Missouri Trip part 2

An old fashioned 4th celebration with balloon fight, games for the kids, fireworks, homemade ice cream, and a ton of food. Thanks to the S and T families.

April, a very special lifelong friend of ours

Lily and Sarah having a great 4th

cousins Collin and William

Lily and her sweet cousin Brianna
Collin, John, and David
Friends-Tina and Emily

Lily and Joshua with cousins Isaac and Christian
Candace and John

The last part of our trip was spent in Southern Mo. where we visited with a large amount of relatives and friends. Just the nieces and nephews on Kenny's side number about 25 in the area. They are all growing up so fast. I just hate being so far away from them all. Kenny's sister and brother in law gave up their HUGE (personal joke) master bedroom for us and fed us like we were royalty. We had a big get together on the fourth and there were a zillion rowdy boys running around shooting of fireworks. The next day we went to some dear friend's house for another 4th celebration where we visited with friends we hadn't seen in 6 years. Many of these people Kenny grew up with and I met when I was in my teens. One very special girl who was our former neighbor and friend will always be a part of our lives. It was definitely a 4th of July every kid would dream of with cook outs, homemade ice cream, water balloon fight, scavenger hunt, and lots of fireworks. I think the boys were excited to come back home and set up a drum set they bought in Mo which our sweet friends, who by the way spoiled us in many ways, allowed us to store in their home for a few days. Joshua found a beautiful set of drums and now we have a little extra noise around the house.

Here in MO.

Papa's Garden
(his big tomatoes sell first at the market)

Granny posed the little ones

Sarah and their Doberman Pincher, Ace

Granny Z and the kids

Fishing on the paddle boat

We left Thursday for our 10 day visit to Missouri where we lived 11 of our 17 years of marriage and birthed 5 of our 7 children. Needless to say, we have a lot of roots here and many fond memories, especially of our little Isaac whose grave we will also be visited in a few days. We are staying near KC,MO for the first few days and then heading to Spfld. Our first night we arrived to attend our Granny's 65th birthday party where we were able to see many relatives whom we havn't seen in years. Yesterday we had a family gathering at Kenny's sisters where the kids swam and stuffed themselves full. Today we have enjoyed the farm where Granny and Papa keep cattle, horses, chickens, a pond full of fish, and a huge garden. We have been eating potatoes, onions, zucchini, green beans, eggs, steaks, and salsa all produced here on the farm. Delicious!! The sky is bigger here in Mo. and I am enjoying the countryside especially since I have begun to read The Little House series for the third time to the kids. The Ingalls' first prairie cabin is quite close to this area. Tommorow the guys will go golf and I will enjoy another relaxing day paddling the little boat around the pond and maybe take another early morning walk by myself enjoying the colors the sunrise brings to this farm on the rolling prairie.

Good Friends

Trying to take time for a weekly lake visit.

Visit from Mom and Dad

Grandma and Grandpa, who flew in from far away Phoenix, left a few days ago after spending a couple of days with us. I wish all the Grandparents lived nearby because they all have so much to offer the younger generation. I always enjoy hearing how they see the kids in comparison in remembering little Kenny. It makes me love Kenny and the little ones all the more. We spent most of our time at home since they had so much more traveling to do and it is really the best place to be if one wants to catch up with another. We did take dinner over to Kenny's Aunt and Uncle who live nearby because this Aunt and Uncle have a very special relationship with his mom and dad. The Aunt is his Mom's sister and the Uncle is his Dad's brother! His Aunt is so young that she is the same age as one of his sisters. His mom was the oldest of 10. She had 8 herself. I remember the days when we first married and they still had four teens living at home. We would sit around the table drinking a pot of coffee at their home laughing and talking till the wee hours of the morning. (talking about important issues was and still is this side of the family's favorite pastime) The young married couples would pop in and out and even crash for the weekends. We all miss those days. But now I see how good it is that they have some kind of rest from the constant activity. I know they still feel for and pray for all of their grandkids like always. We feel blessed to have them make the long trip to come see us.
I met a lady, who was ooohing and aahing the children, in the grocery store today. She ended up telling me how she was one of 16. She said they "always knew how to have a good time without pushing buttons" and she said she "taught children that praying was just talking to God like you would talk to her". She and I both got a little teary eyed as we talked about how insecure things are for most kids these days. I just feel so frustrated that we lock our old people and our young up in institutions all day when they could touch our society in so many ways. Like John Gatto , author of Dumbing us Down says, " we are not reminded of our past or think of our future" when we live like this. We live in networks and not communities. I wish I could have heard all the stories this elderly woman had stored up inside.

The Obedience of Faith -RISING ABOVE

....NOW TO HIM THAT IS OF POWER TO ESTABLISH YOU BY THE GOOD NEWS AND THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST AND BY THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE MYSTERY WHICH WAS KEPT SECRET .... BUT NOW IS MADE KNOWN AND BY THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS....AND BY THE COMMANDMENT OF THE EVERLASTING GOD IS MADE KNOWN TO ALL NATIONS FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH: TO GOD ONLY WISE, BE GLORY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST FOR EVER. AMEN

Rise above the turbulence

OBEDIENCE OF FAITH
Sometimes I get so busy that I don't take the time to think enough, pray enough, or to just be still. Whether it's my inherited nature or a restless heart I know the command to "Be still and know that I am God" therefore it must be a key to walking in peace. Well I have been thinking about several points. The first is how most of our disobedience or failures or even temptations derive from believing lies. If I truly believed what the truth was about how God sees something or what he says about something then my faith would be followed by action -by obedience. One of the problems is Satan still gets to us today just like he did in the beginning and that is he LIES. We start to believe that God is not really there loving us, or we think that sin has something to offer our hurting soul, or that the eternal rewards are not really worth enduring this life of suffering, or that laying down our lives for others means we will be forgotten, or that loving the unlovely or having mercy on others will only humiliate us, or we better take control and look out for ourselves. How many times has the sin that has entangled us begun with a deceiving thought?

Another thought is - if we know God's love and ways are better than what the world has to offer then how can that truth be made known to those who are so lost? I know God is the one who draws but it says "how beautiful are the feet that bring good news" As followers I know we need to be living proof that his ways are awesome, his presence is satisfying, and His love is really in our hearts. People need to come to the Lord because He is better than what they know now and not out of fear or guilt (even thought he will use both) but the relationship based on love is truly the most fulfilling. Let us get our focus off of our own problems and look around at those who need to see HIM alive on this earth. LET'S LIVE THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH ---LET FAITH MOTIVATE US TO OBEY!!!!!! FAITH TO BELIEVE THAT GOD IS TRULY LOVE.. I am having fun preaching at myself. --ha

The Boys

John is just a good kid. At least he has a very tolerant and tolerable temperment. He hardly ever needs correction. I am wondering if his struggles will be more evident later on but for now he is a joy. He just finished his second year of soccer and he is still as fast as ever. Mom to Cherubs , who by the way does a great job,coached his team. John loved every minute of it.

Paul has been busy playing in weekend baseball tournaments this spring. He is sitting in front of a beautiful mountain creek that we visited this past weekend. We lean on Paul quite a bit to help with the little ones and they both adore him.

Joseph has been a bit more serious lately and is determined to not let his dominant big sister dominate him. He snubbed me when I returned from the hospital and it took me a few days to win him back. Hmm... he may be the "hold a grudge" type.

Josh is a real pleasure to listen to as he has been teaching himself to play the guitar. He also runs the house for us whenever we are sick or on a date. He is almost done with his Freshman year and has applied himself well. He plays golf and tennis and football with friends and family and likes to encourage Paul in baseball until he begins his own season in June. He keeps us laughing with his mimicking skills. He also is busy at work with Kenny and his Uncle in the office several times a week.

The Girls

Sarah loving the outdoors
Lily - happy to be free this past weekend

This crazy girl came waltzing out of the barn and through the yard with her arms full. She managed to open the cage door and scoop them both up.
Sleeping as only sisters can