EFY, 4th of July, and Why we don’t do PETS
EFY
Kayla went with her friend Merritt (and cousins Jared and Ian) to EFY in Columbia, Missouri this week and had an amazing time!
Marisa went to Iowa City this week for youth conference!
Bob, Tyler, Alayna, and I went to Missouri to pick Kayla and Merritt up. We stayed at a hotel overnight and took the kids swimming. It was a long trip, but fun to get away from Iowa for one night.
Independence Day
Corey and Hal came up to help us finish up the house from our flood. The downstairs is now completely finished- painting done, baseboards on, and NEW recessed lighting that dims put in! They also helped with all our giant list of things to do around the house including: fixing the floorboards, yard work, etc. It feels so great to get stuff done!!! I also completely reorganized the storage room, shed, garage, and laundry room. Whoohoo!
We also took time out for fun. We played tennis, and went on a fun bike ride to and around the Cedar Lake! We also went to a friend’s house for a firework show!
Why we don’t do pets
So, first of all, this is why I don’t go into pet stores.
I SWORE I would never do pets again. We do NOT have a good track record!! Alayna has been BEGGING for a guinea pig. Well, Tyler came home from scout camp with 2 tadpoles he is supposed to take care of and keep alive for his Nature Badge. So, he asked us to go to get meat pellets for them. While we were at the store, Alayna was going nuts over the animals. To be fair, she has never really had a pet. So, I said no on the guinea pig but I “might” go for fish. She got so excited and I wanted to kick myself. Anyway, we ended up at Walmart (cause Im cheap) and bought a fish bowl and 4 fish (3 common goldfish and 1 fancy one). I warned her that I have a tendency to kill them, but she was so determined and excited that I gave in. We named them Tiffie, Jeffrey (a girl), Fintastic, and Sophia (the fancy fish).
By morning, Fintastic was dead. Then, Jeffrey started floating sideways and was dead mid-morning. Alayna was bawling! She wrote a 3 page eulogy to give at the toilet and made a headstone to post on our potty as well. Then, when Tyler was cleaning the tadpole bowl, he unknowingly crushed Max and killed him. The next 2 days were touch and go but by the time we got back from Missouri, Tiffie was dead. So, now only Sophia-Jeffrey(the fancy fish) and Speedy (the tadpole) remain. Stupid pets!
*Tyler, Kayla, and Marisa just left for teen week in Illinois. Hoping they have an amazing time!
Misc pics:
Mocassins Tyler made) 
(Barbie mall Alayna set up on Marisas bed when she was at YC)
(Marshmallow guns!)
