Day 4: Good things

Free theater day! It was a fun experience again - and this time we met up with friends! Afterwards we grabbed $1 scoops at Ben & Jerry's and then went home for lunch, naps, and down time.

Tonight when I put the kids to bed I tried a new thing - Twila Paris' lullabies for the kids to listen to as they fall asleep. (Thanks both to Jill for the awesome CD!!! And Mom and Dad Thompson for the suggestion - I think it really helped Joe.) We'll see how well it fits into our routine from now on, but I could tell it changed the atmosphere in their room right away - calm and reverent.


I appreciate all of you who are following our week and praying for us while Rob is in Costa Rica. I haven't heard much from him these past 2 days, but I know he and the team leave tomorrow for a remote island and we won't be able to talk until maybe Friday (?). I pray that as a team they are having wonderful personal and corporate communion with our awesome Saviour!!! I pray they will each come home looking more like Jesus!

Free Family Fun Camp

Our Plan for Saturday - Come and Join us!!

Day 3

What a great day. Although it started rough; Graham fell and busted his lip open. 2 big bloody holes from teeth going through... He's all swollen and bruised, and I'm trying to get used to his 3rd fall in one week - raising a boy is definitely different.

But after that drama, we went with Rasha to the Kennedy Space Center! They just launched the last shuttle from there not too long ago - Rob watched it from our driveway. We had a great time, watched an educational 3D film about the Moon, and explored. Very cool.

Then we came home, changed, ate a early dinner and went to the gym! My last free personal training season... I hope I can remember it all!!

Kids went to bed on time and without any usual fuss, and I got to Skype with Mom and Dad Thompson! But now it's time for me to retire, so "until tomorrow."

{We'll eat toast and talk about what you like to do "everyday" when you get home, Rob. Miss you. I hope to post a new video or picture soon!}

Day 2: Church and all

Sundays are big days for our family - up at the crack of dawn, and down well after dusk. Most of the time we get 3 square meals in between and then sometimes we eat things that I don't think count as food... today wasn't much different except for the food (thank you Rasha for lunch!). Even though Rob is away, the kids and I still marched on. They are doing well.

Tomorrow is another big day: we're visiting the Kennedy Space Center! I hope all of these mini adventures will help the kids gear up for the 22+ hours in the car one-way to Michigan!

Just the three of us: Day 1

So far so good. Really, it just hasn't sank in yet. It's like having a "working weekend" and we're pretty used to that. We had a nice birthday party to go to today and that was a lot of fun for the kids and me too! We came home, they got cleaned up, we all took a nap, and stayed in for the rest of the night! And I'm super glad we did because I'm beat.

I've started thinking about routes to take to travel back to MI in 13 days! I also want to finish 2 books while Rob is away. I'm about half way through each. And let's see: clean the house, start acquiring supplies for the trip to MI, go to the gym M-F, go to the theater & library, hang out with friends, and did I mention clean? Hmm... I might need to sit down and plan this out - I don't want to be so busy that I lose focus.

I'll keep you posted. Please be praying for us here and Rob there. We are so thankful for you!

Not losing a Man/Husband/Father/Friend but rather gaining a Missionary

So Rob leaves in the morning, and I have to say that I've only had small moments of panic. Let's face it, I need him. He's not an option to my life - he and I are one! But instead of focusing on all that I am (and Joe & Graham) losing, I'm choosing to put my energy into supporting this awesome ministry opportunity! True, I may not be able to talk to him at all, or Skype, or email, or text, etc... but I will constantly be connected to him through the power of the Holy Spirit and prayer. We serve such an awesome God who comforts us and never leaves us.
Let this be my reminder for the week, like many of you have told me already - "I can make it," but even more than that - I want Rob to come home to his greatest encouragers who never lost sight of the bigger picture, who prayed him through situations unknown, and who are ever more grateful to God for his presence in our lives.

Rob - I am so proud that you are setting out on this adventure - now go serve the LORD!

We made "Summer Jars"

I like scheduling/managing my time. If I could I would do the same things over and over. That's right. As much as I believed growing up that I was this wild child of my generation, I'm really not. I love creativity and expression, art and literature, growth and open-mindedness, but I like all of that to be in an organized nice little box. With a bow. :)
So for me and the kids, I have to adapt my schedule regularly. We have weekly and monthly plans that we try to be consistent with, like going to the library every week for preschool reading group. We rarely miss, but when we do it's difficult to replace it. Like I said, I'm creative but not spontaneous.
Then I found this gem to solve that "spontaneous" problem: The Summer Jar.
Better Way Mom's

But I'm also copying Jodi, because while I was breezing through my "home" on fb, I came across a great photo of cupcakes which read "Free Take One" which I later learned was an item in @JodiMichelle's Summer Jar!

Check it out! Make one for your family! Just be creative and then do what the jar says...