Braids: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

Did you notice any difference in the girls' braids? (If you haven't already read the 2 posts about braiding this week, you'll want to go there first.)

Do they look different? Did you notice the different look of the hair product, prior to my cutting the ends off? Not only did I make my first attempt at putting extension braids in the girls hair, but I used a completely different product than they had used before. During an evening of blog hopping and the subsequent internet research of braiding techniques, tips, and tricks, I discovered a very inexpensive (and quite unique) alternative to the typical synthetic hair that is used for extensions.

Here is the traditional product used for extension braids:





Here are the two products that I used:

Rachel's "hair" is ...




Sarah's "hair" is ...



Yes ... seriously ... I used inexpensive yarn, purchased at Wal-Mart (as recommended on several instruction videos that I watched). The crazy thing is, the yarn is actually much more similar to the girls' natural hair than the "fake hair" that is typically used. Not only are the texture and color incredibly natural looking, but the yarn is much easier to work with, and the braids turn out much more uniform in size. With the synthetic hair, you have to guesstimate how many little strands to use in each braid. (Especially when you are tired after braiding for many hours, the braids can turn out thicker, in an effort to "just be done".) Whereas, with yarn braids, you always have the same amount of strands in each braid.

While one YouTube video I watched said that the young lady had used 3 skeins of yarn, she must have ended up with very long braids. I used less than 1 skein for each girl. So, the total cost of doing each girls hair ... less than $4 including the yarn and rubber bands.

Here is a link to the blog where I initially discovered Yarn Braids. Woohoo! Thanks Pam!

http://pramom26.blogspot.com/2008/08/hairku-friday-6-yarn-braids.html

(sorry ... my link button isn't working ... you'll have to cut and paste the above web address into your address bar)

Pam includes lots of links ...

... for other posts with great pics of the finished braids.

... for a great video on "How to do Yarn Braid Extensions".

... for a yahoo group all about black hair care.

(I would have included the links, if my link button would work. Sorry.)


After watching the training video, I Googled "Yarn Braids" and began exploring a variety of YouTube videos. After 6 months of learning about how to care for ethnic hair, and with my recent information about Yarn Braids, I found that I was now confident enough to step out and "do their hair". Yea!

So, here are some of the things that I have learned, and why we do things the way we do.

Why have we chosen extension braids for our girls?

#1 We think they are adorable. I've always loved lots of braids. The girls LOVE them!

#2 A Ghanaian woman told us that because our girls have "hard hair" they will always need to keep their hair in braids ... either natural braids or extensions.

#3 Natural braid hairstyles take several hours to do (for EACH girl), and last about a week. Whereas, extension braids can take 8-10 hours per girl, but can last 6-8 weeks.

#4 With 9 children still living at home, I am unable to set aside 5-6 hours (for both girls) every weekend to do hair. For our family, the longer lasting extensions work much better.

#5 Living in a predominately white community (filled with little girls with long blonde hair), we felt that the "long hair" extensions would help our girls to feel that they fit in better. We had extensions put into their hair while still in Ghana, so everyone at home only knows them with braids. (Upon arriving home, they met a young girl that lives nearby. Kiana was adopted from Haiti, and she regularly wears long extensions. So, our girls immediately saw that this was a common hairstyle for the black children in town.)

We are surprised how many people comment on their beautiful braids, and how many of those people have no idea that the braids are not their natural hair. While our children are very aware that their skin color is not the same as the majority of our community, I believe it has been a true blessing to have a physical trait that gets such positive reinforcement. Our girls ARE beautiful. And, if extension braids help them to feel that way ... all the better.

Why do I use Yarn Braids rather than synthetic hair.


#1 Much less expensive.

#2 Easier to braid.

#3 More uniform braids.

#4 More natural looking and feeling than synthetic.

#5 Less pull on the natural hair. Synthetic hair (if not high quality) can actually cut the natural hair where it is wrapped tightly at the scalp.

#6 (added to original post) Pam made some good comments on this post. One of them led me to realize that the Yarn Braids let the hair "breathe" better than synthetic hair; and, therefore, the natural hair stays healthier, grows better, and has less breakage when the braids are removed. Thanks Pam!


How do I "start" the yarn braids? How do I attach the yarn to the natural hair?

Please see the above link, and follow the link to the training video.


What other hair care tips have I learned?

#1 While some sites I visited recommended a wide variety of hair gels and sprays, to be used on each section of hair before braiding, I was excited to see several sites recommend a very natural and inexpensive product (which we already had in our bathroom cupboards). Before adding the Yarn Braids, I coated each section of hair with "100% Aloe". Yes, this is the same stuff you may have in your cupboards for the healing of sunburns. Just make sure you are using the 100% Aloe, not the products with added ingredients.

#2 Another very important tip we learned from the woman in Ghana was to NOT get the girls' hair wet while it is in braids (either natural braids or extensions). She explained that when their braids get wet, the natural hair is unable to dry properly. Then, when the braids are removed later (1 week for natural hair or 6 weeks for extensions) the natural hair tends to be unhealthy and prone to damage and breakage. We use swim caps (purchased at Big 5 Sporting Goods) for showers, swimming, and backyard sprinkler fun. We were very excited that when we removed the last set of braids, the girls hair had grown significantly, was very healthy, and had no breakage issues.

#3 Always wanting to learn more about African hair care, I wasn't afraid to ask an African American woman on our Bahamas cruise what she felt were her very best tips for hair care. She was glad I asked, and encourage me to use oil on their hair DAILY, even when they have their extensions in. This woman shared that she and her friends refer to their hair oil as their "fertilizer", because it makes their hair grow better. I had already purchased a spray bottle of Tea Tree Oil for their hair, and she said that was a great choice. I have also read that you can fill a spray bottle with a mixture of light olive oil (from the grocery store) and water ... and spritz that on daily. Or, you can use a hair "grease" and run that on the scalp daily. Since I don't know how the yarn will do with a daily oil spray, I think I will try the scalp grease this time around. (One tip I just learned today was to use a small toothbrush to apply the grease (or cream) to the scalp and then use it to smooth any frizzies back up onto the braids.) another additional thought ... Pam says that the olive oil spray made her daughters yarn braids stink ... so I will definitely stick with the scalp cream.

#4 The African culture takes great pride in keeping their hair done up right. So, it is very important for us Obrunis (white people ... in Ghana) to learn how to take care of our African children's hair. I have read in multiple places that it is very upsetting to American black women to see unkempt black children in the care of white mothers. They feel that we are letting down our children, in a very important cultural matter. I, for one, have always felt it was important to keep my girls hair looking good ... so I understand the concerns. (My boys, however, may get a bit scraggly sometimes as they are awaiting their turn for a haircut. With 7 boys at home right now, it takes a while to make their appointments with mom.)


Well ... I hope this has been helpful. In addition to all of the comments I got on my hair posts from other adoptive moms, I also received several personal emails saying, "Tell us how ..."

Let me know if you give the Yarn Braids a try. I'd love to see your pics.

Sarah's Hair

Yesterday was another long day of doing hair ... but we are now done with braids for 6-8 weeks. So, it's very worth it.

At first, Sarah wanted to go with longer braids. But, when she saw how cute Rachel's short braids turned out, she changed her mind. She said, "I want them short ... but a little longer than Rachel's." The other thing that I did differently is that I made Sarah's braids thinner, for a little different look.

One very fun thing about extension braids is that you get to completely change your hairstyle every couple of months. The last set of braids were longer, so the girls liked to pull all of the braids up into ponytails. I am wondering if they will miss that with the shorter braids. But, if they do, next time we'll just go longer again.

Here are a few pics of Sarah's 110 braids ...









It took me 8-10 hours to do each of the girls hair. However, they should last for about 8 weeks. So, in actuality, 1 hour per week for hair care is very little time.

Oh yes ... another thing to add to my list of benefits of losing my job: more time to do my girl's hair.

Dreams of Being a Hair Stylist

Once upon a time (about 35 years ago) there was a little girl that dreamed of being a Hair Stylist when she grew up. However ... her mother did not agree with her aspirations. This little girl did very well in school, and her mother felt that a college degree was very important in order to fulfill all of the goals that this mother had for her little girl. The girl was very sad ...

One day, when she was in 9th grade, her little brother came to her and asked if she would cut his hair. The mother told him that he had to go to the Barber Shop; but boys had just started going to the Beauty Shops instead. So, the young girl got out a pair of scissors and gave her first haircut. It turned out so well that it wasn't long before her brother's friends were asking for haircuts too.

The young girl finished high school, and headed off to college (just like her mother told her to). But ... she kept cutting hair. Soon, she was giving haircuts to many of the college boys (since they did not want to spend money at a Beauty Salon). She had no idea how much money this experience would save her over the years.

Despite the mother's goal for the little girl to finish college and have a good career, the little girl left college to pursue her own goals ... to be a wife and mommy. Her haircutting skills came in handy, as she not only gave her husband haircuts, but she gave all of the haircuts to all of her kids, as her family grew.

For many years, the mommy gave haircuts ... always learning from her own Hair Stylist how to give the most up-to-date cuts to her kids.

Then ... the mommy brought home some children from Africa. Even the mommy's Hair Stylist didn't know how to do their hair. So, the mommy had to do some studying. She searched the internet for tips, tricks, and information. There is a LOT to learn about African hair.

Today ... the mommy decided that she had studied enough and that it was time to become an African Hair Stylist. It was a very loooooong Hair Day, but Little Rachel was a trooper to sit still for many hours.

Tomorrow ... the mommy will get some more practice, as Sarah is waiting patiently for her turn.



Mommy and Rachel, settling in for a long afternoon and evening.

(We watched 1 movie and listened to the Squanto Story on Radio Theatre and all of Anne of Green Gables on Radio Theatre.)




First task ... sectioning the hair.



We're getting closer to being done. Don't fall asleep Rachel.



The big brothers liked the Mohawk look.



Mommy is finishing the last of 100+ braids.



A special treat ... at 11:15 p.m. ... great job Rachel.




Special Note: Mommy even accomplished this task with her long acrylic finger nails. Mommy was hoping that she wouldn't have to give up her pretty fingernails in order to be an African Hair Stylist.

Celebrating Elijah

Today we are celebrating ... Elijah.

Last night was our last summer track meet, and Elijah ROCKED!

He placed 2nd in the 800m (twice around the track), 3rd in the 200m, and he ran a smokin' 8 min. 20 sec. MILE. Yes ... those little legs took him around the track 4 times (after he had already run the other races). Wow!

Here, Elijah is soo... excited to run the 800m.



He finishes the 800m, with Josh running alongside for the last 100m.



Elijah ... ready to run the 200m.



And, the large group of runners, ready for the "Joggers Mile".

Brandon (a friend of Josh') ran the entire mile with Elijah, while Josh ran the mile with Josiah and Rachel (finishing at just over 9 minutes). Brandon and Josh were doing their "warm-up" run, before running the 5K. It was great motivation, for the little ones, though, to have the big guys running along beside. Thanks Josh and Brandon!




Yes, the other kids ran tonight, also.

Rachel ... just finishing her 800m run. (Looks to me like she is bouncing rather than running.)



Rachel ... starting the 200m.



Josiah ... at the start of the 200m.

Peace ...

it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

A Letter from the Lord

Two years ago, a friend of ours walked in to work one day, and was informed that he must immediately clean out his desk. His job had been terminated. He, however, did not have 4 years' worth of files and piles ... he had 26 years' worth. Yes, after 26 years at his job, Mr. A was given no notice of an impending termination. (The new management wanted to make some changes.)

For 4 months, he looked for work. For 4 months, he and his wife cried out to the Lord. The following is a letter that Mrs. A. wrote ... guided by the Holy Spirit. When she heard about our situation, she decided to share how the Lord had ministered to them.

I have pondered for a time, whether or not to share this. It's such a personal note from the Lord. However, just as it meant the world to me, when Mrs. A. shared it, I believe that it may also help others that are going through similar situations. May you be blessed, by the words that the Holy Spirit spoke to Mrs. A. two years ago ...



This "corner" in your life's path was not a mistake.
I am purposely redirecting you so I can grow you and bless you.

You have been faithful and diligent with all that I have given you.
I just want to take you a step further in your relationship with Me.

Please let Me have My way in your heart and life,
so that I can use you to further My kingdom.


Let Me be your Mirror, let Me tell you what you are worth ...

... not your job or salary.
... not your position in the community.
... not what you can afford to buy or to give materially.


Let Me be your Provider ...

... not a company that has no scruples and doesn't care about people that I love.


Let Me show you how to manage My money wisely ...

... watch Me multiply your loaves and fishes.


Let Me show you how to give and share.

... out of your want instead of your plenty.
and bless you by My measure.


Let Me have full use of the gifts and abilities I have given you ...

... to bless others.
... to glorify My name, not your previous place of employment.


Let Me refine your character even further ...

... give you more humility, more patience, more purpose, more joy.
... keep seeking Me and searching your heart for the sin that separates us.


Give Me your everything ...

... put your full trust in Me.
... and I will give you hope and a future.


Let Me illuminate the sin in your heart ...

... and I will teach you how to humbly walk in righteousness.


Let Me teach you how to really worship ...

... how to empty yourself.
... how to surrender all.
... to see Me as I am.
... and to love Me more than life.


Let Me help you adjust your priorities ...

... to center your days around time with Me, in the Word and prayer.
... to put learning from My Word before all, other learning.
... to make ministry your daily purpose.
... to make Me the center of family life.


Let Me help you teach your children ...

... to walk through adversity and disappointment in integrity and righteousness
... to wisely manage the resources I have given them.
... to trust Me with everything and for everything.
... to pray.
... to love their spouses with abandon.
... to put others before themselves.
... to put Me first in their lives.
... to love My Word and learn from it daily


Let Me show you how to lead your family in ministry ...

... to show My love everywhere you go.
... to see this community with My eyes.
... because it is your mission field.


With more love than you can begin to grasp,

Jesus




Thanks Mrs. A. I need to read this daily. I need to continually hear God's heart for me, His child, and not listen to the lies of the enemy that tell me I am worthless.

A Tough Week

This past week was a very difficult week for me. I had to clean out my office at work. Four years worth of piles, files, and computer documents ... thrown in the trash. It felt like I was throwing away 4 years of my life.

(If you aren't up on our latest family challenge, you can read my post from August 12th, which tells about the termination of my job.)

Daily, I must remind myself that there are positives, along with the negatives, of this new season of my life. (Not in any particular order of importance.)

The hard parts:

#1 Loss of Finanaces
#2 Loss of Status (It HURTS to get fired!)
#3 Loss of Friends (I really LIKED working with the administrative assistants I had recruited and hired 3 years ago.)
#4 Loss of Friends for my Kids (They all attended the school that I directed.)
#5 Loss of Great Teachers and Classes for my Kids.


The blessings:

#1 More time with my kids.
#2 More time for homeschooling.
#3 Less Stress (Except that Jim will still be teaching at the school, bringing home the school drama.)
#4 More time to pursue my speaking and writing ministry. (Which I am VERY excited about!)
#5 More time to blog. (smile!)

Last week was a tough one. But ... I so want this week to be the beginning of the rest of my life. However ... my emotions are still on a rollercoaster. One of the things that makes this even more difficult is that "my" office was right across the street from our house. It was great, while it lasted. Now, however, I see my administrative assistant's cars whenever I just glance out the window. I haven't met my replacement yet, but I'm sure it won't be long before I see him walking into the office. Not fun!

So, prayers would be appreciated, as we continue to navigate the tough stuff, and look for the blessings in the midst of the trials.

Equal Attention

As the mother of 13 children, I fully understand that it is absolutely impossible to give each child equal attention. For that matter, what is equal attention ... the same amount of time for each child? ... the same amount of focused eye contact? ... the same amount of hugs? ... Maybe it isn't "the same amount" of anything. Is it giving each child the amount of attention that they each need at that moment, on that day? Sometimes, even that is impossible.

Today, however, I don't want to talk about the amount of attention that I, as the mother, can or cannot give to each child. I want to address a concern that I have about the people outside of our family, and the attention that they do or do not give to each of my children.

If my 3 African children were ignored by the people of our church, while my white children were welcomed ... I would be angry ... I would call it racism ... I would stand up for my African children ... and, I would find a new church.

However ... that is not the case. My 3 African children have been warmly welcomed at our church. Not only have our friends embraced them fully, but others in the church have embraced them as well. I am glad that they have been welcomed. We live in a town dominated by a strong Dutch community. Many people were afraid of the racism that our children might encounter.
(They haven't yet ... but they may encounter it in the future. We are well aware that racism is alive and well in our corner of the country.)

The problem is that my African children have been warmly embraced by strangers, who haven't even noticed that their white brothers or sisters are standing at their side. People that we have attended church with for 7 years without ever needing to know the name of one of our children, have now learned the names of our 3 new children, and enthusiastically greet them each and every week. These same people have still not learned the name of even one of our other children. Every week, I walk into church surrounded by 5 little children (3 black and 2 white). The black children are given hugs and high-fives, while the white children are generally ignored.

Last month, a new couple started attending our church. The wife immediately introduced herself to my 3 African children, and approached me after the service to tell me that she had "met (my) children". Yet, she did not introduce herself to me, or care to meet the other children that were standing right by my side. I smiled politely, not knowing how to respond. The next week, she just greeted her new "African friends".

A staff person, who has been an acquaintance for about 4 years, has become "best buddies" with Jacob. This staff person rarely even says "hello" to me or Jim (which is fine, as we don't need to be greeted by every staff member every week), but Jacob gets a very loud and direct greeting every week, while his brothers and sisters sit right next to him, unnoticed.

As soon as our children arrived from Ghana, a middle age couple started talking to me after church every week. (I had never seen them before.) The first week, the wife offered horseback riding lessons to Rachel and Sarah (but not to Hosanna or my boys?). A few weeks later, they arrived at church carrying a big basket, full of presents for Jacob, Sarah, and Rachel: beautiful porcelain dolls for Rachel and Sarah and professional quality art supplies for Jacob. Yes, many of our friends bought shower gifts for the children, before they came home. And, one or two friends gave them small gifts after their arrival. But, these people are not friends. I don't even know their names. Yet, they bought extravagant gifts for our African children, but have never even introduced themselves to our other children. I just don't understand.

Yes, I am glad that our African children have been welcomed. But, I am very concerned about the impact this type of reverse-racism is having/will have on our other children. With 2 sets of Virtual Twins, it is impossible for the 2 little white boys to not notice the unequal amounts of attention that are given to their new black sisters.

What should I do? How should I respond? I just want to shout ...

"People ... keep loving our kids, but PLEASE acknowledge both the African children and the white ones, too."

"I know the little girls are "sooo.... cute", but Elijah's little toothless grin is quite charming too, if you'll only take a moment to notice."

I understand that, because of the color of their skin, the African children are noticed in our town. However, after 6 months, I would think that we could walk into church without becoming the center of attention. Again, we appreciate the hugs and the high-fives; I just don't understand how/why they are only given to a select few of my children.


Note: ALL of our friends have FULLY embraced each and every one of our children. We have not seen ANY unequal attention given to either the bio. children or the new children. THANK YOU friends! You do not need to read this and worry whether or not I am talking about you.

Coeur d'Alene Lake in Idaho

Twenty-seven years ago, I went to the C's cabin for the very first time. I was looking forward to a fun day at the lake with friends ... but had no idea that it would be a day that would change my life forever.

4th of July ... 1981 ... on my 3rd date with Jim ... 19 years old, and hardly a care in the world ...

The Lord spoke to both of us that night, as we were sitting by the campfire, watching fireworks across the bay. We knew that we would be spending the rest of our lives together. What we didn't yet know, was the impact that Mr. & Mrs. C would have on our life together.

Jim moved in with Mr. & Mrs. C that summer, and they gave him a Godly example of what a whole and healthy marriage could be. (Jim's parents had divorced when he was 2.) Jim also started working for Mr. C, at his neighborhood grocery store. Jim was the grocery delivery boy.

A year later, after we married, I began work with Mrs. C. ... Mr. & Mrs. C spent the next two years as our daily mentors ... leading us by example, guiding us in God's Word, and praying with us and for us.

When we moved 300 miles away, they invited us to spend a week with them at their cabin, in the summer. Every year, we would hold our breath in anticipation, waiting for the invitation. As our family grew, we didn't know if the invites would continue. But, in the past 27 years, I think we have only missed 4 summers at the lake. Wow!



Thanks Mr. & Mrs. C ... for loving us, and for loving all of our children. We thank the Lord for your blessed friendship!

Mr. & Mrs. C are the ones that we drove 850 miles in one day, in June, to attend their 80-60-80 party, celebrating their 60th anniversary and both of their 80th birthdays.



Here is our week in review ... in pics ...

(I always feel a bit bad putting so many pics on the blog. But, even when I try to find just one of each person ... they add up. I hope you enjoy them.)


Papa still likes to ski.



Gregg tried out the wake board that Cassie borrowed from a friend.



Cassie learned to wake board this summer.



Josh loves just about anything that can be pulled behind a boat.
One year, the kids rode behind the boat on an old laminated kitchen counter top.



Jacob learned to dive.



Sarah and Hosanna enjoyed tubing.



Josiah ... the boat driver.



Rachel ... looking cute in her new monkey pajamas.



Elijah likes the old surf board.



Elijah got to try skiing for the first time. Woohoo!
(Sarah tried, with Papa, too.)



All of the kids love to play on the old windsurfer board.

Rachel and Elijah are working on their balancing skills.



Hosanna enjoys the sun, while Jacob practices paddling.




Tubing was definitely the activity of choice this year.

Cassie was only holding on with one hand at one point.
Sarah and Jacob were laughing hysterically.





Josh got the most time on the water, as he was always the first to offer to ride with the younger kids. What a nice big brother!



Way to hold on, Josh and Jacob. Papa loves to drive the boat for these types of rides.





We always like to help with a few projects while we are at the lake.
This year, Jim painted the front of the cabin, and the kids helped roll this log up onto the beach.





Sorry ... not many pics of Mama and Ben this year, as we were always behind our cameras. Just this summer, Ben bought his own Nikon D80. So, some of the above pics were taken by Mama, and some by Ben. We have a little friendly competition now, with big sister Cassie, as to who can get the best shots. Cassie and I both have the Nikon D70 ... so Ben's new camera is the newer (and, in his opinion, better, of course) version. Ben's lenses are better for the boat movement, but Mama's camera has a better telephoto, getting the closer shots for facial expression.

Blog Update

A few weeks ago, I presented a question or two to you, my blog readers. I asked what, exactly, you are looking for when you ready my blog, how can I best encourage you, and whether or not I should break my blog down into several separate blogs.

The consensus was ... keep things the way they are. You, my readers, enjoying viewing all the different parts of the Big D Family life.

When I first started the blog, I was consistent with labeling each blog. Then ... I didn't see the need. Today, however, I just spent several hours going through every blog post from the past year (Whew!), and labeling them properly. Now, anyone reading the blog can click on a specific area of interest, if they don't want to read everything.

So, if you just want to find out about our adoption journey, you can now click on the "adoption" link, rather than having to scroll through all of the posts about vacations, baseball games, etc... If you want to read the "deep" stuff ... click on the "Growing with God" link.

Hope this helps to make our blog more reader friendly. Enjoy!!!

An Amazing Artist

Ever since Sarah joined our family, we knew that she had a very special artistic gift. This past week, however, we learned that it was not just the "Proud Mama & Papa" type of gift, but one that took the attention of professionals at the NW Washington Fair.

While we couldn't attend the fair, due to out-of-state vacation plans, several of our kids wanted to enter their artwork and quilting, so they suggested that Sarah enter also. Sarah and Josiah had attended a weekly art class this spring, and the instructor had helped the children select their best piece and frame it for fair entry.

While I don't believe that Sarah has any real idea of what a County Fair is, she does understand the concept of winning ribbons, since she won so many at the summer track meets. Next month, we will travel to the State Fair for a day, so she will get a better understanding of what her award actually means.

Not only did Sarah get a Blue Ribbon for "First Premium" and a check for $15, but ... she was awarded the first annual Phyllis Field Entrikin Memorial Award for "Best Fair Theme". Sarah received a beautiful plaque to keep, and her name was the first one entered onto a large plaque that will be displayed with each yearly award winning entry. Wow! Her art work was, also, not displayed with the other children's art work, but in the "Professional" display.

Along with Sarah's ribbon, she received a statement as to why her piece was chosen for such an award.

Best Fair Theme - If I had to express my feelings about any County Fair in one word - it would be delight. I had the privilege of knowing Phyllis Entrikin and if I had the same "one word" challenge to describe her, it would be Delightful. So with that feeling in mind, I choose this year's Best Fair Theme from the 6-9 year old artist division. This little pig eating dinner out of a purple checked bowl expressed the simple Delight of the Fair to me. It's all about living in a community who works and plays together, caring for nature and animals, learning as well as having fun! This young artist really caught that feeling! Good job!

Sarah's piece was done with a ripped paper technique.



In addition to Sarah's entry and award ... Josiah entered his Self Portrait painting. He was awarded the red Second Premium ribbon, and received a check for $10. Pretty exciting!




Josiah asked me tonight if he could replace a picture of him on our Family Wall, with his Self-Portrait. Too Cute!

Sun Lakes State Park

This past weekend we spent 4 days camping in the middle of Washington State. While many people think of Washington as the state of rainforests, snow capped mountains, and the ocean, we do actually have some desert areas. This past weekend was a HOT one out in the desert, with a couple of 103-105 degree days.

We camped at this campground for 5 or 6 years in a row, back when the "big kids" were little. This weekend, we realized that it has been over 15 years since we've been there. So, it was really fun to share all of the memories with the younger D crowd.

We used to enjoy Sunday morning worship services at the park, and were shocked to find out that Jim Moore was still ministering at Sun Lakes every weekend. Wow! What a treat!

We told the kids about the CRAZY windstorms that we had had years ago ... and they all got to experience one Sunday night. It stormed from midnight to 7:00 a.m. In the past, when we were tent campers, we recalled the time that the wind popped the tent pegs out. The kids were sound asleep, but we pulled them each into the tent corners to hold the tent down. Our tent was 10 ft. x 20 ft., with an 8 foot ceiling. Boy did the wind pull that tent back and forth all night, while Jim and I lay awake, praying that the poles wouldn't snap. This year, we got to experience our first windstorm in our 25 ft. Tent Trailer. It held up beautifully. Josh, Ben, and Jacob, however, were in a little tent, so they got to lay awake wondering what would happen if the tent poles broke.




Beautiful lakes abound in this area of the state.



The "Younger Kids" (ages 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12)



The "Bigger Boys" ... as opposed to the "Big Boys". (We have 3 sets of boys ... G & J are 24 & 21 ... J & B are 17 & 15 ... J, J, & E are 12, 8, & 6.)



Our two sets of "Virtual Twins" are showing off their hats ... a MUST in the 105 degree weather.





The Teeter-Totter ... the kids are actually tottering the one diagonally from themselves. Pretty Cool!



Rock Climbing




"Let's Throw Jacob into the Lake"



What do you do in a 4 hour wind storm?


Swim in the Rough Water ...



Run "Superman Races" ...







Dance ...