What a busy week!

I had Monday off for my anniversary and the rest of the week has been reeeeally busy! The local schools are on spring break so we've had lots of kids at the library. Tuesday we had a craft day for them. We've been planning and preparing crafts for over a month and it was a great success! There were 61 kids in attendance and each of them got to make at least 6 crafts to take home.
Today my home school group met at the library. They surprised me with a "thank you" cake! What a great bunch of kids and moms. They're so much fun...it makes the work worthwhile! I hope you enjoy the photos!

Craft Day at the library 

Honour & Christa 

Rebecca & Beth...both home schooling moms 

Home school moms, Christa & Dana 

Home school mom, Rebecca 

Faithlin & Kayla 

Alan & Kendra 

Mat, Kourtney, Nathan & Kira 

Joey & Champ 

Thank you cake from my Home school moms! 

Weekend with the kids...

We had a great time in Michigan this weekend. Molly, Myron and Betsy, & Joel and Wendy took us to a Japanese Restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. It was so much fun to watch the chef prepare the food right in front of us...it was really entertaining. Everything was delicious...at the end he started flipping food at us...supposedly aiming for our mouths but food was landing everywhere! Molly and I had shrimp in our hair and Wendy had it down her back! But it was a great time. Saturday night we went to Joel and Wendy's church for a wonderful communion service. Joel played his guitar and sang with the worship band. It's always wonderful to see him sing and using his talent to praise the Lord. He had to play for the 2nd service too so Wendy took all of us to TGIF for dessert! Wow...we sure ate well this weekend...too well! It was a sweet time with Wendy...we didn't have a lot of time together but hope to get with them real soon. John and I drove back Sunday so we could spend today together alone...our 35th anniversary! God has richly blessed us!

Letters from war...

Here's a picture of my sweet soldier boy taken in 1967 in Viet Nam.
I've been listening to songs by Mark Schultz. His songs really touch my heart. Here are the lyrics to one that really makes me cry:






Letters From War

She walked to the mailbox
On that bright summer's day
Found a letter from her son
In a war far away
He spoke of the weather
And good friends that he'd made
Said I'd been thinking 'bout dad
And the life that he had
That’s why I'm here today
And at the end he said
You are what I'm fighting for
It was the first of the letters from war
She started writing
You're good and you're brave
What a father that you'll be someday
make it home
make it safe
She wrote every night as she prayed
Late in December
A day she'll not forget
Oh her tears stained the paper
With every word that she read
It said "I was up on a hill
I was out there alone
When the shots all rang out
And bombs were exploding
And that’s when I saw him
He came back for me
And though he was captured
A man set me free
And that man was your son
He asked me to write to you
I told him I would, oh I swore
It was the last of the letters from war
And she prayed he was living
Kept on believing
And wrote every night just to say
You are good
And you're brave
what a father that you'll be someday
Make it home
Make it safe
Still she kept writing each day
Then two years later
Autumn leaves all around
A car pulled in the driveway
And she fell to the ground
And out stepped a captain
Where her boy used to stand
He said "Mom I'm following orders
From all of your letters
And I've come home again";
He ran in to hold her
And dropped all his bags on the floor
Holding all of her letters from war
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home

A new week...

Wow...last week was a full one. It was so much fun to have Molly and Betsy here. Even though I had to work, we still had lots of time to play with her and enjoy each new moment with her. By the weekend they were feeling much better...John was starting to mend...then I caught the virus on Saturday. Fortunately it didn't hit me as hard as John so I haven't had to miss any work. I'm just not feeling the greatest...coughing and sneezing. I'm doing all I can to not miss work so I'll have the paid days off at the end of the month. We're going to celebrate our 35th anniversary with the kids in Michigan!!! I sure hope Joel and Wendy are free then...they keep so busy with work and church that it's hard to get together with them. My friend, Heather, who lives in Okinawa had her baby this weekend! Ayden Josiah! I'm so happy for her...she has 3 adorable little girls too. We met on Blogspot and really enjoy keeping in touch. It's time to go to work...may the Lord bless and keep all my "readers".

Betsy loves "diaper only" time! 

I can't get enough of that cute smile! 

Betsy thinks her grandpa is funny! 

Can you tell I'm feeling better? 

Betsy and Molly after a night out

Betsy & Molly

Betsy at Grandma's house

What a week it's been...

We've really loved having Molly and Betsy here this week...but it's been a tough one since they've been sick. Both are feeling better now, but John has caught the flu and had to miss 2 days of work. Myron was supposed to be on his way home from LA tonight but there was a problem with his plane so he's not sure when he'll get home now. So it looks like the girls may get to stay with us until Sunday. I'm fighting a sore throat today and praying I don't get what everyone else has caught.

Grandpa loves his little Betsy!

Betsy...Jesus will make you well...

Betsy and Molly are staying with us this week...recovering from the flu...both of them are feeling better but now John has the flu! More news later.

"Were it not for grace..."

I talked to Molly on the phone tonight...she and Myron and Betsy all have terrible colds. I wish I could be there to help care for them and to make their lives easier. I'm praying they'll be well so that they will still be able to come down next week. Molly said Betsy just wanted to be held and comforted...it's the first time she's ever had a cold. Poor baby....

I've been listening to a lot of Christian music as I'm on the computer this week and decided to make a new mixed CD. One of my new favorites is by Larnelle Harris called Were It Not For Grace. It is so meaningful to me and reminds me of His priceless gift of grace.

Time measured out my days
Life carried me along
In my soul I yearned to follow God
But knew I'd never be so strong
I looked hard at this world
To learn how heaven could be gained
Just to end where I began
Where human effort is all in vain

Were it not for grace
I can tell you where I'd be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
I know how that would go
The battles I would face
Forever running but losing the race
Were it not for grace

So here is all my praise
Expressed with all my heart
Offered to the Friend who took my place
And ran a course I could not start
And when He saw in full
Just how much His love would cost
He still went the final mile between me and heaven
So I would not be lost

Forever running but losing the race
Were it not for grace.