TGIF

Friday - shew. The last few weeks have been "out of the ordinary" - and I like my routine. ::snort::

Deja and her kids came and helped with produce co-op today. She's a champ. She'd offered to come help before I even realized I'd NEED help with Jamin and Jared both gone. Thank you, Deja.

Michael spent the day doing odd jobs around the house.

I had put BBQ in the crock pot this a.m. I made 2 more loaves of bread and 18 hamburger buns for dinner. The funny thing is that the boys got home right as the buns were coming out of the oven. Jared sniffed and said it smelled so good - fresh baking bread. I couldn't have planned that better.

Arielle prepared sidewalk art for the homecoming

Great to have them home - and they pitched right in and cleaned up dinner LOL

We've been catching up. They had a GREAT time at camp. I heartily recommend the camp. Jared was surprised that there was a boy from Elmendorf AFB at the camp- hows that? I guess we could always fly the boys back to this one in future years. They both want to go again. If you sign up the last day of camp you receive a discount...but the military lifestyle being what it is - we opted not to sign up today. LOL

Pray for the J family

Would you all mind praying for a friend of mine and her family? They've been in the process of adopting a daughter from the Ukraine as long as I've known them.

About 4 or 5 weeks ago the family traveled to the Ukraine. It's been up and down - back and forth...but yesterday they had another appointment and were able to choose a daughter. They will now be traveling to the other side of the Ukraine to meet her. They will meet her on Sunday. There is still a lot of details and paperwork that must be completed. Mr. J will need to come home shortly as his leave time is ending.

Please pray that God will bless their remaining time in the Ukraine, that they'll have safe and easy travels, that details will go smoothly for them from here on out so that maybe they can all come home at the same time. And then for all the issues of adding a new blessing to their family....and they are also waiting for a military assignment.

I'm pretty excited that they are about to have their daughter in their arms.

Thursday

I got off to a slow start today. The four little ones were up before I got in a workout. SO....we all got ready and went for a 2 mile walk. I am dreaming of fall....but it was another 90*+ day. LOL

We did school. We baked bread. We ran to the post office. We ran to the bank to cash co-op checks. We watched a Netflix movie called "The Amazing Nile".

Nolan finished his Explode the Code book today. We had a celebratory dinner.

Krista called earlier today. Oops - Krista is on the phone. Blogging is over.

On The Road To Beautiful by Charlie Hall

What We Did on Wednesday?

Hmmm.....so what DID we do on Wednesday?

We did some table school. I worked on phonics with the two boys. They worked on their lap book. They watched movies, jumped on the trampoline, played huge, complicated games with dinosaurs and army men.

I went to Curves. I paid bills. That's about all I did all day.

Wed night I met Gwen, one of my gals whose dh is deployed, for dinner and a movie. She suggested we go see The Game Plan. The boys had gone out Friday with friends to see it and told me that I would enjoy it. I kept saying "the rocket, the refrigerator, the box" was in it - they kept saying, "the rock mom, the rock". I DID enjoy the movie. I laughed, I cried, I put it in my netflix "save" section. ::snort::

More Scenes from Camp - Wednesday

World view camp is different from other camps that youth can attend. There are 26 hours of lectures on understanding your world view and others' world views. There are lectures on leadership. There are sessions where current movie clips are viewed and discussed with an eye to world view. Daily spiritual disciplines are taught and practiced. There are a zillion "team work" activities - sports, zip lines etc. that illustrate a Biblical worldview in practice. They also take a day and commute to Austin, where they share Jesus on campus. It's a very focused week and they are blessed to be sitting under some of the very best authors/lecturers on the topic.

Jared & Jamin have a practice of being up and in the Word every a.m. at 6 - the house is quiet these mornings with them gone. It's fun to see photos of them continuing that practice at camp - nicer setting. LOL

Jamin's witnessing group in Austin - I'm SURE this was stretching for the boys!Jared's group in Austin

Camp IS expensive. Our children have not gone to camps or retreats as the norm. We felt this was a great opportunity for them. World View Academy travels - but their home base is in New Braunfels, (home of the Schlitterbaun) TX. They put on an annual fall event for homeschoolers. We had hoped the boys would attend and were thrilled when they caught the vision and earned the money themselves. The camps are for 13 - 18 year olds. Jared is young to attend - 13....but we knew his maturity level could handle it, and we aren't sure if we'll be here in future years. He wanted to go badly. He sure worked his tail off to make it. ::snort:: We wish that the older three could have attended but the ages were never "right" when we've been in TX.

Some have asked about the photos. They take a lot of photos everyday. They are of all the campers....I am simply saving the ones of the boys from the website. I love this aspect of camp - makes us feel a small part of their experience.