assignment

We are in the process of packing for our 9th YL Summer Assignment (Ben's 11th). Every summer, Young Life staff go to camp for a month to give kids from other area's the best week of their lives. Summer isn't summer w/o an assignment. It takes up a large chunk of our summer and by the time we do camp trips, assignment and get home, it's time for a new school year to start. But I'm not sure what we would do without it.

Ben and I were remembering our assignments and the craziness that goes with each. Assignment usually means long, hard days for Ben and single parenting for me. We're starting out this year a little rough with Sophie's behavior (for another day and feel free to pray for us in this department) but I'm so very, very excited for Ted!

1999 - Lake Champion: Work Crew Boss

2000 - Saranac: Work Crew Boss & 3rd program guy - We got married the end of April and went to Saranac for the month of June. I spent a large chunk of the month writing thank you notes. I remember that being a rather cold, rainy month.

2001 - Rockbridge: Program with Scott Berg & Jay Mitlo - The inaugural program of animals and Amish guys. Susie Berg and I spent a lot of time at "our office" (aka the pool). It was the only summer we were both there w/o kids. Ben & I moved to Charleston (from Bridgeport) the week after we got home from Rockbridge.

2002 - Rockbridge: Program with Scott Berg & OJ Wandrisco - I only spent about 8 days at camp that summer. I had to stay behind and do summer classes. I was trying to truck through school and just finish at that point. I did take one online class that summer - on dial up. Painful.

2003 - Saranac: Program with Scott Berg - When Ben left we were waiting to close on our first house. He signed a Power of Attorney and I closed on our house all by myself. Greg Isaacs was kind enough to come with me - I guess I wasn't all by myself, but you know what I mean. Not exactly the thing I was looking for. I had high school kids and some parents move stuff from our apartment to our new house. ("Ben misses move #1 - this becomes quite a habit as you'll see circa 2010). My mom and I unpacked our kitchen and our bedroom and I took off for Saranac. Ben didn't even remember what our house looked like. We came home to piles of boxes and the new intern, Brett, staying in our spare room. Good times.

2004 - No assignment this year. During the school year we'd been doing a lot of house/kid sitting. In exchange for payment on a couple, we traded for beach houses. One week in Kiawah. One week at Myrtle Beach. Two beach vacations to make up for a lack of vacations many years to come!

2005 - Lake Champion: Program with Scott Berg - We'll call this "the year of the goat." Good grief - the animals and Amish guys again! I was pregnant with Ted. I was just starting to feel better after months of being so sick. We stayed in the upstairs room. I had to run down the stairs and around the hallway to the community bathroom to throw up. I started wearing maternity clothes that month. I believe the flab around my midsection is currently bigger than I was then. Sigh. This was also the year that Ben sent me to Timber Wolf to WyldLife camp while he went to the Willow Creek Leadership Conference. I could've killed him. I was glad he went. Just not thrilled at the car ride home when our intern almost got arrested!

2006 - England: WyldLife & YL Program with Brad Mowry - Ben, Brad and Chris Buda went to run two camps in England for 3 weeks. Ted and I stayed home.

2007 - Lake Champion: Program with Brad Mowry - Ted was 18 months old. It was a good year. My parents came one week. We had the adult guest lodge of Charleston people one week. We had 11 kids under the age of 7 in Petra (assignment team housing). 1 bathtub. Ted took two huge naps a day that year.

2008 - No assignment. Sophie was born the end of May. I wasn't up for a newborn at camp. Now that I look back, it probably would've been much easier than the following year.

2009 - Rockbridge: Program with Kirk Wilson - This may have been one of the worst months of my life. Ted was 3 - just a straight up hard age to spend that much time around lots of other kids. Sophie was not yet walking. She army crawled all over camp. It was a cool, wet July. So she as always dirty - filthy actually. Sophie ate rocks, dirt, leaves, mulch, grass - anything of natural decent. It was also a 5 week assignment - our 1st Caperneum. I contemplated daily packing up and driving back to Charleston. The only reason I didn't leave early was b/c I would have to grocery shop and cook.

2010 - Rockbridge: Program with Kirk Wilson & JB Ward - It was a great assignment! It was HOT - but we just spent lots and lots of time at the pool. We were on assignment with John & Shawna who had been our old YL kids which was so special. That was also the summer we were homeless. Living with the Godwins before camp (Ben missed moving our stuff into storage b/c he had some sort of "flu" - #2)and moving to Morgantown after (Ben missed moving to our house b/c his back was hurt - #3). It was a really good transition out of working and Charleston for me.

2011 - Timber Wolf Lake: Program with Clinton Bruck - ????

Who knows what this year will bring. New program partner. New camp. New division. New place in life. Stay tuned . . .

june pics

This was ice cream celebrating Ted's last day of preschool and Sophie's 1st day of preschool. I started working at a preschool 3 weeks ago. I'm half teaching for their summer program and half working in their office. Sophie goes with me. We're doing 5 days a week. There's too much to write about it and now isn't the time. It's been an adjustment. It's getting better. It was a rough first couple of weeks. Thankfully they gave me the month of July off for assignment. I'll start working 3 days a week in the fall when the preschool program returns to full swing. I think it's going to be ok.

I love when kids sleep in the car and it's sweet.
Ted has been Ben's sidekick this month. He's going to WVU Kid's Camps 3 days a week and hanging with Ben 2 days a week while I work. While it wasn't my first plan for the summer, it's been a good one (which I'm super thankful for b/c it was all my idea and could've been a disaster waiting to happen)! Honestly, if you would've told me how much fun they would have together I wouldn't have believed you. Ted has gone with Ben to shoot program videos, shop for camp, to the office to do mailers for the area, clean out the basement with all the YL stuff for camp and a hundred other things. He's been a real trooper and a great side kick for Ben. It's given them great time together. Seriously, he's such a big kid now. I'm really proud of Ted for being helpful, non-whiny and a good sport.

I hate when they sleep in the car and you know it's just going to
be straight up painful when they wake up.

Sophie has moved to a booster seat. So much easier! It's our first "pink" purchase of an accessory.
She picked it herself and is thrilled to be in a "big kid seat."

Ted & Sophie playing house. Notice the babies covered at the bottom of the bed. They had the baby potty right beside the bed just in case the babies had to pee in the middle of the night. They wanted to make sure they were fast. I love to listen to them when they play house. Hilarious!

I believe this was about 7:45 am one of those really hot mornings.
Nothing like sand in your underwear first thing in the morning.

You can never be too safe when taking your baby for a ride in your truck.

And you have to make sure you have all the right stuff for the road trip.

Sophie's 1st Day of Preschool

lost tooth . . . literally

I have always dreaded loose teeth. Seriously, I hate the way kids will let them hang on to the very last thread and wiggle and mess and just wear the thing out. Grosses me out completely. One of those "parent things" I've never looked forward to.

Ted's had a loose tooth for about a month. He doesn't say a whole lot about it except occassionally when he's eating an apple or something. This afternoon, he was eating pretzels after camp and I noticed a gap. His tooth was gone. He had no idea. None. I asked him if he swallowed and he said, "I guess so." And moved on. Doesn't seem to bother him.

A couple months ago he informed me that when you lost a tooth you got to write a note and ask for something. He wanted to ask for a scooter. I quickly told him that's not how those things work - maybe a dollar or something. Tonight when he went to bed he told me that he didn't really like the tooth fairy and didn't want her in his room. He suggested something from mommy and daddy in the morning on the kitchen table. He liked that much better. His idea. His choice. I'm cool with that.

Good thing I'm not too sentimental about these kind of things. 

jaclyn & tyler

We went to Charleston Saturday for the wedding of Jaclyn and Tyler. 8 years ago this month (June 2003), Jaclyn went to Lake Champion with our 2nd camp trip from Charleston. There were 100 freshmen (ok, about 13) and a lot of juniors. Jaclyn was the lone sophomore. And it was at Lake Champion that my friendship with Jaclyn blossomed. She reminds me of myself in a lot of ways. The last 8 years, I've watched her grow into a woman of God and a dear friend. It was so special to celebrate this day with her. I can't explain what a blessing it is to watch old YL girls turned friends find men of God to share their lives with. Thanks for letting us share your day, Jaclyn and Tyler.

Tyler is a recent graduate of West Point.

They walked out of the church to the saber arch thingy. Sorry that I don't
know the correct term for it. Either way, it was awesome!

Kristin came all the way from Colorado. She was in my cabin that year at
Lake Champion too. She got married in the fall. Again, such a blessing!

Adrienne & BA - beautiful as always!

They "borrowed" my camera. It's their own fault that these ended up here!

Some (but not all) of my favorite favorite friends!
BA, Steph, Stacy, Betsy, Shawna & Adrienne
Shawna went to camp that year too! That was the best!

Other highlights of our 24 hour visit included:

- the kids staying w/ Aunt Courtney which allowed us to have a great time w/o worrying about kids and babysitters at someone else's house. Thanks, AC!

- Ben almost dj'd on the fly. The band was 3 hours late and didn't call. We may not accept any more offers to "plug in the ipod." =) Just kidding, Kathy!

- A great service at RRC Charleston. Monty gave a killer sermon and Scott led great worship. 

- Seeing so many people that we love and miss. Our time in Charleston is always way too short and not the conversations and visits we would love to have. But there's something about lots of hugs that go a long, long way.

- Getting to spend some time with JB, Bethany & Adrienne. I wish we all lived in the same town b/c we could have a lot of fun together. Maybe someday . . .

- Almost forgetting Millie at the Santen's. 

- Visiting with great friends at the wedding. Always so good.

This weekend was such a blessing. It's always so good to go "home."

more zoo pics

I totally forgot to put these pictures on last time. Oops! The octopus and the sharks were definitely a highlight.

what's wrong with the bear?

The first Saturday in June, we realized that all of our weekends are booked up until we leave for our July assignment. With me working 5 days a week this summer, that didn't leave us a lot of fun, family time. So we decided to pack up lunch and head to the Pittsburgh Zoo. It was a perfect 80 degree day. No humidity. No whining. No complaining. I love the zoo. And so did the kids. We had a GREAT day! Seriously, the kids were so good. I was proud - and a little surprised! Super proud of them!

Tailgating

The Leopard

Mr. (or Mrs.) Ostrich - we watched him/her fall asleep and
scare himself when he leaned too far into the wires!

Elephants are my favorite I think. Ted loved the monkey from The Lion
King with the pink and blue face best. No pictures of that.

The kids are about as tall as a newborn elephant.

Some of the overall favorites included the gorillas (and my science/zoo lesson from the zoo keeper nearby), the seals, otters (who put on quite a swimming show for us), the octopus and sharks. But the funniest was the polar bear. He kept trying to go into his cave but it was blocked. As he would back out, he would do this "dance" shaking his body back and forth. And he did it over and over and over again. Rather persistent. Sophie must've asked 15 times that day and everyday since, "What's wong with the beaw?" Today was the first day that she didn't ask. Persistent little creature.

what's your name?

Today, Ted and Sophie ended up at the same public pool in seperately, without Ben and I. Ted went with the WVU kids' camp he's doing 3 days a week. Sophie went with her new preschool. (All of that reasoning is for a different day). They didn't know that the other one would be there so it was a bit surprising for them to see each other.

On the way to get Ted, Sophie was telling me that she saw Ted and he said, "What's your name?" I wasn't getting much more info from her. So, when I picked up Ted, this is what he told me . . .

Ted: "Mom, today I went to the pool. I saw Sophie but I wasn't sure if it was her. So, I went up to her and said, "What's your name?" She said, "Sophie." And, Mom, it broke my heart b/c I asked her if she was here with Mommy and Daddy and she said no. I thought she was there all by herself. But then I figured out that she was here with her school. And I felt much better."

Me: "You didn't recognize Sophie?"

Ted: "Well, she had a braids in (a dead give-away) and I didn't know she had that swimming suit."

Obviously, Ted does not trust our parenting skills when it comes to leaving our children unattended at the pool! =)

Ted's Excellent Adventures

Did you know that Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures is a cartoon? Found it on NetFlix. Along with Fraggle Rock and Fat Albert. Ted especially loves Fat Albert and Fraggle Rock. Love it.

He's had a busy couple of weeks and is such a big kid. He graduated from preschool today. After being on the 3 year preschool plan, I think he's glad to finally move on. This was such a good year for him. Except for some bouts of anxiety (which cross over into other area too) he has loved school a lot. I'm super thankful for his teachers and super proud of Ted. It's hard to believe we've been here an entire school year. It's hard to believe I put a Kindergartener to bed tonight.

These are some of his most recent adventures.

Ted has his own desk at the YL office. He goes with Ben sometimes and watches videos, draws and entertains himself. Long gone are the days of touching all the electronics and pulling all the phones off the hooks.

He's been bike riding with Ben some. He's almost too big for the trailor. But we're getting use that we can out of it. Glad I bought that at a yard sale for $20.

A couple of weeks ago, Ted helped with a fund raiser of moving some girls out of their aparment. He was a big help. Then he helped move one of our leaders and got a bonus of "riding" his motorcycle.

He got a medal for soccer. He's so proud of it. He loved playing and did really well.

Some WVU soccer players came to give the kids their medals. One was Zach Claudio from Charleston. He was a Club kid and is a freshmen here in Morgantown. Zach signed Ted's ball for him - so sweet.

Today was preschool graduation. This is their daily schedule. I wasn't sure about full day preschool (Mon-Thurs) but it worked really well for Ted and I'm thankful for it. He was ready.

Ted was the line leader for the procession b/c he's the tallest kid in his class. He was also the song leader along with a girl named Lauren. They were the two that started all the songs and got the other kids going.

Getting his certificate.

Mrs. Hilling & Mrs. Bett. Ted's class had 13 boys and 5 girls. These 2 deserve some sort of award and a very LONG summer break.

August 2010 - 1st Day of School

June 2011 - Last day of School

Sophie is THREE

 

At the beginning of this school, I watched a friend's son who was about to turn 3. Sophie was barely into 2. It was the light at the end of the tunnel. Talking. Sharing. Manners. Obedience. I had forgotten how big 2 was. It got me through this year. And it all came true.

Sophie turned 3 on Saturday. We had a wonderful day that included pancakes at McDonald's, playing outside on a beautiful Saturday, naps, visiting Uncle Charlie and Aunt Valerie while they were camping nearby, catching salamanders, playing at the park, playing with the Santens, races at the Lair and ice cream at DQ on High Street. Whew!

Waiting for Ben and Ted to bring her gifts downstairs.

Smelling the flowers Daddy got her. She LOVES flowers.

Sunday, we went to New Martinsville for a party and fire at Grandma and Gary Pap's House. Doh and John Pap, Uncle Andy and Aunt Courtney, Aunt Heather, the Lookadoo's, the Teodoro's and the Underdonk's joined us. So much fun. And HOT. Doh made her beautiful cake. All Sophie wanted for her birthday was a cake. With flowers. Pink flowers. Well done, Doh!

But some of the highlights of 2:
- learning to talk: Sophie is quite the conversationalist. With her added facial expressions and occassional bossyness, she is a total hoot! Her speech is amazing since she had about 20 words when she actually turned 2.
- staying home with her this year. there were moments of driving each other up the wall, but it was all worth it.
- potty training!!!!!!!
- moving to a big girl bed
- watching her and ted start playing together more. especially playing house or school.
- seeing her become her own person and like her own things - especially girly things and baby dolls
- her words of wisdom (that's for another day)
- painting her nails
- her complete filthiness
- listening to her sing songs she has picked up
- her 1st haircut
- starting to dress herself. (The picture below is a day she dressed herself and got her shoes on. Hasn't happened since. But I know it's in there!

Happy Birthday, Soph!