Two More Feet

Last week my sis-in-law and bro-in-law asked me to take this cute photo of them and their feet.

It was a bit of specific request. And a bit odd. And a bit urgent the evening before Easter. But I went with the flow and didn’t ask too many questions cause I’m cool like that…

Well, I should have known they were up to something!

Their family is “Growing by 2 feet!”

That’s right… I’m gonna be an Auntie again! Whoooo0-hoooooo!! I did do a bit of jumping and screaming when we found out!

Sweet one (they refuse to find out what they’re having, again, much to my dismay!) will arrive in October…

And in October that will make this sweet boy a big brother!! And at the wise old age of 16 months he’ll be showing new baby the ways of this world.

He is just the sweetest thing.

And he’s gonna make a fabulous littlest Big Brother.

I’m sure of it!

Congrats Curt, Julie and Big Brother B! We’re so excited for you to welcome a new baby into your family!

3, 2, 1, Blastoff!

This is a flashback.

And what I mean by ‘flashback’ in this case is just that it took me a really long time to post about this fun stuff.

Anyway.

One of my boy’s (or boys’? ha!) Christmas Gifts was a model rocket set!

Don’t worry. I knew nothing about model rockets either until Mikey and I were Christmas shopping and standing in the aisle at Hobby Lobby where all the model rockets are stocked.

Turns out that setting off model rockets was one of Mike’s jobs when he was a camp counselor many years ago. Who knew?!

It sounded fun to me!

So, the day after Christmas we carried the supplies to the local park.

Mike is the expert so he showed us how it all worked.

Long fuse and igniter button…

3…

2, 1…

Blastoff!

Now these things go really REALLY high. High enough that I often completely lost sight of it up in the stratosphere and would be frantically looking around screaming “Where’d it go?! Where’d it go?!” Then someone would say “It’s right up there.” and I’d say “WHERE!!!” and they’d point and roll their eyes at me and I’d shut up. I promise I couldn’t see it. How can everyone else see it and not me?!

What is the stratosphere, anyway?

I dunno. But it sounds right.

Anyway, if all goes well it floats back down with a parachute. This is one of the most exciting parts cause it’s WAAAAY up there and you never know where it might land, especially if the wind is a-blowin’. Which it was.

And then it has to be retrieved. This usually involves running. I like this part to. Mind you, I don’t DO the running. I WATCH the running. Big difference.

Success!

Such a fun time.

But wait. The fun didn’t stop there. Check out this cool airplane that launches with a huge rubber band. It may or may not have gotten stuck in a tree a time or two.

Nice!

Good times. Good times.

A Hymn

Several Sundays ago before we had packed up our van and made the drive back to Ohio we sang “God of Grace and God of Glory”, a hymn, at church. It spoke to me right where I was at.

Where was I at, might you wonder?

I was/am at a point where the excitement of getting visas to go home to Africa has worn off a bit and I was/am recalling the a bit more of the reality of life there. I am still excited, don’t get me wrong!  Life is good in many ways in Africa but it’s also difficult in many ways too. It’s hot. It’s dirty (an understatement, to be sure). And it can be lonely. And there aren’t many places to go with kids or friends. There aren’t dozens of friends who live in the same building as me (like in Colorado). There isn’t family across the driveway or a short drive away (like here in Ohio). There isn’t an incredible preschool just down the hall (also Colorado).  And I can’t call my family from my cell phone while I’m shopping at Target. I can’t SHOP at Target!   Aahhhh! You get the jist…

Life in Africa is different. Let’s be real here: It’s hard. And I know I sound kinda negative but I think I’m honestly just being realistic about what kind of life we’ll soon be adjusting back to.

Anyway, these words spoke to me that day. And I sang them from my heart back to the One we do all of this for.

I prayed that God would grant me wisdom and grant me courage…

…for the facing of this hour.

…for the living of these days.

…lest we miss Thy Kingdom’s goal.

…that we fail not men nor Thee.

…serving Thee whom we adore.

God of grace and God of glory,
On Thy people pour Thy power.
Crown Thine ancient church’s story,
Bring her bud to glorious flower.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the facing of this hour,
For the facing of this hour.

Lo! the hosts of evil ’round us,
Scorn Thy Christ, assail His ways.
From the fears that long have bound us,
Free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
For the living of these days,
For the living of these days.

Cure Thy children’s warring madness,
Bend our pride to Thy control.
Shame our wanton selfish gladness,
Rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal,
Lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.

Set our feet on lofty places,
Gird our lives that they may be,
Armored with all Christ-like graces,
In the fight to set men free.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
That we fail not man nor Thee,
That we fail not man nor Thee.

Save us from weak resignation,
To the evils we deplore.
Let the search for Thy salvation,
Be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage,
Serving Thee Whom we adore,
Serving Thee Whom we adore.

Oooh, this song gets me in my heart.

Just Like Big Brother

My girlie is crazy about monkeys. So a bit ago (in Colorado) she naturally wanted to wear his monkey jammies. 

So I put ‘em on her.

Then while he was at preschool she nabbed his hat and gloves and wore them half the morning.

Including the time during which she was serving herself a snack on a tray, covering it with a blanket?  She’s the best…

Rejoicing

The tomb is empty and my heart is full!

Happy Easter! Halleluiah!

A Note About Packing

I bought a year’s worth (at least I hope) of spices and our current apartment smells, um… ethnic? Frankly I don’t like it. I’ve tried putting the pile of spices inside any number of plastic bags and it still isn’t masking the smell. And I’m scared to pack them in a suitcase because then everything that sits with them in that suitcase for two weeks is gonna really smell. And now my hands smell because I dumped them all out to take this picture. Help!

Also, I am so thankful for boy’s adjustable waist shorts. It makes trying to predict how much my boy will grow by next summer a bit less stressful cause the pants are adjustable. It’s the small things.

P.S. Countdown is 12 days. And that was the first time I actually counted the countdown! :)

A Giraffe Snack

I had an opportunity before we left Colorado to take the kiddos to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with friends. It was so fun! I’d have to say the highlight was feeding the giraffes. I fed them and my kiddos fed them too. It was really, really cool. I know I should work harder to describe it in a more interesting or descriptive way but I’ve been up to my ears in piles of packing this evening and I’m tired. So just look at the pictures and imagine what it must have been like to hold a piece of lettuce out for these long-tongued creatures!

Both of my kids were pretty uncertain at first. I did it a couple times to demonstrate first… trying not to let on that I was quite uncertain myself.

Then I helped them at first. It kinda looks like I’m torturing my daughter here. But I knew she had to get over her fear to enjoy it. I was right. Moms always know best. Can I get an “Amen?”?

Hello Mr. (Mrs? Miss?) Giraffe. Hungry?

My boy H has just the thing…

We always were pretty quick to snatch our hands away once the lettuce had been claimed. Maybe that fear never entirely left…

I was so proud of my boy.

And so proud of my girl!

It was SO much fun, in case you didn’t catch onto that yet.

Also, don’t giraffes have the most enviable eyelashes?!

Yes, they do.

They remind me of Martina McBride’s (fake, probably) eyelashes, which I noticed as she was singing on the AMC awards just now. She sang as a couple actually got married during the awards show. It was like a real live music video.

Whaaaaat?!

But I digress…

Yay for the zoo with friends!

Good night.