Man's Best Friend...Wordless Wednesday

Green Trails...

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!

Owen, the School Boy!

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

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!

Something Smells Fishy Around Here!

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!}

Camp Neverland!

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!

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

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 Seven…Channel Island Vacation…Kids’ Ocean Adventures

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!

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

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!

What's in the Box?

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!

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.

Engineer Owen

Do me a favor please? Just pretend that it’s April 2008 (not 2009) as you read this so you don’t think I’m a horrible mom.

April 24, 2008…Owen’s 3rd birthday. Owen loves trains and especially loves riding them at the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale. That’s the exact spot he desperately wanted his 3rd birthday party with his buddies to be. I agreed. We set the date and BAM! Owen got sick, running a high temperature (2 years in a row for his party) so we had to CANCEL the festivities although the cake was made and everything ‘ready’. Ugh! Practically 6 months pass when we finally get around to the “reschedule” (although it’s almost time for his half b-day party at home)…this time, the party having to be cancelled AGAIN the day of…due to a HUGE rainstorm. Double Ugh! More time passes, we get busy and Jon’s work schedule continues to be less than desirable, so we just let it slide by almost wishing we can just let his 4 year old birthday party be a combined one (3 and 4 year old party). Well, Owen didn’t forget. One day he calmly says to me, “Mommy, can we pleeeeeease have my 3 year old birthday party now?” More conversation continues and the end result leaves me wanting to, once again, plan the party. It’s been almost 11 months since he turned three and as he pointed out, we had all the stuff, so off I call my friends and family and whalla, another date is set. No fevers, no rainstorms, nothing…so OWEN FINALLY GOT HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY. I think he wore his Kool-Aide grin all day! And I, feel much much much better that I followed through (finally) with my word!


(Owen, Cocoa, and Colton)
(Owen and Ross)
(Something real cool...our cousins Jennifer and Zephyr were able to come to the party from California. It was awesome being together!)

(Colton on the bottom, cousin Zephyr, Nathan, cousin Carlie, Sabrina, Ross Jr., Baylee, cousin Blake, and Owen)
(Cousin Zephyr, Ross Jr., Colton, and Owen)

Now I’m just a month from him turning 4. We told him his party had to be in May to at least make it seem like time has passed.