JB 2014 Photobook

I finally completed JB's photo book for 2014. If you are interested, just click on the photo above.

Fly little birdy...

And she's leaving on a jet plane....to meet Bill in San Francisco.  He will put her on a plane Sunday and send her back.  This is not the first time she has flown alone, so she is a pro, but usually I'm on the receiving end of this gig.  Getting her back is emotionally much easier than sending her off. 

All about the experience

There is a scene in the National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, where Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) walks deep into the woods in search of the perfect Griswold family Christmas tree. During their adventure, his daughter's eyes freeze shut, and he declares that it's "all part of the experience."

This is one of our favorite movies, and we watch it every year, but it wasn't until a few years ago that we really began to take that message to heart, and "all part of the experience" became a family motto for us. We have cut down on buying each other Christmas presents, and birthday presents, and just because presents, and use that money to go on adventures, so we can experience more things.

Crazy things like going in a hummer on the Hell's Revenge trail, and posing for a photo that makes you look like you've jumped off a cliff.

Horseback riding in the desert with Ashes.

Hiking to Corona Arch

Jb, and Ashes, and the Old Man, and Mia and Steven

Braving the dangers of the world famous Shafer Trail in a rented Ford Fiesta.

 That was an EXPERIENCE!

How will you know what it's like to be caught in a 2 hour traffic jam if you never leave the house?

We were able to experience red dirt that was not in Moab, 

We experienced what it felt like to stand 10 feet away from a monk seal as she basked in the sun.

We experienced watching a green sea turtle eat algae off of the coral. 

I know these experiences may seem pretty exotic, and you may say, "Yes, I will do  those things, some day,"  I tell you, experiences can be as simple as rolling your own sushi with friends, or sleeping outside on your lawn, or eating ice cream for dinner.  Today is July 14, 2015. This is the ONLY July 14, 2015 I will ever see in my lifetime. I will do my best to make it awesome.

What experiences have you had lately? I would love to hear about them!

For more photos of our Moab experience click here: https://flic.kr/s/aHske7vH4t

For more photos of our Kauai experience click here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskgdSB9z

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROXEY!

Happy Birthday, Momma!
Hope your day is filled with love and laughter and chocolate cake.
I love you.

p.s. This is the most recent photo I have of you. The whole fam damily is in it, but everyone looks great, so it will have to do.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SONJA!

Happy birthday, sister.
I want you to know I am so thankful for your example. I love how you love your family, how you parent your children, and how you adore your friends. You inspire me in ways that I could never explain. I love how my heart feels happy when I am with you, or talking to you on the phone, or thinking of you. I admit, there were times in my life when I thought your being born wasn't the greatest thing since sliced bread, like when you stole my tootsie rolls, or snuck into my closet to wear my clothes. But, ultimately, I'm glad to have always had a partner to help get me into, and out of, the greatest of adventures.
I love you and hope you have a fabulous day.



p.s. I feel like I should state that Sonja is pulling a silly face because Darren had just reached out of the car and pinched her bottom. Look closely in the passenger seat and you can see E3 as she gasps with shock at such outlandish behavior.

A Day of Dueling, Quaffles, and Snitches.

One of the no less than a zillion fun things they do at Harry Potter Camp, is the Wizard's Duel. In this event, the names of all the witches and wizards are listed in bracket formation on a white board. You can see this a little bit behind our dueling couple. When their name is called, each dueler (wearing their robe, of course) climbs onto the dueling platform.  They walk to the center, and give each other a nice polite bow. They take their starting stance, and when the headmaster calls out 1-2-3, they shout out their spell of choice, as they jab forward with their wand. 

The game is much like the muggle version of "Rock, Paper, Scissors," meaning they can choose from three different spells, as outlined in the photo below.

  

In the case of a draw, the headmaster will count off again, and repeat until a winner is determined. The winner then advances to the next round, and the duels continue until a winner is named.


Today, they split the class into two groups. and as half of them dueled, the other half went outside where JB taught them to play Kidditch...the children's version of muggle quidditch. I know what you're thinking, and yes, it really is  a THING. You can see for yourself by clicking here: https://www.usquidditch.org

Jb explains how in Kidditch the colored tape on the broom corresponds to the position to be played. Yellow for the seeker who chases the snitch (person with a racquetball tied into a yellow sock). Green for the keeper who protects the hoops from the quaffle (partially deflated volleyball). White for the chasers who attempt to throw the quaffle through the hoops, and black for the beaters who attempt to hit the chasers with the bludgers (dodge balls). 

Each quaffle through a hoop earns your team 10 points.

When the snitch is caught, 30 points are recorded, and the game ends.

 If you want to learn how Kidditch differs from standard Quidditch rules, you may check them out here: https://www.usquidditch.org/about/rules/kidditch

If you are wondering where those awesome brooms and hoops came from, you can purchase them here: http://www.petersonsbrooms.com/

And, for more photos you can click here: https://www.flickr.com/gp/tlcbull/1yy9Vc

Time for Kids...Harry Potter Style

Last year, Professor Olson was approached by Time for Kids magazine, to contribute information on novel based summer camps. Some of my photographs were used!
Check it out!


http://media.wix.com/ugd/b4d94e_c541c18fabc2451481c3cd65f8d4d1fc.pdf




And, if you want to see how the rest of camp is going, you can check out the Camp blog by clicking here: http://www.harrypottercamp.com/