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First Day!

2011-07-28T23:30:00.000-07:00

Well, we’re back at it…school that is! Boy howdy the summer days go way too fast if you ask me (but I do love our school calendar which gives us 2 weeks of vacation time in October, 3 for Christmas, and 2 for Spring Break).

There was much reluctance coming from my boys with the start of the school year and all the "newness" that comes with it (especially Nathan) yet total excitement from Baylee, knowing she was about to embark in some pretty cool “big” girl things…a new building on campus and being in the iPad class!

So here they are. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the totally adorable and forever loved students...

My 1st grader!

(He picked out a "must have" Tom and Jerry shirt and Vans (shoes) like Nathan. He's most excited about being on the "big kid" playground with his brother and sister.)

...and our 3rd grader!

(Check out his first time sporting his "rolling backpack"...a privilege in our family once you become a 3rd grader.)

...and our confidently styled 5th grader!

Here they are all together, right before we left for school, with a thumbs up (not sure if they are trying to convince themselves that things will be okay, convince mommy, or if they are just good "posers" for the camera).

Here's our Owen with the amazing Mrs. Runyon (our 5th year with her in a row. Can you say blessed?)

Here’s Nathan with his sport’s fanatic teacher, Mrs. Mann. (She’s wearing the pretty hair flower Nathan gave her last week by mail and holding a gift from him today, a football vase with a potted plant.) I know he's going to love her! She's a doll.

And last but not least, Baylee and Mrs. Kavanagh (who she had for reading last year)! She'd dying to just "get inside" to pull out that iPad!

And it wouldn't be right to not show the kids without their friends. Let's face it, that's the best part of their school day!

Here's Owen and Colton...great buddies since strollers and classmates since preschool!

Nathan and Michael...they've never been apart. They've been classmates and fantastic friends for 4 years now!

Baylee and Sabrina (dearest friends since kindergarten and classmates for 5th and 6th grade!)

Tina...and our Lovefest!

2009-10-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

Talk about a sweetie…my girlfriend Tina’s husband Carlyle wanted to treat his wife well for her birthday so he put a plan in action and made a call to me to be one of his ‘secret agents’. Carlyle arranged for Tina to be surprised with a weekend girls’ slumber party away locally, which included A Grand New Day/Woman of Faith conference on Friday and Saturday. What a guy! Much to Tina’s amazement, he called many of her close friends and even flew one out from Oregon, just so we could all have a “Tina lovefest.” And boy howdy, Tina is definitely one who you could dote on with love cause, well…she’s just that loveable (seriously). We had a wonderful time together, growing in the Lord during the conference as well as honoring our friend and sister in Christ, Tina Naylor.

Sor-e (sorry)

2009-10-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

UGH!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s becoming habit and oh so frustrating to me and today it happened again! I’m trying to keep my cool and be a good mom explaining the “why” behind my reasonable expectation to Nathan but I’m about to lose it.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1…{breathe}

Nathan has been coming home from school with his lunch completely untouched for awhile now. Zilch, zero, nil! It’s not like I don’t pack him food he doesn’t like. It’s not that I’m even stuffing his tummy to the brink of explosion at breakfast time. And it’s certainly not that he’s choosing recess over eating since ‘lunchtime’ happens in the classroom with his school program. How is he supposed to have energy and concentration to get through the day, the poor kid? No wonder he’s famished when he comes home and is ready to eat an elephant and a half at dinner!

Ugh…it’s driving me crazy.

I guess sweet Nathan knew his mommy was disappointed and took it to heart because this is what I got a little after the afternoon lunchbox discovery…

I just love inventive spelling. It’s one of the most precious things about this age! This one’s a keeper; it has such a story behind it to tell to his kids and his kids’ kids.

Ahh, I think I feel better!

Thank you Nathan!
I sure do love you...no matter what!

(For those that need translation: Sorry for not eating my lunch.)

Extra, Extra Read All About It

2009-09-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

She’s hit it ‘BIG’! In our local paper today, an article has been written about our wonderful Girl Scout troop 228 and Baylee has been quoted. Confidence is bursting out of her. I love it! She and her Brownie sisters are living out their Girl Scout law by “making the world a better place” all the way across the globe and the writers of the Republic paper caught wind of it.

Weeks prior, our troop learned of a small village in Malawi, Africa, and how girls there are constantly infected with intestinal worms from simply playing in their natural environment mostly because they don’t wear or even own panties for that matter. The solution in the minds of our troop…buy 100% cotton panties of all sizes for these girls in need and have them hand delivered by missionaries. My troop of fifteen is calling it, “The Panty Project!”

Here’s how Baylee explained it to the press, “The panty project is important because girls in Africa need our help! They are getting sick from the dirt ground and in their homes made of mud. There aren’t places the girls can buy panties, and they don’t have much money at all!”

Our girls have been gathering and purchasing all kinds of packaged panties and is running a “Panty drive” throughout the school year during other Girl Scout events we are hosting as well as the hopes to set up booths outside stores like Kohl’s, Walmart, Old Navy, and Justice. There is such vigor in their plan to get the community involved and make a huge difference in lives of these girls in Africa.

We’ve been promised that upon distribution of the panties, photos will be taken in Africa and sent back to us so we can see the faces of the lives we’ve changed. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

For those interested, ‘drop your panties’ off at my house for a good cause any time. Whether they are hot pink, polka-dot, frilly, bikini, or plain Jane’s, they will be the perfect “fit’.

Man's Best Friend...Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

15.9

2009-09-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Just days ago I picked up Baylee’s backpack for her as we were ending her school day and arriving home. It felt like she was carrying a ton of bricks, so much so that I almost dropped it. Perplexed beyond measure I opened it up to take a peek. There was nothing unusual about it, just her daily norm of a folder, empty lunch box, and two text books. I managed to get it up stairs and flop it with a thud on the bathroom scale.

15.9 pounds

shouted out to our flabbergasted eyes!

What?????????????????????????????

Now it all made sense why she had been complaining about back aches for the last many weeks. My assumption was growing pains or even her worn out, very old mattress. Nope, it wasn’t either of those!

It was her school backpack.

Crazy!

So a few tutoring sessions later with a paycheck to follow, we headed out to find a rolling backpack. It may have cost a fortune but it saved her back and chiropractic care. Oh my poor girl! So now, our “look forward to” milestone has been established for the Kempiak Party of Five. Once you hit third grade, you get to pick out a rolling backpack! My first grader Nathan is now trying to calculate how many more months until he’s in third grade, my preschooler Owen is doing the same, all while their sister has satisfaction written all over her entire body!

(P.S. This new purchase had such an impact on Baylee, when asked by her teacher to write about an invention that changed her life, guess what she wrote about? A rolling backpack was first on her list! In fact, she’s planning on typing it and posting it on her blog as well. Check it out if you are a “member” of hers. It’s quite adorable, if I may say so myself.)

Our Bobcat

2009-09-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

We have reason to celebrate once again in our household. Tonight Nathan earned his first special recognition in Boy Scouts, the Bobcat Badge, along with his entire den! It was quite the personal challenge! Nathan had to memorize the essentials to Scouting which included the Law of the Pack, Cub Scout motto, sign, promise, handshake, and salute. WOW!

As tradition has it, bobcat stripes are painted on each boy’s face by their parents during the ceremony. Nathan didn’t want anything to do with that ritual other than stand next to his brother Scouts as they did. (Go figure, no big surprise on our part). Nonetheless, stripes or not, Nathan conquered his first big feat in Cub Scouts and there’s something fishy in the air telling me he’ll have many more reasons to celebrate other huge feats along the Scouting path.

His Bobcat badge rests upside down at the moment onto his uniform until he has been noticed at home doing a good deed without looking for praise. I don’t think it’ll take too long until that Bobcat is turned right side up.

Nathan, I am so proud of you buddy!

Michael, Andrew, Nathan, and Brody

(Wouldn’t it be cuter if someone who we won’t name specifically had stripes on his face too?)

My Kind of Mountain Men

2009-09-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t just about some swift twists and turns, it was much more than that. Try 85 mph head-first, face-down drops, 263 feet butterflies-in-your-stomach plunges, huge spirals, sharp dives, and near vertical 61 degree dives! My rollercoaster buff of a husband loved it all, on his first trip ever to Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California with three buddies of his for a quick turn around “guys trip”. Any massive steel structure that was totally ~~wacky~~ extreme is what they were magnetized to, over and over again. I call it insane, Jon calls it exhilarating. But nonetheless, he loved redeeming his birthday gift from the kids and I and has made it as clear as water, that he wants to return annually for some serious thrills. I think I can agree to that, I wish to say because of my love to see Jon happy, but deep down I think it’s a little more than that. Subconsciously I would gladly gift him with a guys’ trip to that theme park for the mere fact that I would NEVER have to do it with him. I so am not a rollercoaster enthusiast as he is.

The lack of vocal ability, bent up eye glasses from all the rides' impact yet thrill written all over his face when Jon arrived home safely was reward itself, hearing the stories and reenactments of his favorite rides; x2, Tatsu, and Goliath.

(Click on the name of Jon's favorite rides and you can see its total craziness on You Tube, that is...if you have a strong enough stomach.)

One Happy Camper

2009-09-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Scouting for Nathan and Jon is going great; the only downfall is the lack of communication from up high. Because of that, a family camping trip was scheduled for the entire 524 Pack but gave families very little notice. At first, our RSVP had to be a “no” because Jon had committed to teaching an acting class. Nathan was disappointed, being our outdoors boy, but understood. However, our dear friends the Keller’s didn’t want Nathan to miss out so invited him to tagalong! Isn’t that amazing?! There are very few people in the world I’d allow Nathan to go with, and the Keller’s are one of them. They are like family! We asked Nathan if he’d feel comfortable going away without us and lacking any hesitation, not even an ounce, he spouted out, “YES!” So, all seven of them were “Heber bound,” into the woods for an adventure at Lewis Canyon Campground for two days and one night. Camping in a tent in total darkness and cold, even with a herd of elk making noises and bedding down in the meadow behind the campsite didn’t seem to concern Nathan. He loved it! While away, they retired old flags, took a two hour hike learning how to use a compass, cooked by campfire, and enjoyed each others company. When arriving home, he asked when the next camping voyage was on the calendar. My reply to him, “Good question!”

The van ride up North...Hot dog dinner...Where they slept...Some Scouting buddies...Den 13 and Den 11... The whole Pack...My all time, favorite camper!

The Hundred Dresses

2009-09-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

I think there are certain books every family should have on their book shelves. You know the kinds I’m talking about; books with the ability to miraculously suck you into a new world and consume you with sheer delight. I love when books stick like glue in your hands and seem next to impossible to put down, give you vivid images in your head as if it’s a movie, and leave you with great material for deep discussions with your kids.
Baylee finished one of those...an all-time favorite of mine! Have you ever read, the Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes? It makes me cry, it makes me cheer out loud, it makes for amazing conversation!
As her book report for this quarter Baylee was to pick a novel and then prepare a creative way to share it with her classmates. It was hard for her to nail down just one way to express herself after being captivated with the story line, so she chose a few.

Day in and day out for weeks, Baylee made one hundred dresses on a paper doll chain (if you read the book, you’ll understand why). She gave it her all, taking no shortcuts, and it shows. Then Baylee made cookies for her classmates and on each cookie used a variety of words to describe friends/friendship. Words like; unique, funny, loving, caring, generous, sharing, cheerful, listener, honest, and loyal were some that were iced on the dress-shaped cookies. And then, as if God had the song written just for this event, we came across one by Jordan Pruitt called ‘The Outside Looking In’. Baylee played the song with the lyrics on an overhead, while fashioning a dress herself.

Was it too much? I don’t think so at all because it all was Baylee’s reaction to being touched in the center of her heart from the words of Ms. Estes. We are thankful to Baylee’s teacher, Mrs. Yeargain for allowing such a beautiful expression to happen, regardless of a timeframe or stringent parameters that leave little to no ability for originality, inspiration, and imagination.

Baylee, you are a beautiful, hard working student. I am so proud of you for the time you took on this project. You reached for the stars and caught several!

Another Scouting Adventure Begins

2009-08-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Let it be known. I love a man in a uniform! I do! And that’s good news since Nathan and Jon now fit that category. Both are Scouts in Den 524 amongst many boys and families we adore. Despite Jon’s horrific work schedule, he’s showing Nathan just how important he is by taking one of his three nights off a week to be Nathan’s Den leader. So our adventure of Scouting continues with me as Baylee’s Girl Scout Brownie leader (for the third year) and now a new chapter as Nathan is officially a Cub Scout in den 13 with his daddy (and Mr. Glazier) as his leader(s). We are ready for Nathan’s world to explode as he learns so many wonderful things, explores new horizons, and challenges himself with personal goals and service to his community. With promises to memorize, belt loops to earn, Derby’s to play in, field trips to take, parades to be in, and camping to conquer, Boy Scouts will be totally 110% fantastic, I just know it!

~
To keep up with the “latest” in the den, visit their personal blog at: http://awesomeden13.blogspot.com/

Green Trails...

2009-08-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

Friendship is such a gift! Today Owen’s buddy Colton invited Owen and I on a double date after he earned a very special reward. Colton worked hard and Owen received the blessing too! Isn’t that special?! What boy wouldn’t want to ride in a green taxi around town? We sure know two boys that would! Our one way ride, 4.5 miles, may have cost $13 but it was unbelievably precious. Their smiles never left as Colton and Owen were able to reach their own window controllers. Pushing them up and down, waving at the people and cars they passed tickled me down to my funny bone! When we arrived at our planned destination, McDonalds, our driver was a good sport and posed for a few photos before the boys high tailed it inside to order Happy Meals and play in the Kid Zone. Riding in green style was an adventure of a lifetime! (Thank you Colton and April for including us!)

Happy Meal...Happy Boys!

Family Fun with Ice!

2009-08-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

It may be sizzling outside

with temperatures still way over 100

but our Party of Five

found a way to keep cool.

Out of our Family Fun Box we pulled, “Ice Blocking” tonight and I was the only one who had ever done it. So as the Veteran, I showed them the ropes which didn’t take much time at all for them to catch on.
Slipping,

sliding,

and zooming down the grass hills

provided us with much heart-pounding laughter

and for spectators, a hunger for the same adventure.

I think this activity will definitely reappear!

Owen, the School Boy!

2009-08-19T17:26:00.000-07:00

Attention, attention…let it be known that all 3 of my totally adorable, incredibly smart, highly precious and loved children are now in school! Today our Owen started preschool at Ladybug Learning Club and walked in with such confidence. Daddy met us so he too could witness this life changing day. Although I will miss Owen incredibly, God answered my prayers by giving us everything I had asked for:

-a preschool that met in the afternoons so all three kids could still be together in the mornings until 11.

- a school on the same modified year round program as Baylee and Nathan’s schedules are!

-a Christian based program that prayed with the kids multiple times a day and memorized scripture together.

- a teacher that’s highly educated in early childhood learning and boy howdy is she ever! Not only is Mrs. Merriam Owen’s teacher, she’s the director and founder of the school as well (and working on her Masters degree)! She just oozes love for young children!

-a school that is more concerned with healthy snacks for the kids instead of filling them up with a bunch of fishy crackers and such.

-a place where each kid works one on one with their teacher daily and rotate in centers to foster the whole child.

-a preschool that uses literature, literature, and more literature then asks the kids to respond to that literature in journals and other mediums!

-a preschool with fun themes to make learning exciting and their world open up!

- a place where the projects are child centered and look that way verses a finished product that looks like an adult put it together. Owen (and all kids) need free exploration with their crafty, creative minds!

-a school that will turn a child away if they are sick for the day. I love how they check them each day!

-and finally…a place where Owen’s buddies will join him. How totally cool that Colton and Ross are in his same class! (We wish Ethan could be too!) The three boys are going to totally charm their teacher Mrs. Merriam!

So, from 11:45 until 2:45, three days a week, my little big boy will be in class, learning, sharing, singing, reading, and having fun! I wonder when I get to start volunteering in there. Oh I can’t wait!

A Sweet Date with Owen

2009-08-18T23:54:00.000-07:00

Today is “closing” ceremonies of summer; I guess you can say because Owen officially begins preschool tomorrow. {sigh} So to savor every minute left with my “baby” at home full time, we headed into Scottsdale to play at our favorite park, Mc Cormick-Stillman Railroad, then off to a place my Grandma and Grandpa used to take me as a kid for special confectioner's treats, the famous Sugar Bowl. My four year old ‘Monkey’ and I enjoyed his first banana split, thinking it was funny to combine ice cream with his all time favorite snack, bananas. Both of us could have generated a bunch of electricity with the wattage of our smiles today. From start to finish it was a blast! The day passed as quickly as a rocket ship. If only I could have pushed the pause button!

Mommy and Me Tea

2009-08-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Hats, gloves, party dresses, silver and fine china were all part of our troop 228’s Girl Scout kickoff for the 2009-2010 school year in a Mommy and Me elegant high tea. It was so fun being so “girly” and proper with our sister Girl Scouts, eating scones with Devonshire cream, tiny sandwiches, a plethora of desserts and great hot teas. Our “little girls” didn’t seem so little today as we watched them play the part of a fitting, prim young lady, holding rich conversations and using their best manners. I adore time alone with all of my kids and today, it was Baylee’s turn.I will cherish this day forever in my heart.

Taking a Chance to Breathe...

2009-08-09T22:29:00.000-07:00

I experienced heaven on earth this weekend with one of my dearest friends, Lisa! We were treated like royalty by our families with a spa getaway certificate for Mother’s Day and redeemed it these last two days, with an overnight at one of America’s best spas’, Revive (in Phoenix). It’s amazing how refreshed we felt after being together; while being pampered with facials, a Turquoise Massage, and all the other spa amenities. I could get used to this lifestyle! Many times there was the gift of silence (a rare find in my life) and then there was the gift of total belly laughter and heart to heart connection. Lisa and I are so spa compatible. We’re already dreaming BIG for our next one (hint hint Kempiak/Keller husbands and kids), feeling like it would be a marvelous thing to do by exploring our horizons at all the other “hot spot” spas around ~~Arizona~~ the United States!

Seeing Through a New Set of Eyes

2009-08-02T08:19:00.000-07:00

I didn’t recognize our Brinkster (Brinkley) when the groomer brought him out to us. WOW! Fortunately for us, his entire body language said it all, “I’m yours!” so I felt confident in bringing him home. I love the fact I can see into their dark eyes. Aren’t they so cute?!

(PHOTO TO COME)

Christmas in July...I Mean, August

2009-08-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

What is it about time and how quickly it fleets from us? Our traditional “Christmas in July” was postponed one month later, to August. It’s a “good thing” that we set the “rules” and calendar for this mock holiday and don’t have pressure from stores, church, gift exchanges, holiday parties, and other outside commitments!

Today, the kids woke to Christmas music filling the air, our small tree up, and the smell of peppermint cocoa. You should have seen their mile-wide smiles. Merry Christmas! We began our day with a small devotional over breakfast of Christmas tree Belgium waffles then pulled names for our gift exchange.
After praising Him at church, with a name in one hand and $1.08 clung in the other, we each walked the isles of the local dollar store in search for the “perfect” gift for our loved one. It’s quite comical the things we can come find at that store. Upon arriving home, we had individual wrapping parties then proudly placed the gifts under the tree for the evening’s gift exchange.
(This silly eye glass/straw gift was to Jon from Baylee) (Baylee loves Root beer so I found Root beer Popsicle treats for her gift.) (Jon actually found a "keeper" for my gift. He gave me a poem on prayer!) (Nathan and Owen picked each others names! Nathan gave Owen a pirate set which he was ecstatic about and Owen gave Nathan a foam hammer.)
We took advantage of the hot outdoor temperatures and decided that it would be a great family fun adventure if we headed to Mesquite Groves pool in Chandler where high dives, twisty slides, a lazy river, water vortex, competitive lanes, an in-water play yard, and much more awaited us. I had looked forward to finding an excuse to explore this new pool.

Later, we had a traditional Christmas dinner, baked sugar cookies and decorated them, dipped strawberries, sang Christmas carols, watched Elf, and exchanged our gifts.

Fun times were throughout the day and night. We look forward to four months passing from now when we’ll be bundled up in much cooler temperatures, celebrating our Savior’s birth, once again.

Shaggy Dogs

2009-08-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

So what do you think? My suspicions tell me that it’s about time for Zoe and Brinkley to get their hair cuts. I bet they will love being able to see the world without a hairy veil across their eyes. I can’t wait to see what they look like!

Aloha!

2009-07-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Hau'oli lā hānau

(pronounced How-o-lee Laa Haa-now…Happy birthday)
to one of my favorite people in the whole wide world,
an incredible Wahine

(pronounced wah-HEE-nay…woman),
Laura, my friend and cousin!
To help her celebrate turning the big
3-0,
we threw a luau much to her surprise.
She was surrounded by many of her lovely friends and family from near and far that adore her.
Thank you Lord for Laura and the heart you gave her.
What a beautiful person she is in my life and to the world.
She is well worth making a fuss over!

Isn't this the sweetest photo of Laura and her sweetheart Kasey?

First Day of School

2009-07-23T17:17:00.000-07:00

My third grader and first grader, Baylee and Nathan started school today {sigh}. I have to admit, there is NOT a solitary ounce in me that’s excited about it. I miss them. I miss their random hugs and kisses. I miss their voices, their noises, and their ‘presence’.

Ahhh, when is 4:00 going to be here for Owen, Zoe, Brinkley, and I to go get them?

Praise God that Baylee was so comfortable with heading into her class line because Nathan wasn’t once it came down to it. Quite a scene happened when the emotions he was holding inside couldn’t take it any longer and he grabbed onto me as it was time to walk into the class. He kept sobbing (loudly) saying, “I want to stay home one more day and snuggle with you more…” over and over again. All eyes were on us…and I mean ALL! Now tell me, how in the world is a mommy to walk away from her child’s heart and comments like that? Boy howdy…it was NOT an easy task and I absolutely hated (big word, I know) peeling sweet Nathan off of me. He’s in great hands at school with Kelly Runyon, I know. But ahhh, so sad, so so so very sad!

(Fast forward...The day’s hours seemed to be as slow as molasses pouring out of a bottle but finally 4:00 hit and Owen, Zoe, Brinkley, and I were finally able to see our two BIG KIDS. Baylee and Nathan jumped in the van with beet-red faces from the heat, big Kool-Aid grin smiles from a successful, fun day, and lots of stories to tell over the homemade cookies Owen and I had waiting especially for them.)

Like it or not, we’re back in the trenches of it all…school schedules, more drive time, earlier bedtimes, packing lunches, and yes…homework. Oh Lord, I better brace myself.

Summer 2009, we already miss you! Thanks for treating us so well. Here's to a wonderful school year, I just know it. God blessed us with our heart's desires.

Cooking Up a Great School Year!

2009-07-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

We’re just days away from a new school year starting so as tradition has it, we put together Baylee’s annual “Summer Just Because” party. On the guest list were girls from her class that Baylee either knows or wants to get to know better (Hannah, we missed you).

Baylee loves to cook so we figured a cooking party would be the perfect way to cook off a great school year for 2009-2010!

As the girls entered our restaurant, on the white board, I spelled out Mrs. Yeargain’s name, their “soon to be” teacher. Then the five gals collaborated, coming up with an acrostic on what kind of teacher/class/school year they will have.The chefs cooked up a yummy meal. They began with (non-alcoholic) Strawberry Daiquiris, then homemade salsa was next to follow that they named Senoritas Salsa. They jarred it and creatively put a label on it with the plans to give it to Mrs. Yeargain on the first day of school with a bag of chips.
Each girl chopped, sliced, stirred, and sautéed their little hands off to make tostadas and its yummy toppings. They had a blast making faces on the tostada shells, an edible canvas you might say. Then to top off the meal, they each made homemade ice cream and put them in their concoction of yummy edible cinnamon sugar dessert bowls. Ole!
(Chef "Salty" Savannah)
(Chef "Adorable" Abby)
(Chef "Baking" Baylee)
(Chef "Marinade" Maddie)
(Chef "Sauté" Sabrina)

Our three hours went fast but we were able to take a dip in the pool as well, splashing and laughing a whole lot.

Man alive do I enjoy listening to Baylee playing with her friends with glee shining through their excited voices of the school year to come. Entering 3rd grade and a brand new class doesn’t seem like such a mountain to climb anymore for Baylee, now that she has four other girls…I mean FRIENDS to do it with.

Cheers!!!! Here’s to a great school year!

Open House 2009

2009-07-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today we got to unveil our kids’ secret identities as their teachers’ secret pals during open house/meet the teacher. Jon and I are ecstatic that Nathan has Kelly Runyon for the next two years (the teacher Baylee had for 1st and 2nd grade). Kelly is the most gentle, loving, understanding and wonderful first and second grade teacher ever! I love her to pieces as well as the families already in her classroom from last year.

Our sweet Baylee has my “dream come true teacher,” Robin Yeargain for third and fourth grade. Yippee! Robin’s creativity in teaching the writing process alone makes me eager for the school year to start and Baylee is so comfortable transitioning into her classroom since she spent an hour and a half with her each day last year during the reading block. I can’t wait for Baylee to grow under Robin’s brilliant wings! God granted us our heart’s desires for the 2009-2010 school year and looking around the classroom at the sea of people, He really handpicked some fantastic classmates as well. I can’t wait to get to know them all. This is going to be a great year of learning socially and educationally. To God be the glory in everything that happens in these two classes.

Star Wars Summer Fun

2009-07-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

Today was Nathan’s and back by popular demand, a Star Wars theme from last year with Darth Vader (a.k.a. Daddy) as our guest. Teagan and Landon joined us from Nathan’s new class and his buddy Andrew who is in the same program, just next door in classes, played with them as well.
We set up things differently this year, where the boys, Jedi’s In Training, ran obstacles in the home shooting down the Droids that were all around! Their precision was impeccable (and boy, their moves were smooth)!

We made light sabers with pool noodles for the boys to “fight” with when eventually the Dark Side came out with music to introduce his arrival. Oh how the boys loved going against Darth Vader! They could have done it all day if it wasn’t for the 115 degree weather for poor Darth Vader who was of course, all in black!

Jedi Landon

Jedi Andrew

Jedi Teagan
Jedi Owen
Jedi Nathan
Jedi Baylee
This year the boys swam during the party as well and continued to use their light saber/pool noodles as they splashed about. We also dipped pretzels in colored chocolate melts, red and green, for yummy light saber treats as well as drank green Yoda Sodas and red Darth Maul floats.

Because of today, Nathan has two new buddies in Mrs. Runyon's class to play with on the first day of school as well as continue his bond with Andrew, a sweetheart. Today was just the beginning of friendships that will continue all year long, I just know it. And all the boys are eagerly anticipating the first day of school. {Goal accomplished!}

Prayer for Another School Year

2009-07-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

Where did the summer go? It seems like yesterday when the new school year was upon us with Baylee entering second grade and Nathan in kindergarten yet now, another year has gone by and both kids are moving into new classrooms, new grade levels, with new teachers.

As always, the first Friday before school starts, Jon and I open our home to friends, teachers, and strangers that all love the Lord and value the power of prayer and who are dedicated to starting the school year, covering the campus, faculty, volunteers, curriculum, and kids in prayer. I wouldn’t want to start it any other way!

This year, God brought so many new people to our group; around thirty including four teachers… it was touching! I am humbled with how many believers send their kids to Edu Prize. I am richly blessed to have a home that can host such a vital evening and a husband that has shares the same passion as I do.

Here’s to a great 2009-2010 school year! May all of us continue to pray daily for our children and the school year, as if we were gathered together in our family room.

“Lord, I thank you for the men and women who dedicate their lives to educating children. I ask you to bless them with strength, joy, great health, clarity of thinking, and strong ethics. I pray they are fruitful in every way. Please give them wisdom, patience, love, insight, endurance, joy, support, and creativity. I pray your supernatural love for each student can pour out through each teacher, allowing every child’s heart and life to count in the eyes of all the teachers, volunteers, peers, and facility.

Please sharpen the minds of our students, making them eager to learn more and give you the glory in their success. Build godly character in them. Please draw our children to You. Let them see their need of You and surrender their precious lives to You. Help them let go of what others think and to love the unlovely and be a friend to many. Help our children to obey You even when it's hard.

Thank You in advance for the work you're going to do in our teachers and students' lives this year, Lord. I pray all of these things in the strong and mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen!"

“The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right and his ears are open to their prayers.” 1 Peter 3:12

(Thank you to the Keller family for watching our kiddos so it could be an "adult only", peaceful night. They had a super time!)

Closing Ceremonies at Camp Richiak

2009-07-16T23:46:00.000-07:00

Our week had to be cut short due to other circumstances, but we were elated to have three days of Camp Richiak! Today we met twice, once in the morning where we painted frames for our camp photo then the Richardson’s returned in the evening as well for our closing ceremonies. We had to show off to the two dads what we had been up to all week, teaching them the handshake, oath, and our favorite camp songs. Then it was dinner time with Walking Tacos on the menu! Afterwards we swam, made S’mores, then went on a memorable hunt locally. Jon took the amateur cousins on the golf course once it hit dark, (as many of us adults know, snipe are nocturnal). With a flashlight in hand, the “call” Jon taught the kids and a brown bag…they were off to catch that fast critter. Even our neighbors joined us as we tiptoed through the open area keeping an eye out for a beady eyed hairy tiny beast. Score! We actually caught one but somehow that hasty thing made a hole in the bag and sped off before we made it home to show him off to the eagerly curious kids. Ugh! Maybe next year we can outsmart that thing!
Although Cousin Camp has come to a close, we plan to reunite in October for a family campout then begin making plans for Camp Richiak 2010!

Swimming Success!

2009-07-16T23:12:00.000-07:00

As a young adult I remember once reading, "The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure!" and it stuck in my head. It's so true! In my younger days, often times I’d find myself paralyzed in trying something with the total fear of failing and hearing the word, “No!” or “You’re not good enough!” Wanting as a parent now to break that thought cycle, I found an opportunity right in front of my face during Baylee’s first swim meet on May 30th. She was so excited for her first competition but eventually when it was time to stand on the lonely board facing the long lane ahead to swim the freestyle heat, she froze. Tears, shaking, and the thought of “I can’t” circled her sweet head. She too, was paralyzed and it broke my heart.

After pulling Baylee aside, reassuring her that no matter what, we loved her, Jon and I prayed with Baylee, and quoted some of her verses we have around her room, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” (Philippians 4:13) and “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7). Minutes passed and then Baylee dug deep and found the courage in her that God created her with and did it…she swiftly dove in the water and swam her heart out! To me, she could have taken four hours to swim the 25 yards, and I would have seen it as a huge success since she triumphed over fear. But she did even better than that! She scored 36.64!

Now fast forwarding to the end of the season, it’s amazing to see the growth that took place this summer during swim team practices and meets! Baylee was able to put her faith into practice, has great confidence, and learned first hand the definition of perseverance. She swam in 7 meets, all stokes (butterfly, breast stroke, back stroke, and freestyle) improving in each category, leaps and bounds! In fact, from Baylee’s first time in freestyle of 36.64 to her last, 20.5...the progression is impressive! She advanced an entire 16 seconds!

This summer Baylee didn’t progress to the swim finals but she has it in sight for next season. We rewarded her and Maggie with an honorary family lunch celebration and ceremony of our own, presenting both athletes with a trophy to remember their first season of swim team. From here on out, Baylee has a visual (her trophy) to remind her that “Success does not come to you, you go to it!” And boy did she ever go to it!

(Checking out her competition) (Breast stroke...Baylee in the closest lane to the camera)
(Swim team friends from 2 teams...Maggie, Kaelan, Baylee, and Emma)

(Baylee and Coach Bryn...a great man of encouragement!)(Maggie, Baylee, Kalena, Emma V, Matthew, and Landon...at various meets during the summer)(Baylee wearing her courage shirt next to Matthew and Landon)

(Kaelan, Baylee, Maggie, and Landon)
(Baylee, Maggie, and Kaelan)

We're Still at It, Camp Richiak Day Two

2009-07-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t hard to get the kids out of bed today. They knew what was ahead of them, Camp Richiak day two! To launch off the day’s activities, after our camp song and secret handshake, Dylan inspired us to write an oath. We listed things each thought was important and began the writing process setting it aside after awhile for us to ponder overnight and complete tomorrow.

We made rockets and set them off today with Alka Seltzer, made plates as a ‘forever memory’, went on a scavenger hunt, and let’s not forget making our ice cream in individual baggies which everyone gave as a BIG thumbs up!

During lunch today we had some thought provoking questions to get to know one another. We asked:
- What are your three best qualities (honest, loving, etc.)?
-If you were in a movie, what kind would it be and who would you want to be acting with you?
-What do you want to be when you grow up (job)?

The favorite songs of the day we sang were; Bananas, Toot-e-tah, and Boom Chica Boom.

Tomorrow we have planned another grand slam! I can’t wait!

Camp Richiak, Day One

2009-07-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

Let the festivities begin! Oh how excited we all were for this day to finally get here!

Our opening ceremonies included each child’s initiation into our elite group, creating then learning the Cousin Camp secret handshake then singing our Camp Song created by one of our very own family members, Jon! We mean business!

With our own hands and hearts, each camp participant worked together to make our camp flag to hang each day outside. Laura and I loved seeing the cousins all plan and conquer their work of art using paint, gems, hot glue, feathers, and glitter. It turned out sweet.

Moving right along, we laughed our heads off with the next item of business, “Laughing Hands!” Since not all would want to do it, we took volunteers on who was willing to get messy and silly (all of Laura’s kids and none of mine…go figure ☺). Then, we assigned a person to either be the ‘face’ or ‘hands’ of the act. Pretty much what happed was, the ‘hand’ acted for the ‘face’ with the pulling of a card then following the task. For example, one card pulled was brushing teeth. As you can imagine, the laughs didn’t end as the ‘hands’ (who couldn’t see at all) spread the toothpaste onto a brush then brushed the teeth of the ‘face’ person’s teeth, without getting up from behind their back (thus not being able to see at all!)
(Here's Blake being a good sport with sister Carlie being his hands! She's shaving his face with whipped cream!)

(Dylan's letting me brush his teeth even!)

(Kaydon's loving joining in on the "manly" act!)

(And Carlie...Baylee's her hands as she 'dolls her up' with lipstick. Check out the before and after photos!)

We also sang silly camp songs, danced the Cha-cha slide, Macarana, and YMCA. We made personal pizzas for lunch, Oobleck, and set off Mentos and soda!

The kids were not ready for our day to end together at Camp Richiak. The good news is this… we all get to do this again tomorrow!

Camp Richiak 2009

2009-07-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Inspired by our beloved friend April who has done this for years, my cousin Laura and I were finally able to kick off our first-ever “Cousin Camp,” otherwise known as Camp Richiak. This year it was just our two Arizona families but hopefully with much excitement, we can talk our other cousins from California into joining us for 2010.

Our name is Camp Richiak because we took our two last names and combined them… Richardson (Rich) and Kempiak (iak). We laugh at how interesting and what a mouth full it could be if we do indeed add the Clement and Flanagan side of the family! (Richiakmentagan maybe) ☺

Let me explain our idea! Each day this week we are having a day ‘camp’ with “just us cousins.” In attendance will be Dylan, Carlie, Baylee, Blake, Nathan, Kaydon, and Owen. We’ve planned activities that we’ll all participate in with the best part of the whole thing…being together. The icing on the cake, we even have an original logo (I made last year when we thought we’d get this thing off and rollin’ but weren’t able to) that we've placed on tshirts and other important documents.

Stay tuned at what the week has for Camp Richiak and the directors, Laura and Kymberly! We can’t wait!

A “Wickedly” Wonderful Time!

2009-07-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

As our fifteenth anniversary gift to one another, Jon and I bought tickets to the hottest Broadway musical playing right now, Wicked…the untold story of the witches of Oz! Oh how happy I am that it flew our way! Wicked was truly was phenomenal, totally worth all the hype and our savings! The costumes…{wow},
the set…{wow again},
the makeup…{wow-we},
the acting…{wowzers!}
and the music…{wow to the tenth degree}
all of which left me with a realm of emotions; laughing, cheering, crying, and even speechless at times. To say I got sucked into the story line is a total understatement. Did I ever! At intermission I had such a lump in my throat that I couldn’t talk to Jon for a few minutes. The same rang true at the end. One thing’s for certain, I will never watch the Wizard of Oz again through the same set of eyes I used to!

Oh how I wish I could stay overnight for the next showing to catch all those clever one-liners and just bathe in the talent of the cast right next to my wonderful date, my adoring husband Jon!

Which song was my favorite? Oh it’s so hard to say! The powerful song Defying Gravity won’t leave my head, as well as The Wizard and I, and thinking of Glinda and Elphaba saying goodbye to one another forever with For Good makes my eyes well up with tears again! Can I just say I liked them all?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J72thWNW6PE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0m6sclZkH0

Bowling Buddies

2009-07-09T11:14:00.000-07:00

For the second year in a row, Nathan joined a summer bowling league with his buddies and this year, Baylee made her own girls’ team too! They’re both in the bumper teams and play two games each week hitting many strikes and spares, feeling great about themselves with each throw. Nathan’s self named team, the Jedi Knights has his cousin Kaydon, best bud Benjamin, fun friend Gavin, and himself. Baylee’s team, the Bowling Beauties, consisted of her dear friend Sabrina and Cheyanne and a friend of Cheyanne’s, Megan. Summer bowling leagues are a lot of fun. It gets us all indoors away from the scalding heat and gives personal challenges for each kid as they are side by side with some of their most dear friends.

Patriotic Healthy Treat

2009-07-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here’s what the Kempiak Party of Five is munching on this weekend!
{Note to myself...}
And here’s what I want to make next year…

Something Smells Fishy Around Here!

2009-07-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

Out of curiosity, I am wondering if it’s possible to leave the ‘high country’, Greer, without fishing?! After much pondering, I’ve come up with the final answer…NO! I think it would be next to impossible (…well, unless the waters are iced over, but even with that harsh circumstance, I’m still not convinced).
This time, all three kids grabbed a pole with Daddy and Papa John and eagerly desired a catch in the ‘back lake’. What a true blessing we experienced because within the first 15 minutes, each kid’s pole had a bite that they successfully pulled in to shore! Isn’t that remarkably mind-blowing!
Baylee was the first…{so cool}. Although it ended weighing in as the smallest, it didn’t’ matter in her heart. Owen was next, needing a little help with reeling because his was enormous! He caught the biggest, weighing in over a whole pound! Nathan, our avid fisherman caught the final one then took them all back to the cabin and really had a blast, cutting, gutting, deboning, and playing with his finned friend’s eyeballs and heads! {Such a curious boy!}

More 4th of July Fun

2009-07-04T23:21:00.000-07:00

Hiking and discovering some Hopi petroglyphs, cooking brats on the hibachi, and watching a spectacular show of fireworks in the sky above the Lyman Lake was precisely what we did with the rest of our holiday today! What a delightful time we had!

4th of July Parade in the White Mountains

2009-07-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

There is something about the ‘small town feel’ that I love. It’s as if we’re flashed back to the past and that’s exactly what we get each year when we watch the Springerville 4th of July parade. It’s a great start enjoying the holiday commemorating our magnificent country and being together as a Party of Five (plus two…Dad and Pat)!

Camp Neverland!

2009-07-03T22:42:00.000-07:00

Once the school year begins, Owen will embark on a new chapter with preschool. One way to help ease him into it as well as give him a “special summer special” like Brother and Sister, I signed him up for a day camp called Camp Neverland at Ladybug Learning Center, where he’ll attend. Talk about a magical four day adventure, wowzers! Each preschooler was to come dressed as Peter Pan on the first day then they accessorized with hats. Throughout the week, they searched for treasures, made swords as if they were pirates and walked the plank. They made jeweled treasure boxes and even were surprised on the last day as they entered the classroom with evidence that Tinkerbell had been there overnight. After collecting the pixie dust the mischievous fairy left behind, an art masterpiece was made by each child. Owen had a spectacular time and wished Camp Neverland would have lasted another week or so with his well dressed buddies in green; Ethan, Colton, and Josh. Who says we need to grow up so fast? Not I!

Arizona Idol

2009-07-01T23:46:00.000-07:00

Enthusiast, supporter, fanatic, and groupie are all words that can easily be used to describe the Kempiak Party of Five when it comes to the show American Idol. We aren’t television people, yet when the season is upon us, we’re glued to the tube’s performances. We know we’re not the only ones though. Our lovely neighbors, Bob and Nancy are the same way! As a special treat they gave us tickets, due to their “connections”, to the final night of Arizona Idol’s competition at Fox 10 station. What a wonderful Family Fun Night's activity! It’s so much fun to see the preseason’s steps it takes to pull off our most prized show. (Thank you Bob and Nancy, you’re so sweet. Next year, can you join us?)

Wonderful Wacky Water Wednesday

2009-07-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our delightful friends, the Reiley family opened their backyard today for a splish splashy summer fun party…just because. The kids loved sliding down the rented waterslide then headed into the pool for some extra added entertainment.

My Prayer Hike

2009-06-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke at 4AM to meet with five gals from my prayer group to hike Usery Mountain in Mesa. We vowed to one another that once we exited the car all the way until we returned to it again, we’d stay totally silent, not talking to one another at all. The task was challenging, yet so rewarding! Three hours of alone time with God was wonderful. As I first took route on the trail, I found myself asking Christ for things (“Bless this person, help this other one, and don’t forget so and so…”) until He spoke to me, “Kymberly…just enjoy me!” So from that step on, I just praised him for all his qualities, (“Lord, thank you for always being here for me, thank you for being an unchangeable God, I praise you for your justice and grace…”).

Once I hit the top of the mountain where the Wind Cave is located, Diane, our amazing prayer group leader, gave us an envelope to open. Inside was a lovely letter as if it was written by Christ. It started out, “Come away my beloved. You do not need to make your path like a snow plow, for I say unto you, I go before you. I shall engineer circumstances on your behalf. I am your husband, and I will protect you and care for you, and make full provision for you.

“I know your need, and I am concerned for you: for your peace, for your health, for your strength. I cannot use a tired body, and you need to take time to renew your energies, both spiritual and physical. I am the God of Battle, but I am also the One who said: They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. And Jesus said, Come apart and rest a little while.

“I will teach you even as I taught Moses on the back side of the desert, and as I taught Paul in Arabia. So will I teach you. Thus it shall be a constructive period, and not in any sense wasted time. But as the summer course to the school teacher, it is vital to you in order that you may fully be qualified for your ministry…” (more followed)

I sat, read the letter, and meditated on the words, read from my Bible, then found myself breaking out in song to him for the thirty minutes I sat there overlooking the valley and watching the sun shed its full light.

Coming down from the mountain, God have me another thought. With the full light upon the path, it was so much more beautiful than as I had headed up in some darkness. Isn’t that so true?! With Christ (He is the Light), you see things in such different perspective and beauty. Oh how we all need to see his Light!

I didn't miss talking or listening to others speak. I very rarely ever get to rest in silence, yet it’s in the silence when we can really hear loud and clear what God has to say to us!

We had a Blast at Blast X-Treme!

2009-06-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

We had a BLAST, that’s for sure at our church’s version of VBS called, Blast X-Treme! Each day the chapel was filled with incredible Bible teachings with creation as the topic and mad scientists to deliver the thought provoking message! Every year I am in awe of how God brought us together as a body to serve one another with our gifts and talents, for His glory. From the music, to skits, teachings in the classroom and in the lab for crafts, nothing was missed and everything was remarkable. I was so proud of the kids who attended this year and their geneous hearts for donating $2,799.16 to the Center of Life ministry!

(Too bad Nathan and I had to miss several days this week for him to recover from his ‘spot attack’ known as the coxsackievirus. I missed my class I was teaching yet it was so neat to see my friend Kelly step up and take over in impressive ways. I did cherish the ‘snuggle time’ I had with Nathan though. Hmmm, not much else can compare in such a wonderful form!)

How High Will They Stack?

2009-06-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

As we read Jon’s handwriting from the entry pulled for tonight’s Family Fun adventure, everyone was excited and eager to get started. One by one, each of us stacked those deliciously dangerous Oreo cookies for a stacking contest which then transpired into a messy teeth competition.
Stacking results:
1st place, Jon with 24 cookies stacked
2nd place tie was Nathan and Mommy, both with 21 cookies
3rd place was Baylee with 20
4th place Owen with 19 (boy did he hold his own!)

And for the messy teeth competition…no certificate was rewarded, just lots of laughs! Take a look and see how horribly cute we turned out to be!

Happy Daddy's Day

2009-06-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Owen, Nathan, and Baylee are BLESSED beyond measure! They truly have the BEST DADDY it the WORLD! There is a mutual admiration between the foursome that I love to gaze at! Jon’s fun, kind, patient, forgiving, and gentle with them all, and most of all, he LOVES them! The kids are so thankful to have him for a DADDY.

(photos to come)

Chapter Twelve...Zoe and Brinkley

2009-06-18T23:40:00.000-07:00

This vacation was so fun to experience with our puppies, Zoe and Brinkley! They were wonderful travelers and guests at the beach house. We were so thankful that Cherie and Eric invited them to join us.(Zoe...poor girl, you can't see her eyes!)

(Brinkley)

Chapter Eleven...A Few Photos of the Kids at the Beach

2009-06-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

Do your eyes easily get attracted to family photos on the beach like mine do? There’s such beauty of the ocean’s backdrop! Our entire time here on the beach, we forgot to pull our tripod out to try to capture a family shot like we did six years ago at Cannon Beach. I am so bummed! Nonetheless, at least I snapped a few of the children that will captivate my heart for a lifetime.

Chapter Ten...the Beach House

2009-06-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

Bighearted and openhanded are two simple words to describe Eric and Cherie. To offer us their home for our week’s vacation just begins the generosity we experienced. Both are wonderfully humble, kind, and loving cousins and their home was beautifully inviting and comfortable! Here’s the home the Kempiak Party of Five indulged in…

(My very favorite place in this house...a reading window!)

Chapter Nine...My Cousin, the Artist

2009-06-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

I have always loved and admired my dear cousin Cherie in so many ways! Besides our bond through family blood, we are also connected because of our faith (as well as other areas). She is my cousin, sister in Christ, and a dear friend who I can talk on the phone with for hours at a time! Cherie is talented in many ways, today I will share one area of creativity, her artwork that is displayed throughout her beach house we are staying at. She’s offered to make me a few pieces for my home too and I plan to take her up on her generosity! Having her ‘fingerprint’ in my home would be a constant reminder of our love and wonderful relationship. She has a website if you would like to see more…just click here!

Chapter Eight...Channel Island Vacation...David

2009-06-16T23:16:00.000-07:00

This is my lovely cousin David who I cherish deeply. He has always been someone who is easy to love and over time has been the one family member that reminds me most of my brother. Several years back, David went into surgery to have a lump removed because of skin cancer. Once surgery was over, praise God that the cancer was gone but so was his arm, shoulder, and scapula. The doctors had to remove it all in order to give him ‘life’.

This trip was the first time I’ve been able to be face to face with him. I treasured every minute of it! Being able to reconnect was great but he also inspired me in so many ways. His physical challenges have not stopped him one bit! He’s surfing, canoeing, and much more!

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore" ~Andre Gide

“Life challenges are not suppose to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” ~Bernice Johnson Reagon
“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome.” ~Helen Keller

Chapter Seven…Channel Island Vacation…Kids’ Ocean Adventures

2009-06-16T16:41:00.000-07:00

Ever since Jon and I returned three days ago from our Sea-doo escapade with Eric; Baylee and Nathan have been chomping at the bit to have an ocean quest of their own. Eric and Cherie returned; bless their hearts, to make it possible. Eric and Jon took the ‘big kids’ on the water with the intention of keeping them in the Chanel canals. They were unsure how the kids could handle the waves of the ocean as well as the mode of transportation and temperatures that come with splashing through the cold waters. Well, both Baylee and Nathan surprised both men and sooner than later, they were out in the ocean being surrounded by many large pods of dolphins. Everyone out there agreed that they saw at least a hundred, if not two! {I'm crazy jealous ☺!}

Once in site of us on the deck of the beach house, both Baylee and Nathan were practically screaming as they boasted of the sites they encountered on the Sea-doos. Nathan exclaimed, “I could even hear them breathe Mommy!” {Nice…my daughter and son lived a dream of mine!}

Owen wasn’t thrilled when his brother and sister’s adventure began so Cherie and I took him out on the canoes. Once I got a handle on the balancing act needed for two, we had a blast maneuvering on top the water. Then once Daddy and Eric returned the Sea-doos, we spontaneously agreed to take Owen out on a ride, sandwiching him between us. We didn’t go far, nor fast, but Owen felt like he was a part of something pretty important and he was greatly satisfied! It was precious!

Chapter Six...Channel Island Vacation...Biking

2009-06-15T23:13:00.000-07:00

We thought it would be a fun day to travel around the neighborhoods and ocean side by bike. The kids giggled the whole route as Jon and I used every ounce of leg muscle to get our Party of Five from place to place. It was a fantastic day to be outdoors.

Chapter Five…Channel Islands Vacation…Boating

2009-06-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

We were off at sea daily in Eric and Cherie’s electric boat that they adorningly named “Our Sausalito”. Whether it be breakfast, lunch, dinner, or for hot tea with dessert, each and every day the Kempiak Party of Five had at least one meal on board as we tooted around the Channel canals. Between seeing all the other boats in many sizes and their fun names, the homes and restaurants lined up from end to end, the wildlife, and Pacific, we were fully entertained.

We had a brainstorm the last day and decided to grab a bag of frozen anchovies to feed the seals that same up close to ‘Sausalito’ which was a big hoot for the kids. Mostly the birds benefited from our donations however a seal or two did as well.

{Note to self…grab the frozen treats at the beginning of our adventure!}

Jon wasn’t the only sailor in the family; each kid had their chance at the wheel and often times it was our sweet Cousin Eric showing them the proper technique. No drivers license necessary to sail this ocean blue!

Chapter Four...Channel Islands Vacation...A Song & My LORD

2009-06-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sites to look at in the entire world is the sun setting on the ocean. I could do it nightly and it would never grow old or mundane. As I was snapping this shot enjoying the vast of the waters ahead and the magnificent colors of the sky, the lyrics to “Ocean” by Ten Shekel Shirt came to mind and I couldn’t help but sing it to my precious, remarkable Creator and Lord…

Lately, I've been thinking about You
And lately, I've been dreaming of You
And lately, I can't get You out of my head
Get You out of my head

(chorus)
There's something about the ocean
Makes me rise up and praise
Something about the heavens
Makes me stand in awe again
Something about the sunrise
Reminds me of Your faithfulness
Something about the ocean
And I'm lost in love again

I'll sing until I sense a smile
Upon Your great and lovely face
And till I know Your glory's in this place
Your glory's in this place

Chapter Three...Channel Islands Vacation...Sea-doo and Family Reunion

2009-06-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

Can someone pinch me?! Today was simply fantastic in every way! It was better than I could have ever hoped or prayed for! It began with Cherie and Eric coming out to the beach house and Eric graciously taking Jon and I out of the Sea-doos for an adventure on the Pacific while Cherie watched the kids (and gave Baylee some artistic drawing and painting pointers)! Jon, Eric, and I ended up on a ride of a lifetime, about fifty miles round trip at speeds around 45 miles an hour. In the three or so hours we were out, we rode out to Anacapa Island (one of the eight Channel Islands of California and a National Park). ). Eric, our fearless, careful, attentive tour guide showed us all angles of the island as we rode around the entire thing. On the backside, the waters were like a river, so peaceful and calm. The island was breathtaking with its rock formations and birds flying in all directions. One day, I’d love to get out and walk the island to see the vegetation, lighthouse, wildlife, and more. During our round trip, while riding on the cool water, we saw plenty of seals and a few dolphins which truly was amazing (Jon’s thankful for no shark sightings!) Seeing the seals and dolphins in their natural habitat was breathtaking.

Oh and if you could have seen the three of us upon arriving back home! What a crackup it was to look in the mirror, salt crystals were all over our faces and hair and we definitely had a sun and wind glow appearance to us. There’s no guess work to it, we wouldn’t have won any modeling contests for an advertisement for a Sea-doo company.

(Here we are, off for an adventure of a lifetime, wrapped up to make sure we'd be warm enough!)

(Eric our leader)

Arriving back to the beach house later than expected, the house was full of family ready to celebrate my Aunt Evey and Cousin David’s birthdays. We made it as much of a reunion as possible but surely missed all those that were not able to come. Growing up I had my cousins around me all the time, they were my closest friends yet as an adult, I can’t remember the last time we were altogether for “good” reasons (verses funerals). Oh how I loved every single minute of my time with the family today. Mostly we just hung out and caught up as much as we could, but also the kayaks, electric boat, and hot tub were powered up! Oh Cherie and Eric, you were such generous, bighearted hosts! (My dad and Pat were even able to come for a short visit today which was really neat!)(Our birthday girl.)(...and birthday boy, Cousin David)

(Baylee and Cousin Phil)

(Baylee and Cousin Cherie)

(Owen and our playful, silly Cousin David)
(Our loving and super hosts...Eric and Cherie...bless your hearts for your graciousness!)

Chapter Two...Channel Islands Vacation...The Beach

2009-06-12T22:23:00.000-07:00

Most days we hung out at the beach ALL day. Wouldn’t you? From building sandcastles, endless dolphins and seal sightings, bird and people watching, sand castle making, as well as quick naps on the warm conforming sand, the Kempiak Party of Five would rank them all as ideal days! This California gal has been away from the Pacific Ocean way too long!

(Every day we'd see this sailboat take passengers along the ocean...Owen thought it was a cool "pirate ship")

(Cocoa had to join us in our family adventure. He liked the lazy lifestyle too!) (Notice Cocoa Kempiak's vacation shirt too?)
(Nathan especially had amazing focus on building this castle with me. We'd tell stories about the people who lived inside and those wanting to enter the kingdom.)

(As most kids, our's loved to run from the waves and did this for hours on end.)

(We couldn't get enough of the beach time play so we'd stay until the sun would set often! Temperatures really cooled down but that didn't stop us.)

Chapter One...Channel Island Vacation

2009-06-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

Graciously, my cousins Eric and Cherie invited us to stay at their beach house in the Channel Islands of Oxnard, California for the week. I don’t know who was more excited. Was it my husband who works two jobs to provide for us? Was it Baylee and Nathan who just completed a wonderful year of school? Was it Owen who has never seen the ocean? Or was it me, a worn out Mommy who’s kept the family organized and everywhere they’ve needed to be? It’s probably impossible to know the answer but nonetheless, we all needed and wanted to get away TOGETHER so badly!

This trip is full of fantastic fun and adventure so I’ll break it up into chapters. So, for today, here is chapter one...we’ve made it and the place is better than expected!

The photos below are of the kids’ first site of the beach. Baylee, Nathan, and Owen didn’t care that they were fully clothed; they had to run into the water. Then afterwards, we went for a pizza dinner with my cousins' by boat! Pirate Owen was at the wheel with Eric showing him the ropes. We rode through the Channel canals and docked it at a shopping center where the restaurant was located. The kids, no scratch that…we all thought that was totally cool!)

Kristen the Graduate

2009-06-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Eager to watch our niece Kristen graduate from high school, we loaded in our Party of Five’s van and headed to California at 5 a.m. so we wouldn’t miss one single minute of the ceremony. Each of us are so proud of Kristen’s hard work and are eager to see what avenue she takes for her adult life. Whatever it is, we know she’ll do great things! (Kristen, thank you for including us in your very special and unforgettable day! We love you deeply!)

2009-06-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

(Cousin Phil with Jon and I)

A Successful Splash!

2009-06-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

A new adventure awaits us this summer as we cheer Baylee on while competing in one of our city’s swim teams. To us as parents, it is obvious how much Baylee will grow as an athlete and person through this all. Perseverance and courage will be the big words around here, I just know it!

She had a fantastic first meet wearing her camouflaged swimsuit she hand picked as a constant reminder to be “Strong and courageous”…much like a soldier has to be. It was so cool having friends Baylee was competing with and against along the way today!

Baylee’s key verse in action: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” Philippians 4:13

(Coach Bryn and Baylee. He's so fantastic to reluctant athletes!)

(Maggie, Baylee, Kaelan, Emma V, Matthew, and Landon)

(Baylee, Matthew, and Landon)

Happy Birthday Johnny

2009-06-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Although the celebration in heaven is much bigger, the kids and I celebrated my brother’s life today, June 6th, his birthday. We went to “his” bench, had dessert, wrote letters to him and sent them on their way up via balloons. The notes each kid wrote brought tears to my eyes. Oh how I wish we could all have him still here with us but praise God we know we will be together again in heaven! We left the bench, leaving behind a single mylar birthday balloon so others would know of his special day and head out to find some total stranger to give some random acts of kindness to. It’s a great way to get our focus off our loss and focus on blessings!

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-06-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

Not only did Baylee and Jon have a special night out, so did our boys! Both Owen and Nathan were invited to a sleepover at the Kellers where they played like it was going out of style. Pizza, water games, and movies were just some of the things the boys came home boasting about. Owen and Ethan had the upstairs and Nathan, Benjamin and friends had the downstairs area. What a blessing it is to our family to have this cherished gift of friendship with such a remarkable family, the Kellers!

Rock 'n' Roll with Daddy

2009-06-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Being swung from side to side, thrown in the air, and feeling like the ‘princess in Daddy’s eyes’, were just some of the great things that came out of tonight for Baylee. The 2009 Daddy Daughter Dance (for Girl Scouts) was a blast, to say the least, and thankfully Cocoa and I were able to witness it from the sidelines as I was a helper and committee member. New for my troop this year, our girls preformed a dance for the rest of the 200 couples to Good Golly Miss Molly (thanks to Anissa and Emily) all wearing matching hot pink poodle skirts (thanks to April). They were fabulously precious! Oh how I wish I knew how to post videos on this blog! I think Baylee will be floating on cloud 9 for quite a while after tonight (and honestly…I think Jon will be too!)

(My favorite picture of the whole night!)

(Cocoa Kempiak didn't want to miss this important night either so he/she came dressed to blend in with the rest of our 'Pink Ladies'!)

(My amazing troop 228 and dads)

(April and I...we had so much fun serving and watching tonight all while we were playing dress up too. She's our faithful seamstress for the troop.)

The End to a Chapter That Was Well Enjoyed!

2009-06-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye is always a hard thing to do, so the last day of school is filled with mixed emotions for our whole family. The night before begins with us handwriting thank you notes to the teachers, spilling our hearts of gratitude out to each one, then usually ends with many many many tears to the end of the chapter. Once the kids settled down and finally drifted off to Dreamland as we like to call it, Jon and I did our “norm” by decorating the windows of our family van. This year we went colorful! So here is to a great school year…we will forever be grateful for the teachers God placed in our lives, the friends/classmates, the kids’ safety, and for the learning that took place. Although sad, I am overjoyed to have the kids home with me for 6 whole weeks! It’s gonna fly by!

Here's a glimpse of the last day/first day...boy have they changed! (last day, above...first day, below)

(last day, above...first day, below)

And with their wonderful teachers!

(last day, above...first day, below)
(This picture tears me up everytime I see it. Oh the tears that flowed from Baylee, Mrs. Runyon, and I. On of our prayers is that Nathan will be with Kelly for the next two years!)

(last day, above...first day, below)
(first day...Mrs. Runyon with baby in tote!)

And Friends...
(last day, above...first day, below)

(Nathan and Chloe)

2009-05-31T22:24:00.000-07:00

To celebrate the end of the kindergarten school year another way, Nathan’s class had a pool party at his friend Brody’s house. They had a blast seeing each other outside the school grounds! “Too bad the playground can’t have a pool!” Nathan told me!

2009-05-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

I loved having a personal photo shoot with Nathan in my college graduate gown (much like I did with Baylee two years ago). He warmed up quickly and got pretty silly!

Our Graduate Nathan

2009-05-29T23:20:00.000-07:00

Our kindergartner, Nathan, is a graduate! I truly feel like this year went by in a blink and am sad that it’s over! Nathan had an incredibly marvelous, mind-blowing school year. He learned so much from his amazing teacher, Lauren Zavisch, and made some remarkable bonds of friendship with some truly wonderful kids.

So tonight the celebration began on stage, a week before the school year comes to a close. The kids entertained us beyond measure with their songs and movements, speaking parts, poetry, and heartfelt photo slide show. I couldn’t help but tear up many times and also praise God for the courage and confidence he gave Nathan during his performance. Just two years beforehand, I vividly remember Nathan being in tears out of stage fright. Now look at him! We’ve witnessed a total transformation!

After the graduation performance we headed to Organ Stop Pizza for dinner. Nana, Papa D, Grandma Sally, Aunt Linda, Uncle Jimmy, Cousin Laura, Kaydon, and Kasey all joined the party (which made it even more special)! The organist even played a set just for Kaydon and Nathan full of Star Wars and Indiana Jones music. They thought that was so cool! And the night wasn't complete without going for dessert to Bahama Bucks!
(Nana and Papa D)

(Grandma Sally)

(Aunt Linda and Uncle Jimmy)

(Our family...Nathan's biggest cheerleaders!)

Kindergarten is the most precious school year of a child’s life. Don’t you agree?

Science "ROCKS" (and so does Baylee)!

2009-05-26T21:19:00.000-07:00

It’s Science Fair time and Baylee’s cottage topic this year was rocks and minerals. She diligently worked on her project with the intense focus of a surgeon in an operating room and proudly displayed her findings as any scientist would. I sure love seeing this great brain at work!

Happy Mother's Day...take two!

2009-05-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

Mother’s Day was a bit uneventful this year since Jon had to work so he made up for it by taking us out tonight to my favorite restaurant, Benihana of Toyko. What a blast we had watching the kids see this type of cooking for the first time. I think they could live off of the fried rice! But come to think of it, without the presentation of an erupting onion, a flying egg, and much more, the fried rice at home could be second-rate in their book!

Splish Splashing Fun

2009-05-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

By leaps and bounds, Baylee reached the hundred hour reading goal this school year so an invitation to her water day was easily in her reach. I had the opportunity to be a volunteer, walking the kids from station to station and even took advantage of the huge blowup water slides myself. There’s nothing like splashing in a bunch of dirty warm water {not}. Regardless of the water style, those type of water slides are a blast!

A Cold Treasure

2009-05-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

We’re still experiencing “firsts” at this stage of life and tonight was no exception. As we were inside hanging out we heard music outdoors that caught our attention. Much to our surprise, we saw an ice cream truck and the kids began going bonkers! Baylee, Nathan, and Owen loved picking out a cold dessert treat and hopes it returns again over and over again so they can try everything on the menu!

The Kempiak Laboratory

2009-05-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Professor Baylee opened up our Party of Five science laboratory for her mad scientist friends today for a round of ‘testing’ and ‘experimenting’. It was her belated birthday party and well worth the wait! We were oozing with fun!

Our first order of business, critical thinking style, was to have our mad scientists figure out how to get a hard boiled egg inside a glass bottle without harming it. Do you have any idea? Our laboratory of scientists do now, knowing what happens when molecules get heated up! Hint…just light a birthday candle that’s pieced into the egg and see what happens!

There are many names for it; Gak, Goo, and Slime, but no matter what you call it, our science party wouldn’t have been complete without making this rubbery, slimy, stringy putty sensation! With only a few ingredients and quite a bit of stirring action on each scientist’s part, we were quickly on our way to learning about the properties of polymers. (Don’t you just love the expressions on Professor Matthew and Professor Kristin’s faces?)

We were erupting with fun as the scientists made their own volcanoes and brought them outdoors for the lava to freely flow. We were all fired up and excited to explore one facet of earth science!

5-4-3-2-1…Blast Off! Each scientist made personal rockets out of film canisters and had a chance to launch them as well, using water and Alka Seltzer tablets.
Have you done the experiment with Mentos and diet soda before? We did! Who would have ever guessed that dropping those chewy mints into a bottle of diet soda would produce such a gigantic reaction, a 20 foot geyser! With red, white, and blue sodas (colored with food coloring) we set the three of them off simultaneously for a ‘homemade’ firework show that the kids greatly cheered about.

Our drink of the day was my version of those yummy Sonic Cherry Limeade. To make it “science like” we filled it with dry ice so it would “smoke”. What a hit!
{Note to self…if I ever need to get the kids to eat or drink anything ever again…dry ice may be the key ingredient!}
Our experiments weren't the only things erupting with fun! We served an explosive, steamy chocolaty cake with hot cherry lava pouring out. Poor Baylee, when it was time for her to blow out the sparkler candles, she was a bit frightened and backed up quite a bit. Boy did that girl have to show off her lungs and ability to blow a lot of air from far away!

This party could have lasted days. In fact as the laboratory closed for the day, Professor Baylee pleaded, “Can I have another science party next year?” To me, why not…there are so many other experiments just waiting up my lab coat to pull out!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Water Baseball

2009-05-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

I was asked if I’d run the end of the season baseball party again for Nathan’s team and tonight was the night! We had a great time eating pizza, passing out trophies, and the highlight…playing baseball with water balloons with the coach as the catcher!

This season was extra special for Nathan since he had two close buddies join him from school; Michael and Andrew and two others he’d played ball with before, Tony and Isaiah. We love cheering on Nathan and his endeavors.

His Toothless Grin

2009-05-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Yep, it’s official! It’s undisputable…Nathan is now a genuine kindergartner. He’s hit the right of passage by losing his first tooth and now has his name on the tooth chart in class. He’s so thrilled to join in on that “not so” elite club. I adore his beautiful new smile and giggle each time I catch him checking himself out in the mirror (over and over again)! I could keep this toothless grin forever!

(Nathan holding up this handmade" tooth cup that held his tooth for the Tooth Fairy. Left behind from her was fairy dust, a note, and a little cash.)

One on One Time, Celebrating Mothers Day 2009

2009-05-11T15:15:00.000-07:00

Baylee’s class held a Mother’s Day tea today. They performed (sign language) to “What a Wonderful World”, wrote poems to share, and much more. It was a very dear, touching time to be one on one with my precious daughter, Baylee Rose Kempiak. She made me feel so special. Oh Lord, thank you for giving me the ability to be a mother!
(We're each holding tea cups we brought from home. The pink one I am holding was my Great Grandmothers who got that at her wedding from her husband, my Great Grandfather. The birdy cup Baylee is holding is precious to me too! It was my grandmother's and she'd let me use it everytime I was at her house, growing up.)

Wet and Wild Kindergartners!

2009-05-08T17:48:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated day of kindergarten has hit…it is WATER DAY! Nathan almost had to miss due to being sick earlier in the week (long story) but God worked it out that he was able to come. He had a blast getting wet all day long, playing the wet sponge toss, digging for shells in the wet sand, eating an unlimited supply of Otter Pops, squirt bottle wars, and the favorite of them all… the big waterslide! Edu-Prize really knows how to “do it up” and help the kids celebrate their accomplishments!

What's in the Box?

2009-04-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

Often times when trying to duplicate one of those heartfelt scenes from a Hollywood movie, the end result is far less climatic than desired or anticipated. This time, the result exceeded our wildest dreams and prayers. Today is Owen’s 4th birthday. And now that almost 4 years have passed since our dog Tynan died, we were all ready for a new one. Jon and I knew that Owen, our total animal lover, especially dogs, would go absolutely crazy if we bought him a furry four legged friend. It was a perfect excuse to get him (or should I say, the family) a puppy. We could hardly bare the days leading up to today, knowing what was about to happen. Some how we kept it together and the unveiling of his precious present gave many of us tears.

We waited to give Owen his present until the end of the school/work day. That way we all could be home to enjoy the moments as well as invite family to be a part of this night. Prior to Owen opening the box we asked him what he thought it was. He was clueless. We brainstormed some things at the final one mentioned was a stuffed animal. When he opened the box, Owen was speechless. His Kool-Aid grin said it all! Then he uttered, "it’s a real puppy!" Owen hugged that sweet jet black puppy forever and eventually decided to name her, ZOE! She’s a cutie, alright, weighing 2 pounds 3 ounces.

About 10 minutes passed when the next surprise hit! Jon quietly left the room and came back with, yet another puppy in his arms…this time for the rest of the family. It took awhile for it to be noticed but once they did…YOWZA! Brinkley, Zoe’s brother, shocked Baylee and Nathan completely and even more so, thrilled them more than I think they ever have been before! Brinkley is more playful and adventurous than Zoe, but a little peanut! He’s only 1 pound 15 ounces. Nathan thinks he’s “Awesome” because it looks as if Brinkley has black glasses around his eyes, like Nathan does.

Both tiny puppies are from the same litter. Their mom Maggie is a purebred Miniature Poodle and dad Jasper is a purebred Shih-Tzu. So our breed is considered a Shih-Poo.

Oh how our lives have changed from this day forward! ☺

(Video was taken, however I have no clue how to post it. Once I do…it will be here. Check back.)

Our Sleeping Beauty!

2009-04-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

I just love watching my kiddos sleep, don’t you!?

This is my precious, lovable, and totally adorable Owen all tucked in for sleep with Cocoa our family mascot, the last time as a three year old. Tomorrow is his birthday. I simply can’t believe he’ll be four. Where has my baby gone? {sigh} It seems like yesterday when we had an unseasonably large rain storm when he finally entered this world ten days late, weighing 9 pounds and 21 inches long. Oh how blessed we felt for having another safe delivery and a totally healthy child, completing our Party of Five.

Bringing Owen home to his brother and sister will always be a highlight in my life. Both were (and still are) enamored by him. Who wouldn’t be?

In honor of my birthday boy, I’ve asked the family to tell me four things that makes Owen so very special. We could go on all day, but as tradition has it, we’ll stick to four…his very special number for now!

4 things we totally LOVE about Owen…

To Owen, Love Baylee ☺
1. I love how he plays with me.
2. I love reading with him. He listens so well.
3. I like his smile.
4. I love his drawings.

To Owen, Love Nathan ☺
1. He is helpful to me.
2. I love when he runs with me.
3. I love the way he looks up to me.
4. I love how he says funny things in cute ways. He makes us laugh a lot.

To Owen, Love Daddy ☺
1. I love his smile.
2. I love how excited he gets when he sees a family member come home.
3. I love how he prays.
4. I love his sense of humor.

To Owen, Love Mommy ☺
1. It’s your smile Owen that we all adore. It’s genuine and full of life. I can’t help but smile back.
2. I love how you enjoy one on one time with me, playing whatever. You enjoy me reading to you, playing Star Wars, cars, puzzles, walking, drawing, Playdough, etc.
3. I love how you communicate. I’ve never met a kid who can talk as much as you. Your vocabulary is so vast and what you talk about is important. I especially love how you use words like, “Actually”.
4. You are adventurous and easy going. You will play with anyone, make a friend with anyone, and go anywhere for the “thrill” of it. Even a trip to the mailbox is exciting for you. You help me discover what’s right in front of my face and appreciate the little things like the shape of the moon, yellow flowers, and everyday animals.

Baylee, Nathan, Jon, and I praise God for the life he gave in Owen and thank Him for loaning us to him. May we cherish each day and honor the Lord in the way we raise sweet Owen Jon Kempiak.

☼We Celebrate the Earth☼

2009-04-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

This year’s Earth Day we met up with Jon after work at a local plant nursery to choose which tree we wanted for our backyard. It was unanimous, a Purple Plum. Quickly we came home and dug just the perfect hole for our new, beautiful tree.

Afterwards we headed to the mall to take the Disney Store up on an offer. For every 3 empty plastic water bottles turned in, each child received a, Earth Day 2009 Mickey Mouse reusable water bottle. The kids love them.

Then…it was off to the movies. We watched Earth by Disney. All five of us thought it was remarkable! It followed three animal families in all seasons; Polar Bears, African Elephants, and Humpback Whales.

Nathan's a Tiger

2009-04-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

This baseball season. Nathan’s third, is especially fun for him! A few close buddies from class are on the Tiger’s team! Andrew and Michael joined him and Isaiah and Tony from season one and two did too. All four boys are precious friends to Nathan. It’s always comforting having people you care about all around you!

Nathan continues to dazzle us with his athletic abilities. He stays alert during the whole game and boy can he clobber the ball! But still, his most favorite thing in the world is running!

We love cheering on our sweet Nathan!

The Hunt

2009-04-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Early Easter evening, once all other activities are done, we send the kids on a search for their Easter baskets. For us, we prefer to do this after church and study, as well as family dinner so the focus of the day can be on the true meaning. We were finally home and the kids got in their pajamas and then the hunt began. Each searched high and low for their baskets which were hidden in some very unusual places. Then it was time for our “family egg” to be found.

Let me explain…Three years ago, after hearing about this idea in my Live, Laugh, Love Club One, our family found a large plain plastic egg that we decorated to represent us as a Party of Five. Then each Easter that egg is hidden and the kids have to search for it. Once found, they unveil the “family gift” inside.

Here's our egg:

This year’s gift inside was too large to fit in our family egg so we made a code for them to decipher. Baylee and Nathan loved having to be detectives to crack the code!
This is what the code looked like:

Easter 2009 has been a great one!

Easter Reflections

2009-04-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

After our family dinner, we stopped by Cosmo’s Dog Park where Johnny’s memorial bench is (I love this place). We brought new flowers and just spent some time reflecting there. My brother’s life was such an answer to earnest prayer when he finally came into a personal relationship with our Savior about six years before his death. It was then that God opened his eyes and Johnny realized that Christ’s final words, “It is finished” meant that the payment for Johnny’s sins (and ours) past, present, and future were taken care of by the King. No shame is needed when we fail, just total gratitude and awe to Jesus. Whenever you feel like you’ve failed, remember Easter morning when a new life has begun…because each day is new for you too!

♥Easter 2009♥

2009-04-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

After church, Aunt Linda and Uncle Jimmy hosted our Easter dinner. It’s always so nice to be with family. Aunt Linda fixed our traditional meal which included ham, cheesy potatoes, salad, rolls, and the ever anticipated "Bailey secret" ham eggs. Afterwards we snapped some photos and had an egg hunt for the 4 cousins.

Happy Easter everyone! He has risen’, He has risen’ indeed! We have so much to celebrate!

(The traditional "cousin" line up...done before I was even born...generation from generation")

(California and Colorado family…wouldn’t it be amazing if we could all be together for Easter one year like the good ol’ days? The invitation is always open!)

Resurrection Rolls

2009-04-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

We absolutely LOVE the Easter cookie recipe/devotional we take part in each year, however we added a new component this season that helps add to our Easter breakfast. And I have to report, this is a “Keeper” for the Kempiak Party of Five! Besides being very yummy, the devotional totally complimented the other.

Ingredients:

Crescent rolls

Melted butter

Marshmallows

Cinnamon & sugar

Preheat oven to 350 .
1. Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in. Read Matthew 27: 57-61

2. Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus.

3. Have him/her dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming.

4. Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.

5. Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.

6. Place in a 350 oven for 10-12 minutes. (The oven represents the tomb---pretend like it was three days!)

7. Let the rolls cool slightly. The children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)

8. Now read Matthew 28:5-8

Explain: At the tomb, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary saw an angel, who told them not to be afraid. No one had taken Jesus' body, but He Had risen from the dead! The angel told the women to go and tell the disciples what they had seen, that Jesus had risen from the dead. They were so excited, they ran all the way home to tell the disciples the good news! He is risen from the dead! Alleluia!

After that Jesus appeared in person to Peter, then to the 12 disciples and after that, to more than 500 people. Jesus' appearance to eyewitnesses, those who saw Him with their own eyes, would give support and prove that Jesus rose from the dead ( 1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

By rising from the dead, Jesus proved once and for all that He was the Messiah, the Savior of the World, the Chosen One, and the Lamb of God. By dying on the cross and rising from the dead, Jesus did what no other had ever done before. As both God and man, He overcame sin, death, and hell. And now because of what Jesus has done, these things no longer have any power over those who believe in Jesus and allow His Spirit to lead and direct them. Rather than being slaves to sin and death, Christians ( those who love and believe in Jesus) are free to obey God and do good ( Romans 6:17-18). The Bible says in John 8:36, "If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."

However, we will only obey God if we listen to the Holy Spirit our helper. He enables believers in Jesus to do the right thing. It is important that we read the Bible (God's Word) because one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us obey God is by reminding us of what He says to us in His Word. God's Spirit will never go against his Word. In fact, when we read God's Word, we are listening to the Holy Spirit.Of course, you won't always do the right thing; the Bible says this ) 1 John 1:5-10). But that is why we need to continue to confess our sins knowing that God forgives us, based on what Jesus did on the cross. This is also a reason we need to spend time with other believers in Christ so they can encourage us in our faith.

-Unknown Author