrived a little early last night and took pictures of Faith.  The kids were "catching fish" with the parachute.  A line of kids were running beneath the parachute and the kids holding it up were trying to "catch" them.  It was an adorable little game teaching the kids some early lessons on becoming "Fishers of Men."

At the end of every VBS, there's a few minutes of announcements.  Last night, one of the announcements was that the High School Band Department was sponsoring a "Drive One 4UR School" event.  We were told that if we drove a car from a dealer in Brownsburg before 9pm, the band would be given $20. 

Faith begged to go.  At this point it was after 8:30 at night and I tried to explain to her that there was no way I could make it to Brownsburg 20 minutes away, and still have time to test drive a car before 9.  She cried and cried. . .  and as I pulled out from the Church parking lot I saw a little realtor sign with an arrow directing us to the high school parking lot. 

Yay!  It was right there across the street!  Faith celebrated and we went to the high school to test drive a car for the band.  Faith had her choice of eleven cars and she chose a bluish/green Ford Focus. 

Here's where you all are going to be either very proud, or very disappointed in me: I actually drove Faith around the block of the high school out of her carseat.  She was restrained only by a seat belt.  Yes, I was very worried the whole time but it was also very, very fun.  I admit, it was a blast!

Ford paid the high school band $20 for every car test driven, and the car dealer matched that (maximum 300 cars.)  Because Faith convinced me to test drive this car the band made $40.  That's pretty good for about 5 minutes "work."

The lady who test drove the car with us told me that they had 11 cars being test driven today and every one of them ran continuously from 2pm in the afternoon until we arrived around 8:45.  She commented, "This community sure does support its kids." 

Yup.  That's why we picked Danville. 

Summer Boy

This boy won't often let me take his picture, so enjoy this one. Who knows when the next will be.

Kentucky

Just because I forgot to upload this picture, here's a shot of Faith jumping off the bus on the last day of school.  She refused to pose. 

*********************

Saturday morning Faith had her last softball game.  Because so many people had planned vacations months and months ago, only about half her team was able to play.  Five girls showed up for the game: four on vacation and one no-show. 

Faith slept 12 hours the night before, and when I pulled her off the couch at 9am, she told me her belly hurt, but she wasn't sick.  I took her to the game and she sat in the shade. . . She did not want to play.  Her coach did manage to get her to play one inning, but then she just sat in the dugout.  Poor Faith.

After the game, I took her home and took her temperature: 101.6.  Uh oh!  This was the day of Leah's third birthday party.  I gave Faith some Motrin, which made her feel remarkably better and I talked with DJ about what to do.  He thought she was fine because she was acting fine, I thought it was a bad idea to take her to the party and expose all those other kids to her funk. 

I saw absolutely no way to win this situation if I made the call myself.  If I took her to the party, some moms were going to be angry that I exposed their kids.  If I kept her home, people would be upset because they didn't get the chance to see her.  I did the only thing I could think of: I turfed the decision to Aunt Jill, who said "Thanks but no thanks on the germs." 

The whole family did go to Kentucky, but only DJ and the twins went to Leah's party. 

Just because this is a funny story, I'll repeat it.  It tells you something about Eva.  Nana told me later that they were talking in the car when Papaw said something about someone being a "real cute girl."  Eva asked, "Papaw?  Are you talking about me?"

Eva at the party:

Cawood at the party:

Meanwhile, back at Nana's house, Faith and I searched for treasure (Nana buries 'treasure' in her great big huge sandbox and the kids sift through the sand in search of it,) Faith swam, we jumped on the trampoline, nosed through Nana's garden, and we saw these sweet little baby birds!  Awwww. . .

We did make the right decision: later that night, after the motrin had worn off Faith was 100.8 again.  She was fine by morning. 

Sunday, Papaw took Faith for a ride on the Kubota, which is fine with me.  She's big enough to stay put. 

This is actually an 'after' shot.  DJ and I were sitting up on the picnic bench watching the twins play with Nana.  Papaw was off in the woods/brush somewhere with Faith.  Nana took the twins down to Papaw's garage and we heard something fire up.  A moment later, the three of them came rolling out of the garage on this four-wheeler. 

I told DJ, "This is a bad idea. . . I don't like this. . . "

Meanwhile, Nana took the twins on a ride and DJ answered me, "If they do this stuff while you're here, imagine what they do when you aren't around."

Things I don't need to think about. 

Regardless, Nana came back a few minutes later with the girls.  They had made a switcharoo in the brush: Cawood for Faith. 

Nana, Cawood, Papaw, Faith and Eva

Jill did bring Leah and Cooper over on Sunday to play with the cousins, but somehow I managed to not get a single picture of that activity.

Happy Tuesday, all! 

Princesses

Many of you will remember how Faith just loved the princesses when she was a wee one.  Faith would undress and redress the little dolls.  We'd play princesses until I wanted to burn their little plastic bodies in the oven.  Faith just loved those princesses, and she was all girl with them.  We have dozens of little polly pocket princesses in this house left over from Faith, but Eva very rarely plays with them.

Tonight was one of those times when Eva was playing with a princess.  Eva was in the balcony and she held the princess over the bannister, bent at the waist, backside facing me. . . "Look Mommy!  It's her butt!"

Eva Loves Faith

Faith was boo-hooing about something or another just a moment ago.  She was driving me absolutely crazy with her, "woe is me," nonsense and I said, "Poor Faith. . . nobody loves her." 

I had no idea Eva was within earshot, but she called out to me from the balcony.  "I love Faith." 

Farmcall

One day last week I had to run out to a local farm to do some acupuncture on a dog.  The dog was actually doing spectacularly well, and probably didn't need the acupuncture, but this farm is fun to visit so I was glad to go.  Because the farm is fun to visit, I brought Faith along. 

As soon as we piled out of the car, she took off in the direction of the chickens, and caught this little bird: 

How fun is that?

We played at the farm for an hour, I worked a little in-between, and then it was time to go. 

The next day, I realized I had forgotten to bring the ladies who live here the wine bottles I've been collecting.  I had 24 bottles and they make their own wine, so I asked if I could drop them off. 

Faith and Cawood were sleeping, but Eva was awake, so I strapped her in the car and we went to the farm. 

Those two girls may look alike, but their little personalities couldn't be any different!  On Day 1 Faith had run free, catching chickens, peeking in at the bunnies and exploring the veggie patch. 

Eva stayed glued to my knee. 

Do you remember a very long time ago when I told her she was a chicken and she answered, "I scared of chickens"?

She said it again on farm day.  With those chickens running all around her litle feet she told me, "Mommy!  I scared of chickens!"

Hilarious

The Memorial Day Party

Let's start at the very begnning: a trip to Costco last Friday.  The twins and I went with a list a mile long, and I stuck tight to that list.  Usually, Costco sucks you in and forces (just  forces) you to buy five or six items you weren't intending.  Last week, it was just one item: Kirkland brand energy shots, but here we are a week later and I'm still excited about that purchase.  Holy smokes!  48 shots were $35!!!  Do you know how great a deal that is??  For perspective, I sometimes buy six, 5-hour energies at Wal-Mart for $12.  Often, I'm too cheap to buy the good ones, so instead I go with the Kroger generic, 2 shots for $3.  48 for $35.  Even DJ didn't say a word. . . he knows I drink one every day.  I got hooked on them when the twins were about six months old and I was nearly comatose, and now it's just habit. 

Saturday, DJ and I asked all three kids to take a nap, and of course, Faith would not.  After the twins napped, DJ let all of them go swimming.  Faith was in the pool for just a short while before she tucked herself in a corner of our houses exterior and fell asleep. 

Faith, later that same night, waiting for guests to arrive: 

Sunday morning, Faith and Brooklyn.  Brooklyn is the daughter of Greg and Kate Johnson.  Greg, if you'll remember was a very good friend of DJ's in college, and his best man at our wedding.

Faith has a little friend named Camdyn.  Camdyn's mom, Angel, has become somewhat of a friend to me. I'm not a tattoo kind of person, but Angel is and I have to admit, I LOVE one of her tattoos: she had Camdyn's baby feet tattooed upon her own feet.   

DJ watching a group of people in the backyard chatting: 

I was so excited about this idea I found on pinterest: individual servings!

Mid-afternoon, Emma, Eva and Cawood taking a nap together:

Cawood

Eva, by pure coincidence, wearing the same dress Faith was wearing for part of our Memorial Day party three years ago.  The girls look so much alike, it was shocking.

Greg, with Faith and Brooklyn:

Eva, jumping to Daddy Doug: 

DJ, as is tradition, playing cornhole.

Cawood is getting very good at this swimming thing: 

Eva and Faith, swimming together:

Eva, nearing the end of the party:

Faith and Cawood roasting marshmallows.

Eva, Faith, Cawood. 

Finally, a picture of my kitchen at the end of the party.  Why did I take this picture?  We had just been outside, roasting marshmallows and making s'mores that the kids wouldn't eat (they like all three things that go into s'mores, but they won't eat them once assembled.  Sigh.)  Anyway, I walked inside for one reason or another near the end of the night and looked at my kitchen and realized our friends have grown up.  For the first time in party history, the kitchen was not  trashed.