Hilton Head 2

We chose our hotel in Hilton Head #1 because it didn't have bugs and #2 because of the indoor pool. H would have been a bit easier to please than his mama, when we walked into our hotel room he said, "Wow! We even have a bathroom!" The pool was a huge hit. We swam 4 times in 3 days and they all loved it. Ek was a bit nervous to see if she remembered how to swim and she definately did, she swam awesome. H loved swimming too, especially in his intertube and throwing ball. L loved to 'jump' in, especially to her daddy, to be pulled around holding her fingers and to float on her back. It rained several times while we were swimming, which made us smile even bigger to not have to get out, Ek said, "we are not going to get wet!" and didn't really realized what she was saying, she was drenched head to toe! It was just so much fun!- at one point I was pulling L along and Ek and H were holding on to my arms and we were just all giggling and another time I was pulling L along, Ek was holding onto her feet and H was holding on to Ek's- so much fun! Can't wait for summer!!!

The first picture is the view of the indoor pool and beach from our room.

I took a whole camera too with a disposable underwater camera, I can't wait to see those!

Hilton Head 1

Ecceclasties talks about the seasons of our lives. I think our responsibility is to yield our lives to God's will and his seasons. Life seems to be much more peaceful that way. John is supposed to be in Haiti this week. For the last 10 years we have both felt that is a call on our lives, to take care of those who need help with the medical skills we have in the name of Jesus. Over the last several months God has continued to press in on my heart that I also need to give a glass of water in the name of Jesus, which most days looks like half strength juice in a sippy cup. John really wanted to go to the beach for a few days with the kids and it was a mission trip of a different kind. Get away, play, encourage, smile, not pull them along on what we need to do, but let them pull us along. Ok, so I did most of the pulling, I like to work in a lot of activities! We left Sunday after church and came home last night. It was wonderful! I think I will take several days to tell the story of the trip through pictures, but I'll start tonight with the last ones... well, because I can, its my blog! We ate at Salty Dog Cafe two nights in a row! It was tasty, first of all, but also "child friendly" ie loud. After we ate the second night we walked across the marina deck to get ice cream, there were a lot of people sitting in chairs at tables listening to a guy playing his guitar, the weather was perfect and I had such a wonderful happy content feeling in my heart. After Easter service, then playing with my kids and my husband, listening to some great teaching on my ipod while falling asleep, eating good food, I could go on and go. But these are the faces I saw. It was just a sweet time. pun intended since we were eating ice cream.

I am so grateful that we could get away and have several days of uninterrupted fun!

PS Did you see how tired H was? He fell asleep like 10 minutes later at 6:25 and slept until 6:00 this morning!

sweet H

H has had some sweet things to say this week:

to Ek, "Ek I can love Jesus because he isn't dead anymore, he is alive and in Heaven he is really really big!"

and while praying he told God that He could come back and play with him.

I'm grateful.

Forgiven

I made a mistake today. pause. deep breath. I had way too many things on my to-do list and was trying to race around getting them done. The kids were in and out, helping and playing. And then I heard L screaming crying. They were playing in the car that was being packed little by little and her sweet little fingers got closed in the door. deep breath. It was awful. terrible. horrible. excruciating. Thanks be to God, none were broken, she was moving them all. I held her for about an hour. She wouldn't let me keep ice on it, but I tried to keep it elevated. H said he prayed to God and I'm so glad of that. After about an hour, she was off my lap and playing again. She was using that hand fine and playful. If I asked her if she had a boo-boo, she would show me her little hand. Oh goodness, it was just bad. I dropped all my list and played outside, we played in the dirt and rode bikes. After she laid down and J was home, I balled my eyes out. J took H with him to take Ek to a birthday party. I listened to a sermon and called my mom. Since then, the Lord has been able to work in my heart a bit. I was reminded of Beth Moore's talk last week at Bible study and the reminder that if you can handle it all, you don't need God's power and He doesn't receive glory. Well I surely can't handle it all and I know today I asked him for help but I sure didn't ask him for a game plan for the day. I got overwhelmed and suffered. I also think of Ephesians 6 and the reminder to stand firm so that when the evil day comes you will be able to withstand it. I pray God will help me to stand a bit more firm. To focus on the important and not try to load my day so full that I get overwhelmed and fall on my fanny. I am so thankful for this day and pray that L's sweet fingers will continue to be fine and I can learn to seek God's direction for my day and not my own. And I can't help but think on the day before Easter, when Christ was taking on my sin what does all this mean. It means, here I sit in peace, I feel a bit disciplined, but peaceful, that I am in a covenant of love and that I sit forgiven. I do not sit in shame, but stand in strength that the One who died, rose for victory. I am so sorry to my sweet L, that I put her a place to get hurt. And am so thankful to get to try again and again to love her well.

I love spring

This is why I love spring... today after school we brought Hunter home with us, we ate our snack outside, rode bikes and scooters, jumped on the trampoline, played on the swing set, played soccer, colored with side walk chalk, rinsed it off, washed the little car and bike, played in the hose, went inside to change clothes, went next door to play with the dog-- well as much as you can through the fence. It was so fun! Tired, tired little people, and mommy for that matter, but just a beautiful beautiful afternoon. These are the only pics I took, it was much to fun to just watch, note that L chose the dirt over the water.

Awesome

I first saw this video at TBC and Kim showed me today that it is on YouTube. I could not resist sharing it. What an amazing King.

Kindness

The other day I did a very funny thing... Monday morning I thought I would order Ek a quick bathing suit that she wanted and Daddy approved of, I mean that is a combo to take home! So, I was trying very quickly to get it ordered before school. Oh! the reason for the quick order-- the beach this weekend! Well the bathing suit was sold out, along with my 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th choice. I mean really, why send a catalog! We hurried out the door, took Ek to school and went to Wal-mart. I intended to get as much as I could to get us through the week and the trip. From flip flops for H, to sunscreen, to bug bite Benadryl, to juice boxes, I mean I got it all. My buggie was bursting with children and stuff. So I go to check out. There are no checkouts except express, I mean really. It takes forever not to mention all the people behind you think you can't read. I even asked before I started, 'No honey, I'll take you here.' gee-thanks. We are 2/3 of the way done, maybe even 4/5ths when I reach down to my purse. Yep, nod, nod. My wallet is beside the computer. pause for gasp. I put my head down. "Miss Sandra, I don't have my wallet." "So you mean you can't pay for all this." "No, ma'am." pause. "Do you want me to finish checking you out and let you go home and get it?" My head pops up, "Really! you can do that?" "Sure, just push your buggie right over there." "Oh thank you Miss Sandra, really, thank you!" Quick exit, no eye contact with the people behind. A moment of perspective, I've got all my children! H on the way to the car, "Where is our buggie mommy? Are they bringing it to our car? Does Miss Sandra have a car? Is she going to drive the groceries to our house?" Love it. I race home. Into the house. Grab my wallet. Back to Wal-mart. Unbuckle. Carry in. On the way in H, "Mommy, do you have your wallet?" "Got it bud, got it." Where was this question an hour ago?! She is still there and my buggie is too. She grabs my ticket. Rings it up. I pay while expressing how terribly kind she is. "That's ok honey, we all have these days, no body is perfect." Well Jesus was and I have a feeling that is where her compassion came from. I wish I had said so. But I pray for her, that she does know him and continues to be kind for him. I hope I can be too. And I hope next time I'll remember my wallet. Oh wait! I have that chance today. I forgot contact solution.