Disney Boardwalk in Florida

The Boardwalk is a great place to just walk around and not spend money. It is beautiful with a lot of things to look at... the kids loved it. Wyatt was especially into the Disney stickers they were handing out :) The pic of the Berry's is funny only b/c if you could have seen my Mom trying to make Reuben smile, you'd be laughing yourself. I don't think Devon thought it was as funny... but passer-bys were enjoying it!

AFTER the pool in Florida

The boys were wiped after the full days at the pool. This was one night before we ate dinner. It's like they were comatose. It was rather funny. Reuben, on the other hand, seemed unphased! (And no, that is not hair gel in Wy's hair.) It's about 3 days worth of sunscreen!

Pool time in Florida

One thing great about this age of kids is that you don't need Disney to entertain. If all we did everyday was go to the pool, spend 5 hours, eat dinner, and then throw in a little ice cream before bedtime, everyone was thrilled! It was so simple. Henry LOVED swimming and did an awesome job. He didn't use his life jacket the whole week. He'd jump in - get above water, and then get make his way back over to the side with no problem. Wyatt loved the water too. He was completely content to sit on the steps for hours just throwing back and forth a football. We were thankful he would keep his hat on since he is so fair-skinned. The boys also loved having Uncle Devon and Grandpa in the pool too. It was so fun! This was definitely the highlight for us! And... Henry set a new record on how many times in 4 hours he could go pee. Bless his heart... he hasn't figured out to just pee in the pool yet!!! :) Ha ha!!!

Celebration City in Florida

I know... my titles aren't real creative. But these are really for my notes later in life! We spent one evening with the Berry's at Celebration City. It was a great evening for walking and a little Starbucks action. The last picture is of the doughnuts that Devon consistently tries to poison our kids with... :) What a good uncle!

Park in Florida

We spent a lot of time at the park near our condo. The kids loved it and it was a perfect way to pass the cooler mornings.

We also got to see my college roomate. She lives in Fort Lauderdale and she brought two of her kids to spend the afternoon with the boys. It was A LOT of fun. I'll credit Alexis for showing Henry he could swim without a life jacket!!

Mini golf in Florida

Florida pics will be put on here slowly... :) We went putt-putting one of the first nights we were in town. It was VERY windy! We had a good time considering it was the boys first time ever going. Josh (J's brother) and the Berry's came with us. Good memory!

Start to Florida

Road trip... overall, we thought it was very successful for 16 hours in a car overnight. My parents were with us. So if you want their opinion (which is probably less bias than ours), you can check with them as to how the trip went! We actually got to see J's parents too. They were spending their last day in FL as we were arriving. So that was a special treat! The first few days were a little gloomy which worked out welll since we were all tired. We did some fun indoor activities.

Delays

Well, my husband informed me that I had not updated our blog in 'so long.' I had to remind him that the week before vacation I was packing and this week I have been unpacking. :) So... sorry if you are feeling the same way. Please come help me get organized if you're looking for an update! This is as good as it gets for now. Once I get our vacation pics organized as well, I will post them here. For now, you can just look at the blue shirt boys, an almost 7-month pregnant mom (and yes, I really do think this is the first 'pregnancy' photo I have taken of this child), and the little boy who is growing up too fast.

Mud

I have found that boys and mud go hand in hand. If I'm home all day with nowhere to go, I really do love letting the boys do something like this... I'm sure it barely hit 70 yesterday and people who might see my boys running around in boxers in the mud probably cringe. However, I hold a different view. I love the fact that they are out for an hour playing together making memories. I love the fact that there is mud to play in. I love the fact that they are enjoying nature and what God has created. I love the fact that they are laughing so hard together they can barely stand up! I love the fact that I get to strip off their clothes, throw them into a warm, cozy bath, and feed them lunch afterwards. Such fun memories! I have memories and pictures in my mind of stuff like this when I was growing up... such sweet things to remember!


I couldn't get a good pic of Wyatt... he was soaked up to his waist in his sweatpants and mud all over his face and ears! I wanted to post the naked pic of Hen, but didn't think it'd be appropriate! :)

Memorable Things Kids Say - Volume 10

There are times as a parent when you really think you are making some progress in a conversation... even with a 4-yr old. What Jonathan and I have been frequently amazed at is what a 4-yr old is capable of... when it comes to understanding ideas or concepts, Henry really can follow us for awhile. It's really very exciting! We continually try to share the gospel with him in big chunks as well as bits and pieces in all contexts of life happenings. So, do you ever have those moments when you're wrapping up a good 'session' and your child is watching you... you're talking about his heart... all that God can do in his heart... how mommy and daddy can help him obey and do what is right... but that we can't change his heart for him... only God can do that... and that is why He sent Jesus to die on the cross for every sin you'll ever do... and when God looks at you and your sin... if you trust and love and obey Jesus, He'll see Jesus' perfection and not your sinfulness...... and your child is staring at you and you think, "We're really connecting here... he's getting it!! He is tuned in!" And then at the first pause, he says (very respectfully mind you), "Mommy?" --- "Yes honey.." --- "Are you done talking yet? Because I really want to go play with Wyatt." --- And it's in that moment you smile and you are reminded... how GREAT it is that my child's salvation is not held in our hands. That even at 4-yrs old, God holds the keys to his heart and has already decided if and when he will save this little boy. We love him, pray for him, pray that God will help us to obey as we raise him, but all in all, it is up to our faithful and wise God to awaken him and soften his heart in his own time. These are precious hearts that God gives us temporarily on earth -- it's so temporary! I pray that God will help us to remember that as we love and share His Word with them. Have a great Tuesday!

Special Visitors

This wknd, we had the privilege of going to Upland, IN to visit with Jonathan's family. About a year ago, we attended David (J's brother) and Sona's wedding in Yerevan, Armenia. Sona's parents are here from Armenia for a few weeks and so we had a family get together to all visit. It was so nice to see them here and for the boys to have a chance to meet them. Henry and Wyatt warmed right up to them... they were very sweet and kind and came with gifts for them. Wy was really diggin' the hat/scarf combo. It was hilarious! When we got home, I took a picture of the boys in both of their gifts... They fit great and the boys love them! We celebrated her parents visit with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, gifts, and dessert. And, lots of company! It was a delightful time!