GIRLS DAY OUT

Today Claremarie and I enjoyed our annual Girls Day Out. Last year I decided that every year before school starts just her and I will do something fun together. (I remember one year my mom took each of us kids out separately to buy school clothes and eat lunch together. It has always been a special memory.) Last year we had manicures, did lunch, and of course, shopping. This year we went to a paint your own pottery place and to lunch. We had a good time. Claremarie always hears me talking about going to Wheatfield's with my friends so she wanted to go there. She ordered the kid's cheese fondue platter with a shirley temple to drink. The cupcake in the picture was her dessert.

You can see Camden's repsonse to being left at home in the picture below. Sam and Camden enjoyed some dude time including haircuts and watching an old NE football game on TV.

My hope is that Claremarie will remember these fun times when she is older instead of some of my less than stellar mom moments. This hasn't been the greatest week with the kiddos as Sam had to work almost every night, Camden is potty training and Claremarie had a minor health problem. Those things combined with the excessive heat made for some cranky times on everyone's part. That is not to say we didn't have any fun this week. Camden passed his first swimming class so he will be able to move on to Level 1. We made it to the pool once and the splash park once to keep cool and we got to go to the Amazing Pizza Machine one night with some friends. I guess the key is to focus on the good and forget the bad which is what I hope my kids will be able to do also!!

LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

I haven't posted all week because I've been busy helping at a conference at our church called the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. It is for leaders of all walks of life. There are speakers and some music. It is actually held in Chicago and then sent all around the country via satellite. Some of the speakers included Colin Powell, Former congressman Floyd Flake, and Jimmy Carter (we were supposed to focus on him as a person and a leader not on him as a politician!!) As a volunteer we got to listen to all the sessions. My favorite speakers were a man, who used to work for Gallup, named Marcus Buckingham (he talked about building up our strengths not our weaknesses) and Carly Fiorina who used to be the CEO of HP. The most surprising interview was one that was with a filmmaker named Richard Curtis (Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral). He has a passion to make films about the happiness of being in love and he also raises money for people with AIDS and people in poverty. The content of this conference was exceptional. I really hope Sam can go next year! Anyway, I am tired after 4 days but I will look back on the time fondly because I got the chance to get to know some people at our church who I have never really been around before.

HUSKER FOOTBALL COUNTDOWN

THE COUNTDOWN IS OVER!!!

SEPTEMBER 1, 2007

KEEPING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY

I just read on the internet that blogging is "so, two years ago". I guess that makes me very behind the times. Hopefully those who know and love us will appreciate this way for us to keep you updated on what is going on in our lives. So whether it is "so, two years ago" or not we will keep posting!!

You just never know

We have been sitting here watching the news about the bridge collapse in Minneapolis tonight. We were remembering all the times we drove over that bridge especially going to and from Twins games. I feel terrible for all those unsuspecting people who were probably either on their way home from work or on their way to the baseball game and could never even dream in their worst nightmare what was about to happen to them. I guess it just goes to show that not a single one of us knows when life will end and eternity will begin. We just have to be ready at any time.

We pray that no one we know from our years in Minnesota was on the bridge when it collapsed.