Swim Lessons

So the girls did swim lessons the first 2 weeks of July. Kacia has always loved being in the water and can hold her breath for very long periods of time. She can get just about wherever she wants with her head under, behind in the air and feet kicking like crazy. But it was time to learn some strokes. Her class was perhaps a little too challenging for her, but she does well being pushed. They learned a bunch of different strokes, breathing techniques, and even began diving. She loved it, but was exhausted every time since they would swim the full length of the pool many times. She would often say to me, "Why does Sam work us so hard?" But he was a very kind and patient instructor and Kacia came away knowing quite a bit more than she had started with, as well as a little case of swimmer's ear!

Now Rylin has never liked the water. It has been a fairly recent thing for her to even enjoy bath time, so we knew lessons were very needed for her, but also, would not be easy! I opted to do them at 5 so that Kevin could be there with me in case my little blondie caused some problems. And she did... the first 2 lessons she cried, and sometimes even screamed through. But once she learned that her teacher, although she made her dunk her head, would not let her drown- she began to have fun! By the end of the first week she was sad we didn't have lessons on the weekend, and week 2 she had a total blast! I can now not keep her little head above water, she just wants to swim, swim, swim! And this is a very good thing since summers in Redding are best spent in water!

My Sentimental Safeway Club Card

So you know how there are those things in life that you don't even realize you like until you are questioned about them? So I was in Safeway yesterday with all 3 kiddos, frantically picking up a few things before heading to a birthday party I was already late for, when I realized that I was attached to my Safeway clubcard. I have always used my mom's clubcard, and I always just punch in the old phone # without even really thinking about it. And I guess this time the # didn't register when I punched it, so the cashier asked me my #, I say it and he says "that's an invalid #" and I'm instantly puzzled then, he starts to repeat it back, "530.." "no 253..." "Oh, where is that area code?" to which I reply, "washington, it's my mom's" "well, do you want your own?" and I'm instantly struck by the fact, that no I don't want my own! I like the smile it brings to my face when I see her name printed at the bottom of the reciept, I like that the simple act of going to the grocery store reminds me of her, and yes, I know that it has been 7 years, but apparently I'm attached to my Safeway clubcard, or rather my mom's card! But how do you tell the checker all of these thoughts that are so rapidly going through my mind, so I reply "no thanks, not today, maybe sometime when I don't have all 3 kids with me." "totally understandable, thanks Miss Hetland, or rather, Miss Hetland's daughter." to which another smile is instantly brought to my face since I also like the fact that they always call me Miss Hetland, until they notice Burns from my debit card and they are confused every time, and every time I get a silent kick out of it! So there you have it, my attachment issues to a card I don't actually even have in my wallet, but a card I have no intentions of replacing any time soon, and the funny thing is, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Hetland still using it!

My Favorite Place

Me and my boy
Big sis helping her very independent brother

She's looking a little like a child from the 80's with the side ponytail (great for protecting the scalp from sunburn) and bright retro heart bathing suit!

Got to love the sand!

Enjoying some tide pools at Harris State Beach (and no I'm not pregnant, that's the camera case!!!)

Grandma and Grandpa Burns with my 3 and cousin Alayna

Kacia and Sawyer playing in the water

Wow, a mussel, you don't find many of those :)!

My sandman looking for more trouble

Our church family camp this year moved to the Oregon coast. I was thrilled with this decision as the beach is my absolute favorite place to be. It doesn't really matter which ocean or which part of the coastline, there is something totally breathtaking about standing before a body of water that is so enormous it just goes on as far as you can see. Then you add in the sound of the crashing waves and the salty air, and I find myself lost in a world of utter amazement at the enormous and powerful Creator I love and total heartache as I miss my mom. There is no other place that makes me think of her more. My mom loved the ocean. So many of my childhood memories take place in various cities along the Oregon coastline, some good, some not. But there is one constant in all of those family vacations, my mom's huge smile as she would stand ankle deep in the water with her pants rolled up and we would swing my younger siblings up to avoid the waves. She would laugh as we would do it over and over again. There is a very selfish side of me that would love to experience the ocean with her and my kids. So much of what I do with my kids, I do in memory and in honor of her, and we talk about Grandma Michele often, although its not quite the same...
Okay, so I didn't mean to go off on that tangent, I just meant to share pictures with you of our very fun trip to Brookings. Here is a brief taste of the difference in my kids. Kacia- drawn to the water, would run and play in the waves for hours. Also enjoyed the tide pools, holding the various animals. Rylin- scared by a wave the first day, refused to go in the water (by that I mean toes) again until day 3. She would play in the sand for hours, her bathing suit still has sand ingrained into the material that refuses to come out. I think she managed to touch with a starfish with one finger. Lincoln- busy one year old, ate handfuls of sand, driftwood, rocks, etc. When I tried to remove him from eating the sand, by playing in the water, he was quickly distracted, and continued to try to go into the water, further and further. Didn't want to be held, wanted to be down exploring, mostly with his mouth. He was also a big fan of all of the dogs and birds that are found at the beach.

All in all, we had a great time as a family and with our church friends. Sorry this post got so long!

Resolved:

Last week Kevin and I got the incredible opportunity to go to the Resolved Conference in Palm Springs (resolved.org for more details). We spent 5 days together enjoying the ability to talk with one another without interruptions, enjoy peaceful meals, sleep undisturbed, relax by the pool, and most importantly grow in our walks with the Lord together. We sat under awesome teaching that challenged and convicted our hearts. We experienced sweet times of worship and also got to see old friends. There were 4,000 people at the conference and we were able to find our college roommates (who married each other) without even knowing prior to the conference that they would be there! I'm so grateful to Kevin for surprising me with the trip. I must admit when I first discovered that my first time away from all 3 kids would include 10 sermons, I wasn't totally thrilled. But then, when I was there, I realized that this is what it is all about! If my goal as a wife truly is to spur my husband on, if my goal as a mom is to speak truth to my kids, if my goal as a believer is to bring glory to my King- there was no better place to be! We got a great kick in the pants, a refreshing reminder that our life here is a vapor, and it is eternity that we should be preparing for! We do hope to return to the conference in the future, and would love to go down with a group, so start thinking about the last week of June 2010! And a HUGE, HUGE thank you to Grandma & Grandpa who made our leaving the kids possible and stressfree!

Our hotel was connected to the conference center so we didn't get a rental car, which was great but meant walking to town for every meal! We were so glad the weather was so much milder than is typical for the desert, and I suppose the walking was probably needed with all the eating out we did.
Me with my dear friend and college roommate Ali. She and her husband Matt are expecting their 3rd baby in July.

Our Rookie of the Year

After having 8 girl birthday parties, I was happy to plan a boy party!

Can you guess the theme I picked?

Family around the table enjoying our ballpark food of hot dogs, nachos, and peanuts.

Eating the wrapping paper.

The bat that has replaced the blankie the last couple of days. He drags this thing around all day!

He knew exactly what to do with his cupcake!

And he devoured it super fast!

Lincoln is one! And I have no time to write about him because he just woke up from his nap... But can you believe it's been a year already? What an incredible year of God's great goodness! I am truly blessed beyond words! Thank you Lord Jesus!

K's Last Day of School

First day of school- August 18, 2008

Last day of school with 2 of Kacia's good friends Madison and Sophia

Kacia and her extremely wonderful teacher Mrs. Cavagnaro



Okay, so I know school got out at the beginning of the month and I'm running behind, but here they are. The last day of school came upon us so quickly and all of a sudden I am the parent of a 1st grader! As Kevin and I looked back and realized all that Kacia had learned over the year, we were truly amazed. She is reading a lot, writing sentences, and then with everything else- learning the monkey bars, jumping rope, riding her bike, loosing teeth, the list goes on! This has been a big year for our sweet, smart and wonderful daughter!

Our Little Walker

The pictures pretty much speak for themselves- I'm in trouble! This little guy is officially walking- everywhere! He started taking steps on the 8th (a b-day gift for Aunt Sabrina even though she couldn't be here to see him). For the next week he would sometimes walk back and forth to people, if he wanted to. But for the last few days, he is walking around even when no one is egging him on. He'll be standing at the coffee table, see something he wants, and off he goes on his own 2 feet! It's really cute to watch because he keeps his arms up to balance himself and sometimes, when he is halfway to his destination, he stops, claps for himself, and then continues on. The girls are absolutely loving it, they get so excited for him and are by far is greatest fans!
Oh how we love our crazy busy Lincoln!

Rylin's "Short" Hair

So Rylin's hair was starting to get just a little too long in the back, so I decided to pick up some scissors and do a little trimming (Kaitlin- why do you have to live so far away?). I cut over 4 inches off the back, but much to Kevin's delight it is still definitely "long"- just don't tell her that! She thinks her hair is now "short" like Mommy's and Kacia's. If only the rest of her grew as quickly as her hair!

So now you know,,,

So thanks to my incredible husband's thoughtfulness and very kind words (combined with his surprising computer hacking abilities) all of my blog readers now know, that yes, it's official- I am 30. Over this last week I've gotten a lot of "So how does it feel?" "Do you feel older yet?" and to be honest, I feel a little nostalgic to be saying goodbye to a decade that has really shaped my life. So many things have happened in my 20's, so much more "life" took place in these 10 years than I had ever expected. The 4 greatest days of life all happened while I was in my 20's, along with some of the most painful and heartbreaking days. I feel like even 30 years from now, so many of my stories will begin with "Well, when I was 20something..."
Here's a very brief rundown, the highlights and lowlights of a decade in which I learned to love my Savior even more, but still not nearly enough:
20- I married the man who will forever hold my heart
21- Graduated college and got to be Mrs. Burns the teacher
22- Finally began to understand the cries of the Psalms writers, this Earth is not my home
23- My mom went to be with our Lord
24- I became a mom! Kevin and I welcome Kacia into our lives
25- We celebrate 5 years of marriage in Maui
26- Gave Kacia a sister, Rylin is born and sleep becomes a thing of the past
27- Learn that people fail me, I fail my God, but my Lord never does!
28- My dad passes away
29- My family is made complete with the birth of our son, Lincoln
See- a lot happened, and that's just the big stuff, not the day-to-day things of life. So, saying farewell to my 20's is a little bittersweet, but here's to hoping the next decade has a lot more growth with a few less "major" things. Plus, 30 is the new 20, right?!

A Post About My Wife on Her 30th Birthday

Well, in case you haven’t guessed by the title of this post, this is Kevin writing not Jenny. I have decided to hijack her blog today, her 30th birthday. As I think on the number of years Jenny and I have been together, it floors me how quickly it has gone by. I was remembering this morning the day I met Jenny. As the memory has faded slightly in the last 12 years I still remember it quite well.

It was the first day of our first semester at The Master’s College when I first noticed her. I chose my seat in the back of the classroom as I had been doing since elementary school. I was always more comfortable back there & was rarely ever called on to answer questions. Jenny of course, who was on an academic scholarship, sat in the first or second row. As I noticed her, I knew I could never get to know her from the back of the classroom. She was definitely out of my league (and still is), but hey it was a Christian school and it’s not all about looks, right? So, my plan was to continue to inch my way to the front over the next few classes and let my smoothness work from there. Well, as providence would have it I wouldn’t even have to wait for the next class to meet her. My roommate Matt & I went to the computer lab the next day to check his e-mail. There were only 2 seats available and they happened to be right behind Jenny & her roommate Ali (Matt didn’t know that he was meeting his future wife as well when he met Ali). I kept going through my mind on what to say to introduce myself. She actually probably noticed me but only because I had just dyed my hair and it turned this nasty orange color after a bad reaction! I really wasn’t in to e-mail at the time and had yet to start an account. This was my perfect lead in. I asked Matt to help me and I spoke loud enough for Jenny to hear. She turned around & asked me if I wanted some help. SCORE! I didn’t even have to use some cheesy one liner (not that I had one prepared). You could say the rest is history, but not so fast. After talking about being in the same class together she asked if we could share books. Come to find out it wasn’t so much about getting to know me & study at the same time but rather a good way to save 75 bucks. Can you say frugal? Over time, after my orange hair grew back to its normal color & after Jenny had checked out all of her options, we started dating. Sometimes I miss those days where we didn’t do anything but hang out. About 1 ½ years later we were married.

After all of these years I am so thankful to the Lord that he has blessed me by giving me Jenny as my wife. She is still by far the person I’d rather do anything with. You know the question, “if you were deserted on an island, who would you want to be with”? Jenny is not only the person I would pick, but she is also the only person I could live with on that deserted island and not go crazy. I don’t know what I would do without her in my life. As I start to get stressed out she calm’s me down by just being herself. She knows when I want to talk & when I’d rather be quiet. She keeps every aspect of our home in order. Most importantly, she takes time with our awesome kids. She doesn’t just discipline, feed, change and bathe our kids; she takes every opportunity to teach them about our Lord.

I was coming in from our back office late one night last week. Jenny was busy finishing up the dishes after a typical long day. I stopped and watched her through the window for a couple of minutes and thanked God for her. For as beautiful as she was that first time I saw her, she is so much more so even now. I know she isn’t perfect but I know her heart. I know she loves me, I know she loves our children but even more so she loves our Great God. The growing love she has for Him allows her to in turn love me more, despite my faults. I hope we have many more years together and tonight I am so thankful for the time we have had. Happy Birthday Jen!

Just a little off...

So yesterday was Kacia's class' Mother's Day Tea. I had a wonderful time of being pampered by my daughter and entertained by their many songs. However, it also gave me the chance to talk to the TA about the chocolate milk situation, and let's just say I was a little off! It wasn't 15 times that Kacia snuck behind our backs, but rather 33!!! Apperantly chocolate milk is only offered every Tuesday and Thursday, which means that she had been getting it every chance she could for quite awhile!!!
33 times my daughter hid something from us
33 times she chose to be deceitful
33 times she purposefully did something hoping not to get caught
33 times!!!
And who says we aren't born with a nature prone to sin?!
Boy do I have my work cut out for me, good thing I'm not doing this parenting thing all on my own :)

Oh, Just Charge It!

So last week I got a bill from Kacia's cafeteria stating that we owe $8.25. I was sure it was a mistake, Kacia has never once ordered hot lunch. So I asked her about lunch, and no, she'd never had it. As the questions continued coming, the truth, ever so slowing, starting emerging. You see, the school gives each kid and ID # that they can use to "charge" their lunch. I had never bothered teaching Kacia hers because it's quite a long # and I never planned on her needing it. But as she started to confess, I realized that my sweet little girl was "charging" chocolate milks! 15 chocolate milks to be exact! She, like so many others, never thought the day would come when we'd have to pay for the milk, afterall, she just gives them her # and they hand her over a chocolate milk! Oh, so early to be learning the harsh reality (and thus consequences) of charging things!

The Tooth Fairy Comes to Visit- Twice!

So a little over a week ago Kacia lost her first tooth! The pour thing was just hanging there, getting in the way. Kevin gave it a little tug and out it came! Our little girl was ecstatic and the Tooth Fairy made her 1st of many visits to our home.

Then last night after dinner, Kevin was checking on the other very loose tooth, and out it came too! Kacia now has a fairly large "window" in her mouth! She is proudly holding the very weird toy she picked out at Michael's today with her Tooth Fairy money. Silly fairy forgot about tax :)

I'm thinking Kevin and I ought to start saving for braces now.

I must say it is a weird thing to have one kid losing teeth at the same time another is getting them. Oh how much growing and changing we do in the first 5 years of life!

Saying Goodbye to the Highchair

So our highchair is 5 1/2 years old and it is finally time to say goodbye. There are so many pictures I have of each kid with this same chair in the background. The pics of Kacia's first b-day are not digital prints and I couldn't get the scanner to work, so those will have to wait, but here are the other two.

Rylin on her first birthday

Oh, my beautiful baby girl!

Lincoln enjoying the biter biscuit I swore I would never buy again. But hey, when you get desperate enough to cook dinner without tripping over someone who refuses to leave your ankles, it's amazing the sacrifices you make!

Plus, by the innocent look on his face, one just can't imagine the disgusting mess that remains after the biscuit has been finished.

...and this is why I'm getting rid of the highchair! No matter how tight I buckle him in, he finds a way to squirm out of it and stand up. Literally seconds after I took this pic, I made a lifesaving grab! I was able to get a fistful of his pj's before he plummeted to the wood floor head first. (I can't imagine what would've happened if he'd been naked!). All this to say, we've moved on to the chair that sits on a chair, and a tray that touches his belly so he can't stand up (at least not yet!).

The Proof

I took these the day Kacia learned but never got around to posting them. She's all smiles as she makes her loops around the patio.

This is Kacia's biggest fan. He just stands at the slider, banging on it and "talking" to his sisters. The girls love to stand on the other side and wave to him. He seemed to really enjoy Kacia being home for spring break, and now when he sees her for the first time after school, he just lights up!

A Great Read

So it probably won't surprise anyone that I don't read as many books as I would like to these days. I figure if I have a few minutes to read, my Bible should come first. But last week I finished a great, but convicting book. This is the 2nd book of C.J. Mahaney's I have read (well he didn't write all of this book), but they always appeal to me because they are small, but well written. He gets his point across with as few as words as possible. And being that I typically read at night, when my mind is mush, I appreciate that I don't have to think too hard to understand. So if you want to be convicted, or rather, need to be convicted, read this! It's a good kick in the pants, a reminder that once again, this world isn't about us, but our Maker, and choosing to try to live with an eternal perspective, choosing to pursue godliness above all else.

"When we see our lives in light of what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, everything will be different. We won't be enamored of a fallen world that opposes God; it is for such a world that our Savoir died. Nor will we ignore the world, untouched by its God-glorifying potential or unmoved by its needs. Rather, we'll take our plaec in this world, enjoying God's gifts, fulfilling God's purposes and giving our lives to see the gospel proclaimed, sinners saved, and God glorified." Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World

Big Moments for My Biggest Girl

So this Spring Break has been very productive for Kacia. She has mastered the 2 wheeler! She spends a lot of the day outside on her bike just going in circles on the patio. She gets going quite fast and is loving the fact that she can tell and show anyone who is interested her new talent.
She also got a new pair of shoes with laces, which has provided the tool we've needed to learn to tie her own shoes. (Until now, we've kept it to velcro and slip ons for my sanity.) She has been asking to learn, so yesterday we sat down with her new shoes, and she quickly learned this new skill. She's thrilled!
She also has her first loose tooth, well make it 3 loose teeth! Oh, my baby is growing up!!!

My LIttle Guy

So here is Lincoln sportin' his new buzz in his Easter outfit. Maybe, just maybe, he won't need another haircut in a few weeks. (This makes cut #5, we just keep getting shorter and shorter!)

I didn't manage to get a pic of the girls in their dresses, but Grandma did, so atleast I'll get them documented in the scrapbook. I love that I spent $2.50 on each of their baskets and they were totally thrilled! With all of the egg hunts, I refuse to put more candy in their baskets, so they got bubbles, a notebook and coloring book. The baskets were a project we had to do for Kacia's class and we liked making it so much (and I likes how economical they were) that we did a milk jug bunny for Rylin too. This just may be a tradition we end up doing every year!

Egg Hunts

So on Saturday morning, the girls and I, along with Breanna's family and 1/2 of Redding went to Simpson college to watch eggs fall from a helicopter. It is perhaps not the best idea since the majority of the eggs crack upon landing, but it was still a fun and unique experience.

Later that day we met up with friends from church for our 2nd annual egg hunt. Thanks to our good friends, the Schneiders, who organized it and planned out various egg themed games, we once again had a blast. It is so much fun to get all of the egg hunts and candy done with on Saturday so that Sunday can be free from distractions, and truly about Easter!

A Good Friday

So with Kacia in school every day this year, and all of the various sicknesses our families have had this past season, I honestly don't remember the last time that Sawyer and Kacia got to play together. So on Friday, to initiate the start of Spring Break, Megan and the boys came over for some Easter fun. We colored eggs and made cupcakes that looked like baskets, but mostly we just enjoyed the great gift of good friends! I know it wasn't a very "spiritual" themed Good Friday, but on a day that can bring great sadness mixed with joy as we contemplate the heartbreaking sacrifice our Savior endured for us, it was good to bring a little fun to the day. The girls definitely know that Easter isn't ultimately about eggs and bunnies. We've been talking a lot about it and Kevin read the Resurrection story for devotions, and somehow, as we've been going through the ABC memory verse book, we landed on F this past week, which happens to be John 3:16. So fitting, huh!