Endings...and Beginnings

I only got one picture, so I thought I would mention here that we were able to visit the water park in Hermiston with the Nyman Ladies one afternoon. Natalia especially enjoyed this park because they allowed her to go down the tall slide sitting on my lap.  She got so good at it, that after going with me about 20 times, she decided to try it on her own. I especially enjoyed the fact that they allowed me to stand at the bottom of the slide to catch her (the water was only about 3 ft. deep).

Tory especially enjoyed a diving board and a very short slide that was about 3 ft. above the water! Fun day with great friends!

A couple more days of fun in the river before school begins!

Here was Tory on her first day of school! She gave me such a brave smile, even though she was trying to keep back the tears. This whole experience has been such a blessing in disguise! 

Tory has had a very difficult time both last year and this with going off to school.  She would rather stay home with Natalia and I and just hang out.  Of course, after 10 min. in school, she gets into the day and is quite happy, but the initial good-bye is hard. 

She has been asking me to pray for her to be brave and strong and to feel God's presence with her all day long at school.  She has also learned to pray this herself. The part that has been challenging and a blessing, is that she asks me to pray for her before she goes to sleep at night....again, and again, and again. Then again in the morning as soon as she wakes up; then again when she is getting dressed. Again when I am cooking breakfast... when we are on the road to school.... over and over again. We take turns, but even so.... that is a lot of praying. I get to the point where I just say, "Father, I don't even know what to pray anymore! Give me words to pray!" 

The beautiful part, is that both Tory and I (and, I am sure, Natalia) are seeing how faithful, how patient, and long suffering God is! He never tires of hearing our prayers. He never gets annoyed, throwing His hands up in frustration, because yet again, we are praying for strength!

The other part that is so exciting is to see Tory's faith grow. She has this genuine need and the smile on her face when she is able to face that day without crying, and walk into the school without running back to me, is awesome. 

My biggest prayer is that this experience with be etched into her memory. A foundation to look back on when she is older: God is faithful, God hears our prayers, God answers our prayers (not always by giving us what we want, but giving us the strength to do what needs to be done), and mostly, so importantly: God LOVES us so!!!

Natalia also reached a new milestone: learning to ride her bicycle without training wheels! She insisted on us taking them off, and she was certainly ready! What a cutie pie!