Weekend

We had a really good weekend.

On Friday Benay and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary of the night we got engaged.  I can still remember calling her dad and asking his permission.  The drugs I put in his food must have worked because he said yes.

I was in my last year of college at the time and Benay had already graduated and was working in another city in another state.  We only saw each other on the weekends.  We met that weekend at my parents' house which was kind of in between where she and I lived.

We got there on a Friday (the 12th).  I think my intention was to try to wait until Valentine's Day to ask her but that ring was burning a hole in my pocket.  I knew I couldn't wait once I saw her.

We got there and that night I asked her if she wanted to take a walk with me.  We walked down the street (Okay not that romantic. Like I said before, the ring was on fire.).  It was cold and snowy.  I asked her and she said yes.  Still unbelievable. I put the same drugs in her food as I did her dad.

After we got home, and they found out she said yes, my mom pulled out a "congratulations" cake.  The kids asked me the other day what my mom would have done with the cake if Benay said no.  Good question.  Cake for dessert for a few days.

I guess I was walking by faith then more than I realized.  That someone as good as Benay would actually consider marrying me and who I was then.  Wow.  God is good.

I am a much better man because of my wife.

People who knew me in college still laugh when they think of me as being a missionary.  It just doesn't fit who I was in college.  I'm sure there are people that are also still shaking their heads in wonder that Benay said yes to me.  I'm so glad she did.

On Saturday we asked some of our very good friends (Freitas, Auristela and Maurício) to get out of town with us for the afternoon.  They own a hardware store in our neighborhood and rarely get the chance to get out of town and leave their work behind.

They closed their store around 12:00 on Saturday.  We loaded up old Blue (our 13 year old school bus) and headed off to a place about an hour and a half outside the city.  It's really good to get out of the city and the noise and the heat and the traffic every now and then.

The place we went is an amazing escape from all of that.

It has waterfalls.  One that is 16 feet high:

And one that is about 8 feet high.  Anderson said he was going to go off this one this year and he did.  He actually went off twice.  Hard to believe that a year ago he was scared to get his face wet.  Now look at him.

This place also has a little creek that runs through the entire camp and provides the water for all the falls.

At the top of the creek it gives the little kids a chance to go down a natural water slide.  It's not fast or dangerous but the kids love it.

The creek is also a great place to just hang out and talk.  Which we did.  Some other people from our church family also went with us (João,Clarice and their son).  It's always good to fellowship together.

We had a lot of fun.

Yesterday we had our house church.  Almost everyone is out of town because of the Carnaval (we've explained it before but if you don't know what it is then think Mardi Gras on massive steroids) holiday.  Most people went to the beach.  Freitas and his family were the only ones who were a part of house church.  We were very happy they were here.  They are a blessing to our family in many ways. We had a very laid back worship time together.

When it was time for them to leave, Giovanni wanted to go with them.  Freitas made the mistake of inviting Giovanni in his car.  He didn't want to get out.

Just say the words "boom-boom" (car) and Giovanni is walking towards the car.

Last night Ansley made milk shakes for everyone to celebrate Valentine's Day.  Anderson came in, as he was sucking his down, and said, "Oh boy this milk shake is out of a world!"

Later Benay and I made the kids shut their eyes and stick out their hands.

We then gave them all some little candy for Valentine's Day.

I was the deliverer.  While the chocolate deliverer was being attacked with hugs of happiness.....

.......a certain one year old was in deep thought as he thought of ways to open up his M&M's.

Like I said at the beginning, we had a really good weekend.