- First week of July: This month started off with a bang! We had a friend over for dinner; finally got a new car (savings and a loan and trade-in) after three visits and named our new black Dodge Caravan (2018) Ebony; had to take Micaiah to the doctor for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever after a tick infection; visited our Romanian friends on Independence Day and went swimming in their pool; Ricky’s dad and fiancée Denise visited for a few days; Ricky and I attended a graduation party without kids; and, Micaiah had another freak accident and got a deep wooden splinter under his big toenail when he hit his foot with his sledgehammer! Poor boy had a rough week :(
- Second week of July: I got my bloodwork; Ricky’s mom visited for a week flying in from Washington state; she stayed in a hotel, and the big kids alternated spending the night with her; she babysat so Ricky and I could go to the movie theater; Aolani and I attended a bridal shower; the kids swam in the hotel pool several times; and, we all went to a kids’ birthday party and the movie theater.
- Third week of July: A friend visited overnight; Aolani woke one morning with a swollen face and eyes swollen shut (an allergic reaction to poison ivy); and, we shared several meals with friends.
- Fourth week of July: Ricky shared at our church; the kids began lessons, for the third year (they love them!); we met with friends several times for meals; the kids had a play date; we shared at a Guatemalan church; and, we crashed another church’s summer picnic ;)
- Fifth week of July: My mom visited this week; swim lessons continued and finished this week; a friend came over for dinner; and, Ricky went kayaking down the Catawba River with six other guys, which turned into an adventurous, epic trip (mostly due to nightfall)!
- There are several things that we that happen almost every (normal) week: family pizza/movie night, church, farmers market, flea market, small group gathering (biweekly), housecleaning lady helps (biweekly), a friend helps cook (weekly or biweekly depending), a friend helps some and brings her kids to play, grocery stores, and meeting with our Wycliffe coach (plus our daily routine tasks).
- Raphael's romps: I am still nursing him, but only before bed and when he wakes in the morning (this is the big one). I have mostly weaned him from other times of the day and night the past few months. Raphael will grab his diaper to tell me he pooped. He makes this loud dinosaur growl/wail when he is extremely upset or distraught. He points to clouds and calls them balls :)
- School verses: Micaiah -- Psalm 150, John 14:23 ; Aolani -- Matthew 16:24-25, Psalm 37:4-6
- Verses I memorized: Deuteronomy 32:2-4, 1 Peter 4:12
