August 24, 2022 Quickshot: 10th, 8th, 5th

Blast off! Prayers up for #M (10th), #A (8th) and #L (5th grade) as they start the school year today!

8February2020 Quickshot: Stagemom

So proud of our sweet #M and all her amazing castmates.  She had a small part in her school performance of Pride & Prejudice this weekend did a wonderful job!  #D is one pleased stagemom.

19December2019 Back

6 months was too long but thankfully it wasn't 7 months.  We're so grateful to have J back for Christmas break!  Thanks to everyone for praying for his safe travel.

2Nov2019 Request Answered

#J was able to walk onto his school's soccer team.  Unfortunately he was injured in his first match and has been healing up and rehabbing for the last month or so.  Last night #J was able to boot up and played in the university's regional tournament and actually scored his first collegiate goal.  Oh how we wished we could have been there but what a great memory and amazing accomplishment. #proudfromafar 

24October2019 from Insta

When school is canceled and you and your homies go play in the desert.  #Z #middleeastlife #wadirum

20October2019 Back-to-back Birthdays

These two beauties had birthdays this week and we all survived the celebrations.  #M jumped into her teens and #L turned eight.  We're so grateful for who He made them, who they are becoming and that they have and love each other so much.  Happy Birthday to our girls!

24August2019 Different

It’s just different.  We’re discovering there are good things and bad about this new stage of life.  One of #10littlefeet has flown the coop as it were.  Today D and Z helped move J into his dorm room, hugged him goodbye and boarded a plane back overseas.  What do you get when you cross excitement and dread, being proud and being overwhelming sad simultaneously?  One positive from all of this is the revelation that may seem silly but that we’re exceedingly grateful for.  Our family loves one another.  What a gift from God that each member cares deeply for the other.  Of course, that also means pain in separation but what a tragedy it would be if we felt nothing!  So, we praise Him for that AND we’ll trust Him with J from 6,300 miles away and with his siblings  6 feet away…at least we are trying to.

How are we doing with the new normal?  It’s good.  It’s bad.  It’s just different.  

7August2019 Quickshots: $50 Used GoPro

Dont suspect the underwater housing will get used very much in the desert but it's hard to turn down a $50 GoPro.  Hope to post more pics and maybe some videos as we learn to use it. 

22July2019 Eleven

This young man turned today.  G-mama send these words and we couldn't agree more.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways submit to him, and He will make your paths straight."  May God bless sweet #A as He seeks to trust our God for the rest of his life.  #HappyBirthday

29March2019 Eighteen!

This cat turns 18 at around 3:30 this afternoon. Mercy!
He’s is God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that he should walk in them.

15March2019 Run Forest Run!

Thank you!  We asked you to pray for J, Z and their amazing teammates as they ran the 250 kilometer relay-marathon from the Dead Sea up to the Red Sea.  They ran, well flew, the 155 mile course, taking first place and beating their course record, crossing the finish line in 13 hours, 8 minutes and 33 seconds.  They completed successfully, safely and giving glory to our God.  Praise Him!

15February2019 Hard Knock Life

And the Academy Award for best supporting actress goes to...

M for her role as beautiful apple-seller girl.  So proud of our gifted, creative, bold girl.  Great job #M!

3February2019 Like Mother, Like Daughter

D is gifted!  She's able to do things using kitchen utensils and a few ingredients to bless your socks off.  Is there a such thing as the gift of grub?  I think so.  She's also extremely gifted in parenting. She holds the calling of motherhood very tightly, constantly seeking to glorify God by raising children that glorify God.  Every day, all day she's serving, selflessly, speaking Truth into our kids' lives, loving them abundantly....mothering as unto the Lord.
One cool thing to witness is when #10littlefeet say or do things that emulate their mama.  Here M is doing that very thing, by baking.  M has experienced love by her mother baking for her.  Now she is loving others by baking for them.  What a great reminder of the ripple effect of serving others, by loving through oftentimes simple acts. 

15December2018 Joyful Noise

We are so proud of this young lady.  Not only because she rocker her piano recital yesterday but because in doing so she swallowed her fear, walked up in front of the crowd and did her thing. 

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more important than fear.”

-FDR

26October2018 Take Your Daughter to Work Day

Dread can be a good thing, at least in this case.  I dread travel when it means separation from my family. Maybe I've watched too many flight safety videos, or used too many mini bottles of shampoo but even if it's just an overnight, there's a certain level of anxiety.  Of course there are many that do it all the time, we have several friends to whom this applies, but I'm just not that guy.  So, if we can make it happen, I like to have a travel buddy.  Thankfully when I had a meeting this week, #L was able to join me and it turned into great memories for the both of us. 

19October2018 Back-to-Back Bdays Part 2

Today it was #L's turn.  She wanted baked oatmeal with blueberries (not sure where in the world her mama found blueberries around here), Legos and her own pair headphones. Mission accomplished.  Then it was off to soccer where she scored a birthday goal, how cool is that!?  And no birthday is complete without 700 of your closest second grade friends invading your family's apartment.  Add sugar, games, music, gifts and more sugar and now understand why our neighbors hung a "For Rent" sign on our door.  :)  

G-mama sent L this verse from 1 Peter and it couldn't be more appropriate for our newest 7 year-old. 

"As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

18October2018 Back-to-Back Bdays Part 1

Today we're celebrating the birth of sweet #M.  She woke up to French Toast Casserole, with not a little syrup, and presents, including camera above (who knew the Polaroids of old had made a comeback), and singing.  School was canceled (due to a sand flea infestation and subsequent campus-wide fumigation) so it was off to the mall with four of her friends....and her father.  Dads are okay when they buy everyone Big Macs and sit in Starbucks while a herd of twelve year-olds does whatever it is they do in the mall for hours, and then buys Pinkberry for said herd.
We are so grateful for the gift that twelve years ago God saw fit to give us our first daughter and bless the world with this treasure.  We praise Him for the gift of #M on her special day.

7October2018 Quickshot: Reading

"It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it." Oscar Wilde

We are grateful for this little spot in our city, a library with real English books, and that each of our children has a love for reading.  As you can tell, this is a happy place for #M and #A.  

7September2018 Futbol

"If God had wanted man to play soccer, he wouldnt have given us arms."  Mike Ditka

I wonder what Mr. Ditka thinks God gave him feet for.  :)  We're excited for the beginning of the youth futbol (that's "soccer" for our friends in Kentucky) season.  This is #L's first organized league.  #A is, of course, an old pro.  The world is mad about this game and it's a staple of cultural life here.  It's a great opportunity for the kids to meet new buddies and for us to meet families.  

13August2016 Savory Sixteen

There is so much to love about this kid right here.  Today we love him because he chose Chili's as his birthday meal.  Happy Chips & Salsa everyone!  :)  Praise God for our gifted, big-hearted and quick witted young man!  Say a little prayer for #Z today, would ya?