Just Add Water

At 9:30 yesterday morning, it was 90 degrees outside and felt like 110. At noon, the skies were starting to look darker to the west. At 1:30, we were right in the middle of an INTENSE downpour! At 2:00, Mommy was panicking that we might have to host eleven 9-12-year-old boys at our house for an indoor birthday party. By 2:30 it was 74 degrees outside and wet. Plans went into action to host inside. By 4:00, it was clearing up and we were rejoicing that the party could go ahead as planned - OUTDOORS. At 4:10, we were 2 dozen water balloons and counting...

Ethan has been planning a kickball birthday party since February. At 4:45 (sunny, warm, and humid), Dana headed off to the park with the boys while Nedra waited behind at the house for stragglers and made last-minute food preparations. Nedra soon followed with camera in tow. After a 45-minute game of kickball, 10 sweaty boys, 2 sisters, and a dad were ready for the next activity. We returned home to find that Rudy had helped himself to the frosting on one edge of the cake!

Much to the excitement of those in attendance, we prepared for water balloon and water gun games. It really doesn't take long at all to go through 100+ water balloons. Fortunately, we did have organized games, which helped to prolong the longevity of the balloons. Energy was at an all-time high during the water games. Thus, no pictures - the adults were involved in maintaining some sort of order-...bummer, because if you could've seen pictures you would see complete joy, wild laughter, great friends, and lots of plain old-fashioned fun (well, the balloons were old-fashioned - some of the water guns were pretty high tech:o). I seriously believe if you have 10 boys, hot weather, and room to run - all you need to do is add water for hours of entertainment!

With games and activities completed, we moved on to the food (complete with lots of jokes and stories from the boys as they congregated out on the deck). Ethan opened presents - a couple of favorites being a real shark's jaw and Blokus 3D - and the boys dug in the sandbox for silly putty, their take-home gift. We concluded with cake and ice cream, but the boys were quick to get back outside for some unorganized fun with the water balloons and water guns. They were all sufficiently soaked by the time their parents arrived.

I would say this was one of the best birthday parties we've ever hosted (along with being one of the least expensive). Don't get me wrong - birthdays are great and we've had some fun parties, but they all come with their challenges, don't they? This time it looked like the weather might be a challenge, but once God took care of that for us, it was smooth sailing! All of the boys were fun-loving, well-behaved, and inclusive of each other. As you can see from the photos, Ethan was flying high. He had a wonderful time.















Thanks to all of you who were able to celebrate with us! It was a joy to have you here. Happy birthday, Ethan! Get ready for round 2 on Saturday in Brainerd with Great Grandma. It'll be the first time we've been able to celebrate those 2 birthdays together. For those of you interested in putting names with faces, here's the rundown of the photo below...Back row: Mommy and Sarah; Middle row: Ethan, Josh, Joseph, Hannah, Cedar, Kyle; Front row: Caleb H., Caleb T., Grayson, Nick, Jack, Greg. Daddy took the photo.

Summer House Projects

The Front Steps

The cement on the front steps was all cracked and crumbling. Much improved entrance to the house with flowers to go with it!


The Deck & House Painting

The hole for footings and mixing cement.

Started painting the house...this will be going on all summer! I've got extra brushes if anyone wants to come paint with me some morning in the cool of the day!

All that needs to be done is put the end caps on the deck planks! Notice the painting also. I only got to the back picture window.

It's been wonderful to actually be able to walk out the back of our house without having to step down on the wobbly stool! We will eventually continue the patio pavers (next to the house) to extend to the deck steps.

Random thoughts...really random

Cats don't really appreciate being dressed up in doll clothes.
Summer is a pleasant mixture of utter joy, outdoor bliss, mosquito misery, and complete fatigue.
Little girls are so cute when they get all dressed up.
Little girls make a huge mess when they get all dressed up on their own.
It's not fun to hear your daughter sob herself to sleep when your dog is missing overnight.
It's not fun to pay $43.01 (plus $12.78 for new ID tags) to get your dog back the next morning.
Setting up the tent in our own yard is a great way to get a camping fix for the kids.
It's hard to lose weight in the summer (picnics, graduations, vacation, etc.)
We need a garden. Next year...
Dog poop is disgusting.
You're never too old to enjoy playing in the sandbox.
Being sick anytime is not fun; sickness in the summer is torture.
So thankful for our dishwasher.
Flowers really brighten up a yard.
God's Word is so rich.
Damp towels get really yucky if they sit in the laundry basket too long.
Neighbors have an enormous impact on your experience at home.
Fresh fruit is a little bit of heaven on earth.
Sometimes I despise the internet.
It's wonderful to have a good "gut laugh" every now and then.
Self-discipline, diligence, perseverance, steadfastness...
Why do children always "need" you the minute you get on the phone?
Love the very rare, but wonderful, feeling of having all of the laundry done.
Remind children to remove the plastic wrapper before microwaving popcorn.