Baby!

My newest little cousin, Maret Therese, was born this afternoon (at 3:15 p.m.), September 23, 8 lbs. 20 in. The perfect little package. Congratulations, Aunt Mary Jo!!!!!!!!!

Cadet Update

Hey Everyone! Life has been really busy since school started, so I haven't been blogging much. Hopefully that will change soon. Today I took a Chemistry test (which I thought I did really well on, but it turned out that, I didn't. ugh), wrote a paper, did a bunch of work, babysat, practiced piano for and hour and 15 min., did my Saturday chores, and am now blogging. Writing class has been a whole lot of fun. Right now we are studying Shakespear. I love Shakespear! In Omnibus we are getting into a lot of theological discussions, and it is great. I can't believe I am saying this but I am really getting to like Eusebius. I am learning things I have never heard before. Quite intriguing.

Cadet update: (since, for some reason he hasn't been updating his blog) Classes are going pretty well, is the report. He is extremely tired. He has to get up at 5 a.m. for PT every morning so it is draining, especially when he can't get to bed early. Also there have been a lot of parties on campus and in the dorms, so he didn't get to sleep until 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Tonight, or tomorrow morning I guess you could say, he is participating in a Missing in Action vigil with 24 other guys. He has to march in front of the memorial from 12:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. then get back to his dorm sleep and hour or so and be up and at training at 6:00 a.m. for field navigation (he has to drive about 15 min. to get there, I think). So, he could really use your prayers, that the Lord my hold him up through the hours with no sleep, and that he will be able to get to bed early tomorrow and not be disrupted by the parties so he might be refreshed for the Lord's Day.

Tomorrow are church is having a booth at this thing called Cattail Days where we had out tracks and books. Dad, David, and I are leaving here at 7 a.m. to help set up and then are signed up for the 9 to noon shift. So we are going to be gone pretty much all morning. The flu has been passing around here, thankfully I have been able to fend it off so far. Sarah and Joben haven't been so lucky. Speaking of Joben, he has been really funny lately. He has all of sudden become a person. Well, I have to go now. God Bless,

S*****

Hey Everyone! We have been really busy this week, with school starting and all. I am taking Geometry, Chemistry, Latin 3, Omnibus II (which is theology,litature (?), and history all rolled up into one really BIG class), Rhetoric, Writing with Expression and Clarity, Grammar, Home Economics, Music Appreciation, and of course gym. I am really busy!!!!! Right now I am currently reading the Hobbit (for my third or fourth time, I can't quite remember), and the Eusebius' History of the Church, which I actually and finding quite interesting. David, Natalie, and I go to Paideia on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so those are my really, really, really full days. On Tuesdays I am gone from 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (my last class ends at 9). Chemistry is really blowing my mine to bits, and I don't get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ugh, well it will be one of those subjects that I will just have to work really hard at I guess.

Cadet has been gone for a week now. We divided up your chores today, and lets just say, we are now wishing you back home. For ROTC today, Cadet got to jump off a 25ft diving board fully clothed, boots, backpack and all, blind folded. He the had to swim something like 15 yards, in the water with all his gear on and holding a rubber gun (that ways as much as a real one) above the water so it didn't get wet. Pretty intensive, I'd say.

Tomorrow there is a book sale at our library, so I am really looking forward to going to that. All the books are going to be priced a dollar or under. YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you tell I'm excited?!?!?! Well, that's it for now because I really, can't think of anything more to write. Oh, I forgot, my dad is paying me, to do all the laundry (wash, fold, iron, disperse), so that's pretty sweet. I still have my other chores, but this is a little extra money in my pocket. THERE IS SO MUCH LAUNDRY FOR SEVEN PEOPLE!!!! (I don't have to do Dan's of course.) Ok, got to run. God Bless,

Gas Attack

Hey Everyone! Happy Labor Day! Yesterday, Uncle Dave preached on Hell. It was a very sober but good message. When we went to the church to open it up in the evening, we were smelling and odd odor. Well, my dad went to check it out and we went to put our things in the sanctuary. After a minute or two dad came running up and told us to grab our Bibles and get back in the car because someone had left the gas on. So we sat in the car for about 45min. (it got really stuffy, and it was raining so we couldn't open the windows) while my dad flagged down everyone as they drove off, told them the problem and then sent them home after 15 mins. (when we realized there was really no reason for them to hang around). So the gas guy came turned it off and told us to stay and air out the building. So we did along with the other deacon. That was our eventful day. Oh, and today is Cadet's first full day moved out (that doesn't sound right, hmmm). Cadet, David has already started redecorating a bit and moving your things aside to fill in with his own side, but the first thing he did was throw your sheets in the wash so he could take over your bed. I have cleaned in the kids bathroom, and now order reigns!!!!! I took over Cadet's shelf, gave David a shelf, and made everything a little bit more neater. In this house hold we take Labor Day, to the full sense of the word. We have been pretty busy around here. Tomorrow, school starts. no comment. Joben's sick, and when he is, it makes life miserable for the rest of us mostly for my mom. Right now he is sleeping, so that's nice. Well, that's about it. We are going to go swimming. God Bless,

Move in Day

Hey Everyone! It has been pretty busy around here today, but lets start with Thursday. Thursday evening David came home!!!!!!!!!! We had grilled chicken and, man, was it delicious. That same evening my grandma and I went out to Starbucks and talked, and that was a lot of fun (there was this really guy, who looked to be in his forties, who came over and sat near us, and whenever I looked up he was always looking at me, from behind his paper. I think he must have been bored, but it was really freaky!!! ). Not much happened on Friday. We hung out with my grandparents and stayed around the house. Today my grandparents left early, and then Dad, David, and Cadet left by 8:10 to move in to Cadet's dorm at UST. Little did they know, that although they did order a loft bed and have to build it, they also had to remove the bunk bed that was in the dorm and store it for the year. NO ONE TOLD US THAT!!!! So he and his room mate split the bed and now the head boards are going to be under Dave's bed at home (Cadet used the rest of the parts for his loft). Other than that it sounds like things went smoothly, and they have the most beautiful picturesque view from their window of a heater. So far today I have done my chores, pack envelopes for my dad's coming up training, and make steenstra bars for the fellowship dinner tomorrow (which I have yet to find out if they turned out, because we will only know when we try to cut them tomorrow ). Later on today we might go swimming in the pool across the street if it doesn't rain, but it is only 70 degrees out!!!!!!!!!! It is a high of 68 tomorrow and a high of 65 for Labor Day. Can you believe it?!?!? Here comes fall rolling in with the start of school (which, may I mention, is TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!). Things are going pretty great, well, as can be expected. Last night we watched Akeelah and the Bee, which I have been wanting to get ever since I saw it at the $2 theater, but it just came out Tuesday. So we all watched it, and my dad said it was one of the better movies he has seen in a long while. I really like it. Well, thats about all for now. God Bless,