Adventure 2

So the second adventure this summer only involved 2 of my kidos.
We went out sailing on the historic 90 foot yawl, the Odyssey, hauling the mainsail up the 105 foot mast and taking the helm of this racing beauty through Foss Water Way and out in the beautiful Puget Sound with the Sea Scouts.
I took the oldest two and we had a blast. After we found it. Traffic revisions you know. The kids were each given a scout to shadow. Every half hour they had a duty change. It is like they knew my kids already. They each got a perfect match. I got to sit and visit with the other parents, walk around the boat, go down below and have a parent meeting, and decide that I was not going to use the head. If you saw it you would understand.

Here is Josh on the helm. He did a great job not running us up on the rocks or anything. There is a huge sense of responsibility when a million dollar boat it in your able hands. He learned that it was like driving a car on ice with a really slow reaction All the kids do the actual sailing of the boat. There is an adult captain in charge. He did a great job of teaching and keeping all the kids in control.

Emily just missed out on steering, but she really wasn't all that upset. She did get to pull in the sheets. But I didn't get a picture of that.

I like this one of Josh pulling in the sheets, with the American flag flying behind him.

They also had some down time just to enjoy God's beautiful world and talk with the crew. Come to find out, a bunch of them are speech and debate people.

Still not sure if they are going to join. I hope they do, cuz this was super fun!

Summer Adventure One

I so wish my ankles were stronger cuz I would sure love to go skating.
I took my kids this week and they had such a great time. 
Now that they can actually skate, they are trying to get a little fancy.  They are learning to skate backwards and do the crossover thing when they are going around curves.
And now that they are older, they are requesting music.
There were lots of smiles and giggling. 

sisters, being sisters

 two cool dudes

 she actually was in the process of falling

I think she was done.

Summer adventure number one.

Love That Girl

My fam likes old B-scifi movies.  Some of them are really funny and some of them are pretty good.  Some are plain out bad, but those are fun too.  So any ways....We were watching "Journey to the Seventh Planet" last night.  Totally goofy.  Do you know which is the seventh planet?  I'll give you a moment... hmm hmm hmm.


Yup, Uranus. 
So the big kids and I are sharing all the ways to say the name of the planet.  All of a sudden Deb bursts out laughing.  Not at the pronunciation I laughed at as a kid, but this way-
urine us. 
She had to explain it to me cuz I wasn't getting it. 
"Urine Mom, get it URINE! us!" 
This morning she comes out of the bathroom giggling and shaking her head. 

pic found at astronomoleventia.blogspot.com

"Uranus!"

A Squirrelly Review of The Avengers

For Josh's 15 we surprised him with tickets to see The Avengers at IMAX.
That was pretty amazing.
First off, I'll let you know that we are a family that loves adventure/sci-fi/action movies.  My kids all have seen movies filled with Ninja violence and car wrecks.  We don't do movies with lots of language (if there are more than 5 in the first fifteen or the f bomb is said at all) or naked people or scantily clad people or lots of hugging and kissing.  They know the difference between real and fake.  We don't watch things that I think will make them come to my bed at night.  My sweetheart and/or I preview movies that I think might be questionable.  There were a couple of swear words in this one, some blood, lots of comic style killing and kabooms. The monsters were pretty scary looking too.   It is pretty intense so I wouldn't take young kids.
So that being said, we went to The Avengers.  I took all of the kidos.  I should not have brought the 9 year old or the 11 year old.  Not because the movie was bad, but because it was loud and long.  One put ear plugs in and bugged me that she was bored about halfway through and the other actually fell asleep.
Basically, it was a good movie.  There was a good story and fun characters and lots of bullets and hammers and shields and stuff.  More than once I leaned over and told Josh "I want one of those!"  The effects were pretty amazing.  The guy costumes were pretty cool.  The ladies, well, I never understood the reasoning behind super heroes in high heals.  They were pretty kick butt babes though.  The movie moved really fast and the 2 1/2  hours went by with out me noticing.  My favorite parts were the one liners sprinkled through out, and any part with The Hulk. 
I didn't like the 3D part.  Or the giant screen part.  Or the too loud part.  The challenge for me was that because everything was so close, the craftsman in me was looking at set details, the stitching on the costumes, the make up on Loki, and the changing colors of Tony Stark's beard instead of paying attention to the movie.  I would like to see it again in a regular theater.   Because it was so big I missed a lot on the edges and in the background.   It was just to much for my brain to take in.  I was also a little nauseous and a few times I had to take off the glasses to give myself a break.
And yes, you need to stay til the very very very end.  After all the credits.  Check out some of the jobs descriptions while you wait.  Our favorite was the fire and inferno compositors.  Wouldn't that look cool on a resume!  It was worth it.

Are you ready?

A lost child.
I never know what is going to set off those sad emotions.
Some years cruise on by.
Others knock me to my knees.
Sometimes I think, this year is going to be okay.
Then something happens.
A young man I knew only in passing.
A young man who was known and loved by those that matter to my children.
Taken too soon.
Drowned in a freak accident.
A life that had so much expectation.
I knew my son for such a short time.
But I see the potential of his life in his brother.
I CAN NOT EVEN IMAGINE the pain of this young man's family.
I don't want to seem like I am comparing.
It did bring my sadness bubbling up though.
The comfort of knowing where this young man is, with my son, in the arms of the
One Son.
Comforting, not always soothing though. 
I look forward to knowing them both more in the time that is coming. 
I hope you do too.
Are you ready?
It can happen in a moment.


A couple of links
Josh Eddy's blog
what happened
Hope those work.

Summer!!!!

(picture found at thechildbirthprofession.com)

My goodness, I am excited!  I'm excited for summer to get here already! We have been having tease days of sunny warmer weather tucked into our regular spring wetness. 
The garden beds are planted and there are bunches of baby plants growing.  The promise of fresh vegetables and fresh summery herbs, making me smile.  The dirt is all nice and brown and free of weeds and bugs.  Need to get some wood chips to help it stay that way.  
We finished up the chicken pen.  It is now a good size and looks all official.  The ladies now have enough room so the pecking on each other has stopped.  And who ever was eating the eggs has stopped.  I think.  We haven't had any yucky messes to clean up anyways.  This summer we are going to redo the roof and paint the outsides of the hen house. 
After much delay, I finally got the taxes done.  I have already spent the refund four times over in my head ^.^  I'm sure my sweetheart has plans too.  I am hoping to get the trees cut down at least.  The big tree in front of the house really suffered in the big ice storm we had this winter.  It used to be really pretty if not too big.  Now it is sad looking and too big.  It really needs to go.  The one in back is taking up to much of the yard with its long branches and is way to close to the house.  But once they come down, I have a feeling it is going to get way hot in our house in the summer and way colder in the winter.  Oh well, it must be done.  And then there will be yard to do.  I have many plans.
Business is good.  Been getting more customers and partners.  My learning curve has been pretty high lately as in my conviction.  Being out of my comfort zone is stressful in a good way, not a shingles break out kinda way. 
Speaking of shingles.  They have been coming and going.  I did find out that my youngest could get the chicken pox from me when they are out.  No such luck yet.  She has been exposed to them from other kids, but didn't get them from them either.  Sigh.  Still want her to get them before she gets much older. 
I am looking forward to doing some adventuring.  Speech club is almost done, homeschool PE is almost done, piano is almost done.  I have wondering blood right now.  I'm starting to make plans.  Daycations.  Love that word.  Maybe we can get a little car that doesn't eat as much gas as the truck and actually go more places.  I usually only have four kids with me anymore.  Hmmmm.  There goes more of the tax return. 
SUMMER!!!!  I'm so excited!

Passover Lesson 2012

Photo from fanpop.com

Passover never fails to teach me a new lesson.  This year it wasn't about sin and leavening like it usually is, although the kidos and I did have a few discussions about it while preparing for the holy days.  This year it had to do with Moses and that burning bush. 
We have been celebrating the festivals now for thirteen years.  We have made following Torah to the best of our abilities such a part of our lives that my younger kidos remember nothing else.  A blessing to be sure, but what I didn't realize is that I need to teach the basic bible stories.  When I asked Deb about the burning bush, she didn't realize the significance of if.  My bad.  So now she does. 
In contemplating Passover this morning I realized there is a bunch of stuff in that part of the story.  There Moses was, satisfying his curiosity and realizes God is talking to him.  And then when God is giving him his marching orders he says no!  More than once!  Even after showing him miracle after miracle!  I am not the only person to say Moses was a little touched in the head to tell God no.  But God's will is done.  Nothing can stop Him, not even us whiny humans. 
Like any parent, God got a little peeved at Moses, but He didn't change His mind.  Instead, He provided a helper for Moses, someone to stand by his side and be strong where he was weak.  And His will was done.  The plagues, the covering, the release of His children and the long Exodus that follows.  All to His purpose.  All the picture of the Messiah, Yeshua, Jesus to come.  Praise be to God.
My lesson was to do as God instructs.  This year, we had a Seder at my house.  I love hosting parties.  I love to cook and have fellowship.  We missed a couple of weeks at schul and everyone was "taken" by the time we got back.  Darn.  But then we found out that one of my daughters friends from Canada and her family were coming down and we invited them.  They said yes and I was happy.  They usually have places to stay while here and I didn't even think to invite them here.  You see my house is "comfortable", "lived in", and my stuff is "well worn" and plain out old.  Good enough for us, but not nearly good enough for company. 
And then God said to me,
Invite them. 
And I said I will help arrange a place for them to stay.  And I did. 
But then those plans fell through. 
And God said
Invite them. 
And I called around and things weren't looking good. 
And God said,
Invite them!
 Okay, but God, you know I only have one shower and the toilet upstairs is really ugly. 
INVITE THEM. 
FINE!
So I did.  And I figured out sleeping arrangements and a dear friend even lent us an extra blow up bed.
Oh and by the way Rebecca, they will be bring others.
Ummm God, one shower, remember!  And we are doing the Dave Ramsey thing so I can't really get a new toilet to replace that really ugly one upstairs and that would be 10 extra people and I just decluttered my closets and I don't have any extra blanket anymore, remember?
It will be fine. 
Really God, cuz I'm kinda stressing here.
Trust me.  I got you and extra bed, remember.  You finished cleaning a day early, remember.  That is a miracle.  And remember you wanted a big Seder.  Well you got one.
Dang, he got me. 
So they came and there was plenty of room.  And the blankets and sheets came out of no where and there was plenty of room and no one wet there pants, even if it did come close sometimes, and no one smelled of BO cuz we managed to get all the showers in. 
And I had the most blessed time.
The fellowship was amazing.  My heart and soul were filled.  The conversations were amazing and fun and I learned so much.  And it never became overwhelming, even when it was time to start the Seder and the lamb wasn't done.  It was the smoothest Seder we ever had.  And singing and rejoicing and kids playing and learning and man, that was awesome.
And I didn't want them to leave.
Ever.
But they did and now the furniture is all back where it belongs and all the kids are back in their beds and I can go potty whenever I want.  And my house is quiet.  Too quiet. 
Thank you God for doing your will in my life.  Even when I am a little touched in the head and say no. 
Thank you for always teaching me a Passover lesson.