Randomness and Haiti

A little ramblings:

But first-some pics!

Drew is growing bigger and bigger. No longer a squeaky little voice. Almost done with Kindergarten! WAHOO!!!

But he's still our fun-loving middle child. He's his mother's child, what can I say.

Drew with Dax. Dax is now 6 months old and weighs close to 26 lbs. WOW. People ask me how I hold him. Well, I don't. Not for any length of time without sitting down. :) But we get plenty of cuddle time on the floor or in the rocking chair. What a sweet baby.

Dax just started baby food this week and is still getting a hang of it. He definitely prefers 'real' food over the canned baby stuff. (Who wouldn't?!?!)

I was digging through the bib drawer which houses about 50 bibs (no lie) and came across this one. I can't remember which baby this was originally given to, but I believe Heather gifted it to either Jackson, Aiden , or Drew. Love it.

Other news: Dave is heading to Haiti this Sunday night and won't be back until Thursday. He's traveling with 3 other guys from the church to scope out a couple ministries down there. One in which is an orphanage. I think Dave's a little apprehensive since he's never been out of the country. (I laughed just for my family's sake....hahaha!) I expect God to do some great things in the hearts of the men who are going. How can you not be impacted by the sights and sounds (and smells) of a third world nation?

Anyways, prayers are obviously appreciated. :) I look forward to spending some time listening to Dave talk on Thursday night/Friday morning as he digests the trip.

Tomorrow is also another day full of prayer as teams are hitting Port St. Lucie to participate in servant evangelism. I'm expecting God to do some great things tomorrow through the people of the church.

Talk about God doing great things, a friend of mine had one of her friends accept Christ this past Sunday. So neat. This girl has been coming to Financial Peace University and finally attended a service this last weekend. She prayed to receive Christ and has commented that this week has been a week of great peace. AWESOME.

This is the reason why we do what we do: to see people impacted by Christ. LOVE IT!!!

pastors' kids and fun

Every other Wednesday is a great day of fellowship with the other pastors' wives. We just had lunch and were looking at the babies when I commented about how Dax looks just like Dave and how Bode looks just like Billy. Looking over at Taj, I laughed because he looks like his daddy Dale.

So here's the original shot. Ignore the fact that Dax is still in his pajamas. I am clearly lazy. (In my defense, have you tried to keep a 2 piece outfit on a kid with a big belly? The shirt always rides up.....)

Taj Dax Bode

And now the one of the dads, thanks to Billy's magic touch. Enjoy. And try not to pee on yourself.

Dale Dave Billy

a smorgasbord of stuff

i am very tired of being sick. ugh.  dave and i both are on the Z-pack, hopefully some relief will come soon.  this cold thing is not like regular colds.  it has knocked me flat on my rear from the get-go.  

on a more positive note, we'll be flying out to delaware thursday and won't be back until sunday.  we have some college friends that are blessing us with some tickets to see them!  fun times in store.  i know dave is excited to spend some time fishing, plus we'll enjoy a fall festival.  this will be the first time in awhile to go on "vacation" without bumming off the parents!  (not that i don't love the beach, the mountains, or our family....) 

have i mentioned that the boys are doing a PHENOMENAL job at school?  aiden is reading well and drew is loving his class. i really think drew could be reading soon.  don't want to push him, having him recoil from my reading efforts, but i might start sneaking in some reading without him knowing it.  for instance, aiden was doing his bi-weekly reading homework and i pointed out the word "fox" to drew.  he read it and several others on the page.  fantastic. :)  tons of applause and kudos to my pre-k little boy.

also, dave has recounted a couple of conversations he has witnessed with the boys concerning God.  apparently, they were in wal-mart and (very loudly) had the following conversation with their daddy:

boys: "dad... is God rich????"

dave: "uh, yes... He is."

other customers start snickering and laughing...

boys: "so rich He could buy all these toys?!?!?"

and so it goes.  gotta love 4 and 5 year old boys trying to figure out God. 

hurricane

well, looks like we've missed hannah, but ike is acomin'.  dave is currently out buying plywood as we are in the middle of the "cone of death." i usually laugh, but i am too tired. (it doesn't help that i'm trying to fight off a little scratchy throat and who-knows-what-else from my dear students.  i actually went to bed last night at 7:30 p.m. wonderful.)

we'll see if we evacuate to the north or south.  we usually wait to see how the storm looks.  fortunately, dave's parents are in miami and mine are in orlando.  i'm not big on weathering a storm in our wood-frame townhouse. our saving grace is that our place is in the middle of 5 homes. unfortunately, i have a job and don't have the luxury to hang at the parents' place until i feel free to come home.  i love electricity: not so much the nastiness of sweating it out.

other than that, we're doing well.  dave has had a couple big weeks with church stuff.  we should be rocking it out on sunday to some kirk franklin and jonathan stockstill.  come join us in port st. lucie if you are around!  we're kicking off our small groups this week with connection sunday, too. 

BTW: i'm up to 11 students caught with gum.  3 have paid....

a little gift

i have such a great husband.  :)  look what the boys came home with after a run to publix.  (note the mug/vase as all of my vases are still in cleveland.  oh well, making the best out of what we got.)  

a little story:  dave used to shower bouquets on me through our dating and engagement times.  however, he started slowing down with the surprise gifts after i forgot to put some in a vase.  in my defense, i was REALLY busy at the time and was not home often.  anyways, he just thought i didn't appreciate them anymore.

but i do. even simple carnations: flowers on a budget!  plus it makes it more special as my little men walk through the door, give me kisses, and tell me they love me.  dave is truly bringing up little men.  i hope they treat their future spouses just like the way their daddy treats me.  simply wonderful!

camp life

dave and aiden went to a preteen camp this week as dave was the camp pastor.  we figured aiden was the most apt to sit through a message.  then again, he is the most obedient carroll boy at this moment.... that helped the decision too.  poor drew, he's going through his terrible twos at, um, four. 

i asked dave how aiden sat through the messages.  so cute:  apparently, dave was speaking and aiden would raise his hand (as if in school) periodically though the message.  my little boy.

dave allowed aiden to drive the civic all over the campground.  of course, dave was at the wheel with aiden on his lap, but i get a little chuckle to imagining this buzzed head peering over the wheel.  

AND.... aiden made the scoring run during his first kickball game.  ahhhhhhhh..... a proud moment. (i'm not competitive, am i?!?!?!)

during this absence of the campers, drew and i had good bonding time for the most part.  i found out that he still gets incredibly emotional when he misses his nap.  anywho.  a little ditty: during a bath, i asked drew if he was making any friends at the school's daycare.  he said that there was this "cute girl named T** but she's not like the silly girls on tv." 

i said with raised brow, "oh, really?!?!"

drew replied,"yes.  you know those girls that are all 'wiggly'."

i guess he doesn't like dancers.  sorry hannah montana.  i thought drew was a good match for you.  too bad.

birthday with the fam

can you guess the theme of the party?  rockin'the "U"

teaching them young......

dave and his ghetto attitude (notice the 31.....)

one of the SEVERAL birthday cards they each made daddy.  this is drew's.  it says: "daddy, i love you very, very much." (supposedly- it could also say, "you are the the best daddy in the whole wide world."))

aiden's card: "happy birthday daddy."  

dave's cake of choice is not really a cake.  had a hard time telling the boys that it is really a cookie, not a cake.

daddy and his boys!  dave crashed early in aiden's bed, too.  i heard him snoring early evening.  a good sign: belly full and heart satisfied. :) he loves his boys.

happy birthday to dave :)

well, not quite yet.... wednesday to be exact.  i'm toiling over what to make him for dinner.  suggestions?  leave a comment with some ideas.  

on another note: we did go down to west palm to drop the kiddos off at grams.  dave and i went to see batman (wanting to see it on imax but it was sold out) and opted for just the regular screen.  it was definitely a darker movie and not so cut and dry as spiderman.  it is also more evident how little gore and suspense we watch.  (i hid my eyes through several parts.)  garbage in, garbage out.  in any case, i think i was more intrigued with this film being heath ledger's last.  

this weekend was a blast with so much activity.  i'll post pics tomorrow when i have more time. janell's shower and some of the boys, of course.  have i mentioned they are two CRAZY kids?  

one last praise:  looking forward to getting into the church building again.  amen, anyone?  :)