Whoa! Brian just reminded us that five years ago today, we left Cedarville to come to Nenana.
He says it was a Wednesday then as well.
How many things have changed since then… But our great God is still the same loving heavenly Father watching over us and guiding us.
We are so thankful to be in this adventure because of folks who pray and give and love us.
Please pray for VFCM and the upcoming board meetings (November 2 and 3) whenever you hear about our great governor, Sarah Palin. Yep, you probably should pray for the national election, too!
Thanks.

Of course, you know that small children do say things that older folk find amusing. This comment was made while a young person was being wheeled around and around in the Fairbanks Wal-mart: “I wish we needed all the things that we want.” I guess that it is well known by this person that God does, indeed, meet all our needs.
Someone was having a ‘focus problem’ in a recent church service. A parent quietly whispered about a potential consequence and added, “Do you understand me?” This small child replied, “No, not all the way…but I don’t want to, especially.” I am glad to know that honesty is important (to that child) although complete obedience needs more work!

In the second T&T AWANA book one of the four questions is “Why should I go to church?” There are eight answers with supporting Scripture verses to back up those answers. I really think that some kids need an answer like “Because I said so”, but so far, that is not an issue we have had to face. I thought of another really great reason for us to go the 26 miles to Anderson to attend church services. Before I write it, I do acknowledge that it isn’t a spiritual sounding answer for a missionary. Just don’t tell.

This morning when we were about a mile from church, a mama moose and her calf were about to cross the road in front of us when they suddenly changed plans.  The calf turned and stumbled off the road while mama hurried ahead of it. After we passed, they both got back on the road and our children watched from the rear windows of the truck. We saw a second pair along a diffferent stretch of highway several miles away while on our way home this afternoon. You may think that I would have some great pictures. Or at least some really fuzzy ones. Or just one, stinky, really blurry one. You wouldn’t wat to hear that for the last Three Moose -Pair sightings our camera has been in the bottom of my backpack. We have NO pictures to show.

To see some really nice photos, ask my mom and my nephew, Tim. They had their cameras ready.

I realized that Time was passing by but I didn’t realize that it had its pilot’s license. We have been busy with 4-H service projects and individual projects and the Tanana Valley State Fair and the Nenana flood and wrapping up the end of “school” work from the spring. We also enjoyed a week of vacation and another week when Grandma and cousin Tim came. We visited Denali National Park and the Alaska Museum with them.
That’s the highlights. Continue reading to get the more detailed view.
Gabrielle took a First Aid project as well as a Bread Basics project for 4-H. (I admit that I chose that bread project for her out of selfish motives. UMMM!) We have enjoyed the learning processes for muffins, sourdough bread and pancakes, tortillas, biscuits, waffles, as well as (near weekly) whole wheat bread. I was confident in her tortillas and bread to think she would have a blue ribbon. Gabrielle wasn’t well enough aquainted with 4-H and fair shows to know.
She was SO surprised that she earned a blue ribbon for each of her displays ( ww tortillas and ww bread). I was SO surprised to also see a Best of Class ribbon on the bread as well as a Grand Champion Ribbon (for all 4-H baking projects). Well, we do eat well here at the Blairs!
Elliot and Simeon did Plant projects and with the cooler wet summer we had, the projects evolved into something less than what they had planned. (I am the mom and I do reserve bragging rights.) Their 4-H leader was VERY impressed with the notebooks the boys put together. I gave some suggestions and they developed their own ideas. The notebooks include narrative of what work was done in the area of plants as well as some collections of seeds, buds and blossoms, even some Latin names. I am hoping that the notebooks will continue to grow as the boys learn more about different Alaskan plants.