Oh summer…you are our FAVORITE! We love the opportunity to celebrate a great school year full of learning and growing for all of us…not just the kids. Our family has loved this season of life. Clint and I talk every day about how much fun it is to watch our kids grow and try new things. We kicked off the first weekend of June by going to Six Flags all day on Saturday (my family almost passed out when I suggested it…but it was pretty fun) and then headed to the Braves game after church on Sunday thanks to the generosity of sweet friends who shared great tickets with us! We were wiped after a weekend completely outside…but in the best possible way!
The following weekend Emma and I helped our friends out by working a Triathlon at Lake Lanier. We had the best time and are totally hooked now! It is a great way for Emma to earn some spending money and the weekend is full of laughs and meeting great people! While we were gone, Clint and Eli went up to spend some time with Clint’s family in Summerville. They had a great time too!
The next weekend was Father’s Day and we love celebrating Clint in a big way! We took him out to dinner at his very favorite restaurant…Nuevo Laredo Cantina…and then headed to the Fox to see the Third Day Farewell Tour. We were excited to see Third Day and loved getting to hear Matt Maher live as he opened for them. Emma and I left early the next morning with several friends for a week in Haiti. This was Emma’s second time in Haiti and my sixth. And…we are already counting down the days until we can go back! Our time in Haiti was spent renewing old friendships, building new ones, seeing our friend Leslie’s Haitian home, helping out in the schools, and most importantly…sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. There really are no words to adequately express the way that the Lord has used our time in Haiti to point us to more of who Jesus is…and who the Lord desires for us to be. These moments with my girl are PRECIOUS!
We came home from Haiti on June 24th and had two days at home before heading out again. We spent the time doing laundry, resting, and catching up with friends. On the 26th, the Strange Four loaded up and flew to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We recognize that it is an absolute gift to be able to travel the way that we do. Our family has chosen to forgo traditional gifts in favor of sharing experiences. That means that our kids have visited several countries….something that we treasure as we believe it helps them develop a heart for others by learning about a variety of cultures. We also learn a lot about each other by sharing close quarters for a week! #GraceUponGrace
Our time in Jamaica was lots of fun. Most days it was food, pool, beach, food, pool, beach, repeat. Clint got in several dives to continue his SCUBA training. Emma and Eli had the best time swimming and playing with new friends they met at the resort. We also tried lots of new food. We stayed at the Riu Ocho Rios and the resort was beautiful, however, the staff was far and away the best part of our experience. Everyone was so kind and helpful. They went out of their way to be sweet to our kids and really helped us all have a lot of fun. As our kids add stamps to their passports, we love watching them grow in their independence and enthusiasm for exploring new places. We returned from our week away refreshed and happy to be home after exploring a new place together.
June was lots of fun…it always goes too fast, but we are so grateful for these special adventures together!
