That's all folks.

James 4:13-14 (New International Version)

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

It might read a little heavy early in the morning, but read it a few times before you move on.


There are big questions to answer in life; who should I marry (Ngila's question lately), where should we live next (Liam's), what should I do with my time now that my kids are older and less demanding (me) and why can't we have noodles everyday (Bea). I believe God wants us to prayerfully consider these decisions, but not get stuck in them.

I have wasted a lot of time, energy and emotion seeking the will of God, and not nearly enough time just doing His will. Loving people, meeting people where they are and simply caring for them. Things that aren't defined by location or occupation.

The other day the lady ahead of me at the grocery store was buying baby food with food stamps. The stamps wouldn't work for whole wheat cereal, just plain, the teller kept saying. The mother was calm, collected, and simply said, "But this is better for her, and it is all she will eat, why won't the stamps cover it?" Teller-"Don't know, but they don't". Three boxes of baby food, maybe $7? The woman calmly headed over to customer service to sort it out. I should have bought them, but I didn't.

I have been challenged in Washington, removed from our community, our routine, and our home, to just get on with living and serving daily. My prayer is that I can carry these lessons back home with me.

The last six months have been a wonderful adventure for the four of us. Thanks for reading and sharing it with us.

The Pictures

Having completed a family road trip, I feel I can hold my head high when people talk about vacationing with their children. I have often felt that Liam and I are a bit whimpy with all the plane rides and fancy dinners. And while we have yet to experience the McDonald's play place, (which seems to be a marker for something on family road trips) I think we have made it into the club. We will even consider doing it again, of course I have registered the girls in a frequent flyer club for the flight home, best to rack up the long haul flight miles just in case this car trip thing doesn't pan out.
Liam gave you the stats on the trip, I am going to give some pictures.

Our Road Trip in Numbers and Ratios

Days: 8

Distance: 2300 km

Stops for gas: 3 (Way to go Corolla)

States: 10

Viewings of Peter Pan: 3 (or was it 4?)

Hotels: 4

Requests to stay at Tougas’ one more night to keep playing: bazillion

Times lost driving in New York City: 0

Times lost driving in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire: 1

Times backseat asked if mommy and daddy were fighting: 2

Cities entered without detailed maps: 2

Ivy League universities visited: 4

Preferred choices for Ngila and Bea: Princeton, Brown

Sandwich picnic suppers: 3

Sandwiches Beatrix ate happily: 0

Slices of Frank Pepe’s 16 inch pizza Beatrix consumed: 3

Consumed by Liam: 3

Longest walk: 11 km (NYC)

Highest delicious/price ratio: East Side Pockets (Providence)

Highest delicious/expectations ratio: Lobster roll (Freeport)

Museums visited: 5

Self-portraits in 15 mins after Ngila figured out timed photo function: 7

Times Ngila was told to stop taking self-portraits in front of
modern art due to copyright concerns: 1

Times told by museum security that children must stay in stroller: 1

Times told at same museum that strollers weren’t allowed: 1

Highest cool/possibility we could do it at our house ratio: Translucent marble walls at rare book library in New Haven

Fountains entered/viewed ratio: 1 in 5 (that’s low for us)

New York, New York the town so nice they named it twice.

We started the day early, leaving Princeton NJ just after the crack of dawn-well not just after but as close as we Stone’s get to the dawn's crack.

Liam drove straight into Manhattan like a pro, quickly learning he needed to up his aggressive driving skills if we were ever going to get anywhere. He rose to the occasion, horn honking and cutting people off with ease.

Once we found the hotel, ditched the suitcases and car we were off. Marching on the streets by 9:30, returning to the hotel just after 7. It was an epic hike, even for experienced urban hikers, and we are feeling the pain just a little.

So what did we do?

FAO Swartz, watched the big piano show, and picked out some PEZ dispensers. Beatrix loves PEZ it turns out. A quick peek at Central Park- a more concentrated march is planned for tomorrow.

The Empire State building, right to the top, and views all around. Not wanting to repeat the unpleasant experience at the Eiffel tower Liam opted out and read a magazine at the bottom. Ngila beat Mommy in locating both the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. “Hey mom is that Central Park?”, No Ngila I don’t ‘think it is big enough, “No not that mommy, that is a roof garden, behind that, back there with all the trees”, uhm, yep that may be it.

On to the NYC public library main branch, gorgeous building, reading room and the original stuffed animals that inspired that Winnie the Pooh stories. Very exciting.

March, march, march. To Company pizza. Yum, yum, yum! Topped off with Strawberry Shortcake, the Stone way- a dense, slightly crisp biscuit covered in berries and whip cream, no stupid sponge cake. Gelato. Oh my.

A quick walk to the High Line Park, a reclaimed rail trestle turned into the most wonderful park, raised above the city streets. A wonderful walk, beautiful flowers, beautiful views and free Ben & Jerry’s samples at the end, yee-haw!

A wander through Chelsea to Bleeker street park- fountains, riding toys, good good times for two well deserving little girls.

Quick stop at Whole food for hotel picnic provisions, showers and off the bed.

A good, good day.