A big milestone

Goodbye long, lazy days at the pool.
Hello KINDERGARTEN!!
Seriously, is my baby really in kindergarten? I know, it's just kindergarten and he's only gone for a little over 3 hours, but it still feels like a BIG milestone. I'm certain that Levi was excited and more than happy to be going off to school - I'm very thankful that he didn't have any tears or hesitation. He woke up happy and ready to go!
The entire family walked him to his classroom with camera in hand. Here he is in the parking lot...
And in front of the school...
With his brothers...
In his classroom...
And with his new teacher...
Ok, enough already. Put the camera away!

I'm not quite sure how I'm feeling this morning. I have definitely shed some tears. I feel like my little guy is growing up way too fast! But I'm also grateful that he is growing up, and I'm so proud of who he is. I know Levi is going to love kindergarten, and I can't wait to see how he grows this year. This is also such a good reminder that these boys don't belong to me. I have to give them to the Lord daily, and I need to do a lot of praying!

And with these 2 little guys at home, I'm certain that the 3 hours are going to fly by!

A beautiful tomorrow

We could all use some encouragement every now and then, don't you think?! And sometimes the overused and well-intended words, "everything happens for a reason" and "this too shall pass" just aren't enough. We need something that really penetrates the heart, something that offers true hope. Something that reminds us that there will be a better tomorrow in the midst of a world filled with such pain.

God has been hitting me over the head with such hope. Don't you love it when He reveals something to you over and over again, popping up everywhere you turn?! Maybe I'm a little slow or maybe He just wants to reiterate his point so that I will stop to contemplate it. To allow it to move from my head to my heart.

It all started with a summer Bible study on the book of Esther, the account of an orphaned Jewish girl raised by her cousin in a Persian land. Every detail of her life...every hardship, every uncanny circumstance...came together to reveal a destiny far bigger than one could ever dream up. It's a beautiful story of the redemption of God's people in the most unexpected way.

During this time I was introduced to the music of Laura Story. If you haven't heard her music before, put it on your to-do list. As Laura sang "Make Something Beautiful" in our church sanctuary I was overwhelmed with the truth of each word.

All I know to do is lift my hands to you
Take all of my life, all of my life
And make something beautiful
I open my hands, trusting your plan
To make something beautiful
So all will see your work in me
As you make something beautiful

"He has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecclesiastes 3:11

A God who uses everything in our lives, EVERYTHING, to bring about beauty...that is true hope, isn't it?! That every hardship, disappointment, suffering, broken dream and tragedy will be redeemed in His time. That "He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:6)

Many of our questions and doubts will remain unanswered during this life. But we are reminded that God's plan is bigger than our lifetime. There is a promise of a new creation, of a day when Jesus Christ will return and make all things new and all things beautiful. Come, Jesus, come.

Lord Jesus, your Word is filled with truth and hope. Real hope. Not just hope in a better tomorrow but hope in a beautiful tomorrow. Help me teach this to my boys as we live life together - that you are a God who brings beauty from ashes. Lord, teach me to submit to your plan and to trust in your good, pleasing and perfect will. You are sovereign and you are good. And keep me from missing the beauty you bring everyday. Complete the good work that you have begun in my life and make something beautiful.

Bay Lake 2009

We've been home a week, and I just decided tonight that if I don't sit down and sum up our trip I'll probably never do it. So because I'm exhausted and ready for bed, I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking. I certainly have a ton of pictures so that shouldn't be too difficult.

We were blessed this year to be able to take these very dear friends with us for the first week.
I can't even begin to explain how much fun we had! The Holdhusens are such great friends - their friendship is a giant answer to prayer after moving to KC - and the PERFECT family to have with us at the lake. They're laid-back, FUN, love to laugh, don't mind sharing beds and tight spaces, don't require luxurious accomodations and are just easy to be with. They also have 4 adorable kids, and as you can tell, 3 of them are boys. This means that Brad and Kristin aren't surprised by "boy behavior". They don't get uncomfortable when one of our boys isn't acting perfectly, and they don't get embarrased when their kiddos are less that perfect. We both just "get it" and we can laugh about it together!
I can't forget to mention how much fun it was to have Princess Lauren with us. Surrounded by boys, this girl is such a joy.
And having 3 big brothers, she doesn't mind getting a little dirty.
Our boys had so much fun with the Holdhusen boys. I think all of the kids had a ton of fun. After all, Bay Lake really is a kid's paradise.

Here they are playing paddle tennis...And pretending to play paddle tennis...Watching fireworks...Playing on the beach and in the water...Lots of playing (and wrestling, of course) on the trampoline...Just hanging out...
And, of course, there was lots of boating and tubing...And I can't forget to mention the giant slip & slide because these pictures are just too funny...Yes, those are life jackets wrapped around them like a diaper to "soften the slide" a bit. It still looked quite painful if you ask me!

I wish I had some pictures of our nights AFTER the kids went to bed because that is when the real fun began! We played a ton of games, ate lots of ice cream and s'mores, laughed A LOT and had some great talks. We also killed a mouse and a bat during the week - well, I guess Mike and Brad did. Kristin and I can't take any credit for that, although I'm sure our screaming was supportive and made them feel very manly.

It really was the perfect week, but all good things must come to an end, right?! So the Holdhusens went home on Saturday, and we got to spend another week at the lake. While Michael worked a lot of the time, the boys got to spend time with Mimi & Papa and their aunts and uncles, as well as some older cousins.

Here are some family pics...
The entire Rothwell clan...With Mimi and Papa...

Each of the boys had a great time at the lake. Levi seemed so much older this year and enjoyed the lake more than ever before. He definitely became a fan of tubing.
Although I can't say the same for Ben. Maybe next year.
Levi spent the majority of his time on a boat. It was difficult to get many pictures of Levi because he was too busy, but I was able to get a few. OK, more than just a few...
Levi really loved hanging out with all of his older cousins, especially Stratton. I realized on this vacation that our little boy is growing up.
Ben was hilarious the entire 2 weeks. That kid definitely keeps me shaking my head, wondering what on earth he is doing. He especially enjoyed going potty outside in the bushes. And that has proven to not be such a good idea because it takes a lot longer to get to the potty at home than it does to get to the nearest bush. Let's just say that he hasn't been judging that time very accurately lately.

On land and in the water (where he was most of the time), Ben was quite the little poser this year.


I just love this picture...And this one is definitely one of my very favorites from the entire trip...
And Graham - well, he was Graham. He has turned out to be quite the stubborn little guy. He was all about Mommy on this trip, which is not unusual. It's sweet, but it's also incredibly annoying at times. I'm just being honest.

But how could we not love this little guy to pieces?! He fell in love with ice cream cones. Actually, not so much the cone itself, as he liked to put his entire face down into the cone to get out all of the ice cream without biting into the cone.
Almost every day we walked down the lake to the greatest little ice cream shop. Here we are even on a cold day...
They boys had a great time together, and I was reminded of how special it is that they have each other as constant companions and playmates.
Because after all, it's so much better to have a companion when you walk around with your hand down your pants. I think I'll end with that one.