Heritage Festival and enjoying the outdoors

 We have really enjoyed all the fun things there are to do outdoors in the great May weather we have been having.  The kids have been to many different parks and playgrounds.  Today, after church, we went to a Heritage and Wine Tasting Festival.  It was on a beautiful property and featured a random assortment of fishing, livestock shows, reenactments of ways settlers lived and farmed, lots of local craft booths, an old steam engine-pulled ride, boat rides, food and of course the wine tasting.  Fun was had by all!

Lucy's Baptism

 

 I got to celebrate a wonderful Mother's Day with all of our family together to witness Lucy's baptism.  Once again we had the special privilege of having my Dad baptize Lucy at our home church, HOPE Church.  Lucy wore the gown that my sisters and I were all baptized in...I was excited that it was still in great condition and fit her.  The gown has a special story too.  My parents were living in Dillon, SC for the summer while my dad interned at a church there when I was an infant.  A woman in the church had gone to a Polly Flinders outlet and bought this dress, even though she had no one to buy it for.  She felt led to get this dress.  When she heard my parents were preparing to have me baptized, she knew that was the reason she bought it and gave it to them. We were glad to have Chris' parents and brother in town as well as all my sisters and bro-in-laws.  We had a really nice brunch after church and enjoyed the day together. 

God's grace in empty seats

A comatose Bennett fell asleep late one afternoon in the middle of the living room on this bench...it is SO hard to wake these poor buddies from afternoon nap.

 Here we are in America...it is amazing how one airplane can transport you to another world. I am very thankful to report our trip went well, as well as flying halfway across the world with three children under age six possibly can I think.  We had requested bulkhead seats but were told they were full upon check in.  But then amazingly, on an almost full flight there were two empty seats next to me!  The rows were three sections of three seats each, so Chris and the boys were in three seats and I was across the aisle with Lucy on my lap.  So she got to lie down on the empty seats with me and I could feel God's grace on us and the prayers of friends every time I looked at those two empty seats.  The boys slept the entire second half of the flight.  Bennett had one major meltdown, after settling himself to sleep on the floor, there was some turbulence and he had to get back in his seat but he was not happy about it.  Fortunately, it didn't last long and planes are loud. Even with her cold, Lucy did great.  She did not sleep as much as the boys but was mostly happy if she was held.

Now we are in the jet lag zone and doing ok.  We arrived at Chris' parents house at 11:30 pm and the boys slept zero minutes that first night (after sleeping about 6-7 hours on the long flight and Bennett an hour in the car ride home) but the second night slept from 8 pm till 6 am!  They have continued to sleep all night till at least 5 or 6 am since and are doing great...still taking comatose naps in the afternoon too.  Lucy, Chris and I are still waking up a couple times a night- Lucy did better last night.  She just up from 1 am to 3 am but then went back to sleep.  After napping the first two afternoons, I am determined to not anymore (so am blogging to stay awake).  Overall, it has been a relatively smooth process.  And we found out today we have a minivan to drive all summer!  It had been difficult to find one, but now at the last minute God has provided one.  So I am very thankful for the little provisions that are really big drops of grace in this crazy life of ours where we uproot and move across the world for months at a time.  The kids are doing pretty well- Austin is loving the travel and new things, but poor Bennett has asked every day when we are going home.  He is a little home body and doesn't remember America like Austin does.  He is having fun too, but definitely likes home.  The first day we took everyone to Wal-mart- in part to keep everyone awake and because we needed things like diapers.  Bennett kept saying "Are we going to the airport to go home?"  I think he will adjust pretty soon, but transition might be hardest on him.  We are enjoying time with family, Chris and I have gone running/walking two mornings at nice parks with great trails and beautiful, sunny air. I forgot how sweet the air is.  Anyway, we are thankful!

Lucy can finally wear all these adorable summer clothes she has...the weather has hit 90 degrees the last two days.

Here are the boys on the old train in downtown Sanford- it is one of their favorite places to stop when we are here.  Notice that Bennett has one blue shoe and one white...as we were half way to the airport I noticed that was what he had put on his feet. And in his favor, on the radio yesterday the DJ informed us that it was not only the National Day of Prayer but also Wear Two Different Colored Shoes day.  What a crazy country this is!