Family Updates and Happenings~

Since our friends and family are literally scattered all over the United States, I thank God for the internet to post pictures & "Family Updates" now and again to keep everybody up with what has kept Kirk and I (and the kids) busy- here's a post that shares WHAT ELSE is up besides our ongoing "home renovation".

VT-35 Squadron Fun: Kirk is a Flight Instructor with the US Navy. On occasion, we have "get togethers" with other families in our Squadron.

The kids have a fun time seeing the airplane their daddy flies for his "work".

Kirk preparing for a new adventure:

Kirk is nearing the end of his 20 year career with the Navy and he's been spending time on the computer getting himself set up for the next adventure God has for him. Kirk's most recently been applying for civilian flying jobs with a variety of commercial and transport airlines. The application process is all done "on-line" and he is confident he'll get hired to fly civilian (he has over 5,000 hours of flying multi-engine).

I love my family!

More Texas Critters:

From rattle snakes in the summer, to wild javelinas in the winter!!! For a couple months in a row they would come to our front yard to eat acorns and some pear cactus. There is usually about 5-8 of them, but one time we saw a herd of almost 20! We scare them away with making lots of noise and shooting them with a sling shot & acorns. After we put a small fence around the pear cactus, we haven't seen any javelinas in a couple months.

...the pear cactus in our front yard the javelinas love to eat!

Kelsie preparing for college:

Kelsie narrowed her college selection down to Seattle Pacific University in Washington State or Lee University in Tennessee.

After much prayer and direction from God, Kelsie chose Lee University - a Christian college that is offering her a full tuition (4 years) academic scholarship.

...when we visited the school it was neat to see almost every student in the girls dorm had their own eraser board on their door with Scriptures written on them.

Kelsie making the most of her senior year of High School:

...surprising some friends for their birthdays, Kelsie and friend Maddy "kidnapped" Benji and Randi for a special night of Chinese food, a bon fire and hanging out (in our back yard!).

Andrew, our Swimmer:

We are so proud of Andrew and his commitment to swimming. As a freshman in high school, he was the only 9th grade boy to try out for swimming. On top of that, HE MADE THE VARSITY TEAM! He has never swam competitively before this year and did awesome. He made it to District Competition, then to Regionals. He placed in both competitions receiving a couple medals.Andrew's swim regimen dropped about 20 pounds from his 8th grade weight. He morphed from a boy last year to a young man this year.

Girl Scout Cookie Season:

Jessie is a Brownie Girl Scout; I lead the entire multi level troop (of 36 girls) at our school. We had a very busy and successful cookie season January through February.

...in addition to selling cookies, meeting at our troop meetings, crafts, and Girl Scout fun, the troop went to a NHL Hockey game that honored the local Girl Scouts.

Goofing around, hanging out and just being...

Our newest Kitty~

A stray kitty, we have not yet named. We will give her love and hope she "works" as an outside cat to keep mice and snakes away. Bruno, our black kitty is excited to have a new friend.

Function, Practicality, and Common Sense

We are still in the progression of our home renovation with only about 40 percent of the interior complete. A definate "work in progress". When working on a particular room in our fixer upper, these three questions go through my mind when evaluating our space~

• Does this space FUNCTION the way my family needs it to? (storage has been an issue)
• Are the changes we're making to this space PRACTICAL to the construction and era of the house? (since it's a 1930's home we don't want overly "contemporary" features.
• Are we exercising a level of COMMON SENSE when updating the space not to "over improve"?

Over the past 4 months we've been working simultaneously on updating the living room and two hallways. The light at the end of the tunnel for these spaces is getting brighter to actually seeing completion!!! I hope to have some "AFTER" pictures posted very soon. I know, I know, I say that all the time. For now, here's some more "IN PROGRESS" pictures.

Kirk working on crown moulding in one of the hallways-
it's harder than it looks!

Our living room carpet in the process of being taken out. When you live in the space you're renovating it's a bit harder to get jobs done; many obstacles!

O.K.~ since we've never laid laminate floor before, "how do we do this"?
Kirk reads the instructions.

...we're on a roll, now! (I'm actually enjoying this)

The kids think it's a new play area to slip and slide on. Fun, Fun, Fun!

Great Memory Verse! VERSE #6

I love the directness of The Message translation of Proverbs 18:21. I pray as I memorize these words of wisdom, God will continually remind me to "choose" life and fruit in what comes out of my mouth. (not just my words, but also my tone of voice)

Words kill, words give life;

they're either poison or fruit—
you choose.

Proverbs 18:21 (The Message) SSMT #6

As I memorize Proverbs 18:21, I will also refresh myself with a previous Scripture from several years ago -Ephesians 4:29. Thank you, Lord, for your Word!

Pray for Japan...

and ALL who are effected by the recent earthquake, tsunami & and continuing tragedies~

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the LORD has done,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46 (NIV)

MEMORY VERSE #5

I chose these verses for the next two weeks because I've been in a "funk" and know the enemy is trying his hardest to keep me there. The "funk" I'm talking about is lack of energy, confidence, self pity and the feeling of repetitious defeat. The Lord has convicted me in some areas of disobedience; for those I confess and repent.

Before I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior I was in ignorance and darkness. But now that He's in my heart and I am one with the Lord, I have His light and want so badly for that light to shine bright for His glory...

... for the Lord to show me His victory throughout each day and the fruit of His spirit (below as well as Galatians 5:22-23) to be reflected in all I am and do...

...I want to seek the Lord and not just find Him and find out what pleases Him, but also put it into action. As I memorize these wonderful verses from Ephesians 5 over the next weeks, I also will pray them back to the Lord for myself and my sisters and brothers in Christ.

For you were once darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light

(for the fruit of the light consists

in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

and find out what pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 5:8-10 (NIV)

SSMT Verse #5