This year was a little different. We were invited to visit with some friends who happened to live about a mile from a Steak-N-Shake… how convenient! So we parked at the destination and headed out on foot.

Here’s a view from the back of the pack.

Notice that Dad wore a long sleeve shirt? Some folks just don’t know how to check the weather…
Hmm – looks like Mommy and Hannah were lallygagging.

As we were passing by the school, we noticed that they had buses running as shuttles down to the fireworks display. Being homeschooled, our kids have never been on “the big yellow bus” that I’ve personally logged the equivalent of more than a few months on. Gotta capture this for posterity.

Hannah just looks like one of the kids from Jr. high (or middle school these days).

Unfortunately the bus couldn’t go down the street we needed so we drove past our destination and had to walk back. When we got out, there were about 20 people waiting to get on. But Dad had to take pictures anyway, what a dork.

Hannah said, “No press!” and Nathan couldn’t quite make that big step at the bottom.

Caleb is always ready to contemplate the significance of the moment though.

We got to our friends’ house and spent some time visiting and eating some of the food that was piled up around the place.  There was plenty for all.  I had a big heap of cherries that were yummy. When it was dark and fireworks were getting ready, we walked back and ordered our shakes. By the time we laid out our blanket, some rain started to sprinkle down. “It’s only a sprinkle, Dad.” Hannah informed me. I said, “When it’s coming down pretty good, I’ll remind you that you said ‘just a sprinkle’.” By the time the fireworks started a decent rain was coming down. Hannah volunteered to slip down to the van and get the cool golf umbrella that Laura got me for my birthday a year or two ago. The hill was so wet that she could barely walk back up with flip flops in the mud.

Laura and Nathan had retreated to the van. Joshua was melting as his legs were getting soaked – but with Daddy’s big umbrella we could mostly stay under it.

I tried to get an arms length shot while laying along the side of the blanket. Who needs fireworks pictures when you can see fireworks observers!

Hey, I just found a post from last year’s 4th of July! The more things change, the more they stay the same. I guess we’re pretty boring after all.

Joshua didn’t want to go with mom, and he thought he be bored with me. So he got to stay home – alone. Our neighbors down the street knew the situation, so they were available if needed.

This is how kids grow up you see. Nothing eventful happened. And with that the month of June fades away.

After dad being adamant about not wanting the mess or the expense (for upkeep and additional home repairs…) of having a pet, mommy caved when she say the dwarf hamster owned by her work out buddy. So about a week ago (I guess I should be more accurate since we have a 14 day return policy that is running out fast!!), Laura took the kids to PetSmart and purchased a vermin with a cage to put it in.

I would show you a picture, but I don’t think anyone has thought to take one yet, and at this time of the morning “Helio” is still buried in the shavings at the bottom of the cage. I do have a picture of a rodent that looks very similar – only this one was in a trap… remember?
(I have pictures of that one, but as we said before – they probably aren’t for public viewing)

As you have probably guessed, I’m not enthusiastic about this turn of events.  My view of pets is that they are a great oportunity to teach children the life object lesson of what death means.  Pets die, and we get to tell our children about that reality.  And that’s a valuable lesson to learn, especially as they become teen-agers and think they are imortal. ( Bible quote )

Caleb comes down first thing in the morning and checks on Helio.  Joshua likes to let him run up and down his arms.  He and Laura enjoy sticking it under my nose while I’m working at the computer – there must be some enjoyment out of that.  I get none.

Wouldn’t have just been easier to just adopt the squirrels already in our attic?   Everybody else is happy with the decision, so there it stands.  Even Hannah has purchased some garden gloves so she can hold Helio and not be concerned about rodent defecation touching her delicate skin.  You can never be too careful.

Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment.  Remember, it takes a while to have comments approved – so if they don’t show up right away, don’t sweat it … they will.

It was Caleb’s turn to hold the key between some meetings.  He had it in his shirt pocket and was jumping around through the grass when it bounced out.  He couldn’t find it and he came and told me as much.  We retraced his steps, but found nothing.  I even found out that the science teacher who lived across the street had a metal detector.  We went and borrowed it and went searching for “treasure hidden in a field.”  As people passed they would ask what we were looking for.  One friend, Winston, asked if we had prayed to find it yet.  I said we hadn’t and that I would wait until all my children could be there to pray.  So when we were all there, we did have a little prayer to find the lost key.

Then we went back to searching and found nothing until it was dinner time.  For the last few days of meetings we just got used to the routine with one key.  On the last day, when we were cleaning up our room – no you didn’t guess it, it wasn’t that easy.  I lost the other key!!!

The kids just told me to pay the fines and move on.  I was just too embarrassed to do that.  I had them leave the room so I could tear it from one side to the other.  I found it in one of my pants pockets.  So I put the room back together and then headed over to the registration area to turn in my one key.

When I got there and I told them what room I had, they turned to me and said.  “Oh, one of the featured musical guests at campmeeting found your key on the way to dinner last night and just turned in your key.”  He was still standing nearby so I thanked him and told him that my son would feel much better knowing that he hadn’t caused his dad to be charged for the key.

When we all got in the van to go home, I told Caleb and the others what had happened.

His eyes got real wide and he said, “So God DID answer our prayer!”  Now that’s a faith builder!

The third time I used it was yesterday.  That would be June 10th – 32 days after our purchase.  When I came across this:

Is that not clear enough?  How about this…

Well, after that little contact with my mower, the shaft got bent and it was all over.  We figured we’d have to buy another lawn mower (and leave the two broken ones in the back of the shed).  I was talking to my mom on Skype and she said that I should call Sears and try to buy the warranty post mortum.  I figured, “what could it hurt?”

So I called and talked to Ashley.  She told me that you can, in fact, buy the warranty up to 30 days after your purchase.  That’s how we discovered that it had been 32 days.  She also told me that the main shaft wasn’t under the warranty or any extended warranty.  She paused for a moment and asked if she could call me back in 10 minutes while she called her manager.  When she called back, she said that they would do an even swap for a new mower.  When Laura got home from her work out, we scooted over there and made the trade.

I finished the lawn this evening.  Sears Hardware is now my favorite hardware store.  That’ll be where I stop by when looking for all things hardware.  See how being treated well can change your actions and outlooks?

So be nice to somebody and see what a difference it can make.

I would much prefer that over the 2nd degree burns she had across her eye brows and cheeks last year just from forgetting to bring sunscreen (and being so fair skinned that she’s almost translucent – some genes we’ve provided her, huh?).

So this weekend it’s just mama and the boys.

Just over a week ago Laura returned from her journey to Maine.  She surprised her folks and got to spend some time talking with her brother.  Not to mention the opportunity to drive through New York City on her way up.  I mean, does it get any better than that?  If we can get organized around here, maybe we’ll do some interviews about our experiences and pull them together into a podcast episode for you.

Caleb had a cyst removed from his palm last weekend and it’s healing really well so far.  We also recently discovered that he’s going to need glasses.  Caleb has all the interesting things happen to him.  He leads a life of adventure.

Joshua still clings to his guitar and I have the phone numbers of some teachers.  We just have to get to calling around and get him going with some lessons.

Nathan is talking more and more.  When I come home from work, he’s the one who greets me.  He wants to have something to say so bad that usually it’s just some jumbled thoughts or maybe a question.  When he gets real tongue tied he falls back to the old faithful, “I nub you dad.”  You can’t go wrong with “I love you.”

And for me, things are crazy at work trying to figure out how thing work around there and getting acclimated.  My accountant called and said they noticed that my income for the 1st quarter of 2009 has been “erratic.”  Uh, that’s because I didn’t have any invoices in December and all but the last week of January.  That’ll make your business a little unstable.  So hopefully my current assignment will stay steady through 2009, regardless of how shaky it feels.

I’m also trying to work on some software on the side – a class assignment planner for homeschoolers that they could access over the Internet.  It’s coming along, but not as fast as I’d like.  Does that sound like something you’d be interested in?  Let me know, it’ll spur me on to get it done.  We really want to develop an online homeschooling community, called Barnabas Way (check out our blog at http://barnabasway.com/blog ).  I’m looking for two homeschooling families that would like to be beta testers and help jump start our community.  Again – speak up if you or someone you know is interested.

That just about covers life with the Kelsey’s at the end of April of 2009.  Thanks for stopping in to see what’s up.

For those of you who might not be able to see our local news, you may want to see the first 30 seconds of the Kelsey’s 15 minutes of fame – check it. (It actually starts automatically – and that can be VERY annoying )

[Edited: I changed this to just a link so it wouldn't play and annoy people...]

http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?maven_playerId=immersiveplayer&maven_referralObject=1098466368

Why don’t you comment about this below. If you don’t want to get into the politics part, just talk about how great I looked on TV!

But no sooner are the dishes cleared from the table than it’s time to grab my videos and such and head out the door to Financial Peace University.  And then get home just as the kids are being tucked into bed.  That’s Monday – or at least it has been in 2009.

Now that’s all over.  Another class of FPU graduates have been released into the wild.  They will now be responsible for conversations in the work place over whether there is such a good thing as good debt and bad debt.  Hmm, if debt is slavery (according to Proverbs 22:7) then is there such a thing as good slavery and bad slavery?  That kind of puts a different slant on things.  They will also be there to encourage people that you don’t “always have to have a car payment” and you don’t “always have to owe somebody.”  They will be an example that you can dig your way out of the mess you’ve gotten into.

It’s tough to reorient your time and not to just let it fall into that mess called “free time”.  But we’ll see how that turns out.

Oh, you want to see the graduating class?  Take a gander.

Here are a couple of shots of our last night

And our official graduation finishing photo…

And there you have it! It was a real blast!

Do you want to be a part of a Financial Peace University class?  Comment on the blog here to get in touch.

P.S. Dave Ramsey’s having a Town Hall of Hope event for Free on April 23, 2009 at a church or location near you.  Check it out at http://www.townhallforhope.com
(Free advertising for Dave…)

He came downstairs with no pants on, holding out his hands saying that he needed a new pull-up.  It was getting dark in the room so I couldn’t see anything unusual, so I replied just a minute… (I was looking something up, how unusual).

Next I heard Caleb call down that he needed help cleaning up the poop.  What?!? As I came upstairs he explained that Nathan had tried (an ‘A’ for effort at least) to use the toilet.  He mostly got it all in there.  Just a little on the lid, some on his leg, and little portions helping to keep his fingers stuck together.

We got the little guy some relief.  He wasn’t sure whether to cry or cheer.  We left the toilet in its somewhat soiled condition as mommie would be home in a few minutes and it would be good for her to see the evidence.  Plus I had done the fingers, the leg, and the unwiped bottom – well, frankly, I was pooped.  (wah-wah!)

My father-in-law called right as we were running down stairs as we heard the garage door opening.  We took Laura up to the scene of the crime.  She couldn’t believe it.  We all cheered for such a great accomplishment.  Nathan exclaimed one of his all time favorite sayings: “I so happy!”

When he gets a handle on the idea of proper body waste disposal, it will be the end of a decade plus of childhood incontinence.  I’m not saying it won’t be a welcomed change, but it’s just another signpost in life saying the time marches on.

Aside:
On another note, we went and signed our taxes at the end of the night. My dad just started doing taxes for H & R Block; he asked us to help him out, so we did. He found way more money than our normal tax guy had. It was quite a good deal. Way to go dad! I don’t like getting refunds because it says that the government has been playing around all year with money that could’ve helped my family. But we’ll take it back happily.