May 8

Friday: I picked these little people up at 11 this morning. I took them through a car wash because my car was filthy from my overly friendly neighborhood robins, plus, little Aidan now LOVES going through a car wash and experiencing the THRILL of the spinning brushes. Afterwards, we did our usual "RIDE" to my house. This time it was via IONIA. Let me say right off that I never meant to end up in Ionia. I've never even been IN Ionia in my entire life! I was heading out Lowell direction, because there are pretty roads with hills and farms and barns, etc. allowing enough time for Aidan and Erin to fall asleep and get their nap in before landing at my house. I took a "wrong" turn somewhere along the way out in Lowell and before I knew it, I saw signs designating we were in Ionia. Thankfully, Aidan and Erin HAD fallen asleep and Brendan, who is nothing if he is not patient, never voiced any complaints about our very long trip to my house. I did have a few interesting books he was reading and sharing with me as we drove. We never arrived at my house until 12:45! Everyone was immediately hungry.

I fixed a hotdog for Erin, Brendan and myself. Aidan was too busy building a track layout to bother with eating. Brendan ate a cheese covered hotdog with plenty of catsup, two pieces of banana bread, some chips, and half a banana, followed by two bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal. 

 Little Erin ate her hotdog and requested more. I gave her some "oodles" at her request (mac 'n cheese) and then Aidan wandered over to his chair and decided he would also eat some noodles--and he actually ATE some instead of just faking me out. He had plenty of fish pretzels and veggie straws too, and a little hunk of cheese. But then he went right back to playing trains. 

 Aidan had TEN cars attached to his steam engine! That many cars never quite work on any track we construct unless it is totally straight. The cars after about car #4, just fall off going up hills and around curves. Aidan expressed some frustration over this, but never agreed to use less train cars.

 Aidan enjoys these trains and tracks so much. I'm so thankful I have nice toys for the children to play with!

 Little Erin is very much taken with Matey. She just loves to follow him around the house. She also likes to put her little fingers in his water container and food dish. She also carried Paco the Pig around with her much of the time she was here.

 After Brendan finished eating, he spent a good amount of time in the playroom playing with my cars and trucks. He needs his own space sometimes and I am glad he found a place to play that was uninterrupted by the younger kids.

 Matey is enjoyed by all of the kids and adds a lot to our play. He likes to follow the children around, and they love to interact with him.

 Look at darling Erin with Matey on her head! She kills me.

It's been a rather emotionally exhausting week on many levels--with all of this COVID stuff and all of the completely OPPOSITE information being reported and given--I just don't know whom to believe anymore; and frankly, I'm sick of the whole thing. On top of that, my heart is sad over some personal family matters--nothing that I can change or make better--so I need to BELIEVE what God says about my family--that He loves them beyond what I can even imagine and that He will take care of them. I'm trying very hard to exercise faith and not fear, that will lead to hope instead of depression. He has never failed or been unfaithful to me, and His promises have proven true. Help my unbelief, Lord.