Hey there,

This month started hot. So, of course, we already had things to do outside. We went to a dinosaur event on the west side of town. The kids seemed to enjoy it. I only wish the event were bigger (and indoor).

It got humid outside and sprinkled for a few minutes a few days later. Luca (who loves the rain) ran outside the minute he realized this and wanted to take a photo in the rain.

I also had to go to the dentist for two crowns. My filling had cracked and wasn’t good any longer. I really can’t afford it, but I also can’t not have it either. For your enjoyment: my photo at the dentist.

That weekend was the last before Arabella went to Black Lake.

She wanted to eat out, but we really couldn’t swing it. She made a deal – all the kids would “work” for it. Arabella mowed the front and back lawn, and Elijah picked up parts of a tree we had recently cut down and put them into the yard waste bin.

We would drop her off for a Week Away at Black Lake the next day.

Here are a few photos of her time at camp

She had a blast and said she wants to go again next year. She may have also mentioned that she didn’t want to come home (because she was having that much fun). I am glad to hear that- I didn’t want her to get homesick and not enjoy it. She worked on this trip with fundraising and doing yardwork. She earned a trip, and we wanted her to get the whole experience.

It is nice to have her back, though- don’t tell her I told you that.

just Pray

Hey there,

Before my parents returned to Sacramento, we wanted to head over to Gramps to get a big group photo and visit a bit. The kids went out with him to feed the goats as well.

It wasn’t long after that that we had pleading from Arabella to have Arya spend the night. She wanted to spend the night because she thought we would keep the kitten that she found. Well, the wife went out and dropped the cat off at its owner’s house (after noticing that there were a few other kittens in the area with a momma cat looking after them). Once Arya saw we didn’t have the cat any longer, she didn’t want to stay; however, her parents said it was too late, so she spent the night anyway. Funny if you ask me.

THEN THE NEWS.

What news?

Trail Blazers!

DAME is back with the Blazers! I am so glad to have him back where he belongs. I admit I was hurt when he initially requested a trade, but I feel he’s had some personal growth since then. The Bucks waived him due to his injury for the next season, which opened the doors for him to reunite with the Blazers. He was offered contracts by the Lakers (gag) and other contenders, but chose Portland because his kids and other family members live in Portland—good news in my book.

The following weekend, we went to Rosemary’s graduation party (she graduated from High School and will be going to college in September, in Massachusetts, near Boston). We stopped by and spent some time with everyone. Even Gramps and Nonnie showed up. We hung out for a few hours until Louis told me that Elijah was being a poor listener and that multiple adults requested him to stop interfering with their game– he went on to say that if I didn’t want to talk to him, he would, as he had no issue with doing so. Uh, abrasive much? Color me surprised. Lijah is typically not the person to have a problem with anyone or at an event.

We took that as our sign to exit the event. Later on, we spoke with Elijah about what happened. He told us that he was copying what some adult was doing because everyone else found it funny. He also said he never heard anyone ask him to stop. Whatever happened, it could’ve been handled better.

Rounding out the month, the kids got some basketball time. They played their first ‘street ball’ game. 3v2 against some other kids that were playing at New Hope. They have a lot to learn, but you know what? This was a good thing for them to experience and learn from.

Finally got around to painting the front steps (previously had sanded down the front post) because the paint was bubbling due to some water from the winter months. It has not been good since we bought the house, so having sanded everything down and painted with waterproof sealant, it’ll be much healthier.

Last photo? Luca. He was a sick boy for the last part of the month. He ran a fever for a few days straight over the weekend. Due to that, we had to skip church and nurse him back to health.

In a few months, we will be traveling to visit Ohio. We decided to see it, as there is a lot of history in the state, plus we can check everything out.

Next month? Arabella will be going to camp and helping out at VBS, and the other kids will attend VBS.

It’s going to get pretty busy.

just Pray

It was a beautiful couple of days for the 4th and following days. The temps stayed in the low 70s, and you can’t get much better than that.

But first, let’s discuss a hole in the wall.

What?

Yeah. My daughter got upset at having to clean up her room, so she stormed off and kicked a hole through the wall. Now, both Elijah and Arabella have done this while angry. 😐

After I finished helping clean up her room with her, we had a nice cookout. My dad was the grill master, and he got a nice char on the burgers (that’s when they taste the best.. after being licked by the fire). We cooked a bunch of hot dogs and hamburgers. Then later that evening, we took a trip to downtown Portland to watch the fireworks.

At one point during the show, I stopped and looked to my left, and I saw nearly every person (or maybe every other person) holding up a phone and recording the show, or taking photos. I looked down and saw my mom holding Luca in her shirt to keep him warm (he didn’t bring a coat, and prefers to wear one even when it’s not cold outside).

It was a good show, but the ending was underwhelming this year. When we were walking back to the car, we saw multiple people get in a scuffle, one person dove for another person and hit the ground hard. That was our sign to high tail it out.

Everyone was tired when we got home, just after midnight. The kids wanted to do some sparklers, so I went out with them (photo below).

The next day, we went to Astoria to get some fish and chips at Bowpicker. Then we made our way down the coast, stopping in Tillamook for an ice cream (thanks to my parents for the sweet treat) and then to the beach to catch the sunset.

This has been the most traveling since the beginning of the year.

It was good to get out and enjoy the beach a bit. We even got a few photos of everyone that turned out well (that’s rare). For pictures with Ezra, I’d have to spin him or something while everyone stayed smiling until I could stop, get him smiling, and snap a photo (before doing this more than once).

Hmm.. what else?

We finished the long holiday weekend by seeing Jurassic World: Reborn at a local theatre. We saved two tickets from when we went to see Twisters, so having two already paid made it worthwhile. It was a good movie, and the kids enjoyed it. Luca wanted to eat about halfway through and then didn’t stop asking. Ezra could not have cared less, and it was WORK to keep him quiet for the entirety of the movie.

I’m tired just thinking about it. 😅

until next time!

just Pray