Still Here!!!

Esmirna, Chris, Esmirna's mom & Rachel

Arni crew lined up against the new foundation

The pyramid of miracles - Arni sibs 2011

Our six priceless blessings at Myrtle Beach

Old foundation gone; ready for new foundation

Dear blog readers (if there are any of you still left after 4 months!),

Please forgive us for lack of posts!!! Life has been very busy over these last few months as you can imagine and blogging just didn't get priority status. For today, we'll try several bullet points and a few pictures to bring you up to date. Is that a deal???

* April 26th - Our first dumpster was delivered to the site of the old house and we began clearing debris. Took us 2 weeks and 2 huge dumpsters to go through everything shovel full by shovel full. Found some very precious treasures including a tiny Precious Moment Christmas ornament, 2 cannonballs that once sat on the frieplace mantel and a steel rod bent in the sign of the fish and given to the little boys at the Ohio State Fair 2 years ago. Never found the smallest sign of the fireproof box or anything that had been in it.

* May 6th - Completed clearing debris and sifting through ashes. Picked Sarah up from Cedarville and happily brought her home for the summer.

* May 8th - Celebrated the most special Mother's Day ever!!! So very grateful to the Lord for preserving ALL six of our precious blessings. :-)

* May 9th - Rickett's Excavating arrived with their huge equipment and began tearing out the old foundation. Took them 2 days to take it all down to the dirt.

* May 21st - 28th - Amazing family vacation in Myrtle Beach. Again, FAMILY vacation has never meant so much to us!

* June 15th - Spent a day in Amish country and returned to the place Mark & I had been when we first got the call about the fire. Very surreal, but Jesus helped me walk through the day in victory.

* June 19th - 25th - Sarah, Faith, Nathan, Rachel and Chris traveled to Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic as part of a Work & Witness team. Quite a wonderful week of ministry and joining Jesus where He was already at work.

* June 20th - Logs for the new house delivered to the site. New foundation completed including underground plumbing.

* July 7th - Our newest little person, Toddler Boy "B" came home. Very cute and interested in everything around him. He is the 41st little person we've had the privilege of caring for via the ministry of Christian foster care/adoption. He will be with us until he is able to be reunited with a member of his birth family.

* July 2nd - 9th - Sarah flew to Atlanta to spend a week with her dear friend, AnnaBeth.

* July 14th - 24th - Sarah served a a counsleor at Sebring Camp and had an amazing 10 days of drawing closer to the Lord and making new memories.

* July 25th - 29th - Mark completed his 4th doctoral class at Asbury Seminary.

* July 30th - Mark & I celebrated 23 years of walking together in marriage. This year will certainly go down in the history of our family as a HUGE milestone!

* August 7th - Mark preached the Homecoming 2011 service at Mt. Carmel Community Church.

* August 10th - Nathan marked almost 4 months of working nearly full-time construction for Pine Valley Construction. What a wonderful opportunity he has had to learn so many practical skills!!!

* August 10th - 13th - Faith and Nathan served as part of Implosion (a work team based right here in our hometown). They had a grand time and built some great relationships!

* August 13th - Moved Sarah back to Sarah and spent 12 HOURS putting her room together and decorating the hall where she will serve as RA (resident assistant) to 11 girls this year.

There...you're now all up to date! This week we should be closing on the loan for the new house and construction will resume. Yayhoo!!!

Know that we love each of you and would enjoy hear your updates!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures. :-)