View from the top

"Looking forward to things is half the pleasure of them."  ~L.M. Montgomery

The county fair came to town last week.  And the Ferris Wheel did not disappoint.  

On the road again...to Texas...and more family

We extended the family reunion theme when our hostess extended her good Southern hospitality not only to us but also to my cousin and her kids.

We all gathered around Ava's table on Saturday evening and shared our hearts.  Good food and good fellowship so often go hand in hand.

And when the sun popped up Sunday morning, Ava's backyard beckoned me to grab my coffee and Bible and go sit out back with the hummingbirds.

Aaron shared about the Lavukal translation project with Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, and we enjoyed spending a little bit of time getting to know the sweet members of this church.

 And then my hard-working friend once again laid out a delicious Sunday spread to fill up our tummies and our hearts before we hit the road to go back home to Arkansas.

Hughes Reunion 2017

After our trip to Tennessee, the next weekend we drove the other direction on Interstate 40. 

Our first stop was the Hughes Family Reunion.

My grandmother and her siblings are all still living, so we consider it an honor to gather with this side of the family.

This sweet little one is my grandmother's first great-great-grandbaby.  

And the newest generation continues to flourish!

We couldn't stay nearly as long as we wanted to, because we had to hit the road and drive to Texas, but we got a quick picture with my grandmother's descendants before we sped away.

On the road again...

We've started traveling again to share about Bible translation around the world, especially the work going on in the Solomon Islands.

Earlier this month, we visited a sweet family in Nolensville, Tennessee, to update Providence Baptist Church.  Worshipping together and hearing God's Word preached help refill our tanks.

As did hanging out with this crazy crew over some fabulous bar-b-que after church.

Weekend Wanders

 For the last month, our weekends have been wandering all over the place...

We were honored to travel to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Carlisle.  They were the first church to come on board and partner with the Lavukal translation project.

In addition to saying thank you to the church and playing our cellos in a worshipful hymn singing fellowship Sunday night, we got to hang out with some of our favorite people:  cousins.

The weekend after the amazing Cody family stayed with us, we drove across town to update my parents' Sunday school class about the Lavukal translation project,

then we rushed over to church in time for Sarah to be prayed over and sent out to college.

That Sunday also happened to be my sweet mother-in-law's birthday, so we gathered for lunch in celebration of her life.  Our sweet Sarah created one last masterpiece of a birthday cake before she headed off to college.  

And this weekend, we are getting ready for some more wandering, grateful that the Lord keeps putting so many amazing people along our path!

Weekend Wonders

Time is slipping by way too fast, and we are enjoying so many people and experiences that I'm having trouble keeping up with the blog these days!

The Cody family has held a special place in our heart for years,

especially after visiting our village in the Solomon Islands.

And now their family is growing, and our love for them continues to grow.

For a few days last weekend, we soaked up their sweetness - the aroma of Christ.

We took them to one of our favorite places:  Mt. Nebo State Park.

Usually this mountain top retreat is quiet, lonely, and peaceful.  I guess we always go during off season,

because it was packed with weddings and birthday parties and people enjoying the sunset.

Plop down some of my favorite people in one of my favorite places, and you always have a recipe for success.  Especially when you stop for Sonic's "half price shakes after 8" on the way home.

Back to school

Our crew has started back to school amidst a flurry of activity like haircuts,

 eye appointments, dentist visits, and drivers' tests. 

We now have two teenage drivers who no longer need an adult in the car with them!  And it won't be long before we have another young driver, but she will still need mom or dad around for a while.

We're now on week two of our school year, and it's going to look a little different than ever before.  Read-aloud is still my favorite time of day.  As we study American History, I'm reading "Secret of the Andes" with the three kids left at home.

But the big difference is that Aaron and I will be tag-teaming school more.  I've taken a one semester job with the orchestra program here in town.  God is providing some extra finances for our family while at the same time He's allowing me to fill in some gaps in my home-town orchestra due to some medical issues.  It's going to be an exciting semester!

Happy birthday, Sarah

Our two July birthday girls are SO different.

Where extroverted and boisterous Olivia wants a big party with lots of people, 

quiet, introverted Sarah only wants to make her own birthday cake 

and eat it surrounded by the other five members of her immediate family.

I marvel in God's creation of intricate and unique personalities.

Sarah's delight in her creative and decadent cake filled us all with joy and celebration as we looked back on her last eighteen years of life and looked forward to the upcoming changes and growth that will occur in her next year.

Oh, how I love this crew that God has given me.

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come....

...Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:25, 30