slacker...

a candy jar filled with jelly beans, counting down the days till daddy gets home!  (don't tell the kids, but there is a stash to add if need be...)

trying to get a pic of the kids.  jamey didn't want to take the pic, so he faked sleeping!

chris' first time "on the sand".  (or my towel!)  he kept finding fistfuls of sand to munch on...

a dinner at the beach..

my kids were enjoying it!

the sunset.  no filters.  just my cell phone camera!

a cheese the other day at school.  cause he's just that cute!

snuggling with my boy at "ko".  as jamey calls it!  a perfect morning at the beach, while the bigger two were at school!

snuggling with my girl!

watching sissy get an award!

nora waiting for her award...

he got tired, and snuggled aunt lindsey...

driving the "ice cream truck".  he looks HUGE!  how did he get so big?

my snuggle buddy at the mac nut farm.

phew... it's been a summer.  between june 11th and monday, there were 7 nights without guests in my house!!  (not complaining, just saying!!)  so, i have spent this week, playing catch up and getting "fall" started.  

monday, i wrecked havoc on our play room.  organizing, donating things, etc.  it's super clean now!  and the kids can actually clean it!  and they get so excited about it!

tuesday, i ran all the errands i needed to.  including an $800 car trip.  cause hawaii wouldn't register my car till i fixed something on it.  actually, david's car.  but, it's all fixed, and all registered.  and i got the playroom donations dropped off.  my car vacuumed.  two different purchases returned.  and even managed to squeeze in a trip to tj maxx!  all before school let out!  oh, gas in two different cars.  dropping off books i had borrowed for far too long.  it was a GOOD morning!  then, played with some friends outside, and then some ladies from church came over to hang out!  lovely!

today there was a PTO meeting and a spouses meeting.  and a new babysitter.  she did fabulous!  i might just keep her.  then, we played, again, with neighbors and friends.  it's been such a fun summer/fall that way.  afternoons outside with friends.  we are loving it!!!  

one of my parents' friends was on island, and stopped by to take the kids and me to ice cream.  it was such a treat to see a little ohio in my life!  i watched the mrs. america pageant, as a friend was competing for it!  (she was second runner up!!!)  and enjoying my clean house!  

i am enjoying being busy and just living life.  this friend today asked how i do it.  i am never sure how to answer that question.  some days, i think it's just denial.  some days, it's just survival.  some days it is because of the amazing people i have around me.  but, every day, it is totally and completely the grace of God.  

in church on sunday, we sang "it is well, with my soul".  it's david's favorite song.  he cries every time he sings it in church.  (btw.... that's one of the things i love so much about him!!  and i so desperately miss hearing him belt it out next to me!  i am trying to get him to join the praise team at church when he gets back!!!)

but, as we sang it, i realized how true it is.  i always think about that song as speaking to tragedy.  it is well with my soul, in the midst of tragedy and trial.  but i realized, i want it to be well with my soul daily.  and today, it is well with my soul.  it's not always easy.  but God makes it possible.  and blesses me with phone calls and texts at the most perfect time!  friends i haven't talked to in years, calling, emailing, texting, visiting out of the blue!  it's wonderful.  

and then there are my kids!  christopher has started to wave.  and is scooting all around.  nora is reading up a storm.  and so fun to watch flourish in life!  she's so sweet and mature.  and james.  he is "all boy".  he has all this testosterone!  he wants to be a cowboy pirate.  and fight the bad guys.  and "shoot em up"!  but, what he really wants is just to snuggle me!  that kid loves to crawl in to my bed at night.  and he doesn't just lay in bed.  every inch of his body has to be touching mine!  i can't roll over, cause i am afraid i would crush him!  (and despite offering some crazy things, like a shopping spree at target, treats for breakfast, etc, he would rather climb in to my bed!)

my kids are such a joy!  and keeping me happy and entertained right now.  it's so sweet to listen to their prayers.  echoes of mine...  for daddy's safety.  for the ambulance passing by.  for them or daddy to be witnesses to the friends around.

earlier this summer, we talked about who our neighbors are.  i pointed out that it's not just the people that physically live next to us.  one of my examples were the men that live on the main road, under the bridge.  in cardboard houses.  begging on the street corners.  we have also been focusing on looking to the interest of others.  so, we talked about how we could look to their interest.  

we decided to take one of them some food one day.  i wanted to do it when my brother was here (girl with three kids and no hubby... seemed safer to have a big burly man!).  but, i forgot.  so, we were on the way home from school on tuesday and nora saw the man.  since he was there, she asked to go get him food now.  so we did.  we drove to pick up some food and talked about what good choices would be.  the kids really wanted to get him a milkshake.  i suggested we add a water also, since it's been relatively warm.  and we picked chicken for some good protein.  

we prayed about it on the way back to deliver it.  that it would benefit him.  that maybe he would come to know Christ.  that he would be blessed.  and, as he lit up his cigarette, we pulled up to offer the food.  i am not exactly sure what he said.  but he showed me his money and refused the food.  i tried several times, and the food was refused.  so, we drove off.  

my kids were so bummed.  and so confused.  it was so sad to watch... and i had to remind them that it wasn't about us.  we did what we could.  (and then they enjoyed the milkshake!!!)

but, all that to say, i am proud of them.  how i see them growing!