Road Trip!

The third week of June we took a mini road trip (technically it was 9 days -- but for us, that qualifies as 'mini').

We didn't take Winnie, so I got to enjoy sitting in the front seat again!

Next to the handsome man below!

These two missed Winnie.  Reni's oft-repeated phrase was, "My bottom's hot!  My back is itchy!"
Yeah?  It's called sitting in a seat! :-)

Thankfully he can sleep well in a car too, though I don't know how.  The photo on the right looks absolutely miserable.

   All those photos I promised from Kentucky?  Um, I basically got two shots.

   I plead the fifth.
   I think dental appointments (for C&N), an annual check-up (Ellie), and screening new tenants for the duplex were not especially exciting events.  Squeezing in visits with a few friends in between, were special, but so sadly short the camera was definitely an afterthought.  It was definitely a visit so jam packed our heads were spinning by the time we left with everything we got done.

   We were so happy to get to worship at our home church, First Alliance, and share a bit in both services.  On Tuesday night we held a little coffee/baklava gathering to share more in depth about our call and what we'll be doing in Albania.  So good to be back with our church family in Kentucky!

On Monday Reni had a Shriners fitting for his new set of stubbies.  I got a photo of Shriners because I don't think I've ever shared one on here before and it's in the works that they will be moving to the University of Kentucky.  I don't know how soon that will happen, but if it's within the next year or two, I don't know if we'll get to revisit this facility or not!  The campus is really a lovely, lovely place.

On our way out of town on Wednesday to head up to Indiana we got a phone call just in time and were able to swing by and pick up the finished stubbies from prosthetics. 

   I wish I could say that Reni has embraced his stubbies, but he hasn't yet and we can't exactly figure out why.  It's one thing to impress upon your child certain non-negotiables (like family rules or acceptable behavior), but it's another thing to say, "You WILL wear your legs."  We don't want to make him hate wearing his legs or stubbies, but in this case, he seems to prefer his tall legs (we thought it would be the opposite).  I'm starting to suspect that he just desires to fit in and look typical, but it's hard to know because he can't articulate that kind of thinking just yet.  I do think he thinks these stubbies are strange because they don't have feet with shoes, and boy, does this boy like shoes.  The left leg is also bulkier and heavier, and I think he just doesn't want to have to deal with it. Ugh. We'll give it some more time and hopefully he will come around!