Were We Even Gone?

We've been back home and back in our routine for almost two weeks now. Our vacation seems so surreal, almost like we were never there. The groundhog’s prediction seems to be holding as we are still having cold weather, but the days are getting longer and I heard a few tree frogs chirping the other day so spring won’t be too much longer in coming.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATE! One thing I forgot to mention in all the write up about our vacation was Nate's birthday. He got to celebrate his eleventh birthday in the Magic Kingdom! He said it was both a good and a bad day: good because he was at Disney World on his birthday, bad that it was our last day there.

At Disney World you get to wear a special button on your birthday and Nate was wished a happy birthday by every cast member who noticed it. He also got a birthday cupcake which he carried around all afternoon until he finally ate it. We told Nate we'd celebrate as a family after we got home but we’ve been so busy we haven't made his cake yet.

A BUSY WEEKEND. Nate had an 8:00 game Saturday morning, and boy, was it a good game! It was back and forth by one point almost the whole time. All the kids on both teams played well. We were down by one with nine seconds to go and we had the ball. One of our kids drove the length of the court and made a three point shot on the buzzer. You can imagine the reaction in the gym.

That evening we had a chili supper fund raiser for the Boy Scouts. The boys had the late shift and worked the tail end of the supper and cleaned up.

The next morning our Haiti mission team gave a report on their trip at church. They were in Haiti while we were at Disney World. They got to meet the kids at the orphanage we are supporting as well as see the new facility where they are living. The team related so many neat details about their trip but the one that stands out in my mind was the gratitude expressed by the pastor and his wife who run the orphanage. They had given up hope that they could continue and were afraid they would have to close and turn the kids out on the street. The kids were getting one meal a day of rice or noodles and their old building was about to be condemned. Now they are in new buildings and the kids get three meals a day as well as juice! Jenna is so looking forward to her trip in May.

Our church service was followed by a chili/soup fund raiser lunch. It was good but I think I'm about done with chili for a while.

By this time we knew Been was really sick. He had complained of a sore throat on Saturday and didn't make it to church. Vicki took him to the doctor. Sure enough: strep. He missed school Monday and when Jenna, Nate, and I came home that evening we noted two vultures perched in the tree by the security light. We asked Ben if he was sicker than we realized. (He’s feeling fine now.)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Our Scout troop held their winter Court of Honor Tuesday night. Ben is now a Second Class Scout and Nate has earned his Scout rank.

I need to mention two big scouting accomplishments in our family. First, I think I failed to recognize my nephew, Cameron, on becoming an Eagle Scout back in the fall. Cameron actually has the distinction of becoming an Eagle Scout and a Knight of Columbus on the same day. We got to look at Cameron’s Eagle Scout project book when we visited last. He cleaned up a cemetery at his church and really had his work cut out for him. I think the project wound up being more involved that he originally planned, which in my opinion is a great dose of reality.

The second person I need to recognize is my cousin, Alex, who is now an Eagle Scout as well. Alex chose to repair a handrail/porch rail on an old building at his church. This, too, was an impressive project in its scope and turned out really well.

Congratulations to both Eagle Scouts. We are proud of you.

Joe