Here are the links to our family journal. A small clip from each post is included.
July 2012
Happy Birthday Johnny Lingo Are you in love with your
husband? Still crazy about your hubby? My answer is absolutely! Yes! Yes! Yes! John, if I had to do it
again, I’d choose you. Every year you
get better and better. July 26, 2012
Playing Tag in the Rain As evening approached, the
clouds darkened, gusts of wind started, and a few raindrops began to fall. We
were all excited and running in the rain when someone yelled, “Let’s play tag
in the rain.” Everyone quickly embraced the idea and joined in chasing,
running, slipping, sliding, rolling, and tagging in the rain. July 16, 2012
If I Didn’t Have a Woman, I Wouldn’t Have Curtains After a full day,
we sat on our couch together just talking, joking, playing, laughing, and
enjoying some time together. She laid her head on my
shoulder and whispered something like, “I just love washing, cleaning, and
using my wonderful clothesline . . . .
“John, do you think you would have ever thought to wash the curtains?”
We both broke out in laughter and chuckled for some time, knowing full well it
would likely take at least a lifetime for me to notice the curtains and
conclude washing was needed. I answered, “If I didn’t have a woman, I wouldn’t
have curtains.” July 10, 2012
The Simple Joy of a Clothesline The simple things in life
can bring us great joy. Who would have
thought a clothesline could bring so much delight? You’d think after 20 years
of doing laundry for a large family, the job would become mundane and
drudgery. The excitement is back! It
must be the magic of a clothesline. P.S. My sister shared two laundry
tricks: July 9, 2012
Happy Birthday Emily - Red Marbles Wow, it’s hard to believe
our little Emily has grown up so fast. You’ve matured into such a beautiful
young lady. It seems like almost yesterday God blessed us and graced our home
with you. Emily Joy, you were well named. You’ve truly been a joy to us over
these last seventeen years. We are extremely pleased
with your undertakings and accomplishments. July 5, 2012
Happy Birthday Crystalynne On
Thursday, June 20, 2002 we had our home study.
It was the final step in completing the paperwork necessary to adopt a
child. Timing is important in these
matters, and it was the right time to have our home study. On Friday morning I couldn’t think of
anything except the adoption. I called
Jane, the adoption coordinator, and asked her what to do next. She told me to wait for her to call. She would
let us know when she had a baby for us. July 2, 2012
June 2012
Forgiveness and Friendship I’ve saved very few things
from my childhood. I have one letter that’s about 35 years old. When I was little, I had a
very best friend who lived next door. This fight was
different. I was no longer on
speaking terms with my best friend and was lonely. She felt the same
way, and decided to do something about it. She sent me a large manila
envelop in the
mail. Here is a scanned copy of the letter: June 21, 2012
Ward Campout Reaching the campground
before many of the others arrived gave us the whole area nearly to ourselves.
For several hours, we enjoyed the church owned Cinnamon Creek. It is nestled in
a beautiful setting of trees, rivers, mountains, and streams and has all of the
accessories. June 19, 2012
Happy Birthday April – The Hundredth Monkey Wow, 12 years old already.
You’re growing up so fast and becoming a beautiful young lady. We are proud of
you and appreciate your desire to read, learn, understand, and live the truths
of God. We feel very blessed to be your parents and enjoy this treasured time
together. You have a spunky little
personality, full of fun and excitement. June 16, 2012
Happy Birthday Jaylee – Our Attitudes Nineteen years ago we were
very excited to receive our new baby girl – That was you, and what a joy you
brought to our home! Our lives changed upon your arrival. We knew very little
about parenting, and, as a result, we learned by practicing on you. Thanks for
being so patient with us throughout the years. We are actually quite amazed
by how perfect you have turned out. You are really an amazing intelligent young
lady, and we are so very grateful to have you. June 14, 2012
Happy Birthday Jared – An Old Farmer’s Advice Jared, you are a son to be
proud of. You are growing into a
wonderful young man, and it’s a pleasure to be your parents. Thank you for your
happy and cheerful disposition, jolly smile, enduring patience (most of the
time), and an amazing sense of humor. We can’t help but laugh at and enjoy your
jokes. You have a special way to ease stress and make situations brighter. Your
optimistic and confident attitude mixed with good fun makes life better for
everyone. Thanks for the being YOU. June 12, 2012
A Morning Walk This morning I had time to
enjoy God’s creations, pray, ponder, breathe in the fresh air, hear the sounds
of nature, and appreciate all that God has done for me. Here in the telestial world, God has created
great beauty. I don’t comprehend the beauty that awaits me in the terrestial
and celestial worlds. A
morning walk is a great way to start the day.
I came home feeling grounded, peaceful, refreshed, inspired, calm, and
ready to follow the things God revealed to my heart. June 5, 2012
Spring Flowers and Birds We love the warmth of
springtime and new life emerging everywhere. Spring is such a beautiful time of
year. June 4, 2012
May 2012
Swimming in the Canal After a hot day of hard
work, the children often find energy and new life by swimming in the irrigation
canal. The water is cool and refreshing, and everyone looks forward to an
afternoon swim. May 31, 2012
Garden, Cleanup, Work, Family, and Fun Each family member gets a daily assignment
during the week and on Saturdays we usually have more to do. This week, we have
been weeding the garden, mowing grass, planting blackberries, and building wire
fences to support grape vines and blackberry canes. Others are assigned to
house duties such as making lunch, caring for and watching baby Emma, doing
dishes, and keeping the house in order. May 21, 2012
I think us younger children
were lucky to have a mature mother. The
older children broke her in by breaking all her rules. By the time we came along, there were no
rules to break. Mom would say, “When I
started my family, I had seven rules and no children. Now, I have seven children and no rules.” I was raised on
love. May 13, 2012
The name of my mother is
Mom, but I guess she does have another name, Jeannie. I assure you, there is no
other mother quite like her and I doubt there ever will be. She is unique and
specially designed and made for me. May 13, 2012
Boys Building Clubhouses The boys have been busy,
each constructing a clubhouse of their own. Their homes measure approximately
4’ by 4’ and vary in height. Old pallets were used as the base and floor. Walls
were then built with a roof over head. May 8, 2012
April 2012
Lazy Hikers We had a great
outing, but the older children still had energy and wanted something
more. A bigger, better, longer, more challenging mountain hike would be
exciting and welcomed. So on Wednesday after school we did it. Marianne wanted to go hiking, but had learned that she did not like big hikes. Mom said that Emma and she could go on a little hike while the big kids went up the mountain with Dad. April 5, 2012
Chopping Down a Dead Tree There’s a tree on our property that’s been dying over the past few years and becoming increasingly less attractive. We announced our tree removal plan to the children. They seem to always welcome exciting projects, especially one like this. April 3, 2012
March 2012
Friends, Food, Vibrations, and Tie-Dye Shirts We had some wonderful friends come to our home last week. We all enjoyed a couple days full of fun, learning, and love. To top it off, they brought delicious food and planned special activities for the family. March 30, 2012
