Another Week In Review

You would think with summer winding down (Trinity heads to first grade on August 11th), our activities would lighten up a bit too. Oh no. I think they are just jumping in full speed - trying to get as any things in as we can in the final weeks. Here's what we've been doing. Take a breath and jump in!

Last week, Trinity got the wonderful opportunity to be a part of our church's Super Summer Singin' Funner (or SSSF) - a music camp. This year, they decided to open it up to completed kindergartners for the first time. To say this is up Trinity's alley is quite an understatement. She was looking so forward to it. However, there was a bit of a let down when she found out that it was just something she would go to in the morning and come home each afternoon (verses a stay-away camp) but she overcame it. She had such a great, great time. The students had been given CDs to help them learn the songs a few weeks prior to SSSF and Trinity took that instruction very seriously. She knew every word of every song before the week even began. She would come home each day, turn on the CD to the songs that her group was performing to and would practice singing and the choreography. She got to be a butterfly and a lion. I just love seeing her throw herself into something she loves!! The group did a performance Friday night, which Craig and I unfortunately missed. However, we did go to her dress rehearsal and we did assign someone to video it for us. Here are some of the pictures from her dress rehearsal Friday afternoon.

Bullfrogs and butterflies, they've both been born again.

She's the lion in the front with the little bit of hair hanging out!

While Trinity was in music camp, it was nice to have some time with just Kalyn and Xander. Monday morning, we met some of our MOPS moms up at church for a Noah's Ark party. The kids got to pick out an animal and then stuff it. Kalyn picked out a brightly colored bear and I picked a monkey out for Xander. At this point, he's answering "no" for pretty much everything we ask him, so asking if he wanted the monkey or another animal was really a mute point. I just thought the monkey was one of the cutest ones. Trying not to create problems once we got home, I also had Kalyn pick out an animal for Trinity. Knowing Trinity's favorite color is pink, Kalyn chose a pink frog (which is pretty cute as well).

Tuesday, I got the chance to sit down with (insert huge drum roll and explosive cymbal crash here) our new youth minister, Brett. We are so excited that he is here. Craig and our friend Paula have been sharing youth minister roles for the past year. We're familiar with this spot (it's our third time in the past 12 years filling in while Crabapple is in between youth pastors). It has been great working along side Paula. However now, we're ready to go back to just a volunteer role. So Tuesday, Paula and I got to meet with Brett and pass along all the notes of the youth ministry and where it's been over the past year. Right now, Brett is headed to South Africa on a mission trip he has had planned for 9 months, so we're still in the leadership role, but we are in the less than a month countdown until it's fully handed over.

We rounded out our week with a trip to the Roswell Arts Center for their final puppet show of the summer. We have so enjoyed these weekly (or almost weekly) outings. This show was put on by a puppeteer we had seen earlier in the summer and we loved him even more the second time as the first - Lee Bryan. I think we are already looking forward to next year's puppet show series.

Our other big excitement of this week was that we made vacation plans!!! WHOOOO HOOOOO!! I know, you're probably sitting there saying, but it's the end of summer vacation, aren't you a little late on that? Yes, we are. However, our summer has been jam-packed with events and we haven't had a chance. Craig's been gone about a month (collectively) on youth events and when he's not doing that, he needs to be working. So, our vacation has been postponed. So what are we doing? Well, we found out that we are getting a refund from our taxes (our accountant always goes for an extension and it always takes us a while to get our refund back), so we decided to spend it somewhere fun doing a family thing. We're heading to Myrtle Beach, SC for an extended Labor Day weekend. We found a great hotel that looks to have a great kids pool area and is beach front - Long Bay Resort. We are so looking forward to some time away. We also decided to ask one of our friends, the Whitlarks. They have a little boy who just turned one and they are a blast to hang out with! Let the exciting countdown begin!!!

Our weekend was just as busy. I'll be posting that soon! I must say that even amidst the chaos, the parenting frustrations, the running around, I have to acknowledged how blessed our family really is. Not just materially, but in the face that our house is filled with love, and not just the love that we can give on our own, but love that comes from God. My love is based on the moment, His love surpasses everything. My love has an ending point, His love is eternal. It is so wonderful to know that love, that grace, that mercy. I love my family. I love our life. I love my Heavenly Father and I am indebted to Him for His gifts and His blessings. Above all, I am in awe of His love to send His Son, Jesus, to die a horrible death for my sins, to open up the opportunity for me to spend eternity worshipping Him. If that is not an amazing love, I can't think of what is.