Happy Birthday, Dad

Happy birthday Dad!!

We are so thankful for you...

Wow, there are so many things to be grateful for, there is not enough space to write them all!  I am so thankful for all the years we have had together. Also, for your Godly wisdom and direction as you lead our family, for your wise decision making, and your love for God, me and all the children.  You are a dependable and dedicated worker and faithful to your calling as a Godly man, husband and father. Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made for us, as you have sought the Lord regarding our family and for all your hard work to provide and take care of us for so many years.  Have a wonderful Birthday! I love you. Dana

Thank you for your example and advice. Thank you for taking us hunting on early winter mornings and helping me work on my tractors. I love you, Jonathan

Dad, thank you for your hard work, for teaching me different skills, how to work, raise our own food, and for reading books to us. I love you -Samuel

Dad, thank you for all you do for us and for working hard. Thank you for  teaching us to love God, protecting us, and cultivating godly desires in us. I love you, Rachael

Happy birthday! Thank you for helping us with all our farming, for good advice, and for being a godly example. I love you-Nathan

Dad, happy birthday blessings! I am so thankful for your godliness and unwavering convictions. Thank you for teaching us Biblical principles, encouraging and challenging us, giving us a vision for the duties we must fill in the future, and loving us unconditionally. I love you! -Sarah

"Behold, that thus shall the 

man be blessed that feareth the LORD."

{Psalm 128:4}

Summer Camping

Dad always makes delicious breakfast eggs on the Coleman stove when we camp - our favorite!

Last week, we decided to go camping at a local lake. We were blessed with beautiful, cool weather and really enjoyed the camping area. It was fun to spend some time together as a family.

Mom shooing the bugs away with our homemade bug spray

 Horse shoe throwing: we made sure everyone stood out of the way
of the person throwing the horse shoes since some of us were better tossers than others...

Playing volleyball..or something that resembled  it

We had a wonderfully cool day, cool enough for jackets in August!

Nathan working on feeding everyone a very healthy lunch

S'mores - this was a first time treat.  Mom could not figure out how to make them healthy...
but she will come up with something for our next camping trip!

Everyone had fun biking on the hiking trails - lots of good exercise

Swimming or lounging, as the case may be...

Dad trying out the little digger

Nathan and Samuel reading their Bibles before bed. They are all doing the
Summer Pursuit again this summer with their buddies

Lots of fun in the tent!

"They that know thy name will put their trust in thee:

 for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee."

{Psalm 9:10}

Happy Summer Days

An evening campfire

This summer has been beautiful in Kansas. We have been busy with various summer farm activities but have enjoyed fun family time at the same time.

Sweet brothers helping make homemade bread

At the playground...

 

Lunch with friends

Sewing pennants for a celebration...

...finished product

Last week we celebrated the one year anniversary of the purchase of our new home. We are so thankful for the farm and community God has provided for our family.

Mom made us a very special treat in celebration - fried chicken!

Samuel serving his delicious dessert with fresh cream

We all agreed that this new dessert recipe is one of our favorites!

Writing down things we are grateful for

Family games

"I will remember the works of the LORD: 

surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
I will meditate also of all thy work, 
and talk of thy doings."
{Psalm 77:11-12}

Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday, Mom!
We are so thankful for you and your heart for the Lord! 
Thank you for...

...Your love and dedication to your family...

Mom, thank you for reading us interesting books at lunch time, making us yummy treats, and helping me with my chicken business projects. Happy birthday! -Samuel

...Your generous servant's heart to others in need...  

Mom, thank you for all that you do around here for your family. Thank you for teaching us girls how to be homemakers and for making each day special! I remember playing dolls with you when I was little. I hope that you have a wonderful day. I love you! -Rachael

...Your hard-working, diligent work all the time in nutritional health,
soap making, ironing, gardening, and so much more!

Happy birthday Mom. Thank you for being a good and loving mom and taking care of us all these years! Thank you for playing legos and having fun with me when I was little. -Jonathan

Thank you for caring about us and cooking such good food for us. I remember us swinging on the porch some afternoons when we lived in Korea. Thank you for all your help with my farming adventures this year. Happy birthday! -Nathan

Mom, happy birthday blessings to you! Thank you for your constant work and dedication to your family and raising us in the ways of God. One of my fondest early memories was waking up as a little girl on sunny summer mornings to you singing, "This is the day the Lord has made - let us rejoice and be glad in it!" Thank you for teaching me about the Lord from an early age. Have a wonderful day. I love you. -Sarah

Happy Birthday! Thank you for being a godly wife and mother. I love you. -Tom

And your birthday post wouldn't be complete without letting out the secret - 

that you love chocolate ice cream!

We love you - happy birthday!

"Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, 
forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
{1 Corinthians 15:58}

God's Creation - Ant Trivia

This week, we found a ant colony relocating across our driveway. It was fascinating to watch the hard workers quickly moving eggs as big as the ants themselves, and to see how they all followed in the exact same path.

As we observed the ants at the entrance of their nest, we noted that there some standing around the entry that looked obviously different from the worker ants. They were larger and had jaws. We found out that they were "guards" to the nest and protect it from intruders! There is so much to learn about and from ants - they are very diligent and strong workers. We can learn a lot about God's creation just by observing His work in it.

Did you know...

• Ants are capable of carrying objects 50 times their own body weight with their mandibles. Relative to their size, their muscles are thicker than those of larger animals or even humans. If we had muscles in the proportions of ants, we'd be able to heave a Hyundai over our heads!
• Ants follow scent trails laid by scout ants to gather food. By following pheromone trails created by other ants from the colony, foraging ants can gather and store food efficiently.
• Soldier ants use their heads to plug the entrances to their nests and keep intruders from gaining access. When a worker ant returns to the nest, it will touch the soldier ant's head to let the guard know it belongs to the colony. {We noted this in action - amazing!}
• Certain ant species defend plants in exchange for food and shelter. The ants defend the plant from herbivorous mammals and insects, and may even prune away parasitic plants that attempt to grow on the host plant.
• The total biomass of all the ants on Earth is roughly equal to the total biomass of all the people on Earth. A single acre of Amazon rainforest may house 3.5 million ants.
• Ants sometimes herd or tend to insects of other species, like aphids or leafhoppers.
• Ants will enslave other ants, keeping them captive and making them do work for the colony. 
• Some ants form "supercolonies," massive communities of ants that can stretch for thousands of miles. Scientists recently discovered that massive supercolonies in Europe, North America, and Japan all share the same chemical profile, meaning they are, in essence, a global supercolony of ants.

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, and 

gathereth her food in the harvest."

{Proverbs 6:6-8}