A Month In Review - April 2015

Shalom Friends and Family,

 

I hope this finds you all well and I hope you all had a wonderful month!  As most of you know, Pesach (Passover) started the first weekend of April and we had a full house.  Friends from different states came in to spend the weekend with us and we had a beautiful and wonderful time fellowshipping together and remembering how our Heavenly Father brought the children of Israel out of slavery and bondage, out of Egypt.  But most of all, we remembered what our Savior Yeshua did for us, He was our Passover Lamb and through His life, death and resurrection, we may have life anew!

 

Here are some pictures from Pesach.  Oh, by the way, our friend Jay got a bunch of pictures from Pesach and you can see those by clicking HERE if you would like.

 

Going for a walk before the Seder started that evening.

 

 

 

 

Sweet friends - sisters!

 

 

 

What a "big" little man!

 

Mother and daughter.

 

Friends.

 

A bunch of little girls on a play set equals: FUN!

 

Hanging out together.

 

It was a warm day so cold fruit sodas were a hit for all of the children who had been playing!

 

We always snack in the afternoon/evening time before the Seder.

 

 

 

 

 

Ride 'em cowboy!

 

Chopping apples for Charoset.

 

Charoset, Bitter Herbs, Salt Water, Matza, Wine, etc.

 

At the beginning of the Seder, Abigail, Samuel, Lydia and I played and sang a song that we had been practicing for Pesach.  The song was "Love Song" by Third Day.  Here is the video of us singing it.  Oh, by the way, please excuse the banging at the beginning, I do not know what fell:)  

 

We had done the beginning of the Haggada and had stopped to have dinner before finishing it.  In this break, we hung out and talked together.

 

A father and his very sleepy daughter!

 

I love this picture ... these two were knocked out ... so exhausted after a big day!  They slept so peacefully through the end of the Seder, clean up, conversation and music:)

 

Hanging out after the Seder.

 

 

 

Here is a video clip of Justin & Andrea leading us all in "Relent" as we sat around after the Seder.

 

A full moon.

 

We had a campfire, but so much was going on that hardly anyone sat around it.

 

Dear friends.

 

Abba!

 

Sophie gets special treatments:)

 

This last month Abigail bought the supplies to make homemade soap for the first time and the rest of us stood around watching and learning.

 

 

 

Pouring it into the mold.  By the way, she made lemon scented soap, if you did not already guess.

 

As we finished making soap, Abba, Ima, Tommy and Samuel left and went golfing.

 

Hannah and one of her chubby little Labs!

 

Samuel and Lydia had to make a volcano for a school project.

 

Add some vinegar and baking soda and ...

 

... you have an eruption!

 

One Shabbat day our family decided to drive down to some caves near us and then hike down to them.  We were not wanting to go caving that day, we only wanted to see the beautiful creek flowing from the cave.  The children wanted to take their Labs with them to play in the water, so it was quite the adventure ... but so much fun!

 

Hiking down the hill.

 

 

 

The opening of the cave.

 

The opening to the cave is huge.

 

Abigail, Samuel, and Lydia.

 

Abigail and Ya'lili.

 

Our beautiful Ima with the bouquet of wild purple flowers that Samuel picked for her.

 

Tommy.

 

Lydia with a wet surprise on her lap! 

 

The dogs loved the water ... and so did we!  We had a beautiful time, even if it was hard to hear each other over the noise of the water.

 

Abba and Nutella.

 

Ruthie and Zoey.

 

See these three people?

 

See them now? :)

 

Lovely Lydia.

 

Abba and Ima!

 

Hannah with Ruger & Remi.  In case you are wondering, Ruger's hair loss is due to her just having a litter of pups, this often happens.

 

The night before this hike, we were watching videos from Ima, Hannah and Tommy's trip to Israel in 2013.  There was a talent show one night when they were there and they had a contest of who could hold their head in a bowl of water the longest.  Well, when we were down at the creek, this inspired the children to try the same contest:)

 

 

 

Tommy and his dogs Jasmine and Nutella.

 

Riding home.

 

On the following Sunday, we had to deliver a puppy to some people and they met us at a State Park.

 

We were also planning on having a picnic at the State Park with some friends, but we were not sure if we would be able to due to the overcast sky that looked like it was going to dump rain on us at an minute.  The clouds finally scattered and the sun broke through and we had a beautiful day with our friends (until 5pm when it started pouring down rain!).  We were by the water and everything was so green and warm, it was simply lovely (even though the picture below does not show it!).  

 

A few from the Welcome Center at the State Park.

 

There was this tall tower in the center of the Welcome Center and we climbed it and looked around.

 

The only thing was ... the tower shook so it was a little scary!!! 

 

The river near where we hung out for the afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

Hanging out together.  We met the mother of this family when she was a young teenager and I was a baby.  Now, she is married and has 5 beautiful children of her own with one on the way!

 

Last month we had a sweet older couple come visit us on their 50th wedding anniversary.  They also brought along their congregation's leader and we were so blessed by our time with them.  While they were here, Mrs. Charlene shared a few songs with us that they had written.  Here is one that her husband wrote called, "Draw Me Closer To You."

 

One afternoon I was back in my bedroom when I heard something about "Ma".  I was not sure what was going on but I heard a vehicle pulling into our driveway so I quickly went to see what was going on.  Sure enough, our dear Ma surprised us all (except for my father who she had called that morning to make sure we were here) by coming for a short visit.  Sadly I do not have really have any pictures of her time her ... expect for a few silly ones!  One night we were all hanging out enjoying our time together when Abba started putting things on his mother's head! 

 

It is amazing what sons can get away with:)

 

And it is amazing what mother's put up with:)

 

But, the fruit on her head was nothing compared to what he did next!  Have you ever heard of the "Do As I Do" water prank???  Here is the video of Abba doing it to his mother!



 

 

Well, I think that is all for now.  I am not sure if I will be posting next month or not ... with Abba, Hannah and Tommy leaving for Israel, I think that we will be pretty busy here holding down the fort, but we will see.  Please keep us all in your prayers.  Thank you and Shalom!