Happy Birthday, Mallory!

Praising the Lord for the 23 years that Mallory has been in our family! Life wouldn't be the same without her!

Teach me to do Your will, 

For You are my God; 

Your Spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalm 143:10

Labor Day Weekend

Something quite momentous happened over the recent holiday, but this story began eight years ago...

Dad and Mom went to a conference in Indianapolis, Indiana and there met a family of twelve. This family very much replicated ours, having seven sons and three daughters -and the two youngest being a boy and girl with blonde hair to boot! 

There were so many similarities between their family and ours. Mom and Dad came home telling us kids all about them and about how our two families had to meet sometime. Oh, and did I mention that this family lived in Canada? Yes, minor detail. 

Over the course of these eight years, our parents have seen and visited with the Neufeld family several times and, true to their original sentiments, they had so many good things to share from being with this family! Each year since, we have been invited to their annual New Years ice skating gathering, though we have never yet been able to make it up. Over the Summer, Dad has been in frequent over-the-phone business conversations with one of the married sons, and that son stressed how he wanted to have our two families meet this year! We all agreed with Stephen's idea and have been looking for opportunities in which we might be able to have such a momentous occasion finally take place. 

For years all of the kids on both sides have joked that none of the twenty kids actually existed. We would have to see it in person to believe it. :)

Without any assistance from either family, the Lord orchestrated it so that our families could (finally) meet! On Monday, all seventeen of us (four of their married sons couldn't make it) met at the wedding of a mutual friend! It was beyond fun and exciting to finally meet these people who we have heard so much about! It was easy for everyone to jump right in to conversation and get to know each other, praise the Lord! 

Alas, time flew by too quickly and it was time to part ways.  We did, however, manage to get a group picture together! :)

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is

                                                                    For brethren to dwell together in unity!

                                                                                               Psalm 133:1