Funny Boy

Dayton is our family clown.  I know this comes as a shock to most of you who thought I am the family clown.  Well, he tries hard.  I'll let you decide who wins that title.

As I mentioned before, we're holed up in guest housing at the CAM Center for a few weeks while we await a traveling partner for the border crossing.  Our apartment has one bedroom and the living room has a futon and enough floor space to lay down a foamy mat thing.  The boys are taking turns sleeping on these every other night.  (I think we should have done every other week to make it easier to remember!)

Last night, Dayton was on the futon and he was stalling for time even though it was late already.  "Give me a hug!" he begged me several times.  I finally got around to giving him a manly bear hug and as I started to get up he grabbed me and said, "Don't get up...give me a hug!"  So, I did the obvious thing.  I simply squashed him along with lots of "blankies" and a sheet and a pillow somewhere all jumbled in a mass of fluffy giggles. 

At that moment his right arm shot out pointing toward his brother on the floor, and from below me came a muffled, giggly voice, "HUG HIM!  HUG HIM!"

GWnsYM - the adventure's conclusion (as the journey continues)

It has been a great ride and a great adventure.  We've enjoyed some wonderful visits with friends and family, ministry partners in Texas, Colorado, Washington and California.

We've viewed some of the great wonders of the West: Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains, Great White Sands, Garden of the gods, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado Monument, Great Salt Lake & Antelope Island, Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Ranier, Mt. Hood, Mt. Wilson, Multnomah Falls, Oregon Pacific coastline, Redwoods, Yosemite & Sequoias, Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest & Indian Painted Hills, and El Malpais & La Venta National Arch and many incredible scenes in between.  Most of these were just quick visits of an hour or two, a few were for a day or two, all of them combined gave our family a lifetime of memories.

It was quite a long trip but an invaluable investment into the fabric of our family and ministry.  We thank-you for traveling along with us and enjoying the many sights and experiences through these posts.  We have been truly blessed.

The adventure out West has concluded.  We are in Dallas, Texas.  Yet, the journey has not ended.  We're ready to renew the adventure in Mexico.

And yet serving the Lord knows no political boundaries and no time on or off the clock.  In unpredictably typical fashion, our plans to return to Mexico are not lining up with the Lord's determination of our steps.  The security situation around the northern Mexico border regions continue to deteriorate.  Just over a day from arriving back in Dallas, we received word that CAM missionaries are not allowed to travel without first forming a caravan of vehicles.  This is believed to be a positive factor in reducing the security risk to our families and property.  Unfortunately, we will have to wait for some co-workers to accompany us and vice-versa in early November.  We'll be spending one whole month more in the USA awaiting this opportunity to return home.

Knowing that the decision is out of our hands, we trust that this situation is entirely of the Lord's own making.  As we pray and consider what to do and where to stay during the next month, we hope you'll join us in prayer for wisdom and clear decision-making.  We already have a tentative plan in the making, but we desire to spend the next few days in prayer to be sure that our plans are measuring up to the Lord's plans for us.

Thanks for praying and we'll keep you posted as to the details when we come to some solid decisions.

Amen.

GEnsYM - Heading EAST

(BTW...yes, we are going EAST...so why not "Go EAST (not so) Young Man"?)

GWnsYM - THE GRAND CANYON (the whole earth is full of HIS glory)

GWnsYM - THE GRAND CANYON (the family pics)

Cameron actually thoroughly enjoyed the visit to the Grand Canyon, but ever since his Aunt Krissy commented on the blog that he looks the same bored kid in every photo, maybe we only brought a cardboard poster cut-out of him on this trip!  So today we were coaxing him to look bored and then he couldn't do it.  He giggled and smiled every time.  After walking over a mile he finally was tired enough to give us the "bored look."

Overheard at one overlook:

Dayton: CAMERON!  STOP PUSHING ME!

Standing on the edge of a precipitous cliff view is not the place where a parent wants to hear those words!  :-)

Thanks to an anonymous gent from Australia for taking the family photo for us.  He took a few before he got this one.  Thanks mate...whoever you are!