Summer Fun 2011--The Saga of Many Fun Times and Lessons Learned

What a summer it's been! Just the right amount of busy and not-so-busy. Still, time flies by in the summer. So far, we've had plenty of highlights and here are some of them. Thankfully it's not over yet and we have more days to enjoy.

We kicked off our summer with an ice cream social for our neighborhood and church friends. We enjoy making connections between the two groups. It went over well. Over 30 people came out and chatted for a couple hours in the shade of the house on a perfect evening. The kids played in the sandpile, on the fort and swing se,t and the tramp got quite a work out! We enjoy our home and are thankful to the Lord for it. We are happy to share and share often with others.

In May we headed north to Eau Claire, Wisconsin to see the Munz family. The kids and I spent about 8 hours on the road (mostly interstate highways thankfully). It was our first trip into Wisconsin, and the kids were excited to spot a sign to visit Laura Ingalls Wilder's home by Lake Pepin as well as a sign for a Caddie Woodlawn exhibit. We plan to read Caddie's book this year as part of of our family literature so when we visit the Munz's next, we might have to make a stop at both exhibits. Hopefully that will be with Daddy in tow since I'm not very adventurous without another adult (though Isaiah is a pretty good navigator!). We were able to just hang out on the acreage out in the country in a clearing between the wooded areas. It was beautiful and because there was cleared land, not as "claustrophobic" as other wooded places we've visited in the East. I guess we're kind of used to big sky around here. The kids enjoyed playing outside especially on their tire swing. Mr. Lowell let Gabe help hitch up the hay rack to their old tractor, and they drove us around through their grove and property. Gabe was in hog heaven! We also visited downtown EauClaire, stopped by their church which meets in an old movie theater building, and threw dandelions in the Eau Claire River. Abbey and I put in a start to her garden, and the kids were excited to make their very own mini pizzas too. We're thankful for such good friends that we can settle in with in a matter of minutes and enjoy.

June rolled around with the beginning of many VBS type weeks. We returned to Wayne for the third year in a row to participate in Camp Assurance's Child Evangelism VBS in the Park. This year we opted for Laurel and as an added bonus, got to visit all three great grands daily and see our cousins in VBS while Mama had some good chats with Cousin Kristi. Never enough time for that! We came back on Wed. and spent the last two days attending a Pandamonium VBS with our friends, the Aschoffs, at their church. They even provided dinner for the kids, and Kev and I got two nights of date nights while the kids enjoyed great songs, stories, crafts and friend time.

The second week of VBS was a "down" week so I could prepare to teach for Classical Conversation's "Geography/Drawing Camp". I had 25 6-8 year olds and my three too. We spent three 7 hour days together having fun learning US Geography complete with some fun songs (like our Continent song to the tune "Take Me Out to the Ballgame") and games and map making activities offset with some great basic drawing lessons. Thankfully, I, who am not a great drawer, could learn right along with them from the book I taught :). I enjoyed seeing the kids in a more "traditional classroom environment". Gabe, though the youngest, kept right up with us and worked hard. Elly was in her element...could take on a classroom with one hand tied behind her back and enjoyed making friends and doing "centers". Isaiah, after learning that if he finished ahead...which he did often...he could read his book, did fine too. That smart kid needs to be kept busy and doesn't do "bored" well. I'm so thankful he doesn't have to deal with that environment on a daily basis at school. It was very "squelching" for him, but I told him, it's good for him to know what it's like and have to experience it once in awhile. Patience is a virtue :). I did very much enjoy teaching a full day classroom again. I will never tire of planning fun lessons and seeing groups of kids spur each other on and enjoy their time learning together. I think we accomplished both. We finished out the week with two days at our sister church, Believer's Bible, for their Noah's Ark VBS...always chalk full of great teaching and fun and gave Mama a nice break since I dropped them off on Thursday and caught up on errands, confident that they were in good hands.

The middle week of June brought our own 5 Day Club with Child Evangelism Fellowship. We've hosted many times but took a break last summer...and had so much fun, we'll continue to host as long as we can. We decided to host in the evenings so that kids in daycare or camps during the day could come which was a good choice...and a lot cooler with the shade in the back. Joelle and Ben Friesen and Karsten Miller, all youth from our church and good friends, were our teachers and we had a good turn out--about 16 kids total. We saw two of our older neighbor boys from down the street, who had never attended before, come to the Lord. The first night, the oldest boy asked me "if this is a Christian thing" and I said yes. He then asked if he could come even though he wasn't a Christian, and of course he could. He told me that his dad told him that if he felt uncomfortable he could leave. When he and his brother got up right in the middle of the Bible story the first night (just as the gospel was being presented) and said they had to go eat dinner, I thought they were done. So I prayed and let them go...happily they came back 15 minutes later and the following night stayed the whole evening and went to talk with Joelle when she asked if there were kids who'd like to know more about becoming believers. Later she told me that "they had it down pat" when she asked them confirmation questions and had better answers than some churched kids. So we're praising the Lord and praying for opportunities to invite the boys to Sunday School this fall and maybe AWANA. It was a great week of connecting with kids, having fun learning about the Lord and eating lots of cold, sweet treats :).

June finished quietly, thankfully, and we flipped to July quietly, but not for long. July 4th found us having Pancakes in the Park with our church friends and some Reid family members...always a good combo. Lots of great talk and food and music and fabulous weather even though Zorinsky was sorely lacking in water, contrary to the Missouri which was flooded. We packed up all our Bible Camp backpacks and gear and headed to Wayne to spend the evening with Uncle Luke, Aunt Heidi and Grandpa. It was a fun, low key day spent "blowing up money" as I put it, roasting hotdogs and smores and having an outdoor picnic. Aunt Heidi made our day with a fabulous cake with cream cheese/cool whip frosting and berries...very patriotic and tasty! We missed Grandma but knew she was having fun helping Aunt Sam and spending time with Emma, Eli, Zack and Ean for a couple weeks.

We left bright and early the following morning for Camp Assurance where Isaiah and Elly were campers, Daddy filled in for one day/night as a counselor, and Gabe and Mama got to be nurse, kitchen help and do a little bit of song leading. We all had a blast! Mrs. Kemp (mama's friend from elementary school) was the teacher and even dressed up like an Israelite to tell the story of Elijah's Chariot of Fire trying to help the kids learn about being "Torn Between Two Worlds". Cousin Shannon, our director, made the right call with water activities each afternoon...a huge slip n slide with soap for extra get up and go, and the Laurel pool respectively. The kids enjoyed a new game called Gaga Ball (a low key Dodge ball) that kept all the kids occupied during free time as did the huge tire swing and the "bucking barrel" and oversized, multi-kid teeter totter. Mama found that a bandaid or ice pack really do make all things better when your in 1st, 2nd or 3rd grades :). Gabe did very well just playing along as another camper since Mama ended up in the kitchen the last day and a half and didn't have a watchful eye out for him. Of course, he would keep up...isn't that what he does every day? All three kids came home with camp shirts which they are proud to wear to remind people around that as Christians we are citizens of heaven with our feet currently on earth trying to see how God's working and join him there.

We are enjoying our garden...which as of today is mostly weed free...a major accomplishment for me at the end of July in the heat. We've harvested strawberries, lettuce, spinach, beets, carrots, peas, zucchini and cauliflower. We're looking at little green beans and tomatoes coming now as well as more cucumbers. We made our first "freezer" strawberry jam and are enjoying that. I also made the boys beet pickles,a favorite at Grandma's, and they are almost all gone. Isaiah told me he really wants to make our own pickles too. And we've had more than our share of zucchini bread! Always fun to get to use food you've grown and take a stab at new recipes.

Just today, we said goodbye to our guinea pig, Squeakers, who died of old age and some mysterious guinea pig disease that rendered his legs useless and him unable to eat or drink. After a week of giving him water by syringe and hand feeding him spinach leaves with olive oil on them, he is finally in his final resting place in the garden. Elly and Gabe are planning to add some Columbine seeds to his grave to mark it and help us remember our sweet pet who squeaked to remind us to serve him fresh vegetables and who was none too happy to have a bath and a haircut...but endured. We don't know about pets in heaven since the Bible doesn't teach to this directly. But the Bible does talk about animal in the future kingdom and we're trusting God has a plan even for our Squeaker since he sees the sparrow fall and cares for all His creation. For now, we'll have him live in our memories.

We came home again for what we thought might be a quiet week, and in some ways it was, but our church's VBS was fast approaching so Mama was once again planning for fun and learning for kids. This year, with the help of Joya and Rachel, I did not have to administrate or teach large group or lead songs (though I do love all of those hats). I got to oversee registration and snacks and plan and lead crafts. We were preparing to have the kids make their whole armor of God in our Bible Boot Camp. Time quickly went by and here we are, this week, enjoying the 30 or so kids that God's brought to learn more about how God provides protection for us from sin and the Devil by giving us armor: truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the Spirit. It's been a delight to work with and talk to the kids and not run around like a chicken with my head cut off. It's also been a welcome encouragement to see how many teens and adults turned out to help. We have so many EHers around that I feel like we are really getting to know the kids and their families--using our gifts of hospitality and over with which God has gifted our church well. We're thankful for the opportunity to see where He's working in the community and join him.

I've spent quite a bit of time already planning for homeschool which will start up gradually over the month of August. Last year, I added one subject a week until September and it was a perfect, gentle way to start. (And a lot easier on Mama/teacher to not have to have all my ducks in a row on the first day.) I've been happy that all the kids have kept up Reading and Math and a little Geography and writing this summer. Gabe is working on Bob Books even now. Elly has worked hard on sight words, thanks to some great ideas from Miss Jaime who has a reading degree, and is reading like a pro. Isaiah continues to amaze me with his wide range of interest and non-fiction reading selections. He's explored the military, spies and covert operation, more astronomy, and read more of his Child's History of the World and three Genevieve Foster 'biographies' this summer to go with our History lessons. Thanks to Omaha Public Library reading club for some great incentives...coupons for free toys, laser games, kids meals and Coco Keys and ballgame passes :) we have done plenty of reading to keep up skills. We're gearing up to continue our study of the Age of Exploration in History, and we are starting our second course of zoology, "Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day" which has lots of great info, fun crafts and activities, ideas for our notebooks and easy, but fun experiments. Gabe is so excited to be a Kindergartener...Mama is still trying to like the idea of all my babies being able to read. I'm thankful that the kids' birthdays are after the cutoff dates for the Dept. of Ed. so Gabe's kindergarten year, like El's and I's are "off the record" and we can do as much or as little as we need. This year we'll continue to go to AWANA and learn more of God's Word because Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed! I also play to continue to teach the CC group the Arts and Activities class so we'll cover art and PE and probably some literature and music too. Always good to have to plan for a large group those things that I can easily let slide on the home school front. As usual we'll be working tirelessly on our character in our Heirborn Sunday School class which I am team teaching and all the kids enjoy.

More to come later on our journey through this life while looking to the next!