Jesstine Goes to Camp!

Monday, Jesstine left for her first ever trip to church camp! This year we decided to send her to camp with her buddy, Kennedy so she would be going with a trusted adult (Kennedy's Mom) and someone her own age that she knew! It was an eye opening experience for her and for me! We are glad she is home!

We went to visit her on Tuesday night. I had to reorganize her suit case and talk her through how to get trough the next three days with only two pairs of underwear (she changed too many times the first half day there!).

It was so good to see her Tuesday, but not NEARLY as nice as it was to have her home today!

I love Daddy's reaction to Jesstine being home!

Later this evening, we went to Freddy's for dinner. This was her as she ate her custard! Tired you think?

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Memories

Some are bittersweet. This was the one that popped up today! 

As time passes, memory fades and seems to take the pain of searing loss away. Then out of the blue something reminds me and brings it all back. I miss my Babe B. dearly. I am grateful that I was given a partner (Stephen Hutchins) to carry this burden with because God knew I couldn't do it alone. I see bits of her in both of my living children. Jesstine's hands. Emmitt's ears. They remind me constantly that they too are aware she was here before them. We are getting closer and closer to one of the hardest parts of the year for me. We love you sweet Babe B.; to the moon....AND BACK!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Memories

Today's Memories on Facebook:

Jesstine 9 years ago!!!

Emmitt 4 years ago!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Garden Party and Movies!!

So Camp Aunt Lacie ended yesterday after my sister arrived! We had a fun week. Friday we picked up Girl Scout cookies (stiry for a different post), went swimming, and rested. Stephen and I had tickets to the forst MTW production of the summer, Throughly Modern Millie, so the kids went to my mom's. The nieces ended up stayingall night and Emmitt and Jesstine came home. Yesterday morning us girls and Mom went to the Ladie's Garden Party. Then later in the afternoon we (Mom, my family and my sister's family) went to see Cars 3. Cars is the movie that started Emmitt's love of race cars and specifically Nascar! My nephew is very similar and declared that he wanted to watch it with Emmitt when he went for the first time! It wasn't a bad movie! We plan to go again with our buddy from church too!  Here are a few pictures!

Three generations at the garden party.

Conrad and Emmitt at Cars 3.

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Memories

So on facebook, just about everyday a "See Your Memories" post shows up. So I thought it would be fun to periodically show some of those! It may help with some of the time that lapsed on the blog due to photo loading issues!

This was from three years ago when my little girl got her first pair of glasses. This may be what we have to do for Emmitt too. He is showing signs of the same thing, but the doctor is not ready to treat it yet.

This is from 5 years ago! LOL! He was so proud of his new bouncy swing!

And just for kicks and grins, I said that we had a children's museum when I was growing up that was a lot like the one I took the kids to in Topeka. Here is a throwback picture to when I was a little older than Jesstine!

I am still "friends" with these girls today! That is why facebook is so cool! We were the three musketeers in 4th grade. As a result, we were never allowed to be in the same grade school class again! In middle school there was never more than two of us that shared a class!

In Him,

The Hutchins Family

Camp Aunt Lacie-Day 4 and 5

The events of the first three days really tuckered us out! That night Charis and Lexi were going between laughing hysterically to crying uncontrollably! We all decided that Day 4 needed to be a day of rest. Despite the day of rest, I am just now posting days 2-5! I have really enjoyed spending time with my nieces, but I am greatly looking forward to another day of rest tomorrow!

We didn't stay home ALL day on day 4! We had a swimming playdate with a friend! Such a fun swimming buddy! He informed me that "Fountains go up and waterfalls go down. That is not a fountain, it is a waterfall!" LOL! I told him that the animal under the whale on his shirt was called a Narwhal! Everyone got an education! We must have been a school of fish! :-)

On day 5 we had a water play day! Lexi and I came up with a TON of water games. Being that water was involved, I didn't get many photos of the actual games. It is all okay though. They MUCH preferred the water free for all anyhow!

Post water shenanigans. We were joined by Emmitt's best buddy from school! His mommy recently had her tonsils out. She was needing something for him to do so she could rest and heal. It is hard with a 1 year-old and 5 year-old!! I had mine out when I was 21 and it was STILL tough!

I did capture this game! They had to throw and catch water balloons using towels.

There were plenty of towels!

These chairs are missing something! Oh well!

 The favorite part turned out to be the slip and slide! Emmitt's buddy said, "This was my favorite water day EVER!" I asked if he had ever had a water day before. He said, "Nope!" Later he revealed that he had played with water guns with cousins!

Slip and slide Emmitt!

Slip and slide Charis.

Slip and slide Lexi.

Slip and slide Jesstine!

Oh, THAT is what those chairs were for! Yummy! Starkiss popsicles!

I asked if they all had fun and this was the response!

Later, I had a guitar lesson to teach. Stephen recently found out by showing his badge from work, our whole family can get into Botanica for FREE all through June and July! Plus, we only have to pay $3 per guest if there is more than four of us! So, he took the kids there while I taught my lesson. I was a little worried when the sky looked like this and they were not home yet! They made it home safe and sound! Most of the worst of this system was north of us.

Day 6 will be a lot like day 4. I think Emmitt's buddy from school will get to join us!

In Him,

The Hutchins (and Evans) Family

Camp Aunt Lacie 2017-Day 3

We decided that since Tuesday was our only day we didn't have an evening obligation, we needed to take a road trip! I have lived in Kansas pretty much all of my life and April was the first time I had visited the state capitol building! So, I thought it was important for my kids and for my niece who were all three born in Kansas, to see it! So after Emmitt got his teeth cleaned and evaluated by his dentist, off we went!

First stop: The Kansas State Capitol Building!

We stopped for lunch about 60 miles from Topeka.

I let the kids get some energy out.

After about 2.5 hours after leaving home, we made it!

 Cue "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky!

They made it!

This is not how I remember seeing pictures of it when I was a kid! More on that later!

Flag with 34 stars for the 34th state in the union. One serious and one silly!

So, THIS is how I recall seeing the capitol building in pictures. They completely referbished the dome. Below is a picture of the kids standing right next to the window that the arrow in the above picture is pointing to.

Again, serious and silly!

I had to put them all in time out!

Woodson County, named for one of our ancestors on my maternal grandfather's side of the family (the same side we are related to the infamous James brothers on as well).

Sedgwick County where we are from and three of these feet were born in!

Emmitt loved the gold doors. Serious and silly!

After a trip to the gift shop where we purchased some touristy Kansas swag (Charis and Emmitt chose a Kansas pin, Jesstine chose a rad bracelet that we later discovered changes colors in heat or cold, Lexi chose some beeswax lip balm and we found a Kansas mug for my sister, Grace), we headed to a local children's museum. I really wish they had this in Wichita! We had it when I was a kid and I have some great memories of it!

There was a wall with word magnets! :-) A new favorite picture!

When he saw this, he was in HEAVEN!!! Future mechanic?

He wouldn't crawl under the car, but he let Jesstine do it!

He assisted!

Charis learning how to change a tire.

Emmitt's turn!

Future Pit Crew Chief? 

Smiley Lexi!

J!

L!

C!

E!

There was an amazing (although at times frustrating) woodworking section! They had drills, saws, screw drivers, hammers, nails, screws and caps to help kids create! They had some pretty cool creations!

Goggles for safety! :-)

Bet you can't guess what Emmitt made! 

Creations complete!

They even had a pretty cool building.

Emmitt's car didn't really work on his face, but he tried anyway!

In Him,

The Hutchins (and Evans) Family