Sister Love and Summer Fun.

Summer is always a wonderful time of year. A time to work hard, play hard, sleep hard, and all the while making memories with family and touching other peoples lives for Christ!

July is a busy birthday month for us...I remember ten years ago when I was turning 13...Mommy was having quite a few false labor alarms, making her pretty tired. The night of my birthday we celebrated and then my sister and I slept downstairs. I woke up the next morning to my daddy gently shaking me and telling me that Mommy was going to have her baby now, and we needed to get up to go to Grandma's house!! I asked Dad "Is this for real now?" and he said "Yes!!" Several hours later Esther was born.
Esther is still my favorite birthday gift!!

 This year on Esther's birthday, I had to have my wisdom teeth taken out...So she came with Mommy, JoAnna and I to Grand Forks.

We didn't celebrate until the weekend so all the family could be with us (minus Ben, Emily, Cedric and Reuben.)

 To help celebrate Esther's birthday we had ice cream cones when we came back from GF.
Isaiah 41:10 - Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

 On the weekend we headed to Zipple Bay. So thankful that God decided to make water!!

 Playing jarts...one of Esther's new gifts.

 Some people got chilly from the wind...covering up with sand sure fixed the problem :):)

 Early on in July our family was able to help prepare and serve the food at Back Home Days. Back Home Days is a reunion of all those who attended Williams School, which is no longer in use. Here is the first batch of potatoes that we are waiting on to boil so that we can mash them for mashed potatoes.

Here is just two of the five buckets of potatoes that we had to cook.

 All the seasonings to make the potatoes taste good.

 Marie helping wash out the potato buckets.

 JoAnna helping dry the buckets. We also helped make the meatballs, and helped serve the mashed potatoes, meatballs and gravy, coleslaw, jello salad, buttered buns, and pickles...a big shout out to all those who helped serve with us! And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. Colossians 3:23

 Matthew cutting down unwanted brush trees.

 Mom and Matthew discussing which trees to keep and which trees should go. Mom had been enjoying clearing out a clearing in the woods...soon we will be able to camp out in our own camp ground in the woods!

 
 Summer would not be complete without a couple picnic meals!

 How do you spend your summer days? We could not hope to tell all the things that happen in our summer. What really matters is, if we are drawing closer to Jesus and sharing the love of Christ with others. Our lives are compared to the life of a flower. What a short life span a flower has, and yet our lives in comparison to eternity is also very short! What will you do with your life?  Turning twenty three this year caused me to do a lot of thinking. Am I doing what I want to do? More importantly, am I doing what Christ wants me to do?

Psalm 103:15-17

As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;