JoJo Dirty Face…Obviously Daddy is in charge!

My husband has one day off a week—and it’s not the weekend. Which should be obvious if you know that he is a pastor.

If you did not know that he was a pastor, now you do.

So his one day off a week is during the week. It is now on Tuesdays.

On Tuesdays, I, however, am not at home. I am an hour away teaching Bible in Poznan. Therefore, on my husband’s one real day off a week, I leave him all alone with the kids.

He LOVES it!

Not that I leave him alone. Although…Now that I think about it…Hmmm???

Haha!

Just kidding.

He loves his day with the kids.

And, on his day off, he REALLY tries to focus just on his kids. They play, they jump on the trampoline, they swing.

He takes them to the park.

Or he simply holds them and makes dinner.

In fact, I just walked through the door, and he is upstairs bathing them right now.

I think, if he was here next to me, he may say that Tuesdays are his favorite day. A day where he gets to invest in the lives of his children in an awesome and personal way—by PLAY!

You know that the kids are ALWAYS happy when daddy is in charge.

How do I know?

I’ll let this photo that Richard sent me of Josephine speak for all 3 (Ada, Max, and Jo).  It says, “Daddy is the best!”

jodirtyface_2.jpg

“Now, stop taking photos of me, Daddy, and come back to play.”

Happy, Happy Tuesday, our friends!  Take the time to stop and play with your kids.

It’s the one thing you will NEVER regret.

Alex the Lion nibbles on Adelyne…

Today was amazing—from the sounds of it on my Skype call with Rich.  They landed in Joburg late Monday night.  So today was their first day to start to explore…

Their explorations started with a trip to a lion park.  Anyhow…the cubs you could handle and hug and pet and play with.  One particular cub, Alex the Lion, really took to Ada…and her clothes.  In the video Richard sent me (that I can’t seem to upload here…bummer), I can’t tell if she is pleased or annoyed.  But her daddy said that later in the day all she could talk about was how fun it was to hold Alex the Lion!

And then they made their way to the “lion walk” with the 1-yr-old lions.  Ummm…The guide gave Rich strict instructions to “Keep Adelyne Close!”

Rich said it was a GOOD thing he did.  As soon as they entered, he said the lions got down on their haunches and began to creep toward her.  I guess she is more “bite sized” eh?  But the closer Richard got to Adelyne, the more intimidated they were, and they backed away.  I guess he is still too big of a meal for 1-yr-old lions.  Roar!

After the lion park, they headed to their game park where they’re staying for two days.  They got to swim, go on a night safari, and eat outside under oil lanterns!

Man…can we say, “Momma be jealous”?  I can!

During the night safari, the guide tossed food to the crocs…Rich said the water became a ripple of activity.  It was fascinating.  And then during the Safari drive, they actually spotted White Rhinos!  One even had a baby.  Rich said a tusk of another was a good 2+ feet in length.  Amazing!

What does Adelyne hope for in the next two days?  Adelyne hopes to get close enough to a giraffe to ride its back.

What a crazy explorer she’ll make—She should’ve been stranded in the movie Swiss Family Robinson.

Anyhow, it was a short but awesome Skype convo between me and my man.

Tomorrow they get to become like the cowboys of the National Geographic.  They are joining a “round up”!  True that. (Why am I going all old school talk on you all, I don’t know…Jet lag?  Oh wait.  I didn’t go anywhere 😉 )

Back to the “round up”.  I guess that there are too many animals on one reserve, so the helicopters will come and herd the animals into different crates to be taken to wider, more open spaces.  Just like Marty’s dream in Madagascar, eh?  Wide, open spaces!

I think that Rich is as excited about this next one as Adelyne!  There is a bit of AZ cowboy in him ready to go all “Yeehaw” on the zebras’ behinds.

Anyhow…One more day of South African exploring before they head into Botswana for a multi-day joyful wedding celebration.

I’ll keep you as updated as I myself am 🙂  (which means not too terribly updated).

Hugs for now…And lion kisses…Much like those Alex the Lion gave Adelyne.

Munch.  Munch!

Here came the discipline!

Image

I hope that you took the challenge to be bold in your faith and share the hope that you have in Christ.  Do it.  You are legendary.

Today, however, I’m going to be talking to men.  If you’re a woman, I’m sure that you can use today’s topic as well. 

My daughter and I traveled back from California on Sunday.  The first flight that we thought that we could take was full.  So we planned on taking the last flight out of Sacramento on Sunday.  This flight was scheduled to leave at 19:00.  We walked up to the gate just in time for the flight to depart.  And what we heard on the PA was a two hour delay.  Then that delay became a two-hour and forty minute delay.  Needless to say that by the time we arrived home it was after 00:30.  Tired we both went to bed. 

We both woke up early that Monday morning.  I got ready for work, and then I woke Adelyne for school.  We both had busy days with school and work. 

That evening Brooke went for a girls’ night out, and I stayed home with both Adelyne and Maxwell. 

We had a great time together.  I made dinner, we ate, laughed, and cleaned up.  Then I bathed Maxwell and got him ready for bed.  Adelyne took her shower while I finished getting Maxwell into his bed and down for the night. 

After Adelyne’s shower I asked her to get her pajamas.  She refused.  I asked her again and again.  She would change the topic and start trying to play with something else.  Again I asked.  Adelyne would say, “But, but, but.”  By this point my fuse was almost gone.  I told her to get her pajamas or she would be in big trouble.  Once again she flat-out refused and started to whine.  This went on for quite a while before I put my foot down. 

Here came the discipline!

Adelyne knew by this point she was in big trouble for refusing to do what she was asked.  I was tired, and I knew that she was tired.  But tired or not she still needs to do what she’s been asked to do. I had every right to discipline her, not because I’m harsh, but because it had been a long week of trying to get her to follow through with what her mommy and daddy have asked her to do. 

It was time for the discipline.  Just mere seconds before her discipline, however, I asked her a question.

“Adelyne, do you know what GRACE is?”  She looked at me with tears in her eyes and a strange look on her face.  She was probably thinking that I was talking about her cousin Grace that we spent the weekend with in California. 

“Adelyne, do you know what GRACE is?”  I asked again.  She thought for a second and said not really.  I explained to her that Grace is getting something that you don’t deserve.  It’s a gift of love.

I went on to tell her that because of her disobedience she deserved consequences of her actions.  But this evening I’m going to give her something different.  I’m going to give her GRACE.  We talked more about God’s grace that He gives to us. 

I’m thankful that God’s grace is given to me every single second of every single minute of every single day.  The very fact that I’m breathing is a sign of God’s grace in my life. 

But I’ve found that in my life I’ve never been the one to extend that same GRACE that God has extended to me to my own family (wife, children, and even the dog).

God has extended to you grace today.  Let that sink in.

If God can extend GRACE to me and you, then let us be men.

Go now and extended it to your spouse!

Go now and extended it to your children!

Go now and extended it to your neighbors!

Go now and extended it to your supervisors!

Go now and extended it to your employees!

Go now and extended it to your enemies!

Thank you, God, for extending us GRACE.