July Birthdays Rachel, Dad, Elizabeth,(Me), Esther

Can't believe that Rachel is already 16!!

                                                      Respectful
                                                      Attentive
                                                      Creative
                                                      Helpful
                                                      Eager
                                                      Loving                                                        

It is our tradition to have our grandparents over for a special meal that the birthday person gets to order

                                                      Brave
                                                      Responsible
                                                      Useful
                                                      Caring
                                                      Encouraging

I sure do love you Dad!

I got My drivers license!! I want to thank my parents and my siblings who helped me to learn how to parallel park:)

For Esther's birthday and mine, we went to Zipple Bay with the J. family

Esther is now 5!! Here she is about to have fun with her sister JoAnna on the Dragon roller coaster.

                                                        Energetic
                                                        Sweet
                                                        Thoughtful
                                                        Huggy
                                                        Extraordinary
                                                        Radiant smile

When Esther was younger she used to be scared of grandpa..Now she really loves him!

Everyone that has had a birthday will probably look back on the past year and wonder where and how it has gone so quickly.
James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow, For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Only one life, will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.

Reuben is Home!!!!!

I know that this post is long overdue... but we have been crazy busy:)

 Mom, Dad, Matthew, and Marie went to pick Reuben up on the 11th of July. While they waited they went to the Mall of America. Here Daddy, Marie, and Matthew are in front of the sign.

Waiting in the Minneapolis airport...Anticipation is mounting:)

Reuben's plane is taking a long time!!

He's here!!! Marie, running to greet her brother. They were all a little excited.

First hugs with Dad.

Marie did not want to leave or let go of her brother's hand.

Even though Reuben had stayed up for 48 hours he still wanted to drive home the next day. In Taiwan Reuben did not have any opportunity to drive, so he has been driving a lot since he has been home:)

And here is what we have done since Reuben has been home:)..just kidding. Though we have done a lot of talking, we have served together(Back Home Days, and a Funeral), weeded together, frozen beans together, gone to a wedding together... you get the idea. One thing that I have learned since Reuben has been gone, is to appreciate your family that God has given you. Accept them as they are, love them, forgive them, and learn from them. You never know what God has in store for your siblings, or your parents. Be thankful for your family!!!!

4th of July!

Victoria in her 4th of July dress that Mom made for her.

Victoria, enjoying the warm sunshine and scratchy grass.

Mom and Rachel made all the girls matching skirts...

And hair bows:) Proverbs 31:19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

Matthew and Caleb are proud of Ben,(their older brother, who is in the National Guard)!! Their shirts say The Army National Guard, the Shield of Freedom.

Our Aunt and Uncle had a corn maze float in the parade. Matthew was the  Corncob and I, (Elizabeth), was the Cow. It was really really fun!

A highlight of the 4th of July was the pool at our relatives house. What's the matter Joanna?? Going to slip off your inner tube:)?

Before we saw the fireworks the little ones had fun playing at the park. Here Esther is playing peek-a-boo with Mom. Another thing that we did before the fireworks began was to pass out 180's. It's about Abortion, World War II, The Holocaust, Salvation,and more. This Dvd really makes you think! Priscilla, Rachel, Abby, Matthew and I were able to give out around 121 of the Dvds!! We would like prayer that the Dvd's would be used in each of the people's hearts for good, and that people would become more interested in spiritual things through them.

"O thus be it ever, when free men shall stand between their loved homes and the war's desolation!

Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land praise the pow'r that hath made and perserved us a nation!

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, and this be our motto:

In God is our trust!

And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave!

I hope that everyone had as wonderful time during 4th of July as we had. don't forget what is truly the most ultimate reason to celebrate: Jesus!! Whether it is Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, or TODAY celebrate Jesus. Thank him for breath, a new life in Him, a home in heaven, freedom to worship, the sun, rain, and the twittering of birds....the list is endless! The happiest of Christians, are those who are thankful and do not forget what Jesus has saved us from. Hope you have a great day today!
Special thanks to the city of Warroad for the amazing display of fireworks on the 4th of July!!

Father's Day!!

We always give Dad breakfast in bed...but when we went up to give it to him, he was gone!! It took us a couple of minutes to figure out that he had slipped down stairs, and was waiting for his breakfast:)

Thanks Dad for loving Victoria; a girl who the world would look at and say she will never amount to anything...but our little treasure!

Everybody get Daddy!!( Thanks for putting up with us over all these years:)

A normal picture...except Victoria and mom(doesn't our family look smaller?)

This is a Father's day picture from last year.(we sure do miss our two older brothers.)

Thanks Daddy for they way that you love Mom.

It's not easy to be a godly dad in this ungodly world that we live in. Thank you Dad for giving up your own life, so that you could pour it into ours. We love you SOOO much!! The word father is mentioned 997 times in the Bible. Obviously fathers are pretty important. Here are some verses that I really like that have the word father in them.
1John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.." I John 3:1 Ephesians 6:2" Honour thy father and mother;(which is the first commandment with promise;) Ephesians 6:2 and Romans 8:15" For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Romans 8:15
Thanks to all Dads out there who take their job as being a father seriously, and who try and copy the perfect example of  a Father...God!!
Philippians 4:13" I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

JoAnna's 7th Birthday

I cannot believe that our little JoAnna is7!! Blowing out the candles of our pretty flower cake( Some of the decorations were tootsie rolls from VBS:)

Opening gifts..her favorite gift that she got were three chickens from Grandma and Grandpa Krahn. JoAnna loves to run and check to see if there are any eggs from the chickens!!

JoAnna likes to talk to Victoria, climb trees with her sisters, make cookies with her older sisters, play games with her older brothers, and snuggle with mom and dad.

Our prayer for you, JoAnna, is that you would honor God in all that you do...

That you would grow to be more like Jesus, and that your goal in life would be to "Know Christ and  make him Known"

We love you JoAnna!! May God grant that you would live many more birthdays for Him.

Matthew's Birthday & the great outdoors

               Matthew has turned 14!! How did that happen?!

The Tradition goes on.( We always take a picture of Matthew by the tulips..Some years there is snow and no tulips:)

Daddy with his not so little boy.

Matthew:"Did you know that I was as tall as you Mom?"Mom: "Yes..But you will always be my little boy":)

Matthew wanted a tank cake this year. So Mom made him one. This is the first time that Mom has worked with fondant..didn't she do a good job:)

Matthew, whether you are fixing the clothes line..

Or hunting geese..

We sure do love you!! May God bless you in all you do. "Only be thou strong and very courageous..."

We have started to plant the garden!!

Caleb making the rows. We have planted peas, onions, carrots and lettuce.

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

who hast set thy glory above the heavens.

When I consider thy heavens, the work of the fingers, the moon and the stars,

which thou hast ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him?

and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psalm 8:1,3,4