Weekend Without Mommy

Jenny went to Dallas this weekend for a getaway with a few of her college friends. So the boys and I loaded up and went to my parents for a couple of nights. 

Luke thought it would be fun to have lunch on the back porch. 

Abby and Ben spent a lot of time on the golf cart. 

Ben has this new thing of giving us a Thumbs-up...he does it in the pool, around the house...just his way of saying "It's all cool, mom and dad."

Luke enjoyed splashing around in Grammy's bath tub. 

And I enjoyed having my coffee out here in the mornings.

I enjoyed being at my parents, but it was really, really challenging to juggle the boys alone. Luke had this suspicion that I was going to leave him, and he absolutely would not let me out of his sight. At one point my mother had to put him in his stroller and walk with us as I walked the dogs - he just coule not handle it. 

This morning I managed to get all three of us ready and out of the door by about 8, so Luke and Ben had three full hours of church. Luke didn't even make it home. 

This was basically the three of us this afternoon - Jenny came home and came into the bedroom and I didn't even hear her. 

Single parenting. It wipes you out. 

Fatherhood

One day, Benjamin John arrived, and I became a father. 

 Don (Tidball) looked into the eyes of his new grandson...born on his wife's birthday. 

He  had said his final goodbye to her just a week before.  

John (Bunch, Sr.) held his first grandson. 

John Carl (Bunch) held the long-awaited great-grandson who would carry on the family name...

Lary (Tidball) found someone to follow in his footsteps. 

Three years later, Luke was placed in my arms for the first time. 

Feeling especially blessed on this day.

All Quiet...

Well those of you readers who don't know us well probably think we're either terrible parents, extremely boring or technologically inept due to the lack in posting of late. 

When I told Ben we have hardly posted any pics of him, his reaction was classic: "My can't believe it."
Actually this was when I told him we were going to the lake this Sunday - he was very, very excited.

And speaking of "actually," that's his new word. He says it before everything.

"Actually, my need to go to the bathroom..."

"Actually, I think we should make cookie dough..."

His other phrase is "Also, too." Which probably means nothing to anyone except my mother who is likely picking herself up from the floor from fits of laughter.

And speaking of the cookie dough - he's his mother's child. He'll just fix a bowl of it for no other reason than it's there...

I cannot stand how big he looks in this picture. But I love his eyes. And his hair. We're just going to let it grow and grow and see what comes of it.

Much like Luke's. We're just going to let it go. He wakes up and it looks like someone took an average sized cotton ball and tried to stretch it out to make a wig. It's just one big, wispy poof. Then we wet it and it's back to ringlets. 

VBS was this week. Which basically means I have been a crazy person for the last three or so weeks. 

We call ours Crazy-Awesome Fun Camp VBS but it's traditional VBS in nature. I love it. We went back to Lifeway materials and I think it was great. I don't typically shout to the world the praises of 

one particular publisher, but you just can't beat the Gold Standard. I absolutely loved it. 

We didn't go too wild on decorations, which I loved. We had a great setup in the worship center, with little pops of theme throughout the building. Like this waterfall that my assistant and I made in the preschool VBS Pod. I had to do something for preschool...even though it's just the worker's kids...

Ben and his friends had to have some theme!

The decorations were so fun to make. And what's a more kid-friendly decor than airplanes?

Ben and his friends at VBS...I don't know why he was standing in the corner...he had sort of a rough day today. I think he was just completely worn out. 

This was the stage in the worship rally. Pretty easy stuff - some large posters, a hangar, a plane, seats from a DC-10, and a few pieces of luggage.

This was Thursday's group...somewhere around 200 kids, including preschool. We had about 250 come through the program this week - which is my largest number ever. 

I love this pic so much, but what really cracks me up is Luke in the very front (in the stroller...). The babies just happened to be going for a ride when we took this picture. 

It's been a busy, busy few weeks, but it's been a great event. I'm looking forward to some downtime over the next week or so. 

Hope you all have a great weekend.