A Thousand Words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So I guess you have your thousand word post for the week...

 

Tragedy

Yesterday evening my wife was leaving for town. While she was leaving Blackie was traipsing along beside her. When Rachel turned at the end of the drive the van felt like it had gone over a rock. She then heard this yipping sound and Blackie was running for the farm house like he was shot out of a cannon. Naturally she assumed all would be well. I was unaware of these events when I backed my truck up to the farm house porch. I noticed the dog was lying beside the steps but was far to still. I nudged him with my foot and he took no notice. I was surprised and wondered what had happened. I called Rachel to break the news to her. She then told me what had happened. Sierra was somewhat distressed. This is the first death she has had to deal with and she shed a few tears on her mother's shoulder. While we were working in the house she would tell me she was "Thinking about Blackie". This morning she is singing away and said that she slept well last night. I am sure cupcake will be very happy to have such a thorn in the flesh removed from his life. Blackie found much joy in harrassing the cat. Sierra says she wants another dog but I think we shall wait and see...

Prayer

The last several days Aleya has started to "mmhm" while I am praying. I don't know what started this or where she got the idea. I also heard that her first cousin, Alyssa, was doing the same thing only she was doing it in church. Her parents found it quite amusing. At one point she said, "Yes Lord" in a very reverant and respectuful tone. In a lot of ways this sounds funny, which it is, these girls are not yet four. Are they listening and agreeing or are they just doing it to do it. The funny thing is; no one else in our family does this, at least not on a regular basis so I don't know where she learned it or why she is doing it. Makes me wonder if I really pray when other people are praying. To my shame I don't think I do. Maybe I need to start vocalizing my agreement with the one who is praying to help me pay attention...

Cider

A lady, Wendy, stopped in to visit Rachel yesterday and brought with her a gallon of HOMEMADE Cider. Her parents made it from apples they picked off of their tree. This Cider is very good. Cider in general is good in moderation. Once,when I was a child, I drank as a child and the result was a very serious. This serious condition causes one to occupy the restroom much more frequently then one would desire. It is most commonly referred to as Montezuma's Revenge. I now use better judgement when partaking of this nectar.

Grazing (Sort Of)

I have this lovely field of Matua hay growing beside my house. It has gotten too late in the year to attempt making hay. So this morning we put a fence around it and chased the cows towards it. The biggest draw back was when we were trying to get the cows to cross the road. It took them awhile to make up their minds but when they did they all took off at a gallop. Once they calmed down they spent most of their time nibbling at the incredible hay. We are intending to put the cows out their every day for several hours. We are still feeding them a TMR in the barn. We are just cutting it back a little and hoping they will fill up on those tender green shoots. I must say herd of cows grazing is a beutiful thing.

Housing Update

Saturday the electrician was here and began to pull wires. I believe he has the upstairs half finished. We are hoping to be insulating and doing the drywall by the end of November. We may be able to move before Christmas after all. I am not going to hold my breath. I must say the contractor is doing a great job at keeping things moving and calling the people that are not doing what they said they were going to do. The rough in plumbing was finished last week. Maybe I will post some pictures in the next day or so.

Tour

Tommorow we will be leaving for a short weekend tour. We will be in Floyd Fri. evening. The great thing is we are planning to come back home for the night. Sat. evening we will be at Faith Mission and Sunday morning we will be singing at Believers Fellowship in Waynesboro. Sunday afternoon we will be participating in a mens choir in Harrisunburg. I am unsure how many groups will be their. I believe this event is promoted by the Virginia Conference. We are planning to be home Sunday night.

Photo Prints

Are you still going into Wal-Mart and dropping off your film or have you upgraded to online photo print ordering? We have upgraded and really like it. We will like it more when they finally get DSL in our area.

Decor

We, the school sale committee, asked a young lady to decorate the premises. I thought she did a lovely job.

 

Quilt Rack

 

Quilt Rack

Randy Martin had a brilliant idea for a quilt rack. He took pvc pipe and screwed it together.

 

Auction Items

This is a shot of some of the items we auctioned off. The black clock in the center sold for $170. I paid $10 for it at the flea market.

 

It's Off To Bed I Go...

Due to a lengthy drizzel yesterday we had roughly 3 inches of water standing in our auction tent. We decided to get some sawdust and throw it in the tent. So at 3 this morning we met and put plastic down before covering it with a six inch layer of green sawdust. It rained until close to 7 this morning before we began to see the clouds departing. The sun came up and we had a glorious day. The auction went very smooth and we sold all of the grilled chicken and hotdogs. Some of us only got two hours of sleep last night and I am hoping that all of these folks will be able to sleep soundly for the next twelve hours or so. So, good night...

Happy Birthday

Today is the birthday of our first born. I am amazed at the rapid growth of our little girl. Yesterday she was 21 inches long and lying in my arms. Today she is 40 inches tall and helping her mother in the kitchen. Tommorow she will be married with children of her own. Our prayer is to show her the Father in these few short moments we have with her...

Musicians

Who is your favorite musician or group of musicians?

The Past

What do you do with past? The good the bad and the ugly. Is it necessary to look at the past? How much should one look at the past. Why look at the past? I have some opinions on the matter and I will try to briefly lay them out here. I am of the opinion one should use the past as a vehicle or mode of transportation to find healing. Try to find a few things, surely you can find one, that were good. Thank whoever for doing good. Sometimes we put so much emphasis on the bad we can't find the good. I have found the past to be very enlightning. It has helped me realize who I am and why I react the way I do. Knowing these facts has helped me work through the issue. What are your feelings?

Final Meeting

Tonight we had our last committee meeting so now it is all or nothing. You know how it is? You wonder if it the whole sale/auction will actually come off or happen. It has in the past and I assume it will this saturday. I have been chairmen of this planning committee for two years and I am amazed at how great these people are. Everyone has mutual respect for the other and everyone listens with sincerity. It has been a joy and a privilege to work these fine people. This is our last year on the committee and I will miss spending time with these hardworking people. I have been on some committees that I longed to be off of and was very relieved when my term was up. How often have you been glad your term was up?

Your Story Hour

How many of you listen to the radio program Your Story Hour? We have begun purchasing some cds over the past several years and I find them very interesting and informative. These stories touch on lots of topics. They tell historical stories and biblical stories. The historical stories are not only of great political leaders but also of people who made an incredible impact in the early church. I have learned a few things from these stories and am wondering how many other people have.

Returning

Well, after onlygetting about two hours of sleep on Thurs. evening we were all very wore out by Fri. evening. We feel really good about the trip and are hoping that the benefir auction will be a success. We got home last evening around six thirty. We would love to have you come spend all of your hard earned money...

Leaving

Rachel and I are headed to Lancaster PA for a couple of days to shop for our school sale. We will be shopping for hand crafted items to fill out our auction. The only down side is the hour in which we are leaving. 3 AM.... Till next time....

Amazement Square Part II

Amazement Square has this cow. As this picture shows children are able to milk this cow. When you squeeze the cows teats streams of clear liquid make singing sounds in the bucket. As a dairy farmer I see two problems with this picture. First, I have never seen a cow the color of an orange. I realize I am being nit picky and this is suppose to be a cow from the Jersey breed. Second, the milk is the wrong color. I have seen to many cows in the past come down with choloform (sp?) mastitus. When this happens the milk will turn a very nasty brownish watery color. I would say this cow is definitely in the last stage of her life. Their is no way she will survive such a mammary infection as this. Poor lass, may she rest in peace...

Amazement Square

Down on old Main Street, or their abouts, is a remodeled building that has been converted into a childs playground. It is about five floors of science projects. The center of the building is a huge playground that goes up through all five floors. THis picture was taken when we went to Amazement Square for Aleya's birthday.

 

Things In Common

My wife and I went on a date the other evening and our conversation revolved around things we have in common or do we have anything in common. We came to the conclusion that we do not have anything in common as far as hobbies are concerned. Do you and your spouse have anything in common? Of course their are children/church/ministry and things of that nature. Funny thing is, we both took an online personality test and we, apparently, have alot in common. Maybe that is why we don't think we have anything in common. We are both Phlegmatic Melancholy people.

Movin Out

Several weeks ago the girls and I were over at the house piddling. The girls were out side hollering and making a lot of noise and Jackson decided he wanted to be on our side of the road. He and the dog were movin out.

 

Question

I was wondering this morning if it is better to have family devotions or personal devotions. This may sound like a silly question because you should be doing both. However, the fact of the matter is most people don't do either, or do they? Which one is best for the family. Personal devotions would help me be a better parent/father/husband/person. It would increase my love for the Savior. I believe family devotions would do this as well only not in the same way. Yet family devotions would be best for the family as a unit. I think you should do both, I have been missing my personal devotions lately and I have lots of good excuses. We have been having family devotions but I can find myself using that as a basis for not needing to take the time for personal devotions. Oh the devil is always at work.

Mexican Train

Sierra wanted to play a game tonight and she wanted to play Dominoes. I don't know how to play Dominoes the old fashioned way but I do know how to play the Mexican Train. So I taught her how to play the Mexican Train. She picked it up very quickly and we had a grand time. She was getting tired of it, we only played two rounds, but she said it was fun. I feel really good about the evening. Seems like it has been months since I have been home and had any kind of family time. One really cool thing about Sierra is that she can't stand winning. Well, likes to win but she hates it when I lose. I don't know where that came from and I tell her I don't care if I win or not but she still wants me to win. In a perfect world we would both win.

Yankees Part II

It appears that Steinbrenner has decided not to be an idiot after all. Torre said in a press conference the other day that he will be back to manage the Yankees next year. He has been the manager of the Yankees for 11 years and has never missed the playoffs. Not bad. (For your information, I am NOT a Yankee man. I cannot stand the Yankees.) Now I would like to make few comments about another manager, Bobby Cox. Bobby Cox has been managing the Braves for as long as I can remember. This is the first year the Braves have not won their division since the early 90's. I believe they had won their division 13 years in a row. In todays world that is very good. The only negative thing I can say about Cox is his inability to win the World Series. I remember game 7 (I think it was) against the Twins many moons ago. A game they should have won but the Twins faked a double play which caused the baserunner to stop in confusion at second base. If he would not have been confused he would have scored and the Braves would have won. I don't understand how the Braves can win so consistently in the season and never win 0n the worlds biggest stage. Sadly, the Braves were awful this year. (I am a Braves man. I am also an Orioles man.) Anyway, enough about sports. Maybe my next post will be more worth your time...

Who Am I

Here is something I have pondered over the last several months. I wonder what kind of a person you think I am. I realize this could be a very risky question but I ask it anyway. Those of you who do not know me have developed an opinion concerning my personality, honesty, marriage, work, my whole life. So who do you think I am? Then are those of you who know me and have talked to me once or twice. You have formed an opinion of me also. Then their are those of you that know me very well. You are the people I work with, go to church with, live with, extended family, etc. I wonder what you think. Is the image this blog portrayes accurate? Or have I painted a false picture of who I am? I wonder....

On another more earthy note. We finished hauling chicken litter today and are hoping to start disking and planting in the morning. I managed to get the manure truck stuck twice in a row how distressed I was....
Anyway and so forth this is who I am, I think...

Da Yankees Loose

I must say it was some what of a struggle to decide what the title of this post should be. It could also be George Steinbrenner May Be An Idiot but that doesn't sound very christian and is definitely judgemental so we will stick with Da Yankees Loose, DAAAAAA Yankees Loose. Need I say more? Oh yes, in this case I do. George Steinbrenner has an immense amount of money and has spent billions of dollars over the past 5-10 years to establish a championship team. He went and got Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Gary Sheffield amd others so he could win the pennant. However, in the last 6 years the Yankees have not won the World Series, Baseballs biggest stage. I was to young to care but evidently at some point years ago Steinbrenner was thrown out of baseball. I am not sure why but while he was gone an incredible team was established. The basic team that was established won, I believe, four out of five championships in the 90's. When Steinbrenner was allowed back in as owner of the Yankees he was to big headed to accept the fact that he had nothing to do with the players on the team and he wanted to put together his team to make a run for the championship. Thus he began to dismantle and rearrange the team. Their baseball prowess has steadily gotten worse. Five years ago they were losing in the World Series in game seven in the tenth inning. Now they can't make it through the first round of the playoffs. Here is what I do not understand. A New York paper, I believe it was the Post, published an article stating the Yankees were going to fire the manager Joe Torre. Why would he fire Joe Torre? In his Eleven years as managing this franchise he has at least four championships and has made it to the playoffs the last six years. Why fire the manager? It seems to me the owner should be taking some of the blame for the old worn out players he has given the manager to manage. (If I am not mistaken Randy Johnson is getting very close to 45) He spends big money for big time players that have been pampered and babied every where they have played and now they are all in the same locker room trying to get along. Seems to me Steinbrenner should consider firing himself instead of Joe Torre.

National Church Attendance

We sang at Crystal Hill Southern Baptist Church this morning. They had a carry in after the service. In the past these meals never quite live up to the traditional Mennonite carry in. The food is cold 9 times out of 10 and today was no exception. However, it was much better than most and the desert table was heavily laden.

On the way home my mind was wandering and I asked my brother this question. I wonder what percentage of the people in our nation attend church Sunday morning?" Of course we don't know the answer. I also mentioned that a lot of people go to church. He responded with "Their are a lot of people who don't go to church." So, this conversation wasn't very helpful in answering one of life's persistent questions... (I stole this last line from Prarie Home Companion)

Snap, Crackle, Pop

No, I am not talking about Rice Krispies. I am talking about something a lot people do. This concerns the art of knuckle popping. Are you one of the humans who have turned this pastime into a fine art? I have found people either do this little activity gleefully or they are filled with horror and their skin crawls when they are in the presence of one who is performing a snap on his knuckles. I personally am one of these people and I am wondering if you are a snap, crackle, pop kind of person?

Jayden Learns To Walk

Jayden is begining to walk. He seems a little afraid of the idea but it is coming.

 

Chicken Litter

We have been trying to haul some chicken litter from a chicken farm about five miles from our place. We have been putting roughly ten tons on the truck. As you can see the truck wasn't up to the job. I was dumping a load and the box fell off of the truck. I thought it was kinda funny... The girls were with me when it happened. The truck rocked some but I didn't think it was very scarry. However, Sierra told me later that her legs were shaking. Evidently the rod had bent at the pivot point and the rail slid off of the rod. The rest of the welds had broken over the past 30 years and because the load was heavy to the drivers side the box leaned over. I was totally helpless, there was nothing I could do, it just fell off of the truck...

Twisted Mess

 

Oops

 

Jackson

I went in to check on the boys the other evening and this is what I saw. Looks miserable to me.

 

Plumbing

We have been trying to locate a plumber. This has been rather trying for my kind contracter Jerrill Schrock. The first option was a very good option but they had another job under contract so option one turned into a bad option. Option two arrived, glanced around and left. They then told Jerrill they would be glad to do the job for $25,900. WHAT!!! SAY IT ISN'T TRUE... Option three came out this afternoon and looked around for an hour or so. Very nice fellow who was recommended by option one. After some discussion he gave us two choices. The first choice was doing it by the hour and the second choice was him giving us a price. He told us how long he thought it would take and his hourly rate. So we did some quick math and discovered he would fall into the $6-7,000 range. (WHEW...much more better) This evening option four stopped in. After I led him around and showed him what he was up against he gave us a price, $16,000. However, he could start tommorow and cheap guy can't start for two weeks. After pondering this for roughly 10 seconds we decided two weeks wasn't worth 10 grand...

49 years

I find it hard to believe but it is true. Today was our annual hymn sing. (I am unsure if this would be the baptist version of a home coming or not.) Forty-nine years ago today this tradition was begun. The program revolved around or paid homage to familys that have been influential in the musical developement of our church. Next year will be year number fifty, it tends to follow forty-nine, and hopefully we can have something very special. Time will tell...

Not needed

My family and my brother's family are having a yard sale today. I took the children up about 9 and discovered they didn't need my help. This was fine with me. I drove back home and did some major clean up over at the house. I still need to sweep all the floors and make a trip to the dump. I had the joy of starting a lovely fire and proceeded burn many things. (I love playing with fire!) I will feed this afternoon before going up to help them pack up. Then I will be dropping tables off at various locations and doing other odd jobs. I told Rachel last night that it seems like I have not been able to do my share of wining and complaining this time around...

Finally

Well, I am proud to announce that we have finally finished the fall harvest. As of seven this evening we will be finished with the corn header and chopper for the season. Ah, what luxury... Now we move on to the next project. Hauling manure, working the land and planting small grain. Hopefully this will only take a couple of weeks. There are not near as many moving parts on a disk as on the chopper so their should be less break downs...
Tommorow we will be having another yard sale to help offset adoption costs. If you are traveling Wisecarver rd. stop in and see us. We may even cut you a good deal but I doubt it....

Aleya

Due to technical difficulties I was unable to post yesterday. Yesterday was Aleya's birthday. She is now three years old and proud of it. She was thrilled with her few little gifts. I think the thing that thrilled her the most was the phone calls she received from all three of her grandmothers. How cool is that?

Odd Man Out

I have been a member of VOP now for almost ten years. Over the past ten years members of the group have slowly attained modern forms of communication. First it was cell phones but more recently it has been the portable version of the PC, otherwise known as the laptop. This past weekend I discovered that I am now the only bloke that does not have one of these helpful devices. Maybe someday soon I will be able to find a really good reason for spending money on one.

Nascar

I will just say it right up front, I am a Nascar fan. Whew, got that out of the way. We were listening to the race while we were driving yesterday and we got to talking about things that would really irritate us if we were driving in a race. One fellow thought it would be better to wreck in the first ten laps then to wreck in the last ten laps. I disagreed, I think it would be so disappointing to wreck in the first ten laps. Here you are planning on driving four hundred miles and you end up only driving twenty and have last place money to show for it. Would you kindly help us settle this argument? By the way, Matt Kenseth ran out of gas with three laps to go. That would be very annoying. He was in second place at the time...

David

Last night at Snow Hill we met a fellow who had down-syndrom and his name was David. He was an interesting fellow who was very bright in certain areas. He seemed to have a very good sense of humour. He was continually informing us that we had dirt on our shirts and in our hair. The amazing thing was his ability to tell you a road name or number and tell you what states it goes through. He knew where I95, PA Turnpike, and 297 went. I don't know whether he is a veteran of travel or if he is a long lost relative of Mr. McNally.

Goat Island

Yes, their is a Goat Island. Their is also a Goat Island Rd. This road, however, is no where near the island. Apparently a fellow raised goats on this island years ago. I have no recollection of this but these are the facts that have been relayed to me. This island was farm land at one point in history. After the goats were removed from the island it slowly became a forrest. This summer the owner of the island cleared it and asked the neighbor, Dwayne, to farm it. He agreed and planted close to 18 acres of corn. It is some very fine corn, the best I have seen in a long time. Now, this all sounds well and good but you still need to get to island. Yesterday, Sonny and I made this trek in my 4X4 F250 pick up. I was a tad nervous about attempting such a thing but I steeled my nervous system and forward we went. To get to this Island you have to cross the Staunton River. I would say the river is at least 50 yards wide. The place where we crossed was solid rock and the water was sloshing around the floor boards. The rock was very rough also. In retrospect, it may have been the dumbest thing I have ever done, but I doubt it. I felt somewhat like an explorer but I don't think I will be fording this river on a regular basis...

Tour

VOP has a tour scheduled for this weekend. We will be in Snow Hill MD on Fri. eve. Harmony Sat. eve. Central Mennonite in Dover area on Sunday AM and in Catlett Sun. PM. We look forward to seeing you at one of these churchs.

Sweat

Sweating is something we all do. However some of us tend to sweat much more than others. When I sweat it will appear that I have been standing in the rain. I will literally be soaking wet. My face will have rivers of salty water tracking down my forehead before gleefully slinking into my eyes. When Sierra was two she was able to witness this amazing feat. She looked at my face and said; "Daddy what is wrong with you? Your head is leaking...

Stress

How do you combat stress? Do you go for walks, read, mow the lawn, ride bike, or play football? Maybe you read blogs to help you realize you are not the only person who is stressed out!

Employers

I am wondering who was, or is, the best employer you have ever had and why?

Silence

What is silence? Have you ever expierenced it? Is silence the total absence of sound? Or is silence the absence of noise? Is their a difference? When you are longing for peace and quite does that mean their is no sound?
I was lying on the couch this afternoon for slight siesta. The house was quiet except for the ticking of the clock. This reminded me of my grandaddy's house. The house is located in the middle of some huge oak trees. When the lights are off in the living room it tends to be rather dim. A nice quiet room, except for the ticking of the clock. If that clock wasn't ticking it would be a rather uncomfortable room. It would be to silent. Grandaddy's house would not be the same if that clock would be removed from the premises. So, when I am longing for peace and quiet I long for a room that makes me comfortable. A room with a ticking clock...

Dylan

Dylan climbed this ladder by himslef. Notice Papa's watchful gaze...

 

Uncle Rod

Uncle Rod frying up some Jimmy Deans...

 

The Tale Of The Serpent

Two days ago I noticed a nice long skin lying on top of the block wall of the other house. This made me a little uneasy but my soul was comforted when I remembered I had killed one earlier that was similar in length. However, deep in my trembling heart, I knew the length of the two was not a good match. Their must be another slippery critter in our midst. That same afternoon the young man who was framing in some basement windows glanced up at the floor joists. Wooptydodaday what did he see!? A serpent that was at least six foot long. This causes much distress and I was awake half the night, trying to figure out away to eliminate the snake from my future dwelling. Apparently I was not the only person who was thinking. The fellow working in the basement, Karlin, had a brilliant idea and we acted upon it. We took some old paper seed bags, tore them up and stuffed them into the block wall. Then we took cans of expandable foam insulation and filled the top of the blocks. This should seal the top of the walls and not allow them to sneak into our humble abode. The purpose of the paper was to hold the foam up until it hardened. I think we will have a very tight house by the time we are finished...

One Year Old

L-R Jayden, Dylan, Jackson

 

Elephant Ears

 

Headache

Last night I had the worst headache of my life. I was literally nauseated. I don't think I have ever had a headache that made me sick to my stomach. After lying in bed for an hour and a half I had recuperated enough to be a father for a few minuets before we sent the children to bed. Have you ever had a headache that made you queasy? Maybe all of yours are this way. If so, I pity you...

Another Ford

It was oldies weekend at the campground. So I have posted some pictures of these vehicles for your enjoyment. I don't know what year model this is but I do know it is a Ford.

 

Ford

I don't know the year on this either but I really like it...

 

Plymouth

I am assuming this is a Plymouth but I really do not know...

 

Fairlane

I don't know what year this is, do you?

 

57 Chevy

My Father-In-Law always wanted a 57 Chevy...

 

79 Firebird

I think that is what he said.

 

Lazy Days

We arrived home around 7 this evening. I must say I had more fun than I have ever had while camping. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the sleeping quarters. The cabin we were in was more like a hut. I would guess it was about 10x15. I am sure Laura Ingles had a larger wagon than this... Okay, enough complaining. We cooked over the fire, sat around, chewed the fat, spit it out, and chewed some more. Played shuffle board, mini golf, and wore ourselves out while paddling boats around the stagnant lake. We also wore ourselves out riding bike and watching the children roam the wild plains of Friendship Village. Okay, they were not that wild but it sounds good. In the evening we made Elephant Ears and Smoores while roasting more hotdogs and Cheddarworsts (sp?). Anyway, I believe everyone had an enjoyable time and I will post some pictures in the near future...

Question

Before I leave on this vacation I would like to ask you a question. Is happiness, joy, peace, etc. a choice? Do we choose to be this or have them?

Hopefully I will have lots of pictures to post upon my return...

Mini Vacation

We are leaving in the morning for a weekend with my wife's family. We will be camping near Bedford PA. I am planning on having a grand time even though camping isn't my first love. What would be your first choice for a family vacation?

Isralites

Can you learn anything from the Isralites? If so, what is it? I am thinking specifically about their trip from Egypt to Canaan.

Jack

After getting off of the phone I glanced down and this is what I saw. Jackson put this girly bow on his own head...
Funny stuff...

Living Room

This will be the new and improved living room.

 

Dogs & Cats

If you navigatet to this site very often you will know that we have in our possesion one cat and one dog. I had never thought about the difference bewteen the two species before but they have some major personality differences. Cupcake appears to enjoy social activities rarely and seems to be disinterested in human life in general. Blackie, however, jumps at every opportunity to make his presence known. He loves the children and adores anyone who takes the time to acknowledge his existence. The relationship between these two animals has become something of a spectacle. Cupcake endures all sorts of unwanted advances from Blackie. Blackie bowls Cupcake over every chance he gets. Blackie treats the cat like he is another puppy. Cupcake is a rather patient animal but there appear to limits to these types of activities. Cupcake has now taken to leaping on top of the picnic to table to avoid these acts of terror. This also gives the ability to swat Blackie on his tender black nose. These antics bring me much joy and anticipation. The strategy of the cat and the dumbness of the puppy...

Remodeling Update

This is the new and improved opening between the living room and the dining room.

 

School

As you know we are home schooling. We were using ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) however, we were not very impressed with Science and Social Studies. On a wim I mentioned to Rachel that she should check out AIG (Answers In Genesis) and see if they had any kind of science curriculum. So she went to their website and then ordered some information. We then ordered a book on the animal kingdom. It is very good and I would encourage every parent to check it out. Even if you are not home schooling it would be a very useful tool or aid in your childs education.