Please Pray for Trip

Okay, first some random thoughts. We survived VBS last week and are having fun with Aubrie at Kindermusik this week. I hope to remember to bring my camera tomorrow so I can post some pictures. She's a hoot! :-) Big sisters have been very impressive staying in the hallway coloring and playing games on their cameras. It's gone very smoothly, and I have been very pleasantly surprised.


I have read on my friend Mer's blog and on another blog called GirlTalk about having kids spend a little time each day reading in the summer. I decided to try it out - I gathered some blankets and pillows and made a cozy corner in Aubrie's room and told them to gather up one or two favorite books. They loved it! Emma asked if they could do this everyday (this from the girl who declared this year that she doesn't like reading) so I was excited, to say the least. Emma opted for a "real" book instead of a primer and worked on reading the first sentence by herself. The other two gals had fun looking at the pictures, and Jessie "read" from her Mother Goose book which she has pretty much memorized. Thanks for the GREAT idea!

Now, on to the serious stuff. I can't believe it's finally here, but Todd is leaving for Mozambique (hereafter refered to as Moz) a week from tomorrow. We are such the procrastinators and are going to sit down sometime in the next few days and actually make a list for the trip. The purpose for the trip, since neither one of us has ever been to Africa, is for him to see and experience things that will help us better prepare for life there - at least whatever we can cram into the next six months. So, besides safety, the main thing would be to pray that he will see and experience all that he needs to for that end. He has been told repeatedly that he is to take many pictures, and I will be sure to post some after he gets back on the 4th of July.

Thanks!

Organization tips needed

Mer, I figure you might have some really good ideas for this. I need some help. I have a 3-drawer craft caddy/tower thing which was organized way before kids. In one drawer I keep all of their markers, crayons, paint pens, etc. I need a neat way to keep the things inside the drawer tidy. The drawer is tall enough for the crayons to stand up in a cup or something but not enough for the markers. Any ideas?? I think we would use more of what's in there if we could actually see it!


I really appreciate any ideas I can get!

The Merry Month of May

Whew! May is a killer for our family. Jessie and Aubrie have birthdays a week and a day apart, our anniversary is the day before Aubrie's birthday, and then we have the usual end-of-the-year mayhem. Emma's kids choir at church made their debut on stage. (Until you're five, they video your choir and show the video at the end of the year.) Jessie made her video debut - a big year for both!

While the girls were having their big moments in the lime light, Todd and I had to be out of town. We were in Richmond, VA, for candidate conference which is part of the missions application process. So, we had someone tape the choir performance and had a Spring Sing S'mores Party a few weeks later. (I'll write more about the conference later.)

The weekend we got back from the conference, we had Jessie's party on a Sat. and Aubrie's the next day. We put ourselves through the partypalooza because the next weekend was dance recital weekend! Both girls had a big time. Jessie wanted a Sleeping Beauty party (We did Cinderella last year.), and we had a backyard luau for Aubrie since she can't tell me what she would like yet. I have to say despite the busy schedule, we were incredibly laid back for the Williams family and had a great time.

She LOVED her cake - that's what she wanted for her birthday.

So, the dance recital was a blast, but no budding ballerinas in the Williams family (which is probably a good thing since I don't think they could take classes in Nampula, Mozambique). Both girls have informed me that they do not want to take dance again. They both have mentioned soccer for the fall (which will definitely fit better in Africa) so I think we'll head in that direction...sounds much easier on Mom!!

They came up with these poses themselves...with NO prompting from me - cracks me up!

Okay, so the Africa update, and then my ramblings should be done. Conference was a mind-blowing series of interviews and meetings in which we were challenged to re-examine our call to overseas work and to see if the job we had selected was a good fit. It was an extremely challenging week in every way you can imagine - we were laid bare in more ways than I can imagine...I'll spare you the details of the physical exams! In the end, we still feel like Nampula, Moz, is where we're supposed to be. One of the things we had been tossing around and was brought up again was that a trip to Moz might be a good idea. So, Todd is planning a trip for June and is supposed to take lots of notes and pictures for me! Please pray for the trip that he will see and experience what he needs to in order to better prepare our family for life there.

So the schedule looks something like this: appointment in Nov in TX, training in VA Jan 26- March 26 and jumping the pond in early April. We have a MILLION things to do between now and then...makes my head spin, but we're already getting started which is exciting!

Trip to Texas

We went last weekend to see my dad and a few friends. We had a great time. Got to go to Rowdy's 2nd birthday party and got to ride a horse. Parties and horses? Doesn't get any better than that! (And, pictures in the Texas wildflowers for mommy!)

Who is Sally Clarkson?

I must find out because two of my favorite bloggers have two different books on their reading lists that she's written. If anyone would like to fill me in before I Google her, I would be forever grateful!

The Tornado of '08

For those who don't keep up with Mississippi weather, we had a rough go of it this last weekend. A great friend of mine whose birthday is three days after mine suggested to our husbands that they plan a getaway weekend for us. (I personally thought this was a GREAT idea!) So, they did. We were set to leave for Natchez, MS, and their Spring Pilgrimage between noon and 1 p.m. on Friday. At 12:15 God changed our plans.

I know you've heard people say on the news, "It just happened so fast with no warning," and if you're like me, you think, "Yeah, whatever." (I'm so fully of mercy, aren't I?) Anyway, it really was so fast and with no warning. We did know that rough weather was coming, but we had no idea it was going to be this rough or this fast. I was standing in my living room, noticing that it was getting windy, and then I was headed for the closet.

In the mean time, our three girls had already been deposited with Nanny so I was none-to-happy about being away from them in a storm. They ended up being on the road during the storm which had me really freaked out until I saw Nanny's house after the storm. Big tree right on the roof. So, God reminds me once again that, "No, really. I AM in control and know what's best." I can't imagine how scared they would have been had they been home when the tree fell. I've provided a picture below. I cried when I pulled up to the house the next day to pick them up. Overwhelmed is an understatement.

Back to the weekend plans. Todd and our friend headed over to Nanny's house with a chainsaw to get rid of some smaller trees which were blocking the driveway so we didn't end up leaving for Natchez until between 4 and 5. We had a wonderful time and were so grateful for our safety!

Safari Party

Emma's 6th birthday party was this last weekend, and we had a great time. We had to pray some rain away, and it did stay away until we got a few sprinkles on the way home. Todd says he has some other things he'd like me to be praying for!