Weekend Getaway!

At the end of September we had us a little weekend getaway.  Steve still spoke in a church that Sunday morning.  We went on Friday and just had some good down time.  It was also on the way to our State Side Conference, so it made that trip shorter or I should say it broke up that trip.

We stayed in a lovely house on a lake called the Broom Tree.  If you look closely, there is a Bible reference on the stone.  1 Kings 19:1-9.  It talks about Elijah running for his life.  He comes to a broom tree and sits under it all night and prays.  An angel comes with food for him to eat to give him strength.  This house is a place to get away from the rat race, a quite place to meditate on God’s word, to grow in God and to gain strength.  Also look closely in the windows, the main part of the house is unfinished!  When we arrived I was wondering for a few minutes where on earth we were staying!

On the other hand the walk out basement is a wonderfully finished cabin.  We fell in love.  Lane now wants a house at a lake when he grows up!

I, Rita, fell in love with the thick green grass.  I miss that when in Zambia.  It was too cold or I would have been going barefoot in it.

Beautiful view of Lake Gaston, with dock and boat house.

Since it was the end of September, I didn’t pack swim suits.  Silly Mamma!  It was chilly, but the kids went swimming anyways.  They couldn’t resist the diving board.

On Sunday I convinced them it was too cold to swim.  They took advantage of this little kayak.

Plenty of places to hang your towels.

 

The place had a Wii and we don’t, so you know what our kids were doing a lot of.  Also, movies on the shelf we hadn’t seen yet.  Steve fell in love with the couch.

Double bunks!  This room sleeps 10 people!!!

We hauled out the fire pit and made smores! 

I wish we could have enjoyed the deck more, but the cool weather and rain kept us mostly inside.

I think this one sums it all up for us!

Lane turns 13!

On October 1st, Lane had a birthday.  We were going to be in Richmond at that time, so we celebrated his birthday early.

One problem we had, no matches.  After living in Africa, you would think we would have candles, matches, and flashlights.  But we didn’t!?!?  So we had cake with no flames.

Now we have three teenagers in the house!

Fun with the Schwarz Cousins!

 

This is a picture of some of the Schwarz clan!  Steve’s Uncle Bill lives in Ellijay, GA.  He and his wife had three daughters.  They are married and have children.  A few of those children are boys that are Lane’s age.  So lots of fun was had while there. 

Steve’s brother and wife came up for one evening to visit with us.

Koby (with the red shirt in front) killed a copperhead snake with a gun.  Tobias had fun skinning it.  The copperhead had a frog by the leg swimming in the little swim hole out back.  The frog was trying to get away and pulling the snake with him.  But he soon tired out and the snake won.  In the end though the snake lost!

Not sure what is so funny.

Playing Badminton

 

 

Swimming

I have always wanted my kids to learn how to swim.  I just think it is something every child should learn to do.  While we were at Seminary, Tobias and Heather took one week of swimming lessons and learned how to swim. 

The summer of 2008 we lived in a neighborhood that had a pool.  So almost every morning at 9:00 we walked up to the pool to swim.  I was a mean mommy or so my kids thought.  I made Tobias and Heather swim laps before they could play in the pool.  This was to strengthen their muscles and make them better swimmers.  By the end of the summer Lane and Seth finally were putting their heads under the water! 

For the last three years in Zambia we have had limited opportunities to swim.  They swim in the lake at Isanga Bay, but we have only been there maybe three times.  At our annual mission meeting they have a big pool.  The kids almost spend that whole week in the pool.  Lane and Seth this last time were showing me what they could do.  They were swimming!  But I wouldn’t let them in the deep end yet.  There were just barely swimming.

We came home this July for furlough.  The first three weeks the kids walked up to my cousins house and swam in their pool which was an above ground pool that was only three feet deep, maybe four.  They were practicing their skills!

Then we went to South Carolina and went swimming at a friends house.  They have an in ground pool.  Lane and Seth both informed me that they were going to jump off of the diving board.  And they did!! And they didn’t drowned!  And I didn’t have to jump in and save them.  I am so proud of my kids.

 

Our Green Back Yard!

We normally don’t see this much green in Zambia.  This is our back yard in Moore, South Carolina.  There are vines growing in the trees and a branch broke off of one of the trees.  Tobias is using his knife to cut the vines and get them out of the yard before the guy with the mower comes.