The Keene Family

The new continues. We have new going on all over the place! First, JT started martial arts. We had talked to him about doing that this fall, until he can do basketball or something in the winter. It's nice for each child to have an activity. So Haley and I watched from the balcony while he did all sorts of fun things on the mats in the DoJo room. The kids got new umbrellas last week and they were thrilled to have a rainy day to use them for their walk to school. :) Last Thursday, JT was at school and I was at work... and Jim and Haley had to wait for the truck to be ready to pick up, so they had a hot chocolate and strawberry pancakes date! We also had a chance for a cousin to stay home with the kids all day. All the grandparents had prior things going on, and Preston hadn't started school at UW yet. So we asked if he would be willing to come babysit. When I got home from work, Preston and Haley were paying Rummy and listening to worship music. ...

We were blessed to have one day this month we could possibly attend the State Fair in Puyallup, and it all worked out. The weather was beautiful! We took JT out of school because that was the only possible day for everyone else's schedules. We met our friends, the Bonnell family, at the Fair again this year. We were sad to miss our tradition of going with the Schmalz family. Next year! The kids rode several rides each, we watched a draft horse show, we went through the Hobby Hall, and we ate a yummy (albeit overpriced) barbecue lunch. Haley demonstrating she is tall enough to ride most children's rides! They both LOVED the Dragon Wagon. Arms up and smiles!   Treats at the fair we love: scones, Darigold ice cream, and elephant ears! We love our annual trip to the Fair. In fact, I was looking back at old pictures... you can too. :) Click the year below to view previous blog posts from our adventures at the Fair. 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 20...

After waiting a whole year, Haley got to start ballet! She has been looking forward to turning four for many reasons, and this was one of them. Her program is highly recommended and about five minutes from home. We don't get to watch class until October, but we're looking forward to seeing her practice at home... even more than she did before! She will have a recital June 26 or 27, so mark your calendars. :)

It finally happened: Haley got to go to preschool. She's only been waiting, oh, two years. We took pictures before I left for work, and then Jim took both kids to school this morning. He called and left me a voice mail: "Well. It happened. Both our kids are now at school." We're still pretty surprised about that. :) Then I left for work and Haley got to choose breakfast: waffles. She helped, with an apron on, of course. I left work at lunchtime to pick Haley up from school so I could hear all about her day. Here she is by her cubby... ...and outside the building headed to the car. She was so happy to be able to go to school today! She loves her teacher (so do I) and it seems like she has a really great class. We are looking forward to a great year!

It finally arrived: JT's first day of kindergarten. He is AM kindergarten, which, to quote JT, "was not our plan but it was God's plan." We requested to switch to PM so we wouldn't have a pick up conflict with Haley's preschool, but it was not to be. We will depend on the graciousness of friends to wait with Haley while we pick up JT and then head across town to get her from school, a few minutes late. Now JT is required to get up before his body's natural time, and he's having to find joy each morning at 8 AM. This also means we are committed to a 8 PM bedtime! We started the day with pancakes, which was his choice. He wanted to help make them, too. :) Reading a note from Dad, who was already at work We took our annual garage-door picture and I asked him some questions when we got home later. I print these and put them in an album along with the school photo each year. ( Here is last year's .) Back to day one... walking to school...

We are happily grasping at the last glimpses of summer. We went out in the boat on Thursday with friends, and Haley decided to ski. "Will you bring my ski?" she asked Jim earlier in the day. "I'd like to ski today." I love how she just decides and then does it!

We spent Labor Day weekend driving, ferrying, and boating 500 miles (plus a three-hour boat ride, each way) to Young Life's camp Malibu, in Princess Louisa Inlet, British Columbia. In case you're wondering where that is, it is here: Jim and I were blessed to run Kids' Club each evening while the adults focused on their own talk and worship. We had an AMAZING time. Grandpa and Grandma Cole went too, so we had three generations at camp. And that, said a friend, is how it is best spent. I have a whole album of photos with captions here: http://tinyurl.com/kjwgrpv . But some highlights are: The kids' first night in a hotel. I ran the first ever Malibu Half Marathon with five other dedicated runners, in honor of Michelle Robertson and her 50th Birthday Weekend of Dreams. It was a blast! The kids LOVED the pool. We could barely get them out. The pool is heated to a very comfortable temperature and it was so fun to watch Haley jump off the diving board over and over...