G-Fam

San Angelo and halloween

2011-11-07T14:20:00.001-08:00

Highlights from our trip... We went to two of Seth's football games (they won the second one!), and did some thrift shopping...which I love! I think that's one of those things that I get too busy for (it does take time to rummage through and find those treasures!) but still enjoy when I get the chance. Reminds me of my high school days of searching for vintage t-shirts and bell bottoms!
The kids had a great time at the fall festival and chili cook-off at my parents church...we all did! The highlight was getting to see Malachi...he's so much fun and absolutely adorable! I still can't believe those big eyes of his!
Then back at home just in time to hand out tracks and candy to our neighborhood kids.
I just can hardly believe its November! Thanksgiving here we come!

Piano Makeover

2011-10-16T18:51:00.001-07:00

Ingredients:
* 1 piano (preferably one in good condition inside but in need of some TLC outside)

* 1 electric sander

* 1 amazing husband (preferably your own...and preferably one who knows how to use the above mentioned sander)

* 1 quart of tinted primer

* 1 Quart of satin enamel paint

* various wood appliqués to beautify your worn out and possibly plain piano

* 2 (or more) enthralled children to cheer you on and "help" you paint

* 1 weekend with nothing better to do...well the desire to fix up your piano has to at least outweigh your never ending to-do list...enough to spend a weekend on it

(I'm having trouble getting the picture order right on my blogger app which is why we are going from the after to the before shots...)

The finished product.....

Comal County Fair

2011-10-14T18:26:00.001-07:00

The County fair was a couple of weeks ago and it was so much fun...the kids absolutely loved every minute of it! We decided to participate in the exhibits this year at and I'm so glad we did! Emma's nativity (complete with cave and all!) won 1st place and her rag doll won 3rd. Alex made cinnamon pumpkin muffins that got 1st place. The best part was the reaction of the kids toward each other as we ran from building to building to see if we had placed. (btw, i think all the kids got ribbons of some kind...which is awesome...I mean how could you not reward all those kiddos for their effort!). Anyways, they were very proud of each other and rejoiced at the others accomplishment as much as their own - if not more... A very happy family moment for sure. ;). The rides and the animals were exciting too, but I think they will always treasure their ribbons, and forever love the fair because of them.

Summer Vacation...Mustang Island

2011-10-09T21:14:00.001-07:00

Our Trip to Mustang Island in September was nothing short of amazing. I absolutely love being in the midst of such beauty...God is so good...I mean, He did not have to give us beaches and mountains oceans and everything in between. This year the water was the clearest we've seen it in a long time. Just beautiful. We simply reveled in the beauty, and being together...and having nothing to do but just be!

Since school had already started, we only got to have Grandpa and Seth for a few days but Grandma got to stay for the whole week...oh and since school had started, we basically had Port Royal and our little section of beach to ourselves...so. Much. Fun. Can't wait to go back. :). We praise Jesus for the blessing of this much awaited and badly needed vacation!

Homeschooling and Horses

2011-08-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our schoolroom! I finally took my dear husband's advice and moved all of our homeschooling things upstairs. I have to give him credit...he was so right! It is so nice to have everything in one place, and less distraction for me and for the kids. We started August 1st, and had the BEST first day of school! I was in tears over how well it went...only by the grace of God! The kids are thriving in their new space. I think they really needed that sense of "we're in school now - this is not play time" They are doing so well and learning so much already.

Which brings me to another thing that I'm super excited about for this year...Adventures in My Father's

World - our curriculum for this year. So far we are loving it! Alex is doing parts of the My Father's World 1st grade curriculum - mostly just math and reading, and joining in Adventures for history, Bible and science.

A lady at church asked Emma what her favorite subject was, and she said "Clay!" We don't really talk about subjects, and I realized that the kids think more in terms of "work boxes", so it made since that she would say Clay, since that's her favorite work box. :)

Emma had her first horse back riding lesson on Friday. It was amazing! I am so thankful that she's getting to do this. It is going to be so good for her, and she absolutely LOVES it! She's our animal loving nature girl, and this is so her element! She did great...so natural with the horses, and just wants to do anything with them...clean poop, brush them, hose them down - anything! The horse's name is Pancho...what a great experience! Hopefully I'll get more pictures up soon...

More Summer fun and Birthdays!

2011-08-16T15:31:00.000-07:00

Meet PJ! The newest addition to our family...Emma is in LOVE with her bird!

Our day trip/mini vacation to Port Royal

Emma had her 8th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese this year. She was so excited about the ticket blaster (that's pretty much THE reason she wanted to have her party there - you can only "experience" the ticket blaster if you have a CEC birthday!) It was a ton of fun...she hasn't had a party in a couple of years, so this was a special treat. ...Although I think my favorite special birthday thing for her was our mother daughter weekend trip last year...hoping for another one of those...maybe next year! Notice my attempt at making Chuck E Cheese less cheesy...I tried... :)

Alex wanted a Wii party...so perfect for him! He absolutely loved it! Mike set up the projector and darkened the windows upstairs, which was the perfect atmosphere for the party. The boys played a HUGE game of Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. and New Mario Bros. It was great...and I attempted to make some Mario star cookies, and cupcakes...Alex was so excited about all of it...so cute to watch him! I cannot believe he is 6! Both the kids were so sweet and fun at their parties....it just could not have gone better!
Oh yes...a word of advice to those who might consider using icing gel on the cookies that they slaved for hours on...DON'T! It will NOT dry! Wish I had known that before I designated the bigger cookies a "take home"! Oh well...the kids still loved them.

Summer

2011-07-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

I was just sitting here thinking of how I love summer. I love these relaxed days of hanging out with Mike and the kids, getting to see more of friends and family, and having less of a schedule. We have been reading through the Child's Story Bible by Catherine Vos, and continuing with our scripture memory at a lighter pace. We've been reading books, and the kids are reading some too, although I'm not making a big deal out of them missing some days. I'm taking the advice of a friend, and taking much more of a break from school work than I thought I would. I originally thought we would continue with math and writing and of course reading. However, now that we've slowed our pace down a bit we've been doing some of those things here and there in more of a real life scenario...they're adding up their own money to buy something at the store, or writing a thank you note to a friend, etc. It's a good reminder that we are always learning, even if it isn't scheduled learning.

One thing that Mike and I are trying to be very purposeful about, is being very alert to opportunities to bring scripture into our every conversation, and taking the time to stop what we're doing to talk about things as they come up. One of the verses we're memorizing is Psalm 1:1&2 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked, or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. We'll be learning the rest of Psalm 1, but this is where we are so far. Emma and I had a great conversation after reciting this verse, about what it means to meditate, and that God's law is His word...and what it looks like to truly meditate on His Word day and night, as well as what the reward is for doing this. These little opportunities are a good reminder to me that when I get too busy, or when our schedule is too full, conversations like this are what we miss out on...and I'm not willing to miss out on these seemingly little things in order to do more, because they're actually the important things. David Hazell (coauthor of My Father's World) has some cd workshops out that are AMAZING, and they have one titled "Family Ministry, teaching your children to reach out". I'm ordering it, and I'll let you know what ideas we get from it. For now, the kids have been taking the initiative - coming up with ideas to reach out in our own neighborhood. It's been such a blessing to see their hearts for the Lord, and it's challenged me in my own walk and actions as well.

Well, there's a little peek at "what we've been up to this summer". (I've been getting this question a lot lately :)
I was hoping to add more pictures but this is the best I can do for now...I basically only take pictures with my phone now, and it's so hard to download my pictures...it stresses me out messing with it, so, for now, here you go... :)

Almost finished....Can't believe it took me a year to paint...it only took 1/2 a day & 1 can! Still need to make curtains...

2011-03-15T18:23:00.001-07:00

My mom teaching Emma to shoot with a Red Rider bb gun...she didn't shoot her eye out. :)

2011-03-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

My mom teaching Emma to shoot with a red rider bb gun...she didn't shoot her eye out.

2011-03-15T17:50:00.001-07:00

2011-03-04T13:12:00.001-08:00

Today...

2010-09-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

...we had a lovely morning nature study outside. (After Bible and scripture memory as usual) The first thing we saw (and heard) was a cardinal. We watched it for a little while with binoculars. Emma is getting very good at recognizing the songs of many different birds - especially the cardinal, blue jay, and dove. You should hear her bird call...very amusing! I'm not quite sure how she does it, but it actually sounds very much like a dove!

Next we found a large grasshopper that didn't seem to be the least bit afraid of us, nor did it care one bit when we caught it for observation. We studied it, read about it, and made a nature journal page. Here E and A are with the grasshopper right before we let it go. It really wasn't scared of us at all...it finally did decide to hop away though.

This is the blog we use for nature study...wonderful!

http://www.handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/

So we did move on to more "schoolish" things after that...math, geography, copy work, hymn study, poetry and reading for today. Afterward Emma spent the afternoon having "school" for Alex...much to his delight. This is one of those things that I just loooove! First she taught him to read; then they went into her room for a well over an hour doing more school. I think she was teaching him math, then I heard Tchaikovsky echoing down the hall...looks like Emma has studied up on Charlotte Mason as well! LOVE it! :)

It's been a wonderful day...something about the clouds, cooler temperature, and a little rain...it's refreshing. It's His joy that comes in the morning. And the rest of the day, as well...

Back from hiatus

2010-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe, that is...
We all know my track record for blog posting is not the best...BUT...I'm not apologizing, as we have had a lot going on over the past several months. So much, in fact, that I may not even write a summary of everything that has happened...at least not right away. For now, let's just say that God has been faithful. He has changed us, helped us grow, and never has He for one second let us go...through grief and joy, and through the ordinary days that lie in between.
The bottom line is that I've had several sweet, far off friends who've asked for updates, so, here I am, attempting to be a more faithful blogger, once again. :) Let us see how that will go...

August Staycation

2009-10-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

So in August we had a family staycation - (that's right people - August - yes, I'm once again posting months behind...it's the best I can do right now :) My parents came down along with my nephew Seth, and stayed for a few days. As always we tried to pack in the biggest possible punch in the short time that we had. We went to the Rain Forest Cafe and Riverwalk, Sea World, and our amazing neighborhood pool...AND we had a family birthday party for our little big Alex's 4th birthday! It was so much fun - busy but fun!
I need to get the pictures of Alex's party from my mom so I can write about that in another entry! Here are a few pics from Sea World...it was the kids first time to go, and they had a blast! They loved Shamu and we got some great pictures! The rides and water park were a big hit, too. Here are a few pictures from the day...

I LOVE that picture - so typical of E and A right now - she leads and teaches and he listens...most of the time. :)

Grandpa E and Seth...where is Grandma? Grandma - I need some pics of you!

Me Myself & Lies

2009-07-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

So hear I go - taking a deep breath as I attempt to share with you a bit of what I've been learning over the past few weeks....
....I just finished the most amazing - life changing - Bible study entitled "Me, Myself and Lies" by Jennifer Rothschild. I had NO IDEA what was in store for me as I dove into the Bible and the book along with some friends this summer. The study was all about taking a long, hard look at what we are letting our minds dwell on each day - each hour and even minute, really. And not just the things that we purposefully think about, but also the things that just kind of pop into our heads but then kinda stick around and fester for a while. After looking at these things, and realizing that many times my "thought closet" was full of hurtful labels, worries and fears, I then began to learn how to completely replace those things with the Truth from God's word, and get rid of that "stinkin' thinkin'". It's been amazing (for me) to see the trasformation in my thinking and trusting...I'm just so glad that our Heavenly Father never gives up on us and is ALWAYS at work in us until the day He brings us home. Praise Him!

So here are a few things from the book that especially hit home for me...
"Who I am, and what I struggle with are NOT the same thing."
"Start paying attention to where your thoughts are wandering during an idle moment."
"To dwell on untruths is to hold His truths in low regard."
How often do we waist our emotions - because we are not exercizing faith.
"A surplus of emotion usually preceeds acting without wisdom."
"You can't always control which thoughts pop up, but you can control through God's Spirit, what you do when one knocks. Be alert and say - no entry."
"Trust God more than you trust your feelings and abilities..."
"HOPE will ground you, anchor you, and make you unshakable."
"You may not FEEL equiped for the battle, but you are equiped."
(All of these in quotes are by Jennifer Rothschild)

These are just a few highlights from 6 weeks of study - and of course she had us always diving in to the Bible - I have many verses that I've now added to my offensive weaponry. Here's a new favorite....
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry "Abba (Dad!) Father". The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.
I added the "Dad!" :)

If you ever have the opportunity - I would highly recommend this Bible study! ...And a little "shout out!" to my Bible study girlies - I love you guys and I'm so thankful for you!

So, there ya go - a little peek into my journey through God's word this summer....can't wait for the next one. :)

Bad Blogger - BAD!!!

2009-07-21T12:57:00.001-07:00

So I ran into a good friend last week at the store (whom I haven't seen in forever!) and she informed me that I'm a bad blogger. Well, what can I say? She's right - considering I haven't blogged anything since, um, April!?

So, here I am, sheepishly attempting to recap the past few months in the form of a blog or two...
I owe it to my far away friends and family, right?
But where do I even begin?

I'll give you the quick run down, along with some cute pics, and I'll try to post more detail in the coming weeks...starting with some things I left out, and hopefully getting us back up to the present. :)

FEBRUARY - Started my very first Gruene Market Days with my dear friend Brandy Webb - she makes THE most adorable clothes for little girls, plus shopping cart covers, and more!

MARCH - I'm not sure what we did in March! That's what I get for not blogging!
I hardly even have any pictures of the kids for March...hmmm....I'll let you know if I figure it out.
Oh, I know - we started to really enjoy our back yard - Now that spring was breaking through, our big shady yard was sooo nice....

APRIL - I (Megan) celebrated my birthday...no need to mention age really...I'm still in my EARLY 20's...(Ha! I just caught that typo! I must be subconsciously wishing I was still in my early 20's!!! OK - so that should be early 30's)
We added another Market Days to our schedule - Boerne Market - which made for a busy month!
We had a great MOPS and POPS
Emma had a special trip to Grandma and Grandpas house - just her - she had a blast!
AND, we had our family pictures taken by a good friend - Amber Walters...AMAZING Photographer!!!

MAY - Was a busy month! After the Swine Flu scare settled down, we had to cram everything that had been postponed into about 2 weeks...sooo
We had our last MOPS, Emma's gymnastics show - the "mini olympics", and her last day of pre-school, graduation, and fun day.
Emma's graduation was HILARIOUS! They had her standing right in front of this air vent that shot air straight up from the stage - so her hair was wildly blowing through all of the songs, like they had a wind machine on her. And of course she was playing right into it. Cute. Funny. So Emma.

JUNE -We pretty much spent every other day in June at the pool - Emma is a FISH and can dive down to the bottom of the 8 foot pool in our neighborhood to pick up diving sticks. AND - drum roll please.....Alex learned to swim! He still needs to practice quite a bit, but he is getting better every time we go.
Emma had her 6th BIRTHDAY!!!, and decided to to opt for a family party at Rain Forest Cafe with one friend. That was HER idea! Amazing! What a break for Mommy and Daddy!
Her favorite presents were a toy Hamster that rolls and has a wheel, and her very own desk that Mommy and Daddy made for her...

Whew! And here we are in July! I guess that means July can have it's own separate little spot in the Blog. Lucky July. ;)

2009-04-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

From the Concert! We were this close!

Britt Nicole - Live in Concert!!!

2009-04-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

BRITT & EMMA

That's right! Emma and I went to her very first concert on Friday, April 3, and it was amazing! Seriously, she experienced every little girls dream of getting to meet a STAR and getting the star treatment in the process.

It was a very special Mother / Daughter evening. We started off with dinner - just the two of us, and then got to the concert early with seats of the front row! We had to wait about 30 minutes for the concert to start, so Emma decided to draw a picture for Britt...she had to do it on her lap, so it was a little hard, and her writing was a little hard to read, but it was sweet. She wanted to give it to Britt, but I told her I didn't know if we would have the opportunity to meet her, but that we would for sure get it to someone who knows her.

When Britt came out, everyone ran up to the stage, including Emma, who made her way right up to the front, and began bouncing to the music, waving her arms to the beat and clapping her hands - what a pro! I guess Britt got a kick out of her, and after the first song, she said "What's your name?" "Emma!" shouted Emma, and Britt yelled, "Everybody give it up for Emma!" You can imagine Emma's and my excitement! Everybody clapped and yelled - it was pretty cool.

The concert was amazing. What a great Christ-centered experience. In between her songs, Britt talked about her testimony, and calling. She challenged us to Shine for Christ, and to take each moment of everyday and live fully for Him - not wasting time or opportunities. (I'll post soon about the ways that Emma and I have taken the challenge, and about the ways that Emma has been shinning for Jesus)

After the concert, we waited for a little bit in the autograph line. It was getting pretty late by now, and they weren't allowing any pictures during autographs. A separate line was set up for that. I knew it would be too late to do both, so I thought we'd just be happy to meet Britt, give her the special picture that Emma drew, and get an autograph. WOW! Britt could not have been sweeter! She is just so cute, and fun, and she told Emma that she LOVED the picture, and would keep it always. Emma was in Heaven, and I was pretty psyched about the whole event - it was pretty special, as a mother, to watch these events unfold. We got her autograph, and then Britt said, "come give me a hug!" What!? - totally unexpected - totally cool. And to top it off, a lady who was taking pictures for the event snapped some pics of Emma handing Britt the picture she drew, and of Britt hugging Emma. Afterward, she gave me her email address, and said she send me the pictures! And THAT is how I got these amazing pictures of Emma and Britt. (Thanks so much, Annette!)

What more can I say!? It was so fun, and I hope that Emma and I have chance to do something fun like this again. Emma told me that the best part was just spending time together - Awwww...:)
I couldn't agree more.

EMMA GIVING BRITT HER PICTURE
(and a picture of the picture she drew)

More Pictures from Britt Nicole!...

2009-04-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Pro-Life Lobby Day!

2009-03-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

Feb. 24th was Pro-Life Lobby Day at the Texas Capitol! Emma and I headed to Austin for the day to show support and Lobby for the Ultrasound Bill. We met some friends there, and heard from Gov. Perry, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, AG Greg Abbott, Sen. Dan Patrick & more! Afterward we had a picnic lunch on the green, and signed in for our support of the Bill. It was a great day. Now that I've done it, and seen the difference it can make to get out there and stand up for the prolife cause, I'm looking forward to doing it again and again! Here's a link for more information on the Bill ... http://www.2heartbeats.org/why.shtml and here is an update about the hearing held last week... http://www.lifenews.com/state3958.html... Please be praying about this bill - studies show that around 80% of women who go in for an abortion and then view an ultrasound of their unborn child chose life. Here are some pictures from the capitol....

February 2009

2009-03-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I have no truly great excuse for not posting anything in THREE MONTHS!!! (other than the fact that we have ALL been rotating through illness and trips out of town since January!) Anyways, for now I'm just adding some pictures and quick captions. This will have to do for now....

Here's a picture of our Valentine's Day Treasure Hunt! It was so fun - I made up little rhyming clues, and had the kids going throughout the house searching for them. The kids loved the V-day goody bags. I think this tradition will be a keeper!

2008-12-13T20:15:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 9:6

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Well, it's here! The most wonderful time of the year. And we are enjoying it in our new house! We didn't do much decorating for Christmas as we are still unpacking boxes, but we did get the tree up, and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care! (we are so excited to have a fireplace!)

We're in awe that we are so far into Dec. already, and Christmas is a blink away. Emma reminds us everyday that Christmas is her FAVORITE time of year (and believe me, it is - she's been asking me every other day since June when Christmas will be here). So far we've enjoyed making Christmas cookies, reading tons of Christmas books, looking at lights, and watching the kids perform in their preschool Christmas play. There will be many more exciting things to do before Christmas quickly comes and goes.

A really cool thing has occurred in our home. The kids are excited about Christmas - I mean Christmas just oozes with excitement - everywhere you look you see lights, and here cheerful songs, not to mention all of the parties, and extra fun activities there are to do. But the very cool thing is that they KNOW WHY we celebrate Christmas! They're not getting confused about Santa and reindeer and wanting a huge list of presents. If you ask them, they can tell you exactly why we celebrate - "Jesus was born!!!" they exclaim. And when looking at lights, they get most excited when they see a nativity, or "Baby Jesus set up!" Of which there are tons of in our neighborhood - yay neighbors! :)

We wish every one of our friends and family a very very Merry Christmas!!! (You'll hear no hint of a "happy holidays" from me - puh-lease! * just kiddig* - that's my major Christmas pet peeve) And a Happy New Year!
*(lovely family photo taken by our very good friend Dawn Lindley of D. Lindley design)*

Saying Goodbye

2008-12-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

It was a bitter-sweet day last month, about a week before Thanksgiving, when we said goodbye....to our favorite tree. This is "Emma the Tree", so named by Emma herself. It was her tree, planted in our yard by a friend when Emma was a newborn, and we said goodbye to it because we also said goodbye to our house. This is actually a very good thing - a blessing, and something we'd been praying about for a while. It was, however, sad to see the kids playing in the backyard for the last time, and to see Emma's tears over leaving her tree - the tree that she's been known to water and and wrap her very own blanket around at times. We're in our new house now, and we love it, of course, and I'm sure I'll be posting more about that sometime soon. For now though, here are some of the "firsts" that we experienced in our old house........
Our first house; our first baby; her first smile, laugh, word, and many other firsts; our second baby; his first smile, laugh, word, and other firsts; a new business; birthday parties; Christmases; Easter Egg Hunts; and too many tea parties to count. We'll always remember God's many blessings, and answered prayers that we experienced while we called this our home. Not to sound too sad though, we've already begun tallying up some new firsts in our new home! Alex jumped off the furniture for the first time - (this is HUGE for him - I was so proud!) and Emma has written her first Thank you note - sounded out, and penned entirely by herself - (quite long, great use of adjectives!) These may not be major "firsts" but hey, it's a start. And there will be many more to come. :)

Matthew 7:11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

2008-11-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

So now that Fall is officially here, the holiday activities have begun! We visited the pumpkin patch with some friends, and got a few good shots. Then came Halloween. We had a lovely bride, and a cute little mini-Ash Ketchum (that's Pokemon - for all of you non-amime people). Alex wanted to be Ash, because of course he has to do everything just like his big cousin Seth. They wore these to the Fall Festival at Oakwood. On Halloween evening though, Emma just dug out a Sleeping Beauty gown, and crown, and did her trick-or-treating in that. We hung out on the front porch, and gave out candy bags with tracks, and had pizza.

First day of preschool

2008-10-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

The kids had their first day of preschool on Sept. 2. They both absolutely LOVED it! They go 2 days a week, and we still have 3 days off, to just be, or do what we want. There was not a tear in sight with these two - they really didn't even notice that I left. As for Mommy - I was a little emotional - I'm not sure if I was tearing up because I'd just left my "baby" at school for the first time, or if it was because of my excitement over having some time to myself - IN the house! (That's NEVER happened before that I can recall.) Their teachers are great, and we're so excited about this year. Emma has a little group of girls there that she runs around with - hiding from "the boys! - ew!" Alex talks everyday about a little friend that he's made. His teachers told me that he helped them tell the story of Adam and Eve during Bible time - apparently he was really into it. They were impressed that he knew the story so well. :)

Here we go!

2008-09-30T21:58:00.001-07:00

OK, so as most of you probably know, I am not incredibly technologically savvy...and yet here I am, blogging! I'm finally giving in. I'm doing this mostly as a tribute to the grandparents, who claim they don't get enough pictures of their grandkids! And to keep all of our friends and family up to speed on the latest answered prayers, and other happenings. Enjoy. :)