Hope

A little over a week ago, my Grandma Vera, passed away. She was my dad's mother.
Over the years I have witnessed (and done some witnessing) of people sharing their faith in Jesus with her. Praying for her to accept the free gift of salvation that is offered through our Lord Jesus.
While I was growing up she had been our guest many times at church. She sat through the service and I never noticed that she really didn't want to be there.

My dad (her son) shared his faith, I've shared my faith, my other set of grandparents shared their faith, even my daughter shared her faith with Vera. Of all of the people I know of, Alexis sharing her faith made me pray more and more for Vera's heart to soften towards The Truth.

My grandma was a proud & strong-willed woman, gave her opinion on everything & anything no matter what the listener thought.
Growing up, we always laughed at her "colorful" language and gestures towards everyone!

She would listen to what we wanted to tell her about Jesus, but sometimes would basically say that she had had enough.

Unfortunately I didn't know she was in her final days so I can't say for sure if she had come to a decision at some point in her life (or in her hospital bed) on whether she had accepted Jesus as her Savior or not.

After she died, I felt so sad that I didn't have yet one more opportunity to pray with her and tell her one more time that God loves her and I want to be with her in Heaven some day.
But as so many people have reminded me, she had been given plenty of opportunities and ultimately she was given free will to do with as she pleased.

I pray that I will again see her someday.

I was given a fresh boost of hope 5 days later when I was teaching in Alexis' 1st/2nd grade class on Wednesday night. The class has a prayer journal that the teachers record each child's prayer request if they have one.

Well 2 days before Vera died, Alexis' prayer request was for her "great grandma's salvation". I was not in her classroom that night, nor had we talked about Vera in the past week or so.

However, this is not an unusual prayer request from her (according to other teachers) but that night it had even more value.

We can expect HUGE miracles from our Lord because he promised he would be faithful. The Holy Spirit brings people & other prayers to mind & I'm so thankful that Alexis was obedient to that.

I pray that it has eternal rewards in the following days.

Freedom at Last!

I was rummaging around in my keepsake chest and came across an article that the late Marian Smith (Travis' mom's mom) wrote for a magazine. I don't remember which magazine it was published in.

This is a story about my dad and at the end he talks about his struggle with cancer. I was so overcome with emotion that I was crying while I sat in my closet and read the article.
It was the very paragraph that helped me regain my confidence that my dad is with Jesus and completely whole.

Marian wrote this as told by David H.Hall




Where was my Mommy? I missed her hugs. It felt like death. She'd left me off at Granny's, at Riddle, Oregon the week before saying she'd be back by Monday to pick up my sister, Clayetta, age 8, and myself. Each day I thought, "Mommy will be here today." Finally I gave up hope, it was 3 years before I would see her again.

I found out Mamma (Granny) and C.C., my step-grandfather, had adopted us. My name changed from David Larson to David Hall. That's what those bewildering meetings with men called 'lawyers', Mommy and my grandparents were all about. My father came to see us twice saying he wanted to keep up but couldn't afford to do so. He remarried and I didn't see him for many years.

Mamma and C.C. took us to church showing us the love we needed so desperately. I realize it was only by the grace of God they could, in their fifties, take on raising 2 kids. They took us on a trip to the mid-west to show off their new "children". "Mamma" was my mother's mother and I'm sure this 4'11" tiny lady of 80lbs, was heartbroken over the situation.
C.C. insisted both of us should be kept together. I loved riding on the tractor with C.C. and going hunting with him. Life seemed better as I had 2 loving parents now.

One evening, when I was 12, I was told it was bedtime but I wanted to stay up. Angrily I walked by C.C. as he held out his hand to me and told me that he loved me. I pulled away continuing up the stairs forfeiting my goodnight hug. The next morning I was told that C.C. had been killed in a 'woods accident' by a tree they called the "widow maker". A deep sadness flooded over me with the loss of my dad and the realization that I'd not hugged him and made up our differences.

I played basketball and helped Mamma on our 18-acre farm. My sister had become abusive to Mamma so she was sent to live with an aunt.

When I was 16, Mamma sold the farm. We moved to Eugene, Oregon over my protests. I didn't want to move to a big city but soon was enrolled at Sheldon High School and entered into sports. Even with a new start I became more undisciplined. Pain in my heart over my life losses wouldn't leave.

Two doors away from our home was the home of a pretty brown-haired girl named Becky. I noticed her right away and she seemed interested in me. We watched each other from a distance.

In high school I sought the "greaser" look, tight pants, hair combed straight back '60s style. I was defiantly getting into fights regularly. I graduated from high school and went on to Lane Community College.

The Vietnam war loomed on the horizon and I had drawn a low draft number. I could get drafted at any time and that meant being a foot soldier in the Army. I was doing well in college but decided to join the Coast Guard. Soon I was in California for training.

My service life was comprised of drinking, fighting and running around. I'll never forget Peter Pappas, the only Christian on the base, usually on his bunk reading the Word. We'd talk about the Bible but I still had my own agenda.

Stationed at Subic Bay in the Philippines I was serving in the Mecong Delta area in Vietnam as well. One day under orders we were told to shell the Vietcong before they could fire on our boats, so I fired off a volley that killed 10 men. I'd seen plenty of death, but knowing that I'd taken their lives, even in war, crushed me.

One night I was arrested with 2 counts of assault and battery plus one count of rape. I acknowledged the assault and battery, but I knew the rape count was untrue. As I was denying the rape charge I was being thrown into a civilian jail with murderers and hardened criminals. Our ship was ready to move out and I would be left in a foreign jail indefinitely. Providentially, someone from our ship had seen me taken to jail and at 1:30 AM I found myself being bailed out for $44, and hurried to the ship. After that when we came into port I was confined to the ship to keep me from being thrown back into the Philippine jail.

Toward the end of my stay in the Philippines I noticed I'd tired of wild lifestyle. At 21 I started praying for a brown-haired, blue-eyed virgin to marry.

Home on leave from the base in San Diego it was great to be back with Mamma. Also, I thought a lot about Becky. One day I was mowing Mamma's lawn and Becky came over. She'd told her mother it was only neighborly to welcome me home. We talked and I asked her out. She was a little standoffish on our dates. Her father told her not to date a non-Christian so she finally asked me the big question. "Are you a Christian?" I had to honestly tell her "no". Becky gave me a new Living Letter Bible to take back to San Diego.

One night as I was reading my Bible I zeroed in on John 3:16, "For God so loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so that anyone that believes in Him shall not perish but had eternal life." I wanted this promise to be a reality in my life, I prayed, "God, if you're real, please work in my life." He came into my heart in a fantastic way. Lying on my bunk it felt like my body wasn't even touching the bed. I was cleansed, brand-new!

I called Becky with my news, but she seemed cautious. But, as I spoke with her father he discerned it to be real, Jesus was living in my heart!

Happily, Becky and I were soon married. We were blessed with a baby boy, Chuck, and later a baby girl, Sharlene. Living in Minnesota, we were having a hard time financially. During that period my dark memories returned. Satan had a powerful grip on me and I had an abusive attitude toward my family. I received deliverance from God once more.

My Mom, Vera, lived a hard life after leaving us. She married 10 times searching for fulfillment, later we made our peace.

in 1997 after 28 years of married life with my precious wife, I was faced with another challenge. Our daughter was to marry a Christian man, Travis, and we were caught up in the coming event. After the wedding on January 17, 1998 I finally admitted I had a physical problem. I had ignored my symptoms for 6-months, that of blood loss and weakness. I was diagnosed with colon cancer. Numb with shock I wondered how it could happen to me at the age of 50. Hard reality set in when I started the chemotherapy. At times I felt I couldn't go on, trying to work and being so ill. Happily, I've just had my 6-month checkup and have a clean bill.

An extra bonus is the recent birth of our 1st grandson, Aidan, to our son and his wife, Nicole.

God gives us joy in life we hold to our bosoms and cherish. I have a win/win situation. I am either completely healed by Christ or I will go home to be with Him where there is no "sorrow or pain." How can I lose?

Kids will be kids

Well yesterday morning I slept in, now I know there are certain risks you take when there are 3 children in the house unattended when you do something like that.

Preston comes into my room to inform me that he had just gotten his haircut. "Oh? Who cut your hair?" "Sister". I'm so proud of myself, I didn't get mad, I didn't freak out, I didn't laugh either. I just calmly when about my morning routine, needing some time to figure out my reaction to it all.
Well, Carter's hair had been cut too. Preston, however, got the worst of it. Poor guy, it looks really bad. But I'm not ready to fix it yet, it takes time and setting up, so maybe this weekend.


But wait! The story doesn't end there. While eating his breakfast this morning Preston says, "Ew there's hair in here". I take a look & sure enough there's bits of hair in it. Sure looks like the counter after I get done cutting hair, "Preston did you cut your hair again?" "Yup".
Great!!
I gave Alexis a calm talk yesterday about not cutting hair anymore, but I forgot to tell Preston. So my first reaction was, "Stop cutting your hair!!" Then I realized I hadn't told him that yet. Oops, so no more cutting hair. It's not safe & it makes a mess!
Good thing I didn't vacuum yesterday because I'd have to do it again.

So depending on when I decide to fix his hair, you just may get to see how bad it is.
This picture was after the 1st one, doesn't show it justice. Just picture chunks missing.

Alexis & Charlie did the Born 2 Run Challenge

My hip, knee & ankle all were hurting at mile 8 but I finished and beat last years time.

Alexis & I were in the Lane Pregnancy Support Center's 3rd Annual Born 2 Run Challenge.

It was raining & cold, but the rain lifted just long enough and the coolness felt good after awhile.

Alexis did the 5K walk with Uncle Rick & Aunt Sandy Smith (Travis' family) and Charlie did the 15K run.

Alexis thought my goal should've been to win, but my goal was to do better than last year.

I'm not going to brag about my time because, let's be honest, it's nothing to brag about. I finished in the same place as last year, but I did better.

My time was 1hr 36m for 9.3 miles. There are some serious runners out there, how can you run the whole way? I didn't walk much, but I still had to a few times. I do like to run, but I'm not a runner that's for sure.

I don't yet know how much the center raised through this fundraiser, but prayerfully it was above & beyond expectations.

Alexis was excited to do it with her Aunt & Uncle and I'm so glad they were willing to go with her.
Travis' cousins (Janelle & Jason Smith) were also in it and both beat me like crazy. Of course they're just young kids ya know.

Janelle did great, beat me by about 11 minutes and it was her birthday.
Jason, 21, came in 12th overall. Amazing.

Next year I think Travis will probably run the 5K with Alexis. He doesn't like distance running, but I know he'll do it for his little princess.

Aunt Sandy & Uncle Rick Smith with Alexis after crossing the finish line.
Good job team!!

Our Home School Nations Fair

"This was for the kids" I kept saying as I stressed out about getting everything ready. Well turns out I only let Alexis contribute a couple small ways, the perfectionist in me had a hard time letting it go. Thankfully she really didn't care.

Families in our church's home school group got choose a country to study through the year & display what they learned.
I think most of us waited until a couple weeks before to get it done though.

Everyone did an amazing job, it was great to see the creativity in these families.
It was also great to eat some tasty food from around the world.

We chose Israel because my Mom has been a couple times & I knew that she would have a lot of stuff to display. Plus, that's where our favorite person is from....Jesus!!

This photo doesn't really do justice to all the great stuff we had out, but the other picture made my hips look HUGE.
I'm wearing a prayer shawl, not sure if I'm being sacrilegious since I've only seen men wear them, but I wasn't about to let any of the boys wear it.
I found a map of Jesus' ministry in the back of my bible, so I transferred it to the big map on the board.
We made Poppy Seed Cake (yes the kids helped), I thought it was totally disgusting but there were a few people that liked it.
We also made Cheese Blintzes, oh so yummy.
Then we had Pita bread & Hummus.

The Creech family did Norway. She claims to be related to the 1st King of Norway, well we supposedly have 3 Norwegian kings in our family too, maybe we're related. That would help to explain some things between us.

The Lambert family did Vietnam & shared with us a little history of our dear friend Maddie.
She was adopted from there when she was 5 weeks old.
Thankfully Kim decided to toss the dried squid, it was so so stinky!!

The Sinclair girls did Canada, with hand carved soaps. They smelled so good!!

The Johnson family did England, decked out in proper attire too.
Look at all the things that came from England, so creative.

The Rule family did the Philippines, they even had an exploding volcano. There was a lot of commotion from the kids, unfortunately I couldn't see over the mass of kids' heads so I didn't witness it.

The Turpin family did Romania, the mommy Adina is from there.
Yummy garlic sausage.

The Kreklywich family did Italy, later they brought out some yummy pizza.

The Blazer family did Somalia. James did a wonderful job with all his research, great job little man!!

Yummy Popcorn Recipes

Made popcorn for my father-in-law's birthday and they both turned out great.

I will make these again.

Links to recipes on the right, here's the photos.

Butterscotch Popcorn


Cajun Spiced Popcorn

Peanut Butter Overload - New Recipes have just been added

Wow, was I in a Peanut Butter funk or what? Wait, I guess the peanut buttery treat I made last didn't make the cut. Still gotta work out some kinks, but I'm adding at least 1 PB recipe.

The other recipe is for some yummy scones. I've started making up 3-4 batches of these & keeping them in the freezer to keep us stocked or to give as treats to friends. They are so good, especially from the oven.

Enjoy!!

The links are to the right under "recipes", but here are the photos....

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies


Cranberry Almond Scones

We calls these "experiences"

Well, once in a while we (meaning I) have a crazy idea and hopefully it will go down in the history books as a good memory.

For quite some time I've been hearing rumors about the best donut shop in the NW called Voodoo Donuts. I had a hair brained idea, let's get our friends to come with us all the way downtown Portland and see what the ha bub is all about.
Bad idea? Maybe the people inside the shop thought so, but our kids had fun and it'll be an experience to remember for sure.

The place is incredibly small & loud, I almost lost Preston on the street, but the donuts were oh so yummy. I complained so much about the one-way streets, the pay parking & the general inconvenience of downtown that Preston said he never wanted to go into that yucky town again.

We'll wait until the bad parts have faded from our memory, much like child-birth you say you'll never have another one and then you forget just how bad it was & shi-bam you're doing it again.

Then I had another (bad??) idea, "See that really tall building? Let's walk over there, take the elevator to the top floor & look out". We were able to go to the restaurant on the 30th floor (total of 41 floors) and the manager was so gracious to lead us through the restaurant to a less-populated area so we could look down upon the world. How fun was that?

We had a good time, but won't be doing that again for quite some time. Actually I think we'll go to the other Voodoo location where they actually have tables to sit at.

Mallory, baby Maja, Auntie Erin & Preston and the yummy choices.......

Carter needed help eating all of his, oh darn.


Mallory, Olivia, Alexis, Preston and part of Carter.

Today marks 12 years for the Daggett House

This photo was taken 12 years ago, maybe even about this time. Late afternoon anyway.
We were married on January 17, 1998 at 1:30pm in Eugene, OR at Grace Community Fellowship by Pastor Rick Thomas.
We honeymooned in Bend, OR and stayed at the Inn at the 7th Mountain. We played all week long snow-shoeing, skiing, snowboarding (I didn't like it), snowmobiling and trying new restaurants every evening.
My favorite adventure was the snow shoeing, we had our expert guide all to ourselves and it was so much fun.
My favorite restaurant experience was actually the one with the worst food, "Bend's Tom Tom Diner". I wanted Biscuits and Gravy, I specifically asked if it was sausage gravy or not. The waitress said that it wasn't, so I got it. WRONGO!! Plus it was the worst greasiest spoon ever.

I felt like we had ran away together and everyone was fine with it, weird.

I'm so grateful that Travis married me and I'm so glad that I said yes.
12 years does really go by so quickly, not year-to-year, but looking back it's been a ride for sure.

He's my bestest best friend, I just can't imagine my world without him.
Thank you Lord for bringing us together and keeping us together.

I love you Travis.

2009 in the Life of The Daggett House

Wow, what a crazy fast year this has been.
It seems like there really isn't much new with us, but life has been changing around us constantly.
Charlie's Mom got remarried in May to Tom Gregersen, a perfect fit for our 'Hall' family.
Travis' brother, Sean, married Jillian in October. She too is a perfect fit for the 'Daggett' family.

Both Charlie & Travis said farewell to their childhood homes. Both surviving parents had remarried and it was time for them to start anew. I'm still learning a lot about myself as our families change. My last visit to my old home was unexpectedly emotional as all I could picture in my mind were memories of my Dad, much different than all the other times I was there in the past 7 years.

Travis is still a Sales Trainer for Combined Ins, but that is not his passion. He spends his time with his family and what's left over he spends playing racquetball. He has also enjoyed taking classes here and there at our church and is preparing to lead a small-group discussion on the Truth Project. People are still telling him that they see him getting involved in politics and surprisingly I would support that. We need strong, faithful Christian men leading the greatest country on God's green earth.

Charlie is still involved with the Mother's Bible Study at church and the homeschool group. I teach Alexis 1st grade, Preston some things here and there and of course all the other motherly things that go along with having 3 kids. There are many days that I want to pull my hair out or pull the kids' hair out, but I control myself because I hear this is all worth it.

In September we committed to teaching a small class of 3rd & 4th graders on Wednesday nights at our church. It was a challenge to embrace yet another responsibility, but it has been great spending time with other people's children and helping them in their spiritual growth & understanding.

Alexis is in 1st grade and just celebrated her 7th birthday. She has had an incredible year of change & growth. She used to be our "problem" child, what I mean to say is that she is extremely strong-willed and challenged authority every chance she had. Her teachers at church have helped us mold & shape her little will and we have seen amazing changes. She still shows her God given personality, but she's pleasant to be around most of the time. We believe that God has given her this trait to be used for His glory and we know that she's a leader and will do great things no matter where she is.

Preston will turn 5 next month and enjoys just being a boy. He's a builder and an organizer and can spend long periods of time entertaining himself which Mom loves greatly. He still has such a sweet little personality, but we are seeing a change in him also. He loves to irritate his sister and he's still a bit of a cry-baby, but of course we still love him.

Carter will be 3 later this month and we now start the "battle" of toilet-training him, I don't even remember how it happened with the other 2. I can tell it's going to be a power struggle more than anything else though, great....another one of "those" kids. He loves to be in the action, loves dinosaurs & is terribly scared of them especially the ones in the closet and behind the fridge. He repeats everything his siblings say and then will turn on us and shout out, "YOU DON'T DO THAT!". We have some kinks to work out with him.

Both Alexis & Preston are still in Awana and impress us all the time with memorizing & understanding their Bible.

We sold our condo in Eugene, so we’re 1 step closer to moving back to Eugene. There is no other progress though, but our plan is to move in 2010. We just don’t know the month or what the circumstances will be. Amidst the unknowns of Our Journey we find an amazing amount of peace in the promises of our Lord that He will guide us & continue to give us wisdom and reward us in His time and also reveal His plan for our family. For right now, we’re to remain in our apartment away from our family but surrounded by great friends and an amazing church.

Happy New Year

The Daggett House

Travis, Charlie, Alexis, Preston & Carter

Below there is a slide show of our year, check it out.

2009 in a Nut Shell

Here's our 2009 in a Nut Shell. I had a hard time picking which photos to put up, sorry if it's too many. Also sorry if you're not in any of them, I tried.
We had a great year and then later in the year our camera was stolen so not much to show for November & December.
Enjoy!!

1st Sleepover and 1st Snow of Winter

Well it was last week, but that's pretty good for me posting it so close to the actual event.

I figured I'd get a new post up before adding our yearly letter which I still haven't started yet.

Alexis had her very 1st sleepover last week while school was still out for Christmas break. We had our neighbor, MaKenzie, to stay the night. I also figured it'd be good since they live downstairs that in case she wanted to go home during the middle of the night (which I remember doing), I wouldn't have that far to go to take her home.
Everything was great, they went to sleep with talking or giggling. What kind of girlie sleepover is that? Oh well, I'm sure she'll be doing that soon enough & I'll get tired of going in and saying, "Girls, keep it down". Ya know, in a nice 'sing songy' voice.


That was the day we had our 1st snow of the winter. It came down in whispers in the afternoon and then came down hard & heavy. Earlier in the day I loaned out Alexis' snow clothes to a friend and literally on the way home it started snowing. Oh well, we managed.
It actually stuck and I'm glad we took advantage of it, even though it's so much work to get 4 kids plus 2 adults ready to play in the snow, because by the next day it was slushy and now it's all gone.
We went and played at night, I love snow at night. So quiet & light.
We had a great time and got to stay up late, that must be why the girls went to sleep in like 5 minutes.


We have a new borrowed camera & this was the 1st time using it so I didn't have it all figured out yet, so I apologize for the exposure.

Carter

Makenzie, our friend


Alexis & Charlie

Travis, that was Preston's snowball at him. Good shot.


Preston & Mommy