Please help....

Please help... How do I "unfollow" a blog?? One of mine has profanity, I quit!

Took kids to camp Monday. Paul's van got waaaaay to squirrely and he had to pulllover once. My van was packed with girls, including a 13 year old in the front seat with me who chatted at me for 2 hours STRAIGHT. That was hard to get through! On the way home, Paul got so far up ahead of me, that I got mad (we were already both grumpy, tired and HOT) so I pulled over at a fish hatcherey and the girls and I got out to play for almost and hour. That was fun and cooled me off! In the past I might've laid into him. But over the years, I've learned that he is mostly innocent, and I'm the one that can make issue (I'm a girl! ha!ha!). When we finally got home, as always, he came right out of the house to help me unload the girls. Madness gone.. I love that man!

Tuesay, our friend Linda, took Ann and Hannah out for an afternoon of fun. They had a blast going to Petco, McDonalds, the Animal farm in Dallesport, swimming, out for icecream. They came home wiped out.
Since I had only one child (Mary) I got to have a rare treat... lunch with a friend! Yay! Joyce and I met at the Petite Provence. A little French cafe on 2nd St. I love that place. After that I headed to the grocery store, dropped off groceries at home and went to the Corps for a few hours.

Yesterday for Home League, we took another field trip to Stonehenge (the one in Maryhill, WA) and Maryhill Museum. It was a great time, as always! I just loooove our ladies. We have so much fun together. Then Ann and I had Dentist appointments. Thankfully, Paul came with me so he could watch Mary and Hannah while I was getting my teeth cleaned. I really like going to the Dentist, I got to lay down for almost an hour in the middle of the day. Aaaah relaxation! Good check-up for me and for Ann I'll qoute the Dentist "Ann is a vision of dental loveliness".

Heading to the Corps this afternoon. I need to get ready for Church at the Park on Sunday. I have a lot of stuff to pack up. I also need to finish my sermon/devotion and the program. We're planning a surprise trip to Mount Hood for the girls tonight.

Did I mention it is just way weird to have the boys gone again??? I miss them, but it is nice though not to have a "Mom, can I....?" or "Mom, I'm hungry" every 5 minutes.

It has been really, really hot here. It reminds me of our days in our first appointment in Bullhead City, AZ. It was regularly 115 + for months at a time. We used to set up misters in the backyard and everything. We did get used to it and after we moved to Oregon I was always cold for the first year.
Times like these I am so grateful for air-conditioning. We have some people in the church who don't have air conditioning, so last week Paul went around to their houses and delivered fans.

Mary just exploded on my lap, better go clean us both up.

Today Was Quite A Day!

You ever just have one of those days??? I vote it should never be on a Sunday!

It started out typical, but when Sunday School was supposed to start with my leading Assembly, it all started going downhill. Not in a bad way... just in a totally unexpected way with some things that needed to be dealt with right away. I won't go into detail, but my, oh my, are we in a fallen world with broken-hearted people.

I can go into detail about my own family though ;)
Hannah was a HANDFUL at church this morning. I was mortified! (I was on my own because Paul I were taking turns dealing with the other situation.) I don't know what got into her! Posessed? Maybe. Two years old? FOR SURE! Elijah helped, trying to take her out of church, but she beat him up and made a run for it. I'm standing at the pulpit, leading the Call to Worship, and here comes this maniac screaming 2 year old charging down the middle aisle, straight for me. All eyes were on her and then, my reinforcements charged after her and the 3 ladies swiped her off her feet and out the door. Amen!
It blindsighted me and I apologized profusely, finished up and took the next opportunity, Offering, to go check in with her. By then she was pleased as punch and when I talked with her about it she kept saying her version of "sorry" and "mommy happy?". Uuuh, NO!

We went for a late lunch at Denny's. It was nearly 2pm before we got there. Church got out late, we had people to take home, etc. Everybody was starving, even Mary, so I had to order what I call a "one-handed" dish and not my favorite Ciabatta Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich (that takes two hands). Ooooh the sacrifices us mommies make :) I know that God gives us children to remind us that we are not the center of the world. Although, I confess, that sometimes I act like I am.

David and Ann went with me to the Nursing Home for Church. I filled up Mary and left her with Paul. We were visiting today at one of our, shall I say... "rougher" nursing homes. We usually know what to expect, but like I said, today was just one of those days!! One of the older men kept running over Ann with his wheelchair and I had to keep stopping the service so I could wheel him back across the room, only for him to eventually wheel his way right back up to Ann. He would end up inches from her face because she was standing beside me and he was sitting in his wheelchair. She was tough about it though, and I told her I was proud of the way she handled it. David and I concluded that he was just trying to see and hear us better.
And then, during my sermon, a lady came in, walked across the room, pulled down her pants and started to full-on pee in the corner. Now, over the years, I've had people do all sorts of things during my sermons- sleep, talk, clip thier nails, yawn, knit, textmessage, you name it... but this was definately a first for me. Once again, I had to stop, go (well, almost RUN) out to the nurses station and let them know. Then I continued. Later, I told David how proud I was of him and how he handled himself like a gentlemen. Ann was great about it too. In the car I was explaining how people get old and so do their brains and stuff like that just happens and Ann said "Yeah, I know Mom. It's like Buster peeing in the house because he's old. We love him anyway and help him." Out of the mouths of babes! What do they need me for anyway?!

God is sooo good. I may have set out to conquer the day, but instead, He conquered me. I'm thankful to Him for giving me a day out of the ordinary, not great, not terrible, but different.

Our 2 Campers

The boys are back. Yay! It's funny having 2 kids go to camp because they argue over who gets to tell what story! They both had and awesome time. David always come back more self-sufficient, Elijah has this time too. I sense a lot more confidence in both of them and they are so full of kindness for their sisters because they missed them. I'm glad for that. I think we have a great camp, and I am always so impressed with the way it's run. It takes a lot of hard, consistent work to keep a camp safe for all the children involved. There are so many pre-cautions to take and a lot of careful planning goes into it. Hooray for Camp Kuratli Staff!! Thank you so much for inspiring our kids to live out their faith because of the real way you present yours!

The church kids all did great and makes The Dalles Corps so proud! They were all so full of stories which they shouted over each other on the 2 hour drive home. We just love them to bunches and get excited when we are able to witness their faith take root.

Between church and nursing homes tomorrow, I need to wash up their clothes and stick them right back in their suitcases for another 5 days of camp. We're leaving Monday and will take the other church kids too.

I'm not looking forward to another week without my boys, but will make the best of it with plenty of girl time (poor Paul). I know that one day, our kids will start leaving for good, hopefully by then I'll be ready for it! (Maybe that's what the teenage years are for..ha!ha!)

My Kids Should've Been Asian

Is it legal to blog twice in one day????

I have some spare time, an early bedtime for the girls because we're up at the crack of dawn to go pick up our church kids from camp. I know they will be brimming with stories to tell us! So anyways, I thought I'd write about rice because the boys will be home tommorow and I want to make them one of their favorite meals.

My kids LOVE rice. They might as well be Asian. Left to themselves, I think they'd eat it breakfast, lunch and dinner. For years all I've cooked is Lundberg Organic Brown Rice. That's what I like and most importantly- that's what CostCo sells, so that's what the kids are used to. 12 pounds for about $13. We go through about 3-4 bags a year. I cook it at least once a week, just season it differently depending on what I'm serving it with. I also use it in casseroles, mexican dishes, etc. We hardly ever do noodles/pasta, maybe once every 5-6 weeks (if that). Rice is definately the staple in our home. I will cook up a ton once a week, eat it for dinner that night and then use it for other stuff the rest of the week. Like Mommy's Fried Rice, which the kids love to eat and we named it Mommy's because when we go to a resturaunt and order fried rice, they're like... "this doesn't taste as good as mommy's". (And boy does that make me feel good!!)

Here's how I cook it:

Ingredients (These are all estimates, tweak it to how you want it and how much you want)
4 Cups of already cooked Brown Rice. (It works better if it's already nice and cold)
1/4 Cup Peanut Oil (use any, but I don't recommend Olive for this)
1 1/2 Cups of frozen Carrot/Pea mix, thawed
1 1/2 Cups of already cooked Meat (whatever you have on hand, pork, chicken, beef)
7 Eggs, beaten (my kids like lots of egg in it)
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce

Directions:
Heat up large skillet and oil until nice and hot.
Fry up the Brown Rice until heated through
Mix in Carrot/Pea and Meat
Cook through.
Add Soy Sauce, mix up.
Push everything to one side
On the empty side, add eggs and scramble until set
Mix into rice

Serve with a smile

My "Alternative" Lifestyle

Why are all the sinful, ungodly "alternative" lifestyles accepted and celebrated? What about us Christians?

Even as Christians, united in one Holy God, we are all unique, aren't we? We all have different understandings, lifestyles and convictions don't we? Our whimsical God has created a beautiful assortment of people for His glory and purposes.

Here's my alternative lifelstyle:

• 
  
  I believe in one God who is the Creator, Preservor and Governor of all things and one Savior, Jesus Christ.
• 
  
  I believe the Holy Bible to be God's Word and I (try) live by it.
• 
  
  I have received salvation from sin and have eternal life.
• 
  
  I have one husband who I am committed to loving 'till death do us part.
• 
  
  I have 5 children, who I want, love and adore. And until further notice, I welcome any that God would send my way.
• 
  
  I love being a mother and a wife and am committed to doing it the best I know how and as much as the good Lord will equip me to do so.
• 
  
  I am an ordained full time minister of the Gospel. I preach on Sundays from a pulpit, and no, I'm not a woman's libber. Just called by God to preach His word whether it's from a wood box on a platform or on my living room couch.
• 
  
  I wear a uniform most days of the week. It identifies me with the ministry I work for. I am not my own, I was bought at a price, I belong to Christ and His calling in my life.
• 
  
  I believe in right and wrong, moral and immoral and absolute truth. I am an open-minded, understanding person, but weigh everything against the truth of God. It doesn't make me a bigot or judgemental or a hypocrite or whatever those with no truth would call it... it just gives me a place to stand in the shifty places of life. I'm glad I have that.
• 
  
  I believe in individual responsibility and accountability. You make your own life. You should take blame and the credit. The good, the bad and the ugly. We will stand before God and give a full account for it.
• 
  
  I am against welfare and I am pro charity. I believe the government should have no right to take from one man to give to another (aka- taxes). I believe we have raised generations of people who think they are entitled to the many services that the governement provides. I believe the Bible- if a man does not work, he shall not eat and you should reap what you sow. Sow not, reap not. Charity should be done by the charitable and the Church, not the government.
• 
  
  I am a true feminist. I believe a woman should be a woman, not a man. I want to look like a woman and act like a woman according to how God created me and how His Word instructs me.
• 
  
  I know that my alternative lifestyle would be more accepted and tolerated in this world if it were a sinful one. But praise God for His sanctifying work in His believers!

What's your "alternative" lifestyle? How has the Lord defined you and called you according to His purpose? What makes you unique in this world? What makes you unique in sea of Christians? Use it for the glory of God and the good of others!

Mary is 3 Months Old!

Wow, does time FLY! Mary Ruth turned 3 months old on Sunday (July 19). She is precious and such a content little baby. She still wakes up 3 times a night, but just to eat, not to fuss. She is starting to play with toys. She is always being held by someone. When I do need to put her down, she gets a look of confusion and then fear, which results in crying. She is coooing and smiling like crazy. Paul and I think she is one of our most engaging babies, always trying to get our attention, and then she'll coo and smile like crazy. She has also taken up quite a bit of slobbering, which the kids think is hilarious.



Here is her 3 month photo shoot from Sunday:

What Life Is Like This Week

We got the kids off to camp safe and sound. Paul ended up canceling his day and coming with me. He is so protective of me. It drives me nuts, due to my independant streak, but I know it's because he loves me. (I used to drive 13 hours each way to Youth Councils weekends with 15 teenagers and a baby David, where was this side of him then??) After getting everyone registerd, lice checked, medicine checked and class sign-ups, the 3 girls and us went to Super Wal-Mart on the way home. Spent about $200 stocking up on groceries, you can't beat their prices! Of course, this week and most of next week, we are a family of 5 and probably didn't need to stock up so much. But at least it will all be there when we are a family of 7 again.

Got some office work done Tuesday. Sunday Bulletins, finalized camp paperwork for next week, started our fall youth program scheduling, made some arrangements for Women's Retreat, and various other no-brainers. I also ran home real quick to get some Cinnamon Rolls started for Home Leage the next day, which was today. Then back to the Corps. I made some Cinnamon Rolls a few weeks ago for a lady in our church with 2 little kids and her husband in the Army in Kentucky. Of course... she had to mention it to someone and that someone went and told everyone else and then someone tells me "how come you didn't make me Cinnamon Rolls?" (jokingly... but I sensed some truth) SO... I said "how about I make some for Home League, that way everyone gets some and no one feels left out?" (hint, hint) She says "oh that would be wonderful" and then she proceeds to give me a list of everyone's allergies and how I should make them. Oh brother (I mean sister). So the girls and I finished them up last night, but I forgot the most important ingredient of all... Love.
I will put in extra next time.

So is it supposed to be easier with only 3 kids?? Well, it's not. With the boys gone, the big kid chores are not getting done, so that leaves it to me. And I just haven't gotten to them. Vacuuming, glass cleaning, garbage, wall washing. I'd really rather not, maybe because I'm in a lazy mood after going at it hard the last several days. Paul and I will probably watch a movie tonight.

Now, I'm down here trying to blog and catch up on emails while the girls are litterally under my feat. I left them upstairs playing with their paper dolls and they ended up making their way down here. It always happens, I shouldn't complain, but the kids (yes, all of them) are always following me from room to room. They will even wait outside the bathroom door for me. It's like I'm the planet and they are little moons orbiting around me.

Home League Field Trip

Last Wednesday, our Home League group (Women's Ministries) took a field trip to the Vista House and Bridal Veil Falls. We had a great time! Not all of our ladies could go, but those that did had a super fun time! (I can't post their pictures, but trust me, they were there). Also, you won't see Ann in the Bridal Veil Falls pics because I couldn't find one of her without a HL lady. The Chouinards at the Vista House.

Bridal Veil Falls. The hike was perfect with children and for most of our ladies. It was about a mile with some uphill. And the trail was in good shape.

We all sat on the side of a hill to eat our picnic lunches.


Mommy and Mary (my arms length photo)

I love being outside. I love hiking and camping and all that goes with it. I wish we would do it more, but you know, it's just hard to make the time for it when you think you're busy with more "important" things.

The Chouinards will definately be going back here and will be doing some of the other waterfall trails nearby.

Thank you Lord for your creation!! How did you come up with all this good stuff?! It's not only beautiful and refreshing but fully funtioning too! God, you amaze me!

I blinked... Did another week go by?

What a fast week it has been! Some things I remember from it...
Company four times(our good friends for dinner and play, one of our employees for dinner, the boys' friend spent the night, and one of Ann's church friends for the afternoon)
Finalizing camp arrangements, registrations and applications
Staff meeting. Set-up, catering arrangements, clean-up, etc.
Safe From Harm Audit (one thing I need to catch up on, but overall good!)
Parade
Field Trip with Home League
Game Room twice (crafts, food, video games, pool table, foos ball, board games, dance class and more) Thank you Lord for Zeronda, our youth pastor!
2 Sermon Sundays in a row for me ("The Anemic Christian" and "Let God Be Magnified")
5 very busy, active, loud, magnificent, amazing, helpful children!
Countless loads of laundry and packing for my 2 baby boys going to camp tommorrow.

I'm sure there must've been more, but it's been lost in my memory hard drive somewhere.

Anticipation of driving 13 children to camp tommorrow, on my own, with my own little children. I think we'll (the 3 girls and I) stop at Super Wal-Mart on the way back, if I'm still sane!

4 Chouinards in a Parade

Today was the The Dalles Rodeo Parade. Paul drove a 2009 Convertable Ford Mustang for his Kiwanis Club in the Parade. David, Elijah and Ann got to ride in it too. They had the best time ever! It was so much fun! They all had turns hearing different friends yell their names as they drove through town. Paul had a blast driving the car around town. He picked it up at a friend's house with the older kids, drove it to the Parade, through the Parade and then back the looooong way to his friend's house. Hannah, Mary and I watched the Parade and as always we loved every minute of it! Especially the part when we saw Daddy and brothers and sister!!

Parade Ribbon- "Family" Category

A Rodeo Queen stopped her horse and got right up to us to give Hannah this Teddy Bear.

The tag is autographed by the Rodeo Queen.

The Parade threw so much candy at us that at one point I yelled (nicely) "That's enough!! Please stop!" Hannah couldn't keep up! We walked away with a half a bag of candy!

It felt like Halloween!

Mary watching the Parade

The girls and I watched the Parade in front of our Salvation Army building with our new friend, Bill, the homeless guy. I gave him water and some food to get him through the weekend until Social Services open up and we can do more (shower, vouchers, etc.). I was worried about him getting dehydrated in all this heat so I made sure he drank at least one bottle during the Parade. When I jokingly complained about having to pick up all the candy myself because the older kids were in the parade, he helped pick up every single piece to give to Hannah. I thought he would be kind of scary to her... but wait a minute... she's an Officer's kid... she's used to people like that!! Ha!ha!

It was just another typical day at the Army! I love being an Officer! (Thank you Lord!)

Junior Soldiers of The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army

Junior Soldier

Promise

"Having Asked God for forgiveness,

I will trust Him to keep me good.

Because Jesus is my Saviour from sin,

I will be His loving and obedient child and will try to help others to follow Him.

I promise not to use intoxicating drink, harmful drugs and tobacco.

I promise to pray, to read my Bible and,

by His help, to lead a life that is clean in thought, word and deed."

Salute

"One Way"

Collar S's

"Saved to Serve"

The New Religion- Greenstians

I am convinced that we need to add another religion to our textbook religions. I even have a new name for those who practice: Greenstians. Read on...

The other day, we were out and about and decided to stop at McDonalds for a quick lunch and a chance to play on the playland. We had been around town, touching grocery carts and such so I had everyone head to the bathroom to wash up. After washing our hands we had to stand underneath a hot air dryer forever to get our hands dry. I hate these things, and if you have little kids, you probably do too. I always have a little one who is terrified of a loud machine blowing hot air directly in their face just because they have wet hands. I would be too. I get annoyed having to stand there for so long just to dry my hands and am often just using my skirt/pants to dry my hands and tell my kids to also. We have better things to be doing than to stand around and wait for our hands to dry. There was no other option because McDonalds is "saving the planet" by not letting me use paper towels to dry my hands. (All the while they're killing us with their mostly nasty food.)

We are being pressured to act green. Here is just a small sampling of the pressure I feel:

• Bring your bags to the grocery store (I only do this to save the nickels and so that I can carry more into the house in less trips. I happen to LOVE plastic bags and all their many uses.)
• Waste your time washing your garbage so that you can recycle.
• Use dishwasher soap that doesn't really work because the lawmakers are actually in my kitchen telling me what I can and can not do.
• Embarrassed that I can not spend a fortune on an electric car to proudly drive around saying "I'm saving the world, I'm saving the world"
• Attempt to convince my children that it is their fault that global warming is occuring, not just the natural way that things work. (There has always been climate change even without "emissions" and our "destuctive race")
• Look down on me for eating a cheeseburger, thus driving up the demand for cows, thus forcing more production of cows, thus producing more cow farts and burps. Yeah right, totally my fault.
• Shame me for mopping my floors with *gasp* Pine Sol. A very toxic agent that happens to make my floor sparkly clean and my home smell sooo good and refreshing (to me).
• Stress me out about drinking from plastic bottles when sometimes I have no other choice.
• Feel guilty when I pull up to the gas pumps to yet again fill my gas guzzling mini-van.
• Keep me dodging the hole in the ozone layer over my head that I have created with my almost daily use of hairspray from an aresol can.
• Entertain the ridiculous thought that I have single-handedly over populated the world by breeding 5 children of my own.
  

And countless other practices of this new religion.

What is religion anyway? Religion is a specific system of belief and worship, involving a code of ethics and a philosophy. Green living is a new religion. Society wraps its arms around it and bows down to it and it is becoming the most acceptable form of proselytism.

Now, don't get me wrong, I wholeheartedly embrace taking care of the earth and being good stewards of what God has given us dominion over, but it is certainly not my focal point, God is. I also take all realistic, practical precautions not to poison my family or the earth, but it is definately not the first thing I think about in the morning. (See how I feel the need to defend myself against the Greenstians?? I'm scared of backlash and being labeled as non-green, black if you will.)

But really, I am sick and tired of everyone else's religious, obsessive ideals being crammed down my throat. Think about it. Christianity is progressively being nipped and tucked away. Some Christians are even retreating from the fronts in fear of becoming corrupted by this world's ways instead of fighting the good fight and standing firm against the devil. Because of society's every growing godlessness, there is a sense of shame and embarrassment taking the place of the bold living and speaking that Christ calls us to. People don't want to hear about a Saviour who entirely saves us from destruction. But they'll bend over backwards and inside out to try to save the planet. They don't want to hear about the love of God but everyone's on board the love train of sin. Don't you even dare talk about moral living either or else you may be committing a hate crime.

Any other religion besides Christianity is broadcast loud and clear in our society. Think about all the things we can get caught up pursuing that is glorified in the our society's eyes. In fact, even we can get caught up in the things that appear right in the world's eyes and earn us pats on the back.

Here are some other ways of life, that all have their place, but when out of balance, have become culturally acceptable religions:

• perfect health- organic, natural, raw, fat-free, no sugar, excercise, excercise, exercise, (the lawmakers even want to put a tax on junk food, that way they can govern our bodies too and punish us for "bad" choices like the cigarette tax. Did we elect them to punish us according to their standards???)


• perfect lifestyle- namebrand, high-end, best quality, latest and greatest (we've really gotten far... trillions of dollars of debt!)


• perfect education- private, public or home, elite, ivy league, $ (some people in other countries are just trying to survive the day, but in America, we take for granted the privelege of education)


• perfect philosophy- godless, thinking, creating new thought, understanding the ultimate whys (everyone thinks they've got THE answer!)


• perfect relationships- studying endless books, keeping just the "perfect" easily relatable people in your life, consulting Dr. Phil, Oprah Winfrey or countless others (what happened to loving the unlovable, and developing real character in the face of conflict)
  

And so many more culturally acceptable religions! What do you think of?

The real fact of the matter is that there is only one perfection and there is only one way to thoroughly save our planet and that is our Holy God and His sanctifying work in us.

So leave me alone world! "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!" (and the Lord alone)

Rachel's Sunday Morning Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
4 1/2 Teaspoons Yeast
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Cup Warm (not hot) water
1 Can Evaporated Milk at room tempature
2/3 Cup melted butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
4 Teaspoons Salt
4 Cups White Flour plus more for dusting
2 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
room tempature Butter (about 2 sticks)
Brown Sugar (about 1 1/2 Cups)
Cinnamon (about 3/4 Cup)


In your Kitchen Aide Mixer- Mix the first 3 ingredients. Add the next 6 ingredients to make dough. Let it stand for 15 minutes.

Attach dough hook and knead about 7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Slap the dough on the counter several times to remove air bubbles. Grease your mixer bowl and place the dough back in and lightly grease the top of the dough. Cover with a towel and place in a warmed oven (I do this in the winter) or outside (I do this in the summer) until dough has doubled in size.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out in the shape of a rectangle until about 3/4 inch thick.

Spread liberally with Butter. Put on a ton of Brown Sugar. Put on a ton of Cinnamon.

Starting with the long side, roll, roll, roll. Slice into 1 1/2 inch slices and put into greased bakeware. Let rise again in warm place until they are at desired size.

Cover with plastic and put in refridgerator until you are ready to bake. I like to pull them out on Sunday morning. Or you can bake them right away.

Heat oven to 400 degrees and then down to 350 and then bake for 18-22 minutes. When rolls are down, frost immediately with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Mix- about 2 1/2 Cups of Powdered Sugar (to taste), 1 Package of Cream Cheese,
1/2 Cup melted Butter, and 1/4 Milk
(I also make this the night before and store in fridge until I bake the rolls)

Thank the good Lord and enjoy!!

Summer Routine and Keeping Kids Occupied

We finally got some routine back this week. It's been hard the last few weeks with traveling, coming back for a few days, and then leaving again. Plus some little side trips on top of that.

I LOVE Routines, not so much a strict schedule, but a routine, which I happen to believe is the best form of discipline we can provide for our children. They know what's coming and what is expected of them .

Our (I'm speaking for the kids and I) Summer Routine (when we're home!) generally looks like this:
Mondays- home and at the Corps briefly (1-2 hours) with the kids to clean/set-up for stuff. Then we use the day to catch up on chores, run errands (mostly for the Corps) and I try to make sure we do a fun/learning activity. Lately it has been the library and we have been learning how to Break Dance and Hula Dance with some videos we've checked out. We even re-arranged the living room furniture for our "dance" lessons.
Tuesdays- Ann and Hannah go to "school" from 11am-4pm while the boys go to the GameRoom and I work in my Office/help with the Game Room. Mary takes a ride in my ergo or sleeps in the playpen in my office.
Wednesdays- We're all at the Corps from 7:30am-Noon. The kids play upstairs (GameRoom, Nursery, SS Rooms) and our Nursery worker watches Ann and Hannah while I'm in Home League. Otherwise they like to "help" (I use that term very loosely) me get some work done in my Office or wherever I may be in the building.
Thursdays- same as Tuesdays
Fridays- home, grocery shopping and errands and whatever else we want or need to do. Today we had our good friends, the Browns, over for a long lunch, but not long enough! Time flies when we're together.
Saturday-free day and catch up day! (sermon/sunday school/community care preparations)
Sunday- Church and Community Care Ministries (our favorite day!! but usually long and draining)

I really enjoy and savor having the boys ALL to myself in the Summer when school's out. The reason I change my Corps Office schedule is so that I am present while the Summer Game Room is open. Even though I'm busy getting work done, I can still take breaks and walk across the hall and visit with our youth. (They kept coming in my office for a hello and a visit but I finally had to start closing my door or else I wouldn't get anything done!)

Keeping my kiddos occupied during the Summer months:
I believe prolonged boredom leads to trouble!! so I like to keep my kids busy, not adult busy, but kid busy... here are some things we do everyday:

• Chores for everyone, even Hannah, and whatever else mom needs done
• Music 'appreciation' (my best friend from Highschool, Tiffany, taught me this one!)
• Reading for at least 30 minutes
• some TV time (about an hour or so- more if we're watching a learning show- they like to find those!)
• playing with toys
• endless projects from the art box
• playing outside (water play, digging, swingset, etc)
• consulting the activity list- a posterboard of ideas to stay busy with like using the magnifying glass, playing a board game and 60+ fun and do-able ideas in the Chouinard home (I learned this from my good friend Stacie who has had one of these posted as long as I've known her)

So that's what works for us. If you're like me, than you use ideas that fit into your lifestyle, and toss out the other ones. Or even some ideas might generate more ideas for you! That happens regularly in this good ole' brain God gave me and I say "thank you God! something else to try out on my poor, guinea-pig, trial and error kids!" (ha!ha!).

Random Pics

Youth Fundraiser- Lemonade Sale

In the Thrift Store.

Funny... only the Chouinard kids showed up...

What's up with that????

Riverfront (or Riverview?) Park in The Dalles.

NEW Playground!! How could we resist stopping to play!

Did I post this before?

Ann's Pre-School "graduation"

Pretty Hannah

Monkey Munch

Hannah shaking the Monkey Munch.

I got this recipe a few years ago from a "John and Kate plus 8" episode (something good did come from this show..... a great recipe!) We like this for a snack/dessert in our home. It's easy to make, has some nutrition (WW Chex Cereal and Pnt. Butter), and the kids have fun making it.

Ingredients:

9 Cups Whole Wheat Chex Cereal

1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Buter

1/4 Cup Butter

1Tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. Put Chex in large bowl and put aside

2. Place Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter and Butter into a quart-sized microwaveable bowl, stir together.

3. Microwave the mixture uncovered for a minute on high. Sitr the mix again and continue to zap in thirty second intervals until it mixes smoothly.

(You can also do this on stovetop)

4. Add the Vanilla and stir.

5. Pour over the cereal while stirring.

6. Put combination into a 2-Gallon Ziplock freezer back. (I still can't find a 2 Gallon bag, so I alway just put half the batch in a Gallon zippie at a time. It gives more for the kids to shake anyway.)

7. Add the powdered sugar, (HALF if you're doing a half batch in a Gallon bag twice). Seal the bag and shake until distributed.

8. Spread Monkey Munch out on wax paper to cool.

9. Keep refridgerated in airtight container.

Our 4th of July and Maryhill Museum

We went to Cascade Locks park for the fireworks show. We had an awesome time. We got there about 5pm and didn't get home until after Midnight (we were a tired bunch at church!). We had a picnic dinner got KFC (finally got to try the "grilled chicken") for the main course, I made some sidedishes and dessert, packed in some pops, water and chips.

We had several hours to kill before the firework show. The kids got DRENCHED running through the sprinklers, we took walks and watched other people's firecrackers,

played catch, talked, laughed, bickered, nursed, potty trips, snacked, played dinosaurs,

and just had such a great time together.

When the fireworks came, Paul and I braced ourselves for scared children (mainly the girls). We used to take the boys to the fireworks shows in Eugene when we lived in Springfield and the boys were always terrified (they were much younger). We were so suprised at what troopers the girls are!! (I guess that makes the boys sissies when they were that age!ha!ha!) Ann LOVED the fireworks, sat in her own chair and took it all in. Hannah got nervous at first and sat on Daddy's lap. She got really into it though when Daddy told her to name the purple ones. From then on she was a screaming color narrorator for our side of the park. It was so funny! Mary nursed, for comfort I think. I kept her exposed ear plugged with my finger. The boys are really into it now... no crying from them anymore!

It was an amazing show, with the fireworks smack dab over our heads.

We went to Maryhill Museum on Friday. It was even better than I expected. We loved looking at the art. I especially liked the miniature fashion displays on the the dolls. Ann and Hannah really liked them too. We hunted for Peacocks afterwards. There were supposed to be 36 on the grounds, but we only found 5. Elijah and I practiced our Peacock calls. They sound like screaming women. Easy to imitate. Paul and Ann did the road runner call ("meep, meep") (I don't know what they were thinking) Our family is big enough to circle around them so they can't get away and we got some good, up-close looks.

They know now to watch out for the Chouinards....