I will abide in the shadow of the Almighty!

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:1-2

Hello all family and friends,
I really do want to update the blog more often than I do. I always have a lot to say. But life gets busy and something always has to give. I apologize. I miss talking to you. Feel free to respond back too, it is always encouraging to hear from you.
I have a daily devotional link to MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST off to the right side on this blog. On July 4th, it was about "Don't fret" or don't worry. I believe worrying is a sin or at least leads to sin and against the very nature of God. I have been dwelling on the fact that we need to "rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:7. In the devotional, it said the resting in the Lord is not dependent on our external circumstances at all, but on our relationship with God Himself. That should be our focus, our relationship with God. Where are you at in these days of uncertainty? We are all in different areas of uncertainty. All of our fretting and worrying are caused by planning without God. Some of these words are right out of the devotional for the 4th of July. Read it when you can. It was very good.

So for this past month of June, Aaron graduated from High School. I am so proud of Aaron. He is a very special son. He is creative and funny. He always has us guessing what he will do next. His plans are to attend North Idaho College this fall. I am hoping that church ministry is still his interest but I think he still would like to get into business. We shall see. Here are a couple of pictures on his graduation night.
Here is Hannah, Aaron and Sarah in front of CDA High School after the graduation. Aaron is our sixth child to graduate. And each one is as special as any other.
Aaron in front of the house before heading out to graduation. He then went on a road trip with friends to the Oregon coast for a special graduation campout.

The next day, Sarah and I were signed up for the 2nd Annual Sports Adventure Week Deep Water Trail run up at Farragut State Park. This is a Half Marathon Trail run which included several trips up Goat Hill. Some of you might remember Goat Hill in you Cross Country Meets up at Farragut. This run was a repeat for me from last year BUT it was Sarah's first trail run. And guess what. Sarah was following some other people and took the wrong trail. When they were running through thick weeds and things just didn't look right, they all decided they were lost and backtracked. Sarah probably ran an extra 3 miles because of the 'detour'. She had fun though and wants to do it again next year.
Sarah and I after the half marathon. It is a beautiful place for this Adventure Week. The week consists of runs that cover 50 miles, 31 miles, a marathon and a half marathon. It also has extreme sporting events as well. Really alot of fun. Nathan, Leah, Sarah, Jason and I are all signed up for the Portland Marathon in the Fall, on 10/10/10. We are a running family and it has been a nice family time together. Nathan is signed up for the CDA Triathlon and the Hayden View Triathlon which are at the end of July. Will keep you posted on his races. Michelle is planning to do the Sandpoint Half Marathon in September.

And of course we had different events to celebrate. SO, to do things more efficiently, we threw a party out back to celebrate Aaron's graduation, Leah's birthday (June 16th) and Father's Day on the Saturday before Father's Day. It was gorgeous out. Our summer has been very slow in getting to the nice weather. So that day was exceptional. So here are some pictures of the family and of us boys.
Here is the family. Michelle had to go feed Luke so she is missing unfortunately. From Left to right, Laura, Jason, Mary, Nathan, Aaron, Jake, Hannah, Kayla in front, Doug and Leah.
The boys in a serious pose. I didn't know that I was supposed to be serious.

We also had a family night at Skate Plaza with our 4H group. Here is a picture of Hannah with Laura and Kayla. It has been years since I put on skates and it actually felt pretty good. I didn't look real graceful out there but I had fun.

And what would the summer be without going to our amusement park, Silverwood Theme Park. The girls have passes so they have been going alot, especially since the weather has been soo nice. Here is a picture of them with Garfield at Silverwood.
And we have been camping some. We do love to camp. And we still sleep on the ground in a tent. Now that is getting into nature. This past weekend Nathan, Michelle and Luke came up for the day. This was Lukes first camping experience and I think he liked it. Can you tell from his smile below. He is in the backpack for this picture. We went on a hike all of us together. Luke is now about 6 1/2 months old. Laura has been doing some babysitting for Michelle. Laura is taking a babysitting class at the hospital for two days learning some good stuff like infant CPR skills.

Luke

Luke and the girls all in a row on the picnic table.

Memorial Day 2010

"Our servicemen and women are visible evidence of our determination to meet any threat to the peace with measured strength and high resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh but inescapable truth - that the survival of freedom requires great cost and commitment, and great personal sacrifice." President John F. Kennedy
We attended a Memorial Day Program at the cemetery where Susan is buried. I want my kids to know what Memorial Day is all about. And it was very good. A lot of veterans around to make it visible that it is about commitment and great personal sacrifice. All at a cost. Our Freedoms have not been cheap. And I am thankful to God for the great sacrifices by a lot of men and women who have gone before us and gave their lives.
This was the Wreath Presentation of the program. This all was performed by the local Marine Corps League.

Last weekend, we attended the Relay for Life w/ the American Cancer Society. It was Jake and Hannah, Michelle and Luke, Mary, Laura, Kayla, Ed Hoy, Lindsey Vogt and a lot of friends. We had a great night of being together as a family and remembering Susan and a lot of the fun times we have had at previous Relays for Life, all the way back to 2002. I remember one specific memory of Susan being lifted high above the crowd in a fire engine extended ladder bucket. She was always wanting to do the "on the edge" fun activities. And she just loved this one. And she would always get into the night of activities and love talking with so many friends. We see many of those same friends on that special night. So it was fun. Here are a couple of pictures from that night.

The group on this special nightAn iluminary in memory of Susan; along the oval track we walked many laps for the cause

This past weekend also, Jason, Sarah and I ran in the Coeur d'Alene Marathon runs. Jason ran his first Marathon with a pretty impressive time of 3 hours 56 minutes. He learned a lot about running long distance and wants to do another some day, maybe the Portland Marathon in October. Sarah ran the half marathon, her longest distance ever and was impressive at 2 hours 11 minutes. And she had a great time too. She wants to do another half marathon with me in two weeks during Adventure Week at Farragut State Park, trail running. I did the half marathon in 1 hour and 47 minutes, not bad for an old guy. I was pleased. Here are some pictures from that day.

Jason about 200 feet from the Finish Line. He looks pretty fresh but he was a bit dehydrated at the end. His knee brace was from an minor injury during training.

The two half marathoners. We plan on another in two weeks.

And I have to get a picture of my grandson Luke. Nathan, Michelle and Luke came over on Sunday afternoon after the race. Luke is such a handsome young guy. We are all enjoying Luke so much. Laura is going to be taking a babysitter CPR class in a couple of weeks so that she can baby sit him. She is really exited about doing that.

Luke at 5 months old

Our Dog Dawson Passed Away

Yesterday, Dawson, our faithful black lab of over 10 years, passed away. He had been dealing with arthritis and had some lumps around his stomach area for several years now. But up until Tuesday he seemed to be doing OK. Then on Wednesday morning, he just was not able to stand up and move around. His breathing was erratic too. We all said our good byes that morning and then he died within an hour after. Susan absolutely loved Dawson. He was such a faithful companion to her. I have included a picture of Susan and Dawson. This was the night that Susan was checked into the Cancer Ward at the hospital. We snuck Dawson into the hospital just to see Susan. They both were very excited to see each other, as you can see on Susan's face.

I will upload some more pictures of Dawson when I get home tonight. This morning was not the same around the house without Dawson. We will miss him.

"Be kind to one another"

"And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32

Greetings family, friends and anyone else that happens along this blog site. Grace and peace to you! I was reading in Ephesians during my quiet time and this verse really spoke to me. I often times forget how God treats us is unconditional, no strings attached, no preconditions and He loves us no matter what. The Bible is very clear on His love for us, it "extends to the heavens"(Psalm 36:5). And we are called to "be Holy, for I am Holy" 1 Peter 1:16. So let us be kind and love one another, forgiving just as we are forgiven. Hope all is well with you.
We have had a busy month. First off, Sarah's car was totaled but thanks to insurance, she recovered the value of the car. And she has bought a Honda Accord. She had no injuries from the deer encounter. I am very thankful for that. And Laura's headaches have gotten better. She gets them on occasion and it is not associated with reading. Some think that it could be her age and the hormone changes that she is going through. Still pray for Laura.
Updates:
1) Jason has been running and has now signed up for the Coeur d'Alene marathon on Memorial Day weekend. This is very exciting because Jason has never been a runner. He has always liked soccer which involves a lot of running. But this is a stretch for him. But he is doing well. Sarah, Leah and I are planning the 1/2 marathon on the weekend as well. Should be a fun family event.
Jason and I did our kick off run for the season, the Spring Dash. Here is a picture of Jason and I before the race. Also, Michelle and her cousin Lydia ran.

2) At Susan's gravesite, we had a special time together. Again this year we wrote love notes to dear Susan and released them attached to Helium balloons. We had fun watching the different balloons go each different ways and trying to keep them in eye sight as they got higher and higher. Hannah and Kitty (Jake's mom) painted up some very special rocks to put around the grave marker. They both did such a great job making each rock for a member of the family with their name on it with a special artistic flavor on each. Thanks Hannah and Kitty for making it really special.


3) Being a Grandpa has been very exciting. Luke is changing so fast. I have been getting some one on one time with Luke and that has been special. I get to watch him this Thursday night in fact. Luke is now just over 4 months old. I am so proud of Nathan and Michelle. They are doing such a super job with Luke. They are really getting into parenting. Nathan dropped by on Saturday. Here is a picture of the two. Handsome guys aren't they.
4) Yesterday, Hannah, Jake and I did the famous Bloomsday run in Spokane. 50,000 people participate in Bloomsday. 7.5 mile course through scenic parts of a Spokane. Jake did real well. This is a first time running event for Jake and he finished! Proud of him and Hannah. We all had a great time. Weather was very beautiful in the morning.

Remembering Susan Today!!!

"Praise Him for ALL that is past and Trust Him for ALL that is to come."

This is a written note that is still on my refrigerator, that is in Susan's handwriting. She had written it down years ago when she was going through the cancer, in the middle of the trial. She had such a focus on our Lord. It is a statement of faith. Simply FAITH. Trusting in Him for all of our needs, through good times and bad. And Susan is remembered today. My angel was ushered into the presence of our Lord two years today after seven years of breast cancer. She Praised Him in the storm and showed us how to Trust Him. Jesus said in Matthew 11: 28-30,

²⁸"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

³⁰"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

We are all doing well. God holds us close when we need Him most. Some prayer requests:

1) Sarah is without work right now. Jeff, whom she works for as a nanny, has been diagnosed with throat cancer. So she is not really working for Jeff right now. Also, two weeks ago, Sarah was in an accident when she tried to avoid a deer. This happened on a mountain pass, and she hit the right side barrier, bounced off to the center barrier. She did not roll the Jeep but it was totaled. She had insurance but she is without wheels right now too. So she is going through a lot right now.

2) Laura is getting headaches these days. Trying to figure out what may be causing them. Have to take her to a specialist to further diagnose what may be going on.

Where's the Snow????

Hi All,
Here we are in the middle of February and we still don't have any snow. Ya there is snow in the mountains but we haven't had snow since before Christmas. And the irony is that the rest of the country is experiencing all kinds of record snow falls (like Dallas with a foot of snow this past week). Maybe where you live, there is some snow on the ground. I want snow. It is winter isn't it? Well, Laura from Korea went back home this past week. The time went by so fast. She was a real joy to have around. She was so quiet but yet so good to have around for the kids to see a different culture and to talk about differences in cultures. It was an education. Here are some pictures and clips of events that were held while she was here.

Mary, Laura, Laura and Kayla

Here is Luke, our MVP for the Vetsch Team, Yah! Luke is doing real well. Gaining weight nicely and just keeps getting more handsome each time I see him.

We celebrated Jason's birthday. He is now 20 yrs old. He is doing very well. Going to school at North Idaho College, he is getting into Psychology. This study is right up his alley. He really likes it. He is also working double shift these days as a server at Tomato Street Restaurant. So Jason is real busy. He is training also for the Coeur d' Alene Marathon on Memorial Day weekend.

Laura from South Korea here with us

Hello all,

We have a South Korean exchange student with us as of this past Monday, Jan11th. Her name is Laura (Hyebin Seo, here actual name). She is 15 years old but in America she would be 14 yrs because at birth in Korea, she is 1 year old already. What a wonderful addition to our family for 4 weeks. Laura goes to middle school with Mary and my Laura, attending classes alongside Mary. She brought her saxophone, enjoys putting puzzles together (which we love too), eating pizza and loves to write. She prints English very well and speaks pretty good English. We too are learning Korean and she laughs at our struggles with the language. I see a very great friendship bond being made with my children. We will definitely stay in touch and foresee trips to Korea in some fashion to see her in the future. Laura is a Christian and requested a Christian family to stay with through this exchange program. The school thought of us and we are blessed because of it.

Here is Laura, Mary and Laura the first day in Coeur d'Alene.

Here she is with my girls along with Dawson. She loves Dawson and our cat Smeagle too! Her family does not have pets so to have them laying around near by is new but very fun for her.

Laura traveled with other Korean students. Here are two friends of hers, Rosi and Stella who are staying with Jessica (on the far right) as part of the exchange program.

My Grandson Luke is doing well. There was concern about his weight. He lost a pound and a half after coming home but has now rebounded. He is a big eater and sleeps alot. He is a very good baby for Michelle and Nathan. What a blessing to have a new Grandson. Her are some new pictures of Luke.

Try and focus Luke!

Bundled up and ready to go!

Awwwww! My dad!