Summer Relishment

• A lot has been happening... summer! Last week we finished swim lessons; the kids loved them! Besides our normal, Aolani had her first spiritual birthday (pizza/movie night, homemade ice-cream, gift bracelet to support the Yezidi women in northern Iraq); Ricky had job testing one day in SC; we had two friends over for dinner and games; Ricky had to do continuing education in SC on Saturday making for a long day (the kids had a pajama day, Micaiah napped all day on the couch from some feverish sickness that made him vomit once and not eat just this one day, and Aolani and I cleaned, cooked, played, did science, watched a movie...); we had some out-of-town friends briefly stop by Sunday morning before church, and then we crashed!
• I'll begin schooling on Monday, August 1st. Our past three weeks of summer break have included: daily prayer and cleaning, art, baking, science experiments (they love them!), reading, games, gifts, puzzles, and lots of free play ;)
• So far this week, we had Ricky's guys' night here, went to the free summer movie at the theater yesterday morning, had some friends and his Scottish in-laws come to stay the night for a short visit (yay for the air mattress which allows us to sleep 5 guests total ;), and are preparing for Ricky's dad and brother to arrive tomorrow for a weekend visit.
• Micaiah's mishaps: revealed to us,  "I have fighting dreams because I like to fight. Boys do that"; commented, "That's difficultish..."; and told us, "I'm allergic to hot!"
• Aolani's antics: says she can now doggie paddle, hold her breath underwater, and float on her back and tummy; and, can now tie a bow beautifully :)

 I took away mandatory nap time, and this is the frequent result ;)

 playing a board game with a neighbor

 The day he got sick -- asleep on the couch by 11am, hmmm...

taught her to play checkers, and she loves it!

showing off her bling

• Summer verse for this week: Psalm 63:1 ~ O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My body longs for You. In this dry and weary land where there is no water.
• Verse to memorize this week: 2 Corinthians 4:15 ~  All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Carrying Death and Life

  

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  ~ 2 Corinthians 4:10

How do we carry around in our body the death of Jesus?

Getting older and physically degenerating certainly makes me feel like I am continually drawing closer to death and carrying around death in my body. But certainly Paul is referring to something else.

The death of Jesus... is self-sacrificing, an emptying of self, self-denial.

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me."  ~ Luke 9:23

Taking up a cross can so be done the wrong way -- with gloom, sadness, bitterness, anger. (How many times I struggle here?!)

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  ~ 2 Corinthians 12:10

The right way -- with joy, cheerfully, and open hands! And, a smile :)

How do we carry around in our body the death of Jesus?

By freely and happily saying 'No' to ourselves, so His life can be displayed in us.

Holy, Wild, and Free

• Two weeks ago during no-kids week: We went on a date and stayed out late our first night soon after leaving the kids. We didn't leave the house on Independence Day but instead spent the evening cleaning and organizing Ricky's desk (he hadn't seen his desktop or the floor since we moved in five years ago)! The next day we went to a free morning movie at our theatre, Ricky had a deposition, and we took dinner and played games at friends' home (and stayed way too late!). Then, we headed out on a road trip to DC to attend The Bridge (International Christian Concern's First Annual Conference on the Persecuted Church) for several days. It was a great vacation for just us two! It was superb -- high-profile speakers, workshops, networking, live art by Lance Brown, worship and a concert by Jason Upton -- and it was all free! We stayed at a hotel one night and then with some friends from college the rest of the time (we cooked for them, played games, had good conversations, and got to go to their church). Then, we headed home to meet my mom and our kids :)
• The kids had an awesome trip visiting my parents -- see slideshow below!
• We listened to Lecrae's audiobook Unashamed in the car on the DC trip and so enjoyed it!
• Google robbed us -- seriously! Via the iPhone maps app. They did not simply take us on an alternate route that happened to be a toll road, but right after we paid the toll, they had us do a U-turn so we had to pay it again and get back on the same road we were already on! And we didn't make a wrong turn but did what the app told us to do!
• While we were in DC, Teresa found a place to live! She stayed with us a few days last week and moved out this past weekend.
• Last week: My mom stayed a couple days to help us out, and the kids began swim lessons (which end tomorrow). They love them and their instructor! I have a friend that comes and takes them for me :) The weekend was packed. We went on our third prayer walk as a family, helped Teresa pack and load, and had pizza/movie night. Then, we wanted to send Teresa off with a celebratory day so we met her at her church, took her out to lunch and got to meet some of her friends, and visited her new place (it's beautiful and perfect for her) and prayed over it. Lastly, we took the kids to see The Secret Life of Pets in theatre, and they enjoyed that surprise ;) 
• Aolani is so proud of all her swimming progress and continues to tell me of her new accomplishments :)
• Micaiah will point to someone and exclaim, "Look! A human!"

Game night with friends; sans kids

meeting Eric Metaxas

outside the conference in Silver Spring, Maryland (DC suburb)

My favorite artwork (splash painting) performed by famous speed painter Lance Brown

College friend and his wife

Aolani gave me braided pigtails!

Swim lessons

took Teresa out for a send-off lunch (and got to meet some of her friends)

• Summer verse for last week: Matthew 4:4  ~ "‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’"
• Summer verse for this week: 1 Corinthians 2:9  ~ “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has imagined” — the things God has prepared for those who love him —
• Verses (to) memorize(d) last and this week: 2 Corinthians 4:13-4 ~  It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.

Wet n' Wild

• Out-of-town last weekend and this upcoming weekend, so no ponderings.
• We spent a few days visiting my parents in Myrtle Beach (who are temporarily living there while they build a garage apartment on their farm nearby, called Dayspring) and then left the kids there for a week. We are now in the midst of no-kids/grandparents week. My brother and his family joined us for a day to celebrate our oldest niece's seventh birthday!
• The cleaners finally returned to us all the boxes of kids' clothes, and we had the great joy of giving them all away to friends :)
• Aolani's antics: While watching NASCAR race driving, "I love monster trucks!"
• Micaiah's mishaps: Grandma told him that the garbage can was in the pantry. After searching for it, he declared with exasperation, "I can't find the palm tree!"

Cousins

Grandma with her grandkids -- Micaiah, Aolani, Isaac, Kylie, Caroline

My dad is showing us the progress so far!

• Verse to memorize this week: 2 Corinthians 4:12 ~  So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It's a Bird... It's an Airplane...

• Last week -- Ricky had to go to a court reporting conference out of town which made for ten hours of driving for him and looong days for me. We got to take the kids to our movie theater to see a free movie one morning (a summer deal they do), We had to go to our storage unit to meet the cleaning company and bring back boxes of kids' clothes. We had some friends over for dinner one evening. And, it was our last week of school (Kindergarten and Preschool; yes, I cried reading my last preschool story)! The weekend included visiting some friends who had a baby 12 hours after our visit! We so enjoyed a summer party for our church -- water play, games, food, friends... And, we went to church, too ;)

• This week so far -- summer break officially began and we reorganized, enjoyed art, finished a science experiment, created a box maze house, started a new puzzle, packed for vacation which begins today, and opened the box of next year's Sonlight curriculum books (which the kids loved and occupied them all week!) 

Their first tug-of-war (Aolani won several one-on-one competitions too!)

Sack races

Ricky's Father's Day card

Shaving cream fireworks

The new Sonlight first-grade curriculum box of books!

• Summer verse for this week: 1 John 4:7  ~ Let us love one another, for love comes from God.
• Verse to memorize this week: 2 Corinthians 4:11 ~  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.