1st Camping Trip of the Season

We normally don't do Memorial weekend due to rain, but thought we'd try it......yep, it rained! Lots of wet shoes, wet socks, wet pants up to the knees. But yet time together away from worries and stress.

We got this hike in, in-between showers.


Dic and Cole having some father-son time--
love the trail through the trees.



Zachie decided after a short time to go back and get his bike---
he had a blast bounc'n 'round on the trail.


AAHHH!!
We found them hiding here.



LOVE this picture!
Luke was forever bringing me flowers throughout the weekend.
Look at those dirty little fingers.


This is something new for Phoebe. I'm pretty sure she never got to leave her old house. When we first got her, we would let her out of the car and she would run in all directions...and not come back!

Pretty sure she hadn't even taken car rides and I know she had never been on a leash at 2 years old. She is lov'n life now. She had a great time running and playing with the kids and Smoke.

Isn't she cute?

Stinker!

Luke was in charge of the camera---
me and Phoebes


I know I look REAL happy--
after many pictures!

Heading back after a fun hike. Everyone was very tired...dogs included.

The sign shows our favorite campground--

Beautiful, green scenery everywhere--

fog and mist were with us all weekend.

The entrance to our "happy place".

Look how green the grass is--

that won't last long.

I wanna go back!

Cousin Haley and Zach on our last, stormy night. Good night for hot chocolate and popcorn...and whatever else we could find! The newly- renovated camper got lots of action. I am soooo grateful!

Racing....

My life is running pretty fast-paced right now--just like this song.....makes me feel like I'm on a merry-go-round and can't get my feet down to stop.

I have been taking on way more than I have been capable of in the years passed and if you would have asked me to volunteer (which, believe me, I was) my first reaction would have been to jump on board.....then I would jump ship. I couldn't handle it. My mind was always spinning and I didn't know how to make it stop. I have learned that when my body is healthy, so is my mind. And that's all about nutrition, for one, but also sleep and a little pampering here and there....and then there's the biggest thing---I have God in my life. I always thought I had that, but I didn't really "get it". I know what it feels like now. I stumble...He picks me up. I loose it for a while...He puts me back on track. He gave me so many friends to lean on and share with who believe in Him with all their hearts. What a blessing! And then there is the change in my husband and my kids. We are all in it together and it's amazing how much more smoothly our lives run. We give it all up to God and he truly does take care of everything. So now I know that I have gifts from above and He guides me through it all. The three baseball teams and the stress that creates, giving my time at our church and how overwhelming that can be, my beautiful boys and all of that sassiness (yes, boys have it too ;0). And my husband has such a faith that I didn't know he was capable of. You wouldn't recognize him from two years ago (oh, and there's the 50 lbs lost and longer hair--that can really throw you off !). Life is good....better than it's ever been. I've learned to look at my calendar and take one day at a time, instead of seeing a full week and feel like throwing up. I just couldn't handle more than one thing at a time before, and even then my body was so unhealthy that it wouldn't allow it. I have been a tired, un-energetic person for most of my life I am realizing. And I get a hard time from others who don't understand why we have an early bedtime for our kids and try as hard as we can to keep them from junk food. It makes a HUGE difference in how we perceive life and that beautiful life can just pass us right on by. I wish I knew then what I know now---I wasted so much time being tired and not enjoying what was right in front of me.

So bring on the baseball games, and pictures and practices and concession stand duty. Bring on the trips to-and-from school for so many different reasons. Bring on the community and church volunteering and the preparation for long camping trips. And bring on the mounds of yard work and projects (seriously, though, you can have the cleaning and cooking).

I AM READY!

I can't wait to take the rest of it in and say that I got

"all of THIS accomplished"!!

WANNA RACE?

OH Lord, PLEASE HELP ME!!

We Will never Know........

Today my heart is breaking for friends near and far. These friends have taken such a big, important step in the lives of children they have never met before. They have chosen to do what God is leading them to and yet there are road-blocks. It isn't fair that they are the chosen parents of these babies from across the world and they are "stuck" where they cannot be united. Lots of tears and struggles and money already passed between hands. Their stories have allowed me to feel compassion for people all over the world....to understand their hardships and burdens like it were my own. And it gives me the desire to do what my friends are doing---making these kids a part of their families. These are children who have lost one or both parents, who were born under horrible circumstances and have no one left to care for them, or possibly those who were given up because they knew they were not capable of taking on a child. And we can be judgemental from afar, but we will never know their pain. We will never understand what it's like to care for a child when we are starving ourselves. We will never know. Please pray for my friends from near and from far. These are not the only stories. There are children waiting all over the world for their new families who will care for them. Please pray that their babies will come home to them soon. Please pray that these little ones will feel the embrace of their sweet brothers and sisters in the land of plenty. Because even though America is feeling hard times right now, we will never know what it's like half-way across the world until we experience it for ourselves. We will never know what it's like to walk miles upon miles without shoes to retrieve water that is infected with animal feces. We will never know what it's like to have a disease that cannot be cured. We will never know what it's like to die of starvation. Please pray for these children of Christ who deserve these necessities as much as we do. And pray for their parents who can and will care for them as if they were their own. Pray for them....I beg you with my hurting heart.

My Sweets is Six!!

Lukey had a pirate party......

so many fun things for this theme--we went all out!


The pirate crew--May 2nd is also Dic's Birthday
.....correction from my last post--he is only 42!! Whoops!


These are five of Luke's best friends
--Jevon, Caleb,Trey,Gabbie, and Wilam.



And the whole darn crew
--cousins and all.


Oh yes, and then there is the cake---it was going to be a very easy cake. I got an idea in my head and I really thought it would take less time then my others, but with exhaustion setting in from a couple of very busy weeks, I couldn't handle it when the first "ship" broke in two. Yes, I cried......a lot! And I can usually handle cake disasters, but I drew a blank and all I could do was cry. So I baked yet another cake and the ship became a boat and the pirate crew became a one-man team. I think it turned out okay, just not what I envisioned. But Luke assured me he would love it "no matter how bad it turns out". :0)



I love this sweet baby! Another year has gone by that means that next year he will be in Kindergarten and more importantly in his mind......he will get to be part of Kids Club at daddy's work (we keep trying to tell him he IS ALREADY part of Kids Club, but he has his mind set). Five years seems to be the end of baby-hood, but I don't think the chubby cheeks will ever go away. Yeah! The past year has been a really good/challenging year with this inquisitive, strong-willed, free-spirited little boy. The boy who wants to be called Jesus (he is still saying that when he's an adult he's changing his name--and he really has cried when I tell him that's not the way it works), this child of mine who uses demands and sarcasm in just about every sentence, the little man who loves God like he's seen Him in person. When I was kissing him goodnight, he said,
"Mom this was the best Birthday I've ever had!!
Happy Birthday, my Lukey!!

A couple of short stories from the Lukester:

As we drove in the car this morning he said, "Mom how will I find your house when I'm a grown up?

&

We took his friend, Wilam, to lunch with us today. In the car ride home the boys were talking about Heaven. Luke said, "God is up in the sky". So Wil said, "Yea, and Jesus is down there", which Luke quickly corrected and told him that Jesus is with God in Heaven. Luke added, "Yes, remember how Jesus is dead? He died with nails in His hands and feet." There was a pause and Wil responds, "Well, that's sad". I laughed out loud. Love how they see things.