Just Me!!

Valerie's Honors Language Arts teacher requested for a summer project that they pick a historical figure of some importance during the time our country was first established. She chose John Adams! Her nor I, realized how much we would gain personally, and how important he was to the birth of America. His great zeal for our country, his intelligence as a political figure, his counsel in and abroad, his skilled pen, and his intense love and loyalty to his wife made us fall in love with this piece of history. I needed his story, Val needed his history, and our family needed reminding that what we think are hardships are nothing compared to the heartbreak and heartaches John and Abigail endured. That said, she chose to start her first day of school dressed in popular British fashion. Spot on, my beautiful, and incredibly intelligent daughter. Hope your day was a glorious one, since it was only three hours! Enjoy your last year of middle school...

Starting middle school! New school, new friends, new opportunities. Exciting, but I bet a little scary. I took E to the bus this morning and he wouldn't even let me kiss him ( maybe its my crazy icky cold), or wait to say goodbye to him (although I did). I will miss him today, and worry about him a ton. He is such a neat boy. I hope he makes lots of friends. His lunch request: Laura bar Cheese quesadilla Chocolate (organic) milk Carrots and beans Tangerine

My weeks off seem to go by so fast. Dentist appointments, hair cuts, school shopping, loads of laundry, immunizations, school registration, pictures, and oh that's right camping for two nights and three days. Writing it all out makes me tired. I. Am.Tired. I go back to work tonight too! Eeeek. Anyways on this particular day my sister encouraged me to stay close by home but I always feel guilty not working off my bucket list when I am off, so I planned a trip to Bellevue to visit the Bellevue Botanical Gardens . The gardens are beautiful and make for a great walk for kids, plus the new suspension bridge is lots of fun. After our nature walk we went and visited Uwajimia and Whole Foods for lunch. The kids loved picking out there own lunches from the number of choices at Whole Foods. Charlie even went straight for the Paleo type foods, Val had Sushi and noodles with artichokes, and Ethan had a cheese and bean quesadilla. Yummy. The drive home, the only draw back to our trip, took us ...

We have abandoned the free splash playgrounds, and are investing money in the local parks and recreation by visiting their water parks. We have been to both Kandles wave pool on N.26th and Stewart Heights pool on 38th. We love both, but I personally think Stewart heights has more to offer Charlie's age group. I love going swimming with the kids because the older two are excited to go, and because it wears them all out which promotes an early bed time. Thanks Pierce County for such a fun family friendly place to relax and escape the last two weeks of heat!!

Today I don't feel like doing anything. I just want to lay in my bed! -Bruno Mars We have been swamped with work and the Olympics so saying at home isn't such a bad idea on my first day off. I got two out of the three kids cleaned, and our upstairs bathroom sanitized. We did end up going to Blueberry park and Winco. The kids picked enough ripe blueberries to make us some yummy blueberry salad dressing (Val recreated a salad her Aunt Shannon made her with strawberries and avocados in it) and we got fixings to make our own individual yummy healthy pizzas.

I love my family. They may drive me crazy at times, but there is nothing better than a Sunday after church get together. We did it when we were kids with my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents! I felt safe, well loved, and accepted in those precious moments spent together. Unfortunately we have very few Sundays where we are able to do this with our own growing families. In fact, sad to say half of the family doesn't even attend church on Sundays. We are trying to change that with our own family, but there are times due to my schedule that even we can't fit church in. When Mark and I were newly married we continued the church/lunch family time with his family. Due to a divorce in the family, the closeness we once shared ended. Divorce can change a whole family not just the ones immediately involved. Family is important. Our personal family is going through tough times and changes. It was these quiet moments we spent together last week laughing and talking that helps my own...

Sorry that I am off a couple of weeks on blogging. Life has been so busy lately. It will be so nice when the kids are back in school, and I bet a whole heck of a lot CHEAPER. Saturday, July 21st, was busy due to our own doing. We took the kids to see The Fame Riot at Louie G's in Fife. The kids had been waiting and wanting to see these guys do their thing forever. So when the "all ages" show came to the local pizzeria (where all the pizza's are named after the mafia), they were beyond excited. Val even wanted her hair done a certain way, just for the show. Luckily, YouTube has a variety of hair instructional videos and I was able to give her what she wanted, french braided side bangs! She looked like a rocker chick with her braided bangs, and her pink hair insert. Prior to the concert we woke up early and took the kids down to Owen's Beach boardwalk. We ended up walking all over Point Defiance, and then ended up at the Point Defiance Zoo, per Charlie's requ...