the last hoorah of the summer.

4 days of camping, 5 amazing families, 17 adventuresome children under 9, dirt everywhere, a beautiful lake, every kid to bed by 8:30, hours of late night talks for the adults by the campfire (with many secrets revealed), coolers full of candy (thanks Bauldrees), 1 lizard caught (thanks Mikey), hundreds of bugs tortured caught, super fun and countless hours on the boats (Withams, you are awesome!), smores, a gazillion chairs around the campfire.

Ah, what a way to end the summer.

Thanking the Lord for the awesome gift of friendship.

Many people will walk in and out of your life,

but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Pressing on

oh, God is so good!

We ask God to open doors and shut doors, to guide us clearly.  We struggle to wait upon Him and in Him for His clear direction and guidance.  But always, always always always, in His time, He leads.  And He leads clearly.

A couple months ago we felt that He was asking us to go to Kenya.  Then, last week, the door to Kenya shut.  He clearly asked us to go and then He clearly told us that now is not the time.  We are deeply disappointed that this adventure has not worked out for our family however totally at peace that it is in His best plan for us to remain here for now.

And so, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3

Below are a few pics from this summer.  It has been a great one!

me and my girls.

my love.

One of her favorite parts of the summer is when her oldest cousin from Texas comes to visit.

Mei with her sweet cousin from Seattle.

Daddy's girl.

making daddy proud!

his first catch.

love her adventuresome spirit.

my mom is super-grandma!

it's been 17 years since we graduated from high school....and when we are together it is like no time has passed.  special special friends!

continue to be amazed at how God continues to bring special friends into Meili's life!

God is good all the time.  All the time, God is good.