"On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand."

The verse to this old hymn keeps coming to mind, especially when I look at this picture of the immovable rock in the midst of the waves at Cape Kiwanda.That rock has been their for ages. It has withstood storm after storm. Waves have swelled and crashed all around it and yet it remains...steadfast and unchanged.The beach around it has changed. The shoreline is in constant motion because sand is inconsistent.

but.."Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!"

Hallelujah and Amen!

Cape Kiwanda, Pacific City

We had such a wonderful time on Sunday at the beach. We dropped everything and took off for the day together. On many Oregon beaches you can drive your car right down to the sand. By the time we got there, Zibby was asleep, so we just parked the truck, opened up the back and set up camp. We had so much fun racing down the massive sand dune...Abby Sue literally "ate it". The views from the top of the dune are spectacular. The girls decided to bury Ben up to his neck in sand...in fact, I'm still cleaning sand out of all their cracks and crevices. After playing all day together we decided to stop by the Pelican Pub for dinner. It is right on the beach, great views, good food, and super kid friendly. Aaron and I are both determined that we will be going back to Cape Kiwanda soon!

School Days

Last week the kids started back at school. Other than being a bit tired by the end of the week they seem to be loving their new classes. Abby Sue has a new teacher this year, Mrs. Potter, and is in a class that is blended with 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. She seems to really love her class and her teacher. Ben is in a blended class of 1st & 2nd graders. He has Mrs. Parson and loves being at school all day this year. Everything seems to be going well considering the new classes, teachers, students, etc.

Last evening Abby Sue shared with us something that upset her yesterday at school. She is a bit emotional at times, so we except a few bumps here and there. She continued to tell us that she told one of the teacher aids, that her daughter, who is in Abby Sue's classroom, was being "mean & bossy" to her. Now, we know that this probably wasn't the best way for Abby Sue to go about fixing the problem with her friend (tattling is not something that we encourage), but the aid responded by telling Abby Sue that she was "mean & bossy". That caught our attention for sure! I couldn't believe my ears! Abby Sue is not one to lie so we asked her plainly what she felt the aid meant by that. She continued tell us that her heart felt like it "fell out from underneath her" and she responded to the aid, "Yes, well, everyone is mean & bossy sometimes." The aid then compared a child near her to Abby Sue and said "________ is not mean & bossy." This really hurt Abby Sue. She told us that she went to her teacher, Mrs. Potter, right away and shared with her what had happened and how it made her feel. We were so proud of her for going to an adult that she trusted. We told her that she did the right thing and even though she was upset about it she should forgive.

Beside the fact that this teachers aid was out of line and I felt like going right away and sharing with her a piece of my mind, I was blessed when Abby Sue later said, "You know mom, maybe Mrs.______, was having a bad day. I bet she feels bad about what she said. But, I'm telling you, if she says something like that to me again, I'm gonna blow a fuse for sure!"

I just love that girl!

Ugly Applesauce

We have a very old apple tree in backyard and every year it seems to produce so many little green apples. We aren't even sure what type of apples they are but the kids just love them. The only problem with the apples is that they are not very pretty. I decided that this year I would finally put those apples to some use and make applesauce out of them. The kids helped me gather them all up and I sliced them, boiled them, mashed them and finally canned them. I gotta say, those ugly apples make some great tasting applesauce! One jar took a lot of work, but we felt proud that we could make something for free from our own yard. There are still a ton of apples out there...now I'm just gathering them up, slicing them, and waiting for a rainy day to make more Ugly Applesauce!

Bootiful Corn!

Today I was driving back from Salem to Silverton after dropping off a meal at a friends house. Zibby was with me and was busy talking about all of the beauty around us as we drove through the countryside. Usually she spots the moon first...even on a bright sunny day, she will find that white sliver hanging in the sky...,"Ooooo, see moon mommy!" She has loved the moon for as long as we can remember. Lately she has been been excited over all of the crops growing in fields. "Ooooo mommy, punkins'!..Oh, mommy, look at doze flowers!" Today, it just cracked me up to hear her say, "Oh, mommy, dats bootiful corn! See dat bootiful corn!"

It blesses my heart to hear her enjoy God's creation, she is praising Him and His handiwork in her own little way. Then I thought how much more it must bless the heart of God when we simply exclaim with joy over beauty of His work. That is true praise.

Proud to be an American!

Last weekend our good friends, the Regan's, invited us to the Portland Air Show to meet their friend, Rick, who is a Thunderbird pilot. We decided to let Zibby play with Nana & Grampa all day and took Abby Sue and Ben with us. Needless to say we were very blessed to have the chance to meet a Thunderbird. Rick was so great with the kids (he and his wife have 3 boys of their own!). Abby Sue had a lot of questions but Ben just sat back, quietly in awe. Rick gave them both a Thunderbird pin and signed their tickets. He was so gracious and real. Ben later told me, "Mom, that was awesome!"

When we were at the show we couldn't wait for the grand finale..The United States Air Force Thunderbirds. Rick is one of the solo pilots and told us to keep our eyes out for a surprise. It was so inspiring to watch those jets scream through the air with such accuracy and precision. It was even more thrilling for us because we now knew who was in one of those jets.

While we watched the formation 4 fly past us all of a sudden, out of no where, #6 Thunderbird (our new friend Rick), comes screaming over our heads...so low it and so loud I thought I would loose my hearing for a couple of days. That was Ricks big "surprise"...and it worked!

It was such a wonderful day. I felt so proud of my country and the freedoms we have. I'm thankful for men like Rick and his family, who make sacrifices so that we can be free. I had tears in my eyes watching those jets...grateful to be an American.

"As I went down to the river to pray studyin' about that good 'ol way.."

Abby Sue's Baptism in Silver Creek

At the end of every summer our church meets together at Coolidge Park here in Silverton for a picnic lunch and baptism. I love sitting down by the pretty creek that runs through our town and watch young and old come come down to the water to be baptized. This year Abby Sue decided that she wanted to let everyone know about her decision to follow Christ and be baptized. At first Aaron and I were not sure if she was ready, but when we asked her why she wanted to be baptized we realized that she completely understood and with tears running down her cheeks insisted that "I need to be baptized today!" We couldn't quench what the Spirit of God was putting on her heart. So, this past Sunday, Abby Sue went down to the creek, and while Aaron played his guitar, my Dad (one of the Pastors at our fellowship) prayed with her and baptized her in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. It was beautiful watching her. I felt overwhelmed with joy that Aaron and I witnessed her coming "out of the water" on the day she was born and now had the blessing of watching her "come out of the water" in newness of life. Afterwards Abby Sue was unusually quiet. Never one to lack on words I wondered what she was thinking about. She shared with me later her thoughts: "Mommy, I will always remember this day, I'm born all over again. I didn't want to wear my bathing suit today. I wore my regular clothes, because this is who I am all the time, now I'm new."

Thank You dear Jesus!