Update in Numbers (#8)

0- The number of teeth that Abel STILL has. Crazy! I love his huge toothless grin, though. You can't not smile back at him. :)

1- The number of books I've read so far this summer. I'm hoping to pick up the pace a little, though, and read quite a few more! The one I read so far is called And the Shofar Blew by Francine Rivers. Really, really good...I couldn't put it down!

2-The number of our children who now share a room. They absolutely LOVE it...and they wake up from naps and in the morning so much happier now, because they just talk to each other until I go into their room to get them up. I love listening to their conversations after we put them to bed as well. This is how part of their conversation went last night--

Ivy: Israel! Israel! Say the ABC's!
Israel: ABCDEFG...
Ivy: No! No! Wait for me. 
Israel: (silence)
Ivy: Ok. Now say it.
Israel: ABCDEFG...
Ivy: (laughing hysterically) You say it funny! You are a funny, funny, funny boy!
Israel: (laughter)

3-The number of our children who now all wrestle together on a regular basis. It's quite entertaining.

4-The number of members of our family who just signed up for the Summer Reading Program at the library. It's so fun to get prizes for reading...which we would have done  anyway, even without the prizes! We love making trips to our library, too!

Ivy and Israel were very excited about their Reading Program forms.

5:00 PM- The time that all three of our kids glue themselves to the front window or sit on the front porch every day to wait for Papa to get home from work. All four of us are very excited to see him every day!

6-The number of years it has been since we last went to Cedar Point. Aaron and I took a trip there last week with our friends Josh and Abbie, and it was just as amazing as we remembered it. There were hardly ANY lines (the Ohio schools were still in session!) and we rode just about every roller coaster there...most of them several times each. It was a much anticipated and needed break. We definitely felt our age, though...I don't remember being sore for days afterward when we went six years ago :) (and just fyi...the new roller coaster called the Gatekeeper=amazingly awesome). 

7-The number of blocks the kids and I walk daily (as long as it's not raining) to a park and back. I load up Ivy and one of the boys in the double stroller and strap the other boy onto me. It works great! So thankful to live close to a park.

8:30 PM- The starting time of a Bible study that I'm in this summer with some other girls every other Thursday night. We are going to be reading and discussing David Platt's Follow Me. I'm sure I will be challenged, convicted, and encouraged by my study with these gals this summer! I am thankful to my good friend (and old college roomie!) for inviting me.

9-The number of weeks until we make our next move, this time to Missouri. We will be doing our next phase of missionary training there at New Tribes Mission's MTC (Missionary Training Center). Want to read more about the MTC? Click here.


10-The number of years it has been since Aaron and I graduated from high school. We had our 10 year reunion last weekend, and it was so wonderful to see so many of our classmates! The planning committee did an awesome job...we had a picnic for lunch at a park with kids, and then a separate party in the evening with just the adults. We attended both and were so glad we did! 

Some of our kids at the picnic

 Eating lunch together

A group picture of all of our classmates who came to the picnic