five on friday

1. We are more than halfway through our training in Virginia. We have also made it through 2 of 3 rounds of immunizations. After each "shot day," we take the boys to do something special for surviving all the pokes and prods! Last week, we went on a creative field trip. It started at Best Buy where we played the Xbox Kinect. It was sort of like going to an arcade, but it required no tokens. Next, we went to PetCo. I compare it to going to the zoo but we didn't have to buy a thing. And we finished our day at a store called FiveBelow. Both boys picked out a prize that costed under $5, and we all went home happy! Who says you have to spend lots of money to have fun? :)

2. Henna tattoos are a popular trend in the South Asian culture. Basically, a thick paste is applied. Once it dries, the paste peels off, leaving a stain on the top layer of skin. The tattoo usually last for 2 weeks. A few years ago, a girl traveling in Asia realized that she could use this art to share the gospel with women. She created tattoo designs that could be used to share Bible stories. Last week, I got my first henna tattoo. My tattoo tells the story of the woman at the well. What a creative avenue for sharing Christ with others! For more information, here's a link I found: Henna Tattoos.

3. The facility where we are staying is wonderful. But something about it reminds you of the Dharma Initiative. (My Lost friends will understand!) Please check out my friend Amy's blog post about our stay in Virginia! She has lots of pictures! Click here: The Dharma Initiative

4. My least favorite thing about our temporary home is the lovely sugar ants that have joined us in our quad. Despite attempts to clean up any spills or food particles, those insane ants can find drops of apple juice and minute crumbs like you wouldn't believe! They are driving me CRAZY! I wish I knew the secret to annihilate them!

5. The boys usually leave me with plenty of funny things to share, but this week, the award goes to Max! He has a friend here-- James. James is a grown man, over 6 ft. tall, solid frame- picture Ray Lewis. Well, Max can spot him from a mile away, and he usually runs to him to hug him and talk with him. On Sunday, we saw James walking ahead of us, and Max ran after him. When Max got close enough to touch him, he grabbed him from behind, and James, a grown-man, went DOWN. TO. THE. GROUND. I've never seen anything like it! After we picked James up off the ground, we couldn't help but wonder if we should begin to train Max for the NFL. With skills like that, he's sure to be a linebacker!