Didn't your mother ever teach you not to play with your food?

What kind of mother do these children have anyway? (Aren't these pictures going to be so much fun to scrapbook?!!!)

A trip of a lifetime

On Thursday morning I drove Natalie to the airport at 5:00 am to meet up with my parents. Then they were off - just the three of them. My parents decided that when each grandchild turns 12 they will take them on a trip anywhere they want to go. So, Natalie decided to go to the Galapagos Islands. She had researched so many different places around the world and chose this trip because of being able to see animals, being able to go out of the country and also because she knew my parents had never been here before.

The Galapagos are off the coast of Ecuador and getting there really wasn't too big of an adventure. They are currently on a ship that will visit the many islands. They'll sleep and eat on the ship and tour the islands during the daytime. We've only heard from them once since they left and it sounds like they're having a great time. While on mainland Ecuador, they went to the equator and my mom balanced an egg on a nailhead.

This is such a fantastic time for my child to share with her grandparents, creating memories that will last her entire lifetime. We really miss Natalie around here and can't wait to hear about all the details of her trip.

Catch up time......

School's out. Yeah! The first week of summer was absolutely fanstastic. The kids saw their cousins practically every single day, spent the night at Grandpa's house, stayed up way too late, had friends over, made $15 at their lemonade stand (can you believe that!), slept in, swam, and so much more. I love summer. I hope it goes by slowly.
As for me, I got the wild idea to paint my kitchen nook. I saw a picture of a beautiful dining room and decided that's what I wanted my eating area to look like. Off to home depot I went. It is now a rich chocolate brown with white crown moulding, a white chair rail and white baseboards. I even put the moulding up too - with Troy's help after a disasterous run in with the liquid nails. I am NOT a painter. In fact, I hate painting, so I have patted myself on the back several times for actually tackling and completing this assignment. (The last time I painted, I stopped before completing the job and hired professionals - pitiful)
I have purposefully ignored my to do list and barely kept up on the business responsibilities - it's summer time for me too. So tomorrow, I will put on my "responsible Michelle" hat and get the real tasks done.

PIZZA

This kid LOVES pizza. And she eagerly picks off every single piece of pepperoni first before she meticulously scrapes off the cheese with her teeth then chews the crust until the entire slice is devoured. Last night Troy came home with a pizza for the kids (so he & I could have a little date night). He said "I'm home. And I have a pizza." Camille, who had been engrossed in Sesame Street, immediately hollered and ran to the kitchen. For a kid who can be picky about her food, we've got a sure thing here.

Memorial Day Excursion

For years I have intended to take my family to a cemetery on Memorial Day. And each year the day slips by without the trip. This year I almost threw a FIT about going. Swimming would have to wait. Sleeping in would be kept to a minimum. Friends could come play on another day. And Camille could take a nap when we got home.

We visited my grandmother's cemetery and to my amazement, my children loved every minute of our visit. They weren't eager to leave. They wanted to study the gravestones. They looked at names and dates and noticed the inscriptions. They got teary-eyed when we walked through the section with babies who lived only a day or two. We talked about God's plan for us to come to this earth to receive bodies then to return to live with him again.

I am sure our family is going to make this an annual tradition because of how memorable this year's Memorial Day was.