We have a 9 year old!!!

Oh my goodness...my big boy turned 9.  Our last year with all our kids in single digits.  How does time pass so quickly?!?  We found a place here that does glow-in-the-dark space putt putt.

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday to our wonderful, fun, world-changer of a son.

 

 

 

Family fun time

We've been trying to be really intentional to have some family fun times together to help the kids during this transition time.  Well, to help me, too...cause there's not much I love more than fun with John and the kids!

 

We went to our first ever movie together as a family!

 

I took J and C to a fun place at the mall called Little Explorers.  They loved it and ask often to go back again!

 

 

 

We've ridden the metro to the big malls a couple times.

 

Thank you, Lord, for fun breaks as a family in the midst of so much change!

And so thankful that we get to live in an AMaZiNG city!!!

 

Friends, you should come visit...seriously!

 

This beautiful friend and her husband came through here, and we got to spend a fun evening with them.  We've actually already had several people we know fly through here, and we LOVE it!!!  I think it's going to be one of my favorite things about living here.

 

 

This kid...

 

CRACKS ME UP!!!

 

 He said, "Well, I guess this is an angel donkey."

 

OK, here's another one...

 

One day while we were housesitting, the little pup we were watching threw up and then ate her throw up.  Disgusting, but I used it for a teachable moment to share the Bible verse that "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool returns to its folly."  I know, weird teacher moment.  But here's Jacob putting on a show for me, and he says, "In the Bible it says that dogs like to eat dare frowup, so dey eat it!"  Somehow, I think I missed the mark on my little teachable moment.  : )

 

He often says, "Jacob fears no danger!"

 

And when you want to walk through a door at our house, and he won't let you through without a password, the password is often "Jacob is brave at lions."  Or tigers...or bears...not joking!

This one has a heart of a warrior!! 

This one's for the grandmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This precious baby girl has my heart!

How do you move your camel?

Gift from God!

 

3 days after John got here, some dear friends came from Texas and helped us for 2 weeks. 

They loved our kids...

 

Helped us get things accomplished,

researched things we needed to figure out,

prayed with us,

babysat for date nights.

 

Here are a few pics from one of my FAVORITE date nights!!

Ikea and a book store

 

 

(That sign still makes me laugh every time I see it!)

 

They watched the kids while we house hunted. And hunted.  And hunted.

 

But what we mostly came to realize is that we just can't afford much here (yet!).  So please pray with us for God to keep opening doors for us here.

 

One day we did a research day to look for venues for conferences we'll host here.

Best!  Research! Day! Ever!

 

 

 Mr. Rick and kids checkin out the birds

 

We had a lot of fun together and were so blessed to be able to move forward with getting some things accomplished as we settle here.  Thanks, Rick and Tammy!!  We love y'all!

 

HE'S BACK!!!

There really aren't enough exclamation points to describe how excited we were that John was coming home.  He came back on July 12...our 16th anniversary.  Wow!  These 16 years have held so much, and I can't wait to see what's still to come!

 

Here we are all ready and waiting...at the wrong terminal!!  Haha!  We raced back to the car, loaded up, and got to the right terminal just as he was walking out.  We were so happy to see him, and I shook his hand warmly.  PDA is a no-go here...for real...like they can deport you for being too affectionate in public.  So we had a real nice, haven't-seen-you-in-two-weeks, happy anniversary hand shake.  : )

 

We celebrated with anniversary dinner for 6.

Homemade bruschetta.

On BEAUTIFUL plates from Portugal!  (A birthday present from my mom and dad!)

 

We had 3 fun family days before some friends arrived!

 

More Portugal...

Lucky you!  I found some more pictures of our Portugal time, and I had to post them.

They make my heart happy just looking at them and remembering that sweet season!

 

This is a place called Obidos, and it is the dreamiest place I've ever been!!

 

 

 

The colorful plates on the left of this street are the entryway to my FAVORITE store.  The pottery was BEAUTIFUL!!!  I wish you could have been there with me.

 

 

In Lisbon...

 

 

 

And one more fun kid memory...

 

I have more, friends, so just be thankful that I didn't post every.single.one!

 

Happy birthday, to me....

While John was gone, I turned 37. 

Amy and I celebrated together with a girls' night out...at Cheesecake Factory!

 

And I had the most wonderful family celebration with the kids.

 

Z made me this cake...

 

Mom and dad sent me some money to do some special things just for me.

 I got these flowers!

 

Sweet birthday!  And only 4 more days until John got back!!