ACTUALLY Real

"Is this ACTUALLY real?" Joe says. Bible flopped open, The Writing On The Wall rendered across the two pages, he pats the picture. "ACTUALLY real?" he's scrunched up tight against me.

"Yup," I say, "ACTUALLY real."

"SANTA," he says, "is NOT real?" Eyebrows up, his eyes look from one to the other of my eyes.

"Yup," I say. "Santa is NOT."

"Ok," he looks back to the fantastical picture of the giant hand and we read on.

Here in the middle of June and he's still thinking about Santa. I'm glad we told him the truth. Santa's not real. So many miracles. I'd hate for him to think they're all just like Santa.

Gratitude:

5897. DISHES. A local thrift store gets in a bunch of the white Corelle Ware we use for dishes. What a gift!!

5897. Craig preforms a wedding for a gal we've knows since she was in pre-school. When you see a couple who has WAITED for the wedding night, it's really something. We bring all the kids to watch the excitement and celebrate.

5898. Dan and Cerissa start their kitchen renovation. It's the most exciting thing in the neighborhood. We talk, laugh, and watch the transformation begin.

5899.We find out the gender of our baby. A BOY. Bliss. We imagine our family with another little BOY around the table.

5900. Waiting on the Lord's provision, we continue to pray for a vehicle that will fit our soon to be larger family.

5901. "We have my parents for dinner. Joe, hands coated in hotdog condiments turns to me. "I have to go poop," he whispers. "How am I gonna wipe?"

5902. I begin to sell all the diapers I bought thinking we *might* be having another girl. I feel a little silly, but I got them for such a great deal, they are going like hotcakes. (Thank-you, Lord!)

5903. I put scare tape up to deter the birds from our garden and try not to fume over the 15 cucumber sprouts and hundreds of bean plants they lopped off.

5904. I find myself declining more and more invitations out of the house to sit and really be with my children. As they've become more independent it's easy to miss actually connecting. There they are becoming real and full people right before my eyes.

5905. Craig brings me marigolds.

5906. We finish school for the year. We celebrate by alphabetizing our library and then eating pie. Summer will be fun.