A Story for the Girls from Cousin Kami

This summer Kami wrote the girls a story.  Grandma Terrell gave it to us as we were leaving Montana.  I thought it was so creative and thoughtful that I wanted each of the girls to have a copy when they get older.  So, here it is.  I especially like the drawings of Kendall and Sidney on the first page.

My Top 10 List.

There are times in my life that I need to be reminded of how much I have to be thankful for.  So I thought about this a lot today and here it is...

1)  Kevin.  I am lucky to have a husband that is such a family man.  He wants the white picket fence, the wife and the two kids.  Over the past few years (13 to be exact), he has shown that he is willing to work for "the dream".  For that I am grateful.

2)  Kendall.  She is absolutely full of life.  She jumps into life full-throttle.  I have so much to learn from this beautiful little girl.  Every day I am grateful that she is a part of this family.

3)  Sidney.  My little momma's girl.  She gives me squeeze hugs and a thousand kisses.  There are times when I leave for work that I can actually feel her little head still embedded into my neck.

4)  My job.  Not just the job, but the people I work with.  There are times when I do not feel grateful for this.  The truth be told, I have worked with a lot of different people in my lifetime and have never had co-workers as awesome as I have now.  They have supported me through some of the most critical years a woman has...childbirth and toddlerhood.

5)  My parents.  I am fortunate to have both of my parents and for the example they have set.  I cherish all of the moments that I get to spend with them.  I have a mother that I call every day and a father that has always been honest with me. 

6)  My sister.  I am so thankful to have been blessed with such a beautiful sister.  I have had someone to share every stage of my life with.  Someone whom I cannot run away from.  She has been both my worst enemy and my best friend.

7)  My health.  Though many days I feel fatigued, tired and overwehelmed.  BUT,  I am healthy.  I CAN do anything that I desire.  I can walk, run, bike, swim and breathe on my own.  To many people any of these tasks might be impossible.

8)  My home.  I have a beautiful home with beautiful furnishings.  My kids do not "want or need" for anything.  I am a lucky woman.

9)  Food.  We have a refrigerator (and a freezer) full of food.  I do not ever have to watch my children go hungry, or try to figure out where I will scrape the next meal from.

10)  My education - my mind.  I am thankful to have had the opportunity to get an education.  I am thankful for the mind that God gave me.  I have been able to do with relative ease that which many people work very hard at.

Super Chicken

Kendall's first piece of art.  She spent an entire day working on this picture.  Great use of color and she managed to stay within the lines for the most part.  Go Picasso!

Summer Vacation - 2010

We are back from our vacation and have already begun planning for next year.  We had such a blast.  First stop was Missoula with a visit to Bonner Park.  It was a scorcher of a day so the water was very welcome.  Kevin and I even joined in on the fun.

Then it was up to Holland Lake for a week of relaxation and no cell service.  Amazing!  In keeping with tradition, we celebrated Sidney's birthday early.  Grandma Terrell made her the most gorgeous My Little Pony cake.  Here is Sidilicious hamming it up for the camera.  I think her and Kendall stuck their fingers in the icing a million times before we ever cut the cake.

 Sid opening her presents with her big Sister Kendall and her cousins Hallie and Kami.  She got a fishing pole just like her big Sis! 

 Aunt Sherri Pie and her daughter Julie came up to join us for Chili dogs the first night.  It was great to see them.  But...camping in the "motel" at Condon...wimps I say:)  Or smarter than the rest of us?

I told my Dad that he was indeed "making the blog" with his pretty pink water shoes.  He had forgotten his shoes and the store only had one pair in his size and they happened to be pink.  It is no wonder since most women do not have size 10 feet and most men would have went without before wearing pastel pink water shoes.  Not my Dad.  He wore them proudly.

 Kendall spent countless hours fishing.  It was pretty amazing to watch.  One morning she pulled her beach chair into the water and sat for at least 2 hours casting and reeling in her big fish.  She caught (3) 94 pound fish.  Hmmm......she truly is a fisherman.

Mom, Sid and Riley enjoying the morning sun.

 Cracker Jacks for breakfast anyone?

 Sid after a sunscreen application.  I think it may just be time for a first haircut.

 Kevin spent the week giving boat rides on the lake.  It was absolutley relaxing.  His brother David brought his jetboat to camp one of the days and everyone took turns tubing.

 The infamous rope swing.  Here is Dylan swinging like a chimpanzee.

 What made the rope swing infamous you might ask?  My sister.  Below is a great picture.  See the rope and where she SHOULD have landed.  See the splash in the bottom left corner where she DID land.  Ouch!  A bit too close to shore.

A group of us hiked up to Holland Lake Falls.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  Hallie was such a trooper.  It is quite a hike for an 8 year old.  She drank a lot of water, took a couple short stops and made it the whole way.  Good Job Hallie!

 My dad (without the pink shoes)....

 Steph and Jay.  Most of the pictures I took was of them manning the campstove and cooking us all good food.  Here is a shot of them relaxing after all of their hard work.

 Cousin Cody and Hallie's dog Bo.

 Kevin's twin brother Roy (6  years different)....

It was a great time.  There were no Huckleberries this year but we were told a bear crossed our path on one of our walks.  One of the other campers saw the bear cross behind us.  True to female form, we were making plenty of noise and did not even notice.  We cannot wait to do it again next year!

Countdown to Holland Lake

Kendall helped me compile this list of things we have to look forward to:

10...Glow sticks at night for the girls.

9...Roasted smores.

8...Trips around the loop in the bike trailer.

7...Cans of bug spray.

6...Squirt guns (that I will try to avoid getting hit by).

5...Campfire dinners with family.

4...Walks on the trail.

3...White Russians at the Lodge.

2...Days of fishing at Glacier.

1...Huckleberry picking expedition.

I cannot wait!

Beating the Heat.

Today is supposed to be super hot.  I packed up the girls and ventured out to a new park this morning.  This is my new favorite park.  The girls played with the giant musical instruments, then enjoyed the "water features".  Next time I will be a little more prepared with swimsuits and peanut butter sandwiches.

Conquering Our Fears.

I am not a person of many fears.  After all, I have jumped out of an airplane onto land, jumped out of a helicopter into the ocean, fired an M16 rifle, wore chemical warfare gear for days (which causes most people to hyperventilate), ran a marathon, and spent a night alone in a bathroom in Mexico (don't ask).

No.  As my sister put it, my fears are more of the "irrational" kind.  Things that most people would not even consider.  So when the oral surgeon told me last Monday that he recommended general anesthesia to extract my wisdom tooth, I broke out into a cold sweat.  Immediately I suggested that novacaine would be fine.  He said I could do what I wanted but suggested that I would "certainly not want to be awake for this".  I got an epidural when I had a baby, so why did this freak me out?  My fear is not totally unfounded.  In my college psychology class, we had to watch a movie about a women who was anesthetized during surgery but she could feel everything.  YIKES!  I still remember her torturous screams.  In the end, I decided  to listen to the doctor.  Now I am void of ALL wisdom teeth and hope that it's removal will relieve my headaches and toothaches.  My dentist told me to do this a year and a half ago.  Clearly I am not a good listener.

Sidney also conquered one of her fears today.  The carwash.  Yes, she has been TERRIFIED of the carwash.  So today when we decide it was time for the van to get washed, I prepared myself for the blood curtling screams.  However, today was different.  The man at the carwash gave the girls tootsie roll pops.  He is my hero!  Here is a picture of Sid actually LAUGHING during the experience.  We were inside the actual carwash when this picture was taken.  Way to go Sid!