Family Vacay, Sam is a Nut

Sam has been saying some pretty cute stuff lately. Here's a sampling from our family trip to Great Wolf Lodge, Shenandoah National Park, and Mount Vernon, so far.

In the car: I just tooted. A little tiny one. Yeah, I just did that. A little tiny one like a baby. I'm a baby. Ga, ga, GA!

At Luray Caverns, as we walked underground: Whoa! This is humongous! (really impressed the couple behind us.)

Carrying a dead millipede on a stick during our hike: I love millipedes, Mommy, yeah. I am biking with my millipede. Is this biking? Oh, yeah, hiking.

At George Washington's Tomb: is he sleeping? Oh, he's dead. I can get him out with a shovel.

Anytime we suggest a nap: I not tired, Mommy, no. (lifts his shirt up and puffs out his tummy, don't ask me why.) See?

Bringing Up Boys

In case you were wondering about Ed's Love Language

He brought this bag of 30 Cadbury Eggs home to me yesterday. This should keep me feeling loved for at least a week and a half. Plus I don't have to feel guilty eating them -- they were on clearance for only $.10 apiece.

Our kitchen remodel has begun!

Pics from the Cabin...

Stand Firm

Hopefully I'll someday soon get to post a few pictures from our recent trip to my parents' cabin in the U.P., but for now let me at least document the moment I knew that all the craziness (i.e. the Packing, the 9 hour drive) leading up to the trip had been worthwhile...

Riding in to the cabin, we have to take snowmobiles because the road is usually impassable by car due to all the snow, so my cousins had built a sled seat to cart a bunch of us in at one time and just for fun... Well, my maiden voyage in the sled was ever so slightly terrifying for nervous me. I will say that it was snowy, I was facing backward, slipping around on a seat and trying to hold onto Jake and Trey. Also on the sled were my mom. Claudia, and Sam. Pretty precious cargo. We seemed to be flying over the bumpy ground and I began to freak out (loudly enough to be heard by all the children and my mom on the sled over the roar of the snowmobile pulling us). So Jake yells to me, "Mom, stand firm!" It was from a Bible verse we had learned this fall. I was momentarily calmed, we did slow down, and we made it in just fine. Afterwards, Jake said to me, "See Mom? The Lord did save you."

Bible memorization put to good use!

Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see how the Lord will save you today." (Exodus 14:13)