Another one!

I'll post a "real" blog soon, I promise. But this was just too cute to not share...

"Lord Jesus,
Thank you for not making monsters in the whole wide world, only pretend monsters, so they wouldn't scare the little kids and so little guys won't be afraid when they go outside.
Thank you for making videos and books.
Thank you for making tools so people can fix things.
Thank you for making lights so people can see - and thank you for turning them off so we won't run out of air.
Amen!"

A new night, a new prayer

Tonight's prayer: "Lord Jesus, thank you for protecting us from the scratching lions and tigers. And thank you for mommies and daddies. Amen."

Bedtime Prayers

So, although you can't actually "see" anything in the video, it is SO worth taking a listen to - it is about the cutest thing ever.

Here's a transcript, in case you don't speak "Charlie".

"Lord Jesus. thanks for...being up there in the sky. So people won't - so the little guys, and the big people won't be so alone, be afraid of monsters. Cuz you're so, kind of like, you're big and kind of like as big as a giant and, well, look kind of like a duck. And thank you for protecting us from those monsters and ... thanks for making videos and books in the whole wide world and thank you for making cars so people, so we can drive. And, um-ee, thank you for making strollers for when our cars are, when all of our cars run out of gas and cuz our stroller doesn't have gas in it so we can just ride all the time. And, eeh, thanks for making other houses cuz I like to visit a lot...because, um, when people are all alone and they don't have their mommy and daddy, when they're not where they are then they stay home, cuz their mom and dad go somewhere else and it's night and the little guys are already in bed, um, thank you for being ... and you can be in the house when there's a monster up there and ... it's just pretend monsters in the whole wide world. AMEN!"

Our baby chicks are growing fast.

Charlie spends a lot of time making little "houses" and things for them.They spend a lot of time strutting around the house like big shots....
and I, in turn, spend a lot of time following them around cleaning up all their little messes.

(We lost our little black chick a few days ago. She just kind of stopped growing and one morning we woke up and she was gone. :( So, we're down to just the brown and yellow one now.)

Let's play "Name That Cop"Yes, folks, it's none other than the beautiful and famous Officer Devonna. Nikki, Charlie and I spent the better part of an entire Saturday hunting around the Hawthorne area on foot (and in stroller) for this celebrity.

Remember the game you used to play as a kid called "telephone"? Well, we had a grown-up, real-life version. Devonna told Nikki she'd be at 39th & Lincoln. Nikki thought she said 30th and Lincoln. So, Nikki tells me 30th and Lincoln and what do I hear? 20th and Lincoln. So...we park at 20th and Hawthorne, thinking we only have to walk a couple blocks over to Lincoln. Only to learn (to my dismay and Nikki's UTTER JOY!!!) that we are 20 blocks off. It was a day of WALKING, to say the least!

It was well worth the hunt - we got to stand at the street corner and smile and wave and snap pictures like the paparazzi for about 10 minutes...and then we had to "move along folks"!

Hmmmm...one way or another we always end up at Starbucks. :)

Ivan and Melissa finally got to welcome little baby Ava into the world! Isn't she gorgeous?!Proud cousin Ellie

Sorry it's been so long - blame it on the summer!!!

Benadryl perks and other stuff

Charlie is allergic to something - we're not sure what it is yet. Every evening, around 5:00, he breaks out in hives all over his face. So, we drug him up real good with Benadryl and they go away - and of course there are some other perks to the Benadryl...

On the way to grandpa's wedding.
Eli, Jasmine, and Ellie. They are all growing up so fast!

My friend, Nikki, drove up to Portland for a visit, so Devonna and I got to hang out with her on Saturday. We walked up and down Alberta street. ALL the way up and down Alberta street - that's one of the benefits of hanging out with Nikki, you always get a REAL good walk in!
Thank GOD Nikki's doing better. Doesn't she just GLOW with beauty? I love you, Nik! :)
I love these two so much - we have been through so much together that I will never forget. :)

Charlie and Opa having a deep discussion.

Sickness

We had a great time at the Cornerstone retreat this past weekend. It was so nice to just hang out with everyone and relax. Charlie was a little cranky and tired, but we still managed to have fun. On Saturday, Charlie took ... ready for this? ... a NAP! This kid has not taken a nap since he turned 2 years old, and he slept in our room for over 2 hours Saturday afternoon.

It was awesome!

Until we figured out the next morning why he had crashed out so hard. He had a high fever when we woke up Sunday morning. Poor little guy slept in my lap for the whole 2 hours of Sunday morning service at the camp. He was burning up! Thanks to the Moffats (both sets) and Jen and "Aunt Kisteen" for helping get him all medicated afterwards - he seemed to feel better on the drive home.

Today, we're just chilling at home. Charlie was up coughing most of the night, finally got "up" at about 10:00 this morning and wanted chicken nuggets with ketchup, LOTS of ketchup, and I thought he must be feeling better, so why not? He ate most of them, then I gave him Tylenol, the bright red variety. Afterwards, he crashed on our couch, our white couch, and his fever started to climb again.

If you can see where this is going, you are either a more experienced mommy than me...or just plain smarter, 'cause I sure didn't see it coming... Sure enough, just moments after I snapped the 2 previous pictures, our couch gained a new pink section. Ooops.

Well, a bath, some WHITE crackers, a banana, and a bowl of WHITE yogurt later, and he seems to be feeling a little better finally. We're just keeping the "puke bucket" real close by.

Here he is trying to smile, but you can tell he's still miserable. Poor baby!