BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY

Our congregation's Vacation Bible School ended last night. The theme this year was "After the Garden." We had five classrooms that were decorated with the topics of "Adam and Eve after the garden," "Cain and Abel and Cain's exile," "The pre-flood world," "Noah, the flood, and afterwards," and finally my class on the "Tower of Babel." If anyone is interested in seeing what the classrooms looked like, you can click HERE to see them, but now back to my story.

All week long I had been telling the separate age groups the two commands that God gave to Noah after they got off the ark."So God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.'" (Genesis 9:1) And how the people during the time of the Tower of Babel, who were obviously the direct descendents of Noah and his sons, were deliberately disobeying God and not filling the earth, but staying in one spot to make a name for themselves, at which point God stepped in, confused their language (that is, made up a whole bunch of different ones) and scattered them Himself. "So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth." (Genesis 11:8).

All week long I had been telling the kids this without really giving it much thought as to why God commanded just not Noah, but many others mentioned in the Bible to multiply, and then others He promised that he would multiply their descendents Himself. And the idea of scattering and filling the whole earth? I figured God had a good enough reason and that was okay with me.

I never really gave these two commands much thought or the logic behind them until this morning when one of the other teachers at our VBS and friend of mine sent me this, and then it just smacked me right upside the head. Oh, yeah, I get it now. And guess what, Folks? We haven't been doing it, but this group sure has, and it may be time for us Christians to once again start multiplying before we're forced to scatter and this time not by God.

LOA ALREADY!!!

I can hardly believe it has happened so fast, but our agency just called to tell us that they have received our LOA (letter of approval) and are FEDEXing it to us today. For those of you who keep track of these sorts of things (and you know who you are), it has only been 46 days since our LOI and a mere 36 days since we received our PA. Our God is moving to get our Ciara home as quickly as possible. I dunno why, but I'm not complaining (for once). I'm just going to sit back and watch God work out His perfect will and timing.

I would like to make one teensy weensy request of Him, though. I was just humbly wondering if maybe, just maybe, Lord, you could see about making it possible for it to be not quite so hot and humid when we travel, which will more than likely be around Aug 20th, but just a thought, lol.

A FAMILY WALK

Leyna and Logan got up this morning and had to be at Chucky Cheese's in Erie at 10 AM for a birthday party for one of Logan's friends up at the Behrend Early Learning Center. So with those two gone for awhile I actually got a lot of work done today, lol. My brother Chris and nephew Christopher came out to our place to cut some wood. Roger had a post or something or other to put in and after he was finished with that he helped Chris with the wood. By about 5 PM we all were back together at home and Roger suggested we go for a walk up in the woods. He wanted to take a look at some of our trees to see if it was getting close to the time we need to timber them, and the fact that he just likes walking in the woods, lol. So we all headed off. Of course, once again, you won't see any pictures of me as I was the one taking them.

This picture here is Roger looking over our garden we planted this year. We got tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, cantaloupe, beans, peas, celery and onions. We also planted in a different spot pumpkins and watermelons and I planted some spinach in a big pot.Logan got her stick and her Pappy; she's ready to start her walk.Leyna forging ahead.Ummm...what's going on with this tree?It looks like lightening struck it! Dangerous, but very cool!Roger, Leyna & Logan making their way through the forest while I pick up the rear. Isn't it the last person in line that always disappears in the movies? Yikes!!Are those turkey tracks?A man on a mission with his dog.This is one mission Pappy must go alone, Logie!Towards the end of our hike, Roger decided to check on the condition of this stream that runs near our house. Looks good!He's a happy man now!Back at the house, Logan enjoys a relaxing swing while taking a much needed drink.Once again, a man with his dog. Notice how Lulu has her back legs crossed.

YOUNG CON ANTHEM

I read about this on FOXNews today. What do you all think about this rap video? I of course love it! (Con stands for Conservative)

IT'S FRIDAY!!!

Fridays have a whole new meaning to me now. The end of the work week means just one more week closer to when we can finally bring Ciara home!!

THOUGHT IT WAS A BLAH DAY!

I have been sitting at my computer for the last two or three hours editing yet another transcript of yet another car accident where yet two more attorneys were arguing back and forth their respective clients' positions, blah, blah, blah, thinking what a yucky day it is outside, not really sunny, not really anything, just blah.....

AND THEN I OPEN UP THIS EMAIL!!!

Our God is an awesome God, and he has kept Ciara safe and healthy until her Mommy and Daddy can come and get her. Would you just look at that face!?! I've kissed a lot of puffy cheekers in my day, most recently Logan May's and her cousin Christopher's, but these are two puffy cheekers I think about kissing constantly and probably won't stop kissing...EVER!!!

CARE PACKAGE VOL. 2

Okay, so I went and got some more stuff for Ciara's 1st care package. Let's see, we have a Tinkerbell blankie (or Stinkerbell as we like to call her with Logan), we got some washable crayons, some paper to draw on, crocs of course, a photo album that I have to fill yet, and stickers, lots of stickers for everyone. Well, the girls that is, lol. I don't think the little boys will like Tinkerbell, Disney Princesses or Winnie the Pooh. All that is left are some disposable cameras, a letter to Ciara and her caretakers and we're good to go!

Below is a picture of Ciara's orphanage.

NOTHIN SWEETER

I dunno about you all, but it really doesn't get much sweeter than this.

THE LOVE BUGS

My granddaughter Logan had her 1st tap dance recital this past Sunday afternoon, and I must and will say that she did absolutely fantastic!! She was right in the middle of the line, was already an unbelievable ham, and she does love an audience, lol. She also won an award for selling the most tickets to the show. She had 18 of her favorite relatives there watching her. Let's see there was Mommy, Daddy, Daddy's girlfriend Ashley (BTW, lol, mommy and daddy are not married or together, so don't think daddy has a girlfriend on the side, lol), her Nanny (me) and Pappy were there, her Granny, her Great Granny and Pappap, Grandma Debbie and Papa Jim, her Great Grandma Gloria, her Aunt Jamie and Uncle Jay and baby Gavin, her Aunt Kathy and Aunt Amanda, and her cousins Lyndsey and McKayla.

The theme this year was "Sea Cruise," and Logan's tap class (the 3 and 4 year olds) were called the Love Bugs. After the show, all 19 of us went to Applebee's for supper. It was a very special day for Logan, and in her words it was one of her best day's ever!!

The pictures I took didn't turn out that well, and even though some of them are a little blurry, you can still see what the little stinker is doing!

These first two pictures were taken from the dress rehearsal on Saturday. Nanny didn't quite get Logan's hair piece on the right way, it was a little too high on her head, so it looks kinda kooky, but we got it right for the big show!!All the Love Bugs lining up for the dress rehearsal.Logan with her hairpiece on straight, her glitter eye makeup, her bright red lipstick and her Mommy right before the big show!Here I go!Shirley Temple ain't got nuttin' like this!Logan posing with the flowers she got and her great big basket with all kinds of goodies in it that she won for selling the most tickets, which she had to go back on stage all by herself to accept that award! The little stinker didn't even bat an eyelash!

LYNDSEY'S PROM

Oh, my goodness, this is my oldest niece Lyndsey and her date for her first prom!! That absolutely cannot be right, she's just a little girl. Well, in fact she's a sophomore and a good girl, and he's a senior...YIKES!! Lyndsey says they're just "FRIENDS." Um-hmm.