2016: A Year in Review

(A note from Roma: for many years, my sister Bianca was the one who ran our family blog. But she has moved on to the college and adult stage of life. So I have been asked to take over. Let’s see if I remember everything she taught me about how to launch a post! J)

2016 really was a great year. There were unplanned adventures for some of us, uneventful days for others, and plenty of going about the usual mundane routine around the house. Which is not a bad thing. Sometimes the day-to-day things seem small and insignificant, but God can use those times to teach you lessons, give you peace and rest, or whatever you need. The days are long but the years are so short! Which is why I hope and pray that we all “fix our eyes on the things that are unseen, because what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:18.)

We siblings kicked off 2016 by ice skating with Bianca’s special man, Jessie. What a fun way to start off year! Winter was spent driving around doing photo shoots (our favorite thing to do around here); a surprise trip to Texas for us girls; hanging out with friends; hosting a really sweet missionary family from Ethiopia (another thing our family likes to do as often as possible—we love missionaries!) and celebrating our Mom’s birthday. And Josiah was playing a lot of basketball as well. (And still enjoys it today! A post about that will be coming up soon!)

Bianca and Jessie on a cold photo shoot I took them on. But worth it!

Going to Texas to reunite with friends was the best Christmas present from sissy ever. Thank you Bianca!

SPRING TIME came, which meant joining a large homeschool coop for the first time in a long time. This coop has come in handy for doing fun classes and educational classes (so that if we cover those subjects there, we don’t have to cover them at home!) We’ve made new friends, gone on fun field trips, and have done other fun activities such as bonfires and barn dances. It’s a very neat group with lots of God-fearing home school families. We celebrated Easter and Josiah’s birthday, and for spring break, my Mom’s parents came for a nice long visit. We watched the amazing film: RISEN. (Joseph Fiennes.) If you haven’t seen this film, it’s a must. Then came Ruby and my birthday, and what our recent blog post was about—the awesome road trip U.S.A to Missouri, Virginia, Tennessee, and…I’m pretty sure we hit other states too. That was a highlight this past year, seeing and meeting relatives and friends. Read about that here.

Barn dancing with homeschool kids and parents. We got lots more people to come out on the floor later—don’t let the picture fool you! J

This was Easter Sunday. What you don’t know is that I had to walk across the street, climb a big ladder, (first carry the big ladder up and down our super long curvy driveway) and cut this branch from a high tree to capture this photo. The things I go through to get the perfect picture that says SPRING. J

SUMMER TIME! Sports camp at our church; Bianca going to Colorado with her man and his entire family on vacation; and Ben doing ministry in Guatemala for a whole month! Life changing for him. Halfway through his internship, I Face-Timed him and showed him my passport. I was going to join him for one week! It was unexpected—I went with our old church in TX, replacing someone who couldn’t go, so I went for free. I was thrilled! Other summer activities included more photo shoots just for fun, and splashing in the sun at a water park. We experienced crazy weather and having to take shelter in a public building as soon as we had finished swimming; a 4-day power outage in the heat of July; and car problems multiple times, including when we were all dressed up for a photo shoot. But it was still a fun summer. We even got to visit the people who now live in our old house in TX and saw the house again!

Ben and I at the top of Cerro de la Cruz in Antigua, Guatemala, Sacatepequez. My most favorite part of 2016!

Josiah, Mom, and Rubia cooling off one warm July day. Perfect weather. Right before the weather drastically changed and we took shelter at the drug company Bianca works at because of tornado warnings, some serious strong wind and rain. J

FALL TIME brought us enough left-over vacation days to head to Ohio in September to spend time with the Puerto-Rican relatives. It included a day in Amish Country, a wonderful stage production, good food, a cute market and hiking. Still very hot weather at this point, and not very many fall colors yet, but that’s okay. In October, we had our Third Annual Cobbler party at our house and it was delightful! Perfect. Our favorite outreach that we do every year. It included over 80 guests, a tree swing, two piñatas, cobbler and ice cream and fellowship. I pray that the Lord uses these events for His glory! For Thanksgiving, we had all the relatives come and see us again just like last Thanksgiving! So fun to have all these people in the house, reflecting on the goodness of God and Jesus Christ.

Cobbler party fun—breaking into the piñatas!

“Bio” (Abuelo) and Rubia enjoying guitar together over Thanksgiving break when all the relatives flew down. Mikey is enjoying a snooze.

And now I will just skip over to Christmas vacation in Ohio with the relatives, amazing Puerto Rican food, (are you starting to see a pattern here?) chocolate, lights, music, laughter, my teenage cousin doing that weird dance he used to do as a toddler, and singing and candlelight service and telling the story of the birth of Christ…I didn’t want it to end, but it did and we just got back recently and have unpacked and are doing a lot of laundry!

Everyone in Abuelo and Abuela’s living room after presents had been opened.

So, that was 2016! I realize most of our blog readers have probably read a lot of these things in the beautiful Christmas letter my Mom composed and mailed to all y’all, so this post is mainly for people who don’t get our letter, and also to just sum up this past year.

To close, I will share with y’all my personal goal for 2017. I want to write down on blank sheet calendars for 365 days, 12 months, 52 weeks—what I am thankful for. I am learning how thankfulness can fight so many sins—anxiety, worry, jealousy, covetousness, selfishness, etc. It can also humble me, as I realize how much God provides, protects, and blesses in one single day. It helps me to not focus on what I don’t have, but on what I do have: this peaceful, 10-acre lot with cats and a dog, chickens and roosters, lots of wooded areas, gorgeous sunsets, my parents, four best friends, and friends coming to visit soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, and I hope 2017 is filled with blessings, life changing moments, adventures, hope, peace, love, and joy, and a deeper relationship with God.

~Roma (and the rest of the clan)

Virginia 2016

~Posted by: Roma

We recently got back from a really awesome vacation! It was a much needed one. J I am so thankful we were able to finally return to Virginia after six years. If you have been reading our blog for a really long time, you may remember that we all went to VA in the spring of 2010. We spent one whole week visiting family (many were relatives we kids had never met before) and exploring Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, and then another week in Washington D.C seeing all the sights. Since then, we often talked about going back to Virginia, but hadn’t been able to for various reasons. Well, six years later, we were finally able to pack our bags and take a road trip! Praise God!

This time we did not go to D.C at all, nor Williamsburg or Jamestown. This time, the main goal was to see our dear Aunt Gladys, who is now 91 years old, and there were also lots of other relatives and friends we wanted to make sure we would see! Most of this trip was time spent in the car driving—from OK to MO, from MO to TN, from TN to VA, driving from town to town in VA (because the relatives are spread out) and then driving from VA to TN, then TN to HOME! (Yes—a lot of driving. In a minivan with exactly seven seats and a trailer hitched to the back. But we made it! t’s a good thing we love each other because we needed to be squished together for days--ha!

Our first stop was…Branson Missouri! For awhile now, we have been wanting to go to the Sight and Sound Theater in Branson to see the production of “Moses.” Sight and Sound is incredible—they have a theater in Branson and in Lancaster PA, with Christian actors and actresses who do a fantastic job bringing the Bible to life! Our good friends, the S family from Texas, wanted to see Moses as well, and so we road-tripped up there with them to see the production, and hang out together afterwards. We had so much fun with the S family, we are determined to make this a tradition! J After the show, we all went out for BBQ together, and then since we were all staying in the same hotel, we hung out in the lobby late into the night playing a card game. So much fun!

The next day, the S family headed back to TX and we hit the road again and headed to TN for one night, and then on to Virginia.

The first stop in VA was Danville. We went to my Dad’s cousin Bill’s house to have dinner with him, his wife Becky, their daughter Monica, Monica’s three girls Kayla, Bethany, and Hannah, and Kayla’s daughter Logan. Lots of family! J We hadn’t seen Cousin Bill since our Grandma Ruby’s funeral and so it was a happy reunion to see him again. As for everyone else, it had been six years and so everyone has grown so much!

We had a yummy cookout that night and caught up on all the news. Next morning, we all went to Cousin Bill and Becky’s church and then out to lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant.

After saying our goodbyes to Cousin Bill, we headed over to see Aunt Gladys. When we got to her house, however, we saw a note taped on the door. “I’ve been waiting to see you all since noon. It is now 4. I am at ______ restaurant if you want to meet me there.” Apparently, there had been a miscommunication, and while we were still hanging out with Cousin Bill, poor Aunt Gladys was all ready and waiting for us! (Southern people are very patient.) So Dad found the restaurant on his GPS and we were off to chase down Aunt Gladys, LOL! We found her and her daughter Patsy and our Cousin Cynthia all at the restaurant. So we sat down and ate, and afterward we all went back to the house to visit.

This is a blurry picture, but it is precious. Aunt Gladys is one special lady! All of her siblings, including our Grandma, have all passed on, and she is the only one left in that generation. She is strong-spirited, candid, southern, and full of spunk. And we love her! She still drives her own car, lives alone, walks around with no cane or walker or anything, and when I started to feel nauseous that evening and was sipping water, she came marching into the room and declared, “She shouldn’t be drinking water! Diet Pepsi will help!” So she gave me some and sure enough I felt much better! How did she know Pepsi would help? J I miss chatting with her and Patsy and Cynthia about politics, religion, family, and memories already.

On Monday—Memorial Day—it was time to go see cousin Em! We checked out of our hotel in Danville and started driving towards Richmond. Last time we came to VA to see Em, his wife Lois was still with us. Cousin Lois passed away a few years ago, but Cousin Em recently remarried, to a wonderful woman named Irma, and he moved out of his home into Irma’s condo. So we were reunited with Em and met Irma for the first time. We love her! She is a very pleasant lady with a neat background so we enjoyed talking with her. After dinner at Cracker Barrel, we took a tour of their beautiful home and landscape outside, and spent some time just visiting. Then goodbyes were said.

Ruby trying to get near the baby goose at Cracker Barrel. I don’t think mama goose appreciated that as much so she and Ruby are making eye-contact right now. J There were also lots of ducks there that cousin Em and we kids enjoyed watching while relaxing on the rocking chairs!

And that wraps up Dad’s side of the family. Now it was time to go to bed and get ready to meet our friends the W family the next day!

Enjoying time with the W family in the living room—here Bianca and Rubia are with Alexis, Kimber, Cassilyn, and Lydia. They were the sweetest girls!

Dad and Bianca met Mr. W and Alexis at a Father-Daughter Retreat in Georgia many years ago, and we kept up with their family through social media for many years, but it was so wonderful to finally meet them all in person! They homeschool like us and we are similar in many ways. My parents really enjoyed talking with Mr. and Mrs. W, Caleb got to hang out with Ben, and Josiah loved playing with their son Josiah!!! J They showed us their rabbits, cats, dog, chickens, and cows—we took a walk together to a horse farm and back, and enjoyed lots of fellowship. I hope we see their family again!

We have gained lots of new friends. J

And last but not least, the next day we drove to Quantico to see some of Mom’s side of the family. After 6 years, 5 months, and 5 days (YES—I figured out exactly how long it had been) we got to see Mom’s Marine cousin Matt and his family again! We love our cousin Matt and we were very excited. We went to their house and saw Matt, his wife Courtney, and their kids—sweet little Cross and precious baby Charlie. Cousin Mark (Matt’s brother) was also there with a friend, and our Titi Wanda, Matt and Mark’s Mom, lives there as well.

Besides Matt and Courtney’s house, we also toured Titi Wanda’s apartment next door, saw the chickens and horses, and then all went out to eat at Golden Corral. Afterward we came back to the house to visit for a while.

Our time with all our relatives was definitely too short. L But I am still so thankful we got to see so many of them. (Despite the fact that Josiah and I sat in Urgicare during this vacation due to bad coughs and congestion, and I struggled with motion sickness on Day One of the trip. But God is still good! We made it through the whole road trip A-Okay and had lots of fun.)

We also turned the road trip home into a fun occasion! Driving out of VA, we stopped for a tour of Michie’s Tavern, which was fascinating! Next we stopped in the music city for a whole day of family fun! Our day in Nashville included: getting a tour of the Carnton Plantation, owned by the wealthy McGavock family during the civil war; eating lunch at a delicious local bbq place; exploring a toy store with over 20,000 toys in it, and relaxing outside over refreshments at a very hipster coffee shop.

When we got back to our suite, we all jumped into the outdoor pool and hot tub and then got into an intense volleyball game in the water—just the seven of us! It was so nice! That day made me very grateful for the family God has put me in. I love all of them!

This GPS (Maggie) really came in handy during our road trip. If you look closely, my Dad turned the little car on it into an airplane. That is the inner private-pilot coming out in him. J

So, after 10 days, thousands of miles, 6 hotels, family, friends, laughter, lots of food, and making new memories—our road trip came to an end. We have so many other GREAT pictures I would post here, but it would make this blog post way too long. I hope we get to see all those people again soon, Lord-willing, and it was great to just be able to get away from normal life for awhile and do something different! And, to combine Ben’s, Rubia’s and my birthday trip all into one trip. What a great vacation.

Moments For Sisters

Mount Vernon, VA, 5 years ago. I am right in the middle—

not only in this picture, but in birth order too.

~Posted by Rubia

 

The title of this post is taken from a book one of my sisters and I were given for our 12^th birthday, several years ago.

 

Most of you faithful blog readers know that there are 5 kids in this family, and in that 5 is a trio of girls! (Girls rule.)

 

I have been pondering lately about the relationships specifically between the three of us. What does it look like and what should it look like? Is it the same at home as it looks in public?

 

First off, I am thankful for my sisters. In fact, I am grateful for my whole family. I know that God intentionally hand-picked each family member. I know that He intentionally has us children in the birth order that we are in. Why do I believe that? Because He is sovereign. (Psalm 139:1-18.) And why might I believe that I am in the very middle? Here’s one practical reason: The experience with older siblings and younger siblings is exactly equal: 2 above me, and 2 under me. So, what? Well, I believe that God knew exactly what I was going to be like, and knew that I would need equal experience with siblings. I specifically needed to learn what it feels like to be a younger sibling, and also learn what it takes to be an older sibling.

My older sister Bianca (at age 4) holding me.

Self examination part 1: As a younger sister to an older sister: So how am I doing? I often think. This is not easy. How does it sometimes feel? I ask. Are hurt feelings or feelings of being bossed-around or less important ever my fault? My answer is actually yes!

 

I admire Bianca. She is a good daughter, sister, friend and student in her life. She is busy. She is ambitious. She is an avid reader. She is always learning. She is wise. She is passionate about being godly.

 

The question dawns on me: Do I think that maybe sometimes she has a hard time dealing with a younger sister (like me) who’s feisty, not always thoughtful, asks her for things, takes up her time, and takes over her bathroom? With her godliness and wisdom, she shouldn’t have an issue, but in spite of who I am, she might sometimes. (Guys, I’m not always sure what words describe me.)

 

What do I strive to practice and encourage other younger sisters to practice? Girls, let’s seek the Lord, and grow in being who HE is. Jesus was not a younger sister, but He was a sibling. We don’t know much of His childhood—only that He was perfect. Are we perfect? No. BUT when we have the Holy Spirit in us, we can daily become more like Christ. We can take on His characteristics. What is He like? He is everything that true love is. See 1 Corinthians chapter 13. I am memorizing it right now.

We blew it again. How much longer is time out?

Self examination part 2: As an older sister to a younger sister: I used to think that Roma and I only being 7 minutes apart did make a difference! J Now I believe that in maturity it doesn’t. Rather, the difference is in who we are. We are twins with obvious similarities, but we are also different people. People who make mistakes. People who love each other more than anyone else but also occasionally hurt each other, or even, believe it or not, misunderstand each other. Here’s one thing I’ve learned: I better not try to talk to her at 5:00 in the morning. I’m a morning gal, but even then my brain is not completely on and oftentimes, I end up saying the wrong words from my bed, which brings me grief later. (Unless both of us completely forget the conversation, since it was too early!)

 

Roma is a pure sweetheart. She is innocent, peaceful, and sensitive. She is my best friend above all others. Yet we are different. So sometimes I communicate with her in the wrong way. Sometimes my bad day spoils her good day. Sometimes the thoughts and feelings in my heart spoil her perfect cheerfulness and contentment.

 

What do I strive to practice and encourage other older sisters (or twins) to practice? Girls, be sensitive to your younger sisters’ (or twin sisters’) feelings. Be careful when communicating. Spend lots of time with her, but leave her alone when she needs it. Be enduring—be patient. Find her love language and demonstrate it to her with your best effort.

 

Jewish proverb: “Those who tease you, love you.”

(Left to right) Bianca, Roma, Rubia.

That proverb was one I took from the small book I mention called “Moments for Sisters” by Robert Strand. Great little read! Another amazing book I am working my way through is “Making Brothers and Sisters Your Best Friends” by Sarah, Stephen, and Grace Mally.

 

Q. What is a Parent’s dream for their children?

A. Of course, one would think, “Best friends!”

Q. Does that usually happen?

A. Well…..it’s a rare gem.

Q. But is that possible?

A. This blog post was meant to tell you, “Yes!!!”

Q. What do I believe to be one of the most powerful testimonies to one’s Christian faith?

A. The way he/she values/treats family! Why? Because the way he values his immediate family is the way he values his church family, which is the body of Christ. And if there is unity in the body of Christ, we can expect to be able to effectively communicate the Gospel.

 

Scripture references: Psalm 133:1; Prov. 11:24-25, 12:16; Prov. 14:26, 29-30; Prov. 15:23; Prov. 17:17; 1 Cor. 13; 1 Thess. 5:11; Matt. 5:7-9, 7:3, 20:26-28; Luke 23:34a.

 

Bible stories: Gen. 4; Gen. 27:41, chap. 33; Gen. 45; Matt. 18:21-35.

 

2012: An Epic Year

~Posted by Ben

I’ve been thinking a lot about what I was going to post today. At the very last minute--with my sister needing the post--I still couldn’t think of what I wanted to do. So I started looking through pictures, particularly pictures from 2012. I’ve always called 2012 the “twelve month rollercoaster.” For some odd reason, more events and more change in our family took place in 2012 than in any other years of our lives. I could tell you all about it, but instead I will take you through that year chronologically and show you just what took place in our lives during that busy year.



Ironically, the most busy year of our lives started off very uneventfully. Almost nothing major happened for the first 4 months. In mid-April our extended family went on a week-long Royal Caribbean Cruise.

Although we don’t have many pictures from after the cruise until July, several things happened. In May our Pastor announced that he was moving to Houston, Texas; I attended a week long leadership summit (National Youth Leadership Training or NYLT); our church did VBS; and we attended the funeral of my late great-uncle R. The above picture is our Haiti mission team. We were in Haiti from July 22-29. This was perhaps the most significant thing that happened during that summer. Our lives and perspectives of global poverty were absolutely transformed during the week we got to serve in Haiti.

I might also add that before our Haiti trip our family gathered in the living room for a very serious discussion. My dad announced that he was prayerfully considering leaving his 18 year career and pursuing an engineering job at a smaller company. At that time he was in job negotiations with companies in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas. But he was still undecided whether or not to leave his current job.



My Dad and I at the top of Pikes Peak in Colorado.

In late August, my Dad and I attended Vision Forum’s annual Father/Son retreat in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Many great memories were made during this special time with my Dad. I’m so grateful we had the opportunity to do this together!

In September my Dad officially accepted the job in Texas and resigned from his current job. He moved down here in mid October while the rest of us stayed in Michigan waiting for the house to sell.



Our home sold in 40 days! We were so grateful that it did not take too long.

Our stuff leading the way!

During our last days in Michigan, we got to see A LOT of people to say our last goodbyes. Here are some pictures:

Our “Framily” (Friends/family) the B’s.



Some more “Framily,” the M’s.

The Bright Lights group.

And so many more great friends…..

Our dear friends and fellow homeschoolers, the R’s.



Our friends from church, Mr. C and Mr. R.

Our wonderful youth director from church, Mr. K.



Our assistant youth director, Mr. J.

Our Worship Pastor, S.

And then early one morning……

All aboard!!!

And we’re off!

And so we embarked on a journey, and that journey would lead us….



Home.

Christmas 2012.

 

And so our journey came to an end, as 2012 was gone and 2013 had come. Not everything in 2012 was good; our grandparents' health continued to deteriorate until their deaths in January and February of the following year. Our church in Michigan went through some difficult times in the summer and spring. And as often happens in the course of life, we had to say goodbye to some friends and family who had been ushered into eternity. Overall, 2012 was a big year of change. But through it all, God was with us. The year 2012 is no doubt a year that will be remembered by our family forever. God taught us so many things, and we made so many long-lasting friendships. I wouldn’t ever take back one moment lived during that epic year of our lives!

One Year

One year ago today, my Grandma became a citizen of heaven. We are so grateful for the time we were blessed to have her here on earth, but we couldn’t be more comforted knowing she is free from her pain and rejoicing before the throne of God. We miss you and love you, Grandma!

Aviation Memories

~ posted by Ben

When I was about 5 years old, my father got his private pilot’s license. A lot of Dads spend their time with their sons hunting, fishing, or doing projects in the garage. And although those are all great hobbies, as a kid I always thought my dad had the best hobby of all! J I loved going up with him in his Cessna 172. I got to know a lot about how a small plane runs, takeoff procedures, and plane maintenance.

I had the pleasure of getting to know the men in Dad’s flying club: Mr. Richard, Mr. Bert, Mr. Ken, and later Dr. James. I also got to know Dad’s flying instructor, Mr. Decker, an aerobatics flyer in the local annual air show. Speaking of the annual airshow, that’s another thing my sister and I accompanied Dad to. Although it was small, it was still a lot of fun! Dad also took me to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo several times and to the US Air Force Museum in Dayton OH.

Of all the Aviation activities I experienced, nothing beat simply flying with Dad. I remember when I was 6 or 7, we were flying along, when all of a sudden he let go of the controls, looked at me, and said “she’s your plane.” I quickly grabbed the controls and flew with butterflies in my stomach until he took over! J I used to enjoy it when my dad would do “ups and downs” in the plane. When the plane goes steeply down, you get a floating sensation in your stomach and even begin to float off your seat slightly. Then when you pull back up, you feel like a 200-pound man is sitting in your lap.

As a little kid I begged my dad to do ups and downs, and would laugh in enjoyment when he would! Then all of a sudden, for reasons I myself never knew, I developed a distaste for that. I don’t know if it was a bad dream or what, but from then on I would wail for my Dad to stop the “ups and downs.” But I still enjoyed flying with him.

Here in Texas, my dad has yet to join a flying club. But when he does, I will look forward to more memories made in the sky with my favorite Dad!

1 Year Ago

 

~Posted by Roma

 

It’s been a whole year since Grandpa A went to heaven to be with Jesus forever. And that year went by quickly.

 

I remember the last time I saw him alive—Christmas 2012. The last song I sang with him—O Come All Ye Faithful--which is why I love the song so much. He seemed to know his time was coming—even though the rest of us didn’t know it. But he wasn’t afraid to die. He was ready.

 

But sometimes I don’t feel like I was ready for him to go. I can see myself pounding my fists right now. “It isn’t fair! I didn’t get to say goodbye! I don’t feel like I can even move on without him—I need him! I didn’t get a chance to tell him what a great Grandpa he was!”

 

But God knew his time had to come—even before Grandpa was born that October of 1927—that his day had to be January 17, 2013. I can only thank God for His sovereignty and that he chose Grandpa to belong to Him. I can only be thankful for the 13 almost 14 years I did spend with him. Many a time I wish my life could be over and I could just go be with him right now. But Grandpa would probably tell me that he wants me to keep going—to live my life, to the fullest.

 

He was a great husband, father, grandfather, patriarch, courageous leader, strong Christian, Koren War veteran, and lover of Jesus Christ. Humble and loving. A quiet southern man, who made a great impact on all of our lives.

 

 

 

I will always miss him.

Flashback Memories

~Posted by Roma~

I was surprised when Bianca told me recently that I had run out of room on the computer to store the rest of my Puerto Rico pictures and videos into my folder. I decided that now was the time to get into my folder and delete unnecessary pictures!! I bought my camera in the spring of 2011. It was amazing to go through all the pictures I’ve taken since then and see all that we’ve done! (And yes—I deleted quite a few…3 pictures of the same object, blurry photos…you know, those kind of things-.)J I wanted to share today some of the precious memories we have saved—many of which you may recognize from older blog posts—plus squeeze in some old Michigan nature photos. I never realized how much I love Michigan until I left it. J And we miss it.

Oh, those days in 2011, when our house flooded from 2^nd to 1^st floor and we had to stay in hotels all the time!

Making Violet and Dandelion jelly is something we miss. I miss this pink shirted girl, as well!

I’m never going to let y’all forget this blog post! J (More than one blog post, to be more exact.)

This mountain, and my Haitian brothers and sisters I will Never. Forget.

Worship Dance…

Michigan fall time and babysitting this girl…

Sittin’ round Grandma and Grandpa’s house…

Back of our old house.

Birthday fun…J

A special gathering. These friends are precious to us!

I had. to put this adorable picture. The shirt Bianca is wearing is a shirt Ruby and I have now. It’s amazing how much you change in a few short years. (My teeth…so different!) J

I could seriously post so much more, but should probably stop for now. Enjoy every moment, of every day, and rejoice in the LORD every day for the day He has given! I will have to do a whole other post on nature pictures some other time—I have lots of those too! Until then….God Bless!