Arkansas, part 2

While we were with the kids in Arkansas, I helped Emeri with her school work. 

 She goes to a school that is part home-school.  Since the children both had mouth, hand and foot disease, she couldn't go to school last week.

Eli enjoyed playing.


We celebrated Josh's and Al's birthdays.  I had made a pie for Mom2Mom at church (and I must say, it was a prize winner!!)  and since it makes 2 pies, I brought the 2nd pie down to Arkansas for the occasion.

We opened gifts.  My mom sent extra gifts for the children.

As usual when we visit, Al helped Josh with home projects.  Staci and Josh were tired of the gold fixtures in their bathroom.  Staci had seen on Pinterest an idea to paint them.  They did replace some of the fixtures, but mostly they painted.

Here is what they used.  It will save them lots of money!

We ate lots of good food!

More to come!

Arkansas

This past week we went down to Arkansas to be with our grandchildren.  Look at this cloud formation we saw on the way down ~

Our daughter-in-law was in Ethiopia on a medical mission trip

 so we went to help our son out with the children.

When we arrived, the kids were out on the driveway riding bikes.  Al joined in on the fun.

If you are wondering why Eli is riding a pink bicycle - he does have a boy bike, but he was riding a walker bike.  Walker bikes are really pricey, but our kids' friends modified one of their bikes, which they were borrowing.

A walker bike is simply a bike without pedals, low to the ground.  It helps kids learn to balance so they can get rid of their own training wheels.   They had borrowed the bike for Emeri who is now able to bike.


Eli wanted to try the walker bike too,  He is zipping around and balancing so well that they will be able to remove his training wheels too.

 

Al put a "motor" on Eli's bike.

 

 
He was so happy!  Emeri got a "motor" too.  There may or may not have been a little arguing about whose motor was louder!

If you look closely at Eli's face and the backs of his legs (picture at top), you will notice that he has bumps. He and Emeri got hand, foot and mouth disease. So sad!  They haven't been too miserable with it.  It is a little hard to walk with blisters on the bottoms of their feet and there is some itchiness, fever too.  It is contagious so Emeri had to stay home from school.

After playing outside, we went inside to play games that we had brought with us from Kansas.

 Grand kids are so fun to play with!

The sky and a birthday

 I love watching the Kansas skies!

Big beautiful, puffy clouds,

sunrises

and sunsets

I talked Al into sitting outside with me this past week to watch the sunset.  He made the snide comment that that is what old people do.  But then he said "Wait, I guess we are old."

Yes, dear, we ARE getting older! 

 Happy 58th birthday, sweetheart!!

Maybe the older we get, the more we come to slow down and also appreciate the beauty of our Creator.

Claire busy

Claire can be a busy little girl!

I was quite lucky to see her do this!

Otherwise who knows how many days it would have been before we found her milk!

Celebration of His work

This past weekend, our church had a time of celebration.  Grace Newton, Hillsboro and Moundridge churches all together to celebrate how God has been at work in our communities.

There was a hog roast (someone stayed up all night roasting!)

 Delicious!!

 Lots of good fellowship!

 After everyone had eaten their fill, we went to the worship center for a time of worship.

Then the pastors from the 3 churches and the church plants that are in the planning, spoke about how God has been working, drawing people to Himself.  What an encouragement!

It was followed by a concert by Andrew Peterson, a singer-songwriter of contemporary Christian music.  He is one of my favorites!  This was his 4th concert at our church.

 
He sang some of his songs from his children's CD, Slugs and Bugs.  The children were so happy to hear those!

And then he sang "Family Man" while my granddaughters snuggled with their daddy!


\