Evening fun

We love having the kids' friends over for pizza and movie night every so often.
The kids get pretty wild with lots of running and wrestling.
"Make your own sundae" bar always tops off the night.

Omega 2005 Nutrition Center

My juicer arrived! Yippee!
I have been planning and contemplating healthy and tasty juice combos in my mind for weeks, and finally I was able to put it to use!
I've got Tim on board for wheatgrass shots and carrots and greens juices, and the kids are excited about fresh apple and orange juice.
We made apple juice the other day and it was so sooooo good. The kids can do the juicing part so that was super helpful because I would rinse and cut the apples and they fed them through.
Today we juiced oranges and it was delightful.
The kids really work as a team and have such a good system down.
It's also been fun to talk about the different nutritional benefits of the fruits and veggies we are using.
Next I will be learning to use the leftover pulps for muffins, breads and soups and I hope to begin composting what we don't use.
What a fun lifestyle change this is becoming!

Visions of animals dance in my head

There are a lot of animals here right now in our tiny 1700 sq foot house.
In fact I have a couple of candles lit at the moment to freshen the not so fresh air.
I look forward to a spacier home soon to accommodate the animals, who at this point, even outnumber our children.
But I must say that I so appreciate Abby's loving gaze and her sweet ways.
I love that Lucy thinks the kitten is her pup and she takes care of her, bathing her, protecting her and even scolding her.
Most of all, I am in absolute adoration with the kitten. She is the sweetest little kitty and lives to be held and snuggle under my chin. I love that there isn't the love hate relationship that seems to exist between people and their dogs.
There is just love because cats are just not capable of annoyance.
I am laughing as I type this because I just know that come December, when JuneBug rips ornaments off our tree or is found hanging from a stocking I might change my tune! :)

Also, I have a social commentary on self-righteous pet rescuers.
And, by the way, this message is coming from a girl who rescued the mice in her
Colorado home in the winter in an aquarium, feeding them peanut butter and crackers until it was warm enough to let them free because she couldn't bear to poison them, so I am not callous about animals!
Rescuing a pet from the pound or humane society is an absolute noble awesome thing, and I have witnessed many great family pets coming from that exact scenario.
Tim and I have always been faithful donaters to the ASPCA and I'm sure we'll rescue one day too.
However, there is nothing and I repeat NOTHING wrong with purchasing an animal from a responsible breeder.
Just because there are irresponsible pet owners out there who neglect their pets or allow uncontrolled breeding to occur does not mean that we should all be forced to take home the products of these uncontrolled breedings when we go looking for a new pet.
Many people have special requirements they have to consider as well, such as allergies, or perhaps they are searching for a particular temperment due to a bad experience with a certain breed.

Furthermore, I ask you, if it is so selfish to purchase a pet "when there are just so many out there to adopt" then isn't it selfish to have your own child when there are sooo many starving orphans out there in the world to adopt?
One might say that the adoption fees for animals are minuscule compared to those of children, but really? If the adoption fees were significantly less for a child, would you forgo having your own because it was far more socially responsible to adopt?
Lastly, those of us who take the time to research the type of pet we'd like to spend the next 10 to 20 years with and are willing to pay the price tag for that particular pet are FAR MORE likely to keep that pet till death do us part then those who pick one up at the pound.
After all, many of the pets at the pound right now are ones who have been adopted out and returned.

I thank God that there are people walking through the humane societies every weekend in search of their new best friend and believe me, before JuneBug I was one of those people. But I am also thankful for the breeders out there who are searching for and ensuring the best temperaments and health in their animals and who charge the prices they do to ensure their babies find forever homes.
Amen.

Girly Girlz

Kayla and Bailey had a special Girly Girlz day yesterday and enjoyed a diva day spa and girls lunch after.
Besides one short moment where Kayla got a little sad thinking about Emmy, she truly had a great time! She chose the cowgirl theme and Bailey chose the princess theme.
They each got matching friendship necklaces to take home.
So fun!

Night Swimming

July in Arizona is HOT. But there is one thing that is just the ULTIMATE about this situation and that is NIGHT SWIMMING!
There is nothing like swimming in bath water with the 90 degree night around you and no lights other than the moon and the pool light.
The kids absolutely love swimming at night and what a perfect thing to do before bath and bed.
It looks so cool when it's dark out and the pool lights are on. I tried to get some neat shots of Tim and the kids swimming in a line and then side by side without using a flash. A little tough but fun to try.

The Flu

Well, Mom has the good old flu.... maybe not even the old flu but the new one. The swine flu. Yuck!
I guess that's what you get when surrounded by thousands of people in small places in a city like Las Vegas.
We had such a fantastic trip, but this virus is horrible!
I have to stay drugged up on Vicadin to function because the pain and chills are so bad.
I am staying at Papa and Nana's house to avoid contaminating the kiddos.
I just wanted to write about how amazing our family and friends are.
Grandma Elephant came out to Queen Creek and brought my chicken noodle soup and otter pops.
Uncle Chris is coming to visit me today. Our friends are picking the kids up, feeding them and sending me
many well wishes. Most of all, Tim is encouraging me to stay here and rest as long as I need to.
(Part of that is his desire to NOT catch this but but who can blame him)
I feel very loved and I always marvel at the people in our lives.
We are blessed.

Summer Memoirs

I always promised that I would record our normal day to day activities so that you guys could look back at what a week in your lives looked like. There are so many sweet and special moments to record, that I forget to write about the routine things.
This summer has been great. Most of our days have been spent at home and in our pool.
Bailey and Ethan are here with you so often it's like we have our own little world.

Collin, you have attended two camps. One was an Infinity and Beyond gymnastics camp which you loved! You also went to a 3 day "wild west" camp at your preschool.
You love your cooking class, playing with Ethan, swimming and seeing your grandparents.
We are working on reading, writing and drawing this summer. You are becoming a terrific reader! We like to play "stump Collin" and your giggling and silliness are a joy as you sound out words. :)
You are ACTIVE and you tire Mom out but sometimes we go on Mom and Collin dates while Kayla is in class and I just stare at your adorable face while you tell me tall tales. You will begin soccer and crazy creative cupcake class in the fall.
You also start three day a week preschool which makes me so happy, because you will get the opportunity to make your own friends and have your own time.
But it is tough on Mom because I know it is my last year with you at home.
Luckily you will be attending half day kindergarten next year so we will still have our Mom and Collin lunch dates and lots of time, just the two of us.

Kayla, you also love your cooking class. You enjoy seeing Chloe there and on playdates as often as possible. You are spending a lot of time with Bailey and we adore your friends. You have always been so blessed in the friend department.
You attended a "get ready for second grade" camp and had a blast. You are taking a writing and math enrichment class every Monday and have made fast friends with your tutor and your classmate, Savannah. You continue with piano and voice and demonstrate your love for music often.
We volunteer at the nursing home every other Monday and the residents love your singing and our games. You just started horseback riding and it is your new favorite thing. Unfortunately we won't be riding too much until the fall because being on a horse in 115 degree weather is just plain dangerous!
We are working on vocabulary words this summer. We continue to play "stump Kayla" and Daddy and I are blown away by the fact that we can rarely stump you.
I believe you can read almost as much as we can at this point and I have to be careful about the books and articles that I leave around. You have been known to check out a few pages of the novels I am reading before I realize it!
This fall you will begin a craft class with Chloe and an acting class.
You are still deciding between soccer and hip hop. You are almost in at the nearby charter school so we will be homeschooling for a year or less.
I am excited because you love school and making friends.
I am going to cherish this year with you though, because I'll be letting go of you all over again when you finally do get in to that school.

A few people have asked me if I'm "going crazy" homeschooling.
In fact, I couldn't be happier, and I know you and I will both look back and cherish the extra time we had together at home. I will never dislike or regret the time I have/had with you both at home. I know you won't either.
It's time we can never get back and every minute I have with you is a gift.

Daddy and I often like to take "the road less traveled" and we maximize every moment we have together as a family. I encourage you to do the same as adults.
Study what you want to study in college. Raise your kids in your own way and educate them as you see fit. Don't do what everyone else is doing or what you are "supposed" to do unless it works for you. You will be happier in the long run.
Always be giving, but when it comes to your family be selfish! Be selfish with your weekends and your time with your kids. Pull them out of school for an extended family vacation, skip the neighbor's birthday party to take a day trip instead.
So many events and obligations pull us in many directions. Try not to feel too pulled.
Travel, explore your world and don't be afraid of trying new things!!
We hope that the mix of family time and opportunities that you are enjoying this summer prepare you for a new year and an exciting life!
I so look forward to the fall and this new school year.
Love you both!
And those are my summer thoughts! Now we are off to the water slides!