Camp Nugget - 2015

Katie's favorite time of year is Camp Nugget - an adaptive PE camp hosted every year at Cal State Long Beach. Yes three hours a day for four weeks when she gets to be a "typical" kid! 

She had a great year this year - and made hue improvements. This picture may not show much to the untrained eye, but to those who have known Katie, the ability to sit in an assembly by herself is a huge achievement! 

The kids get an award - and Katie's was for regulation - as in "if you aren't regulated and following directions, Katie will help you!"

She had the most amazing counselors again this year - and in three weeks, I only got 1 phone call from them. Compared to last year (one a day and needing a one to one for the second half of camp!) this was a HUGE improvement! 

For most kids, only one call would be not so great.

Because we are "that" family - it is cause for a huge celebration! 

Progress - those baby steps that God reveals to show us we are moving in His direction! 

Summertime Scenes

Swim party dates! 

 4th of July

Annual Neighborhood Soiree 

 Dinner Dates

 Dining al fresco

 Church Friends

 Art Camp

 Donuts with mom! 

all in all....a pretty good summer so far!!!! 

Next stop - San Diego and summer vacation with the big kids and the grand kids! 

More Beautiful than the next

(warning - this is another post with a lot of pictures....the really good ones are towards the end!) 

We proved true the old adage "save the best for last" with our last stop on the 19 days odyssey - Zion National Park. What we know about it mostly is this - every view is more spectacular than the last. God surely did some of His very best work here....

 .....and here.....

 ...and here.....

 It was SO hot - there were people on the other side of the bridge soaking their feet and hats and bodies in this stream

The best views of the day, however, included these faces! 

 Katie - my world FULL of joy girl!!! Nothing stops her from fully living life - not even 100 degree heat! 

 Dad was dressed for the hike....he claimed it was my fault (but I am sure I told him we would be walking around)

 Yes - this is Zion. 

 We took the short hike to the upper falls views - Katie would have kept going...the rest of us...not so much! 

 Under the water fall - which was awesome

Refreshments afterwards were welcomed! 

 On the bus headed back - we survived and enjoyed! 

One more "for sure" came out of the day - we know that 4 hours isn;t enough time and that we will be back (but not at the end of June when it's 100+ outside!) 

7 hours later - we were home. 

It was overall and excellent time. 

What a View

(warning - there are A LOT) of pictures in this post - because it was impossible to choose just one or two) 

There just aren't words other than "eye candy" to describe what we saw yesterday. 

 To be honest, my knowledge of our country's national park system. I didn't know about Arches until I started planning our route and looking at things to do on the way. 

I am SO glad I did a little research - because it would have been a tragedy to miss this. 

 or this -

 or this

 The colors and majesty of this place were "take your breath away" beautiful.

 I know that there is a detailed and verified scientific explanation for all this splendor and beauty - but there is no way this is a random act. It is mind blowing to me that the same God who created all this beauty also sets the fatherless in families. 

 Balancing rock - I ma pretty convinced that this defies all the scientific law and it is only God that holds this in place! 

 The "Window" - a beautiful example of the wonder of Arches! 

 For some perspective....

Delicate Arch - the most famous of the Arches. We didn;t do the three mile round trip hike to the base. 100 degree heat + 5 pm plus four tired kids = "we will see it next time up close"

 We were very brave today - after a 7 hour car ride and two hours of touring in the heat, we decided to get some dinner out. We went to a cool "log cabin" restaurant and had a very peaceful and calm dinner.

An A+ day all the way around - God's beauty in both a macro and micro sense. 

Amazing!