cousins

Ah, goodness.  I don't know what we're going to do without this little one!  If you're not obsessed with our girls, it's ok to skip this post.

  

Or to get obsessed with them :)

So very thankful for all of the sweet moments of the last few days with my sis and little Evie!

utmost

We continue to feel very blessed by the many visitors gracing our lives...especially this little cutie!

Yesterday Charles preached at a church being held at the radio station with Matt translating.

It was great to worship with our Haitian, American and Canadian brothers and sisters there, and it's always special to have someone preach in our heart language.

After, the VPs (visiting professors) greatly blessed us by treating us to a trip to the pool and lunch!  Not cooking and enjoying the Christophe was a gift indeed!

I don't know what these crazies were doing on the way home up front, but Sofie sure was having a blast :)

Thankful for the Sabbath, thankful for each other, thankful to have Lisa and baby Evie here, thankful for a fresh new week, thankful for the quality classes being taught, thankful for our staff and students, thankful to have a generator guru on his way Wednesday, and thankful to be His.

Today's "Utmost for His Highest" is one of my very favorites, reminding me simply of this:

Never dull your sense of being your utmost for His highest--your best for His glory.

so good.

Aw, my beautiful sister and niece are here, and it is so wonderful.  

Even if Evie doesn't like the ocean :)

Carol left this morning at 5 am (which made me feel like this) we had everybody for breakfast and then off we all headed for the beach.  

It was a lovely day.

Such. A. Cutie.

Really thankful to have Phil and Emily finally starting to feel a bit better, for a great day together, and for this very rare chance just to share a week together with Aunt Lisa and Cousin Evie!

White Clay and grateful hearts

Do you get tired of hearing about how special each Sunday is?  I'm sorry if you do, but heavens.  

When we driving around the US and are up at 6 and getting out the door with all the blonds in braids and breakfast in the car and I'm nervous about speaking...I wish I had a different life.  

On our way home 8 hours later, I'm so so tired and thankful for the beautiful ways God meets us.

THIS is a special church.  Our first time ever at White Clay Creek Presbyterian with only Rick and Marlene to recognize, we didn't know what to expect.  But we sure didn't expect such a warm, caring, prayerful and passionate community.  Their love for each other was so incredibly apparent, and their welcome of us as complete strangers was ministry to us.

Additionally, the worship time of song and prayer was so Spirit-filled.  Their worship leaders were uber-talented, and Hillsong...ah.  Such a gift.  Marlene even whisked the girls to her house for the second service, which I must admit, made everything so much easier and happier for the girls!  THANK YOU Marlene!  And thank you and Rick so much for sharing your dear church family with us!  (HOW did I not get a picture with your family!!)

Marcelle brought George and Sam and adorable little handmade aprons for the girls for her second Sunday with the Ayars in a row...so special!

Rob has been to Haiti twice now to help with electricity and generator issues and drove an hour to be with us this morning with his wife!  Their daughter is coming on a team in a few weeks, and it was just such a blessing that even though we didn't get to his church, he came to where we were....so humbling.

If I talk about these guys too much I get emotional...but Uncle Don and his family are one of God's great graces in our lives.  When we need him in Haiti, he comes.  And brings Crystal Light and peanut butter and treats from Aunt Bren.  And when we preach, no matter WHERE, they are there.  And When Matt's parents move to Florida, they take us in.  When we bring butterflies and growing bean pods (Lily school) and tons of little girl clothes and add four more people in line for the shower...they work around us like family.  Brenda spoils all four of us, Don works his butt off to help us, Sami babysits and paints nails, and their sweet grandson loves having kids around and sweetly told Matt today, "Well, that was a little long.  But I didn't want to go to kids church because I wanted to hear YOU preach, and I'm so glad I did."  They bless us immensely. 

And don't have to.  

God's grace, the Hulmes are to us.

They even spoiled us with an awesome long-awaited Phillies game Friday night!

SO FUN.

Saturday we drove a few hours and met my cousins and their kiddos...which totaled a lot of blond littles on the playground :)

Aunt Cathy got each girl a Frozen Barbie, who have then been with us, EVERYWHERE, the last days.  Thank you, Aunt Cathy, and for bringing everyone together!

Our time with sweet Evie has been so good, too.  All four of us are so blessed to have had extra time with her and Lisa and Adam this summer since they moved to Philly, and can't believe how much this chubby little bird is growing and changing already.

Tomorrow morning (Monday) we leave the East coast with so many cherished memories and grateful hearts, heading through PA to see more family and then on to Columbus, Ohio, until we head for Kansas on Thursday to share and community with NorthRidge Church!

Transparency Requests: (Since we're working on it, you know!)

-Safe and peaceful travels these next days

-Rest and Energy...the summer isn't over yet, but we are t.i.r.e.d., and that's not easy for me to admit

-Our EBS team as the Heckman's are in Florida then Jersey for rest and support-maintenance and the Weavers leave next week for a wedding and doctor's visits...please be praying for these families and for our EBS team holding the ropes in everyone's absence

catch up and r-e-s-t

Alright, so let me catch you up!

Sunday we were with our Livingston UMC family, the church and family I grew up in as a little girl.  It was a joy to be with them, and it always is.  Matt shared a bit of Junior and the funeral story in the adult Sunday School class, and then preached in the main service.

Afterwards, we headed to Kevin and Bonnie's and enjoyed SUCH a good lunch with lots of Millers...special time we look forward to all year.

By 3:30...they were done :)

Then Matt was straight off to Greenwood, Indiana, for field meetings, and Lisa swept me off for my 30th birthday present!  Yes, that was in November, but we finally headed off for our first sister-friend overnight since Lily was born at a lovely bed and breakfast not far from here.

of course, it was WONDERFUL.

AWESOME food, great time with my sister, no high chairs, no husbands, no schedule and no alarm clocks for 24 whole hours.  What a great gift (not that those aren't good things, but you know :)...totally worth the wait!

 We all got back to Columbus in time for Dad's 60th Birthday!

Our dear Billingsley friends swept off the girls for an evening of horseback riding and playgrounds, and we took Dad out for a nice long dinner, and gave him a book of memories and prayers from friends and family far and near (THANK YOU, friends and family far and near, for taking the time to do that!)

He's a very special man, my dad.  If I talk about him too much, he'll get mad :), but let me just say...He loves the Lord and loves others and loves his five kids and two grandbabies like few I've ever seen.  

His example of Christ-like crazy love is one that has formed each of us and become part of who we are and what we want our lives to look like.  And no matter what?  You know Dad's all in...behind you, beside you, and praying for you.  

We love you Dad!  Happy Birthday!

 And then there are these two, who are suddenly really into all things ballerina.  We finally got to Good Will today and hooked them up in some better ballet garb, which of course, they have worn every moment since.

After so many back-to-back crazy days of travelling and speaking, this little space is our space of rest for the summer.  Dentist trips, renewing passports, and then this weekend we head to PA with some good family friends for camping!  

We are, I must say, a bit tired.  These last weeks since Matt got home from England have been crazy.  These few days before we hit the road again of rest and family, ice cream, ballet, play-dough and good books and movies are being much appreciated!

“Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and 

our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” 

― Augustine of Hippo, The Confessions of Saint Augustine