Date Night

Every few months, Andy tries to make a point to take Sis out on a Daddy/Daughter date.  They both really look forward to it.  I help her get ready as if it were a real date with hair, make up, jewelry and even perfume.   

They went to Mezza for dinner.  She feasted on some salmon (aka pink fish) and then they headed to Happy Cup for yogurt for dessert.  After they finished eating, they headed to the park to play together for awhile.  She came home with a huge smile on her face and full of memories to share with me.  I know it may not be realistic, but I'm hoping to create a habit of spending time together before and after her dates and hoping she'll continue to share those memories with me.  If not, I want her to know that she can if she wants to share.  Her daddy is setting a pretty high standard for her future boyfriends.  I pray that she finds someone who will cherish her as much as her daddy and I do!

FYI - Ra and I had a fun movie night at home while they went out.  We ate our favorite pretzel roll sandwiches and watched Jumanji and Ghostbusters together.  

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Our family looks forward to football season every year.  This year PSU started off their season in Ireland with a game against UCF.  Personally I was disappointed because I had been looking forward to heading to Orlando and being a visiting fan for the game.  My parents were thrilled because they got to go to Ireland for the game!  We hung out with the Penn State faithful at Jerry's Sports Grill where the games are always played and there is plenty of blue and white.  It was an early kick for us here in the states, but we were there in time for kick off and dressed in our Penn State best!  Danielle (who is the chapter pres.) and her dad (who lives in State College) brought their PSU banner and ran through the bar cheering "We are" with the first touchdown!  It was a great way to start the season with a WIN and a bloody mary!

Had to raise the flag at our house - to compete with the two Georgia flags that line our street!

Happiness is...

A playdate with your BFF and being twins!

Time To Make The Jelly!

Earth Fare just opened near our old house and they had a huge sale on organic strawberries - and not the massive jumbo sized Driscoll ones.  These looked like the kind you grow in your backyard!  I bought them all up so I could make jelly!  I haven't made strawberry jelly in years!  Our house smelled so delicious and about half of the jars are gone in just a few weeks!  The kids (and Andy) love it!

I ran back to get more "strawburries" as my Nanny would say to make some strawberry shortcake!  I decided to try a different recipe and pulled out one of my old Manor Church Cookbooks.  Aren't old church cookbooks the best?  I converted the recipe to GF/CF so Ra could eat it.  It was as big of a hit as the jelly!

My Blessings

We all have those days where our kids are driving us nuts, or they are arguing, etc.  This picture is a reminder for me that they do truly love each other.  All I heard was Ra say "Well, I'll hold your hand.."  I have no clue what transpired between them but I love the result!

Kendallism

Pulled from my Facebook page from 8/25:

Today's Kendallism:
K: I miss Uncle Kevin!
Me: I know Baby Girl. I do too. You'll get to see him at Christmas. Won't that be a great Christmas gift?
K: That's even better than toys!

This Is How We Roll

We love hopping on the scooter to go for a ride on a Sunday afternoon!  

My Engineers

Andy has been promising Ra that they'd build a train layout for a long time now.  He finally decided to get everything out and build a layout in his room.  Sis has her pink Girl Train running in his room too.  They are so happy to have the trains out and running again!

Inspiring words....

This poem was one of JoePa's favorites and it fits him and his life well.  I can only hope the same for my son.  As he grows older, I plan to share this with him and keep it in a place where he can see if often.  With all the celebrating with the lifting of the ridiculous sanctions against Penn State, they neglected to do right by the man who brought Success with Honor to the world of college football.  If anyone worked harder to prove that football players can strive to be successful in the classroom AND on the field, I've never met him.  JoePa was the opposite of the "football culture" that PSU was accused of after the sanctions.  He donated what little money he made to build a library, not a sports complex.  His legacy will be remembered by our family in a way that honors a man who successfully achieved the grand experiment.

IF you can keep your head when all about you 
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: 

If you can make one heap of all your winnings 
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

This video link is a great illustration of JoePa and his favorite poem:
If...

My Gym Rat

Now that school is in session, practices have changed to Tues/Thurs from 5:30-8 pm.  That makes for long nights for my little 6 year old.  She is surprisingly handling it pretty well.  We have to get homework completed early on those days and we try to do a little over the weekends to ease the workload during the week.  So far so good...Last night her coach let me know that in recent weeks, she's really started to blossom and show great strides.  I was so happy to hear that.  Thankfully K loves gymnastics and never complains about practice.  She looks forward to it every week.  

Her gym is moving to a new facility.  They are moving a bit further away, but it will be state of the art with new equipment, 4 pits, more trampolines, etc.  I'm excited to see what this year holds for our little gymnast.  Not sure if/when she'll actually compete, but I'm not in any rush for that!  There are two meets this winter that she might be ready for, but probably not for the two this fall.  

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Ra was challenged by his friend Viola to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  See his video by clicking on the link below:

Ra's Video

Sis was challenged too (by Ra).  Click on the link below to see her video:

Sis' video

My mom was challenged by Sis who then challenged my cousin Lori.  Lori, of course, challenged me to participate.  Click on the link below to see my video:

My video

We chose not to donate to ALS, but to participate in the challenge as a way to make people aware of the disease.  My children were not familiar with it before the challenge.  

Funny Girl!

Today's Kendallism walking through the sports team clothing section at Academy:

K: I have friends at school who like the crocodiles. 
Me: Who do they like?
K: (Pointing to a Gators shirt) The crocodiles. 
Me: Oh! You mean they like the Gators!

Special Day in our Family

On August 10, 2014, Sissy's world changed forever!

The kids and I were watching God's Not Dead.  (It's a fantastic movie btw).  While we were talking about parts of the movie when Sis asked me how to make sure she would go to Heaven.  I explained to her what to pray if she wanted to make sure that she was saved.  The next thing I knew, she had her hands folded, her head bowed and eyes closed.  When she was finished, she told me that she prayed the prayer I suggested because she wanted to make sure she'd be able to go to Heaven to be with Jesus!  My heart about burst with joy!  She made that choice on her own and l was so proud of her.  She's even asked about getting baptized.  I suggested she consider getting dunked at the beach in June.  We'll see if she's ready by then.

First Day of School

The first day of school came upon us no matter how much we tried to deny it!  At our house, the Back to School Fairy finds us every year no matter where we live!  It's a tradition that started when Ra entered kindergarten in hopes of easing any fears of starting school in a new place.  He started school just a week after we moved to Utah.  It's be great fun because the fairy finds us at every new address. With the kids extensive and specific school supply lists, it's become more challenging to decide what the fairy will bring, but this year, she brought things for the kids to do during their first week of 1/2 days.  Ra got a superball making kit and Sis got a weaving loom kit.  

They each got letters from the fairy with an individual verse for them to consider if they were nervous for their first days.  Ra's verse was Phil. 4:6 and Sis's was Joshua 1:9.  

Every year we take pictures with a sign stating the grade they are entering with the school and teacher - because it changes so frequently!  

 Sis was a little nervous for first grade, but once she got there and found her friends, she was fine.  

Both kids had a great first week.  They are excited about this school year and all that it will bring!

Last Night of Summer Vacation

Where would you expect to find us on the last night of summer vacation?  That's right, we hit the beach!  It was sad saying goodbye to summer.  We are thankful that we had a fabulous summer and not looking forward to the routine of school.