Adventures of The Haven School for Boys: Three Boys and a Wedding

This is the first installment of our summer vacation photos. I dare not inundate you with all of them in one blog posting. Our first travel destination took us to Camarillo for a wedding of Matt's former college roommate. He graciously allowed us to bring the whole family (unusual by wedding standards these days). I told him over the phone that his timing is good because they eat more by the year, and next year would have meant an extra mouth to feed! The wedding was held at a private family ranch, complete with pastoral views and farmyard animals. Samuel was surprisingly terrified by the up-close views of the sheep and cow, even though he has read about every animal on God's green earth in his books. It goes to show that realia is a category unto itself. I admit to being a little intimidated by the cow myself. She looked hot and cranky. The transition between ceremony and dinner was a l-o-n-g wait, even by adult standards. Thankfully, we were on a farm with barnyard animals, and the boys felt comfortable acting in kind. You'll see some of their rambunctious activity below... I might add that although I am thankful for opportunities to grow the boys in these ways (i.e. being a part of a Christian marriage ceremony and the celebration thereof), it is not without sacrifice that we do so. Let us just say that it is not quite the romantic date that a wedding could be when one has three little ones in tow. But, I dare say that this is where modern parenting goes awry. Sacrifices such as these are what parenting is about--bringing them up in the way they should go (paraphrase of Proverbs 22:6). What better way to steep them in sacred traditions than to immerse them in those traditions during their most impressionable years? Experiences such as these sow little seeds that will sprout in due time, if watered with loving instruction and prayer. However, on an honest note, we do not intend to bring them along ALL of the time, at the expense of our own sanity. Besides, most weddings don't come with built in Tarzan palms and barnyard diversions. : )

What do weddings and the Batmobile have in common? Absolutely nothing. We were lucky enough to run into this stealth ride on our way to the wedding, at an In-N-Out potty break. Apparently Batman has a similar taste for fast food. They were returning from an appearance at a local children's hospital. You can spot Sienna (our van) in the background. I think he's putting on a twinkle for her.

Little Escorts
It is worth mentioning that we have never taught them how to pose for pictures. I suppose this goes without saying...Joshua has no neck, and James look about as relaxed as a tin soldier. This was the one take when Samuel wasn't running in fear from the surrounding barnyard sounds.