Convention time...

 We just spent 4 wonderful days at the North Dakota Home Educator's Convention!!!  This was our first year of going as a whole family, dad included!!!  We had a suite and it was great.  Here is a bit of one half of the room with two double beds.  The kids worked hard at market and other places earning the money for us to stay so many nights.  I'm proud of them and their giving to our family in this way.

Four kids slept in the King sized bed on the other half of the room.  It was an L-shape room and we had so much room for moving around and preparing food.  Our room had a balcony to the pool so it was nice for the kids and us.  We often walked out and found someone we knew and some new faces to visit with.

 Family share night is a favorite of ours.  Here is the Froemming family sharing their wonderful talents.

 Here are friends of ours.  We did not know they were so talented.  We didn't even know they played and sang!

 Lena in the hottub!

 Gideon!

 Most of the pool was going around and around in a circle getting a whirlpool effect going.  Here is Isaac (in the middle), Caleb (off to the left) and Gideon (above Isaac in the picture).

 Hi Anissa and Dorinda.  We had 3 different potlucks providing lots of opportunity to visit and share what we like about the convention and about what goodies we are finding to do in school.

 This is the last potluck of the convention.  It grew so big, we had it at the civic center instead of around the pool.

 Good friends!  April, Tina, Kathy and Kim!  Loved seeing them so much this weekend.

 Today, we ended our time with friends by going to Pizza Ranch and eating!  Emily and friend Hope are shown here.

 We met Camille at the last home school convention.  Here she is visiting with Jordan.

Our last goodbyes!  It was a long goodbye.  We had such a good time with everyone and everyone seemed reluctant to let it end. 

Rebekah made a new friend, Anna.  It was good to see Anna, her sisters Camille, Andrea and brothers and mother at the convention.  They lost their 15 year old daughter/sister a few weeks ago in a vehicle accident and they are still hurting from this loss.  April (mother) shared quite a lot with us and my heart cries out for the pain they are experiencing.  Please pray for God's blessings on this family.  They are a great testimony of how God gives strength to those who trust in him. 

Here are some details that we were given in an email.  There is a way to help this family if you have the desire to.  Please pray for them though! 

The Litfin family homeschools their children in Williston. Their fifteen year old daughter was killed in a car accident on February 14^th.

Below is a news article from the February 16th Williston Herald.
A fatal car accident occurred Tuesday night on U.S. Highway 85 near Arnegard, according to North Dakota Highway Patrol report. Amy Renea Litfin was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of a 2003 Chevy pickup, Allen Ray Evenson, 25, of Richey, Mont., lost control on the snow and ice-covered roadway. The pickup turned sideways on the road and crossed the center line.
A 2003 GMC Savana van, driven by Camille Dawn Litfin, 21, of Williston, was traveling west with four passengers, Amy Renea Litfin, 15, Anna Litfin, 12, Caleb Litfin, 10, and Christian Litfin, 7.
When the pickup crossed the center line, the van struck the pickup's rear passenger side.


Please pray for them during this difficult time.
If you feel led to assist this family, checks can be made out to Liftin Family Benefit Fund and sent to this address:
Liftin Family Benefit Fund
Gate City Bank
P.O. Box 878
Williston, ND 58801