the homemaking project: April 2010

My younger brother Jason is nothing but heart. He is 17, a junior in highschool (scary!) and is not your typical high school boy. He is sweet, kind, thoughtful, generous, loving, giving...and the list goes on.

When Rob and I moved to Holland (and anytime we've moved actually) he didn't hesistate to spend an entire summer day helping without complaining once.

He enjoys taking part in so many activities. In high school, he plays or has played baseball, football and basketball. He loves going to the beach...hopefully we will get lots of visits from him this summer! He likes going to the park and finding any way to engage in sports. He does not cause trouble or give into peer pressure.

This past week there was a tragic accident in West Branch (my hometown). It is devastating to anyone that heard about it. A sixteen year old girl was killed suddenly in a car accident, within a mile from her home. She hit a tree and her car caught on fire and she was unable to escape. Makes your stomach sink. Such a terrible, heartbreaking story. A daughter, sister, friend and so much more gone in a second...She was loved by so many and it is unbelievable how much support the family has gotten. Thank God! I could not imagine losing someone in my family, let alone like that. It definitely makes you hold your loved ones a little closer. Life is fragile and taken for granted by so many. Jason did not know this girl, just knew of her because they went to high school together. But he took this accident to heart. Her favorite color was light blue, so his baseball team all decided to get light blue shoelaces to wear for their games. Not only did he get some for himself, he got a bunch of extra pairs just in case other students couldn't get them or forgot. He did not want anyone to be left out. And because of him every student had light blue shoelaces! This is such a small act that means so much! He put so much heart into it! The funeral was yesterday and he was there, supporting her family and those that knew and loved this girl that they lost. He said it was packed and the officiant said "I know it's packed in here, but there is at least 100 more people waiting outside to get in." Wow! That is incredible. Such a small town getting together to show LOVE and support! (West Branch is an extremely small town) Prayers have been answered because that family has had so much support, love and encouragement in this devastating time. Thank you God giving them what they need to get through this! Last night Jason had a baseball game and what a kid...he kept telling his team that he was going to hit a homerun and sure enough...he smashed one over the fence. Later that night he told my mom he hit it for that girl! (She was a softball player too) If that doesn't make you smile, I don't know what will. It makes me cry tears of joy to have such an awesome brother like Jason. 17 years old and making such an impact. God has great plans for him and I cannot wait to see where life takes him after high school. I sound like my mom, but she is right, he is going to make some girl so happy someday. He is truly a gift from God and a blessing to our family.

All of my family is just as great as Jason and I am so thankful for each and every one of them. Having a big family is so fun! The love never runs out! Tell the people that you love just how much you care about them...you never know when you might not get the chance again.