A to Z Summer Fun: Ice Cream Version

So this summer, we decided to do an A to Z Ice Cream Fun list...and we finished it this past weekend!

I'd like to say this is all the ice cream we ate, but ummm, no. What can I say, the Bakers LOVE ice cream!

A Andy's Frozen Custard
B Braum's Ice Cream
C Celmentine's Micro Creamery (my favorite!)
D Dockside Ice Cream Cones
E Edy's
F Frozen Custard (from Andy's of course)
G Giant Bowls of Frozen Yumminess
H Half- price steak n shake shakes
I Ice Cream
J James Brownie Funky Jackhammer
K Klondike Bars
L Lemonade (frozen)
M Malts and Milkshakes
N New Flavor (O'chunko chocolate)
O Orange Leaf
P Pineapple Whip
Q Queen Visit (Dairy Queen, that is)
R Rootbeer Floats
S Slushies
T Twist Cones
U scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream
V vanilla cones
W Wendy's Frosties
X Xtra Toppings
Y Yogurt (the frozen kind)
Z Zott's

"All Mixed Up" A to Z Summer Fun

So for the summer of 2015, we are doing "all mixed up" A to Z summer fun.  We aren't going in order and just doing what we feel like on the days we have time.  Like today we are starting with G Day since it's a rainy inside kind of day! We also aren't taking a big trip this year, so this year's list includes some 'bigger' items for weekend-trips and stay-cation fun. Find more ideas here: A to Z Summer Fun

An afternoon with Mrs. Long

Baking Day

Cinema visit

Driving with Dad (take us to an empty parking lot and let us drive); Donuts

Edible Paper (make)

Finding Diamonds @ Diamond Crater State Park

Games! Games! Games!

Helping at Convoy of Hope (July)

Ice Cream (homemade)

Japanese Stroll Garden Relaxing Day

Kayaking @ Lake Springfield (or in Arkansas)

Library Program and/or visit

Movie Day

Neighbors Over

Outing with Henry

Pizza Picnic at the Park with Pop

Quick! Run from the water balloons!

Runway (buy new school clothes and show them off); Rainbow Making

Six Flags with Stolls

Treasure Hunt

Upcycle Craft Day

Venture to the Lake

Water Fun @ Republic Pool

Xmas Day – Celebrate Christmas in July

Yogurt (the frozen kind) and Yoga

Zone Visit (Sky Zone that is!)

A to Z Summer *ART* Fun

Finally got our list finalized today for our A to Z Summer *ART* fun. Inspired of course by pinterest! :)

It was a beautiful morning to get started too with acrylic painting outside on the deck!

Our A to Z Summer *ART* Fun:

A Acrylic Painting
B Build Sculptures (clay)
C Cupcake Decorating
D Drawing Outside
E Etching Glass
F Furniture Decorating
G Groovy (tye dye) t-shirts (ombre)
H Homemade Sidewalk Chalk
I Illustrate (Shel Silverstien poems?)
J Jewelry Making
K Kindness Day (make art to give away)
L Look thru the Lens (forced photography)
M Messy Art
N Nature Art
O Origami
P Paper Mache
Q Quote Art
R Recycle Project
S Scrapbooking
T Thread & Needle Creation
U Upcycle Creation (with brown paper bags?)
V Vanish Point Drawings / Village Pottery
W Weaving
X Xplore Calligraphy and Font Making
Y Yummy Art
Z Zany Fun with book folding(?)

Dreamin' of Another Website

I'm feeling inspired lately. I want to start a website, two actually. So... I've been praying and thinking and trying to decide if either, or both, should be pursued at this time in my life.  So part of this post is me thinking aloud, and part of this is me writing them down so I don't forget them, in case I want to pick them up at a later date. And I'd love any insight/input from those of you who read my words and inspire me! Thank you and big ((hugs)) in advance!!

A Mom's Toolbox
'cuz kids don't come with manuals

This would be a website with practical tools for parents to use every day in the journey of parenting.  I'd like it to be a place where I can reference my book(s)*, offer printables from my etsy shop, bring over some of my ideas from www.thegoodstuffguide.com,and hopefully one day include links to the apps I'd love to create.  I see categories which include resources for young kids, school age, teens, college-age, and marriage too.   I think I could have a lot of fun with the 'toolbox' theme - I like the practicality of it.

A Mosaic Heart
a place to heal when life shatters your heart into a million unrecognizable pieces

I see this as a place to include resources for people who are healing from those really hard places in life. Because when life shatters your heart into a million unrecognizable pieces, it's good to know you are not alone and there are others who have been there, who have struggled, and who are asking really *hard* questions. To be encouraged by others who have found joy after tragedy - those who found a new mosaic heart during the journey of healing.  I have a file of resources I collected on my journey of healing and I'd love to share them and give others hope too!

*On a side note, I actually published my first book (A to Z Summer Fun) at the end of March!! I even got to do a live radio interview about it on KSBJ out of Houston (nation's largest christian radio station) a couple of weeks ago -- I was thrilled when they contacted me out of the blue to share my ideas for families. What an awesome experience (even if my introverted self was super nervous to be on a live station for 40 minutes!).  It was an experience that I will long remember. It felt like a giant hug from God. And I love it when I feel his hugs on earth!

Sarah's (A to Z) Christmas List

I have no idea where Sarah got the idea to do an A to Z Christmas list (he,he!), but I thought it was kinda a cute idea she had!  I just had to laugh at some of her ideas though...she really stretched her imagination to come up with some of these, and I just had to share them! (misspellings left as is)

H - Homemade Purse (I don't think she'd use it if I actually tried sewing her a purse!)
J - Jumpy Pogo Stick (as opposed to the kind that don't jump?)
M - Magenta colored gloves
Q - Quick Electric Scotter (I thought about getting her the slow scooter, I'm glad she clarified!)
T - Tight Skirt (okay, this one made me laugh out loud!) 
U - Unmanated picture of all the family (how in the world does she know what an un-matted picture is?)

How about these 'animals'?
D - Dog (at the top of her list, a real one!)
D - Dolphin Blanket
F - Fish with fish bowl
K - Kangaroo stuffed animal
O - Octipuss stuffed animal
R - Rabbit stuffed animal

Here's the food ones:
A - Andy's Gift Card (big surprise there!)
B - Bubble Gum
L - Lollypop

Then there's her sister who wants:

• A Real Camera you can add lenses too
• A Coach Purse
• Tom's Shoes

(obviously, my frugal shopping skills have not rubbed off on her yet!) 

Girls' Weekend Getaway

We just got back from an anniversary getaway weekend (it was wonderful!!).  

The list below is why I never worry about my girls when we go away for the weekend.  You see Darian spoils them. Loves on them.  Makes them feel like the most important kids anywhere.  They had all this A to Z fun in the past 48 hours...

Andy's (of course)

Baseball with Henry

Chick-Fil-A

Duct Tape Crafts

Eat at Arby's

Fun with Fondant

Go to Farm Park & Feed the Ducks

Hole in One Mini Golf

I want Sonic

Jump into the Pool

Krispy Kreme

Lick the Bowl

Morgan makes Mickey Mouse waffles

New car - Darian's - yeah!!

Oodles of Toodles (lots of Mickey)

Pineapple Whip

Quite a show (TV)

Read Little Blue Truck

Snuggle with Henry

Towel Crafts

Up to Late watching TV

Video store (Nanny McPhee Returns)

Way too much TV

Xtra sleep - Girls watch Henry

Yuck - change dirty diapers

Zip down the slide!

On the way home I asked the girls their 3 favorite things, to which they responded, "Henry, Henry and um, Henry!" :) 

In the Middle of our A to Z Summer Fun

So we are deep in the middle of our A to Z Summer Fun List! This is our 4th year doing this in the summertime and we have a lot of fun with it!

I think P Day is one of my favorites every year. It's the one that's always the same: Pizza Picnic at the Park with Pop. We thought rain might spoil our day this week, but alas, it did not! Glad Mike works next door to Jordan Valley Park...just a pretty, replenishing park in the middle of the city! And the girls can play in the fountains too!

I did something new for O Day this year, and wasn't exactly sure what we'd do, but I kinda made it up as the day went along and it was really fun.  I called it Outer Space Day.  First, I found a new flower on my walk at the park in the morning, and guess what? It's called a Moon Flower...how perfect for Outer Space Day! Isn't it gorgeous?!

Then we tried our hand at making moon sand and moon dough.  Neither of them really turned out...but the girls spent a good hour just making a mess and having a great time! They even threw in volcano making! 

I had planned to get a space movie from the library -- Apollo 13 or Space Camp, but I had forgot to do this ahead of time.  Netflix had a Magic Schoolbus Space cartoon and surprisingly the girls were all over it! (Don't tell, but they've been watching Magic Schoolbus episodes all week now!)

We ended the day by spreading a blanket in the yard and watching the stars come out.  I LOVE the APP Star Walk.  It shows you which stars and planets you are looking at in the sky! Very fun.

I'm also looking forward to our Q Day which is next!! :)

Here's this year's A to Z list.

Arts & Crafts – Village Pottery

Bikes! Blog Entries!

Cozumel Scrapbooking

Daisy’s Day (homemade dog treats, extra walk, fetch)

Eat Chinese Lunch with Dad

Friendship Day (make fondant to play with?)

Games! Play board games together.

Hugs & Hope Day (bring Happiness to others)

Ice Cream Day (make homemade)

Jumping Day (Jump into pool, long jump)

Kitchen Fun

Lickity Split Day (make banana splits)

Memory Lane Day with Mom (watch family movies, look thru scrapbooks)

Neighbors

OuterSpace - Stay up late to look at stars, watch outerspace movie

Pizza at the Park with Pop

Quiet Day (visit Japanese Stroll Gardens – write/draw/read)

Race Day (funny races)

Sewing Project Day (pillows? Cross stitch?)

Take Tacos to Dad

Up, Up and Away (watch Mary Poppins & make/fly own kites)

Vote Day – Take a family vote on what we get to go do today

Water Day

X Marks the Spot Treasure Hunt

Yikes Day! Only 1 Day left – Let’s make this day a surprise!

Zoo Day (with Casellas?!)

#sweetsummertime #dontslipaway #makingmemories #enjoyingthejourney

A to Z Summer Fun (Girls' Versions)

So, it's about summertime, and we've got our A to Z summer fun list on our minds! I asked the girls what they'd put on the list if they could make it this year - they had some great ideas.  Here's what they came up with on their own...

SARAH'S ABC SUMMER FUN LIST
A is for Andy's 
B is for ball games
C is for coldstone
D is for dog day
E is for eat Chinese 
F is for father day
G is for game day
H is for half priced sonic shakes
I is for ice cream day
J is for jello day
K is for kite flying
L is for lick your lolly pop day
M is for mom day
N is for nap day
Ois for outside day
Pis for popcorn day
Qis for quiet day
Ris for riding day
Sis for sunshine day
Tis for taco day
Uis for u do it your way
Vis for viking dress up day
Wis for water day
Xis for xtra watermelon day
Yis for your imagination day
Z is for zebra painting (or zoo day)

MORGAN'S A-Z SUMMER FUN 
(BTW, she made a complete powerpoint presentation of her ideas!)

A - Animal Day (go to the zoo with casella family)
B - Bring together hands day (invite friends to help clean up our world)
C - Counting Day (count things we're thankful for)
D - Deserve Day (think of someone and give them something)
E - Egg Roll Day (Chinese for dinner with dad)
F - Fun Day (we each think of something fun and do it!)
G - Get Day (GO GET ANDY'S FROZEN CUSTERD!!!)
H - Hugs hope and happiness day (bring joy to others around you)
I - Ice cream day (with dad)
J - Jumping Jacks Day (go to Chesterfield)
K - Kick back and relax (hang outside, play in water)
L - Lickity split day (make huge hot fudge banana splits)
M - Mouth watering Day (go get whatever your taste buds are screaming for)
N - News Flash Day (get old newspapers and doodle on them)
O - OOOOH AAAH day (go see a movie)
P - Pop Pop Pop Day (Go Eat Lunch with Pop - bring popped popcorn pizza and soda pop)
Q - Quack Day (have Henry over to go feed the ducks)
R - Race Day (think of funny races to do)
S - Spa Day (go get our nails done at mom's nail salon)
T- Trip Day (Take a trip to a secret place)
U - Up Up Up and away (watch Mary Poppins as she goes up up and away)
V - Vacation Day (lets stop A-Z fun and do whatever we want)
w - What is that smell Day (go into kitchen and just start baking)
X - X-citing Day (what is on our agenda for today, where are we going, is it a surpirse?
Y - Yikes Day (it is the second to last day, so lets go have a campfire!)
Z - ZYX...learn the alphabet backwards. 

So, now, what to do, what to do? Complete both of their lists? Combine a few of each of theirs and some of my own ideas into one list?! Hmmm.  Whatever we do, I'm sure it will fall somewhere between awesome and zany fun! I LOVE SUMMERTIME!! 

This Fairy Tale Life

I woke up and read a friend's facebook post this morning (she'd posted it late last night), which said, "Happy birthday to my 39 year old hubby...amazing man!", and I was reminded that it was at his birthday party 21 years ago, I first laid eyes on Mike. Oh we were both too shy to actually even speak to each other that night, but I definitely remember giggling with my friends about this 'new cute guy'! He wouldn't ask me out on a date until two months later, the week before he was to leave for college, but well, here we are living some kind of fairy tale life all these years later...

I texted him and told him that if I knew then what I know now, then I would have kissed him right then and there! Ha, ha, I know...I couldn't even bring myself to say hi that night!

Our first year dating.

And here we are last week. 

And lastly, I must say, that I'm kinda sad that we've gone all the way through our Z to A summer already, and today is our last day, "A Day" - but I am happy because that mean's I get to eat Andy's Frozen Custard today! I'd say that's the perfect way to celebrate 21 years of living this fairy tale life with our two princesses!

Z to A Summertime Fun

Since Summer Vacation has officially began, we are already diving into our A to Z Summer Fun List (or in the case of this year, it's our Z to A list, the girls wanted to switch it up)! 26 Days of Summertime fun ahead of us! I can't wait! Here's this year's list, in case you want to join in on the fun! Yesterday's included seeing the zebras at the zoo on our zippity do dah day! And I know 'yearly checkups' isn't really a 'fun' thing today - but I didn't want to forget them, so it's mostly a reminder for me! I love that summer means not checking my calendar as often! :)  Don't forget to follow the girls' blog about their summertime adventures!

Z	Zippity do dah day! (Haircuts, Library and whatever else we feel like doing!)
Y	Yesterday’s Memories (Scrapbooking) & Yearly Checkups!
X	Xtreme Fun at Silver Dollar City
W	Water Day
V	Volunteer @ Convoy of Hope
U	Ultimate Surprise
T	Thinking of Others Day (after we Take a Trip to ortho)
S	Scavenger Hunt
R	Republic Aquatic Center (register for swim team?!)
Q	Quench Your Thirst Day (Route 44 Drinks from Sonic!)
P	Picnic with Pop
O	Outside Day
N	Nintendo Day (Play DSI’s on way to a Nearby Adventure)
M	Movie Day
L	Library Visit (2pm Program @ Library Station Branch)
K	Kitchen Fun
J	Jumpin’ Day
I	Ice Cream and IDs
H	Half Price Shakes & Hundred Miles Challenge
G	Games, Games, Games
F	Frosty Fun with Friends
E	Experiment day
D	DIY Project (ie, craft day!) while eating Donuts
C	Camera Fun
B	Bowling
A	Andy's Frozen Custard to end our Z to A fun!

A to Z Ice Cream Fun

I'm working on our A to Z Summer Fun list again! (Except the girls really want to do Z to A this summer, so now I'm redoing the list!) :) Looking forward to these fun times with the girls. I'll post the list sometime later, but last week, just for fun, the girls and I dreamed a little bit about how much fun it would be do an A to Z ice cream list - I'm not sure our budget nor our waistlines could handle it, but it's fun to dream!

A - Andy's Frozen Custard (one way or another we'd find a way to make Andy's First!)
B - Blizzards or Banana Splits
C - Coldstone or Cherry Berry
D - Decadent Dove Bars
E - Eclair Bars
F - Frozen Custard (from Andys, of course!)
G - Giant Bowls of Frozen Yumminess
H - Homemade Ice Cream
I - Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
J - James Brown Funky Jackhammer
K - Klondike Bars
L - Lemonade (frozen)
M - Malts
N - New Flavor or Nuts on Top
O - Orange Leaf or Orange Sherbet
P - Popsicles or push-ups
Q - Queen Visit (Dariy Queen, That is!)
R - Root-beer Floats
S - Sundaes or Sonic Slushies or Sherbet
T - Twist Cones
U - U Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream
V - Vanilla Cones
W - Waffle Cones or Wendy's Frosties
X - Xtra Toppings
Y - Yogurt (the frozen kind, from Andy's, again!
Z - Zestos (which would require a 2.5 hour drive, but hey, it's summertime!)

So...if anyone wanted to fund these 26 days of summer fun for us - our family would be ecstatically happy and we'd even promise to get plenty of exercise this summer!! :) LOL

A to Z Summer Fun

Last summer we did our first A to Z Summer fun! This year we are keeping some of the same days, and adding in some different days. And with the first half of our summer so busy, I did have to double up a few days this year in order to get them all squeezed in! When making our list I try and think of everything I want to do at least once with the girls during the summer...and put it on here so that we make sure the fun happens before summer slips away! Last summer I was great about getting pictures of each day...this year...well, not so well. But here are a couple. Perhaps it's the heat getting to me?!

"B" Day: Baking Day!
This is their own creation, cookie dough dipped in melted chocolate chips. Umm, yay, they were yummy!

"E" Day: Experiment Day
Polymers let you poke a pencil thru a bag full of water without spilling any of it! Look at that concentration!

Well, today we are on "K" day and I'm glad my girls love this a to z summer fun as much as I do! :)

July 7^th        A Arts & Crafts – Village Pottery

July 8^th        B Baking Day

July 11^th      C Camera scavenger Hunt

July 12^th      D Donuts delivered to Dad

July 13^th      E  Experiment Day

July 14^th      F Friendship Day

July 15^th      G Game Day – Make up some games

July 18^th      H Hershey Day

July 19^th      I Ice Cream Day

July 20^th      J Jump in the Pool!

July 21^st      K Kindness Day

July 22^nd     L Laugh, Laugh,Laugh

July 25^th      M Mystery Monday

July 26^th      N-O Neighbors over for Outside Fun!

July 27^th      P Pizza at the Park with Pop

July 28^th      Q Quiet Day

July 29^th      R Republic Aquatic Center

Aug 1^st        S Scrapbooking

Aug 2^nd       T-U Take a Trip to an Ultimate Surprise

Aug 3^rd       V Video Game Day

Aug 4^th        W Wilson’s Creek Jr. Ranger Badge

Aug 5^th        X-Y Xtra Fun at the Y-Center

Aug 12^th     Z  Zippity-do-dah Day!

A to Z Gratitude: Part Two

Ok, here's the rest of my list.

N – North Point Church (and the 1000s of lives changed every year because of it.)
O – Opportunities to celebrate milestones (like Darian & Beau’s upcoming wedding!)
P – Photos (that capture so many sweet memories on life’s journey.)
Q – Quietness (that replenishes my soul.)
R – Remembering those I love (thru tangible things they made me…paintings, woodworking, baskets, quilts, and other things around my home)
S – Sarah (who reminds me to enjoy the moment, who is both sweetness and compassion, and who adds much joy to my life as I share life’s journey with her.)
T – Teacher Friends (who keep requesting me as a sub!)
U – Unrushed evenings (where we can kick back and relax.)
V – Visits from mom & dad (every Spring and Fall for the past 14 years we’ve been in Missouri)
W – Writing (and chances to pursue writing as a career)
X – Xcellent Health (for myself and my family)
Y – Yesterdays memories (of holidays spent with my cousins.)
Z — Zippers (‘cuz it’s ‘z’ and ‘cuz they add a lot of convenience to my life! Afterall, it’s the little things in life!)

A to Z Gratitude: Part One

On facebook, several friends are writing something every day they are thankful for this month.  One friend is doing gratitude from a to z, and well since I've been all about A to Z this year (same friend got me started!), I decided to 'copy' her idea and make my own list a to z of things I'm thankful for.  I decided to post it on my blog, so I can always remember the things I'm thankful for in this season of my life.  Here is the first half of the alphabet (not necessarily in order of importance).

A – Amazing Grace (I’ve yet to discover anything more powerful than grace. I’m spending my life in pursuit of understanding it better every day!)
B – Being an American (It’s election day, afterall!)
C – Computers (They help me keep in touch with those I care about and give me access to almost any info I need!)
D – Daisy Dog (have you seen those big brown eyes and floppy ears? Need I say more?)
E – Education (and the opportunities I’ve had to expand my horizons thru it.)
F – Family (and their love that is always there for me.)
G – Girlfriends (they add both depth and joy to my life!)
H – Home. (There’s no place more beautiful. More sustaining. More life giving.)
I – Incredible husband (the perfect one for me. He still makes me smile everyday.)
J – Jesus (and the joy of knowing him.)
K – Kisses (my husbands, my kids, and chocolate ones too!)
L – Laughter (is there any sound more beautiful?)
M – Morgan (among other things, she's thoughtful, helpful, trustworthy, and I love being a part of her life and watching her become this amazing young lady (too quickly, I might add!))

Michigan Memories

Ok, I guess I’m really lovin’ this A to Z thing lately! As we pulled out of my parent’s driveway this morning, the girls were crying, no actually sobbing, ‘cuz as Sarah said, “It’s just so sad!” So after 10 minutes and it hadn’t stopped, I decided to start thinking of the happy memories, which led to our A to Z of Michigan Memories. And the best part… the tears were finished by the time we completed this list!

A Grrrrrreat Time (That’s how Tony the Tiger says it!)
Beach @ Lake Michigan, VanBuren State Park
Candles on Suzie’s cake (Happy 34th!)
Dune Buggy ride around the big loop
Extra fun cousin time
Getting to see Gram & Gramps and Uncle Ben & Aunt Suzie
Hamburgers & Hot dogs on the grill
Ice cream, Ice cream, Ice cream!
Jumping on the trampoline with Tori
Kayaking for the first time
Lighting up the sky with fireworks
Museum (Impression 5) and Mosquitoes galore!
Noah, Tori, Steve
Overnight sleepover with cousins
Pennfield Pizza
Quite the fun playing games
Riding bikes
Swimming at the lake and Sprinkler time
Toy Story 3
Up in the air Hot Air Balloons!
Visiting friends and family in Michigan
Wii fit competitions
Xtra Pretty flowers @ MSU Children’s Garden
Yes! More pictures for the scrapbook (only 504!)
Zoo

Morgan & Sarah’s A to Z Days of Summertime Fun!

In between vacations and camps, here are some of the fun plans we have to fill our summer days! :) It was hard to just pick one thing a day!

A – W 2nd - Arts & Crafts Day
B – R 3rd - Baking banana bread and making barrettes
C – F 4th – Camping Day, don’t forget your camera!
D – M 7th – Dip in the pool!
E – T 8th – Experiment Day
F – W 9th - Friend Day
G – R 10th – Go geocaching.
H – F 11th – Half-price sonic drinks
I – M 14th - Ice Cream and Invest money at the bank
J – T 15th - Jewelry making.
K – W 16th - Kindness day (how can we be kind to others today?)
L – R 17th –Lava lamps…we’ll attempt to make our own.
M – F 18th - Mail letters to friends
N – M 21st – Nails, nails, nails!
O – T 22nd – Outside day
P – W 23rd – Park ‘n Pizza
Q – R 24th - Quarters….hmmm?!
R – F 25th – Reading, reading, reading!
S – M 28th - Scavenger Hunt
T – T 29th Take Daddy Lunch
U – W 30th Ultimate surprise!
V – W 14th Volcano (make one!)
W – R 15th Water Day
X – F 16th - “X Marks the Spot” Treasure Hunt
Y – R 22nd - Yesterday’s memories (scrapbook)
Z – F 23rd - Zoo

Y Day

So my daughter's teacher did an A to Z countdown for the last 26 days of school. I thought it was such a cute idea, that I decided to do the same thing for the teachers whose rooms I work in on a regular basis, with quotes and little surprises to just add some fun to the last 26 days of school (shh, I didn't really say fun!). These last few weeks of school have been quite interesting with every last teacher moving to a new building...lots of goodbyes, lots of changes, lots of chaos.

Today's day was "Y" and this is what I wrote. It sums up what I'm feeling these days.

It's Y day...and I can't help but wonder 'why'?

Why do goodbyes have to come? Why does life have to change? Why must we move elsewhere when we were content with here? Why does God allow some people in our lives for only a season, and others for a lifetime? Why, why, why?

I love the lyrics to Amy Grant's song, "Somewhere down the Road"

Why, why, why... Does it go this way?
Why, why, why...And all I can say is...
Somewhere down the road, There'll be answers to the questions
Somewhere down the road, Though we cannot see it now
Somewhere down the road, You will find mighty arms reaching for you
And they will hold the answers at the end of the road

We don't have the answers to the whys, yet we can live with a confidence that God is in control and because of his deep love for us, we can move forward on this journey.

"Yesterday is the past. Tomorrow is the future. Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present."

So now I must go and finish working on our family's A to Z Days of Summer fun! Summer vacation begins tomorrow!!!