Lake Arcadia

Before I tell you about our little outing, I just had to share some cutie pictures. This first one doesn't do justice, but I just love when Cait sits on her knees like this. It seems like such a big girl thing. Which makes me think about her age and her 1st birthday that is just two months away! How can time fly so very fast?! She is communicating more and more. One thing I just love is that she mimics me. If I call down the hall to one of the boys, she "yells" after me. I told Cam yesterday that she is mothering the boys. I thought that having a little girl would mean having a child that sits and plays with dolls. That is not the case. See... Unfortunately she doesn't know how to back up (backin' up, backin' up) and it usually ends bad. She also climbs the elliptical and other toys. Little stinker!

JC and I were at the dining room table and looked outside to this; so precious!

Friday was parent-teacher conferences so JC was able to come home around one. We packed a picnic lunch and headed out to Arcadia Lake.

It was a beautiful, warm and windy day. We ate, relaxed, and watched the boys play.

There are two things which help me feel close to God. One is my children. I think about how much love I have for my children, so much that I feel my heart could burst. And sometimes I think and wonder at God's love for me. It must be so much more than my heart can even feel. I love thinking about God's words to Judah in Zephaniah:

The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. ~Zephaniah 3:17

The second thing that I feel the Lord uses to draw me to Him is His creation. Sunrises and sunsets; birds, deer and other animals; trees, flowers and sometimes even "weeds"; storms and rainbows. While JC, Cait & I were relaxing and the boys were playing in the water, JC and I saw two birds that we'd never seen before. {Eastern Bluebirds} They were in the tree closest to us. The blue on them was outstanding. I felt as if God was giving me a little gift; telling me, "I created beauty for you, my child". As Elihu told Job:

Stand and consider God's wonders. ~Job 37:14

Or as David writes:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. ~Psalm 19:1

I couldn't get a picture of them but it sure was a treat! We actually got a quick glimpse of 2 more today after church!

Ooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plains... (see Cait's hair?)

I was surprised how nice the beach area and water was. A little chilly, but sandy and clean.

They also have a playground there that we visited before leaving for the day. This was Cait's first time in a swing. I think she liked it!

Just about dark, we headed down the road for an enjoyable dinner and sodas at Pops before coming home. Cam and Cait were asleep before we even made it back to the highway to head home. When we got home, we realized Cam had a 102 fever! After a bit of a rough night and early morning, he was feeling nearly back to normal.