A week full...

What a great feeling to come home after a week on the road! But then our very next thought was "this will not be home for long".  That thought is both exciting and sad all mixed together.

We drove up to Wasilla a week ago Saturday, loaded down with camping gear, display table for Sunday speaking, enough clothes for the various things we were doing, and whatever else we couldn't live without.  Loading up for a week was difficult, how are we going to make it packing up to MOVE!?!  I know we will, but some days it just seems monumental!

For our few days in Wasilla we stayed with our friends, Joe and Jennifer Germain and their 7 kids.  It was fun to reunite with them amidst the church speaking appointments, shopping, and cooking for our large crew.

Sunday was our speaking day for Church on the Rock Wasilla and Talkeetna with three services in Wasilla and an evening service in Talkeetna.  We were given 5 minute spots for each service to be able to share what we will be doing in the Philippines, and we also set up our display table which gave people an opportunity to visit with us and sign up for our newsletter.  It was a great day of connecting with many people!  We were exhausted by the end of the day when we finally rolled into the Germains driveway at 11pm, but a rewarding day as well.

Monday and Tuesday were spent hanging out with our friends and doing some shopping for things to take with us to the Philippines.  Wednesday morning we headed to Anchorage for Adams orthodontist appointment...we have been given a two year window before he will need his next surgery.  His appointment was less than an hour, then we stopped at a few stores before getting on the highway once again...next stop, Hidden Lake.

So Wednesday through Saturday we camped at Hidden Lake enjoying the sunshine when it appeared and dodging raindrops in between the sunshine.  Warren and Ellirene Miller and kids joined us Thursday morning, Joe and Jenn and kids came Thursday afternoon, and my dad showed up on his motorcycle Thursday evening. Thursday was a beautiful sunny day and the kids enjoyed some time in the lake.  Riding bikes and hiking on the rocks is always fun too.  For our evening fun we played a game of kickball with kids and adults.  Dough boys over the fire has also become a Hidden Lake camping tradition. 

Friday was wet and soggy.  More tarps went up to make our camping experience more enjoyable!  Playing in the lake, rain or shine was what the kids wanted to do, since I guess the temperature doesn't change a whole lot whether the clouds are dropping raindrops or not.  The kids warmed up by the fire and some played card games to pass the time.  Friday evening the rain stopped long enough for a hike on Burney's Trail to enjoy the view of Hidden Lake and Skilak Lake as the sun was beginning to set.

Thankfully Saturday morning was void of rain as we packed up all our camping gear.  The raindrops just started falling as we rolled out of the campground.  Another summer of camping at Hidden Lake under our belts and maybe this camping trip was cherished even more as moving to the Philippines is right around the corner.  So thankful for wonderful memories of all that we hold dear here in Alaska...those memories will be loved and cherished when we are so far away on an unfamiliar island.  Now back to the packing and finishing up all those last minute items!

Veldstra and Germain kids overlooking Hidden Lake

"Ahhh, mosquitoes are bad!" Except Tyler who had mosquito dope on!

"Ok, hurry up, take that picture quick!!"

Birthdays!

Steve is 40!!  And my dad, Allen Engebretsen, is now 60!!  We celebrated these milestones in style with about eighty family members and friends.  It was a beautiful wonderfully warm sunny day as we celebrated on the North Fork Homestead.  We have had so many cold rainy days that it was an amazing miracle to have a nice day for our party. What a blessing!

Family and friends visiting around the picnic tables.

Steve visiting with Kevin Moyer

Theresa with her parents who were visiting from Arizona.

Eric driving  and giving the kids a ride in my dad's Willy's Jeep!

Our family celebrating Steve's and my dad's birthdays!

Moving Sale and Bake Sale

We had a very busy week of finishing up sorting and getting ready for the Moving Sale this weekend.  Kathy came on Wednesday to help get things set up and priced, and then Theresa came on Thursday to do more of the same.  I was so grateful for their help and it made the job a lot more fun!  Wednesday and Thursday afternoon we also did some baking for the bake sale.

Friday morning started bright and early so that I could make fresh hot cinnamon twists for the kids to sell (kind of like a cinnamon roll except twisted dough).  Our Moving Sale went from 9-3 on Friday and Saturday.  On Friday we were very busy with people coming right at 9.  We didn't have very many slow moments on Friday except maybe 10 minutes right around lunch time.  By 3 we were all exhausted and ready to just relax , but the kids had sold out of most of their baked goods so back to the kitchen we went!  We rearranged some of the items for sale and found more things to sell.

Saturday morning started early once again as we wanted more hot cinnamon twists to sell.  The morning started out a little slower, but eventually picked up despite the rain.  Thankfully we had chosen to have an indoor sale so we were able to have it rain or shine.  Although the kids had their bake sale stand outside so they had to put up a tarp when the rain started falling.  We ended up selling most of what we had for sale and the kids did great on their bake sale fundraiser...they made about $140!

The kids' enthusiasm for raising some money to get us to the Philippines was amazing.  Tyler had this idea over a year ago of making a food stand.  Last summer he built a store front and they planned a menu of items to sell.  We had to modify the menu slightly, but they had such a great plan and were wonderful salesmen and women!  All 6 of our kids worked hard and helped out anywhere that was needed...they are such great hard workers.  And we had so much fun doing it together!

Veldstra Family

Recently we celebrated Marcia's 60th Birthday with all of her kids and grandkids present and accounted for!  Many of us will soon be scattered around the globe so we needed to have everyone together one more time.

  Al and Marcia (Steve's parents)

Veldstra kids...Steve, Jason, Irene, Joshua, Jessica

Veldstra grandkids...

(top)Kendrick, Daniel, Atticus, Patrick, (middle)Ann Marie, Rebekah, Cedrick, Adams, Ethan, (bottom)Tyler, Alyssum, Angelena, Anneka, Talia, Kailee

Steve, Stacey, and kids

 Irene and kids...Anneka, Atticus, Angelena

Jason and kids...Patrick, Daniel, Rebekah, Talia

Mike, Jessica, and boys...Kendrick, Cedrick

Joshua and BreAnn

Thanks Joshua for the great family photos!

Village VBS

Ethan is off helping with Village VBS(Vacation Bible School) in two Alaskan villages for two weeks.  He also went last summer and thoroughly enjoyed his time out in the villages with the kids, helping the Buckwalters, and getting to fly in a small plane!  So since he enjoyed it so much, he gladly volunteered for this summer as well!

Last week they taught VBS in the village of Perryville.  Ethan was a few days late as he and Dan Buckwalter got caught here in Homer with bad weather.  Ethan had his bag packed by Saturday evening, but they didn't get to fly out until Thursday morning.  The wait was a little difficult for all of us, but Ethan did great at finding things to do around here until that phone rang!

This week Ethan is in the village of Pilot Point.  Helen said they have ten kids joining them each day...that ought to keep them hopping!  We look forward to hearing Ethan's stories when he returns...hopefully by the end of the week!  Please be praying they have good weather to fly home!

Hidden Lake in June

Every summer we embark on our annual camping trip to Hidden Lake!  It is a highlight of the year and the memories are talked about for the entire year.  Hidden Lake is a beautiful camp ground in the mountains up near Skilak Lake.  We usually make one trip to Hidden Lake in a summer, but this year we decided to go in June as well as July.

So a couple weeks ago we loaded up our aging camp trailer with sleeping bags, tents (for the kids), backpacks of clothes, a couple small inflatable boats, bikes, and plenty of food!  As you can imagine the poor trailer was bulging and threatening to collapse on the drive up the road.  We love our trailer even though it has seen better days!  It began it's life some 35 years ago...but the price was right and we sure enjoy using it for our camping adventures.

My dad and mom came along to camp with us, and Omega Weisser also got to join in the fun.  It was a memorable weekend of spending time with grandparents for the kids.  Isn't it amazing when time is short with those you love, you value that time even more?  (Hard to believe we are moving to the Philippines in two shorts months.)

We had lots of fun riding bikes, playing a game of kickball, taking walks, playing on the water in the boats, and plenty of eating around the campfire!  Evenings are long as the sun never seems to set, but gives us plenty of time to laugh and play!

Ann Marie's Celebration!

Ann Marie's adoption day also comes in June.  She and I celebrated by going out to Sourdough's for lunch on Saturday.  We had fun amidst the throng of tourists coming to Homer!  What a different town Homer becomes in the summer!

Ann Marie and Adams were adopted at the same time in Sierra Leone although they had different court dates for their adoptions.  Ann Marie is our last adoption, although she is our oldest child!  She was introduced to us in December of 2004 and both kids were able to come home in November of 2005. 

During our time in Sierra Leone we were able to spend quite a bit of time with Ann Marie's extended family in the small fishing village where she was born.  We enjoyed being able to take her back to her village of birth, discover the house where she was born, and be amazed by the beauty of the area!  We took several trips out to this area and look back on those time with such great memories.

Ann Marie was 13 years old when she joined our family.  This could have been a difficult age to transition to a new family, new country, new schooling, and just a new life in general; but Ann Marie adjusted so well and seemed to take all the new changes in stride.  We knew she missed her family and country, but she was determined to find her place with us.  God has done amazing things in this young lady's life, and for that we are all so grateful!  We are so blessed to call Ann Marie our daughter!