Summertime Weekend in Illinois

Before heading down to Illinois for the weekend, we took the girls to a parent and child golf lesson. Alyssa had missed the first time we took Emma because she was at camp, and she enjoyed it a lot.


The focus of the lesson was chipping onto the green, here Dad and the girls practice.


Kamele and I played at the putting green most of the time. She loved moving the 4 numbered flags around, and tipping the golf balls out. She kept calling the golf balls her "cuties" and pretended that they were eggs that were going to hatch.


Watching Alyssa swing.


Happy to be golfing.


Emma clustered 3 golf balls together and swung. They all went flying in different directions.


In Illinois...
Happy 2nd Birthday, Trenton!!! On Saturday, one of my best friends from when we were growing up, Kim, had a birthday party for her little boy, Trenton. Here's the birthday boy sitting on the baggo board.


I thought it was a cute pic of his profile, so I made it black and white too. Trenton's such a cutie, he reminds me of exactly how my friend Kim was when we were young, although we didn't know each other yet when we were quite this young. His personality seems so fun too, he started laughing and he buried his face in his hands to giggle ~ it was funny.


Opening his gifts, Trenton had the cutest surprised face when he saw this Mr. Potato Head.


Could Trenton look anymore like his mom? And Kimmie even has a very cute surprised face too :)


I bet he'll make a wonderful mess with this playdough.


Rebekah smiling at Grandpa as she enjoys some of the tissue paper that came from Trenton's gifts.


Kimmie and Trenton looking at his little cake. I think Kim was a little disappointed that he didn't want to smoosh up the little cake and get all messy (he did an awesome job with that last year!!) But if you scroll down a couple of pics, you can see him offering frosting to Emma.


Trenton's Grandma picking him up so he can get a good look at his cool Diego cake.


The Queen of anything Sweet, Emma will take a finger full of frosting anytime!


In their goodie bags, all the kids had balls with suction cups on them. Rebekah had never played with one of these before.


She was thrilled that they could stick to the patio door!


Thank you, Miss Kimmie for the awesome gift bags, these whistles kept the kids busy in the car all the way back to Milwaukee on Sunday, they have been loving the sweet tarts, and the little cars too :)


A group photo of Kim and me with our kids, Kim's mom, and my parents. Vegas sounds like such an exciting opportunity for you all, but we'll miss you guys when you move next month! The girls had a great time swimming at Trenton's party ~ Thanks for everything!!
And HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY to you, KIMMIE!


In getting to Trenton's birthday, we were driving in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Our directions told us to turn onto Dorothy Drive, and since it's Emma's middle name (Dave's Grandmother's name, and Aunty Kui's middle name too!) we started telling Emma as we approached the turn, "We're almost on your street, Em." Not even 2 or 3 blocks after our turn, my dad looked up at the cross street and the sign said Emma Cirle.


How Wild!?! How many opportunities could there possibly be to see your first and middle name on two crossroads together? The only thing that would have surprised me more was if there had been a sign that said Kahiwalani on it. It was cool.


The wild flowers that are blooming in my parent's yard.


I loved the next two pictures of Ka'iulani, and she's so funny. She won't just let me take candid shots of her, she always wants to pose.





Kahiwa kneeling near the flowers.





Making a mud pie because she sees Kahiwa doing it all the time.


A butterfly that stopped by the flowers. I was trying to get a photo of it in flight too, but it kept coming out blurry.

Germanfest 5K Run/Walk

Last night was the Germanfest 5K run/walk that benefits St. Ben's Community Meal Program for the homeless. For the first time this year, a team from our school was organized, and I think we had about 46 participants from MGIS. Ka'iulani ended up finishing the race in 30:58, and I finished in 28:50. If I would have known how close behind me she was, I would have slowed up a bit so we could cross the finish line together. I thought she had stopped to walk when in actuality she just about kept up the entire time.


We saw this sign the day before the race as we walked over to see the art museum. It got Alyssa all pumped up to see the race being advertised :-)


At Germanfest the night of the race, we walked through the front gates, and Em said, "MMmmm, what it that delicious smell?" Here Rebekah and I found the source of the smell...


A pig roast that almost made Emma cry.


The girls and I before the race. Alyssa had never run a race before and she did a great job practicing with me in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood has a few cul de sacs in it, and when she got tired, she would walk the circle (while I jogged it) and meet me back at the top to keep running again. I told her before the race that if she felt like she needed to walk, that was perfectly fine, and that Dad and I would stay right by the finish to meet her. The two little ones stayed with Daddy during the race.


Alyssa and I ran side by side for about the first mile and a half, then she slowly drifted back a little. I wasn't running with a certain time in mind as my goal, I just wanted to finish the race without walking. I figured that I would finish, then walk the route to catch back up to Ka'iulani wherever she had gotten to by that point (I'm not an experienced runner so I don't know if this is allowed at all races, but several people were doing it here). This is right before I crossed the finish line.


This was how monkey Emma kept busy while we were running.


I walked back around the final turn of the race, and there was Alyssa already finished too!!! She was right behind me the whole time, and despite turning around several times to try and spot her, I didn't know she was right there. Around the 2 mile mark, she was running and felt someone tug at her pony tail, and it was Herr Klein, one of the 4th grade teachers at school. They ran the rest of the race together with his girlfriend.


Here Alyssa is in the finish gate waiting for them to tear off her runner id tag from the number pinned to her back. I was so proud of her that she ran the entire race, with only a "five second walk" she told me. I think running the end stretch with a teacher inspired her to give her best effort.


Future MGIS Ladybug (the school's mascot is a ladybug).


Hanging on the gate after the race.


Alyssa and Emma with Herr Klein after the race, he was their bus line teacher last school year, so both girls know him well.


Herr Arndt, our gym teacher. He spoke after the awards were handed out about our school's fitness club.


Emma and Herr Klein.


After the race, showing her support for the German Immersion Team. One of the moms from school came in third place for her age division.


Emma doing a handstand in the grass and Rebekah running up to help her.


A handstand with the Art Museum behind her in the distance. I would have encouraged her to wear a different outfit if I knew she was going to spend the evening doing cartwheels and handstands in the grass.


Rebekah's lunge before her handstand.


Good try!


Getting a foot massage (sort of).

Vacation Bible School: Son Rock Kid's Camp

Last week was vacation Bible School. Our theme was Son Rock Kid's Camp, and many of our classrooms were set up as campsites. All week long, we studied about Peter's relationship with Jesus so we could better understand how we are accepted by Jesus, protected by Jesus, and saved by Jesus.


Both the 3rd grade girls and the kindergarten girls were on the ORANGE Team this year, and I had my usual post as the kindergarten girls teacher, so for the first time ever we were not a "divided house" for our VBS color teams. Usually we are all on different teams, cheering for different colors, and looking like a rainbow everywhere we go. Here is Emma holding up an Orange Team sign. Thank you to Miss Sommer who made some cool posters for our kids!!


One of the way our colored teams earned points throughout the week was by bringing in non-perishable food items to stock our church's giving pantry. The girls are organizing the items brought in by the Orange Team. On Wednesday, 458 new food items were brought in, this was so many that they were able to take the request for more items out of the church bulletin. It was an awesome opportunity for the kids to be a blessing to those in need.


Still sorting...I wish she had this same propensity to organize her toys and books at home :-)


Emma was very excited to share some of her toys (beach umbrella, princess tents, stuffed animals) for the decor in our classroom. She was so proud that it was "her" room and that all the kids liked playing with her stuff.


Bekah by the "campfire" in our room.


Emma LOVED the flannel storyboard I used each day to tell the story. She loved all the paper cutouts of Jesus, Peter, the fishing boat etc. The benefit of being the teacher's child is that she got to keep all the materials when we were done. We don't have a flannel board at home, but a towel over the back of a chair or the art easel does the job.


Emma and Gabby enjoying time in the chapel.


Alyssa cheering with some of the 3rd grade girls holding up signs we made at home.


She proved to be quite the energetic cheerleader, this was her permanent stance all week!


Halle, Leyla (peeking from behind), and Emma with the forest friends puppets they made. Emma and Leyla chose raccoons and Halle's was a skunk that she insisted was a baby tiger.


Enjoying her first ever Root Beer Float. After seeing how much she liked it, I know we'll have to make these at home sometime.


We ran into Ka'iulani's class in the hallway, and all of Emma's friends circled around her to say hi and give out hugs.


Pastor Dennis closed each session of VBS with a short message that related to our classroom lessons for the day. I don't often get to hear Pastor Dennis' messages (because he's the children's pastor and I'm never in children's church) and hearing him this week reminded me what a great kid's pastor he is. He always engages the kids in the message with cool yoyo tricks, juggling, using puppets, bringing in his dog, Cashew, riding a unicycle, and the list could go on and on. He and his wife, Ms. Candi do such a great job with children's ministries and make outreaches like VBS possible!


One of the teen helpers for our classroom, Ms. Jennie with Emma and Halle. The are singing "One Way."


Alyssa singing and dancing with her friend, Cassie.


The kindergarten class singing.


Color Team totals for the week. We were in 2nd place for the week ~ GO ORANGE!!


The captain of the winning RED Team, getting whip creamed by Pastor Dennis and Candi for his great efforts in leading his team to victory.