Back in Tejas

We just returned tonight from our visit in Bartlesville, and it was so wonderful! It was really nice getting to stay an extra day, because we usually have to leave on Sunday. We really had a good time. Jonah loves "Homa" and is already ready to go back! Thankfully, we will see Candy, Jeanifer, Eric, and Ciera in 11 days, when they come for Jonah's birthday weekend. Jonah has such a sweet little bond with them and plays non-stop with everyone from the second we get there until we have to practically drag him out the door to go home. Speaking of hard good-byes, I got tears in my eyes watching Jonah say good-bye to Uncle Eric when he had to leave. Jonah kept hugging Eric, and when Eric picked him up one last time to say the official good-bye, Jonah just laid his head on Eric's shoulder for a few seconds because he was sad. It broke my heart. Eric and Jen and Nanny are three of his favorite playmates! Below is a picture of Jonah and Eric making "tall wagons." Heehee. This is what they did for the majority of their playtime the last four days:

On Friday night we went to Kiddie Park, which for those who don't know, is this amazing old-school kids amusement park that opens on the weekends in the summer in Bville and costs 25 cents a ride. Seriously, they don't make them like this anymore. Concessions are like 50 cents. Incredible. Just simple fun rides that are still the same as when Joel would go as a little boy. Jonah was pretty proud of himself for riding all of the stuff he did, although he wasn't crazy about the roller coaster. And the train ride had been built up way too much I suppose, he was bored on that one. But he loved everything else! He had no time for socializing though. He would get off one ride and march over to the next one. There was no time to mess around or talk to his family. He was serious about his rides!



Yesterday afternoon was great....Amber, the oldest niece on Joel's side, graduated from high school this week, so the entire family got together for a cookout at Candy's to celebrate. Well, cookout isn't exactly right. The plans for outdoor activities got canceled due to rain. But we had so much fun anyway. All of Joel's siblings and nieces were there. Everyone hadn't all been together in a long time. For the past year at least, we've been missing one person every time one of these events comes around. So that was fun. It's amazing how fast all of the girls are growing up! See Jonah with his beautiful older girl cousins:

And, congratulations, Amber:

Thursday night, when we got to Oklahoma, everyone went to the graduation except for me and Jonah, since it would be way too late for him to stay up. So my friend Courtney came over for a little while with her two punkins. Her son Jackson was Jonah's first little friend....they were born two weeks apart, and they played together lots during their first 14 months of life (and in the womb, they just don't know it). They just seemed to pick up right where they left off, like they remembered each other as long lost friends! They were being really silly together. Jonah mentioned Jackson at dinner tonight. It was cute seeing them together again. And Courtney's baby Creighton is an angel. Jonah called her "crake-un" and wanted to shower her with kisses. I'm thankful that Courtney stopped by for a visit even though we didn't have much time this weekend to hang out. Watching her carry her almost-two year old on one hip while carrying the baby in the car seat carrier on the other side convinced me that she gets the Rock Star Mom Award! The real Tony Almeda and Jack Bauer:


Other than all of that, we went to church at Grace, and it was good seeing friends there. This morning I met Cindy MacIlvaine, my friend/pastor's wife from there, for coffee and had the best time chatting with her. She is such an amazing woman, and just spending an hour with her today reminded me of one of the sweetest blessings God has given me: the time I spent with the ladies on the Women's Ministry Leadership team at Grace in Bartlesville....those women are jewels. I consider that year with them such a precious experience.

One funny story....the other night, we were eating dinner and about halfway through, Joel reached over to cut up some more of the ribs on Jonah's plate. Jonah said, "More pray" and bowed his head. We all laughed. And then we realized he meant it, so we all stopped eating, bowed our heads and thanked God for the remaining pieces of meat that Jonah was eating. This boy is big on mealtime prayers, I guess! So sweet.