Anniversary x 2 and VISION

On Vision:  At work, we've been working through our annual review and plan of action or ARPAs.  I don't have to write one, but I work with the Facilitators to refine theirs and get them ready for the Board Meeting.  It's a time of year I don't love (editing them is NO FUN and neither is doing the budget that goes with it), butat the same time do love it.  It's the time of year we get to ask God what His plans are for ministry and for life.  I get to see what God's laying on the hearts of those I work with and also dream of what He has for me.  One thing I'm most passionate about is seeing the team I work with encouraged and empowered to do the work God has called them to in their regions.  They work so hard in tough places and have so much to do and I want to be a picture of God's heart for them.  I admit, so many times during the year, I get so focused on making sure we are following rules (which are good) and regulations, focusing on the WORK, not the PEOPLE.  I forget to just love the team. I want to work this year to do that better. 

We were so blessed to celebrate our anniversary twice.  We didn't get to go away for a couple reasons.  One, money doesn't grow on trees and two, we're pretty sure we have many who love us, but not many who love us enough to wake up with our cutie pie once or twice in a night :)  So instead, Nate surprised me by taking the afternoon off work on our actual anniversary (I work mornings) and we went to pick strawberries and make jam together - both were new things for us and something we really wanted to try - yeah, we are weird...  It was a hot day, but we had fun.  We drove to a farm near Hershey and were able to get many, many pounds of yummy strawberries and came home to make our first batch of homemade jam.  It was a fun day for me and I felt so happy to get to hang out with Nate!  We've been pretty busy lately, and having a "random" chunk of time with him blessed me so much.  We had Benson along and he did great until he got too hot and told us he had enough!

Benson got to try his very first strawberry...

and almost slurped the whole thing in. I had to hang on for dear life to the stem...

We made jam the easy (???) way... Just strawberries, an apple for the pectin, some fresh lemon juice and enough sugar to kill an elephant.  Then we poured the hot jam into clean jars, sealed them, and flipped them upside down.  They all sealed and we have yummy jam! 

Our week was a fun one, playing in the mud, I mean eating dirt...

For our second anniversary outing, our sweet friend Allison watched Benson for us and we were able to borrow one extra kayak to go on a kayaking trip ALONE, just the two of us. We were blessed with gorgeous weather for our trip and were also blessed with some extra moolah so we could get a nice picnic meal of cheese, meat, fruits, tea, etc. 

I may or may not have wounded myself during a restroom break right before our picnic putting gashes in my hand and leg while trying to avoid what I was afraid was poison oak/ivy or burn hazel or whatever it's called. I'll spare you the details, but it was FUNNY.  And it hurt like crazy.

We spent Sunday evening with our friends Jeremy and Allison and their kiddos, going for a walk at Mt. Gretna after eating a wonderful meal Allison prepared!  We stopped at the Jigger Shop for some ice cream :) 

On Monday, Nate and I worked on the house for his grandparents (put up pine boards in the bedroom) and then Nate helped with his sister and bro-in-law's house.  We got to enjoy a picnic lunch with them and then Nate worked to finish the project at grandma and grandpa's house before we headed to hang out with friends.  Poor Benson was sick all day, but was still so fun to be with...

His first swim!  Er, his first sticking of legs in a pool and screaming if we got too close to his belly with the COLD water.

And then this monster storm hit and we all went inside to eat our scrumptious steak, chicken, chips/dips, yummy quinoa salad, etc.  We put Benson in his carseat in a room to sleep and when I went to check on him, I found him in the middle of the floor, smiling, holding this: 

He was VERY proud of himself.  I was imressed he got out of his carseat.  I don't know how. It wasn't even toppled or anything.  Schemer.  We made a run for it and made it home, then sat in our driveway in the storm, waiting for Benson to wake up.

What a great week - busy and so much fun!