First Day of School

My driveway greeting!
Totally psyched about 1st and 4th Grade

Kate and her teacher

Ben and his teacher

We kicked off the school year on Wednesday this week. Kate and Ben were both so excited and Doug and I were loving that! We could not have asked for a better day for both of them. They love the teachers that they have this year, they each have a few of their buddies in their rooms, and we are ready to dive in for another exciting year of learning!!! I can't wait to see what God has instore for both of them this year......watching it all unfold is such an amazing blessing as the parent. I know at times, there are days when they are driving each other crazy (and maybe even Doug and I at times (-;) but as I stood there, watched them hold up their "1st grade and 4th grade" fingers, I could not help but think......WOW, this time is going by way too fast! How can this be???

My friend Stephanie quoted a note in her blog this past week about something that her friend had once told her....."there are LONG days, days that seem like they will never end, but the years.....they are so short...."

I couldn't help but think that, and pray that as Kate and Ben continue to grow that I find myself cherishing those days/moments more and more as the years go by here at the Cairney house!

I love you kiddo's -- have an amazing year of school!

xoxox -- Mom

VBS - 2011 - Wild for Jesus!!!!

Sporting the new t-shirts
We thought it was so cool that there was a "tiger" jeep on stage!

the countdown for closing

I know that we had VBS in July - but I could not forget to post a few comments regarding how much we enjoyed our Wild for Jesus week. Every year, I think to myself, "this was just the best year ever" and then the next year, I feel the same way. I was able to help shephard a few of the days and I always get so much out of seeing the Holy Spirit just fill those 2,000+ kids up each and every day. Just them hearing over and over how much God loves them immediately puts a HUGE smile on their little faces, and watching them jump, sing, dance, and yell at the top of their lungs about how much they love him just totally gets to me! At closing each night, we sang the song "We believe" and the tears were just rolling down my cheeks as I stopped and looked around the room at all of the children --- singing their hearts out to the "One true GOD" - the energy in the room was so intense! The themes for the week were: Thank God, Follow God, Trust God, Believe God and LOVE GOD -- which is what we all strive to do each and every day.

In case you are all wondering, Kate and Ben had an amazing time too!! (-: They especially love watching the "big guys/gals" dance, sing and praise with all of them -- that is totally COOL!!! Thanks Hope for another fantastic week of VBS - you guys are amazing!!!

Summer Fun

This was one of the funniest things that I saw all Summer -- even though the weather was fairly mild, we did have a couple of weeks of the heat/humidity!

Kassi, Ben & Kate -- proudly displaying their sign

We were very blessed this summer to be able to have our friend Kassi entertain the kids a few days a week while I was at work. They had a blast! Their days were filled with trips to the pool, the park, the library, movies, the bowling alley, picnics, and countless hours of playing board games (they became expert "LIFE" players). We decided to make Kassi a sign for her last day, decorating it with all of their favorite memories of the summer. Ben and Kate created the entire thing - it looked GREAT! As the Mom, it was always such a relief to come home, knowing that they had a fun day together....thanks again Kassi for everything -- we so appreciated it!

Iowa State Fair

Enjoying the morning at the Fair
The biggest pumpkin 1,295# -- WOW!

To start off our week of vacation, we spent Sunday morning at the Fair. We all decided to go, even though I offered Doug the "out" for the day (-: He was a great sport, and at times, even appeared to enjoy himself! The weather was absolutely perfect, our choice of treats delicious (cheese curds, a hot beef mashed potato sundae, a hot dog, ice cream/cookie sandwiches, and a salted nut roll) and all of the fun events that the Fair has to offer. Tops for the kids was the farrowing barn with all of the baby animals, the horse show, the butter cow, the biggest boar, the biggest pumpkin (who would have guessed that this would end up weighing more than the boar by about 100#??) - CRAZY! and of course all of the tattoo's in the varied industries building. Kate and I have decided that for some reason, her and I LOVE the fair and everything about it, so next year, we will just make it a "girls" outing! With the boys doing something else that they love that day (:

As we were leaving Doug managed to completely crack me up, as he often does with his charming wit. The kids were saying "thanks for taking us, thanks for the treats, etc.,.etc.,. and Doug says, "Mommy, really what we should be thanking you the most for is for letting us leave!!!!" -- Just love that guy!!!

Meeting Miss Scarlet

We really wore her out on our first visit!
Aunt Wendi, Kate, Miss Scarlet and Ben

Getting a little towel off before heading home -- kind of muddy playing in the park!

Saying our first "hello's"

a little idea of the sandbagging from the floods

The kids love to get up to Pender for a few days every summer. It worked out that they were able to stay with Papa and Nanny for a few days last week. We had decided to meet and exchange the kids in Mo. Valley and invited Aunt Wendi and their new puppy to come also. We have been dying to meet her and have not been able to buzz over to Omaha since she arrived at the Loftis home on the 4th of July. Miss Scarlet is about 12 weeks old, a golden retriever and ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE if you can't tell -- we love her!!! The kids did great helping out with the leash, walking her, feeding her snacks, etc.,. we are ready to puppy sit any time (-:

Kate -- Summer camp

Playing on of her new favorite games -- Philistines

Her cabin for the week

Closing program songs

Kate, Keyanna, and Sami - a couple of her roommates for the week

Miss Kate is officially a camper! For the past year she has been counting down the days until church camp, and the last day of July finally arrived for her. We dropped her off at Riverside on Sunday night and picked her up Tuesday afternoon. The Alpha camp was, according to her "totally awesome, the best thing ever, and I wish that I could have stayed all week!!!!"" We thought that 2 nights/3 days was the perfect way to start off but she for sure will be there for the week next summer. What a blessing everything turned out to be! She did not know any of her cabin mates prior to arriving, but appeared to have bonded with everyone, and loved her counselor Rachel. We talked at length about being away from home making new friends, missing us (-: and each time she just had that HUGE Kate grin that we love and kept saying, " I know Mom, I can't wait!!!" So with many prayers, hugs, multiple notes/letters, we all survived and she did great......we are very proud of you Kate!

Know that God loves you so much we are thrilled that you enjoyed each and every aspect of camp, but mostly, hope that you continue to keep your heart and mind always open to the love of Jesus and share it with everyone around you!

Ragbrai - Day #2

My return home --Doug and the kids were very excited for me, but Kate was the only one that wanted to be photographed (-:
Really, another hill???? Then another, then another, I did not think they were ever going to end!

I cannot think of a more beautiful way to start the morning, this does not even do the sunrise justice......

I began day #2 with just a little stiffness in my knees (especially the left one, and a bit of a sore hiney) but I was just so excited to embark on the day....."let it ride" literally could have been my slogan! I left home around 0545, making it to my bike around 0615 and taking off. The sunrise was beautiful Thursday morning, it was much warmer, and more humid than the day before, but I was still looking forward to the challenge of tackling another day on the bike. You would have thought I started out on a bit of a wrong foot, since I left my water bottle at home in the frig.....but I grabbed one at the convenience store and just filled that all day long! Within the first 10 miles or so, we experienced a few hills, then they just kept getting bigger and bigger!

The storm clouds rolled in, it kept getting darker in the Northwest, the head winds picked up a bit, raindrops felt like little pellets against my face and body...but I continued on. Around mile 15, I witnessed a bit of a crash in front of me. A guy went OTB straight down on his left shoulder, then rolled into the ditch. LUCKILY we were going slightly up hill at the time, so his speed was not excessive, but WOW, did that startle me! I stopped to see if he was OK along with 3 other guys and he had plenty of help, so I moved on.....all the while, thanking/praising God for my safety for the day prior and currently and also knowing that "I can do all things thru him who gives me strength".....Phil. 4:13.

The hills did not quit....it was CRAZY!!! As hard as it was to climb to the top, flying down the hill at speeds of 23-27 mph should be more fun - but I think that at age 38 instead of 8, I just focus on keeping my tires straight, clear of others and pray for safety! It is a little fun though (-:

With the rain, heat, & humidity, everything was compiling into a true trifecta. The "perfect Ragbrai" day for me......I mean really, as long as I still considered this to be the most fun torture that I could ever put myself though, I was good, and I was still having fun, believe it or not!

I traveled onto the last stop, a few miles from Grinnell, with the end in sight and I could not help but grin a bit.....I had MADE IT -- Two days!!! I know that there are people all over the nation completing the entire week...6/7 nights in a tent, pedaling close to 500 miles some years, not sleeping well, eating irregular meals all week, etc.,. and I commend them all for what they have accomplished. Complete amazing! As for me, I choose to just approach this one with "baby steps" adding a day each year as long as my knees hold out!!

The perfect ending of the day was seeing Doug, Kate and Ben at the finish grinning, cheering and ready to give me the biggest HUGS ever! My trip for day #2 was complete........

RAGBRAI - 2011

Becky & I enoying a much deserved cold one in Elkhart! Don't you all just love that Husker jersey???
Don't we look just like the Gothic painting??

Bummer, I was really hoping to catch him this year!

Enjoying some famous "church lady" pie along our route -- YUMMO!!!

Doug, Becky and I on a quick stop for our free milk!

Well, the day had finally arrived and I was SO excited I could hardly stand it.....a few years ago Doug and I had ridden a day of Ragbrai from Indianola to Chariton and I was hooked! The conditions that day according to everyone that I spoke with were abnormally perfect. Cool start in the am, no humidity, gentle breeze out of the North West, and highs only in the 80's. Completely atypical of your standard Ragbrai week here for Iowa in July. BUT, I was loving it and had such a great time......so from that point on I have been wanting to ride 2 days in a row and accomplished that goal last week! Doug, Becky (friend/co-worker of mine) & were dropped off on Wednesday morning a little after 0630 in Boone and began to make our way to Altoona - for a total of 56.1 miles.

It was a beautiful morning, cool (80's), overcast, and filled with 8,000+ people sharing the rural highways in Central Iowa together - enjoying life on a bike for the day! I am always amazed at the people we meet from all across the nation, the varying ages of the riders, the crazy outfits, the delicious road side food stands, the hospitality of all of the little towns that you go through - but mostly, just enjoying how beautiful it all is...taking the extra time to stop a look around (well, I guess not completely stop, but while pedaling between 14-28 mph for about 8-9 hours..... (-: ) The afternoon began to heat up, our shade broke, but we pedaled on for our last 1-2 hours on a few hills closing in on Altoona with the heat index reaching nearly 105.. WHEW!!! Day # 1 completed, no accidents, TONS of fun, laughs and a great time had by all!!!

Cairney Golf Outing - Mt. Horeb, WI

Uncle Pat detailing us on Cairney ancestors
Kate, Ben, Zach & Drew playing around

taking it easy after dinner and golf

Kate loved playing with her baby cousin Amy

enjoying some time in the pool with the "J boys"

The annual Cairney golf weekend was held in Mt. Horeb, WI a few weeks ago, hosted by Uncle Poke and Aunt Pam. We had such a great time golfing, catching up on the latest Cairney happenings, & enjoying delicious food/drinks, despite the heat!! One of the highlights of the weekend was getting a lesson in Cairney geneology from Uncle Pat. He has really developed a passion for looking into Cairney history, discovered some amazing facts, and was able to share many things with us. Thanks again for our individual timelines/maps Pat - these are amazing and a treasure!!