Pool and Piano

Hey Everyone! Not much going on. On Wednsday I took Sarah and Lydia to the local community center and we swam for the whole afternoon. The only problem was that we are allergic to chlorine so last night and prayer meeting Sarah was snuffing her nose like crazy and we both had red line under our eyes. ugh oh, well I guess that is what you have to pay for a whole afternoon of leisure!!!!!!

Yesturday I went to the park with Lydia and Joben. I had to wrestle with Joe for 20 min. just to get his diaper changed before we left, he was hitting and pinching, but as soon as my dad came up he was nice and sweet. ugh Well, after taking 5 min. to get his shoes on and another 5 min. to get him to stop crying we left. Here's the thing Joe loves the park, and I was just going to skip it but he cried louder. If you haven't guessed yet, my mom Wasn't home. That is why this whole things started.

I had my last piano lesson with my teacher yesturday it went for about and hour and 4omin because she wanted to get through all of my songs. I will be starting up again in the fall with a new teacher.

Today I am going to take the kids to the pool again. David didn't go last time so he wants us to go again. We don't mind. Well, I have to one and watch Joe because I hear him in the bathroom. God Bless

My Camp Experiance

Hey Everyone! Well, I am back from camp. It was a whole lot of fun, and very busy. Well Mark, the earliest time I ever went to bed this week was 12:30. I don't know how you do it!!!!!!! I am entirely exhausted. I wish I could tell y'all all about it but it would take up atleast five pages at the least. Well, now I am home and have a clean shower. YIPPEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! My favorite thing was to climb the tower (the climbing wall). I love hights!!!!!!! It gives me a thrill of energy. oh ya! There were seven girls in my cabin, so it was a pretty nice size (It wasn't really a cabin but more of a dorm, the first night there was a mouse running around the floor kind of annoying, but then it went into another cabin and they threw it outside after moving the bunk beds. It was hilarous to listen to the screams lol). The night games were a whole bunch of fun. My favorite was "fugitive". We had to go into the woods and find the staff members who were wearing all black, and then take them back to the office where we got points for our cabin. The trick was the staff members put up a fight and would run away. Natalie and I almost just about carried one girl the whole way while shes was kicking and squrming. It took three of us to hold down the sweat (the chore boy), and near the end we were so out of striength one our capitives just fell on the ground with her arms underneath her so we couldn't get her. We just sat on her and called for our cabin, but the bell rang signaling the end of the game before they arrived. Sadly the chapel experiance was very poor. Nothing worth while was said except that God was after you, so I was extremely disapointed. I just wanted to hop right up on the stage and start sharing the gospel, not just skim the top of the endless deep kettle. ugh ok, enought of my ranting. I feel like I have missed so much!!!! But for the first time I was suprised when it came to the end of the week, and was a little disappointed to have to go home. The people there were so nice, and there were only 87 campers so it kept things intimate. On the last night while we were getting ready for bed (a little after midnight!!!!!) people began to pound on our doors, then they through spoons at us and told us to meet them at the dining hall. When we got there there were long tables set up outside and on them were long peices of gutter (yes, gutter) which was filled with Ice Cream and strawberries with choclate syrup on top. We all just went at it, it was very unsanitary, but come on people its camp. Then they had a movie on in the dining hall. I watched about 20 min of it but ended up going back to the cabin because I was falling asleep while watching it. lol On Saturday morning Mrs. Natalie picked us up and we went out for lunch and then to these cute stores in this old refubished farm house, where I bought soveniers for the kids, we then got treats for the drive back, and talked like chatter boxes the whole way back. It was a lot of fun.

Now I am back in to the swing of things. Well I have to go. Joben needs help with a puzzle. God Bless

An Early Wake Up Call

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His Holiness. Psalms 54:1

Hey Everyone!!!! The day started early. I can't believe it is only nine!!!!!!!!!! So far I have already gone exercising, gotten ready, fed the troops french toast (my new specialty), got them dressed and hair done, and have cleaned the kitchen. The girls are now safely off to their friends, and Joben quitely watching Bob the Builder. No wonder my afternoons don't feel productive!!!!!!! My mornings are packed, but everything was finished early today. We usually go to the park, but it is raining. Oh, and mom and David are off to his golf lessons, and Dan has a rain day so he doesn't have to work. Now Dan is of to the U of M to sign papers for his ROTC scholorship and other things.Oh and I have a 1 hour piano lesson this afternoon, so I am got to get out of this house. DAD IS COMING HOME TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, for my devotions I have been reading through Psalms and Numbers. The other day I came across this verse:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Psalm 46:1-2

These verses are so comforting. One of my greatest temptations is fear. Some of these fears are so rediculous, it is crazy!!! But yet that is where I struggle. Slowly as I have been reading through my Bible, I have been comeing across verse by verse that deals with fear. I am trying to learn all of them, and find them very comforting during the dark times. I have even gotten to whispering Bible verses when I am driving and am afraid I can't make the turn!!!!!!! You see what I mean. lol

Oh, another verse that has been helping me through the past two weeks is Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth." This verse is so comforting when I begin to wonder what in the world God is doing in my life. As many of you know that past weeks have been tough, but oh the eternal joy I have received from the celebrations and the mourning. Praise the Lord! He is so AWESOME! When I begin to doubt I remember this verse, and it helps me to keep track of my perverse thoughts. Everything that happens has been predestined from the beginning. There is no need to fear, because everything that happens is the Lord's will, no matter if we understand it or not.

Well, It is time for me to be off. I don't know exactly what to yet though. I just know I can't think of anything more to say. lol Blogging three days in a row, AMAZING!!!! lol I hope you all have a beutiful week. God Bless!!!!

Play Time

Hey Everyone! Well, this morning I woke up at 6:14 to go exercising with my mom. Then when we got back I got all cleanly for the day, I don't know why I bothered!!! Because I decided to take my two younger sisters and two younger brothers to the park. We stayed their for about 2 1/2 hours!!!!!! This park isn't very big, and actually has a very minimal amount of equipment which really stinks. Well, after about and hour of being their we sent my sister home for some basketballs and a water bottle. It took her 15 min.!!!!! (we only live about a 5 min walk away if that!) My mom ended up having her bring pancakes out to us because I forgot that none of my siblings had had breakfast yet. oops. Then I played some one on one with my brother (which doesn't really work, because he doesn't really know how to play basketball, everything he does he justifies by saying that is how they do it on TV. YOU DO NOT HAVE THREE STEPS AFTER PICKING UP THE BALL, THAT IS TRAVELING!!!!!!!!) ok, since I have now vented that, David just doesn't have a knack for sportsy stuff, his expertise lie in the technological and mechanical field.

Well, when we got home I had some tuna on toasted bread with mustard. yummy. and since then I have been lounging around being a couch potato. This days seems forever long!!! That's what happens when you start the day so early. Next weeks camp, can't wait. We don't get to go to prayer meeting tonight because my dad is out of town. This is really weird but as I type this I am saying all the words in my head with and English accent. Pretty scary, mate. God Bless.

Cookies

Hey Everyone! Well, I have been keeping pretty busy (but time enough to read for sure). Yesturday I hung out with my little bro and we made 9 dosen cookies but of course he ditched me to go on a bike ride with my dad leaving me with all of the clean-up. such a boy. Oh, I am also making a nightgown for my sister Sarah which is taking a really long time because I got stuck and now I have no more gumshin to finish it like I had last week.

Today I had to watch the kids in the morning because my mom took David to golf. Well Joben ended up throwing a fit so we decided the only way to get him to settle down was to go to the park, so we hung around there for a hour. Then we got back I gave them their breakfast (I kind of forgot that they hadn't eaten until they started complaining at the park), and my mom got home. So I read some and then David and I road our bikes to the library did some returns for mom and picked up some burgurs and frys off the dollar menu at Mcdonalds. I have now finished my book which always leads me slightly down (can't books just go on forever, but then of course that would be no fun). After a nap I am refreshed and am again bored. The day started early and now seems so everlastingly long!!!!!!

Well, next week I go to camp so I am really looking forward to it. This time no injury is going to keep me from doing all of the activities, and I am going to do them ALL!!!!!!! Last year I just sat in the cabin a lot because there was so much walking, while my friend was water skiing!!!! So lucky!!! I never really enjoyed water skiing that much anyway, it pulls my arms out and they kill for weeks! lol No hard feelings though, it was still a lot of fun making friends and all.

Dan has worked 54 hrs last week and is eating us out of house and home. Construction really builds up and appetite. lol so all we really see of him is at dinner and then he lounges about and goes to bed. pretty dull I think. My dad is out of town for three days, so that is sad but he'll be back.

Well, I have to go find something productive to do, maybe I'll practice the piano. Oh, now thats a thought. By the way my feet smell like cornchips but you probably didn't need to know that lol. God Bless

Graduation

Better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting. For that is the end of all men; and the living will take it to heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:2

Hey Everyone! Well, that past week has been pretty rough, a lot of emotions running loose. Many of you have probably heard of the Vanryn and Cerik families' daughter identification mix up. My mom grew up with the Vanryn family and although we didn't know Laura personally, my mom did babysit her as an infant and was close with her family. We had been praying for her constantly for the past five weeks, and praising the Lord that she was alive and recovering. Like everyone else it was a great shock to us when we learned that the girl we had been praying for was not Laura but Whitney Cerik. We mourned the loss of Laura deeply but rejoiced for the Cerik family.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:15

We know all the Lord does is His will, and is right. The Vanryn's had been such a great witness to all the medical staff and others involved, and are now and even greater witness of our Lord and Savior as they mourn the death of their daughter, but are not defeated. They trust in the name of the Lord their God and know that their darling daughter lies in His everlasting arms.

On Thursday we were told of a young man sixteen years old of whom our family was aquatinted had suddenly been struck down with a bacterial infection (he had just had the flu). We prayed while he fought for his life for forty-eight hours, and wept when we heard the news that he had gone home to his savior. Those two days of waiting for news and praying were some of the toughest days I have endured, praying that the Lord would spare him yet asking the Lord to kindly take him to his eternally home if that was His will. There are no 'what ifs?', for from the very beginning God has known how many years we would live to the very day, hour, and second. Please pray for the Vannete family. Caleb left behind three sisters, two brothers, and two loving parents.

We celebrated Dan's graduation on Friday the 2nd. It was a very beautiful service, and many of us were teary eyed (not for the first time that week). Over the weekend we had many relatives here and we enjoyed each others' company emensly. We were able to share memories of Dan, and many charges were directed to Him (as well as to all listening) to spur him on to this new stage in his life.

I have grown wonderfully this weekend. I was challenged through the words of my loved ones. The deaths of two young people, 22 and 16, caused me to look at my own soul. Would I be ready when the Lord calls me home? I had made my decision for Christ repenting of my sins and putting my faith in Him, but had lost my fire all to quickly. I prayed like I had never prayed before, and now I can tell you that I shall live my life for Christ, so that on my last day, the Lord will be holding out His arms to me and saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"

Please keep the Vanryn's and Vannetes in your prayers for they still have a long road ahead of them. Have a wonderful week. God Bless.