Then and Now

This is Caden and Alyssa on Poppy's motorcycle last year in Myrtle Beach.
Also last year,
Little Reid trying really hard to turn it on!

And here is 2009! The motorcycle is still quite a hit!

But this year, they actually got to ride it!

They went just down the road a few houses, but I still felt rather sweaty about it.

Reid kept saying "Ready" when the rides were all done. Just in case another ride was coming, he wanted Poppy to know he was game.

Forever and for sure

This is my older brother, Mark, his wife Mindy, and their son, Isaac, together stamping the Certificate of Adoption!

Isaac has been part of the Erdmann family since he was born, and we've considered him our nephew all along, but there is just something magical and teary about this moment.

Praise be to our loving, faithful Father God.

to the surface

I was on the worship team today. So a couple of days ago, Caden and I were listening (on youtube) to one of the songs I needed to learn. Its quite beautiful, called Revelation Song. Both of us were singing along with the pretty, young, talented worship leader. Caden commented on how pretty her voice was. Then he looked up at me and said "Mom, do you wish you had her voice?"

Immediately (and perhaps robotically) I said, "No, buddy, I'm thankful for the voice God gave me." And once that statement came out of my mouth, I felt it was really true. But I realized too, that before Caden's question, I'd been feeling sort of jealous. But the feeling was so subconscious that I wouldn't have voiced it, realized it, or admitted it!

Kids have a knack for bringing gunk to the surface. And I think God uses them to shine a light on our flaws so that we have to deal with them!

(But wow - even my adoring 5 year-old boy could tell her voice was prettier than mine? Ok, Lord, I know you hate pride. It was a good but painful lesson for me!)

Dinasaur Mini-Golf

At one point, Shann told the kids to go touch the spines on a Stegosaurus. Alyssa crept up, whacked him with her club and ran away!

This T-Rex roared and moved with a motion sensor. Caden was quite unnerved by this!
Perhaps because one of us told the kids the T-Rex could see them.

Way down at the shore

Myrtle Beach with the Davis family...Alyssa and I jump the waves! She jumps a bit early...

Reid, Ryan, and Alyssa and I...waiting for waves. eek! run away!

Reid stayed at the beach for only a couple minutes, and then headed to the pool!

Sand slinging!

Small group kid's pictures

Here are the kids in our small group. We've been meeting with this group for 7 years now. More kids are added as time goes by...and still no more boys for Caden to play with.

So one of the moms thought we should give him a little fun since he is a bit outnumbered. He liked this idea. :)

We let them do silly faces at the end, even though the majority of the pictures taken had at least one child looking like one of these!

Isaac, our laughing wee nephew