Now What?

Andy and I had a rare occurrence Monday night after the kids and I returned from dropping off Nathan to camp - a night "alone"!

After much hard playing and staying up late with friends, the kids were wiped out and cranky.  Needless to say, it was an early bedtime.  We got everyone down, even Joy Anna, and then looked at the clock.  It was 8:15pm.  Now what do we do?  All the kids were asleep and the house was quiet!  So we did something we haven't done in a long time - enjoyed a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream while sitting on the couch together talking!  It was wonderful!  No interruptions.  No screaming.  No whining.  Thank you Lord for a peaceful evening together!  Ah.

Up In the Air...

Nathan is getting to fly this week...a LOT! :)

He is enjoying his missionary aviation camp, Brigade Air, and the flight time that accompanies it.  This has been the most relaxed camp he has been to, and he seems to be enjoying the change of pace!  We will pick him up Friday afternoon and can't wait to hear all about it.

The kids and I drove down to Waxhaw (3 hours south west) Sunday after church.  We stayed with our missionary friends, the Gaynier's (who were at our house the previous weekend).  The kids had a blast - horses in the backyard, chickens, a trampoline, and, best of all, an above-ground pool!  The horses belong to the next-door neighbor, but they were stampeding around the fence that runs along the back of the Gaynier's property.  Unfortunately I did not have the camera with me when we went down to see what had them riled up, and they were not in a photogenic mood when I returned with the camera. :(  One of the horses had the most striking eyes - they were a crystal clear blue!  I wish I could have captured it on film.  Oh well.  Now I know why Danielle wears her camera wherever she goes...

An unexpected blessing came from this whirlwind trip.  The route to the Gaynier's took us RIGHT by another friend of ours  - the Gaskins!  So we dropped in on the Gaskins for lunch on the way home Monday.  It was a short, but fun visit.

Here are some pictures:

Pool fun!  From left: Promise's head, Rachel, Grace G., Grace W., Isaac G., Joshua, Isaac W.

Rachel, Joshua, and Promise  

Doing tricks off the slide was a huge hit!  From bottom to top: Rachel, Grace W., Isaac G., Promise, Isaac W., Isaiah, Joseph, Stephan

Flying Grace

How many kids can you fit in an above-ground pool...

Nathan's hair does the funniest thing when it is buzzed - he gets these lines!  It is all cut even, and no amount of going back over it with the clippers will get rid of them.

Raccoon eyes from goggles.

Joy Anna liked the hose, and balancing down the steps of the deck. 

Sand box fun

The horses were right at the tree line.

Chickens

Another flying Grace.  Love the curls!

Joy Anna found a box.

She decided to put herself into it.

And close up the sides.

All ready to be shipped!

Is there Red in That Hair?

So I thought I would share a funny Joy Anna story, mostly because I know it will amuse Danielle! :)

I was in the shower yesterday when a piercing scream reached my ears.  The sound grew steadily louder, until the source of the cacophony entered the bathroom - an offended Joy Anna.  I had the nerve to ask her through the shower door what was the matter.  In response, she threw herself upon the ground, kicked her legs and banged her fist.  It was an all-out temper tantrum!  Oh my!  Trying to suppress a giggle, I asked her if she was okay.  She paused for a breath, looked at me, and resumed her screaming and hitting the floor.  Needless to say, my shower lasted much longer than usual that morning...:)

Really?

Was about all I could say when I turned the power back on for the appliance repairman and this is what the stove did:

REALLY?

(In case you are curious, those "E's" stand for "error" and the "39" is the error code.  This time for the touch pad.  Another 8 days on the camp stove.)

(No More) School?

So Danielle has decided to expand her horizons.  Though she still plans to become a midwife, she is now thinking she wants to be a Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM).  This involves a four year nursing degree, followed by a two year specialization in midwifery.  And this from a gal who was adamant she was NOT going to college (at least not to a traditional one!).  We shall see how the Lord leads her once she gets home, but looks like Danielle's adventures are just beginning!

And speaking of school, the PIG's have picked back up the books.  We are easing into it slowly, trying to shore up weak areas (ie MATH!) before jumping back into everything.  So far their favorite activity is "Mom's Candy Shop".  So maybe I'm not below using candy to sweeten the work! :)

Fly Boy

Nathan has another camp next week, this time with missionary aviators.  He will spend a week in Waxhaw, NC with Brigade Air at the JAARS base.  He gets to fly both fixed wing aircraft AND helicopters... Andy and I are jealous.  He should have a blast, and learn all about life as a missionary aviator.  We shall see if he still has that desire within him.

Meanwhile, we've been having wonderful chat sessions with Danielle.  A 12 hour time difference is VERY  convenient, and even the PIG's are enjoying chatting with their big sister - both typing and video chatting! :)  It has given them incentive to learn the keyboard while they are doing their typing exercises.

And speaking of our birth nut eldest, she has finally reached the point where it is OK to miss a birth! :)  Though she still loves birth and every aspect of it, she doesn't fret if she actually misses one.  That's a good point for her to get to! :)  She's good at updating her blog: www.midwife4hisglory.blogspot.com and loves putting in pictures as well, so she can fill you in herself.

Cuteness!

This morning during our morning worship time, Joshua and Joy Anna were having fun...not singing as the rest of us were, but goofing around on the stairs with the gate.  Here are some pictures Andy couldn't resist taking:

Really, we are singing! :)

Yea!

Ooops, we are caught!

And now maybe for a video:

ENJOY!  :)