Yep, been there..done that...Lost a Child...and it WAS NOT awesome!

We purchased some discounted baseball tickets for the local Lexington Legends earlier this spring and were able to use them last night. The weather was perfect. For some strange reason the star wars guys were at the game so the boys wanted pictures with them... 

And here it is...I was taking this picture. Claire was scared of them so Dustin was holding Claire. I thought Abby was right beside him. He decided to head up to our seats. I took the picture, got the boys and followed. As we got up to the seats I did not see Abigail. Dustin thought she had stayed with me. He immediately put Claire down and went back to where we were. I sat and prayed. I tried not to panic but just breath and pray that the Lord would protect her. He called within the next few minutes frantic. She was no where to be found. I asked the lady above us with two children to watch my three and took off down the stairs. Praying. I was praying for wisdom in what to do and where to look. Immediately I saw a stadium staff member speaking into an ear piece. I rushed over and asked her if she had found a child. A little girl. She told me yes. She asked my name. The little girl had told them that she had lost her Mommy and her name was Amanda Cupp. All I could say was Praise the Lord! Thank you Lord! The lady told me to make sure and praise Abigail. She had done the right thing. She had stopped and told them she was lost and who her Mommy was. Just then Dustin came up beside me and we were able to walk to guest relations and retrieve our daughter. And yes, our social Abigail was just fine...talking away and having a starburst with the nice lady that found her. So we can officially join the "I lost a child" club. We are not proud of it but it happened in just a moment. It just took one second. I am thankful that the Lord was watching over her and protecting her. It makes me think of the Chris Tomlin song "God of Angel Armies". The lyrics say I know who goes before me..I know who stands behind...the God of Angel Armies is always by my side. Yesterday for 10 minutes we did not know where Abigail was but I had peace even in the moment that my God walks before me and behind me. Even though I didn't know where she was...He did. She knew what to do and the Lord protected her. It was a very good reminder of God's hand upon our lives. It also makes me think about how happy I was to find her safe and in my arms again. I am sure that in some little way that is the way the Lord rejoices too and finds great joy when his lost children are finally found in Him again.   

After we were all reunited we enjoyed some baseball, snacks and fireworks. A funny from the evening was Andrew asking "what team are we anyway?"...in the seventh inning! He is soo my child!

The Rock, Activity Craziness and Obeying when He says GO!

This past week we have been studying about Jesus, the Rock of Ages and how we can be like the wise man who built his house upon the Rock. We decided to create our own art project because we have so many rocks around here and they sure turned out great! 

I just love this picture of Abigail...she is learning so much! Well, this fall is just a wee bit crazy. We have never really had to deal with too many activities until now. We have 3 kids in soccer, 2 in piano, 1 in ballet and 4 in Awanas! It is madness...like every night madness! I am seeing how young families can get so exhausted in activities that they simply don't have the energy or desire to be a part of another activity. We have decided to not be a part of the soccer games on Wednesday nights so the kids can do Awanas. They just love it and we do too. We realize that they can never get enough of God's word! Our Christian Homeschool group will be meeting starting in September every Monday at the Library for discussion and activities and then go to the Methodist Church in town for PE afterwards. We are all really looking forward to that and meeting some other families. We have been continuing to pray for friends for our children. That has been such a hard thing here in Morehead. The church the Lord has us in now does not have many children and there are really not any girls Abby & Claire's age to play with. We are praying the Lord will provide for that need. I am excited to meet some of the Moms in the group that have the same calling from the Lord for their families that I do in homeschooling.
 Well, the one other exciting thing going on is watching the team form for our first trip to Haiti. We are taking a team October 26-November 1 to establish and continue routine medical care at the two orphanages at the Hands and Feet Project. We are so excited to see it all come together! Mimi and Papa have so graciously agreed to come and serve us in taking care of our children so we can go and help take care of the 100 children in need in Haiti during this week. I am so thankful for their willingness to help support us in where the Lord is leading us. We could not do it without them! Our kidos were sure excited to hear that Mimi and Papa are coming but there was quite a bit of wailing and gnashing of teeth when they heard where we were going. Our kids so desire to love on our children there in Haiti that we sponsor. I love how the Lord has so intentionally melded their hearts together. We have told them when they are ten or eleven and we know that they are mature enough to go that they will get a chance to go too. So, we are going. Like really going. And people are rising up to come alongside of us! We have a team of 6 right now from Kentucky going and a team of 4 from Oklahoma that will meet us in Miami. It has been so neat to see God orchestrate just the right people for this team. We are still waiting to hear back from St. Claire Hospital on their support of immunizations so if you would pray with us about that need we would really appreciate it. Thank you for partnering with us in prayer. For the first trip we have decided that completing all the well child check-ups and creating the paper chart system will be the goal. In order to continue this care we have set up teams to go again in April and October 2014. We already have names of people who want to go! Truly, what an exciting thing it is to walk with the Lord and see His hand in so many of the details. He has provided faithfully and will continue to do that through His people. When I think of this first trip and how God has moved us from Oklahoma to Kentucky, aligned us with the Hands and Feet Project, St. Claire Residency Program and called our family to homeschool it makes me think of a chess game. God strategically moving the pieces of our life to align them together with His plan in order that we might come out victorious with a W...a win! I think the real win here is getting to be a part of His plan and joining Him where He is working so that we can share his love, grace and His hope with those that need Him most. It is a joy to serve Him! It makes me want to cry and laugh at the same time. Why on earth would He choose us? I am so glad He did. I am so tearful when I think of hugging Luca, Naidine, Wadley and Darbens in 8 short weeks. My heart is humbled, thankful and overwhelmed at what God has done, is doing and will do in the days to come. What a great adventure in obeying when He says GO!  

Oh, the fun

...at Kings Island. Today was a fun family day!

Funnies from today: Andrew got talked into riding a big roller coaster today and when Dustin asked him how he liked it he replied, "Well, I about threw up!"

This was Claire within one minute of strapping her into her seat before leaving. Her head was weaving and she was OUT. We sure love fun family days and today was a great day! So thankful!

 

Date Day with Abby Ruthie

Well, Daddy is working this weekend and I had a wild idea last night: It sure would be nice to have a date day with my Abby Ruthie tomorrow so we could go and check out the open house at Morehead Dance Academy without the assistance of her siblings. So we called Ms. Abigail and she was free to come and watch the other kids. I told Abigail, "I have a surprise for you tomorrow. You and Mommy get to go on a date. We get to go have yummy breakfast wherever you want, ballet open house and we will go on a hunt for a new tea pot too. Are you excited?" To which she replied, "Well, yes, but I kinda like Daddy the best.....Hahaha just kidding Mommy!" She is a jokester. She loves to make people laugh and she makes us laugh a lot.

The request: Chocolate muffin and sausage scone from Rootabakers. (She did bring her own Sunny D because Ms.Lana doesn't have it there)

 After we got home she wanted to try on her pink ballet stuff.

 We found a teapot...a musical teapot for $9.00! I have never seen anything like it. it has a small musical windup on the bottom. You wind it up and when you pour it sings a song..when it sits down on the table it is quiet! Soo fun. We also found some tea cups and saucers for $2.00 and an Abraham Lincoln tea time bell.

 This was the last pic I took today and I had to post it because it is like she is saying

"Ok. I am pictured out!!!"

Playing at the antique store...

Cool old desk we found with a swivel chair...

and old dolls...so fun!

He is able..

 

This week has been a bit of a whirlwind. Back to our "new normal" life in Kentucky. Back to work. Back to schooling. Back to the mission field He has called us to. This is the verse he has been washing over us this week. He is able to do FAR more than we can ever ask or imagine. So this week. We have been praying and talking with the Hands and Feet project and laying the foundation to help provide medical needs for the 100 children currently there in Haiti. This week was a big week! We have a date for the first trip to establish and implement this mission to love and care for medically the least of these in Haiti in the name of Jesus Christ. Our first trip will be Saturday, October 26 to Friday, November 1st. We have a team rising up of medically trained and support staff to go along and serve. We have a great God who knows all of our needs and has provided before we can even know them and seek out those needs! He is able to do FAR more than we can ever ask or imagine. We have seen that this week. We are still awaiting final word from St. Claire Hospital on the commitment and partnership they are willing to make so please continue to pray with us over that. God is showing up in the faithfulness of His people in amazing ways as many have already said, "What do you need? I will go. I will give." Man, it is exciting to be walking with the Lord and able to see as He leads and directs and orchestrates His plans and people together for His good! He alone is worthy!

Visit to Oklahoma

Visit with Kennedy family in Cushing! Crazy bunch of kids here!

It was tea time at cousin's home! Hosts: Aunt Ang, Lizzie & K.K.

We stopped in St. Louis on the way back to Kentucky and went to visit the arch!

 We only had two more hours of driving until we were home again and it suddenly got very quiet!

 Playing with cousin Mackenzie

 We got to go see cousin Makenna in the play Annie. Very fun and K.K. did a great job!

This was a fun picture at Chucky Cheese with Mimi.

Playing in the rain at Granna & Grandad's

 Going for a walk with Tee Tee.

  

Mimi & Aunt Becky ready for Tea.

 

Dinner and play with the Ladd family from Cushing!

Playing ball with cousin Peyton.

 

 We sure had a great time catching up with friends and family in Oklahoma! I am now realizing I really did not do a good job of taking pictures. We did so much and saw so many loved ones in our time there. It was nice to get away and go back and visit. We enjoyed staying one night with out friends in Cushing and in Stillwater. We were able to worship at Eagle Heights in Stillwater. We caught up with the Bloyd family at the reunion. Got to spend some time with friends in OKC and lots of family time! On the way there Carson said, "We must be getting close because the land is getting flatter." Yes, Oklahoma is a different land but it is the land that we love.

A blessing in Homeschooling

Back to school this morning and what a blessing! I just wanted to share this sweetness. We are learning a new verse today and incorporated it in our music time and art time. Abigail always has a song on her heart. I sure love to see God use music to put his word in our hearts. Psalm 51:10 "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a steadfast sprit within me." We learned about continuing to keep a pure and clean heart that pleases the Lord and continuing to walk with Him faithfully where He cam make a new and steadfast sprit that hungers and thirsts for Him alone.