October Birthdays

Yes, it is November, but it didn't keep Mother and Hudson from having birthdays, and it won't keep me from posting about them! Enjoy this post, even though it is a little late!

52 Years: A Tribute To Our Mother

Our dear mother turned 52 on October 14th.  

One thing we all appreciate about her is her faithfulness to her home and family. While many other mothers were consumed with friends and work, our mother saw the importance of diligently teaching and training her children "while they sat in her house, walked by the way, laid down, and rose up." (paraphrase of Deuteronomy 6:7)

She didn't just teach us math, change our diapers, and cook us food. She daily taught and modeled to us what it meant to live a life glorifying to Jesus. Mother even used ordinary activities, such as baking cookies together, pulling weeds in the garden, or singing in the living room to teach us important truths. 

During the different intense seasons of the Bible Bee, mom supported and encouraged us.

She sacrificed her time (and still does!) to listen to may hours of verses, and let us spend time studying and memorizing God's Word instead of doing all of our normal chores and work, which meant that she had more to do!            

Whenever she gets a chance, Nana is hugging, kissing, and putting love into her all her little grand-babies! 

Mother, we are forever grateful for all the effort you gave to raise us!!! Through the midst of rotten attitudes, blow-outs, snotty noses, and restless nights, you just kept on guiding and directing us in the ways of Jesus. We are products of you and Dad's training, love and prayers!

We love you!

Happy 14th Birthday Hudson!
 (Lets just add that he must have eaten a LOT of turnips to be 5 feet and 7 1/4 inches tall and weighing 121lbs! He officially passed up all the ladies in the family and is now working on #operation-pass-up-Taylor! Hudson is unlike one of his other brothers, who even at the age of sixteen, couldn't quite tip the scales at 100!)

Hudson, we love your spunk and zest for life. You aren't afraid to just go for those long jumps on our hay bales, when your little sisters haven't quite yet mustered up the courage to do so. You put energy into your work and your play!

Hudson is always up for an adventure or a sword fight with a brother!

Hudson adores his nieces and nephews!

We are grateful for the responsibility he takes in burning the trash at our house. 

Hudson puts his whole heart into everything he does, including memorizing and studying for the National Bible Bee! 

His brothers are his best friends!

We love you Hudson and can't imagine life without you!

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

Family camp

We would love to share some of the highlights of 2019 Homeschool Family Camp, which is always a much anticipated event of the year for our family. A family camp, we enjoy encouraging sessions, edifying conversations, lots of time for relaxing as a family, delicious food prepared by camp staff, uplifting worship times, unlimited opportunities for physical exercise, and much more!

 

This year our theme for family camp was, "Where 

There Is No Vision the People Perish".

Throughout the morning and evening sessions, the famlies were encouraged on how to have a vision for their family, why we should have a vision, and how to pass it on to future generations. 

Like grandfather like grandson!

How many can you fit at one table?

All the baby love!

The epic game, "Mighty Mighty Scoop Noodle Challenge", is a camp favorite.

Helping grandpa!

Family camp is a wonderful place to come away with your family and be refreshed! 

So many friends!!!

The "Arm Wrestling Competition" is a very real, very competitive, very loud, very animated, and very thrilling hour (or two).  

Who knew that memorizing Scripture together could be so much fun???

The Word of God has always been the foundation of Homeschool Family Camp.  Here a large group of young people spent time together doing a Bible study. 

A new feature for this year was the "Bible Challenge".

Music is a very special part of this camp!

More friends.  

We would love to see you there next year!!!!! 

"Where there is no vision, the people perish..."

Proverbs 29:18

Grandpa's Homecoming

"It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him."
 Lamentations 3:22-25

This verse is so true, but after the loss of a loved one, you realize it even more. Truly, He is always faithful.

 Last week our father and grandfather, Elmer Stoltzfus, went to be with the Lord. He received his cancer diagnosis in May, but not until after his ninetieth birthday did his health make a drastic change. He had even gone to church the previous Sunday!  On Monday of last week, right after we got home from our one month fall tour, our mother flew to be with him. We are so thankful she was able to go spend the last few hours of his life with him.

Hudson with grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa read the Word of God every day up until a few days before his death.

He loved to garden!

This is our family with Grandpa and Grandma about nine years ago.

We are so thankful that Grandpa left us a godly legacy! 

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.  ~Psalm 116;15

  

New CD!

    We are so excited to be announcing the release of HYMNS AND CLASSICS!  It is a collection of nine hymns with the edition of two classic songs.This project was about eight months in the making, but we are very happy to finally offer it to YOU! 

AND......We have a special offer for this week ONLY. You get free shipping!!! 

Click  here to proceed to the store and order the first ever Bontrager Family Singers hymns project!

Happy listening!

"My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed."

Three Peas In A Pod

I hope these pictures from an impromptu photoshoot bring a little sunshine to your Monday!

"This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Psalm 118:24

Bontrager 2019 National Bible Bee Qualifiers

This summer, Elizabeth, Hudson, and Rebecca did the Bible Bee's summer study.  After 8 weeks of  studying and memorizing, they took the written test.  We are happy to announce that Hudson and Rebecca have advance to Nationals and have already begun the work of memorizing about 750 verses that have been assigned to the Junior division.

We are grateful for the amazing opportunity to be a part of Bible Bee, an organized effort to commit large portions of Scripture to memory, as well as learning in depth methods of studying God's Word.  In addition, we have met many godly families who have had a positive influence on our lives.  Most of all, we have found that memorizing the Bible has given us a greater love for God and His precious Word.

Psalm 119:97-176 "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day."

Home Sweet Home!

 Thank you for all of your prayers during this seven week summer tour! God's faithfulness was evident in so many ways during the tour. When we came home though, our eyes met weedy gardens, dusty surfaces, mounds of laundry, stacks of mail, spider webs, and.... a dead mouse. (There was an active mouse sighted which hasn't been afraid to leave evidence of it's existence all over the house!!:):)) But with lots of hard work (and mouse traps!) we should be able to get this place back in order!

In case you didn't believe me, there actually WAS quite a lot of mail!!!

 On the first evening of our arrival home, we enjoyed a lovely supper with most of the family.

So many of hugs and kisses and snuggles with the babies we had missed so much!

Lots of fresh produce awaited us!

With some effort, this garden got cleared!!

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23