Last Saturday, we went on another field trip a couple of hours from Parker in Cripple Creek. We were excited because they were having a Donkey Race, and none of us had ever seen one. (Who has??) Cripple Creek is the oldest mining town in Colorado and has now become a casino town. It still looks like an old downtown, but inside most of the old buildings are tons of slot machines. We enjoyed the Donkey Race, although the donkeys didn’t. The owners of the asses (or maybe that should be the asses of the donkeys?) pull the donkeys. Not an easy task!

We ate lunch at the Black Cow Cafe. We had a Purple Cow in Little Rock that was one of our favorite restaurants. They have great sandwiches, salads, and ice cream desserts. Two weeks ago, we stopped in Evergreen at the Blue Cow to get Cokes.

The Black Cow Cafe is where the Root Beer Float was invented. Supposedly, the inventor got the idea from looking at the snow-covered mountains and thought about ice cream on top of root beer.

Now, we’re planning our field trips around towns with colored cow restaurants!! After lunch, we walked around the town and listened to live music. Carson filmed chicken poop bingo! There are a bunch of numbers on a board on the ground, and the chicken walks around and poops on different numbers. If she poops on your number, you win! Naturally, we all enjoyed that game!!

On the way out of town, we stopped at one of the old gold mines. Carson got to use a real old outhouse. (Jia and I GOT TO use a port-a-potty!) You can still go down into the mine, but we’ll have to do that next trip. We were all pooped (no pun intended) and headed for home.

My dearest friend here in Colorado loves me so much that she volunteered me to help her with the preschoolers during Vacation Bible School this year. She doesn’t particularly enjoy working with preschoolers and knew that I didn’t either, but she knew that I loved her enough that I’d want to do it with her. She was right! I have loved these little guys and girls this week, but they have whipped my behind. And, if one more person says to me, “You are so good with the preschoolers,” I will have to scream!! I was a Bible Study Fellowship Children’s Leader in my former life and learned how to work with preschoolers. I was younger then, though, and I enjoyed being a MOP (Mother of Preschooler). Now, my 41 year old body is a little more tired, and I have a little less energy. As a matter of fact, my knees are even a little sore from “getting down on their level.”

I have to say, though, that this week has been a lot of fun. This morning, I actually had knots in my stomach as I realized the awesome privilege and responsibilitly that I had been given to tell these babies of Jesus’ love for them, of His death on the cross, and of His resurrection. Little Kitty, William, Jia, and I prayed for each child who would hear the Gospel this morning on the way to VBS. We prayed for each teacher who would share and possibly hear the Gospel for the first time as well. As always, God blessed the story time in a special way. Before I started, we had meltdowns all around us. We had one child tearing name tags off of the other children and shredding them. We had a visitor who was screaming to get out. We had a couple of boys lying on the floor, half-dead. Amy was out with a sick child so we were short a person. The Devil was excited at the prospects, I’m sure.

As I began the story, silence filled the room, or as Grant would say, “crickets.” Even after the story, we prayed, and I asked that God would water the seed that had been planted in that room this morning. Still, silence. The children heard every word, could answer the questions, and seemed to “get it” as much as they can at their ages.

Today, our motto was “God is awesome!” You know what? In the preschool room today, and in my tired heart, God showed up, and He was awesome! Thank you, Jesus, for your work on the cross and for loving those children enough to cause two tired friends to allow You to use them. And, by the way, thanks, Amy. We could’ve both missed out on a great opportunity!

KeKe and Camber have both gotten their new fashionable haircuts for Summer. They are quite the divas!! Take a peek!!

They must get it from their mommas!!!

I have to apologize on the front end for posting this blog. I just have a couple of things to say. First of all, I am NOT a Paris fan or her defender; however, I am getting a little tired of her being blasting all the time. Yes, what she did was wrong - very wrong. No one should ever drive drunk. In doing so numerous times, she put other innocent people at risk. She had no right to do so, and she should definitely face the consequences. She drove on a suspended license. Once again, she was wrong and should face the consequences. I am all about consequences for actions. Here’s my beef, though. According to what I have read and seen on CNN, she served half of her sentence versus the 10% that most people serve. Whether she was held in a separate area or whatever other “special” treatment she may have received, she did serve way more time than anyone else would have. How about her prosecutor’s wife who drove on a suspended license and wrecked a state vehicle? She didn’t receive any jail time and did not even pay for the damages to the vehicle. The bottom line is this: Leave the girl alone! She’s done her time. We have no idea how she’s been parented. She’s not a kid anymore. She’s a 26 year old woman making her own bad (and good, I suppose) decisions. Tonight, I actually heard someone on CNN trashing out her parents for allowing her to drop out of high school. I know other parents who don’t have nearly the money the Hiltons have who also had to “allow” their children to drop out of high school. (BTW, she did go on to get her diploma.) By the time children are in high school, sometimes parents have to “allow” them to make bad choices, too. The same CNN commentator also trashed out her parents for eating out at a “famous” restaurant a couple of nights ago. Evidently, they should have kept a lower profile. Now, we’re going to judge people based on their restaurant choices? Please! Give me a freakin’ break! Could we move on to something else? Let’s get mad about people who unfairly receive early pardons or who don’t serve jail time when they do horrible things to people. Paris Hilton has, in my opinion, served more than her fair share. Kudos to her! And shame on her prosecutor!!

I have spent days trying to figure out how to upload my photos. They grew to the size of our big screen TV. Then, they only displayed their address instead of the actual picture. They added the address instead of the caption underneath. The pictures appeared wherever they wanted to go on the page and made all of the rest of the words move randomly. Rowland tried to fix the problem. For some reason, he doesn’t have the problem at all. (Naturally!) For anyone who as read my blog recently, you know that life has felt stressful to me lately. This situation didn’t help! I need to journal, and my blog has become my journal. Poor Amy! I would call her, and even she would try to help me. Grant has spent literally hours trying to get this computer illiterate woman to be able to write her crazy thoughts and post pictures of her precious friends and family. He wins the prize!!! Unfortunately, the prize is only a big, heartfelt THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU, GRANT!!!!!! You Rock!! (So do Amy and Rowland and Carson who have all had to listen to my whining and try to help me!!!)

We took the kids on a field trip on Saturday to Evergreen and to Red Rock. The scenery was beautiful. Evergreen is a small town with a neat little town center. We ate pizza at Beau-Jos, the best pizza I’ve ever eaten! The crust is so good that you dip into honey after you finish the pizza. We sat outside right next to the Platte River where Rowland loves to fish. We watched ducks trying to swim upstream against the rapids and enjoyed the sound of the running water next to us as we ate. After lunch, we walked around the corner for some Baskin Robbins that we ate outside by the river as well. We walked around a little, then headed for a drive.

We drove to one of Rowland’s favorite fishing holes. I have to admit that it made me a little nervous as I pictured him in my mind standing out in the river which was flowing VERY fast. The water was beautiful, though, as was the scenery. One of my favorite things was driving on dirt roads that looked more like paths up the side of a mountain but were actually county highways!! I got really tickled when Rowland started telling me how the county maintains those “roads.” What do they do exactly? It’s dirt going up the side of the mountain. If you go off the dirt, you go off the mountain. I didn’t see much maintenance!! We were also able to see one of Rowland and his dad’s favorite fishing holes, which was so special. I know it must have brought back great memories for Rowland.

One of our last stops was at Red Rock. In my opinion, Red Rock should be one of the 7 wonders of the world! It was amazing. There were huge red bolders stacked on top of even more huge red bolders. We drove on a road that wound all through the bolders and eventually ended up at the coolest outdoor venue I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, John Mayer was playing that night so we didn’t get to stay long, but I did get a few pics. Suffice it to say, the pictures don’t even come close to giving a real view of the place. It’s definitely one of those “You have to see it!!!!”

We had a great day and are looking forward to our field trip this Friday, too!! Rowland’s loving this Colorado gig!!

Carson and William Looking Cool

Jia’s Black Icing Teeth

Keke-Doll Eating Ice Cream

My Sexy Man Loving on His Bride

Red Rock - Incredibly Amazing

We had a great Father’s Day - or at least I did! We all got up early and were at church by 7:30 because I got to sing on the team. I absolutely love to sing with Rowland. He’s so talented, so sexy, so awesome, and it makes me feel like he’s chosen me all over again every time I get to sing with him. Also, I love to praise God - truly! It seems to be the one time during the week that I can just close my eyes and totally focus on Him, on how much He has blessed me, and on how much I love Him. It is true soul refreshment.

Josh and Heidi, the former worship leaders who are moving to Chicago (boo!), were “up” as well. Josh kicked it on the saxophone. He has incredible “licks” (Do you call them licks if they’re not on a guitar???) and was soooo into it. No one was having more fun than Josh - except maybe Heidi watching him! (She actually calls it the sexophone, and he says it was a great chick magnet in school!) Maybe Heidi and I need to quit watching our sexy husbands and make sure our minds are on worshipping their Creator!! We had a blast!! The Holy Spirit was so strong in that room. I absolutely love those special times of worship. And Rowland had a kickin’ new “version” of “Open the Eyes of My Heart.” Great morning, great message, sweet time of prayer, good fellowship with new friends (and old, Amy and Grant!)….What more could you ask for?

How about that sweet aroma of a pot roast with potatoes and carrots and onions when you open the garage? Oh, yes! My sweet husband was treated to a home-cooked, good ole Southern meal! The smell alone may be sweeter than the actual taste!

Then came the gift! The kids and I went shopping at the Great Indoors to find something for Rowland. I noticed these funky black and white paint-splashed wine glasses. Before I said anything, Carson noticed them and said that we should get them for Dad. Little Kitty, William, and Jia came around the corner, and Kitty saw them next. She said that her daddy would love them, and we had to get them. I don’t know if he loved them as much as we did, but I do know that we were all tracking the same that day, and he got four funky wine glasses!!

To top off the day, he took a nap, then watched John Wayne with Carson. What more could a daddy ask for? (I know - Carson also suggested a Tag Heuer watch!) Rowland is a super dad who spends time with his kids loving them, teasing them, talking to them, teaching them, just being their Daddy! We’re proud that he’s ours!!!!

The conversation went like this:

William: Mom, is Pop really an Indian?

Me: Yes.

William: Was he alive when the Pilgrims had their first Thanksgiving?

Me: No. (I had told him yes before.)

William: If your family is Indian, is Dad’s family the Pilgrims?

Me: Well, they’re not Indians, but I don’t know if they’d actually be considered Pilgrims. (Although Daddy and Papa do love John Wayne!)

The next day, we’re in the car headed to Greenwood, and little Kitty wants to call Pop to say hello. I dial the phone and hand it to her.

Little Kitty: Pop, did you know Squanto?

Rowland and Me and Pop: Laughing our boodies off!!! Then laughing some more!!!!

Rowland: Pop’s married to Squanto now! (Sorry, Mom! We do love you!!!)

I am tired of waking up every morning with knots in my stomach. I am tired of the constant arguing and debating that goes on every time I open my mouth. I am tired of being touched all the time. I am tired of having constant demands on me. I don’t know why God gave me four children when He knew that emotionally I couldn’t handle it. I am tired of always feeling the tears behind my eyes, begging to fall. I am tired of being tired. I am tired of feeling scared and alone. I am tired of feeling overwhelmed all the time. I am tired of everything I try to do getting screwed up. (like trying to upload pictures on this stupid site, trying to chunk it all and upload a whole new theme to start over and not havinga clue how to) I am tired of ALWAYS trying to hold it together and NOBODY understanding what that feels like. I am tired of being asked what the problem is when the problem is just WHO I AM, the way that God made me! I am just so damn tired….just really tired….So there’s the real Kitty! Voila!

I’m so excited today since William was able to take his first horseback riding lesson! Taking riding lessons was the only thing that would get William the least bit enthusiastic about moving to Parker. A couple of weeks ago, a precious girl at church, Donna, had all of the Smith kids and all of the English kids out to ride horses. Nana was here, too, so she got to join us. The kids had the best time. They were able to ride two different horses while Miss Donna and Miss Lynn led them.

Miss Lynn leading William(on Robin...)

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Jia, Kitty and Camber

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Cayden, William and Cooper

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Nana and Kitty - WE MISS OUR NANA AND POP!!!!