The Wedding!

Okay, I freely admit that the title of today's post is misleading because the wedding isn't happening until tonight. So if you tuned in to see pictures, I'm sorry. You'll have to check back next week for those.

What I want to talk about are some of the things that are common for Boyd weddings. Paul is the third of our children to get married. Things have happened at every Boyd wedding so far, and you can pretty much count on them happening. every. time.

1.  Vehicle problems. Right before we left for Matt and Kylee's wedding, our van quit working. Literally. In the middle of the road the headlights dimmed, the air conditioner and radio turned off and the van died. We left twelve hours late because we had to have the van worked on.

When we drove to Steph and Zack's wedding, the air conditioner didn't work (same van). We left Florida Sunday afternoon and drove seven hours to the church we were going to attend that night on our way up to Alabama. The air didn't work so we zoomed along the interstate with the windows down. We arrived to the service late, and came in looking quite windblown and disheveled.

This time around Paul left late because we had to have some work done on the air conditioner. (Car this time, not the van.)

2.  Injuries. Someone always gets injured. The day of Matt and Ky's wedding, Luke went skidding across the parking lot asphalt on his face. All of the wedding pictures show a really nice bandage on his chin.

At Zack and Steph's wedding, I picked up some kind of an eye infection and couldn't wear my contact lenses. I used a lot of visine so that I didn't have red, bleary eyes at the wedding.

Today a very angry yellow jacket stung Paul on the hand. The groom turned quite pale and was in a tremendous amount of pain so we doctored the hand and loaded him up with ibuprofen and benadryl. That made for an interesting afternoon. He got stung on his middle finger and not his ring finger, so hopefully there won't be any problems getting his wedding ring on.

3. Kitchen mishaps. At Matt and Ky's it was twenty pounds of potato salad. For Steph and Zack we had the camouflage cupcakes and the Pastry Pastor. This time around it was tortilla chips (so maybe 18 bags was a little too much) and exploding coke cans in the freezer. There's always some crazy food mishap or event to mark a wedding.

4. Family fun. We enjoy being together.

And this is all before the wedding! I can't wait to see the pics next week. Can you?

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: we're almost done with our last trip! 
                     

Kylee: bedtime

1. Jill:  The whole family is together again!

 what about you? What makes you happy today?

We're Halfway There!

We are halfway there and I can hardly believe it! I had a bit of sickness and I was really tired in the first trimester, but that’s all over. Now, I’m feeling great and I’m feeling baby movement. There is always so much excitement when you find out that you’re expecting, waiting for your first appointment, then waiting to hear the heartbeat for the first time, and then anticipating the gender. Meanwhile you have people make guesses whether it’s a boy or girl, or whether it’s one baby or two, based on how big you are and how you’re carrying it. 

Well the anticipation of finding out is over! For those of you who haven’t seen or heard.

Baby Boyd is a…

That’s right, another girl!

Matt has always been able to go with me to the sonogram where we find out what we were having, but this time he stayed home with the girls. So when they asked me if I wanted to find out the gender I told them yes but asked if they could put it in an envelope so I could find out at the same time as Matt and the girls.

Prior to the appointment they told me that I needed to drink 32 oz. of water finishing one hour before the appointment. That’s super fun right? When I got into my appointment they proceeded to tell me this appointment would last about at an hour. So you do the math, that’s two hours with a full bladder. I did okay for a while because once you see the baby you forget just how badly you have to go. Baby girl was moving a lot so they had a hard time getting the pictures they needed. Finally the intern, asked if her adviser wanted to give it a try. She got up from her chair and said, “ I’m going to step out, I need to use the restroom.” I said, “I’m so jealous” but thought, “you are so evil!”  Did you really have to announce that you had to go. Way to rub it in that you get to go and I still can’t go yet! Anyway, the sonogram only lasted another ten minutes. Then, I eagerly headed home to end the anticipation. I had Matt do the honors. He opened the envelope and slowly unfolded the picture. ”It’s a girl” he read with a smile on his face. He may have been panicking on the inside but the smile on his face said otherwise.

Next step: picking out her name. So far the girls have suggested Lady Elaine and Flower. I think it's too soon to settle on one of those names though!

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: Finding a meal that every person in your family will eat and will enjoy it!

Stephanie:   still being tired after a nap, like it did no good at all! 

Jill:  packing for a trip. Could we just go already?!?! Oh, wait. By the time you read this we will be gone!

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

The Last One

As of yesterday, we are officially done with deputation meetings! 🎉🎉🎊🎊

We finished our final deputation meeting last night. Two years and five months of meetings, and oh how much has changed in that two years and five months. 

When we started, it was just the three of us. 

Then, there were four of us.

 Now, there's five, but we haven't actually taken a picture with all five of us yet. 

I've learned so much on deputation. Like, I think I'm more terrified teaching a kids class than I am speaking to a room full of ladies. I guess because with kids you have to be entertaining and fun, and I'm not really those things. 

I've also learned that Mexican restaurants never get old. I could eat chips and salsa every Sunday for lunch and dinner... In fact, there have been times in the last two years when I have done that. And I still absolutely love them! 

I've learned that the busy bags you can find on Pinterest do not apply to kids who spend their life in a car. They might work for five minutes in the car. Five minutes being the time it takes them to do all ten of the busy bags I made. Those are more for kids who never take road trips. 

I've also learned that starving kids in Africa could be fed with the amount of fruit loops and french fries that can be found on our van floor after a trip. 

When we started deputation and just had one kid, we didn't plan on having any more for a while. I've learned that God often has other plans, and I wouldn't be surprised if He gets a little chuckle out of our plans sometimes. 

Seeing as how, I've spent a lot of time in the last few years in a nursery, I've learned the "what to do's" and the "what not to do's". I bet I can run the perfect nursery! (Just kidding, don't get mad)

I've learned that God can literally make money appear out of nowhere. We have gotten checks in the mail that we can't always figure out exactly where they came from.  

That's just a few of the many things I've picked up in the last two years and five months. It's been quite a ride. Oh how much things change in such a short time. I guess I better not blink, because I have a feeling if I do, my kids will be all grown up... or there will be more of them! 😱

Now, does anyone have any tips I should learn for this next phase?? The packing and moving countries one.

My Son Yelled at Me

Eighteen years is a long time to take care of someone. Long enough that you've made it a habit. Perhaps it's because Nick is my youngest, but I do have trouble remembering that he's almost a full grown man.

You'd think the fact that he's 6'2" would remind me.

At any rate, he has taken to occasionally reminding me that he's not a child anymore. Yesterday was one of those times.

Things have gotten a little busy lately. We're going to be gone most of next week for a wedding. You'll read more about that next week, but suffice it to say that one of my other sons is going to great lengths to remind me that he's all grown up now too. The day after we get back, we have a big all day event at church. Four days after that we head to Alabama for an ordination, then another wedding at our church, followed by a week of Vacation Bible School. Needless to say, things have gotten a little crazy around here.

We've been working long hours and running to and fro trying to get everything done on time. So it was already after seven when Nick and I left the church. We made a quick stop at the store and then headed home where I was going to drop Nick off so he could start dinner while I went to pick up Joel from work.

It was a great plan until we pulled into the driveway and parked by the back porch. Everyone's vehicle was gone so we knew no one was home, but the back door was wide open.

I got on the phone with Luke to find out how recently he'd left the house and if he thought he might have left the door open, although that would be unusual for him. But while I was on the phone, Nick got out of the car and ordered me (ordered, mind you!) to wait in the car while he checked things out.

I'm not accustomed to taking orders from my children, even if they are mostly grown, so I got out of the car and followed him up on the porch. Nick grabbed a large stick that was nearby and headed for the door, pausing long enough to order me again to wait outside.

I was still talking to Luke on the phone, and he was pretty sure he had closed the door when he left. With the phone pressed to my ear, I opened the screen door and followed Nick into the laundry room. This time he glared at me over his shoulder and hissed whisper-shouted, "I told you to stay outside! Someone's in here!" And then he disappeared into the kitchen.

Before I could move forward or back or even say anything, Nick came back with his dad. It seems my husband had come home before us, but his motorcycle was already put away in the garage so we didn't know he was there. Nick had seen a light on in the master bedroom just before he whisper-shouted at me.

I was not a fan of Nick trying to check out the house on his own, but I have to admit I'm not sure what alternative I could have suggested. I didn't want him going in alone, but I knew better than to try and insist that he wait outside while I tried to clear the house.

I guess I'll just have to get used to the idea that my protectors include people whose diapers I use to change.

I feel so safe now.

So, how are you doing with this whole growing up/raising kids thing?

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: snuggling with my babies. 
                     

Kylee: getting into bed with freshly washed sheets!

Jill:  crossing things off my to-do list!

 what about you? What makes you happy today?

Why Didn't I Think of That?

Summer seems to be the most popular time for travel. You might be going on long vacation, a weekend trip, or maybe just getting out of town for the night. Either way, wouldn’t it be nice to have some tips and tricks on making traveling easier? Look no more I’ve got some for you!

My husband actually taught me this first one. At first, I was like there’s no way that makes more sense but after trying my way and his way, he was right! (Don’t tell him I said that!)

1. If you roll your clothes instead of folding them to pack, you can actually fit more into your luggage.

2. Add a dryer sheet when packing your clothes. They will smell amazing when you open your luggage after you've reached your destination.

3. If you’re a shoe lover like me you want to pack several pairs of shoes. However, I don’t want my shoes touching my clothes. Simply, put your shoes inside of a shower cap. No mess, no stress!

4. Do you worry about losing jewelry when you travel? Do you end up with tangled necklaces? These two tips will help solve both of those problems!

 
5. Traveling with kids?

How clever is this coloring kit? Transform an old wipe case into an art kit for the car. You can use blank paper and let your kids use their imagination or you can go to www.crayola.com and get fun free coloring pages!

6. Last and probably most important for traveling would be the proper seating protocol!

So, do you have any travel plans this summer?

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: hitting every red light

Stephanie:   when I decide to have my baby's shots appointment during vbs week. 

Jill:  I didn’t get the bonus reward points because I forgot to put in the code on my order. Shouldn’t they be able to read my mind?!?!

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

A Quick Pic

I'm just gonna be honest with you. I totally forgot I had to post, and it's pretty late. So, real quick, I'll show you a little glimpse into our week. 

Here's the VBS backdrop. Where the VBS "magic" happens!

We've rediscovered Toy Story recently. So, Jessie and Woody are headed to VBS this week! 

He really does like being a cowboy. I just had to wake him up from a nap right before this. So, at the moment he wasn't thrilled. 

Sorry, for the short post, but such is life sometimes! 

What does your week look like??

I Had No Idea

On June 14th thirty-two years ago, we were asked if we would love, honor and cherish (and obey on my part) and we said "I do".

I had no idea what I was getting into.

I didn't know about the six kids ... or that most of them would be boys. Or that their appetites would keep our fridge perpetually empty.

I had no idea I would have to follow you out of state. Or across the country. Or to the other side of the world.

I couldn't see the broken bones, stitches, illnesses and emergency room visits in our future.

I certainly didn't see the homeschooling.

I didn't know your stubbornness would exceed my own.

I didn't know how completely inflexible you would be when it came to doing what you knew to be right.

I had no idea we'd be chased out of Uganda by terrorists.

I should have been able to guess that you would insist on raising all our boys to be alpha males who could stand on their own two feet - and that all six of our children would be as stubborn as you are.

I couldn't possibly guess all the thousands of ways you would show me how much you care.

I had no knowledge of all the times we would laugh together until tears ran down our faces.

I didn't realize how hard you would work to make my dreams come true - even if it meant pushing me way beyond my comfort zone because you knew I could do more than I thought I could.

I certainly didn't know how much you'd turn out to be right about things.

I didn't realize you'd still be able to make my heart melt all these years later just by smiling at me.

I didn't know, when I was that silly immature girl of nineteen, that I was marrying the original Indiana Jones and that our lives together would be one huge adventure after another.

I didn't know how much joy we would get out of serving the Lord together for all these years.

I had no idea then ... but looking back, I know that I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

Happy Anniversary, Indiana. I have an idea that our adventure is just beginning.

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: 
                     

Kylee: we find out in one week if baby is a boy or a girl!

Jill: I’ve been married to my best friend for thirty-two years.

So what about you? What makes you happy today?

Things I Regret From Our Wedding

With another Boyd wedding right around the corner, it has me thinking back to Matt’s and my wedding. There is a lot of time and energy that goes into planning a "perfect" wedding. Special moments happen, and lasting memories are made but when it's all over there are a few things that may have not gone the way you had hoped. I know I can't be the only one who has a few regrets from their special day, so here are mine.

1. I regret not spending enough time with my family the week of the wedding. I was moving from Illinois, a place I had lived my whole life with all of my family in the area all the way to Florida. Matt and his family came into town for the wedding and of course I wanted to be with him; I hadn't seen him in 3 months. However, what I didn't see was I was going to be near his family every day and not see mine for I don't know how long. It ended up being six months after the wedding before I got to see my family. While phone calls were great, video chat wasn't a thing yet!

2. I regret not using Pinterest to get all of my ideas from. I looked it up just the other day, and Pinterest was "thought of" when I got married. I just hadn't heard of it yet!

3. I regret not showing my mother-in-law how to use the lighter for our unity candle ... although this story I'm glad I didn't show her. (She's going to kill me for sharing this, but that's ok. It's totally worth it.) It was her turn to light Matt's candle and we were using the multi-purpose lighters which is the one where you have to push the button down and then click the lighter on. Well she was up on the platform for quite awhile trying to get the lighter to work. All of the groomsmen (which consisted of her husband and all of her sons) were just standing there watching, but no one went up to lend a hand. After a few minutes of her struggling, our photographer went up and showed her how to use it. Instead of just leaving the flame lit, he let it go and handed it to my MIL to try again. It took her another minute, but she finally got it. Although she wasn't laughing at the time, we love to tease her about it now.

4. I regret not knowing what photos I wanted taken at the wedding. Looking back through our photos after the wedding, we’re missing some of the major photos that typically would have been taken.

5. Last, but I'm sure certainly not the least, I regret not getting to eat our own wedding cake. I mean we took the time to pick out what cake we would like and the only bite we got was the one we fed each other, which consisted of only frosting and no cake. I wish we would have stayed an extra five minutes to eat some cake!

Even though I have some regrets from our special day, there is for sure one thing that I got right,

That would be my Groom!

Do you have any regret from your special day?

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: when my kids leave their toys in the middle of the floor and I stub my toe!

Stephanie:   remembering what you need at the grocery store... As soon as you get home from the grocery store. 

Jill:  Backing into parking spaces. Is that a guy thing or a Michigan thing?

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

A Mother's Mistake

We, as mothers, make mistakes all the time. There is no such things as the perfect mom. There is this ideal that you can be the perfect mother who never raises her voice, never has to discipline, never neglects a need of your child, always has time to sit and play with your children, have conversations about feelings, read them books, all while you manage the other duties that fall on your plate. Well, that mother doesn't exist. The mistake would be to think that you can be that person. I'm not saying it's right to raise your voice, or to neglect their needs, but we are human and sometimes these things will happen.... for some of us, more often that for others. I say all of that to tell you, that those mistakes really have nothing to do with this post.

I'm talking about the mistake I made the other day. It was a lesson that I think most mothers end up learning the hard way. This lesson is that you don't try and have a fun adventure day (that's code for I had errands to run and I needed them to be excited about it) when it will end up being a no nap day.

We are preparing for VBS and last week I had a few errands that I had to run. I've gone to the grocery store with all three kids one time, but it was not during nap time and we got the fun cart (that's code for it's the cart that keeps them all strapped in, but they think it's fun because it has special big kid seats). Well, my errands last week did not involve stores with fun carts and they were on the other side of town, so nap time was going to be interrupted. But for some crazy reason I felt like I was superwoman and that I could do it.

So, I armed myself with juice cups, a double stroller, netflix on my phone and off we went. First stop was at a consignment store for cowboy (and girl) boots. This particular consignment store is a kids consignment. It has quite a large, unavoidable toy section and the toys are used so they aren't in packages to deter children from touching and playing with everything they see. Now, since I have a double stroller, two kids are contained, but there's that one that has some freedom. Obviously, I chose our oldest to be the free one. She was excited to look for boots until she saw the toys. Did I mention the toy section is unavoidable and right next to the shoes. So, I had quite the difficult time trying to get her to sit still long enough to try on boots, and every time I went to dig through a bin for different boots she would be off finding a new toy to play with. She managed to find a doll that was bigger than her and she told me, "This is the biggest baby I have ever seen. I'm taking it home." Ya, no thank you. We did not buy the biggest baby ever.

My second oldest wasn't too bad. He lasted and was content for a little while in the stroller until he saw the toys, that's when Netflix came into play. He got to watch Winnie the Pooh, and that made him happy... for a little bit. When it was his turn to try on boots he was very happy, until I took them back off. He decided he wanted to wear his boots right then. He didn't get to because for one, I had to pay for them, and two, he was not wearing socks. Sweaty, no sock, boot feet. YUCK! So checking out went quite interesting. My oldest decided she was tired, and didn't want to walk anymore, but I couldn't carry her, so she was crying. My second didn't get to wear his boots, so he was crying. The baby, however, was an angel through the whole store. She slept through it all.

We finished up and it was on to the next store. We were already on the other side of town, so despite how the first stop went, we were going to press on. I don't know if I mentioned, but our next stop was party city. Common sense would tell you, "don't take toddlers into party city". But apparently I have no common sense. Especially since I thought it was a good idea to let the two oldest walk. They may be the oldest, but they are still only 2 and 3. This post is already long, so I'll spare you the details. Let's just say that party city is probably the coolest place on earth to my 2 and 3 year old. They started out walking, they touched everything. So they ended up in the cart, which made them very unhappy and they still tried to succeeded to touch everything. I ended up at the checkout with a buzz lightyear mask that I never even saw go into the cart.

By 7:00 one or the other of them had been crying non top since 2:00 and I was seriously debating putting my kids to bed. I didn't though, because I didn't want to get up at 4:00 the next morning. But I made the mistake and I learned my lesson. Nap time is not optional.

We did find some great stuff though!!

Well, I'm done confessing my mistakes. It's your turn. What are your "mommy mistakes"?

Fun Facts for Friday

It's Friday (actually, it's Thursday night right now), and I thought we should end the week on a funny note. So here are a few random and crazy facts* for you. 

*These facts are true facts based on the fact that I found them on the internet so they must be true.

1. There’s a basketball court on the top floor of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. It’s nickname?  “the highest court in the land.” 

2. Walmart has a lower acceptance rate than Harvard. Harvard has an 8.9 percent admittance rate. Only 2.6% of Walmart applicants are accepted.

3. There is a technical name for the “fear of long words”. It’s called “hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia.”

4. Hunting unicorns is legal in Michigan. Lake Superior State University in Michigan offers a unicorn hunting license.

5. An art collector once paid $10,000 for a “non-visible” sculpture created by actor James Franco. The artwork was billed as an “endless tank of oxygen.”

6. It officially takes 364 licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop. Well, at least according to engineering students at Purdue University, who used a proprietary “licking machine” rather than a human tongue.

7. Cows moo with regional accents. “In small populations such as herds you would encounter identifiable dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group,” explains one UK professor.

8. The Cookie Monster has a real name. It’s Sid. No, seriously.

9. China censored the word “censorship.”

10. Barry Manilow didn’t write his hit song “I Write the Songs”. And before he recorded it, Barry didn’t even think it was a particularly good song.

11. You’re twice as likely to be killed by a vending machine than a shark.

12. The blob of toothpaste that sits on your toothbrush has a name. It’s called a “nurdle.” 

13. In Switzerland, you can hire a clown to stalk your kid and creepily smash a cake into their face on their birthday. 

14. Monowi, Nebraska, is the only town in the United States with an official population of one person. Yes, she owes taxes … To herself! She’s in her 80s, and she’s employed as the village’s mayor, librarian, and bartender.

15. The actual U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a real website devoted to “zombie preparedness.”

So did you know any of these facts already? Which ones do you believe are true?

Happy Thoughts Thursday

So you've made it through half the week, but it's still not Friday yet. Sometimes by Thursday you need a little lift to make it to the weekend.

Our solution? Happy Thought Thursday. On Tuesdays you can drop a pet peeve or an irritation. On Thursdays, give us a praise, a thankfulness, or something that just makes you happy. Your contributions on Thursday can be deep and spiritual, such as thankfulness for your salvation, or as shallow as a cup of coffee or a good hair day.  Here are our happy thoughts for this week:

Stephanie: the simple things that thrill a kid. Just making dinner made me "the best mommy ever" according to my toddler. 

Kylee: productivity!

Jill: Joel loves me. He told me so and he said that should be my happy thought.

So what about you? What makes you happy today?

My Hands are Full!

The girls and I went on our weekly grocery shopping trip on Monday. I like having groceries, but the whole process from creating a list to shopping for it to bringing it home and putting it all away, just isn’t my idea of “fun”. When you have three children with you, it makes it much more difficult to do the shopping you need to. As we were strolling through the store trying to get the things we needed, scratching things off the list, and the girls fighting about who is going to sit where in the cart, a complete stranger says, “You sure have your hands full”. I usually hear this at least once every trip to the store that we take. I usually just smile and go on my way, but now I hear it a lot and it’s getting annoying.

Monday’s trip I heard this a whopping five times ... yes, five times!

How am I supposed to take this?

A positive way as in, “You sure are blessed”. That I agree with.

A negative way as in, “You sure have lost control of your children”.

Or just someone who is making conversation because they remember when their children were that small.

No matter what way I take the phrase it’s still something a mom with children doesn’t like to hear, especially when she already feels exhausted from keeping her children under control in the store.

It got me thinking of other things that moms really don’t like hearing.

Enjoy Every Moment! -  I realize that my kids are only this age for a little while and are growing up before my eyes, but do I really need to enjoy the moment that they are putting stickers on my van window?

You look tired! - Well, how thoughtful of you for noticing!

Just Wait! - What, because the terrible two’s are terrible enough? The teenage years are going to be far worse? I’m not sure if this phrase is advice or a warning.

Even though the phrase drives me nuts , I do believe it’s true. Yes, I have my hands full with my kids, but my heart is more full!

What phrases drive you insane?

Testy Tuesdays

It's that time again. Just below are the pet peeves that are driving us crazy this week. Add your own in the comments, or ditto someone else. Commiserate with each other, blow off steam and go on your merry way.

Kylee: when people are in a hurry to go no where

Stephanie:   toys. Why do we even buy them? Their only purpose is to be dumped out and tripped over. 

Jill: when my sons treat me like I’m their secretary.

Now it's your turn. What's bugging you?

When Summer Comes

Do you remember when you were a kid in school, and summer meant relaxing?  Well, I rarely find that the case anymore. This summer, our family has quite a few things on the agenda.

  The first thing coming up for us is Vacation Bible School/ Missions Conference at our home church. This involves four hours and about 700 people in our church gym and classrooms singing, doing cheers, playing games, winning prizes, and hearing God's Word. If you've never been a part of or seen a VBS before, check out our previous post about it  http://lolinministry.blogspot.com/2017/06/well-its-vbs-week-at-our-home-church.html . That's how we'll spend our morning all week and then we'll spend our evenings seeing different missions presentations and hearing messages from different missionaries. It's a great week, but relaxing is not part of this week.

  The week after VBS, we're going to a wedding in North Carolina. 

These two are tying the knot and I'm gaining another sister!😊 I still can't believe that my little brother is old enough to be getting married. So that's gonna be a great time, but weddings don't usually involve a lot of relaxing either.

  The week right after the wedding, is my husband's ordination. I'm very excited, but also nervous for him! I'm just glad it's the men and not the women who have to go through it! Because of his ordination, we're going to have quite a bit of family coming in town. Since there will be so many of the family members here, we're also going to have a birthday party for our little guy that weekend as well.

Nothing like cramming it all in in a few days!

  The next week is our little guys actual birthday, and then our best friends leave for Brazil. Not that that really has anything to do with us, but it's an event in our summer!

   Sometime after that, but before August 14th we will be having a yard sale. Amidst all of those summer events, we will be packing up our lives into suitcases. Side note that has nothing to do with any of this, but I purchased school material for my kids today. None of which are even old enough to be in school, but we have to have it to take with us to the field. It was a little on the sad side. ☹️☹️ Anyways, then on August 14, we are on a plane to Brazil! It's gonna be a crazy summer, but who needs relaxation anyways??

Ten Things That Happen When You Skip A Church Service

Almost everyone's guilty of it. The Sunday Morning when you miss the alarm.

The Wednesday night that follows an incredibly difficult work day.

The Sunday evening where the family picnic went too long.

You tell yourself that missing one service isn't going to matter. You say it's important that you get enough rest. You say you're too tired to go.

Is it true? What happens when you miss a church service? Here are ten things that you can count on when you skip out of church:

1.  The good stuff always happens when you're not there. The simmering church strife will blow up into a full on church split. The pastor will preach a rip-roaring sermon, pointing out sins and naming names. The choir scandal comes to a head. Trust me, if something's gonna blow, it'll happen the Sunday you don't show up.

2.  You'll get volunteered for the new project. Whether it's taking on the bathroom remodeling or directing the children's program, you're guaranteed to be volunteered. You've got to show up just to protect yourself.

3.  Your pet ministry will be given to someone else. Suddenly you won't have the solo part in the choir special next Sunday morning. And the worst part is, they didn't even give it to another soprano. They gave it to a tenor.

4.  Visitors will take your favorite seat. And with your luck, it'll be visitors that actually come back. And join. Before you know it, they're a vital part of the church body, and they've taken over your usual seat on the third pew, right hand side.

5.  You'll miss the good gossip. Whether you were scheduled for nursery duty or usher work, you'll miss all the latest that would be passed on at the changing table or in the ushers' pew.

6. You'll owe favors. Whoever took over your church duties for you will need you to fill in for them at a later date. And it won't be a convenient one. Believe me, "owe no man anything" can be applied to work swaps. Don't risk it.

7. They sing your favorite hymn (or choir song or before-the-sermon special). You can go six months or more without hearing your favorites, but lay out of church for one service and you guarantee you're going to miss it.

8. You'll double the tithe that you owe. That weekly giving can be especially painful when you have to double up to make up for missing a Sunday.

9.  The pastor will happen to refer to you in his announcements ... and then publicly ask where you're at. The announcement you've been bugging him to make for weeks? He'll remember it the Sunday you're not there. And then ask you from the pulpit about the details. The end result? The announcement is completely botched, and now everyone knows you didn't show for the Sunday evening service.

10. Someone else will take credit for your ideas. You've been complaining for sometime that the foyer needed to be updated or the visitation schedule needed to be revamped. But someone else will point out the needed changes the week you're gone, and suddenly they've claimed credit for your big ideas.

Whatever you do, whatever the excuse, it's not worth it.

Has it happened to you?