Work ethic

Working in the fields.

We stopped by a bookstore in Carcassonne, the boys sat
down to read.

Arianna playing blocks with her brothers.

This is the last day of our kids two weeks spring break.  Oddly I think we had better weather during their winter break in February.  We had a good weekend.  I made a slight mistake last week not checking the messages on our answering maching and found out Friday that I was needed to play the piano in church on Sunday.  I practiced for several hours Saturday and did "okay" on Sunday.  I should have practised a little longer.  Last time I practiced a little too much and this time not enough, so I should know exactly now what is needed :)  The kids have been spending a lot of time inside.  Caleb did spend the night Sunday night with one of his friends.  Sunday Lilia and I went a visited with some friends.  Tuesday we got out of the house some and went shopping and playground hopping in Carcassonne.  After we got back home, I took the boys to help a friend clear out a vinyard.  It was good work for the boys.  My boys needed a few lessons in work.  They tend to complain about the size of the task at hand, and about their fellow employees, and about the pay. So this was a good occassion to explain to them about being a good worker.  We spent a couple of hours at it and by the end they had gotten a good rythym.  One of our good friends is moving this weekend and so I have been stopping by to help them out as time permits.  The big move will be on Saturday.  Bible study was good last night.  I did not go to the market this morning because of the cloudy skies and chance of rain.  I will make a trip to the dump this afternoon with some of our stuff and some from the family that is moving.  I like working, and it seems not to matter what I am working on.  I have just finished running through the tutorial of the Dreamweaver web-making software.  Intersting stuff.  Other than that, I wanted to mention that Andrew has not sucked his thumb for a good while now.  He does a little while he is sleeping but that is far better that before.  I am not sure what exactly motivated him to stop, I just explained that it probably is the reason that he is getting sick more than the rest of the family.  The rest of the family is doing well.  We still have moments of un-ending laughter, which is great.  The kids all seem to have a good sense of humour.  I always enjoyed cheering people up and getting people to laugh.  That was a tough part of moving to France, I couldn't communicate, therefore it was hard to be funny.  ThankfullyI communicating better now.  We pray that you have a good weekend.  God bless, JASON

The recital, the fair, the train.

It is hard to believe that it is Saturday again. We were blessed to receive a gift box from a church in Henderson, Texas. As is our custom when we receive a package from the US, we unpack it all together and give a prayer of thanksgiving. We had Lilia's piano recital Thursday night. I was unable to attend because Caleb had a small fever that day. This morning we went to the fair at the boys school. It was a lot of fun. Angie voluntered to help run a booth where the kids would make omelettes. She burned herself pretty bad on the arm by accidentally touching the cooker thing on the top of it. We got her some medicine from the Pharmacy. It worked really well. This afternoon I was going to go help our friends move some stuff to their new apartment. Caleb and I walked to the local RER station and it was closed. I thought that was unusual, but they have been having contsruction to install an elevator. We took a bus to a larger station a mile or two south. The electronic machine for buying tickets there was not working. So we waited in line to buy tickets, there was a sign on the door that said the windows would open at 1:30, but they did not. Someone asked and apparently they were not going to open at all. So we did what any good Parisiane would, we decided to take the train without a ticket. Of course we would purchase our tickets when we got off and explain everything. We walked to the train platform (quai in French) and the train was sitting there empty. I checked the monitor which said no trains were running today. Grève! (strike!) So much for those plans, I feel bad for people who had bigger plans like going to the airport. It wasn't official until this morning so there was no warning. C'est la vie. Que sera, sera. I am looking forward to services tommorrow. Monday we go for our Doctors appointment for our Carte de Sejour (visa). Thanks for the prayers and offerings and gifts. JASON