CFS 2009

So it has been has been almost a full 15 years since I spent a week at Camp Forest Springs for family camp. See Eric isn't a big fan of camping so it took a while to get him to agree - but we went last week with the kids, Joy/Kory/Jada/Elijah/Mom & Dad and had the bonus of another family we used to go with and all their kids and spouses. It was a blast. The kids spent alot of time everyday at the Mini Farm - as you'll see from the pictures below even Eric enjoyed it. One of my personal favorite places is the air rifle range - so we taught the kids how to shoot bb guns at targets while I worked on starting over my ranking with my left hand. Became an Expert rank with my right in 1992 they said........wow that was a long time ago.
Eric's favorite was the high ropes course. And yes, it was very very high. He and Kory did it once together and then Eric/Kory/Joy/Dad and myself did it the day before we left. Needless to say - 55 feet in the air - walking on a wire - holding onto 4 other poeple to get across without losing your balance I'm sure was quite amuzing to watch from below. The end was a jump off the last platform to hit a teather ball and then be lowered down. I can say I honestly didn't want to do it - but Joy went first so I couldn't look like a whimp :) We also did a mini-triathalon our last day. Eric did a 1 mile run.....very fast I might add....and then puked his guts out..... Dad and Kory rowed a canoe around a course and then I did a swim. We came in 2nd, 13 seconds behind the winner of the first heat. It was fun - but like 60 degrees and I was freezin!
Anyone who has kids of any age should consider joining us next year - that place holds amazing memories for me as a child and they have added so many more amazing things since I have been gone. The spiritual aspect is really one of the major reasons I wanted to go - not many vacations where you get to enjoy worship and God's Word everyday and have someone take your children and do the same.
Anyway, below are some photos from our trip - and when I get the high ropes ones from Joy I'll post them too!

It has been a hard month for me.....Andrew has regressed, something I was prepared to happen the few months after school began. Not now. Its not been physical this time, yet, just lack of sleep, verbal lashing out and constant stimming. I recieved the item below via email today. Since it's that time of the month probably not something I should have decided to read, but its these times when things are hard that I am both reminded of this lifelong fight we have and how how much harder it could be. I encourage you to read every word... and then to pray for the sentences that touch your heart and for the families that are struggling with this disorder.

I wasn't able to get this to come up as large as I'd like, so here is the link if you can't read it.
http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=001r74t9Hd65LoWPCDKh_r_mZCOfUw-lykB0EGRGzsZIKJ9GhJBqXVOjxKrbJw67PKxWUs8fWvDMaKpHkN_NgWa4ip18uentGIOsv6NiGztDwPiAqS87aV3Og%3D%3D

Andrews Haircut

Now there was nothing special about this haircut - nothing different than any other time. He gives me 10 minutes on the kitchen microwave to complete said haircut and then I commence the cutting.

Half way thru buzzing the back he reaches up and touches his head....."Mom, I'm almost out of hair!" He says. He's never really cared what I did to his head, he just wants it done in the 10 minute time limit so it was hilarious that he thought i was cutting off all his hair.

You need to Exercise More!

Courtney: Dad can you lift up a car?
Skills: No
Courtney: Well how come in the movie Mr Incredible can lift up a car?
Skills: Because he is strong.
Courtney: You need to exercise more.
Skills: Yeah, I know.

Down on the Farm

This weekend we have been hanging out at the Bellmont Farm. Today the kids got to ride Hershey, Jada's pony. Yay for animals.

Half Marathon

So, it sounded like a good idea to help me lose weight - run a half marathon with Skills. Only instead of losing weight, the first couple months of training I put on 12 pounds. It made me so mad that I was exercising regularly and gained so much weight I quit training. I figured if I was going to get fat the couch was the perfect place, not the treadmill.

Anyway, with two months to go before the marathon, and a thyroid that had quit working I got lazy and ran about 5 times in those two months. I knew that I was going to be hurting today - I walked 12 miles in Paris last February and pretty much got to the point of being unable to walk.

Well, I guess considering my lack of training - the 9 miles I ran and the 4 I walked didn't seem like such a failure. By mile 10 I was fairly concerned I may not even be able to walk the remaining 3 miles, but I persevered and FINISHED. My time, almost embarassing was 3 Hours and 14 Minutes but whose counting. I can at least say that I have finished a half marathon, and I'm fairly certain that I won't be doing so EVER EVER EVER again. I guess going from a lifelong record of 3.5miles to being able to run 9 miles I should appreciate the challenge and relish in the accomplishment.

I'm just so glad its over !

Courtney's New Du

So Courtney's friend, Trinity, arrived from Kansas City yesterday with a short new haircut.....sure enough Courtney decided they needed to be twins and she needed her hair short as well. Seeing an opportunity I may not get again, I siezed the moment and headed to Great Clips. Nothing better than short hair cut for summer! Check out my model in training.