What a Night Last Night Was!

We had a teen game night at our home last night. All total there were 13 of us. That's HUGE for our little church!

We started out playing a game of "Ultimate Spoons." That game, by the way, is far more challenging than the regular way of playing "Spoons." It was great! The kids had an absolute blast!

There's a few changes from regular "Spoons." We played it outside. Walter and I took the spoons and hid them in a part of the yard where the kids didn't know. They started the card game looking for 4-of-a-kind. When the first person got 4-of-a-kind, they laid the cards down and started running to find the spoons. Everybody else started running also. The person who didn't get a spoon in the end was eliminated. It was soooooo funny to watch. Here are a few pictures.

Then we ate snacks, had a devotion and continued to play several more games. The final game we played was "Wild, Wild West." We played that game for over 2 hours! Actually we played round after round after round of it! The kids couldn't get enough of it! We'd try to play another game and they would beg us to keep playing it!

The kids didn't leave until after 10 pm. Usually our game nights are over by about 8:30 pm. We were pleasantly surprised! We had a lot of fun and the kids did, too!

Complete Directions, Please!

In my last post I said that I didn't know if we would be able to go to the Youth Conference at Pacific Baptist Church. Turns out we got to go!!!! And it was FABULOUS!!! I am exhausted but it was worth every minute! We even stayed an extra night at the Roses home because I couldn't drive home - just too tired (I was at the point of crying). That was a huge blessing, too!

So onto the reason for the title of this here post.

Wednesday night after the conference ended we went with 2 families (the DaCostas and the Roses) to a place called Yogurtland. Boy, that was a great place! About 15 different kinds of frozen yogurt and all the toppings you can imagine.

We all loaded up in the cars to go home. I ended up with 4 boys in the truck - Phyllip, Tyler, Daniel (14 or 15 years old) and Adam (11 years old). I was following the Roses home since I didn't know where I was. Now you have to realize that it was 10:00 p.m. It was very dark outside. Hence the following conversation.

I was turning the truck around and I didn't see where the Roses car was.

Me: "Daniel, do you see your parents car? Which way did they go?"

Daniel: sitting behind me - "They went that way."

Me: "Daniel......you are sitting behind me and I can't see you. Which way is 'that way'?"

Daniel: "I have to think..........left."

Me: "Ok."

I turned left at the Ralph's store and looked ahead to see the Roses car pulling out of the parking lot turning right. I turned right and was trying to catch up to them. I got stopped at the light. The Roses took off. They were at least 3 stop lights ahead of me.

Daniel: "It's easy to get home. You just need to get off at Bellflower and then I can get you home."

Me: Frustrated by this time because I can't see my lead car. "I don't know where Bellflower is! How do I get to Bellflower?"

Daniel: "You have to take the freeway."

Me: "Which freeway? I don't know how to get there. There are 2 freeways around here."

Daniel: "I don't know." He turns to his brother, Adam, and says, "Adam, which freeway should we get on?"

Adam: "I don't know."

By this time I am ready to cry - exhaustion and being in an unfamiliar place.

Me: "Daniel.....don't give me any more directions. I am only getting confused."

Now I had my cell phone with me but I didn't have the Roses' phone number. Great! No way to get ahold of them! Finally, my cell phone rings. I picked it up and the conversation is as follows.

Lyndsey: "Mom, where are you?"

Me: "I'm about 3 stop lights behind you."

Lyndsey: "No, you're not. We never left the parking lot. We're still here waiting for you."

Me: "What????? No. I saw you pull out of the parking lot. Daniel told me......"

Lyndsey: "I will let you talk to Mrs. Rose." She hands the phone to Pauline.

Pauline: "Rhonda, where are you?"

Me: "I'm at Studebaker Road."

Pauline: "Pull over and we'll be right there."

Me: "Already stopped. Ok I see you."

So I finally got behind my lead car and we made it safely back to the Roses home. I was frustrated at the time and I didn't find any of this funny. But by the time we got home, I was laughing A LOT! Teenagers!

I'm Glad This Isn't Real Life!

Tonight we had a game night at our home for the teenagers of our church (which happens to be only 2 right now but that's ok).

We ended up playing Monopoly. It was a fast moving game with 6 players. Michael should have gone bankrupt fairly early in the game. Lyndsey decided to be nice and let him stay in the game. Afterwards Michael asks Phyllip and Tyler if he could have $1 (just playing). So what happens next????? Phyllip gave him one of every denomination of Monopoly money he had! What do you think Michael did? He said, "Thanks." That was it! Nothing else. Just, "Thanks." Phyllip thought he was so funny! He decided to share his "wealth" with Michael for the rest of the game. He kept only $1 and 3 pieces of property. Michael eventually said that he would pay all of Phyllip's rent that he owed (he was so kind!). Phyllip went bankrupt in the end.

I am REALLY glad that this isn't real life!*huge sigh* Walter and I would have a LONG way to go in teaching Phyllip if this was reality!