Six Flags Trip-Chicago

3 iPods
2 portable DVD players
1 PSP
3 Nintendo DS

yet,

3 kids that are bored for the 4 hour (well like 6 with construction and stupid Chicago traffic) trip to Chicago. What the heck!!

This is our first weekend (although midweek) get away we have had with two teens. They are legitimately weird. Full fledged weird. Example: This morning we stop to have breakfast at Dunkin Donuts which is a huge deal because we don't usually do that. We can't just go in and get a donut. Abi needs a iced mocha latte, Grant needs an omelet croissant, I also messed up the whole system because when I ordered coffee she asked if I wanted cream. Who knew they did that behind the counter for you? Kurtis shorted out knowing that usually I get the non-fat, no whip decaf number at Starbucks so he had to find out what I wanted. He commented that he remembered when going to get a donut was a simple as going into the store and getting a donut and milk. That simple. No choices. Just donut. Milk. Not with teens in 2008 people.

Six Flags was fun and I actually rode a roller coaster for the first time since college. My church college group went before Kurtis and I were married and that is the last time I rode one. So one of the bonuses of older kids is-roller coasters! It was so fun!

Anyway, here are pics from the adventurous weekend. Enjoy!

Random Thoughts with Jacki

Ok, thought this was a weird combo but maybe it is just me.

Today I'm driving around Howell running my hum drum life little errands and I see the funniest collection of bumper stickers/advertising. It was a minivan (strangeness #1) with a bumper sticker that read "I love scrapbooking" -not so strange but with the advertising that with it- "Michigan Paranormal Investigation Organization became strangeness numbers 2 and 3 respectively.

Sooner Star Spangled Banner

You do not have to stand and put your hand over your heart but I do expect you to appreciate this special rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner Sooner Style and don't send me nasty responses saying that we are unpatriotic because I won't like you anymore.

You are gonna be jealous

You really are so think about whether or not you want to read on.

It's not enough that the Minney's live on beautiful Thompson Lake in Howell, MI...oh, no...we had to go beyond.

We have friends (Dummitts!-that's their last name I am not being disrespectful!) that bought those HUGE blow up bounce house water slide toys with tunnels and built in water guns and the sort.

Nope not the Minneys. We wanted more.

We could have bought season passes to White Water or something but we prefer our privacy.

So, we bought a beautiful new pool. With a fountain even.

I know you guys are going to be lining up to house sit when we go places and you are now going to want to have parties here and stuff like that and we are ok with that. We like to share.

Here is Paige enjoying our new pool. Come over anytime. We will leave the heater on for you.

Not even ONE Thunderstorm

Can you believe that?
I return to my roots to spend two whole weeks and I don't even get one good ol' fashioned thunderstorm or tornado. In two weeks!! I guess statistically that isn't uncommon for July in Oklahoma but I thought maybe God could cooperate with me a little bit.

The highlights of the trip home:
1. I sang with my mom in her church choir for a truly amazing night for the International Mission Board Commissioning Service. Standing in the choir loft and singing powerful songs while watching newly called and trained missionaries and their families prepare to travel all over the world-some of them knowing they will not return-to tell of Jesus was truly indescribable.

2. I went to the zoo for the first time since we moved and although Kurtis will complain that they still haven't built a new snake house, I was very proud of my zoo!

3. Oklahoma City has an NBA team for fall!!! Us!!! Little ol' us!!! I think that is way cool! I know that you Michiganders have your pro sports out the wazoo but we have no full fledged professional sports teams. So we are proud!

4. Seeing friends I haven't seen in a long time! I can't really understand why their kids are getting so big but we are still so young. Go figure!

5. Church with family.

6. The kids giggling with their cousins.

7. My kids wanting to play card games with their 85 year old great grandmother and getting beat by her EVERYTIME!!!

8. Celebrating my grandma's 85 birthday party with her.

9. Red dirt.

10. Sonic, Johnnies, Del Rancho, Chelino's, Taco Bueno...yum

I uploaded a bunch of pics to my facebook because they load a ton faster there. So click below and enjoy!


Oklahoma Pics

One more highlight....