Summer Fun on the boat

We had a great couple of hours out on the boat yesterday. We took it to a boat launch on the Grand River and went down the River just into the channel. It was beautiful weather, calm water, and best of all we were able to get Todd's folks (who are 80 and 81) to come with us!

Summer fun

A visit to an Allegan County beach with the Folkerts

Josh's Annual Sleepover

Josh decided that he wanted to host an annual sleepover. We decided to keep it to two friends this year, so here are a couple of pictures from that night.

Abby's 5th Birthday

For the past few years we've been able to celebrate Abby's birthday at the cottage in Grand Haven. It's a great place to have a party!


Papa, Abby and Pops

Grandma and Nana

Uncle Mike Dunlap and Uncle Jim

Unle Mike Lemmen, Aunt Karen and Aunt Angie

Luke, Abby and Chrissa (her new American Girl doll)


Abby's barbie cake

We Must be Rednecks

Or... maybe we had a flood in our basement??

There is a long story to go with this flood story. I'll have to post that soon. By the time I was able to see our basement Todd, my brother-in-law Mike, my dad and our good friend Keith had the water out and most of the tremendous amount of toys out of the basement already.

Thanks to my great friend, Leanna, our water in our basement didn't seem like a huge issue. She had about 4 feet of creekwater in her basement last spring. Now, that was something to clean up! So, thanks, Leanna for once again helping me to put things into perspective! Sorry that it's your life experiences that do that!

The dog had a riot going in and out of the basement (he's never allowed down there) and rolling around in the mud. He just thought it was a grand time!

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Random pictures from the last couple of weeks

Josh's last day of school - he had a carnival. Just some pics of some really happy kids! ;) On to third grade now!



Baseball - Josh has been playing baseball again this spring/early summer. This year Todd was assistant coach.

This picture sums up the season - the boys have had a lot of fun. ;)



We had a Kuiper family reunion on Saturday at the cottage in Grand Haven. There were a lot of "Kuiper's" there!

Todd's cousins Jeanne and George set up a "treasure hunt" for the kids. That was a lot of fun!

All the treasure!

Uncle George Kuiper, Mom Kuiper, Aunt Donna Kuiper, Aunt Lil Kuiper, Uncle Ron Kuiper and Dad Kuiper

Uncle Ron Kuiper, Dad Kuiper and Uncle George Kuiper

Scouts

Josh "crossed over" the other night from a wolf scout to a bear scout. He is in cub scouts currently with hopes of going to boy scouts in 6th grade and eventually becoming an eagle scout. We'll see what time brings, but we certainly will encourage this!



And, today we were honored to watch him walk in the Hamilton parade with the Korean War Veterans. What a priveledge and honor for him to be able to hold a banner for them!

Abby's first dance recital

Abby went to ballet class this winter and absolutely loved it. Today was her performance of "Que Sera Sera".


Abby and her good friend Olivia - they were in threeschool and preschool together (besides ballet) and will be going to Sandyview together this fall for kdg.




We were blessed to have many family come and watch. It was such a mad rush to get out of the building and out of the way of all the people(her show was at 11am and they had another show at 1pm)that this was the only picture we have afterward. This is my sister Angie with Abby and I. My parents, my other sister Cheryl, her son Luke, Ang's kids and Todd's folks also came.

Praying for the Nation

Just a reminder to be in prayer over our nation. If you would like some guidance on what/how to pray, Dutch Sheets ministries has provided some ideas. Just click on the 7 day prayer strategy, there is one for each day May 1-May 7.

Peacemaking

This seems to be a big topic lately. Many people in our nation and others are looking for, and claim they are striving for peace. What does peacemaking look like for a Christian?? Christians look to Jesus as their "role-model". What was Jesus earthly mission??
This is a great sermon by John Piper.
Is it your fault when the stand that you take is causing the division? If you have alienated someone and brought down their anger upon your head because you have done or said what is right, have you ceased to be a peacemaker? These are good questions that he addresses (questions I have struggled with as well). I invite you to take 30 minutes out of your day to listen. I also challenge you to read Matthew 4-9.

God's Creation - Earth

Yes, it's Earth Day today. Our kids are constantly talking about and showing us things that need to be recycled and about how we can take care of the Earth. I listen to some of the cartoons they watch and I hear phrases like "Mother Earth" or "Mother Nature". I have to tell you that when I hear phrases like that I cringe a little. I appreciate how children are being educated to treat the world kindly and be responsible, but, since Josh is not in a Christian school-system we felt it was really necessary to put a Christian "spin" on all of this.

So, tonight for our "Family Night" we talked about Earth. We focused on how God made the Earth and he made people to rule over the earth. God provided animals and plants for us. It is not "Mother Earth" that takes care of us, it is GOD that takes care of us and we are to take care of His creation. Here are some verses to remind us of this:

(oh, and by the way, the Lord has convicted me to begin to recycle... ;)

Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Genesis 1:28
"...Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Genesis 2:15
The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 115:16
The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to man.

Prayer

National Day of Prayer is coming up. In light of our current day, a day in which our President states that we are not a Christian nation, I believe it is more important than ever to be in prayer over our Nation. Today I was reminded of why this day began. It was President Abraham Lincoln, during the Civil War, that drew our Nation together in prayer for help in deliverance over the issues of the day. As I read recently, "If during the Civil War, at that desperate time, they called on God and He saved a nation, we can do that now".

By the President of the United States of America.
A Proclamation.

Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.

And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

Throughout the Bible there are countless examples of Kingdoms that did not succeed because they were not under God. I was reminded today of one such city - the city of Nineveh. Remember the story of Jonah?? God told Jonah to "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me". When Jonah finally obeyed God, he warned the city that if they did not repent the city would be overturned. The King of Nineveh issued a proclamation "let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence." Jonah 3:10 tells us of how God saw that they turned from their evil ways and that he had compassion on the city and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened.

This reminded me so much of how God wants us to succeed. He wants our Nation to succeed. We can't just give up and give in. We need to be continually praying for our leaders and our fellow neighbors.

Please join me in prayer and fasting April 30-May 7 for our Nation. This could be the beginning of a revival! Some days I feel as if there is nothing I can do at all to help this economy and where we are headed as a Nation. But, this is not correct! I have seen the power of Prayer! Not just in the Bible, but in my own personal life and in lives around me. It is the most important thing that can be done.

Another great reminder - the Lord's Prayer! Just keep your prayer simple. Matthew 6 is a great chapter to read and remember.

If you have time, the video message at the top right of my blog is well worth it!

Florida

Just thought I'd post some pictures of our recent trip to Florida with my parents. We stayed in West Palm Beach for the week, but did make a side-trip to the Magic Kingdom and NASA for two days.

The kids did real great with airport waits. That's a good thing, since we had such a long wait (9 hours) in the airport in Palm Beach for our flight home! That's a whole nother story, though that many have already heard!


As usual, the kids loved the pool. Abby even got brave on the last day and tried swimming without her "swimmies" and actually did pretty good! Too bad we didn't have another week to work with her! Josh likes to open his eyes up under water. After learning the hard way, (real sore eyes after a trip to Indiana this fall) we learned he needs to wear goggles!



And some ocean pictures! This particular day was a bit rough, but we had a couple of days when it was quite calm.

I'm thinking this might be one of the ways that Todd burned his back so badly!



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We visited Disney's Magic Kingdom for 1 day
This is Abby's favorite princess - Ariel. She and I waited for close to an hour to see her! Todd had the priveledge of waiting for the other princesses with her.


Abby got a princess dress and was waving to the other girls saying "hi princess!". She said that would make them feel good.


The Kennedy Space Center was one of Josh's highlights. It was quite interesting as we were able to see the Discovery space shuttle on the launch pad. The launch was postponed, so Josh was disappointed as we were hoping to try to see it from our condo in Florida.







Some family photos on our last evening in Florida