Visiting Oupa & Ouma out near Chicago...
Friday, June 15th was Caleb's last day of school. When it was time to pick him up, we already had the van loaded and ready for our trip out West, but our first stop was the Post Office. We needed to apply for Ati's passport and a renewal of Caleb's passport (in preparation for Spain).
Two FULL days of driving is no fun, but our troubles were forgotten as soon as we pulled into my parents' driveway!
Two FULL days of driving is no fun, but our troubles were forgotten as soon as we pulled into my parents' driveway!
Our kids found delight in countless little things: riding bikes and scooters, playing board games, swinging together...
...And they were not deterred by the almost 100 degree heat. My parents' neighbor, Peggy, was very kind in letting us enjoy her in-ground pool the entire week. It was a life-saver!
The kids had an absolute blast in the pool! The boys were able to swim around unassisted and Ati discovered how to hold her breath underwater! They were TIRELESS!
Oupa's garden provided much delight as well. He has continued in the tradition of "Fuffu" (his dad), and his veggies and berries are flourishing! Surprisingly, Miles (our junk food junkie), discovered a taste for sweet peas! Here he is sporting Oupa's famous hat and eyeing the peas overhead to see which might be within reach.
Ati loves music! She spent a good deal of time on the piano.
To Narnia
One day, during Ati's nap, I took the boys to a C.S. Lewis exhibit at the Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College. Lewis' wardrobe, carved and crafted by his father, was definitely the highlight! If you look closely enough, you can almost see a wintery forest on the other side :)
We also explored the Science building at Wheaton College. Caleb loved the gemstones. He was also intrigued by the fact that the College displayed verses from Scripture and talked about Creation and God. It was a refreshing change from the humanistic take on science he'd been getting from school and television. He announced that when he grows up he is going to study science there at Wheaton! Then he nonchalantly stated another option:
"Or I could just go to a regular college and just ignore what they tell me."
Chicago: where you can visit the zoo and the beach and not pay a penny...
(except for parking!)
Friday, we made a quick tour of the Lincoln Park Zoo (one of Miles' favorite places on earth) before enjoying the beach by the city.
Ouma packed a lunch for all of us to enjoy!
Charis took this picture through the polarized lens of her sunglasses...
It started out with burying Caleb...
Our week with Oupa & Ouma included many other fun memories: Dinner and games with the Nicelys (friends who also served in Spain), dinner with Mom and Dad's small group (who prayed hard for Ati throughout the adoption), meeting up with friends in the park...
We thank God for our time out West. I thank Him for loving parents... not perfect, but loving. And I thank him for the chances our kids get to enjoy with their Oupa & Ouma.
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