Hello, again, hello....

Neil Diamond pretty much summed up today's post. Our computer crashed, and took with it all of our usernames/passwords because I didn't have the forethought to NOT save them on said computer. Lesson learned.

This is just a brief, newsy update, for good measure:


Happy Spring! We
hope you are both doing well! It has
been such a busy month since we last wrote you—the weather, sickness, church
activities, Bible study, school, 4H, etc. have all kept us hopping. We’ve had warm weather, snow, rain all in
repeated cycles. The other day, we had
snow on the daffodills, even.
The girls have been sick with a
yucky virus for a couple weeks, but other than the lingering cough, they seem
to be on the mend at last! Casey has had
it, too, but not as badly. We decided to
just observe Spring Break during the girls’ sick weeks, so that gave them
plenty of rest and “down time.”
Katie, Anna, and Gracie all
participated in the region’s “Awana Games,” where delegate students are chosen
from several of the local churches’ Awana Clubs, and the compete against each
other in different relay and team games.
They all did well. Our church
placed 2nd, and Katie (who also helped on another team that didn’t
have enough teammates) placed 3rd with that team, so she came home
with 2 ribbons. J
Everyone is still in our study on
Paul and the acts of the apostles, though we’ve all missed the last couple
weeks due to sickness. We’re looking
forward to getting back to it next week when (Lord willing) everyone is well
again.
4H is new to us this year and
keeping us busy…Katie is doing baking, and so far has done her lesson on
biscuits. Her next lesson is muffins, so
she’s looking forward to baking more on her own. Her county fair entry will be either
biscuits, muffins, or quickbreads, and she hasn’t decided which to enter
yet. Gracie & Anna are doing sewing,
and we took a field trip recently to the fabric store, so they could learn
about patterns, fabric, etc., and they each chose their project that they’ll
sew and present at the county fair. Anna
is making a pair of shorts, and Gracie is making a skirt. Everyone is so excited, as you can imagine!
Well, that’s all the news for us
right now, but the girls made some lovely new artwork for your refrigerator
art! J
We love you so much & hope
& pray all is well with everyone.
Give the family our love & hugs, and we look forward to our next
time together!

Love,
Casey, Shauna, & Girls

2011 A Space [in the middle] Odyssey

SUMMER IS ALMOST HERE!!!!!


Clearly, it's been awhile since our last update. Everyone here is doing very well. We're keeping busy in different activities through church, as well as family-and-friends fun. The girls finished AWANA recently and had their awards ceremony. They all did a great job and had a lot of fun. I (Shauna) helped with the Kindergarteners this year in AWANA, which was a good experience, and fun to be able to see the girls off and on throughout the night.

Casey and I have been attending Bible Study Fellowship this year, where we have been studying the book of Isaiah. Next week will be our last week, and then we'll take a break for the summer and resume again in Sept. It has been such a wonderful experience. Isaiah is full of so much!

Homeschool is going well, too. We're learning about plants and cells this year in science, which has been interesting, and the girls have a bean experiment they're conducting right now throughout the kitchen. They enjoy checking on the progress of their different jars and noting the different environmental changes that affect the bean seed growth. In History, we've been studying the Bible as the beginning of all history, of course, so we are learning about the time period from creation to the Greeks. We still have awhile to go, and plan to continue through the summer with our study. We enjoy doing some school subjects year-round (like Math and Bible and History), so we can take Mondays off to spend with Casey on his days off...that way there's not a big gap in our learning, too. The girls have been learning many interesting things this year in their health, safety, and nutrition class, and they all enjoy reading...especially when the prize for a finished book is not having to make their bed the next day!! Their cursive penmanship has improved dramatically, and they're all excelling in their own unique areas of gifts God gave them!

We had a lovely Easter and enjoyed a brunch at a restaurant. That was nice for all the women, so we could relax a little, too.

Gracie broke her arm this spring, at the end of a fun cousin week. At least she got to play at the park for awhile, before heading to the ER! She got her cast off a few weeks ago, but they discovered that her bone wasn't all the way healed, so she still has to have her arm wrapped when she plays outside for now, and they gave us her cast to put back on when she wants to swing and do the trampoline. He'll re-check it next week.

My sister Meagan and her kids were here to celebrate Mother's Day, and it was a houseful of activity and fun. Casey & I keep waiting for things to settle down a little bit back into a "normal routine," but we're starting to wonder if BUSY and tired IS the new routine...hahaha!

My grandpa just underwent open heart surgery (triple-bypass and valve replacement), and we praise God that he is recovering well! Casey's uncle also is recovering, after suffering heart attacks and a blood clot last week. God is so faithful, as always! We continue to lift Casey's step-dad in prayer, as he is still on the road to recovery after a severe brain trauma injury in September 2009.

This week, we've had 3 girls sick with fever, a spider bite, pink eye, ear infection, and sunburns...that's all just this week and it's only Thursday! Things are bound to look up from here, though! HA HA!

Well, I suppose that's enough rambling for now. We think of and pray for you all daily. We love you & are looking forward to that glorious day when we see Jesus! Until then...

TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS...

Stretch, the Irish Setter Annalise, relaxing after helping with breakfast & dinner...

Gracie, making candy corn cupcakes Bethany, making chocolate pie

Katie, making cherry pie

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." ~Psalm 90:12

Lord, we are so thankful for all You have provided for us and all your protection, love, and mercy!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving, spent here at home with Mom and Dad, while the sisters were supposed to be with their in-laws. We couldn't make it to Oregon this year, but were very thankful to remember all those we love so much!

Summertime...and the Living is Easy

What a lovely summer we've been having here in Idaho! It took longer than usual to get hot, and we've even enjoyed period rain showers to water the flowers and cool things down. Everyone has been happy and healthy, so everything else is just a bonus!

Re-cap of some fun memories made so far:
* Swimming, swimming, swimming
* BBQs, s'mores
* Parade America (Anna got to march & ride on the float with her soccer team)
* The girls first "friend" sleepovers
* Attending friend birthday parties
* Day trip to McCall and to visit Shiloh Bible camp and see cousins and Aunt & Uncle
* Visiting Settler's park in Meridian
* Free movie at the theater
* Family get-togethers and playing with cousins for several days
* Picnics in the park
* Visiting the Baker City Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and local museum
* Daddy-daughter dates

August is busy for us: Our 12th anniversary is tomorrow; Katie's 11th birthday is Tuesday (8/17); Bethany's 3rd birthday is 8/22; and school starts again this month!

We hope everyone is doing well, enjoying the rest of your summer, too! God bless you all in every way!

Numbers 6:24-26 (New International Version)

24 " ' "The LORD bless you
and keep you;

25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;

26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '

One Fine Day

One fine day...9 years and one day ago...our second daughter was born! She has graced our life with beauty inside and out, sharing the ever-ringing melody within her heart! She is a blessing in every sense of the word!

Filled with sweetness and affection, this brown-eyed beauty is a treasure!

Happy Birthday, sweet Annalise!

************

Little Gracelyn is a joy and a comfort. Quick to hug, quick to giggle, and Tinker Bell and Tigger rolled into one!

She's bouncy and effervescent, and although I'm a turtle and she's a hare, we need each other! :)

Happy 7th birthday in five days, Honey! I can't believe how fast time is flying by!

YOU ARE MY STRENGTH WHEN I AM WEAK...EVERY MORNING...even during mourning

Overwhelmed. Burdened. Wiped out. Weary.

Have you been there? A lot? I have...and it's not pretty!

Last Friday I had every intention of cleaning/decluttering the house and being finished by Monday (today). Lofty goal, I know, but I've been gnashing my teeth at the chaos that has contiued to multiply in the face of lovely, precious gifts of clothes, shoes, etc. being donated to our very grateful family...and yet, needing to wash, sort, store, utilize, donate, etc. bundles of many things. Sometimes I feel like the guy keeping all the plates spinning on those poles, only to have one wobble and fall and systematically every other plate comes crashing down. Disaster. Discouragement. Disheartenment. Dread.

I have cried out to the Lord so many times for the strength, wisdom, guidance, help, etc. for the health and energy to complete all my chores. He is faithful, as always, but I never--ever---ever get done. Ever. Somtimes in my distress I cry out to the Lord, but am unable to put into words all that I feel, think, need...the words get choked in my throat and I have nothing, but I know His Word promises that the Holy Spirit interprets for me to my Father in Heaven!

"And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words." ~Romans 8:26

SOOOOOOOOOO...although I've prayed many times and always received His help and strength enough, last night I gave up. I looked around at my weekend-worn house. Busyness had over-taken my to-do list. We had the lovely pleasure of being with family all weekend, starting with Friday after lunch, and ending on Sunday after a late luncheon. I had been so content to trade chores for precious time with my true treasures--family. Yet now--late Sunday night--I looked around at the "aftermath" and became discouraged and overwhelmed again. (Why, you might ask, do I think I have the time to write in the blog if I have so much to do? Because this has ETERNAL VALUE).

As I lay in bed last night, I began my prayers in the usual way, then began to add these burdens--when I just stopped. I couldn't go on. How could He possibly care? Still? Again? Never-ending problems, never-changing situation, ever-the-same prayer requests.... "I'm sorry, Lord, I know I sound like a broken record. I never learn. I never do better. I'll never get it right. So, nevermind...just skip it." And that was that. I spent the rest of the time in bed reading a book until the wee hours of the morning and then drifted off to sleep.

THIS MORNING--the one where His mercies are new every MORNING...
Lamentations 3:22-26~

"22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD."

...the one where this is the DAY that the Lord has made, let us REJOICE and be GLAD in it...(Psalm 118:24)


...the one where the Psalmist writes in Psalm 5:1-3:

"1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.
2 Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 In the MORNING, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the MORNING I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation."

On THIS MORNING of THIS DAY, God sent me an email. Seriously. You may think that I'm being flippant or irreverant, but MY GOD loved me and SENT me a message. Sadly, He knew that I'd check the email before I read my Bible(That's another issue altogether for another time).

Because of the importance of this email, I have to post the entire text. It's from Truth For Life daily (a devo I receive in my email every day). It's adapted by Alistair Begg from "Morning and Evening" by C.H. Spurgeon.

*********************************
May 3, 2010

Go to Jesus
A very present help.

Psalms 46:1


Covenant blessings are not meant only to be observed but to be appropriated. Even our Lord Jesus is given to us for our present use. Believer, you do not make use of Christ as you ought to do. When you are in trouble, why do you not tell Him all your grief? Does He not have a sympathizing heart, and can He not comfort and relieve you? No, you are going to all your friends, except your best Friend, and telling your story everywhere, except into the heart of your Lord.

Are you burdened with this day's sins? Here is a fountain filled with blood: Use it, saint, use it. Has a sense of guilt returned upon you? The pardoning grace of Jesus may be proved again and again. Come to Him at once for cleansing. Do you deplore your weakness? He is your strength: Why not lean upon Him? Do you feel naked? Come here, soul; put on the robe of Jesus' righteousness. Do not stand looking at it, but wear it. Strip off your own righteousness, and your own fears too: Put on the fair white linen, for it was meant to be worn.

Do you feel yourself sick? Call upon the Beloved Physician, and He will give the medicine that will revive you. You are poor, but remember you have a kinsman, who is incredibly wealthy. What! Will you not go to Him and ask Him to give you from His abundance when He has promised that you will be joint heir with Him and has credited all that He is and all that He has to your account? There is nothing Christ dislikes more than for His people to make a show of coming to Him and yet not to use Him. He loves to be employed by us. The more burdens we put on His shoulders, the more precious He will be to us.

Let us be simple with Him, then,
Not backward, stiff, or cold,
As though our Bethlehem could be
What Sinai was of old.
*************************************

God in His tender, gracious, merciful love sent me an email to tell me JUST HOW MUCH HE CARED--I'm going now, because I need to Call Him and return His message, but I just wanted to write this down for my own "Hall of Faith"...and for you, if anyone out there reads this! (Is there anyone???)

May the Lord Jesus bless YOU this and every morning and evening!

IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE (or, I wish I was more like Corrie...)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Corrie Ten Boom! She is such an inspiration...not only because the Lord accomplished so much through her and her ministry, but because she was REAL. She admitted her sins...she "came clean" about her bad attitudes. Then, she points us back to Jesus! THE LORD JESUS...even the way she speaks His name is so intimate!

I have so far read: The Hiding Place, Tramp for the Lord, and I just finished reading In My Father's House. Needless to say, it's awesome! I absolutely loved this quote at the end by her father Casper: "When Jesus takes your hand He keeps you tight. When Jesus keeps you tight He leads you through life. When Jesus leads you through life He brings you safely home."

So precious!

I wish I was more like Corrie. Her faith, her obedience, her faithfulness, the way she understood God's leading and directing in her life, and her tender heart...Lord, please mold me into the vessel YOU have DESIGNED me to be!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a 2 year old screaming at her big sisters. We cannot allow tyranny to reign terror in this mother's house! I'm so thankful My Father is with me!