Ambitious entrepreneurs

For the past several summers, Emily & I have held a garage sale. Our kids have enjoyed selling water & pop & seeing their profits increase. This year, they decided that they wanted to sell "pastries" (as advertised by Abbie) as well. They begged & pleaded to bake cookies yesterday afternoon while Emily & I were sorting clothes and setting up tables. I was feeling very overwhelmed with getting things finished for the garage sale & still recuperating from our trip, so I made a deal with them. If they cleaned the kitchen, I would help them make cookies. I never expected they would take me up on my offer! Those girls worked diligently until every surface was cleared and clean. They were pretty confident that they could handle the recipe on their own. Emily & I were close at hand, just in case they omitted anything important. It ended up being a math lesson, as we decided to double the recipe. Today they were excited to see the fruits of their labor, and have been nagging us incessantly to bake brownies for tomorrow's ventures!

Colorado...here we come!

We had a great time in Colorado last week. One of the highlights was visiting Focus on the Family & going down this cool slide in Whit's End.

Noah dressed up as Whit.
The kids had a blast climbing...on anything & everything. Phil took the three oldest climbing @ REI, and we found this cool park nestled back in the neighborhood where my aunt & uncle live.
Daniel didn't want to leave CO. He loved waking up early and having Aunt Verna all to himself. They formed an instant bond when "that lady" (as he called her) built him a fire one morning.We drove through Garden of the Gods. We didn't have a lot of time to sight-see between the rainy weather, a packed wedding schedule, and time spent with family, but we made the most of our time there.

We all were a little sad to leave Colorado. It's a beautiful place & the view of the mountains is breathtaking. The kids each wanted to know why we couldn't stay...and when we were coming back!

The Wedding

This past Monday, my brother got married. The wedding was at a beautiful garden, the rain held off until the end of the ceremony, and I cried...a lot. What can I say? I'm a softy for weddings. All that love & commitment. It's a wonderful thing.
My girls looked beautiful. Whose idea was it to dress them in white? I'm not ready to picture them as brides walking down the aisle. And...cue the crying. Stupid emotions.

The ring bearers. Daniel carried the rings in a "special treasure box". You couldn't wipe the grin off his face if you tried. Noah & his cousins, along with 3 of Lydia's cousins were the "guarders of the rings". They took their job very seriously. And they made it up the aisle without a sword fight. May wonders never cease.

The bride & groom. When Lydia walked down the aisle, I broke tradition & watched my brother. I cried again when I saw the look of love on his face. I can't wait to see what great things God has planned for them.

The Trip Home

The drive back home took 5 hours longer than expected, between historical markers, scenic routes, and attractions. We got to see the highest point in Oklahoma - the Black Mesa.
Not far from there, we saw dinosaur tracks. If you're a history fanatic like my husband, or if you care, you can read all about it here. If you're like me, you can say "Ooh...ahh..." and move on.

Most of the day we spent driving, listening to books on tape, watching DVDs, and this...

For those that were awake, this was the view for hours and hours...and hours.

Menu Plan Monday

Since we're leaving for CO mid-week for my brother's wedding, it will be a short week here.

Monday: Grace's birthday supper - pizza

Tuesday: Stove Top Chicken & applesauce

Wednesday: Salmon Patties & boiled potatoes

To check out more complete :) menus & great recipes, go to Organizing Junkie's site.

Sunburned, Tired, Tick-bitten, and Happy

It used to be, when we went camping & I wouldn't take a single picture. I was always too busy caring for a baby or chasing a toddler to have time to think about anything else, much less take pictures! But as my kids grow older, I find I have time for all sorts of things: like visiting with other adults, or going to the bathroom unaccompanied, or eating an entire meal in my own chair! It may not seem like much, but after 10 years, it's a milestone. Believe me.

This past weekend, we went camping with two other families to Osage Hills State Park. Despite a thunderstorm on Friday night (which made things exciting), we had beautiful weather, and enjoyed a relaxing weekend together.

Thankfully, there were plenty of helpers around camp

...and plenty of work to do.
On Saturday, we took all these crazy kids (and one beautiful baby) to Woolaroc for the day.

We fed the lama. We met the Mountain Men and threw a tomahawk...or two.

We enjoyed the wildlife. After our fun outting, it was back to the campsite for some yummy food. We ate way too much until our tummies were full. Then we laughed until the wee hours of the morning & worked it all off.

Today we hiked down to the river & played above the falls. It was cold & slimy, but it was fun.

The girls got brave enough to leave the rocks.

And the brave boys scared the mommies, who insisted they should stay on the rocks!

Phil's a great daddy. He took all the kids out on the rocks one by one.

It was a fun weekend. Now to make a dent in this mountain of laundry...

Evidence of manhood

Daniel & Noah were trying to put together a new carseat. Daniel was about to open the manual, when I overheard Noah declare, "I don't need instructions!"