Maine, Part 3: Shooting

he's learning from the BEST!  pop-pop!  how fun is this?  bryan learned to shoot 4 or 5 different types of guns this week.  i love the quality time he got to spend with pop-pop.  precious. 

 i'll be honest, i'm a bit jealous.  :)

not bad for a beginner. 

bryan came home from maine and talked a lot about everything he did and experienced.  he was almost like a different kid.  maybe he was extra tired.  but his favorite part of the whole trip was shooting all those guns.  not suprising.  after all, his pop-pop is an ex-army ranger.  and by the way, he's one tough dude.

i love you so pop-pop!

Maine, Part 2:Fishing

then Jesus said to His disciples, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 

-matthew 4:19

they spent a lot of time fishing...

 patience.  teachable moments.

 skipping stones.

 i wonder what is going through his head? 

 he caught one!  i am amazed that he is touching it!

 oh my heart.  memories were made for a lifetime here.  so thankful they had this time together.  peaceful, sweet, beautiful moments. 

 together. 

 

Maine, August 2011

it will take several posts to recap the whole maine experience.  first and foremost, i prayed they would experience the beauty of God's creation.  God is so good.  look what He did for them!

a double rainbow!  see how it illuminates their campsite?  amazing!  it is like He is proclaiming, "here I am!  look at Me!" 

"the heavens proclaim the glory of God;  the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
-psalm 19:1

i think they caught a glimpse of God this week.  

Back-to-School Shopping

yes, it is almost that time again.  bryan, brookie, and little faith go back to school next tuesday!  oh, not so sure how i feel about that right now:)

we are so blessed to send our kids to fresta valley christain school out in beautiful marshal, virginia.  they must wear uniforms to school everyday, so back-to-school clothes shopping doesn't exist for me.  thank the Lord!  do you know how MUCH money we save?  remember brooke is our daughter.

BUT, i still had to buy all of their school supplies today.  yes, i spent over an hour in staples, by myself, not accomplishing anything!  it was a headache!  those crazy lists.  for 3 kids.  back-and-forth from page to page, from grade-to-grade.  can't they consolidate those things? 

and how many boxes of tissues does a class of 14 students actually need?  and no, i only need 2 glue sticks, not a box of 6, but i'll take it anyway because its a glue stick.  and why do you have to check papers with only purple and green pens?  where do i find those?  what happend to the old fashion red and blue checking pens?  see why i didn't accomplish anything? 

can you believe i was actually a teacher 10 years ago? 

those staple employees are super friendly though.  they must be able to spot the "shopping impaired" parents from a mile away.  i declined the assistance the first 4 times.  as the minutes ticked on, i decided not to pretend anymore.

i searched out a nice employee.  she did everything but push the cart for me!  200 dollars later, i left...and threw the list in the trashcan on the way out the door:)   

Starry Nights Await

they are off! 

bryan, charlie, pop-pop, uncle paul, cousin sam, chris, and sam left on a week long camping trip to upstate maine early this morning.  days of fly fishing and nights of campfires and marshmellows awaits them.  the guns are packed, sling-shots are ready, bug spray, mosquito netting, and itch-relief cream are in plentiful supply.

memories are in the making.  there will be no cell phones, lap-tops, tvs, or playstations where they are going.  highly unusual for this group of guys, but they will be unplugged and "wireless" for the week.  

rushing rivers, starry nights, wildlife, and still, quiet moments before the sun rises.  may Jesus captivate them with His Creation and shower them with His Perfect Peace.

will you join with me in praying for them this week?    

For My Friend

i read this the other day and thought of you, sweet friend.  

praying you through this trial.   

love you.

"Thank Me for the conditions that are requiring you to be still.  Do not spoil these quiet hours by wishing them away, waiting impatiently to be active again.  Some of the greatest works in My kingdom have been done from sick beds and prision cells.  Instead of resenting the limitations of a weakened body, search for My way in the midst of these very circumstances.  Limitations can be very liberating when your strongest desire is living close to Me.

Quietness and trust enhance your awareness of My Presence with you.  Do not despise these simple ways of serving Me.  Although you feel cut off from the activity of the world, your quiet trust makes a powerful statement in spiritual realms.  My Strength and Power show themselves most effective in weakness."

-taken from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Colossal Creations

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
-Genesis 1:1

the girls went to camp this week at fresta valley!  oh, they both had so much fun!  mrs. beals was their teacher.  she is so sweet.  this is a picture of their class.  look, no boys!   

today they put on a play about God's great creation.  brookie was one of the readers.  and faithie was a sheep.  yesterday they went on a picnic at rady park in warrenton.  i have no pictures, but the girls came home with bags full of "nature stuff" from their scavenger hunt. 

they worked on these quilts all week.  how awesome is this?  it's a quilt showing the order that God created everything.  read genesis chapter 1 and try to match the words with the quilt pictures.  mrs. beals is so creative!

brookie made a paper mache pick unicorn and faith made a brown horse.  not sure where it went though.  :)

next week the girls are doing the "wild west" camp up there.  faith is sooo excited.  horses and cowgirls are right up her alley.  and brooke, she doesn't care what camp it is, she just enjoys the fellowship with the other girls.  thankful for these blessings this week! 

 



All-Stars

 here are some pic's charlie took of bryan at all-stars this morning.

 these are some of the boys he swam against.  really?  that boy behind him CAN'T be 9-10.  he's a giant! 

 that smile melts my heart. 

i love you so b-man!!

Funny

charlie sent me this email today.  so funny!  

This was a conversation between Bryan and Hunter today while Bryan was searching for pictures of Ryan Locthe

Hunter:  EEwwwww
Bryan:  That's Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte
Hunter:  I know, but..... (Bryan cut's him off)
Bryan: Dude, those are speedo's and it makes them go fast
Hunter: I know, but don't you think they are a bit ridiculous?
Bryan: A little, that's why I wear the lazer jammers, they feel like paper kind of.
Hunter: They are all sweaty
Bryan:  I know, but look at their ab's, they are like a statue.

The picture they were talking about is attatched

i have to agree with him...love those ab's:)

Saying Good-bye

after almost one year of living in our basement...nana and granddad moved into their new house in fredricksburg.  oh, what a sad day for us!

nana and granddad,

we were blessed by your presence everyday.  how can we say thank-you? 

for countless loads of laundry washed and folded, floors vacuumed, dinners made, dishes washed, and dogs fed. 

for kids watched, basketball games played, tears wiped, noses blown, and boo-boos kissed. 

 

for literally hundreds of lunches packed, last-minute bus-stop pick ups, groceries bought, and after swim practice pancakes. 

for stories read, and games and puzzles played.

for bedtime songs, kisses, and prayers.

we are eternally grateful. 

you are so missed, deeply loved, and incredibly appreciated.

how did i ever do all this on my own? 

help!!