Ministry in the Making

Really, this is it! Please partner with us in prayer as the Clausen Family steps into the new thing that God has given as our path.

Chris will be stepping into our ministry ... it is a ministry of teaching and training up worship leaders ... The beauty of this ministry is that it will be

1. Providing lessons for young and inexperienced musicians, some of whom might not normally have access to such instruction; and 2. Raising up worship leaders who desire this type of in depth, focused training to further develop their gifts.

One of the key elements of this ministry is how it will be supported:

Raised support will be used to subsidize lessons for students. In other words:

Supporters of this ministry will be asked to donate support on a student's behalf.

Each Student needs a minimum of one half hour lesson each week, the cost of which is $20 per lesson.

Would you like to support a student? On a weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly basis? Would you like to support more than one student?

All donations will be tax deductible.

Other ways to support this ministry include:

Prayer & Encouragement Prayer & Encouragement
Prayer & Encouragement

We do still need funds to complete startup of the ministry... if you would like to make a tax deductible donation toward our current need of $1200 to complete our 501 C-3 filing please contact us via phone or email.
Yes, we hired professionals to do the hard paperwork (no kidding, you have to almost write a book!) and file with the IRS ($750) ... it just made sense for us to do it right the first time with guaranteed approval.

Watch the blog for a link to our new website ... "David's 4000" or " D4K " as Chris likes to call it!

Worship definitely ON!

A new READER joins the ranks

Matthan officially read his first book TODAY. It was called "The Cat Sat" and he did it all by himself! He was very proud when he repeated that action to Daddy before bedtime. He is doing well in school. Tomorrow marks his first official week in school. Caitlyn has an easy first week and is loving it. Mommy is still trying to get her brain around all this and baby too... but I think we all are headed toward really liking it.

Gardening

I have always enjoyed gardening. Flowers, Fruit, Veggies... you name it. I have also always enjoyed cooking. I have put up apple butter and preserves in years past. The first year Chris and I were married, we dug out a plot in the backyard of our first house and planted lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and green beans. The rabbits got most of it... then Matthan came along and we moved... I haven't really done anything like it since.

I have kept a small plant of tomatoes from year to year and a few simple herbs. This year I added different herbs and two tomato plants on the deck but it is not the same when you keep all your plantings there and not in the yard. Yes, my flowers and plants are fabulous... but I desire to do more... to change our veggie intake to utilize the very local! I had thoughts of putting up "organic" baby food for Westley... of course it seems he is headed straight from rice cereal to table food! He really does not care for the jarred stuff (except peas!)... he only wants what we are having. He ate bean dip two nights ago and munched another plum this morning at breakfast!

I took the kids (dragging Tracie and her kids too) out to the local park and picked mulberries in June. That really got me started toward craving my own preserves. Then Chris and I took the kids to a local pick it farm and picked blackberries a few weeks ago... fabulous fruit and made some awesome cobblers. Not really enough fruit to can preserves too though. There used to be wild blackberry vines in Old St. Peters... but I think all that was destroyed by flooding and roads being built. sigh. I really dug picking free berries! There is something to all the sweet fruit you get from the simple work of reaching and picking!

So, it is almost time for me to make real the visions of my own garden, not just a Victory garden but a Freedom Garden... A place I can grow in my own organic style. Of course, we are waiting until we move... they won't allow a veggie garden in this subdivision... not that the deer or rabbits care (they'll eat any flowers or plants I put in!) Of course, once I learned about the Earth Box my interest in that is huge. Easier and more yield than traditional gardening.

In the meantime, I have been getting excited about the upcoming tomato "harvest"... I already have regular ripe cherry tomatoes, but I am growing pink heirlooms too. I have grandiose plans to put up the tomatoes and my special spaghetti sauce. Now I am thinking I would love to put up my own salsa too. I am thinking perhaps I should head over to the local farm or farmers market and pick up tomatoes for canning... so I can put up my own sauces really. We ate a fabulous tomato alfredo tonight that moved me into thinking perhaps I can put that up as well.

I know peaches are in season right now... but Chris doesn't care for them. Caitlyn would eat them canned in lite syrup if I put them up. I may as well look into it for all the money I spend on them at the supermarket!

I will keep you posted... in the meantime check out the new links I put up about farming!

No Chris NOOOOOOO

After not sleeping well last night... the baby was fussy ALL day... runny nose and fussy.
I finally got him to sleep for the night while Chris was getting ready to go to the gig tonight. So I am taking a lovey picture of him cause he is sooo cute and Chris jokes around with that face! ...like he would rattle the crib!

It really is a cartoon...

Still...so very cute!

Another Saturday Morning

Really... just hanging around...

How cool is this...

Matthan just shows up with this act. Too Funny!

Settled into School

Well... the kids are just starting school and we are trying to get everything in it's place and settled into routine. This is all new to me and a bit crazy... but I believe the kids will be best off schooled here at home. Caity will soar with the virtual program, my little visual learner.

Matthan had his first day today... without schoolbooks! We really just did about an hour of math worksheets downloaded and printed off the school website. So in the future if we are missing a textbook/worksheet book, we can simply print the page of the day. Very cool.

His books actually arrived after dinner tonight... after looking at it all I am wondering how we will get to all every day. So I have also been trying to figure out how to work the website, what school supplies are still needed. I have desks for both kids, one with computer, one without (there is a second computer coming!) Caitlyn does not start until next Monday (her books are not here yet)

I think my biggest success of today was installing a wireless networking card into the pc and linking it to the router without having to call my younger brother to tell me how (I really just followed the instructions!) But still, very cool. Okay... Josh did tell me yesterday which pc card to buy and tried to tell me over the phone (my eyes actually glazed over) how to install it. Thank you Jesus that it came with install instructions!

It is late, tomorrow is a big school day for me and Matthan. Westley will probably wake me two more times tonight... so I am headed off to sleep!

Various Food Faces

Hey where did that yummy corn puff go??

Caitlyn with a red elastic plastic balloon popped on her nose

Matthan with chocolate milk moustache

MMMMMMMM ... a plum

Sweeeeet!

Cereal and sweet potatoes

Oh, it's cereal and butternut squash!

This has been the week of food... Westley is eating cereal and fruit/veggies twice a day. He LOVES his peas... as you can see in the video. He also likes butternut squash, sweet potatoes and pears, not necessarily in that order. Matthan still loves chocolate milk... Caitlyn loves all food... but I did not photograph her eating this week (your gain really).

I must say the plum was a hilarious surprise. I was eating one and Westley was watching... loudly watching... he kept fussing until I finally let him have a taste... that was it... he grabbed it and gummed it to pieces. Very funny to see a plum with all the juice removed! This boy likes to eat what we eat already.

All week Chris has been recovering from an unplanned surgical procedure to remove a subcutaneous blood clot. He lifted something incorrectly Saturday night... ouch. After resting on Sunday we went to the doctor for treatment on Monday. A bit of cauterizing and 4 stitches later, very painful recovery. He is still not back to work... we will see on Tuesday if he can make the drive. Yes, this is the first anyone has heard of it, we did not tell anyone except to call him in sick at work, please don't be offended.

It has been a quiet but busy week at home for Chris to recover. It makes me realize how crucial his help is every day to get things moving in morning and winding down in the evenings. We had two showings on the house, where I had to get him up and out of the house for an hour or so each time. First showings in 14 days too. Wild. It is such a poor market for selling right now... we just keep praying God's will over it all.

Enjoy the pics... we enjoy taking them.

Laughing Boy

Miscellaneous Weekend

Scary 70's Wild & Crazy Guy!Magnolia Tree - Surprise Blossom on top

Aren't I handsome!

I am very Happy!

What? I like to sit up in the crib!

This was a quiet weekend. I am going to bed. Cheers. Enjoy the wacky photos!

Eat, Eat, Eat!

Sir Westley has been eating cereal for a few days now. First just evenings and then a little in the mornings as well. Two days ago I put some pears in with the cereal (BIG Hit!). So tonight he gets some cereal with pears, he eats it... okay. A bit later we are still eating and he decides to fuss a bunch... so I jokingly grab the sweet potatoes, telling Chris not to put on a bib because he will probably only take one bite and be done... HA! The little prince ate half a jar and only stopped eating them to nurse. And he was not wearing any! Like Father like son on those sweet potatoes! Matthan loved them as well, though he no longer requires them to be pureed :). Sir Westley should sleep like a champ tonight!

On a bigger blessing note... last night he went to bed at 7ish, woke up at 10:30 to nurse and then slept until his 5:30am feeding! He did awaken around 2:30 but cheerfully rolled around in the dark without crying until he fell back asleep. What a relief to almost sleep through the night. We are hoping to get a repeat performance tonight! We are on our way to restful nights.

Caitlyn makes Westley laugh (too)!

Matthan and ALL the playdough colors

Grandma & Grandpa with Westley!

June 15th

This is Westley's first LAUGH caught on tape!

June 8, 2008 15 weeks

In case you need more Video...!

Now that I know how to post video... watch out! Here are some of the cutest clips yet...

Pics of Kiddos PLUS VIDEO of Westley laughing!

(Tracie) Jacob, Matthan & Isaiah

Matthan, Kate, Jacob & Tracie
Caitlyn & Horse that may bite
(& complete stranger child)

that's a duck, flamingo & black swan (no relation)

Matthan & Caitlyn petting new baby donkey

Caitlyn & Kate (not paying attention -
Does this really ever happen when there is a camera out or pointed at them? :) )

Here is Westley pulling Matthan's hair
and being quite pleased with himself!
Matthan is forever trying to get his pic on the blog... holding Westley and being silly gets it done every time!

"Take a picture of that cabin and send it to Grandpa!" -Matthan

We went to Grant's Farm today with Tracie & the kids. It was fabulous weather and fun for all. As of Sunday they switch to a Weekends only schedule until next year. Bummer that most of my shots are too blurry... moving tram anyone?! Anyway... Matthan was directing the camera work for a bit and I took several silly shots he wanted Grandpa to see. I left out the picture of the vivid blue tshirt the complete stranger in front of us was wearing on the tram and the wagons and "shooter thingys" (canons). Perhaps you will get a kick out of the video of Westley...