filling our day

One would think the following would fill our day today...

*Went to the local fruit stand and Fresh and Easy.  Dear Fresh and Easy, if offering free coffee (with flavored creamer) is your way of enticing your customers, it works on me...not to mention your $4 off a $20 purchase. :)

*Bought a new fish since Petey died.  I think the kids' favorite part was simply getting to hold him on the car ride home.

*Made baked clay creations.

*Played Candyland while Kendall napped.

*Made a scavenger hunt for the kids to do.

*Had them do "special upstairs time".

*Built a fort.

But you know what?  I still stared at the clock this afternoon thinking, "Are you kidding???  It's only 3:30?  What in the heck do I do to fill the remainder of the day???"  Ever have one of those days?  :)

*Yesterday morning I took the kids to Walmart.  I had to make one return and was excited there was only 1 person ahead of me.  It still took 15 minutes until I was done with my transaction.  Grrr....

*Later we had some free movie tickets and had been excited to see the new Batman movie.  My parents watched the kids and the movie did not disappoint. :)

*As Chris and I were brainstorming what to do with the kids this afternoon, the later it got the more we just didn't feel like driving anywhere.  So I decided a movie was in order.  Cam asked for Polar Express.  I was hesitant at first because I'm not a fan of Christmas movies during the year.  But I relented and I'll admit, hearing that familiar music makes me excited for the Christmas season.  And we aren't too far off since around here, August is when Christmas stuff starts to appear in stores!! :)

*Cam is still VERY into the Titanic.  We are headed to the beach later this week and I thought I might also try to coordinate a trip to see the Queen Mary, knowing he would LOVE to see such big ship.  However tickets are a little pricey, so I'm glad I didn't mention it to him as a possibility. :)

*We have been debating getting a dog for a long time and still go back and forth.  As of now, we are pretty certain we woud like to get one for Cam's birthday next month.  We don't want to pay for a purebred.  We've been looking on Criag's List.  Chris is thinking of some sort of lab mix or boxer mix.  We'de like them to have their shots already, but still be young/puppy.  If anyone has any good advice, send it my way!

*I'm happy our Bachelorette chose Jef.  I wasn't a fan of his the whole time, but I think they are cute and while I would never say they'll last forever, here's to hoping! :)

*I was driving by a church recently and they had a banner with "Family Movie Nights".  The kicker?  They also said, "PG and PG-13 movies only!!"  Are you serious???  Anyone else think having PG-13 movies at a church's "family night" is a little...um...not quite right? :)

lake day

My mom invited us for an afternoon at Lake Gregory today.  The kids had a blast!

We packed a picnic lunch.  I made one for the kids and my mom made salads for us.  Chris always teases my mom about how many salads she has.  :) Our meals at their house ALWAYS include a salad.  So I'm sure he'll get a kick out of the fact that she actually put together one for a picnic lunch!  :)

I love how Kendall is "flying" in this pic.  Even her little legs are extended!

*While up at Hume, I read more than I normally do.  I nearly finished an awesome book entitled The Greatest Generation Speaks.  While it's not new, I had never heard of it, despite reading Tom Brokaw's first one, The Greatest Generation.  It consists of letters from soliders, wives, family members, etc. of those who fought in WWII.  It was fascinating and I highly recommend it.

*Also at Hume I was able to try something my brother-in-law brought up, Starbucks Via.  He had the caramel iced coffee version and it was quite tasty.  I found a knock-off from Cafe International for about 1/4 the price. It's good, but not AS good. :)

*Yesterday during Kendall's nap, I told a very bored Cameron that he could search through a kids cookbook I have for ideas and pick something out for us to make for dinner.  He chose soft pretzels (which he named "kids and mammas' yummy soft pretzels).  While not the healthiest choice, it was fun to make and they both enjoyed the process.  This recipe is great because you don't have to boil them before baking.  Also they are REALLY good!!  :)

*Poor Chris is VERY sick.  While he does not have strep, his throat certainly feels like it.  I haven't seen him this sick...well never actually. :(  The kids are quite confused as to why we keep telling him that dad can't talk.

*Cameron has been requesting to watch Tangled for some reason.  I found one in a Yucaipa Redbox, which happens to be right next door to McDonald's.  So after a short play time, we headed over and the kids are excited to watch it this afternoon, accompanied by another soft pretzel. :)

*This morning I took the kids for a run.  They're getting pretty good about obeying the "don't talk to mama while she's out of breath" rule.  I only have to intervene a few times, usually when one touches the book of another. :)

*A while back my MIL bought Cam the Kids National Geographic 2013 Almanac.  This has been one of the bests gifts he has ever received!  He reads it all the time and it was a great activity for down times up at the cabin and on the rides to and from.  I find all the facts he discovers extremely interesting as well!! :)

hume lake

Yesterday we returned from a week at Hume Lake.  Chris' parents rented a cabin for the entire family.  Not everyone could stay for the whole time, but at one point we had 16 people under one roof!  We had such a fun, fun time!!  The weather was perfect and with the exception of a few people getting sick, everyone had a relaxing week filled with new experiences for the kids.  Here are a few highlights:

*We were able to take Cam on the "Little Brown Church Hike" a few times throughout the week.  

One time we strayed from the trail and found this huge pile of logs.  He LOVED climbing over the entire pile. :)

*I always enjoy getting to spend time with Chris' extended family.  A few are from out of state so it's not often we are under the same roof for several nights.

*One of my favorite afternoons was when we went creek walking and fishing.  While nothing was caught, the kids really enjoyed it, especially considering Chris' mom had purchased Disney fishing poles. :)

*Another fun afternoon was spent swimming in the lake.  Kendall really has proven to be a HUGE water fan. :)  

*One afternoon Chris, along with his two cousins, took Cam to see one of the largest trees in the world.  Cam was quite talkative about it and when they returned and described the tree, I wish I had gone myself!  Here is Austin talking to Cam about the tree.

*A big highlight for both kids and parents was the daycamp the kids attended each morning.  From 9:00-12:00 they were taken care of with activities like feeding the ducks, nature walks, etc.  They all loved it and it was such a treat for us adults to get some time to read, walk around the lake trail (which I loved), and relax.

Overall it was such a memorable week.  We ate amazing, enjoyed spending a solid week with family, and will miss all the fun activities as life gets back to normal.

p.s. I can honestly say I did NOT miss working out while up there.  I thought maybe I would enjoy getting back into it upon returning.  NOT AT ALL. :)

*We leave tomorrow for a week with Chris' family up at Hume Lake.  We are all very excited!!  This afternoon the kids and I are going to the 99 cent store to get some fun activities to do while we are there (like this cute sticker crown we made today).

*Chris officially fired me from ever buying toilet paper again.  This is due to my recent purchase of 1-ply :)  While it was an accident, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal and was sure we would get used to it.  Hmm...not so much.

*Recently we strayed from our normal Chicken Apple Gouda hot dogs from Costco and purchased a pineapple flavor.  They are good, but I don't think anything can live up to our gouda dogs. :)

*Right now the kids are napping and having room time and I'm watching Extreme Makeover:Weight Loss.   I'm thankful for fast forward because 2 hours is a loooong time for a reality show (yes, I even fast forward The Bachelorette since there loads of cheesy parts).

*Cute conversations today:

Cameron:  I wonder who I will marry when I get older?
Kelly:  Well, who do you think you'll marry?
Cameron:  I think maybe because I really love you, I'll marry you.
Kelly:  Ahhh, that's nice buddy, but I'm already married to daddy.
Cameron:  Well, maybe I'll marry you after daddy dies.
Kendall:  I want to marry you Cameron!!!
Cameron:  OK!!!

Kendall: Mom, sometimes when you give hugs to daddy, it makes me really happy!  Will you do it again when he gets home?


*Ever since I saw these on a friend's Pinterest board, I can't stop thinking about them.  I have yet to make them, but it WILL happen. :)

beach day

Yesterday was supposed to be 100.  It was supposed to be about 80 in Newport Beach.  So off we went!  The kids were soooo excited and had the best time.  I think the ocean has taken over hiking for Cam.  He could have been out there all day.

Since I didn't want to leave right at traffic, we went to Mainplace Mall and met a friend of mine to have dinner and play in the play area.  By the time we left, we flew home on the freeway and both kids collapsed in bed.  One would think they would have slept in since they got to bed late.  However as I write this Cam just went back upstairs after coming down at 5:40 to watch me exercise.  Ahhhh...oh well. :)

 I'm going to end with this picture because it perfectly says exactly what Kendall did...get REALLY, REALLY sandy.  At one point she was flat out on her tummy.  What a mess to try and clean before getting her in the car!  But it sure was cute to watch!

volcanic eruption

 A while back my MIL was clearing out some things from her classroom and came upon an instruction sheet for making your own volcano.  I stumbled across it today and decided to do it with the kids.  It's super easy if you want something fun to do inside...especially with the heat this week.  We did it three times with three different colors of lava.  Here is the green one...

Make Your Own Volcano

Need:
-water bottle
-funnel
-baking dish
-vinegar
-food coloring
-baking soda

Place bottle in the middle of the baking dish (for spillage).  Pour 1/2 cup vinegar into bottle.  Squeeze several drops of food coloring.  Lastly, pour 2 tbls. baking soda (using funnel) into bottle.  Contents will start to bubble over immediately.

*I know I've said this before, but I really am so thankful for our somewhat po-dunk, small town library.  Yesterday they had a pajama party.  All the kids came dressed in their p.j.'s with their stuffed animals.  They had singing, crafts, face painting, and pictures taken with each child's animal (one of the crafts was a frame for the picture).  The kids had such a fun time!

*Last night we went to some friends for a BBQ.  They made the MOST AMAZING appetizer I have had in a loooooong time...prosciutto wrapped asparagus with goat cheese.  Oh my heavens was it flavorful!!!  :)

*Cam is still very into learning about the Titanic.  I was reading a book of his and learned something very interesting, but very eerie.  Apparently, a few weeks after the sinking another ship came across dozens of the bodies.  The eerie part was that they were floating upright, as if they were treading water.  I can't imagine how frightening that must have been. :(

*This afternoon we have a long list to conquer at Winco, including a stop by the candy bins to replenish our stock. :)

biola

Today Chris had a meeting at Biola, where we both attended and met.  The kids and I tagged along and explored the campus during his meeting.  I cannot believe how it has changed since I was there.  I'll be honest and say I teared up a few times as the kids and I were walking around.

My four years at Biola were beyond amazing.  I have some of the best memories there with the most wonderful and fun friends.  It's also quite surreal to think back to the first time I saw Chris, goofing off with his roommate at an orientation meeting :)  To think if I had only known back then that I would one day marry that guy I thought was so funny!

So while I wouldn't trade my life now for anything, it sure was cool for me to go back in time and remember the carefree life where the words "kids", "mortgage", or "responsibility" weren't even in my vocabulary. :)

Here is Chris with the kids in front of the baseball field where he spent countless hours and had many wonderful memories of his own.  We were hoping to get down to the field, but you can see it was being worked on.

To make the most out of the drive out there we ended our time with a picnic at a park with a friend and her kids.  Overall a very fun day. :)

a couple of firsts for kendall

Kendalls' first 1st:
Yesterday morning we went to Bracken Bird Farm in Redlands.  The kids LOVED seeing all the birds and especially the goats and turkeys.  Last time Kendall was pretty timid, but this time was her first time letting the goats eat out of her hands. :)

Kendall's second 1st:
Later that afternoon we took the Kendall (and Cam) to her first movie in a theater.  We saw Brave and she did awesome!  She sat still all but the last 10 minutes. :)  As for the movie...I wouldn't say it is Pixar's best, but the kids liked it. :)

My mom came with us and accompanied us afterward to Weinersnitchel. :)

Chris left dinner a little early to go to bootcamp at his gym.  After we were done we headed across the parking lot to where he was.  The kids enjoyed peeking in the window at daddy lunging and sprinting away. :)

free fun

If you live near a Bass Pro Shop and want a fun activity, head over because they are now having family  camp days.  A few days a week they offer cute crafts, toy bow and arrow practice, and of course the carousel (and sometimes a little fishing pond where the kids can catch a live fish).  We had a fun time there today. :)