Our window project

The first two pictures are our window project. The lower shelf part will hold all sorts of herbs, and we will be putting bean plants and squash on the trellis.

My kid is SO cute!!!

Here is a cute story from yesterday - Josh's day off. Josh went looking for Ruth yesterday. When he walked down the hall calling her name, she came out of the bathroom with the toilet bowl brush. When he went into the bathroom, he found water all over the floor, her little potty seat with water in it, and wet toilet paper in Ruth's hand and on the big toilet seat...she had apparently decided her toilet needed cleaned out!

Since Ruth was born, she has shared a room with Josh and me, where else could we put her in our RV?!?!? So, because of all the moving did, we have been hesitant to put her in her new room. However last night, Ruth spent her first night in her own room, alone - and she slept for TWELVE hours!!!!

October Skies

Do you know how long it has been since I have experienced Fall? FIVE YEARS! Is that amazing, or what?!?!?!

My girls are
growing SO fast! Shalom is tipping the scales at 11 lbs! That just amazes me like crazy. To think last year at this time, Ruth was being put on formula because she wasn't gaining weight, and this year, Shalom is growing so very fast! God is SO good to me!

Josh and I are doing well too. Josh is building a garden INSIDE our home! We have this GIGANTIC window, that is perfect for putting a little garden in for the winter. On Sunday, Josh built the planter (out of a REALLY old, weatherworn ladder, and some old trellis), and soon we will be finishing it off and filling it with dirt. Josh wants to grow different kinds of lettuce, along with some garlic, lavender, oregano, basil, dill, savory, and some beans. I will add pictures to my blog (larsonlog.blogspot.com) as soon as I can.

Home Sweet Home

Well, here we are. This is my home. Not in the best of shape yet, but shaping up quite nicely!

Our home is a mobile home, with an addition on the front (a sewing room - not pictured) and and Arctic Entry/Mud Room on the back. I was telling a friend about our home and I realized that the RY we lived in in Lake Charles was as long as the kitchen and living room...but half as wide! AMAZING!!!

Love the Larsons

Together at Last

For the first time in four years, the Taylor daughters got together. It was different this time, though. SO many things have changed...as you can see by the picture of Grammy and Papa holding the little ones.

So much has changed! Allison and Chris have a two year old named Matthew. I got married, and had two kids. Joanna is figuring out what to do with her military carrier. Joe is in junior high - it seems like yesterday I was changing his diaper!!!

Ruth is developing more character, even since this weekend. She is emphasizing her "sss" when she tries to say yes, her "ppp" for when she wants up is more pronounced. She is doing very good with Shalom! The other day, while Shalom was eating, Ruth came over to me, and put her hand on Shalom and kept kissing her head over and over. SO CUTE!

Shalom weighs 10 lbs! She also is getting quite long. She fits VERY WELL in 6 to 9 month onsies! Scary, huh?

Josh and I are doing well here in PA. I am experiencing the highs and lows of being a stay-at-home Mama, and the juggle of housework vs. babies vs. time to myself to keep sane! Boy, do I appreciate having a friend here with two kids who knows what I am going through, who also appreciates having an adult to talk to! Josh is in charge of the ministry vehicles (the ones used around the property for work, and the ones that go to pick up more cars). Josh likes to tell people that it feels like we took a 20-hr road trip, and ended up back at FS - as far as the work goes!

The weather here is beautiful! Not Louisiana hot, nor Louisiana humid. It does get quite warm and humid, but nothing like Louisiana!

I shall go now, it had been a while and I wanted to let you know what was up with the Larsons.

Apple Sauce and Friends

Well, we are here - here is Bernville, PA. We are getting settled, and marveling at what God has done for us. God is amazing, and the way He takes care of us is absolutely MINDBOGGLING! We arrived safely. The girls traveled beautifully! Josh fit all of our necessary stuff into a Trail Blazer, and our extras (bottom wipes, etc.) - well let me start over.

The weekend before we left, former FS crew members, Matt Craven and Sara Stoner came down for the week. Well, they both live in Virginia, and Sara's family lives in Harrisburg, PA. They kindly offered to bring up our unnecessary things when she comes to PA for one of her family visits. So, we barely left anything behind in Louisiana!

OK, this is a picture from Saturday. Licia (the woman who introduced us to CMTS) and I had talked about making apple sauce. Saturday after lunch, all of the Larsons went to the Bajus (Bay-jus) home and the kids (except Shalom, of course) and our dear husbands went to pick the apples. They came home and we started cutting up apples at 3:30pm. We finished everything by 8:30pm, and have 40 quarts of apple sauce to split this winter! The kids are posing with the equipment... There is Ruth in the background, with Abigail and Phineas.

A Letter from Josh

Dear Friends,

This is the letter we just sent out to everyone. We, the Larson Family, after many years at Friend Ships (4 for Josh, 5 for Rebekah) and moving on to another ministry.

Rebekah

Well Friends and Family,

I'm sitting here tonight (Mon the 6th) and I am just in awe of how good God is, and how trustable and true He is! I remember when Rebekah and I were waiting to get married and how He set the date and supplied all that we needed. And I remember trying to get ready for the trip to Israel, and how He made all the supplies and paper work for us Larsons (x3) just come together at just the right time.

Well, six weeks ago, He told me that we were going to a ministry in Pennsylvania and that we were leaving on August 11th. I only told my wife at first, partially because it seems an odd thing to tell people that you are going somewhere when that somewhere doesn't know you even exist... The other reason was so we could watch how God pulled it all together.

The eleventh is this Saturday, Wow, what a trip these last 6 weeks have been. It's been fun and it has been QUITE a trip! Over half the funds that we guestimated that we would need came in from people that didn't know we were going somewhere, and it all came from unexpected sources!!! Wow, what a trip it has been these last six weeks!

It has been a privilege and a pleasure watching God pull something that seemed impossible together with time to spare! Wow - and - WOW! I must say thank you to those of you that God used to make this move possible. You were just in time, even though you know nothing about us going anywhere. Thank you. And to all of you that think of us Larson's on occasion, thanks for your prayers and support of us as we strive to serve our God and Faithful Master.

I feel so loved right now. I truly don't know why God would care so much about me. I just don't understand it. He is definitely worth serving!

We Larsons thank you for your prayers as we move to a new home and a new set of circumstances, Yes, God does know what He is doing and He knows best. Amen.

I don't know much (yet) about CMTS (Christian Missionary Technical Services). Basically, they have a fleet of cars that they keep up and insured that they rent out at a low cost to missionaries that come home on furlough. We will tell you more as we find out.

Love
Josh (and my three God-sent girls)