~Our long lost camera...and LOVIN' being in AZ!~

~When we got to AZ we got a package containing our long-lost camera that our friend Anthony found and mailed to us.
The picture below was the last picture on our camera.  Goofy Anthony took this picture of his "surprised happy face" after finding our camera and learning that after it had skidded across the pavement, and had sat in the rain....it still worked!!!  =) =) =)
THANKS TONS Anthony for getting our beloved camera back to us.~

~I just got this sign at a consignment shop.  It's so true....
~Too Blessed to be Stressed!~
We are so Blessed, that we shouldn't ever be stressed.  I wish I could say that I'm never stressed, but that wouldn't be telling the whole truth.  =)
I do want Jesus to help me focus on and count my blessings more.

~Between visiting with Dad and Mom and our AZ friends, we also have been doing things to try to help Dad and Mom around the house, and other items of business while here in AZ.
Last week we renewed 4 of our kid's passports, and got our trailer to haul our things back to Ohio. 
Our little Mary eating breakfast at Grandpa and Grandma's house.~

~Grandpa and Mary.  It took a little time for Mary to warm up to Grandpa and Grandma since she was a TINY baby last time she saw them, and obviously didn't remember them.  But, she's huggin' and loving them now. =) ~

~There's this cactus outside their house that only gets blooms once a year and then that blossom only opens ONE NIGHT and then falls off.~

~Here's the blossom.~

~Kimberly asked Grandpa if he could PLEASE take her driving in his van.  She was thrilled that he said, "YES!"  (Of course, Kimberly is Grandpa's FIRST Grandchild...so she pretty much has him wrapped around her finger. =) ~

~"Our men" sitting in the swing in the back yard.  Grandpa has made their back yard look like a fun resort.  It's a green little haven in the midst of the desert.  It's so relaxing and fun to be back there.~

~Mary on the fun horsey that Grandpa put in for his grandkids.
Mary got new flip flops and she LOVES THEM.  She calls them her "Flops!"~

~Then we ran to the mall to see my friend Julianna and her family.
Mary got to play with a new friend!  She normally is shy when meeting people, but this time, she shocked me by throwing her arm around her new friend's shoulder.  =) ~

~Kimberly holding Bryan and Julianna's cute little Elliot.~

~Mary and Grayson~

~I was HAPPY that it worked out for me to get with my dear friend Julianna, and her family!~

~We have enjoyed making fun cups of coffee and using Grandma's fancy cups.~

~Mary even asked for her own cup of coffee. =) ~

~Silly Elijah and Mary.~

~Phillip and the kids helped Grandpa pull down a tree using Grandpa's truck.~

~And the kids (E and M are in their swim clothes...Mary cracked me up with her boots on too =) helped clean up from the tree mess by picking up sticks and sweeping...which Mary calls "weeping."~

~And our kids have been "suffering" in this AZ heat....by SWIMMING non-stop in Grandpa and Grandma's pool!!  =) ~

~Grandpa LOVES his Mary and Mary LOVES her Grandpa.~

~We went to Yummy Sweet Tomatoes restaurant together last Friday night.~

~Elijah waiting to eat his tall ice cream/baby cone.~

~Sarah and I coordinated so we had to take a picture before we left Sweet Tomatoes.~

~Here we are having family devotions.~

~Kimberly helping Grandpa make Saturday morning breakfast.~

~Grandpa is sending the rocky horse back to Ohio, so here the guys are trying to get the concrete off the bottom of the horse so we can pack it in our trailer.
Both Noah and Elijah wanted to take a turn using the sledge hammer.~

~Then we went through all our boxes and things we left with Dad and Mom back in 2004 when Jesus called us to be missionaries.  It was fun seeing our things again.~

~Noah helping Phillip load our trailer with our things.  Phillip teasingly said that we "bought the cart before the horse"...since we now own a trailer, but no vehicle. =)  Thankfully our DEAR church let us borrow their van so we could pull a trailer back from AZ to OH with our things.~

~Mary and Sarah on Sunday.~

~Fixin' to eat Skyline chili for Sunday dinner!~

~Dad and Mom are HAPPY that one of the grocery stores here in AZ has started selling cans of Skyline chili. (That grocery store is connected to Kroger.) ~

~Dear Pastor and Mrs. Goodwin, pastor of our Gospel Center Church.~

~On Sunday Phillip went to David Spivey's church to fill in for him while he was gone to camp.
On Sunday morning 4 of our children and I went with Phillip to David Spivey's church.  But Kimberly went to our Gospel Center with Grandpa to play the piano for their service.
Then Sunday night our kids and I went back to Gospel Center with Dad, and Phillip went and preached alone.   I hated to send him alone, but I didn't want to miss anymore services at our own church, and Phillip understood.
Here are some of our children sitting with Grandpa during church Sunday night.~

~Camelback mountain in Phoenix.  We love all the rugged mountains surrounding this fun city where we spent 5 wonderful years.~

  We have one more week to be in AZ and with Dad and Mom.   We have LOTS to get done during this week.  We're are also trying to E.N.J.O.Y. all of these special moments we are having with Dad and Mom!