We're Back....

....and its nice to be home. We got back yesterday evening, all of us super tired. It was a lot of fun. We got to meet new people, make more memories, and learn lessons. Dad, Rayni and I went down there along with Mr. Cooper, Jessica Cooper, Aaron Campbell, Jonathan Grindall, and Jacob and Justin White. It started out with an 8 1/2 hour car ride, then three days of tournament then the ride back.

Rayni and I competed in debate last year along with speech, and this year we aren't participating in the debate side. Lets just say we had a lot more free time, which was pretty weird but also pretty fun as we had more time to relax and talk. We had three rounds of speech on both Thursday and Friday, then Saturday was just semi-finals and final rounds. I think it was worth it going.

Anyways, that is just thought I would write a quick note. See you all later!!!

-Hosanna

 

Tournament!

Hello there!! Thought I would start off with a picture dad took a couple of days ago of Mom and Azariah that I absolutely loved!














So, this weekend there is a speech and debate tournament in Medford, Oregon. Dad, Rayni and I are going and we are taking a group of people from our club, down as well. We leave tomorrow afternoon so yesterday, today, and probably tomorrow as well we have been frantically getting ready. I'm working on my Illustrated (this is the picture of my boards from behind). It is definitely a work in progress.

I'll post again with either an update or results. For now though, so long!

-Hosanna

Hey Everyone

So it has really been a long time since my last post! I have been wanting to post for a long time but every time I get back to it I think about how much I have to say. Its this terrible disease I have for a need to have a full update. Haha, I am forcing myself to make this post and I must tell you it really isn't a full update at all, but I hope you enjoy it.

The family is doing great! Life is going on, all of us kids are back in school. Zeb is working on his tests, Jos is still going to community college Rayni and I are back at highschool trying to get caught up in areas the we got behind and Jed, Keziah and Malachi are all working with mom and getting a lot done. Malachi is working on reading and doing really well.

The Latest News (which comes in a list of blessings):

1.) Family The week before Christmas our whole family headed off to Colorado we eventually got there after a little bit of delay from the snow. To sum it all up, it was amazing, fun, and well worth it. We stayed at our Aunt Millie and Uncle Gail's house most of the time and went around visiting everyone. We had some kind of family get together almost every day and it was an awesome time to spend Christmas. At one point when we were about to have dinner we all gathered around to pray and as everyone bowed their head I glanced around and realized what an amazing blessing our extended family is. I've talked, known, and heard of people with broken families sometimes not even talking with each other because of something or other. But here I was standing in a circle of family all bowing our heads to praise God. There were 6 kids in my dads family. From that came twenty-eight grandkids (one of which I am one of them) and so far forty-three great grandkids. A big get-together, amazing fun, and a huge blessing. We got back the 3rd of January and it was nice to be home.

2. Friends My dad had his 50th birthday on Christmas eve of this year. Before we left we had a surprise Birthday Party for him (and yes, it did turn out to be a surprise...he didn't figure it out until after about three different families arrived haha). A lot of people ended up coming and it was pretty cool getting to see everyone. We have had a lot of amazing times and have been blessed by the families the Lord has put in our lives. I was talking with a good friend and talking about some of the fun times we had about 8 years earlier. I wish I could remember everything all of those fun times. We also had a surprise when we came back from Colorado, because someone had fixed our window that had been broken (for 2 years) and we're still not sure who it is.

3. Time As I'm getting older and the years are passing by faster and faster I am more and more realizing the blessing of time. The fact that we have time is a blessing in many ways. Most of them obvious, no time means well...no time. The fact that we have limited time makes us value, treasure, and hopefully use it all the more, along with making us look forward to the time we'll have in heaven. So exciting!!!

All this we have because, well...God gave it to us. How amazing He is. I've been reading some of the Old Testament prophet books. I don't know if you have ever heard someone say that the Old Testament God is a God of hate while the New Testament God is a God of love, but I was struck by how wrong that is. Yes, He disciplined His people, but my parents discipline me. Do I draw the conclusion that because they discipline me they hate me? No, all the more I see the love they have because they are taking the time to train me up in the way I should go...and every time I mess up and realize it, they let me back into their loving arms. God did the exact same thing with His people constantly letting them come back and always loving them. I was getting quite frustrated with the Israelites, why on earth do they keep making the same mistake, and why on earth does God keep letting them? Then I think about it, and have one of those "oh duh" moments and realized how much I do it and how God still puts up with me...not only that but LOVES me. Pretty crazy thought.


Well, its lunch time so I better go. I hope you're year is amazing!

-Hosanna