back to school

Well, we girls had a great time at the Above rubies retreat even though we had quite a few setbacks that weekend. i.e. a broken windshield, dead battery, baby with a fever of 103.5, and the stroller got left at the campground in Tennessee. And yes... the computer was stolen from our house in Broad Daylight while we were gone...which explains the lack of new posts..

anyway i still am mourning the loss of the computer not because of all the fabulous i tunes we lost or the fact that we have to build our donor manager database back from scratch (the first time it took 6 months) but because most of my memories were on it....all of our recent photos since Silas was born were on it. all the pictures of Evie's beautiful homebirth~ all of the awsome belly pics matt and mae made of me and on and on.... i am so sad about that .

we have started school with gusto this year. we now have a 3rd grader and a kindergartener and a preschooler so it is solid school from 9 am to about 2:30-3:00 whew! it is exhuasting... i decided to punish myself for being so slack in previous years by really going hard this year and covering social studies, math, science, english, reading, art, penmanship, and spelling. the boys have started soccer too so things are crazy. did a mention i also have a toddler and a 3 month old? its going great so far ~i just cant figure out when to get all the housework done...maybe between midnight and 5am around the night time feedings? ha.

we are busy. it is crazy. and life is so sweet...

Update

We are home again! (for now) Whew... Our week in Wheaton, IL was great. We got to reconnect with some of our friends there. Matt updated Crossroads Community Church on our ministry sunday morning. We got to have dinner with the Hall family friday night and the Piersons wednesday. Tuesday we spent the day with my wonderful cousin "miss Jennifer". Over all a really productive trip i think. It was just really nice to be able to look our donors in the eye and say thank you so much for your support.


There was one casualty however....the jogging stroller and a few pieces of our van did not make it back to SC =( ... somewhere on the interstate in Indiana lie the remains of the stroller given to us by the Piersons and the luggage rack of our van. Apparently it was strapped down very well as the whole luggage rack flew off with it. A big bummer because we really could use a jogging stroller, Oh, well at least we have all the children, right?


Next week Mae, Evangeline, and i head to TN for a ladies retreat. Then HOPEFULLY we will be home until the end of september.(more about that later)...

Silver Boxes

by Michael Bright


My words were harsh and hasty
And they came without a thought.
Then I saw the pain and anguish
That my bitter words had brought.

Bitter words that I had spoken
Made me think back through the past;
Of how many times I'd uttered
Biting words whose pain would last.

Then I wondered of the people
I had hurt by things I'd said;
All the ones I had discouraged
When I didn't use my head.

Then I thought about my own life,
Of painful words I've heard;
And of the times I'd been discouraged
By a sharp and cruel word.

And now clearly I remember
All the things I might have done;
But, by a word I was discouraged
And never were begun.

Lord, help my words be silver boxes,
Neatly wrapped up with a bow;
That I give to all so freely,
As through each day I gladly go.

Silver boxes full of treasure,
Precious gifts from God above;
That all the people I encounter
Might have a box of God's own love.


"Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Proverbs 18:21

Let's speak life to one another~ parents, for the sake of our children.

wish it wouldn't end...

beautiful old trees at botany bay

we have had such a wonderful vacation i don't want too leave! edisto is beautiful, the weather has been perfect and i haven't felt this close to relaxed in quite a while. but alas, tommorrow is time to pack up and head out for home...

the beach makes evangeline fall asleep every time

we are sorry!

i'm not sure if anybody is still out there reading anymore because we have been so slack. We are sorry! and to make it up the blog is changing hands... from matt to tiff ...(because i have so much more time on my hands than him. ha) my goal is to update weekly~so if your still out there hold on... there is more to come. promise.

God's Rich Blessings

Our time here in South Carolina has been wonderful. We have been able to reconnect with so many old friends and make many new ones. Tiffany had our 5th child on Mother's day, what a wonderful gift. Evie and mom are doing well except for the sleepless nights, which are to be expected. We are going to have a very busy next couple of weeks. Mae and I are going to speak at Zion Hill Baptist Church's VBS this Sunday. The oldest three will be attending all week. Mae will also be going to Sports Camp at Morningside Baptist Church the same week. In two weeks She will also be speaking at Morningside's VBS and they will all get to go to that VBS as well. We are also looking forward to trips to Wake Forest and Wheaton this summer. We miss our friends in both places and are excited to see them. Things are beginning to pickup with our ministry goals but we still have a long way to go and we need your support. You can partner with us by using the link on the right under the "links to different ministries" section. Also please check out my friend Tim Holden's new ministry "Just Speak Life" which is linked in this same section. I'm sure that you will be blessed by it. Please pray for the health of Tiffany and the baby and our safe travels this summer.

We Made It!!!!!!!

Well, it took some doing but we made it back to South Carolina. It was 72 when we got here, man what a bummer. We will miss the snow, just a little bit. It has been great seeing everybody here. We do miss Wheaton and all our friends there. We are getting settled in and unpacking. Wow, it amazes me every time we move how much stuff we accumulate and how disorganized it can all be after it comes back off the truck. The picture at the top is of all the kids and their two cousins: Moses and Ellie. We are Going to be going to Orlando late this month for our initial training we are getting very excited. We hope to be able to talk to everyone soon.