Winter

Silas, Levi, and their cousin Tristan out riding on a beautiful winter day.

A Sunday Afternoon

"Your wife will be like a fruitful vine, your sons like olive shoots around your table. Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord!" Psalm 128:3-4

I love Sunday afternoons with not much going on, and we can all enjoy the day with each other.

Life gets so busy that I enjoy the times when i get to have all my children around me! I know as they get older these times will be farther between and even more treasured. I hope they will enjoy their memories of those times as much as I do. Here are some pictures of what we did on a recent Sunday afternoon.

The cooks in the house were cooking up some good Sunday food! Apple cake with carmel frosting. YUMM!

Travis loves giving Esther rides on her little push car around the living room floor.

Here is the newest addition to the instrument family in our house. Mark loves to unwind on Sunday afternoon by jamming for us on his drum set. (It does have a set of headphones!)

A couple more musicians. We have been enjoying learning songs we can all play together.

Merry Christmas!

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  Last week we had 7 inches of snow dumped on us. It lasted just long enough to build a huge snowman and take some good pictures, then it melted. Thought you might like to see them.
  

  
  
  

Fun in the cold snow

Friday we had agreat time with sledding and more good food at Tyler and Charity's. The guys tied inner tubes and sleds behind the 4-wheelers, and pulled everyone through the fields. Mark took Faith and I for a wild ride. As we were screaming and laughing with snow blowing in our faces and down our necks Faith yells, "I thought I told Daddy I wanted a s-s-s-slow ride!" Well, Daddy got carried away and thought that all the screaming meant we were have a great time, so we must want to go faster! Right? We were all freezing, but had fun.

Thanksgiving thankfulness

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for my family.

Our family is a circle of strength and love.

With every birth and every union, the circle grows.

Every joy shared adds more love.

Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger.

We spent a fun Thanksgiving day with family at my sister Rebekah and her husband Jon's house. There were 22 children and 12 adults. SUPER FUN!!!

Silly little girls!

Grandpa reading the children a story while the rest of us played a mean game of pictionary. Guys against girls!

The kids had fun playing spoons. One of our favorite loud and crazy games!

Esther enjoying her little thumb for Thanksgiving.

Happy Birthday Joseph and Savannah!

This month Joseph turned nine and Savannah turned three, so they got to enjoy a birthday party together. That night Mark took the opportunity to share with Joseph how he was born during a very special time in our lives. Almost ten years ago Mark went back to school for instrumentation. During that time he also worked nights at Ace Hardware's distribution center. It was not the ideal time to have a baby! But knowing that God had lead us in faith to receive our children from Him in His timing, we felt it would not be faith to change our course when we reached a difficult time in our lives. So in His sovereignty and goodness He gave us Joseph! I have many times been so thankful that I received him . Look who I would have missed out on! His life is a reminder to me of God's blessing when we choose to trust Him. "Whoever receives one little cihld like this in My name receives Me." Matt 18:5 .

Joseph is a sweet boy with an affectionate heart. He loves to help with his little sisters and is very patient with them. He reads to Savannah and plays games with her every morning during their time together while I do school with Travis and Faith. I know God has a special purpose for his life. I am awed by the privilege I have to be a coworker with God in receiving these lives with wide open arms for His

kingdom and helping them to see who He has predestined them to be. I pray that each one of them will know they were born just as Queen Esther was "for such a time as this".

Happy Birthday Joseph and Savannah! We are so thankful for you!

November Happenings

We continue this month of November with lots more days full of activity. Never a dull moment! One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog was to help me take time in the middle of these busy days to remember and enjoy the fun and special moments we have together. At the same time I can share them with all of you!!

Here are a few pictures of us around the bonfire. Silas decided to roast marshmellows after dinner. This is one of our favorite fall time activities!