We survived!

We made it home from camp and had a great time! I think camp is actually more of a vacation than our "vacations" because I don't have to think about meals for 2 WHOLE days!! The speaker was an 84 yr. old gentleman with a very funny sense of humor. I left with a stomachache after each meeting and convicting thoughts on seeking God.
He reminded me of one of the actors in the movie Grumpy Old Men. What a heart for serving the Lord!

We have piles of laundry taller than me. I think I'll be running the machine the next 2-3 days! Every set of sheets, blankets, swim and bath towel was brought along. I don't think we came home with anything clean. But that's camp.

We really enjoyed having a few CR families join us this year. Felt almost like our adoptive mom's retreat :)

Love talking to old friends and seeing the babies/children of the babies I use to hold. Nothing makes me feel older than that!

I had to laugh when I heard a friend told one of my daughter's how "cool" I was in school growing up and she thought she was a nerd. I had just been talking to someone else about Michael Jackson and admitting that I actually wore a glove on one hand...for a few short weeks. Really cool, huh? :0

Today is beautiful and I know my garden must be full of weeds. Off to work outside. My daughter might be posting some pictures on her blog of the weekend. Check on www.jumpinferjoy.blogspot.com
I didn't take any pictures!

This is SUMMER in IOWA???

Today is July 2nd. We were having a heat wave last week but this morning's temp is a cool 57. Haven't been to the pool all week. The kids are going through withdrawal...so am I!!! We even had chili last night for dinner and it actually hit the spot.
I'm looking forward to a warm up soon. Love that hot, humid Iowa weather.
We're off to family camp today. The kids think it's as good as Disney Land (well...they've never actually been there but I tell them it is) But it IS pretty exciting and we have a bunch of good friends going. I think the Liberians are going to overtake the camp someday :) There will be 18 Liberian kids there this year. Exciting.
Packing is a chore. So much bedding, towels and clothes!!! I'm not a big camping fan, but this is not REALLY camping. The food is excellent, teaching is always good, friendships are wonderful and activities galore. It's a little slice of heaven (wrapped up in Iowa weather!)

Best Thing Since Sliced Bread!!!

I just found out about some cool little things called D-skins. They are plastic little disks that snap onto all cds...games...movies...ect. They protect them from scratches. It ends "disk death". This is revolutionary. Life changing. Amazing! (why didn't I think of that?!)
I ordered 50 for about $25 off of ebay or amazon. Totally, totally worth it. Easy to use. Saves us alot of $$ and irriatation! :)

What Have We Been Doing???

It seems like summer isn't here yet. School is done but the days haven't been that warm lately..so no pool yet.

We've been working in the flower beds, garden and finished (finally!) weeding the raspberry patch. I can't wait for those...they're doing great. I love seeing the kids run out in the morning in their pjs eating them right off the bushes.
I've been selling alot of plants (mostly hostas) on craigslist which I think is just crazy. Can't believe people want to drive out here and buy it. It's been good though...goes in our vacation jar :)


We've registered some kids for school. We have 5 kids that will be starting this fall at a small Christian school where we also go to church (# 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ) Bitty and the two older girls will be home. They will be taking an intense grammar/writing class at the school 4 days a week as well as classes at the home school assistance program. They are both signed up for the high school play which starts in Aug. (Wizard of OZ) so it will be a busy fall full of adjustments!

I'm excited about doing something with the bigger girls' room. They moved downstairs into a spare room and it hasn't looked like "theirs" yet. We won't have the basement or attic finished for a long time...so it's time. We found a great wardrobe on craigslist for the girls. Now their room looks more organized and there aren't any excuses :0
We're looking forward to ideas from Aunt Chelle when they come in July!

We just bunked a bed in the boys' room so that make it look huge. They love the change.

The middle girls got rid of a daybed and we put in one of the extra bunks in their room. So everyone looks like they have a little change going on.

The big girls will have some exciting news coming up but I'll have to let them share that.

We're anxiously awaiting pool days...popcorn and the warm sun. Until then I"ll be wearing a sweatshirt!

Our First "Gig"....

I think we've been officially adopted by an adult care center in CR. We were there watching Olivia's Irish Step Dance troupe perform and really, really enjoyed visiting with the people there. Some places you walk in and think "ick"...this place was homey, friendly and we saw at least 4 African Americans there. I was thinking "I can't wait to meet them!". They LOVED Carsen and wanted everyone up front to get introduced. The kids all enjoyed talking and giving hugs. We met Grandma Florence from TN...Jackie from Chicago...Jake, an older gentleman that came up and introduced himself and started telling us about his former bull riding days. (he stayed on 9 seconds...the next day the bull was sent to the slaughter house)

This is something I've wanted to do for years but it seemed overwhelming with so many kids. This felt like God was saying "OK...here's the place and now's the time".

We're excited to visit again and hear many more stories. Who knows...we may be calling out Bingo numbers :)

Finding Your Life...

(I read this on someone else's blog and it moved me)



“May you find your life in losing it. May you live your life

by dying daily. May you give it all and keep nothing for

yourself. May your treasure chest be filled to overflowing
with the priceless crowns of sacrificial devotion.
May you give yourself away in a joyful and risky abandon.

May you follow the Lamb even if He takes you up a hill and

onto a brutal cross. Especially if He takes you there.

May you turn your back on safety and comfort and predictable

and soft - and pour yourself out like a drink offering of love on

the least of these, on the most of these, for the death and the life

of these. May you spend what you cannot keep to gain what

you can never lose. May you awake to live His dream, not

yours, or your country’s , nor your family’s. And may you rejoice

to hear the applause which is a weight of eternal glory too heavy

to bear.” (~Timothy Stoner

Farmer's Wife...

I feel most like a farmer's wife when I go out in the garden to pick our salad for dinner. The lettuce is up...the spinach is up...the radishes are up...and green onions are up (the green beans are doing poorly) This is no small miracle folks. And I can't take any credit for our garden. Dave and the kids did most of the planting (I'm a weeder and waterer) I did toss a few potatoes in some holes...we'll see if we remember where they are.
So...like I said...I feel most like a farmer's wife picking our dinner salad out of the garden before a rain. And we didn't even eat it for dinner tonight. At least it's all washed, tossed and ready for tomorrow!
And I don't even have to water the garden tonight :)