Heaven

This last week the girls and I made two trips to the airport. Monday night we picked up Jeremy and the students, and here we are Wednesday meeting up with Tina and the kids.

As we waited we watched people being reunited with one another. Some were nonchalant while others were thrilled to be together again and were very unashamed to show it. It caused me to think about heaven, about what it will be like as we arrive. How we waited and longed for our family to arrive, how sweet it was to run up and hug them! No more departures, only arrivals...heaven!

It's just another Manic Monday

This is how you know it's a Monday (or at least it was when I took this picture). Jerusha experiences the joy that is taking care of unruly hair......While her mother can sympathize with this issue, her grandpa Stobbe cannot.















Poor girl, here she is, things getting stuck in her hair and I can't stop laughing at her. I'm sure, no wait, I KNOW my mom laughed at me....it's a parental right.

Jeremy is in Mississippi on a mission trip with the Senior High students. They are rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina. It's hard to believe that people are still rebuilding after 3 years, and unfortunately, there's a lot more to do. All the Taylor ladies are proud of Jeremy and the work he does, we're just ready to be together again.

The other evening as we finished our prayers, Jerusha asked "is he (dad) finished seeing her?"
"what?"
"is he finished seeing her yet?"
"who?"
"Mrs. Sippy"
This whole week Jerusha thought Jeremy and the Students were visiting someone. So we pulled out the map and looked at where he was. Naomi, on the other hand, is busy doing what she does....eat, sleep, and, well, you know. She's working on her walking so there's often a new bruise to look for. She's becoming very playful and loves to play hide and seek. I think she said "mama" yesterday, I'm not certain that's what she was going for, but we're working hard on it!

We're busy getting ready for our "special visitors" that will arrive next Wednesday. Tina (my sister-in-law) and Isaac and Megan (nephew and niece) are coming to spend a week with us. We have badly missed our Washington family and Jerusha talks often about Megan and Isaac. The fun part is that Roo doesn't know who it is that is coming. Each day she gets another clue about who the "special visitors" are, but as of today, she still hasn't figured it out.

New Jerusalem

Welcome to our shop! Our church is doing VBS this week and our theme is the Jerusalem Market. It's an all church affair with many adults helping and everyone dressing up. Jeremy and I are doing the carpentry shop and we help the children make dreidels and talk about what we're learning that evening.














Our little darlings ready for their evening....doesn't Naomi look like she's having fun? And yes, that is Puffalump (in costume no less)that Jerusha is holding, he's very much a part of this family!












Jerusha is in the tribe of Benjamin with other kids her age. Here they are singing and dancing in a circle.....that Mennonite blood runs true....this is as close to dancing as she's going to get!

Oh Say Can You See?

What fun to celebrate two countries national holidays so close together! Fireworks, food and friends are always a good idea. Jeremy came home from his junior high mission trip to Tennessee and we hopped in the van and joined our friends, the Gibbs family, for a party. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera so you'll just have to imagine how good-looking we were in our red white and blue. We had a great time and it was fun to be all together as a family again.

O Canada!

Happy Birthday Canada...and Uncle Tim!
Although there were no parades or fireworks, the Canadian representatives in Ohio had a good time anyway. We had a lovely picnic and wore our red and white proudly.
Now that the cicadas are gone our lives have greatly improved. It is such a treat to play outside without using evasive maneuvers. The weather has been so nice, we've taken every chance we get to be outdoors. The pool is up and running, sunscreen is being applied and knees are getting scraped. Ah.....childhood!
After singing "O Canada" and "Happy Birthday" to Tim, we enjoyed some red and white dessert. We appreciate all of your birthdays because we get to eat cake in your honour!