Three's Company

Well, another summer flying by. I posted a picture of this summer in Naples (bottom one) and a picture from last summer in Jekyll (top one/beach). When you put them side by side, you can see Erica is changing so much into a young woman and losing the child-like look she had. Jack is looking older and Spencer still looks very much the same, minus a few teeth! It is hard to believe we will have one child in junior high and no more kids in kindergarten! They are all reading and becoming more and more independent, too. I held a friend's newborn baby last week and for the first time, I left and didn't have the desire to have another baby. It was gone! It was a little sad for a minute but then I realized it is okay to move on to the next season of life. God has been so gracious these last 10 years of the season we were in. I look back and think of so many gifts we have received and also the trials we went through. I can praise Him for each one and also see His hand in every aspect of our life. In the midst of the gifts, we experience losses as well but that is life and we grow each year in the Lord.

This past week, we did come to the conclusion that we are made to stay only three nights in a hotel room! While we experienced difficulty in sleeping arrangements (for Scott with two little guys in the bed right up against him all night so he can't roll over!), we can admit to our own limitations! Our personalities as a family can handle three nights in a small hotel room and that is it! And we can all admit that it's okay to feel that and say it!!!!! I wish I could say I could have handled another two nights but I'd be lying!!! LOL!!!! The only thing that got me through was the cleaning service and beds that got made and I didn't have to do them!! As Erica would say when something exciting happens in her life, "YEAH for me!!!"

Wildlife in Naples

We got to see some neat wildlife on our trip. We had to take a small boat from the hotel over to their island to get to the beach. The mangroves are protected and surround the hotel so we took one morning to see the beach area. On the way over, we picked up three dolphin who swam behind the boat and jumped in the waves off the back of the boat. The kids thought that was the best. We also saw this lonely pelican taking a break from eating fish for breakfast. Last, you pass by an area called "Dog Beach." This is a designated beach area for dogs, literally. There were probably 15-20 dogs out on the beach running leash free and having the best time. They said it is normal on a weekend to see 100 on the beach, and all of them swimming in the water! The kids decided next time, we must bring Chip so he can play at the beach, too!!!

Fish Out of Water!

We play this game in the pool called Marco Polo. I'm sure most of you have seen or heard the kids play. I got this picture of the boys while they were swimming and Spencer jumping the waves at the beach. I can't believe how much they are changing. This summer, they have spent a little less time arguing than last summer. They are both incredible swimmers and love the water. Jack would swim every day, all day, if I'd let him!! He reminds me a lot of myself when I was a kid - I love the water, too. We had great weather while we were in Naples.

Patience is Timely

We just got back from our trip to Naples, Florida. This was our last chance to go to the beach for a few nights before school gets back into swing. I can't believe we only have four more weeks left of summer. It feels like it has flown by. Funny story about patience .... I bought Scott a book titled, "Quiet Strength" by Tony Dungy, the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Coach Dungy is highly respected and used to coach Tampa Bay. I thought this would be a great read for him while we are on vacation. It turned out to be a perfect read and a book he would recommend. He was reading to me a part in the book about Tony's father and how he had gotten a fishing hook in his ear from Tony's brother and how his father had calmly explained to him how to check around before casting, etc. while he was removing the hook from his ear! Scott was laughing and thinking about how often he would NOT handle a situation quite like that! Well, this section was timely ... Erica got out of the pool to have a snack and as she reached into our beach bag to remove the very LARGE bag of pretzels I had opened, she pulled it out from the wrong end and the whole bag dumped into the bottom of the beach bag!!! Scott looked at me and started laughing! It wasn't like he could go off after reading what he just had! It was timely ... patience is timely!!! And so was the shade!

Woman Injured in "Kick Ball" Game!!!

My friend, Tami (left in picture), was at our house for our send off for the Daily's. The kids all got together after swimming and decided we needed to have a big family kickball game. So we agreed. Tami, however, wasn't real sure she wanted to play and we told her she couldn't be a sissy and she had to play. Well, she is from Texas and you don't "accuse" a Texan of being a sissy so that was all it took for her to play :) I know this from being around her all the time. So about half way into the game, she hobbles to first base "because" she busted a blood vessel in the top of her foot from kicking the ball. Now, this comes after she is kicking it as hard as she can "because" she is from Texas and everything is bigger there!! So her foot is bruising ... we tell her to stop being a sissy. So she sucks it up and continues to play. God, I just love her to pieces; she really cracks me up! So after her next time kicking, she is going to get thrown out on third base, but not if she hurries! Well, she yells and hobbles and ends up hobbling to a chair and told us she felt something pop and rip in her foot.....sissy. She quits......at this point, I did think she was hurt but we couldn't just let her be a whiny pants so she refereed the game. The next morning, she couldn't walk. She goes to the doctor to find out that she may have a hairline fracture and has ripped all the ligaments and tendons on the underside of her foot and has to wear a soft cast and boot for three weeks and then return to see if anything else has to be done!!!! Can you believe it? Of course, being from Texas, everything has to be done on a big scale --- not like she couldn't have just stubbed her piggy toe .... NOOOOOOoooooooOOOOOOOO......let's just cut the whole foot off!!! I say this with the utmost affection and love for her :) I felt horrible and the reality is our minds are younger than our bodies and at some point, we are all pushing 40 and going to have to face that we can't do what we could in our 20's!!!! BOOOOOHOOOOO!!!!!

Look Out, Lexington!!!

Last week, we said goodbye to some of our dearest friends, Bruce and Mette Daily. They were our neighbors for a season, as well as serving in ministry together, and the couple we go to Chicago with in December every year. They have left for Lexington, Kentucky. Bruce retired from a 20 year career to begin a new one with a different company! We respect him for the huge leap of faith he has had with this opportunity! If you had told us five years ago he would leave his job, we would have told you NO WAY, NO HOW! But God has other plans for us when we least expect it, doesn't He??!! We were sitting down for dinner with them and another couple and Scott began to pray ... it then turned into this very sentimental and sweet moment which ended up with all the girls crying and none of us were hungry - thanks for that, Scott. And by the end of the evening, we said our goodbyes and everyone was crying and Bruce paced! It was so hard to see them leave but we are so excited to see what God has in store for them and their children. What a great time to bond again as a family and grow in faith together .... Scott and I are flying up the first week in August to help them work on painting and wallpaper removal for a couple days and then we have our annual trip to Chicago to look forward to. I thought this was a great picture of them and we wish them well and are already missing them. We love you guys!!!!

Last Mountain Sunset

I captured this picture off our deck the last night of our vacation. What a beautiful sunset. This last evening, we also saw a deer and a moose. It was too dark to capture the moose on film but he was right across the field outside the deck and also we saw one in the neighborhood on our way home. The deer was a six point and his antlers were again covered with soft velvet. I wonder if you become immuned to this lifestyle here .. as easily immuned as we are to seeing the sun and blue skies every day and going to the beach, one has to wonder if you ever tire of seeing the beauty of this? This thought takes me to relationships of course ... do we ever get immuned or so used to our spouse or our family that we suddenly don't "see" them anymore? How do we keep from becoming so used to the hum-drum of life that we forget to see those around us? Or how about our relationship with Jesus Christ? We get so busy, we forget. We forget the amazing beauty or blessings or just how we may have felt His presence in such a way we thought we would never forget and we do ..... this week, I wanted to forget everything and anything! I wanted to forget that my name was Mom --- I think we are up to 1,248 times my name has been called. I wanted to not be followed from room to room. I wanted to have my own thoughts and have a moment to think through a question before another question was asked. And then I think of all my questions above and stop and think what life would be like without them and you realize you don't want to forget the questions, or the name calling or the arguing. You know this is a season and that it does pass. And you hear the stories of others who are ahead and in different seasons and you respect it when they say don't wish it by or take the time to enjoy it. Don't become immuned .... that's my thought for July.

A Day in the Park

Well this was a different sort of summer day. This was our final day in Jackson Hole prior to catching our flight home. We found another great little park to play in downtown. We grabbed lunch at this wonderful little hole in the wall place that served homemade sourdough bread from a starter with all their meals. It was an excellent place to eat and seemed to be a local's favorite. Can't go wrong there, right??? I got some pictures of the kids playing and it was really cool in the shade. Erica had to put on a sweater. Unlike coming home. We flew into Tampa at 12:30AM and got home at 1:30AM. We really weren't sure which was worse - the arrival time or the humidity. The boys slept in the next morning until 11:00am!!! That is a first in our house! What fun ..... it seems weird that we have been home two weeks ... a distant memory already.........