A LONNNNNNNG Sunday (Taking Joshua to Camp)

I woke up early this morning to a "disturbance in the force." I couldn't figure out what it was until I heard Clark crashing around in the bathroom. And then he tried to quietly close our door, you know...so he wouldn't disturb us...and it took him 3 tries to get it closed, because I had a hanger hanging on the door, and it made such a racket that I sat straight up in bed.

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

I wandered in the kitchen, and there he was...the perpetrator of all the commotion, standing in front of the stove...calmly COOKING A BREAKFAST TACO IN A SKILLET. 

At 4 a.m.

Home 1 whole day and I kinda wanted to strangle him.

But bless him. His sleep pattern is so messed up. He said he was up at 3 a.m. 

I went back to bed and tried to sleep, but I tossed and turned. I finally got up around 7:30, and got ready. Jim made the "Sunday Rolls" (cinnamon rolls) that we have every single Sunday...and he and Joshua had already eaten breakfast.

Jim left for church, and then Joshua, Clark and I left to take Joshua to Camp.

Joshua goes to Camp Barnabas up in Missouri. It's a 4 hour trip from here. We stopped for lunch...and that took extra time. And then we stopped for gas and to potty at the Walmarks...and THAT took some time.

Actually, I stopped at the Walmarks, because I noticed that Joshua's nose hair was OUT.OF.CON.TROL. I had to buy one of those "nose trimmer" things toDAY, because I had forgotten to do it at home. Usually, I will offer to take care of it...and trim his eyebrows, but he will say, "I'll save that for Holly."

She loves it when he says that.

NOT.

And while we were there, I decided to potty...since we arrive at the gate at 3, and it doesn't open until 4...and the camp is in the middle of nowhere.

As I came out of the bathroom stall, there was a man standing there...waiting his turn. A man dressed like a woman.

I do have feelings and opinions about this whole bathroom issue, but I'm not sure I want to share them on here, other than to say I'd prefer to fight, make, and change LAWS...and not attack PEOPLE.

It did freak me out, tho. 

Not gonna lie.

We made it to camp at 2:58. All the cars line up on the side of a dusty road...in front of the gate. I like to be there early, because first in...first out.

Or, that was the plan.

Last year, we were the 11th car in line at 3 o'clock. This year, at 2:58, we were the 54th car in line. FIFTY-FOURTH. I can't even comprehend that.

But this ain't momma's first rodeo. We had drinks and snacks and DVDs. 

We finally got in the gate a little after 4, and they herded us around a large field and that took for-ev-er. But we got Joshua to his cabin, and got him all settled...and then we bugged out. Clark tried so hard to stay awake. I told him that I knew where I was going, and that he could go to sleep if he wanted to...so he did. 

The child slept for 3 straight hours.

Bless.

But now we are home, safe and sound. Holly did not have the baby while I was gone, which was my fear. She's not in labor, but I was worried.

I'm gonna miss that man-child of mine this week...but I know he will have fun.

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

A Sweet Saturday

We have had such a sweet day.

Jim got up at the CRACK OF DAWN, as usual, and went on a run. Never mind the fact that yesterday was a blur of excitement, and we were up late...OR that it was RAINING outside this morning. Not much deters him from his runs.

Not me man. I LOOK for reasons not to exercise!

So, after his run, he came in, and jumped in the shower...and I got up to start breakfast. I had been thinking about making a breakfast casserole. I call it an "eggy-cheesey" casserole. I don't make those often for our family. I DO make them often for others. I thought I remembered that Clark liked it, so I got up earlier than I wanted to, because it takes a minute to put together...AND to cook.

Clark was already up and in the kitchen. That whole 13 hour time difference has messed up his sleeping pattern, and jet-lag is NO JOKE.

But I started on my dish. Clark ended up cooking the sausage for me, and I got the other ingredients together. We had it in the oven in no time. I also made cream gravy, and got out bacon for Jim to cook. Clark likes sausage okay...and he likes it in the breakfast casserole. But he LOVES bacon.

And, in a whole "if you give a moose a muffin" thing, if you have bacon...you have to have biscuits. And if you have biscuits...you have to have gravy.

So we did.

We had all of that.

Holly and Aaron-the-son-in-law came over mid-morning, and stayed for a while. They invited us to come over for dinner. Aaron was going to grill hamburgers. Holly and I ran to Hobby Lobby, and then I took her back to her house...and I came home to get things ready for dinner. I made baked beans and cheese dip.

We were able to eat on their new kitchen table.

After dinner, Jim, Clark, and Aaron all went to sit outside...and Joshua, Holly, and I sat inside. At one point, we looked out the window, and Jim and Aaron were going around the yard, pulling up weeds with their hands.

JUST.SIT.DOWN.PEOPLE.

Holly made cookies, and that brought the guys in for a minute.

It was just a nice, quiet night with our family. As always, we missed the ones who weren't able to be with us.

We are enjoying hearing all of Clark's stories from his trip...and he is telling us the Chinese word for every.item.in.our.house.

Which is not annoying at ALL.

Ha! So happy he's home!

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..." Matthew 28:19

I Got My Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back...

Well, today was the day! After nearly 3 weeks in China, my boy...my baby boy...was coming home.

I couldn't wait!

I spent the day trying to keep busy...cleaning house, cooking, etc. We decided that, since his flight got in at 7:30, we would just plan to pick him up at the airport...and grab something to eat on the way home. As a family. Holly was getting off work at 7, and Aaron-the-son-in-law was picking her up...and, of course, we had Joshua with us. We were all going to meet at the airport.

Except that I had been trying to track the plane from Dallas, and it wasn't letting me...and then when it finally, FINALLY updated...right as we took the exit to the airport...it said, "flight delayed." And, just like that, we had almost an hour to kill.

We decided to go find a Sonic, and the one that was the "closest," and I'm using that term loosely, because it was a good 20 minutes away...was the one we had joked about FOR YEARS as being the slowest Sonic in Arkansas.

But we got our food quickly, and it was hot...and we took off back to the airport. It was raining, so Jim dropped Joshua and me off at the door, and went to park. Eventually, we all met upstairs, and got to be there when Clark walked toward baggage claim.

I was SO HAPPY to see him! He is a bag of bones, but he looks good! He said they walked a minimum of 20,000 steps a day! He said that he ate well...and that there wasn't anything that he just felt was too gross to eat. He gave us a list of things he tried, like seaweed and bamboo and "some sort of fish." He said that he ate chicken BONES, because their host chopped them up and put them in a stew with the rest of the chicken.

His comment? "Not that bad."

He talked about the pollution there, and said he couldn't wait to get back to the "natural State," and breath some clean, fresh air. They also flew to Beijing on the last 2 days of the trip, and their group got to go to the Great Wall of China. The pictures he sent were GORGEOUS.

What an amazing experience!

He talked of the lives that were reached for Christ...the seeds that were planted...the relationships that were formed...the encouragement they offered to the missionaries there. He said it was a very fruitful trip.

Now, he is telling us all about the Chinese language...because being there for 3 weeks has made him an expert. And he is saying things in Chinese that we, of course, don't understand.

And I have started Operation Fatten Up Clark. I made a chocolate chip cookie cake, which I know he loves...and a peanut-butter pie. Tomorrow, at some point, we will have a big, hearty breakfast...that hopefully, he will eat.

But, right now? He took a lonnnnnnng shower (and I was so happy about that, because he said the showers there were not the same). Also, side note: when we picked him up from the airport...he was wearing the same shirt he was wearing the day he left. Not sure it had been washed...he said it had been "rinsed" in a sink. (eeek!) But he took a shower, and piled up on the couch...and he.is.out. He had a 13 hour flight from Bejing to Dallas, and he said he didn't sleep a wink.

Well, he's out now...and I'm just gonna leave him where he is.

I am so very thankful to have him home safe and sound. Yeah, I worried about him while he was gone...and I worried about him as he traveled home...but I covered him in prayer.

I know that the same God that was holding me, and calming all my fears...was holding Clark.

Way on the other side of the world.


"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You." Psalm 139: 7-12

The Doctor, Choir Practice, and How I Want to Move to Downton Abbey.

We've had a pretty uneventful couple of days. Yesterday, Holly had a doctor's appointment. I told her that, if it would help her, I would drive her into Little Rock for her appointment...so she could relax, and not have to drive. I told her I would take her to meet up with Aaron-the-son-in-law at the doctor's office...and then Joshua and I would hang out together...shop, eat, etc., until they were done.

So that's what we did. I dropped her off, and then Joshua and I went to shop. We weren't there long before she texted, "all done...and Aaron can't stay for lunch," so we headed to pick her up. We went to Chuy's for lunch, and it was a lot of fun...and then we headed back home.

Well, first...we had to stop by the grocery.

But then I took Holly to her house and we unloaded her groceries...and CAN I JUST SAY HOW AWESOME IT IS THAT SHE LIVES 1 MINUTE AWAY FROM US NOW?

It is totally awesome.

We left Holly at her house to rest, and we came home...and Joshua and I unloaded OUR groceries.

I wasn't planning on going to choir practice. I won't be at church on Sunday, so I didn't think I needed to go to practice. But I also didn't want to miss, either. We always have such a good time. I didn't figure Holly would feel up to going, but she did...so I told her I would come get her. Jim wasn't going to be home in time to keep Joshua, so I took him with me.

This was the 2nd week in a row that I've brought Joshua with me to choir. He had such a good time last week, but I didn't know if he would want to go with me again. Well, without me saying anything, he came down the stairs right before time to leave...and he was shaved, dressed, and had his backpack on!

I'm so happy we went! We had a good time. Joshua said, "Bro. Rich is so funny!"

Everyone was really nice to Joshua, and several came up and spoke to him after practice. One man asked, "so...are you ready to be an uncle?" Joshua looked at him and said, "I already am." The man looked shocked, because he thought Holly was having our first grandchild...AND SHE IS...and so he said, "oh, you are?" And Joshua said, "I have a furry nephew." He was talking about Holly's dog, Marley.

It's just good to be with people who care about you...ya know?

And it's always good to sing! :)

Today, we hung out all day here at home. I did laundry, and exciting things like that. At lunch time, I texted Holly to let her know that Joshua and I were going to pick up Chick-Fil-A for lunch...and I asked her if she was interested.

She was.

We ate lunch here, and then hung out for a couple of hours.

We never really got on the whole Downton Abbey wagon. I don't know what we were doing at the time...life, I guess...but we never watched even one episode, back when it was first on TV. For the past TWO SUMMERS, Holly and I said that we were going to get the DVDs and watch them...but, it has not happened.

Well, several months ago, I bought the first season...and, so far this week, we've watched two episodes. We've had to stop and start it several times...trying to figure out who is who, and what the relationships are to each other. Whew! I need a chart to keep up!

There was a scene in the very first episode that kind of took me by surprise...and I had to distract Joshua real fast. Everyone says the series, as a whole, is so good...so I'll hang in there and keep watching for a while longer.

All I know is that I want us to sell everything we own, and move to that house...on that land. All of us. My whole family.

NOT.EVEN.KIDDING.

I wouldn't even need the servants.

Except for the ones who help with the horses. I don't have a clue about taking care of horses.

After dinner, Holly asked if Jim would come over, and bring the church pew Jim's mom gave her. And, she asked if he would hang a sign over the baby's crib...so we loaded the Burb and went over there. Jim and Aaron unloaded the pew. Jim hung the sign, and put together a stroller. Such a fun night.

We are getting excited to meet our baby!

"As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear Him." Psalm 103:13

Packing, Moving, Killing Bugs...

We spent several days last week going between Holly's and Aaron-the-son-in-law's OLD house...and their NEW one.

There was a lot of packing up, loading the back of our vehicles, driving to the new house, unloading the boxes...and putting everything away.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

I just want her kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom all put-together before the baby comes. Aaron or others can do the rest...I just want those things done for her. Sooner, rather than later.

So the other day, Holly had a doctor's appointment. After she left, Joshua and I ran to the grocery real fast.

It would be a huge understatement to say that my house is in need of some attention. 

Joshua and I were breezing through the store like lightning when Holly called. She asked if we had left her house. I told her that we had. She said, "RATS! The furniture people were going to try and deliver our new furniture today, instead of waiting until Friday...because it was supposed to rain on Friday." I told her to call them back and tell them that Joshua and I could be there in 15 minutes.

And we were. 

But, on the way back to their house, Joshua said, "I killed several bugs at Holly's new house this morning." I said, "You DID? Where?" He said one in the hallway by the nursery...and one in the bathroom by the nursery.

EEEK!

I said, "well, what kind of bug? Big? Little? What color? Did it fly? Was it a spider?"

He said, "Well, the one in the bathroom was about the size of a small...ummmm...rodent. Yes, the size of a small rodent."

THE SIZE OF A SMALL RODENT.

Okaaaaaaaaaaay.

"And the one in the hallway...it was red."

RED?

Seriously?

We got back to their house, but we never found the "remains" of either bug.

In other news, Aaron contacted their bug-guy IMMEDIATELY.

"And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:24-25