Top Ten from Black Hills visit

10. New lunch boxes with many treats thanks to Grandma Donna

9. Swimming in the warm pool with all of our friends

8. Learning to use our rock fist with Sky Collide

7. Taco Bell gives out toys?!

6. Many rocks thrown into Spearfish Creek

5. Putting feet into the very very cold Spearfish Creek with new friends Lily and

Louis

4. 4-wheeler rides with Daddy

3. Tractor rides with Grandpa

2. Elijah lost his first tooth!

1. Learning how to dig into the word of God with all our little friends at FCA Camp VBS while Mommy finished a book, did Bible study and got coffee with the moms!

My kid

It is an on-going argument in our house over whose kids is whose. I am certain John is Chris', not only because he looks like him, but because he behaves like him. I am certain Elijah is my mini-me. Elijah is sure this is not true but this week I saw it even more clearly.

My beautiful sister and her husband hosted Backyard Bible Club this past Monday through Thursday. Each day Elijah would sit towards the front (something his mom also tries to do, that is where all the learning takes place) and raise his hand patiently for each question. Now, it is a trait common in little people, they often raise their hands to answer questions they have no idea how to answer. Elijah, however, always has an answer, even if it was, "I have no idea." I too have a tendency to raise my hand or just offer my thoughts even if I have no idea; however I feign knowledge where I have none.

The first night Elijah was frustrated that he did not get called on to say the memory verse. He decided to remedy that problem by simply asking the teacher beforehand to call on him. The conversation went something like this: "Excuse me, Mrs. Ruth, could you please call on me first to say the verse? I really know it." Again this is me. I get frustrated when I am not noticed or acknowledged, especially when I actually do have the answer, for once.

I love both my boys so much but Elijah is so much like me. I hope that doesn't cause trouble in the future.

Final Goodbye

Last week Monday we packed up the rest of the house and put it in a massive trailer. I say we loosely. Chris did most of the work, along with two good friends of mine from Geth and a handful of others who came by to help out. It was all over in about two hours. Tuesday morning our generous, servant-hearted friend Kevin came by to drive the trailer to SD for us. (yes, he drove it to SD and then turned right around and drove home, what a great guy!)

Having been away from the house for 10 months I

didn't really exp

ect to be too emotional over the whole thing. I was, though. As I sat in the van, ready to drive away it occurred to me that I would never be in the house again. It was no longer mine.

Today at 1:00 MC bought the house. At least I am assuming she did since the real estate agent didn't call with bad news. It is now her house. I am so grateful for all of the memories that God allowed us to have in that house and I look forward to the new memories we will build in Harrisburg

and beyond.

Out of the mouths....

I think I laugh, literally out loud, every day at the funny things Elijah and John say and do.

John had a Nerf gun today and was very excited that he could cock it himself. He cocked it, shot it at the closet door and then turned to Chris and I, "That was awesome!"

Elijah put on Chris' slippers tonight and declared that he was the Dad. "My first order of business, Get me a pickle, son," he said to Chris.

John mistakenly uses the word possible instead of purpose which means that "on purpose" becomes "on possible."

Our daycare provider is having a baby. Elijah has been very curious about how a mommy knows that she is having a baby. One day he asked, "Do you beep or something?"

John currently uses, "IIII'mmmm tiiiirrred" (said with a drawn out whine) when asked to stop doing something he is enjoying, like pestering his brother. While I don't think it is funny now I am sure I will find the humor when he is older, much older.

Let me answer two questions. 1. Yes, John has both legs in one leg hole. 2. Yes he is wearing a Burger King crown.

She Wants my Couch.

I love my couch. I worked two jobs and shopped for two months to get it. It is a khaki, microfiber huge sectional couch that has served many purposes over the seven years it has been mine. It has been a comfortable sleeping spot while I was pregnant with Elijah. It has been a super cool fort. It has been a guest bed for my Granny (she still talks about how comfortable it was to sleep on). It has hosted 5 beautiful ladies learning more about our great God. It has served as the pow wow spot for various important discussions ranging from what to name our second child to what movie to watch.

She wants it. She is the wonderful single woman who is buying our house. Our answer to prayers but she wants my couch. Of all the things in the house that I have missed, my couch tops the list. There are so many memories tied to that object. I remember cuddling my newborn, adorable, Elijah on that couch. I remember telling a group of dear friends (as they sat on that couch) that after trying for a year I was going to have another baby. I remember both Elijah and John taking naps on that couch.

God has taken Chris and I on such a wonderful journey of faith, provision, and balance. As soon as Chris told me that one of the stipulations to the sale was leaving the couch behind I felt it was an important part of our journey. In the 10 months since we put the house on the market God has taught us that He is enough, that we have too much, that we don't need to worry about what the world thinks we should have, that a house is not a home, and that we are rich in so many ways. Really the couch symbolizes sacrifice. God wants to know if I am willing to give up an object that I love in order to reap the blessing of a sold house.

I am. I did. And the house is sold. Thank you, God!