My Trip

This post is over due, but better late then never! Maybe. =)

"More than half the pleasure of going is in the return, as any traveler knows. To go, to see the far place, the place beyond the horizon, is exciting; but to return is satysfying as few other things can ever be. To know after absence the familiar street and road and village and house is to know again the satisfaction of home. ...And that is the final satisfaction of a trip, whether it is a vacation or just a journey - the return itself. The homecoming. The trip back, and the home at the end. To go is good but to come back is best." -Hal Borland

Some of you know (and others do not ) that I had the opprotunity to be a "nanny" for a family and was out of town for four days. The trip was good, but in the words of Hal Borland, "but to come back is best."

I went with a fun, Christian family to a homeschool conference, to help watch their four children. Nick-named by the mom, Big-Big, Big-Middle, Little-Middle, and Little-Little. I though it was cute too! And if you wonder what they will do if they get five the mama has kindly commented informing me us! =)

Big-Middle, Little-Middle and I were running through the water.

 Sam made me take the camera and also made it very clear that I was supposed to use the camera while I was gone. I didn't take any picture at the homeschool conference, because I was busiest there, but I got some photos while the family and I were at the resort.

These are the two big slides that were at the resort we stayed at.

 It was so nice to finally swim this Summer! When we moved to our new house we lost access to any pools, and I'd been dying for a swim (so much that I told everyone I know who owns a pool how much I missed swimming with the hopes that I might get invited to swim at their house! haha)

A picture of yours truly going down the slide. Courtesy of my employer, a.k.a. the mom who's kids I watched.

 One slide went pretty fast, and that one was a lot of fun.

Form left to right: Little-Middle, Big-Big, Myself, and Big-Middle

 The children were very well behaved and a lot of fun to be with. Big-Big was happy to call me "sister" for those four days and told me if anyone asked if we were sisters I should just say yes so that I wouldn't have to spend all that time explaining who I was and why I was with them. In the end I wasn't mistaken for their sister as much as I was mistaken for their mother.

Big-Big, Big-Middle, Little-Middle, Myself

 When I came back home my entire family came to pick me up and they had made cute signs for me which they posted on the front door. I love them so much!

Prayer for Today - by Hilda Butler Farr

I only ask

That home shall be

A place where loved ones

Come to rest;

Where peace abides

And faith exists

Somehow because

I did my best.

Tomorrow -

It may never come -

And consequently I do pray

That I may have

Enough strength

To serve the ones

I love today.

Happy Birthday, Sam!

Counting the years you've been alive, and thankful for every one of them!

Counting all the blessings you have brought to our family, and just to me personally, would be impossible.

Sam is serious, responsible, and sensible. She is trustworthy and reliable. Her practical and realistic approach brings a much needed balance to the un-orderliness that comes from some of our family. =)

Though expressed in a calm facade, she has very strong beliefs that are steadfast when others might doubt.

She gives constantly but is often unnoticed because of her quiet personality. She is a young woman of beauty, but it is her hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, that is most admirable.

I'm so blessed to have such a sister!

I love you, Sam! Happy birthday!

Sam, wanted me to share a list of some famous poeple who share her August 19th birthday.

If you don't recognize the name that's okay, I wrote who they are in (brackets).

Lil' Romeo (a hip hop rapper)

Bill Clinton (42nd US President)

Tipper Gore (author, Al Gore's wife)

Johnny Nash (Singer, best known for "I Can See Clearly Now")

Fred Thompson (American politician and actor)

Kyra Sedgwick (American actress who stars in The Closer)

John Stamos (American actor who starred as Jesse Katsopolis Full House)

William T Riker (Character on Star Trek Next Generation)

Gene Roddenbury (creator of Star Trek)

A garlic-bacon-chocolate-chip cookie

Sounds lovely, right? I didn't think so either. But Clarisa bought one...of course it was hard to avoid garlic seeing as how we were at the garlic fest. Maybe I should have mentioned that earlier and the cookie would have made more sense. Okay, it wouldn't have.

In the car on the way to two places: a local orchard for peach and apple picking and a garlic festival. Pictures are really small because they were all taking on Dad's smartphone and we aren't techy enough to know how to enlarge them without ruining them.

Risa picking peaches.

On a big rock.

Jack...the faces he makes =D

So that was our Saturday...but I have to go now so we can shut off the computer. Sorry there wasn't a whole lot to say. Maybe if Momo or Risa posted next it would be more entertaining...don't you think? *hint hint to M and R*

Sam

P.S. THe cookie tasted exactly like it sounded. Yup.

SquiRe's News!

Last week SquiRe walked out of Mom and Dad's room with a glowing smile. He declared to us some news that made us all beam too: "I am a Christian!"

"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents." (Luke 15:10)

I am so glad to have, what SquiRe calls "a double brother". Not only is he my brother in this life, but infinitely more wonderful is that he will be my brother in the life to come!

Praising God,
Ashlin

"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time," (1 Timothy 2:3-6)

Chichins and Roosoos

Even though he says, "No." he means, "Yes!"

And it's true. All the sudden we have ten of them. Six chickens and four roosoos--um, I mean roosters. I know, way to many roosters.

Isn't she so funny looking?

So far that ^ is the only one we have good pics of.

"She's right behind me, isn't she?"

A little bit of sun during a rain streak.

The chickens came much sooner than we expected, in fact we didn't have much time to expect them at all. A neighboor called saying he wanted to get rid of his chickens and could he bring them by right now? So here we are working on the chicken coop.

He wanted to help.

Letting in some sunlight.

Caught you on camera, Risa! Ha!

So there you have it. Soon to come: a post with more chick-pics and their names as well as pictures from Momo's time out of town.

-Sam

Riddles!

The answer is:Whale "So get your Bible and read with care; You'll find my name recorded there." Genesis 1:21 Ezekial 32:2 Job 7:12 Matthew 12:40 If not all of the lines in the poemmade sense to you I've given the explaination in red. "God made Adam out of the dust, But thought it best to make me first; So I was made before the man, According to God's Holy plan. " Swimming creatures were made on the 5th day. Adam was made on day #6. "Later, for a purpose God did see, He placed a living soul in me. But that soul in me God chose to claim, And from me took it back again." Jonah "Without arms, legs, feet, or soul, I travel on from pole to pole." Whales are long-distance travelers "I labor hours by day, by night to follow man to give him light. Thousands of people, young and old, will by my death great light behold." Whale oil burns very nicely in many lamps. But the whale must be killed to get the oil. Mr. D did pretty well solving that riddle so quickly! My hat goes off to him. =)     Risa made some riddles for us, and solving them was a really fun game. I'll share them with you, since those who so kindly commented said they enjoyed riddles. You could use these for family game night. Maybe you'll have fun racing your family members and seeing who can figure out the most.    The rules: Replace the underlined word with a "body part" word. For example: Macaroni noodle. Would be Elbow noodle. And, Me, Myself and Myself. Would be Me, Myself and Eye. Get it?   Splurge not, want not.   Intelligence or brawn?   No deciet about it.   Stop, Spot!   Cool and happenin'!   The game is begun! The Tortoise and the Rabbit Get to the main part of a matter. The disciples plucked the spikes of grain. Kill the fatted baby cow. The penalty is 50 strokes of the whip. The mice run down the front of the clock. He has a thick outer covering.  Don't kick the supports of the table!                                      Would you give me some help? Do you like tropical trees? Everyone is certain that cockroaches are evil. How many numbers are there?                                                 Get weapons for yourselves, men! Meet me at the start of the river. They are two cars in front of us. We had to pull the trailer. How did you get the boat through the thin part of the bottle?      She's so proud, I don't think I can handle it!                        What is in your treasure box? Baby-back meat is so messy! The edge of the book was worn and creased. Be sure to clean the rim of the jar.                                           　 　 "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter." ~ Proverbs 25:2 ~ Hope you enjoy! ~Ashlin