While our men were away...

Us wives could FEEL your prayers! 

Last week Friday, I hugged this studly husband of mine goodbye.  He and David (our coworker) were taking a trip into a tribe...kind of a "pre-survey" trip, you might call it.  Just to connect with the missionaries who are in there, and learn lots more about this tribe.  The tribe is big and there are multiple languages within it--so more missionaries are needed to go to those other languages!  

He is so handsome, isn't he? (lol, I can tell we've been apart for a few days...I MISS him!!!) 

A group pic before the guys took off 

Emily and I love our kids to pieces...but we knew that the next 6 days would feel LONG.  Thankful for your prayers and God's grace!  Also...these past few days have really helped me to think about single parents and pray for them more.  It is no small task for sure...thankful for a gracious God!

So, what have we been up to since our men have been gone?  Here are some snapshots of our past 6 days...

Friday:

Nathan and David left in the morning.  Emily and I returned to the base and got our GAME FACE on.  Time to tackle 6 days without our hubbies!

On Friday afternoon, I sent Kaine and Halle on a boat ride with about 20 other kids--and 2 adults (gulp.  I was praying they would be safe!)  Anyway, here is the truck, leaving with all those kids to get on the boat, go out to an island, explore, swim, etc.  Kaine and Halle had a BLAST.  And I was so happy to see them return safe and sound!

I had a tea party with Layla, Daisy and Calvin while the older kids were on the boat...Cuties :)

Saturday: 

I took my kids over to Emily's house (which is about 5 feet away from my front door)--for Saturday morning pancakes and cartoons!  Look at Em...she was flipping those pancakes like a pro!

Honestly, Saturday was kind of depressing.  It was a cloudy, dreary day with no rain or wind...just stagnant, humid, cloudy heat.  Actually, I don't even remember anything that we did that day!  Except I had a movie night with my kids that night...we made it special by putting butter on the popcorn :)  Trying to make traditions for when daddy goes on trips like this (because there will be more trips like this in the future!)

That night, I decided to bring the kids into my bedroom to sleep.  I thought that will be another fun tradition, something to help when daddy isn't home.  It's less scary at night, too, when all my kids are in the room with me!  A big slumber party :)  So I have had mattresses covering my bedroom floor for the past few days...I think it's worth it though!

Waking up beside these cuties is a joy!  But I can't wait to have their dad back ;)  

Sunday:

I walked up to the upper NTM base in the morning, to have a friend help me look in Kaine's ear with an otoscope (Kaine hasn't felt 100% these past few days).  While I was gone, my girls discovered a huge spider in our house!  They went running to Emily, but when she saw it, she told the girls to go and get Uncle Jason ;) So Jason came and saved the day...no more spider!

I did church with my kids...we watched some sermon clips and listened to some songs and talked about missions.  It's good to remind them (and remind myself)--just WHY we are here in PNG.  It's crazy that we could forget, but you know--we can just get into a routine and start focusing on small trivial things--and forget the vision.  It was actually a really amazing morning with my kids, just talking through that stuff!

Oh, plus God gave us a really sunny and beautiful day on Sunday--such an improvement from Saturday!  Thank you, Jesus!

Our good friends took us to the beach!  (Here in PNG, it isn't safe for me to go to town without Nathan...so we are kind of just stuck on the base while our husbands are gone.)  So, we were so thankful that Jay and Krista brought us to the beach along with their family!  Thanks guys!

All of us ladies in our polka dots ;)  

We found a shark head in the water! 

Monday:

The Fourth of July!!

Emily brought my girls and Louise fourth of July dresses from America...and I failed to get a picture :(  But just trust me that our girls looked ADORABLE!!  Thanks, Em!

We had a big wiffle ball game (so fun for Kaine!  He loves baseball and that's one sport they don't do to much here in PNG!)  I was bummed that Nathan wasn't here--he would have LOVED it!

They set up a massive slip n slide for the kids...it was amazing and the kids had such a blast!

Then we all ate a picnic...

At 7:00 that night, we tried to call our guys on the radio.  But sadly, all we could hear was static :(

Louise tried talking to her daddy...she is just adorable!  She says, "Daddy?  leave?  daddy?  leave?"  So sad :(

That night after we got home, I sent the kids up to shower, and Daisy came downstairs with bangs!  Lol!  I thought we were going to get through this stage of life, with no kids cutting their own hair!  But nope.  Daisy cut her hair on Monday night--but I will admit that she did a decent job!

Oh, also...our family was due for our deworming medication.  We will have to take it about every six months--yuck!  And yep, just like they told us--we found out that we need it now ;) We'll just leave it at that!  Kaine got creative and stuffed his into an apple slice (chewable meds are SO gross!!)

Tuesday:

Today!  The last day!!!

Daisy woke up early...and early morning technology isn't something we usually our kids do.  But man, by day six?  I told her, yep, go ahead ;) Mommy needs time with Jesus!

Calvin joined us for breakfast...

And Halle helped him to put an "X" on the countdown!  ONE DAY until daddy comes home!

Okay, I think that pretty much takes us up to the present...and here I am, blogging at 11 pm and cooking chic-hams and getting excited to see Nathan tomorrow!

Cannot wait to get these guys back!  And Emily and I are SO excited to hear all about their trip!