Happy 8th Birthday, Grice!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Labor Day Weekend 2009 Slideshow

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Sistas Come.....And The Sistas Go.....

A HUGE highlight of our summer was when JJ and "The Sistas" came to Myrtle Beach to stay a night with us. It was such a quick visit but we felt so special that we had that time with them. There was not a dull second during the 14 hours they were here and we loved having them!

A Day on the Water

Summer Swim Team

Not sure what he is doing here.....trying to be funny....
Dani has a brother.....so she totally understands!

Anna, Dani and Grice
Dani and Anna were in the same class last year and they will be in the same class again this year!

Swimming Lessons

Well, we haven't been doing swimming for a while because it would be too much to overlap with baseball and softball. Anna and Grice did one session of level 4 which is to teach perfection of the strokes. This summer I plan to get them back to do level 4 until they have mastered it. That could take several more sessions, but it is such great exercise and they also learn water safety. Tonight I was looking through older pictures and found these two of them swimming and I realized that I happened to get the exact same shot of each of them!

This is for the Birds!!!

Last weekend we bought a new bird feeder to replace the one blown into the lake by the wind. We have been so excited to see new and different beautiful birds coming to our yard. Lately we have not seen quite as many birds, and I guess THIS is why! "Rascal" does not seem to be afraid of us and must really like bird seed as an afternoon snack.

Grice gets his Tiger Badge!

Upside Down Man

Dragon Boat Festival

Chris Sligh...Empty Me....

Molly's Wedding

Molly and Cole
Carrie and Wanda

Anna and Grice in our room

ready to go

Grice and J.J.

Jo, Jean, Linda, Wanda, Glenda
it is over!!

Grumps and Jean
at the

reception

Jean, Ali, Molly, Me, Carrie,

Anna, and Emily

at the reception

Couple voted Parents of the Year for rescue of lost hamster!

A seven year old boy was distraught when he discovered that he had left the cover off his hamster, Bandit's space ship! The cage had been opened, for all he knew, 24 hours. But who really knows? And is that really important here?? NO! What is important in this miraculous rescue is that this boy has some pretty awesome parents!! This husband and wife team went on a hamster search that can't hold a candle to the FBI. Late tonight they simply decided to "sit and listen". This, of course, was the wife's idea. Almost minutes later a scratching noise came from the half bath. They went wide eyed in the direction of the frantic scritch scratch and knew they had found Bandit! They looked at each other and faintly whispered, "it's him!" "He is stuck in the wall!" What a relief it was for these parents to find their son's adored pet alive! After a great deal of time trying to lure Bandit out of the wall through the hole under the vanity that he had used to escape...uh, I mean lose his way, the husband went for his tools. As you can see from the photos ,taken way past their bed times, that everyone was thrilled. What a celebration there will be at breakfast in the morning! The boy and hamster will be reunited and the proud parents will bask in their moment of glory for rescuing this small creature that could have been anywhere! And with only two holes in wall! Ahhhhh, and as I close this post, what a wonderful sound it is to hear Bandit running at the speed of light on his little green wheel. Welcome back, Bandit!

Thought for the day

HOPE.........Believing that something GOOD can come out of something BAD.

We know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him. Romans 8:28

PInewood Derby 2009

He didn't win a single race! But next year they all better watch out! We have it figured out now! Flat is better with a hole, one wheel not touching, as close to 5 lbs as possible.....

Next year we will not be so focused on how cool the car "looks". Live and Learn!

Good friends!

Houston, WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!!!!

OUR TWO "SUPPOSED TO BE GIRL" BUNNIES ARE ONLY ONE GIRL AND A BOY!!!!

Before and After Windows.....Finally!

Before

After

Thought For The Day

Angry words take just one moment

And bring forth a flood of tears,

But the wounds they have created

Linger on for months and years.

When a person's temper gets the best of him, it reveals the worst of him.

Ice Awards 2009

We went to the Ice Awards on Sat. night at The Palace Theatre. WMBF and one of the news reporters was nominated for an award. Neither won an award but it was a huge deal to be nominated since they have been on such a short amount of time!

Thought For the Day

Maturity is moving from a soft skin and a tough heart to a tough skin and a soft heart.

Father Daughter Dance

This was a big night! We returned 3 dresses before we got the right one, spent about 2 hours shopping for the perfect earrings and crown, and worked almost 2 hours on the hair including sending Dad to the store for more bobby pins. They practiced the funky chicken ahead of time and felt ready to take on the dance floor. Anna looked beautiful and Dad was lookin' pretty hot himself! It was a night to remember!

Workin' it!

Friends from her class, Megan and Ashley

The lovely couple......

Those are my shoes, necklace and purse....she is borrowing already!

Thought for the Day

Hope

Hope is believing that something good can come out of something bad. Whatever happens, remember God has a plan.

Romans 8:28 "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him."

Heart Ball

Jubilee.... A long thought for the day!

Leviticus 25 is the only part of the Bible that deals with the Year of Jubilee. And there is no reference that some of the principles of the Jubilee being carried out, but the intent of the laws and principles established are eternally valid.
The Year of Jubilee begins with verses about the sabbatical year which occurred once in every seven years. During the seventh year the people were to rest. In order to provide rest for the land they were not to plant, sow or harvest the land. All debts were to be cancelled, and slaves were to be set free. How do you think the people must have felt knowing that they could not plant their crops for a year? They may have been wondering how they would survive, or they may have been happy to have a year of vacation time! This year of sabbath was to teach them the faithfulness of God. To look to Him for everything that they needed. God demands times of rest and renewal. On the seventh day He rested from all His work. Even though God never gets tired, He wanted to reflect and enjoy what He had made. Remember the sabbath and keep it holy. Remember with gratitude all that we have been given.

The announcement of Jubilee began with the sounding of trumpets throughout the land in the fiftieth year. Jubilee was a special sabbatical year, a sabbath of sabbaths. The same principles were applied as in the seventh year but also, any land owned was returned to it's original owners. Everyone was to return to his own property. There is no reference that this actually happened. It could be that people ignored these instructions or found ways to get around them, just as people try to get around God's commandments today. The point was not of the land returning to the people, but the people returning to the land. If land is taken from the people, the family becomes scattered about. That is why the land is important. The land existed for the people rather than the people for the land. Families are the ultimate basis of any society, so to the degree that families are destroyed, so is the society destroyed. Of course a system of land reallocation could never be carried out today. We are much too greedy. But think about what this would do for our society today in terms of poverty.

The principle is that God's people were not owners of the land. The land was God's. Everything we have we are holding for God, and we are responsible to Him for what we do with it. The rewards for obeying the laws of the sabbath and Jubilee were blessings of rain causing them to become prosperous by incresing their crops, peace, protection, power, prosperity, provisions, and privaleges.
Before I started this Bible study, I didn't think God actually punished us. Boy, was I wrong! The punishment for sin is extensive. We as sinners are motivated by evil. It is stated that if the people did not obey the laws of the sabbath he would bring sudden disasters upon them, withold rain, allow wild animals to harass them, send enemies against them. Fortunately, for us punishment is not the last word. God says He will have mercy. He will not abandon us, but forgive our sins ( if we ask ). Whether He is blessing us or punishing us God always keeps His covenant and is true to His word.
Are you obedient or disobedient? Do what He asks and watch the blessings pour in. There is so little value in material possessions. Today everything we have has been given to us by God and is to be used faithfully to serve Him. Are you using what God has given you?

Swimming Lessons at Pepper Geddings

They hold onto the floating dumbells and practice turning their heads to breathe.

They have made good progress. Today we start another session and will repeat level 3 for 4 weeks. Level 4 will concentrate on all the different strokes.

Practicing breathing.....