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.