This is Good

Back from the Wedding

What a weekend. Amber's step sister Chelsea had her wedding. She married a nice guy and they have been dating for a few years now (even though they are both 18). We arrived a day early to get settled and help. I was put to work and once again have a nice sun burn on the top of my head. The ceremony was held at the house so it seemed like there were even more details making sure things were just right. The food was great and it really looked like everyone had a good time.

We as a family stayed in a hotel with a pool which was also a highlight.

The Finale for the Dentist

Today was the last visit to the dentist for the kids. I am thrilled because that means no more surprises. I do not like the new dentist and I am not ashamed to type that here. I wonder whether we financed her boat payment or her vacation fund. Here is the only thing derogatory toward dentists I could find.





We visited Karin and Grandpa today. Grandpa's driveway is being torn up and so we decided to meet up at the Johnson's. It was a good time. Allen, Matthew, and I all got a chance to use the lacrosse sticks together. It was fun. Mostly we played inside. When we got home, I finally got a chance to mow the grass. It has been raining so much lately that I have not been able to. It is out of control.

The Heat is Getting to Us

Amber and I often disagree about whether it is too hot or cold. The battles with the car air conditioner has been epic. Today has been incredibly humid and I had the air conditioner on for most of the day. She got home and we were playing a board game in the living room when she shut off the air conditioner. I said nothing knowing that it was futile to try and contend it. After time passed she asked me to turn on the air conditioner to which I shot her a glance full of contempt. She then responded by blaming me for the humidity. I laughed very hard and promised her that I would blog it.

Today we also celebrated Allen's birthday and had some ice cream and cake. We gave him his gifts as well. He got a baseball bat, some practice baseballs, the lacrosse sticks, a few books, a box of baseball cards, and a fun board game. We all had a great time.

Avatar!

The finale was amazing. The whole family crowded around and we experienced the final show together. It was quite a ride. Amber said that she is sad like when Harry Potter was finished. I think it was worth it and the kids really enjoyed it, too. I am glad they didn't stretch it out artificially and create another season. I can't wait for the final installment on DVD.

Avatar is Back!

We love Avatar. Tonight was the triumphant return of the show since the writer's strike several months back. All week features new episodes which will build up to the movie event at the end of the week. We celebrated by getting ice cream and toppings that represented the various tribes in the show. It was a great time that we all enjoyed quite a bit.

Car Rides Mean Special Requests

My children have been introduced to a wide variety of music. Between Amber and I they hear different songs from iPods and from the Radio as well as the occasional CD. The kids have settled into certain songs and right now the most requested song is "The Final Countdown" by Europe. The kids also like some songs from They Might Be Giants but they also are asking for a song from The Ting Tings.

It is incredibly entertaining to hear the backseat chorus singing along with these songs. Ashton is especially sincere in her renditions and tries to sing all of the words.

Reading is Fundamental

Today the kids and I ran some errands. We headed to the bank and grabbed a quick bite to eat. All the while the sky really looked dark and it was really humid. As we were in Lowe's and we heard the storm begin. When we went outside the rain had let up a bit. As we stepped out of the doorway we were greeted by an enormous display of lightning which Ashton said was beautiful.

In lulls through the day I started and then finished Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.



I picked it up on a whim and I am really glad I did. This was a really great book and I highly recommend it.

Just a Little More Time

Today I received a call from Amber to meet her at the church for Matthew Reed's baptism. I really thought it would be a good idea to show up and I was happy to be there. It really is the least we could do being that the Reeds help us with the kids so much. After the baptism we went out to eat (all too rare anymore) at a Chinese buffet. Nothing spectacular but the food was tasty and I think we had a good time.

Allen had felt bad that the previous day he had to go shopping for a suit for the upcoming wedding while I took the girls to the store. He didn't know that I was picking up his birthday gift so he just felt left out. Tonight I made it up to him by taking him to K Mart to pick up a little trinket. We ended up getting a Nerf dart launcher (read also as a gun). I kind of knew what was in store for us once we got home right at the checkout when the cashier was already starting to lecture Allen and I about how dangerous those things can be and to never aim them at a person. Amber felt the same way but he is a nice kid. We spent a few minutes with it and he deemed it too hard to load and ready for shooting so we ended up playing with other toys.

Movie Time

We saw Wall-E with Grandpa, Hannah, and Sam today. The movie was a hit with the kids and I (not surprisingly) liked it too. Abby fell asleep in my arms toward the end of the movie and it was cute. Before the movie we all ate some yummy pizza for lunch.

Once the movie ended we saw that it was rainy out and began our way home. It ended up storming heavily for the last five hours or so. It was another one of those storms where people lost power and flooding was reported. The lightning strikes were all pretty close and there were several of them. We are lucky not to have lost power.