The Rest of the Summer

Phew! David made it through the worship conference and is now entering recovery. No, seriously, I think he really enjoyed it and has much to chew on as a result of being there. But he's also happy to be finished, to be seeing his kids again and to catch up on sleep! And we're delighted to have him at home a little more.

It's hard to believe that August is upon us. How this summer is flying! And the remaining warm-weather days will be full for us. Here are the big things we're looking forward to later this month and next:

1. Outer Banks vacation with the Nalle Family. Last year's trip was absolutely wonderful, and we're really looking forward to the sequel. I hope Meg enjoys the beach as much as she did last year--and that Matthew likes it too.

2. Acts. This is an original musical based on the Bible's account of the early church. It was written by members of our church a few years ago for the high school kids to perform, and now our singles' ministry is doing a new and improved version. Technical direction will be provided by... guess who? (This means another very busy week for him coming up.) And my sister Lena is in the cast! I'm looking forward to seeing it.

3. My 10-year high school reunion. Yep, it's been a whole decade since I walked across the Loudoun County High School veranda to claim my diploma. Now I'm going back to Leesburg to see what's become of my classmates. I have mixed feelings about this event. Very mixed feelings. Especially since my husband will be working (on Acts) that night and won't be accompanying me. But we'll see how it goes.

4. The week after Acts and the reunion, we're off to Chicago for a wedding. (Yep, another long road trip with the babies! Are we brave, or just crazy?) Dave's cousin Ronae is getting married to another David, and we are so excited to be there! Ronae is one of my Dave's favorite cousins (his mom is one of seven kids, so there are lots of cousins to choose from), and he has been wishing a godly husband her way for a very long time. Thank you, Lord!

And I think that's about it.

Swimmy Diapers

That's what our kids wore to play in the eensy, weensy inflatable pool in their Nana's back yard today. And that's it. Because their bathing suits are in the hamper. Because I thought it would be fun for them. And because they just looked so stinkin' cute running around with nothing but Nemo on their frontsides and Dory on their backsides.

My sister Lena took these photos with a real camera--the kind that you have to know about things like shutter speed and focus in order to use. Can you tell she just spent a week studying the art of photogrpahy with Andy Alonso, a pro from our church? I am most impressed with her newly improved skills! These are quite probably the best pictures ever taken of our children, so... enjoy!

David, my Love, my hard workin' fella, I hope you like seeing these pictures. The kids had a great time playing in and out of the water, as you can tell. But it was almost painful being at Mom and Dad's--so close to the church and to you, and yet not able to come and see you, since I know you were so busy today. I contemplated swinging by to surprise you both when we came into town and when we left, but if I was recalling the conference schedule correctly, both times would have been lousy for you. So we skipped it. But we're still praying for you! We love you muchly. And I'll see you when you get home tonight.

This Kid Means Business

Matthew took his first step today. I looked up, and he had his back to me, and he was just... standing there, all by himself, like a normal human being. For quite a few seconds. And I could tell, even from looking at his back, that something was about to happen. And then he took a step.

And then he toppled straight forward, caught himself with his hands as he hit the window sill, bonked his head on the glass pane, and tumbled onto the floor. Unhurt. He's a tough guy. And it's a good thing too, because when you're trying to bust through the major milestones at this pace, you're bound to encounter some setbacks!

We sure missed you again today, my David! I know it's not that big a deal, but I do wish you could have seen Matthew make that first attempt at walking... he is really putting the pieces together in his mind.

I (tried but) didn't get any good pictures of our sweeties today, but here's one from last week or so just to remind you what they look like. :)

Aren't they the cutest ever?

Do You Miss Us, Daddy?

'Cuz we sure missed you today!

Tonight at bedtime, Meg asked again to pray for "Daddy and his teams". So you were much in our minds and on our hearts. We love you and are very thankful for the way you're serving. But, of course, we also can't wait to have you back to ourselves!