The M Thomases...

Totaled

2011-12-27T15:13:00.000-05:00

Last week we were reminded of God's love and protection over us in a big way. Pa, Mom, Matthew, and Micaiah were on their way to our friends house (Marscel stayed home with me because I was sick). As they were turning on their road they were hit by a car traveling 65mph. The other driver, an older lady, came over the hill and not thinking she could slow down in time she she had two options 1 swerve to miss them into oncoming traffic or 2 swerve off to the shoulder of the road. She did the second and lost control of the car hitting right near the passenger door of our van.

They were pushed 60 feet after the hit. That's our van on the left. We are so thankful it wasn't pushed into the road.

A close up of our van... the second to be totaled in our family. Mom was sitting in the passenger seat.

The other car. Her airbag went off and she was fine.

Pa and Mom off to the hospital in their first ambulance ride. Pa hit his face and has a huge blood blister on his lip and Mom bit through her lip. She had to get it glued and it's healing nicely and Pa's x-rays came back good! We were told most people that are in an accident on that road aren't so fortunate and don't make it out alive. Mom said the verse that kept coming to mind was Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."

Back at the Cochrans.

Thank you so much for taking care of them so well!

A group shot of the kids before heading back. Thank you for the pictures Savannah!

We are reminded of how fleeting our life is and rejoicing that though sore and bruised, the Lord protected them from any further harm!

Henry James Thomas

2011-12-02T22:39:00.001-05:00

Henry James Thomas is here!

He arrived at 6:06pm yesterday December 1st and was 9lbs. 4oz.

Though unable to be there in person with modern technology I was able to take a picture of the Thomas family of four :-) Congratulations Michael and Rebekah... and Jack too!

We were so glad Mom was able to be there!

Jack was glad she could be there too!

2011-11-22T21:43:00.001-05:00

I was hoping to get a post up before Thanksgiving, but was too busy with preperations and travel to Jordan and Melissa's, but here it is at last. It's been a while since the last post, but that certainly isn't because we haven't had anything interesting going on worthy of taking pictures. As I mentioned in our last post we were going to be moving to an apartment that needed some renovating. We are now officially out of the place in Edmond, but still working on our last room while living out of boxes as you shall see... but first I begin with before the move:

It's so handy having a beautiful model when you are going through a photography class.

I hope to be like her someday!

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Who says playgrounds are for kids?

Boxes in storage = moving has begun

Enjoying some fellowship with Hannah and Lily after a days packing.

Thank you so much for your help, ladies!

First day of renovating. Step one: mud all holes in wall

Cleaning the only finished room... the bathroom. Glad we didn't have to fix anything in there!

Now for a tour of the "before" pictures...

The boys room aka Marscel's room.

My room... as well as the library and sewing spot. It opens into the boys room (the green in the lower picture) and through the double doors to the....

Living room

Top view is taken from the kitchen door and the bottom from my room

The kitchen... with cockroaches. Thankfully they have almost all been annihilated

The pantry (and closets for the master bedroom)

The master bedroom

The kitchen and pantry both had five layers of wallpaper and paint that had to be scraped off

The five layers in the pantry

Learning how to mud and tape from Mr. Bender

So many friends came to help on the weekend

AND a lot came the next weekend too! We are so blessed! Thank you all so much for your help

At first we thought the master bedroom was just paint... then we noticed parts of it peeling away. Seems they painted over wallpaper

After all the cracks and holes have been filled (all the little white patches) the texturing can begin

Knocking it down

"I think he is ready to go pro!"

After the texturing comes the priming and then ceiling paint

Next the paint. If you're tired of my tutorial like comments feel free to skip them. I won't be offended.

One room down five to go

Boys room after... the only room we were able to take after pictures in before the boxes arrived.

Starting my room. At first I wasn't sure of the color. It seemed like I was painting tomato soup on my wall. I love how it looks when it's dried though, so warm and colonial-ish.

We all kind of fell into a routine of "our" job. Mom does a great job on the trim!

The right side is before I cleaned the excess paint off the window. The left side is after.

Forever etched on the walls... for the "ever" that the walls are there anyway. Whether written on the walls or not the true love will remain

Speaking of love... Our photo assignment for the week was to take a framed picture.

*smile*

Moving day has arrived! This is the first move I was not there for the major moving day. I had the opportunity to go to the Gospel Centered Marriage Conference with Matthew and Micaiah. Unfortunately, since we only have one camera I don't have any pictures of our time there (You can order the set and hear what we heard at the NCFIC store). Back in Oklahoma I was told the camera battery died after this was taken. Just picture a bunch of busy people loading the truck, driving, and unloading.

When I arrived back I had to capture the memories of what it was like.

Just enough room for a mat. I can't wait to see the "after" pictures of the rooms :-)

Not sure where all this stuff will end up

Yeah, things are a bit packed

We just finished painting the pantry today, so it looks nothing like this... well the walls look nothing like this... everything else looks similar

Having to work around all the boxes was an added challenge...

It made for some interesting, fun situations. I was only balancing on a pole from the staging that wasn't set up and was only balanced against the wall. This was my happy solution. I ended up having to move things to set a ladder up in the end since I can't cut the paint in behind my back... not yet anyway.

Pa working on one of the most warped, patch needing places. Looks great now.

Mom painting, sprinkling more love here and there

At first glance I thought all the hard work was aging Marscel rapidly.

He sure cleans up well though

Practicing with reflectors and indoor lights with our neighbor Brad.

In case you think we always look good... here you see we don't wake up looking all with it. Nevertheless we wish Mom a very happy birthday. We usually go sing to the person when we first get up. Sometimes we like to light a candle and stick it in an apple or orange, but having neither we thought cookies were a happy alternative and having the candles packed the lighter worked.

The Cochrans remembered it was her birthday and put up decorations when we visited them.

Happy Birthday, Mom! You don't look more then 24! No wonder people think we're sisters! I love it and I love you!

One more reason I love our small town

*Note: Children do not try this at home without your parents permission

Our first visitors in Guthrie! The Rudds braved our box filled house to be able to visit.

Taking time to smell the roses... or in this case pet some puppies

We're so glad you were able to come!

What would a tour of Guthrie be without a visit to the drugstore museum?

One more shot together... I always loved these type of shots.

The advantage to playing the same song over and over again is you still remember it years later and can play it when you visit the First Publishing Museum

Fancy what we'd see on the back of the piano!

They did end up using one of the pictures we took back in April

The more the merrier? You bet! I love the saying "There's always room for one more". Overlapping with the Rudds, Stephen also got to stay with us. Since he was working at the horse show during the day we would catch up in the evenings.

Thanks for all your help, Stephen! If you ever need big appliances moved (ie fridges and freezers), or a bunch of cans and jars stacked, Stephen is the man.

Good friends, good conversations, good times

We thought we should get a picture of how he spent most of his time... since most of his time was spent sleeping. I wonder if he always sleeps smiling :-)

Me and two of my "little" brothers.
As Mom is with Michael and Rebekah (stay tuned for whether I'll have another nephew or niece!) We didn't have a camera for the rest of the week and thus, were unable to take any pictures of the American World Quarter Horse Show. Thanks for taking us Stephen!

Hopefully I'll get a thanksgiving post up soon... sooner then later anyway.

Erik and Amber's wedding

2011-10-07T00:34:00.005-04:00

Pull up a chair and enjoy the post. At the end is the latest big news of our family.

Two of my darling nephews... and why are we there?

" Wuv, twue wuv... is what bwings us togever today"

Getting her nails done pretty

Setting the stage

The tulle transformers

Time for the ladies to get ready.

As everyone is getting ready Amber asks for a glue gun. I was a bit puzzled at what craft she would want to do on her wedding.... flowers for your hair! Sunflowers make great hair ornaments and last some hours. All you have to do is glue a hair pin on the back. Isn't that genius?!?

Pictures of them getting their pictures taken

The Hansen Siblings

And the rest of the lovely family

The boys arrive

...along with the movie stars Mr. and Mrs Brad Steele

See over there? That is a no go zone

Where the men wait for the right time...

All right folks, it's time!

The procession begins

The moment arrives

Anticipation mounts

The bride has come

Even though it is a little blurry I love the look they are sharing

from Melissa's angle

The radiantly beautiful bride

Praying a blessing over the new couple by their fathers

You may now kiss the bride

(unfortunately the only picture I got of them kissing was super blurry. Just think of a sweet fairy tale)

"...As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,

So shall your God rejoice over you"

The new Mr. and Mrs. Erik Hansen dancing their way out

Right after they played a video of the story of how they met. It is such a beautiful tale God's love and faithfulness and the reward that comes when you wait and trust in Him. You can view it here

Instead of a cake they had many different pies

This picture represents the fun time we had dancing to end the night.

For those of you with good memories (or that just scrolled to the bottom of the page to see what the news is) the latest big change for us is that we are moving again! Our year contract runs out the end of the month and they wanted to raise the rent. The Lord led us to a place the first day we started looking at places. A Victorian type apartment in the center of town that needs a bit of renovating. With the help of our wonderful friends we have already started packing and will be moving and fixing the place up over the month. I will try and get some pictures of the place up before my computer gets packed.

You may be wondering what we did the rest of September. We had an amazing family vacation together in Utah and Jordan did such a great post (even if he did leave out a few of the best pictures IMHO) and since I took half the pictures anyway, it will be like reading my blog except with his wonderfully funny commentary (any of his pokes at me is his way of saying I'm his favorite sister-in-law and wishes we lived even closer... or something like that) Go check it out: http://niednagel.com/blog.htm

August Happenings

2011-09-29T23:58:00.000-04:00

August was a "quieter" month with weather over the hundreds every day for over 8 weeks in a row (the average was around 105° to 108°)! Thankfully it's cooler now... mid 80's. Anyway... on to pictures. I'm sure if you wanted to know how hot it was you would have gone to a weather.com and not this blog...

An evening with the Howells. I think Haddasah is the same brain type as Mom

Enjoying the swing set to the fullest

Peek-a-boo

A delightful evening indeed

"How did you find me in the wilderness?"
"I saw you from the village."

The epic attack of the dead fish

I think Marscel likes his hair like that so he can look the tallest

A perfect example of cause and effect: no rain, dry ground

If the dirt wasn't red, the air smelled like sea weed, and the lake was an ocean, I could almost picture it being like New England

I spy...

Can it be?!? Sea shells in Oklahoma!!!

These two decided to brave the cold water (it was a beach after all... till they started sinking in the mud. They sunk quite a bit just standing for this picture

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"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Turns out the lighthouse is a replica of one from the 1700's in Massachusetts

I always thought these kind of pictures were fun to capture.

Love bugs

It was one of those unexpected evenings where nothing was planned and everything we saw and did was so much fun and relaxing. Such a blessing!

I thought it was so cool how I caught the bird so perfectly in the picture until I was trying to see where it flew off to and only saw a kite.

Medal's and a nazi flag... what could this be?

Oren Lee came over to share some of his stories from WWII

It was such a privilege to hear his tales and learn lessons from such a man!

Lillian loved his metals

A nazi flag that Oren Lee took home as a souvenir from an airport they took over. Since he was the highest officer there he took it and had the other guy with him sign it. It was great how he would just toss it aside like an old rag.

He was a Sgt at the time he took the flag. He retired a lieutenant colonel.

We always thought she was a doll. She saw our doll chair, sat in it, and pretended to eat.

My first crafty project in a while... a magnetic chalk board

One sheet of metal cut to size

Rough up the surface a bit

Paint with chalkboard spray paint

Place in frame with backing...

and write a message!If you have any picture-less frames it's a great way to turn it into something pretty and useful

Congratulations on graduating Malena!

Even if it's only over night it's always a lot of fun with the Mairas

Marscel, Alina, and I needed pictures for our different photo projects. The wall was very obliging to be used as a prop.

Marscel's art

She didn't want to leave so she hid in the trunk. As short as the visit was I'm glad you guys could come!

Tayla and the Thomsens

2011-09-25T00:26:00.000-04:00

"I do set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth...

And I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

And the rainbow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth."

Marscel entertains himself on the way home

Yup, that's Tayla.... we were able to have her over for awhile

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Helping out at the 45th Infantry Museum

We met Art Levine who flew in the 101st Airborne division on D-Day

Showing us the New Testament he carried with him. You can read more about him here

We were blessed to have Mr. and Mrs. Niednagel stop over on their way from Texas. We always learn so many interesting things from them!

What is Matthew Kenny's? An all raw restaurant for two such enthusiasts.

May we present guacamole with raw chips...

and some sort of kelp salad. They said they loved it all!

The fancy little deserts

and a visit from Matthew Kenny himself!

For all of us that didn't go we enjoyed Mom's raw tiramisu cake upon their return. I'm sure it was just as good or better then anything they tried!

One of Mom's scrabble creations.

Off on the town

Spoons turned straws

Work day at the Benders

Helping out is most fun with such a tool

Tortilla time!

Enchanted with the little darling

Without having rain for a while it was nice to actually sit and enjoy the new green grass together

We couldn't all fit around the big table so they wanted to all squeeze around the little one

Enjoying the effects of rain... as little as it may be. Unfortunately our camera died right after this and I couldn't get a view of his face. He loved the mud!

Back home we got the same storm. Everything was pretty dark and then everything had a yellow hue.

The quickly changing sky

It started lightning in the distance and Tayla and I tried capturing a good one for over an hour. This was my favorite one I captured. Sometimes the whole sky would light up without being able to see the bolt since it was behind a cloud.

My favorite lightning by Tayla.

Some of our other attempts

Fun crazy times in the kitchen preparing for...

The arrival of the Thomsens!!!

Watching our life flash before our eyes... well almost. Thank you for the beautiful scrapbook, Sarah!

In case you ever wondered where the boys got their...uh... creativeness at a thrift store. Here's your answer.

A view on the way to...

Waynoka... they were so welcoming there weren't they?

These two seem to make friends wherever they go (can you tell what was in Waynoka by their hats?)

The winds were rising and the sky darkening. Mr. Thomsen kept us up to date on where the storm was heading

The wind was so strong it started knocking some of the vendors things over. We helped them take them down so they wouldn't lose anything.

In case you didn't guess by Mom and Taylas hats, we were at a rodeo!

It rained off and on during the show. If it had been in Massachusetts they would have canceled it before it even started!

Tayla and I had a lot of fun trying to capture good action shots

Gotta wonder what happens if they miscalculate and the calf changes directions.

A super fun game of the evening was musical chairs. When the music stopped they had to mount, ride, and be the first to sit in a chair on the other side.

The little calf thinks it finally has it's freedom when all of a sudden before it knows whats going on it has a rope around it's neck and is pinned down with it's legs tied. So much for freedom.

We heard a man announce that whoever was the loudest won a ticket. Guess who won?
It was a tie.

The lady behind us let us borrow her umbrella. Us girls were very thankful, but the boys weren't so keen on the water dripping on their backs off the top of it.

A fierce battle on the fort

The boys came across this big black spider in the back yard... then they noticed it had some markings, red markings. Yup, our first black widow.

Looking for which piece of land she'd like to live on.

Two of our body gaurds

Finding out why the sign is a road side attraction

Time to POP open those sodas!

These two could sell ice cubes to Eskimos

The sign that a refreshing drink is just feet away

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Touring Billy's new cedar home

Enjoying the afternoon with some good conversation

Hmmm... let me think

Look what I can do!

I think I found Miss Bo Peep for I don't see any sheep

gotcha!

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If the Thomsens weren't convinced that they wanted to come back I'm sure the Ahlgrens lovely little farm tipped the balance

Along with a visit to Berrilicious

Good to the last drop

We saw this gentleman with a style that reminded us of Micaiah

She went and asked to take a picture with him so we could show the other boys

Being our last day together we took some group shots

The remaining four at home

Three cheers for good friends and good times

Swapping pictures late at night before everyone left the next day. We were so glad you could visit Tayla and Thomsens!

The Butterfly Tea

2011-09-22T20:36:00.003-04:00

Upon arrival the evening before the party we find many of Melissa's inspirations already accomplished and ready to be set out.

Last May I thought William would be a good advertiser for aloe smoothies here. Over a year later he still loves them... must be good!

Everything starts to take shape

Tying on tulle and little butterfly cut outs to the back of each chair.

Set and ready to go. The detail Melissa thought out was amazing!

Butterfly necklaces made of scrabble tiles Melissa and Tayla made for favors. You can see how she made them and some of the other lovelies she made on her blog: Melissa Lee Beautifully

Mom getting ready while enjoying the set up by the sink

Yup, she made that too... free hand, no pattern!

Welcome!

The theme verse:

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 1 Cor 5:17

(We came across this neat craft blog showing how to make a chalkboard with a framed piece you have. Melissa's came out beautifully as you see.)

Emily showing a monarch butterfly that hatched that morning!

So many butterflies showed up.

The beautiful Ambercita!

Let the party begin

Our little corner

Miss Barbara shares a devotional on the lessons of the butterfly. You can download it from Melissa's blog (it's near the bottom)

Some of the ladies help prepare the strawberry shortcakes. Can you identify which two are ESFP's?

Service with a smile

Enjoying borrowing Jordan and Melissa's camera... which often times is a confiscation for the time we're there

Mrs. Voeller leading the butterfly game Jeremy made for all of us which you can also download from Melissa's blog to play

You would have thought there was a comedy show with these two

Butterfly wand construction site

The whole kit and caboodle

Receiving prizes for the flower hunt

Mamma Monica introducing William to a new "game"

He wondered why his parents had never showed him it before... or after

Two of the very hard workers who made everything so lovely

On top of everything else Melissa made, she also made her and Kalea's dress

Isn't she adorable

When a real camera isn't available a stick will do

William soon discovered the gold mine of cookies... that he could reach! We didn't discover him as soon.

Reading a book with Pa... the same one over and over.

All worn out after such hard work getting everything just right

The after party cuddle and review of highlights of the day (and looking at pictures!)

What a beautiful well done job that reflected God's work in something as small as a butterfly

From one Adventure to the next...

2011-09-20T08:31:00.001-04:00

Our last stop in MA for a few more hours of sweet fellowship

Desperate times calls for desperate measures... including holding a chocolate bar over head to harden it under the AC

Our first stop was at the Maira's where it turned into a hair salon for the Things

Matthew getting the royal treatment

Entertaining ourselves... rather easy for some of us :-)

Who are these dudes?

Watching some old videos... as in five minutes old

Happy Birthday to you... again, and again, and again!

Things were a bit... cozy for the back bench

Service with a smile... without even being asked! It's amazing the views you can see when your window is actually clean :-)

Even many states away they know to go with Big Red

Wired (with actual wires, but there may have been some chocolate involved so it was probably both senses of the word) and enjoying a movie

The caffeine taking effect... even if that is how they would have been without chocolate :-)

And I thought three on a full size bed was tight! Our plans changed mid drive to pick up some things at Jordan's grandmothers house who recently passed away for Jordan and Melissa. There were beds upstairs for the girls, but only one downstairs... and they were to tired to clear the couches or find something else

Loading the truck they rented

Packed and ready to go

Following Mom and Tayla into the sunset

That's Micaiah for ya!

Melissa heard it was Peter's birthday and had a special meal all planned for our arrival. Being with our family, we had Peter participate in the Thomas family tradition of taking the first bite of the cake with your hands held behind your back. I think Matthew and Micaiah were enjoying their job.

Party hats are fun to wear at odd angles... especially when it's not on purpose

The joys of being an uncle

Modern monet art

Now which key was it?

No matter how hard we tried, trying to fit two people PLUS a freezer through the door just wasn't working.

Looks like she could be his mom not grandmother! Such a beautiful mother I have!

With another lovely grandmother and grandbaby

My little "butterball" is always happy to bestow us with one of his smiles

William loved his new toy vegetables from his Uncle Michael and Aunt Rebekah! He would "cut" them apart so precisely. Philip gnawed on his finger imagining it to be the water melon in front of him.

Everyone gets tired of the paparazzi at times

Matthew must be sneaking miracle grow or something

"A hug is worth a thousand words. A friend is worth more."

Mr. Epic

I love this kid!

Not wanting to actually leave we stall by taking more pictures. Do you know how long it takes us to leave when it's longer then a week before we see each other?!?

The four man fire ball

I guess we were a bit exhausting at times.

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Giving a bit of a history tour, "So can anyone tell me which historic route this is?"

He must have a secret super power cause he doesn't look phased that he's being attacked.

Micaiah found this hoodie and said it was big enough to fit two... he was right.

Checking out the latest fashions was fun while it lasted... lets go

Off for a refreshment after all the stores. Berri-licious is becoming quite a tourist attraction

We were going to play a game, but went over the message from church while putting together words

Before the boys returned to St. Louis our hairdresser came by to "shear them"

Matthew's turn to be shorn

The new look!

No pictures, please.

This was the before

And after with the talented stylist herself.

Travel or no travel the birthday tradition continues. Happy Birthday, Matthew!

The Things already off working hard as we have a quick visit with the Zeses before heading back.

Off to the airport. So glad you could visit, Peter!

The Whirlwind Tour

2011-08-31T23:35:00.020-04:00

Good friends, good times, good memories...

After the 4th started our whirlwind visiting. We were so blessed by everyone we were able to see. The only downside was the time went by WAY to fast! First off we headed to the Mellos. I think Jack thought he was hired for excavating the area.

Pa made an arrow for Charitie's new bow.

Finishing touches before putting it in action... it flew really good!

Some people just aren't used to being barefoot. It was said the brick was too hot and those were the only shoes to be found

The "preparing the grill" pose

Sharing stories and enjoying our time together

Mom just got all the supplies needed for Shellac nails and was excited to try it out. The Mellos agreed to be her first "guinea pigs".

The three lovely ladies with the finished look. We had such a delightful time with you all!

Tuckered out from all the fun!

One of the joys of a day off

Not only do we like seeing pictures after an event, but also previews of the Flynns play on video

Two cuties... like father like son

"For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother."

There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship.

Kisses from the cool dude

Oh my! You caught that?!?!

Shannon art

Hanging with some of my favorite little people

Volley ball... or rather our version of the net and ball game

Our cheerleader

Preparing the cake before heading out to...

The DRIVE-IN!!!!

One of my favorite pictures of the week

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Rebekah, Happy Birthday to you!

I love having you as a sister!

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It's kinda of become a tradition to play instruments while we wait

Jammin'

Alright folks time to quite down the movies about to start!

Murray time!

Emma was excited to have rides from Micaiah again even if it meant riding him like a rocking horse while we talked.

Exploring local New Hampshire sites

Enjoying our friends and the quaint farmhouses

The view was beautiful... if we weren't there you could see it... but we are, so you can't. Sorry.

Micaiah liked this structure and is open to anyone purchasing it for him.

Inside one of the barn like structures they had these super old legos for sale. They all built different things. I'm sure the next person that came along bought it because they loved what they made :-) Unfortunately our camera died after this and I didn't get any other pictures of our fun time.

NEWPORT!!!

Jack's latest advertising job for nori... the perfect snack to bring to a beach. Just don't get it confused with the other seaweed lying around

The ocean, the salty breeze, a sunny day, and five of my favorite guys makes for a great time

Mastering the skim board

"I just can't get it!"

"Try it like this"

"I hurt my toe."

"Can we go one more time?"

"I don't have a board."

"I'm cold."

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

I think they are ready to go pro!

Michael's... art?

Jack: "Please?"

"How do I look?"

Getting down to business

"Look, I'm a little busy right now, can I get back to you later?"

I couldn't figure out why our pictures were coming out blurry until I found a fingerprint right in the middle of the lens. There's always a solution to saving the memory of the night by turning it into..

Art!

The sailboat was most obliging to sail into view and add the perfect Newport touch to the sunset

At church we realized this would be the last time we would be seeing everyone for a while and grabbed some group shots

The Eckersons with us "leftovers" I can't believe our camera died the night we visited them too!

The Flynn/Thomas group shot which keeps growing!

We missed you not being in the picture Jordan and Melissa!

Jack and Thomas baby #2's great looking grandparents

After church we met the Thomas side of the Family where we learned a new fun game... of which I can not remember the name. (No, I didn't mean to rhyme, I just did it on a dime)

Strategy and focus in action

Jack-man posing for his pre-school picture :-)

"Jack, can you smile for me?"

After numerous attempts at balancing the camera on a chair with self timer a nice lady walking by helped out.

Being showered with blessing by Kathy with fun treats.

There's always lots to learn from Kathy. Matthew learned how to crochet a turquoise bracelet.

And away we bead!

Stopping by the Flynns to say bye we were greeted by Mia figuring out who was who in our family picture. Adorably cute is an understatement!

One of the props from the Flynns play used wrapped up bits of nylons. The boys found out you can make your face hold in funny ways with it over your head and had us laughing for a long time! I love you guys!

The day we were planning to head out Kathy called us early in the morning and said her house was on fire. We went to help out and saw the hand of God at work in many ways! It turned out it was spontaneous combustion from some old rusty flame-able items that leaked. The flames were only two feet away from the exposed insulation! Thankfully we were able to get everything cleaned up in good time... beside being able to see Kathy again :-)

They say when you have shellac nails you can do all sorts of things and they won't chip. Even after cleaning the fire her nails were like new!

Last minute hugs...

and kisses... for now anyway

The 4th of July has Arrived!!

2011-08-11T16:46:00.000-04:00

Well, folks here it is... Our vacation East has begun:

Starting our road trip we met Melissa to swap some things

Always happy for more time holding Philip

we were going to borrow this car top carrier to fit the extra luggage of the boys, but it didn't end up fitting. Thankfully, the boys and their stuff did.

After picking up Matthew and Micaiah and driving some more we stopped for the night. We forgot that we usually bring our own sleeping bags. Marscel tried to find an alternative bed

Micaiah showing him other options

The three of us flopped on this full size bed to hear Pa read the Bible before bed. We ended up sleeping that way... sure beat sleeping on the floor (the price of the place was reflected in it's cleanliness)

The following day we made it to the Maira's and enjoyed a relaxing morning playing croquet

Waiting for their turn

A pro steps up

It was such fun having Matthew and Micaiah with us again. It's always a grand time with them!

And with grand friends on top of a grand family... it just makes for a grand day!

Alright... I'll share!

Arriving at Michael and Rebekah's I get the fun task of giving Jack a bath. Despite the suds getting in his eyes he graced us with one of his cute little smiles!

Catching up with Grandma

Enjoying the lovely weather

With Thing 2 a simple slinky becomes much more

We've been going to this park as long as I can remember and it keeps getting smaller! I think parks were made for older kids... we had a blast in the short time we were there. It must have looked rather amusing with the boys in their nice clothes running like a bunch of little kids all over, as a passer by just stood and watched us for a little.

Just before watching one of the best firework shows... they had a grand finale... then a grander one.. then another one!

The 4th has arrived!

Three Cheers to Michael and Rebekah for all the coordinating you did to make this happen!

It's always so good to see dear friends!

Preparing for the entourage of people

The stage is set

Lines are reviewed and cues brought to remembrance

Last minute hair fixing... should it be sprayed stiff or solid?

It's like he stepped back in time

Friends are flowers in the garden of life

"Let tyrants shake their iron rod,
And Slav'ry clank her galling chains,
We fear them not, we trust in God,
New England's God forever reigns."

Once again Chris did an amazing job in the reading of the Declaration of Independence

The crowds listen intently

art

One of the three main photographers of the following play... A big thank you to Peter, the Flynns, Tayla, and Michael for the pictures of the day!

And now a glimpse into the Flynn's amazing play: The Hands of Time

"I thought you could use a bed time story.... about history, the American Revolution"

Capturing the history being made today of the memories of yesterday.

"History gleam and glow, let your story shine. Show us what's been lost turn back the hands of time"

"Once upon a time there was a town called Boston"

♫ "Put on your fighting clothes we've got a war at hand..."

I do so love their musicals!

"We'll sew a thousand shirts for all those minute men"♪

A farewell dance

"It's time to fire... let courage come from within..."♫♪

♪ "Then we'll come home after we fight and win!"

Hancock asking Washington if he thinks he's qualified...

"Tell me... what do you think of my stage presence?"

"Ah here it is! One vote for John Hancock! All the rest are for George Washington..."

What would a musical be without the music?

Ethan Allen: You dirty scoundrel! I challenge you to a duel Benedict Arnold!

"I know something you do not know... I am not left eye dominant either"

Arnold: Allen... what ARE you doing here?
Allen: I am going to capture Fort Ticonderoga!
And together they did

The Lobster-backs

A most moving scene... the death of Dr. Joseph Warren
"Don't cry for me America... please remember this. It was my privilege to give my life for you!"♪

Contemplation

An over the top view of the crowd mid scene

♫"You're lucky to own a bayonet, but you haven't got a clue. Somehow I'll make a man out of you"

King George debating himself of whether he likes those "sneaky and trick-sy colonists"

WHAT?!?!?

As you were...

Pianos come in all shapes and sizes when you have an imagination

A peep behind the scenes mid play

Nathan Hale spying out the British position at Long Island

I bet you can't guess who Michael is

Hurrah for Sybil Ludington!

For those who aren't familiar with her, she rode to alert American colonial forces to the approach of enemy troops. She rode more than twice the distance of Revere and was only 16 years old at the time...

and took down a highwayman!

♫♪"Red and white and blue, now the flag is done. One nation under God to unite us all as one"♪

After her part was done

"We'll take a stand and then proclaim let freedom ring!"

If this was a film this is where the credits would roll and you would want to start it all over again...A most talented group and well done job! Three Cheers for the Flynns!

Wuv, Twoo Wuv

Four generations of Thomas men

Always time to get some pictures in between activities

Let the Amtgard battles begin!
"Don't worry I've got your back"

The judges perch

Ok, so the captions may not have been our exact thoughts... but they may have been.

An epic attack from a dangerous duo

Wondering what it looked like in real time and epic slow motion? You can see here.
We also enjoyed some English Country dancing which you can see here
Thank you for getting those up, Nate!

As day turned to dusk we gathered for a time of worship

"What grateful Off'ring shall we bring?
What shall we render to the Lord?
Loud Halleluiahs let us Sing,
And praise his name on ev'ry Chord." -Chester

Some to sing...

...some to ensure quality

and some to capture it for future memories

At the end the boys brought out the corn starch and showed how to "breathe fire". An exciting end to an amazing day!

June Happenings

2011-07-29T16:26:00.003-04:00

Though I don't have a ton of pictures from June it was still very busy.

We had over 2500 pictures collectively of our trip east to go through ... hopefully it will be up soon!

Before I begin, for those interested in youth ministry in the church, please take the time to watch this video while it is being offered to see for free until September and pass it on to anyone you think would be interested:

http://www.dividedthemovie.com/melanie

As we are about to sit down to dinner with our friends we saw it get pretty hazy out

Just a bit of dirt blowing by.

Many hands lighten the load

Helping with the fencing

and the last bit of painting

Enjoying a relaxing Sunday afternoon with the Ahlgrens and Billy

"Well I miss Mayberry
Sitting on the porch drinking ice cold Cherry --- Coke" (or better yet honey sweetened ice tea)

art

My main project for the month... finishing outfits for the 4th of July

Rather time consuming having to hand stitch around each piece, but very worth the end result... Stay tuned!

A celebration for Benjamin and a charge to Godly manhood

The little ones love Marscel... who wouldn't?

So sweet!

A time of prayer for Benjamin

art

With no trees in our back yard we can see some beautiful sky views

The next day had a whole new beauty. The roof was still blocking my view from the top of the fort on the swing set though...

So I climbed on the highest part of the wall and reached my arm out and this was what I saw. Too bad I couldn't get on our roof... now that would have been a site!

Hearing of Jordan Rueben's new business plan. Find out more here:

http://www.beyondorganicinsider.com/becomeaninsider.aspx?enroller=1800

We were excited to find a drive-in only half an hour away... granted there is only one screen and one showing, but there are upsides. Like, you don't get cold as the evening goes on. It was 99° at 8pm and it was still in the 90's at 9pm!

They still have the original RCA speakers you can put in your windows. The place was run by the grandson of the man who started it back in the 1950's

Can you guess which way the wind blows?

Another bonus? You can still watch the movie from the roof of your van. The only down side is a super bad kink in your neck at the end, but for a night and to be near your brother... it's worth it.

I thought this was so cute.

Nice padding to sit on, cozy cave feeling, little lantern, and some take-out.

We didn't realize people don't rush to the drive-in, filling it fast like in Massachusetts. There were still plenty of good spaces even up to the time it started. That was ok with us though.. we found a fun way to entertain ourselves.

It's time... let the show begin!

Stay tuned for 4th of July festivities!

Overview of May

2011-07-27T20:46:00.002-04:00

As it would be pointless to state the obvious of being rather behind in updating I will jump right in with an overview of May

We all know it to be true

With July quickly approaching Ruth and I begin the task of making breeches for our brothers.

Mom was able to accompany Pa on his training trip to California.When we lived in Massachusetts, California would be a lovely place to go to warm up in May... from Oklahoma it's a place to cool down

"Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderful"

Is there a masculine version of a rose among thorns?

I spy... Uncle Johnny!

Definitely a bonus for having the training in California

Meanwhile, Marscel and I went to Jordan and Melissa's. Marscel was able to put what he's learning about plumbing to good use. Every sink and tub drain is now clean.

Getting into it... literally

Want a refreshing summer treat? We call them Tangerincicles:
1cup milk (goat's milk, rice milk, cow's milk, coconut milk... they all work great)
1/2 cup sweetner (fruit sweetner or honey preferred)
1/4 dry milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4cups ice cubes
4 drops Young Living Essential Oils Tangerine oil
Place above in Vitamix (or blender) in order listed and secure lid. Turn on and quickly increase speed to high. Use tamper to press ingredients into the blades. In about 30-60 seconds, the sound of the motor will change and four mounds should form. Stop machine and serve immediately.
As you can see it's so good William didn't want to waste one drop!

Reading one of William's favorite books... again, and again, again.

He doesn't like being alone!

My kind of multi-tasking: Working on a project while keeping Philip entertained

Matthew and Micaiah were able to join us for the weekend

Figuring out how to puzzle the pieces together with only a picture of what it should look like when it was done.

Ta-da!
So much fun to be had in such a small space

They decided to surprised William. We all went outside camera's ready to see his reaction. He walks out looks over at it and just stares.
Matthew: Do you want to go see it?
William: Please.

Interviewing him on what he thought of it. As soon as he climbed on it he loved it and didn't want to go back in

I don't remember how, but William had fell or hit his head on something and the three of us rushed over to try and comfort him. He was so funny, stopping crying long enough to sip the kombucha or eat the granola.

Philip helped me sew...

While William helped Marscel with his math
"Sorry, Uncle Marscel, I can't remember if you multiply or divide first"

Upon our return the Bartons were surprised by friends from the East...

The Fourniers!

Catching up on all the news form the east

Spurs up!

Who says aprons aren't manly or are only for girls?

A visit to our favorite hair dresser. If you need to get your hair cut come on over!

Three new looks. Well done, Billie!

Right after there were some major tornado warnings. We all headed to a local high school since our shelter is only enough for 4-5 people. It was pretty packed. Thankfully the tornadoes changed direction and missed our town!

After the storm. Sunny on one side, stormy on the other

On the last day of the Bartons and Fourniers visit we headed over to the Arnettes for more fun memories! They have this cool pond with rowboats, kayaks, and a 47 ft drop to jump off of.

Later we shot some clay pigeons
(No real animals were harmed in the making of this picture... some ants may have been squished though)

A final group picture before the Fourniers and Bartons headed home. We were glad you could come!

What happens when Marscel finishes shopping at our local thrift store before the rest of us

There we were after a long day of cleaning when the door bell rang and this little man was knocking at the door!

The Niednagels arrived to surprise me for my birthday. Thank you two for making it such a special weekend!

"So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it."

This game always seems to emerge from the depths of the game cabinet when Jordan is around. Never to old to play, right?

I was more then happy to hold the little one

What would a visit be with out going to... Guthrie!

Exploring new places... with numerous antique shops that's not too hard to do

The Guthrie drug museum will never be the same...

"Ah, there is a bench. Come, let us go sit up on it and rest our weary feet while indulging our palette with some salty chips."

It was decided the frozen yogurt tasted better when you sit at the little kids table. It was all so Berri Licious!

One of those pictures that I like and since it's my blog... here it is.

My little snuggle bug... when he's in a snuggle-y mood

art

Aren't they just darling!

Mom just walked in and said,"Oh... that's nice" I guess that's a good caption

Must be a good book... they were standing there for a while

All together now... Awww ♥

Of course we had to end the day with one of my favorite family traditions.

If you haven't tried it yet you should.
If you haven't seen Jordan's side of the visit, head on over and enjoy a good laugh: http://niednagel.com/blog.htm

Easter and the 89ers Parade

2011-06-19T23:12:00.001-04:00

Easter Sunday everyone looked so lovely we had to take a Barton family photo

And some other fun pictures

"Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name."

A new favorite photo shoot spot... the wall from our little sterilized community to the rest of humanity

It started to drizzle. Not letting it rain on our parade, we continued our friends photo shoot inside... for the camera's sake, not ours :-)

What could be so interesting to capture everyone's attention?

Our awesome neighbor!

Organic... yes folks, not miles away from us we discovered a 100% organic, live cultures frozen yogurt... just one more reason to come visit us

The last Saturday of April, Guthrie had a parade celebrating the 89er's... those that came to claim their land in 1889. We heard they would be doing some re-enacting type things and donned our Victorian outfits only to discover that was the week before. This week was just the parade! Any excuse to get dressed up works. I mean, don't they look lovely?

We met some other friends right before the parade started.

"I'd like a ride in that one!"

Wishing we saw "The Bean" among the other cars

Top-Hat the side stepping horse. They had the most horses I've ever seen in a parade

Two wonderful mothers

Me and my Pa

Right after this a lady doing a bridal shoot asked to "borrow" Pa for some pictures as she didn't have a groom and he looked the part!

Bringing old style back

Setting the records straight.

A lady in white that is quite the lovely sight!

A close up.

Us kids decided we could look at these pictures of Mom all the time and not tire of them!

uh... art?

We visited the original State Capital Publishing Museum for the first time. As we walked in, the gentleman to the right asked if we could do a photo shoot for advertising the place since we looked the part. They were wondering how to get the right outfits. We told him ours were about 10 years off, but they said it was better then the modern formal picture they had.

Never to old to sit in Mom's lap... she said so.

Never to old to sit in her loves lap either.

Yup... that's Mom.

Our version of what it might have looked like at the time

Everything that came to mind for this was stating the obvious... fun times, group shot, cool background... it was all of the above

Service with a smile

Anything look odd about this picture? That ladder is about 10 feet away from her.

It wasn't what I had in mind, but I love how the back of Mom's hair turned out.

"I'd like to claim my property, please." "Sign on the line, ma'am"

Another artistic shot just because I can

Western wear, get it here

The original publishing equipment

art

I think parasols were the sunglasses of the 1900's

After walking about town we headed to our first rodeo. As they set up we talked with some of the people around. Marscel asked this guy if he could pet his horse. He said, "Sure... Want to ride him?"

Does the horse look familiar? He was the side stepper in the parade.

We forgot to bring a change of clothes (being dusty there), but he didn't have any objection to me riding in a dress and Victorian boots. If only it was a side saddle!

The actual show... bucking bronchos, calf roping, barrel racing, mutton busting, and the grand finale, bull riding.

2011-06-09T20:11:00.000-04:00

From sports theme to plain, my room no longer shall remain.

Pa and Marscel edged the entire room of my domain.

A message I found when I went to paint ♥ and a preview of the color

Isn't painting fun?

Mom: Forever young, forever fun

Pa's dream girl

The love birds

Never under estimate an Oklahoma wind... Mom and I were soaking in the sun when my book of letters flapped open and the majority of my pages started blowing all over the lawn. As if that wasn't bad enough, as Mom and I scurried around the yard trying to catch them all, the wind took some pages over the wall. Pa hopped over and thankfully was able to find all the missing ones in this field across the street while Marscel helped rescue the rest in the yard. I felt very much like Anne of Avonlea when her papers were blown all over!

The Bartons have arrived for a visit and we are off to visit some historical sites

Of course the old drug store was included...

Making sure their records are all ship shape

The books you find there can be quite amusing.

Blogger V1.0

Pa tries to hold the ladies back from... another store!

Enjoying the shade of wood makers shop.

Because I know you like seeing these as much as I do :-)

At the old train depot where people would arrive to go up the hill to claim their property during the land run.

Plumb tuckered out waiting for the train.

Finally it came rolling around, but alas, no people to claim land.... only a freight train

A refreshing stop at Pops on historic Rt. 66! They have over 300 flavors of soda! All different brands and flavors, from fruit juice sweetened Izzes and stevia sweetened Virgils, to all the regular sugar and chemical-ized stuff :-)

Voice of the Martyrs

2011-06-05T22:11:00.000-04:00

Once again I have fallen behind in the world of blogger being very busy living life. There is lots to catch up on so without further ado I will start with our time volunteering at the Voice of the Martyrs with the Hansens back in April.

Arriving the night before we volunteer, we enjoy some fun and fellowship at lodgings available for those that aren't local.

For half of us, assembling boxes was our job for most of the day.

Other box makers. They kept bringing out pallet after pallet of packages of cardboard templates. They brought the last pallet out shortly before closing and with all hands on deck we were able to make them all!

Philip, Marscel, and Seal-A-Tron, the shrink wrap machine

A time for the parents to catch up with each other at break

The now engaged Erik and Amber packaging supplies. Congratulations you two!

The moms take a turn at shrink wrapping.

"You will show me the path of life;In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Guy bonding

Aren't they so cute together?

A familiar site... this is something my brothers would do!

After dinner we enjoyed a time of worship. God has truly blessed Amber with a beautiful voice!

This was the most windy volleyball game I've ever played. The wind would change mid way, making no one know where the ball would drop on the other side of the net.

High fives all around for so many fun games... even though my team lost every one. I guess we need a little more practice at wind volleyball :-)

Thus ended our night with dancing and hugs all around.

March in Missouri Part 3

2011-04-17T23:18:00.000-04:00

Michael and Rebekah are here!!!!

Admiring the new Niednagel baby

and rejoicing to find out that there will be a new Thomas baby the end of this year!!!!

Congratulations Michael and Rebekah!

The cousins greet each other in their own way. Jack gives hugs, William gives kisses.

Chilling

JACK-MAN!!!!

How can you refuse a face like that? Makes you want to give him a big kiss doesn't it?

Back to simple things. Uncle Micaiah entertains the little ones with a flashlight show

Proof that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. This is not at all posed!

Showing Rebekah "the ropes"

Catching up with the Things before they leave on their second internship time.

The joy of a big family... you can play group games just with your siblings

Games from when we were young...

... while the grandparents reminisce when we were young

A favorite repast... talking, all piled on a bed..

The four of us had been wanting to watch this movie, so after everyone went to bed we plugged our ear buds in to watch it

Being extra gentle warranted putting his pinky out

2 Extra Special Fast People

A special four wheeler ride.

Fresh air can be exhausting

Hangin' with the ladies

All together now. "Awww...."

Jordan and Micaiah came across a dead mole and rejoiced greatly. Though unsure whether it was due to their efforts back in January, they would like to think it was.

The simple pleasures of life

Luau time!!!

Philip's first luau complete with his name in Hawaiian form.

Enjoying the fabulous feast. Thank you Jeremy and Danielle!

The mob descends upon Miss Barbara with a group hug

Enjoying time together

Remember I said Jeremy does awesome trivia games? He did a Hawaii theme one... oh yeah!

Complete with prizes... I think I need to study Hawaii better for next time.

Though way too short a time it was great having these three around again!

Almost too good to be true

Trying to talk to each other in other languages, "El pajaro es rojo"

Talking to each other in English, "This baby is cute"

All tuckered out

If you saw Michael's blog (which you should, because it's worth seeing) here is the other angle of this picture

"Bye bye boys,have fun storming the castle." "Do you think they'll make it?" "It would take a miracle." "Bye! Bye!"

Michael's just not convincing enough for William and Jack

Bonding time

Since it started raining after the others went the day before, we waited for nice weather for our turn.

uh... art?

Epicness

Finding the perfect skipping stones. They were so dear to try and help me learn how to skip, but hard as I try I couldn't do it the same as them. It comes down to... I throw like a girl :-) I was able to at least get 6 or so skips a few times.

It's hard leaving such a peaceful spot when you're having such a nice time playing and talking with your bro's.

My five totally awesome brothers!

♪ "We are family" ♫

Marscel decides to join the boys with their long hair... with a dream mullet ;-)

A final farewell, "Lion around" in their matchin' pj's

Philip's first Sunday at church. Rob's first Sunday holding Philip.

Dropping Matthew and Micaiah off at the Zeses for a second "term" of learning.

We miss you boys!

Be sure to check out Jordan and Michael's blogs for more pictures!

March in Missouri Part 2

2011-04-13T22:05:00.000-04:00

Philip has arrived! ... and weighs exactly the same as William

First time picture holding his new son

She doesn't look like she just had a baby does she?

Of course we all wanted a picture with him

Who wouldn't want to hold such a darling?

I don't think we picked the right size hat

William's first greeting

Behold...Philip Huntington

Taking a picture of the baby in the basket may become a tradition. If you remember William's picture

The brain doctor meets his new grandson. INFP? ENFJ? ENTP? ISTJ? Still a bit early to tell.

Admiration from cousins and Aunt Danielle

Such a natural

"Do you want to give Philip a kiss, William?" "Please"

These two are going to be good pals when they're older

William slipped on the bad and hit his head against Philip. Philip started crying which scared William and made him cry. After that he was a lot more careful around Philip.

A slightly hammed up picture of the task master and his hired help

The reality: A hard working father son team.

I couldn't decide which was more cute.

First visitors

"Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth."

Sporting his new training pants. It makes me think of swimwear from the 20's

At Philips first check up, William loved testing the stethoscope... over and over and over

One of the most relaxed kids ever!

Learning the four seasons

Trying to figure out their puzzle of a patio table, "Should this tile go in this place or the square to the right?"

art

The next morning we woke up to hail... it didn't last long.

Whenever William would hear Philip make a noise he would climb up the steps peer in and say, "baby"

art

because I know you wanted to see more

William was feeling a little under the weather so Mom did a raindrop therapy on him. He loved it.

rest

A new trend

The steps up to the bed doubling as Williams desk.

Hey fans! How's it going?

The little sucker ;-)

Bananagrams, squash pie, and sweet fellowship = a delightful way to spend the evening

This was too cute not to post

March in Missouri Part 1

2011-04-11T22:16:00.001-04:00

As I have over a hundred pictures to post of our last trip to Missouri I will divide it in 3 parts.

Stepping back to before Philip was born, I begin with the beginning of our trip.

On the way the traffic started slowing down. Thick smoke filled the air. As we came around the corner we saw what we thought to be a controlled fire on the side of the highway... We found out later it was a bunch of wildfires that were to big to put out. We've never seen anything like it.

The after affect

You know what staying at Jordan and Melissa's means... yup, lots of pictures of William. We were laying the pancakes out and he helped himself to one before we noticed.

I'm not sure who is enjoying this more

What a blessing it is to have my siblings be best friends. I love you, Matthew!

That plane Pa is holding is what he works on... well, not exactly that little plastic toy, but you get the picture (I love it when I write a pun and don't realize it until I re-read my caption)

As Michael was not present William filled in for El Cinco Blanco... even down to the face.

Finding humor in their own way

Two extroverted girls vs. two introverted guys

Progress on the terraced garden

"Do peas grow well near basil or should we move them over?" They may actually have been talking about bricks, but we'll never really know.

I can definitely see the family resemblance. William often looks a lot like Micaiah when he was his age.

Mom preparing a special desert for the celebration of a special someone

A close up of the decadent, naturalized desert

Let the partying begin!

Playing one of Jeremy's awesome trivia games. This one was all about Jordan when he was younger.

One of his Birthday gifts from Melissa. A picture book of their honeymoon in Hawaii. I don't know where she found a picture of Barbie and Ken doll for the front.

Admiring all of God's creations

Enjoying watching Jordan enjoy his gift

If you can't actually make it to Hawaii I think looking through their book is second best. They have some amazing scenery shots.

Trying out his new basket ball outfit. Meet... Air Jordan!

Lost in their own world of books and toys

"I get to light the fuses!"

Of course the celebration included singing and the arms-behind-your-back first bite.

Off for now...

In the Mean time...

2011-04-06T22:45:00.000-04:00

We are back from a wonderful 22 days with Jordan and Melissa and of course have lots of pictures! In fact, we have so many that I am still going through them (there were over 1200). As we will be gone this weekend as well I decided to post this little video of William reciting the alphabet after me until I can post pictures of our visit. By the time we left if I asked if he wanted to go through the alphabet he would say "a...b" and then wait to copy me for the rest :-)

Philip Huntington Niednagel

2011-03-20T23:24:00.000-04:00

Philip Huntington Niednagel is here!

He arrived at 12:37pm and was 7 pounds 4 ounces.

Melissa is doing well... We are greatly rejoicing for all the Lords blessings to us!