The Jacquet Family Update.....

Okay... So I haven't kept up with my family Blog! Life is so crazy busy. I know you can relate. Wow, Okay since last spring. Galveston Texas was amazing! So much fun. Hannah and Kaylee did fantastic at Dance Nationals. We hung out with Sue and Tori most of the time. Laid in the sun, played on the beach, went on a ghost tour and ate lots of wonderful food.

Hannah started coughing on the 4Th of July during or camping trip with Peg, Tony and the kids. I took her to the doctor before Galveston to make sure things were fine. They gave us the okay to travel, but things got worse with her cough. Turned out to be whooping cough! It was awful it lasted like 8 weeks. She ended up missing most of summer dance.
Luckily Kaylee did not catch it.

Summer flew by in a flash.... As usual in Wisconsin! We had some devastating family issues this summer that really turned our family upside down for a period of time. But with God all things are possible! God always works for the good of those who love him! Sooooo amazing. God is the most important thing in my life and the lives of my husband and children. Nothing better than to see my kids praying and reaching for God in times of struggle.
Shaun and I are so blessed. I love him more now than ever.

This next weekend is the start of dance competition season. Next weekend we will travel to Madison Wisconsin, then on to Chicago two weekends in a row. Several more around the area then in July off to nationals in Orlando at the Walt Disney resort. Kaylee started dance this year and decided it was not what she wanted to do. She wants to take tennis lessons. Tonight she has her first one. I can't wait to watch her. Shaun and I bought rackets a few years ago with the intention of taking tennis lessons together. Of course they are sitting in the basement collecting dust. Oh Well, maybe watching Kaylee will inspire us. I will be sure to post some photos of Kaylee today.

Hannah is getting ready to turn 11 years old next month and Kaylee will be 9 in May. My babies are growing so fast. I am absorbing every second with them. I enjoy driving them to school, picking them up for lessons, painting their nails...just being a mom. Nothing better! Well of course being a wife is pretty great too. I am a lucky woman to have such great kids and a kind loving husband.

As for me, since my last post I am still an at home mom but I am a part time volunteer at Green Bay Community Church. My role is the "Serve Director". I oversee all of Missions for the church as far as around the world, in the states and in the community. It keeps me pretty busy while the girls are in school. It is perfect as I can work for God and help reach the unreached. I can work from home and not have it affect my family life.

I will be leading a team to Haiti March 31st thru April 9Th. We will fly into Port Au Prince. We will be part of a team that will help build an orphanage with a group called Haitians Helping Haitians. Check them out at www.hhelpingh.org
Please pray for me while I am gone. Shaun being the amazing father he is will take time off from work to take care of the girls. As spring break falls during this time. This will allow him to do a bunch of daddy daughter stuff. I am sure it will be one big party. Mom makes them clean and do chores, daddy will do it for them and spoil them rotten.

Anyway, I need to get some more planning for my trip done. I will TRY and post again soon.

Leta

Spring is in the Air....

Good Morning,

See I am true to my word. I am posting much quicker than last time. Well today is May 28th. It was our little Mason's 6th Birthday yesterday. It is hard to believe he would be going into first grade this coming year. Thank you for all of the wonderful prayers!!! I know I have said this before but he is such a blessing to our family and all who knew him. He is doing much more good from heaven than he could have done here on earth. So...Mason...HappyBirthday and we love you!

Today is rainy as usual. I am hoping the sun comes out as Kaylee is very excited to blast off her rockets in school today. She is so dang cute! She just turned 8 on the 22nd. My girls are so grown up. We had a family party for her on Saturday after church. It was a nice time. We hung out, ate and even had a campfire in the back yard. Very fun! Kaylee has decided to dance again next year. I am so relieved. I would never force her to dance, but am glad she still wants to.

Recitals are done for the year. Now all we have left is Galveston Texas for National competition. We are going July 8th thru the 14th. Should be a great time. It is right on the beach so in between time we plan to hit the sand and surf! I hear there is one of the nations best waterparks there. I have seen it on the travel channel. It is called the Schlitterbaan?? Not sure if I spelled that right. But anyway should be lots of fun.

My grandma is still in the hospital but has been moved to a nursing home on a temporary basis. She is there just to recover and get her strength back. They are planning on her being there another 3-6 weeks. She is doing better but still cannot perform daily tasks for herself like cooking etc. Since she lives alone this is a must. Othere than that she is doing much better. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Okay, so I told you I met with a lady from church who is in charge of Missions. Well our meeting was great. She asked if I would be interested in running a program for the church called Operation Christmas Child. It is an amazing organization that collects shoe boxes for needy children all over the world. I would be in charge of the Green Bay area. If you would like to k now more do a google search on samaritans purse, then select occ. It is amazing. So I sent in my information to the organization and they will contact me. If I am an approved volunteer they will have me travel to Minnesota for training. This is an all year round project. Can't wait to see where God takes me on this journey!

Another opportunity that Shaun and I will be doing together is starting a life group for our Church. The lead pastor asked Shaun and I if we would be interested in taking on the entire Howard/Suamico area. WOW! We would be starting life groups for anyone in this area that want to "do life together" Kind of like a small group but more in depth. I will explain more later. We are meeting with the lead pastor (Troy) next week. It is kind of funny because Troy and Shaun look like they could be brothers! They are both bald, same facial hair, height etc... Check out our church website at www.gbcommunitychurch.com

I am off to work in the classroom. Have a great week!

God Bless!

My new life

Well.... Well.... Well !!



It has been a very long time since I last blogged. It was August when I last logged on here. So much has happened. I went back to work for the first time since my second daughter was born in 2001. I went back in September and was laid off on March 19Th. I worked for Schneider National. Although I loved my job, the people I worked with and getting dressed up every day, it was a lot to juggle with trying to run a family and all. Shaun and I started talking about summer and what we were going to to with the girls. I have never left them with a sitter for long periods of time. That along with the expense of paying child care left us wondering if I should just quit my job come the end of the school year. As it turned out I was laid off a week or so later. God answering a prayer???? I believe so! So, here I am back to an at home mommy. I have to admit, now that I get a second opportunity to do it again, I will enjoy it more and not take it for granted. My first week was spent getting the house back in shape, since then I have been back to volunteering. It feels so good! I love being at the girls school, interacting with their classmates and seeing what the girls do each day.

Yesterday I met with the lady who is in charge of Missions for our church. I am praying that I hear God's direction. I do not feel qualified, but with the right training and God's will I can do anything right?

Okay, so since I last blogged in August, I went back to work (covered that). My life has been busy. September school started, In October Shaun and I celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary, December 31st we flew to Sanibel Island with the family for 5 days. It was a great escape from the frozen tundra here in Wisconsin. It was 75 and sunny every single day!! In between now and then we have had two dance competitions for the girls. One in Chicago and this last one in Minnesota. We were able to sneak away for a while and hit the Mall of America!! In March my grandmother got really ill and was hospitalized. I was really worried so I flew out to see her and sit by her side. She is still in the hospital and will be for a long time. She is 75 has every lung and heart issue known to man. With my grandfather being gone (he passed away 3 years ago) she is very lonely. I was able to spend a lot of quality time with her and help take care of her. I could only stay a few days as I had to get right back for work and for Hannah's 10th Birthday!!

I cannot believe how fast our kids grow up! After spending a few days with my grandmother (the woman who raised me) and watching her come so close to death, along with my oldest daughter turning 10 years old, made me re evaluate my priorities. Today is Good Friday and I am so humbled by the meaning of today and what Jesus did for you and I. I keep thinking about him giving his life for our sins. I just can't seem to wrap my mind around all of it. I need to go sit and read the bible to reflect. Anyway, we rented movies to watch tonight and are spending Easter at Shaun's moms house. It is supposed to be warm and sunny! Yeah! I promise not to take so long to blog next time.

Happy Easter!!!!

Leta

Back in the U.S.A...

Where to begin?????

Well, we started our trip off with a day at our home Church (The Orchard)in Illinois. It was Sunday August 10Th. It was their annual BBQ & Baptism. We had 5 family members being baptised. My little brother Aaron, Shaun's sister Wendy, Shaun's mom and my good friends Peg & Tony. All of which the Orchard has affected in a positive way.

We said goodbye to our girls the night before, and early Sunday (3:30) in the morning we started our day. The weather was perfect, we all went to church, had lunch, sat outside and exchanged gifts then headed back to church for the cookout and some fun. It was such a great day! It was so nice to see our church family again too. I didn't realize just how much I had missed everyone.

7:00pm all 200+ people walked over to the water park for the baptism. Shaun was asked to help do the baptising! Wow, what an honor. I sponsored his sister Wendy. It was so exciting to see the renewed energy and dedication to God. I am so happy for each and everyone. We were exhausted by the time the night came to an end. We had to be up early the next day for our flight to El Salvador.

Up early and out to breakfast, then we met the Mission group at Church. We said our goodbye's, prayers and we all headed to the airport. Chicago to Dallas then on to San Salvador. Luckily we did not have any hang-ups or delays! We arrived in San Salvador about 10:30pm.

A shuttle from the Orphanage picked us up. Thank goodness the shuttle had air conditioning!!! OMG....It was so super hot and humid. Even at that time of night. I was thinking ..."what did I get myself into". Anyone who knows me, knows I cannot stand sleeping in the heat.

I was in a little culture shock at first. I would have to say that driving is what freaked me out at first. No seat belts, no car seats, people standing in the back of pick up trucks going 80mph down the highway! Little did I know that I would be one of those people in the back of the trucks going down the highway later in the week!!!

We got into our rooms. I was pleasantly surprised. They were not at the Hilton, but not nearly as bad as I had pictured. Bunk beds, plenty of bathrooms, ceiling fans (thank goodness) cold filtered water. What more could I ask for in a third world country? We all fell right to sleep. Now, that does not mean I slept good. I think I was too excited and still to wound up. I tossed and turned all night.

5:30AM All up...Breakfast starts at 6:30 every morning. Then devotionals, then onto work....Yes, I said WORK. OHHH Boy.... in one day 6 girls and 4 guys... moved 12 tons of rock, concrete, sand and dirt. Keep in mind it was probably about 90 degrees with 75% humidity! This princess was sweating! Yes....Sweating! I just kept telling myself...."It is all for God" " I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me". I know the lord was with me, that is the only way I could have done it.

12:30 Lunch, devotions then back to work until dinner time. I was hoping to spend more time with the kids rather than working all the time. But Sharron (a friend and fellow missionary) snuck into the girls dorms with me after hours and snuck in lots and lots of candy, soda and even an I-Pod!!! lol! No, you are saying to yourself....Not Leta! This went on just about every night. We only had from 6-7 pm to hang out side with them. So we made the most of it. We all formed some really strong bonds. Shaun and I sponsored a little 4 year old girl named Leydi pronounced ..Lady. And a 1 year old boy named Carlitos. You will see us in the photos with them quite a bit. I also fell in love with 16 year old Karina. She is so so so sweet. She wrote me letters every day I was there.

Karina's mother died of Aids and her father killed himself when she was only a baby. She has been at the Christian orphanage since she was 2 months old. She keeps asking me if I will still love her when I leave. I assured her that she has my heart forever. The night before I left, she sat on my lap and we both sobbed to the point I was going to throw up. It was awful! There were so many wonderful children there. Karina has called me everyday since I have been home. She is so afraid to believe that someone will love her forever. Boy, did she find someone who will. I promised her, I will not go home and forget about her. She needs me. Her heart is so empty.

The kids in the home are so well behaved and so dedicated to God. They can quote scripture after scripture. They listen well, are well educated and are even sent to college after High school. But, this is only done with the help of their sponsors. $40.00 a month will pay for college. It is much cheaper than here in the U.S. Karina wants to be an Interpreter. She speaks fantastic English.

Okay, I am sorry this is so long, but I haven't even scratched the surface yet. I am attaching a video with pictures. We did see the U.S Embassy and the Presidents home as well as an active volcano. You will see many photos of flowers and us eating outdoors at the base of it. Other than that lots of work and playing with the kids. If you get a chance go to http://www.harvesting.org/ this is the place we stayed. They are so good to these kids. They are actually considered wealthy and blessed compared to the kids in the community. You will see photos of us at the Oasis..it is in the barrio. The kids there only eat when our trucks pull in (3x a week). Can you imagine? Although these people are dirt poor and starving they always seem to have a smile on their faces. So how come we have everything we need and more....and we are still unhappy?

Something to think about??? I have to mention my team before I sign off...They were incredible.
Dave, Shaun, Reuben, Typhy, Sandy, Linda, Judy, Deb and Sharon .....You guys rock! (no pun intented) LOL! I will never forget this amazing time in my life. I am so blessed to have shared it with you. We are forever bound in friendship. I laughed, I cried and I shared things that have never been shared. Thanks Team! I love you all..... Good Night...and God Bless.

Leta

Whoa! That was close!

Good Evening,

It is 10:10pm on Tuesday evening. I have not blogged since last week. A lot has happened. First off Hannah made it home safe and sound from her trip to the cottage. She had a blast. I received photos via email but cannot seem to get them uploaded. I thought I was pretty good at this techy stuff. Oh well... Okay now I did finally receive my Birth certificate and now my Passport. Thank goodness.

We leave to El Salvador THIS coming Monday. I am getting nervous & excited to go. I have so much stuff to bring not only for myself but stuff we are donating to the kids at the Orphanage. It is amazing to think about bringing them not only soccer balls, jump ropes, and books but also Band aids, shampoo and numerous other things that we just seem to take for granted. We (missionaries) even have to bring our own plates and silverware. That is how poverty stricken this area is. Wow! I guess it is overwhelming to thing about "how can I make a difference when there is so so much that they need just to survive". I am limited as to how much I can bring on the plane. Because it is another country it is not easy to just ship things over there. It costs almost three times the amount of money to ship something than it does to purchase the item. For example, they are in desperate need of baby cribs. Well, I could order a 99.00 baby crib and have it shipped but the shipping would cost over 400.00. It is crazy!

Anyway, make sure to check out the link to the Orphanage on my homepage! I plan to take notes and journal every night. I am sure there will be a ton of information to blog when I get home. Until then we are heading to Illinois on Sunday morning to attend the Orchard. I am super excited as this will be the first time, I have been back since we moved to Green Bay almost 9 weeks ago. We are not going alone! We are heading down there for their annual BBQ & Baptism. We have 5 people from our family going to be water Baptized. Peg & Tony Brault(friends), Aaron (my brother), Wendy(Shaun's sister) and Peg ( Shaun's mom). As most of you probably remember Shaun and I were Baptized there a year ago tomorrow.

Another Milestone to mention....tomorrow August 6Th is the five year anniversary of Mason passing away. It is just so hard to comprehend. Where did the time go? It feels like just yesterday.....Time... It is such a crazy thing.

I have to say, each year does get a little easier. He is such a sweet little guy. Okay, I am off to bed. I will try and blog before I leave. If not......stay tuned!

Leta

A Camping she will go....A camping she will go...

Hannah is off to the cottage with her friend Maddie and Maddie's grandparents for three days. She is so excited. She will be up North near Kelly Lake. She will be swimming, hiking riding the local bumper cars and last but not least playing on the rope swing. This... I am anxious to hear about. Hannah is a very conservative child. I am not sure she will try it. It is so cute because Hannah and Maddie have grown up together since they were 1 year old. Now they are both 9 and think they are 14. I love their friendship. It is extra special to me since her mom (Peg) is one of my very best friends. While Hannah is gone Kaylee is going to have a sleep over with Teagan. I am not sure most parents like having kids over , but I do! It occupies the kids so Shaun and I can have some quiet time. By the way.....Anyone watching Big Brother????? Shaun and I are totally addicted to this show. Looooove It!!! Bye for now. I still have a ton to tell you about our Mission trip we are taking to El Salvador in a few weeks. To learn more check out the link on my home page. It is a great place. I will fill you in on the details later. I am off to make lunch.

Welcome To the Jacquet Family News and updates!

Hello Everyone,

Welcome to my Family Blog. I am very new at this, so please bear with me. Well, most of you know me and my family. Shaun and I met 16 years ago this Thanksgiving. We have been married 12 years this October! We have two young Daughters Hannah who is 9 and Kaylee who is 7. Hannah will be going into 4Th grade this year and Kaylee 2ND. They are so sweet and so beautiful they both melt my heart. Shaun and I are so blessed. As you know we do have a son who would have been 5 this past May. Can you believe that? He would be off to Kindergarten this fall. Wow! We miss our little guy but know that God is taking good care of him. We still have our little girls and are very thankful for that.

As you know we just moved back to Green Bay after living in the Chicago area for 3 years. It feels good to be back, but I must admit that I am homesick. I know it sounds crazy but Sugar Grove Illinois was home for a long time. We established many great friends, an incredible church family and many many wonderful neighbors. It has been an adjustment being back. Don't get me wrong, we love it...it will just take some getting used to. One of the best things is of course being back with family. Of course that also means being back at Shaun's sisters dance studio. Hannah & Kaylee are absolutely loving it!!! They are able to see Aunt Barb and cousin Michelle just about everyday. We did not plan for this much dance. In fact in the spring Shaun and I were so burnt out from running back and forth to dance 5 days a week and dance competitions on the weekends, we had agreed to pull back a little this coming fall. Well......that was before we knew that we were moving back here. Once Aunt Barb got a hold of the girls....that was it. It was a full packed summer and fall schedule. But, we don't mind. We are just happy to see the girls enjoying every minute of it. I will attach some photos of dance from last year. They were with Storm Dance Alliance out of Oswego, Illinois. I loved this studio. They were awesome! Not as great as Barb's of course! lol! Anyway, I know I am rambling on and on but I have so much to catch you up on. Okay, I will stop for now. But I do have a lot more to tell you. So tune in.......

Good night,
Leta