Off to Ohio

We are going to Ohio this week to stay in a cabin for a week and to go to Kings Island to meet Sponge Bob. Matthews family gets together for a week every year and we all have a great time just hanging out and watching the kids play. I picked the boys up today and I was so excited to get to see them and to bring them home. Five days was too long. I get excited about having a week to clean and to get things done but then when they are gone I am bored and lonely. Blake and Luke had a blast but Luke called me this morning crying. He was ready to come home and mom was ready to go and get him. Lets hope that the 6 hour trip goes by faster than I am expecting. Luke is NOT a good traveler. He does not zone into the DVD player like his brother. He would rather ask about 10000000 questions. I am sure I will have some funny stories to tell when we return. Blake will yell at Luke the whole way asking him repeatedly to hush and to quit talking to him and Luke will keep asking questions to drive Blake insane. Quite comical at times. but I am not so sure about 6 hours of it! :-) Pray that we have a safe and fun trip! More pics coming soon I promise.
Oh yeah- a quick story about a man I met in a homeless shelter that will make you appreciate life and what you have. As I have mentioned before, I LOVE spending the night at the homeless shelter at my church. We usually have all men and on a rare occasion we will have women. Well- as we are building this house and trying to get things done I feel so overwhelmed at times. As I sat there this winter and had a not so great cup of coffee but a great conversation with this man that just wanted someone to talk to I was struck with how materialistic this world has become. This man had such a sweet soul and we went over some mistakes that he had made in the past, mostly gambling and we spoke about his daughter and his ex-wife. He in the end lost everything. The churches only host these shelters in the winter and I asked him what his plans were for the spring and the summer. Well- here we are always wanting more and always wanting something that is bigger and better and here is this amazing man that has made some bad choices in life and now he is paying dearly and at the top of his to-do list is to save up enough money to buy a tent to live in by the river. He was not sad about living in a tent. He was absolutely excited about having a place to call his own. Most of the men that come and stay at the church are mentally ill and it is heartbreaking to see how little they are taken care of by our country. They have to sleep with their medicine under their paper thin pillows so it is not stolen. Schizophrenia is such a horrible disease and these guys need better health care. OK- I guess I got a little long winded. My point is- it is amazing to take a day out of the year to go and sit with these guys or girls and to learn a few life lessons. I am grateful for the things I have been taught by each and everyone of them.