You Only Have One First Day of First Grade

Preston entered the first grade today. He was a little apprehensive, so to pump him up I told him that you only get one first day of first grade. Also, he's been talking a lot lately about wanting to be a missionary, so I explained to him that he was actually a missionary at his school. He got the opportunity to show the other kids what Jesus is like by how he loved them.

Anyway, here's a couple pictures we took to document the day.

He's excited...

He's not so excited...

He's excited!! I think.

Huh?

A couple nights ago, I was tucking Preston into bed for the night, and we started talking about spiders. He was worried that a poisonous spider might bite him while he slept. I tried to assure him that he wouldn't get bit. But that didn't work. Then I told him that the worst that could happen (if he got bit) was that he'd get a little sick (like having the flu) and we would take him to the doctor. But that didn't work either. So, I pulled out the big guns. I told him that God is in control of everything. Nothing happens that God didn't plan to happen. And he made his plan even before he made the world. I told Preston that God controls every step a spider takes, and because of that God would protect him, because God doesn't make mistakes.

I thought I had won. I could tell that Preston was thinking about it. I thought he was satisfied with that answer, because (for a moment) the questions had stopped. But just as I was patting myself on the back, Preston looked at me and asked, "Daddy, if God controls every step a spider takes, how come he doesn't move us to sin?"

Huh?

Nothing like a little discussion about the interplay between God's sovereignty and man's free will right at bedtime.

Great Little Praiser

Here's a video of Bennett 'singing' with his class at Gull Lake. He won an award for 'Best Little Praiser.'

Madness

Here is an example of exercising poor judgment to impress your kids. On the inside, I peed my pants a little:

More Tid-Bits from Gull Lake

I was able to get a few more pictures from our vacation, from Kendra's parent's camera.

Preston and his cousin, Kobe, had some fun with some very patriotic wigs. You gotta dig the mullett:

So did Butch (Kendra's dad):

Preston spent a lot of his free time on his new scooter:

Bennett had fun chasing him around...on foot.

Here is Preston and Kobe at breakfast one morning:

This is a picture of me and Preston on our way up Quadzilla. A zip line began at the top. Preston got all the way to the edge, but thought better of it. I (on the other hand) did not exercise such good judgment and rode the thing.

The boys also enjoyed some archery. Bennett is getting some help from one the camp counselors, while Preston got some help from his Uncle Curt.

Finally, here are the boys on the "beach."