Before and After Part 1

First, I would like to introduce you to new situations. And first, here is the before and after about my hamsters.

Before: We didn't have any hamsters. After: We got Freddie and we kept him in a box and kept him in a box until we made his cage and we did the same thing with our second hamster Spencer.

Now, I want to introduce you to our second situation. And next here is the before and after for my Grandpa Farrell.

Before: I saw Grandpa Farrell down in earth (I'm down there now). After: Grandpa Farrell died. Here's the story: One day we were at Mom's house (That's my house) then we went to the nursing home and Grandpa Farrell was there for a couple of weeks and he died June 20th, 2011 and we went to Branson and stayed there until Thursday, the day before Grandpa Farrell's funeral and after that, we went home.

And that's Part 1. Don't go away, because there's going to be a Part 2.

From, Alex

Summer Fun

This summer has been great. Two very small animals joined the family, Harry Potter's the new interest in the family, Mom's doing great on her work, and the house is cleaned daily. (Almost!)

And in all this, there's also been a death.

My great grandfather, Farrel Dablemont, was in a nursing home for a few weeks before it happened. He died on June 20, 2011, at 1:00am. His funeral was June 24, and he was buried in Houston, MO.

Onto a few other things:

Family Welcome: Welcome Freddie and Spencer the hamsters to the family!! Sometime in mid-April, these little guys were brought home by Mom!

Vacation: We went on vacation on June 21-June 23! We went to Branson and stayed at my uncle's parents' condo.

That's pretty much it.

From,

Ryan (who's using this account because he forgot his password for his account)

Spring

I am amazed at quickly life is speeding by me. My little ones are big ones now and the school year will be ending in over a month!

I read a wonderful blog that gave me an idea for a Memorial Box. Right now, it is just a shoe box but it will become much more once I find the appropriate receptacle. It is based on Joshua 4: The Lord told the Israelites to take twelve stones from the bottom of the Jordan as they passed through its waters to make a memorial. For generations it would stand to remind them of the faithfulness and greatness of God.

21 He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea[b] when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. 24 He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.”

So, in our family box will go small articles that serve as reminders of how God has worked in our family - an amazing wedding, an emergency C-section, a journey of faith to a daughter on the other side of the world...

There is no excuse for not believing and persevering through times when we can't see what the future holds when we hold in our hands the tangible reminders that God's Hand holds us always.

Mama