Road Trip 2011~DAY 1

Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel

We arrived in Chattanooga late Tuesday night.  The trip was good and the Kamryn traveled better than I had hoped.  She was such a little trooper. We stopped several times along the way and she slept about 4 hours, so it was an easy trip.

Wednesday morning we started off with breakfast at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel.  Then we took a few pictures with the train, but did not tour the museum.  Wish we had more time to do this, but we were only here for 2 days.  

Group picture in the lobby of the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel.

Reminded me of the Red Couch pictures at the White Swan Hotel in China.  

They had several red couches in this lobby.

Tennessee Aquarium

Next it was off to the Tennessee Aquarium.  It is one of the best aquariums in the nation.  We rode the free shuttle bus to the aquarium.

Love this shot of Kensli waiting on the bus.  

When we got to the Aquarium we realized we had left the stroller in the car back at the hotel.  It was easy to do, because you walked out of the hotel and on to the bus.  Thinking we could handle it, we went on in and toured the first building. After the first building, Toby rode the bus back to the hotel and got the stroller.  She is heavier than she looks.  

 Petting the stingrays.

The butterfly garden was amazing.  The kids really enjoyed this area, except for Kensli.  She likes to look at them, but does not want them to land on her at all.

Kamryn loved the butterflies.  

The fuzzy spots on the picture is due to the moisture in the exhibit kept fogging the lens.

Nicholas with his butterfly bow.

The tanks were amazing. The kids were awestruck at the different fish and the HUGE sea turtle.  

Kind of blurry, but love the oldest 4 lined up looking at the fish.

Ricky acting goofy in the shark cage.

There were a lot of interactive exhibits that the kids could view and touch animals up close.
  

Point Park

After the Aquarium we decided to drive up on Lookout Mountain and see what was up there besides Rock City and Ruby Falls.  We stopped and asked someone and they said that Point Park was a great place to go.  It is an actual battle ground of a battle during the Civil War.  Oh, Ricky was in heaven.

How my middle 3 view historical markers.

All 5 looking at the view....well, 4 were.  Kamyrn was hamming for the camera.

Love this picture of the 4 oldest on the steps of the monument. 

To many steep steps to risk Kamryn in the picture. 

My 3 middle kids doing what they do best.

Ricky took pictures of everything, read every plaque, and touched every cannon.

Love this kid!!!!!

It was a beautiful way to end a wonderful day.  The view was spectacular and the history rich. 

Just Knowing

There are times I really wish I could honestly share my life....all of it!  I wish that I could share the ups and downs of church, the reality of sin and what it can truly do to a person, the craziness of the people who live in that sin, the goodness I see in people, and the change I witness when God is allowed to work.  


Today as I stood on the front row of our little church, I looked around and smiled.  I knew them all, which is not hard to do with 70 people. They are my people, my church family....Cuban, Dominican, Mexican, Algerian of French/Spanish descent, African American, Costa Rican, Canadian, Guatemalan, Honduran, white American, and a few other nationalities.   We are quite an eclectic group and I love it that way. 

In the last two years we have been in the delivery rooms, prayed for them and their children, watched as they allowed God to help overcome addictions, sat and listened to their stories, met a few of them as refugees scared and bewildered, and rejoiced as they have grown in Him. They have lost and conquered so much in their lives.  Some have had to flee their countries due to oppression and some have lived with such poverty that it hurts just thinking about it, yet here they are giving God their all. Praising because He has delivered and saved!  Just knowing makes my heart smile!  

I think the lyrics to this song by Hillsong sums my feelings up.

Road Trip

We are going on a road trip, and I am so excited!!!!  I really do not think where matters as much to me as just going. This is the first trip we have taken since Kamryn came into our lives and I am so ready.  I get restless to GO often!  This year of staying at home, while I would not change it for the world, has been a challenge for my restlessness.  


Now I am packing.....yipeeeeeee!  


Question:  How much stuff can I cram into 6 large suitcases + a couple of tote bags + 1 back pack for 7 people for a 2 week trip?  


Answer:  I am not sure, but I will be finding out! 


I will have access to a washer and dryer at each stop, so that REALLY helps.


House and animal sitter is scheduled.  Pool sitter  is scheduled.  Bags are in the process of being packed.  


We are going on a trip and I am so excited!!!!!

Church Camp

My kids look forward every summer to Church Camps.  They have so much fund spending time with old friends and making new friends.  This was Nicholas' first year to be old enough to enroll.  He enjoyed it so much, but wished Kensli could have gone to all the activities with him. 

Toby bought me a golf cart to ride around on at the campgrounds.  It is so much easier to get around the campgrounds if you have one. I am so very thankful for this new ride.  I should have taken a picture, but we fastened Kamryn's cars seat on the front seat for a safe ride.  She loved riding around!

The second week was Jr. Camp and my niece and nephew were here to attend.  The kids had fun being together.

My two youngest watching out the window of our trailer for Ricky to bring them something from the concession stand.  Sometimes we would ride over and get a snack and sometimes Ricky would surprise them with something.  

I was such an exciting week for Kamryn that it wore her out.  She fell asleep in the swing at the park.  It was her first camp and I look forward to sharing many more with her.

Bathing Beauty

I really believe my older kids think Kamryn is a doll to dress up and play with at times.  Kaitlyn had to try these goggles without lenses on her.  She was so cute, so I snapped a few pictures. 

I can't believe she is 9 months old.  

Where has time gone? 

 Last night as I rocked her to sleep, I thanked the Lord for trusting me with this little bit of sunshine.

Memorial Day Weekend

We had very busy unofficial start to summer.  I love holiday weekends because Toby gets to stay home and the whole atmosphere of our home is even more festive.  

On Friday night, Ricky started complaining of his eye hurting and said he felt like he had a headache.  Not a great start to our holiday.  By Saturday his face was swollen and he was stopped up on the right side of his face.  We are taking him to the doctor first thing in the morning.  He is ok as long as he stays on Advil.  We have done the saline nose flush, decongestants, and Advil.  The saline gave some relief, but the Advil works best.  Hate when one of the kids get sick on a holiday weekend.

Saturday was our 17th wedding anniversary.  We did not get to celebrate much with Ricky sick and Kaitlyn having her big orchestra recital that night.  They performed a Disney Spectacular and from what I have seen of the video it was wonderful.  

Kaitlyn and her beloved violin.

One of our dear friends brought Kaitlyn these flowers in honor of her performance.  It was such a sweet thing and the flowers were beautiful.  Could not resist snapping her picture with them.

I didn't get to go to church on Sunday, because of Ricky.  I sure hate when I miss.  Toby went with a missionary that night to the church I grew up attending.  He was gone a lot, so I was tired running up and down waiting on Ricky, chasing Kamryn, and caring for the rest of my crew.  Funny how just one sick child can throw the whole routine out of whack and wear me out.


Yesterday evening  and all day today was spent swimming by the three kiddos that were well and old enough to swim.

They did a little of this......

A little of that.....

And a whole bunch of this and that........

Today we were privileged to entertain a missionary to Asia.  Love when my kids can hear stories of what God is doing.  After the missionary left, we chilled out by the pool and I snapped a few shots of Kamryn and her dad.

All in all we have had a good weekend.  Today I asked my crew what does Memorial Day mean and  one of them had the right answer.

I always want to remember and say thank you to the ones that have fought and died that I can live free.

GOD BLESS AMERICA and THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT SERVE!!!!!!

A New Start

I have been on a blog vacation....

I guess?   

Maybe it is just discouraged or burned out with all the trying to find time to sit down at my computer. 

 I thought about starting another blog....a fresh start.  

I'm not though. 

I will restart here with this post and continue our story.

I have never thought about school curriculum this early.  I normally wait until July and try to figure it all out, but not this year.  

Ricky is the reason.  

This school year has not gone as I had planned.  We are having trouble getting work completed on time. Ricky will have to work all summer to finish up this years work.  It didn't help that we went through a forced two month remodeling project in our home in the months of Dec. and Jan.  The other kids still managed to complete their goals, but for some reason Ricky has seemed to get further behind.  Let me say now, behind for him is not the same as being behind in public school.  He is just behind where I think he should be right now.

 I have tried several things, but not much has worked.  He finds reasons to not get everything completed, turn things in on time, or not be ready for a test.  You may wonder how I can let this happen since he is home and I am the one monitoring him?  Honestly, with 4 kids in school, church work, baby, etc.  there are many ways things can get postponed or fall through the cracks.  I am not proud of that, but it is the truth.

Next year I would like to find a way to set weekly and monthly goals that are easy to track.  Also, I would like to find a curriculum that may be a little more streamlined to daily goals.  Not sure what I will do, but praying that we make the right decisions.  

I do know that I will be starting a home school blog to help record our school days.  I have several friends that do and think this might be a way to help encourage Ricky to perform.  If I post daily what we are doing, then he might want to make sure he IS doing.  Nothing like a little positive pressure.