Update blog post...JoAnna!

JoAnna has been staying very busy with school, piano, working around the house (a lot!), working with AWANA kid's, and a lot of other things!

Last year, and for the second year in a row, JoAnna made it to the National Bible Bee competition! In this picture JoAnna and I were actually working on reviewing some of her verses. She memorized almost 800 verses during the fall! At the competition JoAnna placed 55! It was an awesome week at Bible Bee...And instead of doing another update blog post next I think I will do a very belated recap of Bible Bee. And then hopefully a recap of our Christmas season. We'll see how much time I end up finding to work on it. 

 

 

 

~Marie

Update blog post...Caleb!

We all missed Caleb last year as he was counseling at a camp in Wisconsin! Although we missed him, we knew that the Lord was using him where he was so that was exciting! 

 

Recently he's been working for a farmer near us and enjoys playing hockey with friends once or twice a week. He definitely is very good at hockey, and its fun having him play with us! (Even if he skates circles around us at times!!!)

He's also been preparing for a missions trip to Romania in just a few months! It has been awesome having Caleb around the house, when he's not working. He's got such a wonderful attitude about literally everything, and has quite the role to fill...being the only brother living at home now! We will definitely miss him while he's in Romania but are so excited to see how God uses him in this country!

Update blog posts...Esther!

Esther is a bundle of joy and hugs! No Question about that! She has been working diligently on her school and has also been super excited to get piano lessons from Mrs. C this year!

 

 

 

                                  

Right now, one of Esther's favorite things to do is cross country skiing on the paths that run through our woods. She also loves skating! We're so blessed to have Esther as a part of our family, and excited to see her growing in her walk with the Lord!

Merry Christmas from the Mitton's!

Well I haven't posted anything in a very long but you can be looking for update blog post's of each family member within the next few weeks! We are so excited to have Matt with us this year and looking forward to spending time with Ben, Emily and their growing family, in January! Tonight our church is putting on a Christmas Eve program and so if you aren't doing anything, please feel free to come and join us! Hope you all have a wonderful time this Christmas season, celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Merry Christmas!

Black Hills Vacation!

Not too long ago our family headed out to the Black Hills for an amazingly fun vacation! On the way there we stopped at our cousins' place and then continued on to the Black Hills! The picture above was what a lot of the scenery was like on that trip across South Dakota!

We stayed at this fun little cabin with a loft on top.

This bedroom was upstairs as well!

On the way to the black hills we saw a TON of signs for a place called Wall Drug. We decided to stop in and had a lot of fun looking at all the stuff that was there.

Esther on the Horse!

Liz!

Esther on the Jackalope. 

Matt, being Matt!

The first night we were there, we decided to go see Mount Rushmore. This mountain goat was there to greet us!

There was a wonderful view!

Liz

Esther

Walking up

And the famous, Mount Rushmore!

Dad and Mom

Caleb and Matt

Liz and the guys

There is a path that you can walk up and see Mount Rushmore closer up and here JoAnna is waiting for the rest of the family to catch up!

It was a really fun path!

Here is one more picture of the incredible view!

The next day we decided to hike up Black Elk Peak, the highest peak in South Dakota. This picture is taken not long after we started the hike.

The view is getting better.

This picture is perfect. Just the look on Esther's face as she budges right into the photo!

Dad and Mom. Almost at the top!

And we made it to the top!

Caleb, on top!

"The heavens declare the glory of God!"

Matt

Me! (Marie)

Dad, Liz and Mom

And the budger!

Mom and I

                      I will be posting a part 2 
                  of our visit to Jewel Cave soon!

Hey why are you looking at me like that?? It's been a full and blessed season of life, and we don't always have time to document life here on a computer screen :) Thanks to Marie and her camera, we do have some snapshots of the last couple of months.

First of all, thank you to everyone who sent cards, and came out to help celebrate at Mom and Dad's belated anniversary party. I'm so grateful for your love and support to our family over the years!

True love stories never have endings...R.B.

I Corinthians 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.

Esther, posing for Marie :)

I again had a Bright Lights group this past school year. We have made a tradition of going to the nursing home and having a short program for the residents, Hosanna K has a chalk drawing, then we serve homemade snacks and visit with these dear people. So thankful for a group of girls that are learning how to love Jesus and others!!

Valentines Day came and went...Mommy made it extra special with these homemade hearts shaped out of bread dough!

One game that our family is now able to play with everyone is Balderdash! What games do you like to play with your family??

Having a wood stove requires lots of wood!! You have to admit though, there isn't anything quite so amazing as sitting by a crackling fire, sipping hot cocoa, soaking one's feet, and reading a good book!

The sun will keep on rising and setting whether we do well in geometry or not :) (for those who don't know, that's a paraphrased quote from Marilla Cuthbert!)

Rachel...She has been gone since early January serving at In The Gap ministries in Oklahoma City. Praise the Lord, several children have been saved, friends have been made, and this girl has grown in countless ways. I must say though, I am thrilled to be seeing her come home in a couple of weeks!

Rushing water...It's incredible to see winter thaw, and spring come in it's place.

 In the spring, at the end of the day you should smell like dirt. M.A. 

Early this spring, my Daddy's mommy, my Grandma, passed away. Going to Toronto, we had safe travels, and surprisingly made many good memories. So grateful for a rich heritage that Grandma and others have left to us. You can never do too much investing in the Lord and in those around you. Too often at the end of ones life you look back, and have a regret or two thinking about what you missed doing in life. Let's live in such a way that brings honor to our King of Kings!!  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. I Corinthians 10:31. Well, that's all for now...Soon we will post on more recent things happening in our lives...like spring planting, vacations, family and more :) Signing off: EJM