Back from the dead! It's so good to feel alive! My beautiful, amazing Jesus set me free from the depression that had been holding me down. Not only that, when my dear brothers and sisters in Christ gathered around to pray for me and love on me, I was able to see at last my true self. I finally
really believed that I have never been a disappointment to my King. I saw with crystal clarity the cage the enemy had me in. A cage that was so nearly my true shape that I accepted it for years. NOT ANY MORE!! LOL!!!
There have been many times in my journey with Jesus that, if you had asked me if I knew who I was, if I had experienced His love, if I knew I was absolutely pure in His sight I would have answered with complete certainty "Absolutely!:)"
The way I feel now, I'm not sure I ever
really knew it for real. I feel so completely different than I have ever felt in my life. For the first time I know that all those things I hated about me, weren't
me. When Jesus looks at me he sees pure gold, absolutely pure. What I have been told many times is actually planted deep in my heart now. The cage, the shell that I thought was me is gone for good. I know the truth now.
Ephesians 3:14-20---
When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
More bumper cars...while Papa and Joshua...
Rode the Ferris wheel :)
He's getting very sleepy at this point. I even wondered if he would fall asleep up there.
Even more bumper cars! In this pic Brannon is sandwiched between two cars full of friends. "Big kids" who are in our homeschool/church group.
One last ride...
This is the first year we did many rides. Last year we did none and the year before I think they did two each. This is the first year they were both old enough to really enjoy it. The boys saved their allowance for several months in order to buy armbands (far more cost effective than tickets! Especially if you buy them early and pay ten dollars less). We had a blast, them riding and me watching, lol.
A little fun house. I think it was Indiana Jones theme. Brannon was really scared of this bridge in spite of being closed in. Joshua was humming along behind him.
I think the bumper cars were the hands-down favorite of the day...
Around 1pm we left for a while. It was about a hundred degrees by then and the boys were getting worn out. We took a nap, had a home-made iced tea slushy and headed back around 5:30 for some more fun.
Of course, there was no chance they would just play nicely in the stream that had been set up like the other kids were doing. :D They had to rearrange the whole thing, move the bridges, make a dam, LOL. 
More bumper cars, oh yeah!
Joshua claimed the "merry-go-around" as his favorite ride. I didn't get very many good pics of them though.
I have two budding photographers on my hands ;-)
And Mama's two pics. I wasn't in much of a picture taking mood that day...
This is the start of the race, backwards, I know:) There were a lot more riders than you see in this pic. I was zooming in on Nate and Lorna...
Games...
badminton...
Lots of bike riding!...
Part of our camp...
The dam
Matt, remember that dusty bank I told you about that the kids loved so much last year?
Loads of fun :) Keeps them busy ;) 'Course, it makes lots of laundry for the mamas when we get home... But camping in general means lots of laundry, so it's not a big deal.
The birthday girl, 60 this year.
Joshua was very anxious to look after a younger cousin, first helping him down off the hill when he thought he was stuck. Then running to get his shoes...
And even putting them on! I was very proud of him :)
I want to play too!
Rest time. Good thing Papa makes such a good pillow.
A very dirty and exhausted Joshua escaping the yellow-jackets by eating dinner inside.
Before heading home Nate, Brannon and I (Joshua rode home with Grandma) took a walk around part of the lake. There's a great paved bike and hiking trail that goes all the way around. I think we made it a quarter of the way.
