Babysitting

 

Tara got a new job in the fall teaching art for Grandville Public Schools.  It's great because she is closer to home and that is where the girls will go to school.  The only downside was she needed a babysitter on Thursdays for the 1st semester.  With my job being flexible I was able to do it for her.  It has been so fun seeing these two goofballs once a week!  We have a routine too....Jackie goes to school in the morning, so Grace and I drop her off at about 8:50 and then Grace says "Let's go to the mall" (Kelly's mall, meaning Rivertown).  We head to Panera and get a bagel and some apple juice.  She likes the cinnamon crunch with "lots of butta!" One week she told me she was the butter queen.  Then we usually go up to the Carousel for a ride, walk around for a bit and then go get Jackie and head home for lunch.  After lunch we try to get Grace to take a nap and then I get some time with Jackie, she likes to read, play games, or play on the i pad especially if she is stuck on a level of a game and needs some help, I am the video game Aunt.  We built a snowman yesterday afternoon, it was so nice to see the sun and have the temp above 30 degrees we all needed to get out for a bit.  Tara's schedule switches at the semester (next week) and she only teaches on Tues.  Good for her to be home but I think I'll still have to run in to Grandville every once and a while and take Grace to Panera and play the beans game with Jackie!  Thanks for letting me have this time with them Tara and Adam....we have had so much fun!

Christmas Letter

  

Christmas has always been a family affair. Two thousand years ago, two thousand miles from here, our Father which art in heaven sent His one and only son so that we might be adopted into the family of God.

The first time I heard the Christmas story it was from my parents, and what made me listen wasn’t so much what they said, but how they said it. They sat my sisters and I down in the living room, looked us in the eye, and told us that Jesus was God’s special Christmas gift to us. “Once upon a time,” they said, “a long, long time ago, in a far away place called Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph made their way through the dark of night. And now Mary was pregnant, great with child, and when the time came for the child to be born, she gave birth to a son and they called his name Jesus, because he would save his people. And that’s us,” they said, “we are God’s people, we’re part of His family.”

The told us all about the shepherds, and the angels, and the magi, and the star, and we could tell that they believed it deeply, and so we believed it too. My guess is that you could tell a similar story because faith is very often passed down from one generation to the next.

Families were always part of God’s plan. We’re supposed to learn from those who are older, and teach those who are younger, and even when we find ourselves neck-deep in the darkness we’re never alone because we can count on them, and we can count on God, no matter what.

Nothing’s better when it works out like it’s supposed to, and nothing’s worse when it doesn’t. Alcoholism, addiction, abandonment, and abuse are all too common in the world today, and at Belay we work with the kids who live in the fall out of all that.  A few weeks ago, my dad gave the talk at Tuesday’s club, and he used the parables of the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the lost boy to talk about families and the family of God. Afterwards, I noticed that Roberto was crying and when I talked with him one on one he told me that his father had walked out on the family.  I listened to his story and assured him that his Father in heaven loved him, and was always there for him, and then we prayed together.

There are many far too many Robertos each week at Belay. We listen, we love, we teach, and then we get a chance to share the love of Jesus with a lost and broken world. As we enter this Christmas Season I wanted to thank you for partnering with me in this ministry, and wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!

Kate 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!” Luke 2:11

August in a Nutshell

I know I said earlier that my goal was to update this blog 2 times a month....and then August hit and got away from me and here we are almost mid September and I haven't updated...so here goes! 

Tara and I took the girls to the Hudsonville Fair one night.  My original intentions was to take them to Ottawa County but that afternoon we had a little mishap with Adams boat getting a hole in the hull, and it turned into a longer afternoon than any of us anticipated.  Luckily for us there is always another fair around the corner in the summer.  We always went to Hudsonville when we were kids.  The Knoll Family would take us and it was always something that I looked forward to each year.  Grace loved the 4-H barns, especially the horse barns.  She didn't care it their heads or their rear ends were hanging out she was going to pet them all!  Jackie liked the rides, but she LOVED the games.  Even more when she as winning....she is named after Grandma Jackie after all. 

The good news is I got  new carpet...the bad news is the reason for new carpet is some bed bugs hitched ride home with me and though the would take up residence at my house.  I don't think so!  Gross!  Thanks to Orkin and my parents help, I think we have the problem under control.  Something I hope you NEVER have to experience but if you do call ORKIN...not cheap but guarantee to get rid them! I also was on jury duty for the month of August.  I ended up having to go in and actually got selected for a case.  It was a very interesting process.  It was a very difficult case for many reasons and I have thought a lot about it since.  It will be something that sticks with me for a long time.  I have a new found respect for the court system in this country, for how it works and for all of the people who help to make it work each day...but I am very glad that my part is done. 

I can't believe that school started this week.  I guess I am ready for it, and a more regular schedule.  It will be good to see the kids on a more regular basis.  I getting excited for our after school club to start and some new things that we are going to try this year.  Stay tuned..more to come on that later!  I am excited to welcome my cousin Ross home from Colorado next week and have him around a family functions!  Also, you know my favorite time of year is right around the corner...the most wonderful time of year....pumpkins and Halloween!