This was just a good week.  Nothing super exciting planned out in advance, but resulted in great times with friends & as a family.

Monday was down time at home.  Got things done around the house & went for a swim.  So glad Matt got the pool cleared up from the yuck of the great Haboob.

{Matt cleaning the filters for the 2nd time in 2 days. Gross!}

Tuesday- A former co-worker from my teacher days was in the Phoenix area visiting her daughter & grandkids.  They were interested in taking the trek out our way to take a dip in our pool.  It was great fun to catch up and the kids played so well!  Her daughter Melissa & I have gotten to know each other over the years and she moved to the Phoenix area a couple years before we did.  Small world!  It’s always like having a slice of home when we visit with friends & family from KS!!  It’s also very comforting to know that should an emergency arise here in AZ that we have someONE to call!!  

{She has 4 ranging from going into 1st grade down to one a month younger than Isaac. We snagged all the lil’ fish for a quick pic}

Wednesday- Another day at home.  Enjoyed a morning swim after my treadmill workout.  Emma is very into “extreme couponing” so she clipped coupons all afternoon.  She sorted them into envelopes “Hare, suplis, food, cleening”. :)  I prepared a list for our shopping trip.

Thurs- We hit the library for (shamefully) our first trip of the summer.  They kids get so excited about checking out books.  Emma’s fav was a kids cookbook in which she claimed each item looked “delightful”.  Aidan’s fav was a Extreme Scary Spider book.  Full of large photos of spiders & even some nasty spider bites.  Wonderful considering Emma is just now off antibiotics for a spider bite souvenir she got in KS. :) Tackled the store for groceries & realized yet again I am NOT cut out for couponing.

Friday- Early start as Matt & I had to give a fasting blood sample at his office for our new health insurance changes coming up.  The kids enjoyed a QT donut from the break room & managed to rearrange & fingerprint up every surface in Matt’s pristine office. :)  We headed off to the splash pad where Matt could straighten his orderly office & enjoy the quiet that is office life. :)  We spent a large portion of the day at Westgate.  The kids LOVE it there.  Riding the outdoor escalator, throwing money in the fountains, splash pad, Which Wich for lunch & finally some Cold Stone to check off our Summer Fun list. 

  

{Aidan karate chopping water & Isaac getting splashed in the face b/c he was constantly looking down wondering where the water went…JUST in time for it to shoot him in the face!}

       

{Drying in the sun…as if my children have the complexion for “laying out”.  Aidan showing his watermelon & gummy bear ice cream. gRRRoss!}

   

Any time Emma or Aidan would leave the water Isaac would come drag them back in.  He’d grab Aidan & pull, or say “"Mem-ma, MEM-MA” to lure Emma.}  

Home in the late afternoon for them to rest & mommy to spend a couple hours on conference calls ironing out all the insurance issues surrounding Isaac’s accident.  I am thankful that God gave me an endless amount of patience today & the perfect timing with tired (quiet) kiddos to handle the endless phone calls.  We were given a wonderful claims person  through State Farm & another wonderful claims person through the other insurance company.  Both ladies ironically from Kansas!! :)  Hoping to have lots of answers the end of next week.

Emma & I enjoyed a spontaneous date night at the Goodyear Ball park.  Once a month on Friday nights they show a movie that is out on DVD.  Tonight’s was Never Say Never.  Not a movie I initially thought was something Emma needed to see, but was told by a trusted friend that it offered some great opportunity for conversation. I could not have picked a better way to watch this with her.  Just she & I sitting together on a blanket in the ball field w/ no little brother distractions, or mommy cleaning & managing “household” chores thus not actually watching it with her. She had BEGGED to go, and once there it was much different than she expected.  It was kind of a documentary telling his life story, not him acting in a kiddy movie like I think she expected. :)

{Great convo on what is “popular”, the strains of becoming famous, the things he’s given up in order to get what he has, pointing out he gives God credit for the talents he’s been blessed with, seeing him not always be first, not always succeed, and have to make tough choices along the road.  We discussed how it will be interesting to see how his life goes as he gets older. Will he fall prey to the many pitfalls the world holds for those in the spotlight or will he hold true to his solid & moral upbringing? I predict & pray that he will stay true & make his family proud.  He’s surrounded himself with other artists that have kept their heads “attached”…Usher, Boys2Men, the Smith family, etc}

That’s my 2 JB cents!! :)