Buried in Books

Though it may appear that the Dustin family has completely disappeared, we survived our vacation to Minnesota and are back home - buried in books! I do plan to post some pictures of our vacation (once I actually find the camera and download the pictures) but meanwhile, school starts next week and I have found myself completely immersed in planning for the year. Our family room has two long tables set up, completely covered in books, papers, pencils, colored tab dividers, sticky notes, empty folders, flash cards, rock study kits, and a frog and two worms. (To be dissected. By my kids. This year... yuck!)

Anyway, once I am all ready for school (will I ever really be ready?!?) I will return to my blog and post some highlights of our vacation and last days of summer...

Off to Minnesota

OFF WE GO!!!

We are off to Minnesota for ten days! We leave at 5 am for a 7:30 flight, and will return on the 17th - it has been a long and busy summer, and we look forward to some time away for refreshing. Will post some pictures of our trip when we get back! Wish us luck on flying!! (NOT my favorite thing to do...)

Happy Birthday Matt!

Nineteen years ago, after 16 hours of labor, Matthew Robert Dustin came into the world, and my life has never been the same. From the very first moment that I looked into his eyes, I fell in love with my "baby" and have counted every moment of his life as an incredible blessing from God above.

It overwhelms me to think that God had his life planned from the beginning of time - He knew that this boy would be my son, and though I have been a completely imperfect mother to him, God specifically chose me to be his mother.

What an amazing journey it has been - from newborn, to toddler, to child, to young man. God has had His hand on Matt's life every single moment - and will continue to lovingly draw Matt's heart to His own all the days of his life. My prayer for Matt would be that he would grow ever-increasingly sensitive to hearing God's voice, and that his passion to love and please his Saviour would grow each and every moment - and that Matt would fully know that nothing in this life or this world will satisfy him as much as the love of Jesus. It is truly all that is needed for pure and complete joy!

Matt celebrated his birthday the other night with many friends around the pool. The rest of us left, but it sure sounded like they had a wonderful time. I didn't even plan this one - I guess the days of "mommy" inviting friends over and having a party with cake and ice cream and star wars decorations are long gone!!

Matt at seven - oh how time flies...

Matt and Danny at Deep Creek Lake many years ago

Here is the little boy that I still picture in my mind on birthdays!! This is Matt and his friend Sam having one of their adventures... again, a long time ago...

This was our version of a pool party when Matt was a little boy!!

But 10 years later, THIS is what it looks like!! haha

No more party hats and blow-horns. Now we have bottled water and GIRLS!!!

Here, on the right, is the master-mind of this party! She even bought his birthday cake for him!!! (I guess my pod-racing cake would have been out of place!! haha)
Thank you, Sherry, for blessing my son!!

Date Nights with Danny

As I spent today doing my "everyday" things, I had it in the back of my mind that Danny and I were going out on our weekly date tonight. Somehow, it affects my day, just knowing. Sometimes, I feel pressured to get more done quickly, and after spending a day outside weeding, watering, watching the kids swim, or running errands in the July heat, I just don't feel fresh anymore, and I know that it will take me some time to "feel" presentable! (of course, Danny always assures me that I don't need to do all that- thank you very much dear).

Usually though, several times throughout the day, I stop and just anticipate the time I get to have with my husband, my best friend. I cannot wait for the great JOY of talking alone with him, looking at his handsome face across the dinner table as we share a glass of wine, and appreciating that we actually get to finish our sentences without interruption! I anticipate getting to walk slowly wherever we go, sometimes sipping coffee, holding his hand, and remembering again why we fell in love. These weekly dates are very bonding for our marriage, and revive and refresh our love for each other. As I said, it sometimes takes his leadership and encouragement for us to go out each week, but I am so grateful that he does. I need reminders that our marriage is the most important thing we can focus on, even above our children (though we love them dearly and could spend every waking moment focusing on them!) and also that it is GOD's plan to do so, not my husbands.

Recently, we went away overnight and this was waiting in our room on the bed as we arrived - a beautiful, single red rose.

We had been to this bed and breakfast one other time, several years ago.

Yep, this is the handsome face I was talking about, across the table...

This is the place we ate our delightful breakfast. Thank you, Danny, for all the years of dates, nights away, flowers, gifts, and all of your other romantic gestures. Thank you for pursuing me, even though we have been married so many years. Thank you for continuing to win my heart with your constant selfless, servants heart, and your ability to make me laugh!! I love you so very very much.

Swimming Lessons

When we decided to get a pool, we also decided it was really important for the kids to be able to swim! Good idea, huh? Well, Jacob and Hannah could swim pretty well and were completely comfortable in the water, including the deep end. Ryan, however, had never had lessons. He would only go in the shallow end, with water wings on and wouldn't go under or get his face wet.


Mrs. Schickler (a wonderful lady from our church) has been coming over three mornings a week for about three weeks and working with the kids. After day ONE, Ryan was diving for rings and would no longer wear his water wings! We were amazed at how quickly he became a fish! He now swims across the width of the pool and even treads water in the deep end. (never mind that Jacob and Hannah have both had to "save his life" twice in the deep end...) I am currently shopping for a life-saving flotation ring that can be thrown out to anyone in trouble.

Despite that, Ryan is doing extremely well - better than we had hoped after a few weeks of lessons, and most importantly, he is LOVING it!

Hannah and Jacob, as I said, could swim but needed some polishing on their freestyle skills as well as learning to dive. It has been so fun to see them doing their lessons together. Mrs. Schickler always starts them out with a "friendly" competition - down and back twice. By the end, they are usually both laughing! And I won't mention here who wins most of them! It is fun to see the good-natured competition that comes about when an adult is around. A different adult I mean. If it were Danny or I, the competition, I hate to say, would not be so friendly I fear...

"Hannah Banana" living up to her name with a bright yellow cap - which she hates! But it really does help keep her hair out of her face. It is a joy to watch her petite little figure swish through the water like nothing - she makes swimming look effortless!

Jacob is a natural, graceful and smooth swimmer as well. I just love to watch him move through the water with hardlyl a splash...

What Jacob has been most excited about is learning to dive - he is adventurous enough to try whatever Mrs. Schickler asks him to do! (Hannah usually ends up giggling and bailing!!) Yep, she has a little of her mama's blood in her when it comes to diving...

What a fun thing to learn this summer - how to swim! I know I feel a lot better about just letting the kids swim without feeling like I am a watchful, worried mother each and every moment (like when they were little). Happy swimming my little minnows and dolphins (and sometimes sharks!!)

Thomas (Matt's band)

Matt's band played at the Hyatt Regency in Crystal City on July 5th to benefit Ethiopian Awareness (or something like that - I am terrible with remembering details). Anyway, I think Matt always enjoys the chance to get to "jam" with the guys in the band and be able to perform. They actually sound VERY good - here is a link to be able to listen to some of their music: http://www.myspace.com/thomasbandmd

They ended up playing at 2:00 in the morning - I cannot imagine being able to be energetic at that time of night!! I guess these young guys can handle it.

A classic shot of Matt with his prized possession

Family, Friends, Fun and the Fourth

This year, we chose not to go to see the fireworks at the fairgrounds, but to buy some fireworks of our own and set them off in the backyard. Jacob was the "master of ceremonies" and he lit them off for all of us - with a little help from some of the other kids. It was really fun to see them in our back yard without having had to wait in the rain for hours...

It was a "blast"!!! hahaha

We have had a long-standing tradition of getting together with our dear friends, the Vigils, for the fourth. We have missed a few years here and there, but many years whatever we do involves the Vigils. It started back when we were just two engaged couples!! Now we gather with our children and this year was so different - we now had two grown sons who delighted us with their willingnes to join us for part of the evening! Sam (above) and Matt have been friends since the beginning, and it was so sweet to see them together. Sam has joined the Marines and was just home on a short leave... (I feel so old talking about our children like this...)

Matt brought Sherry to our celebration this year and she fit right in, bringing two delicious dishes of food and hanging out with both families. Sherry has an easy-going, friendly, thoughtful personality and we all were so glad she was with us!

Matt and Sam playing pool

Some of the kids running back and forth as we tried to watch Jacob's fireworks show and the neighbors who were doing one at the same time! We had some competition!

A shot of some of each family. I tried to get a picture of all of us together, but, ah, well I just couldn't get everyone together at the same time...