Best Friends



When I was pregnant for Grace, Kent and I were talking about our need to do some type of mission work that would most likely take us away from Bluffton. Knowing this, I began to pray for our unborn child and Grady. I prayed that they would be best friends. With the uncertainty of where we might go, the consistency of our children's friends would waver. So, I wanted my kids to be best friends. Then, no matter where we went, they would always have each other as friends.

 

I believe God has answered this prayer. Grady and Grace are very good friends. They care for each other and play very well together. There are quarrels sometimes, but for the most part they enjoy being with each other. Here are just a few of their play times together.

 

Snow Buddies: It was cold, but they did enjoy a little play time in the snow.

 

Car Buddies: This is our van packed full on the way home from Christmas break. The kids always have big smiles before we leave, but those sometimes fade on our journeys to and from NTBI.

Book Buddies: I love it that my kids love books! They can never have enough. They were enjoying just sitting and reading.

 

Play Buddies: This is the kids' campsite. They have their tents, chairs, sticks, fire, and marshmallow(which double as cotton balls).

 More playing. I think they were putting cars in the hole in the stool. Whatever they were doing they were working together and doing it quietly.

Super Buddies: There's always endless fun with Grady's super hero costumes.

Curious Buddies: They were watching the front loader remove snow from the parking lot outside our window. Grace will do about any boy adventure or game is Grady is leading the way.

What a blessing to see the two of them play together. I really do hope that forever they will be good buddies. That Grady will continue to lead Grace. And that Grace will continue to encourage Grady whenever he is down. Wherever the Lord takes us, they'll have each other, and that will be enough.

Christmas Revisited

So, as many of you know, my computer wouldn't let me upload pictures to our blog. Therefore, I was unable to do a Christmas blog. Well, we asked the IT guy here at NTBI and while he stood there, with us explaining the problem,... it started working!

Even though it's over a month late, I decided to do a Christmas blog post anyways. Here is what our time a Christmas looked like.

Present time: The kids enjoyed opening presents at the many different stops that we went to during our 4 weeks home over Christmas.

Silly Time: Grace got underwear for Christmas and wanted to put them on right way. It was very funny to see her pull them up over her tights.

 



Action Time: Grady got this new sword and was showing us some of his great moves. He does really well with a sword.

 





 

 Silly Time Revisited: Grace really is a ham and she is two so the combination results in some pretty funny saying and actions.

 

Tradition Time: After I took this picture, I realized that Kent posses every year with a bow on his head. So he was sure to keep the tradition going.

Hopeful Times: Bobbie and Aaron sent Christmas presents for everyone. This was Bobbie's favorite and couldn't wait for Kent to get it. It's a shirt with Mzungu written on it, which means rich white person. This is what the Africans call all white people. We are hopeful for next Christmas when the Howley's will get to spend Christmas with us.

One - on - One Time: Kent and Grady got to spend some time putting together a model car. Grady loved painting it and putting on the stickers.

Snow Time: There was soooo much snow during Christmas Break. Grady got to go out with Lydia and Isabelle. They didn't stay out long because of the cold.

Grady and Grace both went out when we were at the Lockwood's. The snow was so pretty and it wasn't too cold yet. They really enjoyed playing in the snow.

 

We had a very nice visit over Christmas break with all our friends and family. It was great to reconnect with the happenings of Bluffton and the events of life that just keep going while we are away. We're so blessed to have a sound support group in Bluffton that loves and cares for us. 

 

The return to Jackson was bittersweet, but as we opened our apartment door we realized once again that we are so blessed to have a support group here at NTBI as well. We returned home to pictures in our apartment, balloons, and a crockpot supper ready for us. We shared supper with three other families that night and settled in for our sophomore semester at NTBI.