Conversations with Maximus

[This little interchange happened as we were driving along one day. Max calls out in a panicked voice from his car seat:]

Maximus: Mom! I need to talk to God!

Me: Okay, what do you need to talk to God about?

Maximus: I need to ask God if, when I grow up to be a daddy, if I can have work.

And then he bowed his little head and prayed that God would give him work. Poor little guy. Even he is feeling the stress from the economy. :-)

Happiness is a visit from a friend

What a glorious treat! Casey, Abbe and Asher are in Arkansas this weekend speaking in their former church about Lahash International. We've had SUCH a good time visiting with them! We spent yesterday morning at the pool and then enjoyed lunch with them. We're looking forward to seeing them a bit more before they head to Texas to see family and then back home to Portland.

I really wish I lived closer to this dear friend.... but I'll certainly take what I can get! This unexpected visit has been good for my soul. Love you, Abbe!

We LOVE being close to these friends for the summer!

I'm WAY behind on posting this, but last Saturday we had a FANTASTIC day with Brian and Anna and crew. Boy, do we love living close to these dear friends for the summer!

We started the day at the botanical gardens, moved on to a fun lunch and park-play at Chick-Fil-A, scooted on over to Old Navy to try to find some $2 tank tops, then ended up at Best Buy where Lucas offered his professional Apple computers personal consulting service- his idea of a perfect ending to a fun day with friends.

We had a great time, and our kids were nice and worn out by the end of the day. :-) Thanks, Brian, Anna, Sam, Kate, and Kai!

My husband's interview with Jim Bob Dugger

There's been a lot of buzz this week about Jon and Kate and other reality TV families. People are reading about it in tabloids, newspapers and blogs and talking about it around their kitchen tables.

Lucas had a great opportunity to speak with Jim Bob Dugger (of TLC's 18 Kids and Counting) yesterday and write a column for the NWA Times. You can read the column here.

Lucas and I really appreciate the Duggers and their genuine faith lived out in front of a watching world. One of the things I really respect about them is that they have very strong convictions that are certainly counter-culture in our world today, but they live out these convictions in a way that is gracious and nonjudgemental. That's something that we just don't see often enough in our world.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to read Lucas' column. I thought he and Jim Bob both did a great job of reminding and encouraging us all about the value of working hard to keep our marriages strong.

The Modern Marriage: Death By Romantic Comedy

Why should we be surprised that more marriages fail than succeed, when the most pervasive and persuasive textbook for love and romance in our culture is the mainstream film genre of romantic comedies? The lies are staggering.

I just watched a mainstream romantic comedy that left me feeling physically ill. The underlying lies of the film pile up with every new character the audience meets: Marriage is a wretched endeavor that will certainly squelch any ounce of fun and romance out of your life. The only reason a man ever marries a woman is because she manipulates him or forces him to do so. Marriage is hard, so it must not be the best way. The way to true love and happiness is to cast tradition aside, follow your heart and do what feels right.

Is marriage hard? You bet. The hardest thing I’ve ever done. The only thing I’ve ever done that is worth failing at on a daily basis, and worth getting up the next day and trying again. Marriage is teaching me what it means to truly love and be loved; what it means to give grace and desperately need grace.

I am married to a real man, a man’s man, who pursued me with a vigor that I still don’t understand, who could hardly wait 11 weeks to marry me, who committed to love me until his dying breath, who loves me too much to sit passively beside and let me become the worst version of myself, who is strong enough to lead with patience and humility, and who reminds me every day that his decision to love me cannot be undone.

Six years ago this week, Lucas set his love on me. For life. And nothing could be more romantic than that.

I’m sick of Hollywood telling me that true love is a fluttery feeling and marriage is worthless. Tonight, I’m going to kiss my husband like I mean it, and thank him for being my own personal textbook on true love in real life.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

We love music!

Here's a quick update after our first full week in Arkansas: We are having such a special time! The home that has been loaned to us for the summer is probably the most generous gift anyone has ever given us. It has made our time here relaxed and double-special because we can spend great time with my parents during the day and then get the kids home to their own space for a good night's sleep. It's been SO good for everyone!

Today, we had a really special opportunity to take Maggie and Max to a Musikgarten preschool music camp taught by my mom's dear friend Jill. Jill was so gracious and welcoming to us! And the class was awesome!

Bean Bags

Dancing with scarves. I love my mom's face in the background!

The scarves were a big hit!

Maggie could not have been more into the class. After EVERY song and activity, she would yell, "MORE, MORE!!"

Jill giving Max a little hug. As we were leaving the class, Max asked, "Do you think we could go to that music class three more times? Just three more?"

Thanks, Jill, for the special day at Musikgarten today!Kenneth@flores-associates.com

More Denver Pics

"Buzz The Squirrel" named by Max.

Gramma Cheryl treated the kids to an awesome night at an indoor amusement park. What fun!

Water Play!

Pops coming after Max.

Ahhhhhh!!

Thanks, Mom and Tony, for a wonderful visit!

Denver!

We just had four GREAT days in Denver with Lucas' Mom and Tony! We've got lots of pictures and stories to tell, but for now I'll just leave you with my favorite photo from Denver: Maximus getting soaked by his Pops. Max had taken a cup of water over to Pops and taunted him with it, threatening to pour it on him. Pops very calmly told him: "Max, if you get me, I will get you." Max gambled and lost. :-) It was hilarious.

We rolled into Siloam Springs late last night, and are getting settled into the house that a friend has so generously loaned us for the summer. We were all SO glad to get out of the car last night!

Many more pics to come!

Saying Farewell to Friends For the Summer!

Tonight we are packing up the car; tomorrow we are saying farewell to Idaho for the summer! We are super thankful to have a great guy from NNU staying in our house while we're gone this summer– it's so nice to know that he will be able to watch the place and keep the lawn for us while we're out of town.

We've had a great week of visiting with friends before we head out. I managed to take zero pictures of the great time we had with our buddies Ben, Brooke and Ruthanne, but I did snap a couple of our super fun picnic in the sprinkling rain with Gene, Mollie, Monroe and Mairin.  We were so glad to get to spend some time with all these great friends before we hit the road!

We'll be spending a few days in Denver visiting with Lucas' mom and Tony, and then we'll drive on to Arkansas where we'll likely be until sometime in August. We'll update when we are settled in Arkansas!

Conversations with Maximus

Maximus: Hey, Mom, Do I have a Frammy?

Me: A frammy?

Maximus: No, A F-Wamy.

Me: A Frwamy? I don't know what that is Max. Can you use different words to tell me what you mean?

Maximus: A fwamy, you know,  People who love me?

Me: Ohhhhh, a family. Yes! You have a family.

Maximus: Do I have a wife?

Me: No.

Maximus: Do you have a wife?

Me: No, I AM a wife. I am your daddy's wife.

Maximus: What's a wife?

Me: A wife is someone who is married to a man.

Maximus: What's 'married'?

Me: 'Married' means you become someone's husband or wife, and you choose to love them forever and live with them your whole life. Before you were born, your daddy and I had a wedding where we promised to love each other. So I will be married to your daddy as long as I am alive.

Maximus: Are you my wife?

Me: No. I am your mother. Go play with your legos.

:-)

Update on my mom

Thank you for all of you who have been praying for my mom. She still really needs the prayer.

She has been admitted to Washington Regional hospital in Fayetteville, Ark. The doctors and nurses suspect that she is septic, which I understand to mean that she has a pretty serious infection in her blood. The blisters on the inside of her throat are so bad that they said it has the appearance of raw meat. Dad used the word "torment" to describe what she has been feeling today. I can hardly stand the thought of her suffering like this, and I am just praying that God will grant her relief very soon. 

Dad suspects that she will be in the hospital for a while- at least a few days. She's got to have some heavy doses of IV antibiotics, plus morphine for the pain, and hopefully some IV food/nutrients/ fluids to give her some strength and stop her rapid weight loss.  We won't know too much more until they are able to see a doctor in the morning. 

Unfortunately, my mom's primary doctor is gone this week, so they have been under the care of the nurses and nurse practitioners. Although the nurses at the oncology clinic are GREAT, I would sure feel better if her regular doctor were monitoring all of these serious changes with her health. However, I am thankful to know that The Greatest Physician is constantly with her.

Conversations with Maximus

Maximus: (playing with his Star Wars lego soldiers) These guys don't believe. They don't believe in God.

Me: Really? Why not? 

Maximus: They are bad guys. They don't make good choices. And they are having a battle.

Me: Who's going to win?

Maximus: The good guys. They have bigger guns.

Please Pray

Hey, everyone. Just wanted to ask all you out there in the blogosphere to pray for my mom today. She went into the oncology clinic with excruciating throat pain. She has only been able to drink tiny amounts the last few days because of the pain, and she has lost significant weight, which she can't afford to lose right now. 

So today when she went in with so much pain, they found open blisters up and down the inside of her throat. They have her on morphine to help with the pain until they can find a way to get it under control. They suspect that it is a chemo side-effect. 

It just kills me to know that she is in such severe pain. Please pray that her doctors and nurses can help resolve this very quickly!