Good-bye, Summer!

This marks our last weekend of “summer break!” Like many of you, on Monday we will start back to school. I’ve been busy planning and preparing for the start of our home school year. The newness of a school year always excites me! Willy and I will begin our first year of preschool together! Bella will be 2^nd grade and Kaylee in 5^th grade.  Molly is beginning her 8^th grade year and will be using a new online home school option. And Noah is a senior!! What in the world?? Lots of new opportunities at our house!

Our last adventure of the summer: a trip to the pools! 

 As our children get older though, it is also a hard time because it signifies the beginning of another semester apart from our older kiddos. Alia left this morning to return to Johnson University for her senior year. This year also signified the first year that Lacy was “all grown up” and didn’t get to spend the summer in Guatemala with us. (We did have a great visit with her in FL in May, though!) This mama’s emotions are all over the place today! Starting preschool, 2^nd, 5^th, 8^th grade, senior in college, senior in high school and did I mention there is an upcoming wedding?!?! AARRGH!!! I’m going to need a lot of tissues!!

The summer has been filled with lots of loving on children. We continued our weekly visits to all the children’s homes and were glad to have Alia’s arms to hug some babies, too! We were able to go with our friend, Naomi, to see the land she is purchasing to expand her children’s home for special needs girls. It was a special time of prayer and vision!

 We also spent a couple days at House of Hope loving on the babies there. This little guy especially captured my heart! He was severely malnourished and weighed only 5 pounds when he came! He is doing much better and gaining weight and loves to be snuggled! While the rest of the family helped feed the toddlers lunch, I stayed back and cuddled this little one and spent some time praying over each child at the home. What peace filled my heart!!

It has been about a year since we first met this little guy. The “then and now” photos speak for themselves. It is such an incredible privilege to work with these babies every week; to sing to them, to play with them, to tell them how much God loves them, and to see their sweet smiles.  The care that these babies get at Village of Hope is phenomenal! To see alertness where there was not any, to see head control when before their body was too malnourished to have strength, to see smiles where there were tears, to see a child wanting to explore where before there was fear. How these precious little lambs bless us every time we are with them!

 

THEN

NOW

  

Busy Summer Days

We have had a busy couple of months. Soon after getting back from our visit to Florida we discovered that our rental contract on our house was not going to be renewed. So we began the process of looking for another home to rent. After a stressful couple of weeks, we found one that had room for us all and that we could afford! We are now all moved in the new place and have internet! There is a park right next door that  the kids have been enjoying.

At the park.

Ginger watches over the kiddos in the park!

Our new back yard may be small but it's big enough to have a picnic with our friends!

We had the delightful privilege of spending a day with a team from Emmaus Church in Jacksonville, FL. We were able to bless the girls from one of the orphanages that we serve in. The team treated them to a trip to an indoor play area with ball pit, slide, swing, and cars. The girls had a great time and the members on the team got to spend one-on-one time with these precious girls. Our time together ended with an ice cream treat! Many thanks to Emmaus for blessing the girls with a great time.

Alia, Molly and I always enjoy our weekly visits with these precious ones.  Who wouldn't love doing some early sensory activities with some adorable babies? No matter how weary I am, a sweet little baby can always bring me peace and fill me with joy!

Babies on balls!

Ball pit fun!

Alia and J shaking a rattle.

Baby G with a weighted stuffed animal.

Y having some fun with blocks.