Full House

Sabbath, June 21, 2014

 

Today, we were very happy to have a full house again.  Or maybe I should say, a full van. 

It’s been probably over a year since we’ve had all four extra seats full.  It was fun.  Fun to have these kids excited about coming (even if none of them were ready in time for Sabbath School), and looking forward to whatever we were going to do this afternoon.  Especially fun to take up a whole row in church.

(Loren, Bryan, Ashlyn, Laura, Whaylone, Noel, Sander, Karen)

One highlight of my day was Sander’s response as the sermon started – he picked up a Bible from under the seat, and held it up towards me with a question in his face, eagerly wondering if it was time to start looking up Bible texts.  :)  Most of the time, they took turns using the etch-a-sketch and looking up Bible verses.  Even our own kids did well through the service. 

It was Whaylone’s first communion.  That was special, although Noel & Laura whispered to him throughout most of it, so I don’t know how much he could pause and think.  Sander always wants to go with us to do foot-washing, but Noel usually stays and listens to the children’s story.  This time I talked Whaylone and Laura into coming with us just to watch.  I don’t think they’ve ever even seen it before.  But they came today. 

We stayed for potluck (and I actually enjoyed it—probably my attitude more than anything, but the puzzles I brought really helped!  All six kids sitting nicely at the table…ahhh…) and then brought them to our house afterward.  (Loren had to go home in between church and lunch to take the harp home and get the extra center seat which we almost never use.) 

When we got home, it was time to play.  We had a great time playing memory with huge cards.  It spread out over our whole rug.  Everyone cheered when someone found a match.  Lots of laughter…  Fun to see Ashlyn basically doing push-ups to be able to reach a card on the other side.  We had a great time.  Then we headed outside, and ended up putting the teeter-totters to the test…

Again, lots of laughter!

Then a Bible story enacted with Lego people... eating starfruit that just got ripe on our tree this week... marking their heights on our wall chart (Those boys have grown well over an inch in the last four months! And Whaylone is now an inch taller than I am!)... playing a little more…  Now our own kids are fighting, and it’s almost supper time… Time to take the others home.

Picnic supper, a short little hike through the jungle, a beautiful sunset, lots of mosquito bites, a new friend at the overlook...a quick bath and bedtime!

A full house.  A full pew.  A full van.  A full day. 
Now we are full of laughter and full of thankfulness. 
Praise God.