... and one more thing

... you had to know I wasn't finished, right?  

My dad leaves for his missions trip today, so please click the flag for Cameroon on the left to read about specific prayer requests and needs.  

Also, PLEASE continue to pray for Stellan who will most likely have heart surgery pretty quickly here, and for Kate as she continues with chemotherapy... we are so blessed to have normal, run-of-the-mill days, so please remember those who aren't so fortunate.  

Oh, and while I'm giving you a shopping list, my OTHER sweet sister-in-law, Renae, has a friend named Sharon who's husband passed away so unexpectedly this week.  Pray for Renae and Josh, too... they have lost a friend as well.

Well, and WE will be off enjoying some pretty intense Majesty, ourselves!  We intend on having our own little worship service floating through some glaciers, passing mountains and waterfalls and seeing The Splendor of Our King in quite a tangible fashion!  

Baked Alaska... all stapled up!

What a night... it started off so good, too!  EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS to my sweet sister-in-law Rochel, who called me several days ago to offer to bring dinner over for me tonight!  You know, since I had ENOUGH to worry about the Night Before Vacation.  Anyways, she made us this REALLY GREAT chicken pot-pie, which I'm hoping she will post the recipe for on her blog.  So we can all enjoy it over and over!  It was really the best one I've ever tasted.  And she's so clever, too!  So, Ryan sees it and immediately say, "Mmmmmmmm, Baked Alaska!"  Of course!

Part 2 of our evening... well, Carly and Ben visited camp this afternoon for the ever popular "foam party".  It was a huge hit last year, and they could not miss it!  Afterwards, they all went swimming, where Carly proceeded to flip off the edge of the pool and smash head... of course, not telling anyone.  Once she was home, I was trying to get her showered and for real, asked her if the girls at camp put red mousse in her hair!  Oh boy.  Then her head was really bleeding, and well, 3 hours later, we have returned from Pediatric After Hours Clinic with 3 staples in Little Miss' head.  You know, since we had nothing else to do tonight.

Be careful, this picture is graphic:

Here are her staples... fortunately there was no head shaving needed since she got staples.  That's her lovely hair with the shampoo NOT washed completely out.  

Here's our brave, brave girl.  Pretty anxious after the medical assistant told her she'd be getting staples in her head in 30 minutes after the numbing cream kicked in... who tells that to a 7 year old?  On the way home, she got to get a Dairy Queen Blizzard, which she immediately wanted to share with her brother.  That made me proud!

Also, Thanks Rochel for keeping Ben!  That helped us a lot as both Ryan and I had to "assist" with restraining the Princess!

See you in 2 weeks!

One more thing...

... and I NEVER post 2 times in one day.  But, really?  Who could resist Sacked Out Carly? Note Blankie bunched up under her head, where "she" has been for the past 7 years... the pink Unicorn, and most importantly:  a letter in her hand.  Little Miss must be missing the author of said letter.  Her cousin.  Torrey.  In Texas.  

When Torrey came to visit in May, she made little letters for Ben and Carly every day with surprises for them of things they were going to do together.  Cherished correspondence from a cherished friend.  Yup, we miss her, too!  Fortunately, she'll be HERE when we get home from vacation!  *sigh*  Who can resist looking at their sleeping baby?!!

It tastes like chicken because it IS chicken

I had to focus on something mildly entertaining to take my mind off Stellan. PLEASE keep praying for this cutie. And Kate. And I've also added a button on the left for my father's newest mission trip which starts on Friday. Click the buttons, and you will be linked to the blogs that can give you more information and specifics for praying...

... so Ryan took Ben up to camp for the afternoon. We didn't sign up for our church camp this year because of our QUICKLY coming vacation... a fact Ben and Carly frequently remind us about. Not getting to go to camp. Well, AND our vacation. We hear it all. Anyways, Carly stayed home because she has the sniffles, and I think we are all agreed that I have become a FREAK about someone getting sick prior to, or ON our year-long-planned-out vacation.

To appease my little Princess, who was somewhat disappointed to have to lay on the couch, I introduced her to the most AMAZING TV network. Her words. Not mine. The Food Network. Where you can watch people cook food. I keep hearing from friends that it's a really helpful network. And thought perhaps I could learn a few things to branch out from the usual frozen chicken patties and well, the 3 crock pot meals I have mastered ("oh boy. Pulled Pork. Again" ~ Ben). I went to a Cooking Class our church had a few weeks ago. Really, only because it was at our pastor's wife's house and I hadn't talked to her in a while, and honestly? Hadn't gotten out of the house without the kids for a non-work-outing in a while. Ryan signed me up. And here I thought he was being all sweet and looking out for me. He's really tired of chicken patties. That class was VERY life changing for our family as in it I learned how to make homemade pita chips and CAN'T believe that it was the catalyst that caused my PICKY children (well, Carly's picky, ironically: Ben, not so much) to GOBBLE up hummus!!

Anyways. The Food Network. Carly watched about 2 hours of it (great parenting... but I figured it was like eating an ice cream sundae after you have run 4 miles... the highly educational vacation we will be taking them on will completely off-set the EXCESSIVE hours of TV watching I let slide today). So she's watching and then looks at me in WONDER (after Emeril made CARMEL SAUCE!!!)

"Ummmm, are we allowed to try these things at home?"

Sure, honey. Just as soon as Aunt Rochel comes over again.

Well, the boys are home now and have hunkered down to watch the RAYS game and to enjoy their chicken patties. With Ritz Bits crackers. As a side.

Thorn in Carly's side...

... or in her left big toe.  It's out!  Turns out, that was no splinter.  I'm going with "thorn".  Poor girl, you know that had to hurt!  This morning I was able to press a little around the edges, and that crazy thing just rose (virtually on it's own!) right out of her toe!  Pretty weird and REALLY gross.  I'm a nurse.  I don't usually think things are gross.  All those hours in Grammy's foot bath really did work!  ANYWAYS, Little Miss is thorn-free and much happier.  Doesn't look like it's infected, so I'm happy about that, too... and you thought I was being dramatic about a "splinter"!! (Actually, WE thought SHE was being dramatic about a splinter...)  SORRY CARLY!!

Again...

Just a quick word to ask you to AGAIN be praying for Stellan... I've added his button to the sidebar on the left again. He's back in the hospital:(

... and continue praying for Kate, who's started chemotherapy. At age 5. That is so gross to even type out.

... and while we're at it, just because God cares about ALL of it: Carly has a splinter in her toe. And it hurts. And we've been trying to get it out for 2 days now. It's very deep, and straight in, and has "infection" potential. WHY do I add this in to a post about a baby with severe heart issues and a little girl under going chemotherapy? Because she's MY baby. And as troubling as it has been to see her scared and trying to be brave about her seemingly random little toe, it is a great reminder of what we AREN'T going through right now. But could be. And, more importantly...

... because God cares about all of it.

Smokin'!

As in...  Smokin' the Competition!  

Ben and Carly had a very successful swim meet last night.  Ben is becoming a Force to be reckoned with!  He took FIRST place in every race last night!  He also got  FIRST place last week and the week before.  Here are a couple of video's of their races.  Carly's doing really well, too, and as you will see, continues to be a wonderful source of entertainment for all of us!

Hopefully you can pick them out of the crowd... Ben wears black jammers with a green stripe up the side, and Carly wears a purple and white suit with green swim cap.  

Ben's IM Race (above)

Now, in case you watched that and thought to yourself, "I'm pretty sure there was a kid AHEAD of Ben the whole time..."  Please note that this was an IM race, where they were supposed to perform all 4 strokes (free, breast, fly, back) for 25m each, and the boy "ahead" was only doing Free Style the whole time... earning him a DQ.  Disqualified.  We've gotten a few of those ourselves, too:)  

Ben's 50m Free Style First Place Race

We are so proud of how hard Ben's been working this summer... note the very efficient execution of the flip turn in between lengths!  He really seems to love this sport and it has been GREAT for him ~ "Team Sport" with an individual feel to it so he's not overwhelmed. 

Carly's 25m Free Style Race

And Carly.  Fell into the pool.  Hilarious.  Even she thought it was pretty funny afterwards!  Seriously?  When Ryan called afterwards to tell me (I had to work!) she fell into the pool,  I said, "of course she did.  That sounds about right!".  Constant source of Joy, this girl!  The younger kids only do 25m and she did pretty well, even with her rough start.  She has been steadily improving her times and her focus, which is great!