Zazy Boy, Crazy Week, and Lazy Days Ahead

The last 3 days have felt like 2 weeks.  We have had a sickness that has been passed around.  It started with the boys a week and a half ago.  It has been a pretty easy sickness, scratchy throat, low-grade fever, lasts 2-3 days.  It started up in me and  Abby over the weekend and by Monday, all 3 girls were staying home from school.  Mine was really easy.  Maybe that was because I am taking the Apple Cider Vinegar Elixir every day.  Coincidence?  Maybe, maybe not.    The girls haven't gone to school yet this week.  That has made some things easier, less driving, and some things harder, canceling plans I have, taking care of sick ones for 3 days.  

Monday was a special day.  It was Isaiah's first spiritual bday!  We celebrated that night with a little party for our Crazy Zazy Boy.

Africa napkins from Mrs. Sue to make our dinner festive!

Isaiah wanted to have spaghetti for his meal

We spent some time talking about when Isaiah asked Jesus into his heart.  Here is the story.  Isaiah is the first of our children that I have gotten to pray with when they trust Jesus.  That is pretty special to me.  We also shared with him that we see the spiritual gifts of leadership and service in him and that we believe that his ability to communicate with anybody will give him many opportunities to share the good news of Jesus.  With his loud, booming voice, he could preach anywhere and never need a sound system!!  He is a very passionate little boy.  We just have to continually direct those passions towards the things of God.

We got him a marker board to put verses on that he is learning and so he can draw pictures for God

At one point during the conversation, we were talking about Hell.  He said, "Hell is where the buildings are on fire and there are no fire trucks to put it out."  I thought that was a very interesting perspective.  This boy has some insight that sometimes really amazes me.

We had our traditional ice cream sundaes for dessert

We got everyone to bed and Rick and I settled in to watch some TV.  Everything was finally calm.  I don't know about you, but I look forward to that time every day.  Well, we had no idea what was about to happen.  At about 9:00, Lauren and Abby came running down the stairs screaming, "The neighbors' house is on fire, the neighbors' house is on fire."  We immediately ran outside.  There were huge flames shooting out of the roof of the house across the street from us.  Rick rushed to tell the neighbors to get out.  The fire trucks arrived within minutes.  The next 3 hours were a flurry of emotions, activity, and drama.  It really could have been a much more horrific outcome.  No one was hurt.  The fire was contained to the garage and master bedroom of the house.  The conditions of the evening and the work of the firefighters really made it the best situation it could have been.  Our front yard became the gathering point for the families who were evacuated from their homes, the onlookers of the neighborhood and the camera crews that showed up.  We were handing out blankets and water bottles and setting up camping chairs.  

Finally, at midnight things settled down.  The firefighters were just making sure there were no more hot spots and preparing to begin their investigation of the cause.  There were at least 4 trucks on our street all night with their lights flashing.  Have you ever tried to go to sleep after something so traumatic?  It is not easy.  We had to make barriers over the windows in the kids rooms to keep the flashing lights from keeping them awake.  Abby was really shaken up and ended up sleeping in our bed.  The biggest blessing of the whole thing was the Sam, Isaiah, and Laila slept through the whole thing.  I am so thankful they did not see that house on fire.

I spent a good part of the day on Tuesday interacting with the family and going in with them once they were given the okay to get some of their irreplaceable things.  I have never been in a home after a fire before.  It was sad.  The last 3 days have felt like 2 weeks.  

That brings me to the "Lazy Days Ahead."  Another reason I have been so busy this week is that on Saturday, I am leaving for Hawaii.  I know, right!?!?!  My amazing husband is blessing me with a trip to join 3 other friends who are also adoptive moms of children from Africa.  For almost a week, I get to look at this:

It is only a couple of days away now.  I am frantically marking things off my list that have to be done.  I have been arranging schedules, cooking food for while I am gone, shopping for groceries and household items that will be needed, doing laundry, and preparing to pack.   Have I mentioned that the last 3 days really have felt like 2 weeks?

I am so excited spend the next week in paradise.  I look forward to sharing my adventures with you!!