So Far This Summer

Hard to believe, but we've been home 3.5 weeks already. This summer was bound to go quickly and it seems to be holding to that. We haven't been super busy, but we have enjoyed our time in Bluffton. Kent continues to work hard everyday at Fairway Flooring, and then enjoys relaxing with the family in the evenings. I am blessed enough to get to spend extra time with the kids, my family, and my friends.

Grace and Solider have become great buddies. If they become quite there's a good chance they've found something they shouldn't have. Thankfully, this morning it was simply grapes out of the fridge.

Grady and Emry still spend every waking moment together. When we leave Grady asks when we'll play with Emry again and when we come back he runs inside to see if she's home. They're definitely two peas in a pod.

Grace is still, well Grace. She has so many words and a ton of personality to back them up. When I asked her yesterday is she had made a mess downstairs, her response was simply, "Umm, yea." She told me this morning that strangers were enormous and later in the day that she would "punch them in the face." She's also the one that smashed a fly with her taggie and told me, "His guts are hanging out." Yes, she really is a riot.

 My mom's, know as Lala by my kids, pond is open and ready for enjoyment. Grady is doing a great job of working on his doggie paddle and floating in the water. We love the time we get to spend there. It's usually a great time of playing for the kids and fellowship for my family. The water is still super cold, but the kids don't seem to mind.

 

Yesterday morning as I was getting ready Grady runs and tells me that Grace smashed a spider with her gooie (what we call a pacifier). I wasn't totally convinced, but Grady proceeded to wash it off. When I went down to check her bed, it was just as Grady said! Grace certainly did smash the spider right on her bed. I shouldn't be surprised, since this is the girl that pick up a snake two weeks ago in the back yard.

 

 Ok, one more bug story. Grace was walking outside and stopped short at this ant. She proceeded to inform me that the ant was carrying a hot dog!

 
 Grady is really enjoying his summer. It's good for him to be back in Bluffton with his friends, family, and things that are familiar. Grady is my thinker. He asked, "Is that cream you can eat," referring to the moose for my hair. He's always thinking about what's happening and how is it all going to work out. His words are also out of this world, always bringing a smile or laugh to Kent and me. Yesterday, Grady simply stated, "Sweet Nectar" after eating a piece of candy. He still gets some words confused, like Hanitizer instead of Hand Sanitizer.

 



It's been a great summer so far. We're house sitting next week, babysitting/house sitting for a week in July, planning to take a family vacation, and then visiting with family the week before we return. We all know that time marches on. Press through the long days. Take is a moment at a time. Trusting God for the next.

*****Our family vacation: After talking with many wise people we have decided to take a vacation. It's something we have had to wrestle with, being that we'll be head back to school in the fall. So we have been weighing out the different options. So why do I post this? Well, if there would be any place that you may know that would be available and somewhat inexpensive during the split week of July and August, would you let us know. We'd like to go south. An available condo, a website that has good deals, a friend that you may know. Thanks for considering this!

Summer Break - Day 1

No, I won't be updating our blog daily, but as I was putting the kids in bed I decided that a quick post might be fun.

So our day started with Grady waking up at 6:25am, a new record for him. He was ready and waiting when Emry got up.

At 8:45am the two children that I am babysitting this summer arrived. Kent left for the day. He met with several people to try and get his work and insurance figured out.

The kids were with us till 4:45. This time included playing in the sand box, changing the baby's diapers, fixing lunch for three very hungry kiddos, and feeding three bottles to the baby.

When Emry left at noon, Grady was beside himself. However, he was the only one that could make the baby laugh. It was so precious.

The best part of the day came around 4:45 when Grady asked Kent to take his training wheels off his bike. He's been asking for a few weeks but we wanted to wait till we returned to Bluffton. Well as it turns out, Grady needed no help. Kent was trying to help him and Grady asked him to let go and off he went. In five minutes he was riding his bike like he had been doing it for months. It was a very exciting moment for us. Grady is pretty excited too! (Even though it doesn't look like it in this picture. We just told him that he had to come in for supper.)

After our first supper in our basement, we split ways. Kent stayed to help Kyle put a new dryer in, since the old one stopped working today. I went out to my mom's house to get our car out of storage. However, I got 50 yards from her drive way and it quick. I did get it started to get it back in her lane, and it quick again. So now we have to figure out what's wrong with our car and how to get it fix.

Pretty eventful day. I think tomorrow we'll just practice bike riding some more.

Summer Break





When I was looking at our pictures I realized that it's been awhile since I've done a post. So, here's a few pictures that will bring you up to our return to Bluffton.

 

In April, Grace's friend Hosanna had tea party. The girl's had a great time playing with their baby dolls and dressing up in their fancy dresses.

 



Grady and Grace are still enjoying their friendship and taking on the world together.

During Easter we were able to visit Bluffton. Brandy, my sister, got a new puppy. Grace fell in love with it! Grace loves all animals, even though she's been nipped at by 2 dogs, bite by a cat and a hamster. She just keeps coming back for more.

We picked up our last round of library books before we headed back to Bluffton. We can't wait to visit the library in Bluffton. It's one of my favorite places to go with my kids.

The Saturday before we left, we enjoyed visiting with friends at our school's Spring Picnic. Right before we left, the kids asked if they could go into the water. As you can see, my answer was yes.

The Picnic ended with our teacher, Dan Falls, telling the kids a very captivating story about his time in tribe. The kids were fascinated by this story involving Dan, an alligator and another tribal person.

We enjoyed our last married social at an ice cream place in Jackson, The Parlor. Yes, the kids did have ice cream for supper.

Enjoying married time together without our children is always a cherished time. The seniors went out with the deans for breakfast, so we decided to share our time with the other married sophomores.

 

Finally, the day came for our last day of school. We had been talking about it for awhile so the kids didn't seem too sad. Child care has been so amazing. I think I'm most thankful for the scripture songs that Grace has learned. If you see her, ask her to sing "Encourage one another" to you.

In spite of wanting to be done and simply move onto our summer break, we had some homework we needed to finish up. Kent spent many hours on his timeline. It did get done and he did a great job with it!

 

We went to graduation on Saturday and then started to say our good-byes. Good bye to our friends and good bye to the kid's friends. Grady will miss Gavin. They've spent many hours in the gym together, playing all type of games.

 

So after packing, cleaning, loading, and more loading, sending my mom ahead with her full Escape, we set out for Bluffton on Saturday around 3. We finally had the kids in bed and asleep by 10:30. It was a lot but we made it.

 

We're thankful to be back, visiting with friends and resting. This past year has been an amazing year for us. We've learned so much about God, His Word, and ourselves. Having this summer break will help us to think about the things we've learned and recharge us for this fall.

 

If you're in Bluffton, we'd love to visit with you!



Trusting

This past week we had Special Emphesis in place of our normal classes. We do this one a semester to focus on a certain topic. This year we had a NTM Missionary come and talk about his work in PNG, and what a mature church might look like in a tribe.

 

How can something be so encouraging and be so frightening all at the same time. I was overwhelmed by what we may face. Yet, knowing the size of the task, confident that I have to rely on God for each step because there is NO way that Kent and I could do this work in our own strength. He shared a lot of really good points, but here are three that I'll share with you.

 

1. Settle in your heart Who is the Lord? and then ask What would he have me to do.

 

2. Live the life of truth, no matter what the cost.

 

3. Lastly, he showed us this picture of a jeep driving over a old, worn, unsafe bridge, with a river full of water under the bridge. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that this jeep was headed into a tribe. 

     Now those of you that really know me, you know that this picture was giving me a literal stomachache. I do not really enjoy water . So as I'm weighing this over in my mind as to wheter I could really put my family in that jeep and drive them across that bridge, he asks, Will you ever come to a point when Christ is no longer worth it? Think about it. Is there ever a time when you would say I just can't. I know that I should tell this person, or people about Jesus, but I just can't. That point that Christ just isn't worth the risk anymore.

      After seeing this picture, and working through all these thoughts, I realized yet again that this work that God is using us for will only be accomplished by him working in us.

       Could I cross that bridge today? No. Do I have to? No. Will I have to some day? Maybe. Will God go before be and prepare me for each plank that the tire crosses? Absolutely. After all, we're talking about the creator of the universe!

     Great is his faithfulness, great is his faithfulness, morning by morning his mercies are new. All I have needed his hand have provided! Yes, God has seen us through the small struggles here at NTBI and prepare us for the big struggles to come. I have the opportunity to trust him and move forward. Believing that he will go before us.

Life at Apartment 236

I realized the other day that it's been, well a long time since I've done a post. I've tried to figure out if we've been super busy or if life as just been happening. I'm pretty sure it's just that life keeps moving on, not only for us but for everyone. So I thought I'd take a few minutes to just give you an update about what's happening at NTBI's Apartment 236.

Our kids are growing every day. They're always coming up with funny new sayings. Last week, I asked Grace what she was thinking about, her response, "Mmmmm, I'm thinking about Eggnog." As you can see, she's full of life and energy!

What I love about these days, is that there's plenty of time to cuddle my kids. If I'm not careful, the busyness of life will come and rob this from me. However, when I am intentional I have a lot of very precious moments with my kids. As much as Grady will let me, I pull him up onto my lap and just hold him. The day will come when he'll want to get down and not stop to rest with his mommy.

Grace is still enjoying hanging out with her friends. They enjoy taking their babies to the gym and playing with them.

As you can see, Grady still loves his footie jammies as much as he did the day I introduced them to him. He thinks it's hilarious to take his four stuffed animals and zip them up inside his jammies. I have to admit, I think it's pretty funny too!

Grace is really enjoys writing and coloring. I was making a grocery list the other day and she thought it would be a good idea to make one as well. Somehow I didn't get a red head, but I did get a leftie.

 Grady and Grace still love to dress up. This is one of the best dress up pictures. Grace is pretending to be a princess pirate and Grady is leading the ship.

 



In the mist of children, school work, housework, and SWP, Kent and I are making the time to be together.

 

Classes here are going well. Someone told me we only have six weeks of classes to go, and then we'll head home for the summer. It's really overwhelming to think that we're almost done with our first year at NTBI. We've been learning about the life of Christ and who Christ is. Next week, we're starting to study of the book of Acts. We've also been learning practical things about everyday life. Like how important relationships are and being able to communicate well in those relationships.

I hope this finds you all well, living your lives as they continue to march on just as ours does.



 

 

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. 





 

Back Home Again.... In Jackson

Once again I come to you with a pictureless post. For some reason my computer won't let me add photos to my blog. I haven't gotten around to figuring out what's wrong, but could not wait to share today's happenings.

So we returned to Jackson, MI yesterday afternoon. We were so blessed to have someone to watch our kids while we unloaded and five guys to carry our things upstairs. It's was a blessing to open the door to find soup in the crock pot and cookies on the counter for us. We enjoyed supper with some of our friends here and tucked the kids in. After a nice chat with my friend, and Kent watching a guy movie we retired to our glorious queen size bed.

Then today we had to go to Mejier. The kids did great. I also needed to mail a package to Bobbie so we went to the post office. I didn't think it would take long, so Kent agreed to stay with the kids and the pack of Mentos.

Well, the post office took longer than I thought so as I'm walking out Kent texts me, asking if they shipped me with the package to Uganda. When I got to the van Kent hands me the Mento package, baring one lonely mento, and proceeds to tell me just what happened while I was inside...

• While listening to  "Taking Care of Business" Grady asks "Daddy, what does take it to the business mean?"
• A questionable character walks up to the trash can and starts rummaging through for pop cans. Immediately, Grady questions Kent about what he is doing.
• A man in a orange jump suit and hand cuffs walks by being escorted by two well dressed men. Grady proceeds to ask Kent what the man had done wrong.
• Another song come in the radio, "Free Falling" Grady asks, "Daddy, what's free balling."

•  Grace is sitting there this entire time just asking for more Mentos.

Needless to say I was in tears by the time Kent got done telling me these things. All this happened in this space fifteen minutes! It was a good laugh that I definitely needed.

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Here, There, and Everywhere

Wow, November 8th was a long time. Lots has taken place since then. Kent and I have finished our first semester at NTBI. We will now start on our Sophomore semester when we return in a week. During our first semester we completed Biblical Foundations, Evangelism, Pentateuch, and Old Testament History. Kent also completed Biology,  Hermeneutics, and Proverbs. These studies have grown our understanding about God's sovereignty and his faithfulness. We need to always be seeking a relationship with him.

In Old Testament History (OTH) we were required to do write ups. In these we would take a story of the Old Testament, graph it's story plot and then write about how it applies to our lives. These were very eye opening. I wrote about Luke, our foster son, a lot, about how walking with The Lord will never be an easy walk, how church is so much more than just what makes me feel good, and trusting God when we're uncertain about the steps of faith he's asking us to take. The write ups were a love-hate relationship! Yet in there end we did learn a lot from them.

 The write up that hit me the most was that God was asking me to move on from Luke, our foster son. In 1 Saumel, God asks Saumel how long he would mourn over King Saul. God told him to go and annoint David as king. November 27 was a turning point for me. I realized that I had to move on from my grief about Luke. He was gone and wasn't coming back. It was a huge relief for me. I was free from a burden that had enslaved me for eight months. Now do I still miss him? Sometimes. However, I can think about him in a rational, healthy manner without crying all over the place!

Since school has been out we've been in Bluffton, IN. We're blessed enough to stay at House of Hope while the boys were on Christmas break. Kent helped with the chores and opened and closed the store each day. We were able to have Christmas morning to ourselves, which was a special to me.

Kent has been working at Fairway Flooring since December 23. We knew that he would have a job until January 1 but we didn't think it would go past that. However, Kent proved himself to be a really hard worker and they offered him job for the entire time we were home. God totally took care of this need. Kent's working hard, and I'm so proud of him and how he's caring for our family.

On December 31, we moved all our things over to the Lockwoods. Grady was so excited to be with their daughter, Emry. This was the family that we stayed with this summer. They are such a blessing to us. They received us and all our stuff with open arms. It's always a little crazy with 5 kids and 4 adults in one house but it always seems to work out well!

I'm so thankful for the time we've had herein Bluffton. We've been visiting with friends and family. Kent and I joke that we need to go back to NTBI just to be able to rest. We've also had more down time here than in Jackson, so I found a new hobby. Arm knitting! It's a lot of fun. I've made many scarves, and would love to make a blanket. I wishing could figure something else to make but that's about all I know how to make.

We'll be headed back to NTBI next Monday. That will give us two days to get settled in before we start classes in the 15th. We're thankful for all our time here in Bluffton and look forward to catching up with all our friends in Jackson.

Grace's Funny Faces

Grace our Honey Bee (which is why we often call her Gracie Bee) makes some of the funniest faces. Here are a few....

Morning Face

 

Cowgirl Face

 

 

I'm Not a Baby anymore Face

Serious Working Face

 



 

 Cuddle Face

 

I am absolutely terrified of Ronald McDonald Face!

 

I'm a cutie Face



 

 

Bedtime Snack Face

 

Long Car Ride Face

 



 

 Oh Our Honey Bee brings us lots of laughs, hugs and kisses!