Hello Again!

Well, hello blog world!  It has been a little while.  After posting my last post we finished up our visit in South Carolina.  Before leaving town we boarded a cruise ship for five days to the Bahamas.  We then drove 12 hours back to Mississippi and have spent every day since trying to get caught up on rest.  We returned home extremely tired but at the same time extremely blessed by the wonderful trip we had.  I will try to finish posting about that trip soon.  I will also try to get caught up on my homeschool posts.  We finally got the internet service restored in the mission house yesterday so maybe now I can get that done.

We arrived back home from the South Carolina trip late on Saturday night (Sept. 30).  We were right back in school on Monday morning which didn't leave me much time to get unpacked and settled back in.  I haven't taken many photos over the last two weeks but did want to update what we have been up to.  Apart from homeschool here is a glimpse into our lives lately.

Last Wednesday morning I got a text inviting me to lunch at Porches with David's mom and aunts. You know I could not pass that up!  Ben had a dentist appointment so David took him and I took Cruz to lunch with me.  We had a fun visit around the table.

lunch at Porches with family

 spending a little time on the porch swing with Cruz at Porches

I took a few photos of him to send in for a WMU article that he will be featured in next May.  When I look at them I just cannot help but ask myself "what happened to my baby?"  He is growing up so fast!

The repairs to the mission house were done last Thursday and the power was restored last Friday morning.  It was a wonderful sight to see the power company truck pull into the drive-way.  It had been seven weeks since the tree fell and we were more than ready to get moved back in.  While the boys and I did school that morning at the fellowship hall David began working to move our stuff back to the house.  That afternoon we left him working and my mom and I took the boys to visit the Mississippi State Fair in Jackson.  We all had a lot of fun and I will post photos of that outing later.
  

hooray for power!

I wanted to hug his neck.

I did five loads of laundry on Saturday morning and then on Saturday afternoon we visited with David's mom in Crystal Springs.  That evening we met our friends the Browns for supper at Wynndale Steakhouse in Terry.  

We stopped for ice cream at Sonic on the way home.  Here are the kids enjoying their Ninja Turtle glasses they got there.

 No sound effects needed.  You can imagine the noise. 

On Sunday morning we attended worship at Southway Baptist Church in Brookhaven.   That evening we spoke at our home church, Harmony Baptist in Crystal Springs.   It is always good to be there and be loved on by them.

 FBC Meridian, MS

 On Monday morning we drove over to Meridian, MS for me to speak at a WMU Missions Luncheon for the ladies in that association.  I had a wonderful time sharing there and enjoyed the fellowship with that group of ladies. 

On Tuesday evening I was back in Terry, MS to share with a group of ladies from Wynndale Baptist Church.  We met in one of their homes and had a great evening of fellowship, sharing, and eating. Those ladies were a lot of fun and had me laughing the whole night long.  I left feeling very blessed to have been with them. Their leader, Mrs. Joyce Watson, is a retired IMB missionary to the Philippines.  Her son, Dan, was our ministry partner for several years doing agricultural work in Guatemala and Honduras.  We had three speaking engagements in three days and the only photo I took was of the church building in Meridian.  What was I thinking?  ha

On Thursday we took my dad out to lunch for his birthday.  He chose to go to Porches.  You know I was very excited to hear him choose that.  It is by far my very favorite place to eat.

Paw Paw Paul and the boys

grinning as we sang "Happy Birthday" to him

ready to help him blow out the candle

family time at Porches

I cooked a big supper that evening and my mom drove down to eat with us and see the boys.  I am so glad to be back in a house again.  The sound of the washing machine and dryer has been my favorite sound of the whole week.  We are getting settled back in now and trying to find our routine again. I feel like I am so behind in so many areas, but I will get it all caught up again eventually. 

I am looking forward to the weekend.   We will be speaking Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, and Sunday night.   We would appreciate your prayers as we go and share.

Happy Friday everyone!  Have a great day.