Cousins Camp - Day 2

Every one got to shoot a whole hopper full of paintballs. They are pretty good shots - the teddy bears were all orange and they even got the little targets spinning a couple of times.

Dominique

Kaitlyn and Carly

They painted these cool slap bracelets with puffy paints. What creative kids you have!

We made fruit kabobs for lunch.

Note the fabulous, designer aprons.

The kids loved slicing their own cheese with my awesome cheese slicer!

New Webkinz

Webkinz Jr. for the little ones.

Pool fun.

We set the sprinkler to spray the kids, notice Lilly fighting the sprinkler to defend the girls.

Supper time.

Merilee came to the rescue and helped haul kids to the park. They had lots of fun - but all the posing was a little difficult!

Seth, Lexi, Kaitlyn, Dominique, Carly, Aden

It was really tough getting them all hanging at once, they kept dropping off one at a time like little rotten apples!

All lined kissing fish lips! You can't see them very well, but each child has a straw with a little fish on the end. You have to suck on the fish lips to get your drink!

I love this picture of Kaitlyn kissing her fish!

We sang funnee songs at bedtime - the favorite was Sweetly Sings the Donkey!


They are now all sleeping - I should be too, I am pooped!!! Pappy cleaned up the kitchen after us twice today. The floor is still sticky from the fruit kabobs, but that can wait 'til morning.

Strawberry Jam

I have been promising John that I would make jam the first time I saw stawberries for $1 a pound and today was the day. I had a hard time finding MCP pectin - Walmart and Albertson's didn't have it, but our little grocery store here in town did. This is about 4 gallons of jam. It took 13 pound of strawberries ($13), 8 packages of pectin ($16), 2 cups of lemon juice (50 cents) and 16 pounds of sugar ($7.50)!! That comes out to $37 or $9.25 a gallon.

I will have to run to town in the morning before paintball to buy more containers to put it in! I think John will share if you wanna come have a taste.

For your viewing pleasure I have included this photo of the center piece I created for the table at the talent show last night. Everyone guessed right away which table I decorated!

It's a Wonderful Life! ! ! !

I was reading back through some of my posts - "pity party" was pretty bad. But even I have bad days. All in all, we have had a wonderful life. We have spent lots of time doing fun things and John was there for so much of the kids growing up that most dads only get to hear about at the end of a long day. Life is not what I thought it would be like at this point in our lives. I thought we would be camping, fishing, visiting places like church history sites, exotic tours and especially visiting our kids. But just because life is not what I expected, it doesn't mean it is not good.

We are so blessed. Most of our children and grandchildren live close enough to visit often and those who don't call and blog to keep us updated. I love our litte valley, the church and our community. I am very busy with my church calling and all that it involves - I love to serve others. I love to sew and my business is growing by leaps and bounds - sometimes it is hard to keep up. I may have to start treating it like a real job!! The paintball can be a pain, but it is nice to be around young people who are so enthusiastic - and they think this old grey haired granny is pretty "cool" I think. I have loved spending time with my respite kids. They sure give me a different perspective on life and what is important. I have a warm home and more than enough to eat, we have enough money for all our needs and to occasionally help our children, I do not live in fear for my safety and I am surrounded by people who love me despite my shortcomings!

Any way, apart from a bad day here and there, LIFE IS WONDERFUL! If there was one thing I could change it would be that John would not be in constant pain. But, if things were not the way they are, I am sure I would have been too busy and distracted to learn the important lessons this life has to offer.

Here are some pictures of some turkeys that visited this old turkey (me) the other day.

Lance left last week. Before he did, I cooked him an awesome dinner of oven fries, steak and mushrooms and a yummy salad - by candlelight I might add. Lance furnished the A&W root beer for our fancy goblets!

We miss you Lance - I haven't gotten on the treadmill and my popcorn bowl has been empty since you left.

Who is that masked man?

LANCE!!!

He helped in the shed cleaning guns and waiting on customers.

Lance and Shadow refereed for me. Lance walked over 16,000 steps on the paintball fields - no treadmill for him today!

He tried out the targets.

Lance has Williams Syndrome and as you know kids who are different aren't always treated as nice as they should be. This group of kids was great with Lance. They made him feel accepted and important. They even invited him to go to town and have pizza with them after a long day of paintballing.

Joe is my head ref, I couldn't run this place without him. He is so good to Lance and let him hang out with him all day.

Grandchildren visit the Funneefarm!

Nathan and Amber came to visit this week end. It was good to see them again - seems like it has been forever since they have been down. The kids ran and played out side - they were so tired and dirty when they came in. lol - you could have made mudpies with the dirt left in the tub!

Aden learning how to play Webkinz - don't you just love those huge eyes! His lashes don't really show but they are really long and thick - what a cutie!

Aden and his dog Zeke

Heather in her Sunday dress that used to be her mother's.

Heather and Pappy. Check out those big blue eyes!

Heather and her daddy napping after church - no baby could be more loved.

Nathan took Pappy and Eric fishing yesterday - he was pooped out I guess.

Merilee and Amber tied one of our humanitarian quilts. They had never tied one before so I got them started and then I left to do the hot dogs for the paintball players. When I got back they were just finishing it. They did a great job and have sore fingers to prove it!

Everyone left tonight - it is just Lance, me and pappy - 24 hours before the next set of grandkids arrive!!