WALL-E

The kids got a free Wall-E watch.


Yesterday was a cloudy day. Not good beach weather at all. So we packed the kids and headed to Houlton to see the new movie Wall-E. Houton is about an hour away. The theater itself was pretty amazing. The Temple Theater is the oldest continuously run theater in the state of Maine. The origional fixtures were still there and the balcony seats were really awesome.

Wall-E itself was good. Here are a the spoilers. Wall-E is a robot whose job is to clean up after humans who have left earth on a space vacation. The earth however was so trashed the vacation that was suppose to be 5 years ends up turning into 700 years. Wall-E is busy cleaning earth when Ev-A another robot arrives on earth to find forms of life. She finds Wall-E who immediately falls in love with her. She also finds a plant that she quickly delivers back to the space ship where all humans are living. The humans do nothing...literally nothing. They don't even walk, they are shuttled around by hover crafts. They are very large,overweight and disconnected from each other. After discovering life is sustained on earth plans to go home are disrupted by robots out to stop the humans. The humans succeed with the help of Wall-E and Ev-A. They do return to earth and they all live happily ever after.

The first 45 minuets of the movie or so is nothing but Wall-E on earth and Ev-A. They say two words over and over the whole time "Wall-e" and "Ev-A". I was glad when they finally left earth and there were humans with some dialogue. The kids really enjoyed it and we had a fun day out of the house!

Check out our boys!

Check on our boys at my friend's site. She took some really great shots of them the other day. She's so talented! For those of you who know my boys well you'll see just how great a job she did at capturing their little personalities.

http://www.susenphotography.blogspot.com/

Leonard's Mill Trip

Leonard's Mills is the centerpiece of the Maine Forest and Logging Museum,Inc. Leonard's Mills is at the actual site of an early pioneer settlement, identified by the remains of a stone dam and the foundations of several houses.Today, Leonard's Mills is "alive" once again, as the Museum is represented by an authentic reconstruction of a logging and milling community of the 1790s. (take from http://www.leonardsmills.com/)

The kids had so much fun on their trip to Lenard's Mill today. They got to experience what life might have been like in the 1790's. They viewed tools, equipment,toys, and people that were part of the pioneer and lumbering periods.

Below are some pics of the day

Check Out Big Daddy Now!!

So awhile back I posted about our tadpole and commented on one named big daddy. Well he's back for an update. As you can see he's grown front legs and is looking so much more frog like don't you think? The boys are anxiously awaiting the loss of his tail. The other tadpoles are developing too, just not as fast as "big daddy"

What's a date??

Peter and I haven't really gone on many dates. First we didn't date before we got married...ok one date right before we got married at a hot dog place and to pick out our wedding rings...but I don't know if that is considered as a real date. LOL Living far from family we don't have a lot of babysitter options and living in the sticks there aren't a lot of date destinations. But it was time to get creative. We are blessed to have some close friends up the road who have offered there services to watch our kids anytime. So last night we took them up on it. We brought the kids over to their place and came back for movie night at home. We watched the Bourne Identity (really good movie, that we had never scene before) I made some popcorn and chocolate covered strawberries (try finding those at the concession stand at the theater) I must say it was strange without the kids because I think I can count on my hands how many times Peter and I have been anywhere without them. We didn't have to keep getting up to get someone a drink, or break up a dispute because someone was standing in front of the tv. It was really nice. It was nice to have some "us" time. I planned this one and next time it's the hubby's turn. On the way to drop off the boys Elijah said "What's a date?" Isaiah answered him and said "A date is when you take your wife dancing" So maybe next time we'll go to The Pellerin's School of Dance for some lessons.

Out with the Old and In with the New

The woodstove is in! I must say that I think it is much for fitting for our log home. I love how it looks and I can't wait to sit in front of it on a cold Maine winter! Some friends of ours put it in for us and they did an awesome job. If you live in the Washington County area and need some masonary, floorig, roofing or addidtions done, we know some great guys!

Baked Kitty Anyone?

So the woodstove is in the house, just not installed. It must already look nice and cozy because our cat, Tiger was found hanging out inside. I hope he doesn't get used to it or we'll be having crispy kitty for dinner this winter!

There's a hole in my house!

We are having a wood stove put in. (oil prices are choking us). We did have a propane fire place but we took that out. That ended up creating more work than we bargained for. When they took the fireplace out there was a hole in my house. So we had to figure out what to do with the hole from the vent. I knew we had some extra logs in our garage. So the guys (Jon and Aaron) went up and started working. Below is the before....



It was not as easy as 123. Let's just say the final result was a product of backing a truck into my house! Here some after pictures...

" I want a steak"

For Father's day we bought Peter an anchor for the boat. He's wanted one for awhile now so when he goes fishing he just drop anchor in the cove and relax. He loved it. After church the day was up to him. He decided he wanted to head to Bangor for lunch and and mini golfing. He declared "I want a steak". We went to the Texas Roadhouse. It was a blast in there. We had never been before. The kids had so much fun chucking peanut shells on the floor (totally encouraged by the staff)and joining in with some line dancing. Peter did get his steak and by the silence while he eat it must have been really good. Isaiah got french fries and mac and cheese and Elijah got "crispy critters" aka chicken tenders. I opted for the bbq ribs and they were amazing. After the meal Peter got to go "fishing" for Father's day to win a prize. He one a free appetizer...next time we'll save space for that. It was raining when we left the restaurant so we headed to the movies "the Incredible Hulk". It was...ok. It was very LOUD. The Hulk was HUGE and very GREEN! I thought it was scary, but the "boys" liked it. We had a great day.



Time to Dance

1 2 3 clap

All stuffed and happy

Fishing for a prize

Happy Father's Day

My Grandfather "Pa"
All my memories of my grandfather are happy ones. He was a man of compassion. He always knew just how to comfort someone in any situation. He always had a kind word, a gentle touch, a funny story to tell. I always felt so safe with him. I always felt so loved. He was a man of faith, and loved to talk about God's faithfulness. He was a family man. He loved his wife, and all his children. "Pa" made sure the people around him knew he loved loved them, he never held back. He made each of us feel like we alone were the most important person in his life, yet at the same time knowing he loved us all alike. As I write this I am overwhelmed with missing him,because I just loved him so much. It's been so long since he went to heaven but it seems like yesterday he was sitting in his lawn chair at Popham Beach. So on this Father's Day I remember him and can't wait to be reunited with him in our Father's Kingdom!



My Dad
I owe a lot to my Dad. He has always encouraged me to do what is right. He only wanted what is best for me. He believed in my potential before I knew I had any. My Dad is a hard worker. He works hard to provide for his family. There were 7 kids in my family. That's a lot of mouths to feed, a lot of "cool" sneakers to buy, a lot of school things to attend, a lot of molding to do. I never lacked for anything. I may not have gotten everything I wanted, but I always had everything I needed. Even in those difficult teenage years I always valued what my dad thought. I didn't want to disappoint him. I am so thankful for all the times I was headed down to the wrong path and that my dad stepped in. For that display of love I am forever grateful to him. He taught me to love your children is not always to please them but rather to guide them on the right path! I love you DAD!



My Husband

My husband is a man of few words, but a man of convictions. He isn't a man marked by prestige, status, or popularity. He is a man marked by faith in Jesus. I often meet people who know him through work and they use such words as "dependable, honorable,a great guy, hard worker,a nice "fella". It always makes me smile when I hear of his reputation. He isn't a man concerned with climbing the corporate ladder, buying bigger and better to keep up with the "Jone's", or doing typical guy things. He is quick to come home to his family. He enjoys to be with his wife and his boys. The time we spend together will leave memories, lessons, and values that could never be bought.I read a statistic that the average American Father spends about 3 minuets of "quality time" a day with his children. Investing in our kids is so important to my husband. My boys certainly have a man of God to look up to everyday of their lives. Both my boys even at their young ages talk about how they can't wait to get married and have a family. They want to be a dad like their dad. I am so thankful the example my husband is to my sons and to other men.

So happy Father's Day to all the Dad's. And remember no earthy dad is perfect. But we have a Heavenly Father who is perfect in all His ways and loves us with in an extravagant love. 1John 4:9 says In this the love of God was revealed in us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.

Baby James!

Happy 1st Birthday to James

So we live out in the sticks and both of our families live far. But the Lord has blessed us with friends that have become like family who live right up the road. Today was baby James' first birthday party. We've watched him grow right before our eyes into a little man. We love him right to pieces! It was so awesome to celebrate with our friends Josh and Amy.

The Father seeks such to worship Him

Photo by Sara Susen

Elijah is a little worshiper. He loves to sing. He so cute because even if he doesn't know the words he will hum along and insert words he thinks sound good. He has his favorite songs and his ultimate favorite he will tell you is "He came from heaven to earth" aka "Lord I lift your name on high". He knows every line and when we are listening in the car he'll request to play it over and over. The song has actually brought up many questions "what does debt mean?" "where is heaven?" "what is a grave" It's so amazing that a 4 year old can grasp the gospel better than some adults. Yesterday we were talking about debt. We then discussed sin. I asked Elijah "what is sin?" and he said "it's the bad things we do, when we don't do good". I asked him to tell me some of his sins to see if he could apply it personally. He replied "when I fuss (this is what we call it when he whines for his own way), when I don't share, being bad to Isaiah" I thought it was pretty awesome that my 4 year old could recognize the sin in his life. Again that's more than I can say for some adults. So when he sings the song "Lord I lift you name on High" he can sing it with praise and understanding and that's what the Lord is looking for John 4:23 says But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

Isaiah getting a grip Hold on tight Elijah Today was a perfect day to fly a kite. We bought kits at Mardens awhile back but had not had the chance to use them. Today was perfect. Sunny and bright, and windy. The boys got the hang of it pretty quick! We were so blessed with such a beautiful day. We also got a chance to meet our neighbors We've been here for over a year and haven't really met too many people in this itty bitty town. But the kids are out for summer vacation and they were up at the school while there mom was doing some summer cleaning. The kids had so much fun playing tag and swinging on the swings. We gave them an open invitation to come over anytime. So that will be really great for the kids this summer to have the kids walk through the "woods" to come and play!

Silly Kitty

We have two cats, Tiger a big orange tiger cat, and Lily a little "Bangal" (so they tell me) cat. These cats love it at our house, they have total reign. We have cathedral ceilings and exposed log beams that run across the main room. The cats love climbing on these beams. The other day, however, Lily decided it would be a nice spot to take a nap. We laughed so much at her because it didn't seem like the safest or most comfortable place to take a nap. We do get a lot of enjoyment out of these cats. Peter really wanted me to post the picture of her...silly kitty!

Old Friends,still good times!

Do you have those kind of friends in your life that go way back? And these are the kind of friends that years can go by before you see each other but when you do you just pick up where you left off like time hasn't gone by? I hope you do. We have such friends. We had some good friends come up and spend the day with us. We had such a great day catching up and just enjoying hanging out together. We took the boat out to Big Lake again. We ate lots of food, the kids went swimming, did some fishing, and did lots of talking. How blessed to have such friends in our lives. Here are some highlights.


Boys will be boys

I caught a super cute girl

Peter caught a Bass....Jon diced him, cooked him, and ate him!

Happy Couple Jon and Tab


Happy Couple Pete and Bethany

They swam all day!

Look what I have!

It's HOT, time to go swimming!

So today was HOT and muggy. We took our first trip out to Big Lake of the season. We love it there. There are beaches you can only get to by boat and they are just so nice, undisturbed with if you know what I mean. The water was cold, but try telling that to the boys. In they went! They had so much fun! They swam all afternoon! We really enjoy these times that we can spend together as a family and just enjoy!


Happy Boys in their bathing suits


Our Humble Boat We just LOVE it


Big Lake


Peter insisted on taking my picture....I was happy so I said "hurry up"

Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

Isaiah has finally finished his study of Ancient Rome. For the past 2 weeks we have been working on a history pocket project. Each pocket has a theme dealing with Ancient Rome. Then contained in each pocket are various projects and important information. Some of the things presented in the pockets were a little above Isaiah's grade level, but I was pleasantly surprised to see him very interested and if there was something he didn't understand he wanted to know more. He especially loved the hands on projects. What a journey we have taken this year in our History studies. Below are some photos of the each pocket


The front of the book


Introduction: Timeline, Mt.Vesuvius, Roman Empire Map


Daily Life: Child's Bulla (given to Roman children sort of like a modern day locket)
A Recipe Book (nothing we would eat...grilled eal anyone?) A dog Mosaic


Government: The twelve tablets (basic rules to live by Isaiah had to determine if he thought the law was fair or unfair) Rulers Julius Cesar and Augustus, The Senate


Education: Basic virtues to live by (Isaiah noticed how our English words got their names from Latin words), Roman Numerals, Wax tablet


The Roman Army: Soldiers Armor, Shield with emblem,Eagle Standard


Religion and Mythology: Roman gods, legends, the pockets barely mentioned Jesus and we decided we needed to add the most important event in all of history, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins (Elijah actually colored the cross)


Engineering: The Roman roads and arches


Entertainment: Chariot races and gladiator fights