Cousins

Our kids are blessed with many cousins.  Thursday two of those cousins came up for some "pool" time.  They have been staying with Grandma Brenda for the last couple of weeks while their mom and dad took a bit of time away.  We have been able to spend a bit more time with them than usual.  They are a fun pair.

The kids had a great time.  Thank you Matt and Josie for spending time with us.  Thank you, Brenda, for bringing them.

Chick-fil-A

I am sure most of you have heard about this, but I thought I would pass this along.  It saddens me that we live in a time that we cannot agree to disagree.




Dear Friend,

You've probably seen the name of a popular fast-food restaurant, Chick-fil-A, in the news quite a bit recently—but unfortunately, it's not because of the quality of their food or service (which are both excellent).

It's because Chick-fil-A's COO, Dan Cathy, was asked in a recent radio interview how he feels about same-sex marriage, and he gave an honest answer, based on his Christian faith and what the Bible says about homosexuality.

	Watch this week's CitizenLink Report, in which my colleague Stuart Shepard and I discuss this issue.

Now, the Left is calling for a nationwide boycott of the chain. A-list actors have vowed never to eat there again, and Boston's mayor has said he'll do all he can to keep Chick-fil-A franchises from opening in his city. And the Jim Henson Company, which was working on a promotional campaign with Chick-fil-A, ended the partnership last week, with CEO Lisa Henson ordering Chick-fil-A's payment to be donated to a gay-activist organization instead.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee posted an invitation for people to show support for Chick-fil-A on Aug. 1—one which was shared by nearly a million people in the course of 24 hours this week. Tuesday, Facebook^® took the invitation down without explanation. Fortunately, it was restored later that night, with Facebook^® telling CitizenLink it had made "an error."

Chick-fil-A has always operated with biblical values. Franchises from coast to coast are closed on Sunday in order to observe the Sabbath and allow employees to attend church, if they wish. The company's charitable foundation has given $2 million to pro-family organizations, including Focus on the Family. That's made a lot of headlines, too, especially in the blogosphere.

The point is, we no longer seem to live in a country where people can agree to disagree over same-sex marriage and let the dominant viewpoint prevail at the polls. Instead, those who seek to radically redefine the family too often take a scorched-earth policy to everyone who holds biblical values, and seek to silence them in any way possible.

Please join me in praying that God will restore a level of civil discourse to our nation—and thanking Him for courageous people who will stand up for their beliefs, no matter what the cost. I hope that each of us is able to display the kind of integrity the Cathy family has through this debate.

For faith and family,
 
Tom Minnery
Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy

Another Day at the Beach

We spent another day at the beach.  Jacque, Harper, Jill, Jocelyn, and Payton joined us.  Harper and Payton loved the sand and the water.  Both moms kept trying to keep the sand out of the little ones mouths.  Harper and Payton would sneak handfuls whenever they could.

Jacque, Harper, Jill, Jocelyn, and Payton joined us.

Having the little ones definitely changes the experience.  We haven't had this little in couple of years.

Jocelyn taking a ride with Bailee.

Jill and Payton

Jacque and Harper

Harper was almost asleep laying there with her hat over her face.

We had a lot of fun.  Thank you Jacque and Jill for bringing your kids and sharing the time with us.

Thunderstorm

Yesterday we had an incredible thunderstorm come through.  It started with thunder and lightning and then it moved on to rain.  It dumped a ton of rain.  The kids thought it was great, especially after Thursday was so hot.

I had some clothes on the line and did not get it off in time.

Bailee has always been a lover of rain.  Anytime it pours she likes to play in it.

Another Day at the Beach

This time Brittney, Justin, and Anjahli joined us.  Anjahli is fearless when it comes to water.  She just jumped in and would have gone under if her dad had not been watching.  It didn't stop her.  She had to be watched at all times.

You probably cannot see the fear on Sam's face, but every time Bailee got near her she would scream and try to get away.  Bailee was trying to take her out in deeper water.

I bought us some floaties before we went this time.  It definitely helped entertain the kids for longer.

Like my hat?

Justin decided it was time for Bailee to get a taste of her own medicine.  Samantha kept saying that Bailee was trying to drown her.  So Justin decided to "drown" Bailee.

Right before the Dertings left, the kids decided it was time to get dirty.  They dug this big hole to play in.  

My kids love the beach.  We always have a great time.

Getting Firewood

Saturday we spent the day in the woods.  We went to the Umatilla National Forest to get us some firewood.  The above picture is of Jeremy checking for a good spot.

We finally found our spot and the kids began the play time.  They really enjoyed their time in "the woods."

There had been a fire at some time, so their were patches of blackened earth and trees.

There were tons of wild strawberry plants.  No strawberries yet though.  They were just beginning to flower.

We had brought books and toys for the kids to keep themselves busy.

Jeremy doing his thing.  He cut and I hauled.

These are a few of the flowers that we saw.

Sammy was a great big sister and read to Luken and Makayla on the way home.  Luken lasted about 10 minutes and then he was out.

Mom and Dad Leister, you would have loved the drive.  We went out Peola Rd in Clarkston to get there, so it was the back way.  It was beautiful.

Anjahli and Luken

Brittney and Anjahli came up the other day.  Anjahli was being so cute.  Her mom said she was actually tired and being naughty, but I thought it was mostly cute.

The kids were outside running through the sprinkler, so I took a few pictures.  Above is the Luken look and below the very cute Anjahli.

Our First Trip to the Beach

Ever since it has gotten hot, the kids have been wanting to go to the beach.  On Monday, we got our chance.  It was the day before Bailee left for Canada for it was a good time to go.

It was overcast while we were there, but still very warm.

We had a great time and are looking forward to more trips to the beach.

Not sure what my son is doing in this picture.  It just looked funny.

Bowling with the Goodmans

We have some great friends we like to spend time with.  One of the wonderful things about them is their children are the same age as ours.  They invited us to join them for some bowling last week.

Bailee enjoyed helping Luken.  It gave her double the bowling time.

They were so good and cheering each other on.

Anna and Luken are just a few weeks apart.

The Movius and Goodman crew minus Bailee.