We had a wonderful spring break!!

Gary had Thursday, Friday, and Monday off to give us almost a week of Daddy time. We decided this year to get a science center membership instead of a zoo membership for Christmas. Through a friend we also discovered that through a hotel rewards card you earn free rooms. You get one free just for signing up and we had not used that yet. So we decided to go to Columbus and spend Thursday at COSI and then stay overnight in a hotel! The kids were great on the drive and it was nice to not be in a rush to get someplace at a certain time. We ate when we arrived and then did a few of the exhibits. No offense to the amazing city of Cleveland but this science center is rated #1 for a reason! We all really enjoyed it! I liked that there were a lot of families there so the adult to kid ratio was wonderful. (Though in those situations I also wonder if kids are better or worse behaved with parents than with teachers? Hmmm...) Everyone was polite, and the center was very well staffed. I love that the kids are like sponges at this age. I love these types of trips because I consider myself very below average when it comes to scientific knowledge! The information is right there for you and so much of it is hands-on. We left when they closed and fought a little traffic to get to our hotel, but it was an easy drive. Our hotel room was wonderful! The kids just love hotels and so do we. Too bad they cost so much money! :) I made us sandwiches and snacks for dinner and then we went swimming at the indoor pool which the kids also loved! After baths Gary was drying Grace's hair and Esther climbed into the tub!! It was one of those parenting moments where you correct while you try to refrain from laughing!! Here at home we have a stand alone shower and a claw foot tub Grace can't even get into herself so it never occurred to me Esther could climb in! She was so proud of herself and then sad that we were not so impressed. After an active day it took the kids awhile to wind down but once they fell asleep they slept really well all night. They got up at 6:30 as usual to use the restroom and I made them go back to bed! I said this is vacation! Lay down and rest! We got up around 8, had breakfast and eventually got on the road. I had hoped to possibly stop at P. Graham Dunn on the way home and do a tour but I did not think of it in time to get us there in time for a tour. SO that goes on the list of future field trips. We did stop at the Amish style buffet and ate way too much.

Josh and Lia were in town for Easter so we went to the Bush's and got to visit with them a little extra. I was glad we did that rather than trying to get up and get to the science center for a few hours before the drive. It's such a blessing to get to visit with them and for all of us to be together as a family. Sadly, none of us took any pictures this visit so when we see them again later in the summer we will have to make SURE we get some taken!! The service at church that night was wonderful- minus the constant noise of my three kids disrupting everyone- and I enjoyed it very much. I knew I would be serving in the nursery on Easter so I was glad to get to enjoy a worship experience, plus we had communion. Tyler showed just how much he looks up to his pops by joining him while he passed the communion plates. I was (of course) embarassed, but it did show his heart which I treasure. Oh how that boy challenges me! He did not obey me as he was not sitting quietly in his seat, but his heart needed encouraging!

That night I made sure to get us mostly unpacked, and get the carpets scrubbed and then I fell into bed exhausted! Saturday brought T-ball for the boys and cleaning for us girls. The final scramble to declutter, clean, and prepare for hosting Easter is as fun as it is crazy. I truly love hosting Easter and having everyone here together. Having so much family willing to travel here and spend the holiday here means the world to me! Josh and Lia came over around lunch to spend some time and then the boys decided to go play golf with their dad! ACK! What about the stuff I needed from the store?! Oh well! Lia and I did some work in the kitchen and visited which was one of the highlights of the weekend for me. I love you Lia! She's just such an amazing woman. She's like a female version of Joseph- everything she touches, God blesses! She's such an encouragement to me and I just love the NC Bush's! I love that the four (or 7) of us can spend such quality time together. They were headed out to spend some time with Mom and Dad (Steph worked till mid-afternoon) just as my mom was arriving which worked out well. Gary headed to the store (finally!) and we got busy on what we could accomplish. I love when my mom is here! We cleaned and organized more and got the kids toys cleaned up, we made the cakes, potatoes and the eggs, had dinner, set the tables up, filled the plastic eggs, watched the Cosby show and were in bed by 10!

Sunday morning was the usual scramble. I never remember Gary's being on worship team means he won't be here for hte last 40 minutes of the getting ready process. Then I wasted a half an hour hunting through the house for dress socks for Tyler only to remember when I got downstairs that I had bought him sandals!! Between Gary and Mom the kids were ready to go long before I was! She also made the salad, got the potatoes ready and I'm pretty sure we both did the bathroom floor. :) I try not to think about Easter Sunday without her.

Mom served in the nursery with me and we had 7! That's a huge number for us! I hope that means that the service was full and went well. I hope they recorded the sermon so I can listen to it soon. When we got home we had some relax time since everything was ready, and that was nice. Joshua, Shannon, Victoria, Grandma and Grandpa Cline, Aunt Toots, Pap, Gary and Stephanie all joined us and we fellowshiped and ate and just had a wonderful time together. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and we had more than enough food (yay!) and the kids loved the Easter egg hunt! I am excited for next year when Victoria will be running with them! She was crawling all over and loved the eggs! She's so sweet and I love spending time with them! I am blessed to have TWO amazing and wonderful sister in laws! Like Lia, Shannon challenges and encourages me and I love that we are getting to know each other better. I love you Shannon!! After everyone left Gary, mom and I watched the newest Harry Potter on DVD and it was so awesome! I loved it in the theater and loved it that night too. I can't wait for July! :)

I was sad that evening to realize we had not taken ANY family photos and also NO photos of the three kids, or the four kids. :( My dad and Grandma hope to come Saturday, so I think we'll all wear our Easter clothes again and get pictures then. :) It won't be Easter Sunday, but it will be April 2011!

Monday was just a fun family day. We did the library lunch together, the guys had t-ball in the afternoon. It was just relaxing and enjoying the clean house. :) What a wonderful weekend! Thank you Gary for taking the days and not going into work, and for only working a little from home! Thank you Lord for a wonderful family and time to spend together.

~When Journey's Intersect~
Please continue to pray for the Mills Family!

We have been so blessed by this family. We began attending Grace Community shortly after we moved to this area. This is Gary's parents church and though I felt we'd always be tag alongs, I agreed to go because we love Dan Michaels. Dan is one of the pivotal people in Gary's spiritual life. He was Gary's youth leader. He was a teacher, mentor and example in a time in Gary's life when young people often times turn away from faith and look for another path. He was such an impact that Gary insisted on only two things when we got married. Number one, that we marry each other, and number two, that Dan marry us. It was my insistence, of course, that we have a wedding! :) We also agreed to attend Grace because through Gary's parents, we knew so many wonderful families who loved us already. Being new to the area, we deeply needed the love and support of a church family- and this family is immediate.

3 John 1:5 Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you.

In our time at GCC we got to know Dale and Mary Mills. Our friendship with them began because we just clicked. I also got to be very good friends with their daughter Melissa who is such a blessing in my life. Over the years Melissa has moved away and gotten married and is about to be a MOM! We don't get to spend as much time together, but we are still close. We still spend a lot of time with Dale and Mary too. And it's through them that we've also bonded with Micah and Kara. Gary bonded with them before I did through worship team. When they were in town they'd often join the worship team as they are both incredibly talented musicians and singers *jealous smile*. I never knew much about them except that they lived in Cleveland and loved music and the Lord. I learned later that Micah was very skilled/interested in areas of technology. Gary could tell me about things they had discussed (also with Dale) and I could not understand a word of it!

A little over a year ago we heard that they were going to be missionaries in Africa! WOW! How cool to know real life missionaries. What a blessing it was to see their journey unfold and to see their obedience to such a calling. So as they planned we saw Dale and Mary prepare to let them go. They were scheduled to leave last August (?) and I felt a sadness that we never got to know them as well as we wanted to. Like Dale and Mary, and Melissa (and now Chris) we just seemed to have this natural bond.

We prayed for them and were just amazed and inspired at their willingness to leave behind literally everything to follow God's calling for their lives. Then we found out that Kara was pregnant! I was thrilled (because I love babies) and I also knew that they would wonder what God was trying to say. As with everything they handled it graciously! The call did not change- they would still go to Uganda. They changed their leave date and we continued to get to know them when they were in town, and via Facebook. Through God we just felt the need to keep this entire family in prayer and love them. Let me tell you, you don't just love the Mills'- you get loved and prayed for and fed right back! :) Micah and Kara moved here after Abie was born and we got to spend more time together... and the bonds of real relationship were formed. Our journeys have crossed in such a powerful way.

Philippians 1:3&4 Every time I think of you I thank God for you. I have joy in my heart every time I ask God to help you.

I watched just under two weeks ago as Dale and Mary said goodbye to their son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter ~our dear friends~ as they followed God's call half a world away to Uganda. What a powerful testimony! What a challenge to us as a couple and as a family! Mary has been urging me from the beginning of our friendship not only to pray for my children to come to the Lord and follow Him, but for myself for strength to let them go. Ouch. I have always known that I wanted my children to live for the Lord and follow his calling WHEREVER it takes them. But that knowledge had not hit my heart in quite the way it has in the past 6 months. I believe God has called Gary and I to great things for now and the future and those things are not easy. I also know God has a great calling and plan for my children. I desire with every bit of me for them to follow that calling because ultimately they are not mine, they are HIS. Oh but how hard it is to give them over to HIM!!! I've always prayed for wisdom to grow myself so that I would be equipped to lead them. I've always prayed for strength for myself and the courage to let them go. I just understand it in my soul more deeply now. And yet in that depth I know nothing can prepare me. Ultimately I will stand only on Christ's strength when God calls my children just as I do now as he is calling me. When I tell people we homeschool (or the new term I love ~home educate~) sometimes I get the "WHY?" and usually I get the "what about..." and always I get the "HOW do you do that?" I usually jokingly answer "not very well" because that is usually how I feel! I must remember daily that it is by Christ's strength I do anything.

Deuteronomy 11:18 &19 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

It is only through Him that I can succeed in his callings for my life.

It's only through Him that Micah and Kara have the strength to take their newborn to another continent.

It's only through Him that Dale and Mary can say "until we meet again".

It's only through Him.

Exodus 15:2 “The LORD is my strength and my defense ; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Today Grace has asked Jesus to be her Lord and Savior.

As a mother I'm filled with joy at this moment as today marks a beginning of what I hope is a road Grace will take impacting the world for the Kingdom. It's also a reminder how short my time is to build that foundation of faith she will take with her beyond this house. And another gentle reminder from my Heavenly Father that he is in control.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

We have a hope and a future= all of us. No matter what journeys intersect with ours, It's only through Him.

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.

Another Child For God's Kingdom!!!

It's with great excitement I share this post! This afternoon after a great family discussion in the van Grace expressed to us that she wanted us to pray with her to ask Jesus into her heart. What an indescribable moment to kneel beside my husband as he gave Grace words to repeat to accept Christ as her savior! And to see her always beautiful smile shine on her face even brighter. She's always talked of loving Jesus and the Lord. She's always wanted to learn more and been eager for us to read to her from the Bible and learn more. She's always expressed interest in spending eternity in heaven with Jesus. It's just amazing to be a part of her coming to a decision of eternal assurance! What greater joy is there for a mother?

Esther playing on the slide.

Grace climbed all the way to top!

It is hard to see in this picture but Tyler built a track from the door to the garage to the door to the basement. It is fun to be watching the kids this weekend as Heather gets to spend some much needed time away with her college roommate Lori. We had a great dinner with Grandma, Pops, Pap and Uncle Bob yesterday. It was neat to have 4 generations of the family together just enjoying each other. Today has brought a lot of playing as you can see in the picture.

We have just finished lunch and are playing some more. It is exciting as a Dad to see the kids get a long so well together and really enjoy playing with each other. It is almost time for a kids show and then nap time. I will try to post more picture later!

--gb