Hope you all had a happy Fourth celebration! We had a relatively quiet party. With the Merkles due back in the country tomorrow, and the Wilson gang over at the beach, we just had our little Janks kids (we call the Janksycats) here for our front-yard fireworks display. I’m happy to report there were no tears this year. Of course, Doug just set off the tame, little fireworks; he’s saving the big mother load for this coming Saturday when we have our belated party with all the family. We’ll be grilling the all-American hamburgers and hot dogs (and we won’t be getting them out of a jar).
Tonight is the Merkles’ last night in the UK. In just a few hours they will be boarding, Lord willing. Last time I talked with Bekah, the cows were mooing so enthusiastically outside her door that I could hear them loud and clear over the phone. (Guess they were saying their goodbyes.) She was in the throes of cleaning, and they still had several loads of stuff to take to the dump. They have sold most all their possessions, except for what they could fit into fourteen action packs. Some kindly friends are putting them up for the night and helping them to the airport in the morning. It has been harder to say goodbye than they really expected. It has been a wonderful experience for them, these past three years. But I’ll let her write about that once she has her feet under her again. We expect them all to completely collapse once they get in our door. They should surface some time Friday if we’re lucky.
And that leads to what I’ve been doing of late. They will be moving into our downstairs, so I have been getting all their rooms ready for occupancy. So, the lake house will soon be full to the brim and overflowing.
Meanwhile, the twins have been learning to share the sin-mobile. Here’s a picture of them being spiritual!
0
0
I’m torn. I want to pray for smooth travels for the UK lot, but such entertaining stories come out of their not-so-smooth stories, that I’m tempted to pray for hilarious travels, instead! D’you think they’d settle for merely safe travels? 😉
Valerie,
There are so exhausted that they will spend the night just outside Seattle and show up here, who knows when, on Wednesday. (That’s very unusual for Ben, being the ex-Marine and all, so he must be fried.) I’m pretty confident you’re in for a story, because I think they’ll be sleep walking in the airport!
Valerie, that is so funny because it was exactly what I was thinking! It is terrrible, but we can’t help ourselves!
It’s nice to know that other families do the excessive nicknaming thing too!
I like the title given to the cute little red toy. We had one of those when our kids were little. Unfortunately we bought another one but we have mended our ways since then and would choose the character training (of my husband and I – really) instead.
I have to agree with the other ladies, I do enjoy the situations that the Lord chooses to put your daughter through. Or maybe I should say I enjoy the way she communicates what happens. She has such a way with words.
May the Lord be with them and give them traveling mercies.
I don’t get it. Why “sin-mobile” and where is the character training?
Paula — I’m glad I’m not the only one with selfish, wicked thoughts. 😉
Nancy — But seriously…do let us know if and when they’ve arrived safe and sound in body and mind!
Mandi,
The adorable red car has caused quite at bit of stumbling (which is a nice word for hitting and screaming). And, so it has been christened the sin mobile because it clearly brings out the sin in our adorable little people. And so it follows that it is used in teaching to share, etc. Thus, the character building.
Valerie,
I expect a good story will come from the adventure of being bumped to business class too! She can weave a funny tale out of anything! I will be waiting. . .