Adventures in Being

We hope your special day was a wonderful day!
We love you!

Only a few moments from home, guess what crossed the road in front of us...



Enjoying the scenery on one of our recent road trips.




We had so much fun walking in the little streams and playing with the moss and pebbles.



Welcome to Gatlinburg!



Gatlinburg is full of little shops and Outlet Malls-we had a great time!

We had a great time at the Festival! There were arts and crafts, music and storytelling, big inflatable toys and lots of dancing water!

Happy 4th of July!

We spent the evening at home grilling, playing games and playing in the water.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Hutchison!

Checking out the land and enjoying the tractors!


These huge tractors are amazing!

(Don't start reading this one until you've got more than 3 or 4 minutes to just "scan" over it. It deserves some time for reflection.)

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped outside his closed door to listen.

"Are you there, God?" he said. "Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed."

I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor. I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.

He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will.

He will probably always beli eve that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different.

Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.

The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.

He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.

And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays!&nb sp; That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. "That one's goin' to Chi-car-go!" Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.

And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn't know what it means to be discontent. His life is simple. He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats.

His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. ; But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax. He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an "educated" person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am.

My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances -- they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his
bed. Kevin won't be surprised at all!

Watermelon Pop Stars

Ingredients:
Watermelon
Popsicle sticks
Star-shaped cookie cutter

1. Use a cookie cutter to cut juicy star shapes from 1-inch-thick slices of seedless watermelon.

2. Insert a Popsicle stick into each star, then set the pops on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

3. Cover the stars with another sheet of foil and freeze for 1 hour or until firm.


*Taken from a Family Fun Magazine. And truly lots of fun!! :-D

2 bags (3-ounce) Ramen Noodle Soup (your flavor)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Shred fresh med size head of broccoli
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
small cherry tomatoes
1 med cucumber cubed
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Dressing Mix:
3/4 c canola oil
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 ramen noodle seasoning packet

Crush ramen noodles
Put noodles and slivered almonds in skillet and saute
Mix dressing and set aside
Place broccoli, cucumber, and cherry tomatoes into bowl and toss with the noodles, almonds, and sunflower seeds.
Pour dressing over salad
Garnish with chopped green onions. (and raisins!)

Ingredients

1 lb. large shrimp
2 medium garlic cloves, sliced thinly or crushed
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Spices I use

dried oregano
paprika
cayenne
ground onion
ground garlic
turmeric
cumin

~~~~~~

-Blend black pepper and olive oil. Toss shrimp with seasoned oil. Set aside-5 min.
-Place sliced garlic and seasoned shrimp in skillet on medium heat. Turn semi often so the shrimp gets brown about 2 min, then turn the heat to low and finish cooking.
-Add lemon juice and parsley and take to the table.
-French bread soaks up the juices really well and is DELICIOUS!!

*Salad or organic pasta are great compliments to the shrimp.

July 1942: United We Stand
http://americanhistory.si.edu/1942/index.html

"In July, 1942, seven months after the Untied States entered World War II, magazines nationwide displayed the American flag on their covers." The Smithsonian has posted this exhibition to mark the now sixty-fifth anniversary of the United We Stand campaign. The visitor will be able to browse through early 1940's magazine covers and the commentary about them. As the introduction explains, "Today, in light of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the flag and the slogan United We Stand have a renewed meaning for many Americans. As the home of the Star-Spangled Banner, the National Museum of American History is a place to explore the history of our national symbol and the ideals for which it stands," as well as be your cyber-destination to celebrate this Independence Day. July 1942 elegantly explains and illustrates the early campaign championed by the American press. Here's an opportunity to step back in time to see how history repeats itself and in the process discover the historical import behind the slogan. If you're not interested in browsing the presentation, there is also a search page for the 300+ magazine covers in the collection. Happy 231st Birthday, America!

GRILLED VEGGIE SKEWERS

Prepare skewers of your favorite summer vegetables arranging them in a colorful order for visual appeal. Here are some vegetable suggestions: Red, yellow, and green bell peppers, zucchini squashes, yellow crookneck squashes, patty pan squashes, red and white onion wedges, button mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, eggplant cubes, bite-size chunks of sweet potatoes, bite-size chunks of butternut or kabocha squash.

Brush your skewers with your favorite well-seasoned oil and vinegar dressing, a prepared marinade, or your own homemade marinade. Turn skewers frequently, and cook about 10 to 12 minutes total.