busyness....

I feel like there is less and less activity in my brain these days...I would like to say the baby is sucking up my brain cells...but I suppose that is not the case. So it seems my posts are more facts than anything else right now. Maybe they will get more interesting in a few weeks.

In the meantime....

We got back from Kansas a week ago and are busy with kids ministry here and final preparations for our Indiana trip and the new baby. I am so glad Melissa is here visiting and helping out with children's ministry. She has taken over my kids time responsibilities for now while I try to focus on getting things ready to head out in 3 weeks or so.

Jim is leaving this weekend for California for about a week. He will be taking a family out there to visit family and take care of some other things. They have asked him to go along and hopefully it will be a time of growing and learning amidst potential difficulties.

To update on the serger, we got the part that was needed and it works beautifully. I made swimsuits for the girls and Tara sewed an apron and did a great job. Sometime I will try to get some pics on here of some of our projects. I am thrilled to actually have a serger that works, it is a blessing.

For now I need to get my rest.

Pics, Kansas, childrens ministry....

Just a quick update since I have limited time on the internet...

We said goodbye to Linda and her boys after 10 days with them. I hated to see them go, yet I know they needed to get back. We so enjoyed spending time with them and doing some sight seeing too.

Last week we also started up a 9-11am program for the children since we have so many hanging out up here. It has made things a bit busier, but they seem to really enjoy it. We have been having it Tuesday through Friday.

We have sensed a need to visit Kansas and the family that we brought here in May...so Monday we drove out here to Kansas. It has been good to be here even though it is a bit wet. Jim has some work here that he is keeping busy with.

Bryce teaching Andrew guitar.

Linda, Andrew and Izayah at the Grand Canyon

Izayah loved Sharayah

At Coal Mine Canyon

happenings

Last week we went to watch the Toews' son Jeremy take off in a Moody plane from the Polacca airstrip. He is just finishing up 5 years at Moody and was on a cross-country flight. Just before we got there we saw a small plane up-side-down beside the road. We later found out the story. The guy was flying and realized he forgot to put the oil cap on before he took off. He decided to land on the highway since he didn't know exactly where the Polacca airstrip was, (just a few hundred yards away) After landing the rangers blocked the road for him while he got a ride to the store for oil, put a makeshift cap on and he was ready to go. Well, he failed to double check his runway (highway) On take-off his wing hit a road sign and caused him to flip over into the ditch. hmmm...not having a good day? But he acted like it was just another day at the park.

Jim has been doing some sewing machine repair lately. He actually had my serger in several pieces, to "oil" it, (sound familiar?) and it is now back together with no extra pieces. I am pleased and excited. We ordered a part that we're waiting on and then we will see how it runs. I'll have to keep you posted.

Sergery on the Serger

Tara turned 12 this week and on her birthday we went in to Flagstaff to get some things and took her to ride horse. She really enjoyed it. She is growing up and I really enjoy hearing from her heart and watching her take the initiative to do things that need doing around here. She will be a big help to me in a few months I'm sure.

Lizards!

Hungry?

We are looking forward to friends from Indiana coming this Sunday. Linda and her 2 boys will be coming by train and staying for about 10 days.

Well that is the most recent happenings here.

Summer days

It has been a challenge to keep up since we got back. Summer has arrived and there is a lot of children/youth in the yard. Since it has been so full we have needed to spend a lot of time out with them just to supervise. It gives great opportunity to minister to them on occasion - at least when they are in the mode of asking questions - other days it seems to be mostly crowd control.

We are trying to fit some school in as well. The school has been pretty sporadic. Another project we have been trying to plug away at is just reorganizing shelves, cupboards and etc. It would be a great time to have a yard sale to get rid of all these things we're finding that we don't actually need. All of this will hopefully help make more room around here to add another one to our nest. I guess we will just add to the coziness of our house. :-)

The pregnancy is going great and we are getting more excited all the time. As it turns out we will probably have the baby in Indiana so about the middle of August we will head east.

An update - the family that settled in Kansas is doing really good. We continue to see them grow and they are really connecting in the community there with Bible studies, etc.

And now for some pics...We had friends here from Denver for a day and we did some hiking behind the village.

This is the waterfall into the canyon at the bottom of our driveway after about an inch of rain in 20 minutes. (Unheard of for here) To see the rainbow go to Bryce's blog. Even though the rainbow pics don't capture what it was really like. At the top center it seemed as if there was an echo of rainbow below it. (if that's possible) We could see all 7 colors very vividly.

Burning tumble weeds.

Our homemade earthboxes.

Because of all the rain we've had the Mulberry tree was loaded. Here we are harvesting some. Jim would climb the tree and shake them down.

We now have several bags in the freezer. Nice!

some pics

Sharayah and the parakeet.

Sharayah boating in half of an upside-down car top carrier.

Tara and Bryce helped in the greenhouse in Perkins Oklahoma.

This and the following pics were taken at Old Mill Park in Arkansas. This is the site of the filming of Gone With the Wind.

Home Again

We arrived home late Thursday night. It was a long trip (6 1/2 weeks) but it was a blessing as well. We met so many people that were such a blessing and encouragement to us.

We were able to see the family that we took along get settled in a christian community that we feel very good about. They have connected there and have other believers that are coming alongside them already and it has been a real encouragement for them. We saw so much growth in their christian walk just in the 6 1/2 weeks we had together with them on the road as we sought the Lord for direction concerning their future. We are continuing to pray for them as they start up in their own home for the first time.

We are still getting settled back into things here so it seems like there is a lot to do. I hope to add some pics soon, but for now I need to get situated here.

On the Road

Well, it has been over a month now since we left home. We have stopped in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and are curerntly in Oklahoma. We will be heading back up to Kansas in the next couple days. Not sure yet when we will be heading back home.

It has been a really good trip – a time of making new friends, fellowshipping, working alongside the families we have stayed with and seeing God at work in lives. I have to say we are a bit road weary and long to be home in some ways, but it seems God has not released us to return yet. We continue to walk beside the family that came with us and seek God with them for their future. We would appreciate your prayers for all of us. It has truly been a blessed trip, having 2 families travel closely together for a month, God has sustained us.

Along the way we have had little internet access so who knows when I will post again.