Summer Activities

Well today is the official start of summer activities.  My kids don't do a lot of activities and I recall why now.  I love watching them do different sports and learning new things, but with four kids I can see it can get real hectic real quick.  Emily is doing tennis this year and piano lessons.  She wanted to try out the trumpet which is fine since I own one.  I told her maybe we could wait on that. 
Josie was going to do tennis as well but I opted for Gymnastics instead which is only 4 sessions in the evening.  Shorter and Daddy can help take her.   She is also going to the Summer Kids Academy for some extra math help. 
 Isaiah is doing peewee league baseball.  I was hoping to get them into swim lessons but I couldn't find a time that would work around the other events.  Both Emily and Isaiah get to go to Bible camp for a whole week.  This will be Isaiah's firts time, I'm a little worried about that.  Emily went last year, so I know she should be ok.
 Luckily Kacee is too little for any of the events.  We will get to go to Grandma's house for a few days and then there will be our Church's Daycamp.  Plus Emily and Isaiah and myself are helping out with a puppet/drama for church. 
That should keep us busy for awile.  It will be lots of fun to see what all the kids learn throughout the summer.  They just grow up too fast. 

Kacee's Sayings

Yesterday while at the store we bought everyone a painting project.  Well, Kacee let me tell you that girl remembers stuff like that.  Today when she got up she goes to the closet and gets it out, she's ready to paint.  I tell her, "No we can't do that today." 
"Why," asks the 2 year old.
 "We have to clean, but we'll do it on another day." 
"Oh, Wednesday, ok?" she tells me.
"Yeah, sure we'll paint that on Wednesday."
    Randomness! I think Wednesday and Saturday are the only two days she knows.  I must say those two days alot. 
Another one of her things is "5 minutes ok?" That's whenever I tell her it's time for bed or to stop playing etc..  Or when I ask her to do something, "I can't how."  That would be I don't know how.  That or she tells me "I busy."
I love listening to this stage of kids and how they try to use big words but they don't always know exactly what they are saying.  Or they know all too well what they are saying!!

A day out

No extra kiddos today so me and my four had a day together.  They have free lunch at the school for kids for the summer, so I took the kids out for lunch!!  Then we went to Mankato and played in the park and took some pictures.  What day would be complete without a visit to the Doctor? (for me that is actually true as of late)  Then we went to a couple of stores and picked up some rainy day activities.  Then home for playtime outised, some homemade pizza, and a movie.  (Daddy got to out with some friends)
Overall it was a fun day, very beautiful out. 

Summer

I do like summer but it seems to be a lot of work, for by the time I get all my projects done in the yard, you'll get about one week to enjoy them before winter covers them up.
I decided to work in my yard.  I am working a new little flower area along my stairs.  I had to evict several ant hills in the process, they were non too happy about that.  Luckily they weren't fire ants.  I have that half done so hopefully I can finish it all up this week. 
After that I need to fix my front flower bed rock area.  It seems that the landscaping paper needs to be replaced as weeds have overtaken the area.  You see my neighbors had nothing in their front yard.  I put in my little landscaping, which wasn't awesome but considering I did it myself it didn't look too bad.  However the neighbors then had professionals put in beautiful landscaping and flower gardens.  Our front lawns are on a hill so it makes it hard to mow, thus the landscaping. 
I would also like to work on my lawn and killing off the weeds there and planting more grass.
Well I guess I'll stick with the front yard project for now, that's what is more visible.

Easter Poem

Loving Me to The End
Betrayed...
                 ...for 30 pieces of Silver
Denied...
                ...three times by His own disciple
Innocent...
                ...but they traded His life for that of a murderer
Scorned...
               ...by those He came to save
Beaten,Bruised, and Broken...
                                             ...yet the crowd still cried for more
Crucify Him, Crucify Him
So he went
                 He hung on that cross
                 He took my pain
                 He loved me
And when he uttered His last words
        He loved me still
But death could not hold Him
       Just as He promised He would rise
He conquered death for me
                none of us deserved it
                few of us ask for it
               some of us deny it
Yet He did it
Died and rose again
Loving me to the end

--by Nicole Perrizo

Homemade Chocolate Cake

I have an awesome recipe for homemade chocolate cake.  I find it's better on the next day.  It seems to get more moist on the second day.  Now to serve it up, forget the frosting, instead coolwhip, raspberries and chocolate sauce.  I will post the recipe for the cake later.  I can't wait for dessert tomorrow.

Construction

Well, we are heading into some construction projects.  I haven't had to do to much major construction in my own house so we'll see.  We are repairing the water damage in three rooms, plus putting in a water drainage system in the basement.  Top that off with a new roof this summer and hopefully the Perrizo waterpark will be officially out of business. 
I'm a little nervous about what will happen.  Living in an old house tends to make projects that should be simple take twice as long.  I'm hoping not because I have to replace a couple windows and I don't want to get stalled with them out.  Well I guess all my worrying will not change anything, so I need to put some prayers in for quick work with no extra surprises.