Ju’s blog

What a crazy week…but it’s summer so who can complain?  I thought since Jamison would be at Cub Scout day camp all week, I’d put Jayden in gymnastics camp this week too.  It made for a super-busy week, but the boys are happy and tired.  Jamison got to play at Shevlin park all week with his cub scout friends and do things like b-b-guns, archery, leather crafts, wood crafts, football and ultimate frisbee.  I helped on Monday and learned how to tie a square knot.  I know I learned the square knot in Camp Fire long ago, but I never really got it.  Then it was off to baseball, swim lessons and gymnastics camp for Jayden.  They are both really excited for baseball this summer.  Jayden is number 8 on the Cubs, and Jamison is number 13 for the Boston Red Sox.  (Jamison might have had a little help from his mom in picking his number- I was always 13 if I got to pick)  The exciting thing this week is they got to practice batting.  I think we need to keep practicing.  Today Jayden was having a full-on conversation in the outfield with Patrick, while the other kids were batting.  But, amazingly enough when the ball came to him he could stop talking, get the ball and then get Patrick’s attention again.  He just met Patrick two practices ago.  Each day after day camp, and after I picked up Jayden from the gym, we all headed to Jamison’s swim lessons, then we finally got to come home.  The house is a mess, and we’ve had random dinners all week, but the kids had a very fun time.  Now Jamison invited his buddy Justin for a sleepover, so there is a war going on outside, and then I think it’s movie night where they can crash from exhaustion.  Hopefully this weekend we are going camping with our small group to one of the lakes.  Then next week, we only have baseball so it will be gloriously peaceful I think.  On Sunday, we celebrate Jim’s birthday.  That’s the update from the Dovers for what hopefully is the craziest week of our summer. 

What a great start to summer!  The weather is great and it even smells like summer.  We’ve been busy all week with swim lessons and baseball, but we’re lovin’ it.  Next week is our so-crazy-busy-let’s-try-to-survive week, but it should be fun.  We’re crammin’ it all into one week, so we can be spontaneous for the rest of the summer.  On my list for the summer is to go to Crater Lake, camp a few times, float the river, and all sorts of other fun things I haven’t even thought of yet.   I’ll try and share the best ideas we come up with.  Tonight, the project was summer haircuts.

I love it when summer is finally here.  Now, we officially have a first grader and a fourth grader- wow hasn’t the time flown by?  We had a crazy-busy last week of school, but it was a great school year.  I had a friend from college (Jana) come into town with her family on Thursday, so we got to have lunch and then both our families went geocaching together.  I think they’ll be hooked.  They have a couple super-adorable kids. 

Then on Friday we celebrated school being out by playing in a couples golf tournament- we finished one stroke out of the money.  Now the kids are camping with Grandpa Dad and Grandma Margie and we’ll meet them at the lake tomorrow (along with Libby and Jen), to celebrate father’s day. 

Tonight, at church was a great sermon about how to win at being a father.  The only way is to lean on Jesus, who is our path to our all-loving Father.   The speaker was a four time NCAA wrestling champion, who after all his trophies and success in his sport, realized that it was all nothing until he started leaning on Jesus again.  He had an amazing story of how they (he and another very successful wrestler) got to visit with prisoners in Khazakstan (sp?), and share the message of God’s love, and bring bibles, even though it was illegal to share Jesus in their country.   One of the prisoners was a pastor who had been imprisoned for sharing his faith, and he had been praying for someone to come, and God answered his prayer.  Now he is mentoring and sharing hope with his fellow prisoners in the security of a prison in Khazakstan.  It was a pretty awesome story that shows the power of God, and how he answers our prayers, and gives us strength and hope, when we lean into him.

Well, I guess that’s my first official babbling, I mean blogging-without-pictures-or-video entry.  Where did that come from?  Anyway, I can’t admit it was kinda fun ’cause I have some girlfriends who will give me a bad time. 

He definately got this talent from his dad.  I can only call the dog, but my grandpa was a great whistler.

School is winding down and time is speeding up- it’s been a bit crazy around here.  This weekend was full, but fun.  Balloons Over Bend was supposed to happen this weekend, but because of the weather we only saw balloons on the test flight on Friday, but it was pretty.  I still think it’s the best festival in Bend.  Then we had the Cub Scout rocket launch, where the boys get to launch the rockets they built.  Last week, Jamison’s class went on a field trip to Wizard Falls Fish Hatchery and the head of the Metolius River.  One fun thing about that (besides the perfect weather God gave us), was that when I was in third grade I went on the same field trip.  This week we have another field trip and field day, then school is out on Wednesday for Jayden and Friday for Jamison.  Then it’s time for Momma’s Summer Camp- we love summer time around here!  That’s the quick update and here are some pictures:

                                                                                                                          Balloons Over Bend

                                                                                                                                                                               Jamison, the Metolius and Mt. Jefferson

 My healthy mom

 

 

Three…two…one…blast off!!!

This one is a little out of order, but we had a great, great trip to San Francisco for Memorial Day. 

Some highlights: 

We got to see my college roommate, Liz,  for a few minutes…too short, but good to see her in her town.  She’s doing well.

Fun time with friends and Bella (the black lab) tolerated Coco for the most part.

Three SF Giants games.  Cold and foggy, but great.  We got to see Barry Bonds hit home run number 746, in his chance to capture the all-time homerun record.  (only 9 away now)

I got (not caught) a foul ball.  It landed in my seat, but I have the bruise to prove it.  And the kids didn’t get hurt in the process.  I was afraid it would land on them.

Good travels, including three geocaches.

Fun, family time.  Our kids have no idea that most people don’t get to sit right behind home plate.

Now we’re in the race to the end of school…field day, field trips, school programs, etc.

Jamison’s class had a spring musical called the Rock Slinger.  It was the story of David and Goliath, but the setting was a baseball game.  It was great.  Here he is with his class.  He is second row from the right, fourth person back.  His buddy Justin is second row from the right, second person back.