Tracy's Scrapbook

Moving Day!

2008-06-04T00:09:00.002-05:00

No, our family isn't moving, but this blog is. I spent a year trying to split my life into two parts--the family happenings, and my random thoughts. I guess it made me feel a little schizophrenic! So you can find me on The Journey at http://tracypnothomeyet.blogspot.com. I think you'll find it easy enough to scroll past my ramblings if you really just want to see the latest pictures of the kids! I'll take no offense. ;-)

Wilderness Weekend

2008-05-27T10:57:00.004-05:00

We didn't have to go far to enjoy a few hiking adventures this weekend. We are SO blessed with amazing places to visit nearby. While on our first outing, Ben decided it would be good to have a "field journal" with him, which he remembered the next time. Both kids stopped frequently to record their discoveries. I recorded my own observations with my camera. Funny, I seem to have gotten preoccupied with my two favorite "wild things". They were so much fun to watch! Lots more photo treasures here. Click on slideshow to see them close up.

This Week In Our Yard

2008-05-24T00:46:00.004-05:00

Fun Weekend

2008-05-18T22:47:00.002-05:00

I love to bake. The only problem is I love to eat what I bake. So unfortunately I have kids who, when they smell something yummy coming from the kitchen, say, "Where are we going?" or "Who's that for?" It's a little pathetic. Yesterday I had Ben help me make some Rice Krispy bars. For us! And I have, already, eaten too many. He was quite a happy camper, though.
Today we rewarded the kids for some better sibling behavior recently by taking them to the newly revamped theme park at the mall. We all went on the big roller coaster together for the first time! Now what age could possibly be more fun than this???

If you want to see the photos close up, click on them. Bethany is sporting a new look...

Softball

2008-05-15T22:47:00.008-05:00

Bethany's team is the Purple Volcanoes. She is quite the little competitor.

She has always wanted to be...

..."the vampire."

(She now knows it's not the vampire--

and more recently learned it's not the umpire either.)

I think she's having fun.

Mother's Day at the Park

2008-05-11T22:43:00.006-05:00

Baseball is Back!

2008-05-08T20:12:00.002-05:00

Ben is on the Red Wings this year, and now HE is like a fish back in water. Honestly, this kid has breathed baseball since he could walk. We are glad the season is here. Now if we could just get some baseball weather...

It doesn't get any better than this!

2008-05-05T17:01:00.004-05:00

Finally, a beautiful Sunday afternoon to spend at the zoo! And on the way home, one of my favorite songs was on the radio. I thought it was perfect for this little movie about our day.

Children's Choir Video

2008-04-30T08:27:00.002-05:00

Here's a little snippet of the kids in action.

Too Fun!

2008-04-27T23:07:00.004-05:00

Ben and Bethany were in their kids choir program at church tonight. I must say, this is a day I've been looking forward to for a long time. I smiled so much my face hurt. They absolutely sang their hearts out.

Back in her element

2008-04-22T08:43:00.004-05:00

Bethany is like a fish back in water. She can finally go down to the park and swing and slide to her heart's delight. It's been the same every year of her life. If you listen very closely, you just might hear a contented sigh.

Click on the mosaic below for an up-close look at our kids' adventures at the park over the years.

Family Friday

2008-04-18T21:23:00.004-05:00

We like to go out as a family on Fridays and have supper and some fun. Tonight the theme was "I"--IHOP, IKEA, and Ice cream. Lucky us, the featured menu at IHOP right now is Horton Hears a Who. The kids had the tough choice between Who Cakes and Green Eggs and Ham. Can you guess how many food groups we counted in their Who Cakes? We had to add the milk group by having an ice cream cone after the kids enjoyed the play land at IKEA. We sure had a great time! (And tomorrow we'll eat some veggies.)

An unforgettable moment

2008-04-18T09:45:00.007-05:00

They say experience is the best teacher, and this was one experience that didn't disappoint us. Bethany embraced spring the year she was about to turn two with a special affinity for dirt. Potting soil, garden soil, and the sand at the playground. For a few weeks we tried desperately to keep up with her and stop her from putting it in her mouth. She finally wore us out. So one day I grabbed the camera on the way down to the park, and had it ready when she did what came naturally. And it was...the LAST time!

A walk down memory lane

2008-04-15T20:46:00.002-05:00

I've been scanning some of my pre-digital photos and negatives over the past couple of weeks, and it has been so fun to look back at where our little family has come from. So while I'm waiting for some OUTDOOR photo opportunities, keep checking back here for some fun memories.

This one was one fall when I decided on a whim to shoot a roll of black and white (in the fall colors??), and got some priceless results.

What will they think of next?

2008-04-08T21:50:00.008-05:00

We had a shower for a very special couple at our house on Sunday. We have never had so many people in our house before. So there were TONS of presents! This couple is registered at a place that has silver giftwrap boxes, and they left us a giant stack of them. But when Bethany looked at them, she saw a ROBOT! So here is her effort to limit waste by reusing. Of course, someone else wanted to get in on the action.

Here are the soon-to-be bride and groom. Are they cute or what?

Hello yellow!

2008-03-26T22:40:00.002-05:00

Lee was quick to point out that our new yellow paint was, um, BRIGHT! I assured him that a few accessories would do the trick. I'm pretty happy with the results. I could probably take off the masking tape now.

Happy Birthday, Lee!

2008-03-24T23:50:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to the daddy we adore! You're God's amazing gift to us. XOXOXO

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T14:40:00.008-05:00

Our kids pretty much don't need us to help them dye eggs anymore. They had a great time writing Easter messages with the "magic crayon", and reveled in the discovery that if you dipped the egg once and then wrote the message, your words could be different colors. They wrote Jesus is alive, I love Jesus, He livs, He is risen indeed, Happy Birthday Dad--you're the best (Lee has an Easter b-day this year), and Go Memphis Tigers!

And yes, I did nab the last egg, but Ben was the one who gave me the words, "Jesus rises and SHINES".

It has to be spring...

2008-03-21T09:12:00.004-05:00

...I just saw the first robin!

We shoulda thought of this a long time ago!

2008-03-15T16:51:00.007-05:00

I mean, seriously, is child labor such a bad thing? They don't look too abused do they?

This project has been in the works for two years, give or take. Wallpaper. Need we say more? We have removed other wallpaper in this house, but THIS wallpaper was hung with superglue. So it's gone now. Hallelujah! The walls aren't perfect, but they will have to do.

P.S. If you think we really let our kids paint their whole bathroom, vaulted ceilings and all, we've got a good deal on some real estate for you along the Gulf shore...but the part about the imperfect walls is the absolute truth.

Here it is...

2008-03-13T12:52:00.002-05:00

In honor of a day that feels like spring, here's the unveiling of our gingerbread Easter church. If you want to see the whole process, visit Bethany's blog for the video.

P.S. Some of the relatives got the inside scoop on the guessing game from Bethany--but congratulations to Aunt Dayna for figuring it out herself!

Here's the next clue...

2008-03-11T22:25:00.002-05:00

Guess what we did today...

2008-03-07T23:35:00.001-06:00

It's Official

2008-03-05T22:26:00.019-06:00

Ben is very pleased to announce the formation of his new club. It's the Nerd Club. (Remember Ben? He's the one who loves his sister even more than challenging math problems at school.)

So what must one do to join the Nerd Club?

1. Eat Nerds.

2. Know that 88+88=88 (that's what a Nerd would say because they don't ever have the right answer) (and because it's a palindrome and those are good numbers to start on)

3. Have a favorite NFL player, whose name and NUMBER will be on one's membership card (which also, of course, says "Nerd Club").

4. Sing the Nerds theme song (composed by Dad to the tune of "Verbs, that's what's happening" from Schoolhouse Rock):

Nerds, that's what's happening!

To taste to crunch to see to eat

To smell to touch to take a seat

Nerds, that's what's happening!

That's all. And if you can't meet one of these requirements, Ben will help you. He's an inclusive kind of a guy. You too can be a Nerd! Isn't it great?

Cowabunga!

2008-02-23T22:40:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed that lately there are a lot of pictures of the inside of our house. Cabin fever! Every year around this time, the swimsuits and beach towels mysteriously show up in our living room. This year it took the form of a surfing contest. Click on the play arrow, and join us at the beach!

Hangin' out at home

2008-02-19T22:32:00.004-06:00

True Love

2008-02-14T16:53:00.006-06:00

I love Valentine's Day. It was my favorite day at school when I was a teacher. Every child had a chance to feel truly loved by his or her class. Such excitement.

Today I went and had a Valentine's lunch date with each of the kids at school. It was so much fun. Then they headed back to class for their parties, and came bursting in from the bus with all their cards. But there's more than cards now, if you haven't done kids' Valentines lately. There's candy. And tattoos. They love every bit of it.

Ben wins the "True Love" award with the Valentine letter he wrote to Bethany at school. In case you can't read it, here is what it says:

Dear Beth

I love you more than

playing on our dance mat

hooked up to the T.V.

I love you more than

eating a peanut butter

and jelly sandwich

on june 21st at noon.

I love you more than

challenging math problems

at school

Now that's love!

To My Valentine

2008-02-14T09:30:00.014-06:00

Happy

Valentine's Day...

you're still my

favorite!

XOXOX

Little House on the Tundra

2008-02-10T21:49:00.000-06:00

This was one of those days when they tell you on the weather not to go out unless you absolutely have to because your skin would freeze from two seconds of exposure (or something like that). So we hunkered down in our warmest clothes and did the things that we never get around to. Lee and Ben built a 500 piece puzzle (we girls helped a little), while Bethany and I worked on a little quilt for her stuffed animals. And of course we had to do a little baking and read some books and play a few games. As I taught Bethany how to use a needle and thread, I felt like we were a page out of Little House on the Prairie. Thank goodness we have indoor plumbing!

Frosted Flakes

2008-02-07T12:43:00.001-06:00

There was plenty of opportunity this morning to observe the uniqueness of the snowflakes. What amazing care the Lord takes with His creation! To see these and some others full size, click here, and then click slideshow.

Winter Reprieve

2008-02-05T22:22:00.000-06:00

Do you hear it? Drip, drip, trickle...music to our ears! Sort of like in Narnia (but thank goodness we have Christmas). It probably won't last, but I thought I'd go out during the "warm" spell with my NEW CAMERA. I'm so excited! It really does take beautiful pictures, but I think my favorite part is the major digital video upgrade for us. Hopefully my next movie project will be coming soon!

'Kinz Kraze

2008-01-30T12:58:00.000-06:00

You haven't lived until you've seen Webkinz. These very cute stuffed critters are a few more dollars than Beanie Babies, but they come with a secret code to their own website and offer endless fun. (I know, I should work for them.)

Each animal gets its own room, so once you have an account, you keep adding rooms to your "house". You can clothe them, feed them, accessorize them, decorate their rooms, read virtual books with them, take them to the arcade (oh, so many fun games!), send them to school...you name it! My sister-in-law has said that Facebook is "gaming for girls", but I'm here to say, THIS is gaming for girls at its finest!

Check out Ben's tiger riding around in his little Chevy, and sleeping in his racecar bed. (Of course, there's also the cat with the baseball room, the dog with the beach room...you get the picture.) Well, if you'll excuse me, I've got some (ahemmm) work to do before the kids get home.

P.S. It took a mom with little kids (way to go Lainey!) to answer the question of what had Ben and Bethany so preoccupied that I could snap all those cute pictures in the last post. She recognized the "Webkinz stares" right away!

A Study in Delight

2008-01-22T21:24:00.000-06:00

If you asked me who my kids resembled, I would tell you different sides of the family for each. But the reality is, they look like each other. Their expressions, the way they turn their heads, hold their mouths, the way their eyes light up. It forever amazes me. And then I always laugh thinking about it because of the way Ben describes it in this post from last year.

Now here's a challenge for YOU...guess what they were doing while I was having this snap fest. Click on the photo to get a closer look.

NEW HINT: Notice the furry clues in the photos.

New Things

2008-01-05T20:57:00.000-06:00

Last night we went to the mall to walk. There was a game the kids wanted to play after we were done, and it just happened to be right outside a kids' clothing store that has great clearance sales. I took each of the kids in for a turn to shop for some clothes. It was the fashion statement I'd managed to avoid for more than eight years. Camouflage. They both chose it, each independent of the other. What's a mom to do?

Earlier in the day I had taken them to shop with their Toys "R" Us gift cards. Bethany picked out an electric guitar with two microphones. So today the "Wildcat Band" spent the day rehearsing for their first concert. Good thing they had chosen matching costumes.

So now I'm laughing at myself for wondering if there would be anything new to add to my blog in 2008. :-) Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T22:41:00.000-06:00

We've had a wonderful Christmas season--click on the play arrow to enjoy the highlight video! We wish you all of God's blessings in the new year.

On the eighth day of Christmas...

2007-12-18T08:42:00.000-06:00

We love to take Christmas light drives in December, and didn't get to it until last night. We went to some new places and hit the jackpot--TONS of really nice lights! Bethany provided the running light commentary. "They're ready!"... "They get a lump of coal!" This house is my personal favorite, thanks to my husband who is not only industrious, but also is not afraid of heights. We're ready!

The kids wanted to sing the 12 days of Christmas while we were driving around. They couldn't remember all of the words. Lee would prompt them a little, and when we got to the 8th day, he said, "eight maids a ...." to which Ben said, "uh...dusting?" So from now on around our house, it's eight maids a dusting. I hope they get here soon.

Joy!

2007-12-16T00:04:00.000-06:00

We had such a fun day of celebration last Sunday. Our family all sang in the Christmas musical at church both Saturday and Sunday. Since we were all dressed up, I hoped we would go someplace nice for lunch afterwards. It just happened that the kids were dying to visit with their friend from children's choir, and that her family was going to brunch at a lovely French restaurant. I'm not sure which was more beautiful, the musical or the brunch. Wow!!

"Love was born on Christmas morn

Precious Jesus, God's own son

Sent to earth from God's own heart

Jesus, perfect, holy one

Grace and mercy, joy and peace

Wrapped in love upon the hay

The passion of God's heart for man

Jesus Christ has come to save

Love came down on Christmas day."

Let it snow!

2007-12-06T12:48:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...and the kids took advantage of it the other day. They had their friends over to build this fort, which has quite the amazing little labrynth inside. Just another reminder of how they are growing up!

Thankful

2007-11-25T20:05:00.000-06:00

What would Thanksgiving be without a handprint turkey and a construction paper turkey? This year five (5) handprint turkeys graced our kitchen, but we did not receive the variety where each feather has something we're thankful for. The kids went crazy writing when I mentioned the idea of MAYBE listing the things we're thankful for. So Lee and I got on it too. Let's just say we stopped before we were really done. Lord, you have been good to us! Thank you so much.

Guess what!

2007-11-22T23:03:00.000-06:00

Someone out there is bound to recognize this. Who has the first guess?

Refreshed!

2007-11-15T14:46:00.000-06:00

Lee and I just got back from a wonderful getaway to visit our good friends in Florida. We walked along Clearwater Beach, and enjoyed the sunset and a "dolphin cruise". We also went to the beautiful Busch Gardens, where we rode wild roller coasters and saw wild animals. And of course, we played several games of dominoes and Phase 10. (I finally won the last night--good thing or we would have had to extend our stay until I did.) More photos here!

Trick or treat!

2007-11-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

There was no small amount of excitement around our house yesterday. Our little Detroit Tigers mascot ("Paws") and cowgirl had a costume parade and parties at school, and then a big trick or treat adventure at church. It was so much fun--lots of the adults dressed up, and every door in the church had someone behind it with treats for all who knocked. There was more than enough sugar to go around, and LOTS of laughter.

There are so many adults in our kids' lives who go the extra mile to have fun with them. What a blessing!

Fifty and Fabulous

2007-10-31T11:08:00.000-05:00

October 31 was an extra scary day in 1957. I'd be scared to give birth to twins ANY day, Halloween or not. But my mom was a brave woman, and apparently wasn't too traumatized. After all she was brave enough to have me afterwards. Of course, that was SO MANY years later, she may have forgotten the realities of the experience. Now, fifty years later, I am blessed with a truly fabulous brother and sister.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

DAVE and DAYNA!!!

We love you!

The little things

2007-10-29T22:00:00.001-05:00

We had a fun weekend. Nothing big, just enjoying the little things. We had lots of leaves to rake up, and the lawn needed mowing. And Bethany needed something to do. So Lee used her as a "yard waste compactor". He would add some more leaves and bounce her up and down on them. You should have heard her giggling her head off.

Then it was time for Ben's basketball practice. Yes, that's right, a new sport for Ben. I cannot believe these second graders can play so well and make so many shots. They are a blast to watch, and these dads are such great coaches.

Lee and I got something special in the mail--a love note from our little girl. She very secretly found an envelope and addressed it and took it to the mailbox for us to find. How lucky are we!

Autumn arrives!

2007-10-20T22:19:00.000-05:00

It's here!! Despite the fact that local weather guru Paul Douglas was explaining why we weren't getting much fall color on the news last night, I'm calling it gorgeous as of yesterday. To top it off, a week full of rain gave way to sunshine today, and made the landscape all the more breathtaking. Thankfully we were out much of the day. We topped it off with a drive to a river bluff overlook. To check out the rest of the pictures, click here, and then click on slideshow to view them full-size.

Awaiting Autumn

2007-10-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

We've been waiting for fall to get here, and it is coming, slowly but surely. Usually we are beyond the peak before now, but there are still plenty of green leaves on the trees. Will they still turn, or will they just fall off?

We enjoyed a beautiful walk around the zoo yesterday. Funny how the kids still run to each statue and hop on, as though they've never seen them before!

Indian Summer

2007-10-04T23:33:00.001-05:00

The kids pretended to be some of their favorite animals today, in celebration of the gorgeous weather. See if you can find a bat, a sloth, a panda, a monkey, and a bird (with a "bird's eye view")!

Thank God for Grandmas!

2007-09-29T16:55:00.000-05:00

Grandpa Jack and Grandma Jeannie are in town from Florida. Grandma brought her usual goodie bag of little fun stuff for the kids. Which once more goes to prove, it's the little things that matter! We are blessed with two grandmas who know just how to spoil our kids. We're thankful!

Sunday afternoon at the Dome

2007-09-16T21:00:00.001-05:00

Today was so much fun! After church we headed down to the Metrodome to watch the Twins play Ben's beloved Detroit Tigers. Now if you've followed our blog, you know things didn't go well when we went to see the Braves at the Dome. We went to one more game this summer against the Angels, and Ben actually cheered for the Twins! But of course this time, they lost.

So today we headed down, and Lee and I actually quietly rooted for the Tigers too, because of the sheer fact they might still have a shot at the playoffs, and the Twins...well, let's face it, they don't. And guess what? Ben finally got to see his team WIN! It was a nail biter, but the Tigers scored on the third pitch of the game, and never trailed. Phew!

Sundays are awesome days to take a kid to a Twins game. The kids get in free with a paid adult, there are all kinds of activities for them to do out on the plaza beforehand, they get a free children's book, and there are free Twins autographs if you care to wait (although there is no guarantee you will have ever heard of the players that are signing). And today, TCF was even giving away free Twins shirts. Then after the game, they get to run the bases and get autographs from T.C. the bear. T.C. is a very astute mascot, and he took Ben's Tigers cap and stuck it in his big furry mouth. VERY cute.

By the way...do you notice anything different about Ben? (Click on the picture to see a bigger view. Click here to compare if you still can't figure it out.)

Zoo Day

2007-09-10T10:29:00.001-05:00

We spent a beautiful Sunday afternoon at the zoo that I loved to visit as a little girl, but we live so close to the big zoo that we rarely go up there. The kids loved seeing lots of animals they don't have at the big zoo, and Ben was excited to learn that BOTH have tigers! For more photos of our day, click here.

Smile and say "Cheethe!"

2007-09-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

Benjamin thought the week hadn't been eventful enough, so he pulled out his front tooth. The surprising thing was that it was the left one--he's been wiggling the right one all summer.

The BIG Day!

2007-09-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

Today is the first day of school, and Ben's 8th birthday. The kids were SO excited that they pretty much leaped out of their beds. They even MADE their beds! (Of course, that's because we pay them for completing all of the steps on their checklists.)

Ben took a few minutes to open his birthday cards from us. The gifts had to wait until after school, because Mom has not had a chance to go shopping--but now all of that has changed! :-)

Ben and Bethany both got ready in record time, with plenty of time to pose for photos. Even then, the bus wasn't here, so they played hopscotch. When the bus pulled up to the corner several minutes early (we are the first stop), the kids grabbed their backbacks and made a mad dash. Forget the ceremonial goodbyes! I did what any self-respecting mom would do. I followed them down and got right on the bus and gave them a hug. They didn't seem to mind!

For my reflections (and a few more photos) on this new chapter of life, click here.

Happy Birthday, Tiger-r-r!

2007-09-02T22:24:00.000-05:00

Today we had a fun family gathering. We celebrated Ben's birthday, along with a couple of his cousins', with the whole Decker side of the family. Although he was in and out of the house while I was decorating his cake, he avoided seeing what I was doing because he wanted it to be a surprise. I guess the unveiling is an important part of the tradition. He was very pleased with his tiger!

When his cousin Kyle heard that Ben's birthday is the first day of school, he thought it was a shame. Ben, on the other hand, thinks it is going to be one giant party, and he can hardly wait. I hope that after it's all said and done, his teacher will share his enthusiasm!

A special project

2007-09-01T23:09:00.000-05:00

My family thought they had hit the jackpot when they helped me unpack the groceries today. Let's face it...it's not every week I come home with Oreos, Little Debbies, Fruit by the Foot (gross!) and chocolate sprinkles. They should have known I was up to something. One of my favorite projects of the year. Stay tuned!

Game Day Central: Where heroes are made!

2007-08-23T09:23:00.000-05:00

It's the week we've all been waiting for--Vacation Bible School! It seems there was this boy who caught a glimpse of a catalog with the Game Day Central (SPORTS!) theme and talked his mom into being the director so our church could have VBS. He started listing all the kids he could invite because they would LOVE it! How could she say no?

That was sometime in the spring, and I've been planning and scheming ever since. Well, it's finally here, and we've been taking a van load of energetic kids every night, and listening to them enthusiastically sing the theme songs all the way home. I'd say it's been worth it! "Run the race! Keep the pace! Keep your eyes on Jesus!"

Off with the training wheels!

2007-08-15T07:54:00.003-05:00

For those of you who haven't been following the comments, Bethany has made a big achievement. We took her down to the park, removed her training wheels, and voila! Big girl!

I just have to say that my kids are SO blessed to have Lee for a daddy. He did an awesome job of giving her the confidence boost she needed, and if you watch the video, the giggles say it all. Priceless!

Try again!

2007-08-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

OK. Lee thought this might be a little too easy. But after all, he's the one who did the project, so it's obvious to him. So here's a little more information. Hmmm...

It's YOUR turn!

2007-08-12T21:47:00.001-05:00

Guess what this is! No, really, you have to guess. Because I'm not telling until someone guesses correctly. To enter your guess, click on "comments" below. If you are not a registered Googler, you can type your answer and click on the circle next to "anonymous". That's it. Then check back later to see if you or anyone else has solved the mystery. Good luck!

Fun Day for Mom

2007-08-10T13:49:00.001-05:00

It's a homemade birthday, with a special cake and cards. Don't you love the cake? Well, it's the right shape, and it has a PICTURE of something sweet and delicious. And only one candle so I can stay 29 for another year. Simple and to the point!

P.S. I didn't have to eat the sweetened condensed milk. They took me to the nearest waterpark to enjoy the slides and the lazy river AND some really yummy ice cream on a waffle cone.

As good as it gets!

2007-08-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Little fish!

2007-08-02T21:54:00.000-05:00

Do you hear my heart going pitter patter? Benjamin and Bethany just finished a session of swimming lessons, and they are really swimming! I mean, jumping off the diving board and then swimming down to the shallow end. Both of them! They can do the front crawl and back crawl (well only Ben has the breathing down on the front crawl)...it's amazing!

So what's the big deal? Doesn't everyone take swimming lessons in the summer? Aren't they supposed to actually learn how to swim when they do? Well, I suppose. But if you know how much time I spent in the pool growing up, you probably assumed that front and back crawl were what my kids would be doing before they walked. So, it sort of seemed like a long time coming. Seriously, seeing Ben swim across the pool without breaking his rhythm once on the front crawl is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

You know what, though? When Aunt Dayna suggested that he might swim in the Olympics someday, he said, "Uh, I don't think so," but the look on his face said, "Uh, Aunt Dayna, how in the world do you think THAT would fit into my Major League Baseball career?"

I see his point.

A Day at the Lake

2007-07-25T00:46:00.001-05:00

A peaceful end to a great day with the Decker side of the family at Balsam Lake. For more of the fun, click here.

The top ten ways to know you've had a great vacation

2007-07-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

10. Your baseball fanatic has swung the bats of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth at the Louisville Slugger Factory
9. You've stood on a mountaintop
8. You've taken your family on a tour of your alma mater, and they enjoyed it almost as much as you did
7. You've discovered that your campground offers all the mini-golf you can play for free!
6. You can now relax poolside with your spouse while the kids swim their hearts out
5. Your kids disappeared for hours with their cousin and all you heard was giggling--and all you discovered afterwards was a cool fort they built and filled with stuffed animals
4. You've consumed enough sweet tea to keep you sweet for the next year
3. You've seen several old friends, and picked right back up where you left off
2. Your kids have enjoyed their grandparents as much as their grandparents enjoyed them
1. Your kids thank you multiple times for the fun trip

Besides safety, health and rest, these were some of the major highlights of our 3400+ mile vacation/odyssey through eight states between here and Florida. For more photos, click here.

Bethany is SIX!

2007-06-23T22:55:00.000-05:00

We had a very fun celebration today! Bethany's birthday party was a garden tea party with several of her friends from school. They made table decorations and most of the fancy foods. It was beautiful. Then we had Bethany's favorite babysitter teach the girls a dance. They made sweet garden fairies! And there was a certain boy who joined right in there with the rest of them.

A great thing about the day was having Dave and Mary and the boys join us, newly arrived from Africa a few days ago, along with Dayna, who helped keep everything going! Bethany felt very special, and she kept saying, "Mom, that was a good idea you had!" I wonder who had more fun...

For more photos, click here.

Happy Father's Day!

2007-06-16T23:03:00.000-05:00

Night at the Dome

2007-06-13T23:20:00.000-05:00

It was a great night to go to the Twins game...for all the Twins fans anyway. We were so excited that the Braves were making one of their rare appearances at the Dome, but one could argue that they didn't show up. Even Ben's rally cap couldn't help bring them back to life. Oh well, at least we brought a few Twins fans with us. The Twins are going to start paying us to come pretty soon, because we seem to be their good luck charm!

Kidwatching

2007-06-13T12:44:00.000-05:00

Summertime is magical. Granted, it affords extra time for sibling squabbles, but overall it is so good to let them relax and reconnect with each other. It gives me a chance to enjoy my truly favorite pastime: kidwatching. It's amazing to see what they do when given nothing but time. Make newspaper hats. Organize shells while eating popsicles. Pretend to be tigers. Have races with stuffed animals and a deck of cards. Drink out of the sprinkler. Sit on the end of the driveway (read TEST BOUNDARIES) in a wheelbarrow at sunset, waving to the cars that go by. Thank God for time to be kids...and more to the point, thank God for kids!

Stay tuned...the summer is young.

School's out!

2007-06-08T13:45:00.001-05:00

Summer vacation has arrived. This morning at about 8:00 the kids started playing "Risk". Mac and cheese for lunch, playing outside with friends...so far so good! The kids have had an AWESOME year at school, with fantastic teachers (who let me volunteer a lot!) and really great friends. We are so blessed, and looking forward to more. But for now, let the games begin!

Oh, by the way, Ben's face still had the remaining face paint from yesterday's school picnic--he was painted as a tiger. Surprise, surprise!

What college students do when they come "home"

2007-05-30T18:04:00.000-05:00

Our nephew Joey is staying with us until his parents come from Africa to spend several months in MN. Like every other college student, he enjoys catching up on sleep, talking on the phone, emailing, texting...and, of course, he brought a little laundry. It's great having him around! What I haven't gotten yet are the photos of him with the kids, but they LOVE having their cousin Joey around. It's just that they spend all morning wishing they could wake him up!

Go fly a kite!

2007-05-28T22:13:00.000-05:00

Our big Memorial Day event was kite flying down at the park. I hate to admit it, but our kids had never flown kites before. They ran themselves silly trying to get those puppies to fly, and they were amazingly successful.

The first bouquet of the year!

2007-05-26T11:08:00.000-05:00

Our garden and containers are blooming! And after a real rain this week, we are looking forward to more. I love having flowers on the counter, and Bethany loves to keep them coming!

Jailhouse Rock

2007-05-20T22:11:00.000-05:00

Tonight Benjamin sang in the children's choir production of "Jailhouse Rock"! Boy did he have the moves down. :-) It was a blast! It was about kids at Camp Koinonia, who are stuck inside on a rainy day. The kids came in on the bus. Next year Bethany will join him. She can hardly wait!

Spring Things

2007-05-20T14:57:00.000-05:00

We've truly been enjoying spring and all that it brings...which is a lot! The scheduled events, like sports, field trips, school picnics, and the unscheduled, like trips to the park and the greenhouse. Yesterday we even went swimming--outside!

Today at church the kids were recognized for what they've learned and done in our missions organizations. And tonight will be the last big event for children's choir. Stay tuned!

Ben's Baseball

2007-05-19T19:55:00.000-05:00

Here he is, like a fish back in the water! Ben's team is the "Louisville Bats". He's having a blast.

Soccer!

2007-05-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

It's official...we are now a two sport family! For the first time we are having to either go our separate ways twice a week to get Bethany to soccer and Ben to baseball, or we are going four nights per week. It will be interesting when Lee goes out of town next week. What do people with four kids do??? :-) To see more pictures of Bethany's soccer, click here.

Bethany is loving soccer! She is a little go-getter. What fun!

They're here!

2007-05-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

How refreshing to have the flowers arrive--on the trees, in the garden and in my pots! Anyone who thinks God doesn't know how to have fun has not visited a nursery lately and tried to choose. He must have had a blast creating all of the shapes, sizes and colors!

Our Ballerina

2007-04-25T23:32:00.000-05:00

Check out the latest scrapbook! This one comes with Bethany's help. Enjoy!

P.S. If you want to see it bigger, click on the lower right corner, and then click the link to "Ballerina Bethany". That will take you to the album, which you can full-size by clicking "slideshow".

Scooby Snacks

2007-04-19T21:52:00.000-05:00

Today the kids had "Scooby Snack" graham crackers after school. They decided to pretend they were dogs and try to toss the treats off their noses and catch them in their mouths. In the end they ate a lot of broken doggie bones, but they sure had fun!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2007-04-12T14:24:00.000-05:00

There's no escaping the fact that these are the real reason Lee married me. It's a good thing he's found some better reasons to STAY married, because I don't make them half as often as he'd like!

He is Risen Indeed!

2007-04-09T12:55:00.000-05:00

Easter is such a celebration of new life! I have to say, it's my favorite holiday. It's the best Sunday of the year at church, everything so joyful and filled with hope.

We enjoyed brunch with Dayna and the boys and some friends, and then back to Dayna's house for the annual egg hunt. And of course, the Master's, complete with a champion who reminded all of us that more importantly it was Easter. How great is that!

My first digital (mini) scrapbook!

2007-04-05T00:24:00.000-05:00

OK, here goes! Benjamin helped me make this first scrapbook, so of course it's about tigers. This is the cover. To see the whole thing, click here.

Once you get there, click on this picture to view it full size, and then you will be able to move through the pages by clicking on "next". Hopefully you'll be glad you did!

It's here!!! (again)

2007-04-03T22:27:00.000-05:00

My new computer is finally here! We've ordered it, received it, sent it back, and received a new one. Couldn't be simple, you know, but I have it! Yea. I'm going to keep this short because I want to play, but maybe I'll get something really creative for you to look at before long...

Never a dull moment

2007-03-27T12:01:00.001-05:00

Benjamin is never without a game to play. He had a few minutes before school this morning, so he found two teams (the pets and the cars) and two goals (plastic lunchmeat containers) and a ball, and had a soccer game at "Stuffed Stadium", complete with a running play-by-play commentary. He was still giving the first half highlights on his way out the door to the bus stop. "The score is 5-4...the pets are winning!" I guarantee he will run straight back to it the second he comes in the door from school. You just never know what it will be on any given day, but his heart is always 100% invested in it!

A special visit

2007-03-24T21:50:00.001-05:00

A special visit
Originally uploaded by TracyP..

We had a fun surprise visit from our nephew Joey, who came for spring break from school in Arkansas. Turns out Minnesota was Plan C after A and B fell through at the last minute...but we're not bitter. ;-) The kids were wowed by Joey's card tricks, and are convinced he is a real magician. We are looking forward to more time with him and the Africa side of the family when they all return in summer!

The perfect day

2007-03-23T22:03:00.000-05:00

Today's high temperature was 66. I told the kids maybe we should call Lee and ask him if he liked the gift (sunshine and warmth) that we ordered for him. Ben said, "Uh, Mom, I think that was GOD'S gift to Dad." Oh well, we took advantage of it and made his birthday card on the driveway.

Happy Birthday, Lee!

2007-03-23T16:29:00.000-05:00

It's been another fun year with our husband, daddy, hero! We love you!

Comments Welcome!

2007-03-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

You know, at the top of my blog I wrote that we'd love to have you stop in and visit us here. I forgot to tell you that the way that we enjoy your company is when you click on "comments" at the bottom of the post and actually say hello or something. (Or tell me that you laughed so hard you snorted at Benjamin's nose comment, or something like that.) You don't have to register or anything. Just click where it says anonymous, type your comment (however brief!)and then let me know who you are by signing your name after your comment.

Meanwhile, I haven't been able to top my most recent pictures, but we have a fun celebration this weekend. Stop by again in a few days for a picture or two of the festivities. There's somebody who hasn't shown up in the scrapbook yet, and it's high time!

Twirly Girl

2007-03-11T22:17:00.001-05:00

My creation, originally uploaded by TracyP..

Bethany was signed up for a dance class that was supposed to start last Wednesday. However, they didn't have enough kids, so they postponed for a week to scrounge up a few more. I didn't find out until she had already gone to bed the night before. So of course she woke up and immediately put on all her "stuff". I REALLY hated to break the news to her, but she accepted it rather graciously, much to my surprise. She proceeded to twirl around the house for the rest of the morning. She willingly put school clothes on for the afternoon, but came right home and got her dance things on again. Is that not a precious face?

Everything's more fun with a friend!

2007-03-10T16:54:00.001-06:00

The temperature is 48 degrees today. About 60 degees warmer than a month ago. Honestly, it feels like we should go to the beach. Ben and Bethany found friends to come play in the snow with them. It's melting like crazy, but there is still plenty left.

Fun with Ben and Bethany

2007-03-08T21:09:00.001-06:00

Fun with Ben and Bethany, originally uploaded by TracyP..

Benjamin and I were looking at these pictures, and I commented how much he and Bethany look alike. Ben's reply: "I guess if we had been born on the same day, we would practically be identical twins, except for the girl boy thing. And that I like to pick my nose so much."

Too Much Shoveling!

2007-03-02T14:02:00.001-06:00

Too Much Shoveling!, originally uploaded by TracyP..

I feel his pain! If Lee weren't typically so good about handling this job, I might suspect him of checking the farmer's almanac or something before deciding that February of 2007 would be the perfect time to have his knee surgery.

Sweet!

2007-03-01T21:19:00.001-06:00

Sweet!, originally uploaded by TracyP..

Benjamin was 3 when we went to Hawaii and Lee's mom came to stay with the kids. But he has never forgotten Mona's "Snow Cream", and today he had to call her for the recipe. He has been talking about it since the big snow last weekend. It was SO yummy!

Snow Day!

2007-03-01T11:33:00.000-06:00

It's official...afternoon kindergarten is cancelled. Hopefully the bus will deliver Benjamin back to us at some point. It is snowing faster than we can shovel. If you want to see some more pictures of us playing outside, click here.

Winter Wonderland

2007-03-01T00:25:00.001-06:00

My creation, originally uploaded by TracyP..

We're finally getting snow! How much? There are mixed predictions on that, so we will have to get up and look out the window, and then see if we need to check school closings. One thing we do know...we'll need some hot chocolate. And in case you're wondering, yes, these pictures really are from our yard! Is this a cool toy or what?!

Traveling Companions

2007-02-28T10:44:00.001-06:00

bbcamp2, originally uploaded by TracyP..

Bethany and Ben are well prepared to accompany me on this journey into the new milennium.

A New Chapter

2007-02-27T23:24:00.000-06:00

I started scrapbooking in 1995. I now have as many volumes as we can store without rearranging our furniture. It's time to break into the new milennium...I'm going digital! This is just the beginning of a whole new adventure in documenting our family history. Most of it will have to wait until we get our new computer (as I keep saying, "Soon, now. Very, VERY soon!"). And honestly, much of it will have to wait for another new chapter, next fall when Bethany starts FIRST GRADE!

Now just a note about this: If you want to see a few pictures, this should be the place. If you want to see my scrapbooking projects, I'll hopefully be able to give you a link to click on for those. Wait patiently. If you want to know what I'm thinking about things like the the new chapter of life with two kids in school all day, you'll want to go to my new Journey blog by clicking on the link to the right. I'm just warning you, it might be a little more than you want to know. That's up to you! Enjoy!