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After our Great Lakes Region staff conference, we headed to Palatine for time with family and giving thanks.
After five years of hosting Thanksgiving overseas, we were very content being a guest. :) (What we're cooking only one turkey?!)
Lia making preparations - baking her pastry puffs.
Lia taking on her Uncle Darren in Blokus.
Meg enjoying someone's tablet.
Grammy and Papa's house was already completely decorated for Christmas which made a warm atmosphere.
Sweet.
We went to a nearby wetlands park for a bike ride and picnic. We had a blast!
Alligator Alley … love it.
We saw our first wild gator. This seven-footer circled in yellow is a good distance away. I asked Meg if she wanted to go down to the water's edge, and she said, "NO WAY!!!!"
We saw other gators a lot closer - about 20 feet away. We didn't pause long enough to get out the camera for a picture.
Other pictures along the way …
After our picnic, we all kicked around the soccer ball trying to avoid the plentiful ant hills/mounds. Gators and ants … life in Florida.
The girls visited me at Lake Hart - the campus name of Cru's world headquarters.
Val and Meg joined others at a friend's birthday party - at a butterfly pavilion. I didn't attend, but I heard they laughed and squealed a lot.
Lia had been asking about being baptized for over a year, and we had multiple discussions about it. Her heart and motivations were right on so when an opportunity came up at our church, Lia took it.
At the church picnic with the pastor, Lia began her baptism by sharing her story of how she came to place her faith in Christ many years ago. It was excellent to hear her express how God had worked and continues to shape her life.
Lia immediately agreed to my request to be the one to baptize her (discussed a few days prior). I wasn't planning on saying anything at her baptism, but I couldn't not say a few words about how proud we are of her and so thankful for God's clear work in her life.
I gave reference to those before Lia who are witnesses to this public proclamation of her faith, and she gave a big grin to her friends. Cute.
Then the dunking commenced ...
We love you, Lia!!!
The team ...
Warm-up ...
Listening to the pre-game referee speech ...
Our two forwards waiting to start with the kick-off ...
Posing ...
Val and Meg are ready.
Cute.
