Our vacation

We had lots of fun on our big vacation and the kids travelled great! The "presents" that I had prepared for the car ride were a big hit, Isaac loved watching movies in the car, and most importantly, everyone slept pretty well. Here's a few photos so you can see what we did!


Fun with Grandpa and Grandma in MN!


St. Joseph, Michigan, where we got to visit the lake with Keith's stepbrother and family.


Greenfield Village in Detroit with my twenty-year friend Stephanie.


Detroit Zoo - the kids loved it! Abby liked the flamingos best.


Family reunion in Detroit - Keith won the pie eating contest!


And two days after our return - family from Texas showed up. We got to be tourists in our own backyard, hiking, caving, and checking out Mount Rushmore.

After all this (plus two unmentioned overnight visits in July from various college friends) plus my morning sickness (are you reading closely???) we are ready for some downtime! But we're very grateful for the many opportunities to be with family and friends this month.

Adieu

Tomorrow we leave on our 2500 mile road trip, so don't expect any posts for a while. Yes, I could technically post from Keith's laptop and I could technically write all my posts in advance then have Blogger auto-post for me, but I'm just not gonna.

Here's hoping that a dual-screen portable dvd player and a box of 80 newspaper-wrapped "presents" will keep the kids happy in the car for forty hours!

Abby's Journal

July 7, 2008

I love to just open the back door and let my little kiddos outside. You and Isaac have become so creative in your play. You love to copy whatever he does. Your favorite is when climbing in and out of the little swimming pool on the patio. One day you two invented a game: You would climb out of the pool, crawl over the little picnic table, go down the Little Tykes slide, then back in the pool. You stayed in the pool just long enough to sing one five syllable made-up ditty, then repeated the whole thing over. And over.

You also love to play with the toy dishes I saved from my childhood. Whenever I need to occupy you alone for a while, I pull out the box of dishes and you are content for an hour. Mixing, putting lids on and off, putting toy cookies and cupcakes in the bowls and pretending to serve them to your baby doll . . . It’s great fun to watch.

We’ve gone several times to Old MacDonald’s Farm petting zoo and Storybook Island. The funny thing to me is that even though you ask often to “see goats” or go to “Storybook Mountain”, when we’re there you barely leave the stroller. You won’t get near any animal larger than yourself, so that means you only touch the baby chicks and (sometimes) the baby goats. You won’t ride the ponies or the train, and you are even hesitant about going in the little Storybook houses. I have to push you to try ANYTHING – at least I’m not having to chase you down in a crowd!

Camping at Center Lake in Custer State Park was a lot of fun. We arrived Friday evening during a thunderstorm, so Mama was afraid we wouldn’t have much fun. But it cleared out by 7pm or so and the rest of the weekend was beautiful! Friday night was a little rough because you didn’t think much of sleeping in the tent. Eventually you and Mama spent the night in the car! Saturday morning we did pancakes, bacon and hot cocoa, followed by a nap for you and Daddy while Isaac and Mama went to the beach. Later you joined Daddy and Isaac in making sand castles.

After lunch, Daddy drove around with you in the car until you fell asleep. Then he came back and parked the car at our campsite so you could nap. After naps we went on a big hike that required crossing the creek six times! You did great riding in your backpack. After supper Daddy and Isaac made a fire and we had s’mores! The second night was much better – you went right to sleep and we didn’t hear a peep out of you all night long. In the morning we packed up camp and headed off in search of animals. We saw TONS of buffalo up in the trees, so we got out of the car and watched them for a while. Later we stopped at a prairie dog town and left them “presents” of grass and flowers in their holes. You fell asleep in your car seat as we drove around the gravel roads. We finished the weekend off with yummy pizza on the way back to town.

Oh, my little sweetheart, how I cherish each nuzzle, kiss and cuddle from you. And I pray that you will know the hope to which he has called us, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints and his incomparably great power to us who believe.

Isaac's Journal

July 7, 2008

Summer sure is fun for you, little man. I keep hearing, “But I want to stay here FOREVER!” Anything from Storybook Island to the backyard at Grammie’s house to Old MacDonald’s Farm to camping merits that response. We try to explain that if you stayed one place forever, you could never go anywhere else that is fun!

Camping at Center Lake in Custer State park was a big deal for you. We arrived Friday evening during a thunderstorm, so Mama was afraid we wouldn’t have much fun. But it cleared out by 7pm or so and the rest of the weekend was beautiful! Friday night was a little rough because your little sister didn’t think much of sleeping in the tent. But you did all right, especially after Mama and Abby moved to the car for the night! Saturday morning we did pancakes, bacon and hot cocoa, followed by a nap for Daddy and Abby while you and Mama went to the beach. We were the first ones there, and you played delightedly for a long time with your boat. Later some other kids showed up and let you hold the minnows they were catching. Daddy and Abby then joined you in making sand castles.

After lunch, you took a nap in the tent. Then we went on a big hike that required crossing the creek six times! You did great. At the end of the hike we were a little worn out but you ran on ahead, saying that you were in the “pig races” (like at Old MacDonald’s Farm). After supper you helped Daddy make a fire – your job was finding little pieces of wood and pinecones to add – and we had s’mores! The next night was much better – Abby went right to sleep. In the morning we packed up camp and headed off in search of animals. We saw TONS of buffalo up in the trees, so we got out of the car and watched them for a while. You LOVE them. Later we stopped at a prairie dog town and left them “presents” of grass and flowers in their holes. You fell asleep on Daddy’s lap as we drove around the gravel roads. We finished the weekend off with yummy pizza on the way back to town.

Aside from camping, you’ve been having fun just playing outside. I’ll find you moving big rocks, carrying giant buckets of water, and digging holes for purposes as varied as “making a home for the ants” or “making a bed for the buffalo.” I LOVE it. We have had lots of company lately and I think they’re a little shocked that I let you dump sand in the yard, move landscaping rock, and pull handfuls of grass. I just tell them I am overjoyed to see your imagination come alive AND to have you entertain yourself so well! Abby often follows you around, copying whatever you are doing. She sure thinks a lot of you.

I have been blessed by your happy heart and helpful spirit this month as well. Recently you have started doing various chores without me even asking, just to please me! A few days ago it was grabbing the salad dressings off of the counter and moving them to the table to help “set the table”, and this morning you brought your hamper to me in the laundry room without me having to ask as I usually do. THEN you helped me sort it, just because you wanted to. Oh, these little things make my heart so full of gratitude for the precious ‘big boy’ you are becoming.

One other note – this month you read your first letters. I pulled out the Alpha-Phonics book and you read through a page of scrambled A’s, B’s, and C’s. Then you begged to go on, so we also did D, E and F. We kept going until I had to stop, so I guess we’ll pursue that interest wholeheartedly!

July 2, 2008 . . .

. . . ought to have been the birthday of my third child. Instead, I climbed a steep grassy hillside and laid pink roses on the little stone that marks the grave of my baby.

How I love her! How I miss her! How I feel that I ought to be holding that little Jewel right now!

But there is no "ought" outside of what has actually happened. For God causes all things to happen exactly as they ought.

He knows me. He holds my Jewel. And I rejoice that He has eternity in store for me - knowing this, I can do what I ought:

Glorify Jesus in any and every situation of my life, exalting Him as the true treasure of my heart, far above earthly possession, my own life, even the lives of my children. I need nothing but Him, and I receive everything life gives me as a true expression of Fatherly love from His own hand. He is all I need.

The beauty of flexibility

July is going to be a VERY busy month. By that I mean we will have houseguests from the 2nd-6th. Our anniversary is the 10th. On the 11th we leave on a harebrained* 2500 mile roadtrip which will last until the 21st. Keith's mom and stepdad arrive the 24th and stay until the morning of the 28th. And that evening we're hosting a large cookout and more overnight guests.

I'm feeling a little behind. Forget things I wanted to get done (eg new curtains in the office, backsplash tiled in the kitchen) - I'm trying to do basic preps for the trip besides just keeping our dirt and laundry levels to a minimum.

This morning a pile of unfinished work stared me in the face as I walked into the dining room. I had NEEDED to get it done on Monday but it just didn't happen. And I had no time today between cleaning the house, prepping for Bible study, grocery shopping and Bible study itself.

Or so I thought.

The kids went outside to wave goodbye to their daddy after breakfast. I stood at the sink rinsing dishes. Keith drove away, but instead of coming in Isaac found a bucket and started carrying water from the kiddie pool to the sand box and dumping it. Over and over. Abby followed suit and before I knew it the kids were happily engaged in creating a "home for the ants" for well over an hour. I brought my pile of unfinished work to the kitchen window and tackled it. Completed it. And praised the Lord that I hadn't called them in the house as I usually do.

Time to get dressed. Time to brush teeth. Time for chores. Our routine usually gives needed structure. But today, flexing that routine gave me the time that I needed to come out ahead.

*There is no other word to describe our decision to take such a long car trip with a one year old and a three year old. I will consider it a success if we all return sane and in good health.