Afternoon Plans

We made wonderful afternoon plans to gather a bunch of old and new friends at the park, complete with a picnic, bikes and our GPS just in case we need to do some geocaching. The weather was not cooperating with our plans. We managed to squeeze in the picnic before the big rains came!

We headed back to our place, abandoned any thoughts of bikes, and just visited while the kids played. It was a joy to listen to them laughing and playing together, just like old times. We'll certainly miss Kinley and Matthew as they return to New York, and we'll look forward to seeing them sometime again soon.

Choir at Church

Sarah's school 3rd & 4th grade choir performed at church today. The music was so terrific! We didn't realize they would do so many songs, and one was with recorders. My camera didn't capture very good photos of the group, but Sarah is in the back row, to the right of the center. You'll just have to trust us that they were remarkable. My fellow moms, Carole and Khai-Ling, were equally impressed with the kids today.

After church, Sarah and Ben gathered with their old buddies, Kinley and Matthew. They are visiting from New York for the weekend, unfortunately their visit was due to their grandmother's funeral last week. We're sad for the reason of their visit, but so glad to embrace their family while they are here.

Just Like Dad

Ben wanted to surprise Clint today, and got dressed "just like Daddy going to work." Clint was busy getting ready and was completely surprised to come out to the living room and find Ben all dressed up for work. It is rewarding when your plan comes together as you can probably tell from Ben's big smile. He stayed in the outfit for a couple of hours, and then went back to a more casual, everyday attire. Although he changed outfits, his surprise will still linger in his Dad's memory.

Science Fair & Dinner

Sarah's class held their science fair tonight, and served the parents a dinner on specially made placemats. Following dinner, her teacher presented the students with awards, and expressed appreciation to the parents.

Sarah's science project and display were terrific in our opinion. She found her hypothesis to be correct - 7-up did the best job on cleaning the pennies. The one in vinegar came in a close 2nd place. The one in lemon juice disintegrated around the edges and on the back. She learned it was made of different materials (made after 1982), and noted in future experiments all pennies should be from the same year. (See entries on May 13 and 19 for more on this experiment).

On the way to the van, we felt a load was lifted off all of our shoulders. Sarah couldn't stop smiling and twirling around. It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment for her.

Oregon Trail Day

Ben's homeschool group hopped on a bus for a field trip to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. Sarah and I tagged along. We had been there before, but it has been several years. Unfortunately, we didn't get enough time to explore all of the indoor exhibits.

We did have fun working as a team to load a life-size wagon with life-size foam supplies. There was a lot of arguing about whether or not to take certain items, but in the end the kids made realistic choices. We worked on a museum scavenger hunt, but ran out of time before we could finish. Outside we were able to look at some of the many wagon rut trails covering the hills around the center. We were able to visit their mine and wagon encampment outside.

This was the point when the brave pioneers would choose which direction to cross the mountains in front of them. They had to choose whether to continue on to the now Portland area either on the rapids of the Columbia River or the Desert trails, or to turn north to the Whitman Mission and Fort Walla Walla. None of the choices were going to be easy. We contemplated their struggles as we loaded back into our relatively comfortable bus and headed home.

Pioneers and a Dog

Today we visited a Pioneer Museum which we have wondered about for a long time. Grandma and Grandpa have been before, and we enjoyed doing a museum scavenger hunt together. They had a lot of inside displays, and also buildings outside to show the area in the late 1800s. We watched the water wheel and walked through a train too.

Back a home, we thought it would be nice to share a photo of Shirlee. She was recently shaved, and seems so happy without all of that hair! She is definitely getting older, and has some difficulties moving around. She really can't hear much at all. But she still has plenty of love to share!

This morning we woke up to discover hummingbirds visiting a feeder on our deck, so Ben took a few shots with the camera. Then we headed off to church, and the kids enjoyed having Grandma as their Sabbath School teacher learning about Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon.

After lunch, they took us to Ohme Gardens where we walked on trails and enjoyed the lovely gardens and views. Clint caught some flowers unaware, and may use them as his entry in the Fair this fall.

Food & Family

This afternoon, we loaded up the car and tossed in the kids, and headed down the trail. We have all really needed a vacation for awhile. When I say we needed a vacation, I'm really saying we NEEDED A VACATION.

We headed to Wenatchee to fill up on family and relax in the beautiful apple country. We arrived in time for supper and met Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Chad, Aunt Tamara, and younger cousins Garrett and Sadie, at a restaurant. It was a great start to the weekend. We hadn't seen the kids in a really long time, and of course they spent their time growing up.

After supper we headed to Grandma & Grandpa's place, and settled into the guest apartment they had arranged for us. It is a wonderful one bedroom apartment, with a pull-out bed on the sofa and all the comforts of a condo. We fell asleep quickly and slept soundly with all the pressures of home many miles away!

Whale Wonders

Ben and Kristian were included in a giant project today. They rolled out paper with life-size drawings of narwhal and minke whales. The kids had the job of painting the whales and then they will be hung in a hallway at Sarah's school. The boys jumped right in and helped. I'm thinking it is pretty cool to paint a life-size whale, and I'm really glad they were invited to join in the fun.

Investiture Night

Tonight was a big night for our Adventurers. We were pleased to be finished with so many projects. The program was really nice with singing and a motivational talk by the pastor. Then it was time to present the awards. Sarah was presented with 12 new honors! We had really pushed to complete a lot since it was her last year in Adventurers. Ben also walked off with an armload of honors. The kids have such a positive outlook, and it is contagious. Now we have a break until August! What will we do with our Wednesdays???

Field Trip to the Dam

Sarah's class took a field trip to a nearby dam today. We learned a lot about salmon, how dams are built, how they generate electricity, and how they work to protect the river habitats. The fish viewing windows were really fun. We saw lots of salmon cruising up the river.

The Great Penny Cleanup

Sarah continues with the science fair project. It is getting pretty yucky. The hot sauce is growing mold, and everything stinks. The lemon juice is making the penny disintegrate. It's a smelly job, but our 4th grader is sticking to her work!

Treasure Hunters

Ben's Primary 1 Sabbath School Class had a treasure hunt this afternoon. It was an extremely hot day, but we were excited to join in the fun anyway. We had a treasure map with clues found in Bible verses. At the end, the kids were given a certificate to dig for the treasure. They each had turns with a shovel, and finally uncovered a container of tiny Bibles! They loved the small Bibles and the whole adventure. At the end, they worked on a mission project with Teacher Tammy.

Biking Birthday

Charmaine had a biking party for her 9th birthday. She invited Sarah and Ben, and several other friends. We were very thankful the weather was nice for the party since it had been unsettled this week. They decorated their bikes with signs and bells, rode bikes on a trail in the park, went on a treasure hunt (pinata at the end), and enjoyed a yummy decorated giant cookie. It was a wonderful party.

Happy Birthday Charmaine!

Gymnastics Girl

Sarah has joined gymnastics class this quarter. Ben has done two quarters this year, but Sarah's schedule was overloaded, so we held her off until this last session. She is in level 3, and is preparing to do a fancy backwards roll in this photo. She really likes her teacher, Kati. We think Kati has done a great job of motivating Sarah to push herself to try new things.

Hypothesis and Observations

Sarah's class is preparing for an upcoming class science fair. They have been researching various science experiments. Sarah chose to clean pennies in assorted kitchen liquids. She had to find five equally dirty pennies, and selected 7-up, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, hot sauce, and cranberry juice. Her hypothesis states that she believes the 7-up will do the best job of cleaning the pennies.

Tonight she labeled everything and placed the liquids and pennies in the containers. Each day for 7 days, she needs to record her observations. We agreed to keep them in a box in the extra bathroom so they will be out of the way. We don't want to ruin her experiment, and we don't want to smell it in the middle of the house.

We have been curious about the experiments going on in the other 3rd/4th graders' homes. We know of a test for which brand of bubble gum holds the flavor the longest, which method ripens green bananas more quickly, which soil will improve cucumber plant growth, and a fascinating volcano experiment.

Butterfly-to-be

Ben's science class is observing caterpillars as they go through their cycle to become Painted Lady Butterflies. In this picture, Ben is holding "Larry." Ben will take the report from here.

He is in a "J" shape, hanging from the top of the container. He has a silk button on his bottom which helps him to stay up there. When he is not in the "J" shape, he will be in his crysalis. He won't eat anything now that he is in the "J" shape. When Larry grows up to be a butterfly, his name will change to "Larryboy," because Larryboy can fly.

(Please consult your VeggieTales videos for any clarification needed on Larry and Larryboy).

Happy Mother's Day!

What could be better than waking up to a family eager to make and serve a tasty breakfast to the mother of honor. It wasn't easy to wait patiently while the aroma of French toast floating down the hallway. The flowers were a surprise too. One of the cards was a singing card, which we keep playing over and over. Becky didn't have to do cooking or dishes with breakfast today. Being a mother is pretty wonderful every day, but extra special today.

Balloon Night

Tonight we headed out to see the hot air balloons light up the night. Sarah was invited to join a balloon crew (along with Sarah's adoring family).

It was a real privilege to be taken past the security to the balloon area. We ran into her friend, Sydnee, working with another crew nearby. Sarah and Ben were able to watch the whole process of unpacking and filling the balloon. The pilot even took them inside the balloon to run around while it filled up with air. Of course they exited before they began to heat the air with the 3000+ degree flame.

Later, they were invited into the basket while they "glowed" the balloon. What a fantastic experience! It was held to the ground, and periodically the pilot would burn the flame to reinflate the balloon and make it "glow" in the night sky. It was exciting for the kids, but you could also see concern on their faces because the flame was loud and scary too.

Afterwards, their unique skills were utilized with a few other kids, and they were asked to roll on the balloon to push the air out. It was just like rolling down a hill and might have been the most fun part of the night.

We all became quite excited about hot air balloons this year, and hope to find more opportunities to join balloon festivities. Clint is seriously considering joining a local crew at the next opportunity, and Sarah was pleased to learn that once she is 10 years old, she would be old enough to join a crew too!

It may seem strange to you, but I'm not finding a strong desire to join a crew. This all makes me want to find that old 45 with "Up, Up and Away" from my childhood days, and then find a comfortable spot to sit and watch balloons float by overhead. They certainly are beautiful to watch. I think I could be in charge of the family crew publicity, photography and balloon music. :) I think I'll leave the heavy lifting and life-threatening flames to someone else!

Cowboy Wedding

This afternoon we drove to a wedding for one of Clint's coworkers. The bride and groom are both from solid cowboy families, and we were told it would be a cowboy wedding. We were not disappointed. It was an outdoor wedding, and the bride walked down an aisle of hay. The groom and groomsmen were in dress jeans and cowboy hats. The bridesmaids were in jean skirts. The groom's dog brought up the wedding ring. Later, the cake was decorated with real lasso style rope, and topped with bride and groom horses. It was a unique combination of casual cowboy/country styles and strong traditional Christian themes.

Looking Up

Today we loaded the family in the car to go see hot air balloons lift off. Ben, Sarah and Charmaine were absorbed in the wonder of the big balloons. The pilots were also acting as ambassadors for hot air balloons, and explained a lot about the process of setting up the balloons and how they travel. Ben had to help the red, white and blue balloon stay upright. :) I'm sure our necks will be sore tomorrow after looking up into the sky so much today!