An Epic Trio

• This is late. This week... well, you'll see. I have a ton of pictures to post -- too many. So, I created a slideshow for each of the three big events I want to document. Each event deserves its own post, but I'm way short on time and creating these slideshows took every spare minute I had this week.
• First, Aolani went to my parents' house before going with them and my brother's family to Myrtle Beach. To say Aolani enjoyed time with her cousins is an understatement. She continues to tell me just how funny she and Kylie are ;)

• Last week, we were on vacation with Ricky's family (slideshow below). His parents rented a lovely, beach house in Holden Beach for a week. The kids loved the ocean; I mean, lying in the sand, so that the waves could roll over them! They so enjoy time with Uncle Robby; he is fun, hands-on, interactive, pleasant, energetic, and great with his niblings! We hardly ate out (because of my new diet); Ricky's mom prepared most of the meals at her house beforehand and froze them to take with us in order to avoid cooking a lot on vacation -- so grateful. Ricky and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary while there. We ate out (this night) at the same place we had our wedding reception seven years ago! We played chess over dinner :), recited our vows to each other, looked at our wedding album... it was nice and quiet (childfree). Besides that, I read on the deck a lot while all played in the sand or water (I like to look at the beach, but that's about it). I did get in the water once just to say that I did it. The house did have a small pool out front that we all enjoyed. There were several (board) game nights. Aolani barfed in her sand pail twice on the way home (after eating out for lunch and dinner). Other than all that I've remembered to mention, the kids did have several cute quotes on the trip: 
"What? You're kidding me?" - Aolani / "Dry pants, hallelujah!" - Micaiah / "I'm tired of sleeping." - Aolani / "Pee-pee now!" - Micaiah / "Tuesday is cute when she's old." - Aolani / "Y-O-G-U-R-T." - Rob, "What?" - Nonna, "Yogurt." - Micaiah / "Mamma mia, pazza pia, il il il il la." / "We're going to watch a movie!" - Nonna, "Which movie?" - Aolani, "It's a surprise." - Nonna, "I haven't seen that one before." - Aolani / "You're scaring my eyes." - Aolani

• On Memorial Day (sans all visitors), Micaiah had a freak accident. He was simply climbing out of the new kiddie pool, stumbled, and fell over on the grass. We didn't know what was wrong, just that he couldn't stand and was in pain. We called the doctor, hoping it was a sprain. Ricky took a sick day the next day and took Micaiah to get an x-ray. Broken femur. Late Tuesday night at the hospital, he had some anesthesia while they put a spica (chest-to-toe) cast on him. 4-6 weeks. I have no idea what he is thinking about the whole cast thing -- if it's a joke or permanent? He is obviously back in diapers (so much for a potty-training update), which is its own story. I'll have to cover details next week... just think traumatic and difficult. However, we are thankful that most of the time Micaiah is in good spirits -- he is a trooper!

• Verse to memorize this week(end): 1 John 4:4 ~ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

 

Giving Gifts

Four things to share:

1. A page: I've been meaning to add a page about healthcare to this blog for a few years now, and I finally did it.
2. A post: About John Wesley. And money. I continually need to hear this to keep me focused and intentional. Excerpt: "The Christian community should be filled with people who set a cap on their lifestyles, giving away everything above that amount. We need to draw a line and stop accumulating beyond it. Give away everything else. That isn’t even sacrificial giving, it’s just giving according to our ability. Simple as it is, the models are so few and far between that people don’t even conceive of how it could work." keep reading...
3. A quote: I needed to hear these words today. "You don’t overcome your brokenness to have God’s love. It’s God’s love that has you overcoming your brokenness." ~ Ann Voskamp
4. A reminder: You can get Voice of the Martyrs' monthly newsletter for free AND Richard Wurmbrand's book, Tortured for Christ, for free (one of our favorite books, a short read). The newsletter is so encouraging, and they do not send mass mailings asking for money (just FYI). You can sign-up here.

Trips and Horizons

• Not too much to note from the past week. Ricky was working in another county the previous two weeks, so we are glad he is working in our home county most of the week.
• I have been somewhat busy preparing for vacation with Ricky's family. We leave this weekend for a week-long trip to the beach. They are renting a house on the beach; we are way excited! Grandma and Aolani just left to go to Grandma's house for a brief stay before Aolani gets to go on a short trip with my family and her cousins to Myrtle Beach. She is so psyched and will have a blast! We will pick her up to join us on our way to a different beach :)
• That means no blog post next week! Vacay!
• I am excited to spend some focused time with my little boy, although he is quite sad his sister has left him.
• Micaiah has been saying sentences some, and I don't document them :( For example, we had the paper plate cows they made propped up, one tipped forward, and he yells, "Look! Cow's falling!"

Epsom Salt Painting

Micaiah made a patio for the castle

Blowing dandelions

Mother's Day

• Verse to memorize this week: Jude 20-21 ~ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 

Letters and Jobs

Instead of using my blog time to write on here, there was a letter I needed to write to someone. Something Ricky and I do occasionally over the years is write letters to people in our past (when the Spirit brings someone specific to mind) -- confessing our wrongs and asking for forgiveness. It is our way of doing Matthew 5:23-24 ~

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift."

I feel I must share this video (thanks to Ann Voskamp for the link): 

Just EnJOYment

• The past week was normal enough to get somewhat back on track -- church, voting in a local election, and...
• We traveled to Symptometry's annual Symposium. I learned a lot and got many of my questions answered, including many things I am not doing right or I need to adjust... We have a lot of food for thought.
• Aolani's antics: Ricky put Micaiah on his shoulder while playing with the kids, and Aolani starts singing, "He's a charlie good villa" (jolly good fellow); after Grandma found a whole roll of toilet paper that Micaiah had thrown in the toilet, Aolani adds her two cents, "He needs to be disciplined for that"; watching the dust dance in the streams of light, she says, "Let's pretend it's snowflakes!"; while watching the lawncare man with the blower, she comments, "Look! It's Papa! Papa sure does look cool in that green shirt" ;)
• Micaiah's mishaps: has at least five scrapes on his knees and feet; loves to tell me when his tummy hurts or his boo-boos hurt; Grandma spelled a-p-p-l-e-s-a-u-c-e and right away he shouted applesauce; after I finished a painting the other day, he told me, "Mommy! Good job!" :)

Baked Cotton Balls

• Verse to memorize this week: Jude 20-21 ~ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 

Worthy Verbs

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way:  

bearing fruit in every good work, 

growing in the knowledge of God, 

being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and 

giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light."

~ Colossians 1:9-12 

When I was quoting this one recently, I was noticing this list of verbs -- actions that please God and enable you to live a worthy life (inherent in all these things is faith) -- bearing fruit, growing, being strengthened, giving joyful thanks.

And, these verbs are not passive or past tense, but instead, they are present tense, active things we need to be doing all the time! While we cannot control the bearing fruit and being strengthened ones which are the Spirit's job working in you, we can proactively grow and give joyful thanks!

Go get 'em!

Much-ness

• Remember how I said last month was crazy-busy (Norovirus, taxes, potty-training, Easter/Lent, changes in helpers, etc.)? Well, Ricky turned 30 last week, and I also got together two, big surprises for him during April (you know, in all my spare time)!
• One: I secretly collected encouraging Bible verses and notes from many of Ricky's guy friends over the past decade. Then, I formatted them and made a "Verse Book." For a words of affirmation love language person -- yeah, it was powerful and meaningful :) (A big thank-you to all who contributed!)
• Two: I secretly planned a surprise birthday party the evening of his birthday. My dad came for visit, and Ricky thought we were just going to have a small, family celebration. Ricky had to travel a few hours for a business meeting that day, which allowed us plenty of time to cook, prepare, and gather together. Ricky's close friend, Parker, assigned roles to everybody, and each person got to "be" someone who did something big to make them famous after that person was 30 years old. While we ate, Ricky got to casually interrogate everyone to try and figure out who each person was. The point was to show that just because Ricky is now 30, his chance to make an impact is not gone with his 20's :) After the cake, presents, and the role-play activity, everyone shared some nice sentiments about Ricky and then we played a group game (Fishbowl). It was such a fun and enjoyable party! Ricky is a people/parties/extrovert person, so this was a big hit, too :)

"Dressing the part"

• We had not seen my dad in person in almost half-a-year, so that was good for the heart ;) He was not even here for 24-hours, but we had the party and got to take the kids to the park for a while the next day.
• We also had another group gathering here over the weekend -- while the floors are dirty, keep 'em coming, right? ;)
• After Micaiah uses the potty, he says,"Halleleujah!" So adorable!
• We made a creamy broccoli anchovy dish last night for dinner. After telling Aolani, she says, "There's anchovies in here? I don't like anchovies; they're hard!" Then, she devours the entire dish ;)

"Dry pants" :)

Asleep on the bench outside -- potty handy and pants down ;)

• Verse passage I am still working to memorize: 1 Timothy 1:15-7 ~ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.