The Best of Summer and Plans for Fall

Hi, I just wanted to put some good pictures from this summer up for you, including a couple from Rebekah's 2nd birthday which we celebrated at a park this past Saturday. It has been a beautiful summer here and even August has not been uncomfortably hot like we are told it normally is. We have enjoyed a lot of good times together as a family, though as we have been making our fall plans there have been many things to discuss.

Just to remind you, we would appreciate prayers for our house in Minneapolis to sell. This has not been an easy situation financially and we are trying to make some decisions to move in the right direction in this area of our lives, but that would really help us! We are planning on having Tim do the majority of the home-schooling this year, so that will be a change - one I don't think I mind so much! :) And I will be taking on as many piano students as I can manage in the afternoons/evenings, many of them through a local music school run out of a large church here which I will be teaching at. All three of the older kids will be in a home-school group called Classical Conversations where they will have a classroom setting with teachers, where homework and presentations will be done on a variety of subjects. It meets once every week. This group meets at our church, which we are now enjoying being only 2 blocks away from so that will be convenient! I have also joined Bible Study Fellowship and will be studying the life of Moses, while Joe and Bekah will be in the kids' preschool program for this group (which is very good and I'm excited) and Rachel and Ruth will have "study hall" at church with Daddy. The girls will continue their music lessons in violin and cello, thanks to scholarship programs and other help we've been thankful to receive during this time. And Tim is especially excited about a new Wednesday night program for the kids at our church that he is involved in where they will be learning a variety of songs, signing, and dramatic sketches as well as being taught their bible lessons.

It has been a time of praying and planning, seeking to not be anxious about anything - though I can't say we've succeeded on that - but with thanksgiving to present our requests to God! Love you all.

Vacation/Conference in Maryland!

Our family just returned from a very blessed week in Maryland. Tim had a conference out there and I tagged along to meet my Uncle Joe (my mom's "baby" brother) and my Aunt Ginger, and to see a friend from college - Grace - and to meet her family. We all stayed with my aunt and uncle in Frederick, Maryland. They were wonderful hosts and it was such a joy to get to know them and even meet some first cousins on my mom's side of the family. (I have never met any on her side until now.) So not only was Tim's worship conference a real highlight and encouragement for him, my time out there was very enjoyable and worthwhile as well. The kids are already asking when they will see Uncle Joe and Aunt Ginger again.

Some of the things we did - took all the kids to Washington D.C. via the metro which was quite an experience. Walking around in 90 degree weather on the mall, Joe commented that it was just like a big park but with no playground. He probably got the most enjoyment out of the rockets and dinosaurs we saw in museums that day, however, and he is still enjoying his space toys we got him at the Air and Space Museum.

Another day we got to drive across the Annapolis Bay Bridge to spend time at a house right on Chesapeake Bay! My friend, Grace (along with her family), happened to be house-sitting there that week. We enjoyed the time with them, the pool and hot-tub, the crab-catching even though we aren't crab eaters, and the beautiful mood-changing scenery out over the bay. We are still discussing how much a property like that must be worth! But it is always great to catch up with good friends and we were thankful for that opportunity.

A couple of things I did when Tim was at the conference was to enjoy the historic town of Frederick with my aunt and uncle - including some fun for the kids at the old governor's mansion where they got to dress up and enjoy "old-time" toys, Rachel, Uncle Joe, and I enjoyed a delightful chamber music concert at Hood College, and we had a day at a state park called "Cunningham Falls" in the Cococtin Moutains, where there was a beautiful swimming beach at a lake. The kids so enjoyed that and so did I - Minnesota, I miss your lakes!

And I probably miss you if you are reading this! It's back to reality for us now. God bless!