Happy Birthday, Tabitha!

Well, with Tabitha I'm only a few days late to wish her a happy birthday. My big girl turned five on Tuesday. I think Tabitha is about as adult like as a five-year-old can come. She knows just about everything. Asks questions in every new situation and retains all the information. You give her an explanation and then the new thing totally makes sense. She'll then turn to Seth and explain to him why touching a frog is not a good idea, because you may get diseases from it.

She has always been a happy girl. Her giggle is just like a little girl's giggle should be - almost fake, but real enough to make you smile. She loves to spend time with people. Her most favorite activity is making up plays, as she calls it. You each get a "character" (stuffed animal) and act out an adventure. Lots of times she will tell you the plot before you begin.

Tabitha has a heart of gold. She always wants to help out where ever we go. She cares for those around her. The other week when she found out that the salesman was Indian, she asked him if he bowed to a different god. She went on and on about it, as I tried to discreetly tell her to stop. Since then she has been learning that there are gentler ways to telling others about Jesus. Sometimes she'll whisper to me and ask if it is an appropriate time to tell someone.
The oldest of three (almost four) and still very much a child. She loves to frolic around and play on her bike. The three of them play a lot together and also do their fair share of fighting. Tabitha tries her hardest to obey, but she still needs to be corrected on occasion. She is a sweetheart and we love her so very much. She makes a great friend and a wonderful daughter. 

The Official Announcement

Enoch and I are happy to announce the addition of a new family member. He/she should be arriving around the first week in March, although our children usually come late, so it may be some time after that. I've been getting over my queasiness, which is a nice relief. All of the kids are excited. Even Patricia says, "baby" as she points to my belly. I'm sure she doesn't know what she's saying, but that's ok.

"Whoever trusts in the LORD, happy is he." Proverbs 16:20b

Pics of the three crazy ones

Seth is testing my dad's bike.

This is in North Carolina. I failed to post an entry yet, but a few weeks back the kids and I visited some family down there. Tabitha enjoyed playing with her cousin's play house.

Patricia loved having her friend, Julia visit. She followed her all around and kept poking her eyes and pinching her cheeks.

Patricia says...

Overheard Conversation

This was heard at church yesterday.



Tabitha:How old are you getting to be?

Brother Garnes:Ninety-six.

Tabitha:Oh, I thought you were one MILLION!

Brother Garnes:No, not yet.



I love his answer. He looks forward to spending eternity praising God, so one day he really will be a million.

Ocean City, Maryland

We all loved the beach!

The girls were content to play in the sand,
Seth insisted on being by the water, even though it kept knocking him over.

Happy little girl... as long as she wasn't near the water, that is.

If he wasn't being knocked down by waves, he was playing ball or frisbee.

I'm even allowing a picture of myself to be seen.

Sunset we saw on the first night.

Our view from the hotel room patio.

We all got new water shoes. Clockwise from the top: Enoch, Tabitha, me, Seth and Patricia with her little pink bathing suit showing.

I took Tabitha and Seth to their first mini-golf game. Do you like the way Seth holds the club?

How they slept at night.

On the boardwalk.

Tabitha took this, I'm eating cotton candy.

We went on a pirate adventure. A one hour boat ride with lots of fun activities lead by the two pirates you see there. The kids had a blast. I was happy to be on a boat.

It was only a 3 day trip, but we had lots of fun. I can't wait to go again!

Jesus is coming again

Tonight when I was putting the kids to bed they asked for a Bible story. I thought it was too late, so I declined. Tabitha asked for just a quick one. I said, "Jesus is coming again. I love you. Goodnight."

With all the crazy weather we've been having I keep thinking of the Lord's second coming. I'm not a huge prophesy buff, but some verses in Revelation, speaking of the tribulation, seem to be pretty clear to me. I feel like the Lord is preparing the earth, so that when "crazier" things start happening it won't be totally unforeseen and maybe people will even be able to explain things scientifically.

The following portion is from Revelation chapter 16:

vs 8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and the power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

vs 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they did not repent to give Him glory.

Global warming, anyone?