Author Archives: reba

Baseball, birthdays, & battling sickness

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The 3 Amigos wrapped up baseball last Saturday. It was such an exciting season, and the boys have come such an incredibly long way with their skills. Just amazing progress! Catching is really the only thing that really needs to be tackled hard.

Zeke merrily getting to first base. Hey, as long as he’s fast & running *through* the base, it’s cool by us.

Interestingly, the Y coach disappeared about half way through the season. The dudes told me he had gone to the beach and surmised that he had probably gotten eaten by a shark. Hmmm, not sure about that, but his status is still unknown.

Thankfully, the dads happily filled in for the no-show coaching. And the Braves, who played the role of Bad News Bears during most games, ended the season on an upswing.

On 10/16, our double trouble turned 7! To celebrate the big occasion, Daddy took off work, and we went to the Durham Museum of Life & Science with Bret and Granny.

Here’s Houston stopping a grounder & getting it where it needs to be. Good defense, dude!

We got in for half price to this expensive museum as part of a homeschool group, and thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the cool displays and doing the hands-on exhibits. It was a great day of loving and learning, and a wonderful way to ring in the twins’ 7th year of life.

Daddy even treated us to some seriously authentic Mexican cuisine at a taqueria. With the combo of homemade corn tortillas, expertly cooked meat, and a delicious salsa-and-topping bar, we might just have to drive to Durham again just to eat there!

Gabriel makes his way to home plate. “Don’t look at the ball” was alway our mantra after a hit.

That evening, we had a campfire and cake with neighbors, including some longtime neighbors we’re finally getting to know (like Nick’s dad and Gavin’s parents), and our new next door neighbors. Then we had Bret and Matthew to the casa for a sleepover.

It was a wonderful time, except for when Matthew stepped in the hot ash the following morning and had to go to the hospital. Poor, fella.

It was a good lesson for all the kids, though: Listen to the adults when they say “don’t step in the ash ’cause it’s still hot” … and also for Matthew alone: When mama says to grab your bag and come home, don’t hang out for another hour, eat a sandwich, and get yourself burned.

The 3 Amigos & Bret get ready to take the Durham Life & Science Museum by storm. Bull City will never be the same!

Seriously, we’re so relieved that Matthew is okay and so grateful that his mama was understanding about the sitch. Thank God for protecting that sweet boy!

The other big event in October was Stephen’s and my 15th anniversary on 10/14. We didn’t do anything special, since our trip to the Dominican Republic was really an early celebration of the notable occasion. Thanks for putting up with me all these years, baby!

Interestingly, we’ve made the most of these memorable moments with full gusto, despite the fact that the whole fam has been battling sickness for the last month or so. It’s just finally tapered off recently due to heavy doses of over-the-counter meds for me and a trip to the pediatrician for the boys.

The dudes fully embrace the “Into the Mist” exhibit. What a neat landscape to while away a Friday, while most other kids are stuck in a desk @ school.

Turns out that Zeke and Houston have a nasty mixture of ear infections and seasonal allergies, so we had to finally resort to antibiotics to kick their illness. But it was that blend of ailments that made all of our symptoms so hard to treat. Moreover, no one suffered a fever (except me only one night), and no one lost their appetite in the slightest.

Currently, Gabriel’s doing fine, as are the other two kids on their fancy meds. But Stephen and I are still battling a croupy cough, although the lethargy and major congestion have started to subside. We’ll survive, but man, has it been a pain and a major wet-blanket to fully enjoying my beloved autumn!

Durham is called Bull City due to an ambitious marketing campaign by Bull Durham Tobacco Company to try meet the demands of American smokers post-Civil War. How interesting is that?!

We haven’t let some hacking and snotty noses stop us from taking part in everything, though. For example, Gabriel and Zeke went to Gramsey and Papa’s sans Houston for two nights in mid-September. They were treated like kings, of course, but did, however, do some work in Lisa and Albert’s garden. Child labor, baby!

The twins attended their first piano party at Miss Julie’s on 9/24. They were thrilled to finally go to the event where we’ve been dropping Houston off solo lo these many years. I stayed for this one, but I think that Gabe and Zeke are seeking greater independence. So, I shall be dropping off the 3 Amigos at tomorrow’s party. Good luck, fellas!

At CC on Tuesday, Zeke dissects owl pellets w/ Julia & Gabriel w/ Allie. Isn’t learning fun?!

On 9/30, we had Houston’s pal, Isaiah, to the house for a sleepover. We’ve known him since our first year at CC, and his mom, Celeste, is one of my fave ladies there, but the kids had kind of lost touch since they weren’t in the same class last year.

Well, this year’s a different story, and Houston wants to rekindle the friendship. Having been treated to the best pizza in town at Mario’s, fun at Awana, video games, and playing in the rain, I think Isaiah feels the same about Houston and los gemelos (how you say “the twins” in Spanish).

The boys attended a party at Chuck E. Cheese in early October. It was thrown by a nice gal named Carrie, who I first met at Christie’s house last year. She also knows Tricia and Jeremy, too, since they attend the same church as Carrie (and as did the J-Crew).

Houston & his all-boy CC class conquer the tin whistle. Aren’t they just so cute?! (And yes, I know Houston needs a haircut.)

This is another friendship I’d like to foster. Not only does she have a whopping four boys, but she’s a stay-at-homer, who also homeschools. We are everywhere! Now, if we could just see Tricia and Jeremy for something other than a kid swap, that’d just be dandy!

The whole family attended a party at Mr. Dan’s that night. (Remember him from our crazy Hanging Rock camping trip?) I called it an “international” gathering, since Dan is South African, another couple there were Romanian, and there was a smart-ass Canadian present for good measure. The Triad’s melting pot is definitely alive and well!

La República Dominicana

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“Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men & things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime.”

One of my favorite Southerners, Mark Twain, said it best. Traveling makes you modest, makes you question your comfort zone, and ultimately, makes you ponder your tiny place in this vast and ever-changing world. And that’s a good, healthy thing.

The Caribbean view from the plane en route to the Dominican Republic.

So, we got to La República Dominicana on my 44th birthday. My first impression upon arriving was disbelief at the inefficiency, like having to take a bus from the tarmac to the terminal check-in … you know, all 100 meters of a journey.

Then paying a guy $10 to enter the country, and having to hand over the government tickets to another dude some two yards away. Now there’s make work! I think that airport needs to invest in some automation.

But all turista complaining aside, our time in the Dominican Republic was enjoyable and stress-free. Sure, we made a few mistakes, like tipping the airport baggage guy way too much, or buying an 8-pack of tampons for $8 (gasp!) because I thought I had forgotten to bring mine, and purchasing for some pricey cigars that turned out to be Cuban knock-offs.

Rebeeler on la playa in Punta Cana. Gracias for “quince” great years, mi amor! If you can put up with me for 15, certainly we are in it for the long haul.

Honestly, haggling, in my opinion, is just the worst. I like the competitive and equalizing factor of “here’s the good and this is the fee.” But in other parts of the world, price is debatable and fluid, depending on the circumstance and possibly even the consumer’s country of origin.

This is no slight at those who can barter and haggle well. It’s just that I’m so accustomed to the competitive and consumer-friendly forces of goods as far as the eye can see and at the best possible prices, that it is always hard for me to get cope with such hyper-inconsistent exchanges.

Interestingly, Americans aren’t the only fat ones. It seems the rest of the world’s beach dwellers — well, at least the ones from South America and Europe, from which most DR turistas hail — are rather robust, too.

A Dominican artistic impression of Conan O’Brien. Now this work of art is certainly worth a good, healthy haggle.

String bikinis are an unfortunate trend at the beaches in La Altagracia region. Even though it is mostly the Dominicans who are the fittest and most exquisitely beautiful, modesty was replete on la playa. Hey, at least the turistas don’t have negative body image issues, as do many Americans.

In general, non-Americans know multiple languages, like our concierge Eugenia. She was Bulgarian, but was fluent in English and Spanish.

Also Anna, the Ukrainian lady who pitched a vacation package to us: she spoke Russian, of course, as well as English, French, and Spanish. And Lisandro, our Spanish-speaking guide on the wonderful local excursion, also spoke English and French, and was in the process of learning Russian.

Bávaro Beach from a catamaran before muy cocktails, a sunset swim, & a lobster dinner. That’s just the way things roll in La República Dominicana!

Moreover, the turistas we met from places like Montreal, the Czech Republic, Uruguay, Russia, and Slovenia, spoke impeccable English, even though they usually would humbly say they only knew “pequeño” (a little).

And Stephen’s español was just amazing. He gets rusty, sure. But once he lets go and relaxes, hearing him communicate with locals is like listening to a symphony of sometimes discordant, yet mostly harmonic musicians, playing the earthly tune of man. Communication in its purest form.

Therefore, I’m going to be a student in Stephen’s weekly Spanish lesson with the boys. It’s going to be difficult for me, I know. But if there’s one thing that homeschooling has taught assured me, it’s that I’m a lifelong learner. So, if I have an open enough mind to overcome my math phobia, why not tackle a foreign language (or two) while I’m at it?!?

If you got no pesos, this is how poor turistas can work off mamajuana shots & El Presidente cervezas!

Other than linguistics, we had many beach-bum days filled soft sand, seaweed swimming, palm umbrellas, endless cocktails, perspiration galore, and people-watching. Time was not much of a concern — quite an odd feeling for most Americans, but very necessary and therapeutic, since relaxation is the main objective.

We adventured outside of the resort on occasion, like our visit to a local farm to tour the home and property, and lands where coffee, cocoa, tobacco, plantains and other tropical fruit are grown. It was incredible getting to meet Dominicans, who are typically friendly and kind, as well as hang with other cool turistas from around the world.

Our tour also took us to a mountainside restaurant, an elementary school outside Higüey, and La Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia. The church, which is the largest basilica in Latin America, was architecturally pleasing, but also a tad disturbing as it had Mary as its centerpiece, rather than, you know … Jesus!

Drinking vino piño, smoking puros, listening to music, star gazing, having deep conversations, & relaxing on the beach our last night in town.

Our savior, the Son of God, and healer of mankind’s brokenness, seemed an after thought there. Strange how that happens in Latin America, as well as in some other places in the world. But I’ve learned that deifying the mother was a way that Catholics long ago tackled the veneration of pagan goddesses. And it just kinda stuck.

Moreover, Christ has been dealing with castigation, mockery, and misinterpretation since the dawn of man; that’s kinda what we sinners do. But He defeated death and sits at the right hand of God, and His spirit lives in us. So, a little Mary-worship sure can’t squelch His power or waver my faith in any way. It just ain’t my thang.

Now, we got to DR without a hitch, but leaving was another story. The coiled lines were long and unnecessarily slow. All the passengers on our flight were forced to sit on the tarmac for an hour in order that a few folks and their bags could be rechecked due to some kind of ticketing error.

Taking a break in Macao after a long day of exploring the area of La Altagracia & meeting some of the locals. By the way, have I mentioned that the Dominican Republic is HOT, like steamier-than-New-Orleans kinda hot?! Don’t even bother wearing makeup.

And then the Homeland Security guy that “welcomed” us back to the States was so stereotypically rude that it seemed like a spoof. Thanks, ‘Merica. But we survived. I’m just glad my travel-weary husband didn’t punch him, otherwise I’d have a way more subversive headline for this blog.

But travel sure does make your appreciate all your blessings and give you invaluable insights about yourself, the world, and the diverse peoples that inhabit it. Our vacation was an exciting and memorable trip, as well as such a loving gesture from my hubby, who took me there to celebrate early our 15th wedding anniversary.

I truly appreciate the adventure, Stephen, and look forward to our next travels. And thanks to you, too, Granny, for taking care of the 3 Amigos so we could experience this romantic time together sans kids! We certainly couldn’t have pulled it off without you.

Papa & the 3 Amigos have a blast cooking (& hypnotizing!) crabs for our delicious seafood feast w/ family. Thanks for the awesome memories, Papa!

In early August, the boys and I went up to see the Richmond crew and eat yummy steamed crabs. It was a leisurely visit that included lots of chilling with the family, plus, some spur-of-the-moment hang time with three of my old-school pals: Angela, Shelley, and Michelle. So great to catch up with these fine ladies!

In mid-August, we got to see the other side of the family in the mountains, but this time for a sad occasion: Uncle Tommy’s funeral. It was a heart-wrenching trip, since his death was quite shocking. After all, Tommy was a pretty young, healthy guy.

Plus, knowing that his granddaughter, sweet Ella, is too young to probably have formed any lasting memories of him is just a devastating thought. But we are praying for all of those who were closest to Tommy and will miss him most, specifically Granny, Kelly, Laura, Mike, and Dale.

The 3 Amigos have been playing a lot lately w/ our neighbor, Matthew (seen here far right), as well as a cool kid named Nick. It sure pleases this mama that the boys have plenty of neighborhood friends for good-time shenanigans.

But there were some happy times that weekend, like the boys playing with their Carolina kin, Ella, Grace, and Faith, and getting to meet Jovi, their cousin from Minnesota, and Stephen and I bonding with family we don’t see all that often. We were also able to make it to the Houston Family Reunion.

Remember those pukey sleeping bags from our last camping trip? Well, I took the need of having to clean them in a front-loading washing machine as an opportunity to invite the dudes and I over to Meredith’s house. I figured she has the high-tech wares, so why not get some much-needed time in with her and Rorie, all while tackling the overdue task?!

Rorie had a great fun with the 3 Amigos, who she classified as “such loud boys.” And Meredith and I were able to chat while the kids entertained one another. Thanks for a great afternoon of fun, washing, eating Chinese food, and good conversation, girls!

Houston, Zeke, Owen & Gabriel get ready to rock out @ the Folk Fest!

We attended the National Folk Festival last weekend in … Greensboro! Amazingly, our fare city has been chosen as the host of the big event for three years. Very cool.

One of our dearest friends, Steven, his wife, Paige, and son, Owen, came to town to partake in the festivities with us. It was a blast to spend some time with them and get to see some kickin’ live music so close to home.

We hope to rekindle our friendship with Steven and get to know his beautiful family even better. After all, it was he (along with his two older brothers) who was responsible for Stephen and I crossing paths back back in ’98.

Nice photography skills, Houston. Thanks for snapping this pic of Mommy & Daddy w/ our buddies Steven & Paige during stay with us. We look forward to seeing them later in the fall.

Fall baseball at the Y has been underway for a month. The dudes are playing for the Atlanta Braves and are doing quite well. Everyone’s skills continue to improve unabated, and the twins’ focus on the game has gotten much better, too.

Yesterday, I thought the boys’ game was at 12:15. But at 11:10, I happened to glance at my calendar and see that it was an 11:15 game. Gasp! I grabbed a baseball cap and bra for me, opted to skip brushing my teeth, threw the gear in the back of Stephen’s truck, and sped down the street to pick up the kids from trampoline jumping at Matthew’s.

Somehow, we made it to the Y by 11:30. Unfortunately, I had to do my bra-and-hat routine in the porta-potty, but at least I got to witness some rather entertaining baseball, and the 3 Amigos (who are virtually half the team) were able to play the majority of the game.

Can you tell I’m a tad excited to hang w/ Dale Watson & see one of my all-time favorite musicians perform in my hometown?! I’m already looking forward to next year’s fest.

CC, Awana, and piano are in full swing again. Things are going swimmingly, both learning-wise and time-wise, especially since I’m being rather diligent about not biting off not much more than the essentials and a few outings here and there.

Houston says he wants to do CC Memory Master, which means being able to recite all 24 weeks of grammar for seven subjects by late March. It was his idea, so I’m letting him take the lead. He did this for two subjects (Latin and history) during his first year of CC in ’12, and this is his second time around with Cycle 1, so I’m confident he can pull it off!

Last but not least, we cannot forget about Stanley. He had gotten pretty mellow and sweet over the summer, that is, until we had some dental work done on him at the vet last month. Now he’s back to the same old grumpy, ornery critter he used to be. I hope that mean feline likes living outdoors for a while. What a rude, fat cat.

“Freedom from God is slavery to circumstance”

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Yesterday, Granny took the boys to Mount Mitchell, elevation 6,684 feet. My lovers of geography were thrilled to visit the highest peak east of the Mississippi.

They did some light hiking, ate a picnic lunch, and cheerfully weathered the 63-degree temps in summer clothing. What a nice and safe adventure in the great outdoors.

Warming up & drying off after a fun-filled afternoon swimming @ Hanging Rock Lake. Little did we know what craziness what in store for us on day two of our camping trip.

Now let’s compare this with our camping trip to Hanging Rock from July 11-13. That Saturday was sunny and warm, so setting up camp was easy enough. Once Stephen’s friend from work, Dan, and his 12-year-old son, Brendan, arrived, we were off to do some lake swimming.

That night featured all the things that make camping so rewarding: relaxing around the campsite in an organic state, building a kick-butt fire, feasting on smokey campfire-cooked meat, munching guilt-free on junk food, making s’mores, burning sticks, drinking icy cold brews, and playing with glow sticks and glow necklaces after dark.

Overall, day one was a smashing success, and it felt as though Hanging Rock had welcomed us with open arms. Now, the next day was another story.

Zeke celebrates finding a good s’more-roasting stick, while Houston tosses the football — a harbinger of things to come the following day.

It began innocently enough. We’re pretty slow-moving campers in the morning. After Stephen boiled water for coffee, and Dan cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast, we lounged lazily around the fire, not quite ready to start off on an adventure.

Instead, the adventure came to us in the form of a football landing smack dab in the pan with still searing-hot bacon grease. It flew up onto Dan’s hands, Brendan’s arms and forehead, and Zeke’s legs. Screaming and crying filled the campground, and freaking out ensued.

Houston was the one who had been tossing the football up into the air. I actually thought to tell him to move away from where we were hanging out as to avoid hitting the lantern or some other breakable piece of camping gear. The grease hadn’t even crossed my mind as a possible disastrous target.

The twins are in awe of Gabriel’s fiery stick. Burning stuff is one of the best parts of camping, well, unless it entails burning-hot bacon grease.

But against my better judgement and my gut intuition, I said nothing. I felt like during the week leading up to camping, I had been riding Houston a little hard. So, I thought, “Lighten up, Rebecca. Let the boy have a good time, and stop ruining his fun.”

Interestingly, both dads said after the fact that they hadn’t even noticed Houston throwing the ball. Hence, it was me who dropped the ball, so to speak. Ultimately, I was responsible, and I felt horrible.

Of course, poor Houston felt even worse. He was saying how he was the worst person in the world, but we couldn’t really tend to his shattered self-esteem, since the medical needs of our burn victims were the most pressing issue.

Dan assists in getting the boys to pose for this forced photo @ Window Falls. A little morning trauma, a stressful hike, & my nervous & shaky hands weren’t about to stop me from getting my obligatory nature shot. Now smile, daggone it!

After being iced and slathered with ointment from the first-aid kit, Zeke eventually calmed down. We assessed the burns, which were pretty bad, but not blistering, so we opted forego a trip to the hospital.

After that, we were finally able to talk to Houston. We explained that he wasn’t in trouble. It was abundantly clear that this was just an accident, and we could see that he felt great remorse. We lovingly assured him that no one was mad and that we all forgave him. Poor kid.

Sure, we told him he should learn from such mistakes and make wiser decisions in the future, but the mishap was ultimately Mommy’s fault, since she was the only adult who happened to think about the consequences beforehand. Sigh … not the proudest parenting moment of my life.

Zeke shimmies down a rock on his bottom (as has been advised), while Gabriel does a jig near the steep ledge … Mommy’s blood pressure goes up.

I felt like my entire foundation had been rocked. I was guilt-ridden, shaken to the core, and shaking life a leaf.

Instead of practicing grace with myself, as I’m called to do in Ephesians 4:32, I felt feeble and defeated. Instead of remembering that God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness, like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, I was discouraged and wrecked by my failure.

Once we determined that Zeke could indeed get a sock on over the bandaged burns, we forged on with our hiking plans for the day. We made it to Window Falls and Hidden Falls, where the boys quickly got ahead of us with Brendan. This, I didn’t handle well.

“Is my wife having a nervous breakdown?” ponders Stephen. “Will we survive this hike?” I wonder, as I let the circumstances control me & affect our group. Sorry for not embracing the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, y’all! (By the way, nice photography work, Houston.)

Once we caught up to them, I witnessed my young, inexperienced hikers jumping from slippery rock to slippery rock, while exercising absolutely no caution. They haphazardly climbed up and descended down slime-covered terrains, heeding no skills we’d previously taught. I was just a mass of twitching nerves.

At our urging, the 3 Amigos were a bit more vigilant in the safety standards at our final destination, Lower Cascade Falls. This one has a pool deep enough for swimming, so we stayed there for a while to let the kids cool off and play, and allow us some time to chill and decompress.

Back at the site, Gabriel was sitting on his knees and leaning forward (as is his wont) while eating chips at a picnic table. Behind him was a cooler with a detached lid. His foot pushed against it, the lid slid off, and Gabe’s face smashed into the edge of the table.

Houston, who is such a sweet, forgiving & grace-filled boy, manages to have fun hiking behind Hidden Falls, despite Mommy’s stressed-out demeanor. So glad you didn’t let the accident or me ruin your adventure!

Blood gushed. Shrieks filled the campground for a second time. And ice was once again utilized to doctor an injury.

Turns out that Gabe took a chunk out of the gum above a top, front permanent tooth. Yikes. But because we were able to stop the bleeding promptly and he was able to eat without pain, we opted against the ER. Plus, I figured I’d just take him to the dentist once we returned to civilization.

After that, we had an uneventful dinner (thank God!), feasting upon MREs and sausages, and just trying to recover from the stresses of the day. Once Dan and Brendan hit the road, the boys easily passed out in the tent.

Zeke frolics in the pool of Lower Cascade Falls, happy that the cool waters provide relief to his injured legs. Thank the Lord his burns have healed well & hopefully only one small scar will remain.

That night, however, a thunderstorm raged and caused our tent to leak a bit. (Well, our laziness in not tying down the rain cover was the real culprit.) The boys were a bit scared, but we convinced them we were safe and, no, we wouldn’t float away, never to be seen or heard from again.

Gabriel had said he felt badly, but I chocked that up to fear and fatigue, so I didn’t think much about it. That is, until he puked all over his blankets, sleeping bag, and therma-rest around 2 a.m.

For once that day, I took God’s advice, and heeded the words of Isaiah 26:3 by finding peace in Jesus in the midst of this literal and figurative storm. I calmly reassured the boys that we would be okay, and that we could and would press on, despite our circumstances.

Zeke tries to slide down slippery rocks @ the bottom of Lower Cascade. Fortunately, it was a very bumpy & unsuccessful ride, so no more attempts were made. Don’t worry, thrill-seekers … there were more injuries & mishaps in store for us later on back @ the campground.

I used one of the remaining two therma-rests and slept down on the ground with Gabe to help him through the night, and Houston and Zeke snuggled with Daddy on the blow-up mattress. Sure, the smell of puke hung in the air, but we did indeed make it through the night no worse for the wear.

The day after we got home, though, I told Stephen I felt like I was having a stroke. I was speaking like I had dyslexia, jumbling up my words into a mixed-up order. Somehow, Houston managed to translate for me, articulating my unintelligible sentences into thoughts that made sense.

Stephen explained that people having strokes don’t even say real words and convinced me that I was fine. Still, I felt like someone was sitting on my chest and that I had no control over myself, mind and body. It was truly frightening.

Our trip w/ a few CC families to All-A-Flutter Butterfly Farm was both stress-free & injury-free … no standing on dangerous ledges for these merry pics!

Since then, I’ve determined that my physical body was merely suffering the symptoms of a spiritual sickness. I had gotten to a place both leading up to and during the camping trip where I wanted to have control, instead of letting the Holy Spirt control me and allowing His fruits to take hold of my life, as is spelled out in Galatians 5:22-25.

I was ignoring the words in John 15:5 that says by abiding in Christ, you will bear much fruit. And I wasn’t listening to Paul’s wisdom in Philippians 4:10-13. As Pastor Andrew explains these verses, “Freedom from God is slavery to circumstance.”

I’ve gained a deeper faith since all this, and feel like a stronger mom and wife, and a more mature Christian. I’m not saying I won’t screw up again and feel that human impulse of letting circumstances control me, but I will recognize the darkness sooner and be able to use the light of Christ to conquer it, hopefully, with much less drama.

Zeke dons Monarch antennae as tissue paper is wrapped around the kids to symbolize the chrysalis, from which these “butterflies” will emerge.

Simply put, I am learning ever so slowly to be content like Paul. It’s difficult and it’s radical, but it’s indeed doable. And honestly, it is the only way to survive and thrive in our brutal world and in America’s culture of death.

As my pastor further explains it, “I am tied to the source of life. It is strength to stand against the circumstances of the world through weakness of total dependence on God.”

In other words, when God controls us, our circumstances don’t, and our dependence on other worldly things is broken as a result. That is power. That is strength. That is blessing. That is freedom.

Although Monarchs are supposed to be attracted to vibrant colors, they were particularly drawn to Zeke, even in a black shirt. I think his butterfly popularity came as quite a surprise!

Other stuff:

  • Gabe’s gum is healing well and his first ($91!!!) x-ray showed that there was no damage to his tooth’s root or socket. He has to get another trauma check in a couple weeks, so you better break open the piggy bank, buddy.
  • We went to the sprayground with some Mercy Hill mamas, which included Kim, who just so happens to be the midwife who delivered Houston. He’s friends with her son, Casey. Small world, eh?!
  • Houston’s swimming like a champ and taking on diving boards, like he did at John Hunter and Gray’s house recently. He was even able to swim out to the platform at Hanging Rock and jump bravely from the board into the lake’s 14-feet water!

Even Houston (not a huge fan of critters these days) likes feeding the the Monarchs from his Gatorade-drenched pad.

  • Gabriel can now jump into the six-feet end of the pool and swim his way back to the edge without my assistance — a new feat realized while at Will’s pool the other day!
  • And Zeke is technically swimming, but just needs to build his confidence and not rely on floaties or the noodle. I’m so proud of all my little swimmers!
  • Stephen and I had an eventful date night. We saw Robert Randolph & the Family; then feasted on phở, bánh mì, and delectable cocktails made by a very serious bartender; indulged in a pricey cigar at an all-black bar, where we stuck out like soar thumbs, but didn’t care. Good times for sure!

Many Monarchs flutter about, while Gabriel & crew enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of the butterfly house.

  • Gramsey and Papa came to visit and took us out to a restaurant of Houston’s choosing. He picked Mario’s Pizza, which impressed the skeptics. And then the boys enjoyed working on a 500-piece puzzle, playing poker, and showing off their reading skills to Grams and Pops.
  • We went to a baseball game with Tricia, Jeremy, Bret, and Bella. We met this cool family through the J-Crew and hope that our friendships with them blossom over the coming months.
  • In fact, we are planning a camping trip with them this fall. Crazy, you say? Well, that’s the just the way we roll.