Venture Academy

A year ago, this week, Daddy and Jonathon took a trip across the states to Tennessee to attend a week long seminar for aspiring entrepreneurs. They came back filled with excitement, new ideas, and plans for the future. If you know Daddy and Jonathon, then you know that when they get expressive about something it must be really amazing. :-)

The lectures were wonderful, filled with wisdom and insight from men who have years of experience behind them. The fellowship with likeminded men who share the same goals and vision for the future was unbeatable.

Over this past year the Lord has continued to lead and guide our family. Some of the dreams that were born out of the conference have come to fulfillment already and others are directing the course for our future.

In the year since the conference we have sold the home where I had lived since I was five years old, we have moved twice (first to a rental and finally to a "permanent" home), we have spent hours as a family discussing goals and plans for the future, and seeking God's leading when the path seemed very obscure. Now we are living on 5 acres of beautiful land, preparing a large garden, and looking forward to where God will lead us in the future.

Wade Myers is organizing another conference for September 20-25. If you have any men in your family or acquaintances that have their own business or are considering starting a business, I would definitely recommend this conference. The information and wisdom they would gain would be invaluable. See the following for more information: Basic Entrepreneurship Training Class.

If you can't attend the conference, there are a set of videos from the last conference. We just started watching them as a family the other night. I am really looking forward to seeing all of them. [For Sale on Amazon]

It is amazing how God brings certain things into your life at just the right time and for His perfect purposes. The conference encouraged us in the direction we were going as a family and renewed and challenged our vision.

Flu, Fevers, and Fun

The flu has hit the Spafford Family. The family room has been turned into an infirmary, the thermometer rests nearby, and Mommy attempt to keep track of when she gave what medication to whom at what time.

Thankfully Daddy has not come down with it so far and Jonathon did not get it to badly (he is studying for finals now so that would be very bad). I have stayed well (so far), I can't afford to get sick until some of the other one's get better. Mommy doesn't have a very severe form of it, so that is good. Poor Cosette had it very badly yesterday; it hit her stomach and made her very ill. Kayleen has had the bad fever (between 103 and 104) and headache. Annalise had the fever and then it went into a really deep cough. Mommy's keeping a close eye on her. Ania and Austin are both doing better, but they are at the ages when they need care sick or well, so we can't really harness their energy for doing the dishes that pile up or making lunches.

Leisel and Lynnae were supposed to come home today, but Daddy and Mommy decided it they would have them extend their visit a few days. It would be rather unfair to have them come home and immediately fall ill. If we can keep two family members well that will be a blessing. :)

I put these two pictures of our property in just because I couldn't resist.

The weather here has been so strange. It has alternated between winter and summer in just a couple of days. On Saturday it was beautiful, over 60 degrees, blue sky, sunshine, and a warm breeze. I went outside and played with Bear and couldn't resist lying down in the sweet smelling green grass willing spring to hurry up and come to stay. Then Sunday it started to cool down and it has been around 42 degrees and this morning we got some snow. It didn't stick, but still...it's March. Spring is teasing us and winter persists in pushing it off.

Hike to Angel's Rest

Kayleen went on a hike to Angel's Rest on Saturday with the Bystroms from our church (before everyone got sick). :-) She had so much fun!

She found an sport that she absolutely fell in love with: boulder climbing. Now knowing Kayleen, I was quite surprised that she took such a fancy to that particular aspect of a hike. Kayleen is pretty cautious and not daring, but she wanted to climb every boulder she saw. The day was beautiful and she made unforgettable memories.

The pictures from the hike are beautiful. There are over 500 of them so I had to pick and choose. I love the breathtaking panoramic views that they got from the top of the rocks. The creation of God just takes your breath away. Especially standing on a height, looking down at a beautiful landscape, it always fills me with an inexpressible feeling, perhaps awe is the best word to describe it.



Anyway, that is pretty much an update on everything that has been happening lately. Just so you know, our house is under quarantine right now. This flu is pretty contagious. :-D

Annalise's Trip to Grandpa and Grandma's

Every since Jonathon and I were about 10 and 12, we have been taking yearly trips to Grandpa and Grandma's house. As each child comes of age that is one of the things they look forward. Over the years, Grandpa has worked on Daddy and Mommy and brought the age down to 8 years old. Annalise has looked forward with eager anticipation to her eighth birthday when she would be old enough to travel down to Grandpa and Grandma's for a week long visit.
A few days ago, Annalise and I got back from our wonderful week long trip to our Grandpa and Grandma's. It was everything and more than Annalise had expected. She got to take her first plane ride since she was a baby (which doesn't count). She loved it and was full of questions from the time the plane took off. It was the start of a very memorable trip.
Annalise got to go to Chucky Cheese, to the book store where she picked out two books, she was able to take a personal tour of the Shasta Dam, she payed a visit to the Shasta Museum and, last but not least, she got to eat two bowls of Fruity Loops every morning and drink a can of Dr. Pepper every day. The big no-no's at home become permissable at Grandma's house. Sugar overload is not an unlikely consequence. For those of you that know Annalise, you know that she does not need any sugar to keep her going.
Grandpa's favorite story of Annalise was of her visit to the Shasta Museum. They walked around the museum looking at the various artifacts from life in that California city during the era of cowboys and wild west towns. Then they moved down to the underground section of the museum where the jail was located. Annalise walked over to one of the cells and it was empty, then she turned to the other cell and looked in. As she did so, she stepped on the mat that triggered an animated man that they had put in the second cell. This "prisoner" was complete with audio and visual affects, but as soon as he started to yawn, Annalise took off like an arrow from a bow. She rushed for the stairs, she fell, her feet kept running trying desperately to get traction; as soon as she regained her feet she continued her mad rush up the stairs where she stood shaking at the top. However, she has since recovered from her fright and would like to revisit the scene of her fears.
Her energy was boundless and she spent much of her time in asking endless streams of questions. She watched the news and heard about the Killer whale that lived up to its name in Sea World and so she got on an internet encyclopedia to study killer whales. It was a wonderful time for Annalise to get to spend some time getting special attention from her Grandpa and Grandma. She ate up every minute.
I think Annalise had a very memorable first trip to Grandpa and Grandma's house.