We're back!

We are home from Alaska! It was SO much fun but it is nice to be home, too. Alaska is beautiful! It was so amazing to be able to see God's earth and His love for us shown through His creation. It was also so great getting to be with our family, especially the ones who live far away and we hardly ever get to see. :(

Today we cleaned, painted, did about 8 loads of laundry, worked in the yard, practiced our instruments (yay! I was REALLY missing my violin! And the piano. :D), made bread, bread sticks (yum!), more bread, and Andi made cherry/strawberry crisp. So it has been a busy day!

I will post pictures of Alaska and write more about the trip later.

In Christ,
Marissa

Leaving...

We are spending the day today packing because we are leaving tomorrow morning for Alaska! We will be gone for 9 days, so I hope everyone has a wonderful week and we will get back to posting next week.
God bless, Marissa

Romans 12

I was reading Romans 12 this morning and a lot of things stood out to me. It is an amazing chapter teaching about Christian life and living in the family of God.
~ Offer your body as a living sacrifice (vs. 1). God gave us life and He graciously allows us to be on this earth, but our lives are His! We cannot lose anything because we don't have anything. Our fragile lives are in the hands of the Lord.
~ Be devoted to one another in brotherly love (vs. 9). God has blessed us with brothers and sisters in Christ. Even in the hardest times, remember that you are not alone and there are others who are also fighting in the Lord's battle. Our job is to build each other up and love each other.
~ Bless those who persecute you (vs. 14). What can be a better way to show people that we love Jesus? No matter how wrong someone is to you, always repay evil for good.
~ Live in harmony with one another (vs. 16). If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (vs. 18). As Christians, we should be different from the world. Who will want to follow Jesus if His followers are not getting along even with each other?
~ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (vs. 21).

Homemaking in action!

Fresh picked strawberries!!!

Our strawberry patch

My mom learned how to make strawberry jam, so she is planning to teach us with the strawberries that keep coming up in the garden! The first batch was so good! I can't wait to learn to make it.

We also had some other cooking going on this week.
Elaina and Marissa made some really good pies, and I made a cheesecake! Yum!!!

Blessings,
Andrea

Ohio

Last Friday we went to Ohio for a graduation open house.
It was really fun. A lot of our extended family was there who we don't get to see very often.

We were supposed to get there at six, but we didn't know exactly how long it would take. We left too early. :D So at 5:30, when we were about five minutes away, we stopped at a gas station and tried to pass some time. :D

There was a bird in this tree that was being so noisy, I think it wanted us to get away from it's nest. :D

Dad and me. We both look kind of weird because the sun was in our eyes. :D

Seth pointing at.... something. :D Probably the bird.

Ian! :D

Before we left for Ohio, we had a church picnic. Andrea got her face painted by a clown. :D

New Camera

Andrea got her camera the other day! :D She's very excited. Here are some pictures she got on it....

Actually I took this one just because I thought it looked neat. I was spraying water into an orange bucket.

Flowers! I've noticed that there are a TON of purple flowers around here for some reason....

Seth

I tried making laundry soap the other day. We've never made it before, so I hope it turns out well! That's what I was doing when I was spraying water into the orange bucket. :D

Isn't this a cool picture?

God bless,
Marissa

From daughter to mother

It is so amazing how fast we grow! Sometimes, (esspecially if you are anxious to grow up) it seems like forever, but really, the years that you think there are left, turn into days.

Ten things that will make those days, a lifetime of learning:
1. Helping your mom make dinner. I can assure you...you WILL cook when your a mother!
2. Cleaning. Sure....everyone can dust, but can they do it well?
3. Mentoring younger siblings. Younger siblings are a good practice for your own children.
4. Shopping. No, I'm sorry, but I'm not talking about shopping at the mall. Learn how to shop well. Anybody can go pick up cookies, crackers, and to make it look better, throw in an apple. That is not a good way to be feeding your future family.
5. School. No, school is not fun, but you can do so much with what you learn! Homeschooling your own children, finding out the cheaper price for the amount of groceries that your getting, and bills. You're not off the hook...You will have to pay bills.
6. Helping your neighbors, family, and friends. Your life will be transformed into a world of service to your family.
7. Any talents that you might have...learn to use them! Music, art, writing, needle work, anything! What if your husband loses his job. I'm not saying you should go out and get a job. I believe women should stay home and not try to 'experience the world', but if you have those talents, don't you think maybe you can get a job from home?
8. Spending time with family. You will need them one day and it is God's plan for families to love each other.
9. Knowing that your life will change and working towards the goal of being a Proverbs 31 women. If you work on all these things, but don't really believe any of it. You will not be that women.
10. Learning how to dress. No, not learning to put a shirt on, but learning to dress modestly. By the age of 12 children should be spiritually mature. Don't you think we definitely need to be there when we're twenty or thirty?!
Now, I'm going to leave you with this verse:
1 Timothy 2:9-10
"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God."

Blessings,
Andrea