One Cent

All of us were in the family room. The Mom was reviewing history assignments for the coming week; the Dad was throwing the football with Twinkle; Mickey, Chip, and Minnie were playing on the computer.

And where was the dog? Where was that faithful guardian? Where was our One Cent?

"Where do you think? You people have no sense in staying up to all hours. Okay, okay, if you had a soft mattress to fall asleep on, would you go to bed? If you had to watch an army of people twenty four-seven, would you crash any time you could? All right, then."

Sorry, that was One Cent. And yes, she put herself to bed on the girl's bed in the girl's bedroom. Really. Truly. Didn't even say goodnight.

Oh, she is a bit...touchy on the subject, if you haven't noticed.

Goodnight ("RUFF!!)

Twinkle and One Cent

A Weekend in California

This past weekend, we coupled the Dad's birthday and a visit to see friends into four FULL days of fun! On Thursday, we packed up the car around dinner time. Driving into Los Angeles around eleven that night, we bunked up with the Chous in their condo for the night. The next morning, the Wars showed up at our door! Wow, was it good to see them!

For lunch, we ate at a FABULOUS seafood/korean food restaurant. After sufficiently stuffing ourselves, staring at the scary green water, and playing with little Liam, we (the Wars and us) headed south to San Diego!

The next day (which was also the Dad's birthday), we hit the beach! Talk about a FUN beach day! Blazing sun and sand, cool water with great boogie board waves, watermelon in the cooler, and enough towels to go around. :)

On Sunday, after a day a La Jolla/Torrey Pines/ hang gliding cliff watching, we had to drive home.

Thanks Wars and Chous and Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Dennis for making this weekend a BLAST!!!

Twinkle

Mickey and Chip

Minnie and Twinkle

Say cheese!!!!

Hunter and Trevor and Mickey messing around

The Dad's birthday cupcakes...Baden was SO excited that it was "Uncle Chuck's" birthday! :)

Noelle got her ears pierced!!! Yay!!!

The hang gliders were so cool to watch!

Twinkle and the Mom.

Baden

Us kids

The Dad's birthday boogie board

The G2 Retreat

Last weekend, more than one hundred kids between 14 and 18 years old along with their parents took a three hour car ride up to Pine Top, Show Low. Why? To hang with their friends, hike around, play some AMAZING games, and, most of all, to experience God.

This was the G2 retreat.

G2 (standing for "One Gospel, Two Generations") is Sovereign Grace Church's youth ministry. Needless to say, it was INCREDIBLE!!!

We all met at the church around 9 Friday morning, recieved brief instruction, then crammed into each other's cars for the drive up to Pine Top. When we arrived, set up began! Congrats to Kiley Mac and Josh T. and Annalee F. and everybody who spearheaded the set up! It looked really really great!

When people really started to arrive at Pine Top and bags were unpacked and balloons put up and sound checks run, we were ready to begin. Here are some pictures of the fabulous weekend!!!!

Twinkle

::monkeys::

Almost all species of monkeys like to be groomed and petted and brushed and massaged. Sometimes, they will line up and massage each other, one after the other. It is said that this practice gets rid of bugs that hide among the monkey's thick fur.

Except for the bugs and thick fur, the massage process is not much different with us kids here at phoenamenaldays. 


Don't we all look so comfortable? :)

"we're not in Kansas anymore...."

So... not long ago, a trip to LA for business pretty much meant a 2 day trip for a 3 hour meeting.

6 plus hours in the plane (not to mention the time before boarding and after landing)... bustle about the business at hand... then fly out the next day (same routine, but eastward bound - which meant effectively losing that day to travel)...

times have changed... this time, meetings scheduled in LA for a Tuesday...

on Tuesday mid-morning, drive 20 minutes to the airport.. hour flight... conduct business.... arrive back at the house that evening .... with plenty of time to give the kids their bedtime kisses...

not missing the commute from Kansas...

Our welcome home

Last week some of our friends here in Az hosted a 'Welcome home' party for us...It was a great chance to reconnect--for us and for the kids. We were even able to surprise Twinkle with a 'happy birthday' serenade and cake--complete with candles to blow out!

The E's hosted and it was such an enjoyable evening to hang with friends, let the kids swim and tell them all about our time back east. (notice how people always say 'back east' and 'out west'..why is that? does anyone ever say 'out east and back west'??? I don't think so...try to say it yourself and you'll hear how ridiculous it sounds...)

anyway... it was a fun night...enjoy the pictures while i go do some very scientific internet research on the origins of 'back east' and out west. I'll report back when i've got it all figured out--or when i am tired of searching.:)



The gang hanging out at the pool:
SO so so cute Jett:
Wendy Jag and Jett's mom, Tina
Jeff and The Dad:
Hangin'...talkin'....





Mickey...taking the plunge

Minnie's admirer Chase and Minnie's friend Shiloh
A Zig with cool hair....
The ring leader of the cool hair at work...
and this is ...ahem...Mickey...
The almost 15 year old....
The party continues inside...
Nora with her sweet little girl, Kate
And one of my favorites, mckenzie and Mrs Brown...don't you wish you knew what they were talking about???

Happiness is

Video Skyping with your friends.....








But to be honest, at times it makes the distance seem more real. And I did get a bit teary eyed when we first logged on to see some friends.... and the joy/sadness from club penguin is still hard to fully explain because seeing penguins play together virtually just reminds me that they can't play together so easily in real life.


Just keeping it real.



~the Mom