To be a kid again.

At our house in Hastings Tyler's room is upstairs and since we're starting to pack I decided to spend the day yesterday packing up Tyler's closet and some of his toys. WOW! Can you believe how much stuff a kid can collect in a year! Two bags of trash, a box of Goodwill donations, and 8 moving boxes of stuff later, we're finally done!



While we were up there it had been thundering and it seemed really loud because we were so close, at least to the 4 year old mind we were. Clayton is terrified of thunder, it was a long night last night, and I have told him in the past that the thunder is the angels bowling up in heaven. And that conversation leads to how did they get up there and why can't we see God. He's full of questions!


Clayton is sitting at the window with one of those oozy slime containers and it was oozing it's way back down to the bottom of the bottle and as the bubble made it's way to the top he says, "God, I am going to talk to you when the next bubble pops." So he waits and the little bubble get to the top and he leans against the screen in the window, eyes lifted toward sky, and says, "Hello God. Are you up there?" He waited a little and said it again and then he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. I told him that he had to listen a little harder because that God usually talks very softly so he needs to listen very hard and be very quiet. So he sat and listened; very still and very quiet. All he could hear was the thunder. His eyes were wide and he had a big smile.



Isn't the innocence of our children amazing! I wish I could always look to God with that same hopefullness and not wanting anything but to hear His voice! Wow! I never new my 4 year old could teach me so much!

Great Friends

What a beautiful day today was! We were blessed this week to have 3 gorgeous days in a row. Sunny and a little wind just to let us know that winter is not quite over. The kids loved to get out of the house. It was like letting the inmates loose! What a great week.

When we moved here I was so sad. I missed my home, my job, and my everyday rushing around. Doug's hours had picked up and he was gone at least 12 hours a day. I had a house full of boxes and no one around. It was summer time so no school parents to get to know. HOW WAS I GOING TO SURVIVE A YEAR LIKE THIS? About a week after we moved here and I signed my kids up to go to VBS at a church in town. That's where I saw the MOPS sign. What is MOPS? Will they like me? How terrible will my kids be compared to theirs?

As I checked my kids in that first day I didn't know I was meeting one of those MOPS. What a friendly smile and a beautiful baby girl. Oh how Clayton talked about that baby girl. He went through a faze that he was totally fixated with babies. Little fingers and little toes. So the first play date I went to, all the faces weren't completely new. How fun was the little splash pool at the park? I didn't even know they had these anymore.

Well it turns out they liked me okay. At least they let me hang around with them. I honestly can't imagine what I would have done with myself this year without my beloved mom friends. They've been there to see how terrible my kids can be and how great they can be. I've watched all the of their children grow in such a short time I feel sad that I can't see how all of them will turn out. I know we will not be that far away but no one will ever compare to you, my friends. Thanks for making these times here some of the best times in my life!