Friday (2-28-14):
Who remembers our LONG road trip? One of our stops was Ohio, where my friend Kari, and her husband Kevin (and now TWO boys...she just had her second!), helped plant a church. Anyway, we had left some stuff at our first stop, my cousin Matt's place (and family), his wife Ashley had the stuff shipped to Kari's place, with the help of me giving her the wrong address it got there the day after we left. The package ended up with Kari's mom, Trina, who lives in Henryetta. She met us on her lunch break to bring us the stuff. We had awesome Chinese food. I've been going to THE China Restaurant since I was in high school. I always get the Mandarin chicken and it never disappoints. Trina invited, her nephew, Kari's cousin, and my pretend little brother to join us. He brought his family, and it was so much fun. The reason Corbet is my pretend brother is because he gets my sarcasm and laughs at me when I pick on him. Isn't that what little brothers are for? No worries, he got me back. He was trying to prevent a small spill (he was holding his daughter), in the process HE knocked over his drink, possibly coke, possibly pepsi, but definitely NOT Dr. Pepper. (Dr. Pepper has been capitolized for a reason and those other want-to-bes should not be given special status!)
Well it got all over my purse! I actually didn't notice that my purse was sitting in soda until we were leaving, it didn't get anything inside my purse wet, and if it HAD been Dr. Pepper I would have done a happy dance because then my purse would smell like Dr. Pepper.
Here's the pictures:
We got back, and Grampa smoked us some amazing food!
Yum, yum! Ribs, chicken, and pineapple! My mom had deviled eggs and unrisen rolls. Here's the deal on the rolls, my mom put them in the off (which was off to rise), I came in from our lunch outing, and turned the oven on to make some desserts to sell at a pie auction that was happening the next day. I didn't notice her rolls....whoops. Yep, the joys of shared living, and one particular "helper" who almost never helps, and generally finds a way to create havoc and mayhem. Bless my dear sweet mom for putting up with us. I hope she's catching up on rest these days.
Grampa decided to burn his garden to prep it for this year.
While he was doing that, we decided to check the van, and load a few more small things.
Those cars made the trip, and Kora's new stroller from Gramee and Grampa!
Take note of this photos, I'll reference it at the end. :)
As soon as the fire got going, so did the wind. Fun, fun, and lots of smoke. I had told the kids we could roast marshmallows, um, not happening.
We roasted tiny marshmallows on fondue forks over the burner. Worked well!
Kees hanging out with Grampa and Gramee, eating a peanut butter sandwich, what else...
Okay, so the photo of Doug. I was in the van with the kids. I looked over and noticed him looking off into space, and thought, he looked stressed, as much as he ever shows emotion, I have to fill in the blanks, and I'm not always right. I snapped a picture, he was standing like that for a while.
Later that night, a sweet friend from church dropped by and gave Doug a check, in his hand and specifically told him she was praying for HIM as he would be traveling. Next thing I know, Doug has posted on Facebook about how he'd been praying all day for God to provide for us and just wasn't sure how it was all going to come together. I wasn't worried, I was completely oblivious. Isn't God's timing great. She didn't give the check to me, she didn't say she was praying for us, it was like God used her to speak directly to Doug who was needing that encouragement. Wow! God is good!
Saturday (3-1-14):
The previous week, when we were at Doug's cousin's wedding, his uncle invited us to come visit one last time. He bribed Doug with homemade ice cream. Doug does not turn down ice cream, as a general rule.
Kees fell asleep on the way, and had such a rough start to the visit. He was feeling shy and overwhelmed. Kora, in the meantime was making friends, singing songs.
And then there was the trampoline. Doug made the mistake of trying to put Kees directly on the trampoline without showing him EXACTLY how it works and making sure he was ready. I heard a crazy cry/scream from the backyard, and ended up with two crying babies, inconsolable. Geeze! I convinced Kees that we could just sit in the very middle, that I'd hold him and we wouldn't even jump. It took 15 minutes or so, they ran cautious circles around me at first, but they loved it after they got used to it.
I tried really hard to narrow it down to one photo of Kora on this swing, but it couldn't be done, sorry, not sorry.
Watching the ice cream, important work.
ipad with Aunt Cindy, we got to skype her grandbaby!
Kora fell right to sleep!
We got home in time to catch the last of the fish fry. I didn't next to nothing to help, just made a dessert to auction. It was a benefit to help a man in our church who was injured recently. The team that put this together, did such an awesome job. The man's wife made the fish, it was so yummy! I also chatted the night away with Quincy (a new mom friend...since I've been back from Thailand).
Sunday (3-2-14):
I have never been more sad that church was cancelled! It was supposed to be our last Sunday at Paden as a whole family, since Doug was scheduled to leave Monday. I was so bummed, but we had fun in our pjs, and Grampa and Gramee got some extra spoiling in, and Kora dumped goldfish crackers everywhere.
See how innocent she looks...
This should have been the warning.
Look at that face, not one tiny shred of remorse.
I'm mentally thinking, some day, WHEN stuff like this happens I won't be destroying someone else's house.
