{Spring Break 2015: Phoenix, Arizona}

We had such a great get-away! Relaxing, playing Dutch Bingo, Rook, hide-the-fan remote, backyard Jenga, corn hole, and water games. Here is a little peek.....

Helllooooo!

#TBT

:: Nostalgia ::

Why is it so fun to go down memory lane? When we are in the present, eventually it becomes a memory. Do we forget to be present in the present so much that when it becomes a memory we wish we had done better at BEing there? ....thoughts....

::Tap, Tap, Tap. Is This Thing On?::

January One, 2015. 
Seriously?

*Just a Piece*

This summer we had a GREAT time visiting many friends and family in the Midwest. Today I'm choosing to post about only part of this trip. As it is, this post may be a little bit photo heavy, but then again, you all know me and how the camera is so attached to me. (Or is it the other way around?) 

 The main focus for our trip out this year was a family reunion and celebrating Grandpa and Grandma Kooi's anniversary early (they married in December but let's face it: travel to Iowa in December is difficult!) as well as Grandma's birthday. We also wanted to see all the Kool Koois who don't live near us, which is most of the Kooi clan. 

First we went to the home where they live and put on a little program for their friends who live there also. 

Next up: We went to a park with The Coolest Shelter House I've Ever Seen and enjoyed great fellowship and fun games. I think altogether we had around 70 people come!

 Things got a little goofy, what with chatter about those who couldn't be with us in person...it seems a few people who didn't plan to come showed up anyway! 

 

These were a few of the entries for the photo scavenger hunt we played. There were some creative groups!

Sunday morning we worshiped together at Ireton CRC. What a wonderful way to end our family reunion trip, giving praise to our Lord for the blessings he has given our family over the many years. 

 Four Generations of Kooi men
 

 We even snuck a quick picture in with G&G before they left to go back home.

I just had to add this "one more" picture of cousins.

{ who knew? }

Today is Saturday. 
I always look forward to Saturdays because of the break in the schedule: change in wake up time, change in routine, change in responsibilities. Well, this morning there were definitely changes. Payton started running on the Cross Country team at the high school which meant an early morning race! ...and it also meant the alarm went off EARLIER than usual!!!

:: what we're up to ::

Well, you don't really want to know what we're up to tonight. Let's just say that a little one who is sick to her tummy has been up MULTIPLE times. And sometimes she wasn't up when she should have been. ugh. So to get my mind off of reality, I will re-live with you what we have been doing recently. 

Chloe says she'll never get tired of my cookies...

Enjoying my new little hobby over here. A friend wanted some cookies made for her daughter's bridal shower. So I got to try a cookie cutter I haven't done before!

+End of the School Year+Beginning of Summer+

This post brought to you by the letter F

{projects}

A pictorial overview of projects I have done or helped with in the last while:

 I'm so thankful for the time and energy and understanding as to how to do so many different crafts! Praise God who is the ultimate creator!

While I'm here...

Our spring has been busier than ever! I believe I am becoming a professional juggler, though perhaps not one who juggles particular items but rather one who juggles calendar schedules. Here is a peek:

:: once upon a time ::

...there was a girl who had a blog. She ignored her blog, but it was so faithful-- waiting for her to return day after day. 

Well In to the New Year

Um, how embarrassing that this is my first post this year. 
What are my excuses? No good ones come to mind. Let me make something up...My dog ate my posts?? Boot camp has taken over my life? (Read that: loss of sleep!!) I'm running around after my kids all over tarnation?? I started another blog?

We have been working hard to keep up with everything going on-- from school to birthdays to projects to practices. Each week is different but they are all full.

Happy Birthday to My Sweet Six yr Old!

Seems like it has just been a blink of an eye, from this...

{ Visiting San Diego }

For the second weekend in a row I got to go to San Diego! What fun! That is quite out of the ordinary for me, so you know it has been busy around here lately. 

What It Might Look Like to Bike from San Francisco to Long Beach

Just a little bike ride...

day six of vacation: the end of our stay

Our final night in the park was pretty eventful: rain and then HAIL! It was early on in the night time when the hail began and it lasted for quite a while. It surprised me how loud it was, even on a tent. 

VACATION: day five

July 29. Are you ready? Can you believe it? All these beautiful views!

 --Upper Falls

 Bicycles! Wouldn't it be fun to ride in Yellowstone? Amongst the bison?! Oh, look-- do you see the one in this picture? He wants a ride too...

 --Yellowstone Falls   I can't remember when I ever saw so many waterfalls all in one vacation! 

 I love this spontaneous picture! It shows just how we were all feeling at the time...er, something like that anyway! 

 On our way down the Uncle Tom's Trail: 328 Stairs down to see a view of the Lower Falls. The history of this trail is that it used to be steps along with a rope ladder that people held on to and climbed down the side of the mountain. They say even ladies in fancy dresses climbed down holding on to the rope! (Oh, and then 328 Stairs back UP!!)

 Double Rainbow!

 E&J and the Lower Falls

 Take careful notice of the stairs. You can see right through them. Ugh. 

 Inspiration Point

 Okay, so this picture is pretty, but it is hard to see what I want you to see here. We decided to take another trail to see the Grand Prismatic Spring-- remember that really cool one that I said I have even better pictures of? So we are on our way to the trail and you can see in this picture the steam that is coming up off the ground. Some of the steam even has a blue or blue/green hue. It was so amazing!

 Check out this trail! It is not an official trail yet, but rumor has it that they do have plans to put an official trail right here. Anyway, here we are jumping over logs and sort of making our own switch backs in order to get the view:

 I can hear the collective "oohs and aaahs" right now and yes, it was even better than this picture shows. This spring (did I say this already?) is 200 feet in diameter-- huge! 

 Here is a picture for you to see how large it is in comparison to people standing there on the boardwalk. See?! Huge. 

 I love how Chloe and Payton are walking together. And I love how Chloe's hair is flowing out behind her here.

Receiving their Junior Ranger Badges 

 Oh, but our evening is NOT over yet! We're on our way to find bears and wolves! (Or at least try, anyway!!) A big THANK YOU to Mark for all the binoculars we got to borrow-- and also the really cool big telescope! 

 Looking for wildlife

 Aaaaand here we are with the Wolf Watchers. Yes, a real group of people who come out every night to look for wolves. It was exciting-- and we even did spot one! Later this night after the rain and hail Eric and I even heard a wolf howl! 

There's a wolf down there...somewhere...

Don't worry, they'll find him.

v.a.c.a.t.i.o.n. p.a.r.t. f.o.u.r.

July 28. A day like any other day, except that we are still hanging out in Yellowstone. Yay! So really, the days are not like any other day. Especially because THIS is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

:: wait for it... vacation. part. three ::

Don't you love to linger over vacation? I feel like that is happening for me with how much time there is between each vacation post. Perhaps you would rather that I rush through and quit re-living this vacation? Well too bad, there are too many pictures I like so I can't cut them out!