Back for More

We had so much fun at our July family reunion, we decided we just had to go to another one! So Saturday morning we packed up the kids and about 47 other things and drove 2 hours spend the day with my mom's side of the family.

We ate, hung out and caught up on the past year or 2, then in the evening all the cousins (many of us are married and some have kids) headed to a little place called Butch's Italian Cafe for dinner, while our wonderful parents and aunts and uncles watched our darling little angels back at the house, and wondered how in the world they got volunteered for the job! The whole day was actually pretty crazy - there were about 10 kids, all under 6, running around and I think by mid-afternoon the great-grandparents were ready to run for their lives.

All I can say is, I am beyond thankful that we remembered to bring the portable potty. Karis had to "go" not once, but 2 times - both on the way there and on the way back - and we weren't near any kind of restroom. So portable potties are currently at the top of my "thankful" list!

We drove through a torrential downpour on the way home, but made it back by 10. I discovered I'm also VERY thankful for a van with a DVD player.



I also realized just how much I love our church! Today was the kick-off for all of our fall children's programs, and Danny used the Sunday School hour to lay out the plan for everyone. He's actually written the curriculum for our Children's Church classes, and provided material for families to reinforce what their kids have learned in church, throughout the week, so we can help to disciple our own kids instead of relying on other people to do it all. It's just really cool, first of all, to see all the new families that have been coming, and secondly, to see the excitement on so many faces and hear it in their voices. There's an energy and an expectancy unlike any I've encountered before, and it's contagious! It's such a privilege to hear teaching straight out of the Bible, and to be able to worship joyfully together, and to celebrate what God's doing among us and around the world.

Anyway, it's been a full weekend, but a really, really good one. I don't feel tired - I feel energized and ready to take on the coming week (I'd almost forgotten what that feels like!). This is either a result of the weekend's events, or of the cup of high-test coffee I drank today. In any case, I'll take it!