it's a zoo

What a whirlwind of fun things and family/friend time in Ohio, made complete with an awesome visit to the Columbus Zoo on Tuesday with Grandpa and Ms. Cindy.  It's such a fabulous zoo and the weather was perfect!  Such a fun day...

For the record, it is NOT that Sofie is unaware that we are taking pictures when we take pictures.  It is NOT that I don't say, "Cheese!" everytime.  It is that Sofie is not going to alter her feelings for a photo, or for anything, for that matter, and at the Penguins, Sofie had to go to the bathroom.  So, there you are.

After the zoo we met up with Cindy's parents, and Ms. Diane graciously performed surgery on Sofie's polar bear.  It is always good to spend time with this special couple!

The day before the zoo was our awesome day with the Orellana family...such a gift.  They are out of Ecuador for a few months due to illness in their dear extended family, and it was just so good to spend time catching up with them, watching the girls play, watching their Sophie ALSO do whatever the heck she wanted to do when we were taking pictures :), and spending time rejoicing in what God's done and is doing, crying over brokenness in the world and all the heartbreak, celebrating ministry and family highlights and knowing better how. to. pray.  This is a really special family, and we're so thankful to have them in our lives.

This morning we were utterly blessed to be able to take the girls to the doctor...to have their check-ups and vaccinations, to have insurance...to rejoice again that the girls have made it another year with NO medical emergencies, no broken bones, no diseases, with good health.  I mean, it's not easy anywhere.  It's really not easy in Haiti.  And I don't take His provision and protection over our health lightly, nor the opportunity for good health care.  It is something many will never have access to, and I rejoiced taking them, praised the Lord for their pediatrician who has been with us since Lily day one, and a woman who stays on top of health issues in Haiti, diet issues, water issues, tummy issues, all our immunization needs and limits, and never makes me feel small or like a poor mother for raising my children away from the States.

Lily's still tall and skinny, Sofie's still a little tall and super skinny, and Nora's still short and too skinny.  Sofie has a chest infection (I swear, every time we get back to the air conditioning we all spend weeks hacking!) and the rather grouchy Nora of yesterday was explained with a double ear infection...which was followed by four vaccinations.  She was no fun cookie tonight!

Tonight I totally failed--the evening got so crazy with good friends Carl and Mary and my brother and his family over for dinner, trying to make handprint cast stones for Grandpa and Ms. Cindy's garden and all catching up, that I have NO PICTURES.  I know.  

Everyone groans when I say, "Let's take a picture!" but then when I forget, I'm all bummed I don't have the memory (yes, my mom-brain is that short!)  It was a fun night, and we girls were thankful for a chance to catch up with my brother, his wife, her children and my neice Rory, and to spend some time with Carl and Mary, who have loved us since I was a little girl.  

Tomorrow we do some back to Haiti shopping (it's gotta happen some time!) with Dad's Sam's Club membership, then head to a dear friend's house.  

Matt's continuing to have a good time in Michigan, preaching once or twice a day, meeting tons of people, spending lots of time building relationships and loving on people and being loved on.

We miss him.

We are well-loved by our heavenly Father, you and I, and as I tuck the girls in each night into some bed, I marvel at my overwhelming love for them, and then I marvel far more over His far MORE overwhelming love for them.  For me.  For you.  For America.  For Haiti.  For the World.

And there is nothing we're suffering He doesn't understand, nothing we're hurting He hasn't hurt. Nothing we're feeling He isn't the answer for.  God knows all the complexities of our hearts and hurts, and cares.  And is at work.

Let us trust Him.