Family Trip

We recently took a quick (read: too short) trip to California to visit with Scott, Amy and the kids. It's so great to see the kids all together. They got along perfectly and enjoyed many, many hours of video games:And because they started looking like zombies...we took them to a great park so they could actually climb trees and play! Here they are....waiting to go back to playing video games:
Scott, Amy, Trey, Hank and I all got a chance to escape the kids for an evening. Scott had a long list of things we could do with our time but we opted for a trip to Trader Joe's for some picnic food:
So that we could go to a Hollywood cemetery to watch Blue Velvet. It got a bit weird during the "Mommy....Mommy!" scenes, but all in all, it was a great time.

After Church on Sunday we hopped over to Pink Taco...just to say that we've been...it felt very Hollywood.


August and Hazel liked the Day of the Dead theme.
Notice that August is being a total boy...and Hazel is just standing there being pretty, holding the hand of a dead guy.
This would have been a funny picture if August was pointing to what he THOUGHT he was pointing to. He kept asking me to take a picture of him pointing to that so I did...then I asked him why he wanted a picture of the belt buckle...he slumped and said, "oh darn! I thought it was his penis!"

Ahhh, California! We miss you already.

Movie Night

So last night we all went to see movies. Trey and August when to see Journey to the Center of the Earth while this stranger and I went to see Kit Kittredge.
Everyone liked the movies. August said that Journey was exciting and Hazel was full of emotions as Kit worked through the problem of the movies...I won't tell you more...wouldn't want to spoil the plot for you. It was cute.

I've been totally immersed in all things Twilight thanks to Kathleen Boden! My sister started reading the books a few months ago and was raving about it and handed each book, one by one as she finished them, down to me. Everyday I attempt to sneak peeks into the lives in the series, feeling frustrated by every minute I am pulled away. Last night I excitedly picked up the last half of the 3rd book as the kids crept off to bed and stared devouring the pages. I reluctantly followed Trey off to bed but couldn't stop reading...until a strange sound reached my ears...BIRDS?! CHIRPING?!
Why are there birds chirping in the middle of the night? I rolled over to check the time on my phone...4:45! UGH.
I finished the page I was on and turned off the light, a little reluctant to put the rest of the story on hold. Sleep should have fallen quickly on me but I tossed and turned wondering what would happen. I lay in bed and began to talk to God as is my normal routine and suddenly realized that I was praying for the characters in the book...this often happens when I'm immersed in a good story. I'm sure God got a good laugh as I prayed.

The kids both slept in until past 10:00 which is a good thing for me...I was able to finish the book over breakfast.

Do You See What Eye See?

Can you guess the owner of these eyes?

10 on 10

Welcome to the dog days of summer!

Childhood

I've been really watching Hazel these last few days. yesterday we were able to spend some time swimming at the gym and eating her favorite food and doing nails and watching the new Disney musical movie. I watched her as the lead boy and girl finally sang their song together, their hands touching as they gazed into each other's eyes. I watched my girl lift her own hands to her face with a look of complete awe and hope. I watched and I got a bit sad. Trey and I have had these conversations many times...the ones about how movies and TV have distorted everyone's idea of romance...I saw Hazel get a bit distorted last night. She's so many years away from having to worry about boys and kissing but she's so hopeful already. I overheard her say that she wanted to "make-out" with the neighbors boy cousin the other day...MAKE-OUT!!! When I asked her what that meant she told me, with conviction, that it meant going into the bathroom and kissing on the lips. What?
August and Hazel and I took a short walk up the street to the local grocery store because I ran out of olive oil...can't have Ann-Kresten's Salmon without it! As we were walking Hazel asked if she could run the block. And then I watched her run. She ran with no thoughts of how she looked, or how much energy it would take to make the entire block, she just ran full speed and laughed the whole time. I remember that. I remember running up hills and down blocks and just not caring...until my neighbor asked if I wanted to join cross country...then I cared...and I hated it. She would coax me into running just a little bit longer...just to the next mailbox...just to the next street sign. I hated it. I want to encourage Hazel to love it. To love being outside and in the sun and using every bit of energy she has in her cute little body. I love watching this little girl grow up.

10 on 10

HOLA!
We're on vacation in Cancun...paying for internet by the minute so I only have time to upload the pictures and type these few words...no time to organize them...use your imagination!

Faces, Balls and Accountants

The kids and I took a few hours out of our crazy schedule today to watch Kathleen and Justin play kickball. Oh My Goodness! I haven't laughed that hard in I don't know how long!!
Their team is called "Git Some" and the team they played against is called "Awesome Town". Each player on "Awesome Town" was a towns person- they had a mayor (who played the whole game with his brief case), a snowboarder (who played the whole game with his snowboard!!) and a tiger among other people. But the best towns person by far was the accountant:This guys stayed in character the entire time. When he caught a ball he quickly dropped it to calculate it on his HUGE calculator that he kept with him. The first time he came up to kick he had all his files with him and when he made contact with the ball he threw all the files and promptly freaked out about the "Thompson File!!!!"

To begin each game the teams must have a skit. Kathleen and Justin came with a spear (that Justin created) and when the time was right...they set fire to it!!!

The kids were a bit hungry so we ran to the Plaid Pantry to grab some grub:The kids went to town on food I wouldn't normally buy them. I think all the food coloring and artificial flavors had an effect on Hazel!!