I Spy Jars...and blocks!

Cerene, Caida, and I had a lot of fun today!  Besides swimming before the "storm" (that never came), we made some I Spy Jars out of old glass jars, little trinkets we found around the house and some old jewelry, and birdseed as the filler.  Hot glue and a laminate machine helped seal the deal, and they were just as fun to play with as they were to make!

Our friend Dan came over in the middle to help out, and afterwards we all rediscovered the joys of playing with simple blocks!  Of course, Cerene and Dan are both a little competitive, so between "who can build the coolest house" (which was too subjective, of course) and "who can build the TALLEST house," we probably had more fun than Caida.  :)

Then Lindsey came over and we all enjoyed some M&Ms and chatted merrily for a few hours.  After everyone left for home or to visit with friends, Caida and I enjoyed a movie night (The Princess and the Frog) with a cereal/M&M mix instead of popcorn.  And now we're going to bed.  Good Monday.  :)

Cerene and Caida visit...again!

As I mentioned before, my sister and niece are visiting for a bit...they'll be leaving early Wednesday morning for Riley Children's hospital for a 48-hour EEG, in which they are hoping to pinpoint where Caida's grand mal seizures are happening in her brain and determine her eligibility for brain surgery this fall.  And they'll be staying here again this weekend...and, depending on James's job situation at the end of the month and Caida's surgery schedule, they may end up staying here even longer--which would be just fine by me!  We always have SO much fun when they visit, and Cerene and I motivate each other to actually DO something and eat better and laugh more.

Here are some of the highlights so far:

SWIMMING! 

Yes, Caida has become part fish!

Charissa, Tanner, and Caida (underwater)

me and Tanner!

We have been swimming at LEAST once a day since they've been here...and are about to go again.  I say at least once a day because on Saturday we actually went walking up the lazy river in Columbian Park's Tropicanoe Cove for an hour, came back here to swim, then went swimming later with the kiddos that afternoon.  I LOVE swimming...it makes my back feel better and my legs feel stronger and I could do it for hours every day...if only I didn't burn!

MAKING STATIONERY!

We put some food coloring and corn syrup in bubble solution and blew bubbles through the straws...making our own stationery!

SHOPPING & McDONALDS!

Caida has her own money--a few whole dollars--and she really, REALLY wanted to spend some of it on her own 49-cent ice cream cone...so we went to McDonald's one day so she could eat and play.  We also have been shopping every other day, for things we NEED, but also a few fun things...like these AWESOME M&M dishes that are Caida-proof!  :)

JUST HANGING WITH FAMILY!

Yes, Cerene cut Caida's hair while they were here!

Her long, beautiful, but unmanageable hair before. 

So much fun already, and there's only more to come.  Worth the sunburn.  :)

Thankful Thursday!

1. I'm thankful that I didn't die or have any major, expensive car problems on the way back from the airport Tuesday, especially considering how the return trip started off!

2. I'm thankful that Cerene and Caida are here AGAIN, for a whole WEEK, to relieve me of my boredom!  We're going swimming and making cookies and playing school and hanging out with Grandma Linda and going to church together and it's going to be amazing! 

3. I'm thankful that the person we sold our piano to hasn't come to pick it up yet so we get to play it for a little while longer...

4. I'm thankful especially for the gift of the Spirit that I have to believe on the words of others...General Conference talks, especially by apostles and prophets, usually can pull me out of my moments of disbelief more than just about anything else--particularly if they share personal experiences.

5. I'm thankful for my friend, Clair, who, even though she's a zillion miles away in Washington state, thinks of me and sends me letters and fun things she makes.  I wish I lived closer to her so we could spend real time together face-to-face!!!

Why I Believe Wednesday: "But If Not"

The phrase and the talk "but if not" have been particularly on my mind in these last two weeks.  I've been having a rough time, and really WRESTLING with a lot of feelings of disappointment and loneliness, especially in my relationship with God.  I know He loves us and is aware of our feelings and (eventually) grants us our deepest desires, but I sure haven't felt that way lately.  There's a disconnect between what I know and how I feel, especially since some of these disappointments have come to crush me all at once in the most tender places of my heart.  It's just been a struggle, even just *being,* and I'm exhausted.

I'm sure anyone who's LDS remembers the wonderful Conference talk "But if Not" by Elder Dennis E. Simmons.  We all have our trials and our ups and downs, no matter how righteous we are or no matter how much faith we have.  In the moment, that can seem very cruel, and very lonely, and you wonder what you've done wrong or why everyone else (it seems) is getting what they want and you've just been completely neglected and forgotten.  And sometimes you HAVE done something wrong and need to repent...but sometimes it's just the way life is, and we have to have faith--REAL faith--that it will be all right in the end.  That somehow, in some way, if we remain faithful, the Lord will make it up to us with all that He has--and you quite literally cannot ask for more.  So, instead of just posting a bunch of feelings and experiences I'm going through, I'm going to challenge you to go back and read the two talks I've linked up to, and maybe if you're also going through a difficult time WAITING for those blessings to come, you'll have a little more hope, too.  'Cause all good things happen eventually.  :)

4th of July!

July 4th came and went in a whirl.  Paul worked during the day--a very long day--and then we went to downtown Lafayette for some Moe's, but it was closed.  Between that and the fact that the concert was really long and Paul accidentally ate dairy at Wendy's and was sick to his stomach by the end of it, you'd think it was a bad day.  And some of it was, especially by the end when we were tired and uncomfortable from sitting on the ground for 4 hours and not feeling well to boot.  But some of it was really great, and at least we did SOMETHING this year!  I love the free concerts put on by our city's citizen band, and it's extra great on the 4th of July...

We started off with the Purdue Jazz Band...and people watching...and some super cute kids...

Then we saw the debut performance of the Indiana High School All Star Show Choir (probably started thanks to Glee)...

The Citizens Band then performed, along with some vocals by the Freedom Singers...

...my favorite part was actually probably the "just buckets" drumline performance...

...and the same old people that are always dressed so festively and take it upon themselves to lead the crowd in clapping when a particularly clappy march comes on...

...and an intermission with the local Fife and Drum Corps!

We had a good time.

Of course, walking back through the crazy crowd during the fireworks so we could beat the rush (semi-unsuccessfully) while poor Paul complained all the way back (can't really blame him, he was in PAIN) ended the evening on a sour note, which was particularly unfortunate since it was our last night together until the end of the month because of his business trip.  But some days are like that.  I still had a pretty good time, and it was nice to go out there and actually celebrate the 4th together--it was the first time we have since we started dating!  So, it was a fun holiday...and I got a lot of compliments from total strangers (mostly old ladies) on my skirt.  :)  Win.