Thought I would just share some random pictures......this is Chris practicing his guitar. He is really starting to like it. He has a favorite cord. I don't know all the names. He likes the one that sounds like the beginning guitar strum in old gun fight movies. It's a testosterone thing I am sure. This weekend we got to spend a lot of time with the cousins. My sister kept the kids while Jim and I went out to celebrate our anniversary. Then we brough them back here Sunday to spend the afternoon. Chris and Sarah spent the day pretty much in seperable, as did Kaite and Jess. They never seem to tire of each other. They are coming over tonight for a few hours which was greated by a round of "yay" when I told Kaite and Chris.
Kaite took these pictures. She really loves to take pictures and wants a video camera very much. She is going on a youth retreat this weekend. An introduction to the church youth group and other sixth graders. She was dreading it. The child is not fond of unfamiliar situations...absolutely nothing like me at that age...let's say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But knowing my daughter, I asked the children's pastor if he could give her a "job" for the weekend. She LOVES to help. Without suggestion from me, he immediately said she could be the official photographer and use the church digital. Well - can I say the child now literally chomping at the bit to get there! Thank God!

We are so blessed to be so close to my sister and the kids. Not having a large extended family can be hard sometimes, but it also leads to close relationships with our few close family. My nieces and nephew are almost like siblings to my kids. What a blessing. We certainly miss my brother and his family terribly, as well as Jim's parent's and brother. There isn't a day that goes by that we don't wish they were all here. The time goes by so quickly and the kids grow so fast. It makes me sad that they can't be a part of the every day lives of the kids, but am also grateful that it makes the times we do visit even more special.

Right now we are literally just enjoying the activity that has come with the kids getting older. Which means they are happy healthy children. I wouldn't trade that for all the free time in the world. Soon my house will be empty, and I will have the free time and quiet I crave some days, and I will most certainly complain and hate it. So for now, I will enjoy the organized chaos that is our life. Enjoying the every day things.