Splish Splash!!

Tonight, the weather was perfect -- too perfect not to enjoy it. So we put on swimming attire and splashed around in the pool, and munched on Girl Scout cookies. It amazes me how much fun can be had on a Slip 'n Slide, Jr. that was on clearance for next to nothing, and a hand-me-down swing set! 

Frog Girl

Emily, our sweet Emily, loves frogs. She doesn't hesitate before grabbing the little amphibians, and has been known to kiss a toad or two. So far, no Prince Charming. 

So we find this tree frog in our upstairs bathroom, on the toilet seat. I don't know how the little things keep getting in our house! God was so creative when designing these frogs. One cool thing is their ability to climb surfaces using discs at the ends of their fingers and toes. The other thing that is SOOO cool is how this species of tree frog, the gray tree frog, can change color to camouflage itself. We had fun with this little guy climbing walls and sticking him to different surfaces and watching his color change. Thanks, Mr. Tree Frog, for an afternoon of entertainment!

It's Softball Season

This summer, Emily decided to try softball. She played t-ball a few years ago and had a great time. We have learned that softball is much more involved than t-ball. Last week we spent four evenings at the ball field. It has certainly kept us busy! It has been fun working with Emily on batting, throwing and catching. It is fun cheering on the team, and watching their skills improve. So next week as we finish the season with the tournament, we will discover what it means to have an evening at home. And we will miss the nights sitting on bleachers cheering on our little ball player!

Happy Birthday, Eli! 

Eli celebrated his first birthday with lots of family! We ate supper together, and then ate cake and ice cream before playing outside. Thank you to all our wonderful family who helped Eli celebrate!

Candy Bar Card

Grandma Kathy celebrated her birthday last week. Matthew, the girls and I made her a very sweet card! Check it out!

Marigolds for Grandpa

Every year the girls and I pick out flowers to plant at Grandpa's gravesite. It has been fun in the past, as we make lots of trips to the cemetery to water the flowers and watch as they grow and bloom. This year we picked out marigolds. 

I love this tradition, but not because I love to dig in the soil and add color to the grass. It actually has nothing to do with the flowers and everything to do with remembering a great man, one that my children have never met but whose legacy affects them. It has everything to do with invaluable conversations about life and death and the great anticipation to be in heaven with our loving God. It has everything to do with sharing memories so they can "know" their Grandpa. 

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.  Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.
Isaiah 57:1-2

Bigger and Better

When Matthew and I attended Western Illinois University we were involved with Campus Students for Christ. I can honestly say that I grew up more spiritually during that time than any other. For the first time, my faith was truly challenged without any influence from my parents. It was time to make my faith my own -- exciting and scary. Still, to this day, I owe so much to my dear friend, Rebecca Staley Davis for introducing me to the campus ministry. 


There were lots of fellowship nights, and one game I remember most was Bigger and Better. I don't know if they even still play this game but it was lots of fun! Let me explain how it works. Participants are divided into teams and each team is given a small item worth very little monetarily. It could be a stick of gum, or a paperclip or a penny. Each team goes to houses and tries to trade their item with something "bigger and better" than what they have. So, at the first house, you might trade your stick of gum for a can of soup. At the next house you might trade your can of soup for a t-shirt. You continue to trade items until a time limit expires and the team to come back with the biggest or best item wins! Simple. Our team brought back a doghouse.


So, the point of the game? We are always looking for something bigger and better. It has become evident to me that as you get older and financial resources are more available than when you are working your way through college that it is easy to get sucked into the bigger and better mentality. I confess that I have struggled with this at times and it is exhausting. And when I desire what others have, I lose sight of the great blessings that I already have. The truth is, there will always be bigger and better things out there. Not long after you buy the newest gadget, technology will advance to a newer version. And the drive to have "bigger and better" contradicts what Paul teaches to "be content whatever the circumstances." He continues, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:11-13


It is difficult to be content sometimes. It is difficult not to want. It is difficult to not want bigger and better. But God expects us to do difficult things and make sacrifices to serve Him. God gives us the choice. 


In our game of Bigger and Better, not one team said, "You know, I am content with this paperclip. I think I'll just hang out and clip papers together." Our teams were competing. We wanted to win! But in real life, we must stop competing to find true contentment. 


Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

Celebration Dances at Sodbuster Days

Well done, dancers. It was so fun to see everyone perform again!!

Sodbuster Parade

The rain stopped just in time for the parade on Saturday. Emily was riding in the parade with the Good Hope ball teams. Here are a few photos from the fun procession. One note about the parade -- it isn't a long parade, but we have NEVER brought home so much candy from a single parade. That is one sweet parade.

Running at Sodbuster Days

We love to get up early to watch Matthew race. Well, part of that statement is true -- we love to go to Matthew's races. The girls don't exactly LOVE leaving the house so early. Matthew ran the 5k at Sodbuster Days in Good Hope on Saturday. There was a record turnout with more than 90 participants waking up the quiet town.

Matthew did very well, setting a PR and finishing 1st in his age division and 2nd place overall. He finished only 14 seconds behind the winner, Trey Brokaw. Matthew has never caught Trey in a race yet, but I don't think he is doing bad considering he is 15 years older than Trey.

Congratulations, Matthew, on a great race. We are looking forward to the Strawberry Strut next Saturday!!

Eli's First Haircut

I LOVED Eli's curls, but the time had come for Eli's first haircut. First of all, I would like to tell you that Eli is not fond of the clippers. This was a challenge which spanned several days. Actually, he still needs a little snip here and there. Hopefully as he gets older he will enjoy the clippers more so he'll sit still for a haircut! Now that his hair is trimmed up, he looks dashingly handsome, but more like a little boy than a baby. Sniff, sniff. Megan and Emily were sad to say good-bye to his baby curls. So, this is how it turned out. 

BEFORE

AFTER

And this one is a shot of his tonsils. He has become such a "ham" for the camera, making silly faces and posing. The cool thing about this photo is that we realize how much smaller Eli's tonsils are than Megan's were before she had them removed. Hopefully that means he will keep his!!  

: )