Only Believe....

Jesus said, "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." Mark 5:36

There are no limits to what our faith in God will do. Just as the shepherds, tending to their sheep long ago, were told not to be afraid when the Glory of God shown about them. They too in faith in a brief moment after the appearance of the angel realized that they should go see the babe Jesus in Bethlehem. They were drawn to Him in their faith. Their lives were forever changed, too! That is where each of us are. You and me. We are drawn to Him, not to fear but to put our faith totally in Him, and to believe. Life changing.

We are doing well. We are staying busy. The other night, Leah, Hannah and I went to a concert by Michael W. Smith over in Spokane. It was his Christmas concert with a 52 member Symphony accompanying him. It was wonderful. We went out to dinner before it and had a great father/daughters moment. Here is a picture of us in front of a large Christmas tree in downtown Spokane.

Hannah has a practical test today in front of her teacher and then a Final on Thursday morning. Be praying for Hannah. School has been a challenge but she is studying hard and focused. Jake is very understanding of her long hours of studying. But still they both need pray because of it all. Leah is cooking up a storm lately with Christmas goodies. What a blessing to have her at home. Jason made it back from Phoenix, with a bit of a suntan. He had a great time. The younger kids are out of school this Friday for two weeks. And my brother John and his boy Francesco come in on Sunday for two weeks. Looking forward to having them here to celebrate Christ's birth. And keep me in your prayers over the next couple of weeks. There will be times of needed grace. Susan and I would have been married 28 years this Saturday.

Blessings to you all.....

Another Test for Hannah

Hello dear friends,
Always good to write to you all. His grace and blessings to you all. First, Hannah has another test on Tuesday morning. I am a little late on this request for you all to pray. But those that wake up early on the east coast will get this before Hannah actually takes the test. Pray for clarity in reading the question and answering the question. Susan would be so proud of Hannah on her nursing. She is really studying hard and enjoying nursing.
Jason is down in Phoenix visiting Nick Dreckman and Grandma and Grandpa, Rick and Cheryl (Susan's parents and brother). He is having a very nice time doing activities in the warm weather. Beats the cold, although no snow, up here. Here is a picture of a gorgeous sunset he took tonight in the car.

Sarah is back over doing her nanny work. She comes home on the weekend. Pray for her because one of her friends committed suicide. Totally unexpected. But it has been hard on Sarah. They would talk about issues in their lives, always checking in with each other and then this happened.
Aaron continues with high school studies. He is very involved with youth group and Boarders for Christ. This is a snowboarding, skateboarding group of mostly boys, yound men. And they put on exhibitions with their boarding and proclaim the gospel of Jesus. It has been neat to see him grow in his faith.
Mary's hand seems to be all better. Just a sprain. And Sarah is over her strept throat. Medicine is good!
God keeps us going in our faith. We are doing well. Thanks for all your prayers and love for the family.
In January, Nathan & Michelle, Leah and I go down to Phoenix and do the PF CHang Marathon. Pray for our training. It has been difficult to do a lot with the colder weather. Pray for Nathan's leg which seems to be stressed with the additional running he has been doing.
By for now.

I love my children

"But now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love." 1Cor13:13

I absolutely love my kids (which includes my kids-in-law, Michelle and Jake, we never grow up, face it). I spent an absolutely great time with them over the Thanksgiving week up at the condos in Stoneridge. They all made it very special for me. There were moments on Thanksgiving, especially while cooking and sitting down at the dinner table, looking down the line of children, that it became hard. But God's grace got me through the rough times. With the kids, we all played walleyball, which is volleyball in a racquetball court, so you can play off the sides. Very exciting and fast. Here is a picture of the bunch of us after a game.

And we played Vetsch Fear Factor, a game of daring stunts, eating strange things and laughing, all in competition and fun. The final was a competition to see who would be fastest to retrieve a lock key with their mouth, which was embedded in a bowl of cow's brain (actually was only spaghetti sauce, but it sounds more exciting). Then run to the next condo and unlock your partner (who is locked up with chain and lock) with the key that you just retrieved from the cow's brain. Then the two of you run back to the other condo and eat chunks of cooked calves kidney, the fastest team is the winner. Well the two teams left for the final round was Jake and Hannah, Doug and Laura. It came down to a second difference in time between the two teams. But in the end, Doug and Laura were the 2008 Vetsch Fear Factor winners. Nathan even made a Fear Factor Trophy that the winner gets to keep until the next competition. I know, you are probably thinking "What a STRANGE family". Yes maybe, but we sure have fun being strange. Susan would have loved the competition this year. Not sure if she would have liked eating the calve kidney which was pretty disgusting. Here is a picture of all of us right after the Fear Factor.


And here is a picture of the long Thanksgiving table.



Some prayer requests:
1) Sarah came down with Strept Throat the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Pray that the antibiotic she was given, gets her well. She had to still go back to work as a Nanny on Sunday night. By then, she was no longer contageous. Here is a picture of her with the two kids she Nannys.

2) Mary jammed her right thumb in one of the walleyball games. Took her in along with Sarah on Saturday to Urgent Care. No broken bones, but just a sprain.
3) Jason traveled down to Phoenix today to visit friends and family. Pray for safety for him. He has not been away from home like this.

Leaving for the Thanksgiving Week!

First of all, thanks for your prayers for Hannah. She did fine on her test. She is very glad that it is behind her. Now she can relax with Jake a while and join us up at Stoneridge Resort up in Blanchard again this year for the Thanksgiving week! We have such a great time up there. We've been doing this condo thing since 2001, just for the Thanksgiving week. Many good, good memories of Susan and the family over the years during this time. It will be a time of reflecting and a time of healing for us. Pray for us as the week unfolds. We will all be up there at times. We are so close to Coeur d'Alene, those that have to work will do so and then come up for a couple of days. For me, I will take off the whole week along with Mary, Laura and Kayla. I want to praise God that we are blessed greatly to be able to do this each year.

"Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100

We serve Him with gladness because it is He that brings us joy. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Another Nursing Test for Hannah!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

This is Susan's favorite verse. We hold on to His plans for all of us. And tomorrow, Hannah has another Nursing Exam, more comprehensive than the last. She has been studying up a storm, hundreds of note cards and late night hitting the books. She has been very dedicated to her studies. But prayer is always essential when addressing our needs. Pray for Hannah again to have no distractions for her sleep tonight (well rested for tomorrow) and clear thinking for the exam in the morning. Last time, she panicked when she opened up the exam to start. So pray that she has a peace about the test and the results, knowing that the Lord does have a plan for her because He cares for her and all of us. Amen to that!!!! Thanks to all. Blessings.

Where does the time go to?

Hello to all,
Time is flying by so fast. Didn't realize that it has been this long since my last entry. Thanks for being so patient. The big news is last week Leah finished up with her teaching internship at Dalton Elementary. I went in on Wednesday and took some pictures of her in the classroom and with her students. It was a nice visit, and of course and I had to stop in to see Mr. Staples and Ms. Weller, Laura and Kayla's teachers. All is going well down at the elementary school. Leah's class made up some going away cards which were very cute. The kids drew pictures of Leah standing in front of the class and then gave them to her. So she is done now. Since she went to Eastern Washington University, she only has to do 11 weeks. In Idaho, she would have to do a whole year. And during the internship, you are not paid. This went by fast. Leah is putting out some resumes for work in the area (not necessarily teaching jobs) for the time being. She is praying about going to get her Master's degree in counselling. So that is a prayer request: Schooling decisions, jobs for the winter. Susan would be sooooo proud of Leah. I am too!

Also, Sarah is now into her second month as a nanny over in Spokane, WA. She watches two young girls for two Physician Assistants (husband/wife). I will get some pictures of Sarah and her two girls. But she just loves the family, her job and the routine. Sarah lives with the family but gets weekends off, so she will come home when possible. Sarah has been going to bible study with Nancy on Wednesday evenings and to College Group at their church on Sunday evening. She has really been growing in her faith as a result of these studies. And she just loves these two girls. Sarah always comes home with some good stories of nannyhood. This coming weekend, Mary will be going to the Revolve Tour, Christian teen girls conference. There will be special speakers, special bands and fellowship with other teen girls. Mary will be going with friends and a close Mom as chaperon. Sarah recalls when Susan took her to this event several years ago. Sarah really enjoyed it and I pray Mary does too. Natalie Grant will be speaking and singing, sharing how hard it is to grow up as a teen girl in today's world. So pray for Mary this weekend.

Giving Thanks!!!!

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High; To declare Thy loving kindness in the morning, And Thy faithfulness by night." Psalm 92: 1-2.

Hannah called me this morning just hours after taking her test. She passed it!!! Thank you Lord for answered prayer. And she said that your prayers really did help. When she received the test and first opened it up, SHE PANICKED! But then she took a big breath and she said she had confidence knowing that you all prayed for her. The Lord was near. She was so excited and thankful. Her next test will be the week before Thanksgiving. Thank you also for your encouraging words. Susan was excited when Hannah first decided to be a nurse like Susan had been before having children.

Prayer for Hannah

Keep Hannah in your prayers in the next few days as she studies for a major test on Thursday in her nursing program. Her grades are hanging in there but she needs to get a good grade in this upcoming test to remain in the class. Pray for her sleep that she won't be thinking about the test and that she would be able to sleep soundly. Pray for clarity as she reads the questions and answers them. And that God would give her wisdom in answering them correctly.

"My soul waits in silence for God only..." Psalm 62:5

Hello friends,

I found a journal the other day that Susan had been keeping in the early 2005 time period. Susan wrote this:


"My Bible verse for my 4th round of battle is Psalm 62: 5-6, "My soul waits in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken." I picked this verse this time because my hope for healing is in Him alone. Therefore my soul can wait as long as it takes even if it never happens here on earth. He alone - not my healing - is my rock and refuge. My deliverance from cancer is not my source of hope - HE is."


Susan always held on to the eternal perspective, the hope that we have in Him, not looking at our own circumstances. She lived what she always spoke about. She didn't get cured of cancer here on earth but she now is cancer free with our Lord Jesus. I hope this helps you with what ever you are dealing with these days. Her life is a fresh reminder to me to always be looking upward for my source of hope and strength.


This past weekend we went to Carver farms to get corn stalks and pumpkins to decorate the front of the house. Last year Susan was unable to go to Carver farms because she was in the hospital, to get MRI's, get her pain medicine under control and to gain some weight. We decorated the house last year before she came home from the hospital. This year we decorated again. She would be pleased. Here is a picture of us at Carver farms.

And then on Sunday, I took Mary, Laura and Kayla (along with Dawson our black lab) over to English Point and we took a hike through the woods. It was so nice and we had a great time too!
Praises:

1) Leah finished her Portland Half marathon (yes another one this weekend) in 5 minutes faster than her run last weekend.

2) Mary finisher up her volleyball this past week. She has really improved in the game. Who knows where she will be in volleyball in a few years.

3) God just keeps making my schedule of events fall into place. Sports events, yards work, etc. have been happening without too much trouble. But keep praying for my time management.

4) Hannah has been doing well in her nursing studies. Her last test went well. She studies a lot but it seems to be paying off.

5) Aaron got his drivers license. Yay!!

Prayer:

1) That I make the right decisions and not doubt myself when it comes to family management.

2) Our family, the grieving process for each of the children and for me.

A Beautiful Day!

The Marathon went very well on Sunday! The fall colors were a treat while running along the nice views of the Spokane River. Skies were clear, no wind but it was cold at the start of the race, 30 degrees F. Leah finished the half marathon in 1 hr, 54 minutes. She did GREAT and finished 20 minutes sooner than she expected. I finished the marathon in 3 hrs, 52 min, 53 sec. My goal in other marathons has always been to break the 4 hour mark. So this was a good day. God blessed the whole day. And Susan was with me the whole way. I wore one of her Angel pins and the angel is carrying a pink breast cancer ribbon. She kept me going during the run. This run was for Susan. I love you Susan!!!!!!!!!

Change of Seasons

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10



Fall is definitely upon us. We all love the Fall season. One of Susan's favorites too! But she would tell you that she loves all the seasons. The leaves are falling all around and she just absolutely loved raking up the leaves. Along with the kids (and even I would too) we would fill plenty of bags of leaves, playing in them along the way. Good memories. The work awaits us this year.



God has been speaking to me a lot lately about this verse in Psalm 46. "Be Still" When things around us get a little bit crazy (family, stock market, elections, etc) and sometimes out of our control, He tells us to "be still". Not give up, but realize that we are nothing without Him. We are weak, we grow weary and faint but God cares about us, loves us. It is such a comfort to know that whatever we are going through, the God of our vast universe, loves and cares for little old me and my family. And it is in our quiet times that we put it in perspective and rely on Him, His strength and grace. In Isaiah 40:31, "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."



We have been having some fun lately. Kayla just finished up her cross country season at her elementary school. She loved it although it was a challenge for her. Here is a clip of her last race, running with a smile.

Speaking of running and not growing weary, pray for me and Leah on Sunday. Leah runs the Spokane Half marathon and I run the Spokane marathon. Pray that we stay healthy and finish the race. We have been running quite a bit lately and we are ready. Thanks... we will tell you how it goes on Sunday. Also Laura and Kayla go to their sewing club this afternoon. Will include some photos of their quilts that they have been working on. Blessings to everyone.......

Made it Home Safely

Thank you Lord for taking care of the family and keeping me safe while I was away. It was soooo good to see my children on Saturday. They were glad to see me too. We all got together Saturday night and had Hawaiian Burgers. Hamburgers, topped with slice of ham, slice of pineapple and then swiss cheese. They were so good. And we ate in the backyard with Tiki torches all around. It was a bit cool though, nights are definitely fall..ish feeling. The days though are beautiful, warm and there is plenty of fall colors now. Thank you all for praying for the family these last two weeks. Laura and Kayla stayed at John and Ann's house; thank you. And Mary stayed at Nan's house; thank you. They had wonderful times.
My brother John finally got power back last Wednesday. He was back to school on the Monday before that but with generator fed power only. The real success story though was the fact that 37 other states sent power line crews to Houston to help with all the downed lines. What a great effort and meaningful way to help those in need. Johnny was very impressed and thankful. His house sustained about $700-1000 in damage. Not too bad considering.
Pray requests:
1) Kayla came down with Shingles, which is a form of the chicken pox virus but usually occurs in older people. It formed on her back about the size of silver dollar coin. She is on medicine and it is healing. Pray that no one else gets chicken pox or shingles. Our family has all had chicken pox.
She is doing well. She even ran her cross country race last Friday night and did well.
2) Hannah's nursing studies are going well. It has been challenging but she is setting her mind to doing well and we are so proud of her. Pray she would continue to enjoy it and be a blessing to her patients.

Also, Susan had borrowed a "Mr. Wonderful" doll (He always knows just what to say!) from someone several years ago. We are trying to find out who we got that from, so we can return it. If anyone has any leads, please email me. Thanks. We definitely had fun with this gag gift.

ALOHA!

This photo shot from my sixth floor of the Quarters on Naval Station Pearl Harbor. This is the Arizona Memorial with flag flying in the wind.

And a beautiful sunset looking the other direction from my room. Susan loved coming over here just because it was so unique and tropical.
Just a few more days and I will be flying home. Will leave on Friday evening, fly over night, get home around 10:30 am. So pray for my safety and keep praying for the kids. They are all doing well. Time has gone by fast for me. Talk to you later....

Rejoice Always!

"Rejoice Always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22.

I have been talking with my brother on occasion down in Houston. He still does not have power. His neighbor has a generator, so he does go over and charge up his cell phone as necessary. No electricity, no water, bathroom? (use your imagination), but he does have a cell phone. There is comfort in that. At least he can talk to others that have all the comforts of home. People, we take so much for granted, don't we. Especially in this United States. Things are so comfortable. Our relationships are taken for granted also. Husbands, wives, children, etc. We have them and then we don't. That is why I keep going back to my Lord. He tells us to REJOICE always! In everything give THANKS!! I am not taking lightly what happened down in Houston, but my brother is alive, has his house and in time will get on with his life. I am grateful for that. After events like this, we do examine our lives and think about what is important and what isn't. We hold on to the important things.

I am currently over in Hawaii. Living on the Naval Base in Pearl Harbor. Working up at Camp Smith at the Pacific Command Headquarters, in the Joint Operations Center. This is my two week Reserves time. The children are safe back home, Mary, Laura and Kayla are staying with close friends. Leah is at home, keeping things running smoothly there with Jason and Aaron. I miss all of them. There are so many memories here in Hawaii of Susan. She was able to come over five times while I was on my reserve duties in the past here in Hawaii. So there are some things that are sweet, sweet memories but still hard to think about. I am working about 10 hours daily, so I am busy. Still with the three hours difference, it can get difficult talking with the kids while they are going to school and I to work. Been talking with them about every other day. Pray that they will be safe and that I will be too. Thanks to all that keep visiting us on this blog. I know that there are a few that visit but don't respond. That is just fine. My intent is that you can get caught up with what God is doing in our lives by visiting this blog. He blesses us in so many ways. I can't imagine life on this earth without faith in Jesus and the belief in the truths of God's Word. This is what Susan lived and she is right now in His presence. Amen!

Hannah sent me some pictures of Kayla's X-C0untry race at her school. I missed it but Hannah sent some pictures to enjoy and I will put several on the blog.

My email address:dougvetsch@roadrunner.com (just click and type away)

Watching IKE

Here is a link to the projected track of IKE as the hurricane approaches Houston.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=http:%2F%2Fmw1.google.com%2Fmw-weather%2Ftropical%2Fkml%2Fall_hurricanes.kmz&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=30.259067,-94.680176&spn=6.696426,11.184082&z=6

Pray for my brother, John who lives in Houston, actually in the southeast part of Houston. He plans on staying and boarding up the house. Francesco, his son is off at college inland at Texas A&M. He is safe. The latest track shows IKE going right over Houston at category 3.

Here is a picture of Laura and Kayla on their first day of school. They are doing well in school. Kayla is taking cross country running for 4 weeks. She will be in 3 different meets. It is real low key, just a good excuse to do some running. Laura is taking violin at school. She is also doing 'Road Crew' which is a singing group at school. Mary is getting into volleyball.

Been a while, Sorry!!!!!

"The JOY of the LORD is your STRENGTH" Nehemiah 8:10

First, so sorry for not updating the blog for almost two weeks. Time has gone by so fast. With preparations for school, life, cooking, life, having fun, life, cranking out 4H Record Books, etc..... things just got wrapped up and I lost track of time. I do treasure the time to update the blog and I will be more diligent. I think now that school has started that life may slow a bit. Sure there are still only 24 hours in a day, but the days are more structured with school and where everyone is supposed to be, so I think that things will slow a bit. This will be a big update on what is going on.

First, the scripture out of Nehemiah. Our focus is and has been the JOY we have in our LORD. This is a JOY that is not dependent on our circumstances but a choice. We can not choose to be strong, but we can choose to be joyful in the Lord, and what follows is a strength that compares to none other. If we expect our circumstances to bring us JOY, we will always be looking for some magical moment (new car, new job, new.... NOT, won't bring JOY, maybe happiness, a happy feeling) but JOY is an attitude. Pray the JOY will continue like it has in each of us.

Leah is back at home with us. Right after the fair, she came home and last week, she started her orientation for Student teaching at Dalton Elementary. She will be teaching fourth grade for 10 weeks. Keep in mind that Laura is in the fifth grade and Kayla is in the third grade at Dalton Elementary. So they see each other all the time. So this time and scheduling is a blessing of the Lord. He is faithful. Also, Kayla and Laura's teachers are both strong Christians which is an answer to pray. They are doing well. Kayla signed up for cross country racing. Laura is signed up for Road Crew (singing group) and will get into playing the violin this year. So anyone know of a violin for sale or rent?
Hannah is now in Nursing school at North Idaho College!!!! She has been very diligent at studying. She passed her first big test on Wednesday. We are so proud of Hannah. This particular nursing course is for her LPN certificate (10 months). Susan was an LPN up until we started having kids 26 years ago. So this is a special career path for Hannah, honoring to Susan. She will then have the option to continue on with her studies to be an RN, down the road.

Prayer requests:
1) Hannah's nursing studies, balancing school and taking care of the home.
2) Nathan and Michelle flew out today for a cruise out of Miami, for 7 days. Pray that hurricane IKE stays clear of all their planned activities on that Carnival cruise. They will be back on Sept. 13th. Carnival deals with hurricanes all the time. So pray for their tolerance to heavy SEAS.
3) Leah's student teaching, patience in the classroom. Also, focus on jobs/work after the 10 weeks is up.
4) I go on my reserve active duty for two weeks, starting September 15th. Leah is at home to take care of the home front. Mary, Laura and Kayla will stay with friends that also go to school with them. So that will work out. I will miss them dearly. Pray that it will all work out. Duty calls.
5) Sarah started her live in Nanny position over in Spokane, WA. She works for two doctors, with two kids. She gets full medical/dental benefits and an SUV to drive. We miss Sarah already, but she is having a good time.
6) Keep praying for all of the family. There are still plenty of tears in our grieving over the loss of Susan.

Praises:
1) Thank you Kelly M. and Lara S. for your willingness to pick up the children to/from school. What a huge blessing.
2) School is going well for the girls and Aaron (11th grade).
3) The 4H record books got submitted on time. Looked pretty good. Also, Laura's lamb that was underweight for the auction was brought back home. We found a buyer, thanks Ken and Shelley.

I tried to upload some pictures of activites but was unable. Checking it out. So be patient.

Grand Champion!!!

Both Laura and Mary showed today in Fitting and Showing competition. This is where the girls show off their handling ability of their sheep. They did figure 8's, show stances, answered questions about their projects. Laura got a high blue but not high enough to return for the Finals. Mary got a purple ribbon that brought her back to the Finals for the Junior age group. At the Finals, Mary was so good that she got Grand Champion. Here is a video of Mary receiving the Purple Rosette. I was so proud of her. She has really worked hard in her Sheep Project. This also meant that Mary competes against the Intermediate and Senior age Grand Champions for the overall Grand Champion. Mary got beat out by the Senior winner. They both did a great job today!!!!!!

This Week at the Fairgrounds

"Thy lovingkindness O Lord extends to the heavens, Thy Faithfulness reaches to the skies..." Psalm 36:5

The Lord is so faithful. We had such a great time at Cannon Beach. We had some wonderful family time with healing and reflecting on missing our dear Susan. We have been coming to the Cannon Beach Christian Conference Center now for four years. It was Susan's initial desire to come here when friends offered us a family trip any where we wanted. Susan wanted Cannon Beach. And we just love it. The kids can't wait to go back each year. And we are all signed up for the same week next year. The legacy lives on. God is faithful and we are blessed. Here is a picture of the family (Nathan, Michelle and Jake unable to be there) at CB, taken by a great friend, Debbie Coleman. The other picture is in nearby Seaside, OR. We rented two peddle cars and tore up the town. What fun, we had a blast! For most of the week we had sunshine.

On Thursday at the beach, Laura was accidentally kicked in the jaw which caused her to bite into her lip. Laura and I immediately went to the ER in Seaside where she had eight stitches in her lip. A visiting plastic surgeon from Astoria "just happened to be there in the ER" when we were attended to. That was definitely an answer to prayer. So he carefully stitched her up and hopefully without scarring. God is good! She was also so good about putting all the right medicines on it to help in the healing. Yesterday, Laura had the stitches taken out and things look good. Pray for that there would be no sign of stitches or scarring.

GREAT NEWS! On Friday, Hannah found out that she was accepted into the Nursing Program at North Idaho College. We are SO PROUD of Hannah. She has been so patient and focused over the past four years in studying to be a CNA and taking the required prereqs for this program. She was on a waiting list and the Lord honored Hannah's persistence by opening a door. God is good! Susan would have been so, so proud of Hannah. That was a special moment when we heard the news.

So now onto to this week. We checked in the two lambs that Mary and Laura have as 4H projects. We had a set back. Laura's lamb only weighed 102 lbs which is under the limit to be able to auction off the lamb at the fair this weekend. Mary's weighed 113 lbs. The limit was 105. So this is part of a life lesson. Things don't always go the way we want them to. And that is OK. The Lord will bring a buyer to us since we don't really eat lamb. Today, the girls will show their lambs for Quality and then on Thursday, they will show in Fitting & Showing. They have been so excited about the Fair and working their animals. This too has been a legacy of Susan's. She was in 4H since she was probably Laura's age. All of the children have been in 4H thanks to Susan's passion for raising animals. It has been a great program to teach the kids life and animal caring skills. We will put pictures on the blog of the fair events.

Back Home Again

We made it back just fine on Saturday. No car problems. And Thank You Lord for working air conditioning in the cars. It was 109 degrees F in the Pasco WA area on our way home. We certainly miss our cool comfortable breezes of the Oregon Coast. Here are some beautiful pictures of the girls and of Haystack Rock and beach.

From Cannon Beach

"...Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." II Timothy 1:2

Greetings from Cannon Beach!!! We are into Wednesday here at beautiful Cannon Beach about 70 miles due west of Portland, Oregon. Today was a beach day and what a day that God gave us. Like I always say, each day is a good day, it's just that some days are better than the others. And today was exceptional. Sunny, blue skies and just a breeze on the beach, 78 degrees. This is a picture taken from the Crescent beach area looking toward Cannon Beach and the famous landmark, Haystack Rock. We walk to Haystack Rock each day before breakfast, about 2.3 miles round trip. What a great way to start each day. We have been loving the teachings and music along with the food and activities. Leah even came over from Pendleton on Monday morning and had to leave tonight to report back to work on Thursday AM. We have been having wonderful, family time together. Thank you for your prayers. I noticed that the flags around here have been at half mast this week. So I wondered why, so I checked it out. The state of Oregon is honoring the eight fire fighters from Oregon that lost their lives in the helicopter crash in California a couple of weeks ago. What a tragedy. Pray for the families of those that lost their lives and who were injured.

Also here is a link to a Haystack Rock webcam site that is updated every three seconds. Maybe you will see us playing on the beach. Tonight at about 0930 pm there was a pretty sunset. So check it out for that as well. Of course at night, it is pretty dark so try in the daylight hours.
http://haystacklodgings.com/feed/

Going to Cannon Beach Oregon

"We know that all things work together for good to those who love God..." Romans 8:28

We are leaving for Cannon Beach today! This is always a highlight of our summer as a family. This is the fourth year we have been going over to the Cannon Beach Conference Center and taking in excellent biblical teachings, being with great friends and relaxing on the ocean beach. Actually we are first going to Pendleton Oregon to stay Friday night in hopes of seeing Leah who is stationed just outside Pendleton, while she fights fires for the Forest Service. She has been busy lately in that immediate area due to dry conditions and lightning storms. So she may not get off to see us tonight. But she plans on joining up with us in Cannon Beach for Monday - Wednesday. So all will be there except Nathan, Michelle and Jake, due to work. And of course, it will be difficult at times without dear Susan. There are a lot of memories there at Cannon Beach and the kids have all said that they will make sure and take walks with me on the beach to make it special. Aren't they great!! God is so faithful to give me such great kids. We are all looking forward to the whole week. I have included a picture of Sarah, Hannah and Susan from last year on the beach.

In my devotions today, I read about faithfulness. Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving other, or to anything else; just don't ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers. The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son... Wow! No complaining. That is hard. My prayer for this week is that me and the kids would be a blessing to others around us and that the Lord would then be able to use us for purposes of His will. I will write from over at Cannon Beach for updates! God Bless you all. Thank you for checking in on us as we continue through this journey.

A Tribute to our Creator

"Blessed be the Lord. Because He has heard the voice of my supplication. The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall Thank Him." Psalm 28:6-7


I so love my children. I thank the Lord everyday for them all. They are special to me. I see Susan in each and every one of my children. And that is extra special to me. We continue to do well only because we trust in Jesus and make it a priority in all we do. It would be hard in our grieving process to do this without our saving salvation in Jesus Christ. The Lord is our Shepherd, there is nothing we shall want..... We had a great time at this years Creation Festival at the Gorge in George, Washington. And it usually gets well over a 100 degrees F, but this year, it was comfortable, even a little cool at night. But what a great time with three of my daughters, praising and glorifying our Lord Jesus. It was definitely a Tribute to our Creator. That is a theme each year as we celebrate Creation. We even had friends (Tom and Carrie) with us at times through the week. Hannah, Mary, Laura and I worked as volunteers in the Music Store. This is actually a tent with CD's and DVD's of the festival artists/bands. Worked with great people that made the 4 1/2 hours daily go by pretty fast and made it fun. Here is a picture of the white team.



Here is a picture of the three girls posing with the main stage and the Columbia Gorge in the background. This is a wonderful place for such an event. It really has beauty in such a dry and desolate place. We have been doing Creation Fest as a family for eight years. It has become a part of the summer.

Creation Bound

Last Tuesday, Hannah, my brother John and I, went out and rode the Hiawatha trail on the Idaho/Montana border. This is the first tunnel that is 1.7 miles long. This is a favorite trail of ours. Last fall, Susan and I did it. So there are a lot of memories. I rode Susan's beach bike, that has gears so I can get back up the hill without straining myself too much. What a cruiser though. What a Glorious day, enjoying what God has provided to us soo abundantly around here.

And Sunday night, we took in a Spokane Indians baseball game. The game wasn't very exciting for the home team fans, but we all had a great time on a beautiful summer evening. What a great time we have had with my brother John. He will be coming back at Christmas with his son Francesco. Pray that John survives the bus trip over to Billings for the next two weeks of his vacation.
On Tuesday morning, Hannah, Mary, Laura and I go to Creation Festival over at the Gorge Amphitheater on the Columbia River. This is the big Christian Music Festival on the West Coast, where us fans camp out for 4 nights and endure the extreme heat of Eastern Washington. We all will be working in the Music Tent during the festivals, so for those that plan on going, stop by and say hi to the Vetsch's.
Updates:

1. Sarah's hand is healing properly. It is still in a splint and she will stay away from the Physical Therapist, at least for a while. She won't be going to Creation because of her hand and she will need to take it easy in comfort back at home.
2. Aaron is off on a Youth group camp. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move in his heart this week. He returns this weekend.
3. Our time at Creation will be devoted to doing the will of our Lord Jesus. We are open to the calling. Pray that we step up and make a difference in the lives around us.
4. Pray for the home front here. Sarah and Jason will be at home working and taking care of the animals along with Diane.
5. Kayla will be at Kelly Murray's home for the week.

God's Faithfulness

"Thy loving kindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies. Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgements are like a great deep. O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast. How precious is Thy loving kindness, O God! And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings." Psalm 36: 5-7
It has been a while since the last blog entry. It has been busy but in my busyness I find going back to God's word to be very comforting and encouraging. This morning on my way to work, 30 minutes away, I was reminded of God's Faithfulness. Through all the craziness of life, all the distractions of life, God's unconditional love for us extends to the heavens, His Faithfulness stretches to the skies. God never changes in this busy world and I can Trust in Him to always care for me and the family. No matter what we go through, He is faithful. Overall we are doing well.

Since the last entry, my brother John came in from Houston to stay with us awhile. It has been a very fun visit. John has been able to relax after his busy time teaching at a university this summer. We went camping last week at Farragut State Park. Nice and relaxing, fished, hiked and the kids swam in cold, cold water. Only the younger girls were able to make the entire camping time. The others had work but Nathan and Hannah were able to come up on Sunday and Tuesday.

Hannah also participated in the Valley Girl Triathlon in Liberty Lake WA. This is an all female competition. Hannah did a great job and completed the 1/3 mile swim, 11 mile bike and 3 mile run in 1 hour 42 minutes. Hannah did this race in honor of Susan. This is the race that Susan was training for last summer but did not compete because she couldn't swim in the dark lake waters. She practiced in the lakes around here but the choppy, dark waters with some moss, just was too much for her. Hannah finished what Susan started last year. Sarah said she wants to compete next year with Hannah also. So that was exciting. Here is a picture of Hannah with friend Hope just before starting the swim. It was a beautiful morning.
And here is a video of her finish. What excitement when she crossed the finish line. We were all there to gather round her. God is faithful.

Praises:

1. Teresa our nanny is working out great. The girls went to Silverwood Theme park last week for the two days. So they are having a great time together. The kids really like Teresa.
2. Johnny's visit from Houston, very relaxing for him. We all are having good times together. Last night went to Snakepit restaurant in Enaville and played in the river. Today, we are riding the Hiawatha trail with Johnny and Hannah on our bikes.
3. Hannah's outstanding race on Sunday. What an encouragement to us all.
4. Leah is back from fighting fires in CA. Long days, 16 hours ususally, for two weeks. But now is back at home camp in Oregon, somewhat normal hours.
5. Jason and Aaron are working very hard at their jobs this summer.

Prayers:

1. Sarah's hand. The tendon that was operated on weeks ago, ruptured. She had to go back into surgery yesterday, Monday, to have another tendon surgically attached for her thumb. We think that Sarah went into Physical Therapy too soon last time and the tendon ruptured. She is in pain but has medicine and is resting for the next couple of days, at least. Pray that she heals properly and the surgery was successful.
2. The everyday grind around here. Pray for our focus to be on Jesus and not on ourselves. Pray for all the family and our daily walk with Him, that we would totally surrender to Him and trust Him. He is faithful to us, we just need to rest in that. "The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing that I want....."
3. Hannah, Mary, Laura and I go to Creation Festival at the Gorge in George WA next week. Pray that we would be used by God at this Christian Music Festival. We are on staff all week out there. Pray also for cooler weather.
4. Pray for Gail Smith and Gene Bailey who are going through their own Cancer Journey's. Pray that they would be filled with Joy and Peace, and be encouraged by those around them.

Update

This is something I read recently in my book "Confessions of a Grieving Christian" by Zig Ziglar. An illustration of losing a loved one. Called "Gone From My Sight":

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says, "There, she is gone!" Gone where? Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined ports.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says "There, she is gone!" there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!" --- And that is dying.
I am doing great with the encouragement of God's word, daily. But also with encouragement of those of you that are praying, visiting us and just thinking about me and the family. I thank you. I thank the Lord for friends and family like you. I continue to miss Susan dearly. Today, Mary, Laura and Kayla went with Uncle Rick and family to meet up with other relatives at Lake Chelan in Washington State for camping. So tonight, it was very quiet and yes lonely around the house. I put together a puzzle but it was comforting. This was a puzzle of Susan and I when I was back in Officer Candidate School. Hannah made a puzzle out of a picture of us two and gave it to me for Father's Day. So pray for the three girls as they are away from us and probably having very much fun. They will return on Wednesday.

Here is a picture of Leah fighting fires. She is currently down in Redding CA fighting the many fires caused by lightning strikes.



Here is a picture of the Family Reunion over near Elliston Montana over this past weekend. A glorious weekend full of games, square dancing, eating, sitting around the campfire. We are already planning another one, 3 years from now, over near Red Lodge MT. We always have a great time together. Always laughter.

Ironman Weekend

This past weekend, Nathan, Aaron, Hannah along with me, all volunteered for the 2008 Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d'Alene. We worked in the Transition area for the Swim to Bike transition. This is very exciting because the athletes come in to the change tent all at once for about an hour. We help them change from their wet suits to their biking clothing. This race starts out with a 2.4 mile swim in the cold water of Coeur d'Alene Lake (about 56 deg), then a 112 mile bike ride through the city and country side, then a full marathon run (26.2 miles). We knew several people but the one that captured our attention is Monica Suitter. She just returned from missionary work in China about three weeks ago and competed in the Ironman competition. She had no problem, doing very well at about 12hrs 52 minutes. Way to go Monica!!!!
"...and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1
This is a very appropriate verse for me because God has set my course before me and it started with Susan and our large family. God has had a plan for us all along. With Susan going to be with Jesus, God has left me in charge of our large family and He has a plan for me, and all the kids. He will not let me wander off course but if I keep my focus on Jesus, I can run with endurance. Not a sprint, but a full marathon plus. And it is exciting to say the least. Never a dull moment. Seeing Monica and the other athletes finish the Ironman, makes me think of our walk with Jesus and when we see Him we will have finished a pretty tough race. Susan has finished and did so with grace, stamina, faith and love for everyone around her. We are running with endurance with God's grace.


And the big news is yes we have a nanny!! Her name is Teresa and she is doing a fantastic job. The girls have really taken a liking to Teresa as you can tell from their big smiles in the picture. She has been cooking the evening meals with the young girls for that day. Also, doing chores with the young girls around the house, so the house is staying clean. I am appreciative of the structured care for the family for the two days a week that Teresa works right now. It will only be for the summer. This was definitely an answer to pray. Thank you Lord!
Praises:
1) For Teresa, our nanny, who is a believer as well
2) Aaron found a job, at Jamba Juice in CDA. He has been riding his bike to work, saving gas, and making some money. He really likes it.
3) I am sleeping better. I just need to get to bed earlier.
4) Work has been very understanding of my situation.
Prayer
1) Leah is working for the Forest Service fighting fires in Oregon. Well today, she called and she has been picked to go down to CA to help battle recent fires in Redding, CA. These fires have just started up due to lightening strikes. She was the only female to be picked and had to run 1.5 miles in less than 12 minutes to qualify. She ran in 11min 6 seconds. I will include a picture of Leah in action next time.
2) Our trip this weekend to Helena Montana, for the Vetsch family reunion. Will last three days through Sunday. Pray for safe travels and camp safety, fun and good fellowship.

Leah's Graduation

Yesterday, June 14th, was Leah's Graduation Day from Eastern Washington University in Cheney, WA. It has been a rainy Spring/Summer so far, but as of Friday, the weather has been great. Yesterday was 67 deg during the morning event. We are so proud of her. On Monday, she will leave to work for the forest service again in Oregon, fighting fires where needed. She loved the work last year and makes good money. Then in the Fall, she will live back here in Coeur d'Alene doing her internship at Dalton Elementary School, a 1/2 mile away where Laura and Kayla go to school. So that will be nice for me and the girls to have Leah close. Pray for Leah's plans this year as it entails a lot of energy and danger.


Here is Koko and Leah. Koko is a friend that Leah met at EWU.

A video of Leah getting her diploma. I missed capturing the announcement of her name. Fiddling with the camera and not know exactly where she was in the sea of grads, took my attention away. And then a group picture.

Abiding in Him!

Hello Friends,
Check out the devotional "My Utmost for His Highest" for June 11(to the right, click on the hyperlink, then on the calendar, click the 11th). "Come to Me..." Matthew 11:28. It says, "Our Lord's words are not 'Do this or don't do that', But, "Come to Me". If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life." I encourage you to read the whole thing. Abide in Him. I am learning that very thing. When I give everything to Him, I see the desires that Jesus has for my life, and that is true freedom through my faith.

Aaron had a birthday with some of his friends. Here is a picture, in the rain, of the guys playing 4 square (newly painted on the driveway). Always kids at heart. We love the game.

Here is Jason and Leah, at their graduation party on Monday night. About 50 guests came by for food and fellowship with the kids to celebrate graduations. The cake was delicious. Lisa Dreckman provided the cake, thanks Lisa! Jason leaves for Maui this Saturday with Danny & family, to kick back after graduation. Thanks to the Fisher family for taking Jason. Aloha!

And of course it rained on Monday night, sometimes hard. But the sun poked out several times. So people went out to play volleyball. Here are some of Jason's friends gathering for a picture between games. The rain didn't dampen the fun at the graduation party. Thanks to all that were able to come. We treasure your friendships. This coming Saturday is Leah's graduation at E. Washington U.
Here is a poem that I recently read, and of course it is about the rainy times in our life (how appropriate since it has been raining here soo much).
Is it raining, little flower?
Be glad of rain;
Too much sun would wither one;
It will shine again.
The clouds are very dark, it's true;
But just behind them shines the blue.
Are you weary; tender heart?
Be glad of pain;
In sorrow, sweetest virtues grow,
As flowers in rain.
God watches, and you will have sun,
When clouds their perfect work have done.

Prayer requests:
1) Leah's graduation this Saturday. Also she will be fighting fires again this summer for the Forest Service in Oregon. Pray for safety.
2) My sleep is better, but I still need prayer. Many have told me that this is part of the grieving process.
3) We are all still grieving and healing. All different, in our own way. Our fun family events certainly help to keep the precious memories of Susan going. We learn to Abide in Him daily!

The Plans I have for you.....

"For I know the plans that I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29: 11-13 (This is Susan's favorite verse)

A lot of plans/events of late. And for each, the Lord has been there for us. Each event has been special, memorable, and hopefully glorifying to our Lord Jesus. First, I forgot to put in something about the Relay for Life in Coeur d'Alene. This is an event for Breast Cancer awareness and research fund raising. There was entertainment, booths (games, food, activities), walking (laps around a track for fund raising). Also luminaries that were be purchased for loved one who have passed or are dealing with cancer. Here are some pictures of the event.

On the hillside, luminaries spell out "HOPE"

Luminaries for SUSAN by the kids.

All of the family was there but this was a picture later on after dark when some had already departed for home.
It's getting late and I will definitely get more pictures in about Aaron's birthday party on Saturday and Leah/Jason's graduation party on Monday. Good Night!

Jason's Graduation

Here is a video of Jason receiving his diploma!!! Just press the arrow button. It was a momentous occasion.

We serve an Everlasting God, Amen!

28 Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The LORD is the Everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of His understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40: 28-31

Wow! What an incredible truth in the Bible. The very Creator of this vast, vast world/universe, loves us and takes care of us. The Vetsch family embraces that truth each day. We do become weak and tired, near exhaustion sometimes, BUT we do TRUST in the Lord for all of our needs. We are blessed each day. I thank God for each day because it is a blessing in itself.

Praises:
1) Theresa will be our nanny starting June 9th. She will work Mondays and Tuesdays watching Mary, Laura and Kayla, and keeping an eye on all the functions of the house.
She is a 45 year old Christian mom who has met the three young girls already. Theresa will be a very good influence on our family.
2) Sarah went to her hand specialist this morning and she had her bandage wrap taken off her left hand after her surgery. Everything looks good. There are some scars. So pray that the scaring is minimal. Anyone have ideas on what to put on scars to heal cleaner/faster.
3) Jason started working at Tomato Street restaurant last night. He loved it and they seemed to love him. That has been an answer to prayer.
4) Jason and Leah finishing up there studies prior to graduations on June 6th and 14th, respectively.

Prayer:
1) For Jason and Leah, as they do go beyond school and their choices now for the future, that they trust in the Lord for their decisions.
2) Getting the chore list and routine down, for the summer schedule (with school out).
3) Aaron is still looking for a summer job. He put in about 4 applications yesterday, so pray the Lord would honor his diligence in finding a job.
4) Pray for me. Sleep of late as been difficult. I wake up and can't get back to sleep at various time of the night. Being an engineer, I try and analyze why and can't figure it out.
5) Mary and Laura got their lambs on Sunday for 4H projects this summer. Pray for dedication to their projects, that they would alone do all the work associated with the care and training of the animals. They usually do, but prayer anyway.

Lastly, to those who are weary (and I know a lot are) keep looking upward. The Everlasting God, who does not grow weak or weary, will keep you strong.

Grace in Time of Need

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weakness, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Hello family and friends,
This verse certainly speaks volumes to me lately. I feel like a fish out of water sometimes with being a single parent. It has been a challenge of late but day to day I keep my eyes on Jesus and rest in His grace. He gives me the strength and wisdom I need daily. It has been busy of late.
-Sarah's surgery went well last Wednesday. Took a little longer than was planned but everything turned out just fine. With some pain meds, Sarah was able to cope with the after effects and has been doing well. Today she had a follow up appointment and the doctor put some new wrapping on her left hand.
-On the Friday before Memorial Day, the family had a placement ceremony at the cemetery for Susan's ashes. Her ashes are buried at the Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 7315 N Government Way in Coeur d'Alene. Pastor Dick officiated at the short service. It was a very close occasion for my family as all lowered the urn into the ground. Here are a couple of pictures.



And then for Memorial Day weekend, we all headed up to Farragut State Park (about 30 miles north) to camp out. Weather was cool the first night, sunny the next day with some drizzle on Saturday night. But then the rest of the weekend was really nice. We played alot of games like Phase 10 (a card game), Frisbee golf and wiffle ball. What a great time. All expect on Saturday afternoon, when I was throwing my Frisbee disk (this one was an official disk, heavier, pointy edge). I really threw it hard and it hit one tree, hit another and came right down on Aaron's head. He went down so fast and was bleeding. By the time I got there, he was still on the ground, but was not bleeding too bad. We went back to camp and cleaned up the wound. He later went back into town with Hannah to go to Emergent Care. He ended up getting 5 stitches. I felt bad. What a freak accident. So pray for his head and proper healing.

Today was Aaron's birthday. Sixteen years old. We had a taco dinner then played kickball in the pasture and volleyball in the front yard followed up with four square on the driveway. It was a nice weekend. This coming weekend will be Relay for Life, our local chapter event for Cancer awareness and charity to fight the disease. We will be partaking in the event on Friday night. Then on Saturday afternoon, a luau for Aaron's birthday with some of his friends, more games and probably a bonfire at our house. On Wednesday evening, I will meet with Theresa, a nanny who will potentially be working for me for a couple of days a week this summer when the kids are out of school. Mary, Laura and Kayla will go with me to meet and talk with her. Pray for peace and that all will work out.
I want to thank all of you dear ones out there that have helped the Vetsch family in so many ways (prayers, meals, cards, letters, emails, contributions to the Susan Vetsch Cancer Fund, cleaning of our house, help with lice issues, driving kids here and there, sewing classes, cooking classes, softball practice/games, etc). You are all blessings and we love you all. Keep praying for harmony amongst the children,
peace and strength for me, keeping to a chore list, and trying to have fun while doing it all. We are doing well considering. We stay busy. Lastly,
"I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.... I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11,13

Susan's Garden

My girls have been busy getting the flower beds planted. Hannah bought an etched rock with "Mom's Garden" which is such an honor to Susan. Susan loved gardening and loved her flower beds. Check out the angel that is over the garden. One thing Susan requested is to line our garden with sunflowers each year. The garden is being planted and yes there will be sunflowers. We are all doing fine. We do miss Susan. This time of year brings such fond memories of working in the yard. Sarah goes into outpatient surgery on Wednesday morning at 1000 am. Her tendon on her left thumb became detached and frayed. So the doctor will take one tendon from her index finger and use it to reattach her thumb functions. So important to have a working strong thumb. The doctor said it is routine surgery but do pray for Sarah. Especially her recovery and mending of her thumb. Pray she takes it easy and follows doctors orders.

Kayla has been playing soccer in the city league. Here with her team, back row far right. Kayla is 8 years old and has learned a lot about soccer. She has had fun. God worked it out that her games were scheduled after work and during Laura's softball practice in the adjoining field. So I was able to often watch Kayla's soccer game while Laura practiced softball, then we all drove home to eat.

Here is Laura practicing at second base. This weekend we all go camping up at Farragut. Looking forward to peace and quiet. Lots of games and down time. Taking bikes and fishing poles.