Nature Walk

Every now and then the girls and I will go on a nature adventure. This week we had a couple of days without extra kiddos and took the opportunity to go out to one of the parks here. It isn't the deep woods of Louisiana, but it works to sooth that need for a deep breath.

Most of the time instead of collecting nature in their basket they collect things like bottle caps, and screws :) Oh well, I really do try. This time we even added to the fun by bringing our dog tank with us. He was so funny. He freaked out about the Canadian geese and just dove off into the water. Needless to say it didn't take long for him to bounce right back out of that very cold water! I could just imagine him saying "It seemed like a good idea at the time".

Andrea "Andi"Grace Carroll

I took this series of pictures of Andi the other day and realized that they truly are HER! These pictures capture our little ANDI girl! But one of these pictures wouldn't work. You have to see all of them. Her mood really can change this quickly too.

Oh, I just love that girl! Such a princess! Don't you love her outfit?

This is pretty much what all of my girls wear all day long... dress up.

Just for FUN!!

Stole this..but thought it was fun. The highlighted ones are the ones I have done...got alot to go!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland (I think Disney World counts, too!)
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping :)
27. Run/walk a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted (does a caricature count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check :(
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (I've seen it in person from afar)
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
94a. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (35 of them at once!!)
100. Read an entire book in one day

I see this list and think... wow my life is pretty boring when you compare it all of this. BUT THEN I started thinking of my own list.

1. Watched a new born open their eyes and see for the first time!

2. Felt a child move and kick inside of me, because I talked to her.

3. Swung so fast it took my breath away

4. Rode away on a galloping horse (that was an awesome feeling!)

5. Helped build part of my home

6. Performed in front of hundreds of people.

7. Laughed 'til my sides hurt (many times)

8. Won a poker game (ok, it felt really big at the time)

9. Helped someone because I knew their language, when nobody else did.

10. Taught a child to read

11. Gone canoeing

12. Lost touch with a close friend

13. Taught someone about the bible

14. Held a sleeping baby

15. Married the man/woman you love

Okay, so maybe they still seem boring compared to some people's life, but I think its been a great life!! And I couldn't more content!

Dustin Lee Kendall

                          KIA January 15th, 2006

Funny things I remember!

Yep, that's Dustin (and Justin :) modeling boxers!! HAHA! This was a great moment! We laughed SO hard. My sister got all of the guys in our family a pair of boxers. This is what they did!! They put them on over their clothes and proceeded to prance around, posing like underwear models. He didn't even have to try, and he could make us laugh.

What is a funny story you remember? Or sad. What do you remember? Today I need to hear it. Today I want to close my eyes, smile and cry, and just make this a day of remembering his life. "Cause it was a great one!

I miss you Dustin, so badly.

 

I wish I knew what he could hear, or what he sees of us down here, left on earth. I wish I knew more about heaven.

Once I had a dream that I got to talk to him. I knew in my dream that he had already died, and I was so excited to see him. I remember trying to get in all of the things that I regretted that I hadn't said when he was living. I remember rushing in the dream to tell him how proud I was. Then I asked him about heaven. "What is it like?" What have you been doing?" And as I looked around me I saw that we were in a huge building with over stuffed beds! Fluffy, full , soft, and all white beds! It looked so cozy. He smiled and replied " I have been sleeping!"  LOL

He loved sleep. He slept any chance he could get! I like to think of him that way!

Confessions of a Police Officers wife!

I try really hard to pull off not being a worrier about the whole Police Officer's wife thing. But honestly, some days it is really tough. Some nights as he leaves the house, and I kiss him goodbye I realize that it could very well be the last time I see him. Or, as I lay in bed I can imagine him chasing some psycho down a long alley, and something horrible happening. For the most part though I can keep a level head and think through how well trained he is and what good backup he has behind him. Most of the time that works!

This week though he has done TWO things that just put me past my limit of not worrying! He "got" (as he puts it) to go undercover this week, on burglary patrol. Which is just a fancy way of saying he drove around in a dumpy van, in plain clothes looking for car burglaries, and suspicious people in alleys and such. This kinda freaked me out. I don't know why it worried me more, it just did!

And then..... (suspenseful pause), he volunteered to be a decoy for the Canine unit. Which means he gets to be the bad guy during their training, and get chased around by angry dogs! Sounds like fun huh!?

Believe it or not they look worse than this today. He had a bite suit on, but some of those jaws still got to his arm. OUCH! What is he trying to do?? Give me a stomach ulcer! I don't know, don't ask me.

Great visit!

I have been so blessed over the last two months to get  a visit from all of my older siblings. Court and Amber came in November and then Jared got to come for a few days last week. It was a really nice week. We just had a lot of fun hanging out and visiting.

On Wednesday we went around town, and then had lunch. The highlight of our visit, I must say, was hide and seek in the dark with the girls! They had so much fun, that they are still talking about it. :) Then on Friday he went with me to my home school group meeting. I have been teaching a class to the group on Sign Language. Because Jared was there I took advantage of all of the knowledge he has gained for his major, which is Deaf interpretation. He did a little skit in Sign. The kids were so mesmerized!! I had a blast just watching them, and seeing his expressive face. I was so proud of my little brother! (Who is not so little anymore)

I am so glad you came Jared, and I know now that we need to do it more often.

 

As you can see the girls had a lot of fun claiming all of his attention!