Reconnected

The past couple of weeks are a complete blur.

Josh has made the trip to the DC airport and back 3 times in two weeks as well as 2 trips back and forth to Richmond and Roanoke for a mission conference and his grandaddy's funeral.

We returned from VA on Thursday.  We had just enough time to unload the colony, fish out our instruments and gear, switch cars as we left the kids with Ms. Randa and headed to Journey for rehearsal.

Rainy's reaction to being home was priceless.  She slowly walked around with her arms spread out and then just laid down on the hallway floor and just smile, delighted to be in her own home again.

By the time we crawled into bed after rehearsal we couldn't even remember what day it was.

The kids slowly trickled out of bed the next morning, and after being asked a gajillion times to watch cartoons, we obliged and turned on the TV.  Only to find out that the internet was down.

Can I just tell you how nice it has been?

No email.

No Facebook.

No twitter.

No blog writing.

No blog reading.

Just me and my colony.

After 24 hours or so the last of them (Cai) finally caught on to the fact that the internet was not coming back until the "fixer guy" could come and check it out on Sunday afternoon.

So after the initial withdrawals from no Batman, Phineas and Ferb, printable coloring pictures, HappyMeal.com or Pandora playlists, we all began to awaken from the American technology hangover and started seeing joy in the simple things that surround us.

The kids made a bus that took them to Uganda.  They got to eat banana chips and play with their guinea pigs on their journey.

Legos were literally played with for hours.

The Superhero presence was in full force.

Babies were rocked, fed, burped and slobbered on (thanks Jude).

Yes, you read that right.  We have added 8 more little feet to the Colony.  We've adopted 2 guinea pigs, Tanny, the tan female guinea pig, and Geoffrey, the other female guinea pig.  (we don't want babies, but the boys wanted to have a "boy" pet:)  Sure, why not?!

I must admit to the near panic attack they almost induced upon their arrival, as I realized that I was now in charge of keeping 2 more living things alive.  They really are super cute and Jude absolutely adores them!

It's amazing what can happen when you lift your head above the haze of all the technology and multi-media entertainment.  Oh the things you find time for.  The things you can learn about each other without that kind of distraction.

Like the fact that Areyna is "so done" with her hooded kid's towel.

(Would you STOP growing up already!)

Or the fact that Alethia only needs about 5 minutes of undivided attention at a time to fill her little love tank.

Or notice that Cai can, in fact, still fit into Jude's 12 month clothes.  Yup, this awesome mama put one on him for church today and didn't even realize it until loading them up after 6 1/2 hours in, ha!

Zeke made endless craft "things".

Honestly it couldn't have come at a better time.  I just completed reading "7 an experimental mutiny against excess" by Jen Hatmaker, and man was it motivating!  I'll review it later this week, but let me just tell you that this has been a great kick start into the direction I feel the Lord moving my lifestyle.

Oh, I also began a new book and I can't WAIT to get deeper in!

That's it for now!  I've missed all my bloggy friends.

Happy Sunday ya'll!