Our friends from Israel

What a treat we have gotten the past couple of days to spend with our dear friends from Israel...Yoni and Daliah .  Yoni was my tour guide in Israel when I went in 2000 and again when Jay and I went this past April.  Jay has been leading the LHBC Israel trip for 5 years now and has gotten to know Yoni and his family very well.  He is an American believer living and working in Israel for the past 20 years and has a beautiful family that we have gotten to know over time.  They are some of the most Godly people we have ever met and Jay and I consider  it an honor and a privilege to spend time with them while they are passing through.  They are  in the states for 2 months while visiting family and friends.  Last evening we went to hear Yoni speak at a local church. This morning Jay and Yoni went fishing at 5:30 a.m. (something Yoni was dying to do) and they caught quite a few!  Then his family came over (wife and 4 kids under the age of 7) and we ate lunch together, swam, laughed and played.  They left late this afternoon and Jay and I had tears in our eyes as they drove away.  There is just something about knowing you aren't going to get to see someone for a really long time and to see them just drive away!  We parted ways by saying..."Until next time..."

This is Brayden and their youngest...it looked as if he is proposing!

She found the dress up stash and was having a blast!

Jay and Yoni...what a mischevious pair!

The family

Play night with some friends

Saturday night Karis had some friends over while their mom and dad went to a banquet and they played hard until midnight!  This is Karis and Kendall playing dress-up...what princesses!

When I asked Karis what she was doing in this picture below she told me, "I am showing Kendall how to pose like a princess!"

Kendall the princess

Me and Drew

Me and the girls

We made a pallet, popped some popcorn and watched Madagascar.  It was a hit and they were awake for every second of it.

Drew

I had a really cute video of them dancing at the end of the movie but can't get it to download for some reason.  I will try again later...it is priceless!

Father and Son

I received this email from a friend this week and wanted to share....

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' The father, who despite having a heart condition, says Yes.

They went on to complete the marathon together.

Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes'.

For those who didn't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island .

Father and son went on to complete the race together.

Click Here to View the video:

Father and Son

Brayden turns 2!!!

Today my baby turned 2!!!  It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital and now he is no baby anymore!  We spent most of the day getting party for the big party tonight and Brayden practiced his "birthday dance."  He kept saying "birtday!" and "I 2!" 

His Aunt Jessica (Jay's sister) and Grandmother (Jay's grandmother) came in town to help us with the party today.  Here he is opening presents from Nonnie and Pop-Pop, Aunt Jessica and Grandmother and Pinto. He enjoyed playing with the airplane and firetruck and we will definitely enjoy Toy Story and Nemo!

Brayden with Grandmother

Brayden with Aunt Jessie...Who needs a seatbelt when you got a "hemit" like this one???

THE BIRTHDAY BOY!!!

The kids played on the waterslide for a while (well...those that got brave enough!).  

Those attempting the slide

Ethan was proud of his accomplishment :)

Karis playing in the water

Brayden's sweet Uncle Allen who took him down the slide so I wouldn't have to :)

Then Brayden got brave and did himself..he loved the slide part but not the puddle of freezing water at the bottom!

Brayden playing in the pool

Karis and Brayden eating dinner...hamburgers and hot dogs...and cheetos of course!

Lolli and Pop (my mom and dad)

Little David Fields

Maggie Clark

Brent and Rachel Morris (and sweet little Jack)

Brayden wanted to ride Mr. Brandon's motorcycle which he calls a "bicycle."  "Look mom what I got for my 2nd birthday!"  Think again!

Brayden and his Pop

Brayden blowing out his candles on his baseball cupcake

I think he liked it...what do you think?

Brayden opening his gifts. I still don't think he understood the party was for him...I know he was wondering, "Where did all these presents come from and why did they bring them to the swimming pool?"  He got many fun things to play with!

Brayden playing ball with his Pop

The kids on their quest for frogs (while eating their blow pops of course).

Well Brayden got to go home with Lolli tonight for a special treat so Karis went to Mari-Morgan's house for a sleepover!  What a treat!

My 2 year old baby boy

Brayden and his Lolli after opening the train set she gave him!

Brayden you are such a gift from the Lord.  I thank the Lord that He has given you to us and what a blessing you have been.  We pray that the Lord allows us many more birthdays to celebrate with you and to enjoy one another!  We love you with all our hearts...Mom and Dad

Bitter Sweet

Today is a bitter sweet day for me as I remember 2 special people in my life.

Today the 25th of June, would have been Amber's 29th birthday. I have thought all morning of her sweet family and what today must be for them. I know this day is bitter sweet for Anthony as well and for her dear sweet mom who gave birth to her 29 years ago today. I am sure, like I am, they are reminiscing of her life and remembering the good 'ole days. Although I have shed a few tears this morning, I am rejoicing in the life that she lived and the mom, wife, daughter and friend that she was to so many. And what an amazing birthday she is experiencing today...sitting in the presence of the Almighty...exactly where she would want to be. There is no birthday gift, event, party, or card that could be equivalent than what she is doing today...glorifying the Lord with her praises, songs and words.

As I was reading this morning in Luke 8, I read a commentary by Beth Moore and she said this,

"I long to sit at Jesus' feet in heaven and hear Him describe personally what his earthly experience was like. I can't wait to hear all the missing details and what he was thinking when certain things happened. I think He will have plenty to say about his peculiar confinement to a human shell."

I wonder the same things and I also would love to sit and talk to Amber about heaven. I am sure no words would be adequate to describe what being with the Lord is like. And I know that anyone who has experienced that would never choose to come back..I know I wouldn't. Please pray for her family today as this will be her first birthday they will experience without her here.

Tomorrow would have been my grandmother's birthday. She was a hero to me and I think of her each year on this day and remember her life. She was always such a bundle of laughter and oh what fun we had with her! Grandparents are such special people and oh what I would have given for her to have known my children. She would have loved to play dolls with Karis and let Brayden play in the mud up to his eyeballs. And then when I came to pick them up, she would cover her mouth and laugh as if to say, "Oh no, she caught us!" When I would ask what they have been doing, she would reply, "It's our little secret!" :)

Phone call to Brazil

This morning as I was reading, I overheard Brayden talking on Karis' pretend phone and he was talking to his Uncle Jon-Jon who is in Brazil. This is a frequent conversation that happens with Brayden and Jon-Jon even though his uncle doesn't know it! I had to capture it so that Jonathan could hear his sweet nephew. We love and miss you!

LHBC Children's camp

This week LHBC (Longview Heights Baptist Church) is having their children's camp out at our house and since we used to go there, my kids love hanging out with them to see alot of their old buddies. We were out there with them all day and the kids have had the time of their life! They look forward to this every year because it is always a blast! This morning they got to play on the water slide, get in the moon bounce, swim, and got to eat lunch with the "big kids." It has been wonderful because the "big kids" just take Karis and Brayden and watch them and play with them. It has really been a break for me too and my kids are loving every minute of it. Yesterday and today is the 1st and 2nd grade camp and the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders come tomorrow through Friday. So this week is bound to be full of fun!

This is Karis after doing the water slide. You know she was going back for more!Brayden playing at the edge of the water slide

Brayden going down the water slide with his personal playmate for the day...Lauren Quick.

Karis climbing up by herself...she was so proud of herself.

The fun water slide

Brayden and Lauren...I think I need to hire her for a babysitter...she was great with him!

Then they got to do the moon bounce.

Right now, they are snoozing hard after such a fun but tiring day. I am sure they will want to go back to "camp" as soon as they get up. And...we probably will!! :)

Another day at the pool

Today we spent another fun day in the sun at Rachel's neighborhood pool and as always, it was an adventure. The pool is never crowded, in fact, we were the only ones there for a time. Brayden has gotten brave in these last 2 weeks...2 weeks ago he wouldn't even get in a baby float without screaming and this is what he was doing today...all over that pool (with his floaties on of course!).This is Kendall using some goggles she found...these were a hit for a while today.

Brayden "swimmin' to momma!" which I heard about 100 times today. Then he would just go passed me out to the deep end!

Karis herself has gotten brave too. She has seem Drew swimming without his floaties on and although we haven't tried that yet, she wanted to swim "under the water" (which means to put her face under as seen below)...this was a big deal for her!

I think this is the only picture of the 4 of them today...we just couldn't get them all still at one time.

This is what Karis enjoyed doing today...pulling the little ones around in the float all over the pool.

Brayden enjoying his ride

My snuggle bunny

Rachel and Jack

Karis trying out the new goggles...those didn't last too long!

Me holding Jack while he napped (somebody's got to do it!). And yes, those are DORA glasses I was wearing...they are Karis'!

And afterwards, we went to their house to play for a while...they were exhausted at the end of the day!