It seems that our family blog has been placed on the back burner. I frequently think about updating but can’t seem to find the time. Our summer has been exciting. It’s been full of activities, family, and friends. Our family reunion was in Ann Arbor two weeks ago. It was great having all the kids together and reuniting with family we haven’t seen in awhile. After the reunion, we came back to Grand Rapids and had a house full of fun. My Aunt and her girls stayed the night along with Elizabeth, Mark, Tommy, Olivia, and Uncle Riley. It certainly was wonderful to have everyone together. Uncle Riley woke up extra early to take a bike ride with Lola. He had been talking about the 60-mile bike ride he took the day before. Wow, what a LONG ride! Uncle Riley said Lola was a perfect Dog and followed right along with him. This is a miracle. Lola isn’t usually good about staying close. We visited the zoo and Fredrick Meijer Gardens. We made some fantastic memories and I snapped a few too many pictures. Just days after the family left we joined several members of our church on a camping weekend. We decided to tent camp with two adults and two children with two pack and plays in our tent. Some say we are brave, others think we are nuts. All in all, we had a great time. We cooked dinner over the campfire and gathered round to enjoy good friends and conversation. Last Sunday we held a housewarming for Josh and Shelly Buck. Their entire family is a constant encouragement for my life. Their faith is something I cannot begin to explain. At the completion of the party Josh prayed. He compassionately thanked God for everything He has provided for their family. If you’ve read our blog before, you understand that this family has been dealt more than most of us will ever experience in a lifetime. Josh and Shelly continue to thank God even in the trying times. It is during times like these that most would turn their back and lose all faith. Josh and Shelly have shown me that this is not an option. Please continue to pray for their family. They are moving to a new home in just over a week. New challenges come with change and it’s my prayer that they overcome the obstacles and become stronger because of them. 

 

Brandon has had the last week and a half off. For those of you who haven’t heard, he left his job with Marriott for an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. Jeff and Christine Chamberlain are friends of ours from church. A few months back Jeff approached Brandon and asked him if he’d be interested in a sales job.  After weeks of talks and praying, we decided to accept the position. Brandon is now working for Honey, don’t cough llc. Check out the website for all the details. www.honeydontcough.com  It’s a product we believe in and Brandon is excited to start the new position this week. We’re looking forward to a 9-5 job. To be honest, I cannot even fathom what it will be like. I’m so used to Brandon coming home at 2:30am.  It wasn’t unusual for him to work 72-hour weeks. Marriott was a fabulous opportunity. I will forever have great thoughts of the company. Besides the long hours, the perks were incredible. Brandon created some life long friendships. Upon leaving the hotel, the staff wrote Brandon a poem. They also signed a gigantic wine glass for him with best wishes for his future. I’m proud of Brandon for all of his hard work and I’m certain he will be successful with this new position. Wow, this amounts to an entire page of single-spaced, size 8 font, writing. It wasn’t a novel, just a few weeks of catch up blog