“How can there be too many children?
That’s like saying there can be too many flowers.”

-Mother Teresa

But then July came…and it brought a bit of chaos with it.

So what have we been up to?

The biggest thing was Brenden’s mission trip to Kenya.  What an amazing opportunity he had to walk with the sweet people of Karima, Kenya, participate in a school building there, help with a pastor’s training, and share with the people there about the newest water tower that was built in honor of a sweet baby, born into Jesus’ arms last year.  The tower was commissioned by dear friends of ours and it was a privilege for Brenden to be able to share their story.  One of the best parts of his trip was getting to spend time with our awesome Kenyan boy, John, and catch up with him over a pizza lunch.  I am really hoping to get him to do some guest posts and share some of his pictures here soon.

While he was gone, we held down the fort here.  Lots of swimming, playdates and daytrips filled our days, until I got knocked out with a kidney stone at 3 o’clock in the morning.  That was an experience.  Thankfully, I made it until morning when amazing friends and family members dropped their plans for the day and wrangled my kids while I went to the Dr and then the ER.  Luckily, that ROCK passed quickly!!

We spent a day at the lake.  It was a 2 hour drive up to Lake Lure, but BOY was it worth it!!  We spent hours (literally HOURS) playing monkey in the middle, going down slides into the lake, playing in the splash park, launching water balloons and spending our day together.  After we left the lake, we went over to the river and hopped on rocks.  Oh what a much needed day off for our family.

As the third child in our family, Emmy feels woefully left out sometimes.  One of the biggest areas is in the sleepover department.  She has LONGED for a friend to sleep over since she was old enough to know what a sleepover was, and finally, her big day came.  We had so much fun as our little friend, “K” came over to spend the night.  The played Polly Pockets and Fancy Nancy until late, slept in their sleeping bags together on the floor and woke early for a pancake breakfast.  It was definitely EVERYTHING that Emmy had hoped it would be.

August 2 marked our 13th anniversary. 13 years with my best friend.  I am blessed and honored to be married to Brenden.  I knew I loved him the day we got married.  I had no idea how much more and how that love would change over the years.  I can’t wait to see what the next 13 years hold.

The rest of August has been marked with some serious preparations as we got ready for school to start.  Last Monday was a huge milestone for our family.

Abby started middle school.  I will pause there for everyone who suddenly feels old to groan.  I have several times.
CJ started 3rd grade.
And Emmarie started Kindergarten.  I know…another pause.
We redid the school room, prepared the curriculum and launched off on Monday and have had an amazing week.
It was more amazing on Tuesday when my mom kept Brogie so we were able to focus a little more, but overall he has not done badly.  He is definitely easier this year than last.   My advice, though to a friend who is starting homeschooling this year with a toddler in tow: “Find a good nanny!!”

And that takes us to today.

Most of these things will have their own updates at some point.
Hopefully…we’ll see where life takes us!
And by the way… I know there is no background picture here.  It is frustrating me too, but there are workboxes to be stuffed, a kitchen to be picked up and bed to get in to, so it will be put on hold for another day…(elevator music inserted here)

I have a dream that one day… little black boys and black girls

will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers (or in our case – cousins).

Martin Luther King 1963

The motivating marshmallows are stocked up.

The potty (in front of the TV, of course) is in its spot, complete with the pee pee guard.

The Thomas underwear are waiting.

Let POTTY TRAINING 401 commence!!

Some of that is fun.  Some of that brings with it a little dread.  (Specifically the frog part…lots of dread.  But who knows, that may just be me.)

The weekly yard work is another one of those tasks that isn’t very much fun.  It is a hot sweaty job, that none of us really enjoys.

HOWEVER…

Eight and a half years ago, we began fashioning a wonderful aid to yard work.  We molded, guided, taught and raised our little man to become someone who could help his Daddy out in the yard.

Yesterday, our efforts paid off.

We put that boy to work!

Ok, so it was hard work. It was hot.  He was tired.

But he was pretty proud too, to be able to help out with the yard work.

And Dad was proud of his man, and loved getting to share the responsibility.

In fact, he liked that shared responsibility so much, that he has begun the training of another future yard aid.  This one should reach his helping prime in another 6 years or so.

Until then, this guy will be the primary helper.

It is hard work, but I think he is up to the task.

The gun next to the potty is just a bonus – we really are not trying to raise a redneck.

Have you heard that this summer?  I came up with a great option that is working well for our house!

“Sure…grab a laundry basket and start folding.  You can watch TV while you fold!”

Yes, they are watching the Afro-painting guy making happy little trees.  It was their choice – they love him!

It is summertime.

It is exceedingly hot.
Hotter than normal.
Hotter than August should be.

And yet, as it often is with children in the summer, we spend many hours a day outside.
We’ve been swimming, playing, bouncing, hiking.
We have picnicked, done yard work.

We have laughed, sweat, cried, whined…(the heat has made the children uncomfortable too!)

We have been thirsty.

I went to bootcamp the other night, and we spent our workout outdoors.  In the heat.  The fact that it was evening should have cooled us off, but it was still 90+ that night, so we weren’t enjoying the cool evening breeze.

It was an endurance contest and I didn’t feel as though I was winning.

On the way home I had to stop by the store.  We were out of bananas, bread and there was a sale on chicken.

It would be a quick stop, so I took my drippy self into the store, rather than having to run back out once I was cleaned up.
Oh how far I’ve come.  Normally I would never let myself be seen so sweaty and yucky!!

While in the store, I grabbed the items that I needed.
I also found juice boxes for the kids.  3 bottles of juice that we couldn’t live without.
Then there was the bottles of Vitamin Water that I had to seek out.  I bought 5 of those.

I was thirsty.

Today, we got home from the pool and I right away poured myself a cup of water.  Rather than drinking it, I went on with changing everyone out of their wet things.  Upon my walks through the house, I found my water bottle.  I went and filled it up, and then hurried outside to hang wet towels, forgetting to take a drink.

Later, I found my 2 drinks sitting side by side, still full waiting to be drunk.

And I realized that I was thirsty.

Our spiritual life is like that too.
We spend our time out in the heat, working, playing, being busy.

And we forget that our spirit is getting dehydrated.
We fill up all the cups, ready to drink them, but get busy with life, with duty, with then unimportant – the things that could wait while we refill and refresh – and we forget to drink, to fill our souls.

I find that the summer time is one of my most difficult times in my walk with God.  I am busy entertaining my children.  There is no structure at our house.  There are hours of running, doing and little time for just being.

I forget to be still, to pray, to draw close to my Savior, and I get thirsty.
And when I am thirsty for God, everything suffers until I take the time to refresh in Him.  My temper flares, my house is messy, I am tired, cranky, emotional.  I am in need of a break and dissatisfied with my life.

And I don’t want to be thirsty anymore.

I want to run, to rest in Him.
To drink my fill and be refreshed.

John 4:13  Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

I know that my days are numbered with my little ladybug saying her funny things.  Somehow around this age, they tend to outgrow these things.  I will miss all the funny things that she has to say, and her interesting way of looking at the world.

“Bust my Buffers!”  We watch a lot of Thomas the Tank Engine in this house.  A lot.  We love Thomas.  We consider him a member of the family.

“Brogie, do you know the strongest part of your body?  Point to it.”
Brogie points to his knee.
“No.  Not your knee.  Your tongue.  Mommy, do you think that I could lift 3 heavy boxes with my tongue?”
“Well, I don’t think so, Emmy.”
“Have you ever tried?”
“um…no.”
“I think I will try when we get home.”

5 minutes later:

“Mom, when you get home will you try to carry your purse with your tongue?”
“Really?  Ok.  I’ll try it…”
“But what happens if it is too heavy and you fall and hit your head.”
“I guess that would hurt.”
“And then you would say, ‘Emmy, you should have never made me carry my purse with my tongue, even though it is strong, because I hit my head’?”