Camp

Camp Makenna and Camp Tracen was a huge success!
This year each kept coming back to camping out for their party, and after thinking about it and asking around for some supplies, we went for it. When they have their parties together, the number of children invited seems to increase...but I looooove it! They invited 25 kiddos ages 5-10, plus each other. This equalled up to 25 kids because of 2 with stomach bugs, 1 baby sister, 2 parents, 2 grandparents, 1 super college guy, 1 cousin and her boyfriend, 1 uncle's sweat for hoooooouuuuuurs before, 1 trampoline disassembled, 1 tent picked up in Abilene on the way, 1 tent picked up at the preschool office at church, 1 tent picked up from friends, 1 projector from friends, 1 king sheet off our bed, 27 fabric strips for camp headbands, 5 strands of Christmas lights out of storage so nowhere in the yard would be completely dark, 6 borrowed lawn chairs, 25 chairs kids brought, 15 nails, 2 garage sale pickets, 6 pieces of found scrap wood, 50+ sheets of borrowed scrapbook paper, 1 Sam's quantity of chocolate chips and s'mores, 2 packages of marshmallows, 1 tub of pretzels, 4 packages crescent rolls, 100 little smokies, 2 borrowed tables, various borrowed camping gear items, 4 sheets of brown painters paper, 1/2 a roll of packing tape, 250 rocks, 12 mason jars, 4 packages of paints, 10 blankets, 1 extra pillow, 3 yards of fabric, 50 ziploc baggies, 48 banana bread muffins, 80 cinnamon rolls, 48 water bottles, 40 capri suns, 27 hobo bag favors, and 27 flashlights to pull it all off. No biggie, right? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

But really, other than setting up and tearing down, this party was great for that many kiddos. We bought stamps and envelopes and food items and drinks and favor things. Everything else was borrowed or a found item.

The major part of the party was organization and controlled fun for this many kids. We had things for them to do up until time for pjs and movie on the lawn. We also had separate boys' and girls' bathrooms set up for privacy. There were signs pointing them in the right direction and then signs of the doors of the bathrooms designated for them. Of course I gave the boys the all-tile bathroom. Thank goodness I did because my mom woke up to a surprise of pee covering the entire area around the potty, on the floor, in the trash can, and on the shower curtain! Some little dude was not awake when he went in the middle of the night! That was about the only drama we had. Yay!

Schedule:
7-7:20 Arrive and check-in
7:20-7:30 Rules and whats and wheres
7:30-7:50 Rock painting
7:50-8:00 Happy Birthday brownies
8:00-8:30 Eating and playing
8:30-9:15 Presents
9:15-9:30 Flashlights passed out and Flashlight tag rules
9:30-9:35 Walk to school field
9:40-10:25 Flashlight tag games in the dark
10:25-10:45 Bathroom and change into pjs
10:45-12:15 Watch Parent Trap movie
12:15-12:30 Bathroom
12:30 Goodnight!
2:30 Goodnight to the 4 girls still up and talking!
2:30-3:00 HORRID SKUNK SMELL THAT WOULD NOT GO AWAY
3:00-morning Covering up freeeeeeeezing little girlies in the tent with 17 of us inside it
7:30-8:30 Up and bathroom and change and eat breakfast
8:30-9:00 Go home!

I really did not plan this schedule out to a tee before. I just knew we needed to paint rocks first and sing and eat while it was still light out. Then we did presents because it was not dark enough to go play tag yet. That set the times of what we did. At 3am I was laying there, freezing my tail off in a tent with 16 little ladies, realizing 25 kids were all sleeping in my backyard at the same time!! Yes, as many of my friends said, I have lost my mind. :)

Girls' tent
Boys' tents
Some of Scott's sweet camping stuff
27 flashlights
Sign-in table, so I would have everyones' info and numbers in one place, just in case
How many? 157, and no kid guessed higher than 101!
Chaos at the sign-in table. Wesley was the KING of helping me! He would run their sleeping bags to their tents and then take their backpacks to the girls' or boys' room. He was a life saver!
Food Table
Drink coolers
Derrick, Erica-the real birthday girl, and Scott, who helped me all afternoon
Camp Rules! We have always had a rule in our house of no scaring anyone...aka talking about a monster in the closet or under the bed, or saying anything about the dark or ghosts(sorry Jillian, they def broke that rule with Hollyn...unbelievable to me still!!!). It was very important to me that everyone was there for fun and not for talking about the dark or being scared. It helped so much, and I never had a kid come to me and say they were scared ever.
Getting the rules
Rock Painting


Seven and Ten candles! Almost had 'real' campfire brownies!
Damilola shares a birthday with Tracen, so we begged him to come. This pic was for his sweet mommy in Nigeria to see him celebrating his day.
Campfire brownies
Sleeping bags(pigs in a blanket) and Pillows(chocolate dipped marshmallows)
Fishing worms(sliced string cheese)
Kindling Sticks(chocolate dipped pretzels)
Yay for a new cd player!
Finally I have one that Mailey does not want to use!
Flashlight tag fun!

Sophie hiding behind my dad in tag
Movie time
Lots of sleeping bags in a too small area!

Whew! Such a blast and so glad the organizing is over, but YES, I would do it again in a heartbeat!!

A Little Bit of Beth Moore

Living Proof Live Simulcast Lubbock TX from David Lowe on Vimeo.

Here is a video of some of the wonderful Living Proof Live show in Lubbock. What a great time of worship with 9,000 amazing people in the United Spirit Arena, plus the 180,000 viewing through the simulcast. You can see some of our friends in it, too! What a sight for sore eyes to see women..and men...of all ages, hands raised to their Savior, unabashedly singing praise to God, filling the room with sweet fragrance before the LORD. If you ever have the chance to take in a word from this group of people, I highly recommend them. Real. Raw. Reverent. Right.

One of the best parts was knowing, all over the room, there were ladies in there who are the 'we' to my 'me.' Sitting by Beth and Morgan, who bought my ticket for me back in January for my bday, looking down on Beth D, Janis and her girls, as they ministered(in stellar Wal-mart jackets) as ladies went to the front, seeing Leslie across the way, who had never done anything Beth Moore before but came, passing Stephanie as she made her way to her seat, texting Cathy to make sure she was there to hear this, looking up to the swank box seats and seeing Kim and Heather and Krissy praising Jesus, and realizing sweet Brie was worshipping and hearing in a way that blew all of this out of the water! This made me truly long for heaven, and made me truly thankful these ladies are here on earth. (missed you, beth b.)

Some stand-out thoughts from the day:
One of the biggest favors we can do for one another is to have a pure heart in our relationships.

Discipline ourselves to walk in His ways, or we go from confession to destruction over and over again.

We can guard our dignity right out of an epiphany.

The Word is what He has to say, period, over what He has to say to or for me.

Hermeneutic-put the He in the study of the Word and take out the her...and men:)

If you have a heart to do His will, you're not going to miss His will.

Should we mind being an "also?"

Jesus touched the woman while she was bent over. What has bent you over? You do not have to straighten up before Jesus will come and touch you.

Unforgiveness will push us down flatter than a pancake.

Why don't we put the 'I' before our "love yous?"

God is good all the time, and when it appears He is not, it is because He is great.

Do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do with the Lord.

We want our unhindered story to be, "I love you, Jesus!"

sporty

My children have far exceeded my willingness to try and actually participate in a sport. I know I am coordinated. I know I have accuracy. I know I've had moments of even liking(sort of) an activity while I was playing. BUT. I really have major pe/sport event anxiety. My parents could not get me to play anything growing up. I looooved being on the sidelines and cheering all my friends on. I never even wanted to be out there or part of a "team." Maybe it had to do with the glasses at age 6 thing and being targeted in dodge ball?? I am just not competitive at all in most things! I am sure my parents think that I really might have wanted to play something or felt like I missed out, but it really has never bothered me one bit. Makenna started out just like me. I signed her up for soccer, she screamed and freaked out and said she would never play...this after just turning 5, mind you. She had fun at the few practices and then the first game was super! She played and kicked and tried to score and laughed and had a blast. Unbelievable. Then the second game came. The early morning game was freezing, Makenna was miserable, and she refused to move an inch inside the white line. She did not play at all, just cried. The third game came and she was done. Would not play again, though it was warm then. Stubborn, anyone? I made her go to every single game, even picture day, and she never played again after the first game. I was going to teach her about committment no matter what!!! It was awful. A few years passed and we tried the ballet thing, which she was not a fan of, and she loved her gymnastics class, but no sports. Last year basketball came around and I decided she was going to play. Tracen was dying to play, and had already done t-ball, so I just said they were both playing and that Tyson could help coach Mak's team and then Tracen's next year. I thought she would give in, but she went ballistic, falling down on the ground by the kitchen table and freaked. She ran around screaming and fled to her room declaring how evil we were and she would never eat or move again and would never leave her room so she could never play, blah, blah. Tyson marched her bottom to try-outs, and then to her first practice. She was learning and admitted to it being fun. Then both kids had their tonsils out. Baaaaad timing. They missed the first few games and were pretty much clueless about the time all the other kids were getting it. After a game or two, Tracen was still not a fan at all, but Makenna became a crazy woman out there. She was fighting girls for the ball and chasing them down and trying to score. Who was this child?? I guess her bball run helped her get over her fear of sports, and now she decided she wanted to play soccer while Tracen is trying out flag football. She is having so much fun and learning a lot. It is hard for a girl who has never...the other time did not count...played to be with girls who have played since they were 4 years old. I kept telling her this could be the case if she never tried then all of a sudden wanted to play in jr. high. It just won't happen. I'm so proud of her having fun and getting into it, not crazy by any means, but caring and playing her best. Tracen struggles some in the sports category, but the fact that he has played t-ball and soccer and not whined about it and wanted to play, even though he is not a natural athlete, makes me so proud, too. I know we will never be the crazy every night of the week hard core competitive family, and I am more than ok with that. I'm just glad they are trying and enjoying themselves while they are little...also causing the littlest to declare," I go to gynnnastics today! I jumpin' and rollin'! I goin' to soccie ball and takin' dat flag offa him! You takin' me? You seein' me? I playin' wif Kenna and Tacen!" She can't wait.

Twins?

Abby and Grant came over the other afternoon and stayed for dinner and bathtime. Since I didn't have any boy pjs that would fit him, I put some bluish/purple pjs on him that matched Mailey. They looked so funny! One day we can use this photo... Twins, definitely.

Fun First

Mailey absolutely loved school! She ran right in, started painting, and barely said good-bye. When I picked her up she was playing and acting like she was in charge. She ate most of her lunch and took a nap. Their only comment was, "Umm, she's a climber?!" She apparently climbed on top of the changing table. Yikes. Her teacher is a little older, so I hope she can keep up with my mess and all the other little ones. I was really sad, not because she was going, but because she was old enough to go. I'm not quite having babyitis, but I am getting close. Scary! We also took Julianne to her first day of PDO. Let's just say she did not have the same initial reaction that Mailey did. She was screaming!!! Here are some pics of the girls before school and of Mailey at her table. Julianne wasn't in the mood for a pic in her class! I can't believe my baby is so big.