I transitioned our family’s blog from being hosted on Apple’s soon-to-be-cancelled iWeb service over to the ever-consistent WordPress service. For most people who just visit the website: http://webelfamily.com , you will not need to do anything different, that same address will now take you to the new location. However, if you subscribe to the blog using “RSS”, then the feed has changed and you’ll need to delete the old feed and re-subscribe to the blog’s new RSS feed!

There is also an option to have an Email sent to you every time the blog is updated, so if you are not into RSS, but you’d like to make sure you don’t miss any blog posts, click on the “+ Follow” button on the lower right corner of the blog and you’ll be prompted to enter your Email address.

Come by and visit the family blog and make a comment or two – Erica LOVES to get comments on her blog posts!

Last week both Elizabeth and Anna lost teeth!

Elizabeth was on-hand to coach Anna in all the finer points of losing teeth…

This was Anna’s first tooth to come out, she was a bit surprised when it happened, but then quickly got excited about her new smile!

While in Asia, we don’t have regular access to swimming, so we thought, while we are in the USA for awhile, we should get our kids swimming as much as possible.

Elizabeth is excelling and just this week she swam the length of the pool without any floatation device or help from her teacher!  She was so proud!

Anna is also making progress in the pool. She does tend to get a little ‘goofy’ and is not quite as focused on learning to swim as Elizabeth. However, after seeing Elizabeth’s recent accomplishment (and reward) she is becoming more motivated.

Nate is a natural in the water. Part of the motivation for us to get the kids into swimming lessons is Nate’s love (and lack of fear) of the water. We figured if Nate was just going to fearlessly jump into the water, we should probably teach him how to get back to the side of the pool safely! The first few weeks of swim lessons, there was a lifeguard posted permanently at the side of the pool where Nate was, he was having a problem of letting go of the wall and then sinking to the bottom.  Nate!

Hope comes to most swimming lessons, sometimes she sleeps, other times she very intently stares at the activity going on in the pool. She may have to wait till next time we are in the US before she gets swimming lessons!

I had never been to San Antonio before, thus, I’ve never been to The Alamo. So for everyone except Erica, this was our first trip to see that very important Texas landmark!

It’s going to be much easier to remember now…

The place we stayed at had an amazing pool, which is where we spent the most of our time!

It was Hope’s 1st time in a swimming pool. She actually enjoyed it very much and only cried when a well-meaning sibling splashed her.

This is how Hope was 99% of her time in the pool. (The pool was nicely heated, so she didn’t have the ‘shock’ of a freezing cold pool – which is why babies usually don’t enjoy their first experience with swimming pools!)

Nate had a blast as usual. The amount of energy that boy has is amazing! Everyone slept good at night!

Anna started off using the floaties while she swam, but by the end, she wanted nothing to do with them.

Elizabeth excelled in the pool, the time in the pool was very good for her to hone the skills she’s been learning at the swimming lessons she’s been taking at the YMCA!

Isaiah 55

1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
4 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples,
a leader and commander for the peoples.
5 Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,
and a nation that did not know you shall run to you,
because of the LORD your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,
for he has glorified you.

6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

12 “For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the LORD,
an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”