My day-late {again} Friday Favorites

What a week! What a crazy, full week!

I'm not always a "late" person. I promise. But lately...oh well.

Despite the craziness and the fullness of the week
(or maybe because of it) I have so many favorites.

(linking up with Rachel - click to check out other (not-late) favorites)

Topping my list, as usual,

is swimming with my kiddos.

And this time, Daddy got to join us!

(He's so much fun!)

Funny pool story...My rowdies are particularly outgoing and friendly. They've never met a stranger. And they always {though I sometimes wish they wouldn't} say exactly what they're thinking. So a neighbor couple we didn't know (but do now!) came to the pool while we were there. They're in their early 30's, I'd say. He took his shirt off and got in and was tossing a water ball back in forth with his wife. Luke was watching, then inching closer and closer, positioning himself to get in on the fun, and then struck up a conversation.

Luke: "You look like that guy from Kung Fu Panda."

Man: "Oh yeh? Which one?"

Luke: "The panda."

Yep, that's my boy!

Talk about an ice-breaker! It worked...and well, we now have some new neighbor-friends. (But I do hope, for his sake, my boy gets a little more discriminating with his "lines" before he starts using them on girls. Can you imagine???)

And Thursday was a major encouragement day! We started the morning early meeting a photographer out at the barn.

She was contracted to take pictures for an article running in an upcoming issue of World Vision magazine
about our kiddos and their foundation,
Together We CAN Make A Difference.
(Click here to check it out).

I'm so (mommy-proud) of them. They've stuck with this project for more than 2 years now,


have raised over $5000, have spoken in front of large groups and shared their vision, have gotten partners to join us, and currently have over 1000 lbs of can stored in the barn waiting for us to secure a truck to help us haul on recycle day.


And as if the photo shoot wasn't fun and encouraging enough,


later that afternoon, we got a copy of the nationally distributed Fusion devotional magazine


featuring another article (written by my hubby)


and pictures of our kiddos doing their thing.



Nothing quite like seeing yourselves and reading your story in a magazine. Kind of fun :)

And talk about fun...we got to visit with the Fishsticks and their Turkey cousins again this summer. I went to high school with these 2 girls


and God has been so sweet to keep that friendship going.

18 kids between us

(even though we were missing a few for this shot)

That visit was one of the highlights of my week, Girls,
(and more than worth the drive ;) )
Love you!

And then yesterday afternoon, my parents surprised us by dropping by to visit


and stayed for supper and {home-made} ice cream. I don't know if they've ever done that before...it was nice.

And Gabe finally got to go to his
first ever back-to-school movie night
at church, now that he's in 1st grade and all, and according to him,
it was just as awesome as he knew it would be!

And last but certainly not least, another favorite this week has been knowing and seeing God {quickly} answer our prayers...trusting that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose...knowing that (in His time) He always brings Light to the darkness because He knows the truth and
He is the TRUTH.

No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared
for those who love Him.
I Corinthians 2:9