Isaac, Benjamin, Daniel and Noah were out-numbered by the girls, but they had a great time doing boy-stuff!
It's just about time to say "goodbye" and everyone is getting comfortable...hopefully it won't be so long between visits from now on.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
A Day with Long-time Friends
We've known the Heffington family for years. We've really missed spending time with them since both our families changed churches nearly seven years ago. Last summer we were reunited and spoke of spending a day together at their new home. God has blessed them in miraculous ways with a lovely new, large house. On last Friday it finally worked out! (the dads and Daniel were aaway at work) Everyone had a great time getting to know one another again, or for the first time. We have added a couple of children to our families since we were together regularly. The children wasted no time getting reacquainted. We share many similar hopes and experiences and we enjoy encouraging each other in new seasons. We are very thankful for all of the Heffingtons!
Isaac, Benjamin, Daniel and Noah were out-numbered by the girls, but they had a great time doing boy-stuff!
It's just about time to say "goodbye" and everyone is getting comfortable...hopefully it won't be so long between visits from now on.
Isaac, Benjamin, Daniel and Noah were out-numbered by the girls, but they had a great time doing boy-stuff! It's just about time to say "goodbye" and everyone is getting comfortable...hopefully it won't be so long between visits from now on. 
Fall Vacation
It seems so long ago, but a couple of weeks ago our family travelled to Floyd, Virginia, to stay with family and friends for a long weekend in the woods. The weather predictions had been so grim that we were tempted to cancel. Ultimately, we decided that we were willing to risk being stuck indoors if it did rain or snow all weekend.
We had a wonderful time of being with Granddad Bill and Grandma Brenda and their friends, Buck and Darlene. Buck had brought a couple of four-wheelers for us to ride. Despite the cold weather, we were all able to enjoy some beautiful trips through the colorful woods and fields. Last summer we had fished and swam, this fall, we spent our time indoors or hiking. It was warmer in the woods than near the lake and everyone was well-dressed for adventure.
On the way home we finally stopped on the Parkway at Lover's Leap. We had driven by many times, but had intentionally pulled over this time. The view was breath-taking! If only we could have made a family photo there.
In Danville, we spent a couple of hours looking at tanks in the museum there. The boys and Bob loved it!
We're already hoping for another trip to the mountains in April!
Mabry Mill (a favorite on the Blue Ridge parkway) was lovely as we passed by on our way to the cabin. It made this snapshot from the road look like a postcard!
Noah and I went with all the girls on a hike to the pasture. It was the first of many for the older ones.
This is called Buffalo Mountain, named for it's appearance.
Bob and I snuggled with our littlest ones on a couple of chilly rides. When we started to ride we moved Noah between me and Bob where it was most warm. Poor Bob took all the 40 degree wind!
We found these edibles: snowberries. They taste like wintergreen, or the old Clark's Teaberry Gum.
This is the whole crew. Mom and Bill, Buck and Darlene, their daughter, granddaughter and son in law, and our family.
Dan, Kendal, Kelsey and Anna at Lover's Leap.
At the Tank Museum. 
We had a wonderful time of being with Granddad Bill and Grandma Brenda and their friends, Buck and Darlene. Buck had brought a couple of four-wheelers for us to ride. Despite the cold weather, we were all able to enjoy some beautiful trips through the colorful woods and fields. Last summer we had fished and swam, this fall, we spent our time indoors or hiking. It was warmer in the woods than near the lake and everyone was well-dressed for adventure.
On the way home we finally stopped on the Parkway at Lover's Leap. We had driven by many times, but had intentionally pulled over this time. The view was breath-taking! If only we could have made a family photo there.
In Danville, we spent a couple of hours looking at tanks in the museum there. The boys and Bob loved it!
We're already hoping for another trip to the mountains in April!
Mabry Mill (a favorite on the Blue Ridge parkway) was lovely as we passed by on our way to the cabin. It made this snapshot from the road look like a postcard!
Noah and I went with all the girls on a hike to the pasture. It was the first of many for the older ones.
This is called Buffalo Mountain, named for it's appearance.
Bob and I snuggled with our littlest ones on a couple of chilly rides. When we started to ride we moved Noah between me and Bob where it was most warm. Poor Bob took all the 40 degree wind!
We found these edibles: snowberries. They taste like wintergreen, or the old Clark's Teaberry Gum.
This is the whole crew. Mom and Bill, Buck and Darlene, their daughter, granddaughter and son in law, and our family.
Dan, Kendal, Kelsey and Anna at Lover's Leap.
At the Tank Museum. 
Saturday, October 10, 2009
A great source of protein...
Once Daniel ate an earthworm. He told our optometrist who is also a Boy Scout troop leader. Right then he began to search the internet for a real earthworm recipe. We found several and discussed this new menu item for days.
Recently Isaac decided that he must rise to meet the challenge and he ate a worm too! The girls captured it all on camera video and we think it's hilarious. So we're posting it for your entertainment and to preserve our family "memory".
By the way, we asked the boys to stop eating worms, unless we are starving. We checked out some books and even bought one that tells us about edible plants. Now they're all eating sorrel from our yard. That's ok though. It tastes like sweetarts and is loaded with vitamins. There's also no internal organs-that's the best part! Here is a photo of sorrel:
Isaac eating the worm: ( If you were wondering, it was still alive:) )
Recently Isaac decided that he must rise to meet the challenge and he ate a worm too! The girls captured it all on camera video and we think it's hilarious. So we're posting it for your entertainment and to preserve our family "memory".
By the way, we asked the boys to stop eating worms, unless we are starving. We checked out some books and even bought one that tells us about edible plants. Now they're all eating sorrel from our yard. That's ok though. It tastes like sweetarts and is loaded with vitamins. There's also no internal organs-that's the best part! Here is a photo of sorrel:
Isaac eating the worm: ( If you were wondering, it was still alive:) )Trying to Celebrate the Feasts of the Lord!
This fall our family was anticipating the celebration of the Fall feasts that are described by God to Moses, in the Old Testament. The feasts have been considered to be part of the "Law" therefore not "required" for those of us who are Christians by Christ's death and resurrection. However, we have enjoyed reading and learning from other Christians and Messianic Jews about how and why they celebrate the Feasts of the Lord. The Fall feasts are defined as dress rehearsals for the Lord's return. So why wouldn't we, who are excited about His return, celebrate?
This year we invited dear friends over for Rosh Hashana. We were going to have a meal, read some scriptures and worship together. That means lots of guitar playing and singing! Sadly, both families fell ill and we had to cancel. We'd hoped that by Yom Kippur we'd be able to try again. Not so.
Our last chance was Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkoth (Gen 33:7), a family fort festival. The celebration of this feast was recorded in II Chron. 8:13, 31:3, Ezra 3:4, and Neh. 8:15-17 and John ch 7.
We were to built a "temporary dwelling" or sukkah in our yard and spend some time in it as a family for seven days during the Feast, last Sunday through tonight. Unfortunately, last Saturday night after we enjoyed a meal, a reading and short worship time in our sukkah, Bob fell ill with the flu. Thankfully, we had started one day early.
This week, the children have been adding onto and playing inside the sukkah. It became their camp. This was a far cry from the scripture which says to "live in booths" or huts for seven days. That would be challenging but definitely a memory maker! Bob is feeling alot better and we hope to be able to gather there once more tonight.
We hope each time we attempt to put more of God's word into action that our children will have His love and priceless heritage written upon their hearts. We want to diligently teach them all of God's ways. His words of rich blessings of tradition are a large part of how we can know our God and Savior. The more we know Him, the more we trust Him and want to serve Him.
'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' Lev. 23:39-43
The dates of the Feasts are determined by the Jewish calendar and their New Year is in September, their seventh month. It's all based upon the cycles of the moons, Sabbaths, and seasons. What a wonderful time to celebrate the fall harvest time! There are atleast three names for each feast and we are still getting the spelling, meanings and such mixed up. But we do understand much more this year than last! Glory to His name. It's all about remembering His faithfulness to His people!
Our neighbor climbed in the sukkah, at the boys' request, and asked if it was a duck blind. : ) We gave a short explanation of what we are really doing. The already knew that we are different. That confirmed it!
Hopefully by next year we will figure out a better building plan for our temporary dwelling, but as you can see, this time we used stepladders for the main supports!!! It did look nearly attractive when the leaves of the branches were green...not so much a week later. The children had a blast working on it. Not a single complaint! />
It was lovely inside!
added later:
Shalom!
This year we invited dear friends over for Rosh Hashana. We were going to have a meal, read some scriptures and worship together. That means lots of guitar playing and singing! Sadly, both families fell ill and we had to cancel. We'd hoped that by Yom Kippur we'd be able to try again. Not so.
Our last chance was Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkoth (Gen 33:7), a family fort festival. The celebration of this feast was recorded in II Chron. 8:13, 31:3, Ezra 3:4, and Neh. 8:15-17 and John ch 7.
We were to built a "temporary dwelling" or sukkah in our yard and spend some time in it as a family for seven days during the Feast, last Sunday through tonight. Unfortunately, last Saturday night after we enjoyed a meal, a reading and short worship time in our sukkah, Bob fell ill with the flu. Thankfully, we had started one day early.
This week, the children have been adding onto and playing inside the sukkah. It became their camp. This was a far cry from the scripture which says to "live in booths" or huts for seven days. That would be challenging but definitely a memory maker! Bob is feeling alot better and we hope to be able to gather there once more tonight.
We hope each time we attempt to put more of God's word into action that our children will have His love and priceless heritage written upon their hearts. We want to diligently teach them all of God's ways. His words of rich blessings of tradition are a large part of how we can know our God and Savior. The more we know Him, the more we trust Him and want to serve Him.
'So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days; the first day is a day of rest, and the eighth day also is a day of rest. On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the LORD for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.' Lev. 23:39-43
The dates of the Feasts are determined by the Jewish calendar and their New Year is in September, their seventh month. It's all based upon the cycles of the moons, Sabbaths, and seasons. What a wonderful time to celebrate the fall harvest time! There are atleast three names for each feast and we are still getting the spelling, meanings and such mixed up. But we do understand much more this year than last! Glory to His name. It's all about remembering His faithfulness to His people!
Our neighbor climbed in the sukkah, at the boys' request, and asked if it was a duck blind. : ) We gave a short explanation of what we are really doing. The already knew that we are different. That confirmed it!
Hopefully by next year we will figure out a better building plan for our temporary dwelling, but as you can see, this time we used stepladders for the main supports!!! It did look nearly attractive when the leaves of the branches were green...not so much a week later. The children had a blast working on it. Not a single complaint! />
It was lovely inside!
added later:We were able to have a meal and worship on the last night of the Feast of Tabernacles.
Shalom!
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