Summer days!

What have we been doing around here lately?
Well, the boys decided to release their 'pet' juvenile pacific giant salamander. They thought that even though Salli loved the worms they fed him each day, that he would enjoy his freedom. I think I'm going to miss Salli!

Here the guys are around the campfire after roasting hot dogs for dinner. We all went in and put sweatshirts on after this - it had been raining and cold for previous couple of days.

Here are the boys in the creek that runs along our yard. The temperatures have been in the 90's for the last couple of days and we're all seeking someplace cool - and the boys found it! Everyday they play for hours in the water. I joined them yesterday and found the air temperatures to drop about 15 degrees down in the canyon. I think I'll go back with them today!

And here are our growing boys, showing off just how much muscle they've been building doing all sorts of work around the house and garden this summer!
These boys sure do have a lot of fun around here, and so do we. We love these helpful, thankful, fun-loving boys!

Mount St. Helens

On Tuesday, June 15th, we went with a group of homeschoolers from our area on a field trip to Mount St. Helens. We learned a ton from Mr. Anderson, the owner of the 7 Wonders Creation Museum in Silverlake, Wa. He was an engaging teacher as we learned so much about what happened before and after the initial erruption, and just what we, as creationists, now have as an answer to 'old earth' thinkers. Great stuff! Check out his website and visit if you can! Here are a few pictures from our trip:

This is the best view we got of the mountain while we were at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. The weather was pretty socked in all day, and at one point in time we had a little over an inch of snow and ice pellets!
This is the view across the valley from the Johnston Ridge Observatory. It's hard to see in the picture, but there is some amazing topography there. Valleys that used to be there are filled in, new valleys created through solid rock, and a new river system created!
This picture is taken of the Toutle River, the one originating from the the Mount St. Helens watershed. This is many miles downriver from the mountain, yet we can still see the effects of the massive mudflow that reopened the Toutle River drainage to once again flow to the ocean. Almost 30 years later we can see how much of the river valley was under the mud!
Here we are at Coldwater Lake, just over the ridge from Mount St. Helens. The lake was created when the Mt. blew. Charles and the boys at Coldwater Lake, with the base of Mount St. Helens in the background (still totally cloud-covered!)

On the drive up the Toutle River to get to the observatory, we saw some amazing things. One of which was an entire area reforested and flourishing, some 44,000 acres of land hand planted with noble fir! Several herds of elk were also occupying the Monument lands, and the bulls were already branched out and HUGE! Wish we'd gotten some pictures, but I don't have the telephoto lens that I would have needed!

Where does the time go?

I really haven't forgotten about blogging - truly! Many, many times I have come here to write, but... well, I look at the time of night, sigh and then turn off the computer and head to bed. You see, I'm usually a night owl, staying up late, getting up late. I've been convicted of my slovenly habits, and I'm really working on turning over a new leaf! So now, I go to bed when my husband goes to bed, and I get up early, and I don't sit down and waste time at the computer during the day. A lot more gets done around here, and we all like the results of a cleaner house, yummy meals, fewer weeds in the garden and flower beds, and more reading time!

I'm still working on when in the world I will have time to post regularly, but that's the hope. Usually I take so long between posts that I have either so much to say or something more like a book to relate, so the posts take forever to write and then it's so draining and time consuming that I then don't feel able to post again right away and the cycle continues.

The goal: shorter, more frequent posts.

A thought for the day (or maybe every day): Our job as parents is to be obedient to the Lord, disciplining and discipling our children. The really tough part about all that is the part where we leave the results up to God, and we stay on our knees for those precious ones of ours that the Lord has entrusted to us. It's not my job to change my child's heart - that's Christ's job. I have to be faithful to the call on my life, the convictions of my heart fueled by God's Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. It humbles me to know that all I do, even the really important stuff, cannot save my child from hell - only Jesus can do that! That leaves me with a hearty "amen" when I read what Paul has to say in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"! Though I find that the key to peace about all situations is found in the two verses surrounding this one.

"16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

VACATION!

So, Friday, just after noon we'll hit the road on our mini vacation and spend the weekend with dearest of friends! Now all I have to do is get some sleep, take care of my morning responsibilities, and get home in time to be off! Of course, it would be nice if both boys miraculously got well over night! Mikael is pretty much over his cold, but Nathanael is still fighting his. We're heading for the resort pool tomorrow, but we might just visit the local museum and play some games and let them spend Saturday in the pool. Anyway, we'll see you all at the end of the weekend. Too bad we won't be sunburned to boot!

About our vision for Church

Just wanted to share what we have come to see as the point of church, and since the elders and deacons of Household had already expressed it perfectly, I'll let them say it again for you all here:

"HOFCC was planted initially in August of 1998 in the home of Gregg Harris, an internationally recognized author and advocate of Christian home schooling and family restoration.

The new local church has been an attempt to institute several reforms of structure and doctrinal emphasis. From the very beginning, HOFCC has been age-integrated as a matter of principle. We choose to equip parents to train and include their own children in our church services rather than relieve them of their responsibilities by means of age-segregated youth programs. We do not offer a Sunday School, Youth Group or Children's Church service. Instead, we maintain a family inclusive and family uniting culture that draws everyone of all ages into worship, Bible study and partnership in advancing the Gospel together. If we hope to see families serving God together as a team, they must be equipped together as a team. That is what a Christian family household is— a team of believers living and serving God together.

The results of our efforts have been very encouraging. When families are willing to endure the transition back to a simpler and more Biblical way of gathering, they see a dramatic improvement in their children's love for God and His church. Men are drawn back into their Biblical roles as leaders of their own households and wives are restored to their Biblical roles as the helpers and companions of their own husbands. Sound doctrine is restored to its place as the treasure of the entire family and church planting missions become the natural result of healthy spiritual and numerical growth.

— the Elders & Deacons of HOFCC "

Hope this helps you see a bit of where we are in this journey of faith.