Forever Young

Catching Up...

2010-04-04T22:58:00.008-04:00

I thought I had better update my blog, finally!!! Life since Christmas has been absolutely crazy, which is an understatement! I am going to try to fill you in on what has been happening in our lives since then.
There is not a lot that happened in January that was exciting other than Paul turned 41. I also tried to get used to a new employee at work. Then we also had to do a funeral
for one of our parishoners. That was rough.
In February Paul had the privilege of going to the 50th anniversary of HSBC. He also took his parents down there for camp. He really enjoyed that. We also got 3-4 inches of snow on Feb. 12th. That was exciting for the girls. There was enough snow for them to make a snowman. Also, in Feb. Ashley turned double digits. Yes, my pumpkin is 10 yrs. old. The highlight for her was receiving her laptop from her Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop.
In March I had the privilege of going to NY to be with my sister. She had her 1st baby and asked me to come and help her. I flew up on March 11th and got to stay until the 17th. I really enjoyed that and loved holding and caring for my newest nephew. I also had to work constantly because we lost the new employee we had gained at the Library.
Now we are in April and it does not seem possible. We had a great Easter. I trust each one of you did as well. Sorry these pics are backwards.

The Young family Easter '10.

Our sweet baby dolls... Ashley 10 & Lauren 8...

Lauren with her Easter basket...

Ashley with her Easter basket...

The proud parents, Jenn, Tom and Baby Tyler.

Sweet baby Tyler!!!

Ashley and her laptop (netbook).

Ashley waiting to open her gifts...

Beautiful snow in February.

The girls first snowman, SC style!!!!

Enjoying Christmas...

2009-12-29T01:16:00.004-05:00

Here are just a few pics of us enjoying the holidays. We started in New York at Thanksgiving and enjoyed Christmas all the way up to the day after Christmas. We tried something new this year, to try and avoid as much bad weather as possible. We went to New York for Thanksgiving and while we were there we had our Christmas with my side of the family. Then we stayed home for Christmas and enjoyed Paul's side of the family the day after Christmas. We had an enjoyable time at both places. Sorry, the pics are out of order. I am on Paul's laptop and I am not use to this thing.

Passing out the stockings at the Young's house...

Grammy Roberts was brave and let all the grandkids help her make cookies...

Paul got some much needed clothes for Christmas...

Ashley got mommy a soft blanket...

Ashley got Jenga from Lauren...

Lauren enjoying her Littlest Pet Shop from Ashley!

Greenville Zoo and Falls Park

2009-10-10T20:29:00.009-04:00

Yesterday we, went as a family, on a field trip to Greenville Zoo. When we first left our house it looked like it was going to rain, so we prayed that the Lord would hold off the rain. Thank the Lord, He did. It was an overcast day, but perfect, because the animals were very active. It was a very nice and they had the zoo decorated for "Boo at the Zoo" so it gave us an extra benifit with our pics. We had so much fun posing with the decorations and the statues. They also had a very nice playground right outside of the zoo. It was unlike any playground I have ever seen. It was very 21st century. As we were leaving the zoo Paul mentioned that he'd love to find the waterfalls that are in Greenville. Well, he had no sooner said that when we saw a sign for Falls Park. We decided to follow the signs, and I am so glad we did. The place was absolutely breath taking. The falls were beautiful, and surrounded by a very nice park. We walked right down by the falls and I took advantage by taking some pictures. It was a very nice day and we created some great memories we will never forget. Sorry the pics are backwards. I always forget you have to think opposite.

The beautiful falls...

More of the falls...

Christine...

Paul...

Ashley...

Lauren...

Smile Pretty everyone...

The Three Amigos...

Mommy, she's got me...

She can't get me...

We're really hungry, Lauren...

They sure are big...

The Three Stooges...

Ouch...

I can take down this bear...

He's a nice bear, Paul...

Can we get one mommy...

He is fun to ride on...

This was the cutest little orangutan....

Mommy, he's got me...

Honey, help...

Aaaaahhhh...

Mommy, this lion is a lot more tame...

Can I have one for a pet...

Bryson's Apple Orchard

2009-10-08T12:30:00.004-04:00

Last Thursday we took the girls to Bryson's Apple Orchard for a field trip to pick apples. We had a lot of fun picking apples and exploring the place where they make cider. We missed them making the cider by a day. They always make it on Wednesday and we were there on Thursday. The lady did tell us how they make it and showed us the machines they use. They also let the girls push some apples down the conveyor so that they could be sorted for the store. Then the girls got to sort some of the apples. When we went to the little road side store they let the us taste some cider. It was delicious!!! We had a lot of fun and once again enjoyed another field trip. The little roadside store...

Lauren reaching for an apple...

Ashley reaching for an apple...

Pushing the apples down the conveyor...

Sorting the apples for the store!

Happy Birthday Lauren...

2009-09-02T20:12:00.004-04:00

Our baby turned 8 today. Boy do I feel old. Yes, Lauren turned 8 years old and it just doesn't seem possible. It seems like just yesterday she was a toddler and I was chasing her around the house. Ashley actually made Lauren's cake all by herself. I wasn't even home. I had to work and I told her if she could make brownies she could make a cake. So, she gave it a try. She did a fantastic job and Lauren loved her cake. I was very proud of her. Our girls are really growing up. Lauren we hope you had a good birthday and that you enjoy all your gifts. We love you!!!

Lauren anxious to open her gifts...

Lauren with her gifts...

Blowing out her candles!

First Day of School 2009...

2009-08-18T09:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, we had our first day of school for the 2009-2010 school year. Ashley is in 4th grade and Lauren is in 3rd grade. That just does not seem possible. My girls are growing up tooooooooo.... fast. The girls have been so excited, especially Ashley, to start school that they have been asking for weeks if they could start school. The day went well and they were able to get everything done in a short amount of time because the first part of each book they do is just a reading and introduction. When we got finished Ashley was disappointed because she wanted to do more. Then Daddy came home with a nice surprise for each of us. He came home with a yellow and red rose for each of us. He wanted us to have something nice to bring in the new school year. He did it when the girls started school in Alabama for the first time. I thought it was so sweet of him. I pray the Lord will bless us with a good year. Also pray for Paul and I as we will be team teaching this year, due to me working at the Library part time. Pray that we will be able to teach them the values and lessons they need to know and that they will grow in the Lord. Here are a few pics of the girls on their first day and then some of us with our roses.

Lauren with her 3rd grade Bible book...

Ashley with her 4th grade Bible book...

Ashley and Lauren with their roses from daddy...

Paul with his girls and the roses he got them...

Paul and I with the roses he got me!

Proud Parents...

2009-07-24T21:23:00.005-04:00

On Sunday the girls played for church. My parents were here for the week and they never get to hear the girls play so we had them play especially for them. The girls did a superb job. Lauren played "Come Thou Almighty King" for the offeratory and Ashley played and sang "Oh How I Love Jesus" for the special, this was her first time to sing and play at the same time. You have to listen carefully to hear her singing because the mike did not pick her up very good. We were very proud of them. They are doing so good with Mrs. Rita as their teacher. We thank her so much for all her work with them. Below are the videos I took of them playing.

Lauren playing the offeratory...

Ashley playing and singing the special!

It's Official...

2009-07-06T21:21:00.002-04:00

I am now an Anderson County Library Employee. Several months ago I applied for a part-time job at our Library here in Iva. I did not get the job then and that was okay. Well, a few weeks ago the lady they hired the first time quit to move to Ohio, so I decided to try again. This time I got an interview, which scared me to death. It was my first formal interview. Then later that week I was offered the job. I had told the Lord it was in his hands from the beginning. Well, it was meant to be this time because today I started my first day on the job. It was a lot of fun, but talk about brain over load. I think I am really going to enjoy the job. It is a nice relaxed atmosphere and it is only 15 hours a week, 3-4 hours a day. I will be working Mon.- Wed. and Fri. I will have Thurs. and Sat. off. This week I am working 20 hrs. but I am also training. Please pray for me that I will catch on fast.

4th of July...

2009-07-06T21:00:00.003-04:00

For the 4th of July our church does a pig roast every year. It is a big event, lots of work and planning, but lots of fun. Every other year we try to have music to go along with it, by having someone come to sing. This year Brent Vernon came to join us. He did a great job. He sang for about an hour and along with that he had "Sam" entertain us. Sam even sang a song about Body, Mind, and Soul. Everyone had a great time and the food was wonderful. We had the pork, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, chips, watermelon, canteloupe, and lots of yummy desserts. Below are a few pics I was able to get of Brent, Sam, and the kids that were there.

Brent singing away...

Brent doing what he does best...

Sam entertaining us...

Brent and Sam with all the kids...

Brent and Sam with Ashley and Lauren.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy...

2009-06-21T21:10:00.004-04:00

We had to celebrate Father's Day early at our house because Ashley was going to be gone this weekend. Ashley was going with Paul's parent's, to Maryland, for a family reunion. The girls had gotten Paul a nice bird bath and had hid it at my inlaws house, so we went over there Thursday so the girls could give it to him. They were so excited. They made him close his eyes and they carried it out to him. When he opened his eyes I don't know who was more excited, him or them. He has been wanting a bird bath for awhile now. We have a bird feeder and he loves to watch the birds. Below are a few of the pics I was able to capture from the moment.

Ok daddy, open your eyes...

Just what he wanted...

Paul and his two girls!!!

Sandy Fun...

2009-06-21T20:52:00.003-04:00

The other day we were at my mother and father-in-laws house and Sandy discovered the balloon that his dad had in the hospital. She was hilarious trying to get to the balloon. She would catch the string and then get it twisted around her feet. She kept us in stitches. I think she realized she was entertaining us. She finally got smart and jumped up and grabbed the bootom of the balloon. She meant business then. She got ahold of the string and laid it under her paws. Here are a few pics of her just being silly.

Sandy twisting it around her body...

She finally got smart...

Now this is more like it...

Sandy at almost 11 months old!!!

Garden Update...

2009-06-09T10:49:00.007-04:00

For those of you who read my blog a few months ago, you know we planted a garden. We asked you to help us pray the the Lord would bless our efforts, since we have never done this before. Well, He has!!! Last night we had green beans for supper that we planted ourselves, and some squash out of our friends garden. It was so exciting to know that it was something we planted and that God grew for us. The Lord is really blessing. We have stuff coming up left and right. The only thing that is not doing good is the peas. They got so high and have just kind of died off. We also do not have a tiller so the weeds are trying to take over in between the rows. We are trying our best to keep the weeds away from the plants themselves, but it is not an easy job!We are looking forward to trying the rest of the food when it is ready. I was out there this morning and we have a tomato turning red. It will be ready soon. Ashley is excited about the 2 little watermelon that are growing, she loves watermelon. Here are a few pics I took this morning so you could see the progression of the garden.

A couple of our tomato plants...

It won't be long and these tomatoes will be ready...

Our squash plants are taking off...

This squash is just about ready...

Ashley is excited about this watermelon...

Some of our green beans. They sure are yummy!!!

Look close in the center and you'll see the first okra...

The cabbage is starting to form a head...

I can't wait for stuffed peppers...

This is what I'm really looking forward to!

Piano Recital...

2009-05-18T12:53:00.007-04:00

May 12th, the girls had their yearly recital with their piano teacher, Rita Moore. They both did a very good job. When they had their recital I got a picture of them with their teacher, but forgot to get pics of them at the piano. I was not very happy with myself, needless to say. Then, on top of that, the videos I got while they were playing, are to big or something to upload to blogger, because it keeps saying there was an error. I wanted my fellow bloggers to be able to hear them, but for now you will have to wait. Yesterday, at church, we had a mini recital for the church people and I was able to get pictures of the girls playing. I also used my camcorder this time to video them. Now I just have to figure out how to get the videos from there to the computer. If anyone knows how let me know please. They played 2 songs each. Ashley played ~ "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" and "Morning Prelude" Lauren played ~ "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "Pastorale". We are so proud of them and they are both improving greatly. Keep up the good work girls!!!

The girls with their piano teacher, Ms. Rita...

Ashley, playing one of her songs...

Lauren, playing "When the Saints"

Tea Party...

2009-05-18T11:51:00.007-04:00

We have been wanting to do something special for the young girls in our church, but I didn't quite know what to do. Then a lady in the church suggested we have a Tea Party for them. I thought it was a great idea so we ran with it. We have been planning it for several weeks and watching Thrift stores for fancy tea cups and saucers. Well, we finally got everthing together with lots of help from the church ladies and decided to have it on Saturday. I took the time Saturday morning to decorate the Fellowship Hall. So it looked liked a fancy Tea Room. Then, we had all the girls wear a nice dress. When they got their, we had all of them pick out a hat and a boa or scarf. They looked so cute. They had a little meal and drank Kool-aid out of their tea cups. We tried to teach them how to be fancy and hold their pinkies out while they were drinking but they didn't catch on to that one. Then we did some crafts, which were making book marks and Easy Bake Jello Aquariums. We then went outside and they broke a Princess Pinata. When they came back in, we had gift bags for them, made to look like tea bags. They really enjoyed the bags and all the goodies. We had six girls altogether ranging in age from 8 months to 13. The girls seemed to really enjoy themselves. We hope to do it again sometime.

This was the table of goodies...

This is where they ate their meal...

Ashley and Lauren looking like little ladies in the food line...

Ashley enjoying her "cup of tea"...

Lauren enjoying her goodies...

Lauren making her Jello Aquarium...

Ashley and Kayla working on their bookmarks...

Lauren taking a swing at the pinata...

Kenslee, Emma, and Lauren collecting the candy...

This was the "Tea Bag" goody bag.

Ladies Night...

2009-05-18T10:34:00.004-04:00

Not long after we moved here, to pastor, I started having ladies night once a month. It has been a huge success and the ladies have really seemed to enjoy themselves. We have always shared a meal together, had a devotional, and just sat around and talked. This month we thought we might try something different. This month we decided to do a craft night. So, Friday night my mother-in-law and I took all our scrapbooking stuff and thought we could teach the ladies that were interested. Then another lady brought stuff to teach people how to crotchet. We had our meal, which consisted this time, of Pizza, salad, and dessert. Then we did our crafts. Two ladies really took off with the scrapbooking. I think we have them hooked. Another lady really enjoyed crotcheting. Some of the others just watched or sat around and talked. Either way you look at it we had a wonderful time and we will be doing it again.

Mary loves her salad...

Susan is now hooked...

Emma teaching Irene to crotchet...

Linda really enjoyed scrapbooking.

Happy Mother's Day...

2009-05-10T22:02:00.003-04:00

I wanted to take the opportunity to say Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. I hope each one of you had a very special day. My daughters got me 2 hanging baskets of flowers and 2 candles. They were so sweet. They were so excited about it. I had hardly got in my mother-in-laws door after church, and they were handing me the stuff. Unfortunately, I was not able to be with my mom again this year. I don't get to see her a whole lot because she lives in New York and I live in South Carolina, but I did get to call her and I sent her a gift earlier this week in the mail. I do want my mom to know she is a wonderful person and I love her very much. I did get to be with my mother-in-law today and she made us a wonderful dinner. Thanks mom!!! My mother-in-law is a wonderful person and she is more of a "mom" than a mother-in-law. I want her to know I love her very much. Here are a few pics we were able to get at their house today.

My beautiful family gathered around me on the swing...

Paul and his mom, Donna.

Photo Shoot...Help!!!

2009-04-23T22:36:00.008-04:00

While we were on our field trip today, I decided to do a little photo shoot with the girls, and take advantage of the beautiful scenery. At first they did not want to cooperate, but then they got in to it. I was very pleased with how the pics turned out. Now it is your turn. If ya'll could just take a few minutes, to let me know which ones you think are best, I could use the help to narrow down the choices. I can't decide.

Field Trip...

2009-04-23T22:03:00.003-04:00

We have not gotten our field trips in for this year yet, so we decided to take one today. It could not have been a better day. It was in the low 80's and beautiful. We started the day out by going to the local museum here in Iva. For such a small town it was a very impressive place. There were a few things that really caught the girls eyes. Ashley was fascinated with the old type writer. She wanted to really type with it. She asked if she could get one. Lauren really liked the old sewing machine. She asked her Mom-Mom if she had one when she was little. It was so cute. After we left the museum we headed to Anderson to go to the park for a picnic lunch. The girls had so much fun. It reminded me of the Kids Kastle we used to go to in Pell City, Alabama. It is a huge play area that sits in front of a nice size pond. The girls loved walking around the pond to feed the ducks. Overall I think the girls really enjoyed themselves and that made it all the more enjoyable for the rest of us. Below are a few pics of our day.

Mom, I really want one of these...

Lauren thought this sewing machine was neat...

I'm not quite sure what caught their eye, but they sure were engrossed in it...

Lauren is definetly our monkey...

Weeeeeeee...

Our First Garden...

2009-04-19T16:51:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, we went out as a family, along with my in-laws help, to plant our first garden. We have never had a garden before and with the economy the way it is we decided to give it a try. A couple of the guys from church plowed the land up and got it ready for us. Neither Paul nor I had a clue what we were doing, but with help from my in-laws and a few people at church, we were able to get it started yesterday. We planted 3 rows of corn, 2 rows of peas, 2 rows of green beans, and 1 row of lettuce, tomatoes, and pepper plants. We still want to plant cucumbers, potatoes, watermelon, pumpkins, squash, okra, cabbage, and onions. Please pray along with us that the Lord will bless our efforts and give us a good turnout. It would be very disappointing if we didn't get much of anything. Below are just a few pictures I was able to sneak in.

Ashley planting corn seeds...

Lauren planting more corn...

Ashley watering the garden...

Lauren watering with Sandy supervising...

Paul watering the pepper and tomato plants.

Paul's second dedication...

2009-04-15T10:48:00.005-04:00

Back in January, Paul did a baby dedication at the church for a couple that had just had a baby. When he did it another couple, that has just recently been coming to the church, realized they had never dedicated their daughter and asked him if he could dedicate a child. He told them he would, so they wanted it done Easter Sunday. The little girl, Little Emma, was as good as gold. She did everything Paul told her to do. It was so cute.

Kailey Rae

dedicated by Paul on January 18

Paul telling and showing Emma how to fold her hands to pray...

Paul praying with Emma during the dediacation (sorry it's so blurry)...

Paul doing the dedication service for Emma and her family..

Emma Caroline, dedicated by Paul on April 12.

Easter Egg Hunts...

2009-04-15T09:50:00.004-04:00

Our girls got to enjoy two Easter egg hunts this year. We had one for the church/bus kids, on Saturday, and we had one for our girls, on Easter. For the one at church we had some of the older kids, Ashley included, volunteer to hide the eggs, for the little ones, so that worked out nicely. We had 5 little kids hunting about 150 eggs. It was sure fun to watch them get all excited. When they got done finding the eggs we had a hot dog lunch with all the trimmings. I think everyone really enjoyed themselves.
We have had one for our girls every year ever since they could walk. Paul has always hid the girls eggs. The past two years he has recruited help from other family members. This year his brother and mom helped him. They hid them in tough spots, so the girls had to really look. It was more of a challenge than they are use to. I think they enjoyed themselves though. I know I enjoyed watching them.
Below are some pics of both Easter egg hunts...

Lauren finding eggs at the church...

Little John finding eggs at the church...

Looks like Lauren and Kenslie found a bunch of eggs...

Michael are you flirting with Emma, or trying to get her eggs?...

Ashley found one in the flower pot at Mom-Mom's house...

Lauren found one on the meter box at Mom-Mom's...

Mom this is fun...

Mom we got them all...

Sandy had to get in on the action...

Easter Sunday Dress Up...

2009-04-15T09:31:00.003-04:00

Ever since the girls were real little I have always enjoyed dressing them up for Easter with gloves and bonnets. I curl their hair and go all out. This year we didn't have the gloves, but we did everything else. They have always enjoyed it. Then we try to get good pictures of them while they are dressed up. This year the pics did not come out as good. The girls were both extremely tired from getting up at 5:40 for the sunrise service and they did not want to cooperate. Here is what we did get...

Lauren, smile pretty...

Ashley, says hurry mom...

Stay Tuned...

2009-04-13T15:52:00.002-04:00

I will do some more posting of the past week, and Easter, when I get some of the pics off of my mother-in-laws camera.

Holy Week...

2009-04-13T15:19:00.006-04:00

Last week was one very busy week with nightly services for Easter. Paul came up with an idea to do a Holy Week. We had an "Information Revival" as he called it, with services every night. He went through all of the happenings in Jesus' life, that last week. He went over everything from His last parables to His dying on the cross. Then on Sunday we had a 6:30 a.m. sunrise service at the foot of the cross. A man in our church, made a 20ft. cross to put in front of the church. He did a fantastic job. We have had it their lit up at night for several weeks now. Our sunrise service was beautiful. We sang several songs and choruses and read some scripture. We also had some reflection time to think about what God did for us. It was wonderful. Paul ended the service by playing Larnell Harris and Sandy Patti's song "I've Just Seen Jesus." The week was very busy with services, company, and trying to get ready for Easter, but it was a wonderful week reflecting back on what Jesus did for us by
dying on the cross to pay the ultimate price for us. Thank you Lord!!! Below are some pictures of our sunrise service.

We Are Still Alive...

2009-04-13T11:10:00.002-04:00

Are you ever just sooooooo... busy with the everyday mundane things of life that you just don't know what to blog? Well, that has been us. It has been the normal crazy everyday things that are just not worth blogging about, unless of course you want to bore your readers. I do want to share this past week with you. It was quite the week, so stayed tuned for pics and details.

We Have Snow...

2009-03-01T21:05:00.011-05:00

They were calling for snow and we actually got it!!! It poured buckets of rain this morning, they said it would eventually turn to snow, and they were right!!! It started snowing huge flakes about 4:00 this afternoon and it has been snowing ever since. It was so beautiful. I know you are probably thinking big deal, especially if you live up north, but we never get snow down here. It is a BIG deal for these people. I took pictures as it came down. You will notice the amount keeps increasing. The girls had a wonderful time playing in it. We let them go out in their pajama pants so they would be warm enough. I think the dog enjoyed it more than the girls. She ran around like a mad dog and every now and then she stopped to eat some snow. When I went out a few minutes ago and measured we had 2 inches. Hope you enjoy the pics.

The road that runs in front of our house...

This is the field behind our house, pure beauty...

Ooh! It's so pretty...

Mom, this is soooo cool...

Look mom it packs, we can make a snowman...

Sandy loves the snow...

The girls and Sandy enjoying the snow...

Don't get too cold girls...

This tree looks beautiful but the poor bird feeder can't take the weight...

See... we did get some accumulation!!!

Potato Salad 101...

2009-02-27T12:10:00.005-05:00

Today, in school, the girls were in a spot in their books that we couldn't do much because of it being a Friday so mommy had to get creative. So, I decided to take them upstairs and have a cooking lesson. I had to make potato salad for our church game night so I had the girls do it for class. They peeled and chopped the potatoes, peeled and chopped the eggs, and added all of the ingredients. All of this, of course, with a little assistance from mommy. Here are a few pics of the girls creating their master piece.

Ashley concentrating on peeling the potatoes...

Lauren, don't chop them too small...

Ashley peeling the eggs...

Lauren chopping eggs...

Just a touch of sugar...

Ashley don't add too much pepper...

Just a little mustard, Lauren...

Ashley adding the relish...

Lauren we need lots of mayo...

Our finished product. Doesn't it look yummy?

Happy Birthday Ashley...

2009-02-25T10:42:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was Ashley's birthday. I can't believe she is 9 years old. Time just seems to fly. It seems like just yesterday the doctors were telling us we could not have any children. Then a miracle happened. Ashley has brought such joy to our lives ever since. She is a very independent, loving, bright little girl that has great potential for her life. I pray she allows the Lord to lead her in all walks of her life. Here are some pictures of her opening her gifts at home and at my in-laws house. The cake and ice cream comes tonight at church because last night we went to here GBS choir in Easley. I hope to have some more pics of her tonight with her cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASHLEY WE LOVE YOU!!!

Here she is showing off her cards she got in the mail...

Thanks Aunt Jen and Uncle Tom for the Flip Flops you mailed...

Aren't they just gorgeous?...

They fit Aunt Jen...

Here she is with the gifts from mommy and daddy and mom-mom and pop-pop...

Mom-Mom this shirt is so pretty...

Thanks for the game mom and dad...

Just what I wanted, a watch...

Youth Service...

2009-02-23T09:30:00.004-05:00

Paul was talking to one of our young people awhile back and found out that he is wanting to be a preacher. This gave Paul an idea and he asked Dorian if he would be willing to preach. Dorian said he would be glad to, so Paul ran with his idea. Last night his idea came to life. His idea was to have the children of our church run the service and then have Dorian preach. It was a great service. The children did a fantastic job. Some of them were very nervous but that is natural. Paul started the service with a few announcements and then he let them do the rest. I hope my pics came out in order. Ashley led the song service, Jason led in the prayer requests and then called on an adult to pray, Lauren and Kenslie did the offering (Lauren prayed for the offering), Kenslie, along with the help of her older sister sang the special, and then Dorian spoke. He did an incredible job for his first sermon at the age of 12. He spoke about doing what God says. He spoke for about 8 minutes. It was a very short service but, well worth it. It was good exposure for our children. I pray each one of them grows up to be exactly what God would have them to be.

Ashley leading a chorus. She will be 9 on Tuesday...

Jason telling the prayer requests. He is 10 years old...

Lauren and Kenslie taking the offering. Lauren is 7 and Kenslie is 4...

Kenslie singing the special along with her older sister Krisi...

Dorian preaching his first sermon at age 12...

Paul and his up and coming preacher boy...

Chili Dog ?????????...

2009-02-07T21:32:00.004-05:00

I have to tell a funny story that happened to us tonight and ask you, the readers of this blog, if you can explain this. I have to start by explaining the situation first. My mother-in-law is laid up with her knee, and is not getting around so well, and I jammed my little toe that I broke in Alabama, so I am not getting around that well either. Needless to say neither of us felt like standing around and making supper tonight. So, we decided that we would call in an order to the local little Mart by their house and get chili dogs. She called in the order for 9 chili dogs and 1 plain hot dog. My father-in-law went to pick them up and came back to the house. Well, we all proceeded to sit down and eat when my mother-in-law, who was the first one to open hers, said "There is no hot dog in this bun." We all thought it was strange, but thought maybe it was just a mistake. Guess what, not a single hot dog in any of the buns, except Lauren's plain one. So, my mother-in-law then went to call the place back. She told them that none of us had hot dogs in our chili dogs. The lady on the phone proceeded to tell her that she had to ask for weenies if she wanted them in our chili dogs. My mother-in-law then told her that she had asked for chili dogs, but the lady kept insisting that you have to ask for weenies specifically. She finally said that we could bring them back and she would add weenies to all of them. By then we were so flabergasted that we said forget it. Now, for you that read this post, can anyone explain this nonsense ??? Below are 2 pictures of our dogless chili dogs, more like chili buns!!!

The Lord Knows What We Need!!!...

2009-01-25T17:02:00.002-05:00

For those of you who read my last post, and to those who will read it, I say Hallelujah!!! Thank you for your prayers. They were definetly felt. Yesterday went very well. The funeral (CELEBRATION) was a beautiful service. Paul did an awesome job. He made us laugh and cry all in the same breath as he told stories of "Granny" Rollins and her life. Our church did an awesome job stepping up to the plate and helping with all the food. It was a long day, but a very joyful day as well. Granny Rollins celebrated her first birthday in Heaven. She would have been 97 if she had lived till yesterday. She is no longer suffering, she is enjoying her Jesus!!!

Then today God rewarded us for all of our hard work. We had one of those sweet services where there is no preaching. God came in a glorious way. We had a wonderful service with singing, praising God, and seekers at the altar. Thank You God, For Blessing Us In A Special Way!!! He knows just what we need. He once again ressured me, we are where we belong. Thanks again for all of your prayers.

I Was Wondering...

2009-01-23T20:55:00.003-05:00

Are we pastoring a church of 40 or 400? In the past two weeks it has sure felt like 400 instead of 40. Two weeks ago we thought a sweet saintly 96 year old lady was going to pass away. Instead, a 46 year old man who has only been to our church 3 or 4 times, passed away suddenly with a brain hemmorage. It was such a shock to everybody. Who would expect to preach to a young man one Sunday and have him dead and gone the next. He left behind a wife and two kids. The sad thing is that nobody knows if he was really right with the Lord. Paul, had to do the funeral for the man, and it was an extremely stressful time for him. That same week, a lady that goes to our church, had a son that was in a motorcycle accident, without a helmet. He was seriously hurt but is doing much better, Thank the Lord!!!

Then, this past Sunday we had a baby dedication at our church. It was a sweet service. Paul did a great job. By the way, it was his first one he has ever done. The bad thing about the whole thing is that the 20 year old mother of the baby found out this week that if the doctors don't figure out what is going on with her eyes she could go completely blind. If you think of her pray for Brittany. She is a sweet young girl. With a bright future in front of her.

Now this week, the saintly 96 year old I mentioned at the beginning, has passed away. It has not been nearly as stressful as the last funeral. Actually the family is not calling it a funeral, they are calling it a homecoming celebration. She would have had her 97th birthday tomorrow. She missed her birthday by two days. But, really she didn't. She is celebrating her first birthday in Heaven!!! Paul is doing her funeral (celebration) tomorrow. If you think of him say a quick prayer for him.

So, are we pastoring a church of 40 or 400? You tell me what you think. All I know is that I am ready for things to slow down a bit. I will say, God has been sooo... good to us through all of this. I know we are right where we belong.

60 & 40...

2009-01-09T09:11:00.007-05:00

Happy Birthday to dad and Paul!!! While we were in N.Y. we had a surprise b-day party for my dad and Paul for their birthdays. Paul turned 40, Jan. 4th, and dad turned 60, Jan. 6th. We wanted to have the party while we were all home so we had it a few days before. Paul knew about it, but dad had no clue. He was completely surprised. It turned out to be a great party. We had 50 people in attendance. Among those in attendance was Bro. and Sis. Paul Pierpoint. They just happened to be in Binghamton for a few weeks. It was so nice to have them. My mom was able to get a pretty cake from "Cakes by Harvey." It was really good along with all the food that was prepared. We also came up with a top 10 list of the things we love about Roger. He really enjoyed that. Thanks to everyone who made the party a success!!!

The Guests of Honor...

The hot food...mac and cheese, chili, meatballs, baked beans, cocktail weiners...

The cold food...chips, relish tray, rye bread w/dip, etc...

Save some for the rest of us...

Mom, Dad, Paul, and Aunt Mary (by the way her B-day is the same as dads)...

This cake was half carrot and half red velvet...

Blowing out the candles...

Opening their cards...

Paul Pierpoint with the birthday boys...

My whole family...

SNOW...

2009-01-08T20:28:00.007-05:00

While we were in New York we woke up one morning to SNOW covering the ground. It was so beautiful. Lauren had been so disappointed when we got to N.Y. and there wasn't any. So I had to snap the picture of her gazing out the window. She was so excited. While we were in N.Y. we actually stayed in a motel, courtesy of my wonderful sister and brother-in-law. They helped us stay there due to the lack of room at my parents small house. The bad thing is that we had to get to my parents house, 20 minutes away, in that snow. Paul has not driven in snow since we moved to Alabama and then to S.C. It has been about 9 years. He did an amazing job. I was so proud of him. He still has it in him. Some of the pics below are actually while we were driving down the road. The girls actually got to enjoy the snow the next day. We bundled them all up in warm clothes and let them go out with their cousins to sled ride down the back hill. I'm not sure if the cousins or the aunt and uncles had more fun riding down the hill. After they had had their fill of snow and were freezing to death they came in and warmed up with some hot chocolate.

The view from the motel window...

Lauren looking out the window at the snow...

Highway 17 under snow...

Old 17 completely covered. Paul you're doing great...

The tree on my parents deck, isn't it beautiful???

Weeeeee... we are having fun...

Here we come...

Ashley your cheeks are so rosy...

Brrrrr it's cold out here...

The whole sled riding gang.

Our Extended Christmas...

2009-01-08T18:50:00.007-05:00

We started our Christmas off at my in-laws house on Christmas Eve. Paul's side of the family was there and we had a nice dinner and opened our gifts. A high light there was the reading of the Christmas story. My in-laws have 4 grandchildren and they all took a turn reading a portion of it. My mother-in-law also read "Twas the Night Before Christmas." We had a great time..

Lauren reading her portion of the Christmas story..

Ashley reading part of the Christmas story...

The girls opening some of their gifts from Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop.

When we got home that night the girls put cookies out for Santa...

Then Christmas morning, we actually had our own family Christmas at home, on Christmas Day, for the first time since we have been married. We have always traveled to one of our families, but this year since my in-laws have moved 11 miles from us,we were able to be at our house. It was nice to try to start some of our own family traditions. We started out with a nice breakfast of biscuits and gravy, monkey bread, and scrambled eggs. Then we opened our stockings to see what Santa left us. We then opened our gifts to each other. The girls biggest highlight here was that they got a Nintendo DS. They had wanted that more than anything else.

Paul getting the stockings down...

Ooh! She got me my cologne...

Lauren got me some pajamas with my favorite, snowmen...

Ashley showing off some of her stocking stuffers...

Lauren showing what she got...

We got our Nintendo DS...

Sandy even got a stocking with some treats in it, including this toy.

We then left for N.Y. on the 29th of December to celebrate Christmas with my family. Unfortunately my cameras batteries went dead and I did not get any pictures of opening gifts there. We had a wonderful time while we were there.

Pictures with Santa...

2008-12-12T10:04:00.003-05:00

We took the girls to get their picture taken with Santa yesterday, at the local Mall. They did really good. He is the same Santa they had last year and he does an excellent job with the kids. I just had to share this cute picture of my baby dolls.

Catching Up...

2008-12-06T21:37:00.006-05:00

This weekend we went, along with my in-laws, to Hobe Sound, Florida, to see their annual singing Christmas Tree. We left Thursday morning bright and early and headed to Florida. We had a great trip and made it in good time. We stopped at Golden Corral before we got to Aunt Lois' house and ate supper (she was not expecting us for supper). We were having a good evening visiting when Lauren all of a sudden started complaining of a stomach ache. I gave her some tums and put her in bed. All of a sudden at 11:15 I heard her throwing up. We thought it would never quit from then on. The poor girl threw up and had diarrhea for almost 3 hours straight. She even threw up ice chips. By the end she was so weak she couldn't even hold her head up. We felt so sorry for her. We were scared she was getting dehydrated. By the time we got all the mess cleaned up (from the first throw up on Aunt Lois's floor) it was going on 2:00 a.m. We all finally got some sleep. Friday morning she tried to drink too much to quick and she threw up one more time. After that she was just weak and tired. All we can figure is that she got a slight case of food poisoning. I'm just glad that she was better by that evening for the Singing Tree. We really enjoyed the program. They did an awesome job. All the little kids in their costumes stold the show. They were so cute. After the concert was over all of Aunt Lois' family came over and we had a big birthday party. My father-in-law turned 70 and one of cousins has a birthday Sunday. We had a wonderful time fellowshipping with family. Then this morning we got up bright and early once again and headed home for S.C. Once again we had a great trip. Below are a few pictures I could get of the Singing Christmas Tree. It was hard to get good pics.

The beautiful singing tree...

This was an ensemble that did a great job...

The brass quartet that played for the offering...

Another view of the tree...

The childrens choir joined them for a couple songs.

Hope you had a good Thanksgiving...

2008-12-06T21:07:00.004-05:00

For Thanksgiving we went to Charlotte to be with Dave (Paul's brother) and Pris. There was 12 of us all together. We had a great time. Below are some pictures of us preparing the meal. The girls even got a chance to get their hands in something. They love to help in the kitchen. Everything was so tasty!!! Of course we ate too much. We tried to relax some as well by scrapbooking and playing the old fashioned "Yahtzee." Ashley's beginners luck blew us all out of the water. We also got in a little Christmas shopping. I actually finished my shopping that day except for a few odds and ends. It feels so good to be just about done.

Lauren cutting grapes in half for the fruit cups...

Ashley cutting up the strawberries...

Pris getting the potatoes ready to cook...

Ooh! Look at that yummy turkey....

The table is all set and we are preparing to eat.

New Coats...

2008-12-06T20:57:00.002-05:00

My sister-in-law found these coats for the girls last fall in a Thrift Store. They still had the tags on them from the original store. What a STEAL!!! They are beautiful soft white coats with furry collars. The girls look so nice in them. I had them wear them for the community Thanksgiving service we went to. The coats just added a nice touch.

Pounding...

2008-12-06T20:47:00.003-05:00

Back in the beginning of November our church had a pounding for a needy family in our church. We were quite pleased with the turnout, when we are just a small little church. I had a lot of fun arranging all the goodies in the front of the church. I thought it came out cute. The family was very thankful and appreciative of the goodies they received.

Trunk or Treat...

2008-11-01T09:56:00.002-04:00

Last night we went to several churches in the area that were having "Trunk or Treat." For those of you who do not know what that is I will explain. Churches will line up their cars and open their trunks. They decorate them up and have candy to give to all the kids. It is a fun safe way for kids to enjoy Halloween. We have been going to them for several years now. Sometimes they have Fall Festivals with them where the kids can play games and enjoy a chili dog supper. The nice thing is that it is an outreach to the community so it is all free. We also went to a few houses from our church family. They always enjoy seeing the girls dressed up.

The girls decided to dress as Bridesmaids this year.

Sorry this pic looks so washed out.

Lauren with her bag all ready for candy...

Ashley is all ready to go...

Fall Festival...

2008-10-25T21:45:00.008-04:00

Today our church had a Fall Festival for our Sunday school kids. We had a wonderful turn out with around 50 in attendance. Amongst them were several new contacts. We had a great time and several people told us they really enjoyed it. We had several games for them to play, for example: Ring Toss, Football Toss, Gone Fishing, Ker Plunk, Tic Tac Toe, Frog Toss, Get the Penny in the Cup, etc. We also had a Cake Walk and an Apple eating contest. The kids also enjoyed playing football and some of the adults played Ping Pong and Horse Shoes. We also provided a meal of Chili Dogs, Chips, Pickles, and a Dessert. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we had a great time of fellowship. Here are just a few pictures that I was able to get from the day.

Lauren trying to get the football in one of the containers...

get it in and you will get two pieces of candy.

Allanna trying to play Ring Toss...

looks like she is doing pretty good.

Paul making sure Chase gets three X's or three O's in a row...

get Tic Tac Toe and you'll get more candy.

Luke and Christopher in an apple race...who will get the first big bite?

Lauren and Ashley waiting patiently for their hot dogs...

yummy!

Field Trip...

2008-10-22T20:12:00.016-04:00

Today, we went on our first field trip of the year, to Nivens Apple Farm, in Moore, SC. It is an apple orchard/pumpkin patch. They have it set up very nice. They have the orchard where you can pick your own apples, a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, farm animals, a market store, picnic areas, and a play area for the kids, where they can learn interesting facts about pumpkins and apples. It was a little chilly when we got there but, it warmed up nicely after awhile. We enjoyed the hay ride around the farm and they dropped us off in the orchard. The girls got to pick their own apples. They loved that!!! Then we entered the corn maze. We let the girls try to lead us through the maze, and we kept teasing them that we were never going to find our way out. Well, guess what, we did!!! Lauren, was especially interested in the animals. She could have spent all day watching them. Ashley, on the other hand, really enjoyed picking the apples. Before we left we had to get a few items from the market, like apples, pumpkins, fresh cider and homemade apple fritters, yummy!!! We had a very enjoyable time and we plan to go back next year.

One of the many fun things to do...

cute horsey, Ashley...

Lauren you make a cute sheep...

The girls learning apple facts...

Entering the corn maze...

Will we ever find our way out ???

We are standing at the maze exit...

The girls playing at the tepee, in the play area...

The Shetland Pony in the farm area...

Lauren loved these cute little chicks...

Daddy had to help Lauren reach the apples...

Ashley picking apples...

My beautiful girls in the apple orchard!!!

Family Photos...

2008-10-16T10:43:00.004-04:00

While we were in the mountains of Georgia this past weekend, I decide to have some fun with my camera and tripod. I was trying to get some good pictures for Christmas. I think some of them came out pretty good considering I had to fight with the sun. Let me know what you think.

Ashley and Lauren...

My beautiful girls...

Lauren...

Ashley...

Paul, Dave, Ken Jr. and Mom and Dad...

All of the Youngs...

The Anniversary couple...

All the grandchildren...

All the grandchildren with their Mom-Mom...

The proud grandparents and their grandchildren...

The Youngs...

More weekend Fun...

2008-10-14T13:42:00.003-04:00

While we were at the house we tried just to relax and enjoy ourselves. That was the goal for the weekend. We spent a lot of time just sitting on the deck and talking. We also played many games from "Catch Phrase" to "Mexican Train Game." We also took advantage of the game room downstairs and played Ping Pong, Pool, and Fuse Ball. The other thing we all enjoyed was watching the deer. They were all over the place. As you will see below I actually got quite close to one to get a picture. They had corn at the house that you could set out and get them to come closer. It was so nice to be out in the middle of nowhere, and to have nothing, that you had to do. It was so peaceful and relaxing. We all need time like that once in awhile. Below are some pics that I was able to sneak in.

A few of us enjoying a game of Mexican Train Game.

A few more playing Phase Ten.

Uncle Don playing a round of Pool.

Kenny trying to play pool.

One of the many deer we saw.

Anniversary Dinner...

2008-10-13T14:10:00.008-04:00

For their anniversary dinner we all went to the Toccoa Riverside Restaurant to enjoy a wonderful meal together. The food was absolutely wonderful. We enjoyed everything from Prime Rib to Chicken Parmesan. While we were eating a guy set up to play music. We told him that they were celebrating their 50th anniversary so he played them a song, "Hey,Hey Good Lookin, What Ya Got Cookin" It would not have been my song choice but he was quite hillbilly and that is what he had with him. He did a good job and kept us entertained. While we were at the dinner we presented them with our surprise. We had had our cousin, Nancy White, make up an announcement for us telling that we were having a surprise card shower for them and we mailed it to everyone on their mailing list. Everyone sent their cards to Paul and I and we gave them to them at the dinner. They were completely surprised. Paul's mom cried when she saw how many they got. We had a good response. When we got back to the house we were staying at they opened them all in front of us. It was a great time and each card brought up wonderful memories.

Dad waiting for his main course while mom finishes up her salad...

All 16 of us at the restaurant...

This is the man that kept us entertained...

Of course we had to bang our glasses and make them kiss...

Looking at the surprise announcement that went out...

All the cards are in the bag. They had 59 at that time...

Surprise!!!

Opening all the cards...

Enjoying the many nice thoughts...

showing off one of their gifts...

***Stayed tuned more anniversary weekend pics to come...

Congratulations...Celebrating 50 Years Together !

2008-10-13T13:46:00.002-04:00

Happy 50th anniversary

Ken and Donna Young...

Anniversary weekend...

2008-10-13T13:04:00.003-04:00

This past weekend our whole family ( Paul's side) got together to celebrate his parents 50th wedding anniversary. All 16 of us went to Ellijay, GA. To have a nice relaxing get away. We rented this house called Rivers Bend. It is absolutely gorgeous on the inside. It sleeps 18 people and has 3 stories. It was right on the Coosawatee River. Below you'll see the picture of the river. The only downfall of the place is the terrifying driveway. You come up to the driveway and you think your driving off the face of the earth. We all had to get out at the top to see what in the world we were getting into. Once we got inside it was all worth it. We had a very enjoyable weekend.

The back view of the house. I was standing close to the river.

This what we saw coming down the driveway.

The top of the terrifying driveway...

What are we getting into???

The beautiful river that ran behind the house.

The Great Outdoors...

2008-09-19T10:47:00.002-04:00

Today, the girls were taking their break for school and I made them go outside (I know I am a Meany...). While they were outside of course Sandy had to go out too. She loves the outdoors. While they were out there, I decided to try and get some good pics of the dog, to show you how much she has grown. She has grown a lot in the last week. Her paws are starting to get big and that is kinda scary because we do not know what she is mixed with. She is still as cute as can be. She is quite the playful little thing. Hopefully I am not getting ahead of myself, but the potty training is going great. She is catching on quick.

While the girls and the dog were outside I saw a butterfly that kept going back and forth between my flowers. I decided to try and get a picture of it. It wasn't easy because as soon as I got the least bit close it would take off. I finally succeeded. I think it came out pretty good for an amateur. I also wanted to share a picture of the beautiful hydrangea that I finally have. I planted the bush two years ago and have been patiently (not always) waiting for the flowers to come out. Well, I finally have one. It is so pretty.

Well, enough of my boring mundane talk. You probably could care less, but I thought I would share a little of what is going on.

Sandy loves the great outdoors...

The beautiful butterfly...

My beautiful hydrangea...

Sandy watching the butterfly...

Lauren Turns 7...

2008-09-03T08:40:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, my baby turned 7 years old. That is so hard to believe. It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from UAB Hospital in Alabama. The last 7 years she has brought joy and delight into our lives. She is a smart and fun loving little girl. I pray that she grows up to be all God wants her to be.

Last week I had asked her what she wanted for her Birthday supper. She informed me that she wanted roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. That is her favorite meal. So last night we had Mom-Mom, Pop-Pop, Uncle Ken, and Aunt Faith over for her dinner. We enjoyed a good time of fellowship with them. We also had cake and ice cream too. Below you will see her with some of her gifts. Happy Birthday, Lauren!!!! We love You.

Lauren blowing out the candles on her cake.

Lauren with her gifts

OOh... more Pet Shop

Lauren loves to play with Pet Shop toys. They are cute.

Our Newest Addition...

2008-08-30T09:04:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, we went to the pound to look at a lab mix puppy that Paul had found there. The girls instantly fell in love with her. We thought we were going to have to wait until next Wednesday to get her, but surprise, we got to bring her home then. She was suppose to have her surgery, which is required by the pound, but she is not quite old enough. She is six weeks old and only weighs 4 lbs. We were not ready to bring her home yesterday so we had to go get food and dishes to feed her. She has been a very good puppy so far. She stayed in her crate last night for almost 4 hrs. and did not do a thing. We took her right out and she went right to the bathroom. Hopefully she will be easy to train.

Sandy

Lauren and Sandy

Ashley holding Sandy

The girls are sure enjoying their new puppy

Sandy enjoys the great outdoors

The First Day of School...

2008-08-19T19:35:00.006-04:00

Today we had our first day of school. The girls were so excited. They have been bugging me for a week to start school. Today, I introduced them to their new curriculum, and they can't wait to get in to it. We switched this year to Alpha and Omega Lifepacs. They also colored a back to school worksheet and answered questions about themselves. I wish I could scan the answers they gave on the worksheet called "All About Me." They are so cute. It is hard to believe that Ashley is in 3rd grade and Lauren is in 2nd. My babies are growing up to fast. Below are the pictures we took from today.

Ashley practicing her Penmanship...

Lauren did her first journal entry...

Ashley with her journal entry from the first day of school...

Lauren looking through her lifepac...

Ashley looking through her lifepac...

Ashley with her first set of books...

Lauren is excited about school...

Lauren reading through the directions in her penmanship book...

Yes, we are still alive...

2008-08-16T22:55:00.003-04:00

For all of you bloggers out there that thought I would never blog again, I am truly sorry!!! We have been on the run and soooooo.... busy since we got back that I have not had time to sit down and write a blog entry. We have been doing "Spring Cleaning" in August. Kind of late huh? Plus my mother-in-law and I hosted a baby shower at her house, for a girl in our church, this past week. We had a lot of prep for that, but it sure was worth it. We had a blast at the shower. We also went to Charlotte this weekend to spend time with some of Paul's family. All of us, the ladies that is, enjoy getting together to scrapbook. We try to get together once a month. We have so much fun. I have also been trying to get ready for school this year. We finally came up with all the money we needed to order the curriculum, so I ordered that and have been waiting for it to come in the mail. It has finally all arrived. Now if I can get myself psychologically and emotionally ready we will start school this week. If not, I will wait until next week. I don't have to be in a huge rush to start. That is one advantage of homeschooling. I just need to make sure I get in 180 days. I don't take all the breaks that the schools around here take, so I can get the days in easily. Well, it is almost Sunday and I have some things to do yet so I will sign off for now. I do promise to return very soon with some pics of our first day of school and maybe I can get some baby shower pics on here too. Ta-Ta for now. To all you bloggers out there have a Great Sunday!!!

We Are Finally Home...

2008-07-27T20:32:00.006-04:00

Yes, we are finally home. Paul came up to Clinton Camp with his parents on Monday. Then he came over to Rochester on Tuesday to get us. We stayed there until Thursday morning and, then we went back over to Clinton to meet back up with his parents. We all left to come home on Friday. It was a long trip, but it is so nice to be home after being gone for almost three weeks. Below are a few pics from when we went mini golfing with Jen and Tom. We had a lot of fun trying to teach the girls how to putt. Lauren actually got two hole in ones. Ashley did very well. I think this was only their second time playing mini golf. The place we went was decorated beautifully. They had beautiful flowers, a castle, a giraffe, and a beautiful waterfall. We did stop along the way to take some pics. We had a lot of fun on our vacation. Jen and Tom thanks for all the fun things we did. Paul, thanks so much for allowing us to go on this great vaction. Mom and Dad Roberts thanks for all we did with you, and Mom and Dad Young thanks for supplying the vehicle and all the miles you put in for us. We could never repay all of you. We love all of you.

Ashley and Lauren taking a picture break from mini golfing...

Will she make the shot?

Posing in front of the giraffe at the mini golf place...

A rare picture of me with my dolls.

Return to Jen's...

2008-07-19T18:14:00.003-04:00

Ok, this is my last blog for today(maybe this week). Last night we had our return trip here to Jen's house. My parents brought the girls and I to Syracuse again and we met at the same restaurant. This time Jen brought Tom with her. It was nice for all of us to be able to be together and enjoy a wonderful meal. Thanks Grammy and Pop-Pop for trucking us all over and for all you did for us this past week. We had a lot of fun. Below you will see us eating our meal. Sorry it is so dark.

The Things We Did In Windsor...

2008-07-19T15:06:00.003-04:00

We spent this past week at my parents house in Windsor, NY. We also got to be with my brother and his wife and their 4 kids. They are living with my parents right now between transitions. We had a fun full week. On Monday my Aunt Donna and family came to visit, since we were there. My cousin Marea just happened to be visiting my aunt the same week. It was so nice to see her and her girls. We figured out we had not seen each other in 5-6 years. They came for dinner and to enjoy the lake. Below you will see pictures of them in the paddle boats. On Tuesday, Grammy took us all to the Discovery Center in Binghamton, NY. Thank you, Grammy, that was sweet of you. You will also see pics of the Discovery Center below. On Thursday night the girls and I hitched a ride to see my lifetime friends, the Wagstaffs. They have always been like an aunt and uncle to me more than anything. We had a nice visit with them. They taught us how to play Hill Billy Golf. That was a blast. I have to look for the game and get one. She also showed me several quilts she has made through the years. They are beautiful. I have the privilege of owning one of her quilts. She made me one last year. I will treasure it for life. Enjoy the pics below. Sorry they are not in order, but I messed up when I downloaded them.

Ashley and Lauren running the Ice Cream Stand at the Discovery Center

Uncle Jon(my brother) and the kids in the Ambulance at the D.C.

Uncle Jon with the kids, racing Sharree and Kerri

Ashley playing Hill Billy Golf at the Wagstaffs

Lauren and "Uncle" Arnie playing Hill Billy Golf

"Aunt" Ruth Wagstaff

Uncle Jon with Ashley, Lauren, and Vaughn in the Paddle Boat

Lauren, Me, and Ashley by the lake

Sharree, Marea(my cousin), and Kerri Pouzar

Ashley in the fire truck at the D.C.

Making the Switch...

2008-07-19T14:09:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday we made the switch. Jen took us half way to meet my parents in Syracuse, NY.

We met at a restaurant there and then we were suppose to go to Windsor to my parents house. Instead we made a pit stop at the Syracuse Zoo. We had never been there and we were only 3 miles from there so we decided to go. It was a very nice zoo, but it was so hot, we about suffocated. The animals were not very active because of it, but we did catch the tail end of the elephant show when we entered the zoo. Then when we got to the tiger he decided to come right up to the glass and cool off in his pool. We enjoyed a few hours there and got to go to yet another zoo. Add one more to the list.

A very pregnant goat trying to stay cool...

This elephant was fun to watch...

This poor tiger was trying to cool off...

The penguin family... Grammy, Lauren, Ashley, and Pop-Pop

This lion was absolutely gorgeous...

Strong Museum of Play...

2008-07-19T11:15:00.004-04:00

Another highlight of going to Aunt Jen and Uncle Tom's is going to the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester. It is a huge museum designed for kids to play and and have lots of fun. It would be considered like a Discovery Center. They have a large Wegmans grocery store where the kids can grab a shopping cart and shop til they drop. Then they have cash registers set up so that they actually scan the items and print a receipt. That is the girls favorite part of the whole museum. They also added this year a two whole rooms with just things from the Clifford story books and the Berenstain Bears books. The girls enjoyed playing like they were Farmer Ben running his farm and fruit stand. They also enjoyed selling mama bears quilts. We then took pics with Clifford and all his buddies. The girls also enjoy the room that is set up to be back in the old days. They cooked for Uncle Tom and Aunt Jen and they ironed. I like it because it gives them a hands on feel to see what it was like in the old days when they had very little. They were amazed at the stove and the iron. The other section that the girls always enjoy is the room where you are on Sesame Street. There they can sit in Big Birds nest, count with The Count, and play with Elmo. Here are a few of the pics I got at the museum. I hope you enjoy.

Aunt Jen checking Ashley out at the "Wegmans" Grocery store...

Uncle Tom checking Lauren out at the store...

Ashley and Lauren with the Berenstain Bears...

Ashley and Lauren sitting on the steps of Sesame Street...

The girls with Clifford and Emily Elizabeth...

Lauren serving Uncle Tom and Aunt Jen at the "Old Time Home"...

Lauren cooking on an old stove...

Ashley using an old fashioned iron to iron some clothes...

Up, Up and Away Basketball...

2008-07-19T10:39:00.003-04:00

Now that we are back to civilization and have a computer to use I can tell you more about our vacation. While we were still at Jen and Tom's house the girls played basketball for the first time, that I can think of. They had so much fun trying to make a basket. We eventually all played "Horse" and the girls did really well. Uncle Tom finally ended up winning after a long hard battle for first between him and I.

Ashley I think it might go in...

Lauren I think you just missed it...

Zoorific...

2008-07-12T10:01:00.005-04:00

The Lioness kept pacing around her cage...

The polar bears enjoying their lunch...

Ashley and Lauren with the big polar bear. Don't eat us!!!

Uncle Tom, Ashley, Lauren, and Aunt Jen...

Ashley "Turtle"

Well, the adventure continues with a trip to the zoo. Jen and Tom took us to the zoo in Rochester. It is a small zoo, but they have it set up very nice and they have some nice animals. The girls had alot of fun watching the polar bears, lion, and the monkeys. My favorite was the elephant. He had hay to eat on the floor of the elephant house, but he was not the least bit interested in it. He kept using his trunk to get the hay hanging from the ceiling. It was so fun watching him. We commented that he had to be very thirsty.

A Stop At Lake Erie...

2008-07-11T15:44:00.003-04:00

Now that I have my pictures downloaded on their computer I can show you the pictures from our stop at Lake Erie. First of all I have to thank my wonderful in-laws for bringing the girls and I all the way to New York. They are the greatest. On our way to my sisters we were early and we would have beat her home, so we stopped at the Dunkirk Exit off of I 90 in New York. There was a historical lighthouse there that we had read about and we wanted to check it out. But, when we got there it cost $6.00 a piece to get in, so we decided to skip that. Instead I got as close to the fence as I dared and took a picture of it. The lake was absolutely gorgeous and it cooled us down, since the air conditioning in their van quit on the way. We did go to the Board Walk and got something to eat. We also drove through a little park and took some pics. It was a beautiful sight and we sure enjoyed ourselves.

Lake Erie

The Historical Lighthouse in Dunkirk.

Ashley and Lauren at the Boardwalk

Mom-Mom and her girls enjoying the lake

Hibachi...

2008-07-11T10:55:00.003-04:00

After Jen and Tom took us to the pottery place they wanted to take the girls to a Japanese Restaurant and watch them cook the food in front of us. The guy was very entertaining. He juggled the eggs with his spatula, built a volcano out of an onion, and twirled his utensils. The girls loved it except when he caught the volcano on fire. They both jumped up from their seats. The food was very good, especially the rice and chicken. It was quite entertaining to watch the girls try to use chopsticks. Here are a couple of pics of the chef.

Enjoying Pottery...

2008-07-11T10:32:00.004-04:00

Every summer my wonderful husband lets the girls and I (since he cant, because of work,etc...) go on a two week vacation to visit my family. This year we came to my sister Jens first. Every time we come she tries to have something fun for the girls to do. This time she took us to a place called "Color Me Mine." It is a cool place. You go in and pick a piece of pottery that you want to paint and design. You then spend the time painting and coming up with a design all your own. After you have your work of art, you leave it there and they fire it for you. You get to pick it up one week later. I made a pretty chip and dip bowl (sunflowers of course) and the girls made pretty little figurines. These are the pics we took of the girls. They both did a great job and had so much fun.

Lauren painting her fairy.

Ashley painting her "treasures bowl"

Lauren concentrating...

Ashley making sure she got it all painted.

Traveling Fun...

2008-07-01T11:23:00.006-04:00

This weekend the girls and I went to Maryland with my in-laws. We went for Paul's family reunion. We had a great time at the reunion, it was just sooooo... hot. We had lots of good food, a children's auction, an adult auction, and childrens games. There were 70 of us there. That was on Saturday. On Sunday we went to church in the morning (there was no evening service) and just hung out the rest of the day. Around dusk we started getting bored, of the hotel, so we decided to go for "A Sunday Evening Drive." We drove all over the place looking at their old houses, and things of interest. We finally decided to go to Dorsey Road and watch the planes go over. It is a place where the planes go over the road right before they land. Needless to say, when you drive by you feel like the plane is going to land on your car. We took some pics of the girls watching the planes, and tried to capture how close the planes really are to the ground. As we were about to leave Dorsey Rd., we found out that a local church was having free fireworks at 9:30 so we went over there and saw the beautiful fireworks display. It was a nice relaxing weekend.

The girls between watching planes.

Happy Father's Day...

2008-06-15T14:00:00.001-04:00

I wanted to say Happy Father's Day to the man I love. You are a wonderful father and I love you very much. I can't believe it has been almost 13 yrs. It seems like just yesterday you were barking to get my attention at PVBI. Here are some of the pictures of you and the girls and dad from today... Ashley, Paul, and Lauren

Ashley, Paul, and Lauren in front of the flowers

Paul and the girls helping with the special at church.

Paul and his dad showing off their new ties.

A Tribute to our Dads...

2008-06-14T23:09:00.026-04:00

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank our dads for being who they are.

I couldn't ask for a better dad. He has always been there for me, to listen or give advice. He has always been there when I fall, to help pick me up. He has always been there when I call and say "Dad, I need some advice or Dad, how would you fix??? or Dad, Our car is doing this ??? what would it be???" He has always been a loving dad. He is a wonderful Pop-Pop. Thank you dad for just being you. I love you more than words can say.

Then, to my father-in-law I would like to say thank you for always being there for me. You have accepted me right in to the family as a daughter you never had. I love your quiet ways about you, your silly little laugh, and your sweet spirit. I love like you like a dad, not a father-in-law. Our girls think you are great. Thank you for being you!

Dads, we love you. Keep up the good work. You're the best!!!

My wonderful dad, Roger.

My great father-in-law, Ken.

EBAY

2008-06-12T03:16:00.001-04:00

Update..

2008-06-06T17:20:00.002-04:00

Check out the recital post.

I have gone back and added the videos of them playing.

Facing your biggest fear...

2008-06-06T13:32:00.004-04:00

This morning Paul got up to mow the church lawn. All was going well, until he ran over a wire of some sort. He proceeded to come by the house with the mower to see if I could help him, and that is when he saw it. Yes, it was a huge 4-5 foot Black Snake, right on our patio. Well, if you know Paul, he is petrified of snakes. He will literally run the other direction. This time though, he had to step up to the plate, and take care of it. He ran to the shed and got a cinder block, a hoe, and a shovel. He started by throwing the cinder block at it but he was so scared that he totally missed. By then the snake was over by our door. So, Paul snuck up behind it and started furiously hitting it with the hoe. He hit it over and over again, until he thought it was dead. But, it was playing dead. So we dropped the block on it again. He finally got it so he could carry it over to the field. By the time he was done with that disaster he was worn out!!!! Our patio, where the snake was basking in the sun!!

Piano Recital...

2008-06-03T21:12:00.019-04:00

Tonight the girls had their recital for piano. They both played two songs, and they did a very good job!!! Here are some pictures and videos of the girls. Enjoy the recital!!

The girls with their teacher, Mrs. Rita Moore.

Ashley ready to play!

Lauren all set to go at it!

Favorite pastimes...

2008-06-02T21:49:00.016-04:00

. We enjoy sitting on our swing watching the birds
Just some of the beautiful petunias I planted.
I started this strawberry patch last spring with just
4 little plants. This year we have had a ton of juicy sweet strawberries.
Some more of my pretty petunias.
This is the Shasta Daisy plant my girls got me for mothers day.

Prayer request...

2008-06-02T21:23:00.007-04:00

As many of you know, or maybe you didn't, we are homeschooling now. Well, tomorrow is a big prayer request day. Our homeschool group is having a big curriculum sale. We have a bunch of curriculum, and we are praying that we make enough money on the sale that we can cover the cost for our next years curriculum we need. Help us pray that we can do that. We need to make about $700.00. If we could sell everything we could make over $800.00. So you prayer warriors out their start praying!!!!
P.S. Check out our blog from when Paul got hurt. I added a picture of him in that silly sling.

Retagged with Paul's Information...

2008-05-23T15:27:00.002-04:00

What I was doing ten years ago: I was living in Marion, Indiana, working at the Grant County Rescue Mission as the assistant director.
Five things on my to-do list today:
1. travel from Virginia back home (spent week with Mom & Dad in NJ)
2. check email since gone all week
3. put items on EBAY (books mostly)
4. unpack luggage
5. check mail
Five snacks that I enjoy:
1. popcorn
2. pretzels
3. raw vegetables
4. fresh fruit
5. Chinese restaurant
Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. pay tithe
2. pay off debt
3. invest in a home of our own
4. donate money to our church
5. finally keep a savings account open
Three of my bad habits:
1. biting my nails
2. worrying
3. piling up paperwork
Five places I have lived:
1. Glen Burnie, MD (born at hospital in Baltimore, MD)
2. Pasadena, MD
3. Penns Creek, PA (PVBI)
4. Marion, IN (Grant County Rescue Mission)
5. Pell City, AL (Pell City Bible Methodist School)
6. Now in Iva, SC (Pastor of Trinity Bible Church)
Jobs I have had:
1. Servicemaster cleaning company
2. Veterinarian tech/asst
3. Stuffed animal store
4. Weis Supermarket (3rd shift paper aisle stacker)
5. Teacher at Bible Methodist Christian School (Jr. High & Sr. High)
6. Assistant Director at a rescue mission
7. Wendy's (hamburger flipper)

Cooking 101...

2008-05-23T15:06:00.028-04:00

Today we were in the kitchen learning how to cook, and how to recognize measurements for school. We had so much fun, even if it was study time. Tonight is ladies night for church, and I had to make Baked Beans, so I had the girls help for a good cooking lesson. I had them finding the right measuring cups, measuring ingredients, and stirring it all together.

Here Ashley is cutting up the bacon for
the beans. Be Careful!!! You don't want to cut
yourself.

Here Lauren is chopping the onions
for the beans. "Mom these stink!!!"

Lauren is mixing all the ingredients
together.

We had some bacon left over, so,
Ashley decided to make us some
scrambled eggs.

Lauren opened the oven...

and Ashley, put them in.

Faith got me... I've been tagged!!!

2008-05-20T18:35:00.011-04:00

RULES: Answer the questions about yourself. At the end of your post, tag 5 people by posting their names, then go to each of their blogs and post this comment: "You've been tagged! Come to my blog for the details."

What I was doing ten years ago:
Ten years ago I was living in Marion, IN, teaching in a small ACE school, while living at the Grant County Rescue Mission. My husband was the assistant director.

Five things on my to-do list today:
1. go to the bank
2. vacuum basement
3. teach girls their daily lessons
4. go get groceries
5. water flowers

Five snacks that I enjoy:
1. chocolate of any kind
2. popcorn
3. fresh fruit
4. Sun Chips ( harvest cheddar flavor)
5. ice cream

Five things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. pay tithe
2. pay off debt
3. invest in a home of our own
4. donate money to missions
5. put money aside for our girls tuition for college

Three of my bad habits:
1. biting my nails when nervous
2. eating when stressed
3. spend too uch money eating out

Five places I have lived:
1. Owego, NY
2. Windsor, NY
3. Penns Creek, PA
4. Marion, IN
5. Pell City, AL
6. Now I live in Iva, SC

Five jobs I have had:
1. lawn mowing during the summer in high school
2. dishwasher at a resort in Deposit,NY
3. cashier at a stuffed animal store
4. assistant manager of rescue mission thrift store
5. teacher at Bible Methodist Christian School

Five bloggers I want to know more about:
1. Julie Schultz
2. Crystal Mason
3. Alanna McIntire
I can't think of anyone else. I am still new to this whole blogging idea.

** Paul was tagged too, but you will have to wait on his, he is out of town for the week.

Aren't God's people good????

2008-05-20T12:48:00.005-04:00

I woke up this morning to the sound of a lawn mower. Which at first sounded funny to me because if you read my last blog, you will know that Paul dislocated his shoulder on Sat. After that he could not mow. Plus he is also gone to New Jersey this week with his parents to see his aunt who has been very sick. So needless to say I wasn't quite sure where the mower was at. When I looked out the window I had an "angel" in my yard mowing. A little later that "angel" turned into three "angels." Below you will see the pictures of a family, from our church, who came to mow the lawn for us. They knew Paul was hurt and I couldn't possibly mow 6 acres by myself, so they "stepped-up-to-bat." Like I said "Aren't God's people Good?"

"Uncle" Joe cruising along

Thomas geting rid of the weeds

"Aunt" Emma cruising

Things don't always go as planned...

2008-05-19T16:40:00.003-04:00

Saturday started out just like any ordinary day, but soon changed quickly. I got up and did some laundry, put some things away, etc., my mother-in-law dropped the girls off ( they had spent the night at her house) and Paul was doing some trim mowing with the push mower. Then as I was hanging my last load of laundry on the line, I heard these heart wrenching screams. I looked down toward the Fellowship hall and saw Paul on the ground with the mower rolling down the hill. Now what would your first thoughts be???? I thought he had cut a foot, leg, or hand off. I took off running (talk about the blood pressure rising) and got there to find that his shoulder was completely dislocated. I have to admit I was somewhat relieved. For, you see, his arm use to come out all the time, years ago. Well, we had to take a trip to the emergency room this time. The doctor informed us that when his arm use to pop out, it couldn't have come out all the way because he could never have gotten it back in by himself. They finally got his arm back in and now he has to wear this weird sling for two weeks. Needless to say the whole day was shot. But,
thank the Lord it wasn't any worse.
.

Homeschool Fun

2008-05-16T21:31:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know we are homeschooling this year. We have gone on several field trips. We have had a lot of fun. A few weeks ago we went to Hollywild. It is a zoo where the animals are used in movies and commercials. They can also just be rescued animals. The best part of that day was the safari ride. We actually got to feed the animals, right up close. We have also gone to the local library. There the librarian gave the girls a great tour. She let them check books in and out, find books in the card catalog, and find books on the shelf. Thanks Miss Debbie!!!!!! Here are some of our field trip pictures.

Here Ashley is feeding
the pygmie goats.

Here Lauren is taking her turn
at feeding the goats.

Miss Debbie giving the girls a
tour of the library.

Here We Goooooo....

2008-05-16T16:45:00.000-04:00

We have been looking at everyones blogs and have wondered how it's done. Well, we got adventurous and tried this all on our own. Be prepared for more to come. Right now I am on the laptop and cannot access any pictures so you will have to settle for "plain jane" for now.