Memorial Day Picnic

Sunday Grandpa and Grandma joined us for our church wide annual picnic. We kicked off the fun with some games. Emily & Bill did the water balloon toss, Grandma & Emily hopped along trying to keep a ball between their knees. Emily also did a Dizzy relay race where she ran down to the mark and was supposed to spin while holding a giant pool noodle. She preferred to talk into the noodle instead! Ha. At this point Anna & I went over to the playground because she was getting a little upset that she could not do the games. However, I am told them Emily was amazing in the potato sack race and Bill & his father did the wheelbarrow races. Which I am sure was a big hoot!

I got to chat a little bit with some of my fellow parkwood mommies which was nice! Then we dined on hot dogs and hamburgers and finished with a beautiful service where we sang the star spangled banner and our pastor interviewed a war veteran, Mr. Webb. I did not get to hear most of his story because Anna was yelling MINE so we went to the playground again. I am so thankful for the sacrifice our military heroes have made for me. Please take a moment to pray for them and their families this Memorial Day!

IKEA

Saturday we made the pilrimage to the almighty Ikea! I love Ikea. I don't need to even purchase anything~ There's something about the ambiance of low prices and home decor that sends me into a frenzy.
This was Bill & the grandparents first visit to Ikea so it was also fun to note the aw, wonder, and confusion as they experienced Ikea on their intial voyage.
The wonderful thing about Ikea is that just when you're not sure you can handle the massiveness of it all there is a food cafe where you can stop and refuel for awhile. Since Ikea is Swedish they have for your dining pleasure Swedish meatballs and lingonberry sauce and lingonberry drinks Yumm-O!
Grandma bought me a little container to store my kitchen sink tools i.e. scrub brushes and sponges and the like. It has already proven extremely useful. She also purchased a few gadgets and we pondered installing a wood laminate floor in the living room someday...

Grandpa & Grandma Kratt

Usually on Memorial Day weekend Grandma & Grandpa Kratt come to visit. This year Emily was so eager for them to arrive; it has been all she has talked about. She is really starting to get close to Grandma. This time they stayed at a hotel so Grandpa could get his beauty sleep and Emily has been a little confused because she is used to them being here when she awakes. But it makes their arrival each day even more exciting!

What a joy it is for me to see my children establishing bonds with our family. Most of all of our family lives in Ohio and since we reside in NC visits are sometimes few and far between.

The kids for some reason are entralled with getting grampy his shoes. Everytime we say it's time to go~makes me laugh! Grammy is so sweet and has little chats with the girls and plays with them what a joy.

Crossroads

Here she is by and by staring down a crossroads
a decision impending
heard so much defending
the choice is hers yet once more
she wants clear cut
black and white
solidly clear truths
grey and blurry
indefinite and indistinct
is what she sees instead
bewildered and baffled taken aback
jumbled and tumbled causing a mess
a hodgepodge of mayhem wrapped up in a nest
she may never know...

Definitive BIG girl!

Miss Emily has now been daytime potty trained since September however we were a little apprehensive about letting her go all through the night. Well, I am proud to say that she has been dry the last couple nights and we are all excited here!

Yesterday was Emily's end of year picnic for Pisgah Preschool. It was super cool complete with a trackless train and crazy funny conductor. If I could figure out how to transfer pics from my camera to here I would post pics... the conductor had the kids laughing but his driving scared me a little ;) We then enjoyed picnics on blankets and I got the chance to talk a little with Emily's schoolmates and their parents.

Anna is a savage on the playgorund. She just runs everywhere and is so BRAVE on the slides and such when she falls down she just dusts herself off and is up and running once again! Her and Emily give me such great Joy!

Chimera

I knew a hollow man who had a wooden leg and we walked hand in hand all the way to Mexico. When we got to Mexico he bought me painted pots and told me homeland tales
and watched me dance La Raspa with a villager from Aguascalientes who would not tell us his name.
It was time to go home and our reverie did end
there was no movement or flow of quintessence
So I cast along in downtime expecting our fortune to turn.

"For them, the pain is fundamental and the joy is superficial because it won't last. For us, the pain is superficial and the joy is fundamental."

To Be a Mother is a Call to Suffer by John Piper

http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByTopic/204/55_To_Be_a_Mother_Is_a_Call_to_Suffer/ above is the link to where my head has been before I met with my Blog today. It still amazes me that at the touch of our fingertips is so much knowledge or so much filth. With each stroke of the keyboard we make our choice, eh?

Below is the main question Piper asks us: how do you handle the setbacks, the disappointments, the abuses, the heartaches, calamaties, the bitter providences of your life?

Communtiy Blood Center

So yes, I am trying blogging. Even after giving Anna B all that trouble I have decided that I must proclaim before all of of mankind and surely no one who reads this my thoughts on life and the likes. The truth is I adore journaling and the whatnot so why not be digital. I am little concerned honestly with saying too much :P

I like it but cannot add pics yet which I blame Kodak for and their terribly unuser and computer unfriendly software...

So onward and outward peeps. Today, Nancy & I braved the blood giving trenches all in the name of FREE movie tickets. Not knowing what to expect we entered the blood mobile~ a giant RV with Recliners and phlebotomists. It all started well Nancy was pricked first and hers all came out in a bout five minutes then it was my turn. The first girl couldn't even find my veins; then the mentor type Marco came over and he was able to find my vein but then when he stuck me my blood clotted and would not budge they were teasing me and telling me I wasn't giving haha and that they would have to revoke my free ticket :)

After some reassuring the pro Julie came and stuck me~it was a slow start but my blood eventually flowed after some coaxing & chugging water. I finally felt like I had earned my movie and hopefully helped a fellow citizen out. Just so you know when you give blood to community blood bank it saves a local life.. interesting huh?

Biggerstaff Park

Yesterday was gray and mild. It was one of those days that was threatening to rain and diffcult to tell whether outdoor plans should be pursued...I was up bright and early at 5Am and the munchkins awoke at 6Am by 11Am we were all a little stir crazy and ready to venture out regardless of weather forecasts.



My friend suggested we check out Biggerstaff Park. So I packed our lunches and we headed out. The children were napping after 2 minutes in the car. When we arrived the first thing I saw was the little old log cabins and another giant white house. Beautiful historical landmarks that I can assure you will be in future mixed media pieces. As we drove on there was green luciousness everywhere: trees, ponds, a trail, ducks, sheltered picnic areas, and a playground.



We hiked the trail as Anna loudly proclaimed, "March, March, march, march." What a relaxing day!