So, God loves pickles?

First, my mom is home and doing very well. YAY!

I have been babysitting for this particular family for quite sometime now. The kids consist of an almost 8 year old, Jack, a 6 year old, Joey, and Jenna, she's 4.

When I started watching these kids, Jenna wasn't born, no where in the picture and Joey was a baby with an absolutely gigantic head. Literally, the biggest, most square-shaped head I had ever seen. I was a sophomore in high school when I started watching these kids.

After going away to college, I still would visit them or babysit if I was ever home. I am finished with college and still adore these kids more than ever. Even if they don't ask me to babysit, I will pick up the kids and take them to the beach around sunset, where we play in the sand and try to build fortress pools and play in the water and have seaweed fights. They scream at the top of their lungs-especialy Joey who sounds like a girl. Of course I try and calm them down, but I can't fight the laughter these kids bring to me.

Yesterday afternoon, we went bowling while it was raining and then got a pizza after it cleared up and sat down by the beach and ate dinner then played in the sand and went swimming until about sunset.

While I was washing the kids off, I always make them take of their bathingsuits by the shower so we are sand free- well that takes a while when you have a 4,6 and 8 year old laughing at being naked. And before you think I am some sort of free nudist- I honestly make sure that as soon as one of them is done, that they keep the towl wrapped around them at all times. I really could go on and on with the smallest details of my time with them, but I won't. But I will say, while I was just rewrapping their towels to walk back to the car, this older man who was standing somewhat close enough to hear me trying to keep order during the rinse off time, walked by and as he was getting in his car he said, "...you know you have a lot of patience. I only have one and I can barely muster up the patience to rinse her off here at the beach- but you have three, that is impressive."

WOW. I have patience? I guess I do! But only with kids-is what it seems to be. Who knows. Needless to say it made me very happy.

On the drive home, we had in depth conversations about God. Jack (the eldest) asked me what the sticker on my car meant- "God is NOT a Republican or a Democrat" Well, I tried to explain in a way he could relate to- say there are two clubs at school, one club likes pizza and the other club doesn't like pizza- well, God wouldn't want to be in either club- he likes people who like pizza and he likes people who don't like pizza! and so I tried to explain that democrats and republicans are two different ways of thinking when it comes to the government, like who our president is.

Well, then up in the front seat, I see Joey deep in thought and then all the sudden, in all seriousness he says with his finger waiving around in front, "So, God loves pickles?!" I freaking love this kid.

Later he tells me that he loves pickles so he was glad God did too. We talked about God being in our car, and Jenna puts her arm out like she has it held around someone's shoulder, and says, Hi, God! He was sitting right next to her too!

I love these kids, they bring me such joy.