Family Trip!

The past few days our family has been traveling on a very fun trip around Arkansas.
Mr. Robert and David (some good friends from Germany) invited our family to go canoeing with them. So Monday afternoon took off in a full suburban headed toward Hardy Arkansas, a town in north Arkansas. We arrived late Monday night.

Tuesday morning we got to go canoeing which was totally a new and exciting experience! Daddy and Benjamin were in one canoe together; Johnmark and David (age 13 and best buddies with Johnmark); Mr. Robert and Heather; Annalisa, Rebekah, and I. Mom stayed with Bethany and James because they were to young to go canoeing. We canoed 4 to 5 miles down a river. It was very exciting to learn how to control a canoe and it's good team work experience. Only Dad's and Benjamin's canoe tipped over when they where going down one of the water falls. Benjamin got stuck under the canoe but above the water. He was absolutely scared to death. Dad couldn't lift the canoe up to get him out so he had to drag him under the water and the canoe to get him. That was kinda scary but the rest of the canoeing was fun. We got to get out and swim around a couple of times too. It took us about four hours and by the end we were all exhausted and really wet.

That evening we went to the state park with a really cool water fall! We played our annual soccer game David, Johnmark, and Rebekah vs. Dad, Mr. Robert, Annalisa, Heather, and James. A very exciting game. Johnmark, David, and Rebekah won! There was also a civil war memorial. On our way back to the hotel we crossed the Missouri state line for about two minutes just so we could say we'd been there!

Wednesday morning we started our trek back down south to Dermott- with several fun detours! Our first stop was in Mountain View to see Uncle Carl. We ate brunch with him and played at the park. We also got to stop by an Amish Store with a deli. We always enjoy looking around other Amish stores and getting good ideas. The people there were very friendly and helpful.

Happy travelers

Traveling to Mountain View, Arkansas we had a great mountain view!

From Mountain View we headed to McCrory- where Mom lived when she was a little girl and where Dad and Mom got married. We got to see the house where Mom used to live and go into the Church where they got married. That was really neat!

Home where Mom used to live

Church of Christ in McCrory where Grandad used to preach

And twenty-three years later...

By that time it was getting late in the afternoon so we continued on south. We got to stop at Dixie Cafe in Searcy for supper. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Miss. Caroline and Mr. Dwight Smith were there! Some of Dad and Mom's old teachers and friends from Harding were also there and we got to visit with them for a while!

We arrived home late Wednesday night- tired but with lots of wonderful family memories.

"Let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before the LORD"
Psalm 98:8

Mommy

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

M erciful

O ptimistic

L oyal

L oving

Y outhful

"Who can find a virtuous wife?

For her worth is far above rubies."

Proverbs 31:10

Pictures

Heather and Samantha (our cousin)

Johnmark and Tyler(our cousin)

Heather and Rebekah braiding Bethany's hair

Smile!

"Do everything in love."

1 Corinthians 16:14

Psalm 51:10-12

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

Psalm 51:10-12

Fun in Little Rock!

On Friday we got to go to Little Rock and meet up with Uncle Ken, Aunt Danielle, and Sophie at Barnes and Nobles. It was great to see them and we thoroughly enjoyed spending some time with them! Here are some pictures of our time together.

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we might spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Hebrews 10:23-24

V.B.S.

This past week we were blessed with the opportunity of going to V.B.S. in Monticello. The theme was Jungle Journey. We had a great time! I wish I had pictures to show. Annalisa taught a learning center about Abraham and Issac. Johnmark helped with the five year olds. I helped with the four year olds. Heather, Rebekah, Benjamin, James, and Bethany were in the classes. We all enjoyed learning, being with friends, going to classes, singing, crafts, and snacks. ;-)

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 1:6

Happy Birthday James!

J oyful

A dventerous

M onkey

E nthusiastic

S punky

Thought for the day

I was recently reminded how important it is to spend time with God- reading His Word and praying- first thing in the morning before starting another busy day of life. For "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). This is really incredible! With Him we can accompilish anything.Without Him we can do nothing. Without him we would not even be here. We have an awesome God!

Psalm 29:3-5

"The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; The Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon." Psalm 29:3-5

Yogurt Making

I recently started making homemade yogurt. Our family can easily consume 2 or 3 gallons a week. Yes, we love yogurt! It is fun and easy to make so I decided to share it with you.

Here's how we make it.

(Recipe for one gallon.) Add one gallon of milk to a large stockpot. You may use whole, 2%, 1%, or skimmed milk. Heat the milk slowly over a medium heat (not so hot that it burns on the bottom). Heat milk until the temperature is 180*F. It is not necessary to boil the milk.

When the milk reaches 180*F, turn the heat off and let the milk cool to 110*F. Putting the pot into a sink of cold water will quicken this step. Otherwise, this is a good opportunity to move on to other projects for a bit!

When milk has cooled to 110*F, add half of a six ounce cup of Yoplait yogurt. Any flavor can be used, because it doesn't change the flavor.

With a wire whisk, beat the milk & yogurt starter for a minute. It is important for the starter to get completely dissolved into the milk. The milk mixed with yogurt starter is now called inoculated milk.

Once thoroughly mixed, pour the inoculated milk into the desired jars. Fill to the neck of the jar. We use half gallon and quart jars.

Put lids on tightly and place jars into a cooler. It is helpful if the jars fitsnugly into the cooler - it all stays warmer and turns to yogurt faster. Warm water [110*f] can also be added to help stabilize the temperature.

Place the lid on cooler and set in a warm place for 3-4 hours. The yogurt is done when it has jelled. This can be easily checked by gently tipping the jar to see if it is milky or firm. If the milk has not become firm in 4 hours, the cooler may not be quite warm enough and it will just need a few more hours. When it is jelled, place in the fridge overnight to completely cool down and set.

Top with fruit or muesli and enjoy!