My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

I’ve been trying to talk to the kids a lot about the importance of looking at the good in everything, about viewing every moment, every trial, every setback as an opportunity to grow and give God the glory.  But of course that’s easier said than done, right?  And it’s an awfully hard lesson to teach right after I’ve lost my temper for the fifth time that day because I’m fed up with the “trials” of my children’s tantrums/whining/fidgeting/you name it.  So I am a student of my own lesson, trying every day over and over to turn to the Lord’s rich provisions instead of turning to my own meager resources.  And last night, I got to see an object lesson in action.  I was taking a carful of family to the airport (my mother-in-law is taking my girls and their younger cousins all to Arizona, and my niece Alli was flying to Michigan), when freak storms ended up cancelling Alli’s flight.  The poor girl was momentarily distraught, realizing that not only was she having to deal with the hassle of driving to the airport two hours each way for nothing, but also her trip was going to be delayed until the following day so her time in Michigan would shorter than she had originally planned.  But after working through her frustrations, she realized that there was only so much she could do and she had to turn it over to the Lord.  She did exactly what I’ve been trying to teach my kiddos to do!  And I, for one, saw a significant “good” in Alli’s trial – I got to spend another two beautiful hours with her on the way back home, chatting and laughing and enjoying her company.  I only wish Becky and Susie had been there to see how the Lord used the change in schedule to bless us with more Alli time! (Jan and the kids successfully made their flight, so they were zipping across the country by then).  Now I have to try to find the good in missing my girls like crazy – I know they’ll have a marvelous time with their cousins this next week, so I need to seize the chance to focus on my boys right now.  They’ve been…shall we say, a bit challenging lately as we’ve run them ragged with late bedtimes and no naps as we kept busy with summer activities, so I’m anxious for the chance to slow down and relax with them. 

But back to Alli…I know I often post a glowing report after she leaves Connecticut each summer, and this one will only be more effusive.  I just cannot get over what an amazing young lady she is.  I told her that she’d make an invaluable personal assistant to some executive, because she’s constantly anticipating what needs to be done and doing it!  She moved through my (chaotic) house the past few weeks, noticing these dishes need to be scrubbed and these clothes needed to be folded, or this baby needed to be fed or this child needed some attention, and she joyfully set herself to the task.  She managed to keep track of her brother and sister’s outfits and toys and pajamas and shoes and glasses and goggles as they gleefully flitted between our house and my in-laws’ house, always ensuring everyone had appropriate clothes to wear for the occasion wherever they were, which was no small task!  She took it upon herself to get all manner of kids freshly showered in record time (whereas I would have been more likely to say, “Eh, they don’t stink too badly” and dropped the ball on the shower yet another day). 

Furthermore, as Alli navigates the tricky waters of young adulthood, she is diligent in seeking out counsel, asking for prayer, seeking God’s will and her parents’ will…all the while expressing gratitude for all her parents, grandparents, and church assembly do for her.  She has her chosen career in her sights and she works hard to balance the responsibilities of relationships/academia/work hours. I have to say, her family, friends, school and employer are all very lucky to have her!  I know I was blessed by her presence here, not only because she was such a help, but because she was such a joy. 

And speaking of joys, I need to give a shout-out to Alli’s younger siblings, Jon and Kate.  These two smart, kind, fun-loving, thoughtful almost-nine-year-olds were a pleasure to have here the past few weeks.  They were impeccably polite and gracious, always thanking me for everything, and quickly responding to my requests for help cleaning up or getting out the door.  Kate was an amazing help with Baby T – she independently fed her several times, always made sure to keep track of her pacifier and insert it when necessary, always entertained her on our frequent car trips.  Jon was awesome with the boys, playing with them and joking with them, excitedly participating in sleepovers with them, even though they’re so much younger than he is.  Jon and Kate both are dream cousins for my kids – always exuberant, playful and kind.  We’re so blessed to have them in our lives!   

So Jon and Julie – way to go on raising three awesome kids, and thanks for letting them visit!

(Photos by our talented Alli)

I’m not putting up pictures quite as often as I’d like right now because we’re so busy enjoying the last few days of fun with our Arizona family.  We’re packing in every last activity we can think of before they have to go!

The Beach!!!

More boardwalk pics!

Jimmy and Becky attempted the climbing wall for the first time!  Jimmy was on the easiest course and made it all the way to the top.  Becky was on the mid-level course and didn’t quite teach the top – next time!

Great view

These girls owned the boardwalk!

There were a few storms while we were there, and one brought the most beautiful cloud formations!

Bikes on the beach!

Getting to witness the daily flag-raising ceremony:

Lovely ladies

Daddy and his boys

I told the girls to work on making their smiles more natural, so Jimmy jumped in with some tickles to speed things up:

Go-karting was once again a big hit – here’s Uncle Jon driving Becky:

This picture needs some background!  Mom had scraped her leg and was having trouble getting the bleeding to stop, so her nephew Rob offered to give her a ride down the boardwalk on his motorized wheelchair.  It worked beautifully!

Our annual surrey ride!

Great shots of great kids

Nothing stops us from hitting the boardwalk!