WOW!  It really has been a long time since I have written anything in here!  Sometimes I am so jealous of the HS moms who actually get to write something in their blog every week--I am lucky to write once per month!  I really wish that I could write more, but it seems that every time I think of a clever topic to write on, that I am nowhere near a computer!

Let's see what we have been up to lately:

We took a really cool mini-family vacation.  We went to Traverse City, MI and stayed a night at the Great Wolf Lodge.  This was totally awesome!  The kids had a blast and it was totally designed with kids in mind!  There were gobs of lifeguards which made me feel very comfortable to let the 6yo wander through the indoor waterpark.  It was literally a huge water park inside!  There were 2 giant whirlpools, 2 water slides in which you sit with your legs crossed to go down, then there were 3 giant enclosed tube slides which extended out of the building then back into the building inot a large and very relaxing lazy river.  There was a pool just for water basketball, a pool with lillypads which you could hop around on, and yes a kiddie pool with 3 small water slides and dump buckets and all.  It was a very shallow pool ranging from 1 inch to 18 inches--the little ones absolutely adored it!  The biggest hit by far was the Fort Mackenzie--a giant treehouse type fort with all kinds of ropes to pull and dump water on others.  Every 5 minutes a bell would ring and all the kids would run to the front of the fort to have a 1,000 gallon bucket of water dumped on you!  Talk about awesome!  We got 2 full days in the water park, plus a night's lodging in a very luxurious and BIG hotel room--all for a reasonable price (much cheaper than a theme park vacation that's for sure!)  Not to mention all the FREE activities for kids to participate in--storytime before bed, crafts, scavenger hunts, etc.   Oh and the food was excellent!  We had no reason to leave the hotel for any reason.  Definitely and all inclusive vacation!  (I guess I should get paid for the free advertisement, huh?)

Mackenzie is coming right along in her reading skills.  I am truly impressed with her!  She received a copy of the Young Reader's Bible and has been voraciously reading it.  Then tonight she brough me her Bible and we looked up a few well known verses so she could read them to me.  There is nothing more precious than seeing your own child hunger and thirst to read the Bible.  If only more Christians had this desire!  It has truly been a rebuke to me, to be more committed to my personal devotion time with the Lord.

Alexis is beginning to read easy 3 letter short vowel words.  We have been using 100 EZ lessons, but have taken a break from it for the time being.  She is asking questions and trying to understand salvation for herself.

Alivia and Caden are both growing--and getting into trouble.  I think she is teaching him a thing or two!  Much prayer is needed for my sanity as well as for their own safety and health.  Today I caught Alivia playing in the toilet--she said that she was cleaning it for me--soap bubbles were everywhere!

The oldest 2 girls have been participating in a local daycamp.  Of course I am the teacher of each class that they get to take, so this week and next have been and will be very busy for us!  We also start Vacation Bible School in the evenings.  The kids always enjoy this time of the summer, but it is exhausting on the adults (and kids too though they won't admit it).