1st Week of Summer/ Stand Firm

Wednesday at Kathy's
To the delight of the kids, the neighbor dog, Stella joined us for snack.





My Week, by James

This week I got to go to the Children's Museum, I got to go in the semi and Casey took a picture of me. I got to go to basketball camp and had lots of fun. I learned that Elisha knew God was on his side and he wasn't worried. We went to Kathy's house. I played xbox 360 with Chad and Kaedyn it was lot's of fun. We went to the zoo, I never knew some kind of bird slept on one foot. I saw camels and some peacocks. I learned how to mind my own business a little bit. I know God will always be on my side. God can help me so I know He will protect me from Satan and bad people.

Kathy tells us the story of Jesus calming the seas, as the kids act it out.

Playing a game called the fear zone, where the kids are reminded to guard against fears and worries. Instead give them to a very strong God.

My Week by Alexis

On the first week of Summer, me, Cortesia, Taj and Teijah got to go to basketball camp and learn new drills like the one where you dribble and not look at the ball and you have to bounce the ball in between your legs. You have to do competitions it really was fun on the 2nd day. I met a couple of friends, we hung out and we played together. It was really amazing to meet new friends, I wish we could go for a month.

During the week for Bible Study, I learned that we should put on the full armor of God because we need God in our lives. I also learned that God will always protect us and that He will help us from doing the wrong thing. We played games like there was one where we had a pole in the middle and there balls that were the bad things and we couldn't let them get across at first it was hard but then we go the hang of it. So we got the second game we did was a God version of hot potato. We would pass a flashlight around and when the music stopped the one with the flashlight had to say something we are afraid of or need protection from. Then you would turn on the flashlight and point at someone and they would say "the armor of God will protect you." We have had such fun Bible Studies and a really great week.

Teijah pets Sage until he falls asleep. He was sad to see her go.



Thursday at Mrs. B's House

The flashlight game.

My Week, by Kaedyn

This week I went to Mrs. B's and jumped on the trampoline. I also played on the hammock and the swing. I went to Kathy's and played xbox 360. I also went to the zoo and saw turtles and a white peacock. On Tuesday I went to the Children's museum and played inside a rocket and a semi-truck. I also rode a motorcycle with James.

This week during Bible Study I learned I will be strong in the Lord because he is strong and powerful. I learned Ephesians 6:10

Breaking in the Hammock

Gidget had fun playing with Alex, and the girls had fun chasing the dogs in Mrs. B's yard.

My Week, by Taj

I went to basketball camp and played four on four during practice. I went to Homes Lake on Tuesday and ran a mile. At Kathy's house I played games. I also got to play with 3 puppies, Gidget, Stella and Sage. This week during Bible study I learned that God will help me obey Miss Brenda and my other teachers.

At the Cornhusker Kiwanis Picnic, Cortesia was very helpful with Adriyanna.

My Week by Adriyanna

We got to go to the Children's Museum. My three friends were there. Bella painted half of my face. Then we went down and played in the water. I had fun.

At the zoo I saw some camels and I got to feed them. There was a monkey in the window who scared us. We went and bought snack.

At Kathy's house I sat in the chair and got to play with it. I pushed the buttons and it rubbed my back.

At Mrs. B's we played on the hamster( hammock). We got to read on the trampoline and I got to jump on the trampoline.

God can save us with his armor. He can protect us from Satan, snakes. spiders and stuff.

My Week by Cortesia

This week we went we went to Basketball camp and I have made tons of friends. We did contests and many more. What I learned about God's armor at a Christian friends house, Kathy, she also tutors me. I learned that God's armor protects us against many fears that you have. Also this week we got to go to Antelope Par and so our Bible Studies and some other parks. This summer we have to put our selves in a Knight's place like when we eat snack we have to pay for it which is a coin. We also earn coins when we run, do fun activities, good attitudes, trying our best and this week for basketball camp. This week has been the funnest week ever. God also helps me when i am scared of insects and spiders, etc. God helps me make the right decision and not do bad things.

Our Kiwanian friend Jim

My favorite moment of the week was when we were at the Kiwanis Picnic, the rest of the kids ate fast and hurried off to play at the park. I was just taking in the sights and sounds of the evening, finally relaxing. Teijah was sitting on the bench, chewing on her third piece of chicken. She looks up at me and says "Thank you Miss Brenda, I am REALLY enjoying myself. It was a make sure you take time to smell the flowers moment. (Miss Brenda)

My Week, by Teijah

This week I got to go to basketball camp. I have lots of fun there, tomorrow is my last day because it's going to be over, that's the sad part about it. My favorite part at basketball camp is when we get to do the contests. Sometimes at the end we get to play knockout if we have enough time. What we learned about this week is about God's armor that can save us from going to the wrong road. Not all the times does God keep you from going through tough times but at the end He will help you get through it. I have lots of fun doing this lesson. Our verse for the week is , Finally be strong in the Lord and His mighty powers. Ephesians 6:10. We started this coin thing and if we learn a verse then you get 5 coins.

Yesterday night we had a wonderful picnic from the Cornhusker Kiwanis. There is a game there called bingbags (bean bags) and you have to get the bean bags in the hole. It was really awesome, hard and fun. Then we got to eat, I ate chicken, egg salad (potato salad) and I drank pink lemonade. Not so long after that I was at the park playing and screaming and at the end, surprisingly we got an ice cream. Yum yum.

Friday at OK Camp

Awards at OK Camp. Savanah is in the orange.

Camp OK

I was very scared to go to camp but once everyone got over being shy we had a blast. My jr. counselor is Cadi. She's short and she is 16. It looks like she's a camper. She said so herself. We went to Mahoney State Park and swam, we went canoeing, fishing, and every night we have a camp fire and lodge party. The talent show was at the lodge party , it is when they play song and you can dance to them and if you don't want to then you can play fooze ball or you can just sit and watch, but it's funner if you dance.

I had a really fun and exciting time there. If you ever go I know you'll have fun if you are a good sport and have a positive attitude.

They have a trust course where you walk on wires and an odyssey course that's kinda the same but you don't have to do it and it's up in the air but, you'll have so much fun. It's a good opportunity.

By Savanah

Camp OK

Camp OK was the best camp I've ever been to. ( It actually was her first camp)

There was sing,playing, all sorts of fun stuff, like the odyssey course, the trust course, the flight, simulators, art, archery, the pool, the water slide and gaga.

The odyssey course is where you have to be strapped to a harness and there is this rope that straps to the harness and the rope is hooked to a wire that is about an inch wide. You have to walk across a wire that is the same as the top. At the end to get down you get hooked up to a wire that slants down.

The trust course is like the odyssey course but at the end you fall back and someone lowers you down.

The flight simulator is where you fly a plane on a computer.

At art we made a sculpture, scratch sheets and a picture.

At archery we shot arrows and rifles.

This is one of the camps where you sleep in a cabin.

IT'S SO MUCH FUN.

Sincerely

Ma'Shai

Ma'Shai sitting through awards.

On the way home we stopped for some McDonalds and some time to catch up. I love hearing about camp and seeing how excited they are. The girls had dropped their tough shells and were little girls again. Savanah said she met a girl from Omaha who was a God's kid and she really liked her.

Before I went to pick up the girls from camp I had to unload the van, which is where most of the Obasi supplies were this week since we were traveling so much. I put all the supplies on the porch so I would be able to get the girls suit cases in the van. When we got back to the house, one of the squirrels had helped itself to a banana muffin. Teijah was so impressed that he could get the wrapper off all by himself!!!

More pictures of our week on posts below.

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Our Day at the Zoo

While Brenda took the older kids to basketball camp, my daughters and I had the privilege of taking a few of the younger kids to the Children's Zoo. We had a great time looking at some of the animals God created.


Chloe and Adriyanna in the eagle nest

The monkeys were very entertaining

Kaedyn and James watched one of God's beautiful creations

We had fun in the crooked house
Kaedyn was fascinated by the bats

Adriyanna tried to milk a cow while James and Kaedyn supervised!

Busy Sunday

Ma'Shai and Savanah arrive at camp

Savanah makes a new friend in the Kiwanian, he was very sweet and heard Savanah talking to him all the way across the field.

Savanah's bed for the week.

Ma'Shai's bed for the week.

It was a very busy day to say the least, watching three girls before church, picking up kids for church, church, walking a parent through difficult times, off to camp, and then back to Lincoln for Pierrie's Graduation.

Now breathe.....

After church we got a text from my friend Denise who is on the Bike Ride Across Nebraska-her text said please pray it is very windy and cold. So we jumped in the car and Alexis led us in prayer for Denise. It was cute and the rest of the kids were excited to be praying for her.

The ride home from church was special, one of the kids parents went to church with us today, she is going though some tough stuff and just kept singing all the way home. She is a very shy person, but today she was a little different trying so hard. She kept singing over and over, "we fall down, we get up," It was off tune but she really was singing from her heart and she didn't care what it sounded like, she just felt it and it brought her comfort.

Off to camp the girls, were very excited but very nervous and quiet. I am sure by tonight they have made friends and are having a blast. At 3:10 we left Gretna to get to Pierrie's graduation at 4:00. At 4:10 we walked into Pershing, or should I say I tripped into Pershing. That's right, my berks caught on a raised square of sidewalk and in front of millions of Graduate goers I rolled all over the sidewalk. Messing up my bad knee and hurting my wrist. It hurt so bad I didn't even have a chance to feel embarrassed. I got up and walked into Pershing, I am glad Alexis was with me she was my cane for the rest of the afternoon.

The graduation went well, we didn't get close enough to really see Pierrie, but we heard his name and felt his relief.

On the ride home as my knee was swelling up, I couldn't help but hear the words, We fall down, we get up, over and over in my head. I couldn't help but laugh.

Then I got a surprise phone call from my Denise, she told me she had an awesome day, and thanks for praying cause it was really helping. On her trip she saw two signs one about Jesus in the side of a hill. And in a little town she past a store called Lord's furniture. She said God is really good. Keep praying for her and the girls at camp.

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A Privilege to Pray

We are praying for my niece Bailey and her boyfriend Eli who are counseling at Camp River Crest this summer.

This summer we are praying for my cousin Courtney who working in India at Happy Home for the Handicapped. Here is her website if you want to learn about some other awesome kids. http://courtneysell.blogspot.com/

Denise ( with a little help from photoshop.)
And this week we are praying for our friend Denise who is riding in the Bran (Bike Ride Across Nebraska) starting Sunday.

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Frantic Friday

I have tons to get done for Obasi Summer so I recruited Alexis to help me Friday. She did some painting for me, learned to run off copies at OfficeDepot, more painting and then I helped her make a necklace for her tutor Elizabeth who graduates High School Saturday.

Necklace close up.

Miss Sophia enjoyed hanging out with us but wasn't much help. But Sophie is worth her weight in gold, which is quite a bit, because she always makes me smile.

For a treat we went and checked out some art studios

and visited our friend Chris at Studio7. Check it out here. http://studio7lincoln.com/index.html

Alexis found a skirt she loved so she traded Chris for a bracelet that she made. Shaking on the deal.

It was good to be artistically inspired!

I'm A Sixth Grader Now!!!!!

Someone made this amazing cake for the whole 5th grade class. It is a huge bee have, for the Hartley Hornets. During the ceremony a wasp got into the auditorium, the kids didn't think it very cool, but I thought it very fitting, considering the theme and all.

MaShai sittin pretty before the ceremony!

Miss Savanah happy to be moving on to the sixth grade.

MaShai and her certificate.

Both girls have worked very hard this year at school and Obasi, we are very proud of them.

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