Day Fourteen - So Glad...

...to have had a fun outing to Riven Rock park with other families from our church this morning. The boys and I had a fantastic time and would have stayed longer, except for Josiah's dentist appointment this afternoon.


...for helping hands that made the job of caring for three boys during our outing this morning so much lighter.


...for Jeff calling this morning!!! It was the first time since he's been gone (which has actually been just fine because we've had so much email contact), and we weren't even here to take his call since we were playing in the river at that time. But it was so nice to hear his voice again, and I saved the message so we can play it over. :)


...that Josiah's dentist appointment this afternoon to get a little cavity filled went so well. It didn't take long, and he got his usual compliments from the staff about being such a good helper. He told me he was nervous about it beforehand, but tonight he was telling someone that it tickled when the dentist "painted" his teeth. I'm so grateful that he has had such good experiences with the dentist.


...that I got to snooze on the couch for a little while late this afternoon while Tobin was in bed, Josiah was quietly playing a game in the living room, and David was "eating" (or rather, looking at his food to see whether it was still there). I was so sleepy and felt like I could have easily fallen asleep in the waiting room of the dentist's office! At home, I think I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the couch. :)


...for our small group meeting tonight at the Wampole's house. They have the biggest, coolest treehouse I have ever seen in their backyard; it's truly amazing...and since they have two young sons, they have lots of other toys which entertained my boys completely. Plus, the Millers brought homemade chocolate ice cream which rivaled, in my opinion, Kline's chocolate--can't think of a higher compliment than that. The picture below was taken by Amy, and shows a timid (not his usual modus operandi) David holding a sparkler. It's a good thing she took this picture fast, because the moment didn't last long. I thought David was going to throw the sparkler at Mike in his haste to get it out of his hand! ...to have our neighbors home from the hospital! SO, SO GLAD to see Marlene again!!! To see her running out of her house across the lawn to welcome us tonight seemed nothing short of a miracle! They got home this evening; and although Marlene will have to continue to take some anti-seizure medicine for some time and is continuing to have a little trouble focusing her eyes, she is fine! FINE!!! In the end, the diagnosis was California encephalitis which she apparently got through a mosquito bite. What an experience! Josiah, my little tenderheart, was emotional about it all tonight. He was so happy to be over at the neighbors seeing Marlene again; but when we came back over here and he was tucked in bed, he put his head under his pillow and cried. I was getting David ready for bed so I couldn't go to Josiah right away, but he came to me and I held him on my lap in the glider rocker and we talked about the possiblity of death and God's power over it and the fear we sometimes feel. He didn't want to go back to his own bed because he wanted a place away from me and David and Tobin where he could cry, so I told him he could go down to the living room to the couch there. After I got Tobin nursed and in bed, I checked on Josiah and he was sound asleep on the couch--an exhausted (from the day's activities and from the emotions of Marlene's ordeal) little boy.


To close for tonight, here's a picture from the shouk in Tel Aviv. I loved this place, but it also drove me nuts sometimes! So crowded most of the time with people who are not...shall we say?...known for their politeness. I had to be mentally prepared to go here, or else I would come out utterly frazzled!