thankful list 2009 (partially)

1 the Reason for my hope

2 people who speak the truth

3 freedoms here most of the rest of world lacks

4 mark

5 my four children

6 understanding family members

7 changing seasons (begrudgingly)

8 almost 10 acres in rural southwest minnesota

9 health

Dear Aunt Rachel,

Thanks for the grape jam! We enjoyed it a lot. Sam thought he needed a third piece of toast with grape jam on it. The jam is just all over my face, but it was good anyway.

love, Anneka

Anneka and her baby Ellie

all present and accounted for, all are not all paying attention.

kind of like a circus.

Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family. So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud--just lots of hard work during the day and lots of TV and PG-13 videos in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend--woven around the church (mostly). This is life for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more, far more.

- from John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life

petting baby Ellie

No, it was not planned that Sam would be wearing a very green shirt and Priya a red. I'm just not that coordinated.

ellie sophia eisfeld

eight pounds, thirteen ounces

november one, two thousand nine