JakeFishandBoys

Tornado Damage

2011-05-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

My last post was written the day after the big storms came through. Since then, I have come to realize how serious the damage was.

It was driven home to me when my friend called from India to see if we were okay. She's a half a world away and has seen some of the devastation.

Jake and I have been eager to do something (other than buying pampers, wipes and toothbrushes). We wanted to "get our hands dirty" and be involved in some tangible way. Friday I took the boys to Mimi JuJu's house so that we'd be free all day Saturday. I wanted to be able to spend myself on some service - not just give an hour here or there. When I lead mission trips, I encourage people to spend themselves completely where they are. What are we saving it (our energy, compassion, etc) for?

We headed out the door and met with a group of about 300 to do some work in Concord, AL. I'll attempt to post some photos so you can see for yourself but there was total devastation.

The organization we worked through, Hands On, was very organized. They handed out gloves and tarps to workers that would need them. Tetanus shots were available at the work site. City buses were contracted to drive us in and out of Concord (which is not open unless you are working to clear debris there).

The wait on the buses seemed like hours but around 10:30 or so they dropped us off. We walked to the first area (a carpet business). There were steel beams, trees and remnants of carpet everywhere. We were supposed to take materials and make piles close to the road; metal, wood, carpet, etc. We immediately got to work and it wasn't long before I came across a trail of stamped checks. I asked the leader if I should bag them up so she went to get a bag. While she was gone, I followed the trail which led to literally thousands of checks, papers, files and what used to be the office. I found the microwave (which was folded almost in half) and Christmas decorations, photos, etc. After about 5 giant sized garbage bags, we hit paperwork that was so wet it was indiscernable.

A man drove around in a truck handing out Sneaky Pete's hotdogs that had been donated. Another man drove his 4-wheeler with a trailer behind it loaded down with water for volunteers. After about an hour and a half, the piles by the road were taller than me and the leaders moved us across the street and then up the hill.

We started working on a house where 6 people had survived the tornado by hiding under their porch. They dug themselves out. We loaded bricks, moved snapped trees, Jake was wise enough to bring a hammer and a leatherman that he used to pull larger pieces of wood apart and cut the endless amount of wires that ran through the debris.

I would carry a piece of wood, take it to the road and head back to the general area where I was to get another piece. I was getting tired and stopped to look up for a minute. For as far as you could see there was nothing but the same thing - timber, parts of a home, a baby crib knocked under a tree, bricks. It seemed ENDLESS and overwhelming. It seemed like I had been moving pieces for hours and there was still so much left!

At some point, I began to realize that there were very personal items in the mass of trees, timber, and debris. The men used chainsaws to cut wood. Other men and women would carry the heavy pieces out. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed and found that I felt more useful picking up personal items like teddy bears, barbie dolls, baseball cards, clothes, unmatched shoes, toys and photos,. Another lady and I laid out a tarp and began a "personal" pile for families to dig through if and when they would ever return to the rubble.

As we moved further up the hill we came to a house that used to be across the street. Now it was moved and smashed to pieces. The only discernable part of the house was about a 5 foot section of the shower wall that was not completely knocked over.

I found greeting cards and books and more personal items so I started a new pile. I found a plastic bag full of baby boys clothes. There was a deflated "Happy First Birthday" balloon and party napkins, books and "how to play the guitar" pamphlets. I heard a lady talking to some girls about the house. It belonged to her sister and brother-in-law. They had recently adopted a little boy and it would be her sister's first Mother's Day. The brother-in-law had bought her a ring and put it in his bedside table before the tornado. When the tornado hit, the house was moved across the road and the three of them were knocked out of the house onto the field. When the sister came to, she looked over at her husband and he reached out his hand for her. Then they heard their little boy crying not far from them. They all had broken bones and could not move.

The brother-in-law was released from the hospital on Friday and was headed back to the neighborhood to see if he could find the ring. I went to get Jake to see if he could help us look through the rubble. This was Saturday and Mother's Day was the next day. We looked and looked but the house was in ruins. There was a terrible smell coming from the middle of the pile (either the refrigerator or possible one of the pets the family owned).

As the leaders called for us to load up buses, I tried to find what I could. We saw the sister again and Jake asked if we could pray with her. We did and then started to head off. But she stopped us and took something out of the pile to hand to us. It was a devotion book her sister had published a few years ago. She had gotten family members and friends to each write down something of what God was teaching them and had it published so that she could pass it down for future generations.

This lady pulled a devotional book about the faithfulness of God out of a pile of tornado-ridden rubble and handed it to us as a gift. She said, "I want you to have this".

How humbling?! I'd been sorting through their rubble to pull out personal items to "rescue" for them and we were given a precious gift from that pile of debris.

It was one of the best Mother's Days I have had. I was able to work alongside Jake as we served people whose faces we'll likely never see. I was spent. I poured out everything I had and fell asleep on the bus as we waited to head back to our cars.

I don't know if they ever found the ring. I imagine they look at life differently now, anyway. I know I do.

The Storms

2011-04-28T12:10:00.001-05:00

Yesterday and last night we had terrible storms here in Alabama. They ripped through the south and made their way on up through Georgia and on into Virginia and beyond.

At 8:00 a.m. they let us know school was closed (no power). I was supposed to meet with a bride so I made plans to drop the boys off with Memomma. Kristin came over and we headed off through Bluff Park to Helena. But we never made it more than 5 miles. Trees were down everywhere because of the early morning storm that came through.

Kristin ended up spending the day with us since her power was out. We were on a different grid than the rest of our neighborhood so The Headleys have connected a set of extension cords from their house to ours to keep their freezer and fridge running.

Pray for the people in Tuscaloosa, Pleasant Grove and other parts of Alabama that were hit so hard.
We took a video as we drove home from running errands today.

Saturday's Surprises

2010-11-21T15:21:00.002-06:00

Miles never ceases to amaze us. It has been a great week with him (challenging sometimes but wonderful, too).
Miles doesn't give his heart away freely like Will and I do, so I was suprised to hear him twice today use such tender comments about "new" folks in his life. Kristin Dutt is a girl I get to meet with weekly. She met us at the High School on Saturday where we ran a 5k (Jake and I). Kristin (we call her "Dutt") watched the boys, fed them their donut breakfast and made sure they were taken care of while we ran.

Jake finished around 29 minutes. I finished at around ~~35.5~~ 34.23 (just checked the results and did better than I thought) and the boys did GREAT! Kristin has a way with them because when it was time for us to leave, Miles asked, "Can Dutt go with us"?

Then later, as we made Miles' birthday list he asked if he could include "Mr. Brett" - a college student who we've had the privilege to spend time with lately.

What great surprises to see Miles interested in the people that are so important to us (and that are not family).

Saturday's Surprises did not end there. When we got home, as we were getting things done around the house, I asked Miles to take our picture. He was EAGER to do it and did a great job. That led to him asking to take more so we put the strap on safely and with is little hands he walked out the door to do some photo composition. He came back in a few minutes later and we were blown away by his artistic eye!

Check out the photos that follow!

ABC Bible Verses: K, L, M

2010-09-05T16:05:00.000-05:00

Week 11: K - "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies" Psalm 34:13
*sigh* as mentioned in the first post on the ABC verses, I would pick up our list on Mondays and teach the verse over breakfast. Then we'd review it throughout the day and Tuesday do an activity that helped us remember it. So I picked up the list and thought "GREAT verse - how in the WORLD am I ever going to help them understand it? and WHAT kind of activity could we possibly do?"
We reviewed it over breakfast and gave them a chance to hear it a couple of times. Miles immediately started to tackle it mentally but kept swapping words around and leaving things out. I told him to be patient and we'd talk about it after we'd cleaned up from breakfast. I knew we needed this verse and that it would address some of the things we're struggling with!
So, we cleaned up and talked about it again. This time he scoffed, "How can my tongue do evil?" *DING* (lightbulb went off). I asked the boys what evil means and then to give me examples of some evil/bad/wrong things we can say to each other (they loved that). We talked about how it's not just our tongue or lips that say bad things but they come from our heart!

Then I said, "Now try saying a bad thing about your brother without using your tongue". It is AMAZING how much children like the silliest little things.

This attempt got them going on talking with their tongues out so we did the verse in that way (neep nor nun shrun emul an nor nits nrom nellin nies). We practiced it that way for a while and then I had an idea for an activity!

The next day we made puppets from paper bags with big tongues hanging out (Will chose to make a puppy puppet and Miles made himself as a superhero). Then the puppets said the verse! Now it's memorized!!

Week 12: L
I really don't know what happened to L. I'll check with the boys after naps and see if we even did it! I think we did but I can't recall what it was!

Week 13:M "My little children, do not love in word only but in deed and action" 1 John 3:18.
We've been doing "M" for two weeks now that school has started back and things are a little more crazy (not many pajama days around here). And I think now, that we may have memorized it wrongly but we'll work on it. I really like this version (the Good News translation) "My little children, our love should not be just words and talk, it must be true love; which shows itself in action". The boys are still getting tripped up over some the words and syntax but when asked what it means they say, "Don't just say it; do it"! And I LOVE that they get the meaning!

I'm so proud of the boys for all the time they took to learn them with me (did they have a choice?!) and for Jake's support! He would get so excited when he would come home and they would have learned a new verse. Jake also got into "gentle reminders" through the verses we memorized!
I'm so thankful that my friend, Melanie, taught her girls last summer and was an example to me! I pray that it won't end here (I still feel like we need to make it to "Z" even though the summer is over) and that the boys would cultivate a hunger for Scripture in their lives through our summer verses!
BTW - if you want to memorize the verses and you don't feel like "coming up with" activites like we did (only b/c I didn't have a copy of the book) check out Susan Hunt's "My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts" or find their page on Facebook under the same name. Apparently she has little devotionals that go with each verse and activities to do together!

ABC Bible Verses: H, I, J

2010-09-05T15:26:00.000-05:00

Week 8: H - "He is not here. He is risen" Matthew 28:6
We got to talk through the story of Jesus, why He died for us, how He trades us his forgiveness for our mistakes and how He didn't STAY in the tomb - but rose from the dead!

Week 9: I - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13.
What a GREAT verse! Miles has recently started saying, "I can't do it" and this is a great way for us to remind him that he CAN and that God is always there to help him (whether he feels he has the strength or not). These verses are also really convicting to us as parents. We CAN do all things through Christ (we can be consistent, loving and expecting the best, finding the energy to do laundry, dishes, make food, fix endless amounts of sippy cups for thirsty children AND find time to play with them at the things they love).

Week 10: J - "Jesus said, 'I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life" John 14:6
This verse is really DEEP! Whoever knew? (Whoever taught it to a preschooler knew!) The boys have started telling little white lies around our house (as most kids do, I suppose). Mostly because they don't want to get in trouble or they want something to be so they feel their words can make it so! But this verse reminds us that Jesus is THE TRUTH! He is the real way, no matter what ways we attempt to contrive something to be so. He is forgiveness. He is love. He is peace. He is hope. He is LIFE. He is ...

ABC Bible Verses

2010-09-05T15:17:00.000-05:00

Week 4: D - "Do everything without complaining" Philippians 2:14
AH! This is one of my favorite weeks!! I especially love the way Will says, "wuhout tumpaining". I had to watch myself on this week, too! How easy it is to complain about the struggles around us?? We all go through it, we decide to upload a photo and what we expect will take us a couple of minutes takes up so much time that naptime is over before we know it!! What a great gift to give our children to take it all in stride, to hold our tongue before we complain and to face everything with the grace of Christ! I need more of this verse in my life! By this week, I've quit trying to stress where it's found (just letting them know it's in the Bible). They were starting to mix up all the numbers and books and I decided at their age, the important thing is that they get the VERSE! We will work on Books as they get a little older and chapters and verses after that (after all, the chapters and verses weren't put there by God anyway!)

Week 5: E - "Every good and perfect gift is from above" James 1:17
This week were packing up and heading for Pensacola to visit Jake's family there. Before we headed out, we downloaded a box template from Microsoft Works. Then I let the boys color a sheet of paper drawing whatever they liked! Miles has gotten very interested in drawing lately and can draw some spectacular people! This week, though, he was interested in drawing aliens, Santa Claus aliens, and space ships full of eyes. Will is still pretty much filling up the paper with color - he hardly leaves a speck of white! After they colored, we traced the templates and cut our paper (meaning, the boys cut and I tried to turn the paper quickly enough to catch the blades at just the right angle)!! Then they each got to use a glue stick and attach the sides of their little box! After that, I let them pick a prize and put it in the box. We talked about how every good thing comes to us from God; our friends and family, our food, our house, our car, our toys, our clothes, everything! My trip to India has had an indelible impact on the boys because in moments like this they frequently ask me if children in India have _____ (a house, a car, clothes, etc).

After we got our boxes set, we headed out to pick up Memomma and drive to Pensacola. On the way, we stopped at Bates House of Turkey (and if you have never eaten there it is a true "rest"aurant)! They had the perfect children's plate (some turkey, a pickle, carrot sticks, etc). As we finished up, Memomma and I were commenting that we needed to get a dessert. The waitress overheard us and said, "We actually closed a few minutes ago". It was disappointing but we got gathered up to leave. Before we could, the waitress arrived with two pieces of pie. She said, "The Manager said to give these to you". I burst out, "Every good and perfect gift is from above" .... what a precious teaching moment for the boys! He is constantly showering us with good gifts out of nowhere!

Miles hasn't quite gotten this verse, but I haven't corrected him because I like his version as well, "Every good and PEACEFUL gift is from above"!

Week 6: F - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life" - John 3:16.
I wasn't sure how well we would do with a verse this long! Miles (realizing that prizes were involved as well as a desire to learn it before anyone else) mastered it within a couple of hours. I love the way he kept saying it, "whoever belives in Him will have ever-LIVING life" (isn't funny how they get the true meaning?)

Week 7: G - "God is love" 1 John 4:8
After last week's LOOONG verse, we were excited about this one! We had lots of conversations about how God loves us, how He shows us that love and how we can be loving like God!

ABC Bible Verses: A, B, and C

2010-08-23T18:18:00.001-05:00

Week 1: A - "All we like sheep have gone astray" Isaiah 53:6
This was a GREAT week! We went on the Saturday after the last day of school and raided Party City's cheap stuff! Little spiders, a plastic ant, crazy looking praying mantis, glow sticks, bouncy balls, and more useless junk that kids love! We hung the bag in the kitchen next to our list for the Bible verses. I had decided that we would learn the verse and talk about the meaning on Monday, do an activity on Tuesday and that if they could recite it by Thursday, they could pick something from the bag.

Miles had it memorized by the time breakfast was over Monday!

So ... Tuesday we got up, grabbed some toilet paper rolls, clothes pins (that we painted black), cotton balls and glue. We had a fun (messy) time, painting the clothes pins, glueing on cotton balls and making a face for our sheep. We talked about how all of us make mistakes - except Jesus - and that we all go astray.

Both boys had it completely memorized after that and got a prize from the bag.

Week 2: B - "Believe in Jesus and you will be saved" - Acts 6:31
This week was pretty simple - we just colored a picture of Jesus on Tuesday but we spent lots of time talking about how knowing Jesus is the only way that we can be close to God because of sin. Will is especially cute saying this verse!

Week 3: C - "Children obey your parents in everything" -
So some of the verses had some real rubber-meets-the-road moments to them! I remember that I used this verse repeatedly this week! It was really a great tool since God is saying it. I knew that I had Him on my side when I wanted them to help clean up, get their shoes on or share with one another! Instead of a craft this week, we played "Simon Says". It was a good way to see that we can obey and lay our will aside (especially if it helped to win a game!)

Miles is a Ring Bear (again)

2010-08-23T16:08:00.000-05:00

Miles was asked to be a ring-bearer (or Ring Bear as he says) in another wedding this summer. He AMAZED us! He was obedient and a real joy to be around while not taking away too much attention from the couple. My favorite part was when he was in place with the groomsmen he scanned the crowd for Will and whisper-called "Weeyule" .... "Weeyule" until Will waved to him. Consequently, he grinned proudly and turned back to the couple at attention.

Summer 2010

2010-08-23T15:28:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the summer is winding down! Most of my friends are thankful to be heading back to a normal routine and having the kids back in school. But I have always loved the summer's laid-back, come-what-may days! And I'm sad to see them go! I have loved being home with my children this summer. We have had some really precious times (and some growing moments as well). I love the time I am able to spend with them and count it as a true blessing that we have this time together!

In the Spring, I began thinking about our upcoming summer and had decided I really wanted to make some plans. On my list: visit Jake's family in Florida, visit my family in Georgia, stay in pajamas all day if we want, and memorize Bible verses. My friend, Lynelle, has always told me that children are capable of absorbing Scripture but I didn't know if that would apply to my children (they have both inherited some of my attention issues)!

In the next post, I will write more about the verses, but I just wanted to say, we accomplished all of my hopes for the summer! We may have erred on the side of "pajama days" though, because I can't seem to get them into any real clothes! And tags have become a MAJOR source of contention around our home! Thank goodness for bandaids ... we never seem to actually use them on boo-boos but they're a real cure when taped over a rolled up tag!

Plah-steek

2010-05-12T23:40:00.000-05:00

One of the most striking things about Kolkata is the poverty. Naked children run around everywhere. Beggars are at every turn. You stop to buy a cold bottled coke (a luxury on a mission trip to Kolkata) ignorantly doling out 70 rupees for this treat. When you turn, you realize that a crowd has gathered. They stand with piercing eyes, hands out, mumbling “money …. baby” and gesturing to the baby on their hip (her head covered with scabs and skin rash).
Before and during travel to India, you are reminded of why not to give to beggars. Here in India, most beggars have a “handler” (a pimp of sorts). Someone who really gets the measly coin we offer. Often the child on the hip doesn’t even belong to the beggar but is another way to up sell the need. If you give once, you’ll be targeted and pressured harder and to give more the next time. If you give a packaged product (food or otherwise) the handler will resell it and keep the money. All very good reasons not to give which also become a barrier to any real connection. There is also a sort of scale of giving:
• Women earn more than men
• Children earn more than women
• A child with some disability or disfigurement earns more than anyone
So, in India, you use who you can to get what you want from them. If you are a man you are not likely to earn much as a beggar so why not find some woman who owes you a debt, stick a baby on her hip and let her earn twice as much as you could.
There are many reasons not to give to beggars in Kolkata.
I KNOW all these things with my head. It’s my heart that stumbles over it.
A family of beggars lived outside the Baptist Mission Society where we stayed for our visit to Kolkata. Day after day we would return to the BMS for air condition, running water and rest from the day. Day after day we would see the same family begging; a grandmother, her pregnant daughter, and four small children.
On the third day of our trip, we’d just come from shopping in an upscale department store. We had packed lightly intending to buy appropriate clothes from the outdoor market there but because of a holiday, the market had been closed and we were running ‘low on clothes’. I returned with two small plastic bags and hopped out of the cab to be greeted by this family. One of the boys came to take a peek at what I had purchased. At first, I thought he was asking for my clothes. Then I realized he was saying “plastic” (which came out plah-steek). I took my clothes out of my bags and handed the bags over to the two oldest children.
No coins. No food. Just two small plastic bags and my relationship with this family was sealed. The smallest girl ran over and grabbed my legs. She clung to me until I picked her up. Every day after this, the family greeted me as if I were family. The boys would walk with me hand in hand to the end of the block each morning and when we returned at night, the mother and grandmother greeted us with huge smiles and hugs – never asking for another thing. The hugs turned into choppy conversations where I was able to tell them over and over, “Jesus loves you” and to show the love of Christ by my willingness to be present and genuine.
Matthew 25:36-40 says, “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
I didn’t read anything in there about plastic bags, but I know the difference it made for me in Kolkata. And I know that there are a million reasons (sometimes very legitimate reasons) not to give to the poor but I also know that Jesus said, “Whatever you do to the least of these . . .” and I know the blessing of giving two plastic bags and sharing the love of Jesus.

God Answers Prayers We Don't Even Know We're Praying

2010-05-11T06:31:00.001-05:00

Sometime in early to mid December I was riding in the car by myself. I have no idea how it happened or where the boys were - but I know I was alone because I was praying and was able to hear God.

You know how prayers sort of leap from your heart without you realizing it sometimes? Well, that's what happened this day. I remember my heart saying, "I would like to go on a mission trip". Jake and I were able to go to NJ a couple of years ago on a mission trip and we are involved in many ministries locally, but I have a real passion for overseas missions and have not had opportunities to cultivate that since having children.

Jake and I met because of a mission trip to Belize in 2003. We both went again in 2004, after having been married for only 3 months. So, it seemed logical that Jake and I would go somewhere together to serve. What was illogical was how we would do it. Because of the economy and other factors, Jake lost his job in late 2009. So this prayer was completely irrational! We had dipped into some savings in order to weather through the months without income so the thought of us both going somewhere seemed impossible to me.

But my heart spoke up and prayed this prayer anyway. Maybe it was really the Spirit interceding for me with groans too deep to understand . . . but there it was before God.

After the prayer, I thought, "How irrational? There is no way we can go somewhere, we just don't have the money."

Then I heard God. "If I call you to go somewhere, I will provide."

And you KNOW He will if He says He will!

Later that week, I was at the ELC and a friend came in talking about some gifts she'd found to give for Christmas. I asked her about them and she didn't really remember the details but she said, "All I know is a business called Freeset gets women in India to make the bags so they don't have to sell their bodies."

An hour later, Tiffany came in and handed me my Christmas gift - it was a really cute jute bag with wooden handles. I glanced at the tag and saw the words, "Freeset". The bag is so cute! But I didn't really have time to read the card because I needed to run upstairs to do some copying and laminating.

When I got upstairs, I saw Jeremy Griem pass by. Jeremy is the Global Ministries Pastor at our church and an old friend from seminary. I called out, "Jeremy, please keep me in mind for any overseas trips you have coming up" (still realizing it would be impossible for us to go).

Jeremy came back into the workroom and said, "You know there is an all women's trip coming up to go to India to work with Freeset".

He told me about how in a Sonagachi (a Red Light District in Calcutta India), every night thousands of women are forced to stand in a line to sell themselves in the sex trade while of 10 times as many men come through to "shop" from the line.

I travelled to India in 1999 on a mission trip and was there for right at a month. I had stayed in Calcutta, but had no idea about Sonagachi. I also remember thinking when I got back that I would never go to India again. But here it was - the answer to my prayer that I didn't even know I was praying.

I came home and told Jake all about it. I was pretty excited and he said, "You're already there aren't you"? We talked through the "practical" side (money, what to do with the boys, work, etc). And I told him, "I just believe it will be possible".

Over the next few months I prayed, read, bathed in Scripture, shared, wrote support letters and watched God weave a team together. I am still overwhelmed at His care for details in my life. Friends and family took on this journey with me through prayer and financial support.

I carried my Freeset bag everyday so that I would remember that when God calls He will provide.

I've been home from India for 2 days now. Proof that God answers prayers we don't even realize we are praying.

2010-03-22T16:44:00.000-05:00

India is 38 "chain days" away.

We had our third team meeting last night and I always leave with flushed cheeks. I have so much emotion about this trip. I am overwhelmed with how compelled I feel to go, how clear it is that God led me to this project and the excitement I feel. But I also have this undercurrent of anxiety. I am nervous to leave Jake and the boys (and our families). I remember the cab ride from the airport to the hotel when I was there before. In a short half hour, I was broken, ashamed (of my hat, earrings and other 'costly' things I had worn to travel), and emotionally frozen and in shock by all the pain I saw.

Even as I write this, my cheeks are burning. When I return this time, I will see an even deeper wound in humanity. Women who were stolen, sold or forced into this life and literally have no hope to escape ... none except through Christ. I am encouraged, though, that we will have the privelege of meeting a group of women who have seen God's power work in their lives in dramatic ways. I am humbled that we will be able to work alongside them. I am hopeful that we will be able to share hope and the love of Christ which "covers a multitude of sins".

To prepare my heart, I am reading "The Good News About Injustice" by Gary Haugen (President and CEO of International Justice Mission). One thing I know that we need prayer for is the anger that many of the women struggle with. You can imagine how they must grapple with a loving and just God and the depth of pain they've lived through. Please pray God will prepare me (and the whole team) spiritually for how to support these women in the few short days we are there.

And especially thank you for China

2010-03-22T16:32:00.000-05:00

The past 6 months or so it seems we have had a strong emphasis on Missions with Miles. I wanted to prepare the boys for me leaving for India so I took a few minutes with Miles to explain where I was going and why. When I told him I would be leaving for India in a couple of months, he kind of looked surprised. I said, "you will stay with Daddy and your Mimi and your Nanny Ray." He got excited and asked, "Can you go to India tomorrow so I can see them?"

A couple of weeks later, AK Lama came to the Missions Conference at our church. I was at Beeson with AK and he was the one who led our small team to India back in 1999. I told Miles all about AK and then we were able to have lunch with him. Miles was so excited to see him and actually hugged him when it was time to leave (and Miles, unlike me, is not a hugger).

We made a "chain of days" with multi-colored chains to show the boys how many days there are until I leave for India (and when I return). Each day we tear off a chain but Miles still asks every few days when I will go to India. He is also discovering so much about the world asking, "Is Georgia in America? Is India in America? Is China in America?" etc.

Last night, I was putting Miles to bed and we had our bedtime prayer. After I prayed, Miles said, "Dear God, thank you for Emily and Ella. Thank you for Mommy and Daddy and Will. Thank you for YOU and for Jesus. Thank you for You being born .... for Jesus being born and especially thank you for China".

Peace

2010-02-16T07:34:00.000-06:00

I once heard the definition of peace - the biblical sense of peace that is. I had typically thought of peace as "rest" or "quiet" or almost a nothingness. But when a friend shared this definition of peace with me it resounded in my soul! Peace (shalom) is things being as they were intended to be and having what we were intended to have. Almost a "Garden of Eden" mentality.

There are times in my life that I have felt that peace and one of them was last night.

As I fixed dinner last night, I could hear my sweet boys upstairs playing. When I snuck up there to see what was going on - Will and Miles were both in Will's crib. They were playing "Fishing Boat". Will had a remote control that he was using as a fishing pole. Miles would jump in and out of the boat, tell Will to "cast the line" and then he would hook a pretend line to the "fish" (usually Will's giant Nemo his Aunt Monkey and Uncle Jake gave him) and then Miles would say, "Reel it in, Will!" Miles would say, "Let's cast the sails" and Will would say, "Otay" and Miles would say, "Will, say 'aye aye cap't'" and Will would obey! They were so precious and so peaceful.

Jake was getting ready for his new job (he starts today) checking out his suits, ties, etc. He is dressing so sharp! Not that I didn't like the Carhartt's and t-shirts but he just looks so nice in his new suits.

Typically, the time between the boys waking up from naps and getting dinner on the table is the CRAZIEST time of the day(filled with whines for candy, fights, stress, etc). But this day was so peaceful - truly peaceful. Life as I think God intends it to be.

What a great description of peace - things as they out to be; as God intends them to be for us. It makes me want to strive for peace everyday! Maybe if I strive to be what I ought to be; what God intends me to be - then it will be a domino affect on my home and children.

Peace out

Heavens! What a day ...

2010-01-25T14:32:00.000-06:00

This morning we decided to play at home with Miles' new toys and to take it easy. Miles had asked me, "Are you going to be mad at me today?" What a sad question! I answered, "I don't ever want to be mad at you - I do get frustrated when you make bad choices" and he seemed fine with that answer. So, I packed extra patience into my heart to make sure I did my best to not get frustrated with mistakes and bad choices.

Mid-morning or so, Miles and I were busy upstairs putting together a foam pirate ship (without instructions) with the hot glue gun. Will was downstairs at the train table playing with a pick-up truck (with no wheels) and the Toy Story characters.

Miles was busy punching out foam pieces and then said, "Will is playing downstairs but he should be up here with us". I am so thankful he did because I think it made me more aware of Will downstairs. Only a few seconds later, I heard a gagging/hacking noise. I perked up and listened again. I heard the same noise again followed by a banging noise. I realize that something was wrong and jumped up. I instinctively jerked the glue gun out of the socket as I ran downstairs so the house didn't burn down. I flew down the stairs to find Will clawing at his mouth. His eyes were wide open and his face was NOT red but sort of blueish.

I grabbed him and threw him over my lap and began to hit his back. It did not help and I knew immediately (remembered immediately) that I needed to do a finger sweep (I am praising God for the requirement to take 1st Aid training at the ELC again this year). I flipped him over and he was not happy with me at all! He was hitting at me and had tears coming out his eyes and was still choking. I tried to sweep his mouth but he kept batting at my hands. Finally, I swept deep enough into the throat that I could feel something. So I swept quickly once more until a little green plastic head came out.

Miles got a Buzz Lightyear Lego set that came with a small green man and his head comes off. Apparently Will thought it looked good enough to mouth on for a while (he is still really bad about putting things in his mouth) and he just got carried away.

He gagged for while and sort of threw up a little and we both cried and then Miles started crying and said, "We'll never finish my pirate ship now" (he doesn't handle emergencies well at this point).

We settled down by playing with the new playdoh Miles got and I calmed myself enough to call Jake.

It was a horrifying experience. But .... the pirate ship is complete, the Lego's are packed away, and Will told Jake on the phone, "The peece-min [policeman] says not to eat toys .... dey choke you".

All that before lunch - Heavens! What a day!!!

Full bellies

2009-08-19T14:11:00.000-05:00

This morning, Jake made the boys oatmeal and as usual Miles ate like a homeless man. Will picked at his on and off and then was ready for what anyone else was eating so I offered Miles Will's leftovers. He got those big eyes and said, "uh corse" (it's so cute when he says it).

After finishing his, Will's and then eating part of a peach Miles was very quiet. I came back from the kitchen and saw him sitting at the table just looking at his pooched out tummy. I said, "whatcha doin' Miles"?

"Trying to get my tummy to go back where it was before ... before breakfast" then he jumped down and sucked his tummy in showing his ribs.

Sweet thing! He was so proud of his full tummy but I think he preferred the look of the not so full tummy! I feel the same way .... I want the full tummy, but I don't want the pooch.

Miles' cute phrases

2009-08-02T09:08:00.000-05:00

On Disney's CARS (one of our favorites, 2nd only to Toy Story 2), Lighting McQueen psyches himself up by saying, "Floatin' like a Cadillac, Stingin' like a Beamer". Miles likes for us to say it to each other YELLING but he has interpreted it "Stinkin like a beaver".

July

2009-07-29T16:42:00.001-05:00

Random Summer Events:

Earlier this month, we went to Georgia to see my brother, my parents and Mandy and Jake's house progress. Geoff was amazing with the boys (buying them little gifts, but not letting them get away with any nonsense). My poor parents took us to the Georgia Aquarium where I informed them "you cannot sit down", after losing both boys within the first few minutes of being there.

While we were there, we realized that there were no penguins. My brother, Geoff asked every worker (especially the cute girls) if we could see them and we got escorted back into a hallway where the penguins are kept until their new habitat i finished. It was very exciting!!

The beluga whales were mesmerizing and we got to eat lunch watching them swim back and forth. The boys were enamored with their poop.

Mandy and Jake's house is still coming along slowly! She's getting frustrated with the tiny details at this point but I am sure that means their move-in date is getting that much closer.

Two weeks ago, Miles had an amazing beach trip with Ella, Judi, Memomma, Jerri and Jane (the only reports I got of others was "Uncle Richard made pancakes" and "Keller plays drums"). They went to the park, played at Jerri's house, went to the condo adn the beach, visited Sam's Fun City (the amusement park), hardly napped and had a late bedtime (a preschoolers dream come true). He had a great time and I don't think he missed us for one second that he was gone. He had a busted lip and skinned knees when he got back because "the kwonkwete won". For days after the trip, Miles kept telling me how much he loves and and would cuddle up to me. It's great having him back.

Judi showed me video of Miles running and jumping into the pool and then swimming with his face in the water until he runs out of breath!! He was so proud and was telling me all about it when he got home. Then he said, "But you and Daddy didn't get to see me do it so next time you have to come with me to the beach".

Will didn't seem to miss Miles too much while he was gone. I think he enjoyed having all the toys to himself. But whenever we got in the car to go somewhere he would look over at Miles' empty seat and say, "Mo". That's when I realized that that's how he says 'Miles'. It's so cute!!

I will post pictures when I can get copies!

Miles is Cat./Will is a Dog

2009-07-29T16:04:00.000-05:00

I've decided that Miles is a cat and Will is a dog. Will is just as content as could be (until someone takes his bone). Miles, on the other hand is a little more quirky! He sleeps with Bubba and Big Old Dog (using BOD as a pillow). This morning he told me that he has to tuck Big Old Dog's arms under because if he doesn't they bother him. Then at naptime, he turned Big Old Dog around, over, and upside down until he was just perfect. Then Miles laid his head down and twisted and fidgeted and squirmed until at last he was perfectly settled. Then he said, "Soft me" ... just that simple. (Softing is that soft scratching that people like as they fall asleep).

Miles doesn't like fruit in his yogurt. He prefers things not too hot but not too cold. He wants "lots of water" added to his juice cup. He doesn't like sleeves (I'm hoping it's a seasonal thing). When he wears his Buzz Lightyear costume, he wants the pants legs "twisted" but not twisted too much. Even with all those preferences, he's still the cutest 3 year old in the world! He loves to "plus" (i.e. "Mommy, if you take one dog plus and two kittens, what does that plus" and "if I eat two bites of peas and three blueberries, what does that plus"?) and he always gets the math right!

Last week at nap time, Miles and I were reading a book and I asked him, "What do you want to be when you grow up"? He thought for a minute and then grinned and said, "When I grow up, I'm going to be a Daddy like my Daddy". He's very aware of "big boy" vs "little boy" stuff right now and can't wait to be a full-fledged big boy!! At a playgroup last week, a boy called he and his friend "babies" and Miles was offended beyond description.

Will is really into training Jessie (by the way, our dog was 'Molly' for about a week and is now officially 'Jessie'). The problem is, he is still pretty nervous around her. But he'll grab a treat to give her and just shiver with fear, blinking his eyes as she dances all around waiting for it!

Will can say lots of words these days (about time, right): Buzz, Jessie, juice, paci, panda, cheese (for pictures and snacks), and especially Memomma ... Jake's mom, Judi (Mimi JuJu) tried all day when she kept them this past week, to get him to say, "Mimi JuJu" but of course he thought it was hilarious to refuse and only say, "Memomma". Last week when we went to visit Memomma after her knee surgery, I told Will to 'tell Memomma bye-bye' and he said, "Bye Me Bye Momma" and it was one of those moments when you children are so precious you think they really are an angel!

Will is a dancing machine! If a song comes on, he will be rocking out to it in no time ... it's pretty phenomenal. If I can figure out how to post a video you can see for yourself.

Finally, this summer, Miles has re-named us all. Miles is Buzz Lightyear (of course). Jake is Zurg. I am Woody. Will is Mr. Potato Head. The names come out around the time Jake gets home from work. Then it's "game on" and Miles is ready to wrestle Zurg. Jessie and Mr. Potato Head jump in but Mr. Potato head giggles so hard, he can't really do much damage right now. Woody just kicks back and watches.

4th of July

2009-07-06T21:52:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, we packed the family up and took a roadtrip to Nolensville, Tennessee to visit our good friends, the Watsons. I've known Jay and Shantel since they moved into Spring Aire Apartments just after they got married. Jay and I were at Beeson together and then they lovingly welcomed Jake into the fold. Jay even officiated our wedding.

We got to their house and Miles was a little shy at first. But it was not long before he, Will and the Watson's twins, Hope and Hannah Chayse, were chasing one another, digging out all the toys and wrestling Jake on the floor.

In the playroom, Miles found a princess pop-up tent and said, "We can play in here" and the girls seemed thrilled to have a 'prince' around (who wasn't their cousin).

This was really the first time that Will had been around them and the first time in almost two years that the children had played together! But it was amazing how well they did together. Within an hour or two, Miles and the girls both asked if we could stay forever! It was so precious.

The most beautiful part of the weekend was seeing a friendship spark between our children with such ease! It was so effortless and automatic. We have been blessed to be a part of Jay and Shantel's lives for years and then to see that deep appreciation and love come alive in the playtime of our children was an even greater blessing.

Pray for their church - Life Community - and listen to Jay's sermons online - you will see why we love this family so much! http://www.lifecommunitytn.com/

One of my favorite moments of the weekend was watching the fireworks. Will was slightly nervous but when he sat in my lap he relaxed a little. He even gave some sound effects, "pop", "boom" and waved his hands in the air. But my favorite moment was when Miles needed to go tee-tee right in the middle of the fireworks display. He came over to me and said, "Record it, Mommy" ... that means "pause" it thanks to our DirecTV that allows us to pause, record and rewind favorite shows. For some reason, he calls it "recording" when I pause so that he can go potty without missing anything! It was hysterical. I wish life were like that ... with moments we could pause and just savor (or run to the potty and not miss anything).

Lazy Summer Days

2009-07-03T15:20:00.000-05:00

It has been a CRAZY summer so far! I am absolutely loving being home with the boys every day and the only “side effect” they seem to be experiencing is an increased anxiety when we are not together!
We’ve been to Moss Rock Preserve, the Zoo (and back again with Nanny Ray and GrandBob), Tannehill, the library for a puppet show, and a lot of playtime outside on the trampoline and backyard!

We took a hike nearby at the Moss Rock Preserve and stopped for lunch by the creek. Miles soon needed to “poop” but was afraid a BEAR may come along so his body denied the process!

Will pooped in the potty this week! He asks to go frequently but I think he has either just recently gone or it is a false alarm. But he legitimately said, “poopoo” and then sat on the potty for a few minutes and out it came! He was soooo proud. It was his second time but we thought the first time was a fluke. Since then, he has asked and gone tee-tee as well.

Continuing with the poop updates: Miles had “to go” and said, “Mommy, if I squeeze your hand it will be easier.” As he pushed a little tear rolled out of his eye. He looked at me so sincere and said, “Sometimes when you push real hard, a tear pops out but it’s not because you’re crying.” It was one of the most precious things … he had this look like he wanted to make sure I understood that he was not sad at all, just working real hard at going.

Saturday we got a puppy. I’m a firm believer that children need animals as they grow up so that they can learn empathy, care, responsibility, loyalty and good old play! So far Will (who loves dogs) has been terrified of the cute little caramel colored wet-nosed puppy but IS learning to talk more (“down”, “no”, “help”). Miles on the other hand (who can sometimes be a bit rough) loves her to pieces. He runs and she chases – both of them full of absolute glee. He even laughs hysterically as she nips his ears and licks his hair when he’s low enough on the ground. Multiple times Miles has said, “my little baby” to her and it is wonderful to see his precious tender side. As of naptime today, they were both sleeping soundly in Miles’ bed (though it took some settling of all the giggles and wiggles).

Miles is really into Buzz Light-year this summer. He was the ring bearer for Amanda and Ryan’s wedding about a month ago where he got a Buzz costume for “walking down the aisle with that pillow”. He did a great job and we were very proud of him and delighted that they asked him to be a part of such a special day! He has worn the costume daily since then (and once to church). Jake says he will end up losing 60 pounds this summer but I love that just 10 minutes of playtime on the trampoline in the middle of the day increases his naptime by about an hour!

As a child, our family took trips on what my Mama calls, “backroads. ” You never knew where you would wind up, just following some forgotten dirt road that inevitably (serendipitously) ended up at a waterfall, old cave or forlorn house in the woods. Then after playing for a while, we’d let the tailgate down and have a snack lunch of Vienna sausages, slices of cheese and crackers (and of course an ice cold Coke).

My favorite day this past week was like stepping back in time to one of those trips. I had never really been there so I didn’t know much about it but my parents went with us and it was literally like living out something I would have done as a child growing up!

We found a cute little creek (very very cold) that spilled into a small river. The boys were tentative at first but then really started to love it. They would “swim” back and forth to me (in the deep) from GrandBob (in the creek). After a meager lunch (keeping in line with childhood trips), we decided to go up the “waterfall”. You would have thought that Miles was forging the river with Lewis and Clark. Each of the boys found a walking stick and then they turned into “fishing poles” or good old “water slappers.” And as it happened – every stick looked like a snake to me just as it did when I was a child. The worst part was trying to find a good place to get out. I finally had to pick them both up and wade chest deep in the water (losing one of my favorite shoes). But it was worth it! My heart swells to capacity when we get out in the “wild” like that. These wild Indians loved every minute of it, too.

Sometimes I can't hear Him!

2009-05-20T13:31:00.000-05:00

Miles is afraid of bears. Well, during the day he's cautiously excited about bears but at night he is scared of them. He's afraid they'll come into the house or blow our house down like the Big Bad Wolf. He knows now that bears eat berries, leaves and other foods - not people. It doesn't seem to help. Last night Jake prayed with him at bedtime (Miles repeating each phrase) and asked God - who created everything, even bears - to protect us. He stammered through the prayer while his little voice quivered. Jake was patient and gentle with him and then said it was time for bed. Miles wailed for a while so I went up there to double check on him. He asked me all the questions, "What if a bear is still out there? What if he comes to get us?" I asked, "Didn't Daddy pray with you about bears? Do you know that God gave us this house and will protect us inside from the bears?" Miles said, "Yeah but I can't hear him." I asked, "who?" thinking if we couldn't hear the bear that was a REALLY good thing. "God", he said, "I can't always hear Him". I got all teary-eyed. "Me either", I said, "but I know He's there."

Miles put his hand to his ear and said, "Let's listen". We did but there was nothing audible but honestly, at that moment I could feel Him in my heart. "God is always with us whether we feel Him or hear Him or not" I said. "I can't see Him either ... I can't see His eyes or His face" said Miles. "He gave us Jesus to help us know who He is" I said, "Can you feel His arms around you?" Miles said, "No and I can't see them either." I answered, "Well, they're special arms so we can't see them but we know they are there". "Yeah," said Miles, "and when Jesus opens my belly and then closes my belly, I have a door on my belly."

The things they say sometimes bring you to tears because they're so true!
I think the same things sometimes ... I can't see Him. I don't know what His eyes look like. And what kinds of arms does He have? We know that there probably is some fear of the bears but there is also the fact that Miles doesn't want to go to bed at night. So we are patient and understanding and then firm about bedtime. And thankful for moments like these when somehow our own child can say the things that our hearts so often fear themselves ... and the things we don't even know how to say anymore!

Funny Things

2009-05-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

Miles just held onto a quarter with his toes and asked me if I could do the same thing. He took off my sock for me and put the quarter in between my toes and said, "See... you can do it! Maybe you are awesome like me?!"

Then he picked up the dollar bill and said,"Let's see who is on here? Who is that man?" and I said, "His name is George Washington" and he said, "He's the number one and then the number two and then the letter B" (reading the serial numbers on the bill).

Oh Poop!

2009-05-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

We headed off to Grammy and Grandpa's yesterday to visit and play for a while. We got out there after some early Sunday naps (just the boys - not me unfortunately). We got there and visited for a little bit when Will headed off to the corner to do his business. At home, we all get really excited and run to the potty to get him interested. To be honest, he's mostly interested in the treats (M&M's) that he gets when he sits. So far, there is not much action. But Miles is a great big brother and he'll 'read" Will Once Upon A Potty while we wait. It's so precious! Because actually, he can't read so he just describes the pictures and uses his own name for the main character ("Miles has a penis for going tee-tee" and "is the potty for a cat to drink out of?? NO!")

Out at Grammy and Grandpa's there is no potty book or little potty so I thought I'd just let Will have his moment in the corner. He doesn't really like to be interrupted so when he started whining I thought he may just be embarassed or disatisfied with the corner he picked. But very quickly, the whimpers turned to actual crying and it's pretty unusual for Will to cry for no reason. His little face turned red and the crying got worse. When I picked him up, I could feel that he was clenching his legs and little hiney as tight as he could and realized he must be backed up. (When Miles was younger and had trouble going we would say, "uh oh, my truck is stuck" from a book we had checked out from the library).

Grammy and I laid Will down on the bed and opened his diaper to check things out. Sure enough, the hole was opened about the size of a quarter and there was a LARGE poop obstruction. I said, "What should I do?" and Grammy, very calmly said, "You're going to have to dig it out" and I said, "With my finger?" and she said, "Yes ..." It was all so casual like we were talking about adding a little more milk to gravy or something ... which is good because inside I was beginning to get freaked out.

I started digging and nothing happened. Will was just screaming so hard that it would do a little turtle head action. Finally, pieces started to crumble until more and more came out. Then finally a pretty large hard-as-a-rock piece came out as I pulled on it! Like a little cat giving birth or something - with Grammy and I cheering Will on.

After that, Will was happy and content again. WHEW! I cloroxed, washed several times and then went to dig for worms in the dirt to try to get that smell off.

A parent's love is something so strange. You find yourself doing things that seem so completely out of your realm of possibility. And then not really thinking too much of it. I sometimes wonder what in the world could possibly be next but I like the surprise too much to really dwell on it for long.

Who knew?

2009-05-06T14:10:00.000-05:00

Who knew that a 3 1/2 year old needs a helmet when riding a Big Wheel?! Who knew that on a road 100 yards or so long, my little guy has the precision to hit the ONE culvert that seemed impossible to hit?!

I decided to take the boys on a quick walk (since dinner was in the crockpot). I guided the boys into the garage to pick their bike. Luckily, they both chose bikes that have some parental control. Miles chose the Rock, Roll and Ride trike with the push handle and Will chose the Radio Flyer trike with a handle as well!

Off we went up the hill to see the dog who lives up the street. We made it all the way even though steering two trikes in a similar direction without allowing them to tangle is VERY difficult!

We said, 'hello' and made our way back down the hill. Then it happened...

Will's trike started veering off to the left down the incline. It was sort of "Sophie's Choice"-esque (I haven't seen the movie, but the gist is a mom has to choose between her children). My thoughts were racing. Since the hill is not too steep and Miles is able to steer, pedal and brake himself when necessary, I decided to let Miles go quickly righting Will's trike in time to grab Miles if needed.

I did need to .... but I was not able to. As I let Miles go, I used both hands to turn Will's trike back into the right direction. Miles was beginning to veer toward a small culvert about the size of a grocery bag set upright in the ground. Miles' trike drove directly toward the grass in front of the hole, spilling him head-first into the culvert.

There he was with legs kicking, head to waist in the hole, screaming! I steered Will over grabbing Miles by the ankles to lift him out. The blood was pumping pretty badly since he was crying pretty hard.

I had one of those moments you hear about when people lift vehicles or heavy objects off a loved one. I yanked poor Will up off his trike by one arm and got them both on my hips, kicking the trikes into the grass as I ran the 40 yards toward our house. Both boys were screaming; Miles because of the huge gash in his head and Will because I had interrupting his joy ride.

At the ER, they decided numbing and sewing would be more traumatic for Miles so they had me scrub off the dried blood and apply iodine. Then the Dr. scrubbed the wound itself and stapled his head twice to close the wound.

And that was our very first ER trip. Who knew that a little walk could be so eventful?! Who knew I would be so sore from the tension and running down the road with two boys on my hips?! And who knew that Miles would be so brave as his head got stapled with no pain relief?!

Red and Yellow, Black and White ...

2009-04-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

Last night Miles and I ran to Wal-Mart before dinner (his Lightning McQueen race car blew a tire). When we got there, we got our things and had to wait in line for a while. The lady in front of us was talking to Miles and we introduced ourselves. She shook his hand and when she did he just looked at her arm. Then he said, "You don't have this color on" and rubbed his arm. I felt the color RED rush to my cheeks since we haven't ever really had an indepth conversation with Miles about people being different colors. I was getting a little nervous about what was next. She said, "What color do I have on"? He said, "Black". She just smiled and asked him what color he had on and he said, "Orange". She laughed but I was curious so I said, "What color do I have on"? He looked at me and said, "Yellow". Still a little nervous, I said, "We are all colors of the rainbow aren't we"? The lady was so nice but I think it tickled her soe she just laughed and laughed. So much so that then Miles turned RED and covered his face with his shirt.

As we walked off to the self-checkout (since the line was too long), Miles said, "Why does she talk like that"? And I wasn't quite ready for another cross-cultural lesson so I just asked, "Like what"? But I don't know if he really has words for what he meant yet ... are there words for it?

I wish I could see the world from his vantage point sometimes. Things are so simple and so black and white (well, black and orange and yellow ... and sometimes red).

Easter

2009-04-17T15:45:00.000-05:00

Easter has come and gone and we had a great time this year. We made it a point to read the Children's Bible every day during the Easter season so that the Boys would capture the real meaning of Easter. In fact, The Bunny wasn't ever even mentioned and no one seemed to miss it at all!

We did talk a lot about Jesus riding a donkey into town. Miles thought that was very cool. He loved that the people put their coats down for the donkey to walk on and one day we made some "hosanna" palm branches here at the house and celebrated!

For cards, we sent family homemade cards (see photos). We made a little chick with Miles' hands, and when I decided to use Will's feet print, I wanted to do something to celebrate the season. We ended up making his footprint arch into the empty tomb! See how it turned out.

We had Jake's side of the family over on Saturday for an Egg Hunt and lunch and had a great time.

_________________________________________________

Today, is Friday so it's stay-in-your-jammies-until-late-day. Will got to sleep until almost 9:00 (I'm so jealous)! After we finally got dressed and had breakfast we loaded up the stroller and attached it to the bike and went to "King of the Hill". I met Mrs. Lois the other day (King of the Hill is on her property) and she re-introduced herself to me today. She is 90 years old and I had a great time talking to her while the boys played in the water.

Miles loves to get a walking stick and make it into a fishing pole, a sword (today he said, "we're soldiers - fighting for good") or even making them into "trains" as he has running commentary from Thomas movies. Will's favorite thing is to throw balls into the culvert on one side and we RUUUUUUN across the road to see them pop out on the other side.

Miles brought me a handful of rocks and said, "you be Goliath and I'll be David". Trying to be a good mom, I was thinking, "is he really going to try to throw those at my head and am I willing to let him" because I just LOVED that the Bible is becoming alive to him. Needless to say, before I could finish the thought process he had chucked them all into the creek.