ST. LOUIS

WE FINALLY GOT OUR FAMILY PICTURES BY THE WATERFALL

IN FOREST PARK...

CAN YOU SEE JOJO'S GUM IN HIS MOUTH??

OUR KIDS WITH THE HAYTER KIDS, OUR UPSTAIRS NEIGHBORS AT THE SEM... WE MISS THEM ALL!


OUR PRECIOUS GODSON ASHER:)... I KNOW, NOT THE BEST PHOTO
OF THE ADULTS, BUT ISN'T HE JUST ADORABLE?

OUR DEAR BOGGS FRIENDS

Well, we are back from St. Louis... it was too quick. Honestly, all day I kind had a pit in my stomach as we drove back. I miss the life at the sem. and all of our friends there. I think part of it is that we have just had such a hard year since we left there that we remember life there as pretty carefree and happy. (I know I wasn't the one studying like crazy:)

Now life is far from carefree. Sometimes the reality of my life just hits me like a ton of bricks. We can't go back, we are forever changed. The ignorance and bliss of life is gone. I want to embrace this new life we have. But honestly it can be difficult. Each day is not easy, and it takes perseverence and determination just to get myself out of bed some morning. Not to mention all the prayer:) I continue to pray that the Lord will guide us as we journey forward as a different family than we were last fall. I pray he will use the pain we have gone through to somehow bring him glory.

I have such a way of getting off track...

I knew when we were living there, at the seminary, it was kind of like living on this Christian island, certainly it wasn't perfect, and certainly not real normal life. But it was such a good life, such a precious time for a few years. I remember thinking before we went to the sem. that we were pretty much going for Greg's education. I never could have anticipated making such incredible, precious, life long friends there.

Right when we arrived it was about 7:30 on Sunday night... Yeah!!! Just in time for Ladies Night Out. When we were living there a group of my friends would try to get the kids down for the night, or at least close to it:), and then we would head out for a couple of hours. It was such a precious time each week... so shortly after we pulled in we were able to get together with those that were still at the sem. A lot of the families have already left for the year, but it was so sweet to be together again with some of them. I know I am a sap, but for me it was so wonderful to be able to sit, laugh, talk, share, and just be together.

Our friends were so sweet to arrange their basement so we could all eat together in the evenings, the Boggs, the Hayters, and our crew. It was such a great time of just getting to hang out together like old times... I know I am getting all sappy again:) You know those friends where you just pick up right where you left off, that is how it is with them. And we so treasure our friendships with them.

It was soooo hot and humid... like CRAZY hot, but the kids loved getting to spend time with their friends again, playing games inside, splashing around in the water and just being together.

On Monday morning we went to the zoo. On Tues.-Wed. I got to go the home school conference. We tried to see a few things while we were there since our birth mom had never been there. Greg took her and the kids to the arch and Grant's Farm. It was so nice to have Greg with us, I had planned on going by myself with the kids, but it was so much nicer having him with us. We desperately needed that family time.

So we headed home today... shed a few tears saying goodbye, as usual. We pulled in around 4:15 and our company arrived at 5:00. Yeah, we are so happy to have the Stinettes here with us for a couple of days. They are headed to their vicarage in Texas so they stopped on their way down. We are so thankful these days for the distraction of having company and being busy. Normally, I love company, but don't necessarily like being super busy. But right now it feels great as we sort of look towards September with anxious hearts.

I will try to share more pictures and more about the conference soon. Ahhh, heading to bed in my own bed tonight:)