A Trip Down the River...

While Noah, Ruthe and Isaiah have been here we wanted to do some fun things! So we decided to take a trip down the Ichetucknee River along with several of the teenagers from church. So we packed up, fixed our lunch, lathered the sunscreen, loaded the boat and left early one morning. I had forgotten how long it took to get three children ready to leave at a certain, but we made it. When we got there it was already very hot. We got the tubes and rode the tram down to the jumping off point. The water was, as usual freezing, but we had a great day!

The Secret Recipe...

We have a recipe, Noah and I. Something devised by the hunger pangs of the stomach. In the last week we have seen Noah just about eat everything in the house. He must be coming up to huge growth spurt, because if it can be eaten, he will eat it..(for example, one night he ate 2 fried eggs, 2 sausage patties, 2 biscuits and grits). So today while the little ones were napping, he and I came up with a "snack". It is called "The Florida Sandwich". We can't tell you how to make it...it is a family secret.

Snapshots of Fun!

"by the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea; you and me, you and me, oh how happy we'll be..."

The Rules of Being Married...

Today we attended a wedding and Noah, Ruthe, and Isaiah tagged along. The wedding was beautiful and very God-honoring. The church was very full of people who loved the bride and groom, many of them, including us that have seen them grow into the great couple that said their vows today.

As we were leaving I posed the question to the children... "What does it mean to be married?"

This was their response:

1. You have to kiss. (Noah added "a lot".)

2. You get to wear pretty dresses. (guess who added this one)

3. You always have cake. (and again, guess who?)

4. You get to dance.

5. You have to stay together forever and ever.

I think that about sums it up.

BedTime/PictureTime

Since Jennifer and Clint have been gone, one of our bedrooms taken on a new look. From the first night of separation, Ruthe, especially, but also the boys had been missing their parents. So, I came up with a plan to diminish their separation anxiety. They are sleeping in Jonathan's room all together. That very first night I gathered three pictures of the missed parents and gave one to each child. It seemed to do the trick, but the next night they wanted a few more. Thus, Jonathan's room has now become a shrine to Jennifer and Clint. Every picture we have in this house that has them in it, is now in the bedroom. Some pictures I took off the wall to accomodate them. We strategically place them all around the room at night. It seems to make everyone feel safe and loved from afar all at once. It made me think, wouldn't it be great if we all could be so comforted by just a single look at a picture. It's great to be a child.

A Day at the Beach...

One thing I have been reminded of this week is that with small children, you better have a plan. So, today we planned to go on a treasure hunt. The destination was unknown and remained a secret till we arrived. We parked the car and got out with our "treasure bags" in hand ready to pick up anything worthy of bringing home. As we walked on the beach Isaiah informed me that they didn't drive on the beach in Virginia, so what was all the cars on the beach for? Noah then said they had never been to the beach in Virginia so how would he know. Brothers, brothers....So this is what we did: we ran, we jumped into the waves, we picked up everything we saw, we chased a bird..he was running for his life, we made lots of noise and probably made spectacles of ourselves, we saw the lifeguards tell everyone to get out of the water..there was an impending storm, and we had sand EVERYWHERE. All in all it was a great afternoon, but the best part of the day was...we had ice-cream for supper! Oh, Jennifer and Clint are going to love us....

I Remember When...

I remember when my children were growing up that bedtime was the special time. It was a time of hugs and kisses. Last little thoughts said outloud. One more drink, one more trip to the bathroom, and always one last "tuck in".

Tonight as we have our precious three little treasures with us, it was a "remembering time" once again. Lots of hugs, lots of kisses, lots of "Moma and Daddy will come back soon", and tucking in x's three. But the most precious of all was those little prayers sent to the Almightly God that sent their parents away for a short while. From their hearts they prayed for the people of Indonesia and that they would listen to Moma and Daddy tell them about God.

It doesn't get any better than that. " I have no greater joy than this, to see that my children walk in the truth." III Jn. .....and also, my three little "treasures".