LOH Retreat

Rob and I both lead LOH groups (Leaders on the Horizon) in our home, October through April. LOH is a leadership training curriculum that is designed to help students develop not only leadership charecteristics but also their charecter with the hopes of training them to be key leaders and examples in the youth group and in their daily communities. We really love this group of kids and just the chance to pour into them in this way.

To end the year, we headed to Inspiration Hills the last weekend of April for a retreat. We got in on Friday night and spent time just hanging out and also just preparing our hearts for the weekend and then were up bright and early on Saturday morning to do the ropes course. We were BLESSED to be able to do this! Heading into the weekend the weather was not looking promising at all...but it was perfect on Saturday! Sunny but not to hot with very little wind...THANKS GOD!I have never actually been a part of a true ropes course or seen them carried out...it was very interesting and I loved just sitting back and being able to watch the thought process and team work that the students had to go through to get from A --> B. Here the goal was to get everyone around the boards without stepping off.

All of the students were pretty involved and really enjoyed it I think. I was back with Addyson for a little while while she napped and had to run into town to get bread since it was still at home in our garage ;) but when I came back they were working on getting everyone around this triangle of wire with only one rope to use to do it. They learned it was ok to get up close in order to really work together...There was a spotter and facilitator who worked with the students as well....Addy and I loved being out in the fresh air watching and encouraging ;)Took them a couple attempts to get the last two ppl around but they did a great job or brainstorming and helping each other find the best solution. Was interesting when one person would take control and just lead without consulting the group how quickly they would find themselves back at square one....they really learned to rely on each other!Karys helping Addy with her drink...we picked up 5 wood ticks-2 on Addy, 2 on Karys, and 1 on me while out in the grass. YUCK!The girls were so excited to have their own cans of lemonade to drink!When thinking about the weekend, we really didn't want to leave the girls with anyone with how much we had been gone off and on lately and b/c Rob was headed out to intensives as soon as we got home. We love this group of kids for the reason that they really all love our girls well! The girls look forward to the kids coming for supper on Sundays and the time they spend with them after the meetings.A few of the students babysit for us, and we love that we could feel comfortable bring them along. It was great to know that they would be helpful and really keep our girls entertained and give them that extra attention that they love to have!one of the next things they did was the "tight rope". Students side stepped across a long cable using only a series of ropes that hung down along the way to guide them.once they got to the other side, the kissed the pole, took one step back, and fell backwards to be lowered to the ground by the ballay team!Lauren being lowered to the ground...love her face!Rob was right up there doing everything with the students as well...The girls and I had fun watching daddy! He did such a great job and I think it was fun for them to do some of those 'crazy' things (or so they called them!)The final event was the 'Leap of Faith'. Each person climbed up this tall, tall, tall post....stood at the top....and then jumped off with hopes to grab onto a hanging trapeze bar.Rob getting to the top and getting ready to stand up...He was the only one able to jump and actually grab the bar and hang on!!!!We were so proud of him! That is my man ;)You may be wondering why I would put a pic of my own bum on my blog? Well I didn't want to put a pic of anyone else's bum and we all got a TON of laughs out of how funny the harnesses made our bums look! My turn! The adrenaline was definitely flowing!Coming back down to the ground...I didn't make the bar, but it was definitely an adrenaline rush!Karys loved it when Ashley offered to let her play with her hair...she has just recently learned how to put pony tails in and got Ash's hair in pigtails that didn't look too bad ;) just another way our girls were loved on!I love this picture!!!!!!! It is so classic Karys...kitty boots and all leg ;)Later that night we got cleaned up, went out for pizza and enjoyed a night of bowling! Our girls loved the chance to stay up a little later and have a fun night bowling! Gracie saw this picture and just bust out laughing, "Mom! Why didn't you tell me about my crack!"Addy had fun bowling with daddy and being passed from person to person as different ppl were up to bowl. Karys loved doing it all by herself....brushing her hands off after she got the job done.Addy in the ball return...the kids were all so nervous when Rob put her in there but she loved it!Then after bowling was a WONDeRFUL stop at the beloved Cold Stone Creamery!once we got back and the girls headed off to bed....the boys, being true boys, took picnic tables and mattresses and blocked the girls in their cabin...although I was slightly worried that this would be a fire hazard, I laughed and had to snap a picture.Proud and in all their glory...although the girls just pushed their way out in the morning ;)The entire crazy crew!All the lovely ladiesthe burly boysRob and the seniors, the year three students, his first group to go through.....

Let's just say they have a special bond with each other!

All in all it was a great weekend and time of renewal and blessing...More than one I heard it said, "I didn't want to come, but I am so glad I did!"

Release of Mr. Wiggles

In late April, Gracie made a 'worm farm' at school. It was basically some nice black soil with gravel on bottom in the bottom of a cut off 2-liter. There was black construction paper wrapped around the outside, to keep it nice and dark for the worms, and saran wrap on top to keep them from escaping. After a couple of weeks, and many days with the little habitat going unnoticed I asked Gracie if she thought it was time to let Mr. Wiggles and his friend go. She did (you could tell when I asked her she had totally forgotten about him until just at that moment). It was a GREAT day to do it too! It was raining outside and she was very quick to explain to all of us how worms loved to come out when it is raining and the reasons why.Daddy was home for the afternoon, so he agreed to be the one to venture out into the rain and release the worms. We started by giving everyone a chance to say "goodbye" and "good luck" to the wormies...Gracie showed us where the worms had been tunneling through the dirt and taught us a few more things about what worms eat and why they like it to be darkThen I took one last picture of her...doesn't she look so proud!The worms came to the top right before Rob headed out to let them go into our little 'garden' area, so Rob gave Gra one last glance Those really were some fatty worms!The RELEASE!He put them on the sidewalk to see if they would crawl toward their new home and just to see again how big they really were!
Gracie was all thumbs up! It was a successful release..."they will definitely be happier in their new home than in the kitchen" Mommy couldn't agree more!

Our Growing Addy Grace...

It is so hard to believe that by the end of this month our little lady is going to be 1!!!! Time has just gone so fast! It has been fun to remember the places we were at this time last year, awaiting her arrival and for me feeling definitely ready! She is definitely full of energy and joy and brings smiles to our faces daily. Rob was just pointing out to me the other day just how talkative she is, always having to make some kind of sound or be telling you a story, she even sings along with me when I rock her to sleep most times and isn't finally quiet until she is passed out...wonder if this will be indicative of the years to come and convos to be had ;)

Here are some pictures of what she has been up to lately...This is how I found her one morning when it was way too quiet! I forgot to mention, that like any other child when they are getting into trouble, if she is quiet you know to go and check on her ;) She loves to dump all of the girls art stuff (colored pencils, markers, etc) out of their art boxes over and over again. Well, she had found a small stamp in there and proceeded to test out her budding artistic talent by stamping it all over her face, or in other words chewing it ;)She definitely had an array of color on her face....and had that guilty look that was too cute to not take a picture of b4 cleaning her up.Another thing our little miss Addy likes to do is play in the tub. Whether she is taking a bath or shower herself or can find anyone who is or just did...she hears water running and she is on her way! We were having a few problems with our shower draining, so after I got out of the shower there was a fair amount of water left in the bathtub. Addyson had crawled in and I was just assuming she couldn't reach it and would just stand by the side. Even hearing myself when I type those words into the computer, I cannot believe I even thought that was "safe ground". And as you can see from the picture she reached so far down into the tub she went in head first! Took a big breath of water :( but then was so excited! Crazy little girl ;)Rob and I were having a date night in...so after, the girls were all down I ran out to get a movie and some 'Razzles' (like blizzards) to bring back home for us. For some reason Addy woke up while I was gone, so Rob brought her out to the couch to cuddle with him til I got back home. This is how I found them ;)She had her first swing in California in March at the same park that Gracie had her first swing...She has been hooked ever since! And finally, she is starting to take a few steps. She walks like crazy behind this push cart, although she can't go in a straight line to save her life ;) When she isn't thinking about it she will stand and take a few steps, but as soon as she realizes what she is doing, she will drop to the floor and crawl. It is crazy to think that soon, maybe even by her birthday, she will be walking on her own!Oh the places she will go! I am so excited to see her personality continue to develop and be able to have an even clearer idea of the little girl God has made her to be...what her love languages are...and the ways in which she will bless those around her!And on an ending note...I LOVE these pictures! She loves to crawl around and gently bounce on the trampoline... and this happens to her hair EVERY time! Gotta love the developing baby mullet once you get a little static in it ;)