Family Time: Uncle Dave & Aunt Marsi

One of the great blessings of being in America for this extended season has been the opportunity for Janelle & I and the girls to get time with friends & family. Late November brought a very welcome visit from my Uncle Dave & Aunt Marsi. Dinner at Joe's Real BBQ, playing games, and lots of laughter made for a very fun & memorable visit!

Science Lessons

My parents bought a group birthday present for me and the girls over the summer - a trampoline! We were excited to give them another outlet for some exercise at home in our small backyard. Though it takes up a good part of the yard, and is not the most attractive thing to look at, it really has been a lot of fun AND great exercise. It has also been the source of good object lessons in science. Grace (above) learned first-hand the effects of static electricity generated from bouncing on the trampoline!

Kicking Goals for God's Fame

Elise & Chloe, who have been involved in ballet for the past few years, decided they wanted to give a go at soccer, so this fall they traded in their ballet shoes for cleats. We miss seeing them dance, but we were excited to have them get to experience something new, especially something team-focused that would teach them things like sportsmanship and working together with a team toward a common goal (pun intended!). Janelle was team mom for both teams, and I served as assistant coach for Chloe's team, so it made for a busy fall, but it was well worth the investment. Though it was a steep learning curve for the girls (neither had any experience), they had a blast, learned a great deal, and both of them actually developed into solid players (proud dad speaking here!). One of our favorite experiences was seeing God show His love to the girls in an interesting way. Half way through the season, neither had scored a goal and desperately wanted to. One Friday night, I was moved to pray very specifically that God would allow them to score the next day. As I drove Elise to her game early the next morning, I felt compelled to tell her that I had prayed for her to score a goal, but then hesitated. "What if she doesn't score? What will that do to Elise's view of prayer -- and God? Should I really put my faith and God's reputation on the line over a silly goal?" I wrestled with these questions for a moment, but believing that God had really led me to pray for them to score, I went ahead and told Elise. Wouldn't you know that both she and Chloe scored their very first goals that morning?! May God's fame grow.

Seen on the Road: Ringgold, VA

I was privileged to take part in a strategic gathering in December on the use of mobile devices. The venue was a small farm in southwestern Virginia boasting the only broadband connection in the county. What we lacked in technology was made up for by the beautiful surroundings. It was great to have a few days to enjoy some southern hospitality and the beauty of the Virginia countryside.

Further Outnumbered

We had written earlier about our decision to finally get a dog. Boscoe joined us earlier this year and immediately made his puppy presence felt. In fact, we still have a variety of reminders around the house from his brief time with us: holes in the sofa cover, chewed up cabinets and baseboards, chewed blinds in the living room, dress shoes with teeth-mark chic, etc. Minor damage to the house aside, Boscoe was a bit too playful for our younger girls, so we finally decided that it just wouldn't work out. Happily, he has found a new home now, though I do miss having another guy in the house ;-) We did all enjoy having a dog enough that we decided to check into other options, and in late September Roxy came to join our family. She's a cute 6-year-old Jack Russell terrier that we rescued from a shelter. Though we wish sometimes that she had some of Boscoe's energy, she's been great for our family -- easy to care for, great with the kids, loves visitors, is 100% house trained, and does not feast on shoes or furniture. The only downside is that I (Brad) am now outnumbered 6-1 by the females in the house!