The value of a quarter

Riley loves money - what kid (or adult) doesn't. I actually wish we didn't have money really, because really it is kind of a pain and you can definitely always find more ways to spend it than you can to make it which can cause a whole lot of trouble for some people, but that's a whole different post and I'm rambling again.

As I was saying though, Riley enjoys money - coins, bills, she's not picky, and if you ask her she'll probably give you "Fourty-dollars" which might be a few pennies or a dollar bill. Now because she is a genius, not that I'm partial, she can tell the difference betwen the coins by name, but by value now we haven't quite mastered that yet and I'm really not sure at what age kids usually grasp that.


But on our trip to Branson a few weeks ago - Riley did really learn the value of a quarter. She knows you can get something out of one of the machines (usually - some of them are .50, .75 or even 1.00 - crazy I know), ride on something like this crazy pig pictured above (but sometimes you need two quarters - sigh inflation) and she might even ask you if you have any quarters so she can feed the fish.

Of course we did do other things on the trip too - like cheat at a little mini-golf - but just a little, i was really kind of hard for her.

Talked with her favorite Uncle James (who just happened to have a birthday while we were there and chose to ate at McDonald's for lunch which made Riley's day!)

Watch her first Branson show - Amazing Pets and we made it all the way to intermissions which is pretty good for a two year old if you ask me.......oh I mean two-and-a-half year old (sorry Riley)

Went to the Butterfly Palace where I laughed because they expected her to put on 3-d glasses and watch a 20 minute movie about metamorphis before going in to the actual butterflies (if I remember correctly she HAD to go potty 3 times during that - don't think it kept her interest)

Played at the waterpark (super fun)

And rode on lots of things that cost a quarter.

We had a blast - and learned some math along the way :)

Have a Nice Splashin' Day

No, I didn't pee my pants..........if this is any hint,
Riley told me to have "A Splashin' Day"

When she asked for a bucket to play in the pool at lunch today, I didn't think anything of it. Of course I didn't think I'd have to go back to work looking like I wet myself either :)

FFF - Summer Lovin'

Wow, Sarah always picks great themes, and this one is no exception - Summer Lovin', but I must say the theme song from Grease has been stuck in my head for a few days now and I'd be happy to have something new ;) To see more FFF's go here.

Riley loves being outside - her trampoline - swinging - playing until she's a sweaty mess - SUMMER and all things outside!

I loved this picture of us walking at the zoo
Lovin' on Cousin Cayman after jumping on the wet trampoline
(notice the wet bums)

Riley loves her daddy, and she loves fishing with her daddy too.

This was her first fishing adventure :)

Riley loved the mister at the zoo last week!

I love my girl!

This struck me

I know there are times when I feel tired, or sad, or grumpy, or a whole gamut of emotions that sometimes make sense and sometimes don't. It always strikes me when I have one of these days and I read my devotional for the evening and it totally fits however I am feeling that particular day. I shouldn't be surprised, God definitely knows what I need, it's just kinda cool when you see it right there in print, where it has been for years and years and it fits me, little old me, on the day, the moment, that I need it.

Taken from Streams In The Desert
God does not open paths for us in advance of our coming. He does not promise help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are on the edge of our need, God's hand is stretched out.

Many people forget this....they expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they may need.

"When thou passest through the waters"
Deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself hath said it,
He, the faithful God and true:
"When thou comest to the waters
Thou shalt not go down, BUT THROUGH."
Seas of sorrow, seas of trial,
Bitterest anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain
They shall never overflow us
For we know His word is true;
All His waves and all His billows
He will lead us safely through.
Threatening breakers of destruction,
Doubt's insidious undertow,
Shall not sink us, shall not drag us
Out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise shall sustain us,
Praise the Lord, whose Word is true!
We shall not go down, or under,
For He saith, "Thou passest THROUGH."
--Annie Johnson Flint

I know there are probably about 5 people that read my blog on a regular basis (my dearest friends and family of course) but maybe there are others that who check on what we are up to (hello)........but maybe this will speak to one of you just as it did to me. I think I need to realize that God's plan will be revealed, in ALL situations, not just those that I choose to look for Him in, not just those that are plain as day, because they aren't always and those are the times that I need to be content in leaning on Him!

Wordless Wednesday - Daddy suggested it.....

I've decided that I can't truly be wordless on my Wordless Wednesday posts - it is just too hard, so I've decided I can't tell a whole story, I can just add captions to my photos.........hopefuly that's ok with the Wordless Wednesday creators........maybe I can call it artistic freedom or something, but if photos really are worth a 1,000 words, maybe my 10 is still wordless when you look at the percentage of it all. Check out more entries here or here

Look what daddy said I could do.........

Working extra hard

The finished product - she was very careful to cover the whole nail (and of course some of the toe too)
The proud artist - all done.

I think it's funny there's some on her lip
(which I'm sure is very unsafe, but cute none the less, I didn't leave it on there but for a second)

Where do fish go potty?

One of Riley's favorite pastimes is feeding the fish at the marina. In fact, she's fairly certain that she must be their only source of food because, they are always hungry when she goes (the secret is the fish will eat whatever falls in the water, even eat your spit not that I've ever tried that). I love that you can feed them your old bread, crackers, popcorn, whatever you have on hand and that if you throw a whole bunch of stuff they splash really big!!!

The crazy fish - I wish you could see how many there really are

One question had never come up until last week though and when it did I was kind of baffled, what do you say when your 2 1/2 year old wants to know "do fish go potty? Thinking I could skate with the easy answer I said "Sure they do honey", which I thought would solve the whole discussion and breathed a big sigh of relief.........then Riley wants to know "where"

Riley has to sample some of the bread too
(and no I never let her eat it if it's moldy)

Ok where do I begin - I really don't want to tell her in the lake, because we live close and I want her to swim there and I'm fairly certain she won't if she thinks the fish pee in it (and I'm never telling her that some people do because that is just gross). Thinking quick we talk about how most animals go potty outside instead of in potties since they don't live in houses.........and it worked - yeah yeah yeah!!!

Riley and Aunt Sarah
See that little jar beside Sarah - she had a friend that couldn't come with her
and so she filled it with lake water which Riley thought was hillarious -
I think her friend did to since she had told Sarah to "bring her the lake"

One cool thing is Riley is learning about math when we feed the fish. She knows that she needs 2 quarters to get a bag of food and that $1.00 will get her two bags of food. I wonder if you gave her a $5 bill what would happen - I bet she'd still only take two bags, but I'm proud she knows that much!

Now what am I gonna do 10 years from now when she asks a really hard question..........like where do babies come from......whew this one was bad enough and it only involved fish and pee.............

FFF - Daddy and Me

The theme Sarah picked for this weeks FFF post was Daddy and Me which was perfect timing with Father's Day just a few days behind us. Here are a few pics of Riley with her Daddy to share.

My very favorite photo lately - Riley first time fishing

At the water park in Branson

A four generation picture at Joey's Grandma's 99th birthday bash
I love that not everyone would look at the camera, but Joey has a great smile!

Happy Friday!

Wordless Wednesday - My Girl's New Do

We got her haircut this weekend - its bobbed all one length and I'm excited..........yep, I failed to be WORDLESS yet again Gina, but maybe someday I'll make it ;) Checkout more Wordless Wednesday posts here or here

My Cousins Had a Birthday

Riley's twin cousins - Patricia and Kyrstina (and yes I can tell them apart and I'm proud of it too) - had their 5th birthday about a week ago and while it was a very HOT HOT HOT and humid day it was lots of fun!

Here are the birthday girls - all excited, because not only are they having a party, but it really is their birthday today (ok really a week and a half ago, but when I took the pic it was really their birthday)

Here are the kids playing outside - for what seemed like hours upon end - but it really wasn't.

Here's the twins bro Christopher - giving us his best look, confused :)

Here are the birthday girls, "finnnallllly" (quote by Cayman) blowing out their candles so we could all eat cake. The kids were a little antsy and for good reason if you check out the pics below.

And what would a party be without cake?.....so I had to get a pic of each kid and they were supposed to be taking a really huge bite (I'm the aunt, I can get away with things like that)

Patricia

Krystina

Christopher

Cayman

Riley - she really has a juice box not a big bite of cake because I'm her mom

and I didn't want to clean up that big bite of cake,

but can you see how hot she was Missouri weather at it's finest

Riley got to drive a helicopter

Ok - so maybe she wasn't really flying the thing, but she did get to see an Army helicopter, and she did get to sit in the pilot's seat, and she did get to move the joystick looking thing that they use to drive/fly it - so that really is the same thing.........right?

When this thing landed - it was loud and windy!

The kids were so excited (ha) that this is what they thought of it while it was landing

Cousin Cayman opted for covering his ears

Riley just wanted to go inside - look at the look she is giving the helicopter - whew

Then Riley and Cayman decided if the hugged maybe it would make it better - ha

And Carter was just chillin' thru all this - what a big boy

Now...here come the honorary pilots..........

Riley the ever watchful

Evan the cool dude!

Cayman the big silly guy

And last but not least........Colter the almost birthday boy
(now he really did sit in the pilot's seat, but he wasn't happy about it!)

This was a super fun - but incredibly hot and humid time......but I do have to share one more photo (sorry Gina) because it is just too funny. When the helicopter landed, it was loud and windy and Gina had a panic moment looking for Evan - see if you can find him in this picture..........

Yep, right there in her arms..........and she was really concerned I'm telling you :)