A Few Reunion Pics and a Tangent

I went to a little, casual, family oriented class reunion this weekend, here are a few photos from that.



Keturah drinking Arrowhead's fresh Spring water ... oh wait. That's just orange Crush poured into the bottle. Although she looks unhappy, she was just squinting.

Josiah was so sweet to offer to push around the babies and show them the ducks so that mom and dad could continue visiting with the adults. He had just stepped over to the right in this photo. He spent a lot of time bent over the stroller pointing out things to the babies. I was amazed. He is SUCH a good big brother and an amazing blessing to our family.

I'm going to go on a tangent for a moment... I have been meaning for a long time to make a post just about him and all that he does for this family, and I just never get around to it. That may sound prideful or boastful, to make a post about my son being a blessing, but I believe in giving credit where it is due, and praising God for the work HE has done in our son. It could be so very different... my story could be a life filled with struggle with our oldest son... it could be that he is sulky and lazy and always tries to get out of work. It could be that he is selfish and always seeks his own.... it could be that he argues with us and pouts when he doesn't get his way. BUT, that is not the case. He self sacrifices so often. SO OFTEN. Like yesterday... he offered to push those babies around. He could have NOT offered and just continued playing on the playground equipment. If I am sick or have a migraine, he runs the house and doesn't let the little ones bother me, unless it's really important. He'll clean up some area that isn't his responsibility, just to surprise me and Dan. He selflessly will help in any area needed, often before asked. He buys me things with his own money when I'm not looking. (things like sour skittles) I could go on and on and on. I have no idea why he is the way he is, other than the Lord. It is surely nothing we have done as parents. I am SO thankful for him!! SO very thankful to GOD for blessing us with this wonderful boy that amazes me so often!! When this happened yesterday... when he offered to push around those babies... and after I confirmed with Dan that Dan didn't "tell him" to do it... I was further reminded how much of a blessing Josiah is and that I should write about it, as I had been intending to do. I hope you all can know my heart in writing this... I hope you know ME well enough to see my heart, and see my many shortcomings as a parent and that this is not at all meant to be about me, but about God. Every good and every perfect gift is from God (paraphrasing), and Josiah is most certainly a GOOD gift to me!! I praise

God for that.

This is my friend Sarah, and her son. She was our class president. She is now a lawyer and a professor at UW law school. She says that it is very odd to teach so many students that are older than her.