American Pastime - Hops style

One thing that happens when you coach your child's baseball team...you don't take pictures all season.  I did remember the camera for our last game.  Here is what we've been up to twice a week since April!! We really enjoyed getting to know the boys and their families...we were really glad when the busy season was over too.  Titus showed a lot of improvement this year! Here he is giving Dad a high five at first base after a great base hit!

Ozark Adventure

After a pleasant evening in Rolla, MO with the Hopkins' side of the family at Ely's wedding we set off on the last leg of our journey.  We were so excited to have our first Lake of the Ozark's family vacation!  We finished the book on CD we were listening to during our 5 hour trip just as we crossed the bridge to Sunrise Beach.  We pulled down the gravel lane to the VanderWell's playhouse.  Tom and Wendy are good friends of ours who have been setting up their "playhouse" on the lake for the last couple of years.  Dave loaned them some of his time an skills a few years back in the finishing of the home and so they generously let us use their awesome house for a much needed family vaca.

Here are the troops ready for their first splash
in the lake on Sunday morning.

We did discover that Titus is likely part fish...

...which may be why he wash't fishing.
But maybe it was due to lack of poles

Lots of jumping off the dock!!!

You'd be surprised how tough it is to get 5 people
to jump at the same time.  Dave offered some help to
the little guys.

Whoa - they look like twins.

The favorite activity of the week was - not surprisingly-
the jet ski.

Here is the evidence that Mommy was actually there.
A little dock photo shoot while we waited for a jet ski turn.
 (Trent took this picture!)

Could't pass up getting Cardinals shirts while in MO.
Go Cards!

As you can see, We had a fabulous time, and can't wait for our next Ozark Adventure!!!

New for Summer!

I am way behind on event blogging, but while I have a few quiet moments this morning, before the troops awake, I thought I would update you on some of our summer adventures so far.


Titus worked his entire 2nd grade year to earn a LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 - this is a build able robot that comes with the software to program it as well. He has made a moving chomping crocodile, a shooter bot (a robot that moves and shoots 6 balls) a walking person like robot that he programmed to say "Hello, good sir" and has grand schemes for others.  It has been a great "toy" for him and we think right up his ally.  He and dad can be found at the kitchen table constructing and programming well after other little Hopkins' have been in bed.



Next, Tess had her annual spring dance recital.  She was the youngest in her class this year and so was adequately challenged, but just last night she told me "Mom, I really love dance." So, while she enjoys her summer break from weekly class, she will be ready to pick it back up in the fall - which means many more recital posts to come. :)  This season, I got to be a backstage mom. Those who know me well will not be surprised to know that that means I got to scrutinize the inter workings of the production and make a mental list of
all the ways it could be more efficient. ;)
Here we are with our little ballerina:

Before we got too busy, the kids and I took an afternoon to picnic and explore at our favorite spot at Lake Red Rock. Crossing those "Summer Bucket List" events off the little blue paper on the fridge!

Tess has been waiting for her ballet recital to be complete before accomplishing this long-planned event:

  The ballet-bun is over so about 10 inches came off just in time for cooler summer fun! (We think she looks like Lucy Pevensey from Narnia) She donated her hair again to "Beautiful Lengths" to be used in wigs for cancer patients.


Just for good measure, here's some snapshots of the little guys in some of their summer adventures:

Trace is a monkey bar champ, and they just added
some new 'just his size' ones at the wooden park.

Typical Trent - on our Lake Red Rock picnic.

More to come - but the three boys are up and going so I better wrap up... Have a great week!

Brystal's African Adventure

That's right! in a few short months I am headed to Uganda, Africa! If I was still on Facebook I might have created a status such as "Headed to Africa in August!!!" to announce.  But, I am excited to announce in this way, and have a chance to tell you a little bit about the trip.

A small (5) group of us will travel to Jinja, Uganda from August 8 - 17.  We will be working with a man named Pastor David, the founder of Father's Divine Love Ministries.  His focus is on widow and orphan care.  The student ministries at our church, through the Heartwork organization,  has been supporting his work for about a year and has raised staggering amounts of money to fund wells, more homes, orphan care, and even a tractor.  This trip marks an advancement in our church's relationship with David and his ministry.

We will be spending as much time familiarizing ourselves with the multi-faceted workings of the ministry in the hopes of coming home and being advocates for the Ugandan people as well as for David and his ministry. He often has to pay the great price of leaving his family and the ministry for 2 - 3 week stints in America at times only to raise $5000.  To put it in perspective, every time he is able to build a new widow home his monthly operating costs rise approximately $1800/month. We also hope to document through photos and film the ways the students have impacted this community through their selfless and compassion-filled giving. 

As most of you know, justice and mercy have long been a mark on my life and heart, and I am excited to see what is in store for me as I very personally experience the plight of the widow and orphan in Uganda.  I have recently been in a stage of waiting and wondering what might be next for me and believe this may certainly be part of me discovering more about the plans for the next leg of my journey.  

I guess that is about it.  I also ask for your thoughts and prayers as I prepare to go, travel and experience Africa.  If you would like to be included in a group to receive updates and prayer requests please email me or DM me on twitter: @brystalhopkins.

Likewise, if you are led to help cover the costs (travel, specialized gear, shots, documents, etc.) of this adventure it is so appreciated. It looks to be around $2000 including airfare. 

You can send tax-deductible donations made out to Third Church to:

Third Church

708 E. 13th Street

Pella, IA 50219

check memo: Brystal Hopkins' Uganda Trip 

If the tax deduction isn't a factor you can feel free to use my home address.

Thanks so much for your thoughts and prayers for me and for Dave and the kids as I prepare to be gone and so far away. We are confident that there are big things in store for us as a result of what I experience in Jinja.

With excitement and gratitude, 

Brystal

Mother's Day

What a fabulous Mother's Day.  The kids and Dave woke me up with cards and a new computer! The little guys made me corsage flowers at church and we enjoyed a relaxed day of family hanging out.

 Tess even lost her other front tooth for the occasion:

 Then the mother robin who had been diligently building her nest on our garage door opener, hatched her 5 little birds:

 Here they are 2 weeks later, all wide-eyed and feathered.  Out of the nest and getting ready to fly:

 And Tess lost one more bottom front tooth...it's a good thing you don't need teeth for ice-cream! Corn on the cob in August could prove difficult, however!

Field Day

Each year the elementary school has a field day. This year one student from each class was chosen to form a choir to sing the National Anthem before the games began.  Titus was chosen to represent his 2nd grade class.  The group practiced once a week for three weeks to prepare. They got to sing over the PA from the press box. He did a great job! Here is the group, Titus is on the left end of top row, black cap:

Tess' favorite activity was the sack races, although they all looked like so much fun!  Limb, parachute, frisbee, running races, all sorts of fun games!

Here's Titus showing off his skills at the scoop ball station:

Even Daddy, Trace, and Trent couldn't help a bit of competition: (Can you see the identical running forms of Dave and Trent? Astounding...

Trace is 5!

Trace celebrated his birthday on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  He choose the "Phineas and Ferb" theme and we had a lot of fun with it.  Here is the cake Mommy made:

 Phineas and Ferb are always inventing things during their summer vacation, so we gathered our tools (recycling items, tape, and hot glue gun) and made our own creations:

 Trace was adamant that he get a piece of Ferb's hair for his cake.  For 24 hours he kept reminding Mom that he wanted the piece with Ferb's hair.  Once the time for cake came, he got his coveted piece and after taking a bite said "Hmmm, this tastes...hairy...get it hairy!!!" What a crack-up! Here he is with said piece and his Perry (the platypus) Punch:

 Trace is always trying new things, especially on two wheels.  Here he is with his new big bike...with a kickstand. Exciting stuff!

At the end of party the boys were awarded their secret agent badges (Phineas and Ferb's pet platypus, Perry, is also a secret agent, Agent P.) and received their official secret agent hats:

It was a fun day! Can't believe the little guy is 5! Happy Birthday, Tracer!