First of all, I fixed an error on our Yellowstone slide show -- for some reason Picasa divided the file in half and only posted half of the pictures. I think I have it fixed now so if you are interested, give it another look. There are a couple of pictures of me although not great ones :) I also posted another new slide show of some of our family happenings in the last couple of months. It is the slide show at the top of the list on the right.

After our Yellowstone excursion over Father's Day weekend we spent the next week just focused on our house projects. Elijah has been chopping wood as you can see from some of the pictures; it has been a great project for him and super helpful to our family as well. Under Gabrielle's leadership the kids have been working in the garden. I am hopeful that it will do well this year. It has been such a STRANGE spring and start to summer - so much rain. HIGHLY unusual for Helena. It has been wonderful in that everything is marvelously green and lush. We have had to mow our new green grass every week to keep it from looking like a jungle. However, the downside has been that because it has not been warm nothing is ripening and little is blooming so our bees are not super happy. I think that Josiah is going to lose a hive for the first time. We separated a hive this spring and bought a queen but it just keeps getting weaker and weaker despite our best efforts. When we checked this week we were down to about one full frame of bees and the queen had disappeared. All told not good signs :(

Tim's wild hive seems to have settled and is doing really well which is great! Hopefully we will get some honey from that hive this year -- if things start blooming. We'll see......

We had a neat thing happen a week ago. Our state missions director for the Nazarene church came to Helena and spoke. He did a great job and I loved his focus -- God calls us ALL to share who He is, not just the "professionals". He commended mothers - our mission field starts at home. How blessed I was to hear someone acknowledge that!!! Our home is where we make our first disciples!!!! At the end of service, Pastor Johnson asked if the youth would come forward if they were willing to go wherever the Lord asked -- wherever............ near or far, home or away. Most of our youth went forward, my children among them. Less than two hours later Elijah got a call from a local pastor at another church who needed a male counselor for his elementary camp leaving Monday!!! Tim encouraged Elijah -- God is asking you to go - will you go? Elijah was excited to serve and had a great week working with seven boys grades 4th-7th. We missed him at home but were glad for him to be able to use his gifts and abilities to minister :) So awesome how God works!

After Elijah got home (Thursday afternoon) things got a little crazy. Of course there is lots to do at home always but Elijah and some of his buddies from Scouts went on a 20-miler. Unfortunately the route they had chosen had a forest fire a couple of years ago up in the Gates of the Mountains which they hadn't factored in. The blaze marks that delineate the trail got damaged and made navigating a little more difficult. They left the house at 7 am Saturday, got out to the trail at 8:20 and started hiking. They came out at 12:02 AM and got home at 1:30 AM (yes, Sunday!!!) There had been a marshy area that soaked even their good boots, blisters, climbs of something like 3000 feet in spots, exhaustion obviously and some vomiting from one of the guys out of dehydration and exhaustion apparently. When all was said and done they hiked 25 miles carrying 20 pound packs. Elijah started quipping that he had been to HILL and back :) It was good prep for the 50 mile hike they are planning at the end of the month. I'm glad it isn't me - that is all I can say!!!!

The rest of us had a bout with flu while Elijah was gone which of course was not fun. It prohibited Josiah from going on the 20-miler which probably was good in the big scheme of things. Josiah has perseverance that I have never seen in a kid of his age; he's been that way since he was really little. Slow and steady -- he can keep up with just about anybody on things like hiking, hunting, running, etc - he puts his mind to the task and he goes and won't quit. However, I think this would have been awfully hard on him -- he is three years younger than any of the other guys that went. Hearing the escapade when Elijah came home made the sting of missing out ease a little bit :)

Elijah was asked by Pastor Mark to organize and lead a flag ceremony at church Sunday morning. It was wonderful to see young men from our church in uniform walk in procession, carrying our country's flag and the Christian flag to the front of the church and lead the congregation in salute. Our church has a lot of older veteran's. One of them even flew and crashed a Mustang in WWI. He came to service in full uniform. Many others from other wars, conflicts and military service stood in service. It moves my heart to the very core to see the men who fought to keep our country free and to stand for righteousness and justice on foreign soil. Amazing men!!! Service was awesome (as always!)

After service Mark's family came out for some fun. We had BBQ and the little kids and I had made Red-White-and Blue parfaits as well as Flag Cheesecake bars. It was fun to do something fun and unusual with my smaller two (Judah and Bekah) and it added to the festivities :) Mark brought out a bunch of fireworks which was fun. KJ does NOT like them yet but his day will come I think. The wind kicked up which made things interesting (translated scary!), particularly when one of them aerials flew back over our heads before it exploded. It was a great night!

Monday was a holiday for Timmer which was marvelous! He has been working on our deck along the side of the house. He got a GREAT deal over a year ago on materials at a building yard garage sale (things that people ordered and didn't pick up, etc.) so he was able to get all the decking (redwood nonetheless!!!) for $150.00. We have been trying to work with what we have and finish up the projects that we can. It will be so fabulous to have the deck finished up!!! Tim and I are thinking that we will close in under the deck so the boys have a bedroom there. It will be significantly bigger for them and then we can move Gabrielle into her own room and KJ will share a room with Bekah for now. At least that is the plan. Just have to work it out one day at a time :) There are a few pictures of Tim's work from Monday on the new slide show. I will add more as he keeps progressing!

We were the recipients of a MARVELOUS - STUPENDOUS blessing this weekend!!! Josiah has had the desire to learn drums which I am totally up for but music lessons are quite expensive and I can't teach them obviously. Elijah and Gabrielle have been trying to learn guitar. I found a great DVD curriculum for guitar through a home-school group that is awesome but nothing for drums. In addition, it is a huge investment when I am not sure Josiah has the aptitude for drums - it isn't a simple instrument to play. Well.... I had been pondering it and the Lord kept prompting me to ask our drummer at church about it. I hemmed and hawed; I don't know him well........ how much would he ask....... we are already tight, etc. etc. etc. I should have obeyed sooner. I asked Gerry if he taught and told him that I was considering have Josiah take some lessons but wasn't sure. Gerry was so kind and started talking about how he was going to teach Josiah. When I had the opportunity I asked Gerry how much he would like to charge us and he said NOTHING -- he is going to work with Josiah for free! I was walking on clouds. What a marvelous blessing and such rich generosity expressed to Josiah!!!! We got Josiah's sticks yesterday; he had his first instruction lesson on Sunday afternoon. Since then Josiah has been drumming away on his leg, a bucket, my dashboard and he is doing well. He is really starting to hear the beat which was a great concern to me actually :) God is so good to know the desires of both Josiah's heart and mine that Josiah could have this opportunity. We are blessed!!! We have to start saving pennies for a drum set but Gerry said we will have some months where he can use other options as he learns technique. I am totally jazzed!!!!

This week has just flown by -- nothing really exciting per-se just busy. We are taking a class at church on the doctrine of the Nazarene church which has been interesting. Gabrielle babysat all week for a neighbor who works. Tomorrow is our monthly ConfiDance and Saturday the kids have shooting in Anaconda. Sunday my husband has his 46th birthday! He is still as handsome as the day I met him ;) Pastor Mark and his family are coming to share dinner; Mark's family is coming at some point for cake I think. Monday morning the kids have VBS at Hannaford -- the older three are working, the younger three attending. KJ and I will have to find something to do while we wait for them. Gabrielle turns FIFTEEN on Thursday, where has time gone?!?!?!? Sleepover with her girlfriends on the 17th - should be fun! I'll keep you posted :) Look for new pictures next week on the blog!!!