Summer is off to a scorching start. We have enjoyed more time spent with family and friends, swim meets, Vacation Bible Schools, and a BSF retreat. Read on for more information about our adventures this month.
We started the month by finishing our time in Illinois with family. It was such a great time and always leaves us wishing that we lived closer. We had so much fun kayaking in the pond, helping with home improvement projects, playing games, and just being together. The girls also had a fun time learning how to pound flowers on canvas to make a wall hanging. We are so thankful for our family!
As we returned home we added two passengers to our van. We picked up Archie and Sassy, two mini dachshund puppies. Archie joined our family and Sassy joined my parents family. We are so in love with the tiny ball of energy. He is such a joy and his antics keep us laughing. Did I mention that he is absolutely adorable! Don't take my word for it though. See for yourself in the slideshow!
A first time adventure for Jeff and the boys was a float trip our church took. They took off in the morning and put down in the Mulberry River for a 3+ hour adventure. It was a great time and they all came home smiling, sun burned, and talking about the fun they had.
Next up was three nights of VBS for the girls. Some friends invited them to join "Sparked". The church ended the event with a cook out complete with bounce arounds, face painting, Icees, and drawings for prizes. The girls loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back again next year.
Each summer we take on one or two home improvement projects. This summer we decided to remove the paneling off the walls in the boys room and fix the ceiling where there was water damage. It was going to be a relatively quick remodel as we hired out the drywall and texture work. As always seems to happen, the project took on a life of its own. As we removed damaged drywall, we discovered mold in the walls between the bedroom and living room and in the ceiling in the living room. Needless to say, our quick and inexpensive project turned into a much larger multi-room remodel. We cancelled the drywall pro and decided to go it ourselves after we realized we couldn't have the rooms prepped in time. As I write this, the walls are back up in the living room and we are hoping to finish the room by the end of the weekend. Then we will tackle the bedroom where this whole mess started! The up side is, the boys are learning to drywall and Jeff got to buy new tools.
This month our local swim team hosted a big meet. The boys swam great and bettered their times in several events. They also had state qualifying times in several events. The weather was great albeit hot...until it wasn't. We were not supposed to get storms but the weather turns on a dime here. WIthint minutes of receiving word that bad weather was on its way, we were grabbing tents poles and fishing ribbons and paper out of the pools. The winds came on so fast and so strong that we had to move quick to get the massive tents down before the wind blew them to Oklahoma. Fortunately, no one was hurt but that put a quick end to the meet. The kids were all disappointed that we were not able to finish the last couple events but there is always another meet. We look forward to hosting the state meet in a few weeks. We are praying for great weather and no sudden storms!
We had an amazing Father's Day. Jeff baptized Eden during church with Nana and Papa present to witness. It was such a sweet thing to be a part of and a perfect Father's Day gift. We enjoyed fellowship with Nana and Papa over a meal after church.
The next day we continued the Father's Day celebration by heading to Russellville so we could celebrate Papa with the Andersons. It is hard to match our schedules so it is always sweet when we can visit with them. The kids enjoyed swimming, biking, forging, and playing together.
This month, Leigh Ann was blessed to be one of 1,700 Bible Study Fellowship Teaching Leaders from around the globe to gather for worship and teaching in Arlington, Texas. She worshipped with men and women from Kenya to Australia and from Canada to India. There were many different tribes and tongues present to join together in unity in service to our Lord Jesus Christ. It was a small taste of what I think Heaven will be like. We were introduced to our upcoming study, People of the Promise, Kingdom Divided by theologians such as David Talley and Dr. Mark Bailey. We enjoyed amazing music from many different worship artists. We were encouraged by the BSF Board of Directors. It was such a wonderful weekend that I can't really put it all into words. God is so good!
The boys both had the opportunity this month to participate in our church's Kingdom Worker Week. The kids do service projects for people in our church and community. Some things they did included drywalling and plumbing at a local outreach center, doing grounds keeping at a local shelter, helping several widows in our church with home improvement projects, and cooking meals for their families. Eli also played on the praise band during worship that week. I love the boys hearts for serving and how our church gives them opportunities to do so!
The girls enjoyed a day of woodworking at our church. They each built a cedar bird house and a catapult. They had fun using tools and hanging out with friends.
As the month finished, Jeff taught students in Northwest Arkansas at an AP Bootcamp for Chemistry students. He spent the week teaching and doing fun labs to give the kids a foundation as they jump into the challenging world of Chemistry this fall. While he was gone, the girls participated in another VBS. This one was called Zoomerang by Answers in Genesis. They learned all about how fearfully and wonderfully made God created each of them. The learned about God creation from human DNA to the multitude of unique creatures God made. They had so much fun!
I hope that your summer is off to a great start. Stay tuned next month for more Rice Family Adventures.
