The reports I get from home are always positive: The kids are joyful, things are going well, everyone is keeping up with the chores, and life is happening just as it always has. I'm thankful for those things, and I'm thankful for little bumps of joy that Brandi sends my way via text messages and emails every day. (For example, she texted me today: "Right now I'm watching one of our chickens eat a baby snake. :-)" That was a good thing! Protein for our chickens and a baby snake that will never grow into an adult snake.)

On the challenging side of things, Brandi's still sans her Suburban (it's in the shop), so she's still stranded at home. I think her and the kids must be getting cabin fever by now (it's been about a week). We're also finding that getting time together can be an arduous endeavor, and we're praying for God to open some doors for us to spend more time together.

In other matters, there are no real updates at this time. Please, brothers and sisters, keep praying for Brandi, Nathan, Daniel, Abigail, and Evangeline. They are my favorite people in the world, and I miss them deeply.