Prayers Please!

What a weekend we've had. I'll start with the prayer request. Chad's grandfather, Frank, is in the hospital and the dr's say that his time here on earth will soon be over. His health has been declining for the last 5 years, drastically this past year. Chad's grandmother passed away January of 2007 and Frank has been missing her so much. Please pray for Frank, for calmness and peace as he passes. Please pray for our family. Even though this has been coming for a long time, our hearts don't seem to be prepared:) Chad's mom and aunt having been spending exhausting amounts of time at the hospital with him-please pray for their strength in both mind and body.

On to more happy things...

Chad and Bryan drove up to Olympia on Friday and went sailing for the weekend on Bryan's sailboat, LiLo. The weather was a bit warm and the wind wasn't to cooperative, but the guys had a nice relaxing time. I'll put up pictures as I get them from Bryan.

My parents are in Indiana with Kyla until Wednesday of this week and I'm taking over for Dad at his metal shop. I haven't had to work full time since before Kyla was born, boy is it tiring:) On Saturday, I opened my home to 5 of my galfriends and we scrapbooked until we dropped. Gavin had a fun day at Aunt Beth's and I got some time to get stuff done:) Thanks Beth!!

As I miss my daughter and begin to mourn Frank, I am so thankful for the family that God has graced me with. I urge you to hug your kiddos, Kiss you spouse and call to chat with your mom:)

Kyla's Grand Adventure

Today finally came! For the last month, Kyla has needed a daily breakdown of the days until her trip. Kyla and my Dad boarded a plane @ 10:30 this morning and flew off to Indiana, without me. This is Kyla's first trip away from Chad and I. She's been away from us of course, we are just the ones who are going someplace fun:) My aunt is getting married this coming weekend and my parent's decided to let Kyla tag along on their trip:) She got a new backpack, her own disposable camera, and lots of things to play with on the plane just for this trip. They've made lots of grand plans and should have a blast. I'm excited to see the pictures and hear all the stories. Our baby girls is becoming quite the independent thing:)

This will be Kyla's 3rd trip to Indiana. She'll be hanging out with her cousins, her great-grandparents, and many Great Aunts and Uncles. Both sides of my family live in that area. What a blessing that we are able to share our little girl with our extended family. I try to keep everyone updated with pictures and info, but they can really get to know her now:) Chad's family is from Ohio, his dad is actually out there now visiting with his family. They, Kyla's great-grandfather, grandpa, and Great Aunt and Uncle, are planning on making the drive over to Logansport to see her as well. What a great opportunity to make memories!

Children of the Corn

What a treat! Last evening, we headed over to my parent's house out in Mulino. Mom was in Indiana so we had to fend for ourselves:) After dinner we all went out to the garden and played. This spring, my parents planted a green bean fort for the kids. It's finally to the point that they can play in it and boy did they play.

Kyla was ready for desert so she picked everything she could find to eat; apples, blackberries, carrots and strawberries. You name it, their yard or garden has it:)

After a much needed bath, Kyla made up a bed for herself on the floor of Grandpa Kevin's room. I took Kyla and my dad to the airport early this morning and it was easier for everyone if we just stayed the night:) The kids feel asleep quickly but were up so very early! Kyla was so excited for her trip!

Sweet Friends

You're...

My Friends, my companions,
through good times and bad
my friend, my buddy, through happy and sad,
beside me you stand, beside me you walk,
you're there to listen, you're there to talk,
with happiness, with smiles, with pain and tears,
I know you'll be there, throughout the years!


Hannah, Kyla and Meira

What a blessing to have our friends live near. How lucky are we that they are our family as well! Kyla's cousins, Hannah and Meira, are her dearest friends and constant companions. They have loved her from the moment of her birth and showed her that love unceasingly. My heart gets all mushy when I think of all the memories and fun that these girls share together. They have fought, of course, but always end up with a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts. Beth and I stand back as we watch our babies grow into these amazing girls who will someday turn into wonderful women. Oh the joy of having friends who will stand beside you through this process, even during the rough patches. To my daughter and my nieces, enjoy each other, support one another, and always be thankful for this friendship that you have been blessed with.

School Time!

On Friday, Gavin, Kyla and I went over to the local grade school in Lafayette and turned in all Kyla's paperwork. She'll start kindergarten there this fall. How did that happen so fast? We won't know which class she'll be in until about a week before school starts. Wascher Elementary is undergoing major construction and they are scrambling to finish it all by September. They've added new classrooms, a new lunchroom and kitchen, and more offices. It's been fun to watch the process. Kyla wanted to go and try out the new playground that was recently finished. She had to try all the equipment in preparation for school:) She didn't want to be unprepared:)

They had some big work trucks there and Gavin was so excited!

Water Fight!

My parents came over for the afternoon to get their grandkid fix. My mom is heading to Indiana for her sister's wedding this Tuesday. Kyla and my Dad will meet her there a week from Wednesday. My baby girl's first big trip without us. Half of me is so excited for her. What a great time she'll have with her grandparents! What a grand adventure! The other half of me is heartbroken. What ever happened to that baby girl I just had yesterday? As a parent I try to enjoy every stage of their lives, but it seems to be passing by so quickly.

Back to the story:) After dinner, Kyla "accidentally" got Grandma wet. Grandma "accidentally" got her wet back. What happened after that is pretty much as you would guess, except for the addition of lemonaid. Don't you wish you were part of that:) The end result was a sticky set of parents, Gavin's hair in a permanent mohawk, Kyla in a new outfit, and a pair of grandparents laughing until their stomachs hurt.



















Here are some pics of Kyla and Gavin with their Grandma Lynne and "Gramps"

Old Jen Riddle Had a Farm

E , I , E , I , OH!

We've had our first harvest from our raised garden beds! I had recently been bemoaning the state of my cucumber plants to a friend of mine. I was checking on them today and look what I found!! No wonder the poor little plant wasn't growing, all of it's energy was being used to grow this! I've had a handful of wonderfully ripe cherry tomatoes this last week as well. We actually had to do some work staking my tomato plants tonight, they were too heavy for the wire cages and they kept tipping over!

We had sloppy joes for dinner tonight, really sloppy joes:) Gavin couldn't eat them fast enough it seemed. Nor could he get them straight to his mouth:)

As I was making dinner, Gavin started hollering. I went to find out what the racket was about and found this. We had put his old bath chair near the door to give to my brother and his wife for their new baby. He obviously isn't ready to let it go:)