The Kotarski Cafe

roll over, roll over!

2009-08-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

Claire rolled over today after weeks of *almost* rolling over!! She would get the whole way over, and get stuck with her arm under her body and her head too heavy to lift! Here she is in all her rolled over glory (she's not looking too hot about being over, is she?)

2009-08-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Uncle David brought his girlfriend Summer home this August to see the family and meet Claire! We had a great weekend with them and wished it would've lasted longer...What a fun time! They flew in Friday after a long layover and we all got aquainted...us to Summer and them to Claire...David is a riot with babies so there was lots of lifting into the air, googly eyes and funny voices. We had my dad's famous pizza for dinner and Summer and Carolyn gave Claire a bath. Saturday we hung out by the pool and had a fabulous gourmet dinner care of David and Summer...We played games afterwards! :) Sunday we had a cookout at our house and invited the extended family for dessert. My husband is the best griller! Love that!

The weekend was great...Ate at Redwood Lodge for dinner Monday night before an early flight to California on Tuesday morning...Claire can't wait to see you again Uncle David...and we can't wait to see Summer again at Christmastime!! ;) ;)

The Color Purple

2009-08-12T07:06:00.000-07:00

We painted our dining room!! Next up--kitchen!!

before...

during... (thank you Carolyn!)

after...

I'm so bad at this....

2009-08-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

So here it is Claire's 4 month birthday and I haven't blogged since her THREE MONTH birthday! So sad...I do have a good excuse though...We got a new camera with new software that really really sucked...and wouldn't let me upload my pictures to my blog...So I uninstalled the softward and re-installed Picasa and POOF! Easy blogging!! Love it!

Claire is getting so big, starting to almost roll over, talking up a storm...and is such a happy baby! I'll have to upload some more pics of our last month, but will do it slowly cause I always hate it when people add 4 new posts all in one day....

Love you all...talk to you soon...Glad to be back!!

13 and 14 weeks old!

2009-07-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

Last week Claire turned 3 months! Man--time flies!! :)

Here's a picture since I'm not the best blogger...

12 Weeks Old!

2009-07-01T06:56:00.000-07:00

Well...12 weeks old...Can't believe that! Look at that smile too...Claire is getting so big! We had to purchase the next size cloth diapers cause those cute little small fuzzibunz were just not cuttin' it. Much better fit and we're learning what we like...The diaper in the picture is Imse Vimse and it has cute little zoo animals on it...Claire is so cute with her cloth diapered bottom!

If you look really closely, her shirt says "Babies United for BreastMilk"...It was an omen for the morning really...She was protesting with her shirt, even though daddy got her dressed...
We're going to try to start giving her a morning bottle as much as we can to get her used to those things...She hates them right now, but has to learn so I can go back to work in the fall...It makes me think very hard about health care and the United States and why mothers don't get more time off to be with their babies. It is just so sad to me that I'm frustrated that my baby DOESN'T want the bottle...when I love nursing her, and she's so good at it, and it's so good for her and I. I'm so thankful to have all this time to just be with her and nurse her and not have to worry about bottles and pumping--four whole months! I'm so lucky really! We should all move to France where moms have a whole year paid maternity leave...oh to be so lucky!

Anyway--enough of a rant....I love my baby girl and am having so much fun seeing what she can do! This morning she grabbed my shirt and tried to pull herself closer to me....oh so cute! And I can't believe that next Tuesday she will be 3 months old! The time really does fly and I can't believe she's so big! :)

Happy 12 week birthday, Miss Claire!

11 weeks and oh so cute!

2009-06-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ga! I just can't get enough of her!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T06:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Jason,
What a fun time this has been to see you go from barely knowing how to hold Libby July to being a pro diaper changer for our new little one. You've only been a father for two and a half months, but you are doing a great job! You are so important to our family and to my sanity, and you are an amazing husband and father to little Claire! Thank you for being my support! She loves you so much (even though sometimes she's a little mama's girl!) and so do I! Happy Father's Day!

Love you Jason...Dad....and Grandpa Whaite!! You are all men who help me to see and feel our Father in Heaven's love for me! Thank you for being examples of God's faithfulness, peace, graciousness, guidance, and LOVE! Happy Father's Day to you all!

10 weeks and 2 days...and much happier!

2009-06-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Claire is a happy girl again today...hopefully it continues! I took her Raggedy Ann pic this morning...Happy 10 weeks girl!
This is the best I could get! She was all over, laughing and smiling and moving around...So enjoy the huge smile!! Jason says she's "slow to warm up" but today at Meijer, she was smiling and laughing at this old man behind me in line...He was whistling at her and tickling her feet while I was unloading my cart...and she was LOVING it! :) So cute to see her growing and developing into a little personality! :)

A very fussy 10 week old...

2009-06-17T10:00:00.001-07:00

Claire got her 2 month shots on Monday and for the last two days has been the biggest fussy-bunny you've ever seen! Either crying, sleeping, eating, or sitting calmly IN MOMMY'S ARMS...Don't think I'd get a very pretty 10-week picture, so I'll wait a few days and take it! :)

For now--here's a few from the week!Pool Day at Grandma's!! Not too excited about the sunglasses!

happy 9 weeks!!!

2009-06-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

And now...finally caught up!!

2009-06-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

Today Claire is 8 weeks old! Can't believe that this weekend she will be two months! Time flies and my little newborn baby is already changing so much!

Claire and Daddy

2009-06-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Just the cutest picture in the whole wide world!

Baby Dedication

2009-06-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

So this weekend we had Claire's Baby Dedication at Wildwind Community Church. What a fun and special night to dedicate our baby to God and commit to grow her to know about the love that Jesus has for her and for the world.My parents came to Wildwind for the special service, and Grandma even bought Claire a cute lacey outfit for the occasion! Thank you Grandma!
We got to share the spotlight with the Julys and that is so special because we want Libby and Claire to grow up together and become friends, and because Jori and I have been praying for our pregnancies and babies for awhile. Jori and I shared a bit about the testimony with the church...Jason held Claire and she basically cried and upstaged Jori and me the whole time we were speaking...

We love you Claire and can't wait for you to grow up to be the woman of God we know you will become!

Carolyn's Graduation Weekend

2009-06-02T10:38:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my ittle baby seestor graduated from big ol' college! Yikes! I'm so old! It was Claire and my first night away from Jason and also our first big weekend trip! We made it through Thursday night, and luckily Jason came on Friday and stayed with us through Sunday...We had fun, ate good food, and hung out with the fam a lot! We also got to watch Carolyn walk in Graduation on Saturday afternoon! Yay for Baby Cunga! Jason, David and I got Carolyn a bike for graduation, and that was very fun to surprise her with on Sunday night when she got home from Grand Rapids! We were very excited about the gift, but she was even more pumped!

Life Cont.

2009-06-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

So here goes. I'm going to try to post a million blogs right now to update you on our life. Get ready!

First off--Claire last week, at seven weeks old!
She's got definitive pirate eye in that picture!

Six Weeks Old

2009-05-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

So I've been really bad at posting things more than once a week on our blog, but I've been really good at being a great mommy and a wife! Yesterday Claire and I went grocery shopping (a feat in itself!) and saved 53 dollars--and only spent 35!! Woo-hoo! I'm kind of excited about the coupon shopping!

So Tuesday was Claire's six week birthday and yesterday was my six week OB appt. All is well and I'm healing great, although Claire cried the entire visit. She has been SO fussy lately--not fun for mommy and daddy!

Here's the pics with her best friend Raggedy Ann!
Doesn't it look like she's actually looking at the camera! So cute!

Five Weeks Old!

2009-05-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Claire's five week birthday! Above is a "family self portrait" and below she is with her best friend Raggedy Ann. So big! Today we took her to the doctor and she is 13 lbs 10 oz, 23 inches long, and she SMILED at the doctor...He thinks she is SO smart and so do I!
So cute and sleepy on daddy's chest!
On Mother's Day I read while Jason made us lunch!
Love my Moby! Still getting used to it, (and so is Claire as you can see)...but it's fun and will be great for getting work done when she has more head control!

Happy Mother's Day Grandma!

2009-05-10T11:13:00.001-07:00

Here's a picture of my baby wearing her new outfit from grandma...Grandma's on vacation this week and is missing the baby Claire...So here you go grandma--we love you and miss you too!! Happy Mother's Day!
Look at those beautiful eyes!
"I'm the cutest, chubbiest baby in the whole wide world!"
She found her thumb! I love the cuteness--and don't even care about the thumbsucking!
And the cutest bottom on the planet--look at that heart!!

Week Four

2009-05-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

Week Four has been fun--Claire is starting to be so much more aware of her surroundings, looking around, seeing us, paying attention to what we are doing around her...and even smiling a lot (not necessarily at us, but still...)

Today she is four weeks old! Wow!
Look at those fingers...so beautiful!
And those toesers!!! Love them!!
This is a dress that my grandma bought for me when I was a newborn...There's a picture of my grandma holding me wearing it...and my mom wanted one too! So cute!

Three Weeks!!

2009-04-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already been three weeks and I can't believe it's ONLY been three weeks! Happy Birthday little Claire! You are so big!
(and also sooo sleepy during this picture)

A special message for Aunt Carolyn...

2009-04-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

In order to cheer up my seestor and get her through finals and the end of school, Claire and grandma and grandpa and I videotaped this little snippet to make her smile.

We love you Auntie-Poopie-Pants-Number-Two!! We miss you and can't wait for you to be home for the summer!!!!

Happy Two Week Birthday!

2009-04-21T15:17:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it's been two weeks already! So amazing!

Happy Two Week Birthday Claire!

Community Supported Agriculture

2009-04-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

Living in the College Culture neighborhood in Flint has been a lot of fun for Lisa and I the last few years. We have a great neighborhood for going for walks, riding bikes, and access to an awesome library, theaters, and Flint's top notch museums within walking distance or a 60 second drive. One of the other things that I have really enjoyed about living where we do is our proximity to Flint Farmer's Market. Whether looking for some fresh veggies, grains, poultry or looking for a good breakfast spot on a Saturday morning the Flint Farmer's Market has provided a plentiful harvest time after time.

This year we've decided to take our awesome experience to the next level. We are joining our first ever CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The idea is simple but profound and makes positive impacts on several levels. A family pays for a season's worth of fresh veggies (and other market goodies like eggs, fruits, and grains)in advance and week after week they pick up their "share" of the harvest at local distribution points. For about $15 a week we'll be enjoying organically grown goodness for a price that beats the local grocery store and we won't even have to do the shopping! This system helps farmers with much needed season start up costs and helps families by providing the freshest, in season, locally grown product as possible. The CSA is good for the farmers, the families, and the community. It's nice to know that my veggies didn't have to be sprayed with preservatives and shipped across the country to get to my dinner table.

I am sure we'll be trying some new veggies that I have never even seen before but in the name of health, loving my neighbor, and caring for God's Creation I'm glad to give it a go.

We will be splitting a full share with Lisa's parents. A full share is enough to feed a family with kids or 4 adults. We'll be joining a CSA at a farm in our hometown of Davison just 10 minutes away and will be picking up our share at the Flint Farmer's Market about 2 minutes away. We're using Nature's Pace Oraganics and I can hardly wait to see what arugula tastes like!

To find a CSA in you area visit Local Harvest!

PlayDate with Libby July

2009-04-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

On Claire's one week birthday we had a Libby July over for a playdate with her parents....so cute! I can't believe how big three-month-old Libby is compared to one-week-old Claire...They are so cute though...and we parents had fun too!

One Week Birthday

2009-04-15T06:54:00.001-07:00

Happy One Week Birthday Claire!

We love you!

Claire Kotarski's Arrival...

2009-04-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

2009-04-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

Claire Irene Kotarski
9 lbs even, 21 inches long
Born April 7, 2009 at 10:26am

The best darn Easter present next to Jesus...

Tomorrow is the big day!

2009-04-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

So just to get caught up--I'll post the pictures I have on my camera now--not sure if there's a lapse due to the computer problem, but oh well...I've got so many pictures from showers and stuff--which I'll try to update later...but for now--21 hours until our baby will be born--unless there's a turn or a flip or a change of baby girl's position--which we're all big-time doubting now! :)

Here's some pictures from the last few weeks!

Week 37

Week 38!

Week 39!!Tomorrow at 10:00am is my c-section...so say a prayer and watch the blog, facebook and all that--we'll post pictures I'm sure!!

being breech

2009-03-28T05:46:00.001-07:00

The baby is breech and there is a scheduled c-section for April 7th.

Say a prayer for flipping...cause I would MUCH rather do a regular old, painful vaginal birth.

We'll see.

Weeks 34, 35, and 36...and some sadness!

2009-03-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

Our computer crashed the other day, and our hard-drive failed, and all my pictures are gone...luckily, most are backed up somewhere else, but I think I might've lost some of the last few weeks belly pictures. That's what happens when you let yourself get three weeks behind on blogging I guess.

Anyway--I'm off work now, which is surreal and very strange, but they want to watch my blood pressure very closely cause it's creeping up to the unsafe zone. My feet, ankles, and toes are so swollen and no amount of "putting them up" really helps. I wake up every morning to my huge toes touching eachother and my legs and arm asleep. Nobody really thinks I'll make it to 40 weeks, whether I go early or they induce me, I'm not sure...

Other than that, I'm feeling pretty good...and ready for the baby to come. I'm not sick of being pregnant, but to have her here would be pretty darn cool. I think I'm just praying for one or two more weeks...we have an ultrasound tomorrow, so I'll try to post the new pictures when we get them!! :)

Have a great day all!

Week 32 & 33

2009-03-01T06:32:00.000-08:00

Week 32

Week 33

My belly is getting big...and that baby is getting hard, fat, and stuffed!
And little did you know...At week 33, my baby turns into a honeydew melon! Yikes!

Thank you Jori!

2009-02-22T06:44:00.000-08:00

A few Saturdays ago Jori July, our good friend, took some pictures of Jason and I at church. Love them!!!!

Thank you so much Jori!

These are my favorites...

Youth Group Fun!

2009-02-16T19:00:00.001-08:00

Baby Room-Pre-Showers

2009-02-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

We're slowing but surely getting the baby girl's room ready for her to inhabit it...Here's some pictures pre-shower, so they're not that exciting yet...

Jason painted those beautiful walls yellow and did such a great job on the ceiling and trim and everything! The rocking chair is a special addition from my late Gramma Voltenburg's house in Florida...Love that!

Yay! He and my dad put together the crib one Saturday while I was obsessively organizing everything with my mom...

And here's the closet, with the newly installed closet rods...and two full boxes of hand-me-down clothes from little second-cousin, Izzy Visco! Yay!

Baby Belly Catchup!!!

2009-02-16T17:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, well, this is getting ridiculous, but I'm feeling like organizing my house like mad is more important than updating my blog, obviously. We have even gotten into the habit of forgetting to take belly pictures...so I had to improvise some!! :) Enjoy watching my belly grow everybody!

Week 27...

Week 28...
Week 29...

Week 30 (thank you Jori!!)

Week 31...with our beautiful new high chair...THANKS GREAT-GRANDPA!!

So there it is...My belly...And here's what it is in relationship to a fruit, people...cause I know you all missed it!

My baby is getting fat this week!!!! Yes!!!

Christmas Time Fun!

2009-01-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

Even though the break went way too fast...it did seem really long--and Jason and I got to do a lot of fun things with our family and friends...Here's a few snippets from the Break...

Sibling Game Day...where siblings get together and play all the games in the Kotarski household until their brains start to hurt and they get sick of each other.

The Whaite Family Christmas...Two Days early this year, but just as much fun as always!

Elizabeth Marie helping Jason open his BIRTHDAY presents on Christmas Day...yes, and we did celebrate with a yummy carrot cake, too, made by my wonderful sister!

The Whaite Fam took a trip to Chicago for four days in honor of Grandma Voltenburg too...what a blast!

Here we are at the Museum of Science and Industry with the pooping cow...luckily for all you, we didn't get the poop in the picture!

We also got to see Wicked at the Oriental Theater, which was awesome and a blast, and although we didn't take any pictures, I looked HOT that night!
Jason painted the baby's room over break, too...it looks awesome, and my dad helped us put up the crib, so I'll have to post some pictures of that later this week!!

But the big news of the Christmas break was that our best friends, Tony and Jori July had their little baby girl on January 2nd, 2009! Elizabeth Ann July was 7 lbs 11oz and, what, 20.5 inches I think! Yay for babies! A little overwhelming, cause it makes my baby seem even so much more real, but altogether awesome, awesome awesome!!
Congratulations guys! We love you and can't wait to have our baby girls grow up together!!!!

Catching Up in a Major Way!!

2009-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

Well...Here I am again! It's definitely been awhile...I've been cleaning, organizing, and generally making my husband crazy with errands and jobs for the past few weeks, and this is not even "nesting" time yet.

I'm way behind on the blogging, so these next few will be quick catch-up blogs...Over the holidays we got behind on the belly pictures, which makes me forget which week I actually am in, but going back through the pictures, I realized...

Here's Week 23...Still the size of a papaya, but it's ears work now, and I started to feel it kicking a lot more!

Here's Week 24...Christmas day with the family and my new pajamas from my husband..hopefully they won't be too big to wear post-baby cause they're really cute!! The baby's still the size of a papaya...and it has many fully developed parts--including lungs I think!

Week 25 in Chicago at the Museum of Science and Industry...This is a heat sensor, so we were just impressed by the very orange-ness of my bun in the oven! :)...The baby is now the size of an eggplant!

And here's week 26...back at home and back to school...the countdown to Spring Break Begins!! :)

Being so Behind...and on Christmas Break!

2008-12-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

So I am so behind with the belly pictures, but I guess you'll all live. I've been on Christmas break and life just happens, so deal. And now tomorrow I'm going to Chicago with the Whaite Family, so pictures of me and my life will just have to be postponed even more. Luckily, the baby is still the size of a mango, so you all can rest soundly tonight knowing that...

I had to go to the after-hours clinic today to get a huge staph infection thingy drained off my leg. Yuck. Pretty painful, but I'm on pregnancy-safe drugs right now, so that's a good thing. It's even feeling a bit better, which is a relief after three days of walking like a gorilla to keep my legs from rubbing together....

You all love me for sharing. I know.

Let's see if I can find any Christmas pictures on the computer to add to this amazing post....

Nope none. They must all still be on my computer...and that is where they'll stay until I get back from CHICAGO with the fam! :) :) :)

Hope everybody has a great week--and a Happy New Year!!!! 2009 sure holds some exciting firsts for the Kotarski family...and for that, the drink of the day (and the week I guess) is champagne that I will NOT be drinking on Wednesday night, but will be toasting with something less-alcoholic, that being sparkling grape juice, probably....

Love you all!

Week 22!!!!! Whoa!!!!

2008-12-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

I didn't change my pants tonight, so you get a glimpse of my lifesaver pajama pants...oh well! :)

This is week 22! The baby can hear us talking and is going to love her some heavy-metal...or not. Probably will be a fan of Chris Thile and Nickel Creek if my husband has anything to do with it!

Melting Pot

2008-12-10T16:28:00.000-08:00

This weekend we traveled to Novi to have a fancy dinner at the Melting Pot with the July's and Buckley's...As birthdays for Jori and Jason, but more importantly, as a "last hurrah" for the July's before their baby is born on January 9th! We had so much fun cooking our own food over the fondue pots, chatting, and reflecting on all God's blessings throughout the past year...There are so many!

(if you want to see the pictures better, you can click on the image and see a bigger picture--I couldn't figure out how to make it bigger and not blurry! :( )

Decorating for Christmas!

2008-12-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

This week we decorated our house for Christmas...Here's a few highlights! We got the cutest little ornament from a family at church that says "Parents-to-be 2008"...So cute and a great addition to our beautiful, yet non-thematic tree! :) Merry Christmas everybody! I'm in the spirit!

AND IT'S A....

2008-12-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen??

Being Behind...

2008-12-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

So I'm really behind, but wanted you all to know that our baby is the size of a banana (the length, actually), and that tomorrow at 2:30 is the big ultrasound day...and we ARE finding out the gender, and we ARE very excited!!!!

We have belly pictures and Christmas decoration pictures and Melting Pot Celebration pictures, but right now is 30 Rock Husband Time and so I have to go do that!!

:)And in reminiscence of the beginning of our blogging days, the drink of the day was hot oil that we cooked raw meat in at the Melting Pot, and yummy coffee that my husband drank after chocolate fondue (but not me--I still have an aversion!!!)!

Love you all!

And one more Tag!!!

2008-12-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

Barb also tagged me (probably even longer than a month and a half ago...) to play Memory Loss Meme (what this strange "meme" word means is news to me). To play along, you have to go to sixth photo folder and choose your sixth photo to share. Since I'm sitting at the laptop, and we just got it in the spring, this will not be a million years ago, but more recent...But that's okay! I'm not too anal about it all!! :)
This picture is my husband walking along Lake Michigan after a long afternoon of Letterboxing. We had gone to Lake Harbor Park, next door to Maranatha, to scavenger hunt our way to some new stamps for our book, and had found three out of the four hidden treasures...This is just me, taking a picture of my husband by the lake!! :)

Tagged about a million years ago!!!!

2008-12-03T14:59:00.001-08:00

So about a month (or more) ago, my friend Barb tagged me to complete this blog about Things I value and do not value...Since I'm sitting here "resting" like the doctor told me to do this morning, AND since I'm not throwing up like I have been for the past 36 hours, I thought I could catch up...

Things I value:
1. my relationship with Jesus Christ: without this friend and Savior, my life would not be complete, and my future would be hopeless
2. my family: my parents for what they taught me as I grew up, how they raised me to love people, and how they have helped me get to where I am today AND my husband for how he makes me laugh, takes care of me, and makes my life fuller and more fun
3. my church: a place where I can be real, be honest, serve God, and where my best friends are!!
4. relationships: I love people!!! Enough said...
5. my college education: thanks to my parents and a few upcoming loans, I can be secure in my job, and move forward towards whatever is in store for my future...

Things I do not value:
1. hate
2. hypocrisy
3. judgement

So if you want to play along, please do!! I'd love to read what you value!!!

HALF WAY THERE!!!

2008-11-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am on Thanksgiving, half way through--20 weeks and counting DOWN now!! So weird!

We spent the day with family, eating, playing games and talking about babies! :) It was a fun weekend, and now the three week countdown until Christmas break starts. It feels so weird to say we're counting DOWN til baby, but at the same time, it feels so far away! :)

This week, Baby Kotarski is the size of a cantaloupe and is getting ready to poop!!!

You've got to be KIDDING me!!!!!

2008-11-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

My baby has some sort of nasty protective layer this week...seems like snot to me...

And seriously. This picture makes my belly look so huge. It CAN'T really be THAT bump-like yet!!!!!

That is just ridiculous!!

Say a Little Prayer for Meeeeeee...

2008-11-17T16:09:00.000-08:00

If everybody who loves me and who reads this would just take a quick second to say a prayer for me, that would rock. You know we all need it, and I'm feeling especially exhausted, overwhelmed, and just generally not so hot right now.

Thanks all! Love you! I'll say a general prayer for everybody who reads this right now, so you're all covered too!

-Lisa

our little sweet potato....

2008-11-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

The baby has working reproductive organs, and is moving and hiccuping like crazy, but I haven't felt anything yet anyway, so who cares? I mean, really...I do...but am excited to feel that sucker kick me!

Our ultrasound appointment is December 8th, and we in fact, ARE, finding out the sex...so get ready everybody!!!! :)

Look what I made!

2008-11-12T09:29:00.000-08:00

Homemade Laundry Detergent
Water
1 Bar Ivory soap, Grated
5 Gallon Bucket
1 Cup Washing Soda
4 1/2 Gallons Water

Place grated soap in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat on low until dissolved. Fill bucket with hot water, and add soap. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup washing soda and mix well. As it cools it will thicken. May be used immediately. Use 1-2 cups per load.

I added a little tea tree oil to fight fungi and bacteria and to make it smell like hippies.

I'll let you know how it works out later.

Belly Picture Numbero Uno...

2008-11-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

This is not fun, but as my mom says, I need to "embrace the belly." I'm hating it, but there it is...and it can NOT be sucked in.

And since you all asked (okay, you didn't, but I know you wanted to)...Here's the size of my baby compared to a fruit:

My baby has finger prints, people...That is so awesome!

Other Fall Happenings...

2008-11-06T17:29:00.000-08:00

So this has been a fun fall and I've actually started taking pictures again that AREN'T of my belly. It's about time!

A few weekends ago the July's invited us to a bonfire to burn down the pieces of their old barn...We sat around the fire, made hobo pies, and just chatted and hung out. It was a great time

The fire just getting started...

As the night wore on Jori and I both got tired! You can't tell though, right?

And then there was the Apple Orchard Visit that my sister Carolyn was thankfully home to join us for...

The cutesy pictures in front of the pumpkins...

So there's all our fall fun so far!!!! Get ready for Week 18 news...coming soon!

Some Halloween Fun!

2008-11-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

I love that Halloween was on a Friday...Jason and I got to hand out candy and play games at the same time...which was a blast. Don't know if you can see, but there are very tiny zombies stomping around our table. And I'm losing. Which sucks.

Here's Jason trying to look like a zombie...

And then afterwards, there was still time to go hang out with our friends the Julys! I love Halloween on Fridays--it should always happen like that!

Major Influencers

2008-10-31T06:15:00.000-07:00

“God appeals to us through other good people, through good sermons, or through the reading of good books.” – Teresa of Avila

In no way is this list exhaustive but it gathers many of the most influential appeals in my life and walk with God.

Good People:

Lisa Kotarski

Aaron Clum

Joel Rash

The guys in South Bay Bessie

Dave and Christy Flowers

Chuck and Nina Flowers

Phil Hearn

Lynn Pratt

Brent Adams

John and Bonnie Whaite

Charly and Christina Sommers

Good Sermons/Preachers:

Dave Flowers (pretty much everything, but especially his early series on Spiritual Reality)

Rob Bell

Andy Stanley (Best Question Ever)

That guy at the Alpha Conference a few years ago

Unknown Priest at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England

Steven Furtick (From the Promise to the Payoff @ Catalyst 2008)

Good Books:

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

If You Wanna Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell

Praise Habit by David Crowder

Wild at Heart by John Eldridge

Saving God’s Green Earth by Tri Robinson

The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne

New Neighbor by Leroy Barber

Other:

Relevant Magazine and Podcast

Catalyst Podcast

What does your list look like?

Lisa dropped that ball...

2008-10-31T06:13:00.001-07:00

"Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. And, if you're interested, an ultrasound might be able to determine gender. "

When Lisa told me this yesterday, I talk to the little one all the way from Target to home. Precious or what?

Together...

2008-10-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here reflecting on this year's Catalyst Conference when I should be writing a paper. I am going to pretend that getting the fingers flowing on the keyboard over here is going to help me get flowing on my paper.

Catalyst is a conference in Atlanta that is geared toward young church leaders. The theme for this year's conference was "Together". Amazing speakers from the church world and the business world presented some big ideas that dealt with the daily business of leading a team of people to achieve a common goal, creating culture, what it means to lead a tribe, and we were presented with opportunities to do some awesome things together as a group of 12,000 people from around the country. I am still unpacking much of what I heard and was impacted by in Atlanta but I go to thinking about how "togetherness" has always been an extremely important value in my life. Here's some ways I have seen this work out for me:

Undoing Racism: When I was in high school, and almost failing every class, I approached my principal about getting involved with an organization that was dealing with issues I was passionate it about. He was hesitant but he let me leave school once a month to participate because he saw that I actually cared to learn something for a change. I became a member of the Community Coalition Youth Council to participate in dialogue sessions and training workshops to be a leader in helping other youth to break down the walls that separate us. I remember freestyling with Jihad and Vanessa and sharing my own songs as an example of using my gifts to spread messages that were inportant to me.

Putting on Shows: After playing in bands for a while some of my greatest joys in the music scene were the times that I set up shows for touring bands. Most of the bands I brought to Flint were often bands that only I cared about but I worked to get people together to hear something new and have a lot of fun. I remember the time that I had a new band play their first show and was able to pay them $60 (this was a ton of money in the punk rock world at the time) because we packed the place out. People came together and experienced something new because I took time to share something that was important to me.

Coffee Shops: I have worked at coffee shops and often just like to hang out at coffee shops. I love the oppurtunity for a connecting point for nieghbors, friends, and lovers. Sure you get coffee but people are willing to pay just to be with other people.

Board Games: Lots of fun and rarely possible to do alone. I love to play games and it's always a good excuse to get people over to catch up and stay up too late.

Leading Small Groups: I have had so many meaningful experiences of gathering with people to talk about God, life, hopes, dreams, regrets, heartache, and joy. Being intentional about depth isn't always the most common thing to do but it is such an important part of creating meaningful community.

Grilling: Nothing brings people together like food. This in one thing that I really missed while Lisa and were working at Maranatha this summer. The thing I lvoe the most about barbequeing is that I get to create something and give it away. Maybe it's just some chicken with storebought marinade or maybe it's a peeper stuffed with bleu cheese and chives. Whatever it is it brings people around the the table to enjoy each other. Brennan Manning once said, "Sadly, the meaning of meal sharing is largely lost in the Christian community today. In the Near East, to share a meal with someone is a guarantee of peace, trust, fraternity, and forgiveness: the shared table signifies a shared life."

We all need other people. We were created for community. How are you bringing, or have you brought, people together?

Week 15...and the possibility of a belly pictures coming soon....

2008-10-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was the first time that I walked around in public with pants that did not button OR zip. I had this little nifty new-fangled gadget called a BellyBand that hid all the bumps and it was pretty darn sad. It is not easy to feel okay about gaining weight. I've been so obsessed with my weight for the past, oh, I don't know, 15 years, that it is very hard to be okay with my pants not fitting.

But I'm trying really hard to feel cute instead of fat...

So anyway--Week 15....Here goes...

The legs are longer than the arms this week...and it has joints, so it can start to learn to dance....Now a baby with vocal cords like me AND dance moves, I don't know if we can handle it!!!! :)

Have a great week everybody!

2008-10-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

A LEMON IS HUGE!!

The Green Couch. Final Day. 17 songs in 30 days!

2008-10-15T11:39:00.000-07:00

Green Couch Psalm 103

2008-10-14T08:21:00.001-07:00

2008-10-13T17:42:00.000-07:00

A peach is pretty cute!!! And vocal cords people...can you imagine what those vocal cords are gonna look like with a mom and dad like Jason and Lisa??? What a fun week!

And just an update on my belly...my pants still fit, and although I HAVE been taking weekly belly pictures, the belly pictures all look the same, so I'm not posting them until I pop...Keep checking back, it can't be too long now I'm sure!!

:)

Green Couch, the final week begins.

2008-10-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

Green Couch: Psalm 78

2008-10-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

Week Twelve!!!!

2008-10-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! A plum! That's fun!!!

New Green Couch Song Up Now!

2008-10-01T09:04:00.001-07:00

The Green Couch Returns!

2008-09-30T13:07:00.001-07:00

Away we go!

2008-09-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Lisa and I are heading to Gladwin for a youth leader retreat. Should be fun. I am sure we'll post somepics when we get back.

Until then, check the new Green Couch song at:

www.youtube.com/jguitarstring

Read Psalm 67.

Welcome Week 11!

2008-09-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...a lime. So much better than a prune. And just so you all know, my baby has hair follicles and ten fingers and non-webbed toes....

This is so exciting!!

Green Couch Day 11!

2008-09-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Constipation

2008-09-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

You all know I love ya....

So here it is. Thank the Lord I do not have constant constipation. Instead, I have this chronic case of the three-times-a-day-really-runny-poop.

You all wanted to know that, I know.

Green Couch Day 10!

2008-09-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Baby Kotarski's Heartbeat....kinda....10 Weeks.

2008-09-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Listen really close. It sort of sounds like a helicopter.

Green Couch Day 9!

2008-09-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Day 8, a day late.

2008-09-23T09:31:00.001-07:00

How big is the baby?

2008-09-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

There you go people. It's the size of a nasty prune and looks like an alien. You're all pumped. I can tell!

I just gotta say.

2008-09-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

That baby to the left looks disgusting...I don't even like to look at it yet.

Ewwwwwwwwwww.

Green Couch Day 6!

2008-09-19T13:43:00.001-07:00

Saturday is a difficult day to get things done....but here it is.

Oooooo---Look to Your Left People!!

2008-09-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

8/8/08--the big "test" day!

That's Right! We're pregnant!! Yaaaaaaaaaaaay! It's pretty official, and we're pretty excited! And we get to hear the heartbeat on Tuesday!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry we've been MIA for the last month or so...starting school and getting back into the swing of things at home has kept us busy...plus there's not much to say when you're pregnant, but you're not "out" yet. So here I am, ten weeks out and not quite ready to pop. My pants still fit, and that makes me happy, no throwing up (that makes me happy too), and a baby in my tummy!

yaaaaaaaaaay!

The Green Couch Day 5!

2008-09-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Word.

The Shack Movie Cast.

2008-09-18T09:31:00.001-07:00

So I heard a movie is being made from William P. Young's The Shack (a great book if you haven't read it). Every time I think of the movie I keep imagining the main characters being played by the cast of LOST.

Mack

Papa

Jesus

Sarayu

Man in Green Van

Green Couch Day 4!

2008-09-18T09:31:00.000-07:00

I like this one a lot.

Green Couch Day 3!

2008-09-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Enjoy!

Green Couch Day 2!

2008-09-16T08:12:00.000-07:00

Hey here's video number 2.

If you are afraid you'll miss one, please subscribe to my youtube channel at www. youtube. com/jguitarstring

God Bless!

New Project! The Green Couch with Jason Guitarstring!

2008-09-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

Hey! I am going to try to write a new song everyday. The idea is that I will write a creative expression of worship based on whatever I am reading in Scripture. Then, I'll make a video of it and post it for the world. It won't be perfect but it will be real. I hope you'll check out my videos from time to time. I pray that these songs are a blessing to you.

Here's the first video:

Finally We're Home!

2008-08-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

604 Chalmers has never felt so good! This week has been crazy busy, but we are finally home and slowwwwwly getting settled into regular life. We had a great summer, got to do so many things we have never experienced before, got to talk to eachother and dream together, and learned so much about ministry and kids, and what we love to do!

But we're so glad to be home too! Taking a bath in my own bathtub, going to the grocery store, making your own breakfast (or at least having your husband make it for you!) and doing laundry feel so strangely good when you haven't done them in three months.

So we're home! We're home! We're home! Yay!

We look pretty happy about something, don't we???!?!!

A few weekends ago, we got the opportunity to go to Unity Fest in Muskegon with a teen staffer of ours and a resident kid, too! We had a blast!

Melanie and I getting ready for Third Day...I love this girl...and here's the reason!
Melanie will do anything for a middle school girl...She loves them and it shows! Here she is on the human blow-up rubber band game that Michaela just HAD to go on...

And here we are after...

Here's Jason and I relaxing on the lawn, just sitting, eating, and people-watching, while we waited for the next act. It was either Resurrection Band, Phil Keaggy, Big Daddy Weave, or THIRD DAY!! It was a pretty awesome day and was a blast of a summer for sure!

No pictures this week either...

2008-08-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

I'm having a hard time taking pictures this week. So there are none to add...plus I'm not on my laptop, so even if there were, there's none on this computer. That's okay though.

I took the job at Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary School. I'll be in room 10 with 5 kids with autism, all age 6-10. So fun! I'm pumped! I even went to the teacher store and bought some brightly colored kiddo posters and stuff. Yay!

I'm almost finished here at Maranatha. It's kind of strange, and kind of exciting all at once. I feel like this summer has been so long and so quick at the same time. I think Jason and I both have grown as leaders, and as people, and I'm excited to get back to a routine and see how our lives change when we return to the "real world" of Flint, MI.

So yeah. Hope all is well. I'm getting ready to go drink coffee with an old friend from high school, so that should be fun. I'll probably drink traverse city cherry coffee with splenda and cream. Yummy.

See ya!

School

2008-08-08T05:26:00.000-07:00

So this blog isn't about Maranatha and it isn't about posting pictures. It's about prayer and changing jobs.

I think I'm going to take this new job at GISD, at an outcenter for elementary students with autism. We've been praying about it all week, and making lists of pros and cons and I think it will be a good thing for me. It's a little longer day, but a little more money. It's in a general ed school, which I love, and has a good principal who I'm going to try to meet on Monday...or at least some of the staff there maybe.

It's mostly just hard to think about change. I have a really hard time with that. And knowing to trust God through decisions that are not necessarily easy...because it's not that I don't like my job at the Learning Center with the high schoolers...I'm just feeling this tug towards this school in Flint.

So if you could just say a prayer for wisdom and for peace for me, that would rock. And I would love you all forever.

I have to make the decision by Monday...but I think I already know what I'm going to do.

Coast Guard Festival

2008-08-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was the Coast Guard Festival in Grand Haven, which is the cutest little town about 15 minutes from us. We went on Saturday night to walk around, shop a little, people-watch, and see the fireworks!Thursday night at midnight, the city opens up the lawn for people to duck-tape blankets around for the fireworks on Saturday night. Is that ridiculous or what? Needless to say, we didn't have a duck-taped area, so we found a little spot kind of behind a tree to sit and watch. We met this cute couple near us, who let us borrow their blanket and asked us cute questions about being married.

The channel (I don't really know if that's what it's called, but oh well) was FILLED with boats all connected together "saving" their spot on the water for the fireworks. What a funny site to see!

It was a fun night--and we bought a new game called SET. It's really fun and we can't wait to teach all our friends at home to play!

It seems weird that I'll be coming home in two weeks! I can't believe that! But I'm excited to get back to real life and regular routine!
Today's drink of the day is coffee from Stu and Stacy Wininger's big day...Made especially by Mike Thibodeau, sweeted with Splenda and millk my husband had to go to Rite Aid to buy! :)

Week Six Fun!!

2008-08-03T11:26:00.000-07:00

This week was a full week! It was a blast--and the large amount of kids always gives the week more energy!! Saturday was our anniversary and we traveled to Grand Rapids to eat at our favorite, Macaroni Grill. Five years! I can't believe it's been that long, but also can't believe I ever lived without Jason...So funny to be married. Jason commented the other day that we've been married longer than I was in college. This is so funny to me!

So anyway--our Staff Appreciation Dinner was that night too...at 11:00pm! It was on the pool deck and was all decorated fancy-like. It was a fun evening...and so nice of them to give us an anniversary party! :) That's what it seemed like anyway!

On Thursday nights we have a bonfire on the beach with worship and a talk, and s'mores and fun! Jason's been doing worship this week since Tyler's gone, and he's been doing great, but I also got some great pictures of him speaking on the beach. The sunsets here at Maranatha are definitely a sight to see!! Every day is a new beautiful surprise, and it never gets old!

The highnet Interspeed...

2008-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

is not working here at Maranatha. It is very frustrating, and it is making me crazy. I can't check my email, I can't pay my bills, I can't veg out on my myspace. Life is sad for me.

So I am not connected, literally...to my boss's internet via a cord, and am getting ready to pay my slightly late bills. Thank goodness for grace periods. Seriously.

Anyway--we've got a million kids here this week, which makes for fun and excitement, and lots of energy, which is good.

Gotta go to the beach...the drink of the day is definitely ice water...to take with us to the beach! :) See ya'll soon!

2008-07-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

This was a really low week in our teen department at Maranatha! After quite a few weeks of increasing numbers up to about sixty, we only had about 15 teens at our programs each day...Volleyball and Football camp took a lot of kids away from us...But we managed to rest a lot and have a lot of fun with the kids we did have!

This is a picture of Jason doing some heavy drinking...We got lucky enough to get a half a keg of rootbeer from a parent for our weekly Sunday Night Pizza Party...The kids really enjoyed it, but the staff definitely enjoyed taking funny pictures with it more! This one is a tame one...I'm sure you can all imagine!

On Tuesday when we got back we went on a kayak ride on Mona Lake, which is connected to Lake Michigan very close to us...We had a lot of fun and a great workout!

We also had some fun at the pool this week. This was Tuesday night Teen Swim and although we didn't have a lot of kids, we still had fun! To get an idea of Maranatha's beachfront and pool, you can see that I am looking out at Lake Michigan in this picture...and enjoying an amazing sunset! What a beautiful place this is! :)

So today's coffee of the day is...hmmmm...probably Bubble Gum flavored. We're doing a study next week from a book called Chew On This...it's about spiritual formation and "chewing on" scripture...but there's a big piece of Bubble Gum on the front, and it's sitting next to me, calling me to do some work!!

Hope you're all doing great!! Love you!

Dunes, water parks, and fun!!!

2008-07-20T13:39:00.000-07:00

What a great week we had this week!

After our Tuesday excursion on the helicopter...we followed it up with a trip up north to Silver Lake Sand Dunes to ride the Mac Dunes Scooters...

This was quite an adventure! We went with about 20 other staff from Maranatha on a school bus about an hour away...
And obviously, we took some pretty silly pictures...

Silver Lake Dunes are one of the largest living dunes in the country...This means that they are still moving around every day...There are parts that don't move anymore, but it seriously looked like the desert...Jason asked if they filmed any good movies there, and they said yes...but couldn't name any movies they knew...
The Mac Dunes Scooter Rides were so fun! On top of a bit of fun information about the area, this "scooter" took us on a thrilling ride over the dunes, with beautiful views, splashing in Lake Michigan, and a view of the public area where many off-road vehicles were zooming around on their own...Afterwards, we went to the Whippy Dip, a local ice cream stand and got gigantic and wonderful specialty flurries to tide us over until dinner....

Friday night in Teens we did a "staff hunt" which means the kids are sent off to find staff members who are hiding (either literally hiding or disguised) on the the grounds of Maranatha. As you can see, some of us had some fun with this, and definitely got a little silly with the whole thing.

I'm the one with the purple hat. Jason told me I was going to be one hot old lady, which made me feel a little better about one day "going gray."
And then there was Saturday...What a fun day! There is a family who lives at Maranatha who just recently opened a water park in Illinois, about an hour west of Chicago. Their daughter works on our teen staff and they so graciously invited us to join them for a day at this awesome park! I was definitely in for more than what I expected...This place had 10 water slides! Some were free fall, others had tubes, one was like a toilet bowl (you went around and around and around) and one was called the boomerang...You went down this tube into a huge bowl-like thing, and then you went back and forth and back and forth until you finally spurted out into a pool.

This place was awesome! There was a lazy river (the 7th largest in the US), a huge wave pool...and a great mouse-trap-looking play area for kids...It was a great day to act like a kid and play like a kid...to get to know our staff and to be blessed by Maranatha...Getting into this park for the day, getting to drive the Maranatha van all the way to Illinois, having a place to "retreat" in a way with our staff was so fun and relaxing!

So this has been a great week! And we're looking forward to the next one!

no new pictures...

2008-07-18T05:57:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!! No new pictures to add right now--but we're having a good week! Feeling way better this week, and we're getting more comfortable in the new digs...We organized the office yesterday and are just waiting patiently now for a desk...or maybe even a table would be nice!! :)

Hope all is well at home!! We love you all and drank coffee this morning...yesterday I didn't drink coffee and had a headache all day! Yuck!! I don't like to be addicted!

We went on a helicopter ride!!!

2008-07-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

This week's mission organization is called JAARS and it is a part of Wycliffe Bible Translators...JAARS used to stand for Jungle Aviation And Radio Service...but it doesn't anymore...Now it's just JAARS and they have aviation, but also have a lot of other services in Papau New Guinea and maybe Indonesia, I can't remember...

Anyway--they are giving short helicopter rides this week for a fee, and Jason and I figured that could be a once in a lifetime sort of thing, so we signed up!! Quite terrifying, but really exciting too!!
Here's the pictures!
We got to sit next to the pilot and wear headsets to hear ourselves...

This was pretty cool!

The wind was pretty strong today, so the take-off was a pretty scary thing, but as we got moving, it was so cool to see the people around, the houses and streets and cars...

And soooo many pools in backyards right by the Lake! Strange!

Here's the sky-view of the lakefront at Maranatha...The pool and condos in the middle are right behind the main beachfront of the camp, and if you look way up near the top of the picture, I'm pretty sure you can see a part of our house where we live in India...Fun!
Here we are after the flight...What fun!

This is another plane that's here this week, it's a bigger, more expensive plane made especially for mission flights...It takes off real quick and can land with just a little landing strip...It also has a huge engine and takes jet fuel which I guess is a cool and different thing from most planes...We didn't get to ride in this, but Jason got to sit in the cockpit and this guy told us all the cool things about flight school and planes and missionary flights and stuff...

That was cool!!!

Settlers of Catan

2008-07-15T15:19:00.001-07:00

Jason and I have found a new game we love...

It's Catan the Card Game...for two people!

And here is a picture I promised would go up on our blog if it was taken...Charlie Sommers having some fun with our camera.

Stitches!!!

2008-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

So this week has been really tough. Everybody's exhausted and/or sick on our staff and it just seems like a lot of things are going wrong and/or not right this week. I'm glad it's over and we can look forward to another week....

As you can see, I had to get stitches this week as well. I was playing assassins, a game of squirt gun fun, where you have a person to shoot and a person chasing you, and if you shoot your "contract" then you get their person and it goes until there's just one person left. Needless to say, I didn't win, but I did get injured in the process of stealthily going after my contract.

Seven stitches later, I'm pretty much a beast.

Anyway--the Brooklyn Tabernacle was here this week and we watched this movie about them last night at the service, and it was pretty cool to see the stories of the people who's lives have changed...

We get to ride a helicopter this week too. Um, that rocks.

So the coffee of the day is hopefully some sugar-free fat-free carmel latte at a place where we can get free wi-fi since the internet here at Maranatha is on the brink. Haven't been able to get on all week until today!

So yay! Have a great day!

Date Night in Grand Haven

2008-07-06T13:13:00.001-07:00

Saturday night was "date night" for the Kotarski's since it's our only evening we have off during the week. We took the night to walk the boardwalk at Grand Haven, eat a pronto pup (a hot dog dipped in pancake batter on a stick), and go to the movies--we saw Wall-e, which was great!

It's kind of funny how little we've been watching TV or movies since being at Maranatha...we have literally only watched Wall-e last night, Be Kind Rewind with my family the night of the funeral a few weekends ago, and one time we put on an episode of The Office, only to turn it off after 7 minutes and go to sleep instead....

So anyway--here's a picture of Date Night in Grand Haven!

Happy Fourth of July!!

2008-07-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Fourth of July everybody (a few days late!)!! Hope you're all had a great long weekend wherever you were! We sure did! We had to work in the morning and at night, but Carolyn was here for the weekend, so we went to lunch with her (yummy Brooklyn Bagels) and then to the beach for the afternoon...what a beautiful day we had here at Maranatha!

In the evening we had to sing in the service, and then we had to "work" the beach at night during the fireworks, but it was a blast and we got to hang out with Carolyn and the Sommers Family....Here's some pictures from the day!
Some kids playing beach volleyball at night...Actually it's this strange Maranatha game called "nuke 'em" which involves catching the ball instead of hitting it back and forth.
One family was handing out glow jewelry, so we stocked up!
Carolyn and I goofing around with the camera...
This is Rose, Carolyn's "baby" from last year in the baby nursery...Rose is two now, and is a lot bigger than Carolyn remembered! :)
The fireworks went off right from our beach...They were pretty good...and it was fun to be right there!

The Sommers Kids...

2008-07-06T12:51:00.001-07:00

So here's some pictures of our new friends the Sommers and their cute kids. Love 'em! (really it's just the kids, but if you look in the background of the first picture, they're over there on the left!)