Do-overs and a busy week

Yesterday was our day of do-overs. In spite of the heat (93 degrees and humid here), we set out on our original plans from last week for a bike ride/picnic/trip to the park. We found the park easily and it is very close to our neighborhood as well. It has a fitness trail where you run or walk the track and do the stations as you approach them including monkey bars, a spring bar and others. It looks like fun. I am finding it hard to get any exercise here. I sold my treadmill and we certainly don't have room for it anyway!! It is way too hot to run outside though the terrain is flat which is helpful for me. If I go for a bike ride, the kids want to come and they can't keep up if I am working hard enough to actually raise my heart rate. I even pull Alayna behind me and they can't keep up with me!! I am hoping they develop some endurance here soon!! But I digress...anyway, we also found the playground which was actually a series of several playgrounds each with different activities. The kids had a great time and we went back home after we ran out of water and were thirsty again...about 30 minutes!!

I tried to place the camera to take a picture of the kids riding on the trail...this was my first try...obviously I was holding the camera next to my head!!

Try again...a little better! This time I put it all the way behind my head. At least you can see the trail we ride on. It used to be a train track and as I understand it goes for miles! Its flat, which helps when pulling someone who can't help by pedalling!

There they are! Third time is a charm they say...or maybe it was actually the 4th or 5th...

If you look closely at her hands, you can see the indentations from her handlebars across her palms. She was white knuckling it the whole time!

Here we are enjoying a spinning seat at the park...Holden liked it at first, but after almost revisiting his lunch he decided he actually hated it!! I think this picture depicts our tans realistically. The last post made us look much browner...I should have put a disclaimer on it: "Warning, people in this picture are not as tan as they appear!"

Another spinning ride, this one you could walk on...after my swivel chair ride while painting last week, I thought is wiser to let the kids enjoy this one!!

Sunday we went to visit another church called The Bridge. They meet at the school about 5 minutes from our house. Walking in, it had a Grace feel with many young parents and kids. We loved the music and the message was very timely. The pastor is very young and spoke on prayer...something I needed to hear about. I heard the sermon at Grace on Sunday was on prayer as well...kooky! Anyway, they had a baptism (or bathtism as Alayna calls it) service planned for that evening at the beach and we decided we should go if we wanted to meet people. We had already met a few people in the morning. It was great to see the witness on the beach of the service. Lots of people were there and several came over to check out what we were doing. It was sort of hard to hear the pastor over the roar of the waves, but the message was proclaimed. Just as we finished a storm blew in and we got pounded with sideways rain! I was standing in the middle of the shelter house getting soaked! The men cooked undaunted in the rain and we had a great pot luck...I love a pot luck!! Best of all we met lots of people and felt very comfortable and welcomed. I will attend a ladies' Bible study tonight.

Baptism at the beach as the storm rolls in behind us.

A total of 8 people were baptized.

Monday I finished up my painting project in the kitchen and got caught up on the reading for the Bible study. Paul called just as we were cleaning up the painting mess to tell me there was a showing for the house, so the rest of the day was spent cleaning and organizing and trying to find homes for all the things I had been trying to ignore! Being a stay at home mom is so much work!! I don't know where the day goes, but before I know it Paul is home and its time for the dinner, bath bedtime routine!! I am thankful for the projects and the sense of accomplishment with completion.

Today we went to Agape again for coffee/breakfast/fellowship. It is nice to get to know the people Paul works with and talks about. They are a great group of people. I don't know that I can ever thank you, our supporters enough for what you have allowed him to do. I can't even remember when he last went to a job he loved. He is so excited about his job, even rising at 5 am on Wednesdays to see the plane off (not in his job description) and make sure there are no hitches. He has never been a morning person!! He says "I don't know where the time goes!". I know that is how it is when you are doing something you love. So, thank you again for giving him this chance.

Here are the kids with Paul at his desk...see he does work! I have tried to get him to take the camera to work one day to chronologize his day for you...watch for that!

Well, I should wrap this up. I keep thinking I am going to sit down and put real thought and devotion into these posts and have them filled with ways our lives parallel the Bible with verses offered as proof that serve as inspiration and encouragement to all who read it...instead I just spout off about what we do day in and day out because that is all I have time for. Maybe when the kids start school.....I hope no one holds me to that!!!