Movies Under the Stars

Last Friday I got an invite from my sister to join her and the gang at the drive-in. The line-up last weekend was back-to-back kids movies. We couldn't have picked a nicer night! The weather was so perfect that we were able to sit outside our cars on lawn chairs. We even enjoyed a dinner of hot dogs that my bro-in-law barbequed.

At intermission the kids made a break for the concession stand where they convinced me to buy them glow in the dark lollipops. Come on you know the evening would not be complete without tons of junk food! The kids were in heaven!!

Waiting for the Movie




Cute Cousins


Family Fun Night At Its Best


And to top off the evening....I even got TWO sweet kisses from this cute little face:


To say the evening was a total blast would be a complete understatement! A good time was had by all!!

Save Me a Seat!

Growing up I lived on the outskirts of town on a small street. Our little road held twelve house and each of those homes held few children. The children that did live in my neighborhood were all boys. Each morning I would walk to the bus stop only to find rowdy loud boys running, jumping and throwing rocks. Once the bus arrived I would climb on board and take a seat furthest away from all of the noise. As I rode to school I would sit in my seat and imagine what it would be like to have a girlfriend on my bus route. I imagined her saving me a seat and waving me over to join her. We could whisper and laugh together until we reached the school gates. It was never to happen, no girls ever moved into my neighborhood and I rode the bus alone. I know whoa is me...can you believe I survived to tell the tale?

Fast forward 25 years and I am climbing aboard another big yellow bus and as I turned to make it down the long aisle I heard, "We saved you a seat!" and I saw these two smiling faces shinning up at me:



We all had a great time laughing and whispering together on the ride to Elise’s 3rd grade field trip. When we pulled up to the gate of the park Elise asked how we had gotten there so quickly. I wondered the same thing. I guess sometimes you do get your wish you just have to wait awhile before it comes true!

We all climbed off the bus and met the docents to learn all about the Michuchumash Native Americans.



Elise learned how hard it was to grind acorns into powder (one of the main sources of the Chumash diet):


Playing a Chumash "dice" and string game:




"If its three leave it be - If its hairy its a berry!"


What good listeners!


Chumash Baby Carrier:


Enjoying the sun and wind with some friends after lunch:


Elise had so much fun that she said she wished the day would never end!

Her 'Bird' Period

Elise's Artwork

The Toucan ~ March 2008


The Blue Bird ~ April 2008

Thankfulness

On Sunday night as I was tucking Emily in for bed I asked her what had been her most favorite part of the day. She quickly replied, "Playing with Grandma and Grandpa Allen, and Nikki and Brandon (her cousins). She then got very quiet and her face softened and she seemed to be playing back the days events in her mind. We exchanged no words but from the look on her face it was as if she felt thankful. After giving her a moment of quiet I got up to leave and as I leaned over to kiss her goodnight she whispered, "Mom would it be okay to say a little prayer?" I nodded my head approvingly and this is what she prayed:

"Dear God, thank you for giving me my family, and my friends, and for making the trees that blow in the wind. Amen."

As she prayed in the glow of her night-light with her small sincere little voice, I thought may I never forget this moment.

In the spirit of Emily's prayer, I thought I would share the following link to a blog I stumbled upon. It is about a mother to 11 children 8 of whom were transracially adopted. In her blog she shares about the children she has met in orphanages that know they will never have a family:
Full House, Full Hands, Full Hearts