Summer or Spring?

The weather is heating up and it's great to meet more of our neighbours. After being here for six months and hardly seeing anyone outside, I was beginning to think there were no other children in the neighbourhood. It turns out there are lots, particularly young teens. As there are no fences on the gardens (yards!) young people just walk anywhere they want getting from A to B. Last night we had a large group of teenage girls singing happy birthday at the top of their voices taking a stroll through our yard past our house! : 0) I enjoyed cooking for a few MMS families last night and it was great to set some tables up outside under the shade and enjoy fellowship together.

A few weeks ago myself and the kids took a trip to North Carolina for a friends birthday party and had a super time. There were gator rides, horses and goats to pet, milking to see, baby Robert to play with, a little bouncy castle, and friends for Abi and Matthew to play with - we all had a great time. Meanwhile back in Ohio Andy got some time to fix the fuel tank on his jeep (he can now put more than $10 of gas in without it leaking) and Paul Jones took him flying. He got a great aerial picture of our house. Yes, we do have a large garden which has it's pros and cons. The weekly mowing has been proving very time consuming. Even with both of us doing it, it takes about three whole evenings. and in four days it needs done again! Then there is the slopes and ditches around the edges that need to be trimmed. I have never seen grass grow so fast! Our landlords had a ride on mower which they took away when we moved in. Last weekend we went on the trail for a second hand ride on and managed to get one -old but working! What a huge difference! Andy can do the grass in a few hours, and the trimming to keep the ditches clear in a few hours also - he is beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel for study time now over the summer.

Last weekend we were invited to a birthday party for Lucy who was 1 year old. Her parents , Ben and Caroline are the newest additions to MMS. They have moved from Missouri where recent tornadoes have killed over a hundred people. Thankfully their families back home where all safe but there was a worrying moment when they couldn't get hold of Caroline's parents due to the phone line chaos in Missouri. It was 90 degrees F and when we arrived at the party I could see this big bonfire. I thought they must be burning some rubbish etc. but no - it was purely for toasting hot dogs and marshmallows! This was definitely the first time I had ever done this in such heat! While the Scots were stewing the Americans still felt it was a "little Chilly!"LOL!

Abi has been to dancing weekly since November last year and her special show is on June the 4th at 2pm. I think the highlight may have shifted however to the father and daughter part of the show! There has been two rehearsals for this and Andy and Abi will be showing the world their moves along with other dad's and their daughters. He really will do anything for his little girl! I can't wait to see it and will definitely be armed with the video camera!

Matthew is doing well yet continues to be my biggest motherhood challenge. I am reading James Dobson's book on the Strong Willed Child and this has been so helpful. I have found someone (the author) who understands what it is like to have a child that continually wants to push boundaries, and how to cope without crushing his personality. In the book he talks about a comparison between two shopping trolleys - one which just glides down the isles, you only need one finger to push it and you get all your shopping done in minutes and are oh so happy at the end of it - the other you realise it has a mind of it's own, the wheels are stiff and it is a nightmare to push and the whole shopping trip takes hours, you are exhausted at the end of it and you dread the next trip. The latter shopping experience I can relate to often (and this "shopping experience" refers to many experiences out with shops) and it is just nice to hear someone say that it is not my parenting as a mother but just the fact I have a child with a very strong will. I do thank God for his character as I know it is shaping mine, hopefully in a good way. Maybe this will encourage any other mother's reading this who are suffering from daily "battle fatigue" and feel like the only one! chin up! : 0)

On the 6th of June I will be off to Columbus airport to pick up Gary, Johanne and Iona Smith from Scotland who are coming to the USA for three weeks! Then on the 9th of June I will be back again picking up more Scots - Sarah from Moodiesburn and my neice Kirsten. : 0) Sarah will be staying a month and Kirsten, two months. Please pray for safe travels for all! We are so excited have everyone coming to visit. I hope we can all handle the Summer heat!