North Carolina

We are nearing the end of our journey across the US.  We just finished up a week at a KOA campground in New Bern, NC visiting with Eric's family.  We have 2 more days in North Carolina in which we will finalize all our packing.  On Wednesday we will drive to DC, drop off our luggage at the airport, visit with the former missionary family that we are replacing, then drive back to the airport to leave.  We will have a red-eye flight to London, a day in London, and another red-eye flight to Uganda.

We managed to get ALL of Eric's family to the KOA for a week long reunion.  What a blessing to have a week of fellowship with your family when everyone loves the Lord and seeking him "not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction." (I Thess. 1:5) 

Here are some things we did:

The little boys pushed their little siblings around...

William and Talitha with Edward and Abigail

 Got lots of lovin' from daddies, mommas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins...

Jeremy and Abigail

Ate...and ate...and ate...

Elizabeth and Joel

Played with Auntie Liss (Eric's youngest sister/world's greatest aunt for 11 years and running)

Elyssa and Rebecca

Snitched blueberries

Abigail

Had stroller to stroller visits...

Katherine and Talitha

Had Tessa, our missionary associate join us...

Tessa, Joshua, Moriah, and Daniel

Had a stomach flop when I glanced at my boy who, for a moment, looked more like a teenager and less like a boy...

Timothy

And did the Virginia Reel

Daniel and Rebecca

Lots of fun...

And hard work when there is a *slight* difference in size. :)

Lots of playing...

Jimmy and Edward

And did I mention eating?

Benaiah and Abigail

And discovered that little girls can get reeeeally messy...(yes...this is Hannah again...the one from the mud puddle incident...)

Messy Hannah

And still clean up quite nicely. :)

Pretty Hannah

The Twins...

Here are my nephews...

Judah and Micah...

yea... I can't really tell them apart either...

But their mommy can...

so she helped me out...

and

soooo cute...

especially when they fixate on the same item that they both very much want to grab and put in their mouth...

I'm in awe at how my sister-in-law takes all their twin busy-ness in stride...such grace. :)  They are number 5 and 6 in her family and her oldest is only 9.  She pours out God's love to her on her family and it is a blessing to watch.

And of course, I have to get my fill of baby holding too. :)

Tuininga Family Picture, 2012

The Tuininga clan...

Dad and Mom (Cal and Ellen)

Eric and I...with our 8

Janine and Jeremy...Moriah, Arianna, Edward, Abigail and little one due Dec. 1

Carla and Mark...Joshua, Josiah, Daniel, Hannah, and twins...Judah and Micah (pictures coming :)

Matt and Elizabeth...Joel and Kathrine

and

Elyssa (age 16)

20 grandchildren and one on the way...

Timothy (age 11) is the oldest...

Benaiah and Hannah

Benaiah and cousin Hannah were born just a few hours apart.  It just took one day and a mud puddle to become best friends.

I just love his expression on these ones...

Sweet Sleep

We are in North Carolina now...camping out in a KOA cabin for the week with Eric's family.

Enjoying good food, fellowship

and some very.sweet.sleep...

Benaiah's Boat

Little Benaiah, spent quite a bit of time

with this boat

pushing it up and down the beach

 never daring to climb into the boat.

 I wonder what adventures

would have been his, if he had taken courage and stepped into the boat

nestled in the loving arms of his father who had the power to move it through deep waters...

perhaps there would have been trials...perhaps he would have been in over his head...

 But perhaps all of that would have led to greater things...greater joy...

Perhaps I need to spend less time on the beach and more time trusting the strength of my heavenly father...

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

William on the Slide...