Happy Birthday, Payton!

Sweet Payton,

It's hard to believe you are 12 today!! You are truly a blessing. I love you so much, and I'm so proud to be your mom. God has gifted you in so many ways--I can't wait to see all the amazing things HE is going to do in your life. My deepest prayer is that you love Him and live for Him always!

When you were younger, I sang this song ("The Blessing", taken from Numbers 6) to you before nap and bedtime every day. Even though I don't sing it to you now, it still is and will always be my prayer for your life--that God's richest blessings will be yours.

The Lord bless you and keep you
The Lord make his face to shine upon you
And give you peace
And give you peace
The Lord be gracious unto you.

You are one AMAZING twelve-year old! I love you!

Momma

P.S. Jeff and Brooke are on their way home from Morocco (Hallelujah!)so our family celebration will be Monday. But, our dear friends, the Marzolas, have graciously agreed to Payton's request to celebrate with them TODAY. So we are headed there shortly for Payton's birthday dinner. His chosen menu:

Boneless pork ribs, grilled to perfection by Mr. Marzola
Corn on the cob
Mrs. Marzola's macaroni and cheese
Blueberry muffins
Reese's peanut butter cup cake

Pictures to follow!

Our Day-cation

Jeff and Brooke have been gone for six days, and the kids and I are getting a little antsy! So I decided we needed a change of scenery today. After a little internet research last night, I settled on Gettysburg, which is just 25 miles away. Early this morning, we packed the cooler and the van and headed north. Thankfully, the kids were excited, and I was saying many prayers for good moods, happy attitudes, and lots of fun!

We had a great day! The new Visitor Center in Gettysburg is beautiful--inside and out! (Those of you fellow Pennsylvanians/Marylanders who endured the torturous electric map presentation on numerous field trips/family visits during your youth will be happy to know that it rests peacefully in a barn somewhere in town, mercifully disconnected from any electrical source.) After a moving film tribute about the battle, we ate our lunch, buckled up, and settled back to listen to the audio tour of the historic places in and around Gettysburg. The kids LOVED it--for the most part. It was sweltering hot here today so we didn't get out of the van at every single stop, but we did explore a bit at most of them. The boys, especially, were really interested in all the monuments and memorials scattered along our route.

It's really a beautiful little town. And very moving when you consider the lives that were lost (7000 in just three days!) in those rolling hills for the cause of freedom. On days like this, I'm very thankful that we live in a part of the country that is rich with history (something I often take for granted!), and I'm reminded to take the time to enjoy it and to foster in my kids a love for our great nation and its amazing history!

A photo op at our first stop, McPherson Ridge

I love the fences. That beautiful barn in the background
was there during the battle of Gettysburg!

On top of Little Round Top

Devil's Den, seen from Little Round Top

Atop the 44th New York infantry monument
overlooking Devil's Den

If "Onyl".....

....city workers in Reading, Pennsylvania, (my place of birth, though I don't say that with pride!) could spell! Good grief!!

Our Week in Pictures....

Just a few shots of some of the sunning, swimming, and "sycling" (yes, I know I spelled it wrong-I'm trying to achieve alliteration here, people) we enjoyed last week. Thanks Aunt Amie, Uncle Scott, and kiddos!

The pool--it's lovely.  I spent lots of time floating around it on a raft.  

A few times, I even risked dropping this in the water.  So peaceful!

Stopping for a  photo op during a game of "Follow the Leader" on wheels.

Garrett, Taylor, Sawyer, Chase (l-r)

The Three Musketeers - Amie and I have come to realize 

we will have our hands full in a few years with these three! 

Taylor was a HUGE help with Sofie,  

who certainly didn't suffer from a lack of attention!

Garrett attempting to land in the tube!  

It's amazing how much fun they had with those $8 inner tubes!  

Sawyer's attempt

And then Chase.  

Surprisingly, they managed to make it more times than not!

And, of course, they enjoyed quite a few games 

of pool football and pool baseball!

(Gotta love the goggles!)

Then, on our last night while Amie and I hit one final store, 

Uncle Scott took them all on a five-mile bike ride.

They had a blast--and slept GREAT that night!

Some Linkage Love............

Jeff, Brooke, Sydney, and Payton are off having the time of their lives at Reality Week with our church this week. So Sawyer, Sofie, and I packed up the family truckster and headed north to our very own personal Pennsylvania paradise, Club Knorr, of course!

While we are sunning and swimming with the occasional shopping trip thrown in, you can enjoy these links that I have found in my recent travels throughout the worldwide web.

• Now, it's no secret that I am as crafty as a big rock, but this blogger, now SHE can craft and party and sew and entertain, etc., etc. She is pretty much everything I am not, which just might be the attraction, I'm not sure! Either way, be sure to scroll down her blog for some amazing ideas and projects! (That clock-book crafty thing doesn't really trip my trigger.)
  
  
• Right after Jeff and I retire to that loft apartment in Chicago, we're going to retire here. I'm not normally a cutesy-cottage type of gal but, oh, this place looks so inviting! Of course, it could be that the median August temp in Nova Scotia is 73 degrees. That's hard to beat!
  
  
• If you're in the mood to feel guilty--or overweight--check this out. I need to print out a few of these pictures and hang them on my pantry doors! Yikes!!
  
  
• If you're a book lover who prefers to buy rather than borrow your reading material, this site is for you! Just type in the title, author, or ISBN of the book you're seeking, and this site will compare prices for new and used copies all over the web. Very cool!!
  
  
• I have a love-hate relationship with bicycles. Actually, it's probably more of a hate-hate relationship. They hate me and refuse to stay balanced while I'm atop them. Consequently, I hit the pavement once too often as a child and now I hate them. So there.
  
  However, even I must admit that this bike from MADSEN Cargo Bikes is one cool bike. I think I would look just dandy--and downright embarrassing to my offspring, which is even more important--riding this thing to the library each week. And, boy howdy, would that there bin/box/bike bed thing-y hold a whole lotta library books!
  
  
• Finally, on a more serious note, some very inspiring words from John Piper. If you have struggled through a painful situation or are struggling through one even now (and I think that pretty much covers all of us), this is an article you don't want to miss.

Happy Thursday everyone! Enjoy!

God Bless America!

Brings tears to my eyes! Happy Fourth everyone! And may God bless America!

Friday prayers.....

I don't know this family at all but their sweet little girl sure could use our prayers today. Her daddy is a pastor in Phoenix, Arizona. Last Sunday, they were attending church, enjoying normal family activities like most of us. Today, she is facing life-threatening brain surgery.