Happy Fourth!

Hope your day has been filled with much celebrating and joy.  Wish we could share a BBQ sandwich with you all!

Adventure is Out There!

I read this post last week about Fenton's Creamery in Oakland.  I sent it to Jason and mentioned adding it to our must do list.  I mean ice cream, diner food and Disney; what more could the McCays need?

Jason realized that we could all use those things sooner rather than later so we headed out Saturday evening.

We drove through San Francisco (not totally worth the traffic) so the boys (and me!) got to go over the Bay Bridge for the first time. That was exciting with a tunnel, big boats and the biggest cranes ever in the port on the other side.

The place was hopping being a Saturday night and all, but we were buzzed for a table before we found a parking space so it worked out well.

The food was good.  They have chicken fingers (a rarity in this area)! So we loaded up on our greasy diner foods, but saved room for the highlight of the meal - the ice cream.



Lest you worry that you won't get enough hot fudge.


Colin approves.

And Eli ordered a milkshake, so Colin could carry the title of messiest child all by himself.


MongoHQ, the hottest thing in the Silicon Valley, eats at Fenton's. You should, too.

Cars 2

So, we went to the movies. Cars 2, Colin's first visit to the real live movie theater.

Quick review: 

1.  The movie was good, but a bit too complex of a story line for the under five set.  The boys did great watching it, but could not really tell us what the movie was about at the end.  

2.  We are now the size family that needs a refill on the large popcorn!  I didn't know people actually got refills.  I thought that was just a marketing thing. Not so, but popcorn for lunch is just fine every now and again!

God Breathed Life

*

It is hard to find the new place between the grief and the life we are called to live.

The Lord is teaching me about numbering my days.  Oh, how I long for heaven and the end to the sin and suffering of this world more than ever before.

Psalm 90:12 "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."

Ann Voskamp says it much better than I can.  Go visit her blessed words, and it will bless you.

Our time here is brief and our time with our children is but a small fraction of that vapor.  So while grieving our Riley, we are taking the time to intentionally love Walker, Eli and Colin and make our time with them count.

I will be thankful for the grief we are walking through and I will be thankful for joy we are being given and believe that they can exist together.

*The days are filled with moments of joy to be pushing my sweet boy in a swing and being keenly aware of the empty swing next to him.

June 20, 2011

Last Monday night, our precious fourth child was born straight to heaven.

This is easily the hardest, most humbling, most God-revealing experience I have ever had.

Our baby was exactly 12 weeks.  We do not know if we had a boy or a girl, so we have named him or her Riley.

The Lord has comforted us in miraculous ways.  He has used the body of Christ, both near and far, to care for us in amazing ways.

We are praising God for the blessings he has poured out on us even in our extreme grief.

Lamentations 3:22-24
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
   his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
"The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
    "therefore I will hope in him."

Thank you to so many of you have been praying and will continue. This means so much.

Backyard Swimming

Last week it got warm enough in the mild Bay Area climate to blow up the backyard pool and let the kids splash around.

Now, if it is warm enough to swim, then it is too warm to be in the not air-conditioned house. I'm not complaining, just saying the hours between 2 and 6 can get pretty uncomfortable inside.

Of course, it wasn't warm enough to actually warm the pool water enough (even though it had sat in the sun all day), but the kids didn't seem to mind.  They just kept swimming, blue lips, chill bumps and all.

The three older boys dove right in and laughed, squealed and splashed around immediately.

Colin was a little more timid. So, I thought I would give him a little help and put him in the pool.

Wrong idea.

After a little time, he put himself in the pool and had a great time.  It just needed to be his idea.

In fact he was the last one out. All the other kids had given into the need to be wrapped up in a warm towel and this kid just kept going. Eventually we lured him out with dinner.

Ava Grace maintained her distance. Wise girl.

And look, ruffles!

Of course, the next day it was too cold and windy to swim again, but that didn't stop the kids from asking 500 times to get in the pool.

We are supposed to hit 88 degrees this week, so I think we will get another shot.

Because it sure is fun.

{Pool provided by Uncle Matt and Aunt Ally, good call folks}

I'm Surrounded

Mommy's bed was the place to be for rest time today.

To my right.

To my left.

(he doesn't sleep, but the stillness is important) 

Oh, these fleeting moments.  One day they will not find there peace and calm beside me. Today I was given a gift.