Weekend Happenings

Good Friday morning!

The Gallery Pics are very hodge-podge this morning. We've been busy the last couple of days, but the camera has not been used a great deal. (It needed a little rest!)

RANDOMNESS - I've been glued to the television this morning watching and waiting to see if Hawaii and the West Coast will be hit by tsunamis.

I cannot even imagine the devastation and destruction the Japanese people are having to deal with while I sit comfortably in front of my computer. Since the earthquake hit mid-afternoon in Japan, my heart is breaking thinking about all of the families which are now separated because some were at work, some were at school and some were at home.

I will be praying for many people I have never met this morning and in the days to come.

And I will not take today for granted.

Our First Camping Trip Ever

We decided to bite the bullet and take our little family camping. Austin was five and Josh was three. Roxie was a toddling baby, so we decided to leave her at her grandparents' house. In my mind, if everything went well, she could start camping when she turned three. (Actually, I was hoping she was going to be a prissy little thing who didn't like camping, and on camping weekends while the guys were out and about, she and I would have manicures and shop and watch chick flicks, etc. That dream never came true... but that's another story.)

With another family who had boys our boys' ages, we planned our very first camping trip. Oak Mountain was our destination... only 35 short minutes from home. We planned a weekend in May (usually a mild month in Alabama). We borrowed the tent and gathered the rest of the equipment from different places.

We arrived at the campground mid-afternoon, picked out our spots and started for the first time ever to set up camp. The boys were thrilled. They had brought their box of dinosaurs (a camping must), other various toys and they had each other in the woods. They were happy. Near our campsite was a large branch which was semi-broken and hanging from a tree almost touching the ground. Our guys were just the right weight NOT to break the branch, and it was like having a tire swing in our back door. They had a ball playing on the almost broken tree branch.

While we were setting up camp, the three year-olds needed to go to use the bathroom and rather than walking all the way to the bathhouse, the dads told them to do what all little boys love to do... skip the bathhouse and find a tree. Life was good.

After camp was set up, we all walked down to the lake to let the boys wade. We hadn't planned on swimming, and we hadn't really packed a lot of extra clothes... plus, if your three year-old swims that means mom has to be ready to swim. We, as the moms, had definitely not packed our swimsuits.

We were very specific in our instructions "to wade" and "not swim." We even went so far as to explain, "Do not put your head in the water. Do not let the water get above your knees. Do you understand?" There was a lot of nodding going on.

And then, Joshua's partner in crime at the time, smiled the smile three year-old boys smile right before they... go completely under the water. Right in front of the parents who had just told him "Do not put your head in the water!" He came out the water, and flashed another smile.

We've all been there. You tell your child not to do something, and they decide to disobey you then and there... and smile at you. He was quickly punished, and we were on our way to the campsite. We had handed all the boys water bottles. "Drink it all. Do not pour it out. Do not waste the water." And then, Joshua's partner in crime at the time, smiled the smile three year-old boys smile right before they... pour the water out of the water bottle onto the street.

Sputtering, the dad of this particular three year-old uttered the punishment then and there.

"NO WATER OR DRINKS FOR YOU THE REST OF THE TRIP!"

Don't get self-righteous on me. We've all done the same thing before. I've told my kids they could never go outside again; never have ice cream again; never watch TV again; never... well, you get the picture. Parenting is hard on the best day... and three year-old boys... WHEW!

"What are we going to do?" I asked the other mom as we walked back to camp. "He'll be dehydrated if he doesn't get to drink until we leave tomorrow."

"I know. I know," she replied. I could see the wheels turning and she walked up to her husband and whispering began.

"We've figured it out," she said as she dropped back to walk beside me.

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"We're going to give him mercy," she replied.

"Oh. Yeah, that will work," I said. Actually, I didn't know what in the world she was talking about.

When we got back to the campsite, Dad and mischievous three year-old boy went to a picnic table to sit down and talk. A few minutes later, hugs were exchanged and the the little boy came up to me. "May I have a drink, please?" he asked.

"Well, what did Mom and Dad say?"

"They said it was okay. I got mercy," he said simply... and I handed him a bottled water.

Mom and Dad had turned the whole incident into a devotion. Every day we do things we are not supposed to do, and this does not please God. But God has mercy on all of us, sinners that we are, and forgives us when we ask. This little guy had asked for forgiveness and, in return, had received mercy (a/k/a bottled water).

Of course, just like all of us (adults, too), mercy isn't given just once and that's it. We need it time and time again as we go through our daily lives. What a great lesson.

And by the way, the three year-olds ALMOST made it to bedtime before mercy had to be bestowed upon them yet again.

Our first camping trip was short, memorable and went well enough we were hooked. I hope your first camping trip will be just as pleasant and fun to get you over the fear of sleeping in the woods, using questionable bathhouses, and hearing noises you cannot identify in the middle of the night.

Weekend Happenings

Before the weekend even arrived, our plans changed. We were heading to Guntersville in the morning for a few days of camping fun with my sister and her family. Unfortunately, my nephew, Zac, has a flu-like illness, so our trip has been postponed to later in the week. We're not exactly sure when, but we're still planning on camping some time during Spring Break.

Actually, the weather is looking warmer toward the end of the week which will make boating MUCH more enjoyable.

Until then, the kids are spending time with friends AND family... which includes me and Mikie!

I KNOW we want to have at least one Faulkner Five movie night.

I KNOW we want to have at least one Faulkner Five game night.

I KNOW we want to eat lots and lots of meals together.

I KNOW Roxie and I want to go shopping.

And I KNOW we want to go camping.

Be sure to tune in next week to see what (if anything) gets crossed off this list! Mindless Monday will be here before you know it. Have a wonderful Friday and an even better weekend. Enjoy your Spring Break!

Take care, and I'll talk to you Monday.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda