Hello! Thought I would share a few pictures. My dear friend Nancy (Voorhees) Baker graduated from Cornerstone with her Master's on Saturday! Good job Nanc!

It was David's birthday on Monday, but we celebrated on Sunday night. He is now 48!

I had an appointment in Lake Odessa this morning and then was able to buzz out to Brenda's and see and hold new baby Evan! She gave me permission to post a couple of pictures! Gavin was at school and Caden stuck to his new brother AND mom like glue!

DATE CHANGE!

Hey Everyone, we had to change the date for my open house due to the Family Day on Levi's ship, so........ My open house is now:

June 10, 2oo7
1-5 pm

1051o Lauren Dr.
Zeeland, MI 49464

Hope you all can come! : )

Much Love-- <3
Luke

HAPPY (#48!!!) BIRTHDAY

DAVID SCOTT TERBEEK!

Evan Maxwell

Here's a picture for you....I know there's gotta be a better close-up but my choices were limited since I didn't take them myself! =) Anyhow Brent and Brenda were right....he's ADORABLE!

Kim

Introducing......

Evan Maxwell Thelen born May 2, 8lb. 13 oz. with dark curly hair who looks just like his big brothers Caden and Gavin! Mama and baby are doing well, he's nursing like a champ and sleeps his little heart out. Oh and OF COURSE he's just adorable!!! (sadly I haven't seen him yet but Monday isn't too far off!)
Thought I would keep you all in the loop - Brenda comes home from the hospital tomorrow morning just in time for the weekend to get all settled in! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to post but soon enough we'll get some up for you!
Love you all - Auntie Kim

Joel and Megs

Well, Joel and I in just a few short months will have been married for an entire year and will finish our first full year of teaching. As you all know, Joel is a full time 6th grade teacher to a class that adores him and he feels the same about them. It was well worth the long wait and he has been such an encouragement to me to hang in there. I have been subbing for my first full year. I had a long term experience in 1st grade and anytime now I will be covering another maternity leave for a fifth grade teacher in the same school. God has blessed us at our schools this year pressed down shaken together and running over which we are truly are grateful for!
We enjoyed our first spring break as teachers in Florida which did my heart good. If you know me at all, you know I'm not a big fan at all of the winter months, however, I'm a huge fan of summer time! We also went to Joel's 10 year high school reunion this past weekend! I'm very proud of him and all he has done and the many lives he has touched in these past ten years and to also see the lives he touched while he was in high school! Everybody loves Joel! He truly has a God given gift with all types and ages of people. This brings me to my next update.
When Joel first moved over to the east side of the state, a year ago this past December, he moved in with my Grandma Tack. We have kept up a special relationship with her and after much prayer and guidance we have decided to move in with her when our rent is up in June. She lives all alone and has not had a good night sleep since Joel moved out about a year ago. She needs help with things around the house and also needs some company. What she needs most of all is a relationship with our Lord. I have been praying for her since I learned to talk and have talked to her on many occasions. She has had a hard life, but I have seen her heart become a bit softer this past year. Joel has a very special relationship with her and has also talked to her about accepting Christ. If you could pray for this next step in Joel and my life and Grandma Tack's salvation it would be much appreciated. We truly love her and can't imagine heaven without her. I always say that the day she accepts Christ the angels rejoicing in heaven will have some competition with the rejoicing that we will be doing down here!
Joel is enjoying a weekend of fishing and I am enjoying being outside again after a long winter! We have enjoyed keeping up with everyone through this wonderful blog. It definitely has brought a special closeness! We will be spending quite a bit of time this summer on the west side and would love to get together with anyone who wants to hang out! We love you guys!!!

Aaron & Barbara and the boys

Hello Everyone,
I know it has been a long time since we have put an update here. Well I have some wonderful news! I had a Catscan and doctors appointment this week. WELL Dr. Rotman says that the CT shows all clear (even in my lungs) and all my blood counts and markers are normal. Which of course we knew all along, only by the power of God. We serve such a wonderful Lord. I will have a chest X-ray in 2 months and some lab work. Dr. Rotman told us that he will be retiring at the end of June. I will actually be his last patient on his last day of work:)

I have been feeling quite wonderful except for being a little tired. The boys started T-Ball so that takes up 2 or 3 nights a week. Barbara and I will be starting co-ed softball next week. We will play 2 nights a week on Wed and Thurs. So we have been busy and will continue to be busy. But that is fine with us! We are having fun and making up for a lost summer. We are so blessed to be able to be busy and having fun enjoying sports and outdoor activities again as a family.

DC Update

Hey Everyone!!

I thought I'd drop you all a quick note :) Life in DC has been good, but I feel like I'm ready for a break so I decided to head out to Shenandoah Valley this weekend for a quiet, electronic free (this will be tough!!) Saturday. I'm leaving on Friday and will get back in time for some social activities (aka smores over a grill - I've got some "creative" friends :) We're trying to get around the no bonfires rule) Saturday night.
Next weekend, the 20's & 30's group (yes, I'm now officially in the "30's" category!) at my church will be going on a weekend retreat which I am really looking forward to. Some of us girls have got a few pranks planned for the guys :) (we gotta keep them on their toes ya know :) Its sure to be a memorable weekend :) I think we've got a good plan though - we're only gonna be there 1 night, so there's no opportunity for paybacks..... ;)
On the work front things have been going good, never a dull momment as usual! I was invited to attend a dinner at the Dutch Ambassadors residence last week with a couple of my co-workers - we had a great time. Those Dutch folks are a lively bunch!! The dinner was great, but I wasn't quite sure about everything we ate - I figured if I said a quick prayer before (and hoped I didn't gag!!), I'd be okay :) Everything was okay.
Speaking of prayer, I know this is kind of vague, but part of the reason I am heading out of town is so that I can spend some quiet time alone. I'm praying that I will get some clear direction from the Lord, especially concerning some things I'm involved with now and other possibilites in the future. I'd love your prayers :) I want to hear clearly from the Lord. I am constantly reminded of how important family is being out here - DC is full of "independent" people who "don't need" each other, which I KNOW is not true!! It can be tough sometimes, where encouragement (real encouragement w/no hidden motives) doesn't happen often. You all are important and I always look forward to checking this every day!! Everytime I tell people we have a family blog, they are always amazed and tell me how cool that is. One of my co-workers keeps asking if he can make a post....
Seen as I am talking about family, I'm having some VIP's come into town May 11th-May 13th = they are Travis, Tashina (can't wait to rub the belly :), Luke and Levi. We're gonna hang out and have some FFF (friendly family fellowship) that weekend. I'm not sure what we're gonna do yet, but I'm planning a little itinerary (scheduler extrordinare/excel spreadsheet here we come:) I can't wait to see them all!!
I do know one thing we will be doing, and that is going to one of my softball games. The 20/30 group I'm apart of put together a team so we've got a game on one of those days. Should be a good time :)
Well, I think that's all the news from the front here in DC. If you ever wanna visit, I MIGHT "know some people" who could hook you up with a Capitol tour and White House Tour....hint, hint, I'd love visitors :)

Much Luv to you all,

Leah

38 more days!!! : )

Well, to think that my secondary schooling is almost done! Really exciting but a little scary too. lol. Only 38 more days until I graduate, it's almost here!!! Here's some news...

At the Michigan Science Olympiad Regional Tournament at GVSU, we finished 6th! We had one of the best scores in 20 years! Unfortunately though, only the top 5 places went to State at State (its held at MSU). But, we were the first alternate team. Then a couple days later, we got a call saying that we were going. Throughout all the other regions in MI, ours is the hardest and we were chosen as the alternate based on our score. So we are going next weekend! We will see how that goes! lol ; )

Recently I went on a "ride-along" with a deputy with the Ottawa County Sheriff's Dept. He used to be Levi's coach for rocket football, so I kind of knew him before, so that was nice. Besides, he has pulled over most of my siblings but then gave them warnings b/c Levi was such a good player. lol. But anyway, we went to court to begin with b.c a guy was trying to fight his ticket. Then we went to the Jenison Baptist Church and looked for seatbelt violations. BE WARNED! lol they are watching haha. We would spot someone then pull them over, he would go to their car and I would get the ticket and payment envelope ready then would run their license thru the govt. databases. That was a lot of fun. Now it gets INTERESTING!

A call came over the radio about a possible dead body found in Springrove Park! So we responded to the call and went there. About halfway up to the scene, I was told to stay where I was bc if it was a homicide, they have to report and record everyone that was there and why, etc. and its a lot of paper work and I might have had to court later...... Then the deputy came back and said that they def found a dead caucasian male in his 40-50's..... The rest of the details are kind of dirty, so I will spare you. But the detectives said that it was more than likely an accidental death on the behalf of the victim based upon his first look at the scene. So that was really exciting to actually go to the scene of a dead body, even though i didnt actually get to see it. But quite an experience none the less!

I am going to the Lakeshore High School Police Academy June 10-15, at GVSU. That will be a lot of fun, and I can't wait!!

Then, the 17th i fly to CO for SUmmit!!! That will be a BLAST as well! I cant wait lol!! : )

I think my boss might not like me after I take over a month off of work haha ; ) but it will be fine.

Much love!
Luke

Brad, Kelli, Derek, Mariah, and Hailee NEWS

News from down under......

I am officially finished with the Army. I'm still active until July 1st and then I'll be a regular civilian again.......in the meantime I'm on vacation and will start my new practice in May here in Clarksville, TN.

We are all doing very well. Kelli and the kids are looking forward to summer break from homeschooling. They'll be doing some traveling to visit friends and family. Life is great!

We recently took a week and rented a cabin in the Smoky Mountains just outside the national park. I highly recommend it. The area is gorgeous. We had beautiful weather that ranged from several inches of snow to near 80! I'm going to try to post some pictures of that trip.

The kids are getting big too fast. Derek is quite the young man. Grampa TB took a picture of Derek showing off his muscles while they were visiting. The girls are beautiful young ladies (inside and out) and have a great time with their friends.

OH....if anyone is looking for a Suburban.....I've got one for sale. Excellent shape....Great price...all the bells and whistles. Call or email for the details.

We love you all.......if you ever come this direction you are more than welcome to visit.

Brad, Kelli, and the Kids.

note for Jen VV

Heh Jen;
I don't have your personal email address anymore and didn't have the time to call around and get it so I'll try this. We thinned out raspberries today and I have extra "raspberry plants/roots" to share. So give me a call or come on over and get some if you're still looking for some.
Love you,
Aunt Rachel

who wouldn't want to live here?

Hello all! It's been a while. Last night Jason and I went over to Presque Isle Park (3 minute drive) and were able to take great pictures and enjoy some time together. We love it up here. I have never lived in a place like this. Yesterday I was on my way home from the bank and while I was waiting at the stop light and I looked ahead and there was a HUGE ship/barge just sitting there. I just had to investigate, so instead of turning I went straight and not only was this ship sitting there, but there was other one pulling away from the ore dock. I love that at any time of the day, in any weather, there is always something beautiful to find even if it's just out the window. And if it's not right out the window, you don't have to go very far at all. It's hard being away from family though, I feel like we miss out on so much, but at the same time, we know this is where we are supposed to be even if it gets a little rough sometimes.
A prayer request for all of you: Jason and I both need jobs. I quit mine (maybe a little too hastily, but hind sight is 20/20) and Jason thought he was going to be able to keep the job he has now, which would have been great for him, but they decided to keep on the people that have been there the longest. So needless to say, we could really use some work.
Other than that we are doing great up here. We have one week of classes left, and after that jason will be done for the semester. I will have exams the first week of may and then i will be done with all these science classes...yuck! We are both taking summer classes. Jason is taking two and I am taking one that will last a month. I am taking my class out of necessity and jason is taking his so he keep learning. (seriously, where did i find this man?)
We are looking forward to seeing ALL of the snow gone and for the flowers to bloom and warm breezes and spring showers. I have to believe that we are done with the snow and that spring is very, very close! But, I won't hold my breath!
I will throw this out there too, If anyone is looking for a mini vacation this summer, Marquette is so amazing in the summer. There is a campground about a mile from us and about 2 miles from the lake. There is a lot of stuff going on UP here this summer. Ok I will quit trying to beg for visitors, I know it's a looooooooong drive, believe me I know! :)












The landscape pictures are from last night. The one in this corner is me standing on a rock, but all you can see of me is my reflection. The other two were taken while I was home last weekend (so great to be home!) Andrea and her boyfriend Tim and the other is my precious niece, Emily. I know that you guys don't know her, but she is so important to me so I wanted to show her off!
I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy the nice weather!

Quick Update

Well....I was sick of not seeing a new post so I thought I'd drop a quick line. This time it really will be quick though. We actually have a lot going on right now. Dan's officially done hanging the drywall - Dad helped him finish when they came to visit this past weekend. Now he's onto muddin and sandin again....it's beginning to really look like a basement though and it's BEAUTIFUL!!!
Makayla continues to grow and keep us laughing. She's finally in her big girl bed and man does she think she's something special. (I suppose she has that right!) She had lots of fun with Elli (Mom and Dad were babysitting when they visited), the two girls played great together. A few 'mishaps' but that's certainly to be expected. I got lots of cute pictures that I'll have to post later - not in the mood to transfer everything to the computer right now! =)
Our visit with Mom and Dad was awesome as usual. I know that we all share the same feelings about family - - how blessed and appreciative I am to have people that care enough to take the time to spend it up here with us. Dad, bless his heart, just jumped right in to help with the drywall. I made sure to feed him his Ibuprofen every night and he seemed hunky dorey!!!! =P And Mom was well....Mom was there to hang out while the boys were busy and of course just chatting about little nothings is always special to me. We even found time to gather everyone up and take a trip to Moomers for some ice cream!
We're headed up to the cottage this Sun for the annual 'spring cleaning'. I don't know about the rest of the girls but I'm kinda excited. It must go back to that 'spending time with family' - plus it always feels good to air 'her' out!!!!
Well as I promised this would be short.....it kinda didn't end up that way. I'll post a real update later complete with pictures! Love you all!
The Veldermans

Of my trip back to Michigan last week I thought I would post a couple of pictures just for fun. That and I get tired of looking at the same old posts. So here ya go. The picture of the dog is my dad's dog Maggie with sweet sunglasses on. She is funny. The cute one of Kendall is when she does this little face when she realizes you are taking a picture of her. The last one is of Hunter and I when we had our "date day" we went to the children's museum and the fish ladder and mcdonald's and just had a great time. It was great being home. I miss all of you my wonderful family. Love you to bits.

Correction of Lev's Email

Hey everybody.... I told you the wrong email for Levi....

This is his new email:

scottld@cvn75.navy.mil

Levi's New Email

Hey everyone, Levi has a new email address. He is currently out at sea and can only receive email through this email:

scottld@cvn.navy.mil

Much Love!

Easter

As you all can see, even if Jason and I had planned on coming home....it is not happening.

The snow started late tuesday night and hasn't stopped. It's a different world up here. My car has a spare tire on it and would not make it out of Marquette, let alone all the way down to GR and jason's truck....well...it's a FORD. Do I need to say anything else! : ) Just kidding hun! It's a great truck, just absolutely worthless in the snow. So, try as we might we are "stuck" here.

We have made alternate plans though. I had told Jason that I really wanted to have all of our friends over and make dinner, and he pointed out that that would cost more than I think it will. He was right so I let it go. But! I'm getting my Easter dinner. One of our friends who wasn't able to go home this weekend either had the same idea. So as of right now we have about 8-15 people coming to our teeny apartment for dinner tomorrow night...AND they are all bringing something. So i don't have to do all of the cooking!

It's amazing how God just knew that this was what I needed and figured it all out for me. I wish that I were going to be closer to all of you. But we will be home next weekend! I hope that everyone has a blessed day tomorrow and just soaks up all the love from your families!

lots of love from the UP! Stacey (p.s. that is me in the picture on wednesday night!)

A poem from years gone past, but a fathers wish none the less

TO PATRICK

I gave thee life, my little son,
And thou art part of me; Which part?
Would God I knew the Truth,
Then were my soul set free
From fretting fears all down the years,
From dull anxiety;

Lest I have given thee that part,
Which makes my angel weep,
That underworld whence lusts and lies,
Like vermin, crawl and creep
Across my visions and my prayers;
Whence selfish passions leap

To slay the very thing I love,
To crucify my Lord,
To strangle Jesus in my soul,
With coils of evil cord,
And force me spit my sins upon
The face my soul adored.

Fain would I give thee those bright wings
On which my spirit flies,
To talk with angels on the heights,
In solemn sweet surprise,
And win from Him, who is the Light
The poet’s open eyes.

To all our children I pray for the poet's open eyes.

Good friday

Well precious family this is the day we celebrate that Jesus was
willing to go to the cross FOR ME!!!!!! and anybody else who will believe
that. he did it for themselves. P.T.L.

you have no idea how this blog thing blesses your grandparents
we get to know you better and we want to know you better.

hey Derek I have a good photo of your Grande Musculo and I will
send it to you by snail mail then you can post it on the blog, I don't
have the ability yet to do that--- but I will.

Love and Prayers Gramps & Gramma T.B. O.G.I.G.

Happy Birthday Jessie!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSIE!!!

Luke's Open House

Hey Everyone! I have the final details for my open house. And guess what?? You are all invited!! : )

Sunday, June 3, 4:oo- 8:oo PM at the Scott residence. ---->

10510 Lauren Drive
Zeeland, MI 49464

If you have any ?'s feel free to ask!

Much love,

LUCAS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT SALLY!!!

Thank-you, Thank-you,Thank-you

Okay this my first posting but here I go. I just wanted to share with everyone that TerBeek & Scott Electric has received in the last two weeks the news that we were successful in getting a restaurant remodel project, and Jenison Bible Church Addition , and a new grocery store project north of Rockford !!!!! We are Blessed .We have had a very dry spell for new projects and we are rejoicing in the great news about this up and coming work for this summer. Love David

Ava Stickney - Cory and Tina Stickney's Bundle of Fun!

Hello TerBeeks from the Stickney's

I know it's been forever since I've posted anything to the blog... so here we are! We have news too! There's another Stickney on the way! :) HOW AMAZING!!! We are so excited! If I've calculated correctly, my due date would be November 30th!

I have been busy keeping up with our lives! Ava is growing and talking as much as she can figure out!! She is such a ham! I've been doing bookkeeping and consulting as a side income for almost a year now.

Cory is selling, selling, selling and making people laugh along the way! His latest favorite is "grandrapidscraigslist.org" he's selling and buying and as happy as can be! If you're looking to be rid of something.. there's no charge for this classified listing! :)

So, life is wonderful... we are loved and love. I think we need to have another family reunion, so I see you all more than one time a year! :)

We love and miss you all!
Tina and Cory Stickney

There's no place like home :)

Hi family! I'M HOME! I flew in late Mon. night and I'll be here in town until the beginning of June. It has been so wonderful to relax, talk, throw my toilet paper in the toilet ;)...lol- you know the comforts of the US :). ít was hard leaving Carlos, but we both know i needed to come home for a while (and my mom needed it too ;)) So here's an update from the Honduras end of the world...

I stopped teaching on March 2, which was really hard to do...the school didn't hire a new teacher until about a week later, and i know my students suffered because of that. the school had asked that i stay in Honduras to help transition the new teacher, however, i have had zero contact with her despite several attempts to connect with her...i've been frustrated with that situation mostly because in the end it's my students who get the short end of the stick so to speak...BUT, not much else i can do. Since then I've honestly been really bored...I'm just not used to so much time with so little to do. Libraries are a rare commodity in Tegus, so I was begging books off random people to pass the time. The library was one of my first stops yesterday since i've been home...I love the library!

The last few weeks have been a little more exciting however, because Carlos and i rented a little house in the neighborhood and i've been spending my time "nesting". To be honest since Carlos has been living there, a few things have come up that make the little place a lot less desirable. We both loved the house at first, it has a little yard with trees (and in Tegus yards REALLY don't exist), a big kitchen, one bedroom, and a nice size living/dining room. perfect for us just starting out. HOWEVER, what we didn't know until after Carlos moved in was that the water would turn off 12-14hrs at a time, the walls/ceilings are PAPER thin...there is another house directly above ours...and about a week after we moved, a family moved in upstairs and you can hear EVERYTHING...i mean bodily functions in the morning, conversations, footsteps etc. everything :). SO, since our rent is only month to month we probably won't be staying there much longer.

However, it was fun to go shopping for appliances and pillows and kitchen items together, you really learn a whole new side of a person by what they want in their house :). We are planning to get married legally in Honduras when i come back in June, and then having a "wedding/reception" here next summer (2008) (that way we can show off the baby and I wont be pregnant ;)). the sooner, the better...mostly because of the VISA situation. in order for Carlos to come to the states he has to get a Visa...and last year around May we tried to get one so he could visit over the summer, however...the US embassy denied our request. For me the main reason i want this is so that the baby can be born here. My number one priority is that Carlos is with me when the baby is born, and of course, i want to have the baby here...but Carlos needs a Visa to get in the states. The baby will be a US citizen no matter where he/she is born, but for my sake it would be more comfortable, not to mention having my mom there, to have the baby here. SO...getting a visa is a huge priority right now...

The way a Visa works is you pay the US embassy about $100 to be given an appointment at the embassy, the dates are usually a month-6wks after you make the intial payment. Then you make sure you have all your paperwork together...anything that would prove you have ties to your country (Honduras), such as a car payment, children, house payment etc. The embassy checks your bank account, your credit history, educational background etc etc, basically trying to weed those people out who are going to the States to stay. To be honest, its a frustrating process, with little guidelines as to who might be given a Visa or not, its all by "chance"...you go to the embassy the day of your appointment, you stand in line, you have an interview with someone...and they decide whether or not to issue the Visa. NOW...chances are much better if you are married to a US citizen, which is why Carlos and I want to get married before we go to the embassy. SO, i expain all of that to explain our thought processes as well... :)

We will be legally married in June, schedule the Visa appointment for early July so that we have been married for longer than a week :), NOW, if Carlos does not get the Visa I will stay in Honduras and have the baby there. I have no concerns medically having the baby there, the hospital is wonderful, just like you would find in the states, and my doctor is very qualified. It's just the comfort of my mom there, family around, and English spoken. BUT, first priority is to have Carlos there too. SO...if he does get the Visa, I will fly home again as late as i can being pregnant in July and wait the next month out or so at home to have the baby. And Carlos would fly in as well to be with me to have the baby. That is the ideal plan, the way i would want things...so please be praying specifically for the Visa. I'll let you know the exact date when we know. THANKYOU!

Emotionally and physically things have been great in the last few months. God has just covered me peace about how things are and where things are. THANKFULLY! Carlos has been great in the new house, bleaching the bathrooms for me, cooking, doing laundry...I think he's excited to have a "bachelor's pad" for a few months until i come back in June. We've been able to talk everyday since i've been home through a wonderful program called Skype on the computer...I miss him, but i'm so glad to be home for a while. Everything is healthy and normal with the baby too, I just started to feel it move- only from the inside- but WOW, its so amazing to think that there really is something alive inside of me...how I already love the little one, love our "conversations", and can't wait (well, for a few more months...) to see what it looks like!

WHEW...i think i've covered all the details...if you have any questions let me know, AND i'm home so maybe I'll run into you! I'd love it! Hope this helps explain where I'm at and how things are...love you all!

Tashina

The addition

Hello once again. I thought I would post every one on the addition. So he's some Pic. It was to great my brothers came out to help and Bub was there with the boys and lindy stopped by with izzy. it was great PARTY AT My house I love it.any who WE were BLESSED and are blessed. love to all the Eisens

Jennifer's update

Hey everybody,

Thanks for your patience. I know there have been many of you to connect with me wondering when the next installment was coming. Here it is...and fraught with miracles and waiting...sometimes not-so-patiently.

Well, God made a way for me to stay in San Diego. I was very open to leaving, in fact my room had been packed for a month (out of a conviction that I was transitioning) and the car had been packed for days as of last Thursday. A few weeks ago, there was a woman I met through a mutual gathering place that mentioned she had a studio for rent. I asked if I could come see it. She said, "Absolutely." I loved it at first sight! The home is located in downtown San Diego...old three story Victorian with generations of history saturating the walls and furniture. Gloria, the 81 year old's name, is pure magic--a violinist, a lover of God, a vivacious and intelligent woman...who is currently kicking my butt in Scrabble. I love it. I love her. The garden on the grounds is San Fran style with potted tress and flowers everywhere. It's totally me for any of you who know how much I love old places and especially old Victorian homes and colorful gardens. I rent the studio in back of the house...and there is an old garage full of tools and old, good things in which I have my art studio.

This past Thursday, I almost didn't get the place... I was packed and ready to go. I still had not heard from the Holy Spirit about where to go or what to do, but had heard through many praying for me to "wait." I had no idea if that was a physiological waiting or a spiritual waiting. So, I prayed on Thursday morning around 3 am...and not without some serious tears... "Lord, if you want me to stay in SD, then I am asking that the studio with Gloria will be available. If you want me to leave, then please have the impossible happen and have someone within the past 48 hours rent it." Well, I called, and Gloria was beside herself. "Jennifer, I tried to call you over and over, but it was always busy. (She didn't dial my area code.) I didn't think it was possible, and I told you I'd wait for your decision until Friday, but 12 hours ago a woman came and looked at the studio and wanted it. So, I gave it to her. I'm so sorry." I told her it was ok...and trusted that I was supposed to leave. Then, at 10 pm that same night, she calls again and said, "Jennifer, you'll never believe this...but that woman called back just now and said she DIDN'T want the studio. Do you still want it?" I told her I would be there at 10 am the next morning.

The studio is the most beautiful home I've had in 3 years...in fact it is the only home I've had to myself in that amount of time. I have slept better here than I have in 3 years. Gloria prays, and I can feel that on the property. Jesus knew what I needed. She loves me, and amazingly she calls me her blessing from Jehovah... I've become her muscle, a property manager and her technical wizard (I just set up a home network for her property and tenants, got her internet, and bidding on laptops for her...she still is actively playing violin in the area...she's been self employed for 22 years.) We both are happy, creative and energetic. We have the BEST conversations. She's teaching me Spanish and Italian... She's Italian...married Spanish. Lovely teacher. Delightful person. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era... :)

The amazing thing in all of this is that I contacted over 30 different rental opportunities in the past two months...and NO one, NOT ONE called or emailed me back. Gloria was an open door...strangely, she has a million doors in her house... The house has three storeys and is about 5000 sq ft. She hates to have to walk everywhere to get to another room, so almost every room has 3 or 4 doors. There are even more spare doors in her garage...antique doors, shutters, saloon doors, anything you can imagine. It's crazy. She likes collecting them. Hahha! For all of you who had heard from the Holy Spirit about the coming of an open door. She is the lady of doors.

I've been self employed for the past few months. The contracts keep coming in from strange places, but I'm still looking for full time work. I will be designing a web site, writing, designing marketing collateral and managing some of Gloria's properties... We should be able to work out a barter for a while...but a stable income would be nice...so keep praying all of you, my beloved peoples...

Thanks so much for reading. I genuinely appreciate your love, your interest and care.

Come see me. There's a spare bedroom...and the beach is only a ten minute drive over the Coronado bridge...

Tons of love to all.

j

I need to see a new post (even if it is my own stuff!)

Aunt Renee here and after clicking on the blog a zillion times these past couple days and there were no new posts, I decided that I should just do my own since maybe you are thinking the same thing! I just returned from Spanish II where I need a grande Panera coffee before I go just to be able to keep up! Between I like, she likes, they like and he has, she has, they have, my brain is swimming by the time I'm done (I don't want to even hear about how easy it all is my young spanish nieces . . . . )

Here is a picture that I took of my very cool Junior Achievement bag that I received about 4 weeks ago. I've been teaching JA to 3rd graders at East Elementary in Grandville and THEY ARE BRILLIANT. The 5 weeks is about city planning. . . zones, business, consumers, producers and entrepreneurs! This week is spring break but next week is the last class and it will be about banking and keeping a checkbook ledger (obviously, they did not check out my qualifications for teaching that subject!) but I have loved it! They crack me up because they ask me things like 'do you wear the same clothes every day like a uniform?' (not a ton of variety in the ol' funeral home dress code :))

I don't know about you but I don't think I could even say entrepreneur (I still can't spell it without copying it from the book) in 3rd grade let alone learn about city planning and what goes in what zone. A couple of weeks ago was about starting a restaurant and all that is involved so I brought Rainbow Grill bran muffins because what says Grandville more than those bran muffins. Uncle David thought that was a bad idea since what 3rd graders wants/likes/needs bran but they liked their little quarter of a muffin. One little girl kept asking what the 'flavor' was. . . she didn't get that 'bran' was a flavor! Her teacher told her to just eat it, she would appreciate it when she was older!

Anyway, I so hope I get to keep my bag because it is so fun, just like the past 5 weeks.

The latest news

Well Hi there so everyone knows we are BACK !!!, Gramps

here. we went to Florida for the month of Feb. stayed in

Venice, Had a fine time, got home about hte 3rd of March

Took two weeks to read all our mail and the B B. (thats

blessed blog) . Started packing for a trip to Tenn. went

to the Grand ole Opry, stayed two nights in the VERY PLUSH

Ryman Hotel, with our Driver and his wife Barbara Grace,

then went to Dr. Vander Veens residence for two nights and

enjoyed our Family, Kids, Grandkids, & Great grandkids.

Then returned to our Wonderful Home to see the Flowers in

bloom Daffidills, crocus (sp) and green grass.

What a WORLD !!! We leave again in May for a trip to

lancaster Penn. with Dick & Dolores Moore to see the

Stage productions , by Bus a real old folks vacation.

Love and Prayers Gramps & Gramma T.B. O.G.I.G.

hello again,
So last week was awesome out. so Jason and I decided to take the Harley out for a drive. It so nice. We start on our house this weekend, Andy is coming over to dig the hole for us. Praise God we're starting. Last week i woke up to Eli holding a waffle in my face saying he was hungery at 6:30 in the morn'n. I told him he was not aloud to go in the fridge without asking when i was sleeping. anywho i got made him breakfast, he said he was sorry. Then he says " I was brave though" crack me up. He comes up with some funny sayings some times. So he's turning 4 in May Lily is 7 months now saying daaa daaa to which Jason loves. But i do have one question to the moms: we have been going through some rough times with eli. Everytime we say something he does not like or want to do he start crying and throwing a fit. Or when it's time to go to bed it's always I"m not tired i don't want to and the crying agian.? Any suggestions that would be wonderful. I don't know if there's something were not giving him that he's needing maybe i don't know. But i am at the end of my rope with how to handle it. love to all and happy trails.
audrey

A New Goal Accomplished... Almost

Today I am busy but craving adult conversation. So I thought I would post a blog about my latest endeavor in the athletic realm. I love setting new workout goals and pushing myself past my limits. Last summer I trained for a minitriathlon. It was a mini, mini but was challenging me. I had a fear of water and had a tough time swimming out to the diving dock at the cottage. (I know... pathetic!) So I swam 300 yds, biked 6 miles, and ran 3 miles. It was really fun. This winter I was looking for another challenge. Thanks to a convincing sister, I decided to train for the 5th, 3rd Run in May. They have a 25K run which is around 15 miles. I ran track in high school and even in college a bit but I WAS A SPRINTER. That means that anything over a mile is LONG distance to us. The 3 mile run for my minitri was tough enough. So this was a huge goal. I committed to training for it but have waited to actually make the commitment to run it. This is mostly due to the time commitment it takes to actually train for the long runs. Well, yesterday I ran 10 miles. I was so proud of myself. I actually teared up a bit! It is funny when you accomplish something that you realize you didn't actually believe you could do. I had hoped I could push myself enough to do it but I guess deep down I had some serious doubts. I am really sore today but it was SO worth it. So now I am announcing to the world that I am going to run the entire race... the whole 15 miles. I am pretty excited and really enjoyed my run yesterday. I am at the point now where I can run 3-5 miles and it is fun. That is pretty sweet. Just thought I would add another interesting realm to the blogging world. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day! Adios!

~Jen

Springtails

Here's the lastest bug we've discovered up here in Traverse City....after talking to a very nice gentleman at Colliers Pest Control we're a little more at ease. He said they're called springtails or snow fleas but I prefer springtails! We found these little black 'specks' in our basement around the door leading outside and then on Monday when the weather was fabulous we were horrified to find them COVERING the foundation of our house. Kinda like a pile of ants that once you crouch down and really start looking they're EVERYWHERE.....EEWWW!!! I did some research online just now and found out that they're probably found in your backyard too! (see we don't get all the nasty critters!) Here's a short blerp on what I found...ya never know folks, this could be one of those 'useless facts' that might just come in handy some day! Luke you might actually enjoy this one!

Here goes:

Most of us have never noticed snow fleas, unique little creatures that are really very common, and right under our noses. Here's how to find them.
On a warm, sunny winter day, take a look at the base of a tree where the snow may have melted down to expose some leaves, or where the snow is shallow or hollowed out just a bit. There you'll find a sprinkling of what looks like "pepper" or "ashes" on the surface of the snow. Snow fleas are actually tiny insects which come out on warm, sunny days to eat decayed plant material or sap oozing from the tree. They hop around acting like fleas and that's where they get their name, snow "fleas." They're not fleas though, but actually an arthropod called Collembola (kol-LEM-bo-la) or commonly called springtails which measure about 1/8 inch (2mm) long.

Blah Blah Blah...

SOOO Kim here again! I'm downstairs on the computer doing my daily check for any new posts! I felt like writing a little something, about nothing in particular really....just felt like writing! We had the Thelen family up for a visit last weekend - the weather could've cooperated a little better but it didn't rain so at least we got to get outside for the fresh 'hair' as Makayla calls it! =) We went to the Platte River Hatchery to check out the fish for all the guys (although us girls liked it too!). We discovered a whole section of the hatchery that we've never seen before and I've been there 3 times before! Hello...I know my blode roots are showing but are they really THAT bad?!? The guys got a chance to putz around with the GPS looking for lakes while the 2 little ones slept which gave Bren and I some peace & quiet too! Ahh...always love a little R & R! Then we ordered out at Chili's and went to Moomers for ice cream! Moomers is a local place....it's right on a dairy farm and they make all their own ice cream. It really is probably the best ice cream I've ever tasted!! Makayla ate her 'Supermoo' down in about 3 bites and kept saying all night 'that was very very very good ice cream!' =)
I just got done baking a batch of choc chip cookies for my sweetie to take with him as he heads up to Newberry in the U.P. tomorrow for work. He'll be gone for 3 days so again Makayla and I will have to conjure up new adventures and make special memories of our own. It gets lonely, yes, but it's funny how when it's just the two of us we always end up having that special mommy/daughter time. I try so hard not to take that for granted even though some days I feel like pulling my hair out!! =) Time invested in your kids is ALWAYS worth the return!! =) On that note I'll bid you farewell! Have a blessed week and don't forget to be thankful for everything you have, no matter how small. Life is to be treasured.... Love you all!

Is Anyone Else In Heaven?

I just had to post a very quick note to see if anyone else is in heaven with this weather!!! Of course, this won't be long because I have to get back in the sunshine. But I am so blessed by the sunshine and warmth I had to say, "Thank You Jesus!" I keep telling myself that it is only March and it probably won't last but while it is here we are loving it!! Enjoy!

~Jen

more love from aunt katie

These are professional pictures that Robin and Ben had done of Avary and I don't know if they got a chance to share them with you. So I thought I would. These are only a few, but sweet precious Avary looks so cute.

Love her auntie Katie

Aunts who love their nephews and nieces

I was getting bored of just looking at our old entries....so I posted a picture of hunter and kendall. Nothing likes little kids smiles. I wish more then anything that they lived right next to me.

Love their aunt katie

We need some excitement for this monday!!

This is Hunter and Kendall, bath time!!!Kendall has such a precious smile.

Miss my little honeys, good thing I will be home in MI in a few days for a little vacation!!!

changes

WOW! I am so impressed with this family of mine. Not one day has gone by where there wasn't something new to read about. Thank you to everyone for contributing, and for you new "bloggers" out there, welcome!

I personally have news of my own. Today I changed my major. It's not that I don't want to be a nurse anymore or that I don't think that I can do it, I've just been realizing that I need to pursue the passions of my heart and that for me is photography. I have written about the nitty gritty details on my blog. Thanks for all of your prayers as Jason and I are up here figuring things out!


~love you Stacey

Aaron & Barbara and the boys

Hello Everyone,
I do believe this is the first post from us, I tried once a while ago and hit a wrong key and lost it all. I'm back though to do this again, I've got so much to say so I'll just give you a little at a time.
Things are going wonderful here in Hudsonville, we've been staying so busy with church and work and wrestling. The boys have had a little wrestling clinic 2 nights a week for the last month (they have been really liking it. They will be done on Monday wrestling and then will start little league T-Ball in about 2 wks.
God is doing such wonderful things at church, He is on the move growing and stretching us. Barb has stepped up and is heading up a new ministry at our church called the Care Cupboard. She will be keeping it organized and keep up on the inventory, the goal is to expand on our food drives so we will have items in hand to help meet needs on a constant basis. So I am so proud of her for stepping out of her shell to do this, I know God will bless what she is doing.
We are also starting a small group at our house on Sundays for married couples, us and one other couple will be leading it so pray that God will touch lives. I also have a mens group that meets over here on Monday nights so we have been keeping busy.
We finally are just about done with our basement, the drop ceiling is in and we just got our new carpet in on Saturday( it's so soft) and I moved our main entry door to come into our fireplace room now so we can have more room to get in and actully have an entry. So things are looking a little different around here but we are almost done, just a little painting.
Well that will be it for now, till next time love ya all.

ANSWER TO JENS ?

Hello Jen I didn't know how to respond to your question so i thought i would do a post Yes i am still doing massages so to you OR ANY ONE WANTS ONE :) let me know i have myspace ( under audrey eisen )if you wanna contact me or email is milesofsunshine@yahoo.com or my number is 262.4428. please don't feel you need to call just so u have the info if you ever want one. love to all if any one can tel me how to respond to a question without posting something let me know pleaseeeeee. well im off to go play with eli outside it 's so nice out can;t wait for summer. man i could go onand on typing. I love it but i won't bore you all who reads :) I LOVE THIS FAMILY WE R SO GREAT. so ........... different might i say ok really i'll go now lol

Don't You Love How God Made Children?

I thought I would share a cute kid story. I love to see into the minds of my children. They are truly amazing when I take the time to learn how they think. I am continually shocked to discover how much they can actually comprehend, at all ages!

The other day the girls and I were discussing my grandpa dying. I told Tori and Elli that God had given me a picture of my grandpa and grandma in heaven. They were living with Jesus, worshipping and dancing and having so much fun. Tori just sat there quietly thinking. Then she asked me, "Mommy, does that mean that they live in my heart?" What an amazing connection to make! I had told them that my grandparents live with Jesus and she knew Jesus was in her heart. I never thought about that connection.

As we continued the discussion, Elli's wheels were turning also. Of course, in typical Elli fashion she was in a completely different area of thought. She says to me, "Mommy when I go to heaven, I think there is going to be a big blankie for me." I had to laugh. The one thing that both my girls hold very dear is their blankies. So of course, Jesus would have to have a big blankie for them. Or it just wouldn't be paradise! :) Gotta love kids!

~ Jen

Our Valentines picture taken at Crazy Horse Restaraunt

Well, I figured out how to scan this in for you all. I know, it's a little crooked; just tilt your head.
I planted broccoli & pepper seeds to start in the house today; I did my tomato seeds a few days ago. It's a little late but I was waiting for new seeds that I'd ordered. Every spring I just can't wait to start planning my garden and being able to finally get outside. Uncle Doug trimmed all the raspberry canes from last year last week; we have to do the old asparagus yet too and uncover the strawbery plants soon. YUM, fresh picked strawberries,raspberries, asparagus, beans, tomatoes, broc, cucumbers, peppers, squashes; I can't wait! The chickens got let outside today for the first time this spring. They are very excited because it's very nasty in the chicken coop after all winter. . . and cleaning the chicken coop is another upcoming fun job. Any volunteers to help? I could share alittle of that lovely ckicken poop with you (if there's any fellow gardeners out there). It sure makes the garden grow better (if you let it age for a year first, it's very hot).
On that note I'll get going. :-)
Love you all, A. Rachel

THE TINY HANDS

THE HANDS BELONG TO MY DAUGHTER LILY AND I (AUDREY) SORRY I DIDN'T SAY WHO

St. Patty's Day

Eric and I at St. Patty's Day. Don't you love the hats????

Gathering Point: the eisens

Gathering Point: the eisens




Hello all again wow everybody has commented on my blog. yee haaa yes to your comment Aunt Renee I thought people would not know who we were
so that's why i decided to download pic. I love seeing everybodies messages. Ya know one thing that I read about in the blogs is how alot of the ladies
are building there men up complimenting them, telling them how thankful they are for them. I think that is awesome. What a great family we have
and what great teachers we've had to teach us. much love

the eisens

hello every one this is Audrey coming to you from holland. YEHH

well since we just got a puter and the intro i thought i would find this crazy place and write everybody. Starting next weekend hopefully we will be starting our big addition to the house. since what we live in now is a little cramped. 700 sq. ft. 2 kids and we live in the living rm. but praise God we have a roof over our heads and food on the table and jason has a job it could be way worse. ( always remember to praise our God no matter what the situation ) anyway we will be very busy with that and having a new born. well she's not so new born anymore. 6 months 19 lbs. and 27 in. long. eli almost 4 . summer is ah coming i can't wait to hopefully take the Harley out for a drive maybe among the crazyness. well I only have limited time today and must finish cleaning the house before jason gets home . love to all

audrey jason, lily, and eli

great news

Hello all! Well I woke up this morning to the screaming wind and yucky white stuff on the ground (i think they call it snow) Needless to say I am not that happy to get out of the apartment this morning and walk to my classes. I do have some GREAT news though! Due to Jason's poor undergrad grades he was not able to apply for a Teaching Assistant position, since he has started grad school he has kept down almost a 3.9 GPA, proving to him and everyone else that he is someone to take notice of. His mentor called him this weekend and told Jason that he had been offered the teaching assistant job for the whole academic year next year!! We are so excited. This is such a huge blessing in more ways than one. Jason will be able to get his feet wet teaching (he'll have is own class of 18 year olds), we will have some sort of medical insurance, he won't have to scrub toilets anymore and most of all he will be paid a stipend to do it. The amount is not huge by any standards (except ours) but hopefully it will be going up. It will be so nice to breathe a little bit financially next year! Congratulations Jason! I think you're wonderful!

Ok so I know you are all wondering how school is going for me....well you will just have to wait. I have a lot to say on the matter of me and where i stand with this whole school thing, but i have a few more things to figure out first. I promise to keep you posted. In the mean time...BE HAPPY! (I dare ya!)

with all of my love
-stacey

Hi Everyone, Just wondered if I'm the only one who needs Kleenex every time I read this site. If I read this at work I wonder what anyone who walks past must think... Boy she must be having a bad day!! Really, it is just so amazing the things that go on in this family and how good our God is, it just makes me cry!! Not that we don't have struggles, but we are a FAMILY!!! I guess the more I see and the older I get the more I realize just how unusual our gang is, and I am happy. So I guess it"s OK if I cry . It's so cool to SEE Katie's new car, Little Grannies being blessed, personal achievements like first solo flight announced. Thanks to everyone who keeps contributing, I'll just keep my Kleenex handy.
Speaking of crying, I got to see the smallest grandchild I have right now today when I checked my email. Kimberly had emailed the picture of her Thurs Ultrasound. Yep I cried.
Uncle Nick and I are leaving this Wed. for Tn. we're going to take Gram and Gramps TB with us to see Bradley and his family and do a little sight seeing as well.
Love you all Barbara Grace

Need Kleenix

Hi Everyone, Just wondered if I'm the only one who needs Kleenex every time I read this site. If I read this at work I wonder what anyone who walks past must think... Boy she must be having a bad day!! Really, it is just so amazing the things that go on in this family and how good our God is, it just makes me cry!! Not that we don't have struggles, but we are a FAMILY!!! I guess the more I see and the older I get the more I realize just how unusual our gang is, and I am happy. So I guess it"s OK if I cry . It's so cool to SEE Katie's new car, Little Grannies being blessed, personal achievements like first solo flight announced. Thanks to everyone who keeps contributing, I'll just keep my Kleenex handy.
Speaking of crying, I got to see the smallest grandchild I have right now today when I checked my email. Kimberly had emailed the picture of her Thurs Ultrasound. Yep I cried.
Uncle Nick and I are leaving this Wed. for Tn. we're going to take Gram and Gramps TB with us to see Bradley and his family and do a little sight seeing as well.
Love you all Barbara Grace

Passin The Time...

Kim here....just checkin the blog again for anything new and since there wasn't I thought I'd post a little something! Dan is busy muddin the drywall he got hung over the past week (can I hear a Hallelujah!?) and Makayla is busy catching "big fish" with her Barbie fishing pole! We've had a normal week, which was needed for us, and I feel like we're a family again. It's always a little tough when we're seperated (Dan was out of town and I was in Allendale) for a while.....as much as I love being at Mom and Dads it's always good to be home again as a family!
We're still on the look out for a new church, it's something I have on my "to do" list for the week. There's 2 places I want to call and get some more information before we check it out. It will be so nice to have this figured out and feel "home" again with a church. When we were in Allendale we went to GH Res Life and ohhhhh how good it felt to feel like we were REALLY in church again. It seems like since we've moved up here we haven't had that and I seriously miss it as does Dan. I felt like the service could've gone on all day long and it wouldn't have mattered a bit to me......it's amazing how when you're in a church that "gets it" and His presence can be felt it's just so peaceful and freeing really. So keep that in your prayers still when you think of it....there's got to be something that's meant for us up here somewhere! =)
I guess I'd better sign off....Makayla got up from her nap a few minutes ago and now is hungry so I'm gonna go raid the fridge for a snack. While I'm there I guess I might as well get me a little somethin too.... =) Love you all - remember as the weather is getting warmer, T.C. is a really nice place to come visit and we're a free hotel!

Ok we will go from top left and around clock wise.

The top left is from left to right eric's brother in law-matt, eric's sister-michelle, me and eric (myboyfriend), the next picture is of eric and I at the mammoth lacrosse game in denver (he likes to kiss me, only on the cheek of course :O), the other is also of eric and I, we even look cute with bunny ears, and the last is of my car!!!

here is my new car I got last week. It is a mazda 6 and it is so much fun!!! I have never had a car that I got to pick out or something that isn't at least a decade old. So this one is all mine and it is so much fun to drive. I love it!!!

I got a really good deal on it because one of eric's fellow fire fighters has this dealer's license so he goes to dealers car auctions and gets cars at a fraction of the price. So that is how I got my mazda 6!!!

Just wanted all of you to see my car since I can't exactly come over to your house since I live on the other side of the country. :o)

Thank-you for your prayers

Dearest Ones. We are overwhelmed with the greatest & goodness of our great Big God. Ashton surgery went so very well, he is home , I just left him. You would never believe that he had heart surgery not even a week ago. He was sitting in his high chair & had a big grin on his face when I walked in. The surgeon said that Ashton was the only patient they ever had who wanted to sit up immediately after surgery. What a precious little guy. Thank-you to those of you who called to check & see how he was doing, and Barb & Rachel for bringing meals... and all the rest of the gang who prayed. We so appreciate you, thanks. Gramma has survived even though she always wears the same shirt & has turkey breath in the morning. Ya gotta love the honesty of our kids..... Our home will be shockingly quiet for the next few days. I might even take a nap. I love ya'll Aunt Donna

Amazing Grace

Just wanted to share with all of you the difference one person can make for people thousands of miles away. Grandma TerBeek has been knitting like crazy this winter. The afghans were sent down to the Dominican Republic with our friends, the Bodenner's, who handed them out at the 'nursing home' (don't be thinking Brookcrest . . . not even remotely close) where they have no heat and it can get pretty chilly. Thank you Grandma TerBeek for being such a great example of how one person can bless others in their own very special way.
~aunt renee (just wanted to clarify because you KNOW that Grandma would never blow her own horn . . . even if 7 little Dominican grandma's were warmer today because of her!)

SOLO

Congratulations Ross on your first solo flight!

birthdays

I'm not sure if there are more birthdays than this, for this week and last week but i wanted to make sure that you are loved.

Last Saturday: 3/10 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TASHINA!
Yesterday: 3/11 HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN VANDER VEEN!
Today: 3/12 HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEAH!

Need your help...

http://www.jfci.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=9362

Please watch this video. Any of you connected to anyone, any organization, list of contacts or networks... I'm asking you to help me raise awareness for JFCI. I just met with the co-founder, Rob Morris, this evening...and literally what he and a handful of other people in the world are trying to do is abolish present day slavery in the form of child sex trafficking. And they need to raise awareness, raise funds to build safehouses, find people interested in managing safehouses, or be counselors. It's global. Over 17,000 children are trafficked into the USA alone. East Asia, Eastern Europe and West Africa are the global hotspots for this activity.

JFCI is an organization that thought before it acted. Everything is in place. They are ready to move and geared to handle the response. Please, let's be a family that responds to ending slavery. There are over 27 million slaves in the world today, and 2 million children annually are sold into slavery...either by abduction or being sold by their parents, mostly little girls, & most of them under the age of 6.

Please help in any way you can. Our family is all over, and with just our family alone we could do something pretty amazing to end this. We were gathered in a house this evening: all races, sizes, shapes, male, female, faiths and ages. It was really excruciating and exciting at the same time.

Love to all of you. Jennifer

ps. Personal update, I don't know whether I'm staying or leaving San Diego. I need to have a job this week. Please pray for the open door...and for the courage to walk through the door. I'll keep you posted.

ashton's report

Donna just called and reported Ashton is out of surgery @11:30 the
report is the heart is working properly, the reason it is enlarging is because
of the restriction in his lower circulatory system, --- which they have corrected, the way they went into the heart, is under the arm (instead of
going into the chest from the front, much faster recovery, but very painful
soooo they will keep him sedated for probably three days while he recovers in i c u. please keep praying more later on his progress P.TL
Thanks O.G.I.G. Gramps