Hooray for spring!

Officially, according to the calendar, spring has arrived.  However, judging by the most interesting weather we have been experiencing, I'm not at all sure which season we are presently in.  Over the past couple of weeks here in Washington state, we have had gloriously warm weather, scattered showers, heavy mists, and even snow!  Yesterday morning there were snow flurries mixed with rain (everything here is mixed with rain!), and again in the afternoon there were quite a bit of flurries.  Of course, nothing stuck, but it was pretty to watch.  Our temperature has dropped considerably, leaving the house freezing at night but warming up a good bit during the daytime.  Who knows---maybe spring is actually here but winter is giving her last best shot?

Our annual school auction is being held today.  You know this means that for the last few weeks our staff has been running around madly, scrambling to get donations, workers, decorations, etc. to make our auction a success.  Our theme this year is a tailgate party (minus the alcohol!) and the servers (high schoolers) will be dressed as fans at a football game.  Miss Caryn Coffey and I are in charge of the nurseries again this year; we took over that job a few years back, and apparently we do a good job.........either that or no one else wants to do it!  :-D  This year, we only need be concerned with the children ages birth - three years old, although we are keeping an unofficial eye on the K4 - 1st graders room since they are in the same building with us.  Next year we might be in charge of the kids all the way up through sixth grade; this idea was presented to us yesterday by one of the main people in charge of the auction, after a particularly stressful day trying to work out last-minute snags that always arise in the undertaking of a big event like this.  Caryn and I were somewhat taken aback by the offer but agreed to give it some thought, especially since this would relieve the burden that some of the higher-up people carry.  We may change our minds after tonight!

Our family is finally getting over the worst of our illnesses.  I still have a lingering cough which causes me to consume scads of cough drops; Ashley got sick last night but she slept pretty well afterwards so I hope it was just a temporary bug.  Chad started his new schedule yesterday after months of being a relief driver; his hours are still crazy some days, but at least we know what he'll be doing on each day---and what services he'll be able to attend!  Chad has been fixing up a place in our garage for his father who will be moving in with us next week.  We don't have a spare bedroom, but we've created a space in the garage with room for his bed, dresser, microwave, and fridge, plus a space heater or two.  I hope he'll be comfortable there; Chad has gone to a good bit of effort to make the place seem homey and comfortable.  We wrapped up the third quarter of school this week; now it's on to the home stretch!  With Amanda graduating this year, there are all sorts of extra plans to be made and expenses to be handled, not to mention getting her ready for college.  She wants to attend Golden State Baptist College in Santa Clara, CA, and is already trying to get herself ready to go (although the actual departure date isn't until fall).  Life is certainly going to be different without her here! We've gotten used to five children, and she, being the oldest, has assumed a good deal of responsibility around the house.  Katie, next in line, will have to take up the slack, I guess!  (I say that like Katie does nothing in our house already, which is absolutely false.)  Ashley, our third daughter/fourth child, is going into the seventh grade next year, so she is eligible to attend Youth Conference in Santa Clara this summer.  She (along with Amanda and Katie) is busily trying to earn the money to pay her way.  She does odd jobs for some people and is also selling candy bars to help pay her way.  Emily is going to be the only child still left in the elementary classes.  She's getting so big now but is still that mixture of baby and young girl.  She's missing her two front teeth on top; this makes for an adorable smile but difficulty pronouncing some words!  Dale is plugging along, having trouble walking some days and others doing all right.  He's resigned himself to having to stop frequently whenever he wants to walk somewhere---something which his father and I (and sisters!) have been at pains to tell him is simply not true.  But he's still growing so his arms and legs seem extra long and his steps are not settled into their permanent gait yet.  If he were a normal 14-year-old boy, we'd call him uncoordinated and gangly.  Since it's Dale, his sisters have come up with all sorts of other names to call him!!!  He's got a small moustache growing on his upper lip; I know we need to shave it off, but, frankly, I'm not ready yet to acknowledge that my son has grown up so much that he needs to start shaving!  He's only fourteen!!!  And I am dead sure not handing him a razor to take care of the matter himself.  He'd lop off an ear!  We keep teasing Dale that we're going to wax it.

All things considered, God has been very good to us.  Especially when the things you consider include our salvation, our health, our jobs, our children, etc.!  Our God loves us, indeed, not because of who we are but because of Who He is.

I John 4:  7 - 8 "Beloved, let us love one another:  for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."