Priorities

Today while Frances was at the gym, I decided to take Abigail to lunch. Her favorite restaurant is "the rice bowl" (Flame Broiler), and we don't go there often because Frances doesn't care for it. Abigail is at a stage where she defers to Frances in everything, including food choices. So I let Abigail choose where we would eat, knowing where we would end up. There is a Flame Broiler near our house, in downtown Anaheim. As I got near downtown, I realized that today is the weekly Farmer's Market, and the street we wanted would be closed. Instead, we used the parking structure by City Hall, and walked through the Farmer's Market.

Abigail was fascinated by it all, and we bought some fruit from a stand, after she'd had a free sample. She was charmed by the man playing the steel drum in the plaza, and watched him for a long time. When we reached Flame Broiler, Abigail asked me if we could eat our lunch by the fountain. It's one of those fountains that shoots water up into the air, and is flat on the ground so that children can walk in it (don't know if they are supposed to, but they can). We got our rice bowl to go, and sat near the fountain to eat. Several children were playing in the fountain by this time, and Abby could not keep her eyes off of them. We were supposed to go grocery shopping after lunch, but as I watched my little girl, I realized that this was one of those times that errands and other obligations should take a back seat to fun.

Once Abigail finished eating, she moved closer to the action. I told her that she could play in the water, but she seemed unsure. At first, she just stood near the water jets, then crept forward. The first time she got wet, she came dashing back to me, a huge smile on her face. It wasn't long before she was soaked, and was thoroughly enjoying herself.

Eventually, it was time to go home and change into dry clothes so that we could go pick up Frances. Abigail skipped, dripping wet, back to the car, talking about her experience the entire way. In the parking structure, I undressed her (we had to giggle about her riding home while she was nakey) and wrapped her in a small blanket I happened to have in the back. After a change of clothes at home, Abby fell asleep in the car. I was so glad that I did not stick to my schedule. We can drag Frances with us and go to the grocery store later, and it was wonderful to see Abigail getting to be her loud, joyful little self, having so much fun in the fountain. I love summer.

Little Girls' Day Out

This week, Frances has had gymnastics every day from 9:00 - 2:00. Abigail and I always have plenty of errands to run, and she is happy when we can stay at home so she can watch videos of her choosing. Usually, I tell the girls that they have to choose a movie that they both like, and Abigail defers to Frances (because she wants to be Frances). So when Frances is at gym, Abby can watch Blue's Clues, Barney, Diego, all of the preschool videos that Frances used to watch at this age (but she'll never admit it). The family of one of Abigail's best friends has passes to Knott's Berry Farm, and so do we, so last Tuesday morning, the little girls had a play date there.

We've been to Knott's with this family before (Karley's older brother Colby is Fran's best buddy) but what typically happens is that I take the ten-year-olds and go on the roller coasters, and Karley's mom takes her three younger children and Abigail to Camp Snoopy. But this time, it was all about the little kids. Karley and Abigail had a ball!

The day was very warm, but we got there when the park opened at 10, and stayed about three hours. You can see from the photos that Abby and Karley are equally matched in silliness! They laughed and shrieked on the rides, showed how "brave" they were by putting their hands up in the air.... it was darling. We rode the airplanes, the balloons, the little train, the cars, the "Log Peeler" (scrambler, mini-size), the crazy bus, the rocking & spinning boat, the trucks, the merry-go-round, and the log ride. I had brought a water bottle, as Abigail gets overheated really easily (you can see her warm little face on the merry-go-round), and at one point, I poured water over the children's heads!

When we picked up Frances at the gym that afternoon, she was a little jealous until I reminded her that her friend Colby had not been there, and we only rode the "little kid" rides. We're hoping to go again next week with all of the kids, so I will probably be riding those big coasters. Xcelerator, here we come!

Surfer Girl

Our friend Ken Gordon offered to teach Frances how to surf, and we jumped at the chance. The Gordons live at the beach, and Ken & his boys surf almost daily in the summer. We met them down at Bolsa Chica at 8 a.m. and although she was a little chilly without a wetsuit, Frances had a ball!




Abigail played in the waves, used a stick to draw letters, and made sandcastles. But she can hardly wait until she can learn to surf like her big sister!

Yosemite!

What a great trip! It was short - only Saturday to Tuesday - but we managed to pack it full of fun and adventure. We went to Yosemite National Park, where Frances was a junior bridesmaid in a wedding.

Along the long, long drive, we stopped at a place called Bravo Farms. The signs intrigued me, and when we saw a sign that told of a petting zoo, we just had to check it out. They have wine tasting, a cheese factory, a fruit stand, and a shaded courtyard with an incredible 6-story treehouse. They also have animals that the children can touch: donkeys, a goat, a sheep, and chickens, a turkey, and rabbits for looking at.

The whole place is barely off the highway, and looks like an old-time mining town. We had to mail birthday cards, so we found the local post office, and the town itself is called Traver. In the courtyard of Bravo Farms, there are all sorts of antiques and lawn ornaments, as well as funny signs ("I child-proofed the house... but they still got in") and some old motorcycles that the kids can sit on. What a terrific place! We made sure to stop there on the way home, too.


We arrived in Yosemite late Saturday afternoon, and checked in to our room at the Lodge. Traffic to simply get into the park and reach our destination was terrible, so we quickly figured out how to use the free shuttle. Our car stayed put until we left! Sunday morning, we got up and started seeing the incredible sights of Yosemite. Our favorite place was Happy Isles, where there are several naturally occurring island in the middle of a roaring river. It's all connected by bridges. The water is ice-cold. In fact, all of the waterways and falls were full, to the point that the rivers were closed to rafting. We had a long, wet winter, which means lots of snow to melt. It was a treat to see all of the waterfalls! I made the girls come with me to the nature center at Happy Isles, and although they were reluctant (Frances was sure it would be boring), we all had a great time with the interactive displays.

The wedding rehearsal was Sunday afternoon, and afterwards we all went to the Upper Pines campground for a dinner of hamburgers & hot dogs (and grilled corn on the cob with garlic & parmesan - yum!). David let Frances help him at the grill. She was thrilled to be doing this "adult" activity.


Monday morning, the Bushnell girls went out again, this time to see Yosemite Falls. It was close to the Lodge, so we walked there. There is a loop trail that goes through the woods, something my city girls never get to see at home. The shuttle was full every time it passed us, so we walked... and walked.... and walked from one place to another. We hiked across a meadow (another thing Frances did not want to do, but she was glad I made her do it!) and saw the little chapel, crossed the river on a bridge, and finally wound up at the Village where we shared milkshakes. Then it was back to the Lodge for a quick dip in the pool (with a view of Yosemite Falls) and a quick nap before the wedding.


Michele and Evan's wedding was on the lawn of the Ahwahnee Hotel, and it was just beautiful. The reception was a lot of fun, and Frances forgot about being so grown up, as she played Ring Around the Rosy with the many little ones at the reception.


Tuesday morning, we had a leisurely breakfast and checked out of the Lodge. We packed the car, but left it in its parking space, and did some last minute sight-seeing. We revisited Happy Isles, where Frances ventured out onto some rocks in the river. Abigail could not understand why I would not let her go too! It has something to do with balance, but she had to be content with the promise that she can do it when she is ten! Next, we had to go shopping. My Franny loves to shop! After lunch, we headed out of the park. On the way, we stopped at Bridalveil Falls. The falls were so full of water that you got soaked by mist just going up the trail to the viewpoint!

Also on the way out of the park, we stopped at Tunnel View, which is a scenic view point from which you can see all of Yosemite Valley. It was beautiful! I think it's so good of God to put a whole bunch of amazing things so close together, so we can see them all in a few days.

The drive home seemed like it would never end, but we finally reached our house about 11:30 Tuesday night. It was a good trip!

Family Camp 2011

We wait for it the whole school year; it keeps us going, and when it's finally time to go to camp, we know that summer has begun. Family Camp, at Intervarsity Christian Fellowship's Campus by the Sea on Santa Catalina Island. Such an incredible place.

This year we were in a tent, the closest tent to the shore. At night, we fell asleep listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore, rolling the rocks over one another as the water slipped back out to sea. Several nights, we heard seals barking, and this year there were deer and bison in camp when things were quiet. We also saw a bald eagle, who seems to have taken up residence in a tall tree in the middle of the fairway.

It was quite a nice little home for the Bushnell girls for the 7 days and 6 nights of camp. Thanks to Carrie's ingenuity last year, we were prepared this summer with a string of solar-powered night lights. We barely used the lantern this year. While we weren't near the bathroom pavilion, there was an outhouse close enough to our tent for those middle-of-the-night trips. This year, there were blessedly few of those, as the girls wore themselves out during the day, and slept hard all night.

Frances took the swim test, as she does each year. This summer, she decided to use one of the camp's wetsuits in the chilly water. Doesn't she look gorgeous? I was so proud of my strong, healthy California surfer girl. She said that the water was warmer this year than last, and I think she was right.

On Wednesday, campers are given the option of spending part of the day in the tiny city of Avalon (one square mile, and the only city on the island). This year, Frances and I decided to do the hike. It leaves at 7 a.m., is 1.5 miles uphill and 4.5 miles downhill. Fran's friend James and his dad went on the hike as well, and his mom took Abigail and Emily (almost 6 years old) into Avalon on the boat at 9:30. The hike was far more difficult than I had thought it would be, and the combination of an out-of-shape, asthmatic mom who is recovering from whooping cough and is having hip pain was not a good thing! Frances and our friends were very encouraging, and once we reached the top, I was fine. Hiking downhill is much easier! We got to see some incredible views, and watched folks doing a zipline through the canyons. We reached Avalon about an hour after the folks who'd come by boat, and our feet were tired. Frances has said that there is no way she is hiking next year! But it's nice to have done it. We spent a relaxing couple of hours in Avalon, and the children all had ice cream before we caught the boat back to camp.


Although Abigail was taking a two- to three- hour nap each afternoon, we still found the time to play at the waterfront. Frances was on her own each afternoon, and went on hikes with friends and counselors while Abigail snoozed. One afternoon, I managed to get all three of the Bushnell girls into a kayak, and we went over to Little Gallagher's cove to float above the kelp forest. Abigail and I looked at the bright orange garibaldi fish, and Frances plucked sea snails off of the kelp leaves.

Abigail made herself at home quickly at camp, and loved (and bossed) her camp counselors. By the end of the week, the worship team had learned one of Abigail's favorite songs (she kept requesting "Jesus' Love is a Bubblin' Ovah") and she even got to sit and watch the power point computer during the slide show and singing!


Frances was so pleased to have one of the same camp counselors as last summer, Whitnee. I was pleased to have such amazing college kids working with my children. These camp counselors are unashamed of their faith, and my Frances learns so much about walking with God, just by watching Whitnee and the other counselors. Last summer, Frances did not want to do much singing, and certainly did not want to dance at the square dance. This year, I reminded her that she would have a great time at camp if she let herself enjoy it. And whether she took my advice, or whether it was from spending time with her counselor (who was a singer on the worship team and also demonstrated the dance steps), Frances spent the week singing. She even danced! She joined Abigail in the Chicken Dance and the Hokey Pokey, then consented to be my partner in the Virginia Reel and another dance in which you move to the next partner every 32 counts. I let her stay later for the swing dancing while I put Abigail to bed. That night, Frances crept into bed with me to tell me she had danced with some of the counselors, and to ask questions about why boys ask some girls to dance and not others. My little girl is growing up, and these times are so precious.

It was such a blessed week, as it always is. This is the one thing that we do every summer, without fail, because I believe that it is an investment in my children's future. The memories we make at camp, the things we learn, the friendships we develop, and the time spent as a family are things I wouldn't ever trade. Frances is beginning to talk about working at camp someday. I can't think of a more valuable way for her to spend 7 weeks once she is 18. Oh, and our verse this summer was John 10:10 - "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Bathing beauties

Now that it is officially summer, we are spending as much time in the water as we possibly can! The most convenient location is the backyard pool at Dave & Zenia Hunter's (a.k.a. Grandpa & Grandma Hunter). And although I am extremely careful about putting sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 all over my daughters, they have both become brown as nuts in no time flat.

Each girl bagged a few new bathing suits this summer, as last year's models were completely worn out. Abigail has mostly hand-me-downs, and they are pretty darn cute. Frances and I hit some great sales, and she has decided to begin wearing two-piece bathing suits (that are modest enough for my tastes and do not come off when she dives into the pool). After all, Bethany Hamilton of "Soul Surfer" wears a two-piece bathing suit, so Frances is going to wear one.

Abigail has a darling one-piece bathing suit with cherries on it, which makes her look like a child from the 1940s. However, she tends to make frequent trips to the bathroom (is she drinking the pool water?) so a two-piece is usually the wisest choice. Working a wet bathing suit off and on to her little body is not an easy task!

Abigail has learned that by positioning herself on a floating styrofoam noodle, she can "swim" quite well. We stay close by her, but she is quite independent and paddles around the pool like a cheerful little otter. Frances and I are trying to teach Abby some basic swim techniques, but for now, the noodle is working.

Now that Abigail is a little older, she can play more in the pool. She throws all of the toys into the pool, and then swims along, clinging to her noodle, watching Frances and I retrieve the toys from the bottom! The girls are better friends this summer, and enjoy each other more than they ever have.