a visit with mom

We woke up to over a foot of snow last Saturday morning. Asaph and I shoveled the drive way so that he and Leon and I could go on a date to the local coffee shop. It' s been snowing every day but, no significant accumulation except on Saturday morning.
Leon's mother, sister, and nephews Kaleb and Blake were here to visit last week. We had a wonderful time. All the children enjoyed sledding. We homechurched with them and our friends the Byrum's on Sunday. On Monday we enjoyed home church again. We drove out to their time- share one day and played UNO. Then on Thursday we all drove out to Sandpoint and shopped a little and bought some good, healthy beef.
We are starting our vegetable seeds indoor as soon as they arrive. It's beautiful outside and the air, while still cold, feels so fresh and alive.

Pictures for you

This is Asaph (8) holding Nehemiah, or "Professor Lamb" as we like to call him (9 months). The picture on the far right is Naphtali Courage (just turned 4). The boys make these toy guns and hunt for bear etc.
The chicken picture is Ephraim (13) . The children care for the animals with out much help from Leon and I.
One of the children took the video. All of these pictures are from this month (March).

comments please

New ways to save money: onion soup once a week, porridge every day, We bought a years supply of wheat berries for very little money. We use it to make bread, and hot cereal etc. We gave our male goat away to save money on alfalfa

God's provision: wool sweaters, bedding, free wood flooring for kitchen, clothes for the boys, our credit card debt has been paid in full.

Things we could really use: laying chickens, healthy meat (still alive is ok), grammar workbooks (not text books), Country Living grain mill (I am thankfully borrowing a grinder right now but, this kind would be more efficient., 100% cotton fabric, yarn, wool blankets or fabric, wood for Ephraim, produce, grains, beans etc, king size blanket, and fire wood.

Projects: We repaired a collapsed goat shed. We bought wood for less than $40 and Ephraim, Havilah and Asaph were able to completely replace the roof and 2 sides in two days. The goats are about to kid so we will have plenty of milk (1.5 gallons a day) after letting the kids nurse for two months. We are starting to do projects to increase the value of our home. We want to be ready if God makes a way for us to make another lifestyle change. One project is putting wood paneling on a bedroom ceiling that needed repair. Another project will be finishing a bathroom downstairs that was started before we moved in.
Nehemiah has been working on upper teeth. If you are blessed to have him kissing on your cheek or lips, you may be surprised by a sudden painful nibble. Ephraim is working on wooden welcome signs, staffs and putting up that wood ceiling. Havilah makes crocheted hats, scarves and baby bonnets. Asaph is a fantastic cook and assistant to Ephraim's projects. Zuriel is super cute and Naphtali looks like a little Leon.
That's about it. I wish you would all comment more on any of the blogs, if there is anyone out there. Love, the Goodenough's

A glimpse of heaven

We met with our friends the Stewart's last Sunday after meeting with the folks from Cornerstone Family Fellowship. The Stewart's have adopted 4 boys from Liberia and live not too far from us. Mrs. Stewart is currently in Liberia with Mrs. Archer. They are meeting with some people there including the minister. They hope to be used by God to get adoptions moving again and find out the status on the adoptions that are in process (like ours). Please pray for them, that the enemy would be bound and not able to interfere. Pray that God's will will be done in all their interactions while they are there this week. They may be able to meet with our boys, Simeon and Patrick. We sent along with her a small photo album of our family that she hopes to be able to give to them. She will also be taking her camera and a tape measure for all of us families who are longing to clothe the naked and need to know what size they are. We are excited to be able to almost touch them through Mrs. Stewart and Mrs. Archer.

We stay open to the possibility that God has them in our lives right now only for the sake of our prayers for them and the other poor, hungry, naked and fatherless over in Liberia right now. God may have different children in mind to be our first adopted blessings. As far as it depends on us however, we are committed to Simeon and Patrick.

We believe that God has especially prepared us to provide a family for children and to give them a glimpse of the security of heaven and the unconditional fatherly love of God. Living in this glimpse, they will be better able to understand what the bible teaches them about God and heaven.
This is but one of the fruits of parenting that we love to behold.