The end of a season...

Shots from the dugout

 

Like Father like son.

 

The final line up.

 

Happy boys heading back to the hotel pool.

 

Headed Out

This weekend is the USSSA boys baseball state tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. We are headed out with only Isaiah and Emily. It should be a great weekend with our two oldest children... we haven't had these two kids alone in over eight years! I am looking forward to not reminding anyone to use the bathroom, or get their shoes on, or brush their teeth.

My Oompa Loompa

 

pent up.

that is how i feel lately. pent up.
there is this intense energy and focus inside boiling and brewing, and yet, to date, has no escape.
pent up.
out of sorts, quick tempered, agitated.
just pent up.
so, i apologize to all of you who have to deal with me on a regular basis.
you may want to stand back a few feet when we talk.
i am, well, pent up.

Silly faces from "The Boys"

 

 

 

 

Another day in the mid 80's. *sigh*

 

Driveway pool party

 

Happy Saturday

 

photos to fill the gap.

 

 

 

a lot.

i have a lot to say.
only no words to say it.

 

a few nights ago, the clouds were breathtaking. i couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. guilty for the ease in which we live our lives. guilty for the excess we don't even notice. wondering what i am doing to teach my kids of the world, and not just their lives. wishing i had the moxy to do something more than i am doing. at some point, as Bono so eloquently put it, charity is not enough. i can sponsor children, and give to countless organizations, but at some point, there has to come a time, when passing by on the other side of the road just doesn't cut it anymore. when turning my head, because the view is grim, is no longer acceptable. i want to teach my children to do. to act. to be. not to watch in complete apathy.

Night Swim...

Tonight the kids department at church rented out the Aquatic Center for a night swim. On most days in the summer, this would have been a refreshing treat. Tonight, not so much. It was freezing. And by freezing, i believe it was around sixty-nine degrees. No one wanted to swim.

 

This is the only picture I have of Em, she got smart and her and two of her friends went and sat in a car to talk.

 

Most of the time, this is where everyone was.

 

Isaiah and his mini me, Brigg.

 

And, I don't have any pictures of Hannah, because she was the only one who stayed in the water the whole time!

Welcome to Monday.

 

More from Bono...

It's annoying but justice and equality are mates, aren't they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain in the ass. Seriously.

Preventing the poorest of the poor from selling their products while we sing the virtues of the free market, that's not charity: That's a justice issue. Holding children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents, that's not charity: That's a justice issue. Withholding life-saving medicines out of deference to the Office of Patents, well that's not charity. To me, that's a justice issue.

--Bono

--

This is not about charity in the end, is it? It's about justice. The good news yet to come. I just want to repeat that: This is not about charity, it's about justice. And that's too bad. Because we're good at charity. Americans, Irish people, are good at charity. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it.
But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties; it doubts our concern, and it questions our commitment. Six and a half thousand Africans are still dying every day of preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity: This is about Justice and Equality.

-- Bono

Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup -- where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?

James 2:14-17

morning walk to the pond

 

 

 

-

it's late.
my eyes have that tell tale stinging.
my body is exhausted.
my mind races.
sleep won't come.

Last Day of Soccer Camp

Today was Friday Fun Day! The kids were supposed to wear their team colors... Go ENGLAND!!!

 

Micah and his coach Jack.

 

After a water fight!

 

Micah had fun in the water too!

 

All in all, a great week!

Dress your coach up day.

It began like this... Hannah's pink scarf. I think he rather liked wearing it.

 

It moved quickly to this...

 

And this is the finished product.

 

To his credit, he kept it all on for the full two hours!

 

Once again, the kids had a great time. This is a wonderful program.... if you ever have the opportunity to sign your kids up in your town, I highly recommend it.

Crazy hair day

at British soccer camp

 

 

 

and this is why i really like British soccer camp.... only kidding.

 

(sort of :) )

In a funk.

there is so much going on in my head,
and my heart seems to be in a constant state of unrest.
i struggle with how much to share, here, on the blog. but as you can see, when i am not writing, my posts are full of meaningless and superficial words and pictures. at times i feel like it will all explode, and at other times i feel like if i just tune it all out, it might actually go away. as if i even know what "it" is.
a lot of things i guess.
if i manage to muster up the courage to work it all out, i will let you know.

British Soccer Camp!

This is the first year any of our kids have participated in British soccer camp, but apparently it is all the rage. Hannah and Micah both had a great time, and can't wait to go back tomorrow morning. They didn't even mind the rain! It must be that Seattle blood!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

more from saturday...

a few of my favorite photos from saturday. these are a whole lot happier than the last one!

 

 

could this be? is emily smiling? it is pretty rare these days, but i do believe
she was having fun with her friend!

 

How We Spent Our Saturday Night...

Today was one of those days. It began with Isaiah sick, but insisting on going to the baseball tournament. Two good games, and then a tornado warning. The rest of the games got cancelled, but our evening picnic with friends was still on. About three minutes before we were leaving, I heard Micah scream. The story goes like this: Micah had just gotten a piece of cake, and while he was walking to the table to sit down, he tripped and fell and dropped his cake. He was very upset about this, and stormed back toward the garage to get a new piece, but it was dark, and he didn't see the little black border fence in his way. He tripped and fell on the fence. Then, the scream. Once I saw the laceration, I knew he needed to get to the hospital, so a friend drove Micah and I. It was late. We got home even later. Two internal stitches, and four external. Quite a night. He was very brave, and didn't cry once. Got home around 11pm. He fell asleep before I even had a chance to wash him up. Poor little guy.

 

a glorious day indeed.

there are no words to describe the emotion at the airport this afternoon. the landers family is finally together. and the real journey has begun.

 

 

 

if it were only this easy...

 

My Babies

 

After Emily's riding lesson I took all the kids to the Chart House by myself. We had a relaxing dinner outside by the swings... and again, I am reminded how blessed I really am. There are no words...

rope swing fun!

 

Batter UP!

 

made it to the top!

 

ruler of the Chart House!

 

took emily to riding today... with everyone in tow

 

 

kids at the barn

 

 

 

 

Seriously cute kids....

 

had to document this...
Tonight as I was showing this very picture to Micah, he said to me, "Mom, Brody can't marry Kora." I of course, had all sorts of terrible things running through my mind...
"Why not?!"
"Because I am going to marry her."
AND, when we were scrolling through all the photos on Jody's blog, Brody kept making me go back so he could look at the pictures again, and kept saying, "They're SO cute!" No pressure at all here... just putting it out there, Kora Landers is taken.

Chocolate Pirate

After a game of charades, Emily decided to make a snack for everyone... some sort of graham cracker, butter, brown sugar, chocolate chip, sprinkle thing.

 

so what we have here is our version of Jack Sparrow. :)

 

so much.

there is so much going on right now. too much to write down. too much to process. just too much. if you haven't been following, jody and andy have zeke and kora, and are making their way back to Dakar, Senegal. they will be home on friday. it is amazing. there were so many obstacles in their way, and to think of them spending their first night with those babies takes my breath away.
we are officially on summer break. steve is out of town until wednesday. we have soccer, birthday parties, friends over, and baseball.
so much.
really.