MortonClan

Hello, y'all!!

2009-10-21T21:23:00.002-04:00

Ah, how are all of you!? Hope your summers have been blessed! :)

We've missed "visiting" with y'all so much! We have now started mortonclanthree, where we will, Lord willing, now be keeping the records, newsie tid-bits, thoughts and going~on's of the Morton clan!!

See ya' there!

Love, Adeline

www.mortonclanthree.blogspot.com

Reached Capacity

2009-07-25T10:57:00.008-04:00

Well, mortonclan is full, y'all!! From our (or, dear Kress and "Charlie", aka Alan's) first post here back in September 2005, to yesterday afternoon! LOL, looking back in the archives is amazing...the Lord has been, as He always is, so gracious and faithful to us.

You can now go to:

www.mortonclantwo.blogspot.com

to keep up with us and what we've been doing!

I'll finish yesterday's post there, Lord willing, today.

Thanks, and have a blessed day!

Love,

Adeline, for all

Weekend Family Retreat at Calathora-Installment #1

2009-07-24T17:58:00.014-04:00

Goodevening, y'all!!

How are ya' this lovely July evening? We're having a wonderful day here-I'm so happy. While all these pictures have been loading, I've been just soaking up some of God's Word-That is amazing that we get to read the inspired Words of God Almighty. Ah. Thank You, Lord. Please give me Wisdom...

"When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD."

We are rather missing our dear Mama and Daddy, though, who are off to the Sanders over night to check on the job and such-so that just leaves us kiddos here! We shall have a grand time, however, for Dee's made homemade pizza and Lord willing we shall all curl up on the couchling this evening and watch a moving picture show!! :D I can smell the pizza now...

Ah-now to the post-this is the first part of a quite a few pictures from a wonderful weekend of fellowship, encouragement, learning, and just reveling in the peaceful Spirit of the Lord with the Body of Christ!!
Mr. Ray and Mr W.
The brother/sister towel act...
Norma scrubbing'!
A view from the stairs....
Winter coloring...
Me and Critter having "horse rides"-ah, this child is so precious!
Mr. and Mrs, K. listening to sessions...
Father and Son
Sisters Pendleton
Mr. and Mrs. W. during sessions...
God's Word and Notes
My Father speaking...
Mama spoke to the ladies some about how our thoughts eventually come out in our actions and words-we must be so careful to renew our minds and take every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ-I really enjoyed Mama's fun and memorable way (notice the thought bubble) of communicating such an important message to the wives and daughters. God bless you, Mother dear!Mr. Marc speaking...
Lovely Em!

2009-07-24T17:36:00.014-04:00

One afternoon all the guys played ultimate Frisbee-here's a few pictures of the action....
It was quite entertaining to watch.
Mrs. Angie and Mrs. C. talk...

2009-07-24T16:26:00.016-04:00

Everybody in line for ice cream sundaes!
Ah, we had so many sweet babies all weekend!! Here are the two youngest girls...aren't they precious?Aunt Bessie and Carlos...
Lerah and Esther
Toby with some chiplings...
Mr. Smith and Daddy talking...

Alyssa and Mariah. Goodness, Meme. I do believe you need some air, hon. ;) Saturday night we had a grand time playing cards and playing instruments and singing-I just love sitting around relaxing and visiting together...

It was so good to finally meet the P.'s sweet new sister-in-law, T.! What a joy she is! Here's she and Emily stopping for a picture...
Cleve asked us three girls to sing Scotland the Brave-we couldn't remember all the verses, but it was fun anyway!
Alan was the fiddler...
And Edger, Cleve, Mr. W. and Nick played guitar, and Jake played the piano-it was all so beautiful.
Mr. W. also played the mandolin-oh, y'all, this is incredible-he makes his own instruments! The one he is playing in the above picture is one of his, and he also brought several others that we all really enjoyed looking at. The mandolin added allot to the music.
Norma Ann
Dee
Dear Mrs. G.
A view from the top...
Little B. was so cute!! She's just leaning the violin, and charmed everybody with her sweet performance. What a doll.
Esther in holding bliss... :)
Mr. Fritz and some of his's, hanging out...
Looking at old pictures-it amazing how much people grow in so short a time! ( I guess then they would not be qualified as old pictures, LOL-how about past pictures? :)

2009-07-24T15:11:00.023-04:00

One of the twins drew me such a beautiful picture!

Me and Anna dear...
The Handyman! :D We all thought it was so funny how the dustpan dropped just as I snapped the picture-LOL, thanks Mr. Michael for the help!
Martha triple-tasking. :D
Daisy putting out her card of choice...
Uh?
Little Vi
Mama dear and the ladies examine dehydrated goods...
The two Amandas!
Marth, Esther and I with some of the S. girls-it was so good to meet y'all!
The G. family-such a blessing!
Their four treasures #1...
#2
and #3...I just love this-see, they have one older daughter, with three little ones in a row! Just like me and my own dear sisters-that is so special to me!Alyssa RoseMe and my buddy B.!
Miss G. and her beautiful braids...
Uncle FrankA view from the deck, after everybody had begun heading out...LOL, this was actually a brilliant way of packing van-no steps, just right out the window!
Sweet Winter picks her some 'flowers' ;) before going to the car-What a doll! Love that apron.
Great-Aunt Laura with Esther... :)
Sunday was Henry's 11 revolution around the sun!! Congratulations, buddy, and happy birthday!
Daisy Laughing. I just love her!Ice Pops and Living Room Life...
"Come up here, girls!"
Dorothy and Marty
Edger and Daisy enjoying their ice pops...allot. :)TJ and little Esther
'Ze Pinwheel
Bret going at it...Oh, y'all-us kids had a hilarious time thinking up the cheesiest nick names for the grand kids today-Boxing Bret, Running Ronnie, Marathon Mikie, Crawling Carlo', Jogging Joe and Easy Esther!! Haha, these poor, dear children...
Dee and her Joe Man
Dear Mrs. Bohannan
Mother My dahlin' niece and me-isn't she almost edible!?
Our Sam
Dee
Rachel and Bethy visiting...
"Bye y'all!"
LOL, we were trying to get a four sisters and Esther picture, but, alas, this was the best we got! At least three of us are looking in the same general direction. :)
Heading out...

Well, praise the Lord for a wonderful and blessed weekend!

Ah, I think I shall hop along, y'all...Goodnight to you all!

Love in Him,

Adeline, for all

Visit to Rora Vally

2009-07-23T21:00:00.001-04:00

Good evening, y'all!

As some of you may know, our boys have been doing the carpentry on the Sander's home over across the state line, so we've been back and forth allot lately. (It's been so wonderful to see this dear family more often!) A few weeks ago, the whole family went and joined the work crew, (who is staying there in town during the week and returning here on the weekends) and enjoyed the Sander's sweet hospitality for a few days, while Daddy checked on the job and did some things on that. Some of the following pictures are from that trip, and some are from the time Cleve and I went up there for a few days while Cleveland did some work with Noah. I went along to take care of Cleve and visit, and had such a dear time of fellowship with the precious Sanders ladies...what blessings each of them are! We all picked blueberries, swam in the pond and pool, got a tour of Rora Vally, did chores (I just love it when you're at a friends house and they give you a chore!! Just makes one feel so loved and right at home.) had ice cream cones, milkshakes and a delightful game night, :D told stories, had sweet talks, found May Pops, watched videos, listened to JP and Les Miserables (to be pronounced with a thick country accent ;), and just had a very homey and encouraging few days with dear sisters in Christ-Thanks so much, y'all! God bless!

(Oh, and they have a fabulous blog here, where they are documenting the building of their home and their family life-it's just wonderful, and has such beautiful pictures, too.)
Grace picking blueberries with her stylishly upturned collar. :P JK, honey! (She was doing it to keep the sun off. :)Such beautiful berries...Ice cream in The Shop...Swimming in the pond. (well, actually, we're jumping off the dock, here, LOL-love that swan dive, dear! ;D) Oh, something interesting-Dee had her hair stick in when she went swimming, and it came out and sank to the bottom-so they swam down there, and actually found it!! Isn't that incredible? Got stuck on a root or something. Thought that was cool.They had some festive lanterns above the dining table that made it all so cheery!The beautiful lake and tree house. Dee and AbbiEdwin-O stands in front of the building site. Coming along!
Egglings
Marth and Bekah doin' eggs-love that expression there, hon.
Abbi Rose #1
Abbi Rose #2
Here are Dee and Abbi in pink. They gave us a tour of the farm-it is so beautiful, and exciting to see how the Lord is bringing it all together!
Bekah (and a little one on her back) on top of the 'mountain'.

Guesstures, Anyone?

2009-07-23T20:50:00.002-04:00

As mentioned earlier, we had a ball playing a few games together one night we were there-we played Guesstures, and had a round table story that was very funny and...creative! Lots of Germans and ingenuity. LOL. :D Guesstures made us laugh 'till we cried-thought I'd show y'all a few pictures of that-enjoy! The game.
Cleveland and Noah try to act out "sleeping".
Bekah and Abbi contemplating...Grace and me. Bless our hearts, we didn't get a single one that time, LOL!! :D

The Consultation
The Little Man in the Tent
"Planning your next move?"
LOL...
"Pour"
"Let it begin!"
Comb, maybe? :)
Oh, this was great-It was Eman and Noah's turn, and their team got to taking pictures and forgot about guessing, so here is their "Cleveland! Ethan! Guess, over here!! " expression.
We changed the rules to where you only have 10 seconds to read what the other team picked out for you-it was really great and added a fun time crunch...
Ah, now this is lovely. Here, me and Bekah try out "dentures".
And here's little Nehemiah, doing a great job on the round table story!

Thanks, Sanders kids for such a fun evening!

Hope to see you all again soon.

In Him,

Adeline, for all

Goodnight, everybody! Sleep well...

In Which we Show off Grandbabies # 3 and The Day Off

2009-07-23T12:30:00.012-04:00

Hello, dahlins!!

Well, my dearest family has given me the day off, for my birthday last week. We were rather busy that week so we thought it would be best to have the annual day off this week, :) so, here I am, just having a easy going, relaxing day... The Lord is so good to give us those days of refreshing, isn't He? I'm having so much fun-my family is so sweet!

Hence the lack of pictures. Lord willing I shall tackle that tomorrow. Ah, so many wonderful things to post!! Rora Farms visit, grand babies, the retreat here last weekend, and the-wonderful-everyday-life-stuff that is so precious...Oh, I've just got to show y'all this picture, though, of our darlings-How cute is this!!??
Doesn't this make you smile? :D What a couch full of blessings...

Well, see y'all tomorrow, Lord willing, with tons of pictureages in tow!!

I'm off to grab a bite of lunch and then, ahhh, maybe read a book or something...Good day!

Love,
Adeline

The 4'th of July

2009-07-14T10:11:00.005-04:00

Hello, everybody!!

Ah, what a blessed day we had on the 4'th-such sweet fellowship, fun games, delicious stew and inspiring talks...We went to bed that night so refresh by the Body of Christ....The Lord is indeed gracious.

Here's a few pictures from the day-enjoy, dahlings!! Not much time, so I'll skip along!!

Love,

Adeline
Daddy dear's wonderful Brunswick Strew in the making!
"I think not, baby puppy." ;) (Silly movie quote... :)
Fellowship around the stew pot...
Meanwhile, most of us kids fill water balloons for the Great Battle of...oh, I don't know, Waterloo? Cheesy, I know, LOL...
Smells soo good...
Time to eat! Here, Daddy and Mama fill up urns with stew to take back in to the food table... ;)
Soup and crackers are one of the most comforting things in the world, I think...Ah...
Birthday Buddies Daisy and Joe!!

2009-07-14T09:54:00.007-04:00

More balloon fillers...or snatchers. :D
Mr. Fritz and Marty try out Wesley's bike...
And Uncle Marc, too! That thing is quite the entertainment piece, LOL.
Cleveland
And, what 4'th of July is complete without watermelon!?
'Panda and 'Angie enjoy a piece together...
And the twins..LOL, they are so incredibly cute they make me laugh for joy!! Those precious little smiles...
Red, White and Blue...and a little green, too... :D
Got a system down...

2009-07-14T09:15:00.010-04:00

"Next!"
And, the battle begins!!!Mr. Fritz tries out his stealth skills on TJ...Dear Aunt Laura
Sweet little Martha!
Rosie's got one.
Halt, kiddo!!
Mrs. Leslie enjoying the shade...Such a sweetie...thanks for taking pictures for me, ma'am!
Laughter...
Such a beautiful mother...

2009-07-14T08:44:00.011-04:00

Campbell...
Enjoying the water... ;)
Wesley tossin' it...
Look out, Mike...Horray for Mama dearest!! She's going for the flag!! Ah, I love my Mom so much-she's absolutely great!!
Enjoying the shade#2
General Running and ThrowingIn between games everybody stopped to replenish their balloon supply. I love that one-man system, Wes-very nice. :D
Root Beer is one of our July 4'th traditions...Oh, and they have to be chilled in a cow trough filled with ice for it to taste just right. :)
Daddy gave the most inspiring talk to us later that afternoon about being bold Christians who stand up and proclaim the truth of God's word, and who are a salt and a light in this country that has, so sadly, strayed from the Lord and His principles that it was (for the most part) founded on. May the Lord help us, and have mercy on us.

2009-07-14T08:17:00.012-04:00

After the time of sharing and having dessert, (everybody but the R.'s had to head on home about that time-we missed them all, but know they had a good time with family that evening) Anyway, we had a ball that afternoon with the dear folks who got to stay. Above, Daddy Darling and Wes race with eggs and spoons...
Passing it off...
Poor Andrew fractured his foot that day, so here's our dear wounded man doing an egg race-I love that perseverance, buddy!!
Future Victims
Go Daddy!!
Wes creaming all competition with the butter and sugar mixture. Add the egg, vanilla and milk mixture alternately with the flour. Mix well....
DeeRound two...
Wes
Another round...

2009-07-14T07:45:00.012-04:00

And then the three legged races...and they're off!!Coming down the home stretch...

"Onward, my companion!"
Almost there....

And, Daisy and Norma come out winning by a foot or two-great coordination, girlies!
And then the men did a tug-o-war...
Pulling harder...
and longer...
Aww...what a sweetheart. She loves her big sister...Was taking Joe on a ride...
Father and Son

2009-07-14T06:40:00.010-04:00

After kick-ball, shooting off leftover water balloons in the sling shoot at the two targets was considered great fun...
Campbell's turn...The Two Targets
Mr. Joe Man!!
Missed shoot...
Laughter...
And here's our little Joe-Man again, covered in watermelon, LOL.
Later that evening, Daisy was so kind and let me use her for a photography subject-isn't she beautiful!? I love the way her heart is even so much more so-ah, what a dear girl!
And here's us girls sitting on the front porch watching the 'fireworks', LOL!! That was so fun...
I shall end with a picture of my dearest Daddy...Praise the Lord for such a wonderful day together!!

Hope you all have a very blessed evening, y'all!

Love, Adeline

We're Home!!

2009-07-07T11:49:00.008-04:00

Abbi's May-Pop Picture

Hello, darlings!

Well, Cleve and I are back home from a delightful few days at the dear Sanders' home in AL-Daddy and the boys are doing the framing on their home, and I got to tag along with Cleve this time while he did a few things on the job, and spend the days with the sweet girlies and Mrs. Wendi-ah, such a wonderful time we had-so many precious memories! Got some hilarious pictures to show you on that trip, LOL. :) I'll have to show y'all those and a million other wonderful happenings ASAP, but right now, I'm off to "love on" (ie, straighten, clean, put out fresh flowers, water plants, sweep, etc.) my home!! How I missed my darling family and our little spot of earth!! Today I shall, Lord willing, deep clean the third floor and wash the bedding for the upcoming family retreat we are having at our home this weekend-we are so excited about that and are so looking forward to seeing some of our dear friends. (and meeting some new ones, I hear-that will be fab!)

Mama and Daddy dearest are gone this morning on a planning session, Edger and Willie R. are here doin' fencing, and Tom's down there helping. Marth's doing laundry, Sam carrying stuff up the barn for me, and I think John's about to start mowing the lawn...not sure what the other kids are up to right this minute...ah, beautiful music is turned up, and a refreshing summer breeze is coming through the opened window...it looks like it might rain. Good, sweet rain.

Praise the Lord. He is so good.

We love you all!!

For the Fam,

Adeline

LOL...

2009-06-24T12:21:00.004-04:00

:D I love my sista'-in-love!! And her search for her hubby's hat was indeed successful. :)

Recent Randomness, Grandkids and Michael's Birthday...

2009-06-17T18:40:00.019-04:00

Hey, dears!!
Well, as the title pretty much sums up this here postling, we'll be off to pictures...
Around Mike's birthday, Kressant threw a lovely (and delicious) dessert bar party for her dear husband. What a wonderful evening! She made two fabulous cheesecakes, creamy milkshakes, and had ice cream and milk and everything! We played Rook, Guess Who, :) and Monopoly that evening, amidst much laughter, eating, talking and just having such a sweet family time.
Monopoly has been our craze lately.... :) Uncle Cleve and Critter (Michael III) havin' fun!
The exchanging of land...
LOL, Paul won that game-how cute! Such a smart little guy. Must have had to have been very frugal by the looks of his little stash. ;)
I now interrupt birthday pictures with a peek at Dee's adorable skirt she made the other day!! Isn't it precious, girls?
I love the fabric and trim she used.
And here's Sam Man. I just love his smile...

And.....drum roll, please---Ta-Da!! A fan! In the laundry room! Ah, it feels soo good in there now...Above is our dear, rejoicing laundress, showing off the little beauty.And, another little joy of life-we got a new ironing board cover while we were fixing up the room. :) It's even blue, y'all.
See, to match yon' walls!! How neat is that. Oh, what do y'all think of our new laundry room color? It used to be a yellow shade, and it made you feel hot in the summer, so we figured this cool toned blue would be refreshing. We're really happy at how it turned out! Nothing like a fresh coat of paint to liven up a room...

2009-06-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

And, now back to birthday and Monopoly...LOL, Sam looks like he's been jipped or something.
The horse and rider are rejoicing over their newly acquired property...
LOL, I just love each of their expressions in this one...
Our dear Kress and little Carlos!! Michael about to blow out the little torches.... Happy Birthday, dear brother! We love you so much! Thanks for the wonderful time, y'all!!
And I shall end with a picture of the three (present here at the farm) grandchildren: Here's Mikey,
And Joe,And Carlos!! :D (This child has got some jaws-he makes us all laugh when he stuffs enormous objects in there! Haha!)

Ah. What cuties.

Well, gotta' run, y'all!

Love in Him,

Polls, anyone?

2009-06-17T07:04:00.000-04:00

Hello!
Take a minute to vote over on that poll to the right, would you please?
Thanks, y'all!! I just love these little things. :)

Hope everybody is having a wonderful Wednesday!

~

Martha Harriet

2009-06-13T15:00:00.005-04:00

Here's my precious 'little' sister!! She was dear and let me use her for a photography subject-and such a lovely and delightful one! We three girls had a great time down in the woods, laughing, talking, climbing over fences...LOL, sisters are wonderful.
Here's my favorite one-although the 'picture' might could use some help, I love what the picture is of-it is so Martha-ish. She is always so joyful, even when she may be having a hard day or if circumstances may be difficult. She is such an inspiration to me.
Beautiful blue eyes!!

Anybody have a favorite? Oh, and if any of you photographers out there have any more pointers, please, as always, send them on!! I would be very grateful.

Well, gotta hop along, y'all...have a lovely Saturday afternoon. The Lord has helped me to catch up on some of the things I sorta' felt behind in. Isn't He good? :) He gives us such peace, even when we feel overwhelmed at times...Ah.

So blessed in Jesus,

Our Life of Late

2009-06-03T22:20:00.002-04:00

Hello, dear people!

Ahh...So much of life-God is good! Also true to the title, it is late, as well. :D Here's what's been happening in the past few weeks.
First off, Pauly has been wounded-the poor lad tripped on the umbrella he was running with and sliced his little hoof open. After being rushed to the doctor and receiving 7 stitches and the orders to stay off that foot, our boy has taken to the couch and wheelchair, and has done a great job of occupying himself-looking at books, playing with kittens and pairing socks, a job that has earned him the title of Chief Sorter of Sockages. :) It's getting better everyday, praise God!Martha's mullin, mullen (?) plant is about to bloom!! Our dear Resident Herbalist is quite tickled. :)
And here's Carlos on Memorial Day-ah-does it get any cuter!?
Beautiful Grand Mama smiling at her grandbabies...
I subjected this poor child to my hoodie-torture. But doesn't he look cute!? He loved it! (well...Dorothy adds, "for a few seconds" ;) a statement to which I agree... :)
Cards. Do you have any of those things at your house that, no matter what you do, you can't seem to keep them in order? Ah! Cards were our lot. The rubber bands didn't do the job. Here's John Man, ever faithful, sorting them all out again. Since this picture was taken, however, The Lord gave us the idea of putting each deck into a little sandwich zip-lock bag, and it's worked!!! Tra-la! The Lord is so gracious to give us those little tips on house keeping.... :D
We had all the married kids and grandkids over Memorial day for a big dinner-we had such a great time. Here's a little plate detail....
And a rose detail-there's just something about raindrops on the velvet petals.
And---My people, read the signs above for your own safety, because...TA-Da!! No steps, dear-but look! See, Daddy and the boys are building a big deck/porch on the back of our home! We are very excited.
Oh, and see that window, farthest to the left, in the row of three? It was replaced with a door, so that way you can go to any floor of the house you want from outside, with out having to wind your way up from the inside. :) Lord willing, a second story "sleeping porch' will be the ceiling of the bottom porch, and there will be stairs leading up to it-then, from the Sleeping porch, stairs will lead up to those two windows at the very tip top, where the windows will be replaced with these French doors!
T'arn't they purty? The Lord blessed us with a great deal on it, too. I love the door handles...
And here it is, as of today. I believe new siding is in the plans, and can't you see Confederate Jasmine climbing up the pole things!!? God is so good.
Where many feet, Lord willing, will patter one day. With out the nails and screws, of course. :)

2009-06-03T22:17:00.001-04:00

I saw this yellow mushroom and thought it was so interesting. The broken part's bottom 'pleats' are amazing!
Paul with the kittens, before his injury-aren't they adorable!?Church meeting was at our home last week-here, some of the men fellowship together...
and here are some of the girls visiting...
The hydrangeas are blooming down here!! They bring such delight to me!

2009-06-03T22:15:00.001-04:00

Oh, Mama and Daddy just returned Saturday evening from their 27 wedding anniversary trip to Charles, SC-they left Wednesday, and had a wonderful time! They stayed at the Inn at Middleton Place, and enjoyed the lovely gardens and delicious food...we miss them lots here, and were so glad when they got back. It was fun for a day or two with it being all kids here, but after a little while, it got very, very old very quickly!! :D
I am so grateful for my parent's love for the Lord and each other, and for the beautiful picture of Christ and His Church that they live out...It's such a blessing to have parents who are so deeply in love after 27 years of marriage!! "It gets better everyday" Daddy says. This sunset was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen, I think. Ah, sun sets and rises bring such glory to their Maker!!
A Rusty Rake
Anna The Cat had 5 or 6 of the cutest little fluff balls recently-aren't they precious? There is one who is extra hairy, and he just cracks me up, especially when it rains and he gets wet-too funny!! See, there he is, in the middle-LOL!
Oh, on Sunday, for supper, we got pizza-haha, look! Tons of pizza!

Ahh...well, I hope to be back soon with more soon-I'm super behind on posting...and journaling, and writing and cleaning and sewing and studying. And allot of other things, it feels like. Ah! pray for me, when you think of it, that I would be diligent and get all that I need to get done, done. I know the Lord will help me. He is soo good!!!

Have a great afternoon, y'all!

Love in Him,

How Did You Die?

2009-06-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

Did you tackle that trouble that came your way

With a resolute heart and cheerful?
Or hide your face from the light of day
With a craven soul and fearful?
Oh, a trouble's a ton, or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it,
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only how did you take it?

You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what's that?
Come up with a smiling face.
It's nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there -- that's disgrace.
The harder you're thrown, why the higher you bounce;
Be proud of your blackened eye!
It isn't the fact that you're licked that counts,
It's how did you fight -- and why?

And though you be done to the death, what then?
If you battled the best you could,
If you played your part in the world of men,
Why, the Critic will call it good.
Death comes with a crawl, or comes with a pounce,
And whether he's slow or spry,
It isn't the fact that you're dead that counts,
But only how did you die?

Edmund Vance Cooke (1866 – 1932)

Father/Daughter Retreat 2009

2009-06-02T19:00:00.002-04:00

Hello, dearest Readers!!

Well, here, at last, are some pictures from the Father/Daughter Retreat put on by Vision Forum back in March-what a precious weekend my two sisters and I had with our beloved Father. Once again, I came away so encouraged and inspired, and blessed by each session and activity. I think my favorite thing was just spending the whole weekend with my Daddy-we talked and talked about all sorts of things, and just enjoyed being together-y'all, I am soo incredibly blessed in my precious father-he is soo wonderful!!! I am so thankful to the Lord for letting him be my own dear Daddy. Ahh...Praise the Lord!!!!!
Miss F. visiting with a little cutie...
Alrighty-to start out, lets see...Oh yes-once we got checked into our room, we headed over to the Grand Lawn (a delightful place where you play all sorts of father/daughter unity games) but, alas, it was raining, and had been most of the day, so everybody crowded into the building, and actually, we had the greatest time meeting people all afternoon!! We had a blast-Daddy got to talk and meet allot of Dads, and we girls got to meet some sweet young ladies and visit with old friends-it was fabulous!! Seems like sometimes you're so busy you don't have much time to meet folks, but this just worked out so charmingly. We did miss the games, though, but just loved the free afternoon to meet folks. Ah. So, at supper time, as it was still raining, :) we had our 'picnic' inside, complete with happy checkered table clothes and everything!
More Visiting....
Announcements, details...
We really enjoyed meeting these kind folks from AL-Dee and Mee, above with their eldest daughter, and...
the father and two of the younger girls.

That night we heard from Doug Phillips on What the Bible says about Fathers and Daughters and then from Voddie Baucham on Why Every Father is Leaving a Legacy Whether he Knows it or Not.

2009-06-02T18:50:00.000-04:00

What one does for taking notes when one leaves her note book in the room... :)Uncle Marc and Amanda looking beautiful (and handsome :) Saturday morning. (It's always so fun to dress up for the tea at noon!)Mr. Baucham

And, that morning, we enjoyed hearing Scott Brown on Nourishing a Daughters Vision for the Home, Voddie Baucham on The Ministry of Marriage-Why Putting off Marriage to do Ministry is Unwise and Unnecessary, and then from Doug Phillips on How a Father Inspires his Daughter, and How a Daughter Honors her Father.

Then at noon we enjoyed a beautiful Victorian High Tea with fresh flowers and all sorts of dainty little treats. Our Table...
And the sweet folks we enjoyed tea with...

2009-06-02T18:40:00.000-04:00

A cup 'o tea, dahlin'!
It was good to see the S. ladies and gentleman again...
My dear father, sisters and I at the tea...
We were so excited that we got to have tea with Uncle R. and A.!
The place cards were just beautiful...

2009-06-02T18:30:00.000-04:00

After tea, they had some photographers ready to take portraits of you and your Daddy all dresses up-here's ours!Dee's Tea-oh, and you got to bring home the china tea-cup-so fun.

After the tea, we had the whole afternoon to just be with Daddy-it was soo delightful! He took us to the Butterfly Center,and we enjoyed walking along the beautiful paths at Callaway-everything was so wet and fresh and cool! I love rain...
The butterflies were amazing!
With friends...And more friends!
Walking along...

2009-06-02T18:20:00.001-04:00

On the Edge
It was so cute to see daddies with their little girls-here, a dad takes a shot of his two small ones in front of some flowers...Look Dee!
Dee's picture of me and the fountain...
They had lots of tropical flowers that were so interesting...

2009-06-02T18:10:00.000-04:00

Oh, there were tons of these-and they were so photogenic, too. Always happy to pose for all who wanted a picture of their wings! Very accommodating.
Visiting...
My beloved Father
These folks were so nice-we had a great time meeting them.Martha

2009-06-02T18:00:00.000-04:00

It was so cool when they landed on you!!
Daddy enjoyed getting to talk to Mr. Doug some...With some of the Phillips girls...
It was so precious to see several hundred fathers and daughters who loved each other and the Lord, walking around and just being together...so refreshing to be among the Body of Christ!
"I know this scent' :) LOL...
With the C. young ladies...

2009-06-02T17:10:00.001-04:00

That afternoon we went out with the C.'s at San Marcos.
Moi
Little Miss C.Drink Coke
Sweet girls...

2009-06-02T17:00:00.001-04:00

'Sisters' :)
Saturday night Elizabeth Botkin talked about What my Father Taught me about Boys and Mr. Geoff Botkin spoke on How Hollywood is Stealing the Minds and Hearts of our Daughters and What to Do About It. We also enjoyed hearing from dads and daughters about what the Lord had showed them over the weekend-it's always so exciting to see the hearts of fathers and daughters turn towards each other! Praise God!!!! I am so excited!!!

There was also some fun games played that kept everybody in stitches. :DWe said goodbye to everybody that evening and left early that next morning-it's always so sad to say goodbye to everybody-ah, how one desires longer visits! :) It's also exciting going home, to see the rest of the darling fam, and to start/keep doing the things that God has called woman, and more specifically, daughters, to do. To be reminded, refreshed, encouraged-having learned new things, new ways to be a more effective, joyful, submissive, productive, godly daughter, who rejoices in being in her father's house and under his authority-who takes hold of and revels in the HUGE sphere God has put us daughters in, and as one who seeks to serve her family, and further her father's vision for the glory of Jesus Christ. Oh, my goodness, girls-we have a massive responsibility. We have soo much to do-so little time to do it. This time of daughter-hood in our father's house (for the majority of us, Lord willing) will pass. May we be vigilant, diligent, and wise daughters!!! I want to go re-read my notes-I'm so excited!!! God help us!!

Love a blessed, happy, encouraged, convicted, inspired daughter,

P.S. Here's a picture of our Father and Mother. The Head and his Crown. May God help us daughters to be the Polished Corner Stones.

Day Trip with Mike, Kress & the Chilluns!

2009-05-28T15:59:00.001-04:00

Good morning!! Well, a few weeks ago (before Esther came) Mike and Kress and Mikie III and Carlos were all going to the beach for a relaxing little day trip, and they invited me to go along as a nanny!! I was super excited, of course. Simply thrilled. Being an Aunt next door is so much fun! I'm so blessed. :) They were very dear for letting me go along!

So, bright and early, we head out toward the Great Deep with a beach umbrella, our swimmies, floaties, strollers and coolers and other beach-y stuff, ready to jump into the clear, cool waves....Ah. Bliss. We're finally here...dig your toes into the cool sand...you can hear the waves come crashing up, clear and green, and then, sometimes, they are blue, or white...a sea gull flies right over our little camp-the air smells crisp and tangy, and the babies cry and laugh and nap and play in the water...you close your eyes, and you feel the sun shine down on you, urging you to go float on the waves, and taste the salty water, and plunge into it's deep, swaying rhythm...

The ocean. It is one of the most beautiful gifts God gave us, I believe. He is so kind and good!!Mike dear and his cast-net...

Kressy dear The sea gulls (or whatever those are, LOL) were so beautiful!! They didn't seem afraid of us, either-they came right beside us and would swoop down and eat our discarded pizza crusts! Critter (Mikie III) was in awe. :)
Isn't this a neat picture!!? I was so tickled! That's our pizza crust it's got there...I prayed the Lord would help me to get a picture of one when it would swoop down right near us, and He did! He is so sweet and thoughtful to us...

Husband and wife enjoying the waves together...aww, just precious.Mike and Critter made a sand castle, which Critter then felt the need to promptly sit upon. Haha!! Ham Child.
Little Shell (this beach was so nice!! There were tons of beautiful shells, nice waves, mostly elderly people reading in beach chairs, and tons of room!! The Lord really blessed our time."Look, Mike!!! There's another one!!"
LOL, Carlos is soo adorable!! Here he is, enjoying a snack of seaweed. :)
"Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock ? Jeremiah 23:29

He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. Psalm 40:2

Shadows and Sand
This ship that passed by was absolutely colossal-huge!!!
A surfer with no waves...Critter's crashed...These little birds were so beautiful...
Kress told me those little things you see on the rocks is the same stuff that would attach itself to the bottom of their boat when she was growing up in the ocean. I'm sure that was a real ordeal trying to scrap them all off...But they are kind of pretty, in a way, aren't they? :)OH, and, look, y'all!!! I saw dolphins!! Up close!! How cool is that!? There were, like, maybe 10 of them, all jumping in and out! It was really neat. And----Here's the highlight, well, fishie-like-highlight thing that happened that day-I was walking out to about my waist, and heard Kressy, back near the shore, shouting something to Mike, and they both were trying to tell me something, and were coming out to where I was-then, I turned back, and saw this thing swim off real quick-it was a shark!!!! A real, live one! Isn't that cool!!!? I was in the water with a shark!!! Kress said she saw it swimming all around me, but I was looking for shells and didn't see it-she went to go get Mike 'cause she knew if I discovered it on my own I would have freaked out, which I'm sure I would have-she was so sweet to do that. Anyway, very neat. They said it was too small to kill me, but could have taken a chomp or two if it had wanted too. Kress, (who knows all about sharks and things, having grown up in the Caribbean and lived on a boat) said it was chasing schools of fish. I'm so grateful that the Lord protected me, and let them tell me instead of me seeing it!! Anyway, that was exciting.
That afternoon, a huge, beautiful storm came up...it was so amazing to see lightening against a dark blue, grey sky...and watch the waves turn different colors...As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Mark 1:16-18

And, I shall end with a man fishing on the rocks.

That evening, Mike took us all to Kressy's favorite, Olive Garden, and we enjoyed a huge, delicious meal before heading home, sure to dream of the salty waves and the great, deep ocean, and of sunshine and babies and dolphins and sharks and orange shells...Ah. It was truly a day to remember.

Thank You, Lord.

Esther and the weekend of her coming!

2009-05-20T11:12:00.010-04:00

Hello, y'all!!
Haha, isn't this something!? We still can't get over that fact that we have a girl!! :D God is soo good. She is doing great, and now weights 10 lb! We had the great joy of spending Mon. and Tues. at the Smithie home, cuddling babies, eating junk food, talking, watching movies, playing cards and putting pink bows on the mailbox for the first time, ;) and just enjoying sweet fellowship with all the dear folks up there. We bid farewell Tues. noon, leaving a gloating Auntie Dee and Uncle John for the week as helpers...some chore... ;) (JK, they were very sweet about getting to stay.)
Our little darling's name is Katherine (spelling still not determined) Esther Smith-isn't that lovely? Named after her dear Mama, and consequently after her great-great and great grandmothers. I love family names! So special. She's called Esther...our little grandbaby is so loved and missed by her family down here...we can't wait to see her and all the family again!
We love you, honey.

Michael Jr. and Dee playing chess... *Studies have shown that waving cereal boxes can relieve stress in times of tension if held at proper angle.* ;)Marth, Bret, Esther and Me...Auntie 'Besshie' and 'ze baby!

The Yuch and Paul Man
The C.'s made this beautiful and delicious cake!! Thanks, y'all-everybody really enjoyed it!Mid-night card games...
And-history is made!! The adhering of the first pink ribbon!!! *hears crowd cheering madly*
Ta-da!!!
There it is! Cunning, uh?
And here she is!!!! Our beauty! Our Small One!!! Praise the Lord.... The essence of cuddly-fluffy-ness, plus pure sweet-ness mixed all up in one tiny little bundle of adorability!! It is-Esther. Ah.
And here another picture of the Cuteness...
And another!! And now her little toesies! Aren't they tiny? :)

Well, until later, folks! Thanks for rejoicing with us in the birth of another blessed grandchild!

Oh-little detail I need to mention-Earlier I said she had 17 little boys between her and the last girl, but, actually there are just 16-in the excitement of the moment, and because I'm so good at my "add ups and take aways" ;) LOL, I miscalculated all the little boys between them! Sorry 'bout that. :D

Anyway, goodnight, y'all! Lord willing I'll be back tomorrow with lots of news and going-ons around here!! So much going happening-the Lord is so faithful. So many things to write down and record...

Love in Jesus,

Pictures of the Darling and Weight

2009-05-17T08:46:00.005-04:00

Here she is!!!! Isn't she stunning!?
Look at all that hair! Beautiful and black...
Papa and his Daughter's hands...
Mama, Papa and the Baby!
This is so fun!! Above is a pink frill!! :)

And....now-the weight:

9 lbs and 8 oz!!!!

and, Dorothy is our exact winner!! To the T! Congratulations, dear. :)

More later,

Aunt Adeline

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-05-17T07:01:00.004-04:00

Praise God!!!!! Can you believe it!!!?? We have a grand daughter!!!! A girl!!!!! A pink one!!! And she's got tons of dark, dark hair, and is a fluffy and chunky!!!!!!!! The first girl born here in 16 years!!! With 17 little boys in between!!! My goodness!!! Haha!!! I can hardly believe it. God is soo good!!! Will post pictures and weight and name and all as soon as we find out!!!

God bless you all for praying and rejoicing with us!!! Katie is doing wonderful!

Love an ecstatic,

Aunt Adeline

Nana's Predictions

2009-05-16T19:46:00.000-04:00

Nana's guess is-!!!

A 7.8 lb girl. :D

Go Nana!

More Updatelings

2009-05-16T18:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, dears!!!
Well, contractions about 5 minutes apart, Katie's feeling great and in the kitchen with everybody laughing and talking!! What a doll. Oh, and her guess is a 9 1/2 lb boy! And, and Rach and Wes are here with Doughy Joey-they had a lovely trip up here, they said-beautiful rain storm on the interstate-she said it was so pretty. Ah, I love rain...Oh, and Rach says she thinks it will be a 9 lb boy.

Here's a picture of our dear about a week ago, looking lovely with little Spot!

It is lovely and misty here-Mama and Auntie and all the girls are in the kitchen making supper...spinach topped tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, all sorts of yummy things...There's something special about the way ground beef smells when it's cooking...I think it's because we ate allot when I was little, and it smells like childhood....oh, and onions, too. I love homey smells. God is so good to give us those special scents. One of the most precious scents in the world is the pillow soft head of a newborn baby...Ahh, I can't wait!!!!

Mama and Daddy dear are back from the store with the traditional celebration food-they are so sweet.

OHH!! Joy! GrandDaddy and Nana are here!!! Ah! I love and miss them so! I'm so glad they're here. Gotta run.

Love in Jesus,

Adeline

Hear Ye, Hear Ye-'Tis the Baby!!!!!!!

2009-05-16T12:15:00.014-04:00

Guess what!!!!!!?? Our darling sister, Katie is in labor! We are so excited!!! We are all (well, most of us) up here at the dear Smithies, waiting with great anticipation for the arrival of our much loved, sixth little grandchild! Horray!!!! God is so good. Her contractions were 10 minutes apart, but are now irregular-the midwife is saying It will most likely get here around 3:00 am!! We appreciate your prayers for the dear little family-Katie and the small one, especially.

In the mean time, we are cooling our excited nerves with delightful guessing. Leave your guess, and if you win, you get to pick an item of your choice from our toy box!!!

Our guesses, and the guesses of recent guests at our house, and the blog-viewers who have guessed previously are as follows:

Michael Jr.: 8lb, 4 oz boy
Kress: 9 lb 2 oz boy
John: 7 1/2 lb boy
Dorothy: 9 lb 8 oz girl
Adeline: 8 lb, 2 oz girl
Martha: 9 lb 3 oz girl
Angela H.: 9 lb 3 oz boy
Mrs.V.:8 lb 5 ounce boy
Cleveland: 8lb 3oz boy
Mrs. C. 8 lb 8oz girl
Tiffany C: girl
Esther Z.: 8 lb 11 oz girl
Livvy P. : girl
Bb V.: 8 lb 11 oz boy
Rachel 'n Wes: Still in route to Smith's house, will ask when she and Wes arrive....

Will be back soon with more updates soon, Lord willing-Katie is doing wonderful, and it taking a much needed nap. Mama and Daddy have gone to the store and shall return with plunder!! :)

Love an excited,

Aunt Adeline

P.S. We were so excited to hear of this precious little boy born yesterday!! Congratulations, Jordon and Melissa!!!

Praise the Lord for all these precious babies!

The Bees Came!

2009-05-13T14:24:00.012-04:00

Look, y'all!! Bees! They finally came in! Michael's two hives, and Andrew's one, I am happy to report, are comfortably settled into their new homes and are doing wonderful.

The two smokers, or whatever they're called. :) Smoke is such an interesting thing. Very pretty, in it's own way.Michael preparing part of the hive. Y'all will have to forgive my novice about all things bee-ish. :) Kressy dear and precious little Carlos looking on...

Critter, after his play time in the dirt of his choice. :) LOL, this child is soo cute!!Off to the bee subdivision...
The making of future honey, perhaps?
While I was taking the flower picture above, I saw Cleve Pushing Mikey in the Cozy Coupe-what darlings!! Mikey just loves that thing...All this bee-stuff went on around lunch time, so Wes stopped by after lunch, on his way to the hardware store to check out the going-ons...here he is examining the smokers...LOL! What a cute brother!! So, we started a good fire in one, and enjoyed pumping it up good and hard. Me and Wes enjoyed watching the smoke curl up in pretty little swirls.... :) Poor Andrew and Mike, LOL.Our two wonderful bee keepers.Clearing away the tall grass,
and getting the boxes ready...'Till the action starts, I amuse myself with taking pictures of beautiful, tiny field flowers...This one is allot smaller then your pinkie nail. (how many of you looked at your pinkie nail? :) I love how the Lord makes some of the most beautiful things the smallest, so you have to stop and get down on your knees to look at them.
Here's one of the hives that Michael has had for a few years. See that lone bee, the last one on the left? Andrew tells me that's one of the look out bees-isn't that neat? He's such a precious brother. Ah...Y'all, how fun it is to have 8 brothers!! Can you believe that!? 8!? What a blessing! And a great responsibility to try to influence the ones still in my sisterly sphere, :) in the right way...May the Lord help me, and all of us, as sisters, mothers and wives to use the influence He's given us for His glory and purposes.After all was ready, they dumped the bees into the boxes, and inserted the queen.
There were so many hundreds of bees flying and landing everywhere.
And, there they are, all settled in. We really looking forward to honey soon, Lord willing!
And, as a little tid-bit, here's our most recent whipped creme kitchen mishap. I think blenders know when we buy them. :D JK.And another tid-bit-
Here are some of Daddy's absolutely gorgeous peas!! They are delicious. Three cheers, dearest Father!!
That's all for now, folks!!

Until next time,

Garden Update

2009-05-07T17:10:00.005-04:00

Hello, dearzies!
Hope you are having a wonderful afternoon. :) It's cloudy and Springish here-just beautiful! It's just us three little girls here this afternoon, all by our lonesomes. It is very quiet. Cleve dear took his five little brothers off for a spend-time today, and Pa-pa and Marmz are off to T.ville for a few errands. Dee made strawberry sorbet, and we all had a glass of it-ah!! Delicious. We picked peas together, and are having a charming time!! I love my sisters so! I miss mine that aren't here, though...Oh, speaking of Katie darling, no baby here as of yet. This little puddin'pop is taking it's sweet time. Hey, wouldn't it be hilarious if it was a girl!? LOL! Boys are super fun, too, of course. Oh-we're all making our guesses official, now! Leave one yourself-who knows, you might end up winning!! Here's mine: An 8 pound, 2 ounce girl. Watch me loose. But I'm determined I shant be swayed from my prediction, even if Kressy dear, who knows all about such things, says that the pounds and ounces will be all off. LOL. :D Please pray for Kate and the babe when you think of them-I've heard that last week or two feels very long. Ah, I can't wait to hold it!!
As the title tells, this is a garden update-Daddy Dear has planted lots of tomatoes and such since-he so wonderful!! (Y'all, I am so blessed to have him as my Dad-God is merciful and so gracious!!) Isn't his garden splendid!?
Here's The Man of our family, preparing beds...
Peppers...

Straight and Narrow"Ongyins" as little tots call them. ;)An Arugula flower...
And the peas! These things are so good.
And a view from the corner of the garden.
Dew drops on a broccoli leaf...
And some purple cabbage!

Well, all for now, folks! Until next time,

Hello, Karla!

2009-05-04T12:46:00.004-04:00

Hi-just wanted you to know we finally (attempted to :) answer that question you asked-we are so very sorry for not getting back with you sooner. God bless!!

Love,

The Many Styles of Sir Steady

2009-05-04T07:04:00.001-04:00

Here's my darling victim!! I was to sheer him a few weeks back, but before doing so we entertained ourselves with a few new looks. Looking pretty good, eh? :) Although we kept with the ever lasting classy look, our favorite of all time, :) here are some of the try-outs, for fun.

Enjoy! (The following pictures were approved by Edwin O. Morton, May 4, 2009)# 1 Windblown Look (I love his expression, LOL! I have got the 5 cutest little brothers in the world!)
# 2-The Antique Part# 3 Le Shag
And here is the one that I think looks so suave!! Isn't he handsome? Looks like he stepped out of the 40's or 50's. He looks so much like those pictures of GrandDaddy. Ah, charm.
A picture of moi, 'ze barberess for the afternoon. Or more accurately, the hairdresser. Or the Fearsome Sheerer. Choppy also works. :)

Anyway, have a blessed Monday, Y'all!! May we all remember to pray without ceasing today. To abide in Him. He is so wonderful and merciful!!! Praise the Lord.

Well, as Mr. Larry says, be blessed and be a blessing!

Recent Random Pictures

2009-04-24T11:37:00.001-04:00

Hello, dear Observers!!
Here's another montage of everyday pictures for your personal enjoyment and amusement, and for posterity, from the months of March and April. Enjoy!

p.s. This title for these sort of posts is getting quite stale. Forgive my lack of creativity, LOL. ;) Copy, paste, copy, paste....
Feet
I love Edwin's smile!
LOL!
This is from a lovely time we had celebrating Katie's birthday on the 4-Mike the milk guy.
Mother Dear the cake lady...
"ah-it is within my grasp!!"
Pizza wedge in Critter's paws...This child is a true Morton-he couples the words "pizza and movie" together like they were never two different words! LOL.
More birthday buzz-look at Bret III and Mikey III enjoying the food given-Haha, what cuties!! (Many happy birthdays to our Katie dear!!)Y'all remember when it rained for all those weeks last month? Wow, that was allot of rain. The Lord was so good to send it, we sure needed it. Here's our yard during one of the deluges. It was so cool-when the wind would blow, it looked like a mini ocean, with little waves and all!
While we're speaking of movies, pizza and our traditional junk food that always accompanies them, I shall tell of the passing of our TV monitor. We had rented Faith like Potatoes, and got tons of good food (notice a portion of which is set out for jolly munching on the table) and all gathered together on the couches for the moving picture to begin-but, alas, after many years of serious illness, it refused to play even one more DVD. After it passed, we headed downstairs to the computer to watch it on that. :) Have food, will travel. :)Wes and Alan were so good to give it surgery. It did not respond well, however,
and will now spend the rest of time in a landfill somewhere, most likely.Many mini morsels...
I shall end with a picture of our beloved Father working in the garden-this was taken several weeks ago, so every thing's gotten huge since!! He is just amazing. What a gift we have in our Father.

Well, have a blessed afternoon, y'all. Dee is making mocha chocolate cheesecakes for church meeting tomorrow. They smells so good. We're all gathering here for meeting tomorrow-I can't wait to see everybody!! I love Sundays. They are so refreshing, physically and spiritually. Cleve put the screen door back up today, so now the breeze can come in without the cat. That will be charming. Daddy Dearest is gardening. We had an amazing salad today with lunch. Ahh. I took a beautiful walk in the woods this morning. I had the most wonderful time talking with God. Daddy was reading the Bible last night to us, and he read about how Noah walked with God. Enoch did, too. I want to walk with God like that. To have that relationship with my God. He is so holy and merciful. Bless HIS name.

Well, farewell, specimens. Have a restful day of rest tomorrow!! :)

The Marriage Celebration of Andy V. and Brittany A.

2009-04-22T15:37:00.016-04:00

Hello, dearest Readers and Viewers alike,
I pray you are doing wonderful tonight-the Lord is so good, isn't He!? He makes my heart truly happy and at peace. Ah. Do you know Him? Do you have that peace that only He can bring? (If you don't, we would love to tell you more about Him!)
Alrighty, here's the wedding post! Hope you enjoy it. I'm afraid I did an awful job of putting the pictures in sequential order, so a few teaspoons of creativity on your part will be necessary. :D The wedding was such a peaceful, relaxed one-I love those. God was truly glorified that day by the events of His children as they joined hands in holy matrimony. They had the bride and her attendants at her home, (a few miles down the road from the lake the wedding was held at) and then, whenever the father of the groom felt like it was the right time, he sent his son, the groom, to go get her and bring her to the marriage feast-it was such a beautiful picture of what God will do with His Son, and how Jesus will come and get us, and take us to the greatest Wedding Feast of all time!!! That is so exciting!!!!!! There was much excitement awaiting the time when Andy went to get Brittany, and much joy at their coming. The vows were beautiful and solemn, and the prayers and the things the two fathers shared all very encouraging, all painting a picture of Christ and His Church. Bless the Lord for such a time.
When ever a car was heard on the highway, everybody was looking around, waiting, watching for the wedding party-it was really neat.
Andy and Brittany-April 18, 2009Adorable Specimens
All the dogwood was so pretty!
The unity candle and salt covenant table. Y'all, they did this really neat thing called a salt covenant-During Old Testament times, people sealed their covenants with salt-each person would take their pouch of salt and mix it with the other's salt-it was that, if you can take out all your grains, (which of course is impossible) then only can the covenant be broken. It was a really poignant picture of two becoming one.

2009-04-21T22:45:00.006-04:00

Paul Man. LOL, this child is such a joy!!! Check out that smile!!!
Captain Bret
D.
Mr. and Mrs. C.
Attempts at Art ;)

2009-04-21T22:27:00.005-04:00

The Bridal party arrives!!
Brother of the Bride
Mr. and Mrs. V. walking down...
Mr. L. prays before the ceremony...

2009-04-20T17:39:00.007-04:00

This pictures makes me think about enjoying seasons that you are in. One day it will be another man leading you. One day your precious Daddy will give you away, like Mr. A. did today. Ah, it makes me want to just cherish each day, each year in each season that you will enjoy and live in your life time, because the only thing that will never change is God. May we dance and sing and rejoice in every season-may we do all that that we do for the glory of God, in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter!!
Little Smith Man
The two photographers-that sweet girl had a really cool camera!! I'm really looking forward to her formal pictures of Brittany at her house. Fun, fun.
"No more pictures!! Run!!!" ;)

2009-04-20T16:45:00.009-04:00

Another 'bridal party arrives' picture...
Father of the groom...
Fathers and GroomsmenMother of the Bride, dear brothers, and flower girls...

2009-04-20T16:36:00.006-04:00

Beautiful Bridesmaids
About to walk down the aisle...
HappinessListening...
And watching...

2009-04-20T16:24:00.009-04:00

Prayer...
Mr. V. speaks...
From down the aisle...
Saying the vows before God the Father and the witnesses. Wow. When you think about attending a wedding, it really is such a great honor to be able to witness two people vowing to become one flesh for as long as both of them live, before Almighty God. Seeing the two be a living example of Christ and His Bride. A wedding is a really, really huge and glorious covenant to watch. Praise God.
Three precious little brothers watching...
Cake detail...

2009-04-20T15:42:00.008-04:00

Michael Jr. and his youngest little man, Carlos.
Andrew and SamuelAh, she's such a dear!! So radiant. I've noticed lately how much Brittany and her lovely mother look alike-that's such an honor, to look like your mama or daddy.
Purity
The beloved mother of the groom...
Wally making a break for it...
Flower girl Rachel-LOL, what a doll! Humm, I wonder what she's thinking?
Right before their first kiss...

Aww...

2009-04-20T12:11:00.008-04:00

D. and Bethy
Mama dear and Mrs. P. enjoyed lunch together...
Daddy dear visiting with Mr. and Mrs. V....
A., a sweet little attendant to her big sister....

2009-04-20T11:55:00.009-04:00

The beautiful bride...
Such lovely flowers!

Dreaming...
That's so sweet...

2009-04-20T10:42:00.008-04:00

Mr. and Mrs. V.
2 hours and two decades. (plus a few years:) What a blessing for such faithful, loving examples.
Mr C.
Daddy and Daughter...
Feeding each other cake...

Alas, we had to head out sooner then we would have liked, as one of us got to feeling very sick, but we were so grateful for the honor of the time that we did get to spend at this joyful occasion.

May God bless Andy and Brittany greatly as they seek Him, and as they continue to follow down the narrow path together as man and wife. Praise the Lord!

Wedding Pictures

2009-04-19T17:49:00.000-04:00

This Saturday we had the great honor and joy of attending the glorious marriage ceremony of Andrew V. and Brittany A., in north Georgia. Until I get the Master Wedding Post completed, here's a little something to get you in the mood-I just love weddings and wedding pictures-they're so joyful! They're right behind that, that thing, that tree. ;P

Until tomorrow, then!

Bees

2009-04-17T20:52:00.006-04:00

Look at this, y'all!! Isn't that so cool!!? God is really, truly amazing. Such an intricate Creator. Blessed be His name. (These are M&K's bees. They were able to get them back to where they were supposed to be after a little while, so, no harm done! We were all very grateful for that-the honey is soo delicious. Mike is quite the bee keep.) It made for an amazing sight in the mean time. :)

The Lovely Girl and an Umbrella or, The Photography Efforts of Poogness, Etc.

2009-04-14T11:55:00.001-04:00

Hello, dearest Readerlings!

Well, the title of this post explains it's content, so I shall leave you to enjoy a few of my favorites from a photo shoot I did with my darling sister, and selfless devoter of time to my picture whims, :) Dorothy. Love you, sweetie!!! God bless you!!

p.s. If any of you photographers out there have any advice on the subject, things that you see could be improved with lighted, editing, angles etc., (I know there's allot that needs working on:) I would be thrilled if you would drop the tip or two in the comment section! Anyways, have a fantastic afternoon!!

~Adeline

Father Daughter Retreat 2009- Post Coming Soon

2009-04-13T18:41:00.006-04:00

Ah, as always, what a blessing this retreat was!! Praise the Lord again and again for this refreshing, encouraging time with our beloved father. I've got so much to tell you and some fun pictures to share, but I'm waiting for the portraits to come in from VF, so, until then, here's a butterfly! :)

A happy, incredibly blessed daughter,

Adeline

Grand Spelunking Expedition 2009

2009-04-10T09:33:00.006-04:00

Good evening, dears!

Here we are, to report on the great and 3'rd trip to the Saltpeter Caverns, or, as we all call it "The Cave", deep down in which, you would have discovered Cleveland, Wesley, Dorothy, me, Martha, Andrew, Sam and John Morton, along with 18 or so other folks that we know, last weekend, from Friday afternoon until Sunday morning. The Lord really blessed our time, and I do think it was the best trip yet! I present to you some wordage, along with pictures from our time down there, and some from up there, taken with our faithful camera, who devotedly captured what ever we told it too, despite all very-odd odds. He survived the expedition with no injuries and "is still alive today." :D I'm so grateful to the Lord for that, and also for keeping everyone safe while we were down there. His creation, mercy and love are soo very wonderful.
Alrighty, here we go...Above is the caravan, with all it's occupants tumbling out-the applying of boots is being done, as well as the putting on of gear, backpacks and plain ole' stuff, onto the backs of all.
Andrew ready to roll!
Classy Caver-Dorothy Dear
Armando with his pack-so proud of you, buddy!
Cutie Caver, Martha Doll

2009-04-10T09:25:00.006-04:00

The hike begins! The mountains in the distance are the destination.
"There is some blue sky-let us chase it!!"
Brother-in-laws Wesley and Arman coming around the bend...
"Ah-my lace! Do have the goodness to go on." :) Here's D. helping M. with a wayward boot. What would one do without sisters!?
The owners of the cave, these two sweet elderly people, live in this house-the trail goes right past their lovely abode, and then on up the mountain.

2009-04-10T09:13:00.005-04:00

Mariah beside the little waterfall.
Roots
After an extremely fatiguing trip up, everyone collapses to rest for a minute before heading down into the earth.
Samuel Dear
Wes and 'ze Pringles.

2009-04-10T09:05:00.006-04:00

After reading the label, they were generously passed around. ;P
K.
R. getting his pack ready...
"Ah! Glow sticks! Aren't these the things you use to start fires!?" No, dear. Just, just put it in your pack.
Moi' Soulier tableau.

2009-04-10T08:58:00.004-04:00

Marth and Maud with some pretty Spring foliage...I love Springtime!!
Cleve with the essentials. ;)
JJ
"Y'all about ready?"
Gearing up...

2009-04-10T08:42:00.006-04:00

Last minute calls to wives were done. :) Poor darlings-they missed their wives terribly.
The entrance-from the inside, of course. :) Isn't it beautiful?
Coming in!
After walking, crawling, jumping, falling, pushing and pulling, we finally made it to the base camp, way back in the cave. There we were relieved of our heavy backpacks, set up our sleeping bags and lit candles to conserve batteries. It's so fun to make somewhere homey, even if it is a cave-it's amazing what a little candle light will do to make a place feel warm and cozy.
Above is a picture of the lighting in the cave. Or the absence of. It's pretty creepy opening your eyes, and your eyes never get adjusted to it, because there is nothing to get adjusted to. It gives you a tiny little glimpse of what "outer darkness" would be like. It's a fearful thing. God is soo good to save us from hell, and be our Savior and the Light in us.
Dorothy Uncle Bret's and his kid's spot. That's Arman and Wally back in there.
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

2009-04-10T08:34:00.003-04:00

Gabby writes her name in soot-brilliant, that child.
See? Now isn't that homey!?
Cleve
A. C. brought some Brewster's ice cream down there-it was pretty neat! I'm sure it was the first time anyone had ever done that. :)
Uncle Frank with some of his dear chillun's...

2009-04-09T23:01:00.007-04:00

The Campana's tent.
Andrew's effort to catch a least a few of the large white rats that prowl the camp site when we go to bed. He was determined to have a meal of "BBQ rat ribs" before the trip was over, LOL. :D I love brothers like that.
Gabby, Alyssa, me and Maud
See those sweet girls waaay up there!? That's Marth, Beth, Mariah and Darth.
And that dear man up there? That's Wes.

2009-04-09T22:51:00.004-04:00

Glow stick swirls...
Some of the younger men, John, JJ, Wally and D.
Muddy Boots
Alyssa
Martha

2009-04-09T22:44:00.006-04:00

Mr. J. coming through a hole...
Me, Adeline
Frank C.
One of the most fascinating parts of the cave is the signatures you find sprawled in the walls-this one reads "Y. R. Brown, May 16, 1892. In God We Trust" There's also one that I was not able to get a picture of this time, but it's from an Otis Reed, 1771-isn't that absolutely amazing!? Waiting in line to get through "The Key Hole."

2009-04-09T22:36:00.003-04:00

Saturday afternoon most of us went repelling down the HH, and then it was off to see the two waterfalls! So, above is Sam, I think. He did so great!
Stepping off the edge...
I think this is Sam again...
Getting everything ready for the next person...

2009-04-09T22:29:00.005-04:00

Gabby
Mr. A. goin' down...
"Make him handsome again, I get a free hot dog" "You're going to starve." :) Me all ready to go down, doing jokes with Beth and the camera...
Cleveland Dear
Mariah

2009-04-09T22:21:00.005-04:00

Andrew hitting the bottom...
John
K. coming down...
Hey, hon!!
Arman's decent...

2009-04-09T22:12:00.006-04:00

D's down...
Andrew at the middle point...
The ones who are "down there" looking at the ones who are "up there" (It took, like an hour or two to get all of us down-in the mean time, we girls amused ourselves by making little clay souvenirs, LOL.)
Father and Daughter-how precious.
Maud

2009-04-09T20:08:00.005-04:00

Mariah, Beth and Darth's little cubby hole.
Two spelunkers viciously shove their victim off the cliff-"Who is the bandit!?" cries the unhappy rock clinger, holding on for precious life.
"I can't tell you that!" The two then share in an evil laugh, but then, suddenly, out of now where, comes this huge, colossal!!-

Oh, never mind. This was getting way too exciting anyway. ;)
John and R. enjoying conversation...And here's Alan, one of the last to come down...
"I wonder if the reception's good down here?" LOL, this is Wes, and he's actually adjusting the repelling gear. :)

2009-04-09T19:59:00.005-04:00

That's Dorothy over there...
Cousins, 'sisters', friends, a whole Rook team and a whole bunch of other wonderful things-Dorothy, Bethany, Adeline and Martha!
Everyone looking at-Well, something simply magnificent, that I'll show you in a second...
Wesley
D.

2009-04-09T18:59:00.008-04:00

Girls walking...
Uncle Bret, the wonderful expedition leader.
B.
And, look, y'all!!! Here's what we repelled to see-the waterfall. Isn't really, truly awesome!? God is amazing. (I've out a little stick man there for proportion-actually, we were a little smaller. The girls say allot smaller. Ah, well. It gives you an idea, anyway. :)
Some of the boys repelled down into it, but most of us sat on the moist rocks, in the dim light, listening to the falling water on the rocks below...we all sang, too-old hymns, round songs, musicals-I think that was my favorite part of the whole trip. Singing to the Lord from way down under the earth. Ah, and the acoustic were just unbelievable. The ceiling of this room was so incredibly tall, that you felt like you were outside on a dark night. Simply amazing.
And here's the whole lot of us, Sunday morning, around the entrance of the cave. What a blessed time we had. We're all looking forward to next time, Lord willing! Until then, pictures and a huge pile of many wonderful memories will be ours to enjoy!! God is so good.

Goodbye, Flint

2009-04-05T09:44:00.000-04:00

Well, our ever faithful yellow lab, Flint, passed away Friday morning. He was the best dog in the world, and we will miss him so much. Here's a few pictures of our buddy. We are very grateful to the Lord for the blessing of such a good dog for so many years.
His favorite spot was on our door mat...
Flint, all of us kids, and our wonderful Auntie and all the beautiful quilts she made for us... LOL...
He always followed us so faithfully on our bike rides...
Sheriff Flint. Poor thing, he put up with allot, :)...

Flint and his pal, Smokey the cat

Bye, buddy. Good boy, Flint.

Weather Report

2009-03-31T18:29:00.002-04:00

The bottom just fell out, y'all!!! I've hardly ever seen such a downpour. There's two tornado's swirling around our town, but we have not spotted them yet. (hopefully we won't)

The heavens truly proclaim the glory of the Lord.

March Retreat 2009

2009-03-24T15:00:00.004-04:00

Hello, all!!

Hope you're having a terrific Tuesday. :) 'Tis rain, beautiful, spring time rain for us here today. I love it.

Weekend before last, there was a family retreat at our home-it was such a wonderful, peaceful time of fellowship, encouragement and inspiration-I can't wait for the recorded sessions to come in-I can't wait to hear them again!! Mama and Aunt Laura did several sessions talking to the ladies, and they were such a blessing to me as a younger lady! I also really, really enjoyed the things Daddy Dear and the other men said- it was all so uplifting. Praise the Lord for such wise Men and Ladies. Below are a few pictures from the weekend-hope you enjoy them! For more, you can go to Gensing Studios and 11 Acre Wood.

Have a blessed week, everybody! I'm on a catch up with blogging frennzie, so come back soon!

Love to all! Oh!! And guess what!? We're off to go on a spelunking weekend, leaving Thursday night! We can't wait! So that's what this week holds, Lord willing. :) So maybe pictures of that soon, too.

Anyway, ta-ta!

Sweet Mrs. L. bringing her husband cake...

The Kitchen crew...

2009-03-24T14:59:00.000-04:00

2009-03-24T14:58:00.002-04:00

LOL, this is soo cute-This is what he does when you say "smile, Ron!" :) At least he knows it has something to do with that mouth, LOL!

Mrs. C. filling up dish washing buckets. She did an amazing job of coordinating all the meals and such-three cheers, Mrs. C.!!

2009-03-24T14:57:00.000-04:00

Boxing lessons with Frank... :)

2009-03-24T14:56:00.000-04:00

All of us girls stayed at Wesley and Rachel's house, and Rachel had it all fixed up so nice!! Above is a lovely tray she had with some essentials to a good 'ole party!! :)

2009-03-24T14:55:00.001-04:00

2009-03-24T14:54:00.000-04:00

Poor Flint was not feeling too well...
Red Rover