Because Of You

A couple weeks ago Dustin mentioned that he & Alanna planned to take the kids to Omaha, Nebraska to the Henry Doorly Zoo. Jared and I hadn't been in close to 5 years and I asked if he'd mind if we tagged along. He, of course, said sure but as the time came near we realized it just wouldn't be responsible to go financially. On Friday we text Dustin to say we were going to have to stay home.

The awesome thing in this story is remembering who our God is. He is huge, all knowing, and holds the world in His hands. He is also our Abba our Daddy and cares about the small intimate details of our lives. On Sunday (the day before the planned Zoo trip) I received a small envelope during Sunday school. In it was a letter that had been printed out that basically said: This is a gift for you to use for something extra. Not for bills but for a date night or an Easter dress etc. I teared up immediately and told Jared. Because of someone's generosity we were able to go after all.
We went to Wal-Mart and loaded up on snack foods, sack lunch, and water bottles. At 6 am on Monday morning I ran upstairs, turned on the lights and yelled, "Field Trip!!" The kids were oblivious. I dressed them all in blue (to help keep track). They didn't know about Dustin's family until well into the trip. At one point Jared said, "They're a good 30-40 minutes behind us because they're running late." Brennan immediately said, "I know who's meeting us. It's Uncle Dustin because he's always late." We had to giggle.
While wandering the zoo the older 3 boys kept coming up to Jared and I and telling us how much they loved us. They were so excited. Going with the cousins was extra special. They had a great time but it just seemed like having the cousins added a lot.
Kennedy was a doll. She was so well behaved and every time I took a picture she'd say, "can I see it?" I would have taken a thousand images just to hear that precious voice.
We didn't make it around to the entire zoo simply because moving a herd of children takes time, but we were there from open to close. The kids all had the best time and asked on the way home how soon we'd be able to return.
Jared picked out a penguin for Anneliese since we decided to not take her. It's as big as she is and watching her walk around the living room all while loving on it is hilarious.

Jared and I are so thankful to a loving God who cares about our boys going to the Zoo. We are so thankful for a loving church family that takes care of all our needs and most of our wants. We are blessed and it's all because of you.