Our Brave Boy

Ever the scrapbooker, I took some pictures of our experience today at Johns Hopkins.  Everyone was so nice and made the day as pleasant as possible.  Thanks for all of your prayers!  Our Luke is doing great!  In the first picture, Luke is opening his "Sorry you have to have surgery.  We love you very much!" gift.  It was a Star Wars Clone Wars snuggie blanket. 

trying to figure out the snaps to make armholes

When we arrived in the pre-op area, there were already two other boys playing Wii.  So Luke was patiently waiting for his turn.

doing what he does best!

Then we had some surprise visitors...

Luke was watching the clowns do their funny magic tricks.

Luke did great!  We are resting at home and I think that the next day or two may be pajama days! 

Road Trip

We took a road trip today.  We traveled over this

and two counties to reach our destination.  We traveled about an hour away from home.  You might be asking yourself, "Where would they have gone that would have taken such great lengths?"  Maybe a museum, art gallery, or place of historical significance.  And all of those would have been great guesses.  But no, my sweet friends and family, we were on a mission.  We were traveling to a place that is quite numerous in the South, but quite scarce in the Mid-Atlantic. 

Yes, we traveled to Easton, Maryland to the nearest Sonic for lunch.  The boys were so excited!  Luke ordered a root beer float and a corndog.  Nathan wanted a vanilla coke, hamburger, and fries.  Jarrell and I ordered the Brown Bag Special with tator tots.  He ordered a Dr. Pepper and I ordered a cherry limeade.  Ahhh, love that Sonic ice! 

We didn't just visit Sonic, however.  We visited an Amish Farmer's Market, where we purchased a homemade cherry pie and walnut sticky buns (for breakfast in the morning!)

We drove past Frederick Douglass' birthplace in Talbot County, Maryland.  We also visited Adkins Arboretum.  It was a beautiful day with highs in the 50's, plenty of sunshine and not a cloud in the sky.  It was a great day spending it together! 

Luke was picking up rocks along the trail.

Nathan was holding up a rock he had found.

It was a great day!

The MVA and Heaven

Not much exciting has happened lately.  Nathan and I are getting over colds.  It has been cold and rainy, but no more snow, thank goodness.  We can finally see the grass again!  

Last Friday, we went to get my Maryland driver's license (at the MVA).  It was not a pleasant experience to say the least.  In a nutshell,  it involved a man of Middle Eastern descent, a thick accent, the aforementioned man not using  complete sentences while giving directions and the questioning of my documentation.  The whole experience left me feeling like an illegal immigrant and frustrated that this is now life post 9/11.  However, it is now official; we are Marylanders.  

Jarrell had met us there from work.  So after the horrible experience, I let him take my car with the boys.  I took his car, so I could have just a few minutes to process my frustration (cry).  When I started the car, I automatically turned on the radio, but being in Jarrell's car, it wasn't on the station I have programmed in my car.  But it didn't matter, because God used the song on the radio that day to remind me of a wonderful truth.  The song was Carrie Underwood's Temporary Home and the chorus says: 
This is my temporary home.  It's not where I belong.  Windows and rooms that I'm passing through.  This is just a stop on the way to where I'm going.  I'm not afraid because I know, this is my temporary home. 

I'm so thankful that this old Earth isn't it!  We have the hope of Heaven and I am so grateful! 

Philippians 3:20 "But our citizenship is in Heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ"