VBS #5

This evening I dropped off Emma for VBS #5 of the summer.  Before you go thinking I’m some crazy mom… Emma just loves VBS so I do my best to try and find them for her so she can go.  We’ve been to all sorts of them this summer.  Small ones where she was 1 of 5 kids in attendance.  An outdoor one which she just loved and others.  But tonight is special because she is attending the VBS at our church.  I WAS SO PROUD of our church tonight when I walked in.  They have done an amazing job with decorating and creating this wonderful fun environment.  It’s the first time in 7 years of attending Crossroads that Emma has gone.  We are always out of town when they have it so I was so glad we were in town this week.  I’ll have to admit I felt pretty bad dropping her off and not being a parent/church attender who helped out this week.  I had intentions of doing so but to be honest… I’m barely surviving the single mom at home right now so to add a VBS with Izzie in tow and Dave gone just was not doable for me this time around.  Hopefully soon I”ll be able to plug in somewhere. It’s just the realities of our summer.  So hopefully she’s having a great time right now and Izzie and I are getting some quality time tonight just her and I.

Happy Campers?

The girls and I left this past Friday to head to Talledega, AL to spend a few days at  camp with dad.  We just got back today.  Here are the bullets.

• This mom does not like going to camp!  Maybe in a few years when Izzie is older but we just don’t do well on the road.
• Emma absolutely loves camp.  I don’t think I’ve EVER seen her enjoy herself more than the past few days.  I just loved sitting back and watching her worship and be so involved in every aspect of camp.
• Hats off to my dear hubby.  I have no clue how he does what he does.  For the past 14 summers he has been doing camp on the road.  WOW.  That is a long time.  We’ve never had a summer since we met 12 years ago that did not include one of us doing camp.
• Izzie and I were attached at the hip for a good 24 hrs.  She sure is a mamma’s girl right now.  We even shared the biggest bag of sweedish red jellyfish together.  It’s now gone and we are both a litte bit on a sugar high.
• We were able to see our dear friends Roger and Becca and their kids this past Saturday.  It’s always fun catching up and getting our families together.
• I’m glad we made the trip this weekend.  Dave heads from Talledega tomorrow to his last camp of the summer in Chattanooga TN.  Then Summer Camp is over at this house! And that is a good thing because this mom is tired of having her husband gone!
• Here are some pics from the weekend.  Notice there are no pictures of mom or Izzie.  Hmmm.  Wonder what happened to those two happy campers!  Not!

Emma with all of her camp friends

Dave at Recreation

Emma during Worship

Emma at Late night with Ramsey

Dave talking to the kids

 

 

 

 

Peace in the midst of questions.

This has been such a blah week this week.  Can’t put my finger on it but to say I feel and am totally un expressional would be an understatement.  I’m tired of the summer travel schedule with Dave, nights alone at home are getting old.  Don’t feel like starting a project that normally keeps me busy.  The kids are eager to get out and about but the 100 degree heat has us not doing anything fun.  Blah.  That is all it has been.  And in that blah is so much “un peace” about everything.  Is “un peace” even a word to be typed?

So I’m cleaning up our back patio this afternoon and in floats this gigantic, huge, beautiful butterfly I have ever seen.  I’ve maybe seen one that large and beautiful at a butterfly museum but never have seen anything like it anywhere around here.  And such peace came over me as I looked at it’s beauty.  I sat there a few minutes wondering what it all means… searching for a lot of meaning to things as well these days.  And tried to get my camera to get a picture to show all of you but as soon as I returned of course it flew off.

But looking at this butterfly brought so much peace to me in the moment.  Peace in the midst of so many uncertain questions.

Blog titles from my past week

Our family has been in town for the past 10 days so that is the reason for no posts!  I’m trying to think of a time in our 10 years of marriage where Dave and I have been busier than we currently are right now.  Can not think of a time.  So here are some blog titles for you if I could have blogged.

• In Laws in town for 10 days and I survived!
• Dave,  6 camps down and 3 to go.
• Happy birthday men! (My father in law… my dad… and dave all celebrate birthdays within a week of each other.)
• Emma is on her 4th bible school this week.  We are making the rounds this summer!
• Adoption, Dossier, Decisions – Please keep us in your prayers.
• Two little girls learn a valuable lesson on life. (Kayleigh my 6 year old sister in law and Emma found a baby birds nest under our mailbox.  They removed it, played with the little birds who looked like they were just born, the mother rejected them, they died and two little girls learned a valuable lesson on life.  I still can’t talk about it.)
• Bubble Tea – It’s fantastic! (Thanks Courtney!)
• Ambien and Kim don’t mix! (Took an ambien this week.  First time ever to do that and I don’t remember half of the next day.  Um, won’t be doing that again.)

How about that for some blog titles!!!!

Another step

We had our second home study appointment today.  It went great.  Just another step down the road in this very long process.

Dave’s family is on town for the week and we’ve just been really busy.

Not a total failure.

All you non cooks – thanks for the support on my last post.  I don’t feel so alone anymore.

However I”m not a total failure.  Our house guests arrived this afternoon and for dinner I am serving chicken on the grill, baked potatoes, and corn on the cob.  I figured I could go big the first night and then take a few nights off!

Am I the only one that hates to cook?

So Dave is on his way home today for a week off.  And It’s great to about to have him home but that means that I now have to entertain the idea of cooking again.  This summer has been wonderful as far as time in the kitchen.  I have not spent much time there!  The girls and I have been cleaning out our pantry and eating random simple meals.  But that never fly’s with the hubby. 

Here is my thing… I just can’t stand getting home from working part of my day and spending 2 hrs in the kitchen… preparing, cooking, eating it for 5 minutes and then cleaning it all up.  I’ve got so many better things to do with my 2 hrs.  I want to play with the kids, take a walk to the park, start a load of laundry.  I just don’t want to cook.  I have friends who are amazing cooks and love cooking.  I wish I could eat their meals every night of the week.  They love the whole process and are amazing at it.  I just can’t do it.  I fail every time and I don’t enjoy it.

So all that so say, Dave is coming home and on top of that his family is coming in town for a week.  I’m not sure how to break the news to all of them that I’m not cooking!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Joy in the middle of life

I must say this has been one of the best summers that Dave and I have had as a married couple and during his busy travel season.  I was wondering what has been different than years past last night and I think I came to the conclusion that it’s because we are both maximizing our time right now in our sweet spots.  Dave has been having an incredible summer of ministry but he has said that it’s been the most tired he has ever been.  He’s had more conversations and interaction with people this summer during the day than ever before.  He’s thankful for that because he loves intersecting into  peoples lives and stories.  But it’s tiring for sure.

Me, I’m exhausted as well.  But a good exhausted.  I’ve been slammed at the Wayfarer office.  It’s an amazing dance that I do trying to keep up with three guys and all the details/flights/contacts.  And I’m reminded too often of a missed detail here and there but I’m giving it my all and finding so much joy in my job.  And our adoption journey… I think it’s kept me up way too late at night.  Right now there is always something to do and as the sun sets and I’m ready to call it a night, there are so many things that I am behind in and I just need to keep going.  But it’s so good.  And I’ve had some incredible conversations in the past few weeks with other people and their desires and journeys.  Amazing conversations and I just love it.  I’ve found so much Joy in this journey so far.  Did I say that I love it?

So at the end of the day when Dave and I finally get to have a decent conversation in, he’s sharing about his joy and I’m sharing about my joy and it honestly has created a wonderful bond in us that we have yet to experience in our 10 years of marriage.  Again, we are a part but so united in all the aspects of what God is calling us to do each and every day.  We are a team in every way and I must say that I love this team that is. It has been an amazing summer.

Haiti. Hope. Need. Reality.

Haiti.  Hope.  Need.  Reality.

Nightline is doing this story tonight.  I just read through what they had posted on their site.  This hits so close to my heart.  Because like Lori  said, “Unbelievably sad, but very true.”

There are many, many, many reasons why we feel called to adopt from Haiti.  This is just one of the many that stir our hearts.  In some very small way we feel like our family can play a role to bring HOPE to a child from Haiti.  Again, wanting to provide this child with a family who loves them, security, love, opportunity.  It’s the least we can do.  An honor that we can do it.  An excitement to add to our family this way.  There are many children from many countries in need.  Reading about this once again awakens my soul to the reality of the need of hope in this world for people of every color and from every corner….especially the children who have no one to fight for them.

We have a blueberry

Well I don’t have a blueberry but the Norris family sure does!  Wanted to give a major shout out to Chad, Wendy, Sam and Ruthie on their surprise”, arriving in February.  They had decided that they were done and settled with 2 children when of course a third decides to make it’s arrival!  A little change in plans for them but they are thrilled.  When Wendy found out she was pregnant with Ruthie, I was able to go with her to her 6 week appointment since Chad was in his summer travel schedule and out of town and I again was honored to join her to check in on the little blueberry that is growing inside of her for their third time around.  I’m sure she’ll kill me for posting this picture since we both look like crap!  But oh well, I wanted to honor the occasion.  It was an important day. Any day you get to witness the miracle of life is a beautiful day!

Again Congrats!!!!