Summer List

The Schimek's "Not So Bummer Summer" List
1. Go to the Omaha zoo
2. Go to the amazing pizza factory
3. Go swimming at cody park.
4. Go to the train exhibit.
5. Go to the history museum.
6. Go for a picnic in cody park.
7. Go to the splash park.
8. Go to the water park in Denver.(this might not happen)
9. Go to Island Oasis.
10. Go for a picnic in Memorial park.
11. Have a sundae bar.
12. Go to cody park rides.
13. Make smores over a fire.
14. Go bowling.
15. Go to the movies.
16. Roast hotdogs.
17. Go/be in parade.
18. Fireworks.
19. Go to the children's museum.
20. Go to Fort Cody.
21. Go to the library.
22. Family movie night.
23. Movie in the park.
24. Camp.
25. Make sidewalk paint and each of us design a sidewalk slab.



This is the list so far. I will see about adding more when I think about it.

Pictures!!

My busy week in a series of pictures. They are not in order according to when they happened.

Alex at his first game. He hit the ball everytime on bat and one time even got a double.

 Alex trying his hand at being a catcher. He is making Uncle Casey proud!

 Ryan batting at his first game. He didn't hit the ball during this game and was a little discouraged.

 JJ batting during his first tball game. The kid was more entertained with playing with dirt while in the field though.

 He got a homerun.

 PVCA's 1st-6th grade class on their Ash Hollow Trip.

 The classes plus the parents that went at a stone school house that is 99 years old.

 Alex's class in their tie dye shirts they all made

 Alex and Kenna at their dance recital

 My baby sister after graduating with her nursing degree and my brother and I.

Aunt Ashley and Kennedy

Busy week

Today was the first day of the last week of school. Ryan get out on Thursday at noon and Alex and JJ get out at 3:30 for the whole summer. I am not sure if I am ready for this. lol. It is going to be an extremely busy week.

Today after school, Ryan had a visit with his mom, JJ had a tball game, and Kenna and Alex had their dance recital.

Tomorrow John and I are going on a school field trip with Alex to Ash Hollow, then Ryan has a baseball game and Alex has his dance recital.

Wednesday, I work at the school, pick up Ryan early, then JJ has a tball game.

Thursday, Ryan gets out at noon, then Alex has a baseball game.

And Friday, Alex has a field day at school, Ryan has a baseball game(which he will miss) and Alex and JJ have a school awards night.

I am drained already and it is only Monday!

What was I thinking?!

There are times I question the wisdom behind my decisions and now is one of those times. I had the bright idea to sign all three boys up for baseball. Well after collecting all 3 kids' schedules I know realize that I will be spending part every week night at the baseball field quite of weeks during baseball season. This will be a little crazy, but honestly I am looking forward to it!!

I can't wait to get pictures and cheer for the boys. I think kids should be able to experience sports, summer camps, enrichment programs whenever possible. Not that I think parents should force their kids into things, but sports offer kids the opportunity to learn about winning and losing and playing by rules. Summer camps and enrichment programs, hobbies, etc give kids a chance to meet people they might never meet otherwise, learn who they are and what they like, and gives them a chance to be more independent while still in a controled setting.

Been a good day today. Woke up and made the kids scrambled eggs and then while I washed dishes, they cleaned up their rooms. Then after John got up and around we went to the children's museum. The kids had a blast, but man they need to get something to absorb some of the sound, because with 5 kids running around in there it was very loud!!

Then we went to Wendy's for lunch. After that we ran to Walmart(that part wasn't fun, because I stayed in the car with all 5 kids, it reminded me of when my sister in law would have be tag along to leave me in the car with her kids. lol) so John could get a few groceries. Then we came home and put the younger 3 kids down for naps.

Revelation

Sometimes you come to a place in your life where things that have been right in front of you suddenly come into focus. Today I had one of those days. I was washing dishes while listening to a song that I have heard a million times and one part said something about am I really wanting God's will or am I stuck on my own will or stuck in the middle. I can't remember the exact verses right now, but it just sunk in.

In order to be able to allow God's will to take place in our lives, it requires sacrifice. Sacrificing our dreams and desires and allowing God's to become ours, sacrificing time to spend with God, in His word, and praising him, sacrificing anything that we have allowed to become idols in our lives.

I have to admit these past months I haven't felt as close to God. I have stepped out of the intimacy with Him. And here I am wondering why things seem off. It is because I am not allowing God full access lately.

Some of the reason is all the craziness of having Ryan as our foster child and dealing with all that that entails. But some of it is just that I have gotten hurt and somewhat burned out  from the school and from church and when that happens I pull away from God. It is stupid, but it is the truth.

So tonight I pulled out my Bible, which I am not proud to admit, has not been on my reading list lately, and I sit down before opening to a page and prayed. I prayed that God would guide me, that my will would be His will, and that He would transform my heart and fill me up.

As I sit there praying I could feel God's presense in a way I hadn't taken the time to feel in a long time. I realized our conversations have been one sided lately.

Then I opened my Bible and God guided me to Psalms 9, I believe and His word talked about how God created man just under angels and that He truly cares for us. It spoke to me. That even though I am human, God, the creater Himself, finds me beautiful and worth pursuing.

Easter Weekend

We had a nice Easter weekend.Saturday we ended up dyeing eggs with all the kids. It was fun to see what colors the kids ended up doing and we had some very pretty and colorful eggs after we were all done.

 Sunday we went to church and then went to my inlaw's for lunch, which was good because Pat fixed foods that we were able to eat on our HCG diet. We had a nice lunch and then Pat and I played Spite and Malice which we haven't played in forever, while John and the kids played soccer outside. Then the kids watched Hop and Chipwreck which they recieved as joint gifts for Easter. Bob even took Ryan and Alex for a ride in the ambulance and then they went to Buffalo school for a while and played on the playground. It was a nice and lazy kinda day.