Back Up A Little

I got a little ahead of myself yesterday, but I had to post on the boys first day of school. They did great, by the way, and had lots of stories to tell. They both seemed very excited when they got home - tired, but excited! Ronnie liked that he got to write in cursive and Nathaniel like recess and PE "Oh, and math was fun too".

But again I am getting ahead of myself. Last week we had the opportunity to have a mini vacation of sorts. Remember this past July was our first vacation in a very long time, if ever, when we went to Grandma and Grandpa Adkins house for a whole week. It was lots of fun. Well, when we got home, my parents had rented a cottage on Big Turkey Lake (in Indiana) for the month of August (to finish off dad's sabbatical). So they invited us to come up for a few days. The boys were beyond excited and they had no idea what going to the Lake meant.

I'll take several posts to show you all our fun with mom and dad, but I thought I better start with the camping. The boys have been wanting to camp all summer and it just hasn't worked out, but finally they were putting up the tent. (Note: the big house in the background is not "our cottage". That's what you calling "really roughing it" at the lake).

Finally with some teamwork, the tent was up.

Eli was probably the most excited. This would be his first time to get to sleep in the tent! He was beyond himself with excitement.

Even Sissy got to check it out before the sleeping bags were put in. We actually bought this tent for Ronnie a few years ago with the hopes of buying more that would attach as the years went on, and wouldn't you know it, soon after we bought it they stopped making them and we could find no more! It's a little small, but the guys had fun!

Below, Daddy, Ronnie and Nathaniel are enjoying the fire. Eli wasn't ready to settle down yet. If you look close you can see him up by the cottage on a little bike.

Finally, it's bed time!

The boys camped out for 2 nights. On the second night, mom and I helped out. We made pizza pockets and smores! The smores were a first for the boys and they loved them.

I'm almost too impatient to roast marshmallows, but finally I got enough for everybody.

Nathaniel thought it was worth the wait!

Then more enjoying the fire, before bed.

The boys all agreed it was a great time of camping. It was cool and peaceful and fun to hear the waves crashing in on the lake at times too! Fun Times!

The First Day

Today was Ronnie and Nathaniel's first day of school. I have a love/hate relationship with these days. I love that the boys are growing and becoming more independent and I hate that they are growing and becoming more independent. It might not be quite as hard as it was for me last year, but it is not my favorite day. I love these guys and am anxious for them to return and tell us all about their first day adventures.

Eli wanted to join in the pictures. I can't tell if he is excited that they are gone and he is the biggest or if he misses them (maybe a little of both).

Hugs

and kisses!

The new bus driver! Unfortunately, our bus is no longer running, so we will be taking and picking up the boys this year, or Ron will!

There will be many changes in the upcoming year and many firsts to come. Our boys are growing, they are maturing - it's scary and exciting for this momma. Scary, to wonder if I have given them the tools they need and Exciting to see where Jesus will take them and how He will lead!

Randomness

Below are just some random pictures taken recently.

Here Daddy is teaching Ronnie to mow. Ron says he was mowing at his age and it wouldn't hurt to show him. I was skeptical...


Ronnie was proud!

I just love this picture of the 3 boys. I captured it Sunday while I was trying to get one of all 4. I hope to post the 4 of them at the top of the blog soon.

I saw this out the window and just had to run out and get a picture. First of all, I don't think they could get more into the wagon. Secondly, Ronnie is really not working much, Nathaniel is pushing him. It was just so funny to me.

Reading time. I love it when she is still and enjoying books.

Fun pictures. I hope you enjoyed them too!

WANTED

WANTED!

One handsome little nearly 6 year old.

50.8 lbs. (75 %)

49" (97%)

with 2 missing front teeth!

Cute as a button!

Nathaniel and Daddy had fun taking these pictures. Lately Nathaniel has wanted to wear his jeans and cowboy boots. With his missing front teeth and his sloppy cowboy hat, he's too cute!

I took him to the doctor yesterday for his yearly exam and he is doing great. The doctor expects him to be a tall skinny man.

One last visit

We have had scheduled for a while now to go to Mom and Dad's this past weekend. My brother, Jay and his family were coming and Jo and Billy would be there too. Well we began to realize about Tuesday that things were not going to go quite as planned. As it turns out, Jay and family had a very close family friend pass away (if you wouldn't mind, as you read this, pray for the Conley family who lost their 14 yo daughter this past week). Then Ron ended up having a funeral as well. So, it turned out to be the kids and I who traveled down to Van Buren to spend one last weekend with Jo, Billy and the girls before they leave on the 5th of Sept.

We had a fun 24 hours. I'll show you a little in picture.

This picture was too cute. Elsie had gone up to Maddie (both standing) and tried to pull her onto her lap. They both ended in a pile on the floor in giggles!

Maddie, Elsie and Lucy - Such Cuties!
All 6 kids! (buckeye boys and denim girls - not planned)
wrestling w. Uncle Billy

Reading time w. Grandma, who by the way, is doing really well.

Uncle Billy getting snuggles from Maddie and Lucy

I love this picture. There was a break in the kickball game and so Ronnie took a seat. Next thing I know, Elsie Jayne grabbed a ball and sat like her big cousin. After a tie kickball game, between Ronnie, Nathaniel and Uncle Billy it was determined, by Ronnie, that they would play their next game in 4 years. He kept saying, I'll be 11 and in 6th grade! WOW!

Uncle Billy and Aunt Jo have been home for 8 months and finally we got to hear Uncle Billy show us how he does his Storying. He told the boys of "Blind Bartamaeus".

We were singing and praising Jesus when Maddie raised her hands up high. It was so cute. Then Eli thought he would join in the praisin'.

Lucy loved Grandma's bubbles.

Somehow this is the only family picture I got. I guess Maddie is just a bonus!

Although it was a quick 24 hours and not what we had planned, it was good to spend time with Jo, Billy and the girls. Please keep them in your prayers. They fly out of Cincinnati on the 5th for a 3 day adventure back to Uganda!

Joys = Church

I'm not sure about you, but at our church we give our Joys and Concerns each week aloud. Eli is very faithful to ask for prayer for those who are sick or hurting. He has been doing this at our Ney church for quite some time. Grandma Neff got lots of prayers during this time because Eli was faithful to remind us to pray. Lately he has also gotten in on the Joys side of it. I'm always a little nervous when I see Eli raise his hand, but the last few weeks, when Daddy (our Pastor) calls on him, he simply says, "church". It's a joy for this little guy to be in church. I love it! It is a JOY! It's a privilege and a JOY to be able to attend church every Sunday and worship with like minded individuals and worship the Lord together with other believers.

Eli is the social one of our family. He is, to date, the most outgoing (it's yet to be determined if Maddie will give him a run for that title). He loves to enter the church and greet people and it's fun to see him put a smile on people's face.

Below he is pictured with Mr. Calvin, our organist. Eli thinks the organ is pretty cool. He likes to watch Mr. Calvin prepare. Mr. Calvin seems to enjoy it too!

We're so blessed our little ones Love to attend Church!

Miss Independent

This is not the greatest picture, but it's good enough to share the story behind it. Maddie loves to follow anyone into the bathroom. She thinks her job is to sit or stand on the stool while whoever she followed does their job. We've been trying to train the boys to shut the door when they come out or go into the bathroom, but she still on occasion finds her way in. She climbs up on the stool and then determines (in her mind) that she's stuck. She then begins yelling, "Ma, Ma, Ma" for a rescue.

That one syllable word was so cute at first...now it seems to take on new meaning!

So on this particular occasion, she had climbed up and was stuck. I went to retrieve my camera before rescuing her. When I returned, camera in hand, she had somehow gotten a hold of the soap dispenser. I snapped the picture and as if in defiance to me she stuck the soap in her mouth to attempt to eat it. I'm pretty sure she didn't get much, but the look on her face said that what she had intended for defiance had not turned out the way she planned.

Although she still has a desire to climb the stool in the bathroom, I haven't seen her with the soap!

Missionaries - The Gentry's

This past weekend we had another Missionary Family in our home. The Gentry's came from Mississippi! Troy, Jenny and their 4 kids are raising support to go to Mexico through OMS (One Mission Society). We have known Troy and Jenny since our time at Wesley and it was great to spend some time together again.

Between our 2 families the eight kids had a great time getting to know each other and they played really well together!

Some reading time with Ms. Jenny

Maddie didn't take too long to warm up to everybody. Below she's reading with Mr. Troy.

These 2 cowboys made a cute pair.

Here are all 8 kids together.

It was a little chaotic, but I think they all had a great time.

You can join us in praying for safety for the Gentry family and for their support to come in so that they can get to Mexico!

Why Church?

I've been thinking about something and thought I'd get all you bloggers to give your input. If you are reading this post and you go to church, why do you go to church?

I've been in church since I was a baby. My Dad was/is a pastor and now my husband is a pastor. Church is a very big part of my life. But I am becoming more and more convinced that church is a fad for people.

When we lived in Mississippi it was very obvious that church was what everyone did. We were in the Bible belt and nearly everyone went to church on Sunday morning. But honestly (in a lot of cases) their church attendance on Sunday morning did not mean a change in their lifestyle Monday through Saturday. They were still the same person. On Sunday morning they would get dressed up, go sit in church and make their "appearance" then it was back to the next thing they had to do.

I really don't think Mississippi or the Bible belt is the only place that happens. Where in the Bible does it say that if I go to church, then I am good and I will go to Heaven? If your still looking for it, you can stop! It's not there. Church attendance does not equal Heaven. However, I think you could say that lack of Church attendance equals lack of Christianity or desire for Christ.

How is it that we can say, "well I go to church every Sunday morning, so I am good, I"m a Christian"? Church attendance does not equal Christianity. If you believe that by going to church on Sunday morning and even teaching Sunday school or Jr. Church or being involved in some way makes you a Christian - STOP right now. You are no better than the guy who stays at home in bed on Sunday morning.

We don't go to church to get noticed by our neighbors, we don't go to church because we don't have anything better to do (and therefore don't not go because we do, although that's a different post), we don't go to church so our kids can learn a Bible Story (although Bible stories should be taught to our children).

I believe we go to church to Draw Closer to Jesus. How can we call ourselves Christian if we don't have a desire to know Christ more. Not just know Him, but know Him more! To grow in our relationship with Jesus. That's why we attend church, that's why we have a daily devotion time where we read our Bible and Pray (talk to Him). That's why when Sunday morning comes we shouldn't be found anywhere else but in the sanctuary of our Church desiring to learn more and draw closer to God.

Let me just say as a side note - If you are not learning more and gaining from your Sunday service then you need to find a church where you can be challenged and grow and draw closer to God.

I get so tired of people saying they "have to go to church". You don't HAVE to go. You should desire to go. If you don't have the desire then you are only playing Christianity and that is dangerous. The Bible says in Revelation 3:16, "Because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth." It's better to be cold than to be lukewarm (or fake your Christianity). God desires wholehearted, sincere people and responses, anything less suggests that other things have priority in our lives and come before our relationship with Him. If you want the minimum then you risk missing Jesus altogether.

Am I wrong here? Give me your thoughts.

Lots going on...

Things have been busy around the Adkins home lately. Last week, Maddie and Eli got some kind of stomach virus and so many nights and several days were filled with cleaning kids, carpet and clothes. I love it when the kids get old enough to make it to the bathroom! Anyway, they both seem to be doing much better now, still tired and irritable at times, but not the yucky symptoms. And so far no one else has had it as bad as they did. We're hoping it stays that way.

This week, Ron is studying for the GRE (Graduate Record Exam). He took this same exam last fall, but it is one of those where you can retake it as often as you like (and can afford to) in order to improve your score. If you think about it, please pray for him Friday morning around 8:30 (and anytime in the 4 hours after that). He will go to Ft. Wayne again to take it and would really like to improve his score.

This morning I took Ronnie to the doctor for his yearly check-up. He's grown 3 inches in the last year and 4 pounds. He's still at 75% for height and 50% for weight among other 7 year olds. The doctor told him he needed to work on eating more vegetables - maybe if it comes from another source it will mean more! Who would have thought any kid of mine wouldn't like veggies! (For those of you who are not my immediate family, my grandparents or even my Uncle Mike - that's a bit of sarcasm!) Anyway, Ronnie is doing well!

Yesterday, today and I'm sure again the end of this week - I'll be canning tomatoes! So far I have done 7 quarts each (yesterday and today) and there are many more in the garden. I use my water bath caner for tomatoes, and I like it better. I don't have to wait so long between caners because is doesn't take as long to cool as the pressure caner.

My Mom and Dad spent the last 2 weeks at a Ministers Retreat in Tennessee. They had a great time and although I haven't seen them yet, I can tell they really needed the time and got refreshed while they were there. For the remaining month of dad's sabbatical they rented a cottage on Big Turkey Lake in Indiana. They will be going back and forth between there and home and enjoying one more month before things get busy again. My mom will be starting the hormone pill soon and we are hoping that will be an easy thing with few (or even better - NO) side effects.

My sister and brother-in-law are planning to return to Uganda on Sept. 5th. They are ready to be done with traveling. We have a couple more days planned with them before that time.

That gets you pretty caught up on all the happenings around here.

One more thought to leave you with:

I mentioned in this post about our VBS and how we talked about being Heroes for Jesus. Well, the first nights saying was, "Heroes do the Unexpected". Eli has been going around saying, "Heroes do the Unaccepted". We had to laugh - how drastically a word can be changed with only a few letters! So while we are trying to get our kids to do unexpected kindness every day - occasionally the unaccepted slips in!

Have a great day!