Beth With the Grandparents

Thought I'd share a couple of pics with you from Beth's trip. My parents live in upstate SC, and Wes's parents are staying in the Atlanta area for the summer. They drove up to get Beth from my parents on Friday evening, and these pictures were taken while they were all together. Thanks to my mom for sending them to me!

This is my family: my brother, Ben; my dad; Beth; my mom; my sister, Rebekah

Beth with Wesley's Dad and Mom

Beth is having a great time. She's loving the cheaper prices down south, such as tops for $5.00 - and not at the thrift store!

Happy Birthday, Andrew!

Today is Andrew's 18th Birthday!!! He gets the whole house to himself, as both his brother and sister are out of town today - what a gift! ;)

Andrew puts the fun into our family. He's always got something funny to say, usually when you have just taken a big gulp of a drink. He loves to make people laugh, even if it's at himself. He also has a tender heart and a strong sense of loyalty to his family and friends. And he likes to aggravate his sister. I think it's his hobby.


We love you, Andrew, and we look forward to watching you develop your life and talents in the next few years!

Great Deal at Michaels

Yesterday, while we were in Washington, we needed to hang around for about an hour till Beth's flight took off, just to make sure that we weren't needed while she was still on the ground here. What better way to pass the time than to go to Michaels???

I had a good reason to go. Sophia from Frugal Ideas From the Parsonage told Monday about a great deal she had found at Michaels: the $150 sets of Sizzix Sizzlets alphabet dies were on sale at Michaels for $9.97 a set! Since I knew I was going to the US on Wednesday, I decided I'd take some money with me and see if I could find a set myself. I did look here, and although the sets here were on sale, they were nothing like the ones in the US - here they were on sale for a whopping $89.

So I was pretty excited when I went into Michaels yesterday, but I was having trouble finding the dies. Then, there were NO alphabet die sets with the display of other dies, although some of those dies were on sale too. Finally, Andrew, who has always been the go-to guy when we've needed to find something (he has some kind of radar or something!) wandered over to another aisle and said, "Here they are, Mom!" I ran over - and there they were! Andrew convinced me to get two sets. For that price, it was almost impossible to pass up, and I had the money to get two.



I also had a 50% coupon off one full-price item, so I picked up a K&Company paper pad - 36 double-sided sheets. I've already worked through one of their paper pads, and I love their paper.


So I picked up that pad for $5.00, and a few other odds & ends (also on sale), for a total of just over $30. That's well over $300 worth of stuff for $30. I just love it when I find a good sale! Oh, and run . . . don't walk . . . to your Michaels if you want a set of those alphabet dies!

Safe!

Beth is safely with my parents in upstate SC!!! I'm sure they're having a great time together. She was just a little nervous about flying this morning, and hoping she didn't get a chatty seatmate (she's not like her mama on that count!). I haven't talked to her myself, so I don't know if she was cornered by a chatter, but she told Wes that everything went fine.

Andrew drove most of the way down and back today. He's a great driver, even if he's a tad inexperienced. We had a good time talking and listening to music. Interesting observation: even though we both listen to conservative Christian music, we have much different tastes. I like more classical (think Majesty Music) and he likes more southern gospel (Greater Vision). He kept advancing my mp3 player to another song! LOL When we got home, we turned right around and went to Red Robin for his free birthday burger. All three of us were getting pretty hungry, and I was glad I didn't have to cook.

It's been a long, full day. I'll write again tomorrow!

Flyin' South

Beth is headed down south to visit her grandparents! We're leaving early this morning in order to get her to the Seattle airport by noon to catch her 1:15 flight. She's looking forward to spending the next 10 days with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and great-grandparents in three different states. It'll be a quick trip for her, but I'm so glad she gets to go.

Please pray for her flight today if you think of her!

We're going out to eat tonight to celebrate Andrew's birthday, which is Friday. Wes and I figured the day we're gone all day is probably the right one to eat out!

Cease Not To Pray

Child Kneels in Prayer at Its Mother's Knee

I was reading this morning in I Samuel 12. Samuel is speaking at the coronation of King Saul, and at the end of the chapter (v. 23) says this:

"Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way."

I thought what a perfect thing to remind me to pray for my children! God forbid that I sin in forgetting to pray for them, and in teaching them the good and the right way. My prime teaching time is drawing to a close in the next couple of years as each of my children head off to work out God's will for their own lives, but my prayer ministry for them should never stop!

Is there someone that you never cease to pray for?