Arboretum

I love to Arboretum. It's free. It's beautiful. It's a place we've taken the kids since they were babies. I love the learning. I love the smells. This time we got to share it all with our sweet friend Nan! I think she feel in love with it too. Here's the link to our 2012 visit! http://chrystchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/04/wilmington.html You'll have to stop by and look at the photo albums for when they were babies and we didn't have digital photos!

8 years old

Ryan had his 8th birthday this week. It was a big week for my boy! He chose cheesburgers and soup made by our friend Nan! His cake request was an ice cream cake. We celebrated during lunch because our Tuesday evenings are way too crowded to due justice for a birthday.

Once the weekend arrived, Ryan invited three of his buddies over for a Star Wars slumber party. He requested tomato soup and grilled cheese. We are so thankful that we get to spend this time with Ryan and his buddies.

Our missional community had the distinct privilege to host our new friends to our home. Today was little Thet Win Oo's 7th birthday. We made sure to have cake and sing happy birthday. Surprisingly, Burmese are accustomed to singing the English version of "Happy Birthday"! It was a beautiful night to be apart of. I pray that Thet Win Oo grows in size, stature and strength in this next year. I sure hope my kids remember this night. A night when they helped throw a child's first birthday celebrated in America so far away from the only home he's ever known. It's hard to tell from this smile that he's only been here for 3 weeks.

My boy

I have been absent from my blog for way too long. I'm not really sure why. I could list a number of excuses that would possibly justify it but alas they are truly just excuses. I've had several experiences lately that have caused me to think, "You really should write about that because you're going to want to remember it later". This morning, one of those thoughts came to mind. I decided it was the time to act.

My baby boy is growing up way too quickly. He has gained about 7 pounds since his tonsils were removed which is starting to make him almost too heavy to carry. Never before did I ever carry my other kiddos when they were 4 and 1/2 years old....The kids and I have been working on our addresses and writing letters this week. This morning, Nathan, decided to join in on the effort.

Low and behold, the boy wrote his name and address. Sure he asked for me to write it first so he could copy it. We have talked about that his first name begins with a "N" and I knew he could write that letter. Just last week my Mom helped him write his name. I was amazed by what he did.

outakes

We've had a fun time hanging out with my sister and her kids this week! It has truly been a blessing to have them back in NC.

Family on Mission - Pittsburgh, PA

Fort Fisher

We spent some time hanging out at Fort Fisher this weekend. We actually were there for a wedding. Philip did the ceremony and I snapped some photos! I was just getting warmed up before the real deal started....

The Wind

As things with The Anchor are progressing, we decided to begin a children's missional community on Sunday evenings. We realized that we live in the optimal neighborhood for kiddos and have already begun to met several families who would probably be interested in something like this. Three weeks ago we had our first gathering in our home. It has been an amazing turnout with some super kids. I'm thankful for the opportunity to get to know these kids better and on a spiritual level. Our third time together, we took the kids to a nursing home around the corner from us. We sang, read Scripture and delivered homemade flowers to the residents. It was a great mission opportunity and I think all the kids enjoyed this opportunity to serve their neighbors.

Soccer....

All the boys are actually playing soccer, however, I have seemed to not take quite as many pictures of Ryan and Peter. I am going to have to address that this week! Ryan has been playing an amazing season in the position of Sweeper. Defense is his main objective. His coaches have done a great job teaching him how to play the position and he has risen to the challenge. Peter is playing on a homeschool middle school team. This is their first year playing as a team. Philip took up the mantle as assistant coach. Peter has done a great job rising to the big city leagues. He has played hard and tried hard all season long. It has been such a joy to see all the boys give it their all on the fields. I will proudly wear the soccer Mom bummer sticker should I ever get one!

Soccer, soccer and more soccer

Nathan has finally gotten his chance to wear the uniform and hit the soccer fields. He has done an amazing job playing. His first game he scored 3 goals! Four if you count the one that went in the opponents goal! It really is fun watching all the little guys playing their hearts out.

National Pirate Day

Apparently Krispy Kreme Donuts really like pirates. We found out by a great neighbor who shared their donut booty with us that Krispy Kreme celebrates pirates. After looking into it myself, the kids were determined to get some of their own donut booty. If you dressed like a pirate you got a free dozen donuts! Can't beat that-

Labor Day

In our like fashion, we invited friends to join us for this Holiday. It was definitely a little quieter than our past. We dusted off our croquet set and played a few rounds. Although the odds weren't completely even, this game did allow for everyone to participate.