Jedi Training Camp

For the first time, we actually looked through the catalog of activities the city of Ventura offers for the summer.  We were amazed with all the fun things available for the kids!  The surf camp for Faith was a class offered by the city, and Shane also took a class put on by the city - Jedi Training!  For a little boy who loves Star Wars, this was a perfect fit!

The class was filled with 8 other Star Wars loving little boys, and they spent each afternoon this past week creating Star Wars characters, ships, and accessories out of Legos, playing Star Wars related games, and even practicing to fight like a Jedi using light sabers! 

 

On Friday the class performed a battle scene for the parents that they had been practicing all week long!  Shane took his role very seriously!

 

This was one of my favorite pictures!  Shane is being "choked" by the person he is fighting!  While it was busy having two kids in two different camps this past week, it was fun to see them each enjoy something new and different!

 

Can't leave out little Livvy!  She enjoys tagging along with me to all the events, wearing her leotard and tutu to ballet and having fun at the beach!  Tonight we went to a 40th birthday party for a family friend, and naturally she loved the cake!

More from Surf Camp

Faith finished up her surf camp this week!  What a fun experience it was for her!  On Tuesday the waves were a bit bigger and the tide was way up, so the instructors were much more cautious with the kids, which was good!

 

Because of Shane's Jedi camp, I wasn't able to see as much of her surfing this week.  Shane needed to be picked up during her camp.  Since we didn't get as much beach time as last week, we stayed later and just enjoyed swimming until later in the evening. 

 

One of her final waves she rode!  It was nice to see her end with a good one! 

 

Olivia has such a good time going to the beach, even though she rarely gets more than her feet and lower legs wet!  And that is just fine with me!  She really enjoys playing in the sand, running in and out of the water, and chasing birds!

 

Here she is trying to fly like a bird she is chasing!

 

Going to the beach truly is an enjoyable event!  The older two play in the water, but are both pretty cautious and don't venture out too far!  Having Olivia play near my is so sweet as she tries to build an entire sand castle city.  What a sweet season of life!

Ballet Recital

This past Saturday Faith danced in the annual ballet recital!  This was her all ready to head to the stage Saturday morning! 

 

Friday afternoon Olivia and I saw a preview of Faith's dance as we were able to watch the rehearsal.  I was impressed with all that these girls have learned this year.  They are all becoming beautiful ballerinas!

 

A backstage shot taken by one of the stage moms!  These four girls have been in class together for the past two years.  They all looked great in their costumes!

 

At home after the performance!  Faith had a great time, and she is already dreaming about her next ballet performance...the Nutcracker next fall!

Surf Camp - Day 1

Yesterday was Faith's very first day of surf camp!  This was something she has been looking forward to for weeks! 

 

The first steps were completed on the beach!  Practicing paddling out, transitioning from the lying down to the knees, and finally standing up!

 

Next step, head out into the big, blue Pacific Ocean!!

 

For her first time ever attempting surfing, Faith surprised me at how well she did!  She regularly was able to get onto her knees, and a few times was able to start standing up on the board!  Maybe those ballet classes are helping with her balance?!

 

Another action shot!  Faith learned quickly that once you ride a wave to quickly get back on the board and paddle back out towards an instructor!  There were a number of instructors in the water with the kids, helping them to get started as a wave came.  Most importantly, Faith had a great time and can hardly wait to go back Thursday!

 

As Faith rode the waves, the other kids and I enjoyed playing in the sand and the water! Olivia at first was very leery of the water.  Then she would venture down and get close, running away as a wave came yelling "run for your life!"

 

Shane had a blast swimming!  Thankfully he doesn't go out too far yet!

Summer - Week 1

In our first full week of summer we enjoyed a more relaxed routine along with a few adventures!  Our first adventure was the zoo!  During the school year we just don't seem to get up there as much as we would like because of our busy schedule, so it was very fun to spend a morning there!

Olivia enjoyed her up close and personal view of the Fennel Foxes! 

 

One of the animals we rarely see on our zoo visits is the Channel Island Fox.  It always is just hard to find!  On the day we went not only did we see it, but a also a volunteer was outside the exhibit answering questions and allowing visitors to touch a real fox fur!  One nice thing about going to the zoo somewhat regularly is seeing different animals be more active on different visits!  The leopard was also pacing around and climbing trees, which was very fun to watch!

 

Last Thursday afternoon both kids were awarded their senior green belts in TKD!  They had each taken a test the previous Saturday and passed! 

 

Our second big adventure was a trip to the farm to do some blueberry picking!  It's always one of my favorite activities to do with the kids, and it has become a June tradition!

 

As with most things in this season of life, I knew the older two kids would be fine, but Olivia was the wild card!  She surprised us all and actually did a great job picking blueberries!  She picked ripe berries, had fun, and even though her attention span was not as long as the rest of ours, she walked around and played near the rest of us while we finished picking!

 

My experience pickers!  We were determined to pick enough blueberries to make a pie as well as have some to just snack on for a few days!

 

One final picture!  The other day is was all too quiet and I could not find the younger two kids!  They had both climbed in Olivia's crib with the iPad and were watching a show on PBS!  Crazy kids!

Last Day of School!

We finished school yesterday - a day earlier than anticipated!  The kids realized that while they could leave the work for Friday, there really wasn't that much to do and they should just finish the year!  We all share the enthusiasm Shane depicts in the picture!  While it was nice not to think about it today, I think summer break will start to sink in next week!

 

Faith is showing the mature, I'm now a 4th grader, signs of excitement!  4th grade???  She's going to soon be at the point of testing my own abilities when it comes to subjects such as math!

 

One of the ways we celebrated the end of another year of school was to go to the summer BBQ at the Pierpont Inn!  They did them a few summers back, but the ownership changed, and now they are back up and running!  It's a fun night out to have a burger or hot dog, listen to live music, all with a gorgeous ocean view! 

 

If there is music, these kids will dance!  Faith is claiming the credit for starting the dancing last night as she and Olivia were the first to start, but soon many others followed!

 

I love this one of Olivia!!

 

Another night of eating out this past week!  Tuesday night we went to the food trucks for some grilled cheese!  It was a perfect night to go since TKD class ended at 6:15pm!

Our crazy little two year old!

Birthday Party with Style

Last night we went to a 40th birthday party for our Pastor!  It was a theme party to "Say Goodbye to your 20's and 30's" party!  All guests were to dress in 20s'/30's style, and there was a band who played the music of the era.  And to top it all off, it was a surprise party!!!  It was a highly anticipated night (for those who knew about the party ahead of time!), and it did not disappoint!  In the picture above I am with the hostess, Cindy Koch on the left, and our friend Joy.

 

The party took place at the Beach Club in Ventura, which had both indoor and outdoor seating areas.  It was a great venue for the party, and it was decorated nicely too!

 

The man of the night!  While he admitted to thinking that something was going on, he was amazed at what his wife was able to pull off!  To have so many people there, all dressed up, a full band, and hours of fun was beyond his expectations.

 

We had a blast!!  Being Dutch dancing does not come naturally for us, but we spent quite a bit of time dancing the night away as the music was engaging.  And again, what made it so fun was that so many people were so into it and on the dance floor and having fun. Memories were made by so many in just one night!  Cindy Koch, you sure know how to throw a party!