we go camping

For years, our good friends have invited us to go camping with them. Sweet and encouraging and persistent, but we have always declined. The kids were too little, or the weekend didn't work in our schedule, or some other fairly legitimate reason prevented us from going.

This summer, we finally said yes.

And so did nearly a dozen other families from our church. How great to be surrounded by so many friends! We all eagerly looked forward to our adventure.

Scott and I had a decent tent from our few camp-outs sans children, but that wasn't going to work for our five-some. We scoured the internet for pop-ups and nearly signed on the dotted line to rent one when we came across a monstrous camper that was 15 years newer and only $30 more in rental fees. Done and done.

So with Scott's dad's truck and our 27-foot super-lite, we embarked on a four-day excursion to the thumb. What memories we made!

(We know every single person at the beach So awesome.)

Here's what we know about the camping experience: Right now at this stage in our family's make-up, camping is a whole lotta work for us as parents. We have a boundary-pusher that lives at our house and he can make life challenging sometimes. Camping was no exception. This isn't to say that we won't try again next summer, but I just don't know if we will ever fill our weekends with camping any time soon. 

Here's what we also know about camping: it's an adventure that our kids loved. Despite the low temperatures and late nights and disputes about the top bunk, they adored the experience. Sleeping in a camper (and going in and out and in again), hiking in the woods, playing at the beach, racing down the hills, hanging by the campfire, roasting hot dogs, all of the things that make camping camping... it's what made the hype about this trip so worth it. I'm so glad we ventured into this world and am thankful for the memories we made.

soccer wrap-up

The soccer season is over for Andrew, but it was an experience we won't forget. In it we learned...

• Andrew is an amazing athlete. He's fast and determined and listens well to his coach.  
• As parents, we actually do okay on the sidelines - enough cheering to encourage, but not to coach. 
• We met lets of nice people, enjoyed our coach, and were pleased with our first go-round at soccer in our area.

It truly was a joy to watch Andrew on the soccer field, to see his talent, to recognize his tendencies in how he plays, to giggle every time he bent down to make sure his laces were just right, to see his confidence grow with every burst of speed and goal scored. This kid. So great.

making do

It's a 45 degree rainy day here at our house on the eve of June 1. For dinner, we had soup: an easy, stove-top meal. About half-way through the recipe for accompanying biscuits, I realized - again - we have no oven. You see, our 20 year-old state-of-the-art range died exactly two weeks ago, and we've been waiting to pull the trigger on a new purchase. Working gas burners, but no working oven.

As I attempted to bake the biscuits on the grill, it occurred to me that we really are making do with what we have. Our vacuum hose is patched with duct tape. The dishwasher handle is broken along with so many rungs and tines that hold our dishes. Our down comforter and pillows seem to have lost all loftiness. Scott's 1999 Alero has too many issues to count. The patio furniture, the couch cushions, the crumbling front porch, the list goes on.

It's easy to see all the wear, tear and damage. And even easier to feel urgency over updating and upgrading. Fifty or sixty years ago, the dedication to beautiful homes and fabulous living was not such big business. Now? I'm smacked with selection and choice and aesthetic and the perfect everything I can easily live up to with a swipe of plastic.

The thing is, though, every single day our needs are being met (and exceeded). Despite the broken. Despite the hand-me-downs and leftovers and band-aid fixes to get us by. We are blessed. Don't get me wrong. I like nice things. I like proportion and balanced color and manicured exteriors and picture-perfect rooms. I dream of a bigger space, a nicer kitchen, a great vehicle for Scott, a fix for everything. But I wouldn't trade those dreams for our quality of life, our great neighbors, our short commute to church and school, the Christian education we choose for our children, the amenities of our township, and the love we have in this place.

It's all about perspective. Sometimes it just doesn't matter how lowly the means to achieve an awesome end result. It only matters that we see the blessing in it all.

In case you were wondering, the biscuits turned out pretty well.

sweetest soccer star

We've officially joined the ranks of parents who have their children enrolled in extra-curricular activities. And I've gotta say, it's a whole lot of fun.

Tonight Andrew played in his very first soccer game. What a blast. His age group is the youngest in the league so three-on-three teams and goalie-free nets make the matches more about the experience than the competition. As each of the seven-minute quarters passed, I could see Andrew become more aware about the game... where to run, when to be defensive, how to prevent a goal.

Best of all, however, I saw Andrew's genuine heart. Twice an opposing player tripped near him, and Andrew immediately lost focus of the game and turned around with concern about the fallen player. When his teammates scored goals - even before Andrew ever had his turn at putting the ball in the net and scoring - he was the loudest cheerleader. You'd think he won the World Cup. Andrew was attentive and kind and listened well to his coach. What a joy he was to watch!

Pre-game: Andrew looks a bit unsure.

Heading down the field.

Cheering section. 

Loud and proud every time the Green Dragons scored.

Can't wait for the second game on Thursday night. 

a birthday celebration

Morgan had her first ever friend party on Sunday afternoon. Our house and our budget are boundary-setters when it comes to events like this, and Morgan has 21 girls in her class. So I struggled with when and how to have a party without hurting feelings. After polling some of my mom-friends, I decided it would be okay for her to invite five girls for a little birthday get-together at our home.

For the party, we tried to re-create some similarities to Morgan's favorite American Girl, Kit Kittredge, and the things she would have done at her Penny Pincher party in the 1930's. I worked hard on homemade decorations and activities with items we already had around the house, while still hoping that all the references to another era wouldn't be lost on seven and eight year olds.

Paper flags were our only real decoration.




















Our first activity was to have the girls create their own party hats for themselves and the dolls they brought to the party. I found a template online and had the elastic in my sewing drawer.

Up next the girls sewed little penny pouches with extra fabric from my stash. I finished the top of each pouch on my sewing machine before the party, and they just had to stitch up the bottom and one side. Needles and thread were all set to go, and for the most part it was a success. We had some struggles with knots and some girls were faster than others, but they were all so proud that they sewed! The girls put pennies inside to use as Bingo markers and cinched with a ribbon. Complete.

Bingo was next. I thought this would be an easy thing to create homemade. In theory, yes. But it was time consuming to choose images online and create six separate cards with varied layouts. I found 13 images that would work and interchanged them on each card.

Three classic 1930's games followed: 

Drop the Clothespin

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

Button, Button

So easy. All things I had here at home already.

After the activities concluded it was time for our Kit Kittredge roll cake and ice cream. Not quite as authentic as the 1930's, but it sure tasted good. Wish I had taken a picture of the inside, but didn't think of it while I was cutting. 

We concluded with opening gifts. Considering Morgan doesn't like to be on display, I wasn't sure what to expect from her. Awkward moments? Not too bad. 

Because Morgan and I enjoyed reading the Kit Kittredge books together so much, we gifted each girl with her very own copy of Meet Kit. Unlike the ones published today, the copies we gave were original, fully illustrated versions that maybe, just maybe, will grow a love of history and reading as it already has in Morgan. 

Throwing a friend party is probably not something I will do every year, but this sure was a fun way to get my feet wet. Regardless of the details, the plans and the effort, the girls had a good time and I was thrilled to fulfill this wish for Morgan.