More Summer Stuff

Sorry for the light blogging lately...man, packing your house up is hard work with three little kids running around! I am not complaining (mostly:))because I am well aware of how many women would love to have children and can't and it breaks my heart...but it is hard, at times. I spent the early part of this week feeling constantly guilty because my kids wanted to play with me and I had to pack! I realized by Wednesday (a few tantrums and bad attitudes later) that I had become too consumed with it and I needed to just enjoy my children. Much better days at our house!


You're looking at the band "Blackout" in action. Seth chose the
name...notice his mismatched pj's, Josie in her Dora undies,
and their handmade sheet music Seth insisted on.

Another of Seth's creations. He wanted Gabe and Josie in the
picture, but only if they crossed their arms for it.

Gabe playing second base for the Lumber Kings

Blurry shot, but he made a good snag that thrilled him to

death. When he's not socializing during the game, he's a good

little ball player ;)

Sleeping Buddies

Every night before I go to bed, I go in and check on our kids and sometimes pray over them, too. Although the boys have bunk beds, they have slept together on the bottom bunk forever. We have tried to separate them, telling them they would have more room and probably sleep better if they slept alone...but to no avail. It has even become a bargaining tool for them ("You need to be nicer or I'm not going to sleep with you tonight" and the other quickly agrees to be nicer, etc.). I can only think of one time in the last year that they started out sleeping apart because they were upset with each other, but when I went to check on them a few hours later, they had already apparently reconciled and were sleeping together as usual. Last night, I went in to give them kisses (is there anything more precious than sleeping children?!!) and found them like this. Someday they will be embarrassed by this, I'm sure. Seth is our resident snuggler...someday his wife may appreciate this.

Fishing at Kent Park

We took the kids fishing today at Kent Park. I was so thankful to get outside and enjoy the day, because I had been attending teacher workshops all week from 8 to 4:30-I am not used to sitting still all day! I took a class called Visual Phonics and really liked it. It is a helpful strategy for hearing-impaired students, students with speech articulation difficulties, students with Down Syndrome, and all other students, as well. I was teaching Josie the hand cues to spell her name, and she loved it. I digress...sorry! Anyway, the kids each caught a fish and were very happy about that. They lasted for two hours before they said, "Is it time to go home now?" Good times. Oh, and Josie asked Nile if she could put her fish back in the water by herself and then proceeded to grab it out of his hand and throw it in the water!

Seth Riding His Bike

Nile's dad dropped off a table for us to use at our garage sale around 8pm on Friday night, so we all came outside to say hi. The kids were all in their pj's, and the boys were wearing their robes over their pj's. It was still so hot and humid, but they had snatched their robes out of the "to sell" pile and weren't giving them up for anything. Anyway, a little background...I did not think Seth would learn to ride a bike until he was, like, eight or nine. He didn't even want to ride his bike with training wheels last summer, and he just gets frustrated very easily and doesn't always enjoy challenges. So, we are outside, and S says, "I think I'm gonna ride this bike now." I can't believe it, and have a very bad feeling about how this will end up. But get it ready, and I tell him I'll hold on to him until he tells me to let go. We start up, and right away, he tells me to let go. I do, and he rides the bike down the sidewalk! I couldn't believe my eyes. He was so proud, and Gabe was just thrilled for him. This video is after about 10 minutes of practicing...I apologize in advance...I forgot to have him put on his helmet until after this was taken because I never in a million years thought he would actually do it. He did finally take off the cumbersome robe after nearly sweating to death.

We Love This Place

We had the dreaded garage sale today, and as I was watching a lot of our stuff go, the reality that we are moving started to really hit me. Nile and I both have been feeling sad about leaving this place we love-even in the midst of the excitement of seeing what God has in store for us. I liked the background of this picture of the Old Capitol...we can look back when we are feeling homesick. This was on Memorial Day. We had visited a cemetary (the one with the Dark Angel?) and talked about our soldiers and how they protect our country. The kids had so many questions, lots of funny ones.

Random Summer Stuff

These pics are after a long day of playing outside, water balloons (which frustrate me because they only pop upon hitting the ground and not someone's body),swimming at the pool, hanging out with Nile's sisters and mom, and home for baths. They were so tired they could barely keep their eyes open after snack time-with the exception of Josie's silly face at the end.

Seth was so proud of the award he got at VBS-he asked me if I would take this picture of him and put it on my blog so everyone could see it. Special thanks to Laura Broffitt and Jessica Miller for being great teachers! He loved it, and I wasn't sure how he would do without me being his teacher this year. I wish I had some pics of Josie, because she had a blast with Andrea and Alicia as her teachers-so many things to share...she remembered lots of the fun things they did, in order:), and she really loved her teachers. Gabe had fun, too, with Michelle Braun (spelling?) as his teacher. I had the pleasure of helping Carrie Sterner with games/recreation all week, and it was really fun to get to see Gabe and Seth every day during game time. Some crazy moments, for sure, but lots of fun!

I took the kids to Sugar Bottom, after some serious begging...it always seems like a good idea in theory and I was sick of the pool, but I forgot what a mess it is once you are done at the beach, especially without daddy there to tag team with me in the cleanup, sand removal process and carrying of the multiple inflatables, cooler, blanket/towels, etc. I should give credit to Gabe...he is very helpful as far as carrying things and with his siblings...Josie really has the desire to help, and is helpful if I have small stuff to carry...and then Seth, well...we will continue to work with him:) They were all very appreciative, which made it worth it for me.

Funny Stuff 6

Wow! I let too much time lapse since my last posting of their sayings, so I will save some for another day.

Josie:
"Mommy, did you get frustrated when you were a little girl?"
"Can I sit in this area or no?"
"You are not the parent, Gabe." (He was telling her something about her behavior)
"How do you give discipline?" (talking to her dollhouse daddy figure)
"I sure do love you, mommy."
"It's a type of animal and sometimes it lives in the water. Now, what is it?" (wanting me to guess which animal she was talking about...it was a hippo, by the way)
Josie had to use a porta-potty when my mom was babysitting once, and she did not like it. She calls it a porti-potty...anyway, every time we go somewhere and I ask her if she has to go potty (even at stores, etc.) she asks, "Is it a porti-potty or no?"
I've been taking J with me in the jogger stroller when I run lately, and sometimes we stop at a park by our house when we are done. Last week, I told her she might not want to come because it was too wet to stop and play. She said, "I don't mind about that. I'm just gonna sit and relax in the stroller." (and I would add, talk. Talk to your mom ALL the time when she is struggling to breathe and can't answer in full sentences.)
Also on a jog, she saw a dog up ahead of us, and wanted to pet it. "Mom, can you run REALLY fast so I can see that dog and pet it?" Me:I can't run much faster, honey, and I don't know that guy walking the dog, anyway. Josie: "But you could ask him, 'Could my daughter please pet your dog?'"

Seth:
"When I'm in heaven, will I still have birthdays every year?"
"I'll love you forever, mom. Will you still be my mom when I'm in heaven?"
"When I'm a man and you're an old girl, will your last name still be Heefner?"
"A magician never gives up his tricks."
"It's our duty to protect people."
"If we are ever in a dangerous situation, don't sacrifice me, okay?"
At Walmart, Seth told a worker there, "You can trust us because we love Jesus." Then Josie says, "Do you love Jesus?" And the lady smiles and says, "Have a great day, guys."
"Mom, Josie made a threat to me." (If you don't let me play in your fort then I'm gonna wreck your blocks, for example) Josie: Oh, I forgot I was supposed to say it nicely.

Gabe:
"Josie, you need to come to me the first time I call you."
"Hey, that looks like the guy who portrayed Jesus."
"Now try to make it sound realistic."
"You're the specialist mom ever. I love you."
"Look at the all the stuff surrounding it."
My mom was complimenting the boys on their band (they made tickets to come to their concert and everything...I'll try to post some video of them soon) and saying how in sync they were and how they sounded so great together. Gabe said, "Yeah, I think it's in our blood."
Gabe was telling me that he didn't like summer because it was tornado season. I was talking with him about it, trying to alleviate some of his fears, and I could tell he was still worrying about things. I asked him what exactly he was scared of, and he said, "I'm worried about who I'll live with when you all die in the tornado." Sometimes using humor really helps Gabe see his fears in a different way, so I said, "How nice for you that you survive while the rest of us perish." Sheepish grin from Gabe. It was a good conversation about trusting God in all things, about fear, etc. We are still working on fear of tornadoes, as evidenced the other night when the sirens went off.

I sang at a wedding in Dubuque a month or so ago, and Gabe made a little friend (girl) at the reception. He was dancing up a storm, drenched in sweat (those of you who know him can picture this well), and having a ball. A girl came over to dance with him, and they had a little routine going. It was so funny. Gabe probably danced for over an hour straight. On our way to the van to head home, Gabe said, "Mom, I wish I could get to know her better. Do you think God would ever let her be my bride? Oh, man, I don't even know her name!" I told him if God had chosen her to be Gabe's bride, He would make it happen, but that he has plenty of time to consider these things later...Then Gabe said, "She was so nice! When I messed up our dance routine, she just nicely said we could try it again and showed me how to do it the right way."