Summer is Speeding By

Wow! I cannot believe it is the last week of June already! It has been a great month and Kermit and I have enjoyed the kids and not being on the time restrictions that come with school.

Jacob is gearing up for Boy Scout camp. Since this is his second year in Scouts, he will be gone for two weeks beginning July 8. He is excited but also a bit nervous about being gone for two whole weeks. We are really proud of him. He has earned/collected all of his money for camp this year. He collected alluminum cans (earned about $50) and has done some extra work around the house. He is now our main lawn mower and has done a lot to help out my grandmother with yard work. We thought it was time he started learning the value of a dollar and he has stepped up to the challenge. He's such a great kid (I'm not at all biased!). He has also enjoyed some new found freedoms this summer. He is able to ride his bike in some areas we didn't allow before and we will let him go to our local beach with his friends without us. He is most excited to be helping with VBS this summer. His first ever time to help instead of just attend.

Hannah has been spending her summer reading and practicing her piano. She is currently reading the Little House series and is on the second book. She has been working very hard on her piano pieces. She asked her teacher for something a bit more challenging and then surprised her teacher by being able to play it (Fur Elise - the easy version). She is all about being recognized for her accomplishments, so she is working her fingers to the bone. We are really proud of how well she is doing. She has also been working around the house and helping my grandmother. Most of all she has been excited to be learing how to cook and sew with mom. It has been a lot of fun for me, too!

Lily has been enjoying having Jake and Hannah home all day. Well, mostly she has enjoyed ganging up with Jake to pick on Hannah. Her latest is to act like a chicken. She watched an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in which Donald Duck traded his pet 'Boo Boo Chicken' for some magic beans. Ever since then she has been walking around going 'baulk, baulk, baulk'. When you talk to her she responds like a chicken. Jacob was throwing grapes on the floor and she was crawling over to them and pecking them like a chicken. When Kermit put her in bed the other night, she was saying her prayers and stopped in the middle and said "Wait, chickens don't talk! Baulk, baulk, baulk". She is a total LOON!

Kermit has been working like a madman. He has been working regular hours, working in my grandmother's yard, putting the finishing touches on our bathroom remodel (very nice work, Kermit!), overseeing projects at church, etc, etc, etc. He has been so busy that I was stunned when he offered to help with VBS. Well, not that he offered to help, but what he offered to help with. He was already doing games, but he offered to handle the songs, too! I can't wait to see this. I'll try to post video : )

I have been working and prepping for VBS. Yep, that's all.

Couple of prayer requests and praises.

First, please pray for our friends Brian and Amanda. Amanda's mom, Diane, has been in hospital for several weeks with complications from heart surgery and kidney failure (she has been on dialysis for several years). She is doing a bit better but has a long way to go. Pray for Diane's health and for Amanda who has been staying with her through her ordeal. You can also pray for Brian who has been holding down the homefront while she has been away. Hang in there guys!

Next, we received the very exciting news that the adoption is final for our friends Daniel and Tina! Justice is finally theirs! They have been in Guatemala for the last several months waiting for everything to be finalized. They will now be heading back to the states to then try to get back to the mission field. Praise God for their new baby but then also pray for them to be able to return to the mission field. They are having some issues with their visas because the area they serve in is trying to limit the number of 'religious' visas that they issue. Daniel and Tina's have dedicated their lives to service in this mission field. Please pray that they can return quickly and without incident.

Lastly, please remember my father (John). If you remember, he had a staph infection in his leg last October. The spot has never healed so they are having to go in and do surgery on Monday 7/2. They have already told him that if they get in and cannot do the surgery, they will want to amputate directly above the knee. Although this would not be the end of the world, it would present some challenges for him physically (can't do a prosthetic and left arm doesn't work so can't do crutches). We are praying and trusting that the doctors will be able to do what needs to be done and that he will heal quickly.

Well, enough for now. I'm sure you are tired of reading : )