Summer Family Fun

A couple of weeks ago my sister, Amanda and her family (husband, Josh & daughter Cadence) came to visit us. They live in Edmonton so we don't get to see them that often. 

So it was real nice to connect again. 

Mikaya and her cousin, Cadence (Amanda's daughter). It didn't take long for them to get re-aquainted!

Cadence had fun with the monarch caterpillars that were eating my plant (yet again!!!!)

After supper we had a game of volleyball.

Kerri 

Cadence showing her lil cousin the caterpillar 

Did he get it????

My lil sis, Amanda

Josh (Amanda's husband) showing them how it's done!

My bro Jeremy 

Nice moves Caleb!!!!

That's my babe :)

Concentration

Nice move Henry! 

Laura (Jeremy's wife)

Not sure who won....but I do know everyone had a lot of fun :)

That was yours....No, that was yours!!!!

The 2 finger pacifier

Brooke, Elyana (my brother Jeremy's little girl) and Mikaya

Elyana and Makayla having some quality time!!!

Mikaya entertaining the little ones

Trampoline Fun

Cadence, Brooke, Isaiah (Jeremy & Laura's son) & Nathan

I'm sorry now that we didn't get a group shot but we were too busy visiting!!

We ended the evening by having smores and popcorn and singing around the campfire.

Thanks guys for the great visit!

Happy Campers

Camping is always such a fun time and the kids have such great memories of our past camping trips.

So this year we decided to dust off the ol' camper, pack our bags and go a campin'!

We started out camping with a tent when we had four young children.

Even though that particular camping trip was very wet :) we still have fond memories of good times!

Then we took a few years break from camping and instead went on winter travels visiting family and friends. This was a fun time too and many memories were made. But it didn't take long for the camping bug to bite us again! 

For one year we camped in our van. That was a bit challenging! We took out the back seat and made a makeshift bed for Mark and I and the kids slept on the benches, the floor, or the front seats. I can't say that this was one of my most favourite camping times! Especially being a few months pregnant and having to crawl out the back doors in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom!!! 

Eventually we decided to invest in an hybrid camper (hard shell with flip out canvas ends). In my opinion, this was a very wise investment and again we have made great memories in this camper! A built in bathroom and air conditioner were welcome luxuries for this often pregnant mama!!   

When shopping for this camper, it was impossible to find something that would fit our whole family and still be light enough to pull with the van. So we never did have quite enough room to all fit into the camper. Some had to sleep in a tent or in the van.

We didn't camp at all last year and I think everyone missed it.

There is something warm and family like about it that you just don't get anywhere else.

Being squished in tight corners makes you have to spend time together!

But a few weeks ago when we went camping we camped in style when we pulled up to the campground with two campers! One was our trusty ol' hybrid and the other one we borrowed from Mark's parents. Finally we felt like we had some room!!! 

 We took our first camping trip with our church. A great time was had by all of us and we talked about it for days! We were excited to have Henry and Megan join us and keep control of the teen camper!!!!! Of course the huge water fight(s) were a definite highlight!!! It was a great time getting to know our brothers and sisters in Christ a little better....some a LOT better :)

So here is a glimpse of our first campout. Thanks to Megan for letting us borrow some pictures :)

Josiah being his cute, quiet self!

Nathan enjoying some yummy food! What is it about camping and eating...and eating...and EATING!!!

Jaden and his infamous scrunchy "cheese" picture taking face.

Oh, as a side note, the other day at the supper table Jaden wanted some cheese so I said he needed to say, "Cheese please". He said it...with his scrunchy "cheese" picture taking face!!!! You gotta wonder what goes through his little mind when we all say "cheese" at picture taking time!

Not sure what had Elijah so excited here!

Henry and Mark co-conspiring to build a water balloon shooter. 

In the end they had it perfected and shot those balloons amazingly far!

Filled water balloons, ready for ambush.

And no matter how many high tech devices you have, a water fight always ends up with buckets of water :)

Jesse and Elijah enjoying some brother to brother cuddle time.

Bubble blowing, always a fun time for the littles.

And of course what would a camping trip be without some swimming!

Here's Jaden in his beach attire.

Believe it or not, this little innocent looking guy was the instigator of a few water fights :)

I think he takes after his daddy!!!

The whole group of us decided to rent a paddle boat for the day so our family got it for a couple of hours. Here are Jen, Kerri, Jesse and Nathan taking it for a spin.

Brooke warming up in the sunshine.

Zach volunteered to be buried alive :)

Wonder how this little guy gets in so many pictures???

And when we got back to the camp that evening, whadayaknow...another water fight :)

And here come the bowls!!!

They had a really nice beach volleyball place there so we were able to get in a few games.

A sweet guy from church offered to feed everyone a pancake breakfast Sunday morning. It was yummy! Thanks Dave!!!

Church service outdoors

This little guy loves to sing! Probably what he was doing here.

And this concludes part 1 of camping with the Pauls'! 

Will get to see part 2??? Well that has yet to be seen :)

I will try though!!!!

What are some of your favourite camping memories?

This is My Desire

Yesterday in church our Pastor gave a real challenging message. It was about maintaining our desire for God. He shared how it can be so easy to let the "stuff" of this world take away from the time that we need to spend with God. We have so many "things" at our fingertips which aren't necessarily bad in themselves, but they can eat up the time and energy that we should be spending with our Heavenly Father.

 One thing that really got me thinking was when he asked what kind of a relationship we would have with our earthly father if we only spent a couple hours a week with him on Sunday morning. In order to develop a relationship with someone, we need to spend time with them, to get to know them. It is the same with God, to get to know Him we need to spend time communing with Him in prayer and reading His Word.

 This made me think of our own children and what happens every busy season on the farm. When we are in seeding or harvest mode, Mark is in the field from early morning to late night. If the kids see him during the day it is only for a few brief moments. There are some of our children who will go with Mark in the field because they like to be in the tractor. But for the ones who would rather be at home, it doesn't take too many days of Mark being gone all day before they want to spend time with him in the tractor. This isn't because they like to be in the field, it's because they miss their Daddy. And it has happened time and time again that as the busy seasons goes on and they don't see their Daddy but for a few minutes a day, that their desires to be with their Daddy becomes stronger than all the things they like to do when they are at home. They will choose to spend hours and hours in the tractor just to be with their Daddy. We always chuckle because by the end of the season Mark's cab is so full of kids it's comical!

 I compared this with my desire for God. Is my desire for Him so deep that when I haven't spent time with Him I just long to be with Him? So much that I will put aside all the things I love to do just to spend time talking to Him and getting to know Him more. I want to have a relationship like that with my Heavenly Father.

 Where is your desire today? Is it for God? Have you been spending time with the One Who wants a relationship with you? Do you desire Him so much that you can hardly wait until the next time you can commune with Him?

 Here is one of my favorite songs which tells of a deep longing and desire to spend time with the One Who loves me most.

Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

As I was washing out a bottle this morning I felt little eyes on me. I looked up to see Brooke staring intently at me. I wasn't doing anything exciting or out of the norm, just everyday life, but she was watching.

Watch...that's what children do. They watch and they learn. I like having my kids hang around me as they watch and learn. Many times, if I am not too much in a hurry, I will include them in my task or explain why I am doing what I am doing and the way that I am doing it.

But not only do they watch the tasks that I perform throughout the day, they also watch my attitude and my actions and reactions. This is what makes me really think. What do they see in me day in and day out. What are their little minds and hearts taking in? Pretty much every word I say and every action I make. I know it because I see and hear it in their words and actions. Both the good and the ugly. It's a wake up call when you see your child display and action that's less than lovely and you know that it is something that you have modeled to them.

I have a LOT of little eyes (and big ones too :) watching me day in and day out. From the moment I wake up till the moment I go to bed....I am being watched. And this morning as Brooke watched me with those childish, innocent little eyes I wondered if what she sees in me is something that I would want her to model. I know there I many times I fail throughout the day when I allow actions and words to come from me that are less than lovely. And that makes me sad....it really does. And that's why I continue to purpose to become a mom that I would be proud of my children modeling. Not pride in a sort of sinful way, but pride in knowing that I did the best that I could do, that I was the best that I could be.

Who's watching you today?

(and this is where I would ask Megan to take a cute little picture for me and insert it here :) I guess I am really going to have to get into taking pictures again!!!