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Keith and I (and the kids were "helping") went through the garage this morning ditching junk we had collected in there and cleaning all the mold off the really important things. I think when tropical storm Fay came through and we had all that rain for so many days the mold just went crazy in there (it's not totally enclosed). So there was furry mold all over any fabric that was exposed, including my single Graco stroller! Did you know you can take the entire cover off and wash it in the washing machine?? I had no idea, but I was determined to try because that seemed the only way to salvage it. I'm not sure I'll be able to get it back on, but it is clean now :o)

We're set to make our trip to Gaithersburg this coming Thursday through Saturday. Keith's dad courageously volunteered to come watch the kids! I think he might be crazy, but we are so grateful!! And I'm sure they will all have a great time! Though I am definitely leaving Meghann's number with him :o)

Goodbye Florida!

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12

It's been a long time coming but I am excited to announce that Keith got a new job!!!! And it's not just any job, it is the exact answer to prayer we never thought could happen! God is so very kind and so very sovereign :o) Keith will be working at the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College in Gaithersburg, Maryland! He'll be teaching New Testament Greek, helping the students with research, administrative stuff for the college, and assisting Jeff Purswell, the dean, with anything else he might need. Jeff was really Keith's inspiration for going to seminary to begin with, so Keith is so excited to get to go work right along side him to help equip men to serve the church!!

We'll be moving to Gaithersburg in just a couple weeks and leaving behind so many friends who have really become our family. I'm not going to start reminiscing now, I'm not ready to cry yet :o) We're going to look for a place to live in the next week, and then possibly moving the next weekend, so this might be our last Sunday at Metro :o( I won't be wearing any make-up Sunday in preparation for all the tears! For now we are just rejoicing in God's great kindness in providing this job, which will be so much more than a job!

Mommies day out

For the last few years many of us have gotten free tickets to Universal Studios in the mail. I was pregnant or nursing the last two times we got them, but this time I was bound and determined to go ride those roller coasters! I coaxed (OK, it didn't take more than just asking) Meghann into going with me since Keith isn't the biggest fan of theme parks. Our husbands are just the greatest guys in the world! They courageously served us by watching the kids ALL DAY while Meghann and I enjoyed some time together in a unique part of God's creation :o)

We had planned to go yesterday prior to tropical storm Fay's arrival and were wondering if we were going to get rained out, but decided we would brave the weather whatever it may be. Well, God was so very kind to us! It was sunny until about 5 when it poured! Thankfully we were waiting in a line under shelter and by the time we finished the ride (which was indoors) it was just drizzling. We actually had just dried off from being drenched by riding three water rides in a row earlier in the day.

We walked right on to all the roller coasters, and even rode one of them three times in a row. We probably would have gone again except we were so dizzy :o) Having babies does something to your equilibrium!

We had an absolutely wonderfully time talking while we walked and waited in lines and ate lunch. As Meghann put it, I think we caught up on our last two years worth of toddler interrupted conversations :o) I am so grateful for such a good friend who will initiate true biblical fellowship with me even on a roller coaster (seriously)! I am so grateful for a friend that I can trust to encourage me with truth, not allow me to continue in the deception of my sin, and ask me good questions! I am so grateful for such a dear friend to share a day of fun with! I love you, Meghann!! Thank you for being a true friend and sister in the Lord!

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

A little postscript to my last post...
While we were playing at the mall playground, Samy was climbing on me instead of the playground and saw behind me the jewelry store display window with a necklace, bracelet and earrings in it. She immediately started grunting and pointing (since she won't talk) and doing the sign for "more please" and acting like she was putting on a necklace. It was hilarious! I said, "Samy, do you want to go see the necklace?" She emphatically shook her head yes and climbed down and handed me her shoes. She certainly knows what she likes!

Fay, Fay, go away!

Well, we haven't seen the sun since Monday, and most of that time it has been raining. Needless to say, it is very wet around here! Lots of floods in the surrounding area but thankfully it hasn't come into our house much more than normal. Yes, we have a normal leak--water comes under the wall in a utility room off our kitchen every time it rains hard. This time there is a good two inches of water in there. Good thing there's a 6 inch step down into that room!


Isaac has asked several times over the last couple days "Where's the sun?" We've ventured out to the mall to play at the indoor playground twice in between rains just to keep the kids from exploding. We've colored, jumped on the trampoline, danced, made Mr. Potatohead and Mr. Playdoh-head. We've watched numerous videos, made "playgrounds" out of Legos, played Little People and read lots of books. Isaac is begging right now to go outside, and we thought we were going to at least get to take a walk but it's raining again. So I sure hope God ceases the flood waters soon! I can't imagine what Noah and his family must have felt like :o)

Catching up

I've gotten a little behind on my pictures, but here they are!
We finally broke out the paints Isaac got for Christmas, which they both love. Isaac has a video that teaches him letter sounds and I got pictures of him imitating the "A" and "C"--he's so silly! Grandma came for a visit, and the kids had a blast trying to catch bugs and lizards with her. And Samy decided her doll, LuLu, needed a diaper change--it was the cutest thing!! Enjoy :o)

It's not easy being green

I told some friends last night that I would post about some of my "green" information--organic food, natural cosmetics, etc.--and I will try to do a little each week for those who are interested (no promises of course!).
Over the last few years Keith and I have heard more and more about all the chemicals in our food and cosmetics and have desired to be more "natural" while staying within the limitations of our budget. I have strived to not be driven by fear as I learned more (which could be a real tempation!) but instead desired to make wise choices for our family that would result in better health down the road while trusting God as our ultimate protector and physician.
So here are two of my favorite websites for information about "green" things:
Organic Consumers Association and Environmental Working Group

EWG has a great cosmetic database that ranks cosmetics for safety based of FDA findings of the effects of the chemicals in them. The FDA does NOT regulate cosmetics, no one does. They also have a pesticides in produce guide you can download (I taped one to my coupon organizer so I have it when I'm shopping).

A Happy Heart

I was listening to a couple messages by John Piper from the 1997 Passion Conference (I would highly recommend it! Check out the links at the bottom of this post) which I used to listen to regularly in my college days and that had greatly impacted me to deny my sinful cravings for the great joy of serving God. I just had to share this George Mueller quote Dr.Piper gives: "Before I go out in the morning, I must have my heart happy in God or I will be of no use to anybody. I will use them and try to get them to satisfy my cravings and vacancies."
That caused me to think of how I often use my anger to manipulate people, to use people. If my heart is not happy in God then I try to use people to make me happy and when they fail to do that for me ("What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? you want something but don't get it...James 4:1-2), I become angry and use my anger, whether it be yelling or the "silent treatment," to manipulate them into doing what I want. "I must make my heart happy in God!" How crucial it is to the training of my children, to doing housework with joy, to submitting to my husband, to being any kind of encouragement to anyone that I would make my first work of the day to make my heart happy in God alone through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross!!

If you would like to hear these messages, I am pretty sure these are very similar (actually given at a Sovereign Grace Celebration conference) and are free to download from desingGod.org:
God's Passion for the Supremacy of God
Our Passion for the Supremacy of God

"See him?"

The other night I overheard Keith praying with Isaac before bed. The conversation went something like this:

Keith: You ready to talk to God?
Isaac: See him?
Keith: Who, God?
Isaac: Yes.
Keith: You can't see God, but He's all around. Since He's all around He can hear our prayers and sees everything we do.
Isaac: Oooooh. (he has this adorable "oooooh" like "I get it")

I love to see his simple faith! Little explanation needed, no objections. Just "Oooooh." I pray my heart would respond like that when I read God's word instead of objections rising as to why that doesn't apply to me. Of course, you could tell Isaac that elephants really do fly and he'd believe you :o)

Good Times with Old Friends

Last week we had the chance to have dinner with Ryan and Amber and also some dear old friends back on "holiday" from Bermuda, Nick and Karin. Nick went through RTS the same time as Keith and also attended Metro for part of that time. It was so good to see them again, hear what God's doing in their lives, and reminisce about the old times, like our sod laying "party" at Matt and Siobhan's. We concluded our dinner with some hard to come by pistachio gelato that was well worth the trouble just to watch Nick fight for it. We miss you guys :o)

Here's the guys enjoying a ride in Nick's sports car:

Papaw's girl

The last two nights as I chopped up some onions to go in dinner Samy stood begging at my feet! And after I gave her one to try, she kept coming back for more! I used to eat onions like apples when I was little, probably a couple years older than Samy. And boy does Papaw LOVE his onions!! I haven't smelled her breath, but I'm sure it's lovely :o)
I tried to snap a picture but Samy wouldn't cooperate :o)