Recent Pictures

Here are some pictures mainly from March.

On this slideshow there are pictures from Allen and Abigail's birthday party (their birthdays are March 30th and March 16th; Allen turned 15, Abigail turned 7), pictures from a picnic at the park, etc.

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The Power of Prayer

So awhile ago our washer went out. We should have seen it coming, really. It had been making ominous clunking noises for weeks. I told Abigail that there was a monster living in there (not out of any malicious intent, you understand). My mother was the one who believed me, though, so she called up a washer repairman. He showed up and leaned over the washer, listening to the clunking and doing that knowing nod that only plumbers and appliance repairmen can pull off. He then straightened up and explained to us that the ball bearings were going out or something. We listened intently and tried, with little success, to look like we understood a word of what he was saying. The part we did understand was when he hitched up his pants the cowboy way (holding the belt buckle) and drawled, "I reckon you got 'bout six months o' use out o' this thing. I'll call you up with an estimate. Tell you how much it'll probably be to fix it." Which all sounds very promising, until you realize that the only time the washer gets any rest is when we're all asleep.
The very next day, there came from the laundry room a heartrending shriek. We all ran fast and even faster to the scene of the disaster, and we found Mommy standing hunched over the washer, murmuring over and over, "It's broken. It's broken. It's broken." Yes, the washer had died. Right in the middle of a load, filled with filthy water, it had given up the ghost, with absolutely no consideration for the desperate family it was leaving behind. After a brief, but intense, period of mourning, we scooped the dripping, itchy, detergent-y clothes out of the washer and rinsed them in the sink. Which worked out well for the time being. But then we asked ourselves, "Just how are we supposed to get the REST of our clothes washed?" The answer came in the form of a small neighborhood laundromat, which we have used for the last six weeks.
Neither Mommy nor Daddy had given much thought to a new washer. It would be rather a large expense, not to mention that we would just have to pack it up again when we move. But when Mommy woke up this morning and realized that today is Laundromat Day (which comes round twice a week and involves hauling six tons of clothes to and from the place and hauling it back home and taking days to dry it all in our dryer), she knew she couldn't just keep on like that. She turned to God, closed her eyes, and quietly asked Him to provide us with a new washer. Within the very hour Grandma called. She asked if we were still going to the laundromat, to which Mommy replied in the affirmative.
"That gets pretty expensive, doesn't it?" she asked. ".....You know what? I'm going to buy you a new washer!"
And she did! She, Grandpa, Amy, Allen, and a neighbor finished installing it this afternoon. (It's gorgeous, by the way.) Is that not amazing, fantastic, and just all around wonderful? It's just--I mean-- wow! God is so good!

Drive Through ATM Procedures

I saw this a couple years ago and thought it was hilarious.


Please note that banks are installing new "Drive-through" teller machines. Customers will be able to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. To enable customers to use this new facility the following procedures have been drawn up.
MALE PROCEDURE
* 1 Drive up to the cash machine.
* 2 Put down your car window.
* 3 Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
* 4 Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
* 5 Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
* 6 Put window up.
* 7 Drive off.

FEMALE PROCEDURE
* 1 Drive up to cash machine.
* 2 Reverse back the required amount to align car window to machine.

* 3 Set parking Brake, Put the window down.
* 4 Find handbag, remove all contents onto passenger seat to locate card.
* 5 Turn the radio down.
* 6 Attempt to insert card into machine.
* 7 Attempt to insert card into machine.
* 8 Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
* 9 Insert card.
* 10 Re-insert card the right side up
* 11 Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
* 12 Enter PIN.
* 13 Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
* 14 Enter amount of cash required.
* 15 Check make up in rear view mirror.
* 16 Retrieve cash and receipt.
* 17 Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
* 18 Place receipt in back of checkbook.
* 19 Re-check make-up again.
* 20 Drive forwards 2 feet.
* 21 Reverse back to cash machine.
* 22 Retrieve card.
* 23 Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided.
* 24 Give appropriate one-fingered hand signal to irate male drivers queuing behind.
* 25 Restart stalled engine and pull off.
* 26 Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
* 27 Release Parking Brake.

Lego Video by Avery

The boys' (Allen, Avery, and Andrew T.) latest pastime has been making Lego slideshows using their digital camera. They set up a scene and make what is basically a flip book in digital form, re-posing the figures for each shot. They're getting pretty good at it! Once they upload the pictures onto the computer, they click through the pictures really quickly to watch their creations come alive.

Well, I didn't think clicking as fast as you can was a very sophisticated finish for all the hard work they put into these things. So, Andrea and I just got Avery and Allen a video editor for their birthdays.

(Allen's is at the end of March, Avery's is coming up this May... we have a joke about how many "combination" gifts we give. But hey, gifts have to go a long way! Daddy has gotten Birthday/Father's Day/Christmas gifts...)

Now they can put their slideshows into video form and add sound effects.

Anyway, without further ado, here is Avery's first video that he produced and edited all by himself. I thought it was pretty neat!

a transformer guy traversing our kitchen table on his skateboard

Birdies

Yesterday we had quite the adventure. We found two baby birds in our attic (as you can see they're almost grown, but I still say they're babies).

We heard a ton of chirping so Uncle Micah went up into the attic and he saw a HUGE nest, but he nor Daddy saw any birds. They sent me and Avery into the attic (which seemed to be 200 degrees) to clear away the nest and we saw a little bird, chirping away. Daddy told us to catch it, so we don't have birds in our house. We were both kind of scared to catch it but we had to. When we went to catch it we realized that there was one more bird in the nest. We quickly caught the first one (with a net), put it in a shoebox, and took it outside. We set it under our tree, so it would be in the shade. Then we caught the second and put it in the same spot.

While Daddy and A.T. were blocking up the hole that the birds went in, the Mama (or Papa, I don't know which) flew up and squawked at Daddy. We knew the parents were going to be looking for their kids. We were waiting and waiting 'til the Mama and Papa would find them. Then Andrea called all of us and said, "Look, the mom and dad are feeding them!" We all rushed to the window, and sure enough they were there.

They have come back several times, bringing food every time for their kids. We are waiting for the day when the babies will learn how to fly.

During this experience I've been thinking how much thought God put into birds; he thought up how they feed their young (which is really cool), how they find their young when they have been moved, and how they fly.

But hopefully that's the end of birds in our house!

My letter.

Hi from Amy! I thought I'd share this letter that I recently sent out explaining my plans for post-highschool life. (Of course it looked much better all formatted and printed out... =] )

_______________________________


Dear Friends and Family,
I have officially finished high school! I graduated May 2nd in a CHEC (Christian Home Educators of Colorado) ceremony and received my diploma from my parents.
Homeschooling has been such a blessing in my life, especially in this past year. I don’t know where else I could have kept God as the focus in my education, grown so close to my family, and had a such an accommodating schedule that allowed me to serve God and my family in many ways.
Now that I’m done with high school, you’re probably wondering what my next move is.

First off, I have decided not to go to college. This decision has puzzled many friends (and strangers). In today’s culture young men and women are expected to leave their families, earn a degree at college, and pursue a lofty career. But I don’t believe that matches up with God’s expectations and His will for me.
Throughout the Bible, women are instructed to be submissive (not servile) to their authority (father or husband), to be keepers of the home, raise their children according to God’s word, and to be industrious (Ephesians 5:22-24, 1 Timothy 2:9-12, Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:4-5). Proverbs 31 is the blueprint for a woman of God. It reads in part:

10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. 11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. 13 She seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands. 14 She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. 16 She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard. 17 She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. 18 She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle. 20 She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants. 25 Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. 29 "Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all." 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.

I can’t think of a better place than my own home to cultivate these characteristics in myself, under the guidance of my mom and dad! Why would I go off to college and practice for something other than what I want to do?
Sadly, today the outcry is that when the Biblical model for a woman is followed, women are devalued and lowly. The opposite is true! All throughout scripture God has made it clear how precious a virtuous woman is, and when a woman is the keeper of her home and obeys her husband, she is lifted up. Even so, many women still seek "fulfillment" outside of God’s will and try instead following the world‘s standards. Their search never really ends. I am so glad I’ve realized the freedom, happiness, and fulfillment I can enjoy within God’s will.
Obviously, I'm not a wife and mother yet, but that does not mean that I’m just going to "sit around waiting for Prince Charming." This is a very valuable time in my life that I do not plan on wasting!
We should be learning continually. Proverbs 18:15 says, “The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” I don’t believe that college in and of itself is wrong, but I don’t think it’s the only way to gain knowledge. I am going to continue getting educated here at home. Since we were especially busy between the two stores this year, I did not get around to doing physics and calculus. I still plan on completing those courses. We started a new curriculum this year that focused on Bible history, and I will most likely continue with that portion of the curriculum. I also have a mountain of books that I am going to tackle.
Aside from that, I would like to pursue photography as a small business. I’d love to do senior pictures, family portraits, and events, especially weddings. I have a LOT to learn, so I may take a few photography classes soon and find a wedding photographer to shadow. Not attending college has the added bonus of a very flexible schedule. I have several other short-term goals and interests and I am so happy to be free to pursue them. I hope to find many opportunities to serve within my family, our church, and our community.
I’m very excited for what God has in store for me in these coming years and look forward to learning and growing much. Thank you for your prayers for my family and for me at this point in my life!
Love,
Amy

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths."
-Proverbs 3:5-6

My Beautiful Firstborn (AMY)

Wow! My baby Amy (yes she's 18, but still my baby, just all grown up, graduated and ready to continue serving her Lord and Saviour) We just recently, May 2nd, celebrated her graduation at a C.H.E.C. ( Christian Home Educators of Colorado) graduation ceremony. I wanted to share with you all what I said at her graduation on behalf of Ann and myself.

Amy, in addition to your hard work on your academics, we (your mother and I) want you to know how grateful we are that.....
when your peers [ I guess the kids told me I pronounced this 'pears' with my Bahamian accent, so I hope the audience understood what I was sayng. :-) ] were out chasing their self-fulfillment, you, sweetheart, were working full-time with Daddy to help save our family's business. Thank you!
Amy, when your peers were out and about chasing the world, building worldly, non-Godly relationships, you were at home building Christ-centered relationships with your siblings. Thank you!
Amy, when your peers were on their computers chatting about last night's party, you were at home writing pro-life, anti-abortion blogs, boldly proclaiming Christ. In addition, you were at home on the computer making marketing flyers for Daddy; again, helping to try save our family's business. Thank you Amy!
Amy, [AND THIS WAS PROBABLY OUR MOST IMPORTANT THANK YOU TO HER] when all your peers were out seeking worldly fulfillment by finding boyfriends, you were content to keep yourself pure. You were at home being schooled, serving God, preparing yourself to one day be a Godly wife and mother, learning from Mommy, not the world, and being protected by me, your father. Thank you Amy!
Amy, your heart is in the right place. For these are right and good and pleasing to God. Your Mom and I and all your siblings are proud of you. Thank you, sweetheart, for all this. We love you!

Oh me oh my! It was so hard to fight back the tears. I ws so proud of my little baby Amy. Thank you God, for this bundle of joy. I like what someone at church told me the day after. He said, " If you think it was hard to fight back tears at a graduation, wait 'til you have to deal with her wedding." (His first daughter had just recently got married.)

Side Note: Men reading this. If you have a daughter, I would highly recommend reading What He Must Be If He Wants To Marry My Daughter - by Voddie Baucham Jr.. This is what Ann and I have always wanted for our girls (and how what we want our boys to be for their future spouse as well). This is how we have parented our childern. Voddie Baucham really puts it all together to make sense. Best parts of the book are on pages 46, 110 & 163. Now you have to go out and buy the book. The heart of the book is basically: How to walk our daughters through the process of finding, vetting, courting and marrying Mr. Right.

OK. Now, back to Amys graduation. It was a beautiful ceremony, and we look forward to at least eight more of them. We had a graduation party at the house afterwards. We served Bahamian-style food like Bahamian Rice, Conch Fritters (I forgot to put out the killer sauce), Lime Chicken, Baked Mac. And Cheese (Bahamian style) among other delicious victuals. I made some Guava Duff but forgot to put that out!

The CAKE!

I made the cake which was a collective effort by us all: Allison made the icing and I decorated it,
Ann and Amy put all the finishing touches on it with their floral arrangements, and Andrea

made the very detailed cake toppers out of clay. She made a graduation cap ( mortar board). The detail was amazing. She also crafted a desk, chair, lamp, Bible with a pencil sticking out of it, note paper with a pencil on it, and index cards. It was a work of art. Thanks Ann, Amy, Andrea and Allison.

Well, this was my first blog ever. You'd think I was 80-my first blog- shame on me for being so late to the computer age! Now I have to keep this up.

Blessings to all of you reading this.

I leave you with I Peter 5:8 and I Peter 3:15-17

Inauguration

Hello, all!

Well this is our official inaugural blog.

We decided that the blog format would work out much better for us than the website. It's much easier to update, and Amy's not the only one who knows how to use it.
We wanted something online to be able to keep everyone up to date with family happenings, post pictures, and share our thoughts.

Hope you all enjoy this!