And let the journey begin . . .

I am not sure I'll get another update posted before we leave for Australia. I wanted to give you a quick rundown of our schedule and to let you know that I'm dedicated to keeping the blog updated as we travel. Please keep us in your prayers for the next few months. Sept. 6-8--Travel to Sydney, Australia Sept. 14--Travel to the Gold Coast Oct. 8--Fly to Queenstown, New Zealand Nov. 5--Fly to Brisbane, Australia, to board cruise ship Nov. 14--Fly to Malaysia Nov. 19--Fly to Hue City Nov. 23--Fly to Ho Chi Minh City Nov. 30--Fly to Singapore Dec. 3--Fly Home! :)

Reading, writing, and arithmetic!

Well, the kiddos started school last Friday. It was never debated whether they would begin the year with their class, so we loaded up our school supplies and trekked to Harding Academy as if we were going to be here this fall. Jon David is so blessed to have Mrs. Carol Adams for his second grade teacher. This is the first time for our family to have her for a teacher, but I have had the opportunity to see her in action over the last several years. I am so impressed and pleased that God has placed her in our lives. Caleb has Mrs. Julie Koch this year. Because he's entering the 4th grade/upper elementary, I was at a loss for which teacher we "wanted" this year. I just haven't been around either 4th grade teacher. However, as always, I have been in constant prayer for the kiddos' teachers and believe we are where God means for us to be. The fact that Mrs. Koch has six kiddos of her own. Or the fact that she already knew that Caleb had a passion for fishing and had a picture of him on her slide show. Or the fact that she let them choose their own seats on the first day just confirmed that Caleb is right where he needs to be. And, of course, we love Mr. Teague, the elementary principle. He is such a great man of God that models Christ each day. What a blessing to have him a part of the boys' day.

Summer time fun!

One of our dear friends and fellow servants shares her pool with us once a week throughout the summer. So, we invite a few friends to join us. This is a weekly highlight for my family, and I must admit that I thoroughly enjoy the adult interaction. Here is most of our kiddos enjoying the traditional Popsicle by the pool! (I had to post the picture of our special mom treats. Don't you think we deserve the good stuff?)

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!

To end the summer, we made a trip with my folks to the Memphis Zoo. It was a HOT day topping out at 103 . . . of course, the kiddos had fun and didn't complain about the heat. If you haven't taken your family to the Memphis Zoo, you are missing out . . . it's much better than the LR zoo and an easy trip from Searcy. I highly recommend it for a cool, Saturday outing! We were providing respite for a foster baby over this weekend. He was such a trooper and enjoyed his first trip to the zoo!

Disney Again!

July was a busy month with various activities. But, one of the funnest was a revisit to Disney World. We were blessed to make the trip with Yaya, my aunt, my cousin and her daughter, and a dear family friend. It was a fast and furious trip, but the kiddos enjoyed it so much. This was the first time for Ali to ride on a plane. Well, it was the first trip that Jon David remembers too . . . they did really well, and I was pleased to give them a preview for our LONG trip overseas. My favorite memory of this trip was on the plane ride home. Ali begins to sing "Step by Step", forgets the words, and asks me to help her. I lean over quietly and sing the words for her. She confronts me because I am "not singing with all of my heart. And, that makes God happy." I explain to her the setting on the plane dictates that we be polite and not disturb our neighbors. She proceeds to lean over to the older gentleman sitting next to me and asks, "Do you mind if we sing to God?" He smiles and tells her that likes to sing to God too. She then invites him to sing with her. (He didn't know the song but was precious listening to her!) Once again, my kiddo reminds me that faith should be obvious and apparent to those around us.