Tuesday morning, I woke up late to find the sun streaming in the kitchen window.

The sun was lighting up the plum jelly my mother-in-law gave me for my birthday, and the attic fan was pulling in the fragrance of the gardenias blooming just outside the kitchen window. 



Olivia and I made a quick trip to the Conway's farmer's market.  We brought back green beans, potatoes, squash, blueberries, a loaf of dill bread, and a jar of "carrot cake" homemade jam.  I think I'll be doing a blog giveaway soon with some of the great stuff I've been finding in Central Arkansas.

The kids started back to school today - just math and science, but enough to give us a little taste of "normal" in the midst of no routine.  Hard to believe Sarah is starting algebra! 

One of my favorite things about being back in the land of communication is the ability to just call or text somebody and have almost instant communication.  I called my sister-in-law, Kenda, mid-morning, and we decided to meet for lunch at Cross Creek Sandwich Shop in downtown Conway.  I have to admit, the sprawling shop next door, Jennifer's Antiques, helped me choose the spot for lunch.  Kenda's mother, Patricia, came, too, and we sampled the delicious strawberry soup and chicken salad.  Patricia has concocted her own strawberry soup recipe, so I've got to give it a try.



Wednesday morning, the whole family drove out to Lake Conway where my grandparents live.  Benjamin helped Grandpa thin out and replant some corn.  Benjamin is my garden helper in Marulaon, and he's such a hard worker.

The kids played with a little tortoise hiding in the garden, and Aaron took them out for rides in Grandpa's boat.

 Amidst the visiting and playing, Grandma and I cooked up a big batch of fried fish that Grandpa had caught in the lake - two skillets going at once for this hungry crew.  Oh, I'm loving being close to our families again.



Wednesday afternoon, we took the kids over to my parent's house for a sleepover while Aaron and I spoke to my dad's Bible study group.  Looking around the room, I saw face after face of "Senior Saints" who watched me grow up and who have dedicated their lives to serving the Lord in Central Arkansas.  Despite some technical difficulties, we had so much fun sharing about Bible translation with this group.

Aaron and I decided to be wild and crazy since we finished up about 9:30 p.m. and had a great babysitter.  We finished the night by going to Sonic and ordering half price milkshakes - what a great date!