Rest

I am tired-it seems like all the time.  I have lots of excuses too-four kids, a baby who hasn't been sleeping well, moving offices, settling into our new home, homeschooling, yada yada yada.  I am also tired of feeling this way and started to get motivated on how to get more organized.  I am slowly getting there-chore charts for the kids, monthly grocery list for when we are in the "big city", meal planning, and unpacking and organizing.

However, I realized this morning (when I was up with baby girl) that I needed rest-not just sleep, but rest.  With all these things going on in my life, I seem to lose focus of where this rest comes from.  This morning, I just spent some time with the Lord and releasing all these things to Him.  He has commanded us not to worry and He has given us a way out.  Why do I forget this so easily?  He gently reminded me that He is God and He is in control-not me!  Praise the Lord!

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29

Little girls!

When Nathan and I are talking about the kids it seems like they are divided by Joshua & Evie and "the little girls".  I realize Lailie is still much bigger than Sadie but she loves to play with Sadie.  Also, because of age difference-Joshua and Evie are only 20 months apart-it naturally divides them.

Of course, for the most part they all play well together and all especially enjoy Sadie!  She is growing fast-10 months old now and can pull up and stand sometimes on her own.  We (mommy and daddy) are not in a hurry for her to start walking!

Lailie will be 5 in a few short weeks and we are busy preparing her for kindergarten with her friends.  Joshua and Evie are doing well in homeschool and seem to be enjoying the curriculum and the projects (even working together on some of them:)

the "Little Girls"

Sadie & "Little Mama"

All four

Big Brother & Baby Sister (with her silly face!)

First Day of School

Ok, so first of all-I know you are thinking that this is crazy-2 posts from me in one day!  I mean I went 6 months without posting and now you can't get rid of me!  It is more fun this way, so hopefully we can keep it up.

Joshua and Evie didn't go to school, but we still had our first day at home on Monday, August 15th.  Lailie won't have her first day for a couple more weeks.  She will start with her two friends Elijah and Hannah in September.  Of course, I don't know how excited Joshua and Evie were to be starting homeschool, but they don't seem to mind sleeping in and the flexibility :)  Joshua is in 6th grade and Evie is in 3rd/4th grade (we will see how things go!)

Joshua 11 years old

Evie 9 years old

Ready or not!

Good Food and Fruit!

Last Saturday, we had a wonderful surprise.  Our upstairs neighbors that have two small children, said they wanted to bring us dinner.  They couldn't stay and eat with us because they had a family party, but they brought the meal down to us steaming hot!  It was wonderful-see the pictures below.  The nice thing is they left us some trays.  So a couple days later, Nathan took their trays back to them filled with fruit from our yard.

Yummy dinner (I should have taken a picture before we ate!)

Everyone in their pajamas because it was late!

Now, this is a whole new story.  We knew when we moved in that the house had grapevines, peaches, lemons, figs, pomegranates, plums and apricots.  However, we had no idea how many-especially the grapes.  I am extremely disappointed I didn't take a picture of the HUGE tub of grapes that Nathan, Brad and the kids picked.  And we still have some on the vine-we have frozen grapes, grape jelly, and grape juice.  We have also had fresh peaches, peach cobbler and fresh figs.  It sure is a blessing, but it is definitely hard work.

Peaches

I forgot apples!

Olives (mainly for olive oil)

Figs

Lots and lots and lots of grapes (green and purple)

Learning

I really want to be a great blogger like my friend, Alison.  She has been visiting for almost two weeks and I think has posted to her blog like 8 times!  She does pictures and everything.  If she lived close then I could just let her be my personal blogger.  Here is a link to her blog, so that you can see what all we have been doing for the last two weeks.  Alison's blog

It has been a great couple weeks filled with fun days of swimming, snorkeling, the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, Petra, and just fun at home.  We will be sad for them to go tomorrow!

I sent out a new prayer update today and it looks a little different than before. We are planning on sending out a monthly update for our entire team now.  We will then include family information and pictures on this blog.

Here are a few pictures below of the fun we have had the last two weeks! (Thanks to our personal photographer-Alison)

All of us at the Red Sea

Evie

Joshua

Evie loves to snorkel!

Souvenir shopping-love those cowboy hats!  (Lucy fits right in with our girls)

Too bad we can't keep Lucy!

At the mountain overlooking Petra

Sweet Sadie

Bedtime story by Alison

We're back!

I really can't believe it has been so long since I posted.  Sadie is now 9 months old, Joshua is 11, Evie 9 and Lailie 4 and 1/2!  I really want to be better at this like so many of my dear friends and hopefully in the upcoming months I can get in a rhythm.


2011 has been filled with more changes and lots of fun!  Here are some high lights of the last 7 months:
*We are enjoying our new home and trying to get in some day trips.
*Sadie has become a world traveler-going to Kenya and the States.
*Sadie is also crawling and exploring on her own now.
*We have had baseball, ballet, and school programs.


We also have enjoyed some time at the beach.  Evie was able to snorkel, while Nathan and Joshua went scuba diving for the first time.  The kids have also enjoyed camping in the desert under the stars.


We have some special visitors coming for the next couple weeks!  We are so excited to spend some time with them.



Our newsletter will be changing a bit, and hopefully that will be coming to you soon!

Sadie, Joshua, Lailie and Evie on our front porch

Evie and Lailie ready for the ballet recital!

Gram & Sadie

Joshua scuba diving