Going Native

Mmm, blackberry jelly time!

Lucy's quilt

The team that builds furniture together, stays together.

Tiger Lilly's new bed

Ta-da! (room for sewing supplies!)

Teague trying to make her team jealous.

Effeson and the kid magnet bar stools.

So we broke down and got two new bookcases from IKEA.  The original bookcase was looking sad and beginning to fall apart.  Bailey and Davis also got new bookcases out of the deal.  Basically, we walk into IKEA, they hand us furniture we didn't know we needed and we come home and put it together.  In more productive, less costly news, Merschon assisted me in making 3 batches of blackberry jelly and they are yummy.  I also got a baby quilt mailed to its recipient.  Last night our Korean baseball friend came over and made some great food for Scott and our house guests, the Meyer family.  They are visiting with us from Portugal where they are in language school before heading off to Angola early next year.  Please be in prayer for their team as they live, learn and move to Angola.

Rainbows outside my front door every morning

We have been without hot water since Thursday afternoon.  After reading Julia Wright's missionary journals from Fiji this past year, I thought we might escape the trials of spotty electricity, crazy tropical weather and water issues here in Dublin.  I was wrong.  Sponge baths only go so far in the comfort department.  Never fear, Robbie the Plumber came to our rescue this evening and we are better for it.  I'll leave you with a few of the pictures Davis took this past month.

81!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear that 81 is the new 18.  Happy Birthday Grandma Betty!  We love you!

Tom and Huck would be so proud.

Or breaking child labor laws.  The wall between us and our fantastic neighbors was looking a little sad.  Amanda suggested at the beginning of summer that we should get the kids to paint it.  So, the day before school started back up we did just that. There's nothing like the last minute.  Our sidewalk, fence, bushes and clothes are a little worse for wear but the wall looks great!  On a more important note, the Hutsons arrived last Wednesday!  We are super excited for them to be here and get settled.  (And it is not just because they went blackberry picking with us in Deer Park last night.)  Now just one more to go and then our team will be all together in one city for the first time.  Please pray that God will reveal Jo's sending church soon.