tHis family tree: We tried...we will try again

Last week was one of the busiest weeks we have had in a while. Seemed like non-stop activity. Keith has found a job!! He will be doing some construction-type stuff and not sure what all else yet. It will definitely help out with the finances. God has been so good to provide for us. I already miss him being around so much, though. With that, it means he has to take the van (our only vehicle), which makes our days interesting if I need it as well.

Thursday night we were privileged to eat with a couple of the families from This Hope. A singing group that are members of FBCW. We had them at the last church we were a part of and have also heard them sing at different conferences. They are very talented and they all came from Alaska! Stephen (our 3 year old) has one of them and his sweet wife as his cubbies teacher on Wednesday night. He was super excited to get to eat with them. He loves his class and I love to see his big smile when I mention their names. We had a fantastic time. Such sweet-spirited people.

After that evening I asked Keith to please not make any plans to go anywhere Friday and Saturday, unless he really felt like we needed to. I was exhausted and needed to catch up with things here around the house. So, that is what we did. And, it was a good and refreshing time just hanging out here with everyone kind of doing their own thing and then coming together and playing games and romping around in the woods, frying a turkey, watching GA beat Kentucky and that super-duper long kiss that Coach Richt gave his wife (ha!). I could read his lips right after the game as the camera was up close on his face. He said, "Where is my wife?" That is the first person he wanted to see and celebrate with. It was special, I thought.

Of course, we had great services yesterday. Keith and I said several times how thankful we are for a healthy body of believers and the presence of God that we feel during the worship time and also our Sunday School classes. Our prayer is that more churches will become this for all those people out there who desperately need it. Because really, it is Christ reaching out to those He loves.

Well, I will end with a few pics of Saturday. Our kids wanted a fire in the fireplace so bad that they got up early, put on a coat, scarf, and mittens, and headed outside to the woods. They had to climb a steep hill and together they collected a big box of sticks and also a few logs that they found. It took them quite a while and they were very proud of all their hard work. You can imagine the disappointment that night when their daddy told them it was too warm to build a fire.

This is where I had to step in. I pulled him to the side and asked him to please start one. Even if we had to open the windows and doors. Even if we had to get in shorts. Even if it would make us sweat. These kids had worked hard! The pictures should speak of themselves.