My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

A few days ago, I excitedly announced to the girls that we were going to be attending a church conference this weekend.  Susie responded, “Is there going to be rides?” (I must have sounded so happy that she figured fast-moving thrill rides MUST be a part of the event!).   

Although there were no amusement rides at the conference, we nonetheless enjoyed ourselves immensely.  It was so good to be among beloved believers, many of whom we haven’t seen in a long time.  The girls did much better than I expected, especially since they missed their naps; they played more-or-less quietly for three solid hours today during the afternoon meeting (although I do have to extend my thanks and gratitude to all those who sat near us and endured some awfully loud “whispering”!).  Jimmy didn’t do quite as well today as yesterday, but Jim was sweet enough to take him out of the meeting and entertain him while I listened.  My father-in-law was also instrumental in giving me a break, thanks to his baby-whispering tactics:     

I think the girls were most excited to talk with everyone before and after the meetings.  Several of our friends were treated to in-depth descriptions of the girls’ Halloween costumes and latest movie obsessions.  The girls were ecstatic to have such a receptive audience, including our friend Beth, who snapped this great photo of the girls burning off energy by climbing around the tables like little monkeys:

I have to say, I shared the girls’ joy at seeing so many wonderful people and hearing such encouraging ministry.  I pray our children will one day be able to more deeply appreciate the gift of Christian fellowship (as opposed to their current appreciation of snoozing, reading, and playing with princess sticker books!).   

Ever heard that old joke, “I just flew in and boy are my arms tired!”?

Well, I just flew home and my arms truly ARE tired!  Wrangling three children on a plane, even with the help of my capable mom, is quite the job.  But it was well worth the trouble.  We had a wonderful time visiting my relatives in North Carolina.  The girls once again proved to be excellent travelers, and Jimmy did as well as you’d expect a squirmy-wormy almost six-month-old boy to do.  And even though sitting on a plane wasn’t Jimmy’s strong suit, meeting new relatives was right up his alley.  Here he is with my grandfather: 

And my cousin:

And another cousin and my grandmother:

And my aunt:

And my cousin’s daughter:

And a bunch of my cousins’ kids:

Jimmy thinks it’s pretty cool to be part of this family!  

Grammie’s here!!!

The girls finally have their first official big-kid backpacks.  To say they’re thrilled would be an understatement. 

The backpacks are constantly getting stuffed with who-knows-what.

The backpack is now an integral part of Susie’s wardrobe. 

The backpacks accompanied us outside for a picnic lunch.

And in case you didn’t know, the backpack also makes for an excellent picture-viewing accessory.   

And yes, my son is doing push-ups in the above picture. 

He’s too macho for backpacks. 

You wouldn’t know from this picture that Becky is battling a stomach bug, now would you (aside from her fashion choices)?

She has been in high spirits all day, and except for the occasional heave-ho of her stomach contents, you’d never know anything was wrong.  Jim called this evening from work and told her he’d heard she was sick, and she responded, “No, I’m not!”  That’s my girl!  As Jim’s Pap used to say, “It’s mind over matter.  If you don’t mind, it don’t matter!”  I’m praying that she is equally as upbeat (and hopefully more upright) tomorrow.