Weekend Travel

So this was the best travel experience have had in a long time. After piling 2 adults, one baby, and two very large, hairy dogs in a Honda Accord for a 6-hour drive multiple times this past year, we felt like we were driving in luxury in the new Odyssey. Luther and Auggie sprawled out with the whole back to themselves. It was joyous.

On Sunday, Shane's extended family had a reunion. It fell right at lunchtime/naptime so our Silas-boy was a bit cranky. I didn't take many pictures as we spent the majority of our time on the play equipment...
Sunday was also Shane's birthday so the whole family sang to him. And he had 2 delicious cakes. I was glad someone did something special because between us moving and this trip, we hadn't planned anything to celebrate.

Later that day Shane's brother and his wife came over to hang out for a while. Silas entertained us all with a little dancing...

And showed Aunt Brooke his treasures...

Grandma and Grandpa live on the lake so Silas, who has recently become quite the nature-lover, soaked up every minute outside. He could barely contain himself when he saw this...

It was more rocks in one place than he had ever seen in his life. A dream come true for this boy who just last week cried when I had to pry a rock out of his clenched fist at bedtime.

Lu and Augustine had their share of fun. They romped all over the property, went swimming, got dirty, endured baths, then did it all over again.

Silas was thrilled to watch Grandpa on the tractor...

And loved time with Grandma...

We got home this evening and promptly packed a load of stuff in the van to take over to the new house. Getting back in the car after being home less than an hour was not too much fun for anyone. While Shane was unpacking the van, Silas ran around the empty living, dining, and kitchen areas at the house nonstop. It was hilarious. Then Shane and I cleaned while Silas watched a Baby Einstein. So we're tired. But the weekend was wonderful so we're energized to close the doors on our current house this week and move into another.

Speech Lesson

I've been teaching Silas to imitate sounds. He gets so proud of himself when he does the right one. When we were doing this today, it was during snack so he was quite a bit more interested in getting another bite of yoghurt than "talking" to me.

I felt like Noah

Several weeks ago we put this sign in our front yard...

EIGHT days later, we needed to add this...

We had been talking for a while about trying to sell our house. We have loved this house in lots of ways and are blessed to have lived in it this past year and a half. But it isn't perfect for us, and after reading Crazy Love, we felt very compelled to live more simply. So on a rainy weekend at the end of July, when our neighborhood was having it's annual garage sale, we put out the sign. No ads in the paper or online, just the $14 sign from Lowe's and a bit of garage-sale-ing traffic.

In the midst of the one-week-house-on-the-market craziness, I told Shane I felt like Noah. We were doing something that did not make too much sense on a practical level. We didn't have anywhere to live if our house sold, we really needed to make more on the house then we thought we could get, and well, people aren't really buying houses right now.

But I tell you what - in that one week we were flooded with calls about the house. Calls kept pouring in on Shane's phone. We were amazed and a little overwhelmed. We showed the house to a few non-committal buyers, but then mid-week after we put out the sign, a realtor called us saying she had a buyer who was very interested. Thursday night we polished the house up, they came and looked on Friday, and Friday evening the realtor brought us a contract. We negotiated a bit and by late morning on Saturday, we all agreed and the papers were signed.

Our God is truly beyond our ability to reason. The more I walk with Him, the more I learn that His ways are not fully comprehensible to us. He asked Noah to build an ark when Noah had no reason to believe a flood would come except that God promised it. In Crazy Love, Francis Chan says, "...God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through." Noah chose to be unafraid. And God came through.

God did the same for us. We sold our house and He came through with a purchase price that will work for us. And He provided a nice rental house whose owners love dogs. Only people who know our 70-pound puppies well know just how much of a miracle that is!

Back to Noah. After some time, the rain stopped and the flood began to dissipate. Interestingly enough, it was the same for us. We left the sign in the yard for several more weeks (through the inspection process and until the appraisal was done). And in those weeks we received a smattering of calls, but not many. Our flood was over, too.

So we will be able to start moving into the rental on the 1st. Our closing date should be fairly soon after that. And now here's what our house looks like...

I never thought we would be moving again this soon. Packing is so uncomfortable. But we are certain this is the path the Lord is laying out before us. He has been so good through it all. We are blessed to be among His children.

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:9-11

Forty Years and a Gift

My parents...

celebrated their 40th anniversary today! Thank you for your love for each other and for us all these years, Mom and Dad. We were thinking of you all day!

My parents left us with a special gift when they headed home. They decided to purchase a minivan that they will use a year from now when they return for their months of stateside assignment. But in the meantime, they have left it for us to keep and use. We have been blessed with all the space! Every mom out there is shouting a loud "amen" right about now!

Full

This morning we took my parents to the airport. They are on their way back to Asia as I write. The saying goodbye is always hard for me; it is like part of my heart is getting on the plane with my parents. But the sadness in saying goodbye is always a reminder of the overflowing joy and deep love we share while we are together. If it just weren't so good to be together, it wouldn't be so hard to say goodbye.

So we're left with a much emptier and quieter house. Tonight Shane, Silas and I went out for a quick dinner and ran some errands. We talked about the fun we'd had while Papa and Nana were in town. We blew raspberries. We pushed the lights in the van on and off. And we had a small but hilarious dance party on the drive home. In the sadness, we choose joy. And as I whispered to my mom this morning through our tears, they have left our lives more full than before.

We all love you, Papa and Nana. We are already looking forward to our skype this week!

Around Here

Papa and Nana are still here this week. They will be here for another week and a half. We are generally living life day to day, having endless long talks, and having a few fun adventures every day.

There's been a little going to McDonalds...


And a little playing in the pool...

While Shane and I went to a youth leaders meeting at church on Friday night, Papa and Nana put Silas to bed. After 13 months, someone besides me tucked him in for the night. He did very well and went right to sleep like he usually would. It was much harder on me. I went in and peeked at him when we got home, of course. And in the morning he and I snuggled a little longer than on other mornings. It was just one evening, but I missed him.

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In other news, this week Silas has discovered the joy of clearing out the pantry. He has been in my bathroom cabinet for weeks and has a couple cabinets in the kitchen that we keep unlocked for him to play in. Yesterday and today he has cleaned out the pantry and proceeded to carry potatoes through the downstairs living area. He is so proud of his new "job!"

Look Who's Here!

My parents came to visit on Saturday! They are here for a 3-week stay and we all couldn't be happier. My sister came for a few days, too so we have had lots of sweet family time. As you know, we cherish these moments.

So since my family arrived, we have done all sorts of things.

We celebrated a special birthday for Nana...

Had a girly shopping spree...

Played with Silas' new train from Thailand...

Played lots of peek-a-boo (also known as Where's Silas)...

Colored for the first time while eating at a restaurant...

Went to a playground...

And all sorts of other things in between!