Tree Climbing!

These tree pictures cracked me up! Reminded me of that scene in The Sound of Music where Captain Von Trap is driving and you see all the kids dangling from the trees. They had so much fun climbing on, jumping off, running around or through anything they could find!

Rea kept practicing her Statue of Liberty pose....

Beni Hana's

Since Daryle was in Chicago on his birthday, we wanted to go out for a fun special meal to celebrate. How could you go wrong with a fun place like this where you can watch them prepare your food and flip shrimp tails into their hats, right?! Well I'll tell you how....

1. Do NOT settle for "the last open" reservation at 8:45 pm on a Friday night when your children have been up and going strong all day and just swam and played for 2 hours in a pool, and neither parent has slept more than a few hours the night before. We were not seated till 9:15, 2 of the kids burst into tears at random moments, Rea fell ASLEEP in her chair mid-meal, and All of them were more interested in finally GETTING their food than watching them burn it on the grill. (sigh)

2. Do NOT eat at a place where you are seated with perfect strangers and expect to feel comfortable and at ease. It was strange and weird. I just wanted to eat with my family and have a little privacy - I guess I wasn't feeling adventurous at that point. The next time you think to yourself, "I just want to order pizza and rent a movie in our room," DO IT!!! The evening will go much smoother. :)

3. Did I mention the gastric gut-rot that followed? OK then, I won't...

Grandma Suzy

Daryle's mother, or "Grandma Suzy" in our house, passed away on Sunday, September 11. She was 76 and lived in Chicago. She had been briefly ill, but her illness turned critical over the weekend and she died rather suddenly, the day before Daryle's birthday and our anniversary. We got Daryle a plane ticket and rushed to the airport, but she passed away a couple hours before he landed. The family viewing is today, and the service tomorrow, and Daryle has been in Chicago all week with his sister Michelle and their family. While we are so grateful that her illness didn't leave her "lingering" and suffering, we feel the sudden loss.

This was our kids' first experience with death and loss, and God has navigated me through many conversations and questions this week as only He can do. We have learned that honesty is so important in any big conversation, and then we can just trust God to work in their hearts as He gives us words to teach them the best way we can.

Mama Suzy was an amazing woman who spent a lot of time with us helping out after our son died. She was a caring nurse, an incredibly talented musician, and one of the best cooks I know! She taught this new wife how to make fried greens and cabbage for her husband, and he liked it almost as good as his mom's!

We will miss our Grandma Suzy....

Thank you all for your love and prayers and texts and phone calls this week. You are a blessing to us!!

Neptunes Swim Meet, September 10, 2011

The swim meet got cut a little short because of a phone call Daryle had received saying his mom had taken a turn for the worse. But while they were there, they did amazingly well and enjoyed every moment! This was the first swim meet for Ni'ke and Ya'shar, so they were a little "nerved up"! I had decided not to go since I'd worked the night before and needed to sleep. But I woke up mid afternoon and couldn't go back to sleep - missing them and wishing I was there! I showed up to the meet, wanting to surprise them, and almost missed them. They had already packed things up and were leaving, and Daryle was trying to call ME to let me know that they were coming home right away. Kind of a crazy afternoon...

I'm so proud of them, they've been working so hard and have shown so much improvement in such a short amount of time! Next swim meet - Napa!!!

The Girls

Can you believe that Coach Hannah MADE those swim suits for the girls!?!?! She said she's been doing it for years, and she just eye-balled them, knew exactly what size to make, and whipped them up and they fit perfectly!!! Much cheaper than Nike or Speedo, and just as cute!!