underwater basketball

???did you know??

 that if you fill a balloon with water you can play basket ball underwater!!

 we've added it to our list of super fun ways to beat the endless central california heat :)

 sweet!

 hours of fun!!!

El! Ay!

...and when you return from said oregon road trip, exhausted from packing and unpacking your sweetmess 10 times in 10 days and the city in which you currently hang your hat is STILL over 100 F nearly 24 hours a day, what then?

what is a momma of four homeschooled "humans in training" supposed to do? i mean, really people?












well, first, you style your hair in your best "up do"...

and then you load up that trusty mini van and head south....till you get to pt. dume! (think half dome, but at the edge of zuma beach in north malibu!)

and once you have watched dolphins and seals play in the surf and soaked in all the sand and sun one little body can contain...you hit a local burger joint with 8 kids, 12 and under, for wild fun! (including a splits contest! nathan rocked the straddle splits!)

since "back home" is still way too hot, you stay the WHOLE week in an AMAZING house that is graciously offered to you while your dear friends {the owners} are on vacation!! that way you have loads of time to climb trees with friends, play at all your old favorite parks, enjoy the views while you lay flat on your back doing NOTHING...

and conquer a long standing fear of heights!

                               

                                         (yup! that's right folks, those are jeans...in august!)

and no vacation would be complete without a little face painting with good friends!!

If you've not yet experienced the street lights exhibit at the LACMA, really, you must go! (i know a few folks you could stay with!!)

and while you are visiting the exhibit, the try playing hide and seek in it after the sun sets, with 12 kids!!! a total blast! but, count heads before leaving...we nearly left one behind!

 lastly...in order to best prepare yourselves for re-entry back into the reality of life in the dry, hot central valley, a few rounds of twister in the old neighborhood are a must!

as we crested the grape vine and descended back into the new life He has graciously called us to i shed a few tears over the life i had been called to leave behind. but there were also tears of joy as God reminded me of how many ways He has already refined our family into more of His likeness during the past 12 months.

His grace IS always sufficient.
His mercies ARE always new.
His ways ARE always perfect.
His will IS always right for my life...even this, even now, even here...in stinking hot fresno...and so we WILL rejoice!

fair-N-height

what do you do when its been over 100 degrees F for over two months, including at midnight!?!?

first, you go slightly crazy. then, you pack up your circus and take your show on the road...

 a really long road that leads up the Oregon coast!!!!

 and a wildly long road trip would not be complete without cousins!!!

 and long, quiet runs on the silently loud beach...

 plus endless, precious moments with the world's BEST family!

ahhhhhhhhhh!
healing.

un LOVE able

"Stop touching me!" "Don't! Stop!" "Stop looking at me!" "Stop! Stop! Stop!"

that's my back ground noise these days...

how do you love someone that behaves in such an UNloving way SO much of the day?!?

it's constant. unending. a low level noxious stimulus...like someone standing an inch from your face asking you "why?!" one thousand times in a row.

it's no wonder i scream at the top of my lungs by the end of the day (or by noon!) so often.

imagine sitting at your work place and coworker in the next cubicle whines and complains the ENTIRE day! how annoying would that be!?

i was sitting here, growing frustrated at the constant bickering and fighting and whining and tattling that is my "work day", judging them all to be "unlovable"!

that's when the Holy Spirit whispered in my ear...

"you are JUST as unlovable."

oh.

and there's this...

DESPITE my unloveliness; despite my willful disobedience; despite my woefully sinful heart...

Christ died for me.

for me!

for you!

for mysweetmess!

for all the unlovables.

(truly!) amazing grace!

last day of school!!!!

 

                      (our very first day of homeschooling...seems like SO many months ago! )

our year was filled with crazy-wild-fun-painful-rough-hysterical moments

and...each day was filled with His presence...and He gently, faithfully carried us through all 187 days (oh yes! i counted!)

              (my wildly sweet "mess" on our early morning bike ride during our last week of school!!)

we ended our year of learning at home the way we started it...snuggled close together, the sun rising on our faces, lifting our praises to "Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine".

Thank You Jesus!

just this...

"what messes our life up most — is the expectation of what our life is supposed to look like"
-a. vosskamp

(read the whole blog at aholyexperience.com...the one dated may 8th...for mother's day)

the last day of month eight of homeschooling my sweet mess is coming to a close.

i'm speechless.

time

"The best use of time is to freely love.
The best way to love is to spend time.
The best time to love is always right now." -A. Vosskamp

on being ten

 our number two hit double digits last month.

and he is becoming more of a jokester every day!

 he celebrated in his own unique way...ice skating with a buddy (and his kid brother...a sweet gesture to be sure!)

 i have no ice skating pics, because his daddy took him!

 since entering a new decade, he has been quoted as saying, "i feel SO much older now, mom"

 we also took him to an amazing indoor trampoline place...complete with a huge dodge ball area! what more could a ten year old boy hope for!?! Happy number ten buddy!!!

but, my most favorite quote of his so far:
"wow! it's light enough outside to kill a chicken"
(said one morning as i was waking him up in his bed!)