BLACHLY ROAD TRIP

Yesterday we left on our road trip to drive Chris back to NY. Kara is updating her blog as we go along so you can track our progress through their blog. We had such a great time yesterday, we sang and laughed our way to Utah.

Welcome Summer!

This is the last week of school for the kids and obviously there is not a lot of schooling going on here right now. I am just as bad as them. We are all ready for summer break. When we start up again Canaan will be in Kindergarten. I will be juggling three children that all need to learn + Kaya. It should be interesting. But until then we are ready for summer fun...watering our garden, running through sprinklers, blowing bubbles(or letting the bubble machine do the work for us), going to the river, watching movies, enjoying our blessed life!

A Mother's Day Tea

Today at Canaan's school they were having a Tea Party in honor of Mother's Day. Canaan was so excited to be able to make and serve the food to me. He got dressed in a shirt and a tie and was a very handsome date! One of the other moms said that he had four girls following him around on the playground. That's what happens when you put a man in a tie I guess.

They had all of the moms wait out in the courtyard, to be escorted by our kids. Canaan had a huge smile and was really enjoying all of the formality of the day. He served me a plate of food and we ate together. Then the class had a few songs to sing for all of the moms. They had made us some presents, but the thing that was priceless were his answers to questions about his mom.

I thought that I would share them with you. His answers are in blue.

My Mom
by Canaan

My mom has black hair and green eyes.
My mom is 10 1/2 feet tall and weighs 110 pounds.
My mom likes to help kids and wash laundry.
My mom is happy when I do good jobs.
My mom's favorite TV show is the news.
My mom is very smart she knows all about that Jedi's aren't real, but in Heaven they'll be real.
My mom likes to eat Thai Food.
It really bugs my mom when I'm not doing good jobs.
If my mom could have one wish come true it would be a new stove or a new house.
My mom is special because she helps cook food and reads stories at night.

My heart was full today. It was great to just be with Canaan and to see his loving and serving heart. It is a day that I will keep with me forever.

My, My How The Family Has Grown!

Many years ago...before we were married and just barely dating, Eli and I were at Pepperdine for their big youth rally, Youthfest. We sat on this swing together and had our picture made. Last week we were down there for the lectureships and this swing was outside our dorm. My mom brought the kids down to meet us on the last day and before we left we took this picture. I was trying to find the "young and kidless" picture to share, but I'll have to keep looking. I was afraid if I didn't post now, while I'm thinking of it, it might never happen. As I was sitting there with my family (worrying that the swing might not hold us all) I was thinking about how God has blessed my life with a husband who loves the Lord and 4 great kids. I am so thankful for all that He has given to me. God is so good!

First Days of Spring

So it is already spring. I was thinking about this the other day and realizing that it has been a whole year since Kira, Kaya and I went to visit the Rush family in Mexico. Our first day there, Kim had to make a mask for Quincy to wear to school for the first day of spring. It was so much fun that we made them for all of the kids to enjoy. When we went to pick him up at school, all the kids were wearing them. He was waiting for us and flapping his bird wings.

Panoramic Easter Eggs

As a kid I was alway mesmerized by these little eggs. It looked as if it was a real world "for easter creatures" in there. I think that we would usually get them from our Grandparents. The easter bunny that visits my house cannot afford to buy these little treasures at $5-$20.00 a piece. So, we decided to make a memory all of our own.

Joyce Wynn, a really crafty lady at church, had the molds to make her own and thought that my family might enjoy making them. What a process! It was fun but not something I think that we'll do every year. First you have to knead 4 1/2 cups of sugar with 3Tbs. of water to make the sugar stick together. Then press it into the mold that has been rubbed with cornstarch. Then the egg is dumped out onto wax paper. You cut the holes to peek into and then wait 4-8 hours so that the outside gets hard. Then you scoop out the sugar from the inside(we now have pastel colored sugar that we are sweetening our coffee and tea with) and let it dry for about 24 hours before they are ready to decorate. We broke a few eggs during this process and had to start over again.

I guess the point to all this is just to say I will never see those pretty little eggs the same way again. And now I know why they are so expensive. What a lot of work! My kids are dying to bite into them. I am making them wait until after easter. Hello cavities!

When you run with the big boys...

You might skin your pretty little knees!

This was a lesson Kaya learned on Sunday. She wanted to play outside after church with her big brothers. It was during a fateful game of "Johnny, Johnny can I cross the river please?" that she took her big fall. These are our first Bandaids of the season. Nothing says "little sister" like a pair of bandaged knees peeking under your dress. She'll keep up with them no matter what. She has fallen before and said to Eli "Daddy, I think I broke my knees." Then gave them a quick brush with her hand and off she went again.