Yes, we are still alive...

As you may have noticed, our household seems to do better at sprints than at marathons when it comes to blogging (as well as other things -- but I try to keep those unfinished projects hidden from public knowledge as much as possible LOL). Why don't we just wrap our neglect up nicely by saying that we took the summer off? That sounds good, doesn't it? 

A LOT has happened, and we do hope to to catch you up on much of it. 

I DID get all that jam made, and will have to post the recipe that was the hands-down favorite (my husband has forbidden me to give any more of it away!!).

I spent a good part of June at the hospital with my grandfather during his last days of life. Although I miss him dreadfully, I am confident that his life is in Christ's hands, and I am thankful for the moments I had with him during those final days. I am also thankful for the ministry opportunities that abounded during that time. With the exception of the birthing floor, most people in hospitals have a clear view of humanity's physical weakness, and are wondering about what happens once we take our last breath. It's even easier to hand out gospel tracts in hospital waiting rooms than at a parade, and way easier to engage in meaningful 1-on-1 conversations. I encourage all my fellow Christians to consider this the next time you are stuck in the hospital as a patient or as the family/friend of a patient -- it may be that God has placed you there for a divine appointment with someone you may have never met otherwise. 

In July Bo competed in his first official 5K. He finished 3rd in his age group, and 9th overall. It was a small town affair, but he was thrilled and is looking forward to another race in October, Lord willing.

Bo crossing the finish line in his first 5K

A few weeks ago the boys took their own money to the hardware store and began the process of customizing their fort play set. With boards, leftover paint, coat hooks, and other items they had collected for free - along with a few dollars worth of shiny new hardware - they have done a fantastic job on this project. They need to do just a couple finishing touches, and then Bird plans to tell you all about it.

Rooster and K-Bird working on shutters for the windows on their fort

The last few weeks have been crammed with a huge "Clean Sweep" of our attic, garage, and study. It certainly goes a LOT faster on the TV show! Be that as it may, we are finally almost done, and thrilled to be so. Our prayer is that life will return to a busy routine (isn't that a wonderful word??!) and we will be able to better serve Christ and others in simplicity. 

There is a NEW blog on the horizon! My husband and I have spent the last 6 months doing the groundwork for a new business which will launch in September or October, Lord willing. I am unbelievably excited about it, while at the same time extremely intimidated and humbled by the opportunity. I can't totally spill the beans just yet, but as soon as we launch the website I will definitely post about it here. Yes, the kids and I do intend to continue blogging here about our activities, homeschool, and life on the adventure. The new blog will consist of articles written by my husband, myself, and other contributors. These articles will be written mainly for Christian parents with the hope of encouraging and equipping you to Biblically disciple your children. God certainly wouldn't have commanded parents to do the job if He hadn't given us the instructions and ability through His Spirit to do so! We pray that it will be a blessing and encouragement to those who read it, as so many resources have been to us.

(***Update on the new business and blog, as of 10/30/11: the Lord is leading us in a different direction than we had thought. We are so excited to see what He is doing in our lives. At this time we are not starting the business mentioned above, but Christian women, wives and mothers who are interested can checkout my personal blog which addresses issues we face at http://drawnfromthemire.com)

Well, as my dad says, "that's all the news that's fit to print -- and some that ain't." May the Lord bless you in the week to come!