GAP

Here is our family picture this year from Cousins Camp...the Gillan And Purdy (GAP) crew! Can't believe how grown up everyone is getting! Thankful for my family and this time together each year. Thank you God for my family and for being faithful to us each where you have us!

Back to School!

Today was the first day of school for us! It went really well - a lot of the things I was worried about were not as hard as I feared! I think it's going to be a great school year, but I am going to be one tired Momma! Phew! Owen did a great job with his new 1st grade material - he didn't even whine or complain once about the handwriting he had to do (which was more than K, and in K he complained about it a lot!!). He was joyful and engaged with it and it was neat to see. Baxter was busy as always, but he did settle into a few of the things I had for him. He got really into an activity where he had to color in 6 apples (A is the letter of the week, and A is for apple) and cut them out and glue them on a brown bag I cut out of construction paper. He did great with it! Lucy enjoyed the toys I set out for her, took a short nap, and then did pretty well post-nap. She was a little clingy, I think she missed me. I missed her too! I will continue to figure out how to love her and not just shover her in the corner with fun puzzles and toys while we are in school. It is a joy and a privilege (and a LOT of work!) to be these kids teacher. It is neat to watch them learn and grow and just to spend time with them. Three sweet things that happened today were Baxter telling Owen he is a genius, Owen reading a book to Lucy, and Owen telling me that Rhode Island is the 50th largest state in the US with a sweet smirk and giggle during his silent reading time while he was reading a book about the United States. Here are some pictures capturing our kiddos on the first day of school. My how they have grown! Owen - 1st Grade

Baxter - PreK

Lucy - Teeny Tot :)

Me and the kids

Songs in the car

I am convinced that the music we listen to our car is about 90% for me and 10% for our kids. God uses it in big ways to speak to me and remind me of certain things throughout the day. At any given moment we are either listening to Magic Treehouse books on CD (these don't have that same effect on me!) or some sort of Bible songs for kids or other children's worship music. I am not necessarily against other kinds of music, but I am convinced that having the Words of scripture floating through our car has only a positive effect. There have been MANY times that we have had a hard time getting to the car (lots of disobedience by the kids and lots of impatience or angry words from me) and I turn the car on only to hear "God made you special and He loves you..." (Andrew Peterson) or "You are always loving, You are never rude..." (Be Like Jesus by Soverign Grace ministries) or "Do not be anxious...about anything...but in everything...by prayer and petition with thanksgiving in your hearts..." (Seeds Family Worship). It has a way of melting my hard heart and softening it towards God and my kids! Today it was a free CD that we found at church that contains songs that would go along with an old Sunday School curriculum. We've he the CD for years now, Owen likes to listen to it during his rest time some days. Somehow it made it's way into our CD changer in the car. As we drove along today two songs struck me and just washed the Truth of God over me. One was speaking about God calling us to share His love with other people, and the promise that He will be with us wherever we go. The simple reminder that wether I am at home or out and about, or for my friends who are overseas serving Christ and His church there, or wherever we find ourselves from day to day that He is with me. How is it that the most simple truths can be so profound?! If He is with me, I need not be afraid. If He is with me, I have strength to parent my three kids even when it's really hard. If He is with me, I can make it through the day even when I have gone to bed late the last few days getting ready for school to start. If He is with me, I can enjoy fellowship with Him all through the day. The other song was a simple refrain of "God is good" but it was sung in a few different languages. That served as a reminder that this God who is with me and who is my God is such a great and wonderful God that He is known in every language by people of every trip and tongue and nation. What a great God! It's His world that we live in, and it's in Him that it all holds together. Good news was washing over me and filling my heart and mind with the glorious reality of our God and His love for me. Thank you God for using such simple means to remind me of who you are and of your love for me!

Cousins Camp

We have returned home from Cousins Camp - hard to believe we've been home for a week already! It was a really great 10 days spent in Harrisonburg at my parents house with my whole family. 16 people, 8 adults and 8 children, 6 of whom are 6 and under. Lots of energy, lots of fun, lots of laughing, lots of fits, worth every minute! The boys really loved playing with their cousins and aunts and uncles and grampa and gramma. Their highlights were "Cousins Camp Olympics" consisting of events like the long jump, the running of the torch, an ice cube relay, etc.; the "hike" we did at Massanutten and the Massanutten Water Park. Lucy took a while to warm up to all of the excitement (lots of "mommy, mommy" was heard) - her highlight was playing with the girl cousins and playing with Anna's American Girl doll. Matt and I enjoyed getting time with my family and eating Costco Apple Pie and ice cream EVERY NIGHT! No joke! Pictures don't do this time justice, but here are a few to get a feel for it. Can't wait for CC 2013 next year! (l

Peach Picking

On our way to Cousins Camp this year, we made a quick stop at Carter Mountain Orchard in Charlottesville to pick some peaches! We have always gone there to pick apples, so when we learned that you can also pick peaches there we jumped on it! Not to mention, instead of the normal apple cider donuts, they now had peach donuts! Yup, as good as they sound! It was a great way to start off our vacation. We knew we'd be with 16 people for a week and it was nice to have a short time with just the 5 of us before we got there.

Richmond Flying Squirrels

We were able to join a few friends at another Flying Squirrels game this past Sunday. The game itself was not that riveting, but the stadium and the friends were fun!

I"m not sure whose idea this was, but they handed out FULL SIZE WOODEN bats to all of the kids at the game. Needless to say, we have these under lock and key until daddy has a good block of time to practice with the boys. Yikes, baseball bats are hard and heavy!!

Celebrating 90 years part 2

Last summer, my Grandpa turned 90 years old and we journeyed North to New Jersey to celebrate. This summer, my Grandma turned 90. We again journeyed North to celebrate with my Grandma and my extended family. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the party, but my favorite moment was watching my grandparents standing side by side behind her birthday cake and my Grandpa leading us all in singing Happy Birthday to Grandma. Who would have known they would have the joy and blessing of walking through life with each other for so many years? It was a real joy to be a part of that! On our way to New Jersey, we went a little further north and spent a few days in my hometown in Connecticut with my brother and his family. We enjoyed some great cousin time, yummy food and lots of parks! It was a great sneak peak into Cousins Camp which was a few weeks later! Breakfast with cousins in PJs...does it get much better than that?!

Rising 1st Grade cousins reading "Where's Waldo?" together.

One of the fun parks in Ridgefield that we enjoyed.

THE BEST Chicken Parm grinder EVER is from Genoa Pizza in Ridgefield, CT. Matt was so overcome by the whole display that he took a picture. It is so good. Thanks for the treat Brett and Carolyn! We need to find a way to ship it here...