Trip to Locomotive Play!

Today, since the weather is SO HOT, we went to a place called Locomotive Play. It is actually an inflatable indoor playground. It is usually $7 to get in (only kids have to pay) but I found a deal online that was $10 for 3 trips...so we thought it would be worth it. It was quite an adventure...I think everyone had the same idea we did...going inside somewhere to play. It was packed! Hopefully next time, it won't be so packed. But Tristan didn't care. He LOVED it. He played for two hours. He went back and forth between the ball pit, the inflatable houses, the pretend play area, and the toddler play area. I don't have an easy way to label the pictures, since I didn't "label" them before posting them, so I'll just have you look yourself. We'll definitely go back and play again!

Revive Our Hearts

I've been struggling with my Bible study lately. I've been getting up at 6:00ish to do it, but lately, I've just been so tired in the morning and no accountability to do my study. I read on another blog several months ago about someone who was doing a Bible study online called "Revive Our Hearts". It's 30 days and everyday, the study is emailed to you. I was in the middle of another study at that point, so I couldn't focus on this one as well, but I decided to go ahead and get them all emailed to me. Well, I decided last night to do this study, but I realized that I'll be starting my Bible Study Fellowship study on Sept 14, and I've heard that that study will take up a lot of time, so doing two at once probably wouldn't work. So, I didn't want to start this one and not be able to finish it. However, while looking at the emailed studies today, I noticed that not everyday was actually emailed to me. I counted them up, and I had 24 of the 30 days. I compared that to the calendar and if I started today, I would end on the morning of Sept 14. I think that was God's doing there :) So, I plan to start this today and maybe even blog how things are going...if I'm getting up in time to do it, things I've learned, just somehow to keep me accountable in doing this. The weekends are the hardest for me because that is when Nate lets me sleep in some while he gets Tristan up if needed. But, I'll do my best!

Trials and Joy with a 17 month old...

Tonight was a very stressful night. It seems when Nate is not around to help put Tristan to bed, Tristan doesn't do as well going to bed. Nate's "job" is reading bedtime stories to Tristan, and even if I try to and Nate is around, he doesn't want me, he wants his daddy. However, Nate is now going to a men's Bible study on Sunday nights at 6:30, so he leaves about 6:15. Tristan and I sat down to eat dinner right after Nate left. Once Tristan started playing with his food instead of eating, I took it away to start cleaning up. He happily got down (with my help) from his high chair, but instantly started screaming that he wanted more. I knew he wasn't hungry anymore, so I just cleaned up, the whole time Tristan is throwing a temper tantrum. He wants "juice" but all I would give him was his milk...but no, he didn't want that. Crying some more. Time to take a bath, screaming child, not going well. He screamed as I took off his diaper, and calmed down just enough to say "trash" and contently throw it away, then started the crying again. I even put bubbles in his water, which he usually loves, but this time, he didn't care and screamed in the water. So, I would take him out, and he would reach for the water and cry "bubbles!" I would put him back in and he would scream trying to get out, and once again, I would take him out only to have him scream "bubbles!" By this time, I'm just ready for him to go to bed! So, we go to his room to put on our pj's and he is crying "bubbles" the whole time. I finally get his pj's on and he calms down when I say it is time to read. Funny thing, he picks out a Precious Moments book called "Caring". It's not a very exciting book, has verses about caring on the pages. But we read that book seven times before I made him get another book! Any other book, one time was enough, but for some reason, he wanted to read that one book seven times :) Anyways, we go brush our teeth, turn out our lights and I lay him in bed, only to have him start crying and crawling out of bed. I decided since our routine was a little off without Nate here that I would rock him a while. While I rocked him, I sang some songs and he watched me intently the whole time. After a few songs, I asked "Are you ready for bed?" and he shook his head no, so I asked "Do you want me to sing some more?" and he signed "more". Can't say no to that! So, after a few more songs, I stopped to see what he would do, and he says "sing" (actually, "si..." but I understood :), so I sang some more. After a few more songs, I asked again "Is it time for night-night?" and he looked at me and said "night-night". I put him in bed, he rolled over with his pillow and closed his eyes, and I haven't heard from him since. Exhausting night, but precious boy. Oh, the trials...and joys...of having kids!

Costa Rica Trip -- Part 2

I should have finished posting about the trip a long time ago, but I didn't take many pictures of the trip, and just recently got some pictures from someone else. These pictures shows some of what happened during the actual retreat. Again, it was for missionary women in the Costa Rica area. I'll let the pictures explain:


These are two of the team members, both from Oklahoma. They both lead sessions throughout the retreat. One lead two sessions on bitterness and forgiveness, and the other lead several sessions on children ministry.


Two more of the team members. The one on the right is from my church here in Austin. She and the main leader lead one-on-one counseling sessions with the women during the afternoon free time. The younger woman on the left was another speaker. She grew up as a missionary kid in Ecuador and went back to Ecuador after college and ran a home for abandoned children for nine years. She had to return to the states for a sudden family illness and was refused back into Ecuador, so she is now in Arizona, waiting for God to show her what He has planned for her next. She shared her story during two different sessions. Not many dried eyes after her speaking.


This is the founder of Pure Joy International and our main speaker on the trip. She is really a gifted speaker. Her story is very interesting, because she applied with the IMB two different times. However, both times when they asked her where her "people group" were located, she replied that they are all over the world, not truly understanding what that meant. Both times, the IMB refused her because she didn't have a "country" or "people group". She then realized that her "people group" were the missionary women located all over the world, and she's been traveling ever since to various countries ministering to missionary women.


During praise and worship time. The younger woman lives in the jungle ministering to the people there. She said that it had been a really long time to be able to praise and worship in her native tongue...and even see anyone other than the natives there.


Another praise and worship time. The woman with the long hair and glasses is 10 weeks pregnant...and has three grown children in their 20's! I couldn't believe it -- she is 47! Doesn't she look good?!


During craft time that was held after the night sessions. They really enjoyed these times. We also had lots of chocolate laid out on tables for them during this time. We brought TONS of chocolate...and it was all gone before the last day. True women for you!


More craft time!


We also had prayer time with the missionaries. The older woman on the left was such an inspiration to all of us. She and her husband has been living and ministering in Costa Rica for over 50 years now. She now takes care of him due to his Alzheimer's. Her whole family, children and grandchildren, all live in the same city as her and her husband. They even all gather together for lunch every Sunday, and she makes sure they speak English while together :) Such an amazing woman!

I hope that helps you understand a little more of my trip. It really was an amazing trip, and it was such a blessing to be able to minister to all the women there!